Vancouver Trip - Day 7

TIMELINE

• 7:30 a.m. Awake
• 8:57 a.m. Blenz Coffee - Breakfast
• 9:15 a.m. Tractor Foods - Breakfast
• 9:45 a.m. Festal Paleo Cafe - Breakfast
• 10:00 a.m. On Canada Line
• 10:20 a.m. Begin False Creek walk
• 11:00 a.m. Pass Science World
• 11:25 a.m. Terra Breads #1 - Lunch
• 1:00 p.m. Ended False Creek walk
• 1:20 p.m. Stuart's @ Granville Island - Lunch
• 1:25 p.m. Rogers' Chocolates
• 2:30 p.m. Ainsworth Custom Design Art Studio
• 2:50 p.m. Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts - Lunch
• 3:05 p.m. Hotel
• 4:50 p.m. Met Dawn, ate dinner at Thai Express
• 6:00 p.m. Attended Jorge Cham talk at IROS 2017
• 8:25 p.m. Starbucks decaf to go with celebratory dessert
• 8:45 p.m. Back at hotel; news, blog, receipts, book ferry, and so forth
• 11:30 p.m. Asleep

NOTES

• False Creek Walk
• Pleasant walk, good weather
• One boat flew Soviet flag
• One boat name seemed vandalized, with "Blow Me" crudely painted
• Graffiti art of startled cat under Cambie Street bridge
• Watched a crow open an unattended backpack and remove a paper bag of food
• Jorge Cham talk:
• Points delivered humorously, in collaboration with PowerPoint 
• Credited Stanford professor Bernard Roth with challenging him to change his thinking on "things we have to do"--Dr. Roth proposed we do the things we do because we want to do them
• Proposed guilt as the main reason we avoid procrastination
• Food:
• Blenz: decaf coffee
• Tractor Foods: Cold day-old oats with blueberry and raspberry compote and granola, apple muffin
• Festal Paleo Cafe: espresso shot
• Terra Breads #1: mushroom, leek, and quinoa soup, with stecca bread
• Stuart's @ Granville Island: Turtle Cheesecake
• Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts: Lime Coconut Puff, Chocolate Eclair, Tropical Fave
• Thai Express: mediocre vegetable fried rice and yellow curry

Vancouver Trip - Day 6

TIMELINE

• 7:00 a.m. Awake
• 9:00 a.m. Blenz Coffee Bentall 5 - Breakfast
• 9:15 a.m. Vancouver Convention Centre - Breakfast
• 10:42 a.m. Capilano Suspension Bridge
• Noon Bus to Grouse Mountain
• 12:20 p.m. Start Grouse Grind trail ascent
• 2:24 p.m. Finish Grouse Grind trail ascent (2 hours, 4 minutes)
• 2:30 p.m. Grouse Mountain summit cafe - Lunch
• 2:40 p.m. Grouse Mountain summit gift shop
• 2:50 p.m. Board gondola to return to parking lot
• 2:56 p.m. Disembark gondola
• 3:10 p.m. Board bus to Lonsdale Quay
• 3:45 p.m. Lonsdale Quay - Boarding SeaBus
• 4:00 p.m. Canada Place - Disembarking SeaBus
• 5:30 p.m. Dawn's conference presentation
• 6:57 p.m. La Taqueria Pinche Taco Shop - Dinner
• 7:30 p.m. Hotel - shower, change clothes, receipts, blogging, and so forth
• 9:40 p.m. Dawn done with convention dinner
• 10:00 p.m. Vancouver Lookout
• 11:00 p.m. Back at hotel
• 11:30 p.m. Asleep

