Opinion « MostlyLisa.com

Archive for the ‘Opinion’ Category

5 Reasons I’m not buying an iPad

Apr 2 2010

Celebrating my first iPhone… a year and a half after my American neighbours.

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?

86 Comments »

Becoming a 2010 Team Canada Hockey Fan

tagged in Life, Opinion, Videos

Feb 19 2010

Shot with a Canon 5DMKII, 35mm f/1.4, & Micro LED Lightpanel.

Hockey is to Canadians as candy is to children. They crave it when they don’t have it, complain loudly when they do have it and it’s not what they want, and sky rocket to the moon when they get their favourite kind of sugar high. That is of course, a Team Canada win at the Olympics on home ice.

Yesterday after the tense victory over the Swiss, crowds leaving GM Place whooped and hollered loud enough to wake granny in North Van. The downtown streets sounded like the Battle at Helm’s Deep with someone making excellent use of their commemorative Lord of The Rings Orc Horn.

Although I’m not usually a hockey fan, don’t judge me, it’s a long story involving heartbreak and toe picks, I have been swept into this Team Canada hockey mania with the rest of Vancouver. Last night, I willingly watched the CAN-SWI game over the Men’s free program, much to my mother’s chagrin, who has remained a die hard figure skating fan years after I packed away my sequined unitards and mini gloves.

I won’t deny it, I got a little crush on King Crosby after witnessing his excellent puck control and fearless focus during the sudden death shoot-out. And although phrases like “icing”, “power play” and “off-side” are still quite new to me, I do understand “he shoots, he scores!” quite well. I think that phrase is hard-wired in Canadian brains from birth. That and overbearing politeness. Because even in the most rowdy of Canada hockey mobs, someone will inevitably say, “oh sorry eh” for stepping on your toe.

13 Comments »

Sleepless in Vancouver: Workin’ the 2010 Olympics

tagged in Opinion, Travel

Feb 16 2010

Canada loves them some hockey!

There are piles of clothes accumulating in my apartment. Every red t-shirt, sweater, and hat I own is heaped on the floor. There is a row of empty Venti Starbucks cups, chocolate wrappers, and a pile of gadgets cluttering my desk. I’ve been living off caffeine and KD, and I’m out of frozen dinners. I’ve actually resorted to boiling eggs and eating them straight out of the pot because I have no clean dishes, and now, no clean pots.

Outside Vancouver is jumping up and down and screaming, “Go Canada Go!” and I’m here just trying to catch a cat nap before I have to buckle down and get to work again. It’s hard to stay focused in this madness. The irresponsible me wants to join in the party with reckless abandon, while the responsible me knows that it’s two hours before deadline and I’m staring at an empty page.

Since the Olympics started, the city never seems to sleep. This morning I was jarred awake by a noisy Chinese dragon announcing the Year of the Tiger with what felt like the loudest cymbals ever. Once the crashing noise had dissipated, my Swiss neighbour started rockin’ the cowbell. I reckon he thinks he’s a cow bell virtuoso. Clang. Clang. Cu-Clang. There’s almost a beat there. A Bossa Nova perhaps?

Later on Canada wins Gold and everyone erupts in celebration. I hear cheers, w00ts, whistles and air horns well into the early morning. 4am to be exact. Not that I noticed. (I did).

Ah, but who can possibly be an Olympics grinch, when everyone is so uplifted and happy? I even saw someone try to get angry at a volunteer for having to wait so long in a line at LiveCity Vancouver, but the volunteer was so lovely they ended up high-fiving and exchanging email addresses after 5 minutes.

That is my Olympic experience so far. Every time I get worked up over road closures, slow moving pedestrians, or general Olympic headaches, some fantastic, moving moment happens and I’m swelling with Canadian pride. So Vancouver, my advice: stock up on aspirins, ear plugs, and bucket loads of patience because this 17-day party has only just begun.

Ahem, can all those people celebrating the Olympics please turn the volume down a few decibles? Some of us have to get up and go to work tomorrow.

4 Comments »

What does the internet think of the 2010 Olympics?

tagged in Opinion, Tech/Web

Feb 14 2010

Featured Editorial in Today’s Province.

