Shopping with my girl...

 

You and Joan?  Yabut, Joan is my woman; Steph is my girl.  Well, Steph is a grown woman, but she'll always be my girl.  A morning out... and what better place for shopping than (dramatic pause)... Bass Pro Shop!

No, I didn't need a bass - that's bass with a "short a" as compared to bass (as in: base, but talking about the 4-string low-voice guitar.  English is a weird language.

And to top it off, some fine dining.  And nothing says "fine dining" to me like chili cheese dogs from Der Wienerschnitzel.

What a day!

 

Mics... Camera... Action...

 

Out in the courtyard this afternoon on a lovely December day, testing the DJI Mic 2 wireless adapter with the Sony a6700...

This will allow us to use two DJI mics with the new camera - wirelessly.  Ain't technology great!  Yes, the video portion of this was shot under a patio umbrella on a bright December day; my main purpose was to test out the wireless mic adapter... and it works as advertised.  Now, if can figure out a way to use both mics with the DJI Action 4 camera, I will be ready for some van videos.

 

Lights... Camera... Action...

 

So, I was wrong.  Misinformed, actually.  It wasn't a "Christmas light display" that we went to see, but rather a HUGE light display that happened to be at Christmas time.  This was a scheduled outing for the Guide Dogs For The Blind (puppy raisers) group that Steph and Dan belong to, and they invited us to come along.

This venue has been set up on the grounds of the spring training baseball stadium in Glendale.  I had no idea how massive it would be.  For those interested in learning more about it, look up the Tianyu Lights Festival (October 25th through January 5th)... when you see how massive this display is, it is understandable why it would be set up for this amount of time.

On with the show...

We were there early, so we got a good preview (saw about 1/3 of it) before the Guide Dog group met up.  They have regular outings like this to socialize the dogs.  Crowds, music, LOTS of lights, people walking everywhere, kids screaming, a wide gravel walkway, a concrete walkway... yeah, it's a lot for these dogs to deal with.

I was expecting Christmas lights, this has an Asian feel to it and is hard to explain, so I'll post a few of the many (hundreds?) of images I shot with the new camera:

Getting there...

 The entrance...

The walk is over a mile, loaded with lights every step of the way; sensory overload...

And, since this camera can do video, a few short clips...

A good test of the new camera and an interesting night out.

Why am I not doing this more often??

 

No, it's not going to be "one of those posts."

This morning, after it warmed up a bit, I have the van a thorough wash.  I actually like using that foam sprayer that Joan got me: wet the van, spray on the soap foam, hit it with a long-handled soft-bristle brush, rinse, dry.  That's not the thing that the title refers to.

When I was younger, I could wash a 40' diesel pusher in a couple hours.  As I matured (some would say that hasn't happened, yet), it took me about the same amount of time to wash the Aspect (Winnebago).  And now, it is taking me about the same time to wash the van.  The conveyances get smaller, but the work takes the same amount of time.  I do have to use a ladder to clean the solar panels on top of the van.

It always looks pretty after getting washed; makes me smile.

After finishing up the van, I decided that I would answer the call of the scooter that kept shouting my name as I came and went from the garage.  It has been a while since I've been out on the Burgman... about 3 years if I am remembering correctly.  Yes, I am kidding - it has been less than a year since I got it.

No photos or video (Not even the new camera??).  Out for a burger, then on to some twisty riding.  It felt really good.  I will say that I may have exceeded the speed limit by a mile per hour or two.  But while coming down the mountain, a young guy on a 2-stroke scooter went by me the other direction, going at least twice the speed limit (my estimate, but the boy was flying).  The engine was screaming and the air was fragrant with the smell of a 2-stroke.

Less than 30 seconds behind that guy, was a Park Ranger truck with lights flashing.  That is not going to be a pleasant Christmas surprise for the guy on the scoot.  As twisty as the road is, I would imagine the guy on the scoot didn't know the Ranger back there... but he was about to find out real soon.

I enjoy getting out on one of the bikes first thing in the morning, but it is too chilly for that this time of year.  Early afternoon was just right today, with the high for the day peaking around 81º.

