Stock Photography

Every month or so, I get requests from places (magazines, companies, etc.) asking my permission to use some of my photos for their publication, powerpoint presentations, or online editions etc. I don't ask for any compensation, but just that they would give me credit if possible. it's nice enough that they ask for permission.

This makes me think about getting into Stock Photography, then I read on the agencies that contract out photographers and usually they require 50-100 samples of work to consider for a review. I haven't counted my "stock" worthy photos yet but I'm guessing I should have at least 50 high quality images. It's just that I just get too lazy to go through my stuff and weed out the stock photos and tagging them with keywords. One day I have to get to it and maybe I'll make some money off of it. But, that is not my priority in life of course, it is to read the Word and teach the Word to God's sheep.

I haven't created a timeline for the Stock Photo issue (there are so many companies out there I can submit to) but at least I have a plan set up for my Wedding Videography business. It will go live by the time of my friend's Kyung's Wedding. Website, business cards, and all.

So, for now, time to read some more stuff and prepare examples and illustrations for my Sunday messages... woot!

Dishwashers... hmm...

I always wondered about dishwashers, never used them--actually I tried to use it in my last apt before I moved out, and when I turned it on it started to leak all over my kitchen.

According to some research I did, it seems the way I hand wash is one of the most ineffective means of washing dishes: Detergent on sponge, pre-wash with water, clean with sponge, rinse, all under running water (I know, such a waste of water and electricity/water heater) blame it on my mom, that's how she did it and that's how she still does it. The most efficient way of hand-washing according to readings I've done is to have one soapy hot sink where the washing is done and a cold sink where the rinsing is done without running water (I somehow can't imagine rinsing under still water... eww)

Anyhow, dishwasher seems to trump all that taking an avg of 5 gallons of water to wash compared to about 20-50 gallons on avg to wash a table setting for 4, and uses about 1/4 of the electricity of heating water to boot.

I got into this research because the house I'm moving into doesn't have a dishwasher (it has the empty spot for one) and I'm trying to figure out if I should buy a dishwasher or if there is something I can put into that empty spot instead of it. I was thinking maybe a trash compactor but that seems like a big space to fill for just a trash compactor.

Any ideas out there of what I can replace instead in the dishwasher's spot? Maybe I'll end up buying a dishwasher... need to buy a washer and dryer... and some patio furniture. Which brings me to another tandem question. A patio dining set? or a patio lounge set? or a patio bonfire set? woooo~~

If nothing else maybe I'll get an electronic vacuum sealed storage, so I can store my camera/camcorder equipment in there... yeah... that would be very nerdy of me, yet quite fitting probably.

PS: good time to buy appliances (dish washers, refrigerators, central air, heaters, etc) as there are up to $200 gov't rebate on Energy-Star compliant apps.

Black is NOT the Color of Sin

The way we equate black with sin is not a biblical concept. What got me thinking about this is when I was in Philly and singing this Sunday School song that goes something like this:

If I had little white box to put my Jesus in... Then the second verse goes like,
If I had a little black box to put the devil in...

And while singing this, surrounded by african-american kids it made me realize the apparent negative connotation. The american culture (as well as Brazilian from my experience and likely in Europe as well) the races are wrongfully divided into colors. Somehow we equate white as being clean and black as being dirty/unclean.

What does the Bible say? If you do a search on the color BLACK (or lack of color technically) you'll find that it is never used as sin, but only described as the color of hair, sheep, etc.

So what color is sin in the Bible? You might be familiar with David's Psalm where it goes "white as snow~ white as snow~ though my sins, were as BLACK" ... no, not black but SCARLET. Sin in the Bible when given a color is the color SCARLET (a dark red) and not Black. God already knew the "color" issue involved in race.

I know I'm just barely scratching the surface of this but I'll mention another point. Until the 19th century MOST of the tension in modern world were Social Strata, and not racial (skin color) issues. It was about the Rich and the Poor, the Royalty and the Peasants, the Knights, the Farmers, the Pharisees, the Laymen.

anyhow... something for us to think about as Christians regarding the color of Sin.

When Will We (USA) Get a REAL Accord?

Everybody that knows me, knows that I'm a sucker for wagons, I mean hatchbacks. They usually offer better visibility in a world where the rear window is turning into WWII Jeep Armored Slits you can peer through and see... the horizon (if you're lucky) instead of 2 feet behind you.

And here is another model year of the REAL Honda Accord. The car that I really want, known in the U.S.A. as the Honda TSX but without the Transformer style gaudy metal grill and accents. But better than the accord, is the Accord Avant, aka Accord Wagon.









ahhh... such a nice car, and my favorite color, dark (midnight) blue. Sadly, I will never get this car in the Wagon Hatchback hating America. I guess Wagon Hatchback's are against freedom and equality, maybe it's a socialist or communist idea...

Instead of the beauty above what do Americans get? The amazingly well thought out *sarcasm* Honda Crosstour.



Be afraid... be very afraid...

On a positive note, Mazda is bringing their Mazda 2 to the U.S. next year and VW is bringing their Polo (known as GOL in Brazil) as well.

Getting into Video

Just Hanging Out (GH1 and Friends) from Offstandard HD on Vimeo.

Remind me never to start editing a Video at MIDNITE (or late). Was just going to transfer the clips and keep those that I was going to use them... but ended up editing and finalizing it. Took me 1.5 hours or so, so a quick edit but still. After it was done, had to render it, upload it to Vimeo then wait until Vimeo processed it.

