Wednesday, December 31, 2008

CDXLVI: Bignosian

© Lani Kai
Trypto: ooooh
Lani Kai: I pushed the exposure to ISO 16000 in post process
Lani Kai: it was shot at ISO 6400
Lani Kai: with that said, it's still less grainy than the shot on ISO 3200 film from the other day
Trypto: he has a big nose
Lani Kai: he does indeed

Sunday, December 28, 2008

CDXLV: On Monstrosity

© Lani Kai
Trypto: this looks like a still from security camera footage
Lani Kai: it's ISO 3200 film
Trypto: or one of the grainy photographs people use to prove the existence of UFOs or the Loch Ness Monster
Trypto: those blurry lights in the back are aliens
Trypto: or Loch Ness Monster scales
Lani Kai: well, good
Lani Kai: I was going for the Loch Ness Monster look
Trypto: the Loch Ness Monster is hungry for some cheese and crackers at this cafe?
Lani Kai: no, it is a fierce monster
Lani Kai: it seeks human blood and flesh
Lani Kai: hence there is no one here
Lani Kai: they have all been eaten
Trypto: it has good table manners
Trypto: there are no crumbs to be seen
Lani Kai: well, it comes from a wealthy Scottish family with a long heritage
Lani Kai: they teach manners from a young age

Friday, December 26, 2008

CDXLIV: 123

© Trypto
Lani Kai: rule of thirds!
Trypto: shhh, don't give away the secrets

Thursday, December 25, 2008

CDXLIII: Season's Greetings

© Lani Kai
Lani Kai: Christmas is finally here, meaning I won't have to listen to Josh Groban on the radio at work fifteen times a day
Lani Kai: well, at least there's something uplifting to report

Monday, December 22, 2008

CDXLII: Complaints

© Lani Kai
Trypto: wow, that lifeguard tower is hideous
Trypto: I will pretend it is not there
Trypto: nice sunset
Lani Kai: specifically, what's wrong with the lifeguard tower?
Trypto: the garish lighting most notably
Trypto: the kitschy wreaths
Trypto: the horrible typographic treatment of the main sign
Trypto: how the door looks oily

Saturday, December 20, 2008

CDXLI: A Discourse on French Chocolate

© Lani Kai
Trypto: the street of the chocolate?
Lani Kai: yes
Trypto: the use of the definite article is a little odd?
Trypto: especially as there appear to be at least two varieties of chocolate in the illustration
Lani Kai: are you suggesting it should be "la rue des chocolats"?
Trypto: assuming the chocolats are worthy of definite articles to begin with
Lani Kai: so chocolate street?
Trypto: it'd be the difference between "chicken salad" and "THE chicken salad"
Lani Kai: no, "salad of the chicken"
...
Trypto: did you obtain any of this so-called street chocolate
Lani Kai: no, the street stuff is not legit
Lani Kai: you don't want none of that
Trypto: where can I get the good stuff?
Lani Kai: can't say on here
Lani Kai: the feds might be watching

Saturday, December 13, 2008

CDXL: Nokton

© Lani Kai
Lani Kai: I used high contrast B&W to suit your tastes
Trypto: oh, hmm, it beautiful
Trypto: kind of reminds me of something
Trypto: I feel like I've seen it before
Trypto: no, I must be going crazy

Monday, December 08, 2008

CDXXXIX: Blissful Ignorance

© Lani Kai
Trypto: why have you been hiding this!
Trypto: you post a million silly fisheye pictures
Lani Kai: you don't understand how much fun a fisheye is
Lani Kai: because you've never used one
Trypto: I've never eaten poop either
Trypto: but I can tell it's not very fun

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

CDXXXVIII: Satanic Photography

© Lani Kai
Trypto: that's a very sharp turn
Trypto: there should be a sign there
Trypto: like in your other one
Lani Kai: or so you think
Trypto: or so I am mislead to believe by your devil photography!
Trypto: do you know who else has fisheyes?
Trypto: Satan!
Lani Kai: and you know this how?
Lani Kai: did it say so in the Bible?
Trypto: yes, in the appendix