This evening, we're going to take in a Christmas light event in another part of the Valley.  It is supposed to be a walk of a mile or so.  Yes, I'll be bringing my new camera for that.

'Tis the season!

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More photos of Murphy this morning, using the new camera.  The boy is getting more comfortable with posing...

A couple images with backlighting to see how the camera handles the contrast and exposure...

Good detail in the highlights and shadows.

That's not a full moon...

 

No, it is not.  The moon on Thursday night is: Waning Gibbous.  "Cool," you say, "What is waning gibbous?"

Ask, and you shall receive.  An answer, that is...

A waning gibbous moon is a phase of the moon that occurs between the full and last quarter moon. During this phase, the moon appears:

• Less than full
• More than half-lighted
• Oval-to-round in shape
• Rising later at night than a full moon
• Glowing red when it's near the horizon

The term "waning" means the moon is shrinking, while "gibbous" refers to its shape. The moon's phases are determined by the amount of illumination the sun shines on it. 

 

The waning gibbous phase lasts about 7.38 days and occurs once a month. It's best viewed late at night through early morning.

 

All that said, this is what the moon looked like at 10:10...

 

 The moon had just come up at the eastern horizon.  It looked cool with the palm tree branches going through it; a yellow-red color (no doubt "helped" by the less than great air quality right now); partially lit; and a slight oval shape to it.

This was shot with the excellent 85mm Sony lens.  That's a significantly shorter focal length than the 300mm lens I had been using on the Nikon I traded.  But, the detail provided by that Sony lens does allow me to enlarge it more.  It'll have to do, for now.

 

 

Out in the van for some test video...

 

Joan got me a clip that will hold a phone - she was thinking I could use it to get video while clipped to a guitar.  It will also work great holding an action camera while clipped to a sun visor in the van.  We had planned to get the van out for some exercise today, so I brought along the new Sony a6700 and the DJI Action 4... I wanted to try editing them together in one clip.

The audio will be better when I get a wireless adapter to connect the DJI Mic 2 wireless mics to the new Sony.  Today I shot just using the internal mics in each of the cameras.  Ideally, it would be nice to use two mics with the DJI Action 4 camera, since that will be the one looking back at us... and not have to do the extra work to sync up audio from two cameras (which is what I did today).

This video is not about anything (hmm - sounds like a Seinfeld episode), other than a test of the equipment.  The two mics work good with my iPhone, but the field of view from that isn't wide enough to get the two front seat occupants in the van in the frame.  So, an action camera is a good option.

Here's the video...

 This will not be for "public viewing," (it is "unlisted") other than here on the blog, since there is no pretty scenery, fun roads, or any kind of event... just us, out in the van, messing with cameras.

A While in the Making...

 

Well, I didn't make it, but we did buy it.  Yes, the camera.  I had contacted KEH, a camera store in Atlanta that buys and sells used equipment, regarding buying some old Hasselblad equipment that we have hauled around for years, with no purpose.  It's a great camera - it's what we used in the studio before switching to digital, so it has been sitting unused for at least 23 years.

KEH gave me a price on the gear, which seemed fair, considering the limited demand.  Then, when we checked on getting this camera at a local camera shop (and those are hard to find anymore), we found out that KEH was going to be in their store this week, to buy used equipment.  Bottom line: if the price was the same, it would save me having to package this stuff up to ship it (they pay for the shipping on transactions over $300).

Today was our day to go there.  We dug out some other camera gear to see what they would give us for that, as well.  It turned out to be a bit of a wait, as the people from KEH were having trouble getting on-line in the camera store (they were set up in a room in back).  When it was our turn, we put the gear down on the table and were told to "sit over there"... I'm guessing they didn't want people "explaining" what the camera gear was all about.  With the other gear (a film Nikon, a DSLR Nikon, some lenses, and a small Lumix (ZS 100).

All totaled, it was nearly equal to the price of the camera I was buying.  Yes, I am happy with that trade!  The camera: a Sony a6700...

It came from the local camera store, not KEH, but we got an additional 10% on our trade by selecting "store credit."  What's not to like about that?!

When we first went into the camera shop, the lady I had been dealing with on the Sony said, "Good to see you again.  We have your camera and lens set aside - is this the Hasselblad equipment you're trading?"

