CL: Favorite

© Lani Kai

Trypto: mmm, breadsticks make me hungry
Lani Kai: I think this is my favorite picture from all of this month
Lani Kai: I'm not sure why
Trypto: heh, me neither
Lani Kai: I guess I kind of like the atmosphere

CXLIX: White Balance

© Lani Kai

Lani Kai: playing around with custom white balance here...
Lani Kai: for this shot I purposely threw off the white balance by calibrating using something red
Lani Kai: apparently an ExpoDisc is supposed to free me from having to use grey cards, but I don't see how it helps if I have to carry an extra filter around
Lani Kai: and they're rather expensive too...
Lani Kai: I have an innovative solution called a white shirt
Lani Kai: just point the camera at your waist and calibrate the white balance

CXLVIII: Festive Lights

© Lani Kai

Lani Kai: I haven't seen my co-blogger online in a while
Lani Kai: I think he's avoiding me

CXLVII: 'Tis the Season

© Lani Kai

Lani Kai: this is a dolphin, not a cactus
Lani Kai: my co-blogger is currently getting wasted at a party...

CXLVI: Nitro

© Trypto

Lani Kai: what are you taking apart?
Trypto: not me
Trypto: my roommate's building a robot
Trypto: he named it Nitro

CXLV: Sideways

© Lani Kai

Lani Kai: I went to the D1 Grand Prix Series Finals this weekend
Lani Kai: it was rainy, windy, cold, dark near the end, and smelled of burned rubber
Lani Kai: but it was a cool experience
Lani Kai: I took 433 pictures, of which about 50 were usable
Lani Kai: I hate the stupid fence...

CXLIV: Almost

© Trypto

Lani Kai: autumn colors
Lani Kai: except it's almost winter
Trypto: yes, well
Trypto: we live in California
Trypto: what do you mean almost winter?
Lani Kai: winter solstice is in a week
Trypto: oh
Trypto: how do you know that shit?

CXLIII: Unintended Consequences

© Lani Kai

Lani Kai: this is not how I intended this shot to turn out
Lani Kai: but I actually like it...
Lani Kai: out of the 270 shots I took at this game, this is one of my favorites

CXLII: Elephants

© Lani Kai

Trypto: it doesn't say anything about arson
Trypto: or urinating in public
Lani Kai: well, is that allowed anywhere?
Trypto: yes, I think so
Lani Kai: in California?
Trypto: fine, it doesn't say anything about elephants

CXLI: Stunning

©Lani Kai

Lani Kai: I took like 5 pictures a while ago
Trypto: that's fine
Trypto: as long as they're utterly stunning
Trypto: like, holy shit wow that should be in National Geographic
Lani Kai: I haven't taken an utterly stunning picture in a while
Trypto: it should be so stunning I want to pee myself
Lani Kai: I also don't think National Geographic features Christmas lights
Trypto: in a few years when there's no more animals or trees left on the planet, they'll have to

CXL: Modern

© Lani Kai

Lani Kai: this is the modern-day version of this
Lani Kai: the other one is a car from about fifty years ago
Lani Kai: sigh, I haven't taken a good picture in a loooooong time

CXXXIX: Superfluous

© Trypto

Trypto: I think the world would look better with bright blue bricks
Trypto: and orange blacktop
Lani Kai: and indigo leaves?
Trypto: yes, it's very poetic

CXXXVIII: Design

©Lani Kai

Trypto: why does it need 4 headlights?
Lani Kai: "design" is hardly ever completely rational in anything
Lani Kai: if everything was based on need and there were no stylistic elements, why would there be any variation?
Lani Kai: not everything that's there is there because it's needed
Trypto: well, different people need different things
Lani Kai: no one actually NEEDS a fast car
Trypto: that's not true

CXXXVII: EXIF?

