Jeff Rendek's Blog

T H I R S T – Model & Photography Workshop

Jeff — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:34:34 +0000

For the Thirst Workshop we decided to venture out towards the beautiful Canadian Rockies. With the pre-choosen destination being Bankhead, an old coal mine that existed in the early 20th century. This unfortunately couldn’t happen. After discovering that the road has been snowed in, we had to come up with another plan. After a short discussion, we all settled for Lake Minnewanka. A different theme than we had originally anticipated but we could handle the last minute changeFirst, let’s start out by giving credit, where credit is due!

NOOBS Photography (Calgary Chapter)
Photographers: Me, Phen, Roel, Joke
HMUA: Joy, Patricia
Models: Celia, Polina, Ann Tsi
Assistants: Karl, Ann, Jaze
HUGE thanks to Phen & Joy, admins for the Calgary chapter. The amount of work invested did not go unnoticed! Can’t wait for the next one.

Well, without further hesitation. Here’s my photo set from the workshop. Out of 847 RAW image files, I processed 23 of them and here are the results. Let me know what you think, I’d love to receive some feedback!

Enjoy,

Final Destination

51.249056° N, -115.502056° W

Photo Set

Hiking Johnston Canyon, Banff National Park

Jeff — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:00:22 +0000

Hiking in the mountains in January?! Since it’s been such a mild winter, I decided to venture out to Johnston Canyon and see what the falls had to offer. Once again, the Canadian Rockies did not disappoint. Having great weather (just above the freezing point) I headed out to the trail-head, which is located just off the Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A) at the 18km marker.

This hike can be enjoyable for the whole family. It’s rated as very easy and offers some great views. You have the chance to make 3 separate stops on this trail. The Lower Johnston Falls are located at the 1.1 km mark, then the Upper Johnston Falls are located 2.7 km up-trail. Further more, you can also access the Ink Pots by traveling 5.8km up-trail. I opt out of the ink pots adventure since I dont have ice cleats, which may have been needed to venture further up the solid ice pack trails. Better be safe then sorry.

I hope you enjoy these pictures and one day have a chance to visit this beautiful place!

Final Destination

Hike Elevation of 394 ft.
Distance: 5.4 km
52.18074°N / 117.05643°W

Picture Gallery

Splash Photography – My Setup, Tips, and Tricks!

Jeff — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:33:48 +0000

Upon my travels through the world wide web I’ve stumbled upon a very creative and inspiring type of photography. Splash Photography or Water Photography as most would describe it, can produce some absolutely awesome pictures. You can give that ordinary item an extraordinary edge! Follow along as I take you through my process of capturing these great shots! Don’t get discouraged, it can take time, patients, and luck. Remember, water photography will never produce the same shot twice. So if your using a continuous lighting setup, make sure your camera is set to shoot multiple frames per second. If your using strobes or flashes you better hope you have good timing and coordination!

Items Required for Splash Photography

3 Lighting Sources
A Tripod
Cable Release
Fish Tank
Squeegee
Metal Coat Hanger
Clamps
DSLR Camera

My Setup

I took a DIY approach to this setup. Everything used was either lying around the house or purchased inexpensively at the hardware store. My total bill was a whopping $15. I only had to purchase some 90-watt halogen bulbs, the 100-watt incandescent bulbs just wouldn’t cut it.

I started by placing the fish tank on a sturdy stand and filled it with water, as you fill the tank up you’ll notice small bubbles forming a layer between the glass and the water. Use the squeegee to wipe those bubbles away, we don’t want those showing in our final picture.

Now take the coat hanger and straighten it out (yes that shirt you just threw on the floor needs a new hanger, this one will be unusable once we’re done with it!). Straighten the hanger in such a way that it can rest on the sides of the fish tank and still have a long piece dropping down into the center of the tank.

Once you have the hanger all bent out of shape and formed the way you like it, tape your item onto the end and dunk it into the fish tank. (I sure hope you picked a waterproof item). Get everything positioned the way you like it and frame up your shot. The 2×4′s in my pictures were used just to make my hanger sit a little higher out of the water. Now comes the tricky part, lighting.

I choose to use 3 lights for my setup, you may want more if you have them. But in my case, all I had were 3. Take the first light and position it to the camera left at about a 45 degree angle to your subject. To get my desired brightness it ended up being about 12″ from the fish tank. I considered this to be my key light, I worked all other lights around this main key light.

Here I added another light directly across from the key light, slightly closer and lower to the glass to increase the back-lighting effect.

I had to add 1 more filler light to brighten up the overall scene and make the bubbles pop. I’m not sure of the wattage, but it’s one of the common halogen work lights that can be purchased at the hardware store, very inexpensive. I positioned this light on the floor about 3 feet below the fish tank aimed up towards the subject.

