It's weekend already. It's gonna be a Pentax DA* 300mm weekend.

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Pentaxian friends.

Yesterday, I received my latest acquisition... a "like-new" Pentax DA* 300mm lens. Since I started to sell my AlettA Stabilizers for the K-5 & K-7, the only big lens I had to illustrate some of the functionality of the Stabilizer was an older Tokina 400mm. The Pentax 300mm weighs almost 3 pounds which is nearly one pound heavier than the Tokina. The 300mm came with no hood because it was broken when the camera was resting on a table and toppled over. That wouldn’t have happened with a Stabilizer under the camera.

So Sunday, weather permitting, I will go out and about and take pictures with my new DA* 300mm. There is no doubt that the quality of the images will be better than the older Tokina, but I will shoot with both lenses so we can compare. I have a 1.4x and a 1.7x tele-converters and will test the Stabilizer with them on. This will make the lenses much longer and defy the law of gravity. I don’t know if it will work or not but I will wait until Sunday to try.

Hope you have a great weekend and go take some pictures.

Thank you for stopping by,

Yvon Bourque



Pentax DA* 300mm f/4



Tokina SD 400mm f/5.6



My site of the day: "Street Vision" It takes guts to do street photography and get in people's faces.

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Pentaxian friends.

The Street Vision has been around for a long while now. Javier, has been a regular commenter on Pentax forums, and Canon and I think Nikon as well. He loves photography and I watched him acquiring many cameras and lenses through the years. I don't know Javier personally, but we have been "Cyber" friends for a long while.  His passion seems to be, obviously, street photography. I watched him getting better and better at it from the beginning, or at least in the early stage.

It takes guts to take pictures of strangers in Los Angeles. I know I wouldn't be able to do it...as someone would certainly knock me down. Javier has this uncanny ability to approach people.

However, he is not just a photographer in search of strange, or funny, or poor, or different people. He often buys food, toiletry, clothing, and distribute that to the less fortunate people in the streets and parks in Los Angeles. For that, I admire him.

So visit his site, and tell him I sent you. Within his blog site, he has links to hundreds of pictures on Flickr.



Click on this image to link to Street Vision.



The images below are small because I imported them from Javier's Flickr account and you cannot import them bigger. If you visit his blog, you can see all these images and many more in full size.

Keep up your good work Javier...we like what you do.

Thank you for stopping by,

Yvon Bourque

If you like what I do or if you like my e-books or the new Aletta Stabilizer, I need all the help I can get.

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

To be used with smart phones. The QR code above is just an example of things to come, and this particular code brings you to this website. Imagine that you include a QR code on your business cards, people with smart phones (they will all be smart phones soon) will be able to scan the code from your business card and be transfered to your website  for more details of your business or whatever you want to display on the Internet.

Hi Pentaxian friends.

If you noticed, other than my own e-books or the AlettA Equipment, I do not display any Google ads or ask for donations or subscription fees. The Internet is full of free information, so for me, I chose to keep my blogs simple and uncluttered, so that my readers would like to come back. From the beginning, I refused to clutter up my site with the Google ads and third party advertisements. Of course, I miss the revenues that many sites gain from using part of their pages as a billboard, but that's just me. There is nothing wrong in advertising, and make a little profit for one's effort in writing and operating a blog site. If you look at the right side of my blog, I keep a list of other photography sites, links that I find interesting and think you will find interesting as well.

Lately, I tried to promote some interesting sites and started the "Site of the day" although I don't feature one everyday. If you have a site that you think readers would enjoy, yours or someone else, email me the link and if I think my regular readers would be interested, I will feature it.

I welcome your comments on anything I write, but we do screen comments for offensive language and trolling.

Speaking of comments, I participate in most of the forums and often give my opinion on whatever is being discussed. I also start threads when I think it would be interesting for all. The one thing I can't do, is advertise my e-books or AlettA products.  This is where I could use your help. It's wrong for me to write about my products but it's okay for someone else to suggest or write about my e-books or my AlettA Stabilizer on forums. I see that many have suggested my free Front/Back focus Charts, as I get about 200 or more downloads of the Charts everyday, and that has been going on for almost four years. After all, readers visit these sites to exchange ideas about photography and equipment. It's okay to advertise the camera makers but wrong to do so for third party equipment.

