Last weekend a bunch of us went on our first photogroffee session of 2009. Davin, Caroline, Dave, Jim and I headed out to Duncan to find the Kinsol Trestle. After a good number of misturns we finally managed to find the trestle down a gravel road in the woods. Amazingly, of all places, we saw the Google Maps Street View car driving there and taking photos. It's probably one of the last places you'd expect to find that vehicle, but there it was.

After a short 5 minute walk from our parking spot, we finally came across the impressive wooden and derelict trestle. The bridge is visibly falling apart and unusable. Apparently there are talks about either replacing or fixing it in the near future, but viewing it in its current state definitely made for some interesting photos, some of which you'll see below.

Before returning home, we stopped at the Whippletree Junction for lunch and some more photos of old and derelict artifacts. This area has a number of empty and abandoned antique stores, as well as a pathway through a field to a shanty and abandoned shack. The door to this old house was open so we went in for some creepy photos. The place was full of old furniture, cobwebs, a dead rat and who knows what else. Davin and Caroline checked out the upstairs, but I was too afraid to wander up there (because the staircase and upper floor looked like it was ready to collapse at any point). All in all we found quite a few old and crumbling focuses for our cameras that day. Below are a few of the photos I snapped from the excursion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've been listening to a lot of Mark Farina's Mushroom Jazz CDs lately, especially volumes 4, 5 and 6. So it should be no surprise that this month's Home with House episode is strongly influenced by those mixes. This episode is still strictly house music, but it definitely has a more chilled and loungy vibe to it. I've entitled episode 19 "Just Be" because of its laissez-faire mood and relaxed energy. I hope you enjoy the mellow groove.

Just Be tracklisting:

1. Joe Rizla - Donna Di Mondo (Dub Pass Mix)
2. Jon Cutler feat. E-man - It's Yours (Frankie Feliciano's Reconstruction Mix)
3. Tamara Wellons - Oh Well (Bahsonik Beats Mix)
4. Joey Youngman - My First Love (Original Mix)
5. Abstract Jazz Lounge 2 - Straight Magic (Wamdue Kids Jazz Mix)
6. Aya - Sean (Eric's 2WFU)
7. Oriental Funk Stew - Sweet Emotion (OFS Smooth Operation Mix)
8. Helskanki ft Bliss & Tihanna - Passers By (Ben Jam Funky Dub)
9. DJ Wady - Mozambu (Johnny Fiasco Mix)
10. Martello - U R The Reason (Disko Junkie Dub Mix)
11. Olivier Desmet & Oriental Funk Stew - Hot On Your Trail (Frequent Fliers Remix)
12. Rasmus Faber feat. Linda Sundblad - Always (Rasmus Faber Remix)
13. Aruba - Summer Vibe (Original Mix)

Moving forward with my independent video game development, I've recently spent a decent amount of time researching different game engines. It didn't take me long to find and become impressed with the Unity3D game engine. This fully customizable 3D engine makes it easy to prototype and development small independent games, and it also offers a bevy of features you'd expect to see in any fully advanced 3D engine. It's really easy to write scripts and code for with multiple languages available, and the asset pipeline is quite streamlined for artists. You can literally click "play" to test out your game running within the Unity3D editor and make changes on the fly. Not only that, but you can develop and build games with Unity3D for use in a web browser (similar to flash games), as a stand alone Windows or Mac game, or on the Wii or iPhone. Additionally, their "indie" license is extremely cheap (relative to other advanced game engines) which makes it an easy choice for a small developer like myself. Given all of this, it should be no surprise that I've chosen Unity3D as my next development platform.

Even after all the features listed above, the thing that impresses me most with Unity3D is its community. The Unity team is constantly adding and releasing new features to their engine, and their IRC channel and forums are full of helpful and experienced developers. Seeing the extensive and growing support for this community really makes it pleasant and comfortable to develop for. There are also a ton of tutorials and videos online to help newcomers learn the ropes of this fantastic engine. During the last few weeks I've been spending many of my evening and weekend hours reading and following tutorials, and I'm really excited to start working on a new game.

