When I was in SF for WWDC in June, I made the trek up to the TWiT Cottage in Petaluma to film an episode of MacBreak Weekly entitled “Harry Potter”. I always find the cottage such a cool place, so I thought I’d make a brief behind-the-scenes tour to share with you.

Special appearances by Leo Laporte, Andy Ihnatko, a camera shy Don McAllister, Alex Lindsay, Sarah Lane, Tom Merrit, super-edit Tony.

Thanks to Andy Inhatko for jumping in as camera man. :)

How to Take Great Street Photography with your iPhone Using Camera+ from Lisa Bettany on Vimeo.

I’m going to be a total party-pooper and say, “nay” on purchasing the new Apple iPad. “Ohh, but it’s so shiny and new. You know you’ll want one when you see it,” say the fanboys. True, it is shiny and new, but I still don’t want one.

That doesn’t mean that I won’t sweat and quiver a little when I hold an iPad in my hot little hands, but the moment will be fleeting and easily replaced when I grasp the 16-35mm f/2.8 I have my eye on.

Besides feeling mentally bloated with the sheer number of iPad related articles in my RSS reader, chatter on Twitter & Facebook, and unboxing and app preview videos on YouTube, I actually feel quite underwhelmed by the product. Here are the reasons why I’m not buying an iPad:

1. The iPad is not available in Canada yet.

Canadians and International customers are snubbed again. It’s like the iPhone all over again. All the Americans grinning with their new fancy toy, saying, “Haha. Want one of these? Hey? Want one? Well, you can’t have it. So ha!” What’s the deal? I live 1 1/2 hours from the US border. Couldn’t just pop a few in an air canon and send some our way?

2. I already own an iPhone.

I love my iPhone. It’s light and small and fits in my back pocket. It has 3G so I can use it outside of my house when I actually need to be connected to the internet and google maps, as I have the tendency to wander. It has a plethora of cool apps and I can even take pictures with it!

3. Any gadget without a camera is useless to me.

It should be a rule that every gadget has a camera. If I could take pictures with my toaster I would. Think about it. Toaster cam. Actually, add a video camera to that and live stream it on YouTube. Done.

4. I own a laptop.

I get it. Laptops are heavy to truck around. Even the Air can weigh you down after a while. But, laptops can actually do useful things like run Photoshop and Final Cut and they have actually have real keyboards that are attached to them! And honestly, who would ever go on a trip without their laptop?

I am an extreme multi-tasker. When I am on a long plane ride, I don’t watch movies or play solitaire, I edit photos or videos. If all I could do was look at pictures and videos and flick them around, I would become so frustrated.

5. I don’t have $500-$800 kicking around in my back pocket.

As a photographer I have a long list of “Things I need” that should and will go before buying something as frivalous as an iPad. Sure it’s cool, but I’m going to be honest with myself and my financial situation and groceries unfortunately have to come before gadgets.

It’s not that I don’t think it’s cool, it is just a completely impractical product for me. Honestly, I just don’t think I’m the right demographic for the iPad. For me, functionality and simplicity trumps any shiny, new fun thing.

What about you? Are you gonna buy the iPad or save your money and buy a sweet new lens?

I was feeling a bit down about the Olympics being over and then this happened. I guess there still is a bit of awesome left in Vancouver.

From this I learnt two valuable lessons:

1. Don’t despair. You might run into a storm trooper outside your apartment; and
2. Never leave home without a camera.

A lot of people are asking me what I am using to record my most recent videos covering the Olympics, so I thought I’d share my set-up with you.

It’s nothing super fancy, except for the 5DMKII :) For lenses I’ve been primarily using the 35mm because it’s the widest lens I’ve got. Plus, my 50mm f/1.4 had a small accident and is currently in the Canon’s hospital for sick camera lenses. I rented the 16-35mm f/2.8 this weekend and absolutely fell in love with it shooting the crowd scenes in the Ignite your Dream video.

I’ve experimented with longer lenses, my 85mm f/1.8 used in the stadium during the victory ceremony video and the 70-200mm IS f/2.8, but found it impossible to keep steady while shooting hand-held and possibly clapping or screaming which seems to be a requirement during the games. Also, tripods and huge swarms of people don’t seem to mix well. I tried it once during the games and nearly punctured someone’s liver.