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

CDXXXVII: America's Hat

© Trypto
Lani Kai: I think it's going to be a picture of a can and a spigot
Trypto: no, I misspelled Canada and spit pog

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

CDXXXVI: In Which a Bear is Not Seen

©Lani Kai
Trypto: where's the BEAR? I want to see the BEAR!
Lani Kai: what, you don't see it?
Trypto: this landscape has no bear
Trypto: it is bear-ren
Lani Kai: I was driving when the bear appeared
Lani Kai: so I could not take a picture
Lani Kai: it was an unbearable experience
Trypto: fiend, I will use my right to bear arms to smite you

Sunday, November 23, 2008

CDXXXV: Reruns

© Lani Kai
Trypto: atmospheric perspective is tasty
Lani Kai: you said that before
Lani Kai: Trypto: atmospheric perspective is yummy
Trypto: chomp
Trypto: I will eets it fer dinner
Trypto: when was that?
Lani Kai: last year
Lani Kai: to be fair I thought of that comment you made last year when I took the picture
Trypto: so basically you dangled your atmospheric perspective in front of me, and I took the bait
Trypto: sneaky

Sunday, November 16, 2008

CDXXXIV: On the Rocks

© Lani Kai
Lani Kai: I'm not sure if I like this version
Lani Kai: or if the non-HDR version is better
Trypto: well, I always go for more rather than less contrast (as you've noticed)
Trypto: ...but it's nice

Thursday, November 13, 2008

CDXXXIII: In Which Logic Prevails

© Lani Kai
Trypto: is that the airport?
Lani Kai: no
Lani Kai: that is Kyoto Station
Trypto: that's what I said
Lani Kai: it was not designed by Renzo Piano
Trypto: is this supposed to be a syllogism?
Trypto: it is not an airport
Trypto: it is Kyoto Station
Trypto: Kyoto Station was not designed by Renzo Piano
Trypto: therefore
Trypto: Kyoto Station is not the airport designed by Renzo Piano
Trypto: actually, that would be non sequitur
Trypto: we did not establish that Renzo Piano designed an airport
Trypto: not in this post anyway..
Lani Kai: we did in the past
Trypto: the past is an illusion
Trypto: jeez, didn't you read the Meditations by Descartes?
Lani Kai: no
Lani Kai: that is from the past
Lani Kai: which is an illusion
Trypto: you think you're so clever

Monday, November 10, 2008

CDXXXII: Not Worth It

© Trypto
Lani Kai: will you be sharing this fabulous photo?
Trypto: if you insist
Lani Kai: I hope it's worth the wait
Trypto: well now I'm embarrassed
Trypto: maybe I wont post it, until you're nicer

Saturday, November 08, 2008

CDXXXI: On Thingies and Fishermen

©Lani Kai
Trypto: its the thingy!
Trypto: to spy on people on the beach
Trypto: and transdimensional fishermen
Lani Kai: indeed
Lani Kai: that thingy might be the same one that I photographed long ago

Saturday, November 01, 2008

CDXXX: Needs More Work

© Lani Kai
Trypto: whats up with the file name?
Lani Kai: it was a film scan
Lani Kai: that's what the computer decided to name it
Lani Kai: you can tell that it is exposure 18 in roll 1
Trypto: clever
Lani Kai: it's usually a bad sign when you have to discuss the file name
Trypto: lol
Trypto: yeah I'm not really feeling the compositon
Trypto: I think it should either be totally symmetrical
Trypto: with the lamp centered above the arch
Trypto: or totally asymmetrical

Friday, October 31, 2008

CDXXIX: Taking Issue

©Lani Kai
Trypto: stupid woman
Trypto: why would you hold a jar of water on your shoulder if you're just going to pour out your other jar of water
Lani Kai: quite simple, really
Lani Kai: she is emptying the jar in her left hand
Lani Kai: the one on her shoulder is already empty
Lani Kai: once the jar in her left hand is empty she will leave
Trypto: and why is her dress falling off her shoulder
Lani Kai: because she is trying to get the man driving by on the highway to give her a ride back
Trypto: and why did she have to step into the MIDDLE OF THE FREAKING FOUNTAIN to empty her water jug
Trypto: stupid whore woman
Lani Kai: why are you so angry about the situation?

