Joyce DiDonato

Much as I am a Kate Royal fan, I have to admit the most interesting soprano (in fact a mezzo-soprano) in recent years is Joyce DiDonato. Her voice is versatile (as shown in this discography), her technical skill impeccable, her stage performance a joy to watch. She's also witty in person. Of course, her singing a lot of Handel (my favorite opera composer) also helps. If you like Renee Fleming's Alcina, check out the DiDonato version. Though I like Fleming's "emotional" interpretation better, Didonato's version is definitely the one Handel would approve.

Kate Royal's New Album

If the schedule is not changed, I will be attending Kate Royal's recital in May in San Francisco. Hopefully this time I can get a signed CD (and meet this beautiful young soprano in person).

Salt

Finally watched the Angelina Jolie blockbuster "Salt". As expected, the action scenes are quite enjoyable and Angelina Jolie really can run! The story line, of course, is totally unbelievable (but who cares about story lines in action movies anyway). They do get one thing right, though. A woman can be very deadly when she's emotional. I don't think the movie will have the same emotional impact if they had chosen a male lead. It will also be interesting to see what Jolie can do if she's ever going to play Lady Macbeth. 

On the Trail

OK, I confess, I post-processed the LX5 images using HDR to increase the dynamic range of these photos. Still, it's quite amazing what a digital compact can do.

First Time Playing with Video

Video recording is fun! But a tripod is needed. Next time, I will attach a tripod plate and see how it works with my Gitzo.

People Watching Cloud (LX5)

Rocks (LX5)

Trees of Point Lobos (LX5)

I spent the whole afternoon shooting LX5 at Point Lobos. Like D3X, the images showed on the LCD are misleadingly bright. Only histograms tell you the truth about exposure. The dynamic range is much worse than my D3X (as expected, otherwise why pay the big bucks for it). I have yet to find out how to control exposure compensation on LX5.

My LX5 Arrived

LX5 is tiny compared to my D3X.

A few test shots below (hand held without flash, judging from the result, the image stabilizing is working). LX5 can shot in 16:9, 3:2, 4:3, and 1:1 formats, which is a feature I especially like. It handles auto white balance very well and images are quite clean even in ISO 400. It has a tripod plate socket so I can use it with my lovely Gitzo.

Where I Work Now

Our company moved to a new building the end of last year. Because there are enough offices for all employees, engineers are now sitting in offices. Here is a view of my office. I am sharing it with my coworker Fred (who had very generously let me have the "window" seat).
   

Door, Downtown Mountain View

D3X Is Back

My D3X is back, but can you tell if this photo is shot from a D3X or a phone camera? Apparently it takes more than a good camera to make good photos. 

Cloud Spotting in a Parking Lot

Saturday Morning

I sometimes wonder if what we observe, what we pay attention to, also reflects the inner state of ourselves. If that's the case, these two photos (taken from my phone camera) do show the sunny side of my current mood.

After playing with my phone camera for two weeks and seeing how enjoyable it is, I am seriously considering getting a compact camera such as a Panasonic LX5 (or a Canon G12). It is small, lightweight, much more powerful and flexible than my phone camera. It can also be a useful composition tool for my "normal" photography session. (Joe Cornish uses a compact this way.) It will be interesting to see what kind of improvement I can make with the new visual aid.

The Armchair Traveler's Vacation

Odyssey from Michael Anderson Gallery on Vimeo.

After watching this video, I really feel the urge to go travel. Anybody wants to go to Machu Picchu?