There, that wasn’t so hard now was it? Now comes the fun part! Shooting!
I had to use an ISO setting of 800, just because my DIY lighting setup wasnt bright enough to shoot at such a fast shutter speed. My current setup max’s out at 1/800sec @ F/5.6 – ISO800. Ideally you should shoot Splash Photography at 1/1000 sec +, but my lighting wont let that happen and I get to much noise shooting at a higher ISO.

Now take a small cup or bottle and fill it with water, slowly pour the water around your subject from about 6-12″ above the water. Experiment with height as each gives a unique result. Hold down that shutter button and start to capture these high speed frames, each with it’s own stunning outcome!

Upload your photos onto your computer and edit using your favorite post processing program. I use Adobe Lightroom 3 and love it! If you haven’t yet noticed, your subject is upside down. Rotate your image’s and process to your hearts content!

There you have it, how I shot my splash photography!
I hope you enjoyed this article and get to experiment for yourself, it really is a fun project to do on a snowy or rainy afternoon!

Please post your own splash photography in the comments below! I’d love to see some links to your pictures!

My Final Thoughts

Shoot at a minimum of 1/800 sec. exposure
Play with your lighting, simple changes can produce drastic results.
Pre-Focus on your subject then switch to Manual Focus (We want the subject in focus, not the bubbles)
Use continuous shooting to capture multiple frames per second
Avoid pouring the water in front of the subject
Check often and make sure your manual focus is accurate
Shoot up and at a 45 degree angle to get the reflection across the surface of the water
Be aware of the foreground reflections, if they are noticeable with your eye’s, the camera can and will see them.

My Results

Hiking the Burstall Pass, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

Jeff — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 03:53:29 +0000

Burstall Pass may be one of the finest trails available within the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. This trail offers absolutely amazing views and a challenging, but rewarding hike to the top! I hiked the trail on June 22nd 2011, the weather was great and the water level in the flats below Robertson Glacier had pretty much subsided. There were a few streams that we needed to ford, the water? Ice cold glacier water, crystal clear!

The Burstall Pass runs along the British Columbia/Alberta border. While exploring the vast meadows atop, you’re bound to cross back and fourth between provinces. While looking around; to the east is Mount Sir Douglas along with a great view of the Burstall Mountain Slabs which are pictured below. You also great a great view to the west; Mount Birdwood and Commonwealth Peak are clearly visible. Mount Assinaboine is to the north-west.

Final Destination

7,808 ft / 2,300 m
Hike Elevation of 1,550 ft.
Distance: 15 km
50.76144°N / 115.37086°W

Picture Gallery

SRP 10.5:1 Ls/Vtec Pistons

Jeff — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 01:50:13 +0000

I recently received my pistons for the build.
I went with the SRP LS/VTEC Pistons, Part#149228.
4032 low expansion high silicon aluminum alloy heat treated to SRP specifications
Dome and dishes feature smooth flowing radii for excellent flame travel.
Thick ring lands for limited nitrous oxide/forced induction use on low compression pistons.
Valve pockets machined to accept oversized valves
1.0 x 1.2 x 2.8mm ring widths.
.827 x 2.250 straight wall carbon steel wrist pin provided.
Pin fitting and spiro locks included

Specs:

Bore: 81.5
Oversize: .50
Stroke: 87.2mm
Rod: 138mm
C/D: 30mm
Head CC’s: 42.7
C/R w/ 0.040 Deck: 10.5:1
Dome CC: 2.8
Grams: 288g

Pictures:

B18a1 Engine Block Back From Machine Shop!

Jeff — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:54:13 +0000

I received the engine block back from the machine shop today. I had the following machine work completed:

Head was decked .004″
Cylinder bore .5 over (81.50mm)
Hot tanked

2009 Toyota Tacoma – HID Headlight Conversion

Jeff — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 01:09:40 +0000

Since the winter month’s are upon us and the drive to and from work is dark, I decide it would be a good time to upgrade the headlights in my 2009 Toyota Tacoma. Not that the OEM headlights are that bad, I just prefer the light output and look of the HID headlights.

I decided to go with the Notto SE Complete HID Conversion Kit from carID (see link below). It had the light output (5000K) that I was looking for as-well as a price point that couldn’t be beat! Great reviews always help with the decision.

Installation was a breeze, everything came included in the package. I first hooked everything up temporarily to test functionality, once I confirmed both bulbs were working correctly, I went through and tucked away the ballast’s, mounted the relay, and tidied up all the wires. What I was left with, was a great “cool white” headlight with a huge increase in visibility!

I purchased this kit through carID.com, Over-all the purchase went great and I’d definitely recommend them for future purchases. Good communication and fast shipping! They also have a fairly massive selection of parts which can make for a good one-stop shop! (I also purchased my Tonneau Cover from them!)