Maybe I’m biased because I’m a proud Vancouverite and ex-figure skater, but this Winter Olympics feels immense to me. I feel massive amounts of pride and nervous tension, as I hold my breath for the next 17 days. But, while I was throughly weeping watching Clara Hughes’ teary eyes as she lead the Canadian team into the stadium, the internet shrugged, said “meh” and asked, “what’s happening on YouTube?”

The 2010 organizers are vocal about being the first Olympics to have a “Global Social Media” campaign, but they are still miles away from connecting to heartbeat of the internet and engaging with the masses of apathetic, web-addicted cynics like, well, me.

Comments of Twitter directly following the Opening ceremonies ranged from the inquisitive, “Dude, what happened with the torch?? #torchfail to the whining, “How hard would it have been for Gretzky to shoot a flaming puck into the cauldron?” to the bitter, “Lol @Canada. Thanks for showing up how to NOT do Olympics & healthcare” to the sarcastic “This just in: Olympic torch pillars being recalled by Toyota”.

There was a much more positive “Go Canada” vibe on Facebook, but then again people are generally nicer on Facebook. I think it’s the whole “if you happen to find me tagged in a drunken, embarrassing photo, please don’t forward it to my mom” silent agreement that keeps troll comments to a minimum. Most of my Canadian friends on Facebook were w00ting and my American contacts where complaining about the crappy NBC coverage of the Opening Ceremonies and giggling at their own “Blame Canada” jokes.

While I wasn’t surprised that the internet latched on to the “epic torch fail” moment, I was surprised at how little people were actually talking about the Olympics online. In fact, the Olympics only trended on Twitter for about three hours, then it was booted off in favor of #thuglife. Blame violent video games, Michael Bay movies, or Wikipedia, but the internet audience has about as much attentiveness as a flee circus. Days, weeks, and months seem to mash into one giant lol, fml, pwn or fail. At the end of one day’s “torchfail”, another “OMG rofl” moment is born somewhere else, most likely on a Japanese game show.

Perhaps it is the buzz of just living in Vancouver, footsteps away from the heart of the action, that has sold me on this Olympic Games. I’m loving every minute of 2010 excitement and even my overwhelming desire to make snide comments about the four phallic-shaped totems that slowly rose from the ground as dancers shook and shimmied around them has been squelched.

17 Comments »

My Photographic Journey

tagged in Featured, Life, Opinion, Photography

Dec 28 2009

Photo by Scott Stulberg.

I was just looking through my portfolio this past week and physically cringing at how bad some of my old shots are. I almost deleted them from my Flickr stream, but then I realized that each photo represents a part of my photographic journey.

My photography evolved a lot from the days when I use to take pictures of Pez, cupcakes, and interesting trash I found in my back alley. It seems so silly now, but had I not spent everyday shooting, learning, and exploring the world with my camera, I wouldn’t be taking the pictures I am taking today.

Super hero Pez, Canon Xti, 50mm f/1.4 lens, 1/60, f/5.0, ISO 100.

I bought my first dSLR, the Canon Rebel Xti (400D), in November 2006. I had one lens other than the crappy kit one, the 50mm f/1.4, and I shot absolutely everything on it. From concerts to portraits to landscapes and nature I took that lens on many adventures. Unlike a zoom lens, a fixed prime lens forces you to physically position yourself to get the shot. That usually means getting up close, lying on the floor, or squeezing your body in crazy spots to get decent angles.

I spent almost a year shooting exclusively with the 50mm f/1.4. I couldn’t afford another lens, so I just had to make do with what I had. I think this forced me to learn the basics of photography (exposure, light & composition) and really know how to use my camera.

Xti, 50mm, f/1.4, 1/320, ISO 200.

I shot almost everyday. I went on photowalks and started shooting things around my neighbourhood, and the beautiful landscapes of Vancouver. Whenever I traveled abroad in the next year, I took thousands of pictures. Some were good, some were meh, but the sheer act of taking pictures everyday made me a better photographer.

Photographing Chichen Itza, Mayan Riviera, Mexico.

