New Toys, New Hobbies
Feb 6th
I have a new toy! Like I had been talking about for a week…this morning I went out and actually bought myself a DSLR. Specifically A Nikon D3000:
Nikon D3000
Had to take that picture with my point and shoot. But there it is! 70% of my tax refund! Before I get into the camera, I need to plug the place I bought it from because they’re totally awesome.
The place: Danella Photographic in New Hartford. They’re a specialty camera store, locally run. I went in there and talked to the guy at the counter, explaining what I was trying to do and what I needed the camera for. I mentioned that I was looking at the D3000 and he brought one out for me to play with. He spent the next 45 minutes to an hour showing me how to use the camera and gave me a basic lesson in the more advanced Photography, including some very helpful tips and tricks for how to get some good results. He said once I take some shots and get comfortable with the camera that I can bring some in and he’d take a look at them and give me some advice, as well as go over some of the more advanced functions. He remembered Wassy from when she was in there a couple weeks ago too.
The camera cost me $100 more than it would have if I went over to Best Buy and picked one up. But nobody at Best Buy is going to be spending an hour walking me through it.
When I got home, it turned out that I was REALLY lucky with the lighting outdoors. I went out to see what I could do and get some practice in around the apartment complex. We have this nice little section of woods behind our building with a creek running through and everything. Wassy went down there last weekend in the morning and picked up some amazing shots, so I headed down there this afternoon to see what I could find. I managed to snap a couple of decent shots, I think (out of the 75 or so pictures I took down there). It was hard to see what I was taking on the LCD screen since it was so sunny out, but I was trying to experiment with the various settings.
As it turns out, the second picture down here is almost exactly the same as one of the ones Wassy took. I managed to find the exact same bit of plant and snap a picture in the exact same way. The only difference was in the lighting the fact that hers was frost covered. Freaky. Here’s some of what I got:
Really excited to have a new hobby to pursue. Especially one that’s in more of the creative space. And I’m REALLY happy with the camera. I was hoping they would have something used, but Wassy nabbed the one used one they had in the price range I was looking for, so I went with the D3000 (the slightly upgraded version of the D60).
Looking forward to seeing where this all takes me, and I’m very thankful to Wassy for getting me to consider these sorts of activities as something I might actually be able to do (after I convinced myself that I couldn’t) last June. I’m happy that I’m learning and doing something productive with my free time. Like I said earlier in the week, it just feels satisfying.
I need to take some shots for my Digital Imaging project tomorrow, so I’ll get another chance to play around and try out various things.
Inveitability
Feb 5th
So yeah, I’ve pretty much decided I’m going to pull the trigger on the DSLR purchase. The most likely suspect is a Nikon D3000 (See right), but I’m going to run over to the local specialist store this weekend to ask around, see what they might recommend. That’s where Wassy got hers and they really know what they’re doing over there it sounds like.
I’m still a bit… apprehensive, I guess would be the correct term about dropping that much money on something. But I wasn’t planning on having the money available to me anyway, and I’m tired of coming up with excuses for why I can’t pursue something that I might enjoy.
Ever since I got my little point and shoot I’ve taken an interest in photography. Even managed to get some pretty decent shots (like the one to the right). But after seeing how much of a different a DSLR makes even if you’re just a beginner…well, I’m interested and I think I could become pretty decent at it if I keep going.
It’d be a great complement to my newfound interest in graphic design and a big help in my current classes.
So I think I’m gonna go for it now that I have the resources available to me to drop the cash. I’ve just been feeling really…satisfied with how I’ve been spending my free time. More than I have been in a while, and I want to keep exploring down this road. See where it leads. I think it’s a very worthwhile investment.
I’ll post an update on how things went later.
Book 6: Mass Effect: Revelation
Feb 4th
Title: Mass Effect: Revelation
Author: Drew Karpyshyn
Genre: Science Fiction/Video Game Book
Pages: 336
Summary
The prequel to the video game Mass Effect, this book deals with the events directly leading into the story of the game. David Anderson is tasked with finding our what happened to one of Humanity’s research stations. On the way he meets up with the Turian Specter Saren.
