Nikon has announced the new D90 which will be available this fall.  Targeted for advanced amateurs it has some features which are quite interesting and could possibly find applications for professionals as well.  One of the new items is D-Movie, which enables users to shoot 24fps movies at 720p as well as still photographs with the camera.  Some of the other items in the camera come from the D300 which was announced a year ago at this time.

Prior to the announced released Chase Jarvis and his crew had the opportunity to experiment with the D90 in a field test, and the link below shows a video of their experience as well as some of the images.

Chase Jarvis and Friends Try the D90

The D90 lists for $999.95 USD .

Around the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday was quite different from Sunday when I was around the events.  The security was definitely stepped up even more, and the 16th Street Mall was filled with delegates, protesters, tourists and members of the press.  By Union Station MSNBC has their set which allows folks to stand nearby the live broadcast and wave signs, have their voice heard or just watch the surroundings.  This is the only network to have their main set outside the security perimeter.

Along the Mall and outside the entrances to the Pepsi Center, there are many vendors taking advantage of these crowds whether they are Hillary supporters, button collectors or people just wanting to take home something to mark the convention.

While the fun of the convention draws many it is the events at the Pepsi Center which the people are here for at this convention.

Heading to the Pepsi Center

and while they head to the security gates, some protesters are out delivering their message.

Of course not all folks are for the democrats or republicans this year, and some of those folks are out at Civic Center Park.

With the Democratic National Convention this week in Denver, and the Republican National Convention next week in St. Paul the presidential election season is officially in motion.  While the candidates from the two major parties along with the other candidates gear up for election day on November 4th, citizens of the United States also have a responsibility to ensure they are registered to vote.  To help with this, the linking the week site for this week is Vote411.org .

Maintained by the League of Women Votes Education Fund , Vote 411 is a site which provides non-partisan information to give you the information you need to know about voting in your state.  Be sure to check out Vote 411 now to find the deadline if you need to register to vote, the types of voting machine in your area and the many other details which will help you with election season.  Also be sure to visit the site in the upcoming weeks as candidate information along with polling places will be updated as we get closer to election day.

The Democratic National Convention begins tomorrow here in Denver.  For the most part the official business will take inside the Pepsi Center , however there are other events occurring around the venue which will also make some news.

Today was the first day which I attended to photograph, and consisted of a rally by the group Recreate ‘68 at the State Capitol followed by a march to the Pepsi Center.  The following are images from the events during today.

Ward Churchill waits for his opportunity to speak at the State Capitol rally

Cindy Sheehan take questions from the media at the State Capitol during the rally

A Recreate ‘68 Security Member stands on the steps as Ward Churchill speaks

Green Party Candidate Cynthia McKinney listens to her running mate Rosa Clemente speak at the rally

Protesters dawn masks to show the faceless side

The march then departed the State Capitol towards the Pepsi Center to carry on their protest.  Early on along the route a corner had a group of people in support of the troops.  With a heavy police presence this did not lead to any issues.

Leading the march was Ron Kovic , who is best known as the author of Born on the Fourth of July.

Many others took part in the march as well.

Once at the Pepsi Center things did get tense for a few moments.

Upon heading back, there was another rally on the 16th Street Mall by the group Codepink.

During the day there were other events throughout Denver, however I was unable to be all around town.  Look for additional images in the upcoming days for other events outside the Pepsi Center.

This weekend is the Rocky Mountain Balloon Festival at Chatfield State Park southwest of Denver.  You may recall in February I headed north for the Loveland Sweetheart Balloon Rally , and I am hoping to make it down to Chatfield on either Saturday evening and/or Sunday morning.

If you are unable to make this event, you may want to check out the Colorado Balloon Classic Labor Day weekend in Colorado Springs.

The Democratic National Convention starts Monday here in Denver. For the past couple of months they have been transforming the Pepsi Center for the event, and today there was a community open house allowing members of the public to see the changes. There are workers there still finishing the final touches and hooking up the last minute items. Media outlets as well are still preparing their skybox sets with views of the arena.

Approaching the Pepsi Center

The arena and testing of the video walls

Outside the arena

As I was leaving some protesters were finding a good location. Here a couple of people have a debate about the issue. The protester was in a zone (private property) which was not allowed and asked to go to the sidewalk to demonstrate. It should be interesting when a full palate of protesters show up next week.