Because I only had one lens at the time, and no money to buy another one, I started renting lenses for specific shoots or just for fun. For $35, I could rent a $1500 70-200mm IS f/2.8 for an entire weekend. I rented everything from wide angles to macro lenses to honking zooms, experimenting with different subjects and styles of photography.

Sunset Flare, Xti, 70-200mm IS, 70mm, 1/250, f/7.1, ISO 200.

Polish dancing boots, Xti, 70-200mm IS f/2.8 lens, 153mm, 1/80, f/2.8, ISO 200.

Xti, 100mm f/2.8 lens, 1/80, f.2.8, ISO 100.

Xti, 70-200mm f/2.8, 1/500, f/5.6, ISO 200.

I didn’t read many “how to” photography books (too boring) or take classes (too expensive), I just spent hours on Flickr and other photographer’s blogs. I connected with these photographers, asked them questions, shared my photos, and studied theirs.

I learned what I needed to improve on and what style of photography I liked. I was immediately drawn to colour and magic hour light. The subject matter I found most intriguing was people. But, people were not as easy to come by as trash in my back alley.

Jessie Farrell, Canon Xti, 50mm f/1.4 lens, 1/30, f/1.4, ISO 100.

I begged everyone I knew to let me take pictures of them. And if they said no, I snuck candid shots when they weren’t looking. At the time, I was also spending a lot of time shooting Jessie Farrell (Canadian Singer/Songwriter) and her band on their first year touring Canada.

I followed them around snapping their performances, as well as the behind the scenes moments. I learned a lot about shooting in hectic places with really difficult lighting. This gig also connected me with other musicians who wanted promo photos for their websites and promotion.

Canadian Singer/Songwriter Kylee Epp, Xti, 50mm f/1.4.

Jesse Godin, Xti, 16-35mm f/2.8 lens, 18mm, 1/100, f/2.8, ISO 100.

When I couldn’t find any people to shoot, I photographed animals. When I was traveling in Australia, I took a series of “animal portraits” of the fabulous creatures I found. Again, I only had one lens with me, the 50mm f/1.4, so I really get up close to these animals to fill the frame. This was ok with koalas, kangaroos, and lorikeets, but not so much for man-eating crocodiles and sharks.

Rainbow lorikeet, Xti, 50mm f/1.4mm, 1/100, f/2.0, ISO 100.

Sleepy Kangaroo, 50mm f/1.4 lens, f/5.0, 1/250, ISO 100.

Koala. Xti, 50mm f/1.4 lens.

I also experimented taking artsy shots with the LensBaby Composer. I’m not the ‘artsiest’ photographer. I’m more inclined to make photos as realistic as possible, which is part of my debate with HDR photography (which I did learn how to do by the way :P). Nevertheless, this lens gave me a new perspective on the types of shots I could get with my camera.

XSi & LensBaby Composer.

My first HDR :P

After a while, I got bored of just taking pictures of things that I was just observing and wanted to create shots I could control. I was also modeling at the time, so I took particular interest at my own shoots and started grilling every photographer I worked with about lighting.

This is when I discovered David Hobby’s Strobist blog. The DIY off-camera photography he was doing and talking about was exciting, challenging, and oh so sexy.

Setting up the strobes for a summer shoot.

It took a while to accumulate the gear I needed to take sext shots; 3 strobes (580EX & 2×430EX, two umbrellas, stands, & the Alien Bees Cybersync Remote System), and a long while to actually learn how to use it.

I won’t lie, when I first started using strobes I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I was even kind of scared of them, so I asked people who knew what they were doing, and watched and learned. I found a few settings that worked and practiced a lot. Once I’d learnt the basics, I started to experiment, sometimes even on the job (shh.. don’t tell), but usually taking pictures of myself.

Then, Alex Lindsay of TWiP (This Week in Photography) asked me to fly down to San Francisco be a guest on his popular photography podcast. I really felt like a n00b photographer then especially compared to one of my heroes, photojournalist, Steve Simon. I felt like I hadn’t done anything of note, just taken some nice photos. In fact, I’m sure that at first I was interviewed more for my modeling talents than my photography. My Flickr stream did contain more pictures of me than by me.

Xti, 50mm f/1.4 lens, 1/100, f/4, ISO 100.

