Sunday, February 21, 2010

Transportation


Transportation, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

Here's a great reason why having a cheap and cheerful 2nd camera is really handy. I was out on a social shoot with the people in the car in front and the scene just struck me as worthy of capturing. So I just wrapped the strap around my arm, stuck it out and fired.

I quite like the outcome.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Google Ads - WTF

As a side point, I was unsure of taking Google Ads but I figured what the hell, yu never no, I might make a buck. I'm told they are "context sensitive" so if the blog is most about - say - photography, the ads would reflect that.

So where the hell are these latest ads for a dating site coming from?

Sigma is challenging the big boys

For so long Sigma lenses have been seen as something of a cheap and nasty option to the offerings of the main players. Sure they has the "EX" line and a few good pieces of glass but, really, they werent what "serious" photographers used.

Well it seems that Sigma has had enough of that an is determined to stake a claim as a serious competitor to the OEMs.

This PMA (Feb 2010) has seen the latest (and perhaps the most convincing) barrage of new Sigma lenses. These include an 85 1.4, super-ultra wide 8-16mm zoom, a big re-vamp of the 70-200 2.8 with new glass (FLD - more on that later) and IS/VR and the release of a couple of old favorites with IS/VR.

And, not content with simply putting out new lenses, Sigma is pushing into the realms of the OEM further with advances in exotic glass elements with the advent of the new low dispersion glass with the FLD elements.

Heady days indeed and great news for us.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

I've hit 100,000 views


PMac Imagery flickr-06638, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

My flickr stream hit 100,000 view sometime yesterday and I chosen to think that this image was the one that took me there. Why? Because its an image that speaks to me right now.

In his book "The Architecture of Happiness" Alain de Botton quotes Stendhal saying that "Beauty is the promise of happiness". He then further extends this with the proposition that often we will therefore be attracted to things that we feel are missing from our lives (or our selves).

This image is just one recent example of this for me. As my life at work is becoming more and more complex and stressful I'm finding more solace in simple, clean, soothing shots such as this.