Correcting Barrel Distortion & Inexpensive Photo Vests

I just discovered an awesome free program called PT Lens available on the net. It includes profiles for specific digital cameras to correct barrel and pin cushion distortion, chromic aberration and vignetting. I briefly tried the barrel distortion correction on a few ocean shots and the results were amazing. Images to be posted later. I was surprised by how much better those images looked when corrected. My Canon 20D with 17-85mm IS lens should be arriving anytime so I'm sure I'll be busy with the PT Lens program very soon.

Now about photo vests: At the photo stores you'd most likely see photo vests for $40+. I got mine for $18. Here's how. Head down to Chinatown in L.A. and look for the swap meet on Broadway. Among the vendors several of them sell pocketed vests that are virtually identical to the higher priced ones at the photo stores. Sure the label isn't going to say a photo company but who's looking anyway? The vendor will probably ask for $20 so try to bargain a few dollars off unless you are one of those wealthy, semi-retired from your actual profession-type of photographers with every single piece of equipment ever made so you don't really care about saving a few bucks. (Ex. Someone who owns two 1DS Mark II bodies along with everything from 15mm fisheyes to 600mm 2.8f monsters with 2x teleconverters each attached to Gitzo carbon fiber mountaineers outfitted with Arca-Swiss ballheads).

There are many pockets and some of which are huge. I went to the L.A. County Arboretum last week and stuffed 4 sets of AA batteries in one front pocket, bottled water inside of the vest, two ND Grads in another front pocket, cokin filter holder in another and remote shutter in another. The equipment didn't feel cumbersome with the vest on and it surely beats carrying a camera bag with all that stuff in it. I'll post a photo when I get my new digital camera. My previous digital SLR's shutter died last week...

Fall Foliage Reports 10-10-05

I'm a week late, but at least this should make for good historical record.

Last week I went to the Eastern Sierra to photograph fall foliage. Leaf peeping has grown in popularity in recent years due to several websites such as www.calphoto.com which provides up-to-date fall foliage reports. I used that website to time my visit which was quite productive despite the heavy wind.

Bishop Creek Canyon 10-2-05: By far the best colors and most dense aspen groves I saw on the trip. The colors probably are fading if not gone by now due to the wind and cold conditions. There was mostly yellow with orange in places when I was there.



Rock Creek Canyon 10-1-05: The colors were peaking when I was there with mostly orange and yellow with some red near Rock Creek Lake.



McGee Creek Canyon 10-2 & 10-3-05: Disappointing. The canyon was in deep shadow during both sunrise and sunset magic hour. The creek isn’t all that accessible compared to Bishop Creek. Plus Bishop Creek has a lot more trees. The road is only partially paved.



Places on my fall foliage wish list: Nevada City- big leaf maples and liquidambars in a quaint New England-like gold mining town.

Grass Valley- Same as above, neighboring city.

Hope Valley- I heard that this is the place to go for fall foliage in the Sierra.

Lake Tahoe- Can you believe that I still have never been there before?

Volcano- Last year I saw a glimpse of what could be and I loved it!