So, if you purchased one of my e-book, or the AlettA Stabilizer, or just like to read my blogs, I would be more than grateful if you would give your opinion about them on forums and other social media such as Facebook and Twitter.

I like having this blog, although I often misspell words or write in the "Franglish"  (Combination on French and English) language.

Merci very much for stopping by,

Yvon Bourque



Free Front/Back Focusing Charts.



The next time you think your pictures are the best in the world, you may need an attitude adjustment.

Copyright: Marianna Safronova  

Copyright: Tim Holte

Copyright: Ian .

Copyright: Phil Hawkins

Copyright: William Browning  

Copyright: Krzysztof Browko

 Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Pentaxian friends.

When I see an exceptional photograph, I either take a picture of it, import it or simply write down the idea behind the shot. I won't ever repeat exactly what another photographer has shot, but I often try to mimic the technique or point-of-view.

No matter how good you are, you will always see some images that will make you wish it was yours. When I think I have a great shot, I usually visit Photo.net's Top Rated Photos and it usually gives me a change-of-attitude. I have my share of what I think are good pictures, but looking at so many extraordinary images is an humbling experience. See for yourself and learn from it.

It's even more humbling when you look at the Photo of the Week.

So next time you think your pictures are the best in the world, you too may need an attitude adjustment. Visit the links above and re-evaluate how good you are. Like everything in life, it seems that there is always someone a few steps ahead of you. 

Thank you for stopping by, and go take the next Picture of the Week.

Yvon Bourque



Testimonies from users of the Aletta Stabilizer.

 Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

 Hi  Pentaxian friends.

I sold about fifty of the AlettA Stabilizers this first Month and I am getting some testimonies about it's usability. I''m also getting some unexpected new ways to use the Stabilizer. I posted a few emails I received and will do so every week. I certainly don't want to abuse the priviledge of being your host.

*****************************************

From John T Gordon:

The Aletta Stabilizer that I recently purchased is proving to be a perfect companion for my new Pentax K5. It helps in many ways, notably for taking advantage of the live view feature. Never before could I so easily and with confidence place my camera right on the ground or in very awkward positions to take advantage of some unique point of view shots. I haven't removed it from my camera since I got it so there is no need too bring along something extra like a beanbag. The Stabilizer is a well made practical tool that can greatly enhance creativity, as I am now constantly looking for new shooting angle ideas. Stabilizer is a good name because the camera does not shake....period!

Another great use is for candid shots of people who might not really mind having their picture taken but freeze up in front of the camera. With the camera just sitting on the table (and not tipping forward) it doesn't appear to be ready for action...but with the remote you can fire away.

One last thing, it's extremely satisfying to be able to set your camera down and not worry about it tipping or getting bumped, just makes the whole unit feel very professional. It's kind of hard to explain until you have one.

Great product Sir ....keep up the good work John T Gordon.

Thank you so much for your comments John.

*****************************************

From Chip Garre:

I got my Stabilizer, WOW, very nice. It looks nice, is well made, and does all you said it would. It is well worth the money. I also like the name of the company, Aletta, has a nice international ring.

If I may, a couple of suggestions on the next round of manufacturing. I have and use both a K-7 and a K10D (as well as my WG-1, GPS)

The base of the Stabilizer fits the K-7 battery grip perfectly and looks good. However, with the battery grip removed, the slot for the attaching bolt is too short and makes the camera offset from the Stabilizer. Could you make the slot longer?(Following his suggestion, all Stabilizers will now have a slot from the left to right of the stabilizer. Although specifically made for the K-7 and K-5, there are chances that it will fit many other DSLR models.)It is nice to have two sets of legs. Is it possible to include a nut with finger tighting wings so that if the foot bolt is fully extended, it can be "locked" for added stability?(That can be done, however, if that's important to you, Home Depot carries wing nuts for about 10 cents each. The size is 8-32. I think you will find them annoying as the Stabilizer is likely going to be used at many different places with their own irregularities.)I also really like the bolt for attaching the Stabilizer to the battery grip. Is this custom made for you? Is so, could I buy a couple of additional ones to put on my tripods? The method of attachment is much better then using a quarter to turn the screw.(I sold four D-Screws to Chip.)Bottom line..... it is really great, works very well, has gotten good comments by those here who have seen it and it is very well made.

Thanks for your hard work and creativity.

