CHAINSAW'S STUFF

Busy busy

2011-12-21T14:09:00.000+13:00

Of course it’s a busy time of year, hope you’re not stressed about it. I don’t seem to be. Shopping done. Loads of rellies from the South Island about to descend upon us, but I’m relatively calm! Photography-wise summer isn’t so busy, though I’ve just done a cool shoot for a family that wanted photos of their kids playing tennis, right up my alley. The kids were cute and photogenic, and most

A Review of my switch from Pentax to Nikon

2011-07-06T12:21:00.001+12:00

About 4 months ago I swapped camera systems from a Pentax K-7 to a Nikon D300s. I have pretty much replaced all my Pentax lenses with Nikon equivalents. Suffice to say I'm happy with the results, though still getting use to the "Nikonthink" way of menus and doing things, not as good as Pentax in my opinion. However results-wise, and this is entirely relating to sport-shooting and all of this

Damn, I was too quick…

2011-04-11T09:26:00.000+12:00

So I just bought my new camera and lenses, making the big switcheroo from Pentax. Some may say I bought just at the right time, recent events in Japan already appear to have put prices of camera gear up. However I’ve just found I could have built my own camera from Lego blocks (mind you, Lego ain’t cheap either)… Click the picture to fond out more about it.

Confession time…

2011-04-06T12:03:00.001+12:00

Well I must confess, after 6 years of loyalty to Pentax DSLRs I have made a brand switch. I have loved every one of my Pentax cameras, I started with the *istDs (dumbest name for a camera ever), then went to the K20D, and lastly the K-7. I enjoyed them for their size and weight, being smaller and lighter than their counterparts from other brands, and with the K20D and K-7 I enjoyed their

Uber cool video

2011-04-06T11:48:00.000+12:00

Okay so it’s an advertisement showing some surfies, but it’s cool because they use the “Matrix 3D effect”, where they freeze the action then pan around in 3D. It’s cool anyway,, check it out-

Happy chappy me

2010-10-15T14:06:00.000+13:00

Well yes I’m a bit happier, I’ve just banked two $100 cheques from Smilecity. It’s taken me a couple years of clicking on emails, answering surveys etc., but I got there. Plus I have another $60 worth of points in there too. Make sure you use the bank to get interest on your points. I know it’s not a lot, but it’s a nice little bonus to put in the new camera/lens fund. If you want to do it

But why do wedding photographers cost so much?

2010-10-05T16:04:00.000+13:00

If you ever wondered why wedding photographers cost so much you might want to watch this, also if you're getting married, here's how NOT to treat your photographer.

Cool blog

2010-09-24T13:00:00.002+12:00

Just sayin’… Mark Dimalanta is a pro surfer and keen photographer, so combines both to great effect. Here - http://surfdoc.blogspot.com/ I’m adding him to my list.

Age grade rugby can be a bitch…

2010-09-16T16:11:00.000+12:00

I went to an under 13 tournament recently. The variation of sizes of the kids was amazing, some I’d swear were 15 or 16, and they would just trot through all the smaller kids and dot down under the posts, e.g.. and, like this one, most of the big kids were Maori. Why?

The first digital camera

2010-09-07T23:26:00.000+12:00

FYI the first digital camera was made by Kodak, in 1975, was 0.01 megapixels, black and white only, and saved the picture to a cassette tape! The photo took 23 seconds to take. See it here: http://www.petapixel.com/2010/08/05/the-worlds-first-digital-camera-by-kodak-and-steve-sasson/

Uber cool slo-mo

2010-08-30T17:08:00.001+12:00

Check out these ultra high-speed (then slowed down) camera movies of women tennis stars playing shots. Features players such as Kim Clijsters, Serena Williams and Vera Zvonareva. Awesome. The contortions our bodies go through when we play sport is quite incredible. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/08/29/magazine/womens-tennis.html

b-grip camera holder review

2010-08-26T14:22:00.001+12:00

My initial reaction to receiving the package was one of a bit of excitement, quickly followed by worry. The packaging had not survived the trip very well. It was ripped and crushed, with bits falling off and out. My worry soon abated however as I took the package to pieces and found that the contents proper were all safely intact and accounted for. There was the b-grip itself, made up of the belt

Rep rugby at Porirua Park

2010-08-24T13:03:00.000+12:00

With the club season coming to an end the representative rugby kicks in, the stuff below npc that is. I often go along to Porirua Park to photograph it. It’s free to get in and some great rugby is played, so if you’re wanting to watch here’s the Porirua Park programme that I’ve found so far (no times posted yet): Wellington Development (B) v Taranaki B, 4 September Hawke’s Bay B, 11 September

Don’t Be Ugly By Accident!

