Watching TV and writing this article - click for larger view

I know this isn’t all about photography, but it was too cool not to write about.  So….what am I talking about?  When you make a computer the brains of your home entertainment center all kinds of new possibilities and sharing across the house happen.

Here are some of the cool things:

• Virtually unlimited TV-recording capabilities
• Sharing movies, music, and photos throughout the whole house
• Web-browsing on your TV
• Getting free online content on your TV
• Playing computer games on your TV
• Backing up your CD/DVD/BluRay/whatever library
• Watching movies on your iPhone, iPod, or iPad
• Streaming TV Recordings to your XBOX 360
• And much, much, much more

What you need for a Mac build:

• Computer (the Mac Mini is perfect for this)
• LCD or Plasma HD TV – something that works well with a computer
• EyeTV – best for Mac
• Wireless Network for sharing
  

  Home Entertainment Setup with Mac Mini – click to see larger

I did this because I am a geek was inspired by my piece of junk Cox Communications-severly-limited DVR box.  If Cox allowed all those USB ports to work, I would have just plugged in some external harddrives.  But they don’t so I went searching for another way to expand the recording space on my DVR.  I also wanted to stream recordings to my bedroom TV.

What I wasn’t expecting is how fantastic some programs are for streaming online content (TV Shows & Movies) that has really made this whole project really incredible!  Between Hulu, NetFlix, Boxee, and online streaming News I am wondering why I continue to pay for cable.

I am writing this article on my TV, with CNN playing through EyeTV and Young Guns recording in the background while also chatting with a buddy on facebook, and fielding emails from work.

The process:

Why Mac?  It is just easy.  Nothing more needs to be said, but if you want to read more on my switch to Mac, check out Making a Mac work in a Car Dealership.

I first checked out my favorite blogs and forums:  TUAW and MacRumors to get some insight on how to set things up.  The best article is on TUAW:  Ultimate Mac mini HTPC Guide.

I strongly suggest researching things a bit especially if you have a Cable Box or don’t have a HD TV.  I tried to do this with a projection HD TV and it just didn’t display things from the computer well – it showed TV and movies fine, but the computer programs were a pain.  You’re going to want to make sure your TV has enough Inputs for HDMI cables and your stereo system has the capability to play an audio signal coming from the TV.

I will cover the costs later.

Connecting to the TV - click to see larger

Setting things up:

In my case, I have a Cox DVR box, a Panasonic Home theater in a box, a XBOX 360, and the Mac Mini plugged into a Samsung LCD TV.  My TV has 4 HDMI inputs that are fully used now.  And I am only using one audio input from the Mac Mini (plugged in through the headphones output on the Mac Mini).

The Cable DVR Box:

I have this thing hooked up to the TV by HDMI when I just want to watch TV without turning on the computer – you know, traditional TV viewing.  Then I have the composite video (Red, Yellow, and White plugs) and S-Video plugs running to the EyeTV DVR box – this way I can watch regular TV while recording to the Cox DVR box and/or the EyeTV DVR box.  Yeah, that’s about every single plug in a Cox Motorolla DVR box.

Connecting the Mac Mini - click to see larger

The Mac Mini:

The EyeTV plugs directly into the Mini by USB.  The regular way you plug a computer into a computer monitor is the same way you plug the computer into a TV except I picked up a DVI to HDMI plug to use HD quality viewing.  The headphone output sends the audio signal to the TV and the TV sends it to the home theater sound system (quality is fine).  Then I have a OWC-provided Mini-stack 1TB harddrive that I record TV to.  It is hooked up by FireWire 800 so it is blazing fast and also works as another hub of USB and FieWire ports – very nice!

Home theater sound system:

This is unbelievably simple.  Since I used HDMI hook-ups for the XBOX and Cox DVR box the audio signals from those devices go straight into the TV.  And with the Mac Mini feeding directly into the TV too, all I had to do was run audio cable (red and white plugs) straight into the home theater audio-in inputs.  That is all that is being used.  However, my home-theater-in-a-box also plays DVD’s so I plugged an HDMI cable between the home theater and the TV.

The glue that brings everything together:

Logitech builds universal remote controls.  There are 3 that are really awesome, but the one I use is the Hamony One.  It is an expensive remote, but you can do almost anything with it.  It has something called “Activities” that are like “Watch TV”, “Play a DVD”, “Listen to Radio”, etc.  So, after a little programming in the Logitech remote setup program, you plop your butt down on the couch and just hit whichever activity you want to do.

Programs you’ll need on the Mac:

Streaming Online TV, Movies, and Radio

There is an argument amongst the Mac Home Entertainment people that involves two programs that will become your online-content-viewing-hub.  The debate is between whether to use Plex or Boxee….or even Apple’s Front Row (sucks in my opinion).  I use Boxee.  When you’re reading some older articles about the two, it sure sounds like Plex is better, but since I made this move, Boxee sure seems to tbe the winner.  Nothing is stopping you from having both, like I do.

