Saluda NC, Fall 2016 - Part I

My family has deep roots, stretching generations, in the Great Smokey Mountains. It all started when my great grandfather got bitten by a snake in Florida, and was instructed by his doctor to seek high-altitude refuge from the Gulf Coast mugginess. He obliged, purchasing a few plots of land near the town of Saluda, NC.

My favorite way to start a day in Saluda is with an early wakeup. There's a quiet in the air, the slight smell of pine and feel of dew - and the morning light in fall is something special.

Don't forget your best friend -

and it's off to the trails to see some local flora -

There's a babbling brook you can traverse in your beloved duck boots, and a waterfall you perch over and make the photographer nervous -

Recently my dad and I have taken to expanding our family's holdings in Saluda, offsetting the expense with sustainable logging. The result has been some colorful views of the Blue Ridge that no one has seen in perhaps decades or more -

Miscanthus sinensis has been running wild in some of these forests. It was originally brought in as an ornamental adder to the native vegetation, but has since become something of an invasive nuisance. The tips appear fluffy, but are actually saw-like and the edge can cut your skin.

You'll find an abundance of pine in the Star Palace (the name will make sense later) -

You can return to the cabin to roast up some s'mores...but you might be tempted to head back into the forest in the night -

If you're the nighttime explorer type, I recommend lights. Big ones. And bring a buddy.

The deeper and darker you go, the brighter the stars in the night sky. This isn't a long-exposure photo -

More to come!

"So, where are you from?"

This is a perfectly reasonable question asked by personable reasonable people of other perfectly reasonable people. Even expats have a pretty good idea of where they're from. I am not a reasonable person in this regard - therefore, the question "Where are you from?" is one of my greatest pet peeves, because no matter how I answer it, I tend to come across as hiding something (when really, the story is just that complicated).

Here's why:

Friend who shall remain unnamed but let's call her Yolanda: So Nathan, where are you from?
Nathan: Ahmmm Houston, Texas.
Y: Oh! And which high school did you go to in Houston?
N: An international school, actually it was in London.
Y: London, Texas?
N: No - London, England.
Y: England isn't in Texas.
N: Wait, seriously?
Y: But you said you were from Texas?
N: I...yes.
Y: But you didn't go to high school there.
N: No.
Y: But you were BORN in Texas.
N: No.
Y: Not born there AND didn't go to high school there...okay, where WERE you born?
N: Minnesota.
Y: So why don't you just say you're from Minnesota?
N: I haven't lived there since I was a toddler and I remember almost nothing about it.
Y: Okay. Well where have you lived the longest?
N: Texas...I think. Depends on how you slice it.
Y: But you don't live there now.
N: Y-...no, it's complicated.
Y: Well where do you live now?
N: The Hague, Netherlands.
Y: Why on earth are you there?
N: Work assignment.
Y: Oh! What company?
N: Chicago Bridge & Iron
Y: ...I thought you said you worked in The Hague?
N: Correct!
Y: But your company is Chicago--
N: No, that's just what they're called. They don't really do much bridges/iron stuff either.
Y: But their headquarters is in Chicago?
N: No, they're headquartered in The Hague.
Y: Oh. So why are you working for a Dutch company?
N: They actually hired me out of Texas - they have a lot of stuff going on there.
Y: How did you end up in Texas again?
N: Probably airplane or car like a normal human being? I don't know.
Y: Well, did you maybe go to school at UT or Texas A&M?
N: No, I went to school in New Jersey.
Y: Of course. But like, people are sort of defined by where they went to high school. So how come you don't say you're from England?
N: Well, I used to say I was from London, but people called me "fake British" because I dropped the accent when coming back to the US, so I just started saying I was from Texas.
Y: So you're really from London?
N: Maybe.
Y: Would you call London home?
N: Probably not, like I can't recommend any favorite pubs or anything. I love their TV though.
Y: Where are you going to fly home to see your family next?
N: North Carolina.
Y: Oh - so your parents live there now?
N: No, they live in Texas.
Y: Back to Texas...so you'd say you're from Texas.
N: That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.
Y: Are you like a huge Ted Cruz fan?
N: Not...as such...
Y: But you ain't got no southern drawl neither. But you say you're from Texas. I don't buy it.
N: LOOK I'M FROM MARS OKAY YOU GOT ME NOW TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER

First photos from The Hague

I adore The Hague. I'm not much of a city slicker myself, but I think the ideal Nathanopolis would look a lot like this place.

That said, I find it difficult to capture exactly what enthralls me about the town in pictures. No one could fault The Hague for being unphotogenic - it probably comes down to me lacking inspiration and experience in street photography. Actual touristy photos of statues and buildings and suits of armor and stuff will have to wait until I learn how to pull that off.