2010-08-20T15:09:00.000+12:00

Check out this analysis of photographs done by an internet dating site. It appears the better camera you’ve used for taking your profile pic, the more attractive you will probably look! So with an SLR your chances are good, but with a camera phone you’re probably going to look ugly! Apparently it’s also better to take your photos late night or late afternoon! Check it all out here: http://

Pentax K-7 real-world review

2010-08-13T11:32:00.003+12:00

I use a Pentax K-7 digital SLR camera. Why? Because dollar-for-dollar it out-performs anything else the other manufacturers can make. It’s the rough equivalent of the Nikon D300s and the Canon 7D, but costs waaaayyy less. Plus, it actually has some useful features that those don’t, such as full weather sealing, and is smaller and lighter. Anyway if you’re in the market for a new dSLR I’d

Be careful at Disney…

2010-08-11T16:45:00.000+12:00

I’ve just read an article about an amateur photographer at Disney being asked to leave the site, implying he could be a terrorist. It appears in his effort to take better than average photos he annoyed Disney. He was taking photos for use in HDR (High Dynamic Range - so the photo looks a bit different to normal), this involves a tripod and taking several photos. This is even though taking photos

The Jubilee Cup Final

2010-08-11T15:47:00.000+12:00

Okay, so how many of the Wellington Lions are we actually going to see at the Stadium on Sunday afternoon? We were told they would only be unavailable for the last round of the round-robin, plus the semi-final weekend. Liars. Lions were obviously absent from matches prior to the last round.This is another reason why the current Jubilee Cup format needs revision, the team with the best results

The best reason to become an All Black?

2010-07-09T13:14:00.000+12:00

The best reason to become an All Black? Wellington's Victor Vito gives us a tour of all the handout stuff the All Blacks get. Jealous much?

Taupo Times, 02 Jul 2010. Page 19

2010-07-02T19:28:00.001+12:00

Today the Taupo Times, tomorrow, the world! Muahahaha! Taupo Times02 Jul 2010

No smoding.

2010-07-01T13:43:00.001+12:00

No smoding please, if you want to smode, do it at home.

Wellington Club Rugby Competition Format

2010-06-17T22:03:00.001+12:00

It’s kind of weird, to me. A club can do exceptionally well in the first round of the club rugby tournament, which at the Premier level is all about winning the Jubilee Cup, but half way through the comp, all their points get taken from them as do the others, and they all start again. Plus the teams that couldn’t hack it at the top level get to play teams from the lower grade, and if they do

Good idea?

2010-05-20T12:01:00.001+12:00

Does anyone really think these cameras are a good idea? I don't think so Tim... Talk about getting the shot.

Meanwhile, in Chicago…

2010-05-14T12:01:00.000+12:00

Wellington isn’t the only “Windy City” in the world. Chicago also has that “honour”. I guess umbrellas are a rare thing there too. A blog from the Chicago Tribune newspaper ran this photo, it’s great: Click the pic to see a bigger version.

Sony’s Memory Stick on the way out.

2010-05-04T15:07:00.001+12:00

Probably. Sony is making more devices SD or SDHC friendly, which really can only point to one thing, and a good thing it is too. It’s certainly one of the reasons I don’t even look at Sony devices that can only take their Memory Sticks.They are on their way out, just like XD cards. Good riddance. Read about it here- http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/171690,

The volcano in Iceland

2010-04-20T12:52:00.001+12:00

Awesome pictures of the volcano erupting here- http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04/more_from_eyjafjallajokull.html

What a great start!

2010-04-16T15:44:00.002+12:00

This is a repost as Google deleted the original. What a great start to the club rugby season for Northern United. Beating MSP in the top 3 grades, and the Norths Women annihilating Wainuiomata. Weather forecast for this Saturday is for fine, a few cloudy periods, northerly winds. Anyone know any Upper Hutt webcams? My favourite photo from the Prems’ games is this one with the guard dogs all

Opening weekend

2010-04-16T15:41:00.000+12:00

Note - this is a repost as it had been deleted by Google. Alright so it’s opening weekend coming up, and I’m not talking about duck shooting! This Easter weekend, 3 April to be exact, sees the opening round of the 2010 Wellington club rugby scene. As opposed to the last couple of years there is no “Gala” opening weekend where all the games are held at just 2 venues in the region. Last year

Do we want even more rugby?