NOTES

• Sick - runny nose; moving forward nonetheless
• Capilano Suspension Bridge:
• Arrived around 10:30 a.m. and glad not later--coming back across the suspension bridge was a crawl by 11:30 a.m.
• Bridge wobbles but has fine chain fence enclosures and thick cable at my elbow height, so didn't feel afraid, just a bit off balance
• Skipped bathrooms by parking lot (line) and found bathrooms inside the gate empty
• Treetops Adventure was well done but I moved through it quickly...wanted to get through it and get to Grouse Mountain
• Cliffwalk was also well done but moved through quickly
• Wifi password: "csbguest"
• Grouse Mountain's Grouse Grind trail:
• Facts (via):
• 2.9-kilometre trail up the face of Grouse Mountain, commonly referred to as “Mother Nature’s Stairmaster.”
• Elevation Gain: 853 metres (2,800 feet) 
• Base: 274 metres above sea level (900 feet)
• Summit: 1,127 metres (3,700 feet) 
• Total Stairs: 2,830
• Completed in 2:04:00 (average time: 90 minutes)
• Saw woman with baby climbing
• Took a slow methodical climb and finished feeling tired--but not wrecked...rest of day was able to function OK
• Entrance was quite a bit away from the gondolas, out on the road
• Regretted not wearing technical shirt--cotton tee shirt soaked up sweat and shocked me with cold when put backpack back on
• Stopped a few times to rest, eat a bit of a cheese muffin, and drink water...really out to enjoy
• Quite a few people out for speed and let them by; easy to hear huffing and puffing as they approached
• Lots of trees and a few chipmunks...saw bits of the bay far below nearer the top
• Getting to "1/4 Mile" sign put in perspective how far/long ascent would take
• Another woman complained of asthma and stopped frequently...I trailed her and her daughter for some time, until I took a break and they disappeared on ahead
• Lots of handy ropes and stairs...helped me a few times keep balanced
• Gave up caring about wiping away sweat after about 30 minutes...realized no way to finish without getting drenched...accepted it and moved on
• Gondola down took only six minutes
• Proud I finished
• SeaBus: 
• No problems at all; super easy to board/disembark
• Saw a helijet with rotors spinning on the Vancouver side
• Learned "quay" gets prounced "key", not like "quail"
• Dawn's presentation: 
• Thought she did a great job; sounded confident and slides looked professional
• Enjoyed seeing other presenters discuss microrobotics topics, including a mini robot that follows plumes of aerosols to the source using Levy Walk and spiral surge techniques
• Vancouver Lookout: empty when we visited (10:00 p.m.)...beautiful city lights
• Food:
• Vancouver Convention Centre coffee shop - pumpkin muffin, sausage biscuit, cheese muffin, espresso shot
• Capilano Suspension Bridge - Earl Gray tea to help soothe throat
• Grouse Mountain Summit - Espresso shot
• La Taqueria Pinche Taco Shop - breakfast burrito special (black beans, soft egg, mini potatoes, etc.)
• Canada Place - Jugo Juice Acai Protein 

Vancouver Trip - Day 5

TIMELINE

• 8:00 a.m. Awake
• 9:00 a.m. Blenz Coffee - Bentall 5
• 9:20 a.m. Tractor Foods - 335 Burrard St.
• 10:00 a.m. Back at hotel
• 10:30 a.m. Left hotel for laundry
• 11:00 a.m. At Laundry Valet, 1238 Davie St, Vancouver
• 12:15 p.m. Heading back to hotel
• 1:00 p.m. Back at hotel
• 1:22 p.m. Hotel Fairmont Vancouver - Business Services print/scan/email
• 1:45 p.m. Caffe Artigiano - 763 Hornby Street
• 2:00 p.m. Vancouver Art Gallery
• 5:30 p.m. Pendulum Gallery
• 5:45 p.m. Vancouver Convention Center, West Building - Meet Dawn
• 7:00 p.m. The Hastings Warehouse
• 7:53 p.m. Bella Gelateria
• 8:15 p.m. Returned to hotel - put away laundry, receipts, blog, and so forth
• 10:30 p.m. Asleep

NOTES

• Laundry day
• Laundry Valet:
• Staff super helpful; best laundromat experience I've had
• Total cost: $CAD 5-6
• They name the washers and dryers: ours were "Samuel" and "Lady Gaga"
• Fairmont Hotel Vancouver charged fees way out of our price range
• Good deeds:
• Helped guy get back to his cruise ship at Canada Place
• Helped three young travelers looking for Vancouver Info Centre
• Vancouver Art Gallery:
• Claude Monet’s Secret Garden
• Paintings primarily from the Musée Marmottan Monet, I believe
• "The exhibition culminates in a major series of paintings executed in his famous gardens in the French village of Giverny, where Monet lived from 1883 to the end of his life. This series reveals Monet’s astute and sustained visual exploration of plants and water. His distinctive renderings of weeping willows, waterlilies and the Japanese bridge in his garden are among the most iconic imagery in Western painting today."
• Cataracts affected his ability to paint during his last two decades--later paintings seemed more abstract (though not all!)
• Stephen Shore: The Giverny Portfolio, another exhibit, showed 25 photographs of Giverny, including weeping willows, lilies, and arches
• Emily Carr: Into the Forest
• Contrast between new and old
• She painted most of her works in later life -- found myself wondering how age affected her perception of old and new trees in the art
• Easy for me to see the waving grasses she witnessed
• Elad Lassry
• A film projector displaying a motion picture art piece - I enjoyed the technology more than the art
• Pendulum Gallery - per a security guard, the pendulum was not moving due to work on the roof
• Bella Gelateria
• Cone with chocolate brownie and chocolate cherry gelato
• This place won first prize at the 2012  Firenze Gelato Festival with a "pecan and Canadian maple syrup gelato"
• Tractor Foods: they lost my sandwich order but gave me a free lemonade to say thanks--food so good!
• Caffe Artigiano - had an espresso shot and a ham/cheese pastry
• The Hastings Warehouse - meals for only $4.95! Slow but super good...best deal in town
• Kind of an overall catchup day today: apartment rental, tee shirt, Amazon return issue, laundry, and so forth. 

