Day one with new Fuji X100 ._.

Yes it's been along time coming.... I'm not even going to try and get you filled in with what has been going on over the last year. I'm just going to start off and continue like I didn't even leave.

I've been looking for a small travel companion of a camera for several years and could never really come to grips with finding what I wanted. I'm picky that way.

I recently got a killer deal on a used Fuji X100 that a previous photographer didn't like. Yes this little bundle of joy has it's quirks. That's what everyone has posted on the forums and their blogposts.... Search google for Fuji X100.

I've had the X100 for all of 2 days and have been taking pictures left and right. Like all the interweb is saying it has some quirks... Get over it or get a different camera. Even in the few months this in demand camera has been on the market, Fuji has already put out a new firmware update to answer some of the complaints. Now that's service and great timing as I just updated the firmware last night.

I happen to be really excited and each day comes with another surprise. But for now I'll just post about the pictures I took on day one.



Here I'm in a store using seeing how close I could get before having to turn on the macro function. I was about 4 inches away. ISO 200, F2 at 1/4 sec. That's pretty good hand holding. LOOK AT THAT DOF!!!!



And how about that sunset? This I did some in camera tweaking. But first. The tech info for those who want it. ISO 200, F2 at 1/2000 sec. I had the in camera ND on and the WB manually set to 3500K I think to keep it cooler.

What do you think so far?

Motocross photography light test

While I was out in Cali I shot a bunch of motocross shots one night. They have a HUGE outdoor motocross park with I believe 8 tracks all lit up with stadium lighting. It's absolutely awesome. I would love to ride there but every time I go I have my camera and no bike.






Having my bike with me when I go out is usually my problem. I want to ride until they come around telling us their closed we need to pack up. Then I usually go "Damn, I didn't take any photos"!!!






Well, a couple weekends ago, I finally got out the camera and lights and tried a single light set up. Of course it was off camera as I'm a lighting nut like that. (No jail house photos from me). I had to try out my modified light stand leg...






Light stands have three legs, these provide stability which is good.... most of the time. But what do you do when it's not most of the time?








I read on Strobist quite sometime ago about a guy doing this and after my frustrations in Cali at the track with trying to get my light where I wanted it I decided it was time to MOD-out my light stand.





It's a pretty simple idea you drill out the rivet on one leg and then drill holes every two inches up and down that leg. Then if you are on uneven ground you can still have a light stand pointing straight up.




It worked great and allowed me to get the above shots. You can just nearly see it above the "n" on the watermark. Next time I'll take a better picture of the light stand.

Oh yeah and what do you do when your dirt bike doesn't have a kick stand?





That's right, use the monopod! And here's a reference shot for all you photo nerds.






All these were taken with a single SB-26 on a stand to the right of the jump.(left side of this image) Shot on my Nikon D3 with a PocketWizard radio trigger. Watkins motocross track in Watkins, CO.

The fastest place in the USA

Driving back from California we decided to take the long route. I promised Athena I would take her to go see her all-time hero Snoopy at the Charles M. Shultz museum in Santa Rosa.



So we left SoCal and headed up past San Francisco to the museum. We had a great time there reading all the comic strips and learning the history of the Peanuts creator. He even lived in Colorado Springs once.

This brings me back to the long drive home. I-80 out of California takes you through Nevada and into Utah. Right past this little known place with no buildings or structures only a sign marking the spot where humans attempt to make history.



It's the Bonneville Salt Flats, a huge desert like climate that is purely salt for miles and miles. Do to the nature of the salt being so level people from all over the world come to set the Land Speed Record.




In The Worlds Fastest Indian, Anthony Hopkins plays an character who travels from Australia with his motorcycle to see how fast he can go. It's a very well done movie.



The place is unlike any desert vie ever been before. Nothing grows there, it's completely baron and yet somehow quite peaceful. Athena went on a long walk exploring while I set up a couple small flashes to get the shot with us and Mudflap (the Element).

I truly want to go back.