Check back over the next few days for some additional photos during the DNC.

f/22 this month heads along country roads and east towards West Virginia to talk to Mandy Tincher , owner of Pixel Pixie Photography.  I met Mandy in the summer of 2007 while in Missoula, Montana taking some courses from the Rocky Mountain School of Photography.  Her humor was obvious from the first day as we went around the room and introduced ourselves to the group, including stating our favorite photographer.  For Mandy it was jokingly herself, and quickly as others couldn’t think of a favorite photographer Mandy became their favorite as well.  As Mandy was a favorite for many at that time and even now, I wanted to introduce you to Mandy as well.

Mandy, how long have you been photographing and do you recall what got you started with a camera?

If I said I was an embryo, would you believe me?  I documented the birthing process. Doctor’s were amazed.   7 lbs 6 oz  plus a Kodak Instamatic .  Not everyone is born knowing what they’ll do when they grow up…………….okay, and I wasn’t one of them.  I do remember getting my first camera when I was five for Christmas.  It was a gift from my Granny.  I thought it was the most amazing thing. I still remember my dad tearing open that box of film and loading my camera. The result were a lot of pictures of the tree and my feet.  In high school, I starting playing around with the camera again.  Mostly I took pictures of half eaten pizza, and stolen newspapers.  I occasionally had to take a serious picture or two for the high school paper, but trust me those serious moments were few and far in between. As college drew to a close, I became more serious about photography. I really didn’t know a lot of the technical stuff, but I really was intrigued by composition.  I began playing with placements of subjects and finding different angles. I became the "family photographer" and became quite transfixed on the concept of being able to pause a moment.

What is the current focus of your photography and where do you want to see it going in the future?

I’m still placing focus about a third of the way in the frame. Didn’t you learn anything at RMSP Neil?
You know, honestly I’m still focusing on portraits. One day it can be a portrait of a four year old, or the next it could be a portrait of busted shopping cart in front of an abandoned building.  I have a literature and writing degree and I think it’s given me a poetic license to personify even the most mundane, nonliving  subjects.  I wish to never loose that little fire that is burning in my gut to go out and be around people, photographing them and the objects that fill their lives.

As far as personal projects go, I’m working on one that studies different body types and juxtaposition. I’m stoked about it (yes, I just said stoked).  I’m sure this a project that I can work on for a lifetime.

If there was a dream opportunity in photography what would it be?

A dream opportunity would involve a lot of money to travel with. So in short, winning the lottery and buying a motor home.

A lot of people think of West Virginia and just go by what they have heard without visiting the state.  Do you think your images taken in the state will help people think differently about WV?  Is this something you can do in the future as a project?

Hum interesting. I could drive around and show people that hillbillies actually do wear shoes, marry outside the family, and most of us have teeth. Can I change my answer in number two?   Honestly, after traveling around a lot, I’ve learned each state has their own stereotypes, and I have met the cast of Deliverance and Wrong Turn in every state that I’ve been in.  I hate to think that people are missing out on WV just because of stereotypes. WV really is a beautiful place, plus it has me in it. How could you go wrong with that? You know, as my work gets out there more and more, I hope there is something it that catches someone’s eye, something which encourages someone’s wander lust.

Having seen you in action in the studio and in the field, there is humor in the way you work.  For those unfamiliar with you, how would you describe your style?

I’ve been told that I’m somewhat an extrovert.  My personality is out and open.  Basically I’m a vessel of laughter. I get asked a lot why I’m not doing stand up.  Sometimes that really comes through in my work. What really surprises me though is that the work of mine that speaks the most to me, are the photographs which are surprisingly quiet ,calm, and sometimes mysterious. That makes me a little nervous. Those quite, calm, mysterious moments feel like diary entries.  In the end though, I just hope that no matter what the subject, that my sincerity comes through, because I love those sincere and honest moments the most.

What photographers do you follow on a regular basis, and what about their work inspires you?

Can you actually list every member of flickr on here? Do you have that kind of space and time?  I really do like to flip through flickr and see the world through someone else’s lens. There is also local WV photographer, named Rick Lee I like to keep up with. He does a lot of commercial photography which is cool, but I like his blog where he mostly just messes around with his point and shoot.  Just a good reminder that the camera really doesn’t matter.  I also like to follow my peers and teachers from RMSP.  I really do like to study their work, and follow their styles.  Honestly, they are the photographers I follow the most.