Boxee TV shows list - click for larger view

Boxee is hooked into Netflix, Pandora, CNN, MLB, Clicker, MTV, etc.  Then it also has a great deal of other free content items like 24, The Office, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, The Simpsons, Southpark, etc.  When you start one of these TV shows you’re given the choice of which episode to watch and sometimes even which season.  Where is that on Cable?  Plex has the same, but I like the Boxee interface better for this part.  You can also get a ton of this through the Hulu Desktop (which is a fantastic program as well and works inside Boxee).

Backing up your DVD’s

Yeah, that’s right – you want to backup those DVD’s in your collection <wink wink>.  You know, just in case they get scratched.  The neat part about “backing up” your DVD’s is that you *could* stream them from your harddrive to other devices in your house (office computer, bedroom TV, XBOX, iPhone, etc.).  Of course, it is illegal to distribute your “back ups” to other people.  But since they’re your copies, you can use them on your devices.  You’ll need a program called Handbrake to do it on the Mac.  It is very simple to use – you just pop a DVD into your Mac, tell Handbrake the recording quality you want, and let it rip!

Getting your recordings to other devices

Thank you Roxio!  They have a fantastic set of programs called Toast and Crunch/Popcorn for turning the things you record off of EyeTV (will get to that in a minute) into files that can be viewed on other computers, game stations, or iPods.  Toast lets you do it and Crunch or Popcorn can help you compress it into a smaller file (especially if you want to take something on the road with your iPod/iPhone/Touch).

Streaming

Getting ready to watch the Daily Show on Boxee - click for larger view

Now that you’ve “backed up” your DVD’s, “Toasted” some TV recordings, and have some good stuff sitting on the harddrive, now it is time to make sure you can get this stuff in other rooms of the house.  You need a wifi network.  I’m going to assume you’ve already got one, so let’s talk about some of the ways you can expand it with Apple products (because that’s what I use).  First off, you’ve got your wireless router, and in my case, that is an Apple 1TB Time Capsule.  That communicates with an Apple Airport Express (Draft N version) to help keep a clear and full wifi signal throughout my whole house (walls are such a pain for wifi).

I still have a PC for playing games.  That sits in my home office and is connected via ethernet cable directly into the Time Capsule.  It is on the network and I have given it access to specific folders on my Mac Mini (don’t want a stupid PC Virus spreading to my clean Macs).  My MacBook Pro shares folders with the Mac Mini and they also share harddrive space on the 1TB Time Capsule, a 1TB Western Digital Worldbook, and an older 500GB Western Digital external harddrive.  Yes, I keep a lot of digital files – mainly RAW photograph files that take up tons of room.

In my bedroom I have an XBOX 360 hooked up to the wifi network and wirelessly connecting to the Mac Mini with Connect360.  This way I can stream content from the Mac Mini to the XBOX.

So, I stream content to a XBOX 360 in the bedroom, a MacBook Pro just about anywhere in the hosue, an iPod Touch & iPhone around the house, and a Windows 7 PC in my home office.  Yeah, it is overkill and the one that gets the most use is watching recorded TV in my bedroom through the XBOX.

Think about listening to your entire iTunes library throughout the house while having your photographs act as a screen saver on your TV’s – cool way to setup for a party.

EyeTV 250 Plus DVR box - click to see larger

EyeTV

This is a very small PVR….or as marketing calls it – a DVR.  It does the exact same thing your Cox Cable DVR box does except it records to your computer….thus giving you unlimited recording space as long as you have enough harddrive room.  EyeTV comes with fantastic software and can work with multiple TV-to-Computer input hardwares.  It also works directly with Toast!  It comes with a remote, so you can program your Logitech Harmony One remote to control EyeTV just like it controls everything else.

Check out EyeTV at http://www.elgato.com – I use the 250 Plus, but would have gotten the Hybrid instead to save a little money since I’m using a newer Intel Mac Mini.

Other stuff

SwitchResX is a nice little plug-in to your system preferences that allow a ton more control of your TV’s resolution.  It also has profiles that can be set up so you can have certain programs push specific resolutions.  For example:  websites and email at 10 feet away on a 55″ TV screen have really small text at 1080p (1920 x 1080), so when you launch FireFox or Mail SwitchResX can change your resolution to something smaller (1360 x 768 in my case) so you can read stuff easier.  But when you’re done checking a website out or reading your email, then you can go back to watching TV or streaming content at 1080p resolution for the best picture quality.

Air Mouse Pro is awesome if you have an iPhone or iPod Touch.  This little app lets you control your computer from your iPhone when both the iPhone and the computer are on the same wifi network (which you would be at the house).  With this app you can use your iPhone as a mouse, a keyboard, a remote, or even a program launcher – VERY COOL!  I actually use this at work during presentations – it blows peoples’ minds.

Perian is another plug-in for your system preferences that adds all kinds of different video playback codes.  With Perian there really isn’t a video you can’t play on a Mac.  It is actually a plug-in for QuickTime.