2010-03-15T20:29:00.000+13:00

Argentina is set to join the Tri Nations in 2012 after the IRB said it would provide crucial funding with a one-off contribution of $US2,000,000. Do we need, or even want, more rugby? I don’t. Why do the rugby powers think that the crowds at Super 14 matches are getting smaller? I believe that it’s because we are already rugby saturated. Why are the soccer crowds getting bigger? Because there’s

Titahi bay fire

2010-02-25T20:58:00.005+13:00

Amazing how a tiny spark can produce such devastation. Thankfully nobody killed or houses burnt. Here’s some pics from my place and just down the road. Big smoke, that’s a helicopter up the top- The twin towers- The sun- The next morning a couple of choppers were still dousing the area

2010-01-24T21:22:00.001+13:00

Holiday snap I played with...

The npc (or air New Zealand Cup as they like to call it)

2009-12-04T21:20:00.000+13:00

(Notice I put npc in small letters as it’s not “officially” called that no more, but it is still the national provincial championship, no matter what way you cut it). Well I’m sorry, but I do think the npc should be reduced from 14 teams. Lots of people I’ve spoken to all agree that there’s too much rugby around at present. We can’t watch every game on tele, or go to every game at the Stadium,

Watching the All Blacks in bed.

2009-11-24T19:00:00.000+13:00

At last I've had the aerial cable extended along under the house to the bedroom, so I can now watch TV in good quality in my bedroom! Yeeha! Previously we used bunny ears, which were terrible, so we hardly ever used the TV in there, but when I had to buy a new tele as the old one crapped out, I got a free 22" LCD TV with it, so that went into the bedroom. It's great. Got Freeview tuner built-in,

New Web host for my wesite

2009-11-17T12:00:00.002+13:00

I've finally finished the transition of my website, www.chainsawphotos.co.nz, to a new web host. I was with webhostingnz.com (not to be confused with webhostingnz.co.nz) and had 50mb of storage. Now I have 500mb of storage, for about the same cost! I'm now with spacemonkey.co.nz. I may even put some of the pics I had to delete from the old site to make room for the newer stuff. The control panel

When fans go wild…

2009-11-04T12:30:00.000+13:00

Now this is what real fans do. I know Northern United has a few who get right into it, and Marist St. Pat’s wasn’t bad either, especially at finals time, but the effort some of these fans go to is admirable. eg. Have a look at 33 others here- http://www.life.com/image/335341/in-gallery/35812/football-fans--face-paint

Not for the sensitive.

2009-10-29T14:41:00.001+13:00

Great and imaginative pictures using dead flies… http://acidcow.com/pics/4553-dead-flies-art-15-pics.html

Robert Fruean signs for Canterbury and Crusaders

2009-10-23T08:59:00.000+13:00

Bugger. So just to see what this will look like I thought I’d give it a quick and dirty try out, and here’s the result: I don’t like it much, do you? Plus, of course, he's no longer moving to the Ranfurly Shield - well done Southland, it's good to share the Shield around

All Blacks Tests 2010

2009-10-08T21:11:00.000+13:00

June International Series 12 June : All Blacks vs Ireland, Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth 19June : All Blacks vs Wales, Carisbrook, Dunedin (last test there, first time Wales have played NZ there)) 26 June : All Blacks vs Wales, Waikato Stadium, Hamilton Investec Tri-Nations 10 July : All Blacks vs South Africa, Eden Park, Auckland 17 July : All Blacks vs South Africa, Westpac Stadium,

Who would be a halfback?

2009-09-29T12:16:00.001+13:00

In the recent Wellington Colts v Canterbury Colts game at Porirua Park I noticed this little halfback issuing orders to the forwards. I hope they listened. Unfortunately Wellington lost. This weekend 3 October get along to Porirua Park to see Wellington B play Hawke’s Bay B at 1:00pm. Free entry.

North City Knights

2009-09-25T11:27:00.002+12:00

I just found the North City Knights (American Football) promo video on their website. Pretty cool - check it out here- Porirua North City Knights from OneKing Productions on Vimeo.

C’mon Wellington….

2009-09-24T16:07:00.002+12:00

Please please please Wellington Lions, beat Southland tonight.

Pentax K-x - a colour camera.

2009-09-21T13:59:00.002+12:00

Quite literally the recently announced Pentax K-x digital SLR camera is a camera in colour. Pentax reckon it has about 100 colour combinations, designed more for the female photographers amongst us, it’s body colour can be mixed and matched with its grip colour. Plus there’s a few coloured lenses with rumours there may be more colours for the lenses later. These choices are Japan only however,

A mock-up…

2009-09-08T12:05:00.002+12:00

Something someone came up with using my pictures playing around regarding the weather sealed Pentax DSLRs.

