More images from Joshua Tree National Park. ll taken with Pentax K-5, K-7 or K-x.

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Photographer friends,

I'm still tired from staying up all night from Sunday morning through Monday evening. But it was worth the trouble as I did get some precious pictures.

The first set of images below tell a story by themselves, but here's is the way it happened. I was walking along the trail when I saw and heard a Blue Jay just chirping away and jumping from branch to branch. On approaching it to see what was going on, I spotted the rattle snake eyeballing the lizard. There is no doubt in my mind that the lizard was going to be dinner. I changed all that. When the snake saw me, its priority changed and suddenly it tried to go away, but I was blocking the way. It was fearing me and went on the attack mode. It curled up and was watching all my moves. I was more scared of the snake than it was of me, but it didn't know that.

I yelled at my stepson, Donny, to come and see. Well, he's crazier than me and he proceeded to grab the snake. He took pictures of it and that's how I wound up in one of the image. I also was shooting away and caught him actually taking a picture of the snake, dangling at the end of a stick.

We finally let the snake go and it was really tired. It went under a rock. The lizard stuck around like it wanted to say thank you for saving it from being eaten.

Both of our hearts were racing and we then thought of how dangerous it could have been. One bite from the snake and we would have been hospital bound. Oh well...that's how memories are created.

Later on, we walked around the park and took some less dangerous pictures of the beautiful scenery.

 Thanks for stopping by,

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: Photography Matters by Bruce Robbins. Check it out.

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Pentaxian friends.

I started this blog four years ago, inspired by a  few bloggers I was following back then. One of them was Bruce Robbins. His current website is:

Photography Matters

By Bruce Robbins

Check his site, he currently has a good article about long exposure photography and great images to prove it.
http://photography-matters.blogspot.com/

Bruce is a first class photographer and a great guy. Too bad I don't live in the U.K. I think we would get along well.

Thanks everyone for reading,

Yvon Bourque

The Aletta DSLR Stabilizer...what does it do?

 Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Pentaxian friends.

 The AlettA "DSLR Stabilizer" is finally available.

Available for the Pentax K-5 and Pentax K-7.

Available for theCanon EOS 5D Mk II and EOS 7D.

Available for the Nikon D7000, D700 and S300S.

The AlettA Stabilizer does the following:

It protects your camera from scratches.

It protects the attached lens or lens' hood from damages when resting on a table or other surface.

It incorporates a spirit bubble level, slightly offset for better reading, assuring horizontal level.

It includes a 1/4" threaded hole to install the whole camera system on a tripod for studio work.

It uses a genuine non-slip "egrips" on the top surface to prevent camera shifting.

It has an adjustable hand grip for secure camera holding. (A genuine leather hand grip is available at extra cost.)

It is made with aircraft aluminum, CNC machined for durability and quality. (No cheap plastic here)

It is powder coated with a durable black semi-gloss finish, matching the look and durability of your camera finish.

It has (3) sets of interchangeable and adjustable legs, allowing up to nearly 1-1/2" elevation differences.

It allows you to take pictures at very slow shutter speeds.

It makes telephoto handheld picture taking sturdier by providing a support point for the left hand

It allows low-to-the-ground picture taking.

It conforms to almost any surface, levels up to perfect horizontal position, and permits shake-free and blur free images.

Additional uses reported by beta users:

"I was at a restaurant and my camera was on the table with the stabilizer. My wife spilled her drink. It got everybody wet, except for the camera. The Tequila flowed under the camera." The Tequila flood was avoided with the Stabilizer island.

"Taking street photography, the camera can we held up against a wall for low light photography. I also set the camera on a table at an outside Coffee shop and took several candid shots of people walking by. I got some great shots."

I took pictures of flowers and wanted an ultra-low perspective. By setting the camera on the ground with the stabilizer my image came out perfectly, as I imagined...but without having to put my face in the dirt.


Downside:

Be prepared to answer questions from other photographers everywhere you go. They are intrigued by the Stabilizer.

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

For all the other peripherals it replaces, all incorporated in one unit, we are introducing our "DSLR Stabilizer" at a price of $149.95 U.S.  Purchase yours here: Aletta Photographic

http://alettaphoto.com/

Montreal Part Deux: Montréal is a gastronomic paradise. Photos with the Pentax K-7

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Hi Pentaxian friends.

If you're into food, Montréal is the place for you. Montréal's gastronomic reputation is renowned world wide. It is also well-deserved. The culinary specialties of Countries around the world are represented. No matter what taste or budget, a great meal can always be had! You'll find several good French restaurants in the "Vieux Montréal"  (Old Montreal). In the downtown area, Crescent Street is famous for its lovely terraces and restaurants.

You'll find several good restaurants in the "Vieux Montréal"

Boulevard Saint-Laurent is noted for trendy restaurants and home of the famous Schwartz’s smoked meat. Schwartz has been in operation in Montréal for eighty years. Here's a small list of people that have dined at Schwartz; Celine Dion, Angelina Jolie, Tim Allen, The Rolling Stones, etc, and the list could fill this page. Proponents of Montreal's smoked meat claim that it cannot be obtained in its tastiest, or most authentic form, outside of Montréal. Schwartz's is a very small restaurant, and there are lines of hungry people from opening to close. It's not a fancy place and if there are only one two of you, you will be sitting at a table along with other smoke meat lovers. It is truely a Montréal experience.