© Trypto

Lani Kai: tungsten WB?
Trypto: what?
Lani Kai: what is your white balance set to?
Lani Kai: the EXIF just says "manual"
Trypto: I dunno...
Trypto: you and your fancy photography lingo
Trypto: I just press the button and hope for the best

CXXXVI: Lovely

© Trypto

Lani Kai: is this just a regular window?
Trypto: the windshield, actually
Trypto: it was a tad rainy last week, but now it's 76 degrees again
Trypto: in December...
Lani Kai: yeah, there were some really strong winds the other day
Trypto: I produce really strong winds from my butt
Lani Kai: lovely

CXXXV: Dynamic Range

© Trypto

Trypto: the last Thankgiving break picture, I promise
Lani Kai: I wouldn't have realized if you'd kept quiet
Lani Kai: it has good dynamic range
Trypto: does that term refer to the light/dark?
Lani Kai: yeah
Lani Kai: in B&W it's good to have a white point and a black point
Lani Kai: rather than just stuff in between

CXXXVI: 8fps and Sideways

© Lani Kai

Lani Kai: who needs 12 megapixels when you can have 8 frames per second instead?

CXXXIV: White Christmas

©Lani Kai

Trypto: is it snowing?
Trypto: Christmas in November!
Trypto: except it's a weird magical snow that falls upward
Lani Kai: are you saying it only snows during Christmas?
Trypto: well, no
Trypto: just that Christmas is intimately conflated with snow in the popular consciousness
Lani Kai: have you ever seen it snow on Christmas day?
Trypto: no...
Lani Kai: how do you know it's not some kind of fairy-tale thing made up by the Norsk?

CXXXIII: No Escape

View Guinea Pig Chewing on Metal

© Trypto

Lani Kai: is that the guinea pig at your house?
Trypto: yes, one of two
Trypto: I don't think they're happy
Lani Kai: because they're confined to their little area?
Trypto: yeah, see how it gazes at me sadly through the bars
Trypto: they also chew on the metal
Trypto: as if they're trying to escape

CXXXII: Quarters Only

© Lani Kai

Trypto: what are you supposed to look at through it?
Lani Kai: that's a good question
Lani Kai: there's the beach
Lani Kai: but then aside from that
Lani Kai: if you look inland you can see some buildings and mountains
Lani Kai: and then there's the neighborhood along the coastline
Trypto: I guess...
Trypto: but why would you feel the need to magnify these things?
Lani Kai: I have no idea

CXXXI: Izze

View Original
© Trypto

Trypto: lovely, no?
Lani Kai: is there any way to filter out the blue channel?
Trypto: you mean, remove all the blue?
Trypto: yeah, I could do that
Trypto: but I might as well remove all the colors except green

...

Lani Kai: it looks radioactive

CXXX: Monster

View Uncropped

© Lani Kai

Lani Kai: that was at the parking lot of Laguna Hills High School
Lani Kai: with that monster of a lens
Trypto: did you ever weigh that thing?

Lani Kai: 2,680 grams (lens) + 1,585 grams (body) = 4,265 grams = 9.4 pounds
Trypto: I wonder how much mine weighs
Lani Kai: 230 grams = 0.5 pounds

...

Trypto: not really too exciting of a picture
Lani Kai: I know
Trypto: fitting, I suppose
Trypto: highschool wasn't too exciting

CXXIX: California Dreamin'

© Lani Kai

Trypto: it's purty, doesn't look like winter
Lani Kai: it's been warm lately
Lani Kai: it was in the 90s a few days ago...
Trypto: I hope that tiny kid on the right doesn't do anything stupid
Trypto: there's no lifeguard on duty

CXXVIII: Plump

© Lani Kai

Lani Kai: oh man, this shot just cracks me up
Wisp: wow
Wisp: it's really rare when birds look at you straight
Wisp: heh

CXXVII: Patchwork

© Trypto

Trypto: this is the hood of a car that was parked in front of my apartment complex today
Trypto: in other news, my life sucks

CXXVI: Tension

©Lani Kai

Trypto: what's the big orangey thing?
Lani Kai: something in the foreground
Lani Kai: it's a bit distracting...