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

CDXXVIII: Washed Away

©Lani Kai
Trypto: he looks like James Bond in Die Another Day
Lani Kai: which scene?
Trypto: when they are at the ice cave
Trypto: he is trying to save Halle Berry
Trypto: but the ice cave is being melted by a giant satellite laser
Lani Kai: and he has to surf his way out?
Lani Kai: instead of drifting an Aston Martin across a frozen lake
Lani Kai: the opening scene involves surfing
Trypto: ok you know too much about this
Trypto: you should be embarrassed
Lani Kai: actually I don't
Lani Kai: Wikipedia told me this
Trypto: ok fine

CDXXVII: Out of Place

©Lani Kai
Trypto: the camera seems raised like 10 feet
Lani Kai: I think I was standing on a mound
Trypto: an Indian burial mound?
Lani Kai: I was not aware that they had those in Laguna Beach

Sunday, October 26, 2008

CDXXVI: Hairdo

© Lani Kai
Trypto: that's how all the cool kids are doing their hair these days
Lani Kai: are you one of them?
Trypto: alas I am not as stylish as the Pacific Ocean
Lani Kai: yeah, neither am I

CDXXV: Black and White (Stripes)

© Trypto
Lani Kai: you've had a lot of thingies that look like this lately
Trypto: what do you think it means?
Lani Kai: it means that you are a zebra, or otherwise attracted to them
Trypto: WHAT THE ZEBRA AND I DO BEHIND THE SHED IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS
Trypto: I JUST HAVE A THING FOR STRIPES OKAY
Trypto: IS THAT A CRIME?!

Saturday, October 25, 2008

CDXXIV: Guessing Game

© Trypto
Lani Kai: what is it?
Trypto: you can't tell?
Trypto: I would think that you of all people would be able to tell
Lani Kai: umm, the grille on a car?
Trypto: no, it's the pattern of lines on the upper part of the back windshield

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

CDXXIII: Ride of Your Life

© Lani Kai
Lani Kai: this is part two of the "killer rides" series
Trypto: it has death pumpkins
Lani Kai: it appears someone stuck his head in the bottom while the ride was operating

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

CDXXII: Temptations

©Lani Kai
Lani Kai: DON'T reach in
Lani Kai: whatever you do
Lani Kai: it's already stained red from the children that did not heed the warning
Trypto: but moooooooooom
Trypto: I want to reach in
Trypto: mom mom mom mom
Trypto: can I reach in
Trypto: pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease

Monday, October 20, 2008

CDXXI: A Natural Predisposition

© Trypto
Trypto: this is the first photograph I ever took
Trypto: I believe I was 4 years old
Trypto: it is an image of our living room in Irvine, I was swinging the camera around by the strap and the shutter released
Trypto: I was very experimental and avant garde
Lani Kai: I see

Sunday, October 19, 2008

CDXX: Love at First Sight

© Lani Kai
Trypto: WHAT IS THIS PLACE?!?!
Trypto: <3
Trypto: I WANT
Lani Kai: underneath the pier in San Clemente
Trypto: it is my favorite

Saturday, October 18, 2008

CDXIX: Stinging Commentary

©Lani Kai
Trypto: wow, since when did you start taking well-composed photographs?
Lani Kai: ouch

CDXVIII: Colorful Language

© Trypto
Trypto: what color is poetry?
Lani Kai: ummm, white
Trypto: no, it's green
Lani Kai: that was my second choice

Friday, October 17, 2008

CDXVII: More Camera Stalking

© Trypto
Lani Kai: ooh, more spider pictures
Lani Kai: and taken with an Olympus FE-230
Lani Kai: whose camera did you use?
Trypto: wow thats creepy

Thursday, October 16, 2008

CDXVI: Tea Time

© Lani Kai
Trypto: 1260/2560
Trypto: simplifies to?
Lani Kai: 63/128
Trypto: wow how did you do that
Lani Kai: 126/256
Lani Kai: /2
Trypto: witch
Trypto: you summoned a demon to tell you the answer
Lani Kai: I wish I could do that
Trypto: do not lie
Trypto: your execution will be swifter if you repent
Trypto: otherwise we will be forced to purify your soul through other means
Lani Kai: such as?
Trypto: um
Trypto: forcing you meditate and drink herbal teas
Trypto: ORGANIC herbal teas
Trypto: before oolong, you will wish you had confessed
Trypto: I mean, before too long..
Lani Kai: I like oolong tea