In any case, what currently interests me about Den Haag isn't just the rich history or intriguing architecture or whatever proper tourists are after - it's the way people get around.

Just like you can guess someone's overall health based on their cardiovascular fitness, I think you can judge a city based on how quickly, cheaply, easily and safely its inhabitants can move throughout its arterial streets, sidewalks, alleyways and tram lines. The Dutch nailed it. You can get almost anywhere using almost anything. Bicycle to work on nice days, take the tram when it's raining ice, walk wherever you want and get there in under an hour, take a train to another European wonderworld...I've never experienced such flexibility anywhere I've lived - not England, not New Jersey, and (duh) not Texas. Naturally, one of my first purchases when I got off the plane was the Dutch equivalent of the Ford F150 - a bicycle.

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She's not much to look at (or to ride) - an old Gazelle with a steel frame, 3 speeds, and drum brakes that are occasionally sufficient. The ride is exactly as smooth as whatever road you're on - there's no suspension at all - and the seat is uncomfortable by design, perhaps to encourage would-be thieves to look elsewhere. It's the worst bike I've ridden, for sure.

But I love this thing. Because of all the bike lanes (and their sacredness), bicycles in The Hague represent freedom go to anywhere - work, home, shopping, touring, whatever - for free, and to get fit while doing it. Even if you're a fan of sophisticated organic junkfood and beer, which - rejoice - is totally a thing down here.

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Bicyclists have no fear 'round these parts, they rule the world. It's not uncommon to see a father speeding along in the wet running a red light to go the wrong way down the road, with one daughter on the handlebars and one in a backpack - all three without helmets.

Where else do bicycles ring their bells in annoyance at enroaching Aston Martins? Nowhere, that's where.

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People don't put up signs outside their establishments, they just park decorated bikes out front. This one is outside De Galerie, Den Haag:

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A few dozen meters (hee! meters!) down the road is Lola Bikes and Coffee. They sell all kinds of charmingly whacky two-wheeled creations that hang on the walls, giving you conversation material with your buddies so you don't have to spend your coffee break scrolling through Tumblr (they don't even have wifi - and they don't need it).

I have two big resolutions while I'm here: Learn Mandarin while taking public transport, and get fit while biking everywhere else.

Another lofty goal is not eating everything in the window below:

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Window shopping around here is dangerous - luxury watches that I had only heard legends about in the US are on proud window display. The dollar is going to need to be worth about 4-5 euros before I can take the plunge and still be able to eat.

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In this area, the Europeans and I seem to have very similar taste, but very different budgets.

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I would have given up an entire semester of basket weaving in exchange for a 6-week course in dressing business casual. Before departing Houston, I picked up two suitcases worth of new duds that I think are ever so slightly more "casual" than "business". At least I never run out of weekend outfits.

Here's my office - it's this butterfly/H shaped building on the opposite side of The Hague from the seaside town of Scheveningen where my apartment is.

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I'm not sure about the purpose of the skeletal frame is surrounding the elevated tramline nearby. Aesthetics? Noise containment?

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As I said before...real tourism photos to come.

Sony Alpha 6000 Review for Non-Photography Folk

A relative asked me how I liked my Sony Alpha 6000 digital camera. I like it a lot, for many reasons! Instead of trying to talk really fast, I’m compiling my thoughts here.

So - what is the A6000? Let’s start with the lens format. This is an E mount camera, compatible with any E mount lens. The ability to swap lenses is why it's better than your iPhone.

Most cameras with interchangeable lenses are DSLRs. A DSLR has a mirror inside that enables an optical viewfinder. However, the A6000, along with every E mount camera, is mirrorless, so there’s no optical viewfinder - just a digital one. This isn't a big deal for most people.

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This picture (taken with a Canon T3i) shows how compact the A6000 really is

What matters is this: The omission of a mirror makes the camera cheap and compact. Depending on the lens, you can probably cram an A6000 in your coat pocket. Plus, the design has fewer moving parts - ideal for reliability.

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35mm, 1/640 at f/2.0

You know what else is handy? Reallydamnfastshooting (11 shots per second) and continuous autofocus to follow your subject mid-pounce. Sony says it's the fastest autofocus in the business, and I believe them. The video mode is top-notch, but who needs it when you can take 11 still shots per second?

Shooting at 11fps is ideal for capturing "the" moment...

...and 10 other moments every second that you don't really care about.

Mastering the shooting modes is simple. The interface is intuitive, even though the buttons are cramped on the small body. What you hold feels extremely well put-together. Small details - machined metal surfaces, engraved lettering - are nice touches on the attractive design. The camera presents like a miniaturized DSLR, eschewing plasticky cost-cutting measures that plague most mirrorless competitors.

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Pictured with the E mount 50mm f1.8 mounted, plus the 55-210mm f4.5-6.3 and 35mm f1.8 - all with Sony's superb OSS stabilization.