Being on TWiP was a huge wake up call. I realized then, that if I wanted to be a photographer, I had to step up and know my stuff. I couldn’t rely on being a pretty girl with a camera that took pretty pictures. I had to get down and dirty with photographic theory, photoshop, the technical specs of my gear, and build a portfolio with content in a style that I wanted to actually work in.

I was inspired by photographers like Nick Onken, Chase Jarvis, Joe McNally who had unique and strong styles and got hired to to do major commercial work in this style.

Shauna, Canon XSi, 85mm f/1.8 lens, f/3.5, 1/200.

Canon XSi, 24-105mm f/4.0 lens, 45mm, 1/100, f/4.0, ISO 100.

Zara set-up shot.

I decided I wanted to shoot portraits, beauty, and fashion. I really needed models to shoot portraits, beauty, and fashion photography. I bought a second awesome prime, the 85mm f/1.8 and put up a profile on the social networking site “where professional models meet photographers, ModelMayhem. I’d found some great models to work with and I booked four for the next week. A Canon Canada Rep was nice enough to send a XSi (450D) loaner to me, so I had an extra body on these shoots.

Bella, Canon XSi, 85mm f/1.8 lens, 1/125, f/2.8, ISO 100.

I really wanted to push myself to see if I could actually create the images I wanted. After the first shoot, I realized I needed a professional makeup artist and a stylist because I am absolutely rubbish at these things. So I brought Mika (MUA) and Tami (Stylist) on board.

They helped me develop the concepts I wanted to shoot, and make sure all the details (hair, makeup, clothes) were there.

Sexy Stephanie, Xti, 85mm f/4.5, 1/125, ISO 100.

Canon Xti, 85 f/1.8 lens, 1/200. f/4.5, ISO 100.

I also knew I had to become fluent in Photoshop (CS4), so I buckled down and learnt how to use it. I spent days perfecting images, learning techniques, watching every retouching tutorial on Lynda.com and finding out the best and most efficient ways to retouch and process my images. Once I’d mastered the basics, I started to explore different processing styles.

I spend hours scouring photographer’s portfolios and flickr to find inspiring shots and trying to emulate them. Through this process I learnt all kinds of PS ninja tricks and started to develop my own style.

Xti, 50mm f/1.4 lens, f/2.5, 1/100, ISO 100.

I could shoot, light, and make sweet pictures. All I needed was a kick ass camera. I’d spent 2 great years with the Xti, but I’d grown out of it. I needed something full-framed and powerful, so I bought the Canon 5DMKII. I’ve never looked back.

Canon 5DMKII, 50mm f/1.4 lens, 1/125, f/5.0, ISO 100.

After 2 1/2 years, I feel like I’ve perfected amateur photography. Now, I’m ready to work as a professional. And so my next photographic journey begins! Wish me luck!

Canon 5DMkII, 85mm f/1.8 lens, 1/80, f/2.2, ISO 100.

5DMKII, 85mm f/1.8, 1/500 at f/5.0, ISO 100. Natural light & white reflector.

Visit my portfolio for more photos.

Questions? Comments! You know where to leave ‘em.

140 Comments »

Is Photoshopping images lying?

tagged in Featured, Opinion, Photography

Sep 24 2009

Disclaimer: This photo has been photoshopped to make me flawless. I was in fact tired, irritated & slightly ill when this photo was taken.

In an effort to combat body image disorders in adolescents, French MP Valerie Boyer has just proposed a law requiring disclaimers on Photoshopped or “enhanced” photos of people in newspaper and magazine advertising, press photos, product packaging, political campaigns and art photography. As someone who has been on both sides of the lens, as a model and a photographer, I find this proposal overkill.

Isn’t it a given that all photos of females appearing in glossy magazines have been retouched?

Don’t we all subconsciously know that the latest Maxim cover girl actually has skin pores, arm pits, knee caps and a waist line bigger than 20″ in real life? If you really want to know, you can just flick through one of the millions of celeb-bashing websites and see said Maxim cover girl’s “appalling cellulite” or “disgusting tummy roles”.

As a model and someone who is in front of the camera, I have to ask myself if these picture perfect images contribute to my body image insecurities? Probably. Is this a rational behavior? Not really. I think as a culture we are educated enough to know fact from fiction.