Flip4Mac is recommended by Microsoft for Mac users.  It simply allows WMV files to play in QuickTime.

Mac Mini and Harddrive are very small - click for larger view

The Costs:

If you’ve read everything this far, then here’s where I kick you in the teeth.  This is not an inexpensive setup.

$600 – $800 Mac Mini:  you don’t need a whole lot here.  Video playback does not take a lot of processing power or RAM.  I suggest the mid-range or bottom of the line Mac Mini in the Apple store.  The only thing you’ll be looking for down the road is more harddrive space and you do that through external harddrives.

Free – $300 Keyboard & Mouse: you probably have a keyboard and mouse laying around that you can use for setting the Mac Mini up with.  If you want to keep things nice looking and run on Bluetooth or whatever, then you might get into a little expense here.  You can go to the extreme and get some of the really killer options Logitech has for integrated mouse & keyboards, or go the route I did and just pick up an Apple Magic Mouse and Apple Wireless Keyboard.

Resources my Mac Mini is using with FireFox, Mail, TV, Handbrake, and others - click for larger view

Free – $2,000 Remote Control optional:  If you aren’t the lazy fool I am, then you can bypass the remote entirely.  Just use the keyboard and mouse and your old remotes.  But if you just want to plop on the couch or just be really technology-cool, then check out the universal remotes Logitech offers.  They can get really pricey.  I found my Harmony One about 2 years ago at Circuit City for $170.

$80 – $200 EyeTV:  just depends on which model you buy and where you buy it from.  Other World Computing had the best deals when I bought mine.

$50-$60,000 Harddrives optional:  Yeah, you read that right – $60,000 and I was just capping it somewhere.  It is truly unlimited because you can go nuts.  For a home system you don’t need a server farm for harddrive space, but a nice 1TB drive is good (what I use).  I wanted faster connections (FireWire 800), more USB ports, a 7,200 RPM drive, and something that fit with the Mac Mini so I went all out for a whopping $200 on a ministack v3 1TB drive.

14 Euros or $18 SwitchResX optional:  If you find the need to use this wonderful plug-in then Stéphane Madrau would like you to donate 14 Euros to the cause.  It is free to try for 10 days.

$0.99 to $4.99 Air Mouse Pro optional: you find this in the Apple App Store.  Right now it is on sale for $0.99.

FREE – that’s the cost of everything else I’ve mentioned in this article….except for a TV if you don’t have it, an iPod/iPhone if you don’t have it or any streaming devices like XBOX’s or Apple TV’s.  But all that is something entirely different for the purpose of this article.

Summary:

When you read something like this you either think “COOL!!!!” or “What a waste of money – Alex you’re nuts” and I agree with either reaction you have.  I cannot say that this filled any need whatsoever.  I can say that it has made my TV viewing, multitasking, and appetite for more content that much stronger.

How about this thought on the cost side: a TV bill, whether it is satellite, cable, or whatever is not cheap for anything beyond the basic channels.  Mine is roughly $150 a month.  I don’t know how it got that high, but I just looked at the bill and it is…..holy crap there are a ton of extra BS charges on there.  Anyway, there is enough online content to fill just about any TV addiction.  If I were to cancel cable, then I could pay for my entire setup within 8 months.  After 8 months, I’m saving $150 a month.  Chew on that thought.  That also makes me wonder what the future of the TV, satellite, and cable companies really is!

Sunset at Playa Hermosa

Since my first trip to Costa Rica, in 1995, I have always been struck by the magic of the country as soon as my feet come off the airplane.  Although it is a very different place than it was in the 90s, it is still one of my favorite spots on earth.  Today, most of the roads are paved and you no longer need to judge distance driven in flat tires.  Unfortunately, fast food restaurants let you know quickly that the modern world is encroaching, but there are still areas around Arenal, Monte Verde, and the Northern Guanacaste Coast that are mostly unspoiled.

Don’t get me wrong, it may not be the same, but I’m still going back again….and again!

We landed in San Jose on a Friday.  Due to the economy and that fact that we were there the week before Christmas there weren’t many tourists.  This played to our advantage the entire trip.  There is nothing better than short waits because Ticos (slang for Costa Rican) have a tendency to not move as quickly as Americans.  Picking up the Mitsubishi Montero rental from Adobe Rental Car was easy, and I got to experience my first time driving through this country.  Yeah, it is very different than the US – bumpier, slower (max speed is 80 KPH = about 59 MPH), and traffic laws are more of a suggestion.  To borrow a phrase from my dad:  time is merely a suggestion too.

Arenal Volcano from the Hanging Bridges

First stop was the Hotel Nayara in Arenal.  In the past I’ve stayed at the Arenal Observatory, but Nayara is a much nicer place to stay.  It doesn’t have the same view of the volcano the Observatory has, but still a nice one!  Arenal houses an active volcano that makes thunderous sounds quite often.  Unfortunately, on this trip, we did not get to see the summit or any of the eruptions due to cloud coverage, but we did get to see some boulders slide while having lunch at the Observatory.