Vancouver Trip - Day 4

TIMELINE

• 8:00 a.m. Awake
• 9:10 a.m. Breakfast - Tim Hortons #4944
• 10:30 a.m. Check out, walk to new hotel, check in
• 11:00 a.m. IROS 2017 registration
• 11:53 a.m. Lunch - Tractor Foods @ 335 Burrard Street
• Noon - Bus to University of British Columbia
• 1:30 p.m. Nitobe Memorial Garden | UBC Botanical Garden
• 2:00 p.m. Museum of Anthropology at UBC
• 5:00 p.m. Bus back to downtown
• 6:10 p.m. Dinner - Yah-Yah-Ya Ramen
• 6:30 p.m. Back at hotel; blogging, news, UCSC CPSRC web page editing, receipts
• 10:30 p.m. Asleep

NOTES

• Scratchy throat...getting sicker
• Hotel Fairmont Vancouver:
• Resident black lab in their lobby (Ollie?)
• Roof access (?)
• Toilet handle needs jiggling to get the flapper down
• Electric/USB ports built-into nightstand
• View of Tiffany, Dior
• Large walk-in closet
• Rainfall shower head
• University of British Columbia:
• Nitobe Memorial Garden - lush, green, stone, grass, waterfalls, wooden bridges, tea house, koi fish, pond
• Museum of Anthropology - totem poles, masks, masterworks, pottery, exhibit on the Amazon, Dawn wondered about wearing the masks with the movable lower jaws, potlatch
• Fall colors appearing
• X̱wi7x̱wa Library (Squamish language-the number 7 represents a shorthand for glottal stop)
• Student Nest
• West 4th Avenue has a lot of commercial activity
• IROS 2017 registration went smoothly; found the room Dawn will present at; the conference wireless password starts with "v" and represents the name of a city....
• CityPass coupon saved us $18 already, so almost break-even ($25 cost)
• Called Toyota of Vacaville about car...corrected my email address, authorized car repair...way more than what it should cost and probably doesn't include labor, but there it is
• Make store at Granville Island responded and we settled on a color (heathered purple) for Dawn's tee shirt -- Lauren great at customer service

Ainsworth Custom Fabrication - Art Collective Storefront

This place represents my favorite Vancouver place, to-date:

http://granvilleisland.com/directory/ainsworth-custom-design

Felt right-at-home. Quirky and positive. Lots of care and thought put into almost every piece.

Wanted to purchase everything. Ended up with a Little Rabbit Notecard from Mary Kim.

Other links:
https://www.instagram.com/ainsworthcustomdesign/ (sporadically updated, since 2013)
https://www.facebook.com/Ainsworthcustomdesign/
https://www.yelp.ca/biz/ainsworth-custom-design-vancouver

Artist links:
https://chop-logik.deviantart.com/gallery/
https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/claudiasegovia/
http://www.sunny-shah.com/

Vancouver Trip - Day 3

TIMELINE

• 8:00 a.m. Awake
• 9:33 a.m. Tim Horton's #4944 - Breakfast
• 10:15 a.m. Canadian Crafts on Robson St - Magnet
• 10:30 a.m. Picked up Vancouver CityPass from ICE Currency Exchange
• 11:00 a.m. London Drugs - mailing postcard and greeting card
• 11:30 a.m. Vancouver Public Library
• Noon - Cartems Donuterie - Lunch
• 2:25 p.m. Ten Thousand Villages - two greeting cards
• 3:22 p.m. Roger's Chocolates
• 4:39 p.m. Ainsworth Custom Design
• 5:15 p.m. Omi Japan - Dinner
• 6:15 p.m. 7-Eleven #35667 - Ibuprofen
• 6:20 p.m. Back at hotel

