Shaine Mata Blog

I received my Diana F+ in the mail today. Boy, they aren't kidding about it being a cheap plastic camera. It is almost amazing that anybody can take great photos with it, if it were not my experience that photography is more about skill than the camera. In any case, I am excited to have my first medium format camera. More than anything, I wanted to experience medium format photography. I have been shooting on 35mm, which I picked up after learning on digital. I realize that the clarity and other high quality benefits inherent with medium format are undone with the lo-fi nature of lomography. But, what I am after is the experience of shooting, getting developed, and viewing prints from medium format film. With 35mm, my first limitation was developing black and white film. There are no local labs able to develop it for me. This is how I discovered lomography; I was searching for a photo lab that would take orders by mail. This also gives me an opportunity to try new films, to go be...

I picked up a Chromecast while doing some last minute Christmas shopping. I have had a chance to play with it. I get it now. I like it. It's Not a Roku The good news for Roku is that the Chromecast is not a Roku replacement. I suppose it could be; but, both devices would serve very different purposes in my household. I thought the Chromecast would act like the Roku where you'd have a billion channels of content from which to browse. The Roku is a media aggregator of sorts, a platform for discovering and viewing video and audio. I heard it does games too.  What It Is The Chromecast, on the other hand, is nothing of the sort. It is merely the screen you can use to display content from other devices. Chromecast is not a platform in itself. The platform is your computer, your laptop, your tablet, or your phone. Your personal device acts as the aggregator. The Chromecast is only a venue for your content to show.  The Difference I can see the Chromecast as something th...

I may possibly end up putting Evernote in the back seat after upgrading to a Nexus 7 tablet, which has Google Now and Google Keep . Previously, I used an old Samsung Galaxy Tab, which ran Android 3.2, I think. The upgrade leads me to reevaluate my information stashing. Evernote's prominent role in my life has been its universal access. I could use it from my tablet, phone, or computer. Where Evernote falls short in my current lifestyle is that its web client is very slow on my Chromebook. This is largely due to the number of notes I have in Evernote. The web client is simply too heavy with my account. I've tried it with a demo account I use for workshops, which is rather zippy in comparison. I need to stash information in two ways: reminders and notes. Google Now Google Now, besides knowing game times and scores, the weather, and travel info, offers the ability to set reminders, including recurring reminders. Evernote recently added reminders; let's just say it...

I have recently started acquiring black and white 35mm film of different speeds and brands. So far, I've found Kodak and Ilford films. Kodak has the Tri-X films, which are the standard, as far as I can tell; and they have the BW400CN, which can be developed in the same chemicals as color film. I only have a 3200 ISO film from Ilford. I've seen that they have a 50 ISO film I want to try; it's supposedly grainless. The challenges I'm having with film are not what I imagined. The Walgreens that develops my film also scans to CD. I can easily post that online. Unfortunately, the scans are rather small images, good enough for the web, not so great for me. There is obviously no EXIF data, which means I need to track my settings manually. I'm not there yet. I really should change to manual mode and be more conscious about my shots. This is funny considering that shooting with film already makes me more conscientious, but obviously, not enough. I look forward to compari...

A visit to my accountant got the ball rolling for my 2012 taxes. I've been hesitant to tabulate my totals. At best, I kept records passively, which means I have to find and organize the records. So, getting the ball rolling by visiting my CPA is a step in the right direction. I have a game plan. Now it's just a matter of trudging through. I'll learn, eventually.

Waiting on word whether a project is going through. It's one of those days full of anticipation and a little anxiety. On the one hand, you want action. On the other hand, you realize the big job that lies ahead when it comes through.

I would not describe myself as type A. I would also be hard pressed to find somebody who would describe me as type A. However, I do tend to overcommit on projects to where I have no way to physically deliver on everything.  The problem becomes exacerbated when one project takes longer than expected. Suddenly planned time for other projects gets shoved aside, putting other projects in jeopardy.  While, it's easy to blame outside factors, the truth is that there are far too many projects for too limited time.  It is vital to have the fortitude to say no and deflect the work to somebody who can deliver. 

