Comatosed in Korea

100723-Rooftop BBQ with Friends

2010-08-06T13:42:00.001+09:00

100723-Rooftop BBQ with Friends, originally uploaded by comatosed.

This is about the point in the evening where still-recovering-from-a-fever-Greg decided a few tequilas couldn't hurt that much...

Friends of Hyun Mi came down Friday evening to spend a little time in Geoje and see six-week-old Chaka. June and Jin He are the kind of guest that are hard to tire of. They're super easy going, fun and very independent. The visit began with as grilling ribs, ohmoksal, hangjungsal (various cuts of pork) on our roof top in the warm humid summer air. Mosquitos were non existent, there was plenty of Cafri (Corna-like beer) and Guinness flowing and Chaka was fast asleep in her room below.

Towards the end of our feast June mentioned tequila and although I knew is was bad idea to get wasted while getting over the end of a cold, that's exactly what I did. Soon we were downstairs playing Omok (pente / chinese chess) for shots. Rules were loser drank one, or 2x whatever the winner was willing to drink. And the shots weren't limited to tequila, rum, soju and beer were all finding their way into the same glass. In fact, we found quite a "good" mix we titled Soquilla (soju + tequila) which is fitting as it is 'so'-'killa'.

It was at some point during our game that Hyun Mi came in with a cup of tea and accidentally spilled some on my leg. Drunk and shocked I exclaimed FUCK! June asked "Why did you swear?" and I exclaimed "The water was FUCK'N hot!" June disagreed with my interpretation of hot and made me an offer, that if he could pour the boiling hot water on himself without cursing than I could no longer curse in my own home. I didn't even have a chance to reply before he grabbed the mug of tea our of Hyun Mi's hand and doused his knee with half the contents.

I was too drunk and too many days have since past to recall what his expression was at the time but I can confirm that he didn't make a peep. He did however make a visit to the doctor the next day to get treatment for his some serious blistering. I told him to his face the next day that his actions weren't "manly" as he claimed, but rather "stupid". Stupid because (a) girlfriends don't like to tend to big oozing water blisters during their vacation and (b) again, because his girlfriend was right there. That's the kind of stuff you do when you're out with the guys. But hey, it made for a memorable night and perhaps I'll think twice before saying fuck next time... oops!
1 Sunpack DS-20 @ 1/1 at about 11 o'clock

(On a side note the 5D Mark II is amazing at low light. This was shot at ISO 1280, f7.1 at 1/3 of a second. It was pretty much pitch black with candle light. Amazing!)

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100804--This be OUR turf

2010-08-06T13:37:00.003+09:00

100804--This be OUR turf, originally uploaded by comatosed.

This a shot taken back on this day. After I was done I coaxed these kids up onto this rock. I like the dude in the blue acting all like The Man and the littlest one hidden way in the back.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100726-Kiwi - OutTake

2010-08-06T13:37:00.001+09:00

100726-Kiwi - OutTake, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Some say beauty is skin deep but in this kiwi's case I'd say it goes straight to the core.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100805-She gets it from her dad

2010-08-06T13:16:00.023+09:00

100805-She gets it from her dad, originally uploaded by comatosed.

It happens to me all the time too Chaka.

A big thanks to Simone and Mike for these books they sent over. They are expecting their little one any day now!

I feel the need to mention that Canada Post is unforgivably slow. It's not cool when the baby naming and pregnancy books arrive 4 weeks after your baby is born!

--- Strobist ---
1 SB-28 @ 1/4 at about 11 o'clock shot into reflective umbrella
1 SB-28 @ 1/4 at about 6 o'clock lighting the background

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100803-Old Favorite

2010-08-06T13:16:00.021+09:00

100803-Old Favorite, originally uploaded by comatosed.

I missed grabbing a photo today. This is an old one from July 18th, one day before Chaka's one month birthday. Every time Hyun Mi sees this she melts, it's one of her favs so I figured I'd post it.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100802-Get Wet

2010-08-06T13:16:00.019+09:00

100802-Get Wet, originally uploaded by comatosed.

I cheated, but I don't feel nearly as badly about it this year. Having a newborn makes it pretty tough to photograph everyday. I OCCASIONALLY missed a day during my pre-baby 365 and the rule I made for myself then was that I had to shoot the missing photo ASAP - no using old photos or the same set-up for two consecutive shots. If I try that this year I'll just get further and further behind so here's another photo from yesterday's waterfall excursion.

--- Lessons Learned ---
As so many people have said before me, you often need to go out of your way to get a good photo. I was lazily shooting from the comfort of a bench, wasting pixels, when it dawned on me that I needed to get to the centre of the action which meant sitting my ass down in the middle of this little pond and interacting with the kids in it.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100801-Chaka Visits Waterfall

2010-08-06T13:16:00.017+09:00

100801-Chaka Visits Waterfall, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Our stroller + car seat arrived!!! Not only that, it arrived about 3 weeks earlier than was promised! Of course I have a lengthy review all planned out for the stroller product shot so I'll save all the commentary on the stroller for later.

So 6 weeks after Chaka was born we are finally mobile. We decided to check out the local waterfall early Sunday evening. It was cool to think that we were taking Chaka the furthest she's ever been in her life from her birth place with every passing meter.

I didn't want Chaka to feel left out of the fun and games once we got to the waterfall so I put her over on the stone in her car seat next to the kids playing in the water. Of course, I threw rocks at any child who got even remotely close to our baby for fear of them knocking her off the stone and into the water.

The processing on this photo is not my usual style. I tried to create a more vintage looking pic for a change. Rather than use a pre-set I made all the adjustments myself in LightRoom and a little dodging and burning in photoshop.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100731-A Baby Break

2010-08-06T13:16:00.015+09:00

100731-A Baby Break, originally uploaded by comatosed.

If you're the slightest bit interested in motorbikes than stop reading this and watch On Any Sunday (1971)... now! As one friend put it, it's the Dogtown / Z-Boys style documentary of the motorcycle world. If you've never seen Dogtown / Z-Boys either then get extra pop corn because that's two movies you gotta take in tonight.

So Chaka and I watched On Any Sunday at 5am in the morning which is when she decided it would be a good time for breakfast. She fell asleep after the first 20 minutes but I was wide eyed right to the very end. That's when I decided it was time for a much needed spin on blender and took to the mountains. I'd forewarned my wife about a bike excursion during my summer vacation and while she was worried, as always, about my safety she was very understanding.

I'm not kidding when I tell you a few tears rolled down my cheek when I was standing on my pegs making my way to the mountains in the brisk morning air. This is what my life in Korea used to revolve around so it brought back a lot of nostalgia and a sense of adventure I never realized I was missing so much.

I spent from 7-11 exploring the neighbouring district and mountains. I found some great tracks, puddles and scenery along the way. The temple in the top left is only a 10 minute ride away yet I'd never seen it before. The grave site tucked far away into the mountains had the coolest little dog just chilling there on the grave stone as though grading his deceased owners. The best find of the day was this stream I fount following some fairly rugged paths one might consider impassable. Finally I returned to Okpo, had a beer over a newspaper on the patio and got back home to Chaka and my wife a half hour early!

(All shots taken on iPhone as riding time is so rare I couldn't be bothered with caring for my 5D)
--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100730-Calming Nature Sounds - White Noise

2010-08-06T13:16:00.013+09:00

100730-Calming Nature Sounds - White Noise, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Observe how sounds of flowing creeks and rolling waves calm the easily stirred Chaka-beast into a very deep slumber. These sounds, also known as white noise, resemble what Chaka heard in the comfort of her mother's womb.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100729-Forward Zen - Favourite Baby Holds

2010-08-06T13:16:00.011+09:00

100729-Forward Zen - Favourite Baby Holds, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Favourite Baby Holds

I've been experimenting holding Chaka in all manner of ways, trying to find something that suits both of us. This one is one of my favourites. More to follow.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100728-Chaka Baby- Are you Hungry? | HD

2010-08-06T13:16:00.009+09:00

100728-Chaka Baby- Are you Hungry? | HD
Originally uploaded by comatosed

100727-You puke on me - I spit on you

2010-08-06T13:16:00.007+09:00

100727-You puke on me - I spit on you, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Bad Dad

You can't take this whole baby thing too seriously - it'd be no fun then. Hence this marks the beginning of the 'Bad Dad' series. I have more than a few ideas brewing!!!

