so if you read my last entry here and have been following my personal blog at all, you know that there was an orange county smugmug meet-up this past tuesday. it was hosted by group leader jasmine star and featured special guest speaker jessica claire. it was the second ever OC “smug” gathering and my first time mingling with my <ahem> peers. yeah, that word doesn’t roll off my tongue easily since i still feel like i’m on the outside looking in. i mean, i just feel like everyone and their mother is an experienced, working photog, meanwhile i’m the one lonely soul on the planet that doesn’t quite have all the answers and is laughably bringing a knife to a gunfight. 

but i’ve shared my insecurities with you before. in fact, i feel like when i’m not sharing my insecurities, i’m left without much to say. no, no … i’ll leave this to my personal blog. back to the smug …

there were a few points of shop talk that i thought i’d share here. jessica (if i may pretend that we’re on a first name basis) went through her shootsac to share with us what glass she fancies. she said she currently goes to the 35mm 1.4 a lot. the 24mm 1.4 is also at her fingertips. she spent a little more time on her next lens: the 50mm 1.2. i’ve long observed that a lot of the pros i follow worship at the church of 50 1.2. 50mm seems like a money focal length as tien first endorsed it to me when i took the dslr plunge last year. i bought a camera-body-only and a 50mm 1.8 as my sole lens. it was an adjustment at first because the concept of fixed focal length was brand new, but the quality felt second-to-none. meanwhile, tien and steve were living the highlife with the 50mm 1.4. buttery indeed! recently, nlp friend lew at lk imagery bought his first dslr (a nikon) and after playing with the kit lens for a while, finally followed our strong urgings to go 50mm. he got his, and the results are fantastic. even more recently, resident gadget evangelist steve put an offering into the collection plate at that same church of 50 1.2. though he has a propensity to visit but never stay (translation: buy, then return), he did admit to me the other day that, despite his inevitable relinquishing of the lens, it is buttuh. and back to my original point (sorry for the LONG tangent), jessica spent extra time talking about the 50 1.2 because it’s the lens she found her photographic identity with. how cool is that?? are lenses and photogs kindred spirits walking life looking for their soulmates? and some day, photography-gods willing, their paths may cross and it’s love at first focus? 

jessica said she used to shoot with a few zooms (i think the 16-35mm 2.8 and 24-70mm 2.8 were in there), including the 70-200mm 2.8, a very popular wedding lens. she said she doesn’t use any of them anymore, except maybe using the 70-200 occasionally. she also said she likes to shoot her lenses wide open. she shoots as much natural-light photos as possible, which is made eons easier with every additional stop these nicer lenses afford us.

also in the way of bodies, she offered another perspective to the eternal 5D or 5DM2 debate we’ve covered here before. she still uses a 5D! she reasons that there is not a lot of difference between the two bodies aside from better iso performance for the mark ii. as far as focusing, she perceived no discernible difference. for just a bump in iso performance, the price of admission is not worth it to her. i’ve heard similar sentiment in a becker vidcast. i find it interesting that focus performance gains seem to be at the top of their list. iso gain, no so much. so the scoreboard (as far as i’ve been able to research) goes like this:

jessica claire: 5D
jasmine star: 5DM2 (with back-button focus enabled)
JD “star” (jasmine’s husband/usual second shooter): 5D
becker: 1Ds M3 (nothing like the top of the line!)
bonnie tsang: 5D
jason q tran: unknown

beyond my natural tendency to lust on the equipment and keep mental tally of who’s using what, there was a lot of talk about selling your unique self in your business. “no one can out ‘you’ you,” is what jessica said. it’s basically the same credo i read in dane sanders‘ book fast track photographer, and hear this group repeat time and time again. in sharing this philosophy with my nlp brothers, tien suggested i read dale carnegie’s how to win friends & influence people. i’ve put that on my reading queue. 

in the end, i didn’t win any friends or influence any people at this thing, but i got to hear a couple pros i follow share some of their stories and professional preferences, which is good stuff to hear. i hope it helps me calibrate where i am and where i need to point myself. jasmine said they hope these smug gatherings will become a regular monthly occurrence, so i hope to be back in the mix next month. maybe by then i’ll learn not to be a tiny face in the crowd, but someone people remember.

