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Bhdfhvdlkhvlkdvhs fkhvs;dvh v;dfhv ;lshvldfhkhhkdhofho Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum. Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum. Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum. Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

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Rebranding...please hold

Imaginary Zebra is in the process of a rebranding. Shop is currently under construction. Sign up and we will keep you posted when the new site is ready.

↑ -Benson|| Twitter || Facebook || 365. || Shop of Imagination ||

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Rebranding Sale - Tshirts $10-13, Sweaters $27

9/3/12 8PM PST to 9/10/12 1159PM PST.
We'll be reintroducing TIZ from ground zero, but first, let's clear our warehouse for the new stuff.
Limited stock, first come-first served.

All items will be available here.

-Benson|| Twitter || Facebook || 365. || Shop of Imagination ||

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Minolta 50mm MD lens + Olympus EP2 M43rd!

Pardon the long title, wish I could be a bit more creative at naming this post without deviating too far from the topic. Anyway, I've wanted to try a SLR lens for a very long time, but have been hesitant due to 1.) the uncertainly of how well the pictures will turn, 2.) whether it's worth the money, 3.) possible encounters of unforeseen problems. Few days ago, after a few bottles of beer (I'm a lightweight), I finally pulled the trigger.

For those of you that ever wondered and wanted to try the adapter with cheap lenses, here's my 2 cents:

↑How it works: 1.) Find an affordable lens from EBay, Thrift stores, or a friend. 2.) Get your hands on a dedicated adapter (Note: I bought an MD -> M43 adapter for the Minolta MD lenses. Canon's would prolly get the FD -> M43, so on and so forth.) 3.) Get your M43 or DSLR camera body ready.

Pricing:

↑I can typically find a used SLR from Goodwill for less than $30. If the body works, GREAT, otherwise, adapt the lens for photo experimentation like I did here. This Minolta belongs to my brother from another mother. The body's not functioning. The 20mm f1.7 pancake's an AMAZING lens, but it's fairly pricy.

Reason to get a SLR lens #1 - It's cheap. 

a closer look:

↑Lens at 50mm focal length. After calculating M43's crop factor, making this a 100mm f1.7 portrait killah!

When purchasing a used lens, make sure there's no fungus, scratches, or haze and all rings turns smoothly.


Large aperture tickles my fancy.


This is the bridge to connect the lens to the camera. This is my first lens adapter, so I'm not sure if it's on the thicker or thinner side compare to others. In general, it's slightly thicker than I expected.

Bought it via Amazon for $19.

Solid.




When combined:




Here are a few sizing references depending on what you have next to you. I tried my best (in the most convenient way) finding household items that most can find for comparison.

↑M43 users, it's about the same height as the EP1, 2, and 3.


↑...or about 2 20mm f/1.7 lens height.


↑Logitech fan boys and comp geeks, it's about as tall as the width of a Logitech M510 mouse.


↑For everyone else, it's about a third of a standard size banana, which is quite handy size for travel.

Reason to get a SLR lens #2 - It looks badass. 


The ratio's not bad, not too front heavy.


Some micro 43rd cameras may require setting up in the menu section to shoot with an adapter. For Olympus, though, it's an auto process. So it's ready to shoot once you install the lens.

↑The display is quite sharp. You can get the focus right on the spot around 95% of the time.

It gets even better with the electrical viewfinder. I bought this along with my oly ep2 few months ago. That's how badly I wanted to shoot with an adapted SLR lens.


Basics out of the way, now the important stuff. How the photos actually turn out:


At f/1.7 wide open, the images are quite soft. A common issue for most adapted lenses when letting too much light in.








Bokehlicious:






At f/5.6 is super sharp:




At f/2.8, just as sharp!




Reason to get a SLR lens #3 - It produces stunning photos. 

Images are superb. I would've never guessed they came from a lens ranges around $20. The soft images that it produces at wide open (f/1.7) is bit of a downer, but when stop down to just f/2.8, it's got terrific sharpness. It's a great alternative than our digital lens, if you're not looking for fast action shots that require autofocus.

'til next time,
 -Benson|| Twitter || Facebook || 365. || Shop of Imagination ||

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The SFMoMA

An unexpected trip to MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art.) A friend once told me the difference between art and design, where design focuses on problem solving (solution) and art revolves around expressing ideas (abstraction.) For most of the stuff I do, there's always a reason for the choices I make to create the final product. And I tend to make graphics tell stories, straight forward ones. I suppose that makes me a designer than an artist. So visiting museums is quite foreign to me. Most of the time, instead of appreciate the work done by the artists, I'd expect myself to seek definite reasons for all the choices they made to come up with their art pieces and the stories they wanted to tell, which leaves me pretty helpless and confused.

This time around, I hoped to be different. I'd keep an open mind and absorb whatever they throw at me.

My old student ID still worked. Score! Was only charged $11 instead of $14 like they stated on the site. Hell yessss!!

Modern art, modern looks:


First art piece showcased right above the lobby -- a cube made out of 2000+ LED lights that displays a boxing match by dimming different portion of the lights.


Clean and simple map, just the way I like it.


The first floor we entered, there was this:

Art Game Lab's made out of crowdsourced games contributed by the SFMoMA community to bring even more joy to all the art spectators. "Visitors can pick up instructions for prototype games to be played in the museum's galleries and other public spaces."



Of the many games and missions, here's the one Michelle picked up:


...and mine:

"Photograph your favorite frame or pedestal at SFMoMa." Little that they know, most of the photographs used the same frames, paintings drawn on canvases, and sculptures placed on the floor. It was quite a challenge just finding the candidates.

Then, we were on our way to tour the museum.
(Most of the artists' names have escaped me, sorry. I've tried my best to recall and credit the pieces below.)


Very interesting frame, but not quite my favorite.

One of the few pieces by Piet Mondrian.



No photography allowed in a few main exhibits.

Some art are open for interpretation.

Caught the man off guard.

Some of them are huge.

This one's two and a half Michelle in height.

Some influential.


Some suitable for spectacular backdrops.

by Gene Davis.


by Kenneth Noland.

Some are textured.


...and made me want to touch it.

(This is the best hand I've drawn in years.)

This is also art, but often time be used as a bridge that connects us to the 5th floor of MoMA.





...where Michelle shall accomplish her mission.




Bright headphones.

"Sit outside in the SFMoMA Rooftop Garden for six minutes with your eyes closed. What did you observe?"

While she was observing, I did so, too:








"Back View"

by Philip Guston.

This is one of my favorites. By Sherrie Levine, who's an appropriation artists."Appropriation can be understood as 'the use of borrowed elements in the creation of a new work.'"

The palette of each piece is based on a famous painting by the European artists corresponding to its title. A painting restorer mixed paint and apply it in a single coat on a mahogany panel, effectively enabling Levine to make her own monochromatic paintings in that color.

Here's my favorite frame:


"Handtools" the title.


Finally, to wrap up the tour, we swung by the Museum Store for creative goodies.



Courtesy of Vince Avallone.

..and look what we found:


'til next time,
-Benson|| Twitter || Facebook || 365. || Shop of Imagination ||

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