I find the pictures of girls in Men’s magazines almost laughable. They look like more like CGIed sex bots, than real, sexy girls. The sad thing is that if they replaced these images with more realistic images of women, I would probably spend 5 minutes pointing out all their flaws and chastise them for not airbrushing a wrinkly elbow.

As a photographer, I try to make my subjects look their best. And by best, I mean as close to perfection as I can make them. Obviously, all blemishes, wrinkles, & stray hairs will be cloned out immediately, but that’s not all that gets brushed to perfection. I’ll admit to restructuring noses, lips, eyebrows, slimming 20lbs off people, making eyes bigger, adding makeup, painting in eyelashes, the list goes on and on.

Maybe the continual exposure to this airbrushed standard of perfection in images of models and celebrities has made me as sick as the Maxim editors, but I don’t see retouching images as negative, it’s merely a part of my artistic process as a photographer.

Is Photoshopping images lying?
This photo of me has not been retouched. Areas marked in red will be retouched to make me look perfect in the final picture.

Beauty and fashion photography isn’t meant to be a realistic portrayal of everyday life. It’s a fantasy. And in this fantasy everyone is skinnier, prettier, richer and more well-endowed than you. Once you know what the images selling, you can take the blow to your ego with a grain of salt.

The other day I was looking back at old Sport’s Illustrated Swimsuit covers from the mid-nineties, pre-airbrushing and required breast implants for models. It was interesting to see supermodels like Cindy Crawford, Elle MacPherson, Christie Brinkley with minor bags under their eyes, little bulges under their bikini bottoms, and actual texture on their skin. In some ways, they looked sexier and simply more real, than the pushed up, squeezed in bikini models of today.

I response to my question: Is Photoshopping images lying? I say a resounding YES. But it’s a lie I’m willing to live with. The more important question is: Will the media ever go back to a publishing photos sans Photoshop? I honestly don’t know. Brad Pitt seems to think it’s possible, but then he’s Brad Pitt. No one cares if he has bags under his eyes. But if I was Britney Spears, I would want a whole team of Photoshop monkeys working on my photos 24/7.

What do you think of this proposed law?

Should Photoshopped images come with a disclaimer?

52 Comments »

My first Bungy jump

tagged in Entertainment, Opinion, Travel, Videos

Sep 18 2009

All summer long I’ve been conquering my biggest fears and crossing off items on my “bucket list”. Apart from sky diving, nothing scares me more than bungy jumping. Let’s be honest, the concept of bungy jumping is freaking nuts. And freaking nuts I was to even consider jumping head first off of a 150ft bridge into a canyon with a rubber band tied around my ankles.

I would’ve never even dreamt of conquering this huge fear on a random whim, but my Dad dared me. He not only dared me, but taunted me for days shouting, “bun-gy, bun-gy, bun-gy!” He wouldn’t let up, and eventually my stubborn pride made me do it.
You must understand that my dad and I have a long and sorted history of one-upmanship.

This father vs daughter competition started early in life. When I was 5, he flagrantly beat me at board games. Monopoly was the worst, especially when he would buy all the lots and send me to jail just for fun. This unsportsmanlike game continued through out the “Tetris years.” I would spend every evening after school trying to beat my dad’s last score. When I finally did, I would go to bed. That’s when my Dad would sneak in and stay up until 3am beating my score.

On and on this stubborn competition went, until one day on a mini golf course I got so fuming mad at my Dad’s teasing, I threw my putter at a windmill. Not only did I lose, but I was banned from Putt ‘n Bounce for life.

So now you understand why I couldn’t back down from bungy jumping, especially when my Dad surprised me one afternoon, by taking me straight to the bungy jump at Nanaimo’s WildPlay.

Now, I figured that since my summer of extreme activities white water rafting with Hyak and zip lining in Whistler with Wildplay, I’ve bascially got my fears in check. How scary could a little bungy jump be?

I was peppy and filled with confidence as I strutted up the bungy bridge that stretched across a river canyon.