the missus and myself are circled in red. a blue arrow points out a guy in the front row whose hair i distinctly remember. image courtesy jasminestarblog.com. arrows/circles courtesy me.

p.s. major props to the mesa verde country club in costa mesa for hosting the event on the cheap. it was a beautiful facility and was told they were very gracious to smug’s needs. if i ever take up golf, i’m THERE!

i know my last post promised greater posting frequency and a greater personal angle to my contributions. well, a funny thing happened on the way to that destination. i caught wind of an upcoming OC smugmug meet-up. i felt it was time to lay claim to my own virtual-property and make good on part of my promise. i’ve launched my own personal blog to pursue all of my selfish goals. hopefully it will be something i can cultivate for my own progression in the world of pro photography and even a vehicle to self-discovery. or maybe i can help someone else become a billionaire off selling plots of internet space to idiots like me.

in any case, i am not through with nlp (as long as tien and steve care to have me around). i don’t think the world is ready for big hap dawg, a.k.a. hapa17, a.k.a. nicky digital (yeah, i just made that up … whatcha gonna do about it?). for now, the world gets nick yutaka, photographer. i hope you will bookmark it right next to your nlp bookmark, and follow me on the next leg of my journey.

cheers!

in doing my usual website browsing today, i came across a video posted on OC photographer Becker’s blog featuring photographer/author Dane Sanders. this video struck me as particularly interesting because they discussed the business of photography. the main point they touched upon, a point that is A-1 in sanders’ book fast track photographer, is that the aspiring photographer in today’s industry doesn’t sell his photographic skill as much as he sells him (or her) self. the ability to shoot acceptable photos is in abundant supply with the proliferation of consumer dslr’s. what is not in abundant supply is you as an individual. if i interpret sanders’ point correctly (i’ve only read chapter 1 of his book), think of photography as a service. in any service industry, say a restauranteur, no matter how good the food is, if people don’t like the service, they won’t come back for more. that’s why all the fast food commercials on tv emphasize how clean and friendly the minimum-wage workers at their restaurants are. if you feel welcome, you are more likely to come back for more and recommend it to friends. 

photography is a service industry

analogies aside, this makes the importance of marketing the person behind the lens that much more important; vitally important. how much sense does this make! i make references to jessica claire, jasmine star, jason q tran, and bonnie tsang all the time! i’ve bought into them as people. sure, all their photography is top-notch, but the extra oomph they feed me is their ability to communicate with the world and become relatable. in fact, i’ve grown a closer association with these particular photographers in order of how accessible they are through the internet. star and tsang in particular have become the most endearing as they communicate via twitter and update their blogs fairly regularly. i used to follow claire the closest until she fell behind in blogging this summer. tran … i believe he updates his latest work often, but i find his blog misses that extra personal touch. i know nothing about the man himself, thus i follow him the loosest. 

so in the interest of the discovery of this philosophy, i’d really like to make an effort to post more often. and not just when i complete “assignments”, but anything that helps communicate who the person behind the lens is. i haven’t discussed this with tien or steve yet, but i’m also considering starting my own personal blog. i don’t want to highjack this shared space on a daily basis to form only my identity. it seems like it would be unfair to them if i made things too nick-centric here. not that i would stop posting here, but maybe i’d use this space more to discuss technical things and our efforts as a collective, and use a personal blog to mold my identity. in fact, it’s sort of what i think we envisioned from the beginning: stand on each other’s shoulders at first by creating this playground, but eventually we may each have our own wing of the house of nlp. 

penta-nlp

anyhow, enough thinking out loud. how does one form his/her identity via a blog? well, i figure sharing personal observances, musing, and interests is key. i think one of my best traits is my sense of humor. i love to laugh, especially at things that aren’t exactly P.C. i was reminded of this today listening to an archived bill simmons’ podcast. simmons, a.k.a. “the sports guy”, is an espn.com columnist who writes sports columns from the perspective of the fan; someone without access. in a world where all nuggets of information are disseminated and devoured seconds after they become reality, simmons’ angle is to observe, weigh in, and shoot from the hip. he does a great job of blending sports topics with pop culture with a sometimes biting humor. he’s also a former jimmy kimmel show writer, so he often collaborates with kimmel and adam carolla. i’ve never watched a lot of kimmel or listened much to carolla, but since reading simmons, i’m more aware of them. i read a recent simmons mail bag where reference was made (near the bottom of the page) to one of his podcasts featuring carolla. i dug into the archive, listened, and was in total stitches. if you care to know more about nick, know this: i found this 45 minutes to be hilarious. enter my world, if you dare!