When Hyun Mi brought out the grapes I just couldn't resist spitting the seeds on peacefully sleeping Chaka. After all, she has drooled, barfed, peed and pooped on me, sometimes all in the same day... she's lucky I didn't drop a deuce on her!

More Grape Fun:
Grape Skin Toe Socks
Baby Art
You puke on me - I spit on you

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100724-The Hangover Baby Blues - Flickr | HD

2010-08-06T13:16:00.005+09:00

100724-The Hangover Baby Blues - Flickr | HD
Originally uploaded by comatosed

100725-Strange Sleepers

2010-08-06T13:16:00.003+09:00

100725-Strange Sleepers, originally uploaded by comatosed.

I still can't figure this photo out, nor can my wife. I'm don't usually take voyeuristic photos, at least not of our guests, but when I strolled by the open door of our bedroom at 1:23am and saw June and Jin He passed out like this I figured it was fair game. It looks as though June's legs are slumped his girlfriend and half falling off the bed - a very odd way to sleep.
--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100722-She out-grew her lightbox

2010-08-06T13:16:00.001+09:00

100722-She out-grew her lightbox, originally uploaded by comatosed.

-OutTake-

The single hardest thing about doing your own new born portraits is consciously deciding to potentially wake your sleeping baby. Every instinct is telling you "DON'T DO IT!!! - YOU'LL HAVE TO GET HER TO SLEEP AGAIN!". Anyone who follows my stream knows I'll go to great lengths to make a photo happen; I've hung off of bridges, photographed myself nude in public showers, lathered my naked body with corn syrup and stuck blossoms to myself but waking Chaka and the end of tiring day was something I kept putting off -- until tonight.

Baby photography was harder than I expected. Getting the right props, angle, DOF etc proved challenging. In the end I got one picture I'm pretty happy with but I included it as a OutTake as I found the set-up shot much more interesting. Chaka was awesome! She didn't wake once nor did she soil my light-box and backdrop!

--- Strobist ---
1 SB-28 @ 1/4 at about 10 o'clock shooting through the side of a DIY light-box

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100721-Write On!

2010-08-06T13:14:00.009+09:00

100721-Write On!, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Cento isn't the kind of guy who sticks to a recipe. He's always pushing the boundaries, coming up with creative new designs for his pens and pencils. The one thing that remains constant is the fact that his new work always supersedes his old work. I feel the same way about photography, and this is why Cento and I click so well.

As these are some of Cento's finest hand made pens yet, I had to produce product shots that were better than anything I've done to date. I feel I succeeded. I got an element of detail, depth, texture and life in these photos well beyond any of my previous shots.

To see more of Cento's hand crafted wood pens and pencils check out www.cgwwoodworks.com

The Set Up:

I placed a large leaf on a sheet of glass propped up by two containers of Skippy Peanut Butter (one smooth and one crunchy). Something I've learned about working with glass and other smooth surfaces is that you should ALWAYS clean it. Even in this photo, where I anticipated there would be no glass showing, I cleaned it. The 30 seconds it takes can save hours of clone stamping later.

I then placed a DIY light-box over the set up and one SB28 strob pointing down at the upper right hand corner (2 o'clock) and another SB28 at the bottom left corner (around 7 o'clock) directed up at the leaf on the glass. Then I dialled in just the leaf back lighting strob until I was satisfied with the luminescence of the leaf (about 1/8). After that I dialled in the light box strobe as fill (about 1/32). Et voila! The shot came out almost exactly as you see here. I just made a few minor adjustments in Light Room including white balance, contrast, slight sharpening and a vignette!

--- Strobist ---
1 SB-28 @ 1/8 at about 7 o'clock
1 SB-28 @ 1/32 at about 2 o'clock
DIY Lightbox

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -
- www.cgwwoodworks.com -

100720-Fireworks - Albizia Julibrissin.jpg

2010-08-06T13:14:00.007+09:00

100720-Fireworks - Albizia Julibrissin.jpg, originally uploaded by comatosed.

I fell in love with a legume. That is the species this Silk Tree or Albizia Julibrissin falls under according to wikipedia. I love everything about the tree. It's shape is beautiful, it has a big umbrella like canopy. The smell is intoxicating, like the freshest, sweetest peaches. The blossoms feel like the downy hair of a new-born to the touch. Even the tree's temperament is cool, at night and during periods of rain the leaflets bow downwards as though the tree were sleeping.

While playing around with lighting this magnificent blossom it dawned on me that it look like a firework mid explosion. With this in mind I hope to do another session with these blossoms and make a kinda fake firework landscape shot. Also, I wanna get a shot of the tree in all it's glory. I already scouted the area and it's gonna be a tough one to shoot but I'll figure out a way somehow.

Chaka Update: She's a very sick baby today, lot's of coughing, snot and phlegm and I'm coming down with the same thing :(

--- Strobist ---
1 SB-28 @ 1/4 shooting through a glass plate from underneath

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100719-The calm before the storm.jpg

2010-08-06T13:14:00.005+09:00

100719-The calm before the storm.jpg, originally uploaded by comatosed.

This was a mistake, she woke up right after this photo and didn't sleep for hours. We had just come back from another doctor's visit. This time she got a Hep B shot in the thigh. I picked up a beer and had grandiose images of us hanging out in the grass in the setting sun. Instead I tried to defend Chaka and myself from ants and mosquitos. I called my wife down before the attack started so she didn't escape the attacks either. I presume Chaka woke up due to discomfort and she didn't sleep again until we went on another walk about 4 hours later.
--- Lessons Learned ---

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100718-Park Family Portrait.jpg

2010-08-06T13:14:00.003+09:00

100718-Park Family Portrait.jpg, originally uploaded by comatosed.

After all the activity on Friday and Saturday Chaka was a sleepy sack of potatoes on Sunday. It was a blistering 30 degrees with the usual high humidity the envelops Korea. We took to the park, a small stretch of grass up high on a hill where DSME also likes to store all their old rusting metal structures and hung out for a few hours. Our time was spent eating bread, water melon and breast milk, in Chaka's case, and warding off various insects. One flying critter as big as my thumb landed on Hyun Mi's face while she was carrying Chaka. Suddenly I herd screaming, turned and saw dancing. Hyun Mi so wanted to swat the fiend away but was immobilized by Chaka she had to resort to jumping up and down. I rushed in to save the day and found myself hesitant to touch the creature, worried I might loose yet another digit. I manned up and swatted it from her hair and all was good... until the ants and mosquitos attacked a little while later.

I like how this photo exemplifies the reality of having a new born... they're uncontrollable so you mine as well accept it and enjoy yourself in the meantime.

--- Strobist ---
Sun + 5 In 1 Reflector

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100717-Adjuma Adopts Chaka Baby

2010-08-06T13:14:00.001+09:00

100717-Adjuma Adopts Chaka Baby, originally uploaded by comatosed.

The story I'm about to tell is better than the shot. After a more or less successful diner out with Chaka the previous night, and my definition of a successful dinner with a baby is if you can manage to get full while eating in shifts, Hyun Mi and I decided to do it again. This time sought out some grilled meat called Ohgupsal (pigs neck) which is my new favourite cut of pork. Chaka had already done very well enduring the loving caresses of numerous cooing strangers and an hour of shopping at the local market. So it was no surprise that exactly when our meet was set on the grill she began crying.

