The original "Variable Threat Response Battle Suit, Mark I" is a solar charged carbon-composite-based steel mesh armor which provided its user with superhuman-level strength and durability as well as utilizing laser guided munitions. Stark gave Rhodes a modified version of the armor, Mark II Model JRXL-1000, created just for him with the inclusion of repulsors in each palm of the armor's gauntlets and a multifunctional unibeam projector in the chest. The armor could be modified in the field with various modular weapons and has an improved tactical computer system with automatic targeting. Additional weapons included pulse bolt generators, retractable shoulder minigun, variable-configured double-barrel cannons on each gauntlet, gauntlet mounted flamethrower, plasma blade on the left gauntlet, missile box launcher, micro-rocket launcher, particle beam discharger, and an electromagnetic pulse generator in the unibeam projector that could shut down any electronic device in a 50 mile radius. The battlesuit also includes a photon emitter that created a force shield, forcefield-based stealth technology, boot-jet propulsion, and a self-contained breathing system.
The second version of the armor, reconfigured by Stark, contained upgraded improvements such as heat seeking missile launchers, pulse cannon, and retractable weapon pods located on its back. Rhodes utilized different types of specialty ammunition as well as non-lethal weapons such as rubber bullets. Though Rhodes lost the original armor, he still possessed a functional prototype helmet and gauntlet.
(Courtesy: Wikipedia)
This is my last post about Iron Man 2. Promise.
One of my favorite scenes is when Justin Hammer is making his big presentation and showing off his drone armors for the first time. I got goosebumps when he announced the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit.
Out of all the armor designs that have come from the Iron Man films, War Machine has made the largest impact on me. I find myself playing with the movie War Machine WAY more than the movie Iron Man...
Be good,
-Dave
I have changed the world in front of me
One against all; I'm starving this world
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Tony Stark
Makes you feel
He's a cool exec
With a heart of steel.
As Iron Man,
All jets ablaze,
He fights and smite'n
With repulsor rays!
A blaze of power!
Iron Man!
Amazing armor!
Iron Man!
Ok, so here's the thing. Iron Man is my absolute favorite comic book character. Other titles I drift in and out of, or I'm happy waiting for the trade paperback. It was the first comic title I ever read.
When I heard they were making a movie, naturally I was very excited. The teaser images and trailers not only served their purpose, they went above and beyond in creating excitement for the film. So much so that I feared it couldn't live up to my expectations...
Then I saw the film. 7 times.
And then there was the sequel. A sequel is always placed under a more intense microscope, and end up being considered worse than the original. For my money, however, Iron Man 2 is just as good, if not better, than the original! There's a super villain. There is a super hero fight. Super science. Happy Hogan and Pepper Potts have a larger role. We get to see more of Tony Stark and Jim Rhodes. Justin Hammer and Ivan Vanko were fantastic villains. Cool fights. Cool armors. Action! Comedy! Thrills! Seriously, just go see it. Again and again.
"No. No! You have the big gun. I am the big gun!"
Be good,
-Dave
I'd like to tell you how I'm feeling now
But it ruins everything
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Sorry for the lack of posts lately. Things have been hectic and I've fallen a bit behind!
I know, I know, excuses.
I will make up for it with next week's update.
Promise.
Be good,
-Dave
Thinking up a storm, when it storms it's going to rain
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NEO-VIPERS are cold-blooded commandos whose minds and instincts have been altered to change them into warriors incapable of fear or pain. Their enhanced physical abilities make them inhumanly strong, fast and deadly, and their advanced composite body armor. Watch out, G.I. JOE team! There’s an enemy NEO-VIPER commando on the attack!
Neo-Viper is a 3.75" G.I. Joe from Hasbro.
I didn't see the movie, but finding this guy in the 4 for $10 bins at Quake Collectibles was too good to pass up. Otherwise, I know nothing about him, but G.I. Joe should watch out! There's a Neo-Viper on the attack!
Be good,
-Dave
You'll always be alone
Your body stripped down to the bone
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I've noticed that my photos tend to follow a few set patterns, stylistically. I've even been told that I have a "signature" and that my photos can be recognized at thumbnail size. While I recognize that kind of visibility can only be a good thing for a photographer (especially if you someday hope to make any money at it), there is a part of me that resents it, even if only a little.