Waterfall at the Arenal Observatory

Of course, while in Arenal, one must visit the hot springs.  There are two:  Baldi and Tabacon.  I’m a big Tabacon fan.  This was another place where the light tourist load seriously played to our advantage.  We basically had each hotspring to ourselves and easily found seats at the pool bar for Imperials and Pina Coladas.  I won’t get into too many details about Tabacon, other than to say you have to go.  And go after 6:00 PM.  This is one of those things you’ve got to do before you die.

Visiting the hotsprings was absolutely essential after all the hiking we did.  We hit the hanging bridges, the Observatory paths, and then decided to trek to a waterfall (pictured).

After Arenal, we hopped in the car for about 4 hours to go roughly 20 miles to Monte Verde.  Monte Verde is higher in the mountains and splat in the middle of the cloud forest.  It is constantly raining or misting with a steady wind.  The winds can get so strong we’d call them tropical storm level in Virginia Beach.  There, it is just normal.  Monte Verde reminds me a lot of the original Costa Rica I met in 1995.  The roads are all dirt (mud in this case) and everything is far less expensive.  While there we went zip-lining between mountain tops.  Some of the lines were so long and high, the only thing I can compare them to is sky diving.

View from the side of the road leaving Monte Verde

The forest is beautiful.  It is technically jungle, but not you like you think.  It is more like a forest with incredibly large trees.  If I ever go back to Monte Verde I will take rain gear and hiking boots, and spend much more time on the trails.  I didn’t take many photos because it was so wet.  I only took one camera body and didn’t want to chance destroying it.

Monte Verde is where a lot of coffee comes from.  There are coffee plants everywhere.

I almost forgot to mention that the first time we got really lost was on the way to Monte Verde.  And lost doesn’t even explain how remote and dangerous the road we ended up on was.  It was by far the craziest road I’ve ever been on.  4 Wheel drive was a must!  When a farmer ran into us all he could say was “Muy Mal” over and over again….yeah, we were pretty damn lost.

We got lost a second time on the way out of Monte Verde.  We were given completely different directions back to Highway 1 which was actually one very cool scenic drive.  We ended up at a ranch before finding our way back to a road we needed to be on.  It wasn’t nearly as adventurous as our first time getting lost, but definitely a fun experience as well.

Sunset at Playa Hermosa from the water

Playa Hermosa was the final stop on our trip, and the place we spent the most time.  On all of my past trips I’ve gone to Tamarindo, but it is getting way too touristy to visit anymore.  Playa Hermosa was the perfect retreat away to the Costa Rica I originally knew.  It is a beach about the size of Croatan, in Virginia Beach, but curved and flanked by mountains.  Tuna and Mahi Mahi are everywhere – you could almost drop a net and have dinner within 30 seconds.  Aside from all the fish, I saw more animals around Playa Hermosa than every single Costa Rica trip I’ve ever been on!  I’ll post photos of the animals later.

There aren’t any waves at Hermosa, but for about $40-$70 you can get a boat to take you on a 45 minute ride to Ollie’s Point or Witch’s Rock.  On top of that, Playa Hermosa is only about a 20 minute drive to the airport at Liberia.  On my next Costa Rican surf trip, I think I might go back to Playa Hermosa and just catch a boat ride to waves.

We did hop on a sail boat for a sunset cruise around the bay.  It is beautiful:

Monkey Head at Playa Hermosa from the water

Night at Playa Hermosa with a New Moon

You can find more photos from the trip in my December 2009 Costa Rica Gallery.

Yep, this is going to be a long story…

I am supposed to be sitting on the beach in Cancun right now, but instead, I’m back at my computer in Virginia Beach.  All is not lost though, I’m booked to fly back into Mexico tomorrow.  But anyway, here’s the story:

I won a trip for a guest and myself to vacation in Cancun for a week.  My guest, an old girlfriend who is a permanent US resident from Bolivia (been here longer than there), was traveling on a Bolivian passport.  Before even putting her name on the list we checked to see what was needed for a Bolivian to enter Mexico, and the response we got was “nothing other than a US citizen – just the passport.”  I was told that by US Airways, and so was the travel agency the trip was booked through.  No worries – let’s roll!  The night before leaving she realized her Green Card was sitting on her desk back at her house in Washington DC.  We knew she’d need that to get back into the States, so we got one of her roommates to FedEx it down to the hotel in Cancun.  We stuck to the itinerary and left Norfolk, VA for Philadelphia, PA (layover).  Once in Philly we were asked to show our passports 3 times (they’re a mess there) and we also had to show it in Norfolk – every time asking the US Airways staff if the Bolivian Passport was okay.  Also while in Philly, we wanted to make absolutely sure, one last time, that she would be okay to enter Mexico, so we went to US Airways Special Services and were told again “she only needs her passport.”  Feeling pretty confident, we got on the plane for Cancun.

