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| Please make your way to my new and permanent photo journal, MatthewSaville. Thank you!
Here's a photo from one of my "first" entries, back in February 2004. I've come a long way, and many thanks to all of you who have supported me through the years. I wish I could repay you, but all I can offer is the aspiration that I will continue to post better and better photos in the years to come.
At the urging of my friends and for the sake of being able to look
back upon the almost two years of photographic progression that are
represented here, I have decided not to wholly shut down this xanga
via the "true" shutdown feature that xanga offers. But, you may
un-subscribe to this xanga etc. ...because I will not be logging back
in.
Thanks and have a safe new years, everyone.
Take care,
-Matt- | | |
| This may very well be the last post I make on this Xanga. Thank you all for your time, and please join me on the xanga matthewsaville for more photography, tips and insight...
 "Joy To Me" ~ Disneyland, Holidays 2005 Nikon FM2, 50mm f/1.8 AI, Kodak Gold 200 pushed to 800. (Don't try this at home, kids! Film soul -I mean grain- is not for sissies.)  "Blur and Stop Action" Nikon FM2, 50mm f/1.8 AI, Kodak Gold 200 pushed to 800, warming filter and +15% saturation in photoshop. 
"Van Gogh" ~ Woodbridge North Lake, December 2005.
Nikon D70 w/RRS L-plate, Sigma 150mm f/2.8 HSM
Giottos MT series CF tripod & RRS ballhead
1/20 sec @ f/5.6 & ISO 400, RAW, no photoshop.
Take care,
-Matt-
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| I'm offering some of my gear for sale. I'll start with the Sigma 150mm f/2.8, the RRS L-bracket for a D70/D70s, the Nikon and generic brand D70 batteries, my 1 gig cards or my 4 gig microdrive, and my N65 w/ battery grip. If anyone is interested in them let me know and I'll come up with a price and describe them in more detail.
(EDIT) I'm definitely going to get a D50 from Adorama, becuase they offer free shipping and I can rest assured I'm buying a true USA model. Now I just need $570. Hopefully I can amass that much by selling random things. On and I'm also targeting the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 which I may have found for $350, but it's a little too early to add THAT extra expense on just yet...
I'm getting the D50 because it is really all I need; it's got PSAM modes and AF-ON capability, there's really nothing else I can get with the D70 that makes it better. In fact without the dual command dials, I won't ever worry about flipping from P/S/A mode to M mode and the dialed EV compensation turning into a "hidden" EV comp that is factored into what M mode thinks is "correct". That's really tricked me sometimes, and I'll be quite thankful to "sacrafice" the speed of dual command dials in favor of making this particular function easy enough for my dim brain to keep track of. The single command dial is identical to the N65; I've shot with an N65 for far longer than I've had a D70.
Furthermore the D70 lacks some key features like MLU while the in-camera processing advantages are now useles to me since I went RAW. So as easy as it would be to buy a used D70 for about the same price, I'm going to get a D50 and not take a gamble with anything secondhand.
Besides, it's going to be HILARIOUS to go in the "opposite direction" of the D200 I was so excited about. Every time I think about it I just laugh. Oh, the irony! D50 here I come...
Ehhh whatever. I'm just trying to keep my chin up as opposed to getting all depressed. It's my style to stay optimistic and just smile in any situation. And you, subscribers to my blog, need not worry at all. I've got tons and tons of old photos to dig up! Here's one from the weekend I rented the 12-24mm DX Nikkor, wow what a dangerously sharp lens! I interpolated this image to a whopping 20 megapixels and it looks just fantastic...
 "Winter Walk" Nikon D70, Nikon 12-24mm f/4 DX @12mm Giottos MT series CF tripod & RRS ballhead. 103 sec @ f/8 & ISO 200, NR on, no photoshop.
Thanks everyone and take care,
-Matt-
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| Yesterday afternoon at just after 2 PM, my D70 passed away. The LCD display inside the viewfinder began to flicker and the light meter went haywire. This renders my camera absolutely useless in P, S, and A modes, and a hair shy of useless in M mode.
This is a repair probably costing more than the camera is worth in its worn & torn state, and definitely more money than I have or wish to spend.
Fortunately, I have 5 rolls of the LAST Agfa Ultra, and maybe enough cash to "Process + CD" 2-3 of those rolls. And of course there are the un-edited D70 shots from days gone by. So on that note, I give you "Bashful," and a moment of silence for my late camera. It served me well.
Nikon D70 & Sigma 150mm f/2.8,
Giottos tripod and RRS ballhead
1/50 sec. @ f/2.8 & ISO 200
Happy holidays everyone,
-Matt-
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| I have a certain affinity for going to the beach on overcast, "possible
showers" type days. Sometimes I get to the beach and it is indeed
pouring rain, and so I sit in my car wondering why in the heck I bothered
driving all the way to the beach for "nothing". But sometimes I get
there and I am rewarded with such a beautiful sight that it is worth any ammount of rainy days. This time it was probably the most subtle I've ever seen,
but the beauty was still there, to be sure. I do not think this
photograph does the scene justice. You really had to be there to fully
enjoy it.
So once again, here I am urging all my fellow suburbians (well, whoever you are) to get out and discover their own special place that
isolates them from the rest of the world and gives a chance for pause,
peacefulness, and the appreciation of nature. Especially if the weather has the chance
of being foul. If the weather could be foul, it also has the chance of being spectacular, in fact a much
greater chance than on other days... Remember that!
Sitting up in "the seat rock" above the tide pools, watching the water move back and forth, and the sound of the surf lightly lapping at the rocks combined with my "Riven" soundtrack playing on my CD player, it all just puts me at ease. Seeing the seaweed swaying back and forth underneath the water, looking out towards the horizon and seeing the gentle hues of color reflected from the cool blue clouds... It really takes you to a different place... Somewhere where nature is all-powerful, and mankind is humble in being allowed to see such awesome beauty.
This shot below was actually taken from higher up, on the cliff instead of
down on the rocks. But this scene definitely awed me in a subtle, quiet way. And to view it, it really has to be big. So here it is, let me know what you think!
"Door In The Storm II"
"Crimson Pre-Glow"
"Accomplishment" (HDR image)  "Come Sail Away With Me"  "Rhapsody In Aqua" (A progression of my earlier concept)
"Sunrise Swans: Golden Waters"
Last but not least, visit my Desktop Wallpaper Gallery and get the latest desktop wallpapers, a shot from Rabbit Island (in June) and "Serenity At Sea", which was originally a concept photo I was hesitant to post but my friend May liked it so much that she wanted a wallpaper version, so I decided to post it...
Take care all, until next time,
-Matt-
PS!!! Tonight and tomorrow will be the moonrise at sunset days! Yesterday was pretty good, the sun sets just a little after the moon rises, so the dynamic range is a little easier to handle. But today is the "best possibility" for incredible shots. Good luck!
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