stratford and cameras

I had the good fortune to be out taking pictures with my friend and my father in what has to have been the best fall day of the year thus far. The three of us all use current generation Olympus m43 cameras and gear - friend has an E-M5 and some lenses (as do I) while my father has an E-M1 and some lenses including the new 12-40mm f2.8. There was plenty of opportunity to swap lenses around and try different things out.

The three of us went to Stratford in Southern Ontario to walk about and take some pictures. It was an excellent time. Not only was the company fantastic, but the city offers many photographic opportunities which we were only just able to touch upon.

Today though, I noticed something strange in two of my photographs that I have never seen before. It cropped up when I was using the OMD E-M5 and the 12-40 f2.8.

Check this out:

An uninspired shot, for sure. But I was taking it mostly to see how the 12-40 would compare against the 12-50 that I currently have now as far as resolution is concerned. This photograph is straight out of the camera with no adjustments being made to it at all. Note the bridge at the opposite side of the river from where I am standing when I took it. There is a repeated vertical pattern in the railing with some faint out of focus tree branches in front of it which has some rather strange artifacting. The artifacting vanishes when the tree branches do. I have never seen this before with my camera using any of the lenses I have at home (45mm 1.8, 75mm 1.8, 12-50 3.5-6.3).

Check out the piece I mentioned above at approximately 300%:

Now granted, I am really zoomed in here, but look at that strange colour artifacting. This is again out of the camera with no adjustments but for cropping. I am puzzled as to why it is doing this. Obviously, the lens/camera combination is displaying some very strange colour fringing. Am I seeing moire? If so, it is a first.

It happened again.

Again, not an inspired shot, and more of a test. The detail is amazing. But look at the apartment building middle left of the picture at the small structure on top.

Here it is at approximately 300%:

The artifacting is more obvious here, and again seems to be on vertical patterns in the side of the building.

I checked the other photographs I took with this lens/camera combination and did not find any more evidence of such artifacting/fringing even in bright vertically patterned areas. A google search of moire patterns suggests to me - again this is a new one for me - that is it likely moire that I am seeing.

Anyhow, on with the pictures.

Here is a brief sampling.

Water levels are down, revealing things best cleaned up... (75mm f1.8)

Dad playing with his E-M1 and 60mm macro. Wouldn't you know it? As soon as he swapped the lens to play with it, the wind came up. Figures :) (75mm f1.8)

Out on walkies. It was, perhaps, a perfect day for walking about. Cool enough to be crisp, but warm enough to be very comfortable. (75mm f1.8)

Lowered river levels in preparation for winter and its snows. It is part of flood control measures. (75mm f1.8)

Across the river... (75mm f1.8)

And this, dear reader, is why I want the 12-40 f2.8. What this lens is resolving here is really quite good. The level of detail is much better than what the 12-50 has been resolving in similar situations. I promise I will borrow this lens from my father and do some side by side tests with the same camera, same settings, and on a tripod. Should be interesting. (12-40 f2.8)

(12-40 f2.8)

(12-40 f2.8)

I looked for moire on these fabric flowers figuring I would find some here for sure. If it is there, it is very faint and very hard for me to see. Good deal. (12-40 f2.8)

(12-40 f2.8)

(45mm f1.8)

photographs from an elora wobble

so here we are and here we go

Sitting here as I am in a coffee shop drinking a coffee and browsing the Web, I am struck by the undeniable fact that we are, in fact, whether I like it or not, at that time of year again.

"Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree."

rings out over the coffee shop speakers as I stare dejectedly at my dimly glowing screen. It is barely mid-November, and already the hounds of impending festivities are braying at us from the ceilings.

I enjoy "the holidays" but find that being bludgeoned by sincerely sung seasonal music insincerely played to be a bit much on a day this far in advance of the holiday it pretends to support. The decorations are just as bad. Plastic wreaths and garlands, twisted faux wood ornaments, and ribbons abound finishing the assault on the senses initiated by the music.

Now don't get me wrong, or at least don't get me totally wrong. I am not anti-Christmas. Or, at least, I am not anti-Christmas at Christmas time. What I am opposed to is the intense pressure, ramping up as it always does at this time of year, for things to be "perfect" when so clearly for so many they obviously aren't and cannot be by the standards of our society. And when perfect is so strongly linked to economic success and the ability to consume to excess, it is no wonder that for so many people this time of year is anything but a merry little time.

So what to do?

If you do buy for people this holiday season, at least buy local and support a small business. Or perhaps better, create something real and from the heart that actually speaks to the person for whom the gift is intended.