Notes
Here’s the second video game novel that I’ve read recently, the first being the Dragon Age: Origin novel. I’ve got some mixed feelings about this one. From the perspective of a novel designed to give out background information on the story of a video game, this novel excels. The story is interesting (for somebody who knows the events that happened in the game) and learning how Saren got to the point where he was in the game is cool.
As a stand alone novel, however, it falls a bit short. The story is presented well, but the characters never seem to develop their own voices. Especially the various aliens. In the game, each alien species has it’s own mannerisms and phrasing which help make them feel more diversified. This book, could have just as well been a bunch of humans wandering around talking to each other. Every character feels the exact same, and there’s very little actual character development over the course of the story.
It relays the events well, but doesn’t make me care about the characters.
Next Book
I’ve decided that I’m going to finally get around to reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman next. After I borrowed Neverwhere from Wassy a while back, I wanted to check out his other writings.
Photoshopping 101
Feb 4th
As mentioned previously, I’m taking another class this semester, Digital Imaging which is basically a Photoshop course focusing on the manipulation of photographs.
I was dreading the first few weeks of this course since I’ve gotten fairly familiar with the basics of Photoshop in the past 6 months of me fiddling around with it. So taking a course explaining what all the selection tools and stuff do…ugh. Not exactly an interesting time in the classroom. The actual instruction has been about what I was dreading when I went in, but I have picked up a few little things that I didn’t know about previously. The teacher is good, thankfully. He’s very knowledgeable and actually excited about photography and image manipulation. And he knows how to teach. He’s a bit of a sticker for rules (no music while working during lab time?? What’s up with that??) but I can live with it.
Our first project is to do a composite image. Basically, we take one photo (the host image) and take elements from other photographs and add them into the first one to create an entirely new image. I was really stuck on an idea for something cool to do (I really didn’t want to just do a boring “take a random image and toss stuff into it” sort of project). Wassy, who was originally taking the course with me but has since dropped due to the demands of the rest of her schedule, mentioned an idea involving a chess board with pictures of monuments that I had from Washington DC. But all of the pictures that I had were from below looking up which wouldn’t work on a chess board at all, so I had to scratch that idea.
I was kinda floundering around again until, the day of class I woke up at roughly 5:30am before my alarm went off but with a cool idea: Two pawns playing chess with a board full of little people. I had to scramble around to get the pictures I needed (and I need to retake my host image because I threw it together fast and didn’t have quite what I was looking for), but I got enough to get the project improved by the instructor.
This course is another reason why I’m considering picking up my own DSLR. It seems like it’s going to require a lot of original photography (especially for the final two projects) and even though I can borrow Wassy’s camera, it’d be really nice to have my own. Especially since some of my shots might require me to travel around a bit and I don’t feel comfortable doing that with her camera (I’m deathly afraid I might break it or something). I’m going to need to take basic photography next semester too…
Whoops, there I go, rationalizing again. Anyway, I’ll post up the finished piece (if it’s not crap anyway) once it gets done.
Book 5: Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne
Feb 3rd
Title: Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne
Author: David Gaider
Pages: 400
Summary
The prequel to the video game Dragon Age: Origins, this book details the struggles of Prince Maric as he tries to gain back his thrown, overthrowing a puppet king placed there by an invading nation.
Notes
Ok. As a rule, I usually don’t generally read video game books. They’re usually not very good at all. Simple stories, so-so writing…sometimes not even really having to do with the game itself. But I’ve made an exception for this book for three reasons
- It’s written by the same guy who wrote the story for the game, so he knows what he’s talking about.
- It’s a BioWare game and they know how to tell a story.
- It came recommended to me by a friend.
So, with that in mind, I picked it up and was pleasantly surprised at just how good it was. David Gaider knows how to tell a compelling story and how to give each character a voice and personality that shines through. I hope he does more writing in the future. The story was interesting, if a bit simplistic, but that can be forgiven.