Sport this weekend…

2009-09-04T11:47:00.007+12:00

Rugby - Wellington B are playing Manawatu B at Porirua Park at 2:30pm. Also at that time at that park is Wgtn U19 v Tasman U20 and Wgtn U18 v Norths selection. Wellington Maori are playing Wellington Samoan at Fraser Park at 2:30pm. Soccer- Big game at Endeavour Park on Saturday at 2:30 as well. Western Suburbs (based at Endeavour) are playing Wellington Olympic in a do die for the top spot

Off topic video

2009-09-03T15:39:00.002+12:00

Here’s a scary video of all the air traffic in the world over a 24 hour period, condensed into just over a minute - amazing! NZ gets pretty quiet during the night!

Camera House is leaving!

2009-08-27T16:27:00.004+12:00

Dammit! My Camera House shop (Porirua) is packing their bags and skedaddling (leaving) at the end of the month. Now I will either have to get my prints done online (any recommendations?) or go to Harvey Bloody Norman. That’s not a camera/photo place now is it really? They don’t even sell a decent camera range, not that the Camera House did either. It also means I can’t walk to get my prints

My newest camera…

2009-08-14T12:35:00.002+12:00

is a Pentax K-7. Prior to this I had their K20D, and before that the *istDs. I loved both of them. The reason for the upgrade is mainly speed. The K-7 focuses faster than the K20D, which is good for sports photos. It was said that Pentax was no good for action photography, not so, but maybe it wasn’t as well suited as other brands. Why I love my Pentax- small and light - some people like

Wellington club rugby final – Jubilee Cup

2009-08-13T13:56:00.009+12:00

Well it’s over for another year. Marist St. Pats may have won the cup, but they certainly don’t take all the glory. Northern United can certainly hold their head up high. What other team can have 9 of their top players taken from them* and still make a club final, and still compete very well in that final. The game definitely was not over until the final whistle went, and I’m sure the MSP

Wellington Rugby Jubilee Cup Final

2009-08-03T12:48:00.008+12:00

Well I'm glad to see that the Wellington Rugby Football Union has come to its senses and the Jubiee Cup final is all on this weekend at the Stadium. As I suggested in the first place (here) it will be a daytime final, with no big screen operating, so no cameras involved, during the day, so lights won't be needed, apparently less security will be on hand. Well duh!The final will be between the 3rd

The perfect camera bag...

2009-08-03T12:46:00.006+12:00

.from http://greatblogabout.org

Nailed those photos!

2009-07-08T17:03:00.003+12:00

Want to see some extraordinary and original photos?Go to this site.Here's an example-

Nude rugby - again

2009-07-01T12:01:00.003+12:00

Don't know how I missed this. Further to my post last year those boys in Dunedin have been at it again, playing nude rugby before the All Blacks-France test in Dunedin.Check the photos here.It's just gotta be a bit suss really?

Jonas Brothers and Rhianna are very dangerous.

2009-06-23T14:05:00.003+12:00

Do you ever search for those on the internet? A study by computer security experts has found those to be very dangerous terms to search for, if you click on the results anyhow.Other dangerous terms? Free music download, game cheats, iPhone, lyrics.Check out this article to see what else you have to be careful about searching for.

Beatles are cool...

2009-06-18T11:55:00.005+12:00

As I use a Pentax camera, I just thought I'd throw this out there, here's a picture of the Beatles on plane in June 1964 on their New Zealand tour. This is Ringo Starr and George Harrison, with George playing, or showing off, with his Pentax SLR camera. Apparently all the Beatles had Pentax.Interestingly this image is from the National Library collection who have photos on Flickr here. Check

The Jubilee Cup final location is....?

2009-06-16T12:03:00.012+12:00

I’ve heard that the WRFU can’t afford to put the Wellington Club Rugby final on at the Westpac Stadium this year due to financial problems. Apparently the final costs around $14,000 to put on at the Stadium. I must admit to being surprised at the 2008 final at the show that the WRFU put on, with the big screen in use and the level of security, it was all akin to an npc game really. Guards at

Rugby player = brick wall?

2009-06-11T12:03:00.000+12:00

Have you ever seen an X-ray of a rugby player? Usually it shows a broken bone or two after visiting the A&E of your nearest hospital! However a recent X-ray of a fully fit rugby player shows something truly amazing, check this out-Well done to Northern United RFC for claiming the Swindale Shield (tieing with Petone) yet again. They now hold the 2008 Jubilee Cup and 2009 Swindale Shield, both

Junior All Blacks

2009-06-05T08:47:00.003+12:00

Congratulations to Tamati Ellison, Jacob Ellison and Robert Freuan from the Northern United Rugby Club on making the Junior All Blacks (= New Zealand B team).The squad is here.They will be playing in the Pacific Nations Cup, hosted by Fiji, starting 12 June. I guess those 3 won't be showing up to Norths games for a while yet then.A preview of the tournament and Cup schedule is here.