I plan a year of framed art. What about you?

Some PI for your evening

and feet

Now that winter is come, it is time to get these out again:

My Merrell trail running shoes. These are zero lift barefoot runners which are about to be put away actually until later. This winter, like most, I will run in a pair of burned out New Balance trail runners which have packed up quite nicely. I prefer thin soled shoes for running, so the lack of cush is not something I care about. Tonight? Ran about two or three km. 50 paces running, 50 walking, 60 seconds stretching. Rinse and repeat with longer running intervals thrown in. Ramp it up, ramp it down. Every Single Time I start running again, I tighten up my lower calves. This year, lots of walking, lots of interval work, lots of mid run stretching until I can float through a 10 km run sub 50 minutes again. Then, do that five times a week - this was how I survived winters a few winters ago.

It is time for my annual foray into the world of running.

During the winter months, cycling as I prefer to do it becomes more difficult and more challenging. I have no problem with riding in the cold. No fear of ice, snow, the dark, slipping, falling, or winter drivers. I may not like these things all of the time, but I have no fear of them.

The problem for me in the winter is getting any kind of good work out. During warmer months, it is possible, and easy, to get out on my cyclocross bike and spin at a good clip for hours on end. Stress, excess energy, as well as unneeded and unwanted extra pounds melt away. It is good for me, body and soul.

However, maintaining this is more challenging in the winter.

While it is true that I don't fear winter from a cycling perspective, I do respect it. Wandering great distances from home in unpredictable or very cold weather while exposed to the elements (even when dressed right) is not smart. We don't live in a world anymore where a stranger, caught unawares in the country in the winter, can just walk up to a random farm and ask for help. While I might get help should such a thing occur, I am not willing to deliberately put myself at risk. This means as a rule that I am confined to city riding during the winter months. Shelter there is a locked bike and a cafe away.

This means stop and start cycling. Lots of slogging on a heavy commuter bike with heavy tires. It means lousy footwear for cycling (I won't buy specific boots for cycling because I won't ride my fast bikes with clipless pedals in the winter). It means maintaining a baseline of fitness, but not really pushing it the way I would want to. It means that effortless float I get from hours of spinning takes a back seat to reality.

It means, in short, running.

Running, as much as I loath it, is the single best way for me in my current situation - gymless, warm climateless - to float through the winter months with the same manic level of fitness I maintain during summer months.

Wish me luck, because I truly hate to run.

tim murton channels tim burton

I do admit it that when I saw the art installation in Elora this morning and saw who did it, that I had my doubts about whether or not the artist was, well, real.

But then, a little google action showed me this: this is the internet home of Tim Murton and it is real!!

Ok, I said. This is surreal.

"Come with us and you will see, This, our town of Halloween"

"This is Halloween, this is Halloween Pumpkins scream in the dead of night"

"Well, that's just fine
Say it once, say it twice
Take a chance and roll the dice
Ride with the moon in the dead of night"

"Everybody scream, everybody scream"

"I am the "who" when you call, "Who's there?"
I am the wind blowing through your hair"

"I am the one hiding under your bed
Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red"

"This is Halloween, everybody make a scene
Trick or treat till the neighbors gonna die of fright
It's our town, everybody scream
In this town of Halloween"

"Aren't you scared?"

"In this town, don't we love it now?
Everybody's waiting for the next surprise"

Tim Murton, you do Tim Burton very very well.

And, what I find very amusing about all of this, Elora is one of those towns which, near Christmas, you can often hear people singing...

"Here comes Tacky Claus, here comes Tacky Claus, right down Tacky Claus' lane..."

And that, dear reader, is the true Nightmare Before Christmas...

get a bloomin' move on

A true classic from a true classic. Watched an old movie tonight.

It is hard to beat the classics.

on parents and parenting

This is a cross post from a thread in google+ about this video:




I said:

"I think that people should be left to make their own choices for their own reasons without being judged. I have friends with kids who are brilliant parents. I have friends with no kids who are brilliant at not being parents. I for one would feel something missing if my daughter had not been born. In no case is there a value judgement being applied here by me about which "path" is the right one. There is no right one. Just different ones. Collectively, we are all too quick to jump to judgement about choices that others make without bothering to take the time to actually consider that perhaps they know exactly what they are doing.

In fact, my childless friends all get along with my daughter very well. They all without exception like her, respect her, and enjoy spending time with her. But they all know themselves. They all know (with one or two exceptions - people who want kids but who have not got them for reasons which are nobody's business but their own) that they do not want kids of their own. But they all know that they like young people.