Is there any one lesson you have learned while pursuing a career in photography which others can learn from as well?

I’ve learned that every job, and I do mean every job has something to teach you.  You’ll quickly learn what you’re doing well, and what you can improve on. I think the minute you stop learning, you might as well sell your camera on ebay.  I don’t care what they say, you’ll never fully master photography. There will always be something new.

With the end of August here, do you have any predictions you would like to share for the upcoming college football season?  Of course we will not post any ill feelings you may have towards the Michigan coach .

The only time you’ll ever hear a Mountaineer cheer on Ohio State will be when they take on Michigan and that guy we won’t talk about.

Some samples of Mandy’s work

Images Copyright 2008 Mandy Tincher, all rights reserved.

For more information on Mandy and to see more images, check out her website and blog:
Pixel Pixie Photography – Images by Mandy Tincher
Foot in Flip Flop is Better Than Foot in Mouth – Blog

I hope you enjoyed learning about Mandy, and be sure to stop by next month for another f/22 profile.

The Linking the Site this week is the Something Store .  For $10 they will ship you "something" from what they have in stock, and you find out what it is once it arrives.  If you live in the United States the $10 cost per items includes shipping, otherwise it does cost a bit more for shipping into Canada ($4.75) or elsewhere ($8.75).  However you may order multiple "somethings" at just $10 more without the additional fee.

On their website they highlight some of the items recently sent out to customers which are the better things for the day.  I did try this last month and I won’t spoil the surprise by saying what I received, but needless to say I don’t think I will try again unless it is for a special occasion.  However try it yourself and see what you get at the front door, and if you do and tell me what you received I will share as well.

The Denver weather this year has been an interesting mix of extremes.  Earlier this summer we had 24 consecutive days over 90 degrees which set a new record, the previous record was 18 days occurring over 100 years ago.  Today the high temperature was 59 degrees Fahrenheit, the previous lowest high temperature on this day was 69 degrees.  This is almost 30 degrees below the average high temperature of 87 degrees.  In addition to the cool weather, during the day we had some on and off rain across the metro area.  I decided to grab the camera and take a couple of images around the house.  Going outside the rain drops hitting the pool just didn’t work for me, but while out at the pool I noticed the water droplets on the chairs near the BBQ.

After going back inside, I grabbed a snack in the kitchen and I noticed the drops on the window.  As the camera was still with me I took the following picture.

The object outside the window, is one of the taller buildings near where I live in Denver.

We did not see any snow in Denver, but some areas in the mountains may see a dusting.  Additionally Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park is closed this evening, as there is 6 inches of snow at the higher points of the road.

In the month of July for a Hike for Discovery group hike we headed to Elk Meadow Park which is one of the many Open Space Parks in Jefferson County, Colorado .  Connected to Elk Meadow Open Space is Bergen Peak which is part of the Denver Mountain Parks and this was also part of our hike.

We started off from the parking lot off of Stagecoach Blvd. and spent a good amount of time on the trails within Elk Meadow prior to it getting warm.  It was obvious at that time it was going to be a warm hazy day, but we were hoping that it would not get too warm as it had been in Denver, and that the near 8,000 foot elevation would help with the weather.  While on the Painters Pause trail, you could understand why it was called this with the long grasses growing in a scene which could remind you of a painting scene especially in the right light.  Moving onward around the edge of Elk Meadow we added an out and back on the trail to add another 1.4 miles to the hike to get us well over the 12 mile mark for the final tally on the day.  Heading back on this additional trail we could see Bergen Peak ahead which would consume the next three plus miles of hiking as we made our way to the top.

After hiking the Too Long Trail we made it to the junction of the Bergen Peak trail which would take us to the top of the peak.  Prior to making the final mile to the peak we stopped for some lunch and to refuel ourselves after a warm climb to the junction.

At the top we were just shy of 10,000 feet and looking out in some hazy skies.  It was uncertain if some of the haze was due to the wildfires in California at the time, however from past hikes to the top of Bergen Peak I knew the view was quite limited.  After a short break we headed back down the Bergen Peak trail all the way which was rocky at spots and was worse on the body then heading to the top.

Hike for Discovery is the endurance hiking fundraising program for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society . If you would like to donate as I raise money for the LLS visit the Neil Corman Hike for Discovery Donation page . I thank you for supporting my hiking this summer and more so the LLS.