Super 15

2009-05-29T19:24:00.006+12:00

Super 15 – I’m not convinced.It’s bigger and longer, but that’s not necessarily a good thing. Is it so big that it’s going to crush all that lies below it? Is it so long that we’ll be glad to see the end of it? I wonder.I know when the Super 12 or 14 started each year I’d always be surprised, “What? Already? But the cricket’s still on!” Now it’s starting even earlier. Then, as each season

Shuttle Atlantis in front of the sun

2009-05-18T12:00:00.016+12:00

Awesome photos of the shuttle Atlantis and the Hubble Telescope in front of the sun- The shuttle was 260km away and only in front of the sun for 0.3 of a second! Check out other pics here, includig the Hubble. Down the bottom of the pages is a link to his home page, take a look for more photos of space stuff!

Haka

2009-05-13T12:10:00.000+12:00

The Beard Trophy game recently between Mana College and Bishop Viard College at Porirua Park was a doozy. The two similtaneous Haka before the game were intense, and very close. A little surprising the ref let them get so close, but once they started there wasn't much he could do.The boys showed good restraint however, and it was a very effective showing by both teams. Mana went on to retain the

Beard Trophy tonight

2009-05-06T15:16:00.008+12:00

I'm taking photos at the game. Cold. Southerlies. Rain. Hail? Brrrrrr. Seems to be the pattern for these games I've been to.Here's a pic I like from last weekend's game, it's the two coaches of the Norths team watching a kick go over the goal-

New article about Robert Fruean

2009-05-01T12:00:00.002+12:00

Stuff has just posted this article on Northern United's Robert Fruean, entitled "The Hurricanes' miracle man". Thought you may want to take a gander.

World's 50 best rugby union players

2009-04-30T12:05:00.016+12:00

Sorry if this is a bit old, but I just found it, I think it dates from January 2009:The Independent news outfit in the UK named the world's 50 best rugby union players, Richie McCaw is no.1, and only 1 England player makes the grade! Dan Carter makes no.3, and there's quite a few Argies in the mix. Interesting reading, read about it here.Of course the interest back home is this week's Hurricanes

How weatherproof is your digital SLR?

2009-04-22T12:47:00.004+12:00

I have a Pentax K20D, the successor to the Pentax K10D. Samsung cloned these cameras calling them GX20 and GX10 respectively. They are excellent value for money with features at a cheaper price than other brands, such as weatherproofing. These cameras have way more weather seals etc than other cameras that cost even way more.Here is a video of one guy taking his camera in the shower, then taking

Robert Freuan and the weekend

2009-04-16T12:21:00.008+12:00

Robert Fruean is back.The IRB World Under-19 Player of the Year had heart surgery in 2008, missing the 2008 rugby season altogether. He came on early in the Northern United game against Oriental Rongotai on Saturday and made a large contribution to the North’s attack. I can still remember one particular strong tackle he made, and I noted the physios giving each other a worried look afterwards!I

Poms oppose ELVs, surprise surprise.

2009-04-07T12:12:00.006+12:00

So the Poms oppose the adoption of the experimental law variations – no surprise there, it makes the game faster so of course they oppose it. Their traditional lumbering forwards would actually have to run more!On the whole, and purely from a spectators point of view, I like them. There are probably a few free kicks given when straight arm penalties are more appropriate, especially when a

Funnies

2009-04-03T14:03:00.024+13:00

Have you ever seen "What the Duck"? Funny stuff, though you may have to be "in" on the photography jokes for it to amuse you.Though the following one I think can be appreciated by most.Check out more at http://www.whattheduck.net/

Wellington club rugby opening day

2009-04-01T12:01:00.002+13:00

Club rugby Premier grade and the two below started Saturday with the “Gala Day” silliness.Trentham is not a good place to have it, though cunningly, perhaps that’s why the WRFU didn’t have any home teams there, as there was bugger-all room around the three fields. Rock hard fields to, as evidenced by one Norths player ripping through his boots after a lengthy run and scoring a try. Check the

WRFU being knuckleheads

2009-03-23T13:46:00.011+13:00

The Wellington club rugby competition starts the Swindale Shield round on 28 March 2009. They are having their traditional “Gala Day” approach, with all Premier rugby games being held at Porirua Park and Trentham Park.The idea of a Gala Day, I presume, is to get lots of people along to watch the rugby games and get into the spirit of the competition, a feel-good almost party-like atmosphere is

Dilbert writes our software

2009-03-22T11:48:00.003+13:00

You may have seen this already, but as soon as I read it I thought, "They're talking about our software - 12d Model". It's an Engineering and Surveying package.This strip made me feel better though, at least I'm not the only one that feels this way about software. It's the most frustrating and crap software I've ever used.