After waiting through the Mexican immigration lines that make traffic on 95, in DC, look fast we ended up with Senor Napolean Complex; who just so happened to be the supervising officer on duty.  It was like he had been waiting all day for someone he could be a prick to and found us to be those someones.  He detained us in a back office and decided to berate us about how America sends Mexicans home all the time and that seemed to be the basis for his reasoning.  His subordinates were begging him to let us enter, but he was dead-set in his decision.  I offered to pay any fees and even have us detained to the hotel until something could be figured out.  He would not allow us to make any calls and refused to call the US Embassy or Consulate stating “you American’s do this to us all the time.”  In the end he said a Green Card from the United States would grant her access to Mexico.

So, to make matters even crazier, Senor Napolean Complex made a plane, that was getting ready to take off, taxi back to a gate and escorted us onto the plane.  Needless to say, we were not welcomed too well on the plane until people heard the story.

When we arrived in Charlotte, NC we were put in holding so US Customs could verify identification.  They were super friendly, and even waived all fees in sympathy to the situation (there was supposed to be a $500+ fine for not having a Green Card).  They also said a Green Card was not needed to enter Mexico, after they checked entry-necessities for foreign countries in the worldwide travel database.  US Customs said Senor Napolean Complex had a “stick up his ass” and was out of line.

Due to the lateness of the whole ordeal, we were put in a hotel over night and on a flight back to Norfolk at 9:30 AM the next morning.  US Airways was seriously apologetic, but couldn’t offer any financial recourse because customer service is closed on the weekends.  Our travel agency has already filed a complaint and I’m about to launch my pitt bull side at them first thing Monday morning.  US Airways was also fined $10,000 for allowing us to leave the United States without “proper documentation.”

As for now, we’re working on arrangements to get the Green Card from FedEx (already under a “stop shipment”) and another flight back to Cancun tomorrow.  We’re hitting the road up to DC in a little while….where we will also be flying back to Cancun from.

Needless to say, we’re on a Mission from God.

Hopefully my next posting will be from Cancun…

It is a stitching software that can take hundreds of photos and find the common parts of the photo to link the images for display as an interactive collage.  Basically, you find something you want to shoot photos of – let’s use a car for an example.  Take a photo of the whole car, the hood, the doors, the tires, underneath, the roof, the trunk, etc. then upload to Photosynth.  Photosynth finds the common threads in each image and creates a “walk around” of the car.  Maybe that description is still too vague.  You’ll have to check it out yourself:  http://photosynth.net*

*requires installation and works best in Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Example of a slew of images for Photosynth to sync

Screen Shot of the Sphinx on Photosynth - 232 images went into this synth

Imagine what this technology will be able to do for online product displays – full camera and lens views on B&H’s website, full walk-arounds on cars at Checkered Flag.com, or see an interactive tour of your next house.

He won a contest to be on the National Geographic Endeavour with us to South Georgia and also won a trip to see the Polar Bears in the Arctic. He’s won over $200,000 this year alone and other little things like cars. Joel is my hero of 2008! The dude is funny as hell to boot.

While we were on South Georgia he received word that the New York Times wrote about his crazy profession. I think we had most breakfasts together and he’d come to the table with another crazy thing like: “I got an email from another late night show – they want me to come on next week. But I’m holding out for Conan O’Brien.” I guess he eventually caved and settled for that second-rate guy Jay Leno:

Here is the Doritos video he did while we were at Fortuna Bay.

Yes – we were all laughing at him for running around with a complete Penguin suit! Visit HappyJoel.com for more stuff.

Rikki and Jack Swenson talked me into bringing my 300mm f2.8L IS lens, and I knew I wanted to bring 2 camera bodies.  This was the foundation for what bag I was going to pack things into and build off of.

Shooting King Penguins at Salisbury Plain with a Canon

Camera Bodies

I took a Canon 1DMKII, a Canon 1Ds, and a Canon SD550 Point & Shoot.  The 1DMKII got most of the use as the 1Ds sucked more battery down when we got into the freezing temperatures.  I used the 1DMKII on every excursion and loved it!  I only had to change batteries once per 1,000+ image excursion.  The 1Ds stayed on the boat and served as a fantastic body for shooting landscapes from the ship with a 70-200mm lens (the 1Ds is full frame).  My better landscapes were shot with the 1Ds.

The 1DMKII’s shutter started to hang at the end of the trip.  I assume it got some salt water in it from shooting on the deck of the ship and not using a weather-sealed lens.  This was the only camera mishap of the entire trip.

I highly recommend taking two camera bodies at a minimum.  Not only for backup purposes, but there are times you’ll want to have one camera with a long lens attached and another camera with a wider lens on.  Yes, there are plenty of opportunities that warrant running around with two cameras.

Take a small point and shoot as well.  I liked having it in my pocket while we were on planes and buses.