Yesterday, I activated a Samsung Windows Mobile Phone. It has been years since I last touched a WinMo phone. The last time was my old T-Mobile Dash, which I shoehorned WinMo6 into towards the end of its run. It was a good phone. So, I was doing an activation for a friend on her new phone. I find myself perplexed that Microsoft would design such a finicky product, and that Samsung would agree to manufacture it. The interface is really nice, don't get me wrong. There is a lot of ooh and aah designed into the OS. However, activating the phone requires that you install a memory card... no, hold that. The phone requires you to install a Certified Windows 7 Compatible memory card. You could try a non-certified card; but, the system will rip it to shreds and make it unusable, even unformattable. I can see maybe if you want the phone to use a Class 10 card, you would discourage the use of a Class 4 memory card. However, this is the opposite. The cards that are known to work are Class 2...

I accompanied my children to the park so they could ride their bikes while their mother and sister were in a bible study class. 

When your child, especially a young one, becomes sick to the point where they have to be admitted to a hospital, it is a very personal experience. I do not mean it is personal in that it is a private matter to be kept among your closest circle. By personal, I mean that it is a deep and personally moving experience. The first thing that hits you is worry and a lingering fear. As a parent in general, you worry about a sick child. No parent want their child to go through illness. But, that gets multiplied when a hospital stay is involved. Something so serious surely means that there is a chance things could get worse. And, it's that remote chance of things getting worse that causes fear. If you have any understanding of health care sciences, you know that certain things are routine and can easily be treated successfully. You also know that there is always the remote possibility that the same symptoms are of something worse. You start to imagine things such as multiple drug resi...

This month, I wanted to spend a little bit of time in the monochrome space. I'm not comfortable using other monochrome colors than black, yet. I started the month OK; but, after photographing an event, which came out great, I burned out a little. It's been a few days. Today, I visited with my in-laws and took a few photos around the house.  Clothespin The clothespin is nothing new. I've done clothespins before. There is a lot of play when it comes to depth of field and bokeh with clothespins. In this case, I wanted those elements; but, I also wanted to try a clothespin with backlight. The light in this photo is reflected from a tree trunk. The clothespin is in the shade of a car port. In this case, I over exposed. The camera naturally wants to balance out the light; but, then that leaves the details from the clothespin too dark. Nothing too special about this light bulb. I just thought the fixture and surroundings would look nice in black and white. ...

One of the most used phrases used in business is "at the end of the day"; which is usually invoked when referring to something that has results in some significant consequence or meaning. So I am sitting at my kitchen table at the end of today pondering what the end of the day entails for me. Is it really the culmination of a day? In my experience, the end of the day usually means a break from work. Rather than being the end of my work, the end of the day is a chance to regroup and prepare for the next day. Even when it comes to major decisions, one normally "sleeps on" a decision, making the choice by the next morning. So while the end of the day is the finalization of a calendar day, it is mentally the start of the next, a chance to pull back and see the big picture.

Google announced, today, that they linked comments between Blogger blogs and Google+ accounts . This is a good thing. In recent years, I've had way fewer comments on the blog and more comments on G+ and Facebook. The audience is there, it's just shifted away from the blog. Having blog comments also appear on G+ makes the blog less ghost town and more hub. I can tell from the stats that people read my posts and even share them. But, there is little evidence to the outside world that this is the case. I didn't see this feature coming. I'm glad it's here. I like it.

Today I discovered Friends+Me , a service that grabs your Public posts on Google+ and then reposts them to Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The service is currently in beta; but, it will soon have different plans, starting from Free, to an Unlimited version. In the past, I have used similar services, except they attempt to create an RSS feed from your Google+ feed.  Unfortunately, RSS doesn't map well and consistently across services. The result tends to be messy. Friends+Me seems to have worked out how to get around the formatting problems that other services have had. The result is a neat and very useful way to share your Google+ posts. Google has chosen to leave Google+ off limits to incoming feeds for auto posting. This is probably for the best. Having automatic incoming links would mess up search results, which often feature Google+ posts from yourself or people you know. Search results could quickly get spammy. Outgoing posts are the only other option for automatin...