So expect to see many more Unity3D related blog posts in the future. I plan to provide updates as I progress, along with some playable embedded web demos as I continue to learn and develop with Unity3D. I have lots to learn with both Unity3D and other aspects of game development (such as improving my 3D modelling skills), but the relative ease of developing with Unity should mean fairly frequent updates.

Check out the Unity3D website for more info, including a list of current games that were developed with this engine.

It's been a really busy month, but I'm happy to release the new Home with House episode. As with most my mixes, this one is reflecting my current state of mind and general mood. This mix is deep and progressive with a smooth after taste. It reminds me a lot of the smooth and relaxed energy I get from green tea and so I've entitled this mix "Velvet Tea".

Velvet Tea tracklisting:

1. Office Gossip - Strangers (Original Mix)
2. Astrid Suryanto - Distant Bar (Dub Mix)
3. Furry Phreaks - All Over The World feat. Terra Deva (Charles Webster vs Pastaboys Mix)
4. Office Gossip - Say It (Original Mix)
5. Doman & Gooding - Pacific State (Afterlife Remix)
6. Julius Papp - Le Deep (Papp's 2008 Remix)
7. Rasmus Faber ft. Linda Sundblad - Always (Studio Apartment Tech Mix)
8. Code 718 - Equinox (Henrik Schwarz Remix)
9. Oriental Funk Stew - Sky High (Chuck Love Dub)
10. Da Funk - Sativa (Ross Couch Remix)
11. DJ Tatana - Soulmate (Dinka Remix)
12. Pan Pot - Faces feat. Vincenzo (Original Mix)

It's been two weeks since my last blog update, that's not very good at all. However, the lack of updates has not been because of a lack of content to post. I've actually been quite busy. This past week alone has included a surprise birthday party, Mother's Day events, the Canadian GDC in Vancouver, three days off work, and my actual birthday. And of course that provided me with well over 900 photos with my new camera. So I've been busy sorting through those to find valid posting material. And now I've finished that sorting, so I'm here providing a large update of photos.

As I mentioned, last Saturday Asuka threw me a surprise birthday party. I thought I was going to my parent's place for a birthday lunch and was pleasantly surprised to see all my friends and family waiting there. So we had a nice afternoon in the sun enjoying the back yard and patio with refreshments, snacks, croquet and good conversation. On Sunday, Mother's Day, we took my mom for lunch at her (and my) favourite local garden and tea house at Abkhazi Garden. On Tuesday I headed to Vancouver for the GDC and stayed at my sister's place. The following day I attended the conference at the new Vancouver Convention Centre next to Canada Place. The building and convention both provided for plenty of interesting photos, and so did the rest of this week's events. Check out some of my choice photo selections from the past week below:

The patio was a nice place to relax and talk with friends and family in the sunshine.
 

We had some good eats and some good drinks.
 

Those eats included some mini cupcakes that were quite enjoyed.
 

There were also some bees that were not so much enjoyed.
 

Some of the attendees included (from left to right) Asuka, my sister Ashley, Bay, Dee...
 

Caroline and Davin...
 

Steve and Davey...
 

And my mom.
 

There were plenty of cameras around besides mine (I'm expecting to see some photos posted by my friends soon).
 

Some of us played croquet.
 

For much of the time we played with our own rules.
 

Here's some more photos of people and fun...
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Mother's Day we went for lunch at Abkhazi Garden in Oak Bay.
 

The garden was full of vibrant colours.
 

We saw these two guys down in the pond.
 

These two ladies were seen around the garden area too.
 

There were tons of bright and photogenic flowers blooming.
 

Here are a bunch more photos from the day...
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I saw a few interesting boats during my ferry ride to Vancouver.
 

The GDC was hosted at the new Convention Centre built for the 2010 Olympics.
 

The new centre has some nice views across the bay.
 

The inside has some interesting views too.
 

The interior walls are made of wood and seem to be designed to look like stacked up piles of lumber with uneven ends.
 