Lenses

I took the 3 lenses that are my mainstay arsenal:  Canon 24-105mm f4L IS, Canon 70-200mm f2.8L IS, and the Canon 300mm f2.8L IS plus 1.4 & 2.0x teleconverters.  I never once felt my range was not wide or long enough.  300mm, in my opinion, is the perfect length for many shots on South Georgia.  I seldomly used the 1.4x TC and never used the 2.0x TC.  The 24-105mm didn’t get as much use as I thought it would.  When I go back (notice I didn’t say “if”) I will use a wide lens more often.  Most landscapes were shot from the boat with the 70-200mm on the 1Ds while on-shore excursions were mainly reserved for telephoto time with the animals.

Bags

Take 2 gallon plastic bags.  They sure are handy for peace of mind when you individually place each piece of camera gear into its own bag and then put it inside your camera bag.  Also have a roll of duct tape in case it starts to rain so you can put bags together as rain covers….or take a specific rain cover with you.  The plastic bags pack small and have numerous uses.

I took a thinkTANK Airport Acceleration which was incredible!  thinkTANK is the Gitzo of camera bags.  Everything fit and even when I had to check it (long, bad story) I wasn’t too concerned.  The internal padding is fantastic and I had no issues.  In fact, I voluntarily checked it on the way back home.  It went through one nasty, and sudden, storm on Sea Lion Island in the Falklands where we had rain, sleet, snow and hail all in the same hour.  I got caught in the storm about a mile or two from any cover.  I managed to find a sand dune to duck behind while the rain was sideways where I could pack my gear a little better.  The rain cover did its job, but the outside of the bag got a bit wet while I was using the rain cover to protect a camera and lens.  No water got through.

I didn’t realize how many short excursions we’d take where the big backpack was just too much.  I picked up a Tamrac Velocity 9x while in Santiago.  It was the only camera bag around that was big enough to hold what I needed it to hold.  I’m not a fan of sling bags when carrying over 10lbs of gear because the shoulder strap digs into your shoulder after a while.  It got the job done though.  I have a full bag solution that should alleviate all future trips like this – works just like keeping warm:  layers…explanation in the conclusion.

Batteries

Yep, this is definitely something to put some thought into.  If you’ve never used more than 2 batteries in a day of shooting, take 4.  I took 5 and used all 5 up more than once.  It isn’t because the cameras are sucking power, it is because there will be days when you’re rushing back to the zodiac to be the last on the ship, grabbing a 2 minute shower, running to dinner, then getting back to your room with zero energy and crashing.  Recharging camera batteries becomes a low priority when you need to recharge your own body.

When we crossed the Antarctic Converge the temperatures dropped substantially.  You’ll want an extra battery or two close to your body, so think about having a jacket with pockets that will allow you to comfortably carry extra batteries….and a hat….and gloves….and a gaiter…..and anything that will help keep you warm too.

I experienced premature battery drain due to cold, but upon warming the battery back up the charge was back.  This happened often and other passengers went through this as well.

Memory

I took 32GB’s worth of memory cards.  Between an 8 megapixel camera and a 11.1 megapixel camera this was overkill.  When I used a shipmate’s Canon 50D (15 mega pixels) I went through an 8GB card like it was a glass of water.  One passenger only brought a single 8GB card for her 1DsMKIII (21.1 mega pixels) and was having to be very cautious not to get too carried away.  I lent a memory card from time to time because people didn’t have enough or forgot to offload a card from the day before (happened a lot).

Before this trip the most I ever shot was 14GB’s in a day.  I was averaging that on this trip.  I think 20GB’s would have been the right number for the cameras I had, but when I upgrade it will not be enough.  You want to have enough room to shoot at least 2,000 photos per day (or 1,000 photos per excursion).  Do the math on what that equates to on your camera.

Other Accessories

I took my 430ex flash and used it once.  I just forgot about it.  I would have liked to have used it more often, and will next time.  I also took a Better Beamer, but I never used it because I was so worried it was going to blow off.  Wind is a huge factor in that part of the world.

I used my tripod often.  It is just as important as a lens.  However, some of the pros with Nikon D3 bodies didn’t take tripods and compensated with high ISO.  I don’t think I can give up the creative motion shots that just can’t be done without a tripod.  I plan to buy a smaller Gitzo travel tripod and will probably take a monopod for shooting off the ship next time.  When shooting whales and Wandering Albatross (special instances) off the ship, the weight of a super telephoto starts to wear your arm down after a few minutes.  Imagine holding almost 10lbs of camera and lens to your eye for 30 minutes straight – no thank you….not doing that again!

I bought some really nice and compact binoculars and only used them to look out the window of my cabin.  Any other time I had my camera with me, so I didn’t need them.  If you’ve got a camera with a telephoto lens, don’t take the binoculars.

What will I do differently – a few things!