Hyun Mi had just breast fed in a semi-private room and needed to eat so I went for the bottle of formula in our bag. As I was getting it ready this complete stranger/adjuma came to our crying baby, said a few words, picked her up, moved back to her table and calmed her with her soothing voice and touch. Although the formula was ready, I waited, seizing the opportunity she had given my wife and I to eat together. Soon Hyun Mi gave me the maybe-we-better-not-burdan-that-adjuma-anymore-look-? and I approached bottle in hand ready to feed. Rather than give up the child she took the bottle from me and began feeding her. Once again I returned to my table and wolfed down as much food as I could savouring every moment of free time.

Again I got 'The Look' and this time Hyun Mi gave me a phrase that would help clarify that we were concerned about our baby's care taker getting to her own dinner and guests. The adjuma had no desire to do anything but feed our Chaka so with this fact now crystal clear, Hyun Mi and I enjoyed the rest of our meal together feeling rather relaxed. It probably was no more than a 15 minute date but it felt like an eternity. We collected Chaka from the infatuated adjuma and went out for coffees!
--- Lessons Learned ---
Giving new parents even the shortest break in parenting can be invaluable. I want to follow this adjuma's example and help out the next time I see parents that look a little tired out. I just hope the deed doesn't land me in the hospital or jail.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100716-Baby Cloths From Kathmandu-.jpg

2010-07-20T09:38:00.001+09:00

100716-Baby Cloths From Kathmandu-.jpg, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Everyday I leave my home I see pass this little outfit that is stuck to our steel door with magnets (that was Hyun Mi's MacGyver-ish idea!). I can't wait to dress her in them but considering they were made high in the mountains of Kathmandu they might be a little hot for the 28 degree weather we're experiencing here at the moment. A big thanks to Dad and Sylvia for this gift. You'll be able to meet your grandchild sporting this garb come Christmas!
--- Strobist ---
1 Sunpack DS-20 @ 1/1 at about 11 o'clock hand held

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100715-Cento's Bed Frame.jpg

2010-07-20T09:37:00.003+09:00

100715-Cento's Bed Frame.jpg, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Making a bed frame look cool is harder than I ever anticipated. For a guy who would like to shoot kick-ass product shots for a living, I better get in touch with reality. But first get a little cheese because I'm gonna wine:

1. Cento asked me to shoot this with less than a day's notice
2. I had to do it after work so it was dark
3. The item was large an cumbersome so my location choices were either in the cluttered shop or outside but I lacked the gear to light it sufficiently
4. The corridor I shot it in was very tight

Regardless, these are the kind of circumstances I should expect so I better figure out how make the best of them in the future.

--- Strobist ---
1 SB-28 @ 1/2 at about 1 o'clock bounced off wall
1 SB-28 @ 1/2 at about 8 o'clock bounced off wall
1 Morris_Mini_Slave_Flash_II @ 1/1 tucked in first cabinet
1 Sunpack DS-20 @ 1/1 tucked in second cabinet

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100714-Photography Ad

2010-07-20T09:37:00.001+09:00

100714-Photography Ad, originally uploaded by comatosed.

This is something I've been meaning to do for a looooonnnnngggg time. It's funny how you put off the things that cold be most immediately beneficial to you.

I know a ton of you have a great eye for this kind of thing so please do leave some commentary/critiques regarding the design and photo choices.

One more thing, I live in a relatively small Korean town home to the world's second largest ship building company, DSME. As a result, a disproportionally large group of foreign workers reside here. I am targeting foreign families and contractors focusing on family, product, baby and corporate photography (a lot a know, but I wanna throw a bigger net out there to begin). I want to use my native English tongue and western perspective to set myself apart from the local talent.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100713-Is it too early to cry?

2010-07-15T22:05:00.001+09:00

100713-Is it too early to cry?, originally uploaded by comatosed.

6:25am - "Is it too early to cry?"

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100712-Our first outting

2010-07-15T21:28:00.017+09:00

100712-Our first outting, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Yesterday I mentioned how Chaka basically eats, burps, poops and sleeps day in and day out thus leaving me not a whole lot new to report on. Well today was a milestone! Chaka and I had our first outing since she left the hospital. We needed to pay a visit to the doctor so I filled my cargo shorts with diapers, a bottle of formula, baby wipes and medical logs and then set out with her tucked snugly into her Moby wrap.

Chaka was an angel, she was either looking around or sleeping the whole time -- aside from when she had a needle jabbed in her arm. In fact, things were going so smoothly I decided to pick up another wash basin and stop for a coffee on the way home.

This lighting set-up was inspired by Dracubio's photo. Although it's not really fitting for this theme it was cool to try it out.

ps. She gained over a kilo and grew 13 cm in just 23 days!

--- Strobist ---
1 SB-28 @ 1/4 at about 2 o'clock
1 Reflector down low at about 8 o'clock

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100711-A Rainy Day | HD

2010-07-15T21:28:00.015+09:00

100711-A Rainy Day | HD
Originally uploaded by comatosed

100710-Playing

2010-07-15T21:28:00.013+09:00

100710-Playing, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Every now and then when Chaka isn't hungry, tired or covered in poop she will just lie there high on the world around her. This was one of those moments.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100709-These feet were made for walk'n.jpg

2010-07-15T21:28:00.011+09:00

100709-These feet were made for walk'n.jpg, originally uploaded by comatosed.

This is Chaka's foot. I wish I had more to say. All she really does is eat, burp, poop, cry and sleep right now and reporting on that gets old pretty fast. No rush though, soon enough I'll be documenting how she chewed my camera strap and spilled juice all over my keyboard.
--- Strobist ---
1 SB-28 @ 1/2 at about 11 o'clock fired into a reflective umbrella.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100708-Disco Chaka

2010-07-15T21:28:00.009+09:00

100708-Disco Chaka, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Baby was gett'n down!

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100706-She had to try it too

2010-07-15T21:28:00.007+09:00

100706-She had to try it too, originally uploaded by comatosed.

I talked Hyun Mi into trying the nose latch too.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100706-Had to try it

2010-07-15T21:28:00.005+09:00

100706-Had to try it, originally uploaded by comatosed.

She'll latch onto anything! The feeling is ticklish x 1000.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.gregsamborski.com -
- www.chakababy.com -

100705-Sprawled Out

2010-07-15T21:28:00.003+09:00

100705-Sprawled Out, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Chaka sleeps like me :)

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.chakababy.com -
- www.gregsamborski.com -

100705-Sprawled Out

2010-07-15T21:28:00.001+09:00

100705-Sprawled Out, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Chaka sleeps like me :)

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.chakababy.com -
- www.gregsamborski.com -

100704-Walking The Baby

2010-07-15T21:27:00.009+09:00

100704-Walking The Baby
Originally uploaded by comatosed

100703-Chaka Baby & The Sneeze-y Hiccups

2010-07-15T21:27:00.007+09:00

100703-Chaka Baby & The Sneeze-y Hiccups
Originally uploaded by comatosed

100702-A gift from and for mom

2010-07-15T21:27:00.005+09:00

100702-A gift from and for mom, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Mom asked me to pick up some beautiful flowers for Hyun Mi. Knowing how my wife loves to arrange them I brought home what I thought was good selection wrapped in news paper. Check out the amazing job she did!

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.chakababy.com -
- www.gregsamborski.com -

100701-How can they poop that much?

2010-07-15T21:27:00.003+09:00

100701-How can they poop that much?, originally uploaded by comatosed.

And this was after just a few days...

--- Strobist ---
Wanted to but no time...

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.chakababy.com -
- www.gregsamborski.com -

100630-Multitasking

2010-07-15T21:27:00.001+09:00

100630-Multitasking, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Baby can sleep AND I can work on my computer... god bless the Moby Wrap!

