the daily dub

According to Einstein’s theory of relativity, Chuck Norris can actually roundhouse kick you yesterday.

I snagged 3 rolls of the now out of production Fuji Velvia 50 (a pro’s secret weapon for scenery) before leaving for New Zealand. I just got the slides today and a light table from my dad, and let me tell you, holy freaking crap! These slides are epic. I’ll see about getting them scanned somewhere, and some of them will be made into 20×30 prints and hung in my place. Come by sometime, after they’re done, and you’ll see them. really really really awesome prints. We’re talking, $200 20×30 prints. Amazing stuff.

It’s my 22nd birthday tomorrow, but as I’ll be in Yosemite, we celebrated tonight. Here’s a quick photo roll of me, my sister, and my birthday cake.

My personal Favorite.

This is a close second favorite, though. My mom was laughing so hard she could barely keep the camera straight.

My sister bought me a Mountain Hardware Tent, and my parents bought me a second mic and a mic stand (still on order), and a wind shirt, which will be useful in Yosemite. Kickass birthday!

3 rolls scanned, photoshopped (levels, curves, saturation, sharpening, and/or other stuff. No pixels were permanently damaged in the making of these great edits). 10 photos cut for quality reasons: they were shit. 98 out of 108 is a damn good ratio: that’s 91% keepers. My best ratio yet. The digital camera was about half, at a 44% keeper ratio.

Without further ado, the first 98 photos from my New Zealand Trip!

Ship Creek Beach, New Zealand

“98 photos?!?” You exclaim in disbelief! “But ry-dog, you had at least one camera around your neck at all times… what the hell?!”
Fear not, there are still 265 digital pictures (down from 594, editing rules), and 108 slides. The slides are probably going to be the most breathtaking photos, but also, alas, the hardest to show you all online.

post a comment, or send me an email, with any shots that you’d like printed. I’ll see what I can do. Please leave me what size you want, and which number (ie, 7.98 or 7 of 98) and i’ll get back to you.

Omar and I went out to Santana Row last night, and damn did we get trolleyed. After a bit too much diesel (kiwi slang for booze), we bought 3 drinks for 3 girls. 3 girls who all happened to be driving. 3 girls who also, it has been postulated, are still in high school. Ooops. Chalk one up to experience: I’ve bought high school girls drinks, and been turned down. One less thing on my todo list! Omar and I killed off most of the 3 lemon drops, after having 3 or 4 beers, a maragita (myself), and little to eat.

Afterwards, we went to the Straits, ran into the highschool girls, ordered them water, and told them to get lost, their parents are up, worried sick wondering where they are. (not really, but that would’ve been funny as hell). Omar and I order gin and tonics (mistake number… shit, i’ve lost count. Not a good idea). After those, the night gets a bit blurred. We drank, we danced with some ladies, who in my memory were older, and attractive. After that, a cafe, croissants, miraculously making it home somehow, crash, wake up, puke, hot bath (who does that?), crash, sleep all night, wake up 9am, drink some emer-gen-C, which makes a cameo in my toilet after about 10 minutes, drink some sprite (thank god for sprite, it’s the only thing I can keep down when I’m sick), brush teeth, drink some milk, snooze a bit, get up, edit photos all day, pickup prints at costco, and finally get some solid food.

The time now? 3pm. First real meal all day. The verdict? I had too much fun last night.

By the way: the E.T.A. for the first 108-ish photos (3 rolls of film) is tonight. I’ll keep you all posted here.