This review of the Canon XH A1 Camcorder is going to be a little different from any other you might read for one primary reason, this is the first camcorder I’ve ever owned. That’s right folks, my first camcorder was a high-dollar Prosumer model because if I can’t do it right I don’t want to do it at all.

I had some difficulty with actually purchasing this camcorder. First, I couldn’t find a local retailer anywhere in Dallas. So, I had to turn to the Web.

I tried Abes of Maine with disastrous results, then I ordered it from Amazon and got free next day shipping (yeah!), but it turns out I got a defective one with a documented Iris ring problem (boo!), but a 5 minute discussion with an Amazon rep resulted in them shipping me a new one along with an RMA to send the defective one back (yeah!).
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This is one of the most stunning and beautiful nature photographs I’ve ever seen. (Select the thumbnail image to see the full size version.) Considering that it also took first place in the Smithsonian’s National Wildlife Awards, I guess I’m not surprised.

The image was captured off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii and here is what the photographer, Lori Mazzuca, had to say:

“I was observing a strange interaction between a pair of bottlenose dolphins and a humpback whale, when it became apparent that the two species were collaborating in some way. The dolphin was lying on a humpback whale’s head while it was slowly swimming along. Looking through my camera lens the stunt appeared to be orchestrated by mutual “agreement.”

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I now present part two of my Best Photography on the Web series. It takes me a little while between these posts because I find them slowly over time as opposed to searching for them constantly. Before we get started with this issue here is the standard disclaimer:
BE WARNED! Photographers take pictures of places, things and people. Sometimes naked people.

If you are sensitive to nude men, naked women or wet fruit please move on to another article.

Dr. Feng Jiang

We begin the second installment of the Best Photography on the Web with Chinese artist / Photographer Dr. Feng Jiang.

Dr. Jiang’s stunning photos of China are enough to make me want to visit just to see these places in person; and his mastery of light, reflections and composition are simply impressive.
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While spending a few weeks in the nation’s capital I decided to go visit a few of the famous sites and get some photos at night. You often see pictures of these famous monuments in the day, but I would argue that they are most beautiful after dark.

You also have the added benefit that there is almost no one around if you go after 10pm, especially on a weekday. So, here they are for your viewing amusement.
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This practical little video comes courtesy of Digital Photography School:

This video tutorial is one that was filmed recently at a conference in Vancouver, Canada. It features fashion photographer Kris Krug. The video/audio quality fades a little at time - but if you’ve got some time, grab a coffee and have a watch.

You can also visit Kris’ site at KrisKrug.com or see his Flickr Photos.
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Wow, Panoramas.dk is one of the greatest sites I’ve ever come across. It features a number of three dimensional panoramas which allow you to virtually look around a given space. This is a technology that can only flourish on the Web since you cannot move around inside a static photograph.

There are virtual reality panoramas of the Eiffel Tower, Carnival in Rio, a Camel Carts in Bikaner India, a human Zoo, an ariel view of Sydney Australia and even the Apollo Moon Landings.

The site can be a little difficult to navigate so I compiled the following list of several I enjoyed.
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I got a call today from Abe’s of Maine that was quite disappointing. But let me start with a little background info…

At 1:30am on Tuesday morning (4/10/2007) I ordered a new $3,379 Canon XH A1 Prosumer Camcorder from Abes for two reasons.

1. First, I’ve purchased from them in the past (about 2.5 years ago) and things went OK, although the extremely high end Sony Receiver I bought from them ended up having problems and needing service I felt I couldn’t hold that against Abe’s.
2. Secondly they were offering the Camcorder for about $100 less than Amazon or NewEgg.

Now, the problem started today around 6:30pm CST when I’m shopping at a retail store and I get a call on my cell phone from a “customer service” (732-225-1777) representative from Abe’s “…just wanting to verify my shipping address”. He asks me if I’ve ever purchased from them before and when I say yes, he is surprised and “can’t find me in their system”. After he “verifies my address” he begins pressuring me to purchase all sorts of add ons. And remember, this is a three and a half THOUSAND dollar purchase.
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I’m assuming that most people have seen the awesome photos of sidewalk chalk drawings that have floated around the Internet for years now, but almost no one has seen a time lapse video of the creation of one of these images!

So, here is noted sidewalk artist Julian Beever creating the Aveeno Fountain of Youth chalk drawing in Union Square, NYC on 01/15/07.
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Levester Johnson takes his dog, Armani, an Italian Cane Corso, out for a morning jog on Monday, March 26, 2007 in Akron, Ohio.

“I was lazy this morning, ” said Johnson. “I’m on the way to the gym myself. I wanted to make sure [Armani] got in a workout before I left.”

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In line with the Dove Makeup Myth video, this video demonstrates how to take a normal looking woman and graphically enhance her for the cover of Playboy magazine.

Yet again another reason not to drool over the celebrities found in magazines.
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The Iguazu Falls are the largest, most impressive falls on the planet. With 275 individual cascades they’ve been described as, “an ocean pouring into an abyss”.

The waterfall system consists of about 270 falls along 2.7 kilometres (1.67 miles) of the Iguazu River. Some of the individual falls are up to 82 metres (269 feet) in height, though the majority are about 64 metres (210 feet).
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Auroras are caused by the collision of charged particles in the magnetosphere with atoms in the Earth’s upper atmosphere.

These charged particles are energized to levels between 1,000 and 15,000 electron-volts and as they collide with atoms of gases in the atmosphere the atoms become energized, then emit their energy as light.

For those of us that will likely never be fortunate enough to see the Aurora Borealis in person, here is a time lapse video of one of the most extraordinary sites in nature. Wikipedia also has a fantastic entry for Auroras.
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