Well, I am satisfied with the results. Forgot how fun it is to make/edit videos. I love storytelling.

The Story of Cats

OK, so if you saw on FACEBOOK/FLICKR my photos of little action figure *cough*dolls*cough* cats posed next to camera equipment, they were taken to sell my stuff. Here is the actual Sale post on a camera website for your enjoyment.

Canon EF 35mm F1.4L
Purchased about a month ago from tigerdirect, so it's still pristine, didn't even take out the lense pouch so I wasn't going to take it out just to take a photo of it. Comes with everything in the box, USA warranty cards, instructions, hood, etc. Tigerdirect has a "restocking fee" up to their convenience so i'd rather just sell it here.


"Whaaaaaaat?! You're selling this already?!!!??!"


"wooo, can you see me in the reflection?"

Canon EF 24-104mm F4L IS
Lenses look great with no scratches, has usual hood wear. And the usual zoom/focus turning slightly white from whatever makes it do that... the rubber gasket has about 3 "nicks" on it, picture below.


"Come on, help me move this thing!"
"Heeey~ is that a catgirl I see over there?"


"Hello World! My name is Kuro."


"Kuro! Stop laughing and help me!"



focus is a little off but you can see the worn part of the gasket, this is the biggest one, others are tiny.


"Shame shame, look at those scratches"


"woah~~"


"The box is crumpled, OMG!!!"

Zeiss ZE Mount (canon EF) 50mm F1.4 T* Planar
Purchased this in 12/08 from popflashphoto in California, and I use this as my walk around lens. 50mm is my perfect focal length (on full frame), babied, no scratches, no dents, no brassing, looks mint other than few lint on the hood. Canon should make the hood metal, it just feel much nicer than canon's plastic and it's not too heavy. Comes with everything that came with box, registration card, manual, etc, etc.


"I love this lense!"


"Meow~~"


This Zeiss is Mint.


Zeiss 50mm


Zeiss 50mm


Zeiss 50mm


Zeiss 50mm


I do love this zeiss... handheld, wish I had taken a tripod here.

Angle Finder
This has many interchangeable eyecups for different models, it looks like is has for some Nikon, Samsung, Pentax, etc. I used this on 3 different Canon's, the 400D (Rebel XTi), 5D and 1DIIn, so for those I know for sure it has an adapter. Glass is mint, it has a 1x and 2x magnification. You can rotate it for top down, and if you do portrait you can rotate it as well. It rotates 360 degrees.


"Boring... "



The lens without the rubber eyecup


"Don't close it! We forgot to show them the carry pouch!"

Canon 580EX II
Very good condition, comes with everything that came with box, couple of minor barely visible scratches from use but nothing major.


"other than this booboo in the lower corner right here..."

Teleconverter, Canon 1.4x II
LNIB, looks pristine what can I say, used it once, I had forgotten I had this, it was inside my big camera bag under a compartment haha.


"Lookie here, clean!"


"I think I can eat something off this clean glass."


"Ack! Get me out of here!!"

Canon EF 28-135mm IS
This one looks absolutely mint, even the rubber zoom/focus ring looks mint!


"What? You are leaving? We're not done yet!!"


"Bye sucka~!"
"Who needs you!!"



"That Kuro, making me do all the work!"

Steadicam Merlin and GH1

Steadicam Merlin and GH1
Originally uploaded by offstandard

The Steadicam Merlin and the GH1 have arrived.

Took me a couple of frustrating hours to try to balance this contraption but it works now. I took it outside, but from the clip you can tell how sensitive (almost frictionless) this is, that a decent wind spins the camera when I was trying to shoot the Brea Jazz Festival set up.

Mental note, don't use it outdoors when there's too much wind. And I need a LOT of practice to make this smooth.

Monster Cable... HAHAHAhahah

My apologies if there are Monster Cable fans out there, but they are overpriced and their quality isn't all that great. Anyhow, my 3.5mm M/M cable used to connect my phone/or pmp to my car stereo died (got it free from something I bought that I don't remember). Went to Best Buy cause I had a gift card it was $10 for a 3ft nameless model... Went to Amazon.com because it's free shipping and no tax, also listed for $10... didn't even bother looking for a Monster version, they probably charge $20... they have a good marketing team I guess... but...

Monoprice.com has it for $1.60 for gold plated 3.5mm 3ft cables (usually charged more by Monster just because it is gold plated) + $2.50 shipping (shipping is more expensive haha). If you ever need cables, or any Audio/Video/Home Theater cable stuff, please go to monoprice.com and save yourself some money. Their universal projector mount is seriously very good and so cheap that you don't mind buying!! No, I don't work for monoprice but their price on avg is 1/10th of "brand name" stuff with similar quality.

There are things that regular consumers use and there are things that professionals use, I've never seen a professional use Monster cable or any other brand name cable, they just grab the cheapest stuff according to gauge size and length that they need. Many brand name stuff that consumers use thinking is professional level stuff is really not. Such as a brand of speaker that will go nameless *cough*BOSE*cough* and stuff... =)

It's interesting because it is similar in the spiritual world, there are so many "fakes" and what people think is the "real" thing, but there is only one thing that is real... freedom from sin and eternal separation from God can be had for free, so simple and easy that people can't believe it's the real thing. =/