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.chakababy.com -
- www.gregsamborski.com -

100629-The Ultimate Recliner

2010-07-06T13:57:00.011+09:00

100629-The Ultimate Recliner, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Chaka kicks back on the Deluxe 180 Recliner Pro featuring:
*180 Degrees of Motion
*Auto Heating
*3 Vibration Settings
*Anti-Slide Bristles
*100% Organic and Fair Trade Certified

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.chakababy.com -
- www.gregsamborski.com -

100628-Production is High

2010-07-06T13:57:00.009+09:00

100628-Production is High, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Hyun Mi extracted 120ml in one sitting! The ironic part is that her hand worked far better than the breast pump. In fact, we'd be pumping the left breast and getting nothing, meanwhile the right one is dripping like a leaky faucet! Theme:

--- Lessons Learned ---
1. Machines aren't always better.

--- Strobist ---
SB-26 @ 1/4 at about 5 o'clock down low with omnibounce
SB-26 @ 1/2 at about 12 o'clock on background
Sunpack DS20 @ 1/1 at about 6 o'clock under bottle lighting from the bottom

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.chakababy.com -
- www.gregsamborski.com -

100627-Unkle Brandon & Aunty Kim

2010-07-06T13:57:00.007+09:00

100627-Unkle Brandon & Aunty Kim, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Of course whenever Brandon and Kim come down the games are on! (And the wine too...)

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.chakababy.com -
- www.gregsamborski.com -

100626-Melons Collide

2010-07-06T13:57:00.005+09:00

100626-Melons Collide, originally uploaded by comatosed.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.chakababy.com -
- www.gregsamborski.com -

100625-Mosquito Defence

2010-07-06T13:57:00.003+09:00

100625-Mosquito Defence, originally uploaded by comatosed.

We upgraded our mosquito defences the other day. There is now a massive mosquito tent suspended around our bed and half our room. It's brilliant! Even if mosquitos make it in it's the psychological reassurance that makes sleeping that much easier. Theme:

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.chakababy.com -
- www.gregsamborski.com -

100624-Omonim

2010-07-06T13:57:00.001+09:00

100624-Omonim, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Hyun Mi and I left the hospital and we're both so happy to be HOME!

Her mom and dad have been around since Chaka baby's birth and they're gonna stay for a few more days to help out which is absolutely awesome!

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.chakababy.com -
- www.gregsamborski.com -

100623-Family Portrait

2010-07-06T13:56:00.001+09:00

100623-Family Portrait, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: NA

This was hospital room. It wasn't actually as drab as I made it out to look, in fact, it boasted a bathroom, two sinks, shower and a flat screen TV - best damn hospital room I've ever stayed in.

There was this one dark, textured wall with this sofa against it that just had Victorian Era awkward family photo written all over it.

(Oh and while we were tired at the time we were happier than this photo lets on :)

--- Lessons Learned ---

--- Strobist ---
Was gonna use strobes and then found the track lighting worked far better!

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.chakababy.com -
- www.gregsamborski.com -

100622-This little piggy

2010-07-06T13:55:00.003+09:00

100622-This little piggy, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: NA

Dad seems to really like my feet. He is always looking at them and touching them. Mom says my feel look like dad's with the exception of his gimpy baby toe.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.chakababy.com -
- www.gregsamborski.com -

100621-Everything has changed

2010-07-06T13:55:00.001+09:00

100621-Everything has changed, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: NA

Dad seems to like me a lot, he stares at me all the time and even hangs out with me when I'm sleeping.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.chakababy.com -
- www.gregsamborski.com -

100620-Happy Father's Day

2010-07-06T13:51:00.001+09:00

100620-Happy Father's Day, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: NA

I went from light to dark and then light again. I'm feeling a little more at home now. Mom and dad and very good and changing, wrapping or feeding me compared to the nurses. When I've got a black puddle of goo in my diaper dad changes it as though he's defusing a bomb. Mom tries to feed me but getting anything to come out takes a long time. If I cry a lot and make silly faces when I'm hungry they try much harder to feed me! I think I'll keep using this strategy.

Dad was on the phone a lot today. I think... he...... was..... talking.... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.chakababy.com -
- www.gregsamborski.com -

100619-2:07pm: Welcome to our world Chaka

2010-07-06T10:57:00.001+09:00

100619-2:07pm: Welcome to our world Chaka, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: NA

It's about time I entered their would, it was getting squishy in there. I think mom could have pushed all 4.62kg of me out but it might have been risky for us so I got lifted out without a struggle.

My mom looked like she was sleeping when I appeared. I wish I could have spent those first few minutes with her. I got do see dad really soon though! He kissed me on my forehead and there was some water coming out of his eyes.

Then the doctors said "take a picture" and dad fumbled around with this big black thing like it was his first time using it.

I have a feeling I'll be seeing a lot of that thing...

They made me stay in a clear box for 4 hours for no good reason, I was healthy. I could tell dad was upset. He kept pacing around talking to the doctors and nurses. Finally they let me see dad, but only for a half an hour. Dad took me to mom who was lying in bed and mom got water in her eyes too when she said hello to me.

They brought me back to the box and I fell asleep there for the next three hours.

--- Lessons Learned ---
1. Go natural if possible
2. Organize a midwife and Doula early on
3. Make a birth plan
4. Even if you have to go to the hospital, get the Doula to come with, she can be a huge source of help and support.
5. Cherish the moment asin the end none of these things will matter that much if you have a health baby girl/boy in your hands.

--- Strobist ---
NA

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.chakababy.com -
- www.gregsamborski.com -

162|365 Enhanced Light Workout ~ Redux

2010-03-16T22:22:00.017+09:00

162|365 Enhanced Light Workout ~ Redux, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Redux

Out Take

Back on day 61 I discovered a lighting set-up that could make just about anyone LOOK muscular without having to lift a even a finger. Shortly after that shot, I decided not just to lift my fingers, but to lift a few weights as well. So today marks my completion of a 3 month Men's Health weight training program!

Before - (Will Open in a New Window) If you click between the two you can see a little change in the chest and lats.

I figured the most accurate way to gauge any progress was to recreate the shot from that day as closely as possible. Well, I gotta say I was a little disappointed. I feel better, I'm lifting more weight with every passing week, and I thought I was looking better but the physical improvement not as drastic as I had hoped. Nonetheless, I'm feeling good and am gonna continue for anther three months.

---Workout Plan (For anyone who is interested)---

-Overview-
Average workout: 1 Hour 3 times a week, 5 min of light cardio (with the odd run on rest days) and about 7 exercises
Diet: Added one protein shake on workout days to otherwise regular diet of junk food, French fries and coffee :)

-Variation-
-1 Cycle consisted of 3 Different workout plans spanning 3 weeks each
-I did 4 cycles, so 12 weeks total

-Routines-
-Mondays = Arms and Shoulders
-Wednesdays = But, Thighs and Legs
-Fridays = Chest, Abbs and Back
(So you would focus on the same muscle group every Monday but would generally never do the same exercise twice in the same 3 weeks)

-Specifics-
-Single sets 6-10 reps
-Beyond 10 reps increased weight

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/2 directly above my head fired into a reflective umbrella. Used same RAW conversion data from previous photo, a little warming and contrast. It's funny, I wanted to compile the same simple photo every day into a time laps but I failed... and yet I mange 365...

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

161|365 Congratulations ~ Dedications

2010-03-16T22:22:00.015+09:00

161|365 Congratulations ~ Dedications, originally uploaded by comatosed.

160|365 Blossom Man ~ Blossoms

2010-03-16T22:22:00.013+09:00

160|365 Blossom Man ~ Blossoms, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Blossoms

Blossom Man

Blossom Man remembers. Remembers a time when a man named Dracorubio spawned an idea. Dracorubio said to, "roll in honey and then in the blossoms." But honey was too expensive. So blossom man used corn syrup. Something went wrong, terribly wrong. When the corn syrup and blossoms mixed it caused a chemical reaction which fused the blossoms to Blossom Man's skin. Now, forever an outcast, Blossom Man can no longer return to his desk job. Instead he will fight evil, raining vengeance on flower pickers wherever they may be...