NOTES

• "My Name is Citizen Crane" - sign outside Vancouver Public Library
• Canada Post employees friendly
• IGA supermarket lives on in Vancouver
• Granville Island
• Ainsworth Custom Design
• Kevin's favorite find, to date
• Vendor for local artists and quality very high
• Pickle Punch
• Cartems Donuterie: 
• Purple Yam (Ube Halaya) donut, Poached Pear donut, and strawberry mint tea
• While eating, a male passerby kicked over their A-Frame sidewalk chalkboard, punching a hole through one side...the man continued walking and the employees let him go
• Omi Japan - mushroom udon soup, chicken donburi rice bowl
• Roger's Chocolates - cashier had same name as my mother
• Dragonspace seemed run by really friendly people
• Fruit Buddy pear holder
• MAKE Vancouver at Granville Island - Dawn spotted a shirt design she liked and will custom order with women's fit and sage green color
• OSGEMEOS mural
• Really wiped out -- will have to do better about fueling
• "Trump name to be removed from Trump Tower Toronto—could Vancouver be next?" (via)
• Vancouver Duck Lady on Granville St. with pet goose (link)

Vancouver Trip - Day 2

TIMELINE

• 8:00 a.m. Awake (7.5 hours sleep)
• 9:30 a.m. Breakfast (Doolin's Irish Pub buffet, next to hotel)
• 10:30 a.m. Left hotel
• 10:42 a.m. Canada Post - mailed postcards
• 11:15 a.m. Entered Stanley Park
• 11:31 a.m. Entered Vancouver Aquarium 
• 3:45 p.m. Left Vancouver Aquarium, walked to Prospect Point (Stanley Park)
• 5:10 p.m. At Prospect Point
• 6:00 p.m. Totem poles
• 7:04 p.m. Refilled Compass transportation cards
• 7:17 p.m. Japadog @ 530 Robson - #8 Yakisoba, #11 Croquette, Shaked Fries Umekatsuo
• 7:30 p.m. Return to hotel, receipts, blogging, etc.
• 11:00 p.m. Asleep

NOTES

• Doolin's Irish Pub buffet: mediocre quality by 9:30 a.m. (closes at 10:00 a.m.)
• Stanley Park
• Vancouver Aquarium was great
• Ate: sting ray-shaped sugar cookie, kelp brownie, screamer sundae (ice cream and slush), latte
• Favorites: harbor seal, otters, rays (cownose, southern stingray), two-toed sloth (asleep, barely visible in upper corner), dolphin, false killer whale 
• A baby seemed fascinated with me and started crawling toward me; very cute
• Prospect Point: purchased moose pajamas
• Pacific Banana Slug (Ariolimax columbianus) sighting along path between Prospect Point and Pipeline Road
• Black squirrel sightings
• Japadog was great
• Ordered CityPass book for discounts on attractions
• Will check on Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (season opener was 9/22)
• Claud Monet exhibition
• Called pet sitters this morning and they said they incorrectly texted us about not having our key x_x So, much ado about nothing
• Everything with maple syrup tastes good this week

Vancouver Trip - Day 1

TIMELINE

• 9:00 a.m. Awake (11 hours sleep, with some interruptions)
• 10:00 a.m. Dawn meeting with academic advisor
• 10:50 a.m. Tim Horton's #4944 - breakfast of pumpkin spice muffin
• 11:06 a.m. Davie Village HH hardware - precision screwdriver set to fix laptop
• 11:18 a.m. Tim Horton's #4944 - breakfast of egg/ham muffin and pumpkin spice latte
• Noon Left hotel
• 1:59 p.m. Left Old Navy #4218 (purchased sweater for Kevin)
• 2:53 p.m. Grand Maple Gifts - tee shirt, maple tea, postcards
• 3:33 p.m. Ma Dong Coul Korean - Beef bibimbap and kimchi fried rice
• 3:47 p.m. 7-Eleven #33036 - purchased DayQuil 
• Stanley Park
• Six mile walk along entire seawall
• Walked to Prospect Point overlook
• 8:30 p.m. Rocky Mountain Chocolate - Chocolate brownie
• 9:02 p.m. Harvey's 946 Granville St. - Chicken Build-a-Bowl
• 11:00 p.m. Postcards, journaling, receipts 
• 11:45 p.m. Asleep

NOTES

• Felt mildly tired today...not sure if sick or just stress/lack of sleep catching up to me
• Rode Vancouver bus (TransLink) twice, using our Compass cards
• Tap and pay very popular
• Chocolate covered brownie: brownie core, one side had chocolate truffle filling, with a hard chocolate shell...very good after a long walk
• Stanley Park
• Clear water and blue hues to surroundings along seawall
• Saw the Siwash Rock, a great blue heron, raccoons, Teahouse Restaurant, a cruise ship, rowers in racing shells, and--after sunset--the Lions Gate bridge, the Lumberman's Arch, the 9 O'Clock Gun, the lighthouse, the Girl in Wetsuit Statue, RMS Empress of Japan masthead, the HMCS Discovery building, and the Vancouver Rowing Club building
• Called Toyota Vacaville as no word on car status...left info and later in the day received text requesting approval to text me...so I'm getting some kind of texts
• Realized SMS texts not going through due to lack of US cellular network...installed Google Hangouts Dialer app which I think also allows me to send SMS via Google Voice...works great