My major gripe with this book is with the ending. Judging by the exact page count number (400), I have a feeling Tor books was only willing to publish a 400 page book because right around where the climax of the story should be, the book suddenly ends with the equivalent of “And then they won. The end.” There was not climactic final battle against the usurper, no closure to the various romances…nothing. It just ends.
Still a good book, with lots of background for the characters in the game (in particular it was interesting to see how the character of Loghain developed into how he was portrayed in the game) but the ending left me with a “Wha?” sort of feeling.
Next Book
I’m going to be continuing the video game book journey with the less highly regarded Mass Effect: Revelation by Drew Karpyshyn. I’m about 40% of the way through according to my Kindle, and I tend to agree with the general ideas of the reviews. It’s a good story, but very simply written. More on that when I finish.
Book 4: Castle Roogna
Feb 3rd
Title: Castle Roogna
Series: Xanth (Book 3)
Author: Piers Anthony
Pages: 336
Summary
Bink’s son, Dor is sent on a quest to restore the zombie Johnathan to full life again. In the process he travels back in time to the very beginnings of the golden age of Xanth to seek aid of the Zombie Master who was living at the time.
Notes (Minor Spoilers)
As previously mentioned, this is my second read through this book, the third in the Xanth series. It’s probably my favorite of the initial (planned) trillogy of books.
I like the fact that through his adventures in the past, Dor eventually ends up creating many of the strange features of Xanth’s landscape that the characters from earlier books wondered about.
At this point in my book reading, I was starting to get a little burned out by all the puns, so I temporarily diverted myself over to another series to recharge. But I will return back to Xanth soon.
Book 3: Source Of Magic
Feb 3rd
Title: Source Of Magic
Series: Xanth (Book 2)
Author: Piers Anthony
Pages: 336
Summary
Following his quest to prove that he has a magic talent while simultaneously bringing gigantic amounts of change to the world of Xanth, Bink is sent out on another quest to determine the ultimate source of magic. But his efforts are opposed by an unseen enemy that seems bent on stopping him at every turn.
Notes
This is the second book in the Xanth series, so a lot of what I said about the first book earlier still stands. More puns, more adventure, more magic, all just as entertaining as the first book.
Honestly, it seems like the first three books in the series are mostly just setup for the adventures to come, fleshing out the mechanics of the world and building up situations which are then further exploited in the later books.
Book 2: A Spell for Chameleon
Feb 3rd
Title: A Spell for Chameleon
Series: Xanth (Book 1)
Author: Piers Anthony
Pages: 352
Summary
Xanth is an enchanted world where practically everything in it had magic. Names for things are often quite literal. Shoe Trees are trees that grow shoes, for example. In fact, one can find most anything they need growing on a plant. All humans living in Xanth have their own individual magical talents ranging from being able to turn objects different colors to truly fantastic abilities such as transformation and weather control. Everyone except Bink that is. This book deals with his quest to discover exactly what his magical tallent is before he is exiled for not having one.
Notes
I have read this book before, but after reading the Lord of the Rings again, I decided I needed something a little more on the…light side. So I decided to start re-reading the Xanth series. Wassy introduced me to these a while back and I really enjoy them. Puns everywhere! Often times groan worthy puns…but that’s what really makes the flavor of the universe so awesome. They’re quick reads, but very well written and highly entertaining.
Although (at least the early books) they tend to have a bit of a formula to them which makes them tough for me to read in quick succession. I get a little burned out on the puns after 3 or so books, so I ended up taking a break. (The other two books I read will be coming soon…trying to catch up with my book posting)
Decisions, Decisions…
Feb 2nd
It’s that time of year again…tax time. Well, it’s past tax time as I’ve turned in my taxes and now I have my fat refund sitting in my account. I’m kinda torn as to what to do with it this year though.