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/2 at about 2 o'clock fired into reflective umbrella. Another Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/2 at about 3 o'clock with DIY grid spot fired towards subject's back.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

159|365 When Blossoms Attack! ~ Blossoms

2010-03-16T22:22:00.011+09:00

159|365 When Blossoms Attack! ~ Blossoms, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Blossoms

Next on FOX: When Blossoms Attack!

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/4 at about 9 o'clock with DIY grid spot

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

158|365 Big Bush ~ Random

2010-03-16T22:22:00.009+09:00

158|365 Big Bush ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

I as born just a wee little guy, nothing more than a bulb when this novice picked me up. I could tell he didn't have the slightest clue about plants, how could he when he stuffed me in a bag and carried me over 200kms on the back of his jittery motor bike!

This guy completely underestimated me, I out grew that silly little pot he put me in months ago. My roots need to stretch! I think he gets it now.

--- Lessons Learned ---

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ full power at about 10 o'clock shot through an umbrella to light me. Another Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/2 at about 12 o'clock with omnibounce blowing out the BG

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

157|365 Vivitar 285 Metal Hot Shoe Upgrade ~ Camera Toys

2010-03-16T22:22:00.007+09:00

157|365 Vivitar 285 Metal Hot Shoe Upgrade ~ Camera Toys, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Camera Toys

Vivitar Bionic Foot Operation a Success!

Early reports indicate the famed Vivitar 285HV, is already up and beaming after undergoing an intense 30 minute operation yesterday. Comatosed performed the surgery alone which involved removing the Viitar's delicate plastic foot and replacing it with a metal one. Not only is the new foot more durable, it also offers a PC Sync port which is said to be far more reliable than Vivitar's proprietary Sync port.

When asked what the most difficult part of the operation was Comatosed commented, "There is a lot of conflicting information in the Vivitar world regarding where the black, red, green and white wires connect. In the end I went with red to center, black to the edge, snipped and insulated the blue and green and tucked them away. Preliminary test show all Vivitar's vital functions are working better than ever!"

If no side-effects arise Comatose plans on performing the same surgery on Vivitar's younger brother Zap early next week.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

156|365 Box Wine Weekend ~ Weekend

2010-03-16T22:22:00.005+09:00

156|365 Box Wine Weekend ~ Weekend, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Weekend

While Friends from Iksan were making the 3.5 hour journey down to Geoje I was stocking up on boxed wine, 2-4s of beer, lemons, French cheeses, baguettes, German bread, snacks and pancake makings.

We gathered on my warm sunny rooftop and spent the late afternoon and early evening drinking, mingling and of course, snapping pics :)

Greg quickly discovered the the insulated water/gas pipes we are pictured on proved more comfortable than any of the chairs we brought up to the roof. So we lounged it up there until it was time to head out for the best Thai food any of us have eaten in Korea!

--- Lessons Learned ---
1. If Authentic French cheese is marked down 75% in Korea (5,000 vs 20,000w)... buy it all!!!

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ full power at about 3 o'clock balancing the sunlight coming from the left. Ambient under exposed by a stop or two.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

155|365 Are You Ready to Play? ~ Prince Pyro

2010-03-16T22:22:00.003+09:00

155|365 Are You Ready to Play? ~ Prince Pyro, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Prince Pyro

Coming Soon: Prince Pyro.
If you thought Professor Edge had problems -- THINK AGAIN

--- Setup ---
20 second shutter with ambient light :)

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

154|365 In a Drop ~ Random

2010-03-16T22:22:00.001+09:00

154|365 In a Drop ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Water Drops

--- Strobist ---> See set up shot
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/16 at about 2 o'clock bounced off half and half blue and red background!

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

153|365 Liquid Level ~ Camera Toys

2010-03-16T22:21:00.029+09:00

153|365 Liquid Level ~ Camera Toys, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Camera Toys

Recently I've been seeing a lot of water drop / splash shots on flickr. Strobist recently gave a tutorial on how to do water drop shots and ICT_photos and Bald Monk have been inspiring me. So here's my first go at it!

I picked up 5 liquid levels (the kind that go in you flashes hot shoe) for a pretty good price last week. The ones I've seen around Korea are terribly overpriced. I figured they'd be fun to shoot and I could use it as an ad to sell the four extras too :)

This is the Product Shot version, which color do you prefer?

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/4 at about 6 o'clock with omni bounce fired into white poster board. Colour added in post.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

152|365 Monochrome ~ Random

2010-03-16T22:21:00.027+09:00

152|365 Monochrome ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

No rhyme or reason...

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/4 at about 3 o'clock with red gel bounced off of white board.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

151|365 You wouldn't buy a TV remote with just one function ~ Plato Ad Campaign

2010-03-16T22:21:00.025+09:00

151|365 You wouldn't buy a TV remote with just one function ~ Plato Ad Campaign, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Phottix Ad Campaign

You wouldn't buy a TV remote with JUST ONE function.
Seven Shutter Modes
Phottix: Take control of your camera

I like my new toy so much I decided to create my own ad campaign :)
147|365 Can your remote do this?

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/2 at about 3 o'clock with DIY grid spot lighting remote. Another Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/2 at about 12 o'clock behind camera, up high with DIY grid spot lighting TV.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

150|365 Were Special ~ Weekend

2010-03-16T22:21:00.023+09:00

150|365 Were Special ~ Weekend, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Weekend

Out Take

Brandon, Scott, Erica and I chilling on the beach after a full day of surfing -- Stormy after a full day of sunburning. The waves were tiny but the day was awesome, we even managed to stand up a few times.

Ps. This photo explains the undersized private school sweaters a bit better.

--- Lessons Another Person Learned ---
1. The yellow part in the centre of the egg is called the 'yolk'.
2. Earth only has one moon.
3. The past tense of lean is not leanded.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

149|365 Tracers ~ Weekend

2010-03-16T22:21:00.021+09:00

149|365 Tracers ~ Weekend, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Weekend

Seong Jeong Beach is located next to Busan's famous Haeundae beach and is about the only place in Korea that gets any wave action. However, on this particular weekend, it was flatter than a frozen lake.

Brandon, Erica, Scott, Stormy and I met up on Saturday night at the beach. They forgot to pack sweaters so when I saw then they were all wearing matching private school sweaters about 4 sizes too small for them. They bought them at the local stationary shop for a hefty 20,000w. Not wanting to be the odd one out, I quickly purchased one too along with some pyrotechnics.

This photo was inspired by tdub303's photo stream. He does some of the most amazing light painting around. We tried a number of shots including some with roman candles but nothing came out that great, I needed more time to plan and set-up and that's usually not possible when hanging with buddies -- they were surprisingly tolerant as is.

Anyway, this is just the beginning!

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

148|365 Two Birds One Stone ~ Plato Ad

2010-03-16T22:21:00.019+09:00

148|365 Two Birds One Stone ~ Plato Ad, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Plato Ad Campaign

Today Comatosed felt tired and lazy. He needed a product shot to use here, and a self portrait. The simplest solution: stand behind the product. Why is Comatosed writing in the third person? He doesn't know either...

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ full power at about 12 o'clock up high shooting through an umbrella at the subject.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

147|365 Can your remote do this ~ Plato Ad Campaign

2010-03-16T22:21:00.017+09:00

147|365 Can your remote do this ~ Plato Ad Campaign, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Plato Ad Campaign

Text: Can your remote do this?
Phottix: Take Control

I picked up a toy that opens up a whole new realm of creative photography options. My new Plato remote allows me to do things that were virtually impossible before, such as capturing a self portrait at 117 meters away.