Chip GarreNew Hampshire

Thank you so much for your comments and suggestions Chip.

*****************************************

From Henry Kisor:.

. . arrived yesterday (that was FAST) and I put it into use right away. I especially like it for handheld shooting -- I am of the right stature (short) to rest the stabilizer in my left palm and my elbow on my chest. Steady as a rock!

You asked for suggestions for improvement. I am not sure it can be done, but if you can find a way to put a small quick release on the handgrip so it can be easily removed from the camera along with the stabilizer and battery grip for "naked" shooting, that would be great. (The combination of camera, grip and stabilizer is kind of heavy to be worn around the neck all the time.)( I believe that it can be done using velcro sewed on the straps.I will work on that and offer it as an option a little later on.)Many thanks for this product.

Thank you so much for your comments and great practical suggestion Henry.

*****************************************

So far, I shipped the Stabilizers mostly to the U.S. and Canada but also to Germany, Russia, Luxembourg, Hungary, France, and Norway. I'm so excited.

Thank you all,

Yvon Bourque




Click on the logo above to return to AlettA Photo Blogsite.
http://alettaphoto.blogspot.com/

 http://alettaphoto.blogspot.com/

Dear Joe the photographer, my name is Sam. I'm from the IRS and I'm here to help you!

 Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Pentaxian friends.

Once again, the little guy, not the Corporations, is going to get screwed. After losing our job, many of us had to find a way to support ourselves and our family. Some have find a new job, although the pay is likely less, and some are still left struggling. It's not possible to live with the unemployment insurance alone. Many people have been forced to be creative and sell whatever they can come up with, at flea markets, garage sales, Ebay and Amazon.  Selling on Ebay and Amazon has been a source of moderate income for some. Some good people caught in a bad situation have been able to put food on their table selling through these outlets.  

Did you know that big Corporations like Exxon and GE paid no tax at all in 2010!  The upper echelon of rich people in the US have had their taxes temporarily reduced during the the Bush administration. Now that the current administration is contemplating stopping the temporary tax reduction, they are crying NO TAX RAISING. It wouldn't be raising taxes, it would simply go back to what they were paying during the Reagan administration. Here's one of the problem, all the elected officials earn in the six figures...do you think they are going to vote for increasing their own tax burden? No sir, it's the little guy again, that will pay for the overspending. 

Here's a letter that has been sent to Ebay and Amazon sellers:

*********************************************

Hello from Amazon/ Ebay,

We're writing to let you know about new Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations that may impact your seller account.

Beginning with the 2011 tax year, new IRS regulations require that U.S. payment processors, including Amazon, file Form 1099-K for sellers that exceed $20,000 in gross sales and 200 transactions in a calendar year. The regulations also require that registered sellers (regardless of account status and sales volume) have taxpayer identification information on file in order for backup withholding not to apply on gross sales.

As a result of the new regulations, Amazon.com sellers will be required to provide taxpayer identification information to Amazon. If the required information is not provided to Amazon in 2011, your Amazon selling privileges will be suspended until you provide the information.

We are committed to making this process simple. In the coming months we will provide instructions on how to enter the required information directly into your seller account. To help protect the security of your taxpayer identification information, we will not ask you to disclose it by e-mail or over the phone.

See answers to frequently asked questions and check back occasionally for updates:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200663310


Learn more about the regulations and Form 1099-K at the IRS website: http://www.irs.gov/govt/fslg/article/0,,id=226894,00.html

Important Notice: Information in this document does not constitute tax, legal, or other professional advice and must not be used as such. To find out how this new legislation will affect your business, or if you have other questions, please contact your tax, legal, or other professional advisor.
*********************************************


Isn't that sweet!

Pentax to announce something big in China. It looks like Pentax is much more appreciated in China than in the Western World.

I wish Pentax USA could  spend the same kind of advertisement money in the USA.

What a great way to display the camera and lenses.



My friends, underneath this cover, is what is to be unveiled.

 

This booth is the size of what Canon or Nikon have in the USA. Impressive.

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Pentaxian friends.

According to my friends at 1001 Noisy Cameras, there is a strong probability of a Pentax announcement at the P&E 2011 show in China. Here are some pictures of the Pentax presence the P&E 2011currently going on in China. 

Thank you for stopping by,

Yvon Bourque

My favorite site of the day. I think that these pictures are very clever.

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Pentaxian friends.