Even the doors have the lumber-end design.
 

The centre has a nice view of Canada Place which is right next door.
 

Here are some more shots of the new Convention Centre...
 

 

 

 

I also attended the Canadian GDC while at the Convention Centre.
 

I listened to some talks by industry professionals like Dr. Greg Zeschuk and Dr. Ray Muzyka from Bioware, the guys behind the Baldur's Gate games, Mass Effect and the upcoming Dragon's Age (among others).
 

My favourite talk was about indie game development by Jamie Chang, the young CEO of Klei Entertainment.
 

I also saw some Video Game "celebrities" such as Victor Lucas (second from left), the host of the Electric Playground TV show.
 

I saw some demos of upcoming new games too, like the Wii's new Punch Out game.
 

The convention and trip in general gave me much inspiration and many ideas to build on.
 

Next month I'm heading to Vancouver for the Canadian Game Developers Conference (GDC). This will be the first conference I've gone to on my own, paid for by myself and I'm really excited about it. I've been to a few programming and industry related conferences for my work in the past, but this will be the first time I'm going to one on my own accord. I've really enjoyed the experience of past conferences so it will be great to learn more about one of my passions. I've always been enthusiastic about games and have been tinkering with them for years. I'm sure my mom can recount many nights back when I was a teenager working late into the night hacking away at modding some computer game and waking her up with the sound of our 14.4 baud modem connecting to the internet. I haven't had the spare time to continue developing games lately, but it's about time I re-ignite that passion. So GDC here I come!

The conference is happening mid week right before my birthday on the 12th and 13th. So I'll be in Vancouver for two days and then back home for my birthday which I've booked off work. It's looking like a great week considering I have the GDC, my birthday and 3 days off work. There will be plenty of time and opportunities to snap some photos with my new camera too.

I'm stuck at home today, on this beautifully sunny day, doing some contract work. So I decided to make the most of it by working wirelessly from my laptop on the balcony. We have a pretty decent view from our condo, and we can even see the ocean and all the way to Port Angeles in the states on a clear day. It's great working outdoors on such a sunny day while my cat chases bugs around the balcony, but the sun glare on my monitor is terrible. It seems to glare no matter what I do (even if I cover the sides and top of the monitor). Any tips on how to improve that when you are out in the sun?

Asuka has been sick with a virus for the last few days so she's been stuck at home too. I went to pick up some stuff for her at the store today, so while I was out I also decided to pick up a MatchaChillo from Blenz for myself. I've probably mentioned how much I love these drinks in my blog before because I love anything flavoured with matcha. The relaxed energy the tea gives you is really nice too. So mixing matcha with ice cream on a hot day like today is bliss!

This weekend I went out on a few photography trips to try out some of the features of my new camera. On Friday Asuka and I went to the Lieutenant Governor's House here in Victoria and walked around the garden area. These grounds are often open to the public during daylight hours and occasionally there are tours of the interior as well. It was a nice afternoon and I got a few decent shots of flowers, pathways and other garden related subjects.

Then on Saturday I went with Steve and Dee to the Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary. The last time I visited this place I was probably 12 years old and on a school field trip. There is a nature house next to the lake with plenty of educational displays about nature and the native animals and plants of the area, which is great for class field trips. What I had forgotten about was all the nice trails and hiking paths in the area. It only takes about 40 minutes to walk around the small lake, although it took us a bit longer because we were stopping to take photos every so often. The trails include wooden walkways into the swampier areas and they even connect up with the Galloping Goose Trail if you want a lengthier hike. It's a beautiful place to see ducks and other birds (when they are around), but almost every direction of landscape looks like dry grassy fields or swampy brown marshes - not the greatest subjects for colourful photos.

Despite the rusty brown, gray and green template of the area I still managed to find an interesting photography theme of layers for many of my photos. Every time I looked through my camera viewfinder I could see horizontal layers. Whether it was green grass followed by brown grass followed by gray trees, or the dark lake water followed by green bushes and then the sky, there were always lines of colours. While the colours aren't the most exciting, the contrast between the layers still made for some interesting photo compositions. At the very least it gave me a theme and a good practice idea for lining up many of my shots.