I've always enjoyed studying good ads and so just for fun, I'd like to try and put together a small campaign for this piece of gear that can capture and communicate how freeing it is.

--- Testing ---
I decided to test both my canon RC1 Wireless Remote Control against the Phottex Plato Remote Control. I figured if the Plato could achieve anything near the advertised range of 100m I'd need make myself highly visible, so I dressed up in a white Tyvec suit, neon yellow vest and shades.

I brought a 50mm lens with me, figuring it was the most true to perspective, and a hand held GPS.

First I tested the Canon RC1 by taking one step back from my camera after each shot to the point where it wouldn't trigger my camera anymore. I then marked that spot on the GPS and did the same thing with the Plato.

The final results: Canon RC1 = 9m / Phottex Plato = 117m

I'm impressed, better than advertised! My only complaint thus far, I'd like some audio feedback in addition to the visual LED feedback to ensure my camera was in range and the photo was taken.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

146|365 The Transaction ~ Coins

2010-03-16T22:21:00.015+09:00

146|365 The Transaction ~ Coins, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Coins

These many coins = this much money

Well it was cool seeing all your guesses and while many were close, Lil2feet who guesstimated 190,000w was closest to the 199,270w I actually got for my 7.9 kilograms of coinage! Nice job! I wonder if she counted the coins on the scale? ;) I'll be sending her the funky Korean cell phone doodad as promised :D

And now I can justify having ordered those new camera toys... which will be featured next.

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/2 at about 12 o'clock spotlighting the cash with extra fat DIY grid spot. Another Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/16 at about 12 o'clock down low with 2 purple gels lighting the BG. A Sunpack DS 20 @ full power at about 9 o'clock with ebay box snoot lighting my face.

ps. Would you believe me if I told you I'm not wearing pants :P

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

145|365 Cubical ~ Work

2010-03-16T22:21:00.013+09:00

145|365 Cubical ~ Work, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Work

My cubical with PC/Mac dual monitor set up using Synergy! (Synergy allows me to control the PC notebook via my MacBook keyboard and mouse - Geek Heaven!)

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

144|365 Interviews ~ Work

2010-03-16T22:21:00.011+09:00

144|365 Interviews ~ Work, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Work

Scott and I will have interviewed about 300 Daewoo candidates by the end of this week. Mr. Park, in human resources, has been stocking us up with best snacks around for the past 12 days. He now brings an entire box of waffles and brownies which I not so subtly mentioned were my favourite early on.

While interviews were gruelling and uneventful for the most part there were some comments worthy of mentioning on Facebook:

1. Greg Samborski's Interview Highlight: Greg: Which is the scariest interview for you? Candidate: Personality Interview. G: Why? C: They hurt me.

2. Greg Samborski: Interviews Day 10: "My weakness is I don't know how to deal with woman's mind."

3. Greg Samborski's Interview Highlight: "My hometown Degu. I have joke about Degu. Degu has beautiful girls."

4. Greg Samborski: Group 2 Interview: Candidate: "I like Bon Jovi". Interviewers: "Sing us your favorite song." Candidate: "ahhhh... It'sss myyyyyy liiffffeeeee..."

5. Greg Samborski: G: "So where are you from?" *Thinks for a while* C: "I'm a North Korean defector." *Most awesome interview ever!*

6. Greg Samborski: Day 9 Group A: C: "My name is Gabriel, like character from Heroes!" G: "Do you have super powers?" C: "Yes I do." G: "What's your super power?" C: *Suddenly understands what he just said*... mmmm, trust and passion!"

7. Greg Samborski Interviews Day 11: "The pig doesn't love the woman because she isn't pretty."

8. Greg Samborski: Day 7 of Interviewing. Group1: G: "Have you traveled abroad?" C: "I like soccer!"

9. Greg Samborski interviewing new recruit: "Now you will debate, do you understand what a debate is?" Student: "Yes, bait is for fishing..."

10. Greg Samborski Interviews Day 12: G: "Tell us about yourself." C: "I'm a careful and attractive person...&quot

--- Lessons Learned ---
1. Double check ISO before shoots!

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/4 at about 12 o'clock bounced off of ceiling.

Thanks to SkeletalMess for the Sulfur Texture.
--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

143|365 Nothns Workn ~ Random

2010-03-16T22:21:00.009+09:00

143|365 Nothns Workn ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

Just couldn't get anything to work tonight.

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/2 at about 6 o'clock lighting the BG

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

142|365 Sunset at the Beach ~ Random

2010-03-16T22:21:00.007+09:00

142|365 Sunset at the Beach ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

After taking the blurry group photo, which didn't look blurry at all on my 1.5 inch display, I went down to catch the sunset. I missed the sun but her light was still playing off the clouds.

This was a very unorthodox shot for me. I just plunked my camera down on the gorilla pod and angled it up without even glancing through the viewfinder. Next I chose a spot I figured was far enough away to stand and then plunked down my flash just out of the frame.

I believe this goes down as the least amount of frames I've ever used for a Strobist shot, a total of about 8 pictures were taken and this was one of the first :)

--- Lessons Learned ---
1. Remember to take chances.

--- Strobist ---
1 Sunpack DS 20 @ full power at about 5 o'clock on the ground lighting me. BG underexposed by a stop or two.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

141|365 Friday Night Re-enactment ~ Random

2010-03-16T22:21:00.005+09:00

141|365 Friday Night Re-enactment ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

Ok, I'll be honest, I was in no condition to take any photos Friday night, this is a re-enactment of what it MIGHT have looked like. I wish I had taken some snaps, then I might remember more of it!

From what I do remember it was a rocking night spent with some of my best buddies up in Iksan, the town I used to live in. I met Greg halfway on the bike and we cruised about 150km of beautiful roads into the city. We met a bunch of people for dinner and then went out to the bars and later the Nore Bangs / Singing rooms.

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/4 at about 2 o'clock with DIY grid spot

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

140|365 I Have Not Forgotten ~ Random

2010-03-16T22:21:00.003+09:00

140|365 I Have Not Forgotten ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

I've been busier than ever at my job, so much so I'm a week behind in 365 uploads. I have only one class from 7-8am but after that I interview from 8:30-Noon and then only have a few hours left in the office to prep for the next day. Work combined with working out, Korean classes, motorbike troubles and the usual life admin have made it hard for me too keep up on flickr.

The good news is two weeks of nothing is right around the corner and while I still have to be in the office, I'll have much more time to catch up on all your streams :)

See you soon!

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/4 at about 7 o'clock with DIY grid spot and another Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/2 at about 6 o'clock lighting BG.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

139|365 Estimation Station ~ Coins

2010-03-16T22:21:00.001+09:00

139|365 Estimation Station ~ Coins, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Coins

I have fond memories of guesstimating stations back in the days of elementary school. Sometimes it would be buttons, or rocks and you might have to guess the number of pieces or weight. The closest student got a small prize or maybe even lunch at Flamingos with the teacher!

Well let's play again! Take you best guess at how much change there is in my jar here. It's Korean won so there are 1, 10, 50, 100 and 500 coins in there. 1000 won is approximately a dollar. To make things a little easier I'll reveal that the bulk of them are 100s followed by 500s, 10s, 50s, and 1s. My previous three pictures would definitely help with the estimating.

The prize? How about a funky Korean cellphone doodad straight from Korea for the person who is closest.

Contest ends Monday 26 May, 11:59pm Korean time ;)

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ full power at about 1 o'clock fired into a reflective umbrella.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

138|365 Money Shower ~ Coins

2010-01-11T09:49:00.021+09:00

138|365 Money Shower ~ Coins, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Coins

Ever wished it would rain money? Me neither, it'd hurt like hell and get you really dirty.

Thanks Scott for the help ;)

Out Take

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/2 at about 3 o'clock with DIY grid spot. Another Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/16 at about 5 o'clock with DIY grid spot.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

137|365 A Ton of Change ~ Coins

2010-01-11T09:49:00.019+09:00

137|365 A Ton of Change ~ Coins, originally uploaded by comatosed.