When I'm stuck for inspiration, I tend to surf either Flickr or DeviantArt. Both sites are great but for very different reasons. I've found Flickr to be the best place for technical brilliance. From framing to exposure times, Flickr makes me a more proficient photographer. I learned the rules there. I regularly converse with several amazing people who have taught me so much. With DeviantArt, however, the rules are thrown out. Colors, patterns, textures, everything goes into the final image. And I think that is a very important distinction to make. Flickr has taught me how to take good photos, but DeviantArt is teaching me how to take that photo and play with it; to not feel constrained by what I see through the viewfinder.
While today's shot may simply be some color tweaks, a little texture, and an overlay for mood, it's the first timid steps into something bigger and better for me.
IG-88 is an Assassin Droid in the Star Wars universe and is produced by Hasbro.
Be good,
-Dave
You know why
They called and just let it ring
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Brawn: Do you have any better ideas, or is your intelligence as fleeting as your courage?
Perceptor: As a matter of fact, I do: get inside Megatron and disconnect the heart of Cybertron.
Brawn: Are you defective? How're we gonna do that?
Perceptor: Simple: we use my trans-mat reduction beam to shrink down to microscopic size. Then, we crawl into Megatron and rip the blasted heart out!
Optimus Prime: What do you think of his intelligence now, Brawn?
Perceptor is a Transformers Autobot, recently re-issued and released by Hasbro, exclusively for Toys R Us.
As I've said before, I grew up mainly watching Robotech, but a few select Transformers found their way into my little hands. Perceptor was one of them and is the primary reason why I'm fascinated by microscopes to this day.
I "<3" him.
Be good,
-Dave
The walls are closing in again, oh well
I seen some thing I thought I never saw
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We made a quick trip up to the Boerner Botanic Garden in lovely Hales Corners, Wisconsin and I thought maybe I should take a few friends along. You know, just to get them out of the apartment and stretch a little.
While I was talking to April and lamenting the sad state of my Plastic 52 project (I started the project on June 27th, 2008) when from behind me I heard, "Camerasman! Hey Camerasman! HEY!"
I whipped around and there stood Hugg, Wage's apron hastily draped over his shoulder. "Camerasman! Take my picture!"
Wondering what happened to Wage, I knelt down and started lining up my shot. From the corner of my viewfinder I saw this naked orange streak run into the frame shouting, "Give me back my clothes!"
Click.
Be good,
-Dave
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UTINNI!
Jawas, courtesy of Wookieepedia:
Jawas were typically short rodent-like natives of Tatooine. They were passionate scavengers, seeking out technology for sale or trade in the deep deserts in their huge sandcrawler transports. A band of Jawas was responsible for locating C-3PO and R2-D2 and selling them to Luke Skywalker's uncle Owen Lars. Another tribe of Jawas, led by Tteel Kkak, found Jabba the Hutt's rancor. They had a reputation for swindling, as they had a penchant for selling old equipment such as outdated faulty droids to moisture farmers, however they were extremely passive beings, and hardly put up any resistance to colonists of their planet unlike the other natives the Sand People, instead seeing foreigners as an excellent business opportunity.
Short post today, I'm afraid.