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

CDXV: Subconscious Hatred

© Trypto
Lani Kai: does every photo class in the world have the stupid assignment where you have to take "a photo that exhibits shallow depth of field" and "a photo that exhibits wide depth of field"?
Trypto: such anger, why does it bother you so much?
Lani Kai: ...I don't know

Monday, October 13, 2008

CDXIV: Hail Columbia

© Trypto
Lani Kai: I'm guessing the mailbox is above this
Lani Kai: speaking of mailboxes
Lani Kai: I put an envelope my mailbox today, only to find out that the mailman has the day off because of Columbus Day
Trypto: yeah, my mom went to the post office and they were closed as well
Trypto: Columbus sucks

CDXIII: Classy

©Lani Kai
Lani Kai: I ought to post something that doesn't get tagged with anything water or ocean related
Lani Kai: if I can find such a photo...
...
Lani Kai: I shot this for a clothing company
Trypto: she's pretty
Trypto: for a woman, anyway
Trypto: her shirt uses Helvetica
Trypto: classy
Lani Kai: Papyrus just wouldn't be the same would it?
Trypto: don't even say that

Sunday, October 12, 2008

CDXII: Quit Quite

© Trypto
Lani Kai: ooh, I quite like this one
Trypto: sniff, all I ever wanted was your approval
Trypto: I should stop taking pictures
Lani Kai: while you're ahead?
Trypto: exactly, so I guess you QUIT like this one
Trypto: HAHAHHAHA
Trypto: and it's not very noisy
Trypto: so you QUIET like it too

CDXI: Shallow

© Trypto
Lani Kai: ooh, shallow DOF
Lani Kai: that was like the first thing I played with too
Trypto: who are you calling shallow?
Trypto: actually, my DOF enjoys reading Dostoevsky
Trypto: and volunteering at the old people center

Saturday, October 11, 2008

CDX: The Wall

©Lani Kai
Trypto: do you have any pictures of just the wall?
Lani Kai: no
Trypto: why did you take this picture?
Trypto: much less post it
Lani Kai: why do you keep asking such questions?
Trypto: cause I'm in a bad mood

CDIX: Protection

©Lani Kai
Trypto: cute
Lani Kai: I wouldn't want to be swimming anywhere near that though
Trypto: what if you were encased in plastic wrapping
Trypto: then it couldn't touch you
Lani Kai: so i should cover myself in Saran wrap when going to the beach?
Trypto: or cellophane

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

CDVIII: Excitement

© Lani Kai
Trypto: your mom's a fish
Lani Kai: that's the best you could come up with?
Trypto: yeah baby
Lani Kai: that kid in the corner is way too excited

Monday, October 06, 2008

CDVII: Splooshed

©Lani Kai
Trypto: that bird is about to get owned
Lani Kai: by?
Trypto: water sploosh
Lani Kai: I think it knows better