There were 3 other young ladies behind the counter, and some "OOOing and AHHHing" when they heard "Hasselblad."  I pulled the 500CM out of the case and let them get hands on it.  They were in awe of the camera and the fact that we made our living with these years ago.

Now, I need to get out and shoot some photos and video with this new camera!

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Testing the new A6700: it was after sunset when I got out to shoot some test shots.  I left the ISO on auto, which out of the box keeps it at 800; I'll be setting it higher than that in some more testing, but I wanted to see how the camera would be right out of the box.

Test shots of Murphy, Joan, Steph, and Rubina (the black lab) in low light.  When Rubina is in play mode, she is a blur to your eyes... and with the show shutter speed, that's how she looked.  I'll start the tests with a portrait of Murphy, sitting still...

A back-lit shot of one of Joan's cactus plants...

Steph and Rubina...

Rubina at rest...

Rubina whizzing all around Murphy, and Murph standing his ground...

I'm impressed with how the camera handles the low light situation.  The 16mm to 50mm zoom lens has a variable f/stop, the 85mm lens (with that first shot of Murphy) is tack sharp with nice bokeh (softening of the background through a shallow depth of field).

I need to do some studying so I can just shoot without too much thinking; build some muscle memory for where the switches and dials are located.  I'll get the opportunity to get some daylight images and video tomorrow.

Another original...

 

My buddy Mark wrote another song - as always, clever lyrics, and an interesting chord progression.  Along with friend Ron, we worked on getting a scratch track down for this new tune.  It will be a while working this one up, but I'm looking forward to the process.

Mark brought his Spire Studio - great for remote recording.  And speaking of the Spire, one of the Facebook Memories for today was from 6 years ago: the last of 7 days of recording with the Spire Studio, a new song each day for a week.  Mark and I both have one, so it was easy to trade recording tracks back and forth when we were 1,500 miles apart.  And, it works fine when we're in different communities in the Valley of the Sun.

 After getting home this evening, Joan and I went through some photography gear that I'll be looking to trade.  Steph came in and said, "Do you want to take the camera you lent me for a photography class in college?"  I didn't remember that one... she pulled it out from the back of her closet: it's a Nikon FE with a motor-drive and several lenses.  Even had a couple rolls of unused Tri-X black and white film in the camera bag.  Whew - a real blast from the past.

 

Pulling some strings...

 

You used your influence to get ahead?  No, but thanks for asking.  But, "get ahead" of what?  And what influence? 

A couple of my guitars were a bit past due to have strings replaced.  "Which ones?" you ask.  Not sure it matters, but the X10 and X20 (both Emeralds).  They get a good percent of my playing time.  I am trying a lighter gauge string this time around, hoping it will be easier on these old fingers.

That one above is my X20 (luro preto veneer).  When I change strings, the guitars get a thorough cleaning, including some extra sprucing up around the frets.  But, I don't worry about that - nothing to fret about.  Yuk, yuk - guitar humor.

For those keeping track, I went with Elixir Polyweb strings this time (I usually use Nanowebs).  What's that - nobody asked?  The Polywebs are supposed to be a bit smoother.  At first play, they feel good.  And sound good.

That aloha quilt is something I use to pad the guitar while working on it.  Love my adjustable height desk - I like to work on a guitar while standing, and that desk lets me put the height at a comfortable level.  Then put it lower to sit at the desk.  A fun luxury after decades of making do.

 

For a man your age...

 

I had a doctor appointment this morning.  Just a regular check up and going over blood work - everything is "normal"... seems that word is rarely used when describing me.  But, this doctor used that word, and after saying, "You're in good shape," he did NOT use the words in the title of this post.

I appreciate that.  In fact, he said I should get off one of my "maintenance meds."  'Cause I am... normal. 

I just want to emphasize: normal.  No mention of being a half bubble off level or "the boy ain't right."  In spite of what you might have heard from my family.  ;-)

The last Full Moon of the year...