Use the EXIF:
| Camera: | Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi |
| Exposure: | 0.025 sec (1/40) |
| Aperture: | f/5.6 |
| Focal Length: | 55 mm |
| ISO Speed: | 100 |
| Exposure Bias: | 0 EV |
| Flash: | Off, Did not fire |
| File Size: | 3.6 MB |
| File Type: | JPEG |
| MIME Type: | image/jpeg |
| Image Width: | 2592 |
| Image Height: | 3888 |
| Encoding Process: | Baseline DCT, Huffman coding |
| Bits Per Sample: | 8 |
| Color Components: | 3 |
| X-Resolution: | 72 dpi |
| Y-Resolution: | 72 dpi |
| Orientation: | Horizontal (normal) |
| Software: | Adobe Photoshop CS3 Windows |
| Date and Time (Modified): | 2009:06:10 12:00:55 |
| YCbCr Positioning: | Co-sited |
| Exposure Program: | Aperture-priority AE |
| Date and Time (Original): | 2009:06:09 18:27:58-05:00 |
| Date and Time (Digitized): | 2009:06:09 18:27:58 |
| Metering Mode: | Multi-segment |
| Color Space: | sRGB |
| Focal Plane X-Resolution: | 4433.29532497149 dpi |
| Focal Plane Y-Resolution: | 4453.60824742268 dpi |
| Custom Rendered: | Normal |
| Exposure Mode: | Auto |
| White Balance: | Manual |
| Scene Capture Type: | Standard |
| Compression: | JPEG (old-style) |
| Global Angle: | 30 |
| Global Altitude: | 30 |
| Copyright Flag: | False |
| Photoshop Quality: | 12 |
| Photoshop Format: | Standard |
| Progressive Scans: | 3 Scans |
| XMPToolkit: | Adobe XMP Core 4.1-c036 46.276720, Mon Feb 19 2007 22:40:08 |
| Orientation: | Horizontal (normal) |
| Metadata Date: | 2009:06:10 12:00:55-05:00 |
| Creator Tool: | Adobe Photoshop CS3 Windows |
| Format: | image/jpeg |
| Color Mode: | 3 |
| ICCProfile Name: | sRGB IEC61966-2.1 |
| Viewing Conditions Illuminant Type: | D50 |
| Measurement Observer: | CIE 1931 |
| Measurement Flare: | 0.999% |
| Measurement Illuminant: | D65 |
| Color Transform: | YCbCr |
| Flash Return: | No return detection |
| Flash Mode: | Off |
| Flash Function: | False |
| Flash Red Eye Mode: | False |
Be good,
-Dave
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Cobra Commander's bio, courtesy of Joepedia:
Not much is known of the background of the man many call the Cobra Commander. What we can only tell is how he works and how he thinks. We know that he has deliberately started political and social conflict in a number of areas. He has amassed an army by recruiting displaced people, promising them money, power and a chance to get back at the world that hurt them. In return, he demands that they swear absolute loyalty to his cause. What is his cause? World domination.
Cobra Commander does not delude himself by justifying his actions as matters of principles or glory. He knows he does it for control and power. He is ruthless, hatred-personified and totally obsessed. A meticulous person, he likes to personally oversee vital projects himself, even engaging in military combat himself on occasion.
It's coming up on summer here in Chicago, and that has me feeling optimistic. I'm hoping for some Flickr meets, my Lovely Assistant and I have joined a couple photography groups on Meetup, and I'm in the process of opening up a new webstore so those interested can buy prints of my photos. On top of all that, I was asked to be one of the photographers for the
Windy City Comicon in September!
So, yeah. I'm feeling good.
Cursssse you GI:EXIF!| Camera: | Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi |
| Exposure: | 0.002 sec (1/500) |
| Aperture: | f/5.6 |
| Focal Length: | 18 mm |
| ISO Speed: | 100 |
| Exposure Bias: | 0 EV |
| Flash: | Off |
| File Size: | 6.3 MB |
| File Type: | JPEG |
| MIME Type: | image/jpeg |
| Image Width: | 3888 |
| Image Height: | 2592 |
| Encoding Process: | Baseline DCT, Huffman coding |
| Bits Per Sample: | 8 |
| Color Components: | 3 |
| X-Resolution: | 72 dpi |
| Y-Resolution: | 72 dpi |
| Orientation: | Horizontal (normal) |
| Software: | Adobe Photoshop CS3 Windows |
| Date and Time (Modified): | 2009:05:13 13:43:48 |
| YCbCr Positioning: | Co-sited |
| Exposure Program: | Aperture-priority AE |
| Date and Time (Original): | 2009:05:03 12:20:29-05:00 |
| Date and Time (Digitized): | 2009:05:03 12:20:29 |
| Metering Mode: | Multi-segment |
| Color Space: | sRGB |
| Focal Plane X-Resolution: | 4433.29532497149 dpi |