Schwartz's is a very small restaurant.

There are lines of hungry people from opening to close



Proponents of Montreal's smoked meat claim that it cannot be obtained in its tastiest, or most authentic form, outside of Montréal.

Rue Saint-Denis, as well as many popular establishments located on Rue Prince-Arthur and Avenue Duluth serve somptuous meals and you can purchase wine at the local SAQ (Société des alcools du Québec - Quebec controlled alcool stores) and bring your own wine. It is much cheaper that way and all restaurants in that corner of the City will gladly serve your wine.

While in Montréal, you have to taste a big bowl of Poutine. Poutine is a dish consisting of French fries topped with fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy or sauce and sometimes additional ingredients. Poutine is a diner staple which originated in Quebec and can now be found across Canada. It is sold by national fast food chains, in small "greasy spoon" type diners (commonly known as "cantines" or "casse-croûtes" in Quebec) and pubs, as well as by roadside chip wagons. Along with fries and pizza, Poutine is a very common dish sold and eaten in high school cafeterias in various parts of Canada.

While in Montréal, you have to taste a big bowl of Poutine

Poutine is a diner staple which originated in Quebec and can now be found across Canada.

There is no doubt that Montreal is a vibrant, unique and intriguing travel destination. The many cultural activities, lively festivals, and countless bars and nightclubs of all kinds, make this a fascinating city with something for everyone.

Countless bars and nightclubs of all kinds

Thank you for reading,

Yvon Bourque

Jasper Gray's " The making of Uncle Jack with the Pentax K-7" presentation at Samy's Santa Ana last Sunday Oct, 24, was just great.

Jasper is a very nice guy and what I learned about video with the K-7 was really informative

 

The presentation at Samy's Santa Ana was a success, The room was full and chairs had to be brought in as there wasn't enough stations

Visitors to this page also like "Recommended Reading" on the right column. Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Pentaxian friends.

For those who didn't have a chance to attend, you missed a very good presentation. Jasper is a very nice guy and what I learned about video with the K-7 was really informative. It would take many months of practice on your own before discovering the "tricks of the trades" that Jasper showed us. Today's DSLRs are equipped with great video capabilities and not to use that is missing the boat. In technology, you either stay with it or you're left behind, and we all know how fast technology is advancing. What a great era we live in.

It's amazing what you can do with the DSLRs with video capabilities. First of all, because of their smaller size, when compared to professional video film making equipment, you can place the DSLRs in locations not possible with pro-videocams. Because the lenses are interchangeable and the sensors of DSLRs are bigger than videocams,  you have mouh more lattitude with the depth of field. There are a lot of advantage in shooting videos with DLRs, but instead of expanding this post at this time, Jasper has accepted my interview invitation. In the coming weeks, I will conduct an interview with Jasper about the advantages of using DSLRs for short films, and how he used the K-7 in the making of Uncle Jack and the actual short movie Uncle Jack. The presentation at Samy's Santa Ana was a success, The room was full and chairs had to be brought in as there wasn't enough stations.

If you have any reasonable questions you would like me to include in this interview, add them to the comments section of this blog.

Thank you for reading,

Yvon Bourque

My favorite City, Montréal, Quebec, Canada, with my Pentax K-7

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Hi Pentaxian friends.

In this Essay, I am presenting Montréal, the City where I first saw the light of day. Although I now live in Southern California, it is still my favorite place in the world...but as I turn the pages of life, the City has become too cold, for my older bones, in the winter. If only I could bring Montréal to Southern California! In this first of three posts, here are the generalities of the City:

Mass transportation is accomplished with the use of a subway system (The Metro)

Photo - Public Domain

Image - Public Domain

 
Montréal is the second largest City in Canada and the second largest French speaking City in the world, second only to Paris. The city was named in 1534 when Jacques Cartier first landed there. The native Indians called it Hochelaga. (We often forget that the land, of both Canada and the United States, were really stolen from the native inhabitants, by our ancestors...but that's a whole separate subject) Cartier named the place Mount Royal, from the elevation that rose in rear of the site, a little way back from the St. Lawrence River. Later on the name was changed to "Ville-Marie" by Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve, then to "Ville-Marie de Montréal". Today the name is simply: Montréal.

The City is progressive with new Buildings overshadowing Old and Historical Edifices.

Photo © 2010 – Anne Bourque, Pentax K-x

The current population of Montréal is nearly two millions and approaching four millions with the suburbs. The City is a multi-cultural melting pot where people of many ethnicities, religions and cultures live in close harmony, or as harmoniously as it can be in this day and age.