The most responsible course, probably, would be to save it for future class expenses and the trips that are being planned later this year. This is boring, of course…but…safe.
The second option I’m considering is slightly more frivolous, but not totally wasteful. I’m thinking about picking up an entry level DSLR camera. I will fully admit that this course of action has been influenced by seeing Wassy’s new Nikon D60. But I’ve been getting more and more interested in photography as my experiments in graphic design become more and more involved. I also have to take a couple of photography heavy courses (one of which I’m taking now…which would be Digital Imaging). And after seeing Wassy’s new toy, the limitations of my little point and shoot are becoming readily apparent. I think it’d be a nice compliment to my current set of hobbies to get more into actual photography.
I hesitate though, because it’s a crapton of money spent. Probably a little more than half of my refund this year, to be exact, and I could be saving that money up now for stuff that I know is coming.
Decisions…decisions…
Ok World. Lets Have A Chat About Avatar
Jan 25th
So, over the weekend my friends and I went out to Rochester to see Avatar in IMAX 3D. Note if you have not seen Avatar this post will contain spoilers. So, yeah.
Anyway, I had heard a lot about it (as was inevitable with a movie of this size being released) and the general consensus was that it was a visually stunning movie, with a story that you’ve seen before but that was pretty good anyway. I entered the theater with fairly low expectations (I’m big on story) and left feeling…conflicted.
Lets get the good stuff out of the way first. Visually, the movie is amazing. The CGI is great to the point of it not feeling like CGI. They’ve found a way to solve the “creepy dead eyes” look that CG creatures have had in the past. The world was cool, the concept of a race of people able to link up with every living thing in the forest/jungle/whatever was interesting. This movie should win awards for Visual FX, hands down. Sound, music, editing, all that it definitely deserves awards.
Where it breaks down, though…is in everything else. First of all, lets get the story out of the way. When people say it’s fairly generic, believe them. You have seen this movie before. It’s a composite of every “white man integrates with native people and gets the girl” movie ever made. You’ve got the evil earth corporation who knows what’s best for everybody, the simple native people in tune with nature, the white man who integrates with their society and finds his true love, the fight to save the planet against the marauding human horde. There’s nothing at all original in here.
Even worse than the generic story is the generic characters. The biggest offender is the tough as nails older military commander guy, spouting such lines as “I want this high and tight people. I wanna be home for supper” and “My job is to keep you alive. I will not succeed.” The second biggest would be the hard-ass chief scientist lady, who becomes outraged with any interference by the military in her operation. Or the female badass soldier who decides beating up on the natives isn’t morally right. The corporate manager who only cares about profits. I could keep going on and on. EVERY single character is a stereotype, with absolutely no character development at all.
The story doesn’t even make sense! Humans take control of genetically engineered native-life form impersonators. The natives seem to know what these things are and yet in a span of 3 months they teach this one guy their ways and he becomes like a totally native guy. 3 months? That’s it?? Knowing that he’s a human somewhere controlling an empty body??? And then the humans come to take over, they throw this guy out of their society, but he instantly regains their trust by capturing a gigantic bird thing. No questions asked. He just shows up again and instantly becomes the battle commander. His presence, apparently , suddenly means that the native’s bows and arrows can now shoot through the glass cockpit canopies of the human military ships (even though they couldn’t at an earlier point in the movie). Just..arhhghh!
Also: Unobtanium. Seriously? You couldn’t think of a better name???
I think I would have enjoyed the movie a lot more if it weren’t for two things: First, all of the people out there saying it’s the best movie ever!! I don’t really understand that viewpoint at all. It’s pretty, but it’s relatively empty. Second, it tried to pretend that it WASN’T empty. If this was billed in the same way as, say…Independence Day was…popcorn movie, lots of action and explosions, fun ride for the whole family sort of thing, I’d be less critical of it. Instead it tried so very hard to portray itself as a serious movie, an idea that is totally undermined by the comical character stereotypes.
I don’t regret seeing it at all. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t really enjoy it either.
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