With a little (maybe a lot) of imagination, you can make some of the Eye impossible images. These are the kind of pictures I would have liked to take myself.  Today's site is called:  Fun Fluster Check it our for yourself.

Thank you for stopping by,

Yvon Bourque

Food for Photography thought

 Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Pentaxian friends.

• Following up on my post of April 20th, it looks like I'm not the only one thinking that Internet traffic is slowing down, particularly blog sites and forums. From the comments received and emails (many from iPhone and mobile devices) Forums have become a place where too many Nay-Sayers hang out. It's unfortunate that there are so many trolling going on. There are a lot of people interested in photography, but posting comments or asking questions on many of the forums often returns "Smart Ass" answers. I do like the forum section of Photo.net,   as the belligerent people are kept in control.

• As for the blog sites (mine included) traffic has indeed slowed down. Certainly, not everybody has learned everything about everything! There is still exchange of ideas, photography by examples, reviews of equipment, lessons, humor, etc., that can be brought up and discussed on blog sites. It does seem that more and more of the Internet surfing is done with mobile devices, making the actual logging to blog sites obsolete in a way. People either join your blog as follower, or through RSS feed and actually get the content of your blog sent directly to their iPhone, Droid or other mobile devices. It’s tedious to write long comments with the small qwerty keyboards and maybe the interaction is what has slowed down. What is it, as readers, you would like to see more of on blog sites. Let us know, we would like to post what you like.

   

   
• I have updated the appearance of this blog site and decided to include a photo of myself.  I'm sorry if I don't fit the description of a movie star, but that's who I am. For those who thought that "Yvon" was a girl...sorry. The name is French Canadian and it is indeed a common name. The flip side is that it makes my blog a little more personal eh! You get to see who keeps making spelling mistakes. Eh! you know I'm French Canadian eh! I do the best I can eh! 

 



You have a smart phone? You can scan this QR code.



• It would have been hard not to notice that I started a new venture this past Month. AlettA Photographic is my new endeavor. We will fabricate accessories for Digital SLRs. Our first item is the AlettA Stabilizer, currently available for the Pentax K-5 and K-7. or any DSLR with the same or very similar footprint.  The fabricator now has my templates for the Nikon D700, D300s, D7000 plus the Canon 7D and 5D Mk II. I should have these ready for shipping in the next few weeks. About 50 Stabilizers have been shipped so far. It's not too bad for our first two weeks. I received comments and suggestions from several buyers and I'm listening carefully. Everyone seem to like the stabilizer and I will post the comments and suggestions next week.

I wish everyone a great weekend of relaxation and maybe a good photographic weekend. If you observe Easter...Happy Easter.

 

Thank you for stopping by,

 

Yvon Bourque

Site of the day...Slow shutter speed photography using Neutral Density (ND) filters

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Pentaxian friends.

I have been talking a lot about slow shutter speed photography this past week. I found another site that explains very clearly how to achieve those slow shutter photographs even in broad daylight. Cambridge in Colour has many valuable lessons, tips and tricks of the trade and a wealth of information to help you be a better photographer. I am a subscriber to their site and today, I want to share it with you.

Using Neutral Density (ND) Filters

ND filters reduce the amount of light entering the camera, enabling a longer exposure time than otherwise possible. This can emphasize motion, or make an otherwise tumultuous scene appear surreal and quiescent. Alternatively, an ND filter also enables larger apertures, which can produce a shallower depth of field, or achieve a sharper photo. Either way, this is a useful and often under-appreciated filter that deserves a deeper look. Click this link to learn more.

Want to be a better photographer? Look at other photographer images and learn from them. Study the compositions and mimic what you see for a while. It won't be all that long that you will develop your own style.

Thank you for stopping by,

Yvon Bourque 

Is it just me? It seems that there is less traffic on photo blogs and forums.

 Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Pentaxian friends.

Is it just me or is it a factual new trend? I follow about one hundred blogs and forums related to Digital Photography. In the past six months or so, I noticed a decline in visitors and interactive comments. I'm not talking about my blog, I'm talking about all blogs in general. Even the most popular sites have less comments, or threads (in the case of forums).

