My first wedding shot on 7D

There were two challenges I tried to overcome with the 7D for this event: follow focus and stabilization.

There is no auto-focus for shooting video with the 7D, so the user must use the LCD on the back of the camera to enable constant focus adjustments. I'm still learning proper technique, but most of the raw footage turned out to be useable.

As for stabilization, I developed and built a rile style shoulder support to cope with the cameras lightness and awkward form factor. It helped tremendously during the shoot.

http://www.vimeo.com/8309414

Kiddos

(they grow up so fast)

My Youtube videos

To help cope with the public outcry for more availability of my videos, I've decided to link to my Youtube page which has all three of my masterpieces. Yes the quality, driving and production values are pure crap, but I hope you enjoy them none-the-less.

http://www.youtube.com/user/jculpjr

Golf revelation (almost)

I've been doing some thinking about my golf game.

I envy people who have not taken up golf, but for one reason or another decide to take up the game. These people represent a blank canvas for learning the "proper" swing technique. They have no bad habits ingrained into their brains and can theoretically start off without any nasty preconceived vices.

Now I realize that starting from scratch can be very frustrating. People who take up a new hobby usually expect to do well immediately, and when that doesn't happen frustration usually sets in. Some hang in there and continue to play, but most don't.

But for those that do hang in there I plead for you to seek instruction as early as possible. Practice good habits and seek out a professional to take a look at your growth periodically so that you don't start doing bad things with your swing.

So back to my revelation. My kids are starting to show interest in the game of golf. JD likes watching the pros play on TV. When he sees the telltale blimp shot at a tournament and all the bunkers and fairways, he points to the television screen and succinctly says "gof". He then looks at me trying to make sure that I share in his wonderment.

Both JD and Addie are showing signs of being southpaws. They eat with their left hands, throw lefty and seem to want to swing their plastic golf clubs in the "wrong" way. I don't have anything against lefties per se, but I must admit that watching Phil Mickelson or Mike Weir swing the club seems at best abnormal to me, and at worst, reflective of hearing fingernails meeting a chalkboard. Yet I have decided to embrace their natural tendencies and not try to encourage a swing type that might go against their God-given talents.

So I began to think of how I'm going to instruct two southpaws without any prior knowledge of the art of "swinging lefty".

Then it dawns on me. I can kill two birds with one stone. I can reinvent my own swing and teach the kids by learning to swing the golf club left-handed.

Eureka!

I decide to take a measurable step by taking the kids to "Play it Again Sports"- the store that sells "experienced" athletic equipment. While the kids destroyed the rest of the store, I went through the stores inventory of left handed clubs- both of them. They had a pitching wedge from the '50's era and a seemingly modern 3 iron- both with the club head facing West at address.

To say that the clubs and swing attempts felt awkward would not be giving the actual feeling it's true justice. It was awful. It felt totally unnatural. The road to a decent left handed swing suddenly felt unbelievably distant and I became disheartened.

Is this why no one tries "switch hitting" in golf? Had my dream of starting with a clean slate come to an abrupt end?

The short answer is "yes". After repeated attempts to not look like a uncoordinated girly-man, I determined that my revelation of a "clean sheet of paper" to design my new improved swing was not only an insurmountable goal, but a foolhardy one to boot.

I quickly picked up all the equipment that my children had strewn all over the aisles of the store and retreated back to the comfort of the Jeep to lick my wounds.

Maybe fixing my current (somewhat less horrific)swing is the better path afterall.

Sukhoi SU-37 show off it's Super-Manuverability

The SU-37 is a derivative of the SU-27 which is Russia's current super-fighter. The SU-27 was conceived in the 1970's as a countermeasure to the United States F-14 and F-16. A derivative of the SU-27, the SU-37 is about the size of the F-14 (which is/was quite large) yet it has thrust vectoring capability combined with forward adjustable canards which contribute to the planes amazing maneuverability. It is the only current aircraft which the pilot can "force-stall" and enable the plane to actually fly backwards at times.

Enjoy.

2011 Jaguar XJ design analysis

Official photos of the 2011 Jaguar XJ have been leaked on the internet. The XJ has not seen a major revamp to its basic architecture for many years and this redesign represents somewhat of a gamble for Jaguar. Have they pulled it off? Well yes and no...

Click images for larger versions


To my eye, the rear reveals the risks that Jaguar has taken more so than the front view.

A- The blacked out C-pillar section is both bold and surprising. The paint lines follow the rear light glass but the result comes off as gimmickry rather than style.

B- The running board treatment breaks up the slab-sided look, but adds a look of heaviness. Hopefully the heavy look will reflect a corresponding increase in interior room which the outgoing model sorely needed.

C- I think Jaguar missed on the rear fender treatment. Added muscularity around the wheel openings would have emphasized the rear-drive athletic nature of the car.

D- The two-tone roof treatment is interesting. Could this be a roof section that can be either transparent for letting light in, or dark with the flick of a switch when desired? From the looks of the roof line, there won't be much more headroom in the new model than the outgoing version.

E- I would have rather seen the Jaguar letters rather than the leaping cat- seems detached from the classic nature of the XJ.

F- Tail lights seem elegant but look Americanized rather than British. I would expect to see these on a Lincoln.

G- The rear valance looks like standard performance sedan fare. Split exhausts promote the sporty nature of the car, but break no new ground.



H- Hood bulge looks very nice and hints at the power beneath it.

I- Black roof section blends in nicely with the windshield resulting in a nice modern look.

J- The grill and headlight treatment reflect Jaguars new brand identity shared with it's XF sibling. I'm not a fan of the rectangular grill. I think it is a step backward from the last XJ's elegant look as it adds a degree of bluntness to an otherwise flowing shape. Jaguar seems to want to lean toward the sporty side of the sedan spectrum. The headlights again reflect the new family look- definitely a departure from the twin circular pieces on the last model.

K- Mirrors look okay, but a little on the chunky side. Should be more flowing.

L- Lower valance looks nice and purposeful- in stark contrast to the rear end of the car.

Overall I like the front view much better than the rear. With styling nods to BMW, Maserati and even Lincoln, the new XJ is definitely a bold styling statement. While the design leaves me scratching my head, it will definitely lead to more people talking about the brand, which might be exactly what Jaguar had in mind.

Alfa Romeo tries breakthrough marketing campaign

Alfa Romeo Super Dance Show from ShowGirls on Vimeo.