February 24, 2009
Junked
Well, it’s an interesting day. I’ve junked my first digital camera, a Nikon Coolpix 990. There have been a couple I’ve given away, and one or two film cameras that I’ve sold, but I’ve never thrown away a camera that I got so many good pictures out of.
It’s a comment on the digital world, I suppose. If the camera was as rugged as my old Pentax MXes, I’d still be hanging on to it, no doubt. But gradually things had begun to go wrong with it, and I had abandoned it in favor of newer cameras. Still, it cost me around $1K new (with all the accessories) and I got some very nice photographs with it, including my kids baby pictures. I just couldn’t bring myself to junk it…until now.
I must say, I loved the twist grip–I got so many good candids that way. And the sealed lens, that never got grit in a telescopic element. Hard to find serious compacts that have those features nowadays.
Sayonara, Aibo…
February 23, 2009
Winter Sunset, Mauna Kea
Went up to Mauna Kea today for work. A fair bit of snow still about, although most of it was crusty hard. Brought down a cooler full for my kids, who played with it after dinner. Hawaii kids don’t get to see too much snow.
It’s still winter season and we will most likely see another snowfall or two up there before summer. In fact, March is one of the best months for snow up there, if memory serves. A lot of rain for some of us on the windward sides, down lower.
February 22, 2009
Ping
I’m here, just experiencing resistance. 
I’ve been busy, have guests, have a cold, yadda, yadda…and am resisting picking up my camera, even though I desperately want to. Curious how that works, isn’t it?
The saga of my on-and-off again main camera continues. Yesterday I had it all ready to send in for warranty repair (2nd time). Then this morning, turning it on, it’s fine. Just like taking the car to the mechanic for some intermittent problem, and then it behaves perfectly. Well, this evening it is acting up again. I can’t take the uncertainty anymore. I’m going to send it in.
There’s been a bit of chatter about the corner of the blogosphere that I inhabit about SoFoBoMo 2009. I signed up for another round. I really have even less idea of what I want to do with it this year, but something will work out; I just hope I have a half decent working camera when the fuzzy month rolls around. I really enjoyed the process last year, and hope it has the same sort of promise this year.
Speaking of cameras, there has been a flurry of new camera announcements ahead of PMA 2009. Still no new large sensor compacts announced. Where is that Olympus model? Or the new Panasonic G1 successor?
February 13, 2009
Ukulele Night at the 50′s Diner
Key: R20090110-190246
I would say this is what is known as a “dense” picture, as described on the Landscapist and elsewhere. There is a lot going on and you have to look around the frame to take it all in.
I had a pretty good hamburger smothered in blue cheese here.
February 10, 2009
In Memory of Those Who Lost Their Lives
In Memory of Those Who Lost Their Lives, originally uploaded by Eric Jeschke.
Key: R20090110-174514-curves
A memorial to the victims of the 1946 tsunami, at Laupahoehoe point.
There was a school right on the point here and the tsunami took quite a few kids that day as well as teachers (check the ages on the list).
After that the school and many of the homes were relocated to the cliffs above. There are still a few homes down here that could get caught when the next big tsunami hits Hawaii.