I’m using the RØDE VideoMic (Directional Video Condenser Microphone) for sound which has worked out alright. It’s obviously not ideal to shoot in noisy crowds like this video I shot in a crowd of enthusiastic hockey fans. But it’s a great, low priced mic that I’ve used in many video projects. You can tell the difference in using the VidMic compared to the on-camera mic at the end of this video.

For extra lighting in night scenes or in door shooting, I’m using a Litepanels Micro LED light. This small LED light panel runs on 4 AA batteries and has an integrated dimmer dial that allows you to control your lighting output. You can also put coloured gels in the flip-down filter holder to correct any white balancing issues.
The mic and the litepanel are connected to my camera’s hotshoe using the Cool-Lux MD300 light and sound bracket.

This is my first time shooting with the 5DMKII and it has absolutely blown my mind how crisp and vibrant the footage looks even at ISO6400. Well, that is when it’s in focus! It is definitely a challenge to grab focus in night time shoots, but I’m slowly getting the hang of it.

Any questions or comments?

It’s Thanksgiving up here in the frozen North, so I thought I’d do a little Photojojo book giveaway to say thank you to all my followers. I have 3 awesome Photojojo books to give away. This is a great book for inspiration, DIY projects & tips.

Here’s how to win

Simply ReTweet the following phrase & follow me (@mostlylisa) on twitter:

“Win a copy of @photojojo’s New DIY Photography Book from @mostlylisa. (Details via http://shak.in/1m )”

Dear Twitter,

My Twitter page @mostlylisa has been hacked and deleted. It’s GONE!!! I am currently catatonic. Please help me restore my account, it’s like, my meaning in life.

Much love to whom ever helps me!

PS. If you miss me like I miss you, you can always be my Friend OR Fan on Facebook. I know it’s not the same, but it’s all I have now. *hold me*

Back to School doesn’t have to be the end of fun! Well, in all honesty it does, but at least you can soften the blow of returning to the grind by treating yourself to some great geeky gadgets.

1. Neverlate 7-day Alarm Clock ($34 + shipping thinkgeek.com)
After a few months of enjoying blissful afternoon sleep-ins, that first week of 7am wake ups are going to smart. To make sure you aren’t late for your first semester of classes like I was in 3rd year University, you might want to invest in a serious alarm clock.

This alarm clock allows you to set 7 independent daily alarms for each day, so you don’t have the nightly annoyance of setting your alarm. You can also customize your snooze time from one to 30 minutes and set a midday nap alarm with the push of a button.

2. Canon SD960 IS Digital Elph Camera ($299)
So you’ve managed to drag yourself out of bed and grab some caffeine and Coco Pops. You should really capture this pivotal moment. Why not snap a picture with the new Canon SD960 IS Digital Elph camera. The slick, pocket-sized point and shoot comes in four colours (blue, pink, silver & gold).

It’s packed with a 12.1 megapixel sensor that takes crisp, vibrant images and stunning HD (1280×720, 30fps) movies. This little camera has the best looking video I’ve seen from a point and shoot in a long time.

3. Space Invaders Messenger Bag ($49 USD + shipping 16BIT.etsy.com)

I guess it’s time to head to school or all that hard work getting out of bed will be for nothing. You definitely need a sweet bag to match your Converse sneakers and ironic tee. 16-Bit has some amazing, handcrafted retro gaming messenger bags that will store your laptop and all your school essentials. From Super Mario to Donkey Kong to Space Invaders, these limited edition bags are as funky as they are functional.

4. IkimonoCamera ($20 Urban Outfitters)
For those of us with maxed out credit cards and groceries to pay for, I present the $20 Ikimono Camera. This tiny, palm-sized camera comes with a keychain, roll of 110mm film, and a cute cartoon animal on the front. Click away and experience the olden time joy of developing your film!

5. Nintendo DSi ($199)
Let’s face it. The first week of classes is an absolute joke. Lengthy introductions, going over curriculum, revising old materials, and zzz, oh sorry, I drifted off for a bit. Secretly playing a few games on your Nintendo DSi when the teacher’s back is turned may keep you awake or in detention. But hey, nothing the chicks love more than rebels.

This snazzy portable gaming device is internet ready, which means a bunch of fun games are available at your finger tips. I’m currently playing Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. It’s annoyingly difficult for a kids’ game.

6. Olympus Pen (E-P1) ($800)

After cramming calculus in your brain all morning, you may feel like getting a little creative over lunch hour. Grab the Olympus E-P1, a new retro-styled, interchangeable lens camera. This revolutionary Micro Four Thirds camera delivers dSLR quality while maintaining the compact size of a point and shoot.