Creekfest

2009-03-18T12:22:00.003+13:00

This weekend get on down to Cannons Creek for the annual “Creekfest”. I haven’t been to one yet, but intend on going to this one. I’m not sure what it’s all about, one reason I’m going, but I understand there’s lots of food and crafty things. Free parking and free entry.There’s a short and sweet page about the Creekfest hereNorths are also playing a pre-season game against MSP at the Creekfest.

2009 National Touch Championship

2009-03-11T15:02:00.025+13:00

A mate plays for the Wellington Mixed Open Grade Touch team, and the National Championship was on at Petone Rec last week. I managed to get there for a couple of games and shoot some pics.It’s a funny ol’ game though, I’ve never watched it “live” before, and learnt quite a bit. Quite a bit of standing still passing the ball around, with sudden bursts of action when someone spots a gap, or after a

ELVs for this year.

2009-03-05T14:08:00.008+13:00

Just in case you think you know what's happening with rugby rules, here's the true stuff to show you don't!ALL rugby in New Zealand (below SANZAR Rebel Sport Super 14 level) will apply thirteen Experimental Law Variations this season. They are:Touch judges are now known as Assistant Referees and they are able to assist the referee in any way that the referee requires.Maul - It is no longer a

Those jerseys.

2009-02-27T21:58:00.014+13:00

start rantThose hurricanes away jerseys are bloody stupid and horrible. As Murray Mexted said, "They look like a English rugby team". The Sky sport commentators obviously thought they were a bit silly too. I haven't found anyone yet who likes the idea of an away jersey, generally the response is "They're bloody stupid", or similar.Adidas - wake up. Nobody likes them. There is a definite lack of

People with not much on...

2009-02-27T12:35:00.013+13:00

Cuba Street Carnival Parade was on in the weekend, I wanted to go more than just the parade but circumstances would not provide the opportunity. As it was I got a great front row spot, but had to leave it temporarily about ¾ of the way through the parade, only to not be able to get within about 5 rows of people to the front again. So holding the camera over the head was in order – another use for

Psst… wanna buy some tickets…

2009-02-18T18:41:00.003+13:00

I won some free tickets to the Hurricanes game on Saturday night. Was it worth the $8 train fare? I’m still not sure. Nice to see the boys back in action, even if it does portend the end of summer, but what a unstructured scramble of a game from the lads in yellow. Though the newbie first-five, Mr. Kirkpatrick, had an okay game, you could tell we missed Mr. Weepu though, he has the extra

I'm Back!

2009-02-11T12:10:00.021+13:00

After a decent break over the hols I’m back at work – dammit! I must admit, I’ve just been too hot and bothered to start back here. Looking forward to the Super 14 this weekend, I'll be at the tin to watch the boys on Saturday night.I did manage to get up to Hawke’s Bay though (please note it’s not “The” Hawke’s Bay, just plain ol’ Hawkes Bay, just like we don’t say The Wellington). So here’s

So this is Christmas…

2008-12-19T16:06:00.007+13:00

Well it’s bad luck for the North City Demons, coming second in the Wellington AFL Grand Final on Sunday. The first quarter sealed their fate rather as the Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs scorched out to an early and convincing lead that the Demons couldn’t pull back. Mind you the increasing velocity of the wind didn’t help matters either.Thanks to the Captain Kearse and the Demons for inviting me along.

Wellington AFL Grand Final - be there!

2008-12-10T12:30:00.001+13:00

It's the final game of the championship for the Wellington AFL this Sunday. So get yourself down to Elsdon Park at 12:30pm and support your local team, The North City Demons. They won the round-robin stage of the competition and went straight through to the final, and are to play the Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs, whom they lost to last year I believe. They lost their last encounter with the Bulldogs

Adidas Rip-Off

2008-12-05T12:19:00.002+13:00

I see Adidas are out to strip us of more money, they have introduced home and away jerseys for the Super 14. Since when does a sponsor run the competition?I hate this idea, I don’t want to support a team not wearing my home colours. This has never happened before in Super 10, 12, or 14, or the npc, and it’s never been a problem, so why start now (other than to gouge more money out of the fans of

Don't play sport to look pretty

2008-11-26T12:01:00.005+13:00

How do you feel when you’re playing a hard game of sport – satisfied, invigorated, stuffed? Do you bring your boy/girlfriend along to watch to impress them? Well you’d better watch that last one, you may think you look pretty suave and sexy out there, impressing your friend – but wait a minute, do you want to know what you really look like? Check these out from last weekend’s game-

Wellington rugby awards...