Vancouver Trip - Day 0

TIMELINE

• 7:00 a.m. Awake (five hours sleep)
• 9:00 a.m. Left home
• 9:15 a.m. Left Companion coffeehouse on Mission
• 10:05 a.m. Arrive economy lot, Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC)
• 10:30 a.m. Arrive ticketing counter
• 10:50 a.m. Arrive TSA PreCheck security
• 10:55 a.m. Eat soup and salad at deli First Class
• 11:15 a.m. Arrive at gate
• 11:20 a.m. Board
• 11:50 a.m. Takeoff (Air Canada Flight 8115)
• Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (first hour watched)
• Things that didn't work on plane:
• Dawn's in-flight entertainment screen (as others)
• Rear bathroom
• Velcro holding up the emergency exit aisle's door release handle cover
• Things that did work on plane: everything else thankfully
• 2:00 p.m. Arrive Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
• 2:34 p.m. Currency Exchange
• 2:50 p.m. Collect WifiCube cellular hotspot rental
• 2:56 p.m. Tim Hortons #595 (Pumpkin Spice Muffin, Pumpkin Spice Latte--verdict: creamy, not sweet)
• 3:03 p.m. Load Canada Line cards
• 4:00 p.m. Arrive Comfort Inn
• 6:03 p.m. Poutine at Smoke's Poutinerie (Traditional poutine)
• 6:54 p.m. Dessert at Tim Horton's #4944 on Granville (Cold Stone Creamery)
• 10:00 p.m. Asleep

Vancouver Trip - Day -1

TIMELINE

• 5:30 p.m. Leave work in Sacramento
• 6:35 p.m. Prius throws error code P0A93 - "Inverter 'A' Cooling System Performance" (Vacaville)
• 7:10 p.m. Better World Club requests tow truck
• 8:00 p.m. Tow truck delivers car to Toyota Vacaville 
• 8:20 p,m. Lyft arrives
• 8:55 p.m. Arrive Amtrak Suisun Fairfield station (after navigating to Amtrak Fairfield–Vacaville station, opening October 2017)
• 9:15 p.m. Schedule Lyft 11:30 p.m. service, from Oakland – Jack London Square station, to home
• 9:49 p.m. Depart Amtrak Suisun Fairfield station
• 10:00 p.m. Eat on Cafe Car (bean and cheese burrito)
• 11:00 p.m. Arrive Oakland – Jack London Square station
• 11:30 p.m. Lyft arrives
• 12:45 a.m. Arrive home, pack, clean
• 2:00 a.m. Asleep

NOTES

• As Dawn says: Planes, trains, and automobiles
• Vacaville rental services closed
• Toyota Vacaville had no rentals to offer
• Amtrak Capital Corridor Suisun Fairfield station train service to San Jose ends with the 7:34 p.m. departure
• Chose to keep going rather than stay in Vacaville overnight 

Gloria Steinem - My Life on the Road

Excellent book; some notes:

• Hate generalizes, love specifies.
• If you want people to listen to you, you have to listen to them. If you hope people will change how they live, you have to know how they live. If you want people to see you, you have to sit down with them eye-to-eye.
• That's why, if I had to name the most important discovery of my life, it would be the portable community of talking circles; groups that gather with all five senses, and allow for consciousness to change.
• "I learned from Flo Kennedy, who was a great civil rights lawyer and who was my speaking partner for a while. Nobody was better at a comeback. Some guy in some audience would say, “Are you lesbians?” and she would always say, “Are you my alternative?” and everyone would crack up. Again, it’s fun. And it’s consciousness-raising because you’re not just doing it for yourself and the other person, you’re also doing it for the people around you."
• She never learned to drive--when asked, she replies, "Because adventure starts the moment I leave my door."

NHLPA Hockey '93 - Was Bob Beers the Worst Overall Player (?)

Such a fun game.

Video accompaniment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL0nw1a28DE

During high school, a few friends and I spent Friday nights staying up late playing pick-up basketball and playing rented video games.

For several consecutive weeks, we rented the Electronic Arts game NHLPA Hockey '93 (1992) for the Sega Genesis, the second installment of the franchise:

The included photocopied manual documented each player's overall rating, which determined their in-game overall ability. On a whim, I looked through the photocopied manual to identify the player with the lowest rating.

It tickled me to no end to discover (incorrectly, it seems) Bob Beers, a Boston defenseman, represented said worst player. At the time, I suspected the developers used Mr. Beers’ surname as an excuse to rate him the lowest—in subsequent games he rated much higher.