“This is easy peasy,” I thought to myself. “No sweat”. Then, I caught a glance of the girl who was in front of me, pale as a sheet, and uncontrollably weeping to be taken off the platform after standing up there for 45 mins.

“Ok, maybe a little scarier than I thought”.

My hands started to shake and clam up and I caught a severe case of Jello legs. The terror hit me when they bound my legs in cuffs and attached me to the elastic cord. There was no turning back. I hopped out onto the edge of the platform and experienced a sweeping rush of vertigo.

People were yelling, the guides were wishing me luck, and my Dad couldn’t stop laughing. I took a deep breath, but the feeling of self preservation was so great I could not budge an inch. My feet felt like they were cemented onto the platform and my stomach was up in my throat. I was going to have to overwrite my with my with my .

I took one deep breath and jumped off. I was angled more chest first than head first. My arms were flailing and I screamed like a possessed demon. The free-falling was insane, like nothing I’ve ever felt. As soon as I hit the water and whipped back up, I really felt like I was going to die, which oddly enough made me giggle and scream at the same time. I continued to bounce, spin and swing under the bridge until I literally ran out of screams.

I honestly can’t believe I did it. Neither can my Dad. For the first time in a long time, he has no comeback. I think I finally one-upped him.

Would you ever Bungy Jump?

41 Comments »

Mostly River Rafting with Hyak Wilderness Adventures

tagged in Opinion, Videos

Jul 28 2009

Everyone has a “things to do before I die” list. From skydiving to bungee jumping to watching the sunset over the Great Pyramids, thrill-seeking and adventure travel are usually top on many Bucket Lists. In the top third of my “must-do” list is white-water rafting. I have always wanted to take the plunge, but have always been a bit chicken to try it.

Recently, I had the opportunity to conquer my fears and finally tear up some rapids on the Thompson River in Lytton with Hyak Wilderness Adventures.

RiverRafting3
Photo by Eric Siwik.

I started my river-rafting extravaganza at 7 a.m., making the three-hour drive to Lytton (billed as the rafting capital of B.C.) from Vancouver.

The drive was quite beautiful through Chilliwack, then past Hope, and winding through Hell’s Gate and the steep, jagged cliffsides of the Black Canyon. I arrived just in time to catch a quick catnap in my car before I attacked those rapids. Read More in The Province.

16 Comments »

Mostly Animals from the San Francisco Zoo

tagged in Opinion, Videos

Jun 12 2009

Shot with the Sony DSC-T500.

The last time I was in San Francisco, I was determined to go to the zoo to catch some wildlife shots to add to my growing collection of animal portraits. I had such an amazing time at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in the Gold Coast of Australia with the roos, koalas, and attack emus and I was excited to get up and close with some other cute, but ferocious beasties.

But as usual, there were several things that prevented me from acquiring some awesome animal portraits.

1. I arrived at the zoo, one hour before closing. Nice one, sleepy pants.
2. It was literally so foggy that I nearly walked into a giraffe.
3. My camera battery was 1/4 from deadzo. Sweet.
4. I forgot my memory cards. Not a single one. Uh. How does that even happen when you have like 10.
5. All the lemurs, gorillas, and cool animals were hiding, asleep, or had made an escape earlier that day.

I may have cried a little, but then I realized I had the lovely little Sony DSC-T500 with me, so I decided to capture some “moving pictures” instead. I shot this at 720p and it looks fantastic.

Also, after visiting this park, I really felt morally torn about zoos and animals raised in captivity. The animals just seemed so cramped and sad and annoyed at the screaming bratty kids. I certainly love seeing these animals up close, but seeing their faces behind bars made me so very sad. Maybe I just don’t know enough about how zoos are run, and maybe I am just naive about what life is like in the wild for these creatures. Basically, I just want to hug each and every one of these animals, even the prickly ones.

What do you think? Zoos: Good fun or just plain mean?

23 Comments »

Katy Perry at the Commodore

tagged in Entertainment, Opinion, Videos

Jan 26 2009

I’m glad I brought ear plugs to the Katy Perry concert at the Commodore, as the singing was not so stellar. I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer about her whole performance, but when performers rise to a certain level of fame you just expect more than glorified karaoke. (more…)

38 Comments »

MostlyLisa.com