Here’s a little video I worked on to learn more about slow motion with the my cameras. What better to do on a blizzard day than getting the gear out and do some testing! This is not meant to be a serious, emotional piece of work.. haha!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Shot in 60fps on the T2i & GoPro HD and post edited with Final Cut Pro, Motion 3, Cinema Tools and always a little color correction. I still need to work on white balancing a bit more.

Canon T2i/550D . 50mm f1.8 . 1/1000 1280x720p 60fps
GoPro HD . 1280x720p 60fps

Music by Karen Marie Garret “Vinot and the Sea Bird”

Lately, I’ve been working in Mapsource quite a bit which has led me to standardize the way I route my trips. Here’s just a few things I do that make it easier when I’m working in Mapsource and once I’m on the road looking at the GPS.

First off, the way I do things works best for me and my GPS, which is a Garmin 60CSx. These are just a few tips that work for me and may help others out there be more consistent with routing and trip planning.

I’ve come to learn that doing things the same way for every trip I route and upload to my GPS makes it much easier for me when I’m out on the trip, I can quickly look down and see the color of a track or name of a waypoint and immediately know what I’m looking at. Not second guessing sure does eliminate a lot of “turn-arounds” when you miss a turn or start heading off in the wrong direction!

Tracks NOT Routes

I was convinced long ago to convert all my routes to tracks, especially if you are getting into some remote trails. The last thing I want is for my GPS to start auto-routing me around. No, I want to see exactly what “track” to follow. So with that said, here’s my workflow for creating routes to tracks:

1. Create routes with the routing tool, let Mapsource create but double-check every turn of the way!
2. In Mapsource, select the route and copy the route (Windows Ctrl+C, Mac Cmd+C)
3. Open WinGDB3 in Clipboard mode. Click the ‘Convert to clipboard’ button
4. Back to Mapsource and hit paste (Windows Ctrl+V, Mac Cmd+V).

Your route is now in Mapsource as a track! Here’s just a couple things to keep in mind before you upload tracks to your GPS, especially a 60CSx or similar.

• Tracks must be less than 500 points. On the GPS you will only see up to the 500th point of a track if it’s too long.
• To aid in this limitation, cut your tracks in multiple pieces
• Use the Filter.. option in the Track Properties window to reduce tracks to 500 points.

Naming Conventions

I’ve seen many different track & waypoint naming conventions.  Here’s what works for me, I name them by number in the order of which I’ll ride them & include the length in miles they are. Appending the miles simply helps me determine time frames and gas usage, especially leading other guys with smaller tanks. For example, my first track for Day 1 that’s 88 miles long will be:

1a-1D88m

The second track for Day 1 that is 57 miles long would be:

2a-1D57m

Then, let’s say on Day 1 in the middle of 2a-1D57m track there’s a optional route that leads me to something cool, like a covered bridge (CB). First I’d add a waypoint near the turn off for the covered bridge, say it’s a left-hand turn, I’ll name it like this:

L-2aCB - waypoint tells me a left is upcoming onto track 2a-CB32m

2a-CB32m - track to see the covered bridge

CB-SunCrk - waypoint marked at the covered bridge location

Depending on how I route back to my main track from my little detour, I may have additional tracks named something like, 2b-CB14m.  The goal I try to achieve is to keep all the tracks in an ordered list, both in Mapsource and on my GPS.  The third track for Day 1 that’s 102 miles long would be named:

3a-1D102m

Day 2 would follow the same naming convention continuing in numbering. If I had no alternatives or detours it would be named simply:

4-2D75m

I hope you can see the progression with my naming convention for tracks, if not, here is a screenshot from my SBR 2010 ride:

The tracks TRK1, TRK2, TRK3 are my finished tracks that I downloaded from my GPS after my ride was complete.

Color Conventions

Another thing that really helps when I’m out on a ride is to color code my tracks. I usually color them by day or section of the ride, alternates/detours get a different color, and single track gets its own color, etc.

