jim arnold » Travel

Booking a flight the frugal way

jim — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:59:48 +0000

Wisdom from The Frugal Traveler. Lots of links to find the best deals. Why had I never heard of Kayak.com until now?

One Cool Cat in Rome

jim — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 05:09:20 +0000

As Ann and I walked through Piazza del Popolo in Rome from our hotel to the Pantheon, Ann spotted a gentleman walking his cat on a leash. I was able to get the camera going in time to capture him walking the cat. He then proceeded to drop the leash, leave the cat alone and walk back to the fountain. He watched the cat for a few seconds and then proceeded to sit down and read a book to allow the cat to enjoy the sunshine.

After filming and photographing the cat for a while I tried to talk to the owner. He didn’t speak English and I don’t speak Italian, but I was able to find out the cat was 2-years-old. I didn’t think to ask the cat’s name.

I have no idea how long they stayed, we left after about 10 minutes of watching the crowds react to seeing the cat. Some people went up and petted the cat, which I also did before I left. He was not timid at all and merely seemed to tolerate my intrusion. He was too cool to care about my need for his affection. One girl tried to introduce her small dog to the cat, which did not go well. A hiss and swipe solved that meeting, with the dog coming out the loser.

Rome with the Panasonic LX3 in “pinhole” mode

jim — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:24:03 +0000

You have to love/hate the tackiness of the guys outside the Colosseum and Pantheon dressed as Gladiators. Their purpose is to make a buck having their pictures made with tourists.

The top photo was made down the street from the Colosseum.

While the LX3 doesn’t offer a true “pinhole” look I do like the images that result. A friend wanted to know why I don’t just take a regular photo and use a “pinhole” Photoshop filter? Where is the fun it that? I like the gamble of it either working or not, like you would be forced to live with while shooting with a film Holga. Besides, if I started to futz with a Photoshop filter it would open a door best left closed.

Rome: A sunny day

jim — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:17:22 +0000

Finally a free day to roam around Rome in the sunshine!

Street soccer in Rome

jim — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:32:18 +0000

Rome lovers

jim — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:35:53 +0000

I’ve always been a sucker for the kiss photo. Three from Rome found the same day.

Rome Dogs

jim — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:07:52 +0000

A few pooches from the last few days.

Rome’s Trevi Fountain

jim — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:48:15 +0000

My favorite Rome photo for the day, taken at Trevi Fountain with the Lumix LX3. The LX3 can capture in 16:9, 3:2 or 4:3. The 16:9 mode is addictive. Click image for slightly larger version.

Another fun mode to experiment with on the LX3 is “pinhole” mode. Below are two images from the Pantheon shot in “pinole” mode.

Rome – The Pantheon

jim — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:24:21 +0000

This is my favorite image of the day, spent wandering alone clocking just over eleven miles on the pedometer. Click the image for a slightly larger version.

The Basilica of Saint Peter (Rome)

jim — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:06:33 +0000