NHLPA Hockey 93 MD US Manual.pdf (last accessed 08/21/2017)
https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File:NHLPA_Hockey_93_MD_US_Manual.pdf&page=32

I had a lot of fun playing as the Boston Bruins and putting Bob Beers into the game. The excitement led into curiosity about the real-life Boston Bruins and I started watching the Bruins on satellite television (we lived in the country and could pick up broadcasts from all over the country). When I left for college, my studies preempted hockey and I lost the momentum of following hockey.

Circling back, it seems the version of the manual above, page 61, pretty clearly shows Mr. Beers was below average, at 28, but not the lowest. For example, even Lyndon Byers, on the same Boston team, scored lower.

I got that wrong, which bothers me. I'm still not sure how--it seems too obvious to miss, and I have a strong memory of looking through all the teams. But there it is. It consoles me some to think that I was likely up late and saw what I wanted to see.

Good times!

Note: Bob Beers seems like a great guy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06XmQCrf3Tc

Note: Electronic Arts released NHL Hockey in 1991, but it seems that game only named the teams, not the players, so I'm nearly 100% we played NHLPA '93 Hockey, which, in addition to naming the players, also had the music I remember.

Ramen

A Sacramento ramen restaurant seems to use "Paitan Ramen soup EX" as their tonkatsu ramen soup base:

http://www.somifoods.com/products/paitan-ramen-soup-ex/
Product DescriptionThis authentic tonkotsu ramen base blends high-quality tonkotsu broth with vegetables and other ingredients.
How to useMake the ramen base by combining 1 part of this product with 9 parts hot water or broth.
Packaging
60 fl. oz. (1.8 L) x 6

The web site lists the following recipe. So simple!

TONKATSU RAMEN
Ingredients

• Noodles – 1 bunch
• Cha-shu (roasted pork) – 2-3 pieces
• Green onions – A small amount
• Bamboo shoots – A small amount

Cooking Directions
Pour 1 oz. of Paitan and 9 oz. of hot water or broth into a bowl. Add boiled noodles and desired toppings.

Add as desired

• Boiled egg
• Red ginger
• Kikurage
• Dried seaweed

Photographer In Training

What is good enough?

Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS camera

• 8.0 Megapixel
• Focal length: 6.2-18.6mm f/2.8-4.9 (35mm film equivalent: 38-114mm)
• Maximum aperture: f/2.8 (Wideangle) - f/4.9 (Telephoto)
• Shutter speed: 15-1/1500 sec.; Long Shutter operates with noise reduction when manually set at 1.3-15 sec.
• Sensitivity: Auto, High ISO Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 equivalent (Standard output sensitivity. Recommended exposure index)
• Light metering method: Evaluative*, Center-weighted average, Spot**
• Pixels: Still Image: 3,264 x 2,448 (Large),
• JPEG compression: Still Image: Exif 2.2 (JPEG)

Depth of field increases with f-number, as illustrated in the image here. This means that photographs taken with a low f-number will tend to have subjects at one distance in focus, with the rest of the image (nearer and farther elements) out of focus. This is frequently used for nature photography and portraiture because background blur (bokeh) can be aesthetically pleasing and puts the viewer's focus on the main subject in the foreground. 

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3845728#forum-post-55833477
http://photography.tutsplus.com/tutorials/getting-started-with-your-new-monolight-kit--photo-14128
Monolights:

• http://www.blinkphotographic.com/collections/monolights/products/godox-ds200-200w-s-monolight
• http://www.amazon.com/Flashpoint-DG600-Watt-Second-Monolight/dp/B007JD3CZQ
• http://www.adorama.com/FP600DKT.html

Some helpful terminology:

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/which-camera-should-i-get/

Specifically:

Focal length describes the angle of view of a lens: how much of the scene it can take in. It is expressed in millimeters. The higher the number, the narrower the field of view. A 20mm lens is considered a wide focal length as it captures approximately an 84-degree angle of view. A 200mm lens, by comparison, offers a narrower, 10-degree angle of view, though with much greater magnification.