2008-11-20T13:33:00.009+13:00

Congratulations to…Buxton Popoali’i (Northern United) for making the New Zealand Under 20 teamClub Player of the Yearfor the most outstanding player during the 2008 Wellington club rugby season, who also epitomises the spirit of club rugby.Sinoti To'omaga (Northern United) - WinnerFa'atonu FiliAnare Koliavu (Northern United)Women's Player of the Yearfor the most outstanding player in Wellington

Best batteries for your digital camera?

2008-11-14T13:41:00.015+13:00

If you don't have a proprietary battery in your camera, then chances are you use AA sized ones. Do you use heavy duty, alcaline, lithium, Nickel Metal Hydride? Hmmm - choices, don't ya just hate that?Well I reckon I know the best ones to use - Sanyo Eneloops. Unlike ordinary rechargeables, they hold their charge for ages, still supposed to hold 80% of their charge after a year they reckon. So

ELVs, Refs and Kiwis

2008-11-07T12:02:00.002+13:00

I’m getting pretty frustrated about the laws of the game of rugby, it seems each competition has its own version and it makes for confused viewing, especially when you’re screaming at the ref for what you find out is no reason!The upcoming tests in the Northern Hemisphere will be played under the ‘northern’ version of the ELVs and the Super 14 in 2009 will again use our ‘southern’ ELVs, I don’t

How good is your colour?

2008-11-04T15:06:00.002+13:00

How well can you discriminate colours? Maybe you’re good at it, but is your computer monitor up to it? All monitors show colours differently, so after I’ve edited my photos and posted them on the web, they will look different to you from how they look to me (I’m betting they look brighter to you as that’s the default setting of most monitors). Also each programme you use to look at your digital

Michael Crocker knocked out from a kick

2008-10-29T17:01:00.003+13:00

Ouch!Sorry to you on dial-up out there, but this is good stuff-I'm off for the weekend, family reunion type get together. I wasn't even going to take my camera, a weekend off so to speak, but then I'm told (not asked) that I'm the "official" photographer! Grrr Oh well, I'll just point and shoot and hope for the best, thank god for autofocus after a few beers!

Name that bird

2008-10-24T12:08:00.004+13:00

Got a photo of this little guy on our lawn the other day. I like trying to get bird photos as they can be quite a challenge, I’m still trying to get that elusive fantail shot worthy of putting on the internet.But showing my ignorance I didn’t know what sort of bird this was, though it’s fairly common. I had to go the wonderful NZ bird website (www.nzbirds.com) to figure it out. It’s a chaffinch.

Horrible Rugby Jerseys

2008-10-20T13:58:00.009+13:00

I just hope our rugby jerseys in New Zealand never end up looking like this- As seen on this website.Not to mention this one from the same club-Apparently this is the picture of a wife of Louis VIII (13th century stuff).I'm sorry if you've seen these before, but i hadn't.

North City Demons crush Hutt Valley Eagles

2008-10-14T12:05:00.002+13:00

Well i finally made it along to Elsdon Park to watch a Wellington Aussie Rules game. It was a great day on Sunday, warm, sunny and bugger-all wind.The game itself is tricky for a lone photographer to cover, as the action sweeps from one end of the field to the other, and one side to the other, very quickly. And it’s a big field, bigger than a rugby field, so there’s not a lot of use taking photos

You win some, you lose some

2008-10-10T11:17:00.004+13:00

Provincial transfers just announced affecting Wellington province-Ross Filipo, from Wellington to CanterburyTom Harding, from Wellington to WaikatoNigel Hunt, from Wellington to Bay of PlentyThomas Waldrom, from Wellington to CanterburyFaifili Levave, from Waikato to WellingtonDavid Smith, from Auckland to WellingtonWe lose 4 and only gain 2. I guess that’s good for the locals who have hung

Beware of fake camera memory cards

2008-10-09T12:05:00.004+13:00

So you bought your last memory card for your camera from Trademe? Bought a nice Sandisk coz you’ve read they’re the best? How do you know it’s a genuine card? There’s lots of fakes out there, not sure about Trademe, but apparently eBay is full of them.I just bought a new 4GB card and had a look at Trademe, lots of them there at good prices, but maybe the prices are too good? I did a search on the