Samsung HM1100 , a photo by shainelee on Flickr.

There is a certain mindset that comes with being productive. You are focused. You are in the zone. This is a different experience than just being. The two are in constant flux throughout the day. We somewhat worship productivity. There is good reason for this. At the end of the day, you can look back and see the trail of everything you have accomplished. For some of us, there is a physical manifestation of our work; for some of us it could be a checklist of things. The down side of productivity is that it requires discipline. You must harden yourself against the extraneous distractions the day throws your way. Stopping to smell the roses is all you need to throw you off your groove. And, so productivity can preclude any opportunity to simply be, to exist. While you can live very well without smelling roses, along with that are other pleasant experiences, such as spending time with your loved ones and truly being present in mind, not just body. The productivity mindset can cause you...

Open CPU , a photo by shainelee on Flickr.

Factory image recovery , a photo by shainelee on Flickr.

You can find stories on the Internet about people who have sold their kidney for an iPhone or an iPad. To you and me that seems a little bit crazy. I can visualize you shaking your head in disapproval at the folly of giving up body parts for a mobile device. Just stop for a moment and think. The idea of selling body parts for an iPhone is not unique to young people abroad. Many of you are already giving an arm and a leg in payments to your mobile service providers for the honor of having an iPhone with full Internet access. It doesn’t have to be that way. Together, we can stop this madness. Let me introduce you to Solavei , which provides Unlimited Voice, Text, and Data for only $49/month. Don’t be one of the millions of Americans losing their ass to pay for iPhone service to the major carriers. Bring your unlocked iPhone to Solavei to start on the road to recovery. We can make your life whole again.

I've written a few posts in the past where I review prepaid mobile services. Over the years, the top contenders have been Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile . Recently, T-Mobile has stepped up their game in the prepaid market. It is only slightly surprising, therefore, that an MVNO using the T-Mobile network, Solavei , is now the best value in the prepaid market. Before going further, let me just clarify that Solavei does not position itself as a prepaid mobile service. However, given that you pay for service in advance, have no contract, and do not have subsidized handsets...you know what they say about looking and quacking like a duck. But, that's where the similarities end. If you have an unlocked GSM phone at your disposal, Solavei does not sell handsets, then you can subscribe for unlimited talk, text, and data for only $49/month. At the outset, you do have to buy a SIM card for $10, making your startup cost, sans the handset, around $68 or so. Boost offers unlimi...

Some photos I shot while walking home from  +The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce , today.  Two little boys turn their trikes into their home after riding down the block, their dog trailing.  The typical sneakers dangling on a line.  A weed growing through the gap between pavers. 

Ready to depart for Austin , a photo by shainelee on Flickr. The delegation ready to depart for Austin.

Embarking on our transport , a photo by shainelee on Flickr.

Making Fried Rice , a photo by shainelee on Flickr. Tonight I got an idea for Fish Fried Rice. I was having trouble thinking up a way to make it. Steamed fish is bland and easily crumbles. Tonight I was inspired by fish tacos. I could pan fry the fish with lemon pepper to firm it up and give it texture. Then I could chop it up the fish and add it to the fried rice mix. It would also have cilantro. I'll try it with and without beans, see which tastes better. This will be a Lent dish. After Lent, I'm thinking of trying out some sort of chorizo fried rice. Via Flickr:

What kind of camera do you recommend? That is the question I get asked most often when I am seen with a camera at events. I have trouble answering the question because, I could barely afford the camera I have now, let alone even touch the other brands and models available to say with any authority what they should buy. I can only speak from experience. A photographer, somebody who shoots photos of professional quality, would never ask that question. Once you get to know your way around your camera, you start to understand what its strengths and limitations are, and you start dreaming of other cameras. In other words, a pro either already has the camera they want, or it's on their wish list. So, for those who ask me what camera to get, I will recommend a camera with manual, shutter priority, and aperture priority modes. If they can learn those settings on any camera, they can make some decent photos and appreciate better gear.  But, getting down to the nitty gritty, I recomme...

Muffins , a photo by shainelee on Flickr. My daughter made a batch of muffins.