Photo Aesthetic

Aesthetically speaking, this resonates: clean and neutral colors, an honest but measured smile, thoughtful but minimal accessories, well-lit, focused on the face. It says, I am a comfortable person to be around

https://hired.com/how-it-works

Portrait Equipment

Lighting Kit Setups

• Beginners complete kit
• Lighting types
1. 1 main light: Flashpoint Cool Light 4
2. a1 fill light: Flashpoint Cool Light 1 (can be used reflecting into a white card)
3. 1 hair light (a small light with a snoot or grid)
4. 1 background light (any small fixture light will do)
• Lighting (other):
• 1 silver reflector umbrella: Creative Light 33" Silver Umbrella, (compare prices)
• 4 light stands: Westcott 750 Photo Basics 7.5-Foot Light Stand, (compare prices)
• Seamless paper background
• Miscellaneous:
• Extension cords (hardware store)
• Gaffers tape
• Extra bulbs (depends on fixture)
• Cloth work gloves if you are using hot tungsten lights (hardware store)
• An assortment of colored gels and diffusion material
• Clothespins for holding the gels

Photo Video Backdrop Stand Kit

• Ravelli ABSL Photo Video Backdrop Stand Kit 13' Tall x 15' Wide with Dual Air Cushion Stands and Bag (link)
• StudioPRO 3200 Watt Double 24"x36" Softbox Continuous Portrait & Video Lighting Kit - Film, Photography & Studio Essentials Includes Light Stand & 45W Daylight Bulbs (link)
• Main/Key light and fill light

Notes

• Backdrops
• Thin muslin white/black/green backgrounds...alternative (?)
• How to clean/press/steam (?)
• I use a small hand held fabric steamer (via)
• Lighting
• Types:
1. Main light (key)
• primary and strongest light
• Provides shape and form
• Can use umbrella or softbox
2. Fill light
• "fill in" shadow areas created by other lights
• provide an even, non-directional light
• adds  little character or shadows of its own
• nearly always weaker than the main light
• can use a shoot-through umbrella
• Alternatively: foamcore, at 45-degree angle, to the subject
3. Kicker light (rim, edge)
• accent the edges of the subject
• placed just out of view and, behind and slightly to the right or left of the subject
4. Hair light
• enhance hair texture
• provide separation from the background
• Should have a snoot or grid (note: maybe a filter frame?)
5. Background light
• Illuminates the background
• even or graduated, color neutral or colored with the addition of gels
• separate the subject from the background
• Notes
• Closer light to subject: softer; farther away: harder
• LumoPro LP180
• Softbox
• Emulate the soft, directional lighting produced by window light
• Directional
• Light modifiers
• Somewhat more expensive
• Slightly more complicated
• Basic knowledge of balancing main light versus fill light, so it won't produce contrasting lighting
• Octobox
• combines the benefits of both reflective and shoot through umbrellas
• Vendors
• http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/759870-REG/Lastolite_LL_LS2462JM_Joe_McNally_Ezybox_Hotshoe.html/BI/2388/KBID/3211
• Umbrella
• Cheap
• Broad and soft source of lighting that could, for the sake of simplicity, be considered to emulate outdoor lighting
• Indirect, bounced light
• Easier for beginners
• Lighting is much broader, softer with less modeling on the subject’s face and there’s more light spilling onto on background
• Light is bounced, so the quantity is less, which requires lower f-stop and higher ISO
• Reflective 
• Light is reasonably well controlled and doesn’t bounce around everywhere
• Can’t produce very soft light, as the design forces the flash head to be between the subject and the umbrella, which means that it can’t be placed close to the subject
• Shoot-through
• only about 60% of the light actually passes through
• the rest bounces back and, in a small studio, will bounce off of the ceiling, walls, etc.
• creates pretty uncontrolled lighting and if the light also bounces towards your camera lens it can cause flare
• Combination: removable reflective cover
• Vendors
• Smith Victor
• Adorama
• Lowel
• Photoflex
• Lastolite (hotbox)
• Manfrotto (stands)

Chris Schmauch, Good Eye Photography

• Camera
• Nikon D800
• Nikon D3
• Nikon D70 (backup)
• Lens
• 28-70/2.8
• 17-35/2.8
• 70-200/2.8
• 85/1.4
• 60/2.8
• 50/1.4
• Lights
• Studio strobes
• Foursquare softbox (containing the four Nikon SB-800 speedlites)
• Nikon SB-600 speedlite
• Profoto B1 mono light
• 30″ softbox
• Other
• PocketWizard Flex TT5, to trigger/sync speedlites
• Lightroom

Resources

http://www.adorama.com/alc/0013566/article/Softbox-vs-Umbrella-Which-One-Should-You-Use

http://photo.net/learn/lighting/guide-to-lighting-kits/beginner/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh

http://www.portraitlighting.net/multilightb.htm

http://www.diyphotography.net/take-professional-linkedin-profile-photo-living-room/

http://www.portraitprofessional.com/

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-camera-lens-filters-flashes-and-accessories-for-taking-great-photos/

Preparing for business portrait

"If you’re like most people, the idea of a closeup photo of your face is about as compelling as smashing your thumb in your car door. Repeatedly." ; o )

