Kite/Wind Surfing

Actually, after I put that title on the photo, I found out this is called "Kite Surfing" and not wind surfing.

Anyway, this is one of my first photos with a new digital camera. I bought a cheap point and shoot that was small enough to fit in my pocket so I could take it with me on travel and I wouldn't worry too much about it when I had to leave it in the car for extended periods.

This shot was taken with a Nikon Coolpix 4600. I am a bit disappointed with the ability to frame the shot. Looking through the viewfinder gives you an image that isn't really even close to what you'll get once you press the shutter. I'm guessing it is just a site to make sure you're pointed in the general direction you want to shoot. I believe they think most folks will use the screen on the back to set up the shot, but with the sun as bright as it was, I couldn't see the screen that well and to be honest, it's a bit hard to pan with the action when you have to hold he camera a couple feet in front of you.

This was my best shot of the day and to make it look this nice I had to crop off a lot of dead space on the right (This is more or less what I saw through the viewfinder when I framed the shot.) Yes, the flash was on. I had turned it on to shoot inside and had forgot to turn it off when I went outside to shoot the surfers. Changing camera settings by traversing a menu is also a pain. I guess if I want SLR quality and ease, I'll need to pack my SLR.

Paraskevidekatriaphobia, Anyone?

Yes, today is Friday the 13th. All day long. Are you afraid? Should you be afraid? If you are afraid of Friday the 13th, you are said to have "paraskevidekatriaphobia". No, I cannot even pronounce it.

I got to wondering where this superstition came from and did some googling and came up with some interesting reading. I just thought it was "Friday the 13th" as a bad day, but it turns out that (supposedly) all Fridays are bad, and every 13th of the month is bad, but the conjunction of the two is really bad. Hey, it's not my rule -- these beliefs have been around for quite a while .... or have they? Check it out yourself. It's interesting reading.

• Snopes
  
• National Geographic
  
• Brownielocks
  
• Valley Skeptic
  
• Rosslyn Templars
  

Bazaar del Mundo Butterfly

Bazaar Del Mundo in Old Town San Diego is closing soon, to be remodeled/replaced. My photo club took our cameras down to this historic location to capture it on film before it is gone forever. Our visit happened to coincide with the Cinco de Mayo celebration in Old Town. Actually, the Cinco de Mayo celebration in Old Town goes for two weeks, so it isn't too hard to miss. Anyway, while hanging around in Bazaar del Mundo this butterfly came and landed on a nearby shrub -- just long enough that I was able to capture its image.

For a limited time, you can click the title to see other photos taken in and around Old Town during the Cinco de Mayo celebration.