About the iPad, Netfix and crackers.

iPad's, Netflix and Crackers. What does that have to do with anything?
Last Thursday Craig, a good friend and incredibly talented photographer lent me his older iPad (V1) for a few days. Of course the official task was to check out, and troubleshoot iPad specific WordPress plugin i've installed over at the Central Maryland Photographers' Guild website. Which was done but sadly most of it's use can be categorized as:

Laying in bed, watching documentaries on Netflix, while my hands are exploring the inside of a not doctor approved, box of crackers .

Of course not all the time was spent on Netflix, I played around with apps mirrored over from my iPhone. (Did I mention I love apps?) Time was spent viewing some training vids on Lynda,com, and maybe even a little "Angry Birds" time was logged.

While all but one of the iPod touch/iPhone apps worked on the iPad, some were standouts
The Audubon app was much better on a bigger screen, MovieSlate likewise. The image slideshows of myHDR's from the Air and Space Museumwere breathtaking, as good or better as portrayed. The Flickr experience was much better than on the smaller devices, much....much better.
As I user the iPod Touch/IPhone apps a lot and is painfully aware of the small screen limitations, I'm not surprised how much I enjoyed the iPad experience overall.
But as in many fairy tails.. this one had to end on a sad note....... Mainly I have to package it up so as to give back tomorrow, and the finances just wouldn't support a iPod purchase in the near term. Guess I'm just left with the Crackers box and the need for a winning lottery ticket for the time being.

Smithsonian Air & Space in HDR - Update

Earlier this week while in Northern Virginia for some Lean Six Sigma Project Management training, I had an opportunity for a short, no cost, visit to the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center located off Dulles Air Port in Chantilly.

Let me preface, The Short because we finished class at 4 and while the Center is only about 3/4 of mile away, it closes at 5:30. Free, because the normal $15.00 parking fee is waved after 4 PM. As my cameras and gear ( sorry monopods only) were already packed in the car, I made a mad dash over to the UHC. On the way over I decided tho shoot the entire visit with bracketed exposure so I could make HDR images if warranted. And as it turned out, in the hour or so I was in the Museum there was time for about 100 bracketed shots, of which many were turned into HDR images with NIK Software HDR EFEX Pro , my new HRD favorite, which allows a almost unlimited range of styles and adjustments pre image set.

Not to be forgotten was an attempt at a B&W HDR image

The wealth of subject, just sitting or hanging around.............. make this place a must visit for all in the area... 15 buck a car parking on not.

4/6/2011 More images from another quick visit last week....

View the Flickr Set with images from both Visits