...

Trypto: I dunno, the blob is kinda interesting too
Trypto: if we can turn it into a story somehow
Trypto: it's a monster trying to eat the clips
Lani Kai: that's similar to what I was thinking
Lani Kai: the blob looks rather ominous
Lani Kai: like maybe a cloud of deadly gas
Trypto: a sentient fart
Trypto: yeah, there's some tension
Trypto: in both the diagonal and also how one of the clips is about to be engulfed
Trypto: it's like a moment frozen in time

CXXV: Value Scale

View Truthful
© Trypto

Lani Kai: I take it you'll be posting both but are just wondering which one should actually show on the page?
Trypto: yeah, what criteria should I use to make a normative judgement?
Trypto: the one that looks "prettier" or the one that is more "truthful"?
Lani Kai: in most types of photography it's usually what's prettier that sells
Trypto: shouldn't we be trying to reject that mindset?
Lani Kai: that's true...
Trypto: whatever, I'll use the prettier one

CXXIV: Ultimate Technology Corporation

© Lani Kai

Trypto: what's it thanking me for?
Lani Kai: I don't know
Lani Kai: what have you done to be thanked for?
Lani Kai: you haven't bought anything here

CXXIII: Harping

© Trypto

Trypto: so what do you notice about the picture?
Lani Kai: it looks like the cat has two tails...
Trypto: that's its back leg
Trypto: try again
Lani Kai: uhh
Trypto: sigh, the thing you're always harping on
Trypto: I left more space in the direction the subject is moving

CXXII: Lounging

© Lani Kai

Trypto: very late '80s
Trypto: especially the color scheme
Trypto: I don't get it though--only the person sitting in the middle gets arm rests?
Lani Kai: apparently...
Lani Kai: but they were very comfortable

CXXI: ΓΦΒ

© Trypto

Lani Kai: I think I know what you mean
Lani Kai: this could be used in like a flyer for that sorority
Trypto: I know, totally
Lani Kai: "being in [Gamma Phi Beta] makes you stand out in the crowd"
Trypto: haha, or something like that

CXX: Light Sabers

© Lani Kai

Trypto: now that is definitely greenish
Lani Kai: those lights are actually green
Trypto: all of them?
Lani Kai: except the ones inside the building, yes
Trypto: wow, how sinister
Trypto: and that bike seems to have come alive
Trypto: it's moving without anyone on it

CXIX: Oh, Damn

© Trypto

Trypto: aren't you going to ask me what I did today?
Lani Kai: something exciting?
Trypto: not telling!
Trypto: HAHAHAHA
Trypto: tricked you
Lani Kai: I don't even want to know anyway
Trypto: yes you do
Trypto: it's eating you inside
Lani Kai: no, not really
Lani Kai: I have pretzels to keep me company
Trypto: oh, damn
Trypto: I can't beat pretzels

CXVIII: Diana Ross

© Trypto

Lani Kai: stop sign?
Trypto: but it's from a unique perspective, you see
Trypto: have you ever heard the song, stop! in the name of love?
Lani Kai: who sings it?
Trypto: I dunno, I've never heard it

CXVII: Profound

© Lani Kai

Trypto: is she scouting for enemy tanks?
Lani Kai: not tanks but evil customers
Trypto: we've used the word 'evil' profusely, of late
Lani Kai: yeah...
Lani Kai: everything is evil
Trypto: heh, that's the quote of the day

CXVI: Clinically Proven

View Normal (I prefer being purple)

© Trypto

Trypto: what do you think of my picture?
SmarterChild: I don't know. I'm not sure how I feel about it.
Trypto: do you like how everything is purple?
SmarterChild: I really don't know. Guess I'll have to think about it...
Trypto: should I try a different color?
SmarterChild: That's interesting. Perhaps... I don't know though...
Trypto: thanks for your help, man
SmarterChild: Great Abs - Clinically Proven Equipment To Firm Tighten & Tone Your Abs. Order Now!

