Lights, Camera.. Macro!

A new addition to the camera bag this weekend!!!

The Cannon 50 mm Macro lens. A Metal body lens with .5x Magnification and a very crisp focus and goes down to f 2.5! Was a little out of my price range (~300 bucks) for a long time but recent events with health and mental state have made me realize that sometimes this life is too short for holding off on some little "aasais"..

Have taken only 10 or so shots with it this evening and I am still learning to do a good job on the manual focus and the results are very very nice. All these three photos were only cropped and bordered from the originals.

It also seems to be very nice as a generic prime lens..

Now thinking that I should go for an eye check up tomorrow. Maybe it is time to wear reading glasses?!

Camera or the photographer?

Should copyright this..

Behind every successful camera, there is a photographer.

:)

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Filoli - again

Wanted to show FIL at least some local place before his return to India.

Chose Filoli. Promised a 2 hour trip max. Still bad idea.

It was 96+ C out there. The van temp indicator read 106 F!

Filoli gardens are very well watered. The steam sizzles off the floor. The heat, humidity and pollen form a bad combination for people prone to hay fever.

So, this post will be brief...

Two pictures..

Daddy danced with the little one again for a short time and she was ecstatic! We had fun while we were at Filoli. It just had side effects for daddy.

On a side note Jr. was busy making cards.

Me : ???

Jr. : I want to make a yellow card and a red card

Me : ???

Jr. : To give to amma! (mommy)

Me : (thinking.. finally someone in this house dares to give Amma a yellow card or red card ?! this must be some sight) ????

Jr. : That way if Amma feels slightly upset with someone in the house she can show them the yellow card and if she is really upset with someone she can give them the red card!

Me : (very disappointed, but accepting the inevitable fact that the only person who gets carding authority in the house as Amma) Can I give a yellow card?

Jr. : NO. Only Amma!

At the end of the day, we might actually adopt this system. Yellow is warning. Red card means person will have to go to garage for a timeout.

Jr. has some amazing solutions, doesn't she?

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Random snaps - Photoblog

One with the little one - sun directly behind her, used the car's windshield reflector at my foot to redirect the light to her face.. Somehow it still has a yellowish tinge (probably because of sunlight reflecting). Need to figure this one out by playing with the white balance (which was set to Auto in this case)

One with a dove that visited the backyard to drink water from the puddle, just after the sprinklers stopped...

It has been a busy week. This weekend promises to be interesting..

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Zoom goes for a ride..

Other snaps from today's trip..

Got to walk along the waterfront in San Mateo and watch the flights land from the ocean side into SFO airport..

The planes were loud and felt very close, especially when you zoomed in on them!

An 8 foot 30 lbs Boa which defined "reptile"...

Photos of SFO from Twin peaks that definitely beckon us for another visit when there is better visibility..

and finally a stitch shot that covers probably a 120 degree arc...

A city below teeming with life and when you look at those matchbox sized houses and the risk of it all being in earthquake country, you cannot help but shudder!

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