Are people more engaged in social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter? I belong to both, and once in a while, I do find interesting sites on Twitter. As for Facebook, it has become more of a soap box central than anything else, and beside, I don't really care what people have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

My favorite site for photography is Photo.net, and of course their Pentax Forum section. They have something for everyone and for every make of cameras. Then again, the Photo.net Pentax forum is not as active as it once was. Certainly, not everyone has learned everything there is to know about photography, did they? If they have, I missed the boat as I still have a lot to learn.

Maybe the traffic has moved to another media, and if it has, can someone tell me where? I just got a new cell phone, and I opted to get the new iPhone 4 from Verizon. I was nearing the end of my two year contract and was able to get the iPhone at a very reasonable price. I already had unlimited minutes and Internet, so it's a good deal. I have been downloading Apps by the dozens and there are indeed quite a bit of information about photography. Is that what people are  using now?Are we getting even more isolated?

 I love the iPad 2 and will be getting one as soon as I save enough money to purchase one. I will get the Wi-Fi version as my Verizon iPhone also serves as a WI-Fi Personal Hotspot  for up to five additional devices. Of course, at home I will use Wi-Fi already installed on my network.


So the question remains, Is it just me or is there a new trend of communication?

Thanks for reading,

Yvon Bourque

My Visit to Samy's Camera in Pasadena...Impressed with the good service.



Change the way you shoot™

 Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Pentaxian friends.

For those of you that follow this blog, you already know that I recently got into a new endeavor, The “AlettA Photographic” accessories for Digital Cameras. My first item, launched about a week ago, the AlettA DSLR Stabilizer specifically designed for the Pentax K-5 and K-7, has been selling really well. I can’t wait to receive more comments, good or not so good, as long as they are constructive.

Of course, I don’t want to limit my sales to Pentax only, although I am a diehard Pentax fan and will always be. So today, I drove to the Samy’s Camera store in Pasadena, California. It’s about an hour drive from where I live. The purpose of the trip was to ask them if I could take the imprints of some of the bestselling Nikon and Canon DSLRs and battery grips. I really didn’t know what to expect. I could have driven there just to be told “No”.

After introducing myself, I asked for the Store Manager, Michelle, who was in her office. I was pleasantly surprised when she came in the store, just a few minutes after being reached by one of the Sales Representative on the floor. I explained my purpose and she immediately got Jeff O’Brien to take care of me. Jeff was really helpful and interested in the Stabilizer as well. He made all of the Nikon and Canon cameras and battery grips available, right then and now.

Jeff was as friendly and helpful as one can be. Thank you for your help.

I was so pleased with their assistance, that I couldn’t help buying some "absolutely and immediately needed" camera stuff. I purchased a 67mm ND8 filter and the new 3” Hoodman loupe.

So to put this visit in perspective, I now have the necessary dimensions to fabricate Stabilizers for the Nikon D7000, D700 and the D300S. I also have the necessary dimensions to fabricate Stabilizers for the Canon 5D Mk II and the 7D. All our Stabilizers are made of CNC machined aircraft aliminum, powder coated for a  hard and durable finish and come with a right handgrip plus three sets of adjustable legs.

Look us up in the near future. We should be able to ship the Stabilizers for these new cameras in the weeks to come. I am so excited, I’m puking rainbows.

Thank you for reading,

Yvon Bourque

Favorite site of the Day:" Alunfoto" Jostein Øksne Images and blog.

 Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Pentaxian friends.

Alunfoto has been on my blog list for a long time. This is Jostein Øksne's blogsite and his images are some of the best taken with Pentax DSLRs. Jostein recently purchased a Pentax 645D and is really making more impressive images.  He has over 100 pictures featured in the Pentax Gallery, and I believe he has the most accepted images on the Gallery. I may be wrong at this time, but I know he was at  the top last year.

His Blogsite is Alunfoto. Pay him a visit, and tell him I sent you.

Thank you for looking.

Yvon Bourque

Favorite site of the Day: 45+ surreal Long Exposure Photography Inspirations

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Pentaxian friends.

I do like long exposure photography, as shown in yesterday's favorite site from Bruce Robbins. I founf a site today that gives 45+ surreal Long Exposure. It's worth exploring it:
 http://www.smashingtips.com/long-exposure-photography-shots

Here are some of the examples:

There is a lot of talented photographers in this world. I just aspire to have one good keeper for every thousand clicks.

Thanks for reading,

Yvon Bourque

P.S. One good tool for long exposure is our AlettA Photographic Stabilizer.