| Focal Plane Y-Resolution: | 4453.60824742268 dpi |
| Custom Rendered: | Normal |
| Exposure Mode: | Auto |
| White Balance: | Manual |
| Scene Capture Type: | Standard |
| Compression: | JPEG (old-style) |
| Global Angle: | 30 |
| Global Altitude: | 30 |
| Copyright Flag: | False |
| Photoshop Quality: | 12 |
| Photoshop Format: | Standard |
| Progressive Scans: | 3 Scans |
| XMPToolkit: | Adobe XMP Core 4.1-c036 46.276720, Mon Feb 19 2007 22:40:08 |
| Orientation: | Horizontal (normal) |
| Metadata Date: | 2009:05:13 13:43:48-05:00 |
| Creator Tool: | Adobe Photoshop CS3 Windows |
| Format: | image/jpeg |
| Color Mode: | 3 |
| ICCProfile Name: | sRGB IEC61966-2.1 |
| Viewing Conditions Illuminant Type: | D50 |
| Measurement Observer: | CIE 1931 |
| Measurement Flare: | 0.999% |
| Measurement Illuminant: | D65 |
| Color Transform: | YCbCr |
| Flash Return: | No return detection |
| Flash Mode: | Off |
| Flash Function: | False |
| Flash Red Eye Mode: | False |
Be good,
-Dave
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Mighty Muggs are one of those toys that I somehow never really talk about here, which is a shame. My Mugg collection (or Mugglection) continues to grow with each series released, so my shelf has guys like Dr. Doom comparing capes with Cobra Commander. My favorite, however, is Mighty Muggs Hulk. His crooked teeth, his unibrow, I don't know. I laugh every time I look at him!
I keep looking at the designer vinyl toys and, while I find a LOT that I enjoy, the price keeps me away from 99% of them. I do own some and really enjoy them, but really, $40 for a 6" toy? Man, I'm on the wrong end of the toy equation. I've gotta start making the figures instead of photographing them.
Hugg was taken at Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory, and excellent indoor garden that is free to the public. If you're in the area, please check it out.
All Photoshop had to do was tweak the Lab Colors and hit Save As. SO EASY!
Why Hugg's pants turn EXIF?
| File Size: | 5.3 MB |
| File Type: | JPEG |
| MIME Type: | image/jpeg |
| Image Width: | 3888 |
| Image Height: | 2592 |
| Encoding Process: | Baseline DCT, Huffman coding |
| Bits Per Sample: | 8 |
| Color Components: | 3 |
| X-Resolution: | 72 dpi |
| Y-Resolution: | 72 dpi |
| Orientation: | Horizontal (normal) |
| Software: | Adobe Photoshop CS3 Windows |
| Date and Time (Modified): | 2008:12:29 08:59:57 |
| YCbCr Positioning: | Co-sited |
| Exposure Program: | Program AE |
| Date and Time (Original): | 2008:12:28 16:24:21-06:00 |
| Date and Time (Digitized): | 2008:12:28 16:24:21 |
| Metering Mode: | Multi-segment |
| Color Space: | sRGB |
| Focal Plane X-Resolution: | 4433.29532497149 dpi |
| Focal Plane Y-Resolution: | 4453.60824742268 dpi |
| Custom Rendered: | Normal |
| Exposure Mode: | Auto |
| White Balance: | Auto |
| Scene Capture Type: | Standard |
| Compression: | JPEG (old-style) |
| Global Angle: | 30 |
| Global Altitude: | 30 |
| Copyright Flag: | False |
| Photoshop Quality: | 12 |
| Photoshop Format: | Optimised |
| Progressive Scans: | 3 Scans |
| XMPToolkit: | Adobe XMP Core 4.1-c036 46.276720, Mon Feb 19 2007 22:40:08 |
| Orientation: | Horizontal (normal) |
| Metadata Date: | 2008:12:29 08:59:57-06:00 |
| Creator Tool: | Adobe Photoshop CS3 Windows |
| Format: | image/jpeg |
| Color Mode: | 3 |
| ICCProfile Name: | sRGB IEC61966-2.1 |
| Viewing Conditions Illuminant Type: | D50 |
| Measurement Observer: | CIE 1931 |
| Measurement Flare: | 0.999% |
| Measurement Illuminant: | D65 |
| Color Transform: | YCbCr |
| Flash Return: | No return detection |
| Flash Mode: | Off |
| Flash Function: | False |
| Flash Red Eye Mode: | False |
Be good,
-Dave
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Over on Flicker.com there are groups with a different theme every day. Bokeh Wednesday, Half Naked Thursday, and, I guess most appropriate for today, Macro Mondays. Every Monday a new theme is posted and the group members have a week to come up with an appropriate themed shot. Some past themes have been Imperfection, Urban Decay, and Bodies as Art, but the theme for this week is Metallic, and I knew right away what my shot would be.