-- Dear Getty Images, I could easily black out the brand here if you like the concept --

Theme: Coins

Maybe not quite a ton, but still a hefty 5.9kg of change. It took about an hour to sort and stack them as it is so I couldn't be bothered to include the 1's, 10's and 50's.

--- Lessons Learned ---
1. Credit/bank cards work great for moving and squaring coins up. I felt kinda like a coke addict might cutting and pushing coins around my shiny black scale :)

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/4 at about 12 o'clock bare and fired into a reflective white poster board angled at about 45 degrees. Another Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/16 at about 4 o'clock with DIY grid spot lighting the coins from the side.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

136|365 Treasure ~ Coins

2010-01-11T09:49:00.017+09:00

136|365 Treasure ~ Coins, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Coins

I'm holding 7.9 kilos of coins here, a collection I started in an old caramel popcorn bucket just over 2 years ago. They are Korean coins in 10, 50, 100 and 500 denominations. Move the decimal one place to the left and that's about how much they're worth in US/CDN dollars.

I can't fit anymore into my bucket so I'm thinking of exchanging them... after I play with them a little :)

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/2 at about 12 o'clock fully zoomed with DIY grid spot pointing down on the coins and reflecting into my face.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

135|365 Cass Beer ~ Random

2010-01-11T09:49:00.015+09:00

135|365 Cass Beer ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

My hand left, Warren's hand right.

Warren and I had a wicked weekend drinking beer, biking around Geoje, snapping pictures and infiltrating abandoned amusement parks. It's pretty cool to have met a buddy that is just as enthusiastic as I am to shoot.

--- Lessons Learned ---
1. Neither Warren or I should ever be hand-models.

--- Strobist ---
We were going for a beer-ish feeling and I'm pretty damn happy with what we got! 1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/4 at about 12 o'clock up high with DIY grid spot aimed at our hands. Another Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/2 at about 6 o'clock down low with brown gel and DIY grid spot lighting the BG.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

134|365 Do You See a Problem With the Monitor? ~ Random

2010-01-11T09:49:00.013+09:00

134|365 Do You See a Problem With the Monitor? ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

I think there is a problem with this monitor. Am I being obsessive or can you see it to? It's easier for me to see on this larger version on white.

---------------------

So I decided to go with the 26 Inch LG Flatron M2600D S-IPS Monitor. I visited the shop every day for week using every negotiation tactic I learned from "You Can Negotiate Anything" to get the price reduced by another $80 off the already reduced display model price. The original price was truly unreasonable for a now obsolete display model running 24/7 with no box or manual. Not only that, I'd found one brand new for less online.

And after all that work and anticipation I find myself forced to return is because I can see a problem that's not acceptable for a $500 piece of gear. Can you see it?

--- Lessons Learned ---
-Be weary of display models?

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

133|365 Reason NOT to Stand Around The Water Cooler ~ Random

2010-01-11T09:49:00.011+09:00

133|365 Reason NOT to Stand Around The Water Cooler ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

They're all nice, easy and convenient until YOU need to refill them.

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/2 at about 2 o'clock up high fired into a reflective umbrella.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

132|365 Favourite Biscuit ~ Random

2010-01-11T09:49:00.009+09:00

132|365 Favourite Biscuit ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

Lotus Original Caramelized Biscuit - I'm addicted to these things.

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/4 at about 11 o'clock up high with DIY grid spot.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

131|365 S-IPS in in Control ~ Random

2010-01-11T09:49:00.007+09:00

131|365 S-IPS in in Control ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

I moved my home monitor to work because I am sick of staring at an 9 inch screen for 8 hours a day. Now I wish to replace my home monitor so for the last 24 hours I've been on a monitor researching frenzy. I've never had anything but a TN monitor in the past. Actually, I didn't even know what TN, S-IPS, S-PVA, etc. meant until 24 hours ago.

Based on what I've read, S-IPS / S-PVA panels are the way to go for anyone serious about graphics. I have definitely noticed how much the viewing angles effect my work in PS, I'm always shifting my head when adjusting curves etc. because the results don't look uniform. Speed doesn't matter much to me, as I spend most of my time with still images.

The catch is, S-PIS / S-PVA monitors are expensive. I wanna just splurge and get the one I saw the other day but I'm trying to hold back and think it through thoroughly. I've made it this long with a 19" No Name TN and got pretty good results... is it really worth the upgrade...?

--- Lessons Learned ---
1. Logic is inconsequential to some people... the illogical...

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/4 at about 8 o'clock on the floor with purple/pink gel and DIY grid spot lighting the wall. Another Vivitar 285 HV @ full power at about 3 o'clock lighting the centre of the subject.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

130|365 Recycling ~ Random

2010-01-11T09:49:00.005+09:00

130|365 Recycling ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

There are heaps
and heaps of dried out blossoms
blanketing the grounds around...

129|365 Roof Top BBQ ~ Random

2010-01-11T09:49:00.003+09:00

129|365 Roof Top BBQ ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

Out Take

Scott,
the guy in the bear suit (I have
no idea why, you can see the
rest...

128|365 Nepenthes Mirabilis ~ Random

2010-01-11T09:49:00.001+09:00

128|365 Nepenthes Mirabilis ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

This was one of those things were as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to have it. This unique little dude-et eats bugs! Yes, the name is Nepenthes Mirabilis or as it is more commonly know: Swamp Pitcher.

She evolved to survive in the nutrient/nitorgin deficient soil of bogs by trapping small bugs, of which there were plenty, and then digesting them.

The bugs are attracted to her sticky nectar around the inside edge of each water filled vestibule. The sweet syrupy nectar also acts as an intoxicant. The bug starts to get a buzz on and gets a little more greedy for the good stuff in the hard to reach places. Unbeknownst to the drunkard, there is a super slick waxy coating on the lip on which it is so precariously perched, the slightest stumble and the bug plunges down into the watery cavern.

Now at this point, the bug my breath a small sigh of relief as it is still alive, it's fall broken by the water. However, as it struggles to free itself it acutely alerts the plant that a small snack is waiting. She then secrets digestive acids into the trap which kills the bug to ensure no escape and then aid in digesting it over time. Finally, the nutrients of the decaying carcass are absorbed.

Cool eh! I fed her a few fruit flies I found hopping around my compost and a beetle from outside. I've read a few bugs every couple of weeks is all she needs.

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/4 at about 4 o'clock used as a fill light

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

127|365 Haircut ~ Random

2010-01-11T09:48:00.013+09:00

127|365 Haircut ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

I went to the hairdresser today and decided to flip through a few of their magazines. The only style I liked was the one this Caucasian guy with a headset was sporting (I emphasize Caucasian because the rest of the models were Korean or Japanese boy-band style girly-men with buffonts!). I knew he looked familiar but it was my hair dresser who informed me it was David Beckham who's hair style I liked.

So I did my best to emulate the picture I saw with the intentions of showing what a good job my hair dresser did rather than insinuating I look anything like David Beckham.

Unfortunately I couldn't find the picture I looked at online, but I did find this one which is a close approximate :) I swear they must have put bronze or something on his face, I just can't seem to nail the colour in Photoshop.

--- Lessons Learned ---
1. It's tough to do David Beckham's squinty eye look for prolonged periods
2. *Pssssst: Clone stamp does wonders for bald patches*

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ full power at about 1 o'clock up high fired into a reflective umbrella. Another Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/2 at about 6 o'clock behind me blowing out the background.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

126|365 Well... I figured someone had to try ~ Random

2010-01-11T09:48:00.011+09:00

126|365 Well... I figured someone had to try ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

--- Lessons Learned ---
1. Standing in umbrellas is both awkward and hazardous to your umbrella's health.