CXV: Overlord

© Lani Kai

Lani Kai: those are the headquarters of the evil overlord that's trying to take over the world
Trypto: I see...
Trypto: the evil overlord likes modernism
Lani Kai: apparently
Trypto: you'd think he'd need more than 4 floors though
Lani Kai: he probably has a secret underground lair
Trypto: good point

CXIV: Temptation

© Trypto

Lani Kai: crisscut fries?
Trypto: they're called "waffle fries" at Chick-Fil-A
Trypto: if I'd never eaten any in my entire life, I'd probably be a pound lighter
Lani Kai: heh
Trypto: they look so evil under the red heatlamp
Trypto: but I cant help myself

CXIII: Grr

© Lani Kai

Trypto: animals always look pissed off that you're taking pictures of them
Lani Kai: when I'm taking pictures or when people in general are taking pictures?

CXII: Wight

© Trypto

Lani Kai: ooh, luxurious
Trypto: it's at the hilton in woodland hills
Lani Kai: it's very green
Trypto: perhaps, I just did some quick adjustments so the lights were wight
Trypto: white...
Lani Kai: that's probably the oddest typo I've seen for "white"

CXI: Scarves and Beanies

© Trypto

Lani Kai: so this is someone on your team?
Trypto: no, one of the coaches
Trypto: she knits scarves and beanies
Lani Kai: her nails are quite short
Trypto: yeah, she chews them

CX: Spotlight

View Uncropped
©Lani Kai

Lani Kai: I think if I crop any more

Lani Kai: the fact that the leaves are backlit becomes less accentuated
Trypto: hm, maybe you're right
Lani Kai: a spotlight doesn't mean anything if there's no darkness around the subject
Trypto: haha, that's intense

CIX: Absent

© Lani Kai

Lani Kai: according to Facebook my co-blogger updated his profile half an hour ago
Lani Kai: but I haven't seen him online

CVIII: All Aboard

©Lani Kai

Lani Kai: I like the colors, and how the one on the right contrasts with the one on the left
Trypto: are they both coming toward you?
Lani Kai: they're both stationary at this moment
Trypto: I mean, are they both facing the front?
Trypto: ok, that makes sense

CVII: Sed Risus

© Trypto

CVI: Effusive

©Lani Kai

Lani Kai: I like the lighting in the social science area
Lani Kai: by the newer buildings
Lani Kai: there are a bunch of bridges connecting buildings
Lani Kai: and they all light up and glow at night
Trypto: the reflections off some of the railings are neat also
Lani Kai: it also looks really cool just after sunset
Lani Kai: when the sky turns purple

CV: Squared Away

© Trypto

Trypto: I was going for the square in a square
Trypto: using her legs to define a quadrant in the composition
Lani Kai: and it's implied that the girl is facing towards the top left
Lani Kai: so the bottom right would be an appropriate position
Trypto: ...I don't really agree with that dictum

CIV: Ahead

© Lani Kai

Lani Kai: my co-blogger and I seem to be alternating days on which we're online
Lani Kai: which means we never get a chance to actually discuss the photos we post...
Lani Kai: and I seem to be getting way ahead of him in the post count

...

Trypto: is it upside down?
Lani Kai: no
Lani Kai: it's this fountain but viewed from the top side
Trypto: if you say so

CIII: Smile!

© Lani Kai

Lani Kai: sorry about the missed updates lately.
Trypto: things are kind of heating up on the schoolwork front.

...

Trypto: its cute
Lani Kai: I like the frog that's sitting on the top of the windshield
Trypto: I just noticed that
Trypto: and was about to ask

CII: Danger

© Lani Kai

Trypto: did anyone one sign the reverse side?
Lani Kai: no
Lani Kai: it was blank
Lani Kai: not that there was anything inside
Trypto: hm
Trypto: you should put one of these tags on the sun