 

The December full moon will peak at 12:02 am local time overnight.  Known as a variety of names, such as: Drift Clearing Moon, the Frost Exploding Trees Moon, the Moon of the Popping Trees, Hoar Frost Moon, Snow Moon and Winter Maker Moon, according to the Farmers' Almanac.  And, most often: the Cold Full Moon.  All self-explanatory.

I was enjoying the view from the hot tub this evening; a high thin layer of clouds making a slight veil in front of the moon...

Stopping down the aperture, upping the shutter speed, and dropping the ISO results in the image like this that I usually post...

If everything goes down with "the next camera," I will trade off my Nikon DSLR.  The one with a 300mm telephoto that lets me get a shot like this.  I'm not seeing me getting a lens that long with this new system.

I'll probably be shooting more cat photos and scenics.  And videos.  We'll see.

Bad acting...

 

"You're watching Hallmark Christmas movies, aren't you??  I knew it!  You love that schmaltzy stuff, don't you??  Hahahahahahahahaha!

Um... no.  

This morning, I wanted to test out some audio recording with the DJI Mic 2.  As in: using both mics at the same time, while recording some video.  I'm expecting to get the camera I've been researching on Wednesday; well, that's the plan.  My research has led me to believe I'll be able to use that camera with the two audio inputs on the DJI Mic 2.  I haven't figured out a way to do that with my DJI Action 4 camera, so I used my iPhone on this video.

Yep, it works.  Well, the technical stuff works.  The "stars" of the video?  Not so much...

That aside, I'm thinking I will try using this Mic2 system with the new camera to video some travel stuff with the Roadtrek.  We'll be more real... really.  ;-)

In the meantime, this amazing piece of videography isn't going on anywhere but this blog.  Well, maybe the Sundance Film Festival, but that's it.

Hiding In Plain Sight...

 

You couldn't find something again, due to your "guy vision", Jim?  That is a regular occurrence, but not the topic here.  But, thanks for asking.

Murph and I were out for his early morning outing.  49º.  In spite of the chilly weather, the boy enjoys exploring around the courtyard.  This morning, he was "hiding in plain sight"...

 No, I can't say that he was thinking he was hidden here.  I often have no idea what he is thinking... unless he wants a treat or wants to go outside.  I just thought it was cute with him framed in this yard ornament.  It almost looks like he is "wearing" those shiny leaves.  The boy makes me smile.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

 

If you said, "Christmas!," well, duh.  If you said, "The song was originally titled 'It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas'. The song has been recorded by many artists, and was first a hit for Perry Como and the Fontane Sisters with Mitchell Ayres & His Orchestra on September 18, 1951," you get 10,000 bonus points.  No credit for a partial answer - it has to be the whole thing.

I was beginning to think we weren't going to put up a tree, for the first time since we got married.  One of us was being a bit Scrooge-y... or maybe she was concerned that a tree in the house would upset the angel/devil balance of a feline whose name I won't mention, but it's Murphy.  I guess I wore her down?  This is the latest we've ever decorated for Christmas, and one of us (it was me) promised to take it all down if someone of the feline purrsuasion (Murphy) couldn't contain himself.

So, it's up to you, Murph, whether or not we have Christmas spirit in our house.

That said, here's the process: getting stuff down from our garage storage shelves and setting up the tree...

 Murphy said, "Umm... you know that's a tree, right?  And it's in the house."

I said, "That's right, Murph, and it's up to you to behave so we can keep it up until Christmas.  Plus, Santa is a close personal friend of mine, and if you are naughty, he will know about it and the only thing you'll get for Christmas is a lump of coal."

He asked, "Can you eat coal? 

"No."

"Umm... OK."

 We did not decorate the tree as heavily as years past, but we did put up our favorites; ornaments that mean a lot to us...

 And left a 2' undecorated portion at the bottom of the tree... no sense in tempting him.  This ornament has been with us for quite a while, representing the various RVs we've had over the years - this year, it kinda makes more sense (it's a van)...

 The mostly finished project...

 And, the decorating isn't done until there's a cat in a Santa hat...

 As a compromise, we didn't put up every Christmas knick-knack, door hanger, and window decoration.  But, there is a pretty wreath on the door and a doormat that says, "Nice until proven naughty."  I think we're seasonally covered.