My 1990 Honda Civic H/B aka 90civicrider

Jeff — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 01:10:28 +0000

My first car that I refuse to sell! A lot of blood, sweat, and time have went into this project. After acquiring the car in 2001, the modifications soon followed. Completed in 2005 and it’s been in storage since. My “Sunday Driver” only comes out on occasion and I enjoy every minute of driving her! It’s in mint condition and I plan on keeping it that way!

Modifications include:

Performance

JDM B16A w/ 5-Speed LSD Transmission
Custom Programmed ECU
Competition Clutch 11lbs Lightweight Flywheel
Competition Clutch Stage 2 Race Clutch
DC Sports 4-2-1, 1-peice Header
AEM Cold Air Intake
Tenzo-R 2.25″ Cat-back Exhaust
Solo Short Throw Shifter
Brembo Cadium Plated Crossdrilled Rotors w/ semi-metallic pads
TEIN Super Street Full Coilover System w/ Upper Pillow Mounts
TSW 17″ Fury Rims

Appearance

Custom Candy Orange Tri-Stage Paintjob
Fully Molded Bodykit
Shaved Emblems, Antenna, and Rear Wiper Arm
Streetfighter I Front Bumper
Veilside Side Skirts
Extreme Rear Bumper
Z3 Fenders
Custom Caramel Leather Wrapped Interior Panels
Gel-Coat Interior Trim Accents to Match Exterior
Custom ’95 Integra Center Console Conversion
Mugen Replica Steering Wheel
Full Custom Fiberglass Gel-coat Stereo System
JL Audio 10″ Subes (x2)
JL Audio 250/1 Amplifier
JL Audio 6.5″ Front Speakers
Alpine Head Unit

Now, onto the picture’s!
Shout-out goes to FYM Photography for the absolutely amazing images!

'90 Honda Civic H/B & Owner Jeff Rendek

'90 Honda Civic H/B Front Ground Shot

'90 Honda Civic H/B Head On

'90 Honda Civic H/B Front Angle View

'90 Civic H/B Front View

'90 Honda Civic H/B Rolling Shot

90civicrider - 1990 Honda Civic H/B

'90 Honda Civic H/B Rear Side

2009 Toyota Tacoma – Roll-up Tonneau Cover Installation

Jeff — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:06:58 +0000

I’ll be installing the ACCESS® – Vanish™ Roll-Up Tonneau Cover. Installation is very easy and takes only a half hour or so. These instructions are for a 2009 Toyota Tacoma Access Cab with the cargo rail system, but I’m sure the process will be the same for most applications out there.

Start by removing the cargo rail system, remove the front rail as-well, it’ll make installation of the side rails much easier. You’ll need a T30 Torx bit. There’s 5 bolts per cargo rail, remove and proceed.

After all the cargo rails are removed you can go ahead and start un-boxing your new Tonneau Cover! Remove the side rails and match them to the appropriate side of the vehicle. The Latch end goes to the tailgate. Now comes the tricky part. You need to reinstall the side cargo rails along with the tonneau cover rails. The tonneau cover rail will be sandwiched between the inner truck bed and cargo rail system. I suggest you use some clamps to keep the two pieces together while re-installing. If you dont have access to clamps, call over a friend to lend a helping hand. Although help is not required, it will make for ease of installation. Go ahead and re-install the assembly using the new bolts and spacers that came with your Tonneau Covver package. Don’t forget the spacers, they will keep the new rail system flush and keep you from over-tightening.

After you have both the tonneau cover rails and cargo rails re-installed go ahead and re-install the front cargo rail using the oem T30 torx bolts.

Now place the main Tonneau Cover piece with the metal bracket facing toward the front of the vehicle, Install required tension brackets and tighten bolts hand tight. Center the Tonneau Cover between the two side rails and tighten bolts with a wrench. Tight, but not to tight.
That’s it. It really is that easy! Un-roll your new toneau cover and latch it shut. Check the surface for tension and adjust as need be. Try not to over-tension the tarp, for starters it will make latching the tonneau cover shut much harder, and two, it may stretch the toneau cover tarp over time, causing wrinkles.

Now you can safely store items in your truck bed, away from all of natures elements!

OEM Honda Parts Have Arrived!

Jeff — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 21:38:11 +0000

Short and sweet for today! The UPS man brought me some OEM Honda Parts, brand spanking new straight from Honda!

Type-R Water Pump
Type-R Oil Pump
B18a1 Thermostat
B18a1 Water Pipe Gaskets
B18a1 Oil Pan Gasket
Plug to replace the block heater

The engine block is currently at the machine shop getting some work done. Stay tuned for the finished specs!