There is no contradiction here. I credit my friends with having enough brains to know themselves and know what motivates them to being happy people."

And with that thought, sing with me please:

"If you're tacky and you know it quote yourself! <clap clap>

If you're tacky and you know it quote yourself! <clap clap>

If you're tacky and you know it and you really want to show it

If you're tacky and you know it quote yourself! <clap clap>"

Thank you, thank you, I am here all week, don't forget to tip your waitress...

in quest of landscapes

We went on one such quest this afternoon. The day was blustery, windy, and generally blown about. Thankfully, there was no rain to be had, although the sky was overcast.

The quest started, as so many of them do, with a stop in the local coffee shop. This place is a lot like the TV show Cheers, with people yelling "Norm!" all the time. Well, not quite, but there is a good chance of seeing a friendly face each and every time the shop is entered. In this case, we bumped into a good friend of ours who was taking a pause in his day to enjoy a coffee and get some writing done.

There is a lot of pedestrian traffic in the Uptown. Today, through the window, an animated conversation was taking place.

After we left the shop, we sallied forth in search of our landscapes of the day. This is what we found.

night wanderings

I had a short time out with the camera after dark tonight in the Uptown. Took some pictures just because I could. Twas a beautiful crisp fall evening.

Turns out that an f-stop of f1.8, 1/100 shutter speed, and iso 800 work just fine to recreate the light as it was with very little tweaking needed to match the latent light present in Uptown Waterloo at night. Set, Point, Shoot.

Add caption

ever have one of those days?

Recently, I had a birthday.

I am well on my way towards being 50 (eek!! how did that happen?!?) and am planning my mid-life crisis. I am funny that way. I don't have crisis' like normal people do, I plan them... and I figure that 50 is as good a time to have a crisis as any, so...

I am planning a crisis for when I turn 50.

Like most of these things, my crisis' tend to centre around bicycles (and maybe sometimes cameras, but this one will be about bicycles). I am planning a new bicycle for my 50th year. I am not sure which bicycle exactly, but it will definitely be a road bike of some sort. I am not the sort to run around after unattached women (and make a fool of myself and ruin my family) or to go out and buy some stinky sports car, but I am always in the mood for new bicycles.

My last two bicycles that I have been riding on the road have been cyclocross bicycles. More or less, these are road bikes that are a bit over built with clearance for mud and mud tires. My most recent one is a 2013 Kona Jake the Snake. I love it and have no desire to replace it. By the time I am almost 50 though, it will be nearing the end of its life cycle as the main road/rail trail machine.

I am wanting to put my bike that slots into the Kona's position in the fleet with something special next time. Something Specialized in fact.

I was thinking one of these:

Shawing mobile?!?

Why this bike and not something else?

Well, I would like a carbon fiber road bike. The whole notion of a very light and very tough and very fast machine appeals to me greatly. I know very well that the determining factor is me. What makes the bike go is my legs, heart, and lungs and a will to suffer. But, a bike like this makes working me a lot more fun and enjoyable.

Carbon fiber has come a long way from the days when frames used to come unbonded and fall apart in splintered shattered wrecks. Specialized does some nifty things with their frame manufacturing. The frame is in seven parts. Four of these parts make up the chain and seat stays, and three the rest of the frame.

The area around the seat is one piece, with extensions pointing towards the steer tube, crank, and seat stays. The bottom bracket is also one piece, with extensions pointing towards the chain stays, steer tube, and seat. The steer tube section is one piece with extensions pointing towards the bottom bracket and seat. What makes these frames cool is that for different sized frames, they don't just change "tube length" but actually make different sized and proportioned parts for the three main frame components so that ride characteristics for the different frame sizes remain the same regardless of frame size. Once the bits are assembled, using aircraft adhesive, several more layers of carbon are wrapped on the frame as a whole to finish the assembly process.

The carbon is wrapped in such a way that the frame, once assembled, with flex slightly up and down but won't flex side to side. This gives a very good ride without compromising performance. You can do this with carbon much more effectively than with other frame materials. Super stiff steel/aluminum bikes will pound the daylights out of the rider while more comfortable ones will flex too much to be stellar performers. Carbon can be tuned more specifically.

Stress tests on modern carbon frames show them to be less likely to shatter or break compared to metal ones. Specialized has proven to my satisfaction that their carbon frames are stronger than metal ones regardless of the metal (steel or aluminum) while being lighter in the process. I had a very interesting talk with a bike mechanic friend of mine who had been to a "Specialized Weekend" in Montreal to play with their new stuff and learn how they are made and what stress testing is done on the frames to ensure their durability. They are tough. Full stop. Carbon wheel sets are also not what they used to be. They can withstand significant forces before breaking, more than aluminum ones will.