I am actually planning on changing a lot of things with my current gear lineup.  First off, I am completely sold on more mega pixels, lighter weight, higher ISO performance, bigger screens and the new Canon image sensors.  I think I am going to pick up a Canon 50D and Canon 5DMKII.  I will miss the 45-point focusing of the 1 Series and 8 FPS, but I won’t miss the weight, battery charger, or batteries that come with it.  Besides, I haven’t used the full 45 point auto focus in over a year.  I have better results shooting with a single point.  Now that I’m post processing on a real computer, I’m finding I want bigger prints.  Without up-sizing, I can print up to 16 x 24 inches off the 1DMKII images at 240 DPI.  The 50D can get over 30 inches at 300 DPI right out of the camera.  Carrying 40lbs of gear around gets old after a few hours.  I want to lighten the load.  So, moving to smaller cameras makes more sense….financially as well!

I mentioned earlier that I have an idea for bags.  Yep, I plan to use a LowePro Flipside 300 for short trips with only a single camera body and two lenses and then get a thinkTANK Glass Taxi if I ever get the Canon 500mm f4L IS I want.  I’ll pair these bags with the thinkTANK Belly Dancer and a modular system around my waist.  This is a better distribution of the weight and can be attached to a single backpack to act as a carry-on item.  If the airlines starts to give you hell about the weight or size, then you take it apart, put the belt on your body, then put the lenses on the belt so it is technically like “clothing”….no rules for that!  This modular system also makes it so you don’t have to put your gear on the ground.  In South Georgia there is a lot of wind and changing lenses can get somewhat harry.  On top of that, you can change lenses, batteries, cards, flashes, filters faster!

With the smaller gear and modular bag system, the only other thing I’d get is a dry bag.  Something to put everything into if the weather turns.  The dry bag would have to be somewhat small and attach to the outside of either the Flipside or Glass Taxi.

It isn’t a trip for everyone, and whether this expedition speaks to you or not is an argument on to itself.

Cons:

Out of 21 days on vacation from work only 9 were actually spent on location. The rest were all days spent trying to get somewhere.
South Georgia can only be visited by boat. There is nowhere to land a plane and it is too far to fly by helicopter and return. The Southern Ocean is the most treacherous and rough sea on the planet. Can you imagine being sea sick for days?
If you’re someone who has to be around other people don’t take this trip. This is solitude like you’ve never experienced before.
It is frickin’ freezing!
It is very expensive.

Pros:

Solitude – it is amazing to truly find quiet on the ocean. Just the sounds of the wind and waves are very peaceful. No cars, no planes, no phones – just nature.
You’ll meet interesting people who are either on permanent holiday or have a talent that lands them in exotic areas to share with others.
South Georgia is the end of the world and to visit it is to have a memory of a place and prehistoric time that is shared with a minority of people (more people visit Antarctica itself than visit South Georgia).
There are no land-based predators (like the Galapagos), so animals have little fear of humans on land. If you sit down and have patience animals will walk right up to you.
Scenery, sounds, and smells cannot be mimicked.

If a man has experiences the inexpressible, he is under no obligation to express it.

Some folks could care less about other places of the world. Some folks think of a vacation as sitting by a pool with a drink in hand. Most folks cannot comprehend things they did not see with their own eyes, and I feel sorry for them.

It is difficult to put South Georgia into words. It is still a memory that is as thick and wrapping as a parka. It is impossible to explain it in 5 minutes or less. I will be back there again. If I can’t visit it on my feet, then I want my ashes scattered on it when I die.

If you want to talk about South Georgia, the Falklands, the Southern Ocean/Scotia Sea, Santiago, Ushuaia or anywhere else I was on this trip, I’m happy to answer direct questions.

Here are some of my favorite photos (click on them for larger views):

Salisbury Plain on South Georgia is one of the largest King Penguin colonies on the planet (about 200,000 nesting pairs) and is surrounded by 2 glaciers. This photo was shot when the sun just broke over the horizon and is a tiny part of the whole colony (the main part of the colony is to the right of this image).

How are the kids? Did you see the size of that fish - yeah, look at your gut!

"Skipping Ducks" as we named them during this trip. These are Gentoo Penguins porpoising to shore at Cooper Bay.

Glamor Shot!

A group of King Penguins lined-up by the water trying to work up the courage to go in. These are some funny birds to watch because they are made for the sea, but they're so scared of actually going into it. These guys were in Fortuna Bay and probably had Leopard Seals on the brain.

Gentoo Penguin trying to walk over kelp at Prion Island.

This is the "All in One" shot. We have Gentoo Penguins running in front of an iceberg, in front of the ship, with an albatross flying in front of the ship and elephant seals laying on the beach behind them. In the fog you can almost make out the base of some mountains.

Makes me want a Pina Colada.

My favorite penguin, the Rockhopper, has the most personality of all the animals I saw. I could spend days just watching these guys find mates, build nests, go to and from the sea, seek approval, show-boat, fight with their neighbors and everything else these little guys do. They're too funny! This guy was calling for a mate on Bleaker Island in the Falklands.