Cheap, convenient, capable and easy to use…what’s the catch? Well, the APS-C image sensor here (much like most DSLRs under $1,500) is 33% smaller than that of a full-frame DSLR. This means the A6000 will capture less light light and only 66% of the field of view that a professional-grade DSLR would, ceteris paribus. For any lens you buy, multiply the focal length by 1.5x to get what you can expect from the A6000’s cropped sensor (e.g. a 50mm on the APS-C will give you the same FOV as a 75mm on a full-frame DSLR). Whether the reduced light and FOV will bother you depends on how pro you want to get, particularly in low light.

How do you offset that disadvantage? I’m able to solve most low-light problems by removing the lens cap. Beyond that, be sure to pick the right lens for the job. I think the bundled master-of-no-trades lens greatly limits the A6000. Get the camera body alone, then pick a lens that suits your style.

The first lens I bought was Sony’s 55-210mm zoom. 210 x 1.5 = 315mm, which is a lot of zoom! You can capture faraway subjects, or dramatize your outdoor portraits by making the background look huge.

The second lens I bought is my walkabout - Sony's 35mm 1.8f fast prime. It’s not cheap, but it’s versatile and compact. Don't worry about the lack of adjustable zoom - with 24 megapixels, you have plenty of resolution to crop if you need to. I used this lens for most of my Washington vacation photos.

For portraits, I picked up a Sony 50mm 1.8f, another fast prime. If you can get space between you and your subject, this lens can save you big money over the 35mm. I haven't had a chance to use it a lot so far - "at home" pictures will have to do. Pets are always willing test subjects.

Albertine and I briefly compared the A6000 and her Canon Rebel T3i - a comparably priced but more traditional crop sensor DSLR.

For the Sony:

• Faster focusing and shooting
• Easier to carry and faster to whip out of a smaller bag
• Better video
• Blobbier bokeh
• Better dynamic range (more detail in extreme light/dark)

For the Canon:

• Cheaper and more readily available lenses
• Edgier bokeh
• Optical viewfinder
• Looks more legit

If you're doing action shots, there's no contest - Sony takes your cake. If you're doing more portrait-y stuff, it's not as clear. Here are some test shots with comparable lenses - the Sony had a 35mm f1.8 while the T3i was fitted with a 40mm f1.8. I threw in a couple shots with Albertine's new 6D (50mm f1.8) as well...though that shouldn't be a fair contest.

Most minute differences in color between the cameras could be ironed out in Lightroom. The T3i seems more ~dramatic~ in how color seems to bleed through the image. It shoots nostalgic photographs right out of the box. To get the same inspired effect, the Sony requires some Lightroom magickery. The 6D, being a full-frame DSLR, captures more light than the other two - but using the 50mm lens that was designed for crop sensors on it leads to some blur around the edges.

Of course there's more to image quality than that - you can find other websites if you want to zoom in on split hairs. Overall, I'd say the image quality of the Sony punches above its price point with accurate (if not dramatic) color and superb sharpness.

Of course there’s crap I don't like about it too.

First of all - E mount lenses are expensive. They're high quality, but it’s disappointing there aren’t more entry-level lenses that could get the job done.

Secondly - if you’re an aspiring semi-pro, nobody will take you seriously with a camera this small. This doesn’t bother me, but it’s something to consider if you’re trying to send a professional signal to clients.

Thirdly - as we alluded to earlier, the APS-C crop sensor means less light, all else equal. It's better than my old Micro Four-Thirds Lumix and worlds better than a typical point-and-shoot, but don't expect beautiful, creamy portraits at night. Left to its own devices, the little Sony will compensate by pumping up the ISO and/or exposure. You'll have to pick your poison between graininess or motion blur.

Fourthly - say you get hooked, and you want to purchase a full-frame body for better low-light/indoor performance. With a typical DSLR from Canon or Nikon, you can keep using your existing lenses and just upgrade the camera body (probably keeping the old body as a spare). Not so easy with E mount. While Sony's full-frame (A7) is physically compatible with E mount lenses, it needs fancier FE format lenses to leverage the enlarged sensor, and those cost big money over the E mount lenses you've already accumulated. You could just use the FE lenses on your A6000 to begin with, but they add cost and bulk over the standard E mount kits.

Finally - startup and memory card access speeds are not especially quick compared to all the other functions on the camera. They’re not terribly slow - just not as fast as I’d like for it to be the ultimate “holy-cow-it’s-a-whale” camera. ("holy-whale-it's-a-cow", maybe)

In summary: It's hard to find better image quality at this price point, let alone this portability factor. It's a fast, fun, willing companion that you can carry just about anywhere. Just be ready to pony up for the right lens, and steal your friend's full-frame DSLR when you need to work in low light.