This bike has a groupo on it that I have been wanting to try. There is nothing wrong with Shimano. In fact, every bike I have owned since my first serious bike has had Shimano stuff on it. But I want to try SRAM road componants. I like the notion of the front derailleur which twists with its shifting to line up better with the rear of the bike and rub less. The reach adjustments are better for the brake/shift levers than Shimano (SRAM uses infinitely adjustable set screws vs fixed spacers). Specialized wheel sets are good, and this one has a carbon set - should be very light and strong.

The only question for me at the end of the day is whether to go with a Tarmac (like above) or with a Roubaix.

minecraft videos ftw!

many a laugh can be had therein

night shift

Ever heard of Nuit Blanche?

Well, Night Shift is a similar thing done in Kitchener this year for the first time.

I joined the waterloobikes blog folks at their booth. They had a series of interesting bikes there to both look at and take on short test spins. Bikes that are not that common here in Canada, like the classic Dutch Bike tank like bike, a couple of different cargo bikes, a Brompton, and some modified "all-Canadian" junkers.

Neat stuff.

A Dutch Bike - the Gazelle

The Gazelle

The Gazelle is a prototypical Dutch bike. They are everywhere in The Netherlands for very good reason. They are tough, have fenders, are built like tanks and are very reliable. You sit upright, can see well, and are easy to see. They also can carry a load and a half. Brakes are in the hubs, as are the gears in most cases. The chains are often in a full chain case, and a skirt guard often adorns the rear wheel (for men and women - splashes do not hit the rider with these no matter what is being worn). Often, and with this bike, there is a hub generator in the front hub which powers the lights front and rear. Bells are often brass and are real bells, not gongs like we have here so often.

Note the huge kickstand. That is no piece of crap garbage like what adorns most bikes with kickstands in North America. You can seriously load this bike down and the kickstand will hold it up.

These bikes also have an integrated lock to immobilize the rear wheel. It is a part of the bicycle.

The frames are steel, and feature gorgeous lug work, and show a level of care not found in mass produced bicycles intended for big box land here in Canada. That said, these are mass production bicycles, but they are built for a spec different that what we suffer with here from our standard bicycles.

You see, these are intended to be used as serious transportation. They are not toys. They are designed and built to last decades of daily use. Most bikes intended for commuter or "casual" city riding sold here are simply not made to take the kind of use this bike is designed for. Why? Most here do not see the bike as real transport. And no wonder really, when so many of our bikes are garbage. Want a bike? Go to a bike store and talk to someone who gets it. And be prepared to spend a little bit of money on one. Avoid big box store bikes. You can actually get a bike that is a lot of fun to ride for not that much money at a bike store that fits, is comfortable, and easy to maintain.

That said, it is not like we cannot get great bikes made here which are very very good for the kind of riding that this bike and ones like it are designed for. It will just cost you is all. You won't find them in a big box wrecking yard. Want one of these? Be ready to drop a couple thousand on it. But you can get a reasonably well kitted out commuter bike for about $500 at a local bike shop. No need to buy a bike like this for most of us (including me, a self professed bike nut - I would never leave one of these locked up around here outside; there are simply too many bike thieves out there to make me comfortable leaving an expensive machine unattended).

Gazelle's bell

There were other things to see as well...

Front of an Electra based cargo bicycle.

A Brompton folding bicycle - idea for urban booting about when you don't want to leave the bicycle locked up outside - simply fold it up and bring it with you!

A kitted up Dutch style city bicycle

View from the waterloobikes booth

I also got a chance to meet with some of the bloggers over at waterloobikes which was nice. It is rare for me to actually get an opportunity to do a face to face with other bloggers out there in internet land.

Winter riding and maintenance was one of the subjects up for discussion by the good folks over at waterloobikes. A small, but very vocal and interested crowd showed up to learn what they could learn about riding in the winter. I agreed with most of what I heard from the people doing the talking,

In case you are curious, this is my advice for surviving in the winter on a bike, along with what was covered by the presenters.