simmons, carolla, kimmel

the final chapter to my experience at the michael jackson memorial was the meal. after navigating the three-ring circus around staples center that day, mom suggested we have lunch at the L.A. Live area. specifically, she wanted to dine at wolfgang puck’s. i’m not usually one to choose the high-brow establishments, but this day was for mom, and since she’d be grabbing the check, i went along.

fancy food: thy name is wolfgang

first up, a salad. i forget what it was called, but we referred to it as a tomato and onion salad. it included at least three types of tomato (included green tomatoes), onion, artichoke, some sort of butter-cheese, and various other garnish. it was tasty. i think it was my mom’s favorite.

dots of pesto flank this epicurean delight.

we also shared a fried calamari appetizer. it came with a sweet green dipping sauce (“gremolata aioli”, according to the menu). it was a bit sweet for our taste. we’re a little jaded though because dad served his with marinara sauce at our family restaurant.

as the italian say "calamari fritti"

after we knocked off the starters, mom told me about a work get-together she attended at a lucky strike bowling alley. i think it’s great that she makes the effort to be friendly and social with new people (a skill that does not come naturally to our family). apparently after anyone bowled a strike at this thing, they would take a photo of the bowler crossing their forearms. mom’s a bit of a worrier, so she worried that her photos would turn out bad. i asked her to show me her best pose, and i snapped this gem. it’s turned out to be one of my favorites i’ve taken of her!

steeeeeee-rike!

so out next came our entrees. we decided to share a couple of pasta dishes. first up, was a plate of spaghetti meatballs. however, it wasn’t called “spaghetti meatballs”, it was called “bucatini & meat balls”. it was a bit spicy, but not bad.

apparently "bucatini" is italian for "big ass noodles"

finally, we chowed on a plate of four-cheese ravioli. i’m not usually a ravioli man, but some of the stuff on this menu was so exotic, i gravitated toward more familiar fare. it was rich and filling, more so than i expected.

"quattro" cheese ravioli

all in all, it was a good meal, but not mind-blowing. in the end, i think i just like that which is familiar and modest. dishes that look like they belong in the guggenheim and have ingredients that a translator from the U.N. and a botanist would have a hard time identifying just aren’t my thing. what did my mom think?…

as they say in carl's jr commercials: "don't bother me. i'm eating."

and that concludes my mj memorial coverage. this thing was a zoo and a three-ring circus, ripe with mass exploitation and celebs up the yin-yang. but, it had its genuine somber moments peppered in here and there. for me, michael jackson’s greatest legacy won’t be his music or his personal life. it will be his desire to be different. i’ve been a music video junkie for almost my entire life, and i’ve always liked unique videos. and i think mj made some of the most unique and artistic videos. of course there are staples like thriller, smooth criminal, and remember the time. my favorite: leave me alone (you can’t deny dogs in suits!). if i may, i’d like leave you with this awesome tribute video by detroit singer dwele. extremely impressive stuff. shamone!

so after navigating the street vendors, the impersonators, and the mourners, my mom and i took a closer look at the media. i mean, what a spectacle! it’s what i imagine the academy awards red carpet is like. and hey … what’s the academy awards without celebrities? and this mj memorial had its complement of powerhouse celebs. there was no shortage of local, national, and world celebrities.

we’d planned on checking the scene for a few minutes before grabbing lunch. suddenly, reverend jesse jackson walked right by us! he was on his way to media row, and we followed like lemmings.

rev. jackson to me: "nicholas ... without aperture/shutter-speed reciprocation, there can be no exposure compensation, next level photo-ification, and thus self appreciation. keep hope alive!"

local nbc 4 news’ patrick healy was doggedly shadowing reverend jackson, probably for an interview. we didn’t see his diligence pay off.

my dumb ass kept referring to him as "conan nolan". my bad patrick!

mom got excited at the site of this local newscaster. hell if i knew who she was. couldn’t find her on ktla’s talent bio page.