Friday, October 03, 2008

CDVI: Oh Photography

©Lani Kai
Lani Kai: I've been told that this photo gives the tactile element of wind to an otherwise visual photo representation
Trypto: um
Trypto: what?
Trypto: tactile = touch
Trypto: I don't feel anything
Trypto: are there any photo representations that aren't visual?
Lani Kai: perhaps you are numb
Trypto: this picture doesn't make me feel wind
Lani Kai: a photo can convey more than just visual information
Lani Kai: at least, I often try to appeal to more than just the visual channel
Lani Kai: whether I'm successful or not is another story
Trypto: a photograph only contains visual information
Lani Kai: in the strictest sense, yes
Trypto: it does not contain tactile information
Lani Kai: but if you see a photo of food and it makes you think "ooh, that looks good... I feel hungry" then you've invoked more than just a visual response
Trypto: the fact that my brain processes visual information and causes other biochemical reactions doesn't change the fact that the photograph itself is purely visual
Lani Kai: the information is passed through the visual channel
Lani Kai: with the intent of provoking feelings that are not strictly visual
Trypto: hm, but by that logic
Trypto: if the connotations of a photograph are inherently possessed by the photograph and not figments of the viewer's brain
Trypto: then there is no such thing as a "visual photo representation"
Trypto: because every image provokes some kind of response
Trypto: I think it would be fair to say that the picture visually captures the otherwise invisible phenomenon of wind
Trypto: but to call it a tactile response would be pushing it
Trypto: unless there are actually people who see pictures of blowing leaves and feel wind on their flesh
Trypto: in which case they would probably die if they saw a horror movie
Trypto: this might have worked better from a lower angle so less land was showing
Trypto: emphasizing the airiness
Lani Kai: perhaps
Lani Kai: but I think the wave patterns add to the directional element of the wind
Trypto: maybe moving to the left = sky + waves?
Lani Kai: you mean point more towards the ocean?
Trypto: right

Thursday, October 02, 2008

CDV: Not Again

© Lani Kai
Trypto: ew, are you peeing?
Lani Kai: that would be an awful lot
Trypto: yeah, I know
Lani Kai: and an odd angle, again

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

CDIV: Missing

©Lani Kai
Trypto: where are the swimsuits and motorcycles?
Trypto: I thought you went to Catalina for swimsuits and motorcycles
Lani Kai: yeah but it was just the "photographer" babbling on about his own stuff
Trypto: ok so which workshop was this from
Lani Kai: this was when we were wandering around after everything was over

Saturday, September 27, 2008

CDIII: All Quiet on the Mocha Front

©Lani Kai
Trypto: it looks like someone spilled a really large latte
Trypto: superventi
Trypto: or like planet Starbucks
Trypto: which has Frappuccino oceans
Lani Kai: and complementary Wi-Fi?
Lani Kai: but only for AT&T users
Trypto: and also a crazy man who paces between the bathroom and the front entrance and mumbles about "sexy time" and "six figure income"
Lani Kai: aren't we already on planet Starbucks?
Trypto: no, we are merely being invaded by Starbuckians
Trypto: planet Starbucks is where they came from
Lani Kai: it appears they overextended
Lani Kai: and are losing ground

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

CDII: Fearsome

© Trypto
Trypto: prepare yourself to see a lizard
Lani Kai: I am not afraid
Trypto: Blogger is afraid
Trypto: it wants to quarantine the lizard in its own blog
Trypto: or maybe I clicked Create Blog instead of Sign In

CDI: Corpulence

©Lani Kai
Trypto: trying to retrieve the lost weight I see
Trypto: there's like two sticks of butter in that thing you know
Lani Kai: it was worth it
Trypto: I need not tell you what else was worth it
Trypto: whom else, rather

CD: Endless

©Lani Kai
Lani Kai: 400 posts!
Trypto: and this image symbolizes the infinite posts yet to come?
Lani Kai: yes
Lani Kai: the road ahead is endless
Lani Kai: but there will be no passing from this side
Lani Kai: now we just need to make that book

Monday, September 22, 2008

CCCXCIX: Cultural Context

©Lani Kai
Trypto: what the heck is this?
Trypto: the architectural equivalent of a seizure inducing strobe light?
Lani Kai: to be honest I don't remember
Lani Kai: it was taken at the hotel at Kansai International Airport in Osaka
Trypto: oh, it's Japanese
Trypto: that explains everything
Lani Kai: the airport itself was designed by Renzo Piano, but I don't know if the hotel was
Lani Kai: if it is, then it would actually be Italian
Trypto: but he was responding to the cultural context of the site
Lani Kai: landfill in the middle of the bay
Trypto: LALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU

Sunday, September 21, 2008

CCCXCVIII: Blue Morning

View Uncropped
©Lani Kai
Trypto: the foreground is distracting
Trypto: it is not blue enough
Lani Kai: I thought of that after uploading
Trypto: there are ways to fix it
Trypto: judicious cropping being the most obvious
Trypto: making it all B&W being the second most obvious
Trypto: and some other more complicated procedures being less obvious
Lani Kai: I think I'll go with the most obvious