Generally speaking I can’t stand pictures of myself. I have fairly asymmetrical features and am accustomed to my mirror image, so I never feel like photos look like me. I’m also almost always the person behind the camera on any kind of travel or general photo opportunities, so rarely am I captured in photos. For the NOLA/Florida trip, Jer actually brought a camera as well (an Olympus PL2), so for the first time in a long time, there are actually photos of me from the trip.

Here are the best ones: (more…)

I fully subscribe to the theory that good photographers can take a great photo with any camera. I also believe that most of the people who preach that statement tend to have a large collection of amazing cameras and lenses.

About 6 years ago when I was going to art school I started to become interested in photography. At the time DSLRs were relatively new, and being a student, I was poor. I bought a D40X with money from a tax return, and was blown away by the difference between it and my old Kodak point-and shoot. I didn’t buy a kit lens—but I also didn’t buy an expensive one. I knew my limitations. No amount of lens was going to make me not suck as photographer.

Over these past 5 years, I’ve become more comfortable with a camera, and while I’m by no means good, I’m getting to the point where I’m starting to feel limited by my 5 year old entry-level DSLR. The small sensor and pathetic ISO make it very unsuitable for hand-held shooting in low light, as I became painfully aware of when trying to take shots at my friend Kyle’s wedding this past weekend.

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Today I bought a Microsoft Mouse for my MacBook Pro. Why? Because it had a touch scroll. I’ve gotten so used to my Magic Mouse at work that I really can’t give up touch scrolling, and this was the only mouse at London Drugs that had it. One gripe though: they’ve added a vibrate function to the touch scrolling to give the user feedback. GAH. The reason I wanted touch scrolling was to not have that clunky mechanical feel when I scroll. It doesn’t seem to be an option you can turn off either. It’s funny how we’re so adverse to change that we add things back in that aren’t features, just to make them feel familiar.

While I like the gesturing on the Magic Mouse, it creates a frustrating scenario where you accidentally brush your hand just over the mouse and end up shooting across the screen. I also find it has difficulty tracking on vastly different surfaces: my matte black keyboard tray and my light grey formica desktop at work both seem to cause it trouble. I also find the Magic Mouse to be seriously lacking in ergonomics, which has always been a complaint of Apple mice—beautiful form lacking in function. I also have to change the batteries in that thing every two weeks. I have a Logitech mouse at home that I’ve owned for 18 months, and I just changed the batteries for the first time a couple weeks ago.

I hate to say it, but Microsoft does make a good mouse. Right down to where they’ve tucked the USB dongle, a little spring loaded trap door on the bottom of the mouse.

Update: Nope, I hate this stupid mouse.

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