anyone recognize her? i couldn't find her on ktla's website (and she was holding a ktla mic later on). on the plus side, she bent over a lot.

moments later, martin luther king III and bernice king emerged.

all due respect, mlk3 could stand to miss a meal every now and then.

almost missed her, but the murmur of the crowd clued me in when dionne warwick passed by. i know older cats remember her as a singer. me … i only remember her as the lady from the psychic friends network commercials.

did her psychic friends clue her into the mj tragedy in advance? if only we'd listened!

next we spied comedian dick gregory. he’s another black celebrity that i’m only vaguely familiar with. i think i’ve seen him on a number of documentaries about black comedians. much like my conan nolan/patrick healy brain fart, i kept wanting to call this guy gregory peck. i guess my mind’s a jumble with the wealth of useless info it stores. speaking of which, upon further review, the guy that sings “i’ll be there” with mariah carey: trey lorenz! 17 years after his one-hit-wonder notoriety, i NAILED his name in the liveblog!

dick gregory or gregory peck? trey lorenz or larenz tate? ladies and gentlemen ... wiki-hapa!!

mom spotted local fox channel 11′s field reporter jane yamamoto. she’s thin as a twig, dresses “hip” (as the kids say), and rocks some heavy eye makeup.

i'll always remember her as the reporter in dr. dre and eminem's "forgot about dre" video

i recognized upcoming mj tour director kenny ortega cruising the media circus. according to his wikipedia page, he’s slated to direct the remake of the ’80s movie footloose, and i assume he’s the man behind the kid in the stan van gundy outfit (see 12:19 in my memorial liveblog). in other words, this man HAS to be stopped!

i have a fevuh. and the only prescription is MORE KEVIN BACON!

finally, the last two celebs of the day came in the form of cbs evening news’ katie couric and music icon stevie wonder. mom kept saying how cute couric was with her hairdo. in my opinion, wonder and reverend jackson were the two biggest celebs we saw up close. i’m not even that familiar with wonder’s music, but hey … who doesn’t know stevie wonder?!

a group of fans actually waved at wonder as he descended the news stage. yeah ... look over here, stevie!

coming up next to conclude mj day, part 3: the meal. it really has nothing to do with michael jackson. just a few snapshots of my meal with my mom.

though i wasn’t able to bring my dslr into the mj memorial, i did have it in the car and i did break it out after the ceremony. i’ve broken down the resulting photos into three categories: 1) the scene, 2) the celebs, and 3) the meal.

in this first segment, i’ll share photos of the scene: the three-ring circus that went on outside staples center and nokia theater that day.

thousands of people congregated between staples and nokia shortly after the mj memorial.

the fan-signed mj mural

there was no shortage of “characters” in attendance. the front line was the vendors. they were in full force looking to exploit the king of pop’s likeness in any way imaginable. shirts, buttons, and posters were just some of the junk readily available.

get your unlicensed mj memorabilia here!

in loving memory

the next layer of characters was the impersonators. i mean, i just knew there would be no shortage of these clowns…

apparently this guy got lost on his way to the raider game. and isn't it scary when (judging from his arm hair) a blonde or redhead can impersonate michael jackson?

for some reason, i imagine this guy is actually tracy morgan. i can just hear him say "mama say mama sa ma ma coo sa" in morgan's trademark inner-city drawl. am i right?!

finally, the media was in full force. between a half-block-long stantioned-off media stage flanked by dozens of satellite dishes, a taller, more exclusive media perch, and a third media tower overseeing a sea of attendees, i wasn’t sure if i was at a memorial service or the academy awards.

i didn't get to watch much tv that day. was anyone able to find any mj memorial coverage on the tube?

i think a second group of media should have covered the media covering the event.

and sprinkled throughout the crowd were people who appeared distraught at the passing of michael jackson. being the optimist i am deep down, i’d like to think some of these people’s tears were genuine. they were the ones at staples center for all the right reasons. though i don’t fundamentally believe in becoming hysterically upset over the passing of a person who you didn’t know personally, i do sympathize with the empty feeling of the passing of an icon of our generation. for me: part of my childhood is gone forever. i am irreversibly older. for the jackson family: their brother/son is gone and three children are now essentially orphans.

my mom and i noticed this lady quietly sobbing nearby, alone. this shot could double as my “miss of the day”, since i got the back of her head rather than the emotion of her face.