The City is progressive with new Buildings overshadowing Old and Historical Edifices. Mass transportation is accomplished with the use of a subway system (The Metro) that allows displacement of the thousands of workers, shoppers, students and tourists alike, from one end of the City to the other in less than twenty minutes. Most of the downtown buildings, including apartment complexes, are connected to the Metro via tunnels and underground walkways, allowing “Montrealers” to go out and about in the frigid Canadian winters without ever really going outside. The underground Montreal is one of the largest in the world.

Photo © 2010 – Yvon Bourque, Pentax K-7

Photo © 2010 – Yvon Bourque, Pentax K-7

 

The "Vieux Montréal" (Old Montréal) is the most visited area

Photo © 2010 – Yvon Bourque, Pentax K-7

To me, Montréal is one of the most vibrant and exciting City. There's always something to do in Montréal. The "Vieux Montréal" (Old Montréal) is the most visited area and where most street performers, artists and painters gather. The food is known to be excellent and from all corners of the World. The City is one of the safest major City in North America. We had no fear of walking around late at night as we walked all the way to the top of Mount Royal to see the City lights. The area was alive with tourists and couples looking over the City. It’s actually quite a romantic place.

We had no fear of walking around late at night as we walked all the way to the top of Mount Royal to see the City lights.

Photo © 2010 – Yvon Bourque, Pentax K-7

Since the summer is relatively short in Montréal, every summer day is cherished and festivals abound in the fair weather Months. The Montréal Jazz Festival is the largest in the world. There are festivals all summer long, from “Art” to “JazZ” and everything in between. There must be a reason why the City is renowned as a City of Festivals.

To be continued...

Thanks for reading...Montréal Je t'aime.

Yvon Bourque

Trip to Northern California, San Jose, Santa Cruz and Capitola. Pentax K-7.

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Hi Pentaxian friends.

We have friends in the San Jose area and went there for the 4th of July celebration. What a great time we had. We stayed for an extra day and drove to Santa Cruz and then to Capitola. What wonderful small towns they are. Santa Cruz is very popular with surfers while Capitola brings the vacationers.

I just wanted to share some of the pictures taken with my Pentax K-7.

Surfer rushing to the beach.

I thought the object was to stay on the water!

Now this older guy knows how it's done.

He had enough for the day.

Under the Santa Cruz pier.

You can almost touch them.

Capitola is a cute vacation place.

You can rent these villas for the weekend as well...next time.

There is a river that runs through it as well.

Even on a cloudy day, the place is beaming.

Thank you for reading,

Yvon Bourque

Nothing last forever. I decided to sell my best photographic piece of equipment. Boo hoo!!!

Visitors to this page also like "Recommended Reading" on the right column. Email: brqyvn@aol.com

Hi Pentaxian friends.

Sometimes, a guy has to do what a guy has to do. I reluctantly sold my precious Jeep. I will miss it a lot, but the reality is that any hobby costs so much money that I have to restrict myself to one hobby only. My photography hobby is costly enough. It would be even costlier if I wasn't using the Pentax equipment.

With the price of gas and insurance and the ever ending fixing that a 1988 Jeep requires, I will be better off saving that money. Blah Blah Blah Blah...it sucks.

Goodbye Girl. We had some good times together. Have a nice life.

Thank you for reading,

Yvon bourque

My best photographic tool isn't from Pentax.

Visitors to this page also liked: See "Recommended Reading" on the right column. We honor reciprocal links. Email: brqyvn@aol.com

Hi Pentaxian friends.

If you've been reading this blog for a long time, you know about my favorite photo equipment...Ms. Peggy. That's my old Jeep. Every year, during the winter months, although it isn't really cold here in California, I add a few accessories to the Jeep. I use the Jeep mainly to go take pictures where I wouldn't be able to go otherwise.

My favorite place is the San Bernardino Mountains. Here, on the West Coast, the mountains are as high 10,000 ft elevation and a few are even taller. This spring, the wild flowers are very beautiful because we had more rain and snow this winter than we usually get. As you climb up. the flowers are different. At lower elevation, there are many yellowish flowers. As you get above 3,000 ft, it's a whole new type of flowers, purple, red, white, and it keeps changing as you go higher. There aren't much flowers at this time at elevations above 6,000 ft, but it will be spectacular in May.

Anyway, back to Ms. Peggy, this year she got new fender flares, along with a new fuel system, a new stereo system, new seats, new brakes and new drivetrain, except for the two differentials. That will be for next year. She got rid of the stickers, and the rack with the two fuel "Jerry Cans" and other goodies that were weighing her down. A cargo net was added so that my expensive camera equipment doesn't fall off  and it also protect the passengers from falling off. Here's what  she looked like in past years: 2009 , 2009, 2008, 2008/2007, 2007

This is what she looked like as a baby :) The year was 1988. I'm really her adoptive parent. She has been with me for a little more than three years. Before that, she was owned by my stepson, for about ten years. He got her from a student that had received her as a graduation gift. She came from a rich family.

So we're ready for another great season of photography. We will also be travelling out-of-state this summer and that should produce good images. We will be travelling to Washington State in May, Florida later on, Maryland and Montreal toward the end of summer. That will be exciting. 

Thank you for reading,

Yvon Bourque