CLOTHING

• Style choice
• Friendly and nurturing, like a coach or a therapist? 
• Strong and able to take care of any problems like a broker or a lawyer? 
• Artistic and elegant like a gallery owner or sculptor?
• Classic corporate
• Casual: choose polished statement
• If not sure, bring several outfits tops
• Something professional
• definitely want a nice suit jacket for the professional look
• I recommend sticking to solid colors
• Something that will stand out against a darker suit jacket
• consider the overall tone as somewhat neutral
• Add splashes of color (power tie)
• 
  
• Something casual
• Avoid:
• Overly bright colors
• Lots of white/black
• Big or complicated patterns
• Large, reflective jewelry
• Caps
• Tee shirt length sleeves
• Personality, professionalism, and success
• Gray background: select blues, reds, greens, purples
• Suit: 
• Button top button
• Texture works best (for example, pin-stripe)
• Men look great in a light blue shirt and blue suit 

HAIR, MAKEUP, ETC.

• Look natural
• Look like the person you truly are
• Do not get a new haircut--at least one week, in advance
• If going to a stylist, maintain existing look
• Shave
• Men: Don’t be afraid to have light make up applied by a professional
• Oil-mattifier: controls shiny skin (really light lotion that soaks up oil without leaving any residue)

SETTINGS

• Studio setting
• Head and shoulder picture
• Best for: 
• Press release
• Newsletter or program
• Web site 
• Business card
• Studio setting works best
• Typically small and serve primarily to provide a means of personal recognition rather than to convey a particular expertise.
• Environmental setting
• Conference room, library, or office setting
• Best for:
• Corporate brochure or newsletter 
• Larger format on your website
• Communicates knowledge, proficiency,and warmth
• Blurred background: don’t have any context that gives away the location
• Alternative: three-quarter or full length view
• Natural light photography
• Very flexible in regards to weather, time of day, and location
• “Worst” time to shoot is high-noon (or whenever the sun is at its peak height):
• The sun is most “harsh” at this time
• Most natural light photographers won’t even attempt it
• For individual sessions, I like to get at least three different locations/environments, and with multiple outfit changes
• Artificial light photography
• Winter / early Spring shoots typically have the fastest turnaround
• Location ideas:
• Wilder Ranch
• 
  

EXPRESSION

• Purpose: encourage the viewer to bring his business to you
• Jaw: Forehead out and down, to tighten skin over jawlines..."feels weird, looks good" (link)
• Focus on the eyes (link)

LOGISTICS

• Sleep: get lots of it
• Set aside one-half of a day
• Items to bring:
• Comb/brush
• Toothbrush
• Just sit there and look "pretty"--let the photographer do all the work
• Time:
• 10:00 a.m.: 
• Most convenient time for people 
• Enough time to settle into work
• Still look “fresh” from the morning
• One person: 15-45 minutes
• Variables: 
• Location(s)
• Outfit changes

SHYNESS

• In good hands
• Photographer directs
• Very quick

POST-SHOOT

• Touchups:
• Tired eyes
• Stained teeth
• Blemishes 
• Wrinkles
• Chris definitely retouches purchased photos and, upon request, pre-purchase photos

USES

• LinkedIn
• Standard headshot
• Generally cropped pretty close in – say, mid-chest height
• 
  

RESOURCES

• Chris:
• http://www.goodeyeblog.com/how-to-prepare-for/how-to-prepare-for-and-what-to-expect-during-after-your-business-portrait-headshot-photo-shoot/
• http://www.goodeyeblog.com/2014/02/santa-cruz-business-portraits-buy-once-get-multiple-versions/
• http://www.goodeyeblog.com/category/san-francisco-bay-area-photography/people/business-people/
• http://www.thephotostudio.com/photography-blog/34-tips-preparing-for-your-business-portrait
• http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/83927/file-15743732-pdf/pdf/gittings-preparing-for-a-business-portrait.pdf
• http://snaphappyphotos.com/preparing-for-your-business-portrait-session/
• http://www.wikihow.com/Prepare-for-a-Professional-Business-Portrait

Prius - Cleaning Interior Fabric

• Magic Eraser
• Foaming Window Cleaner: "He sprayed the foam on the arm rest, waited a few moments, and scrubbed back and forth with a white shop towel. Sure enough, the dirt came out of the fabric."
• Invisible Glass
• Gunk Foaming Glass Cleaner
• AFTA

Black beans from scratch

http://www.kitchentreaty.com/supremely-delicious-black-beans-from-scratch/

Sympathique

Dawn heard the song Sympathique today:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sympathique

Couldn't quite place where we've heard it before.