you can see the tissue she held up to her face to control the sobbing. her solitude, quiet sobbing, and single red rose made me take notice.

and one final light-hearted observance: the trio of buildings near staples often used as giant commercial canvases was, on this day, a mural of…final fantasy xiii?! really? the american economy must be in decline!

coincidence or karmic fate that a video game series featuring some of the most androgynous male protagonists in the history of home entertainment oversaw the hoopla of the michael jackson memorial? that's right dude/lady in the middle with the black beanie: i'm looking at you!

next up: the celebrities i stalked observed at the mj memorial.

a spotlight highlights an auspiciously lone mic in tribute to mike.

12:45
hold on! more words from the first minister that spoke. will it ever end? prayer time.

12:42
powerful moment when mj’s daughter spoke. mighty powerful. and that concludes the memorial. thanks for following along!

12:37
last (?) sentiments from his family. one of his brothers is making a nice speech. is that jackie?

12:30
i was never a big “we are the world” fan. i remember having to sing it with my class in elementary school (damn progressive education!). is this “heal the world” song a different song? people are waving their hands in the air like they just don’t care.

12:25
and now a “we are the world” performance. all the previous performers are gathering on stage. looks like the big finish.

12:22
mj’s tour manager is speaking about making the memorial possible.

12:19
some kid is singing now. kinda sounds like a young mj. looks like he got fashion tips from stan van gundy: sport coat with a tee. always a bad look.

svg & kid from mj memorial: you are better than that!

12:17
i think i saw louis farrakahn take a seat.

12:13
smokey talking now. joking about having written the song that mj sung better. don’t know much about him, but seems very good humored. quite the cut-up!

12:11
usher got down next to the casket while singing. kinda broke up a little at the end of his song. were they close? video montage time.

12:08
usher singing. i notice they have the words to the song on a teleprompter. don’t know your lyrics, ush?

11:59
a congress woman from texas is speaking on behalf if the government. i’m telling you, brooke shields’ speech was the best. it was so personal. almost everyone else is speaking in terms of his public legacy.

11:52
jermaine could barely keep it together to sing the end of the song. tear jerker. mlk jr is now speaking. at least, i think that’s who it is. poor mlk jr … doesn’t have the powerful voice of his father.

11:48
one of the brothers is singing an mj song. i think it’s jermaine. the brothers are looking good … coordinated suites, yellow ties, and rhinestone gloves.

11:45
i take my previous comment back. great speech. she is crying and talking about him as a real human. most authentic sounding speech thus far. and a tip of the hat to dawn, apparently they didn’t technically date.

11:39
brooke shields. awkward, no? i guess they did date, but i wouldn’t really want my ex to speak at my memorial. just me though.

11:34
john mayer up. doing a guitar instrumental of “human nature”. one of my favorite mj jams. i’m FEELIN this!

11:31
paraphrase: “to michael’s three kids: your daddy wasn’t strange. what he had to deal with was strange!” utterly brought the house down. good orator, obviously.

11:27
sharpton says mj broke color barriers. standing O. man … sharpton’s looking fit. hair: still relaxed. props.

11:25
rev sharpton’s turn. jesse’s gonna have to speak at some point too, right? they’re like pepsi and coke, right? gotta give them both their airtime.

11:23
i see people dancing in the aisles and crying. in the interest of conserving battery, i’ll post the photo later. [now posted below!]

11:21
jennifer hudson’s turn at bat.

11:18
magic telling a story that he ordered grilled chicken and mj ordered kfc for dinner! hilarious!

11:16
magic and kobe speaking now. i’ll put aside my personal feelings for the sake of mj. mj and jackie jackson were lakers season ticket holders during magic’s time? respect!

11:09
stevie wonder performing. another legend. this is what i was looking forward to most. btw, 20% battery left.

11:03
gordie just proclaimed mj is not the king of pop but the greatest entertainer that ever lived. huge standing O for that. wow a video collage. good stuff!

10:59
barry gordie is speaking. took a friendly jab at smokey robinson by saying mj sung one of his songs better than him. also mentioned the jacksons would play the gordies at baseball. mj was the catcher. my brother!!

10:50
lionel richie singing a gospel song now. he sounds great!

