Skip to content

Touchdown Jordan!

Touch down Jordan!

Arrived into Amman Jordan last night. The most noteworthy thing to say is that there were actually no hassles other than the fact that everyone had to clear a SECOND security screening at JFK! And that there were NO immigration papers to fill out after getting into Amman!

The new experience thus far happened on the flight; there were small tv monitors available to watch movies with etc.; that’s not so new but this was:

For me that’s a new one.

This morning was up early (around 5) and took the bus to the Israeli border. For the most part that was uneventful too. Except the for the extra questions the Israeli officers asked about destination, purpose etc. And then in the little mini shuttle bus from the border to Jerusalem this happened.

We got onto the nearly full busy. People kinda gave us the once over and did not say much. An older couple sitting in the back (whom we had met on the ride from the other side of the border) offered to make room fo us. The gentleman moved over so that I we could sit together, I next to his wife and my husband next to him (get it?)

After we started the 40 minute ride, the woman started making conversation with me and the man with mike. Telling him that their son lived in San Francisco. He then picked up his cell phone to call the son so that we might talk to him! As it was midnight back in SF, answering machine picked up so mike left the poor fellow a message “Hi my name is Mike, I am from the US and I’m in a bus with your father. He wanted me to say hello to you.” His wife tried to tell me about her family. Her english was non exsistent so she could only communicate that she had TEN children, and I had none. The woman in front of us, starts in too. Same story. Then the woman next to her starts passing out FOOD! First apples and then candy! Mind you, no one seemed to know each other but it was clear it was time to get share family stories and PHOTOS! here is video clip of that


YouTube Direkt

I decided to share the dried mangos I had in my bag, which they accepted and enjoyed! They do a lot of dried fruit in this part of the world, but mangos don’t really grow here!

All I can say is, that was a blast! That was so much fun I felt as if I did nothing more on this trip, it was already worth it! I could go home content with my experience!

So in the first 24 hours after landing in Amman, I managed to sleep for a bit, cross the border into Israel, cross through the West Bank, see part of the old city of Jerusalem including but not limited to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Western wall, parts of the Muslim quarter, walked the via delaroso, climbed the tower at the Luthern Church, got banned from taking photos in the Russian Orthodox Church (they’re a grumpy bunch), and a few other churches I can’t remember. Speed tourism at it’s best I tell ya!

2010 03 09

Where's Zim? Permalink

Passengers at the Zim Air Cubic Zirconium Lounge

Here is an image of Zim Air passengers enjoying drinks in the Cubic Zirconium Lounge. Just one of the many perks of flying the airline of mini people.

FYI, flying with us we have: Allen, Lorne & Anne, and Chris, Michael, Joseph, Stephen, and Samson (family of 5).

2010 03 06

Where's Zim? Permalink

Off to the Middle East w/ Zim Air Passengers!!

Well tonight I am heading off to Jordan and Israel. It’s a totally new part of the world for me so I’m pretty excited about what I’ll be doing and seeing. Over the past few years I have visited the home of Hinduism, I have walked the path of the Buddha, seen the whiskers of the Prophet Mohamed, and the right arm of John the Baptist. On this trip I will get a chance to visit the sites considered most holy among Jews, Christians, and Muslims (well third for Muslims – cause Mecca and Medina rank higher).

I’m hoping for good weather and to see more than just large stones piled up! Although there will be a lot of travel through the Jordanian dessert I’m also hoping to see more than just large expanses of sand too. All this to say that I’m hoping to bring home some images worth of the rich history that is the Middle East. Wish me luck everyone.

Along for the ride is the maiden voyage of ZIM AIR! here is a picture of all the passenger and the new Zim Air vessel! (a brand new plastic 55mm filter case):

EVERYBODY GETS A WINDOW SEAT ON ZIM AIR!!!! ;)

For more information on flying with Zim Air please visit: http://zimphotography.com/zimair.html

More to come in a few days after I get to Jerusalem.

2010 03 06

Where's Zim? Permalink

Photo tip #12 Shutter Lag.

What’s “shutter lag” you ask? Shutter lag is the time it takes the camera to fire the shutter from the time you push the shutter button. In the early days of point and shoot digital cameras this was pretty bad. Although shutter lag times have shortened considerably, I am told that it will never go away with a point and shoot, and it still annoys the heck out of people.

So the question begs, “which camera have the shortest shutter lag times?” Well you can check out this website: http://www.cameras.co.uk/html/shutter-lag-comparisons.cfm . Although I think this is useful, I am not sure how the reviewer derived his numbers. So can you trust them? If this reviewer was using a constant measuring device the answer is yes. If not, then the table is useless. But you be the judge. Further, the manufacturers are NOT posting any numbers related to shutter lag. What they do post is the time from frame to frame. Seriously folks, who cares? Let’s face it, how many of us will be using our point and shoots to do high speed photography of any sort? How often will you be shooting junior or sparky run across the play ground?

Second question, “are there ways to overcome shutter lag?” The most common advice given is to “pre-focus”. One of the reason we get shutter lag is that the camera has to focus and then fire. So if press down the button halfway then it will focus without firing. And then when you are ready you can fire, and off it goes. Now this is only somewhat useful.  For the average point and shooter, we are shooting people standing still or an object standing still, so what’s the need for pre-focus? On the other hand we do often like to track junior crawling across the floor…. but that means that junior is moving right?  So where ever you had pre-focused on, is gone. So play with it and see if you can make that work, but I certainly have not figured that out. Honestly I just resort to my Digital SLR, no shutter lag.

Speaking of which, a D-SLR does not generally have shutter lag. They generally can track and object and continue to focus much much better than a point and shoot.

2010 01 27

Photo Tips Permalink

Austin, TX

Looks like I’m heading down to Austin, TX this year for Art City Austin in April!

2010 01 20

Ramblings Permalink