I’ve always wanted to build an intervalometer for time-lapse fotog, and move from there into more complex circuits like step-motor-driven tripods for 10-day long panning shots (thanks to Cookie for inspiration).

Today I was at Active Surplus in TO and a young steampunk named Kyle hooked me the requisite (digital) components — combined with some of my own prior knowledge from nerding out on Instructables.

This post is my liveblogged lab journal working through some experiments. I might break it up into parts depending on how long things take.

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In DVD creation class right now. If I was a dick I would ask:

DVDs — those are like low-quality blurays, right? Or YouTube videos you have to mail to people?

Here’s the Burek DVD box cover (the “trapsheet”):

There are some graphical errors, not least the red guides, but it’s just a rough version. Here’s the disc itself:

Same errors: guides, font kerning, should brighten bkgrnds. Same excuse: rough cut. The DVD logo is courtesy Brands of the World. Here is the DVD menu with those same caveats:

PS — the burek photoshoot was the most delicious fotoshoot EVAR.

No, not really. Well, prolly not anyway. Someone is just bombing the school:

Where will you be on 10.10.10@10:10? Taking photos?

Promo poster for my minidoc on a local pastry shop:

Front and back. This is now basically final.

Via MSNBC (love their photo essays!): peep The 2010 World Championship of Sand Sculpting.

Of course, one needn’t mask in natural colors…

After/before, click for big.

Here’s an after-and-before shot I just took and airbrushed. It’s my first using the “blur and mask” method and took about ten minutes:

On the left I’ve plasticized my skin (should get better and more real-looking with practice). Click through for bigger.

Essentially what you do is duplicate the image onto a higher layer, distort it with blur and noise to remove blemishes but keep “character”, mask it all out, and then feather it back in with a lightly alpha’d brush.

N Maxwel Lander’s portfolio is awesome! H00t h00t sehr gut!

A few weeks ago Kara booked me a photoshoot with some models — actors who want head shots — and then told me when and where it was, all without my input or any go-ahead or planning on my part. I just have to show up, shoot some photos, and cash the cheques. She is the perfect producer and if my creative output ever starts making serious billz she’ll be compañera #1.

To prepare I’ve been reading up on portrait photography, watching tutorial vids, and meditating on desired outcomes — my horoscope says opportunities in media are waxing.

I’ve laid hands on a copy of Lightroom 3 and I’ve been testing the “tethered capture” feature just now — holy effing ess! This is some real photography shit like you see in the movies (if you watch movies about photography)!

I’m quite pleased. Essentially this one feature lets you skip buying (or building) a remote trigger, though not a timing device… Unless you set up a macro to trigger captures by simulating mouse/key presses. Which I might do to start getting some time-lapse snapz!