sangsara.net

  • 31 Days of Black & White

    31 Days of Black & White

    I spent the month of January shooting photos only in black and white. Not just the ones I posted on Instagram, but everything in my camera roll got converted and saved in black and white. When I scroll through my timeline in the future, this block of 60 or so shots is going to stand out.

    I got the idea from @espresso on Twitter who shot monochrome photos for the entire year of 2015. That’s dedication. It only came to my attention in December when he started mentioning how much he looked forward to color again in the new year. You can see his Storehouse collection of photos here.

    It was absolutely worth it. You can always learn a lot in any creative endeavor by putting restrictions in place; I think because it’s too easy to try to grow in many ways at once, especially when taking photos, you can go from landscapes to close ups to street scenes in a single day, and play with a dozen photo processes and apps at a time. Taking away some options can make you focus long enough in one direction to notice something new. Taking color away immediately makes you think about lines and composition and texture. All the habits you’ve formed around what looks interesting and when to raise your camera are rendered unreliable, and you’re made to look at everything through new criteria that you’re forming through practice.

    It reminds you that the absence of color is actually a powerful tool that has gotten too closely associated with making statements or establishing mood. It’s a legitimate way of directing attention, and a different set of skills when doing post-processing. And it frees you up from taking photos of every meal, because it’s quickly apparent that most won’t turn out very appetizing.

    If anything, a month might be too little time, especially with the demands of work and other hobbies. Now that it’s over, I intend to keep doing it, maybe at a 1:3 ratio with color photos.

    Everyone should try it out some time (with the #bwchallenge hashtag). I highly recommend the Darkroom app, as always, because it gives you a ton of control over how tones are converted and shifted, going beyond the emulation of simple color lens filters.

    Also check out my friend Cong’s feed, who did the challenge with me and stuck with it even through a trip to Osaka, which took some guts.

    Edit: Forgot to add an observation. A lot of these photos were taken with my iPhone, and I found that turning a photo black and white negates the weaknesses of small smartphone sensors. Noise and muddy colors in dark scenes are no big deal, and the quality of available light (in gradations) seems to increase when you combine the color channels.

       
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
       

  • First Photos From a Fujifilm X100T

    First Photos From a Fujifilm X100T

    I was in the market for a Sony RX1R because I’d heard that the price had come down to as low as $2,400 SGD at third-party retailers, whereas Sony’s own retail stores still sells them for about $3,800. I know that’s a lot of money for a fixed-lens camera, but it was intriguing. I bought a Ricoh GR earlier this year as a birthday present to myself, and have only used it sparingly. The guilt! How could I justify a camera for Christmas too?

    This particular fit of consumer madness began when a friend started looking at the new model, confusingly named the Sony RX1RII, or RX1Rm2, and which costs $5,000, for his own needs (isn’t that how it always starts?). He eventually decided to go even further upmarket with a Leica, but that’s a different story.

    In the end, I hesitated too long because of the asking price and the unbearable judgment of my already adequate camera shelf, and discovered earlier this week that the older RX1R was no longer available at every third-party camera store I called and visited. My guess is Sony wanted better control of the price, and to remove competition for the new $5,000 model. It’s better, but it’s not $2,600 better.

    So after a bit more research and the use of a friend’s Fujifilm X100S for a few days, I got the beautiful X100T you see above. It’s nearly a thousand dollars cheaper than the Sony would have been. It’s not a fair comparison because the sensor is APS-C sized instead of full frame, but its 35mm prime lens barrel is a lot shorter and less conspicuous as a result. Fuji’s color reproduction and JPEG quality is also quite lovely, and I’m happy with the way things look straight out of the camera. I often find the Ricoh GR series’ 28mm field of view too wide for most purposes, and with many other compacts now starting at 24mm (like Sony’s RX100), it feels great to finally shoot with The Standard.

    A quick recap of the specs, if you have the time:

    • Fixed 35mm f2 Fujinon lens
    • 16mp CMOS sensor with phase detection autofocus
    • An integrated hybrid viewfinder that switches from optical to electronic with the flick of a switch (only the new RX1R has an EVF)
    • Built-in WiFI for transferring photos to a smartphone via Fuji’s barely functional app
    • Software emulation of Fujifilm’s classic film stocks (perhaps more in name than reality): Provia, Velvia, and Astia
    • A little bigger than the RX1R, although more compact on the whole thanks to a smaller lens
    • An ND filter and electronic shutter mode for really fast captures in bright light

    Here are some shots from a photo walk I took yesterday, which happened to coincide with the Hello Kitty Fun Run. I never knew it was such a big deal. Two observations: Having a camera around your neck makes you more liable to be asked to take someone’s photo, and if people notice you pointing one in their direction, they’re more likely to flash you a peace sign.

    img_2680img_2672img_2673img_2658img_2655img_2660img_2707img_2705img_2711img_2689img_2701img_2727img_2686img_2685img_2716img_2719img_2721img_2733img_2723img_2706

  • Unboxing: Moment Case for iPhone 6S Plus

    Unboxing: Moment Case for iPhone 6S Plus

    Today I received my new Moment Case (Dark Walnut Kickstarter edition) for iPhone 6 Plus after a long wait following the Kickstarter campaign. They hit a snag with manufacturing, and the release of the slightly thicker 6S series of phones necessitated holding back to make sure the original designs fit.

    It works as advertised and is very easy to hold; slips into my jeans pocket comfortably enough too. Here’s a quick unboxing and look at the startup photo taking workflow. Note that you must use the Moment Camera app if you want to use the shutter button. It does NOT function as a regular Bluetooth remote shutter like the kind you use with a selfie stick.

  • Apple Watch Dock

    Apple Watch Dock

    My colleague ordered the new official Apple Watch magnetic charging dock yesterday morning and it just arrived (24 hours!).


    It has an odd seam where the materials meet, and it’s soft and flexible. I would have thought that the near seamless molding process that Apple uses on their sport bands would have been a nice match.

    It’s $118 here in Singapore (USD$84), and pretty much what it looks like in pictures. A white hockey puck covered with soft touch rubber on top, and a felt grey bottom so it doesn’t scuff your expensive nightstand.

    Personally I’m not sold on the bright white look because my nightstand is a dark walnut, so I’ve ordered the Sena leather case-dock combo version instead. Would be nice to see Apple offer additional colors or a more premium version at some point in the future.
      

  • Japanese Konbini Snack Report 2015: Part 8

    All good things come to an end, but that also applies to this stupid video series from my Tokyo holiday. BBL, in withdrawal.

  • Japanese Konbini Snack Report 2015: Part 7

  • Japanese Konbini Snack Report 2015: Part 6

    Tonight’s video features a walk around inside a Family Mart with other humans!

  • Japanese Konbini Snack Report 2015: Part 5

    I think I’m getting used to making these. I might even be having fun.

    It always happens that halfway through these holidays, I think, “Hey I should keep making videos even when I’m back home!” But it doesn’t happen. Anyway, I think this is the best one yet.