The Olympus Pen, which comes with a 14-42mm kit lens, is a stylish, zippy little camera that is just plain fun to use. Explore your artistic side with the 6 Art Filters including, Pinhole, Grainy Film, Pop art and several others. If you feel like turning up a notch, why not take some HD video. The Pen records up to 5 minutes of 720p 30fps high-resolution video in one shot!

7. Darth Vader MIMOBOT designer USB flash drive ($24.95 mimobot.com)

The day is almost over. Phew. You just need to back up some files on a from the school’s computer and head home. Trade in your tired white rectangular USB flash drive you got from a Futureshop bargin bin, for a designer MIMIBOT. Each bot comes packed with extras like wallpapers, audio clips, icons, screen savers and more!

With hundreds of famous and original characters to choose from, these pint-sized USB keys are ridiculously cute and highly collectible. From Halo to Hello Kitty to Star Wars, there is a MIMOBOT to make anyone “Awww”. Be warned, once you have one Star Wars MIMOBOT, you may feel a strong force to buy the entire collection.

8. Griffin PowerBlock Reserve ($39.99)

There is nothing more annoying than turning on your iPod on the bus ride home and seeing the flashing “dead battery” icon. Even worse is getting stranded out in the middle of nowhere with an overheating car and a dead iPhone. Thankfully, the fine folks at Griffin have come up with a marvelous rechargeable backup battery for use with iPhones, iPods, MP3 players, or any USB chargeable device.

The PowerBlock backup battery is easily charged by plugging it into a wall socket. When the battery is charged, simply detach it and carry it with you. It is the smallest reserve battery I’ve seen (about the size of a matchbox), and adds hours of battery life to your devices. You can buy the PowerBlock Reserve at the Apple Store or Walmart.

9. Eye-fi 2GB SD Share Card ($49-79 Photojojo.com)

Imagine walking in your front door and instantly uploading all your photos and videos from your first day at school directly from your camera to your computer wirelessly? How about directly to Facebook, Flickr or YouTube? No cables, no fussing around with photo editing software, no waiting for your files to upload on the internet. Well, it’s all possible with the Eye-fi SD Card. Sharing photos and videos has never been easier. All you have to do is set-up the Eye-fi software on your computer.

Choose the wi-fi network you want your camera to use and where you want your photos or videos to upload to (home computer, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, Picasa). Plug the SD card in your camera and snap away When you come home, turn on your camera, and voila! All your photos and videos are automatically uploaded onto your computer and the web (if you choose).

Oh and don’t worry, you can control privacy settings with the Eye-fi manager, so there’s no fear that those Freshman Jello shot pictures will end up splashed across internet without you knowing.

10. Blackbox M14 ANR Headphones ($249 Blackbox.com)
Finally, you settled in your cozy place, about to dip into a large pot of KD and watch a flick, when your musician roomate decides that 10pm is the perfect time to start band practice. My suggestion, pop on a pair of Blackbox M14 ANR Noise Canceling headphones. Even with no music playing, these bad boys will knock out your roommates out-of-tune squawking with a flick of a switch. Experience the joys of booming bass and crisp sound without outside noise creeping in.

What are your favourite back to school gadgets?

The new Mario Bros is so awesome. And my favourite character, Yoshi is back! Wii!

I also picked up a sweet new blue DSi and instantly got hooked on the musical game, Rhythm Heaven. It is the silliest game I’ve played since WarioWare Smooth Moves for the Wii, which is definitely cool in my books. As you may have guessed, I’m a wee bit strange. 8-P

Last week I visited Nintendo Canada & Mario at their Vancouver offices to check out some of the new games and gear that they announced at 2009’s E3 conference. It was loads of fun. Especially when I beat Nintendo game guru, Matt Ryan at Swordplay. Ha! Well… he may have won best 2 out of 3, but I gave him a run for his money!

Also, my arms were so stiff the next day that I could hardly type. The new Wii Sports Resorts kinda kicked my butt a little. *starts to head to gym… grabs a donut instead :P*

Stay tuned for Part 2. Even more embarrassing moments playing the new Wii Fit Plus & Super Mario Bros and an inside look at the new DS games! Oh boy!

PS I’m actually pretty ace at frisbee. It was that darn Wii Mii dog that couldn’t get his act together.