Macro Monday, meet Iron Man, Mk 1. Iron Man, Mk 1? Monday. Just in case you two aren't well acquanted, here is a brief introduction, courtesy of Wikipedia:
Born Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark, he suffers a severe heart injury during a kidnapping and is forced to build a destructive weapon. He instead creates a power suit to save his life and help him escape. He later decides to use the suit to protect the world as the superhero, Iron Man. He is a wealthy industrialist and genius inventor who created military weapons and whose metal suit is laden with technological devices that enable him to fight crime. Initially, Iron Man was a vehicle for Stan Lee to explore Cold War themes, particularly the role of American technology and business in the fight against communism. Subsequent re-imaginings of Iron Man have gradually removed the Cold War themes, replacing them with more contemporary concerns such as corporate crime and terrorism.
Throughout most of the comic's history, Iron Man has been a member of the superhero team the Avengers and has been featured in several incarnations of his own various comic book series. The character has been adapted for several animated TV shows, as well as for the 2008 live action films Iron Man and a cameo in The Incredible Hulk where he is played by Robert Downey, Jr.
This Iron Man figure came courtesy of Hasbro, and is/was available at most big box retail outlets. Availability may vary.
Setup for this one was very simple. Taking my repainted and customized (I added the antenna. I R TOY HAXXOR) Mk 1 into my studio aka kitchen stovetop, I had a very difficult time lighting him. I tried a lamp, but he was too washed out. I tried candles, but that wasn't quite right either. Finally, completely out of frustration, I held up my lighter just inbetween the lens and the toy, just below where the camera was focusing and snapped the shot.
For a little post processing love, I first open Mk 1 in GIMP to run their extraordinary Auto White Balance. Say what you want about it's usability and clunky interface (this coming from a Photoshop user), that one tool makes it worth a download. Going from GIMP into Photoshop, I first adjusted the Red Saturation to bring down the ruddy background and make the figure pop more. Then, using the same steps as my robot eyes tutorial, I painted in his Unibeam. Finally, wanting to really make him look like rough, hammered metal, I ran a High Pass Filter over the image, setting the blending mode to Overlay.
So that's my first Macro Monday. It only took me, what, and hour? Hour and a half? I may have to do a couple more of these in the future, if only to see how many themes I can cram my toys into.
TONY STARK BUILT IT IN A CAVE! WITH A BOX OF EXIF:
| Camera: | Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi |
| Exposure: | 0.5 sec (1/2) |
| Aperture: | f/3.5 |
| Focal Length: | 50 mm |
| ISO Speed: | 400 |
| Exposure Bias: | 0/3 EV |
| Flash: | Flash did not fire |
| Orientation: | Horizontal (normal) |
| X-Resolution: | 72 dpi |
| Y-Resolution: | 72 dpi |
| Software: | Adobe Photoshop 7.0 |
| Date and Time: | 2009:01:19 08:50:21 |
| YCbCr Positioning: | Co-Sited |
| Exposure Program: | Aperture priority |
| Date and Time (Original): | 2009:01:19 08:59:55 |
| Date and Time (Digitized): | 2009:01:19 08:59:55 |
| Shutter Speed: | 65536/65536 |
| Metering Mode: | Pattern |
| Color Space: | Uncalibrated |
| Focal Plane X-Resolution: | 4433.295 dpi |
| Focal Plane Y-Resolution: | 4453.608 dpi |
| White Balance: | Manual |
| Compression: | JPEG |
| Image Width: | 3888 pixels |
| Image Height: | 2592 pixels |
Be good,
-Dave
You can order your copy of my book, Life in Plastic, Vol. 1, directly from Lulu: 
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