10:48
queen latifah reads a poem by maya angelou. great poem. she’s a living legend (angelou).

10:41
mariah carey singing “i’ll be there”. whoa … that dude who sung it with her is here! trey lorenz or something like that. and yes ben, she ain’t sounding fantastic live.

10:34
enter the casket.

10:30
not sure what will sink this ship faster: spotty internet service or quick-draining iphone battery. c’mon staples center … step up your game and give fans free wifi!

10:26
a buttload of vip’s showing up late and getting seated. saw jesse jackson walk in. standing O for the family (i think). more awkward silence.

10:16
smokey robinson just read letters from diana ross and nelson mandela. now several minutes of awkward silence…

10:05
after much technical difficulty, i think we’re back online. butts in seats, almost gametime.

so my mom calls me yesterday saying she got tickets to the michael jackson memorial. she wanted to go, so being the dutiful only-child that i am, i told her i’d escort her. so here i am brimming with anticipation and excitement at the chance to witness history. well … actually … not quite.

truth be told, i’d rather not go. look, i respect the man as an artist and an icon. “kudos on a life well lived!” is my gut reaction to the whole tragedy. i don’t mean to be cold or overly diminishing of the whole thing, but really, all the people on tv who camped out on his hollywood star or near the coroner’s office “just to be close to him” scare me. i view this kind of behavior as the downfall of society. i know this makes me sound like an old fuddy-duddy, but i just think the proper way to send off old mj is to fatten up your “king of pop” playlist on your ipod and put that mutha on some serious shuffle/loop.

so in the spirit of exploiting him like so many others, i will be selling michael jackson memorial tees outside staples center! break out the blank fruit of the looms, the airbrush, and bedazzler! watch out kobe/obama tee street vendors across LA, big hap dawg is about to change the game!

…

you know, on second thought, maybe i’ll just try liveblogging instead.

8:06
en route by way of the 405 south (don’t try blogging and driving at home) to mom’s place in the ‘shaw. i’ve woken up this early twice in the last year. me and 7 a.m. don’t get along well.

Who doesn’t like to save a few dollars on anything? However, if a deal is too good to be true, it probably is. I once saw Canon 5D Mark II with the kit lens selling for $1500 along with extra accessories, filters, cases..etc. $1500!? With a L lens and accessories?! Upon further investigation, it is shipping from an unnamed store in China. You probably will never see your money again if you pulled the trigger. That is why I do most of shopping on Amazon or B&H.

These camera/electronics scams are nothing new to the states, especially in NY. Most of these shady stores are based in Brooklyn. These stores, Best Price Camera, Foto Connection, 1 Way Photo, 86th Street Photo, Broadway Photo, Camera Whiz, and Sonic Photo (see full list here along with their aliases)  have been ripping off people for decades using bait and switch, overcharging credit cards, harassing customers to buy accessories…etc. NY attorney recently fined all and closed down two of above mentioned stores. So if you have shopped from these stores, please contact New York State Better Business Bureau through December (212) 533-6200.

In case you are wondering how these Brooklyn based stores look like, here is a link.

From AG’s office

Once an order was placed, the companies would call consumers and try to sell them additional or “upgraded” merchandise at inflated prices. If the consumer refused to purchase the additional merchandise, the companies would cancel the sale or claim the item was backordered for months. If the consumer did agree to purchase the additional merchandise, the companies would send them lower-quality merchandise than what was promised, or merchandise that the consumer never ordered in the first place. When customers tried to return the items, they would either be denied or be slammed with undisclosed fees.

All of the companies further limited customers’ ability to return merchandise by requiring them to speak to a live customer representative during limited business hours, and then refusing to answer those telephone calls.

Took a trip to the beach recently to cool down. It was just too hot where I was, over 100! Took my Slik A.M.T Pro 700 DX tripod (very sturdy and highly recommended), camera bag, ice water and headed to Santa Monica beach. It was around 10 or so at night, I took out my tripod, set it up on the beach and snapped couple of long exposure pictures. It took some tries to get the lights right since the light on the wheels are always changing. They turned out ok but I wish I had set the tripod at a different location. Well, there is always next time. Comments always welcome.

Santa Monica Ferris Wheel

The Rising Sun

Beach Hotel

Beach Apartment