Wellington Colts 30 Auckland U20 23

2008-10-06T12:26:00.008+13:00

A blustery day at Porirua Park saw the Wellington Colts beat the Auckland Under 20 team by 30 points to 23, leading half time (into the wind) 13-11. Read a match report here, photos on my site here.The Wellington Lions lost to Otago! While I don’t mind too much, given that we’d won the round robin already and Otago is one of my favoured teams, it was a pity not to have the perfect round robin

A colour photo from black and white

2008-10-02T17:00:00.006+13:00

Whoa!This is kinda freaky. Click the Start button below, stare at the dot in the middle of the photo until the photo changes (15 seconds). The photo will be in colour UNTIL YOU LOOK AWAY, then it will be in black and white, and stay that way!This is a photo of Fa’atonu Fili scoring next to the post for Wellington B last weekend. I'm going to try to be at Elsdon Park on Sunday 5th Oct, 2.30pm

Wellington B 41 Manawatu B 15

2008-09-29T13:31:00.012+13:00

Alright, so the WRFU lied on their website about the 2:30pm kickoff and it started at 2:00pm. Luckily I went along 15 minutes early so only missed 15 minutes, they could have told me though!It’s really good to take pictures (a) Not in the rain (like quite a bit over winter), and (b) while it’s still light with the early kickoff. The 3pm start times in winter means it gets very dark by the end of

I'm sick

2008-09-26T09:00:00.011+12:00

So let's keep it short and sweet.Go to Porirua Park on Satuday at 2:30 to watch Wellington B v ManawatuorGo to Elsdon Park at 2:30 to watch North (Eagles/Demons) vs. South (Saints/Bulldogs) Wgtn Aussie Rules.Here's a photo I took recently that I like-

Yay the Shield!

2008-09-22T13:03:00.001+12:00

Well done to the boys of the Wellington Lions bringing home the Ranfurly Shield. Some bold selections by coach Jamie Joseph, combined with some well time replacements, saw Wellington dish out a hiding to the Aucks by winning 27-0. That’s gotta be the biggest Shield winning margin for a while surely?Buxton Popoali’i seemed to enjoy himself at the Wellington airport holding the Shield aloft for all

What to do on Sunday?

2008-09-19T08:54:00.017+12:00

Okay, so you’re not into rugby but want an excuse to get out of the house on Sunday? Try this – go and watch some Aussie Rules! Yep Aussie Rules in little ol’ Wellington.The WAFL (Wellington Australian Football League) starts this Sunday at Elsdon Park on Titahi Bay Road. There are 4 teams in the comp, and they all play each other 3 times in round robin. Then 2nd plays 3rd, and the winner goes on

Wellington B 39 Waikato B 17

2008-09-15T12:01:00.020+12:00

A good game was had at Porirua Park between these two teams on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Rain through the week and Saturday morning meant the ground was soft, but there was plenty of running to be had during this game.I rocked on up to the park (free entry by the way) about 10 minutes after kick-off, already it was 10-5 to Waikato, a friendly trainer advised it was only one try apiece though.

Looking for something to do in the weekends?

2008-09-12T13:51:00.016+12:00

If so, there's plenty of sport on at Porirua Park. I don't know whether they charge to go to these games, but I'll go and see. Plenty of Northern United RFC players in these teams!This Saturday 13th Sept Wgtn b v Waikato B 1:00pmthen at 2:30pm Wgtn U19 v Manawatu U20 (not sure how that works, maybe on no.2?)and Wgtn U16A v Centurions on no.2 at 2:30pmNext Saturday 20th Sept Wgtn U19 v Taranaki

Pentax K10D in space

2008-09-09T11:54:00.016+12:00

The Pentax K10D, K200D and K20D are all weather-sealed. They have the type of sealing you'd have to pay thousands of dollars more for on other camera brands. This has been very useful to me taking rugby pics over a very very wet winter, I only had to be worried about the lens (which did get a bit wet unfortunately). The cameras have something like 72 seals in them and I've seen photos of them

President of Pentax USA blogs

2008-09-04T13:04:00.002+12:00

How many company presidents take the time to write a public blog? Plus, in his latest post, he actually responds to a poster on a web forum about why Pentax hasn't done something the poster wants. That's impressive.Ned Bunnell's blogBy the way Pentax SLR users, Tokina and Sigma have just released their 70-200/f2.8 lenses. probably won't be in NZ for a while yet though.