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/2 - I think the rest is pretty self explanatory :P

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

125|365 Happy Birthday Sam ~ Dedication

2010-01-11T09:48:00.009+09:00

125|365 Happy Birthday Sam ~ Dedication, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Dedication

Happy Birthday Sam! I made your cookie recipe and then wrote you this note with them. Damn... they spread a lot eh! Wish we could have mowed down on them together.

Love,
Your Bro

(My sister's birthday is the day after mine and she's 6 years older... a little weird huh)

She's really creative and artistic, check out her stunning art atwww.tsam.ca

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

124|365 Manly Stuff ~ Random

2010-01-11T09:48:00.007+09:00

124|365 Manly Stuff ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

It was my birthday today! The weather couldn't have been more perfect for riding. Greg, Alice and I lounged out on a patio over brunch and then Greg and I hit every inch of Geoje Island coastline, about 240km in total. (our path)

We stopped mid-day, on this tiny little island for a drink. Both of us thought the location was as weird as they come, hence, prime photo opportunity :P

Props to Greg for the pick axe idea!

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

123|365 Windy Hill ~ Random

2010-01-11T09:48:00.005+09:00

123|365 Windy Hill ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

Greg and Alice came down for a visit during my 5 day weekend! We visited Windy Hill and had a drink out on the rocks. Greg and I drove Alice to sheer insanity discussing bikes and cameras for three days straight :P

--- Strobist ---
On camera flash... it's brutal I know, but I had no choice. I stopped it down one stop if that counts for anything.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

122|365 Scrub ~ Random

2010-01-11T09:48:00.003+09:00

122|365 Scrub ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

This is the shower are below the fitness centre at my work. It's a little too late in the year now but a month or two ago you would get the nicest diffuse light filtering through the steam.

I was freak'n nervous during this shot, I'm so lucky I didn't have to explain what I was doing... it would have been very awkward :P

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

121|365 Hyosung Comet Burn Out ~ Random

2010-01-11T09:48:00.001+09:00

121|365 Hyosung Comet Burn Out ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

Out Take - It was a hard choice... which do you prefer?

My Michelin Pilot Sport tire cracked pretty badly all along the tread since purchasing it new only 9 months ago. There is no reason it should have gone so soon. I only put 5000k on it and always stored my bike under shelter, nor is it very cold here in the winter. One thing I didn't do was check the manufacture's date when I bought it. It turns out it had been on the shelf about 2 years before I got it.

I had no choice but to buy a new tire before cursing with Greg over my 5 day vacation. This time I went for the Michelin Pilot Power, a stickier tire that cost only a little more.

Unfortunately I only had 20 minutes to do this shot as I was rushing to catch a ferry. Next time I'd find a better location, dress the part, wait till dark, back light the smoke etc. So I will consider this a practice run.

I did a little research on how to do a burn out on google and then gave it a shot. It couldn't have been easier! I had about three goes before my tire was shredded. Choosing to shred it with a kilometre of the bike shop was a wise choice, I wouldn't have wanted to ride to far on it.

--- Lessons Learned ---
1. Burn outs are way easier than expected

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

120|365 Hanging With The Buoys ~ Random

2010-01-11T09:47:00.001+09:00

120|365 Hanging With The Buoys ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

This is only a fraction of what was strewn along the coast line.

--- Lessons Learned ---
1. Wear gloves other wise the shells lodged in these things will shred you!

-Credit to Greg for the title :)

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

119|365 Happy Birthday Mom ~ Dedication

2009-09-27T20:44:00.017+09:00

119|365 Happy Birthday Mom ~ Dedication, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Dedications

Happy Birthday Mom! I thought you would like this location :) Hope you had a smashing Birthday.

Love you,
Greg

--- Lessons Learned ---
1. Koreans really don't like it when you spell out "Happy Birthday" with flour on the rocks at their sacred locations. I think they thought it was paint :P

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

120|365 Hanging With The Buoys ~ Random

2009-09-27T20:44:00.015+09:00

120|365 Hanging With The Buoys ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

118|365 Puffy Cheeks ~ Random

2009-09-27T20:44:00.013+09:00

118|365 Puffy Cheeks ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

Just playing with light tonight.

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/4 at about 3 o'clock with DIY gridspot lighting my face. Another Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/2 at about 12 o'clock with DIY gridspot behind me lighting the background. A Sunpack DS 20 @ full power at about 9 o'clock lighting the back of my head. Blue monochrome effect added in PS.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

117|365 Post Sunday Night Dinner Party ~ Random

2009-09-27T20:44:00.011+09:00

117|365 Post Sunday Night Dinner Party ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

Good party Sunday night. Bad dishes Monday morning.

I've been super busy with final tests, grading and such this week and thus not able to spend as much time on pics, replying to comments and surfing your streams : The frenzy should end by Monday...

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

116|365 Sunday Night Dinner Party ~ Random

2009-09-27T20:44:00.009+09:00

116|365 Sunday Night Dinner Party ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

After us boys got back from the hash we decided to throw a little dinner party at my place. It was an interesting mixture of cheese, wine, olives, crackers, potato wedges, fried onions, hot-dogs and karaoke :)

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ 1/4 at about 12 o'clock ON CAMERA, I'm so ashamed... but bounced off the ceiling.

Thanks to Borealnz for the texture Old Photo Squared .

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

115|365 Jizzed in my Pants ~ Random

2009-09-27T20:44:00.007+09:00

115|365 Jizzed in my Pants ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

Scott, Erica and I had this song going through our heads all day.

This was up in Junju. Geoje Scott, Warren, Olli, Danial and I met up with a bunch of Hashers in Junju. Some of my Iksan buddies and a some of Scott's Seoul buddies met us there too and in the end about 20 of us hiked fairly drunkenly for 7km. The party moved on to a restaurant and then into the bars. It was a damn good time!

--- Lessons Learned ---
1. ISO 1800 quality looks way better on the camera LCD than on the monitor :)

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

114|365 Zen Zone ~ Random

2009-09-27T20:44:00.005+09:00

114|365 Zen Zone ~ Random, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Random

My home is slowly evolving into the sanctuary I envision in my mind. Atmosphere has always been important to me. I like to feel comfortable and have other feel at ease when they come visit me. A home can say a lot about a person.

Now that summer is on the way I've removed the sliding doors to the greenroom-ish area of my apartment. Since day one I have imagined myself and my partner (whoever that may be :) sitting out there sharing coffee and reading on a sunny Sunday morning. Ivy will be hanging down from the cloths rack above out heads and there will be beautiful flowers and bush green plants all along the windows...

That dream is getting closer. I took a clipping of ivy and got that started last week. It's actually taking too! I grabbed a discarded sheet of glass from work and put it on the Tupperware crate I moved here with. Those two bulbs next to me will soon be in full bloom and the big vase of reed stems are the leftovers from the ones decorating my apartment. Total cost? Large vase 10, bulbs 5, pots 6, ivy 0, reeds 0, glass 0... total = 21 bucks. I think decorating on a budget is way more fun :D

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -

113|365 Just Did It ~ Self Improvement

2009-09-27T20:44:00.003+09:00

113|365 Just Did It ~ Self Improvement, originally uploaded by comatosed.

Theme: Self Improvement

The sweat is real. This is me JUST AFTER running 5.13km with my buddy/neghbor/coworker Scott. I'm not much of a runner, but these days I'm hitting the gym 3 times a week and trying to do a little cardio every day. We ran 5.13km averaging 11.73km an hour. Scott was totally holding back for my sake.

--- Lessons Learned ---
1. 11-16mm is way too wide for a full body shot. To get a decent shot I feel one needs an 85mm lens and minimum 10 meters space. I find full body shots harder to shoot, light, and make interesting.

--- Strobist ---
1 Vivitar 285 HV @ full power at about 4 o'clock shot into a reflective umbrella positioned at about my shoulder.

--- Critiques Welcome ---
- www.comatosed.ca -