Cyan: Day 1 / First half of trip
Green: Day 2 / Return half of trip
Blue: Alternate / Detour tracks
Red: Single / Difficult tracks
Grey: Low water accessible only

Waypoints

Depending on what GPS unit you have, naming your waypoints with a prefix will help you find the waypoint faster if you need to do a search. So I typically name them with a prefix code, here’s a few examples:

BR : Bridge
CG : Campground
CB : Covered bridge
DR : a dirt/gravel road that needs investigating
GF : Gas/Food
SB : Swinging bridge
SP : Spring

The other thing make SURE to do is assign the correct icon to the waypoint.  A black flag for every waypoint is just ridiculous. So, if it’s a campground, assign it the Tent icon, etc.  Next, I assign some waypoints to categories, so I can turn off all waypoint except for those in a certain category. For example, I will place all of my campground waypoints in Category 1, then rename it to Camp. (Edit – Preference.. – Waypoint Categories).  This allows me to easily see where campgrounds are along my trip and plan accordingly. Typically the only categories I assign to waypoints are:

1. Camp
2. Gas
3. Eats
4. Hotel

Thus far, following these tips has helped me plan more efficiently and cause less confusion while out on a ride.  I encourage you to come up with your own conventions and to be more organized in your planning, you’ll thank yourself later! And to all those who don’t have GPS units… GET ONE already!!

In 2011, I’ve committed to producing a mini-series of biographies that I think will touch a lot of people. Also, I’ve committed myself to capturing more of my life, my families life and those around me. All the elements are in place, I’m thing only thing in the way.

The only way I can pull these projects off is if I have my own gear and gear that is small and light.  Easy to bring along, easy to pack on my bike and easy to setup.  After spending a lot of time watching quality videos on Vimeo, I’ve noticed… it’s not all in the gear, its really all in the eye behind the gear.  The story should be the best piece of the project, not the camera or lens or lights or even budget!  Ever hear of the movie “Once” or “Easy Rider“? The movie “Once” was created on a $237,816 dollar budget. It grossed $19 million.  ”Easy Rider” had a budget of $400,000 and grossed $60 million. The point is that it does not take the best of the best to produce a film or short video that’s of high quality, engages the audience and lasts over time.

For me, I’m not talking about box office here, I’m talking internet/independent avenues of distribution. Not to make money but to make my dreams become reality!  To begin my biography series he’s the gear I’m starting with.  It needs to be small factor so I can load it on my motorcycle and have it readily available for other video projects.

At my disposal I’ve also got a Canon T2i, I use my lenses on it a 17-85mm & a 50mm f1.4. This HDSLR is amazing and will add creativity and good DOF shots. Here’s a video “Salton Sea” by Philip Bloom shot on the T2i.

Click here to view the embedded video.

For audio wit the T2i, I use a Zoom H4n with my Rode Videomic shotgun or Sennheiser ew112p G3 wireless lav mics.

Another great camera I have is the GoPro HD, its a full 1080p HD camera that has a lot of great features that I’ll use like it’s going out of style

Currently I’m working on a new website and making contacts with potential biography candidates. I’m super excited and have many ideas already in the works. God willing, you’ll be seeing them come to fruition in 2011!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Now enter the BMW scooter.. this thing looks sweet.  I can only imagine what a joy it would to run around town on this thing.. check it out, definitely has a signature BMW look!  LCD displays.. for onboard cameras..what!!

Click here to view the embedded video.

If any of you buy one, come on over so I can ride it…

Bash, you ever see that video from Jim Gaffigan about nasty Hot Pockets..?

I reply,

No, I haven’t why?

Pax says..

Oh dude you gotta see this, you won’t be eating them things anymore..

Well needless to say.. I like my Hot Pockets! But this video is hilarious…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Historically, my website has been information about all sorts of stuff, anything and everything! Then, I stop posting because its got all kinds of stuff on it and makes me frustrated that its just so.. blah! So, with this site I’m only going to post on a few different topics; mainly my hobbies of photography/videography & adventure riding, my family and my faith.

This site will be my little getaway to dump stuff I’ll end up forgetting otherwise, to be a reminder to myself of the things I enjoy! I still have some work to do on the site but I think its ready for the public now…

With that said, I’ll leave you with a typical scene during our family movie nights…