The following pages contain a mix of my choice photos from both these trips. You'll notice that many of the Swan Lake shots contain layers of colour and texture either horizontally or vertically. But of course there are also other styles of photos, including some of people, inanimate objects, and a close up shot of a small turtle that was about the size of a quarter. I also ran into a group of people taking photos of an eagle's nest at Swan Lake. They had some serious camera lenses going on, so I had to take a picture of that. Apparently they could zoom in and focus solely on the eagle's eye from about 75 feet away! Anyways, enjoy the photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mary seems to be one of my favourite photographic models these days. She's always around and always photogenic. Today I was taking some photos and Mary just seemed to be right there and ready as usual. So I made sure she got some photo treatment.

I also took some zoomed-in night time shots from my balcony towards the downtown core. The sky was actually much darker than this shot looks, but I like the way it turned out. Wait. Back up. Zooming? Photos? Camera...? But what am I taking these photos with, you ask? Ah, well that would be my new camera and lens: a Canon 50D complete with a 17-85mm EF-S lens with image stabilization. *trumpet sounds* Yes, any somewhat regular reader of this blog will know that I've been wanting (and annoying you with blog posts about getting) a new camera for about 2 years now (has it really been THAT long?). Well I can now shut up about wanting a new camera, and get on with taking lots of awesome photos to display on the site! *everyone rejoices*

Since getting my new camera, I've read the manual (twice), watched many online tutorial videos about specific Canon 50D features and how to use them, bought a thick book about getting the most out of this camera (haven't read it all yet), and of course I've been taking tons of photos. Mary has been just one of my poor practice targets. This evening I decided to take a stroll at one of the locations where I first took my last camera 5 or 6 years ago: Ross Bay Cemetery. This area is always so peaceful and serene, and my recent photo shoot there didn't disappoint.

It was a bit chilly out, but the sun was setting and creating a nice ambiance for some photos. Now, I'm still getting use to this beast of a camera not to mention the lens, so bare with me if some of my photos seem like practice shots. I've been fiddling with lots of options and settings and trying new techniques like mad, but hopefully that just means I will be producing better photos over time. I've mostly just posted some of my fav (better) shots from this excursion anyways.

 

 

 

So I've got a lot of reading and learning to do, but I'm very excited. I'm also looking forward to the photography class I want to take in September to learn even more. Until then, I'm sure I can pump out a few thousand photos no problem. I may even pick up some new accessories for my setup before then too. Another lens (one that's good for low light situations like the Canon f1.4 lens) will likely be my next purchase. In the meantime, I hope to grace this blog with many new photos to keep you (and me) interested. So stay tuned!

Last month's Home with House episode had a mellow late night groove, but this month's mix is much more energetic. Similar to episode 10, this mix is all about the funk. Jackin, pumping and upbeat funky house. Episode 17 has a fun and playful vibe and so it also has an appropriately fun name: Mr. FunkHouser. There isn't much more to say about it than that. So give'er a listen and I hope you enjoy!

Mr. FunkHouser tracklisting:

1. Fabio Tosti feat. Spencer Banks - The Level of Love (Live Funky Mix)
2. Shrewd - Need Ure Love (Original Mix)
3. Joey Youngman - Moonshine (Fabio Bacchini Mix)
4. Biboulakis - Reason or Passion (Original Mix)
5. Natural Rhythm - Saturdays (RTHM Remix)
6. Srubfish & Laurence - Creepin Hoodlums (Original Mix)
7. Biboulakis - You Look Great (Original Mix)
8. Sonny Fodera - Local Town Jackers (Original Mix)
9. Troydon - I'm With Ya (Joshua's Play That Bass Mix)
10. Inland Knights - Don't Forget (Original Mix)
11. Gawron Paris - Don't Stop Dis (Bryan Jones Remix)
12. Simon Grey feat. Kylie Auldist - One (Simon Grey 2007 Version)