85mm F:1.2

[Just a little post for the camera geeks here. Booooring.]

This god-awful picture is a test of the Canon 85mm F:1.2 lens, which is a portrait-lens the size of a grapefruit and three times as heavy. This is because F:1.2 is an exceptionally wide aperture, meaning the lens is "fast", it takes in a lot of light at once, good for low-light and also is good for very blurred backgrounds when needed.
Those in the know will know that fast lenses are usually not very sharp at full opening. It's just a fact we have learned to accept. It's generally even true for expensive lenses.
But this is an exception. The picture is taken at full opening, 1.2. As you can see, even at a distance of what, 60 meters, the "depth of field" is very narrow, meaning only the object you focus on is sharp, nothing behind or in front. (This is also how you can see it's taken at full opening.) But I focused on the fence behind the lamp, and look at the fence and the bushes in the focal plane. What detail! This lens is superbly sharp, even at full aperture.

(Click for larger versions. After doing so, the cropped version is viewed at "100%", meaning pixel for pixel like from the camera.) (The photo had a slight "sharpening" in Photoshop. You may be aware that this actually does not bring out more detail, it merely enhances edge contrast.)

Below is from the edge of the frame. Not a lot of difference from the center, also impressive.

Breathing

If you're the type of person who is interested in spirituality and emotional energy and such stuff, you might like this post on my spirituality blog "Power Of Source".

Mike is back

Mike is back from vacation. I miss his blog when he's gone, I don't know any better blog than The Online Photographer.

The Loop, TV comedy

The Loop, sitcom. One of those positive surprises you find sometimes. I think it's very funny. Lovely girls too, including Mimi Rogers as a mature-but-hot, saucy, racy, sharp executive who is always borderline sexually harassing the hero ("do you want to see how many times 24 goes into 48?"), but I don't think he minds.
A pity it lasted only for two short seasons. I hope at least they'll release season two also.

Safari photos

A reader mailed me and told me he is going on African safari for the first time, and did I have any tips for photographing. He says his camera is a Pentax M30, a typical compact camera with a 3x zoom.

I told him:
David, honestly I don't think that'll get you very far. The animals are usually too far away, they'll be small dots on your pictures.

Ideally you'd have professional gear, but that weighs many kilos and *costs* many kilos! (Really, the kind of lens sports photographers use easily costs over five grand.)

What you might consider is something reasonable, like what I have on my desk here: a Canon 500D with the tele-zoom consumer lens 55-250mm (stabilized). Get the kit lens (18-55mm) also for closer work, it's cheap and excellent (it probably comes with the camera).

It's a step up from a compact, but if you like photographing, you'll love a camera like this, I promise.
I've not been on safari, but perhaps you'd want to wrap the camera/lens in a plastic bag, it probably gets rather dusty. You'd better Google safari photography for beginners.

On giving compliments (updated 2)

I've just added an important update to yesterday's DOMAI newsletter, about giving compliments to help women appreciate their beauty. (Hint: easy does it.)
It was actually something I almost wrote Thursday when editing the newsletter, but decided it was not necessary. But then I got a letter today (also added) which convinced me it was.

Update: one of the many excellent comments:

I am no longer a young man according to the calendar. At 65 my spirit seems to think I am 21.

There was a time I was unable to give a compliment to a member of the fairer sex for fear of the very thing being discussed here. Problem was I always interpreted it as personal rejection, not a normal response to genuine appreciation of beauty.

I now know both are wrong. As Eolake has pointed out the answer lies in method of delivery. A more indirect compliment is easier for American women to accept. I surmise they all want complements but are conditioned to question the authenticity of them.

A case in point. Several months ago I was standing in line at the bank waiting for a teller to be available. A young girl about 6 was playing tag or something with a young boy and as she ran under the guide rope she tripped and fell at my feet after hitting headlong into my knees. She immediately started crying and I bent and picked her up putting her on her feet. The crying continued but softened some. About this time her mother got to us and took the little girl by the hand. She told her daughter to thank the nice man for helping her up. Through soft sobs the girl said thank you. I said your welcome. Then I added you don't want to cry anymore. You are a beautiful young lady just like your mommy and crying makes funny lines on your face. That got me a slight smile and I said that's better now you are just as pretty as your mommy is. She looked up at her mother and they smiled at each other.

They returned to their place in line after "mommy" and I exchanged smiles and a little thank you was offered.

A couple weeks later standing in the same line the woman I now know as Judy left her place in line and came back to where I was. She again thanked me for my help. I told her it was the least I could do for two such lovely ladies. Her smile warmed my soul.

So now I have a friend in the bank line whenever we happen to be there at the same time.

A friendly smile and a soft compliment is something that will more often than not get at least a smile in return.

Greg
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Benjamin said, in part:

I've found that giving a compliment in the middle of a broader conversation, matter-of-fact, withough breaking stride, helps. Removing the implied expectation that she immediately respond takes away the awkward moment.

I find that very interesting. It is true that a big part of the problem for the receiver is how to respond to a compliment. "Thanks" will usually do it, but most people don't think about that, they feel pressured to join with a comment on the subject, and they can't, because the subject is themselves!

So, maybe: "I'm buying flowers for my sister. She's a beautiful woman like yourself, what do you think would be a fitting flower for a birthday present?"

"Lunch" network

I've been invited (by one of the founders I think) to join the "Lunch" network. Anybody familiar with it?
I'm not terribly interested in Facebook or Myspace, but this might be different.

Small Canons

I'm not the only one in love with the small Canon pocket cameras. They have amazing picture quality and yet are no larger than some mobile phones.
Taken with one:

Pressure sensitive keyboard

3D printing, now in steel

3D printing, now in steel, post. Kewl.

What I like

I've realized that what I love the most on Earth is beautiful women and good coffee.
And cameras.
Maybe I should open a high-quality coffeeshop with pretty waitresses dresses in the legal minimum. And rent out cameras to customers to photograph the waitresses and sell them prints for a buck a piece. (They'll show the prints to friends, who'll then come to the coffeehouse.)

Actually years back in Copenhagen, a really nice high-end burger restaurant started up which had uniforms for the waitresses with super-mini-skirts. It was heavenly.
Later they changed it to leggings, and when I asked why, it was because some of the waitresses got fed up with customers trying to see up their skirts.
Isn't it silly? A look does not hurt. So hire some waitresses who like being looked at. A good view is a premium quality for a restaurant, and that includes the internal view. I'm perfectly willing to pay a couple bucks extra to be served by scantily clad gorgeous waitresses. (And if they are pleasant too, they'll earn really good tips.)

Probably Copenhagen wouldn't be the best place for it though. For one thing it's cold half the year, and for another, feminism is strong in Denmark, sadly. Even if you get the perfect staff, there's bound to be public protests about how the place "degrades women". A Mediterranean city would probably be a better bet.
(I suppose we'd have to throw in a couple of hunks in shorts and half-open shirts.)

A lens primer

A lens primer article. Pretty informative for beginners unfamiliar with exchangeable lenses.
Though a bit imprecise that he consistently uses the term "entry-level" for a reduced-frame (APS-C) camera (Nikon D90, Canon 50D etc), and "pro-level" for a full frame camera (Canon 5D, Nikon D700 etc). True, the size of the sensor is roughly related to the level and price, but these are not official terms, and for example the Nikon D300 is definitely a pro-level camera even though it has a reduced frame sensor.

Here's another good basic article on what lenses are.