I have better images of Fur Seals, but I like this big bull male just looking peaceful while basking in the sun at Prion Island.

Get you own slew of women!

Two different fights at Gold Harbor. These Elephant Seals were everywhere on this beach. Every time you put your eye in your camera's viewfinder you were taking a big risk of being steam-rolled by one of these 4 ton beasts. If you couldn't keep both eyes going in 360 degree views one of these suckers could be flopping to steal a mate, flopping to fight the beachmaster for territorial control, or trying to run away from a whooping by the beachmaster. In the latter case, humans are just a speed bump.

First glimpse of South Georgia rolling out of the fog and clouds.

Light breaks through on a snowy morning at Stromness.

Ice worlds float by.

Sunset in iceberg alley (between Cooper Bay and Drygalski Fjord)

Gray Headed Albatross at Elsehul.

Light-Mantled Sooty Albatross over Prion Island in their mating flight.

Black-browed Albatross showing some love on New Island in the Falklands.

Skua taking a bath at Stromness.

Blue-Eyed Shag looking for a mate in Ushuaia. He sure poops a lot!

Some Sheath Bills stopped by the ship at Gold Harbor to see if I was dead because they were hungry. This is a nasty bird that I was determined to get a "cute" shot of. I actually have a few.

The obligatory adult King amongst the chicks image. King Penguin chicks were named "Oakum Boys" by the early whalers and sealers because they looked like the young boys who filled cracks on ships with tar and horsehair. At the end of the day these young boys were covered in "fur'.

More photos can be found at:  http://axspot.com or click here to go directly to the “Race to Breed on South Georgia & the Falklands (early season Antarctica 2008)” gallery.

This will also be the last Antarctic season for the Endeavour as she is going to live in the Galapagos.  I think I should go make her home again

The Antarctic will be cruised by the new National Geographic Explorer (not to be confused with the Explorer that just sank here last year).  It sounds like a much more plush ship with a lot of things more suited to the modern world….like more power outlets and space designed specifically for laptops.  I would not mind making a home on her as well.

As is typical of the last day at sea, we had the Captain’s farewell dinner.  It was very nice.  Afterward we all congregated in the lounge to view slideshows from other shipmates.  There is some serious talent on this boat right now!  I hope we all keep in touch over the years.

I’m definitely torn on leaving – imagine torn like this:

Bull Elephant Seals duking it out at Gold Harbor

But sometimes you have to head back home:

King Penguins heading back to sea at Grytviken

And get back to work:

King Penguin feeding her Oakum Boy

Even when it sucks to leave:

King Penguin at Salisbury Plain

I’ll be taking off soon.

Giant Petral taking off at Prion Island

See you all States-side in a few days.

• Make port at Stanley, the capital of the Falklands
• Visit Gypsy Cove for our last time with wildlife
• Walk around Stanley and have a pint
• Disembark for Ushuaia

We’re only one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time now, so I’m waking up at a normal time again – on my own clock. I was having some issues being 3 hours ahead. Sadly, the reality that this trip is coming to end is beginning to sink-in. I’ve met some great people here and hope to keep in touch for years to come.

It isn’t over just yet, so here’s the update on today’s activities.

After docking at Stanley (in the Falkland Islands) we were on a bus to Gypsy Cove to photograph the white sand beaches with turquoise waters surrounded by yellow flowers and some more wildlife. We stopped by a major shipwreck on the way and my camera started-up a little slow. I thought that was strange and kept going.

Then we crawled back on the bus and headed for Gypsy Cove. It is a beautiful place that looks like it should be in the Caribbean. White sand beaches, yellow flowers everywhere, orange and yellow cliffs, and green water paint the scene. It is gorgeous! There are Magellanic Penguins, Night Herons, Geese, Brown-Eyed Shags, Dolphins, and numerous small birds around. Here are some images:

A gorgeous scene of a kelp goose sitting on the cliffs with white sand beaches in the distance

Continuous blue skies above for a Kelp Goose as he flies away

Fingers of the cliffs stretching into the green Falklands waters

Wait a minute? What’s wrong with these images? What the #@*%! Oh no, my camera has bit the dust. Something is wrong with the shutter. Major bummer.

One of my shipmates lent me her camera, so the day wasn’t lost. I can’t view any of those photos because they’re in a different format than my computer can currently read, so I’ll have to wait till I can download an update back in the States.

Fortunately, we’re mostly done with the photos for this trip aside from some things in Ushuaia. I do have another camera body, but it is struggling in these colder airs. I’ll do my best!

As for Stanley. It is home to about 2,400 people. It is very quiet and British. Fish and Chips make the staple meal and Land Rover Defenders are the means of getting to it. The people are very friendly, and all might be more British than the people who live in England. I could not live here, but I certainly would like to vacation here to make calls on the other islands of the Falklands.

Something is going on for Halloween tonight. We set sail at 4:00 PM (3:00 PM EST), so we’ll be celebrating Halloween at sea. Happy Halloween everyone!