• Remember it is not as dangerous as you think it is. This was not emphasized enough in my opinion by those doing the talking at the presentation. Basic techniques for taking the lane and making space for yourself apply in the winter only even more so. Communicate with your fellow road user, and creating safe space is not an issue. Also, I suggest avoiding major roads even if there are bike lanes. Fortunately, in Waterloo at least, there are a lot of plowed and maintained bike paths that actually go someplace (vs the almost useless suburban wander in all directions but straight community paths). Take the time to develop some off road skills. It can save your ass big time. Practice this technique for cornering a cyclocross bike as it really works very well and can keep the bike upright when you think it should skid out from under you. Anticipate what you need to do and be extra cautious. Also, avoid riding on a day that freaks you out. Push the envelope, but don't tear it ( ;p ). Remember to give yourself double the time to get anywhere than you think you need.
• Want to make your ride safer? Pick the right tires. You need more than just knobbies. There is no need, often, to go nuts like I did last year and put Schwalbe Ice Spikers on your bike, but remember, normal tires are NOT winter tires and will freeze into solid blocks of rubber, not be supple, and will not grip worth a crap when frozen. Even if they are knobbies. Mud tires, softer as they are than normal tires, are a better choice than hard summer rubber, but do yourself a favour and run something like these Continental tires at the very least. I have it on good authority that they do fine in the snow, are better on ice than conventional tires (including mtn bike tires) and while they won't grip like studded tires, they at least won't dump you as often as summer hard rubber will. Also, winter rubber will grip frozen bare asphalt better than summer tires will. They are the bike equivalent of winter tires on a car. My write up on these will arrive once the snow does. I plan to use two wheel sets this winter - one with studded tires, and one without. Both sets are going to be winter tires though. A set of knobby cyclocross tires that many reported as being "awesome" in the snow were anything but. I almost broke my elbow. This is, in my view, a use the right tool for the job moment.
• Big time agree with the lubing advice offered that night. Lube the daylights out of everything. I suggest products from Phil Wood and Company as being good for winter. Their chain lubricant is particularly awesome when the going gets sloppy. I use it on the chain, bolts, etc as both a lubricant and a rust prevention method. Sticks like mad to everything. Works for me.
• Speaking of rust, a can of automotive rust spray is a good idea....
• Suggestions were made to keep the bike outside and keep it frozen as this helps prevent corrosion. Great idea... but... you need secure storage. Locked garages are a good idea. A proper shed would be a good idea (good luck with a "canned shed" from the big box store). I just bring mine in and let it thaw out. Sucks to be the bike sometimes. I also wash it at least once a week with soapy water, and keep it in good working order. I expect to burn out a rear derailleur, brake and shift cables, at least one set of brake shoes (front and back) and the chain and cassette per year. I put at least 4000km in all weather on my cheap as dirt ($500-600) commuter bike. The components are not the best, and will burn out in winter weather. Actually, they wear out long before they rust out. So I don't particularly care if they corrode a bit in the winter as that list of parts is worn to the point of destroyed by winter's end no matter what I do to prevent rust.
• Disk brakes vs rim brakes? Disk all the way. They don't snow/ice up as much as rim ones do. You won't burn several sets of brake shoes out per winter either. Your rims last longer. This means less frequent and less expensive maintenance. Also, the bike likely won't cost you much more than a bike with rim brakes as disk brakes have grown in use and popularity. As with rim brakes, give them a squeeze periodically, especially if you are in powdered snow, unless you like nasty surprises...
• Dress for it. I never (ok, almost never) wear a winter coat. I use multiple layers of technical clothing - wool is wonderful, and some of the newer synthetics do not get damp and stink or if they do get damp, they dry fast and non stinky. Yay. Get a ninja mask style helmet liner. Your cheeks, nose, and chin will thank you. Your glasses might fog, but oh well. Oh, please use a helmet. You are MUCH more likely to dump the bike in the winter, and saving your face and head is a good idea (a properly adjusted helmet will actually prevent or reduce road rash on your face...). Warm mittens, wool, are a good idea, as are waterproof boots. I use bogs, which suck on the bike, but are warm, have room to tuck in your pants, and are waterproof. I just wish that they did not flex so much. They make my feat hurt if I push as hard as I normally do (I have to chase everyone I see - I should really grow up or something...) I had to leave the presentation early and do not know if this was discussed. I would assume it was as the presentation was excellent and this is an important subject.
• Use fenders.  Full ones. With mud flaps. This is not a hipster fashion show. They keep the crap off of you and those around you.

That's about it for winter stuff. Do it and have fun.

A group of jugglers I saw on the way home.

family day

Spent the day with some of my wife's family. It was a fun time. Here is a sampling of the day.

a classic

There is a long standing tradition for professional or retired professional bike racers to give input into a bicycle design so that they, or an established bicycle manufacturer, can leverage their name and sell a line of bicycles named for the racer in question.

Here is a classic example from the 1980s.

A Steve Bauer bicycle