Bassline Blogged

Three weeks later, two emails sent, and one complaint to BBB later, I finally have something to show for all the trouble that has gone on for the past 8 months.  After making the claim to BBB, they informed Amvona who later replied 24 hours later with an email asking whether or not I'd like my money refunded or if I wanted another item shipped.  Of course, getting my money back would be ideal but I wanted to get what intended to get in the first place; I opted for them to send me another boom. 

I was skeptical of whether or not they'd actually send one and simply say they would just to get them off the hook temporarily from the BBB.  However, once I saw a delivery notice from Canada Post in my mailbox a couple weeks later, I was a bit relieved to find that it actually was a package from Amvona.  Of course I got dinged on taxes at the border but there's nothing I could really do about that.  I was just pleased to know that this ordeal was finally behind me (but only after I lugged that heavy package home from the post office).  I'm usually not one to complain and make a fuss but I guess sometimes you gotta give it a little kick-start to get the wheels turning.  In this case, I think it paid off.

As for a review... well, after using the heavy duty pro-line ones from manfrotto while in the studio, I can safely say that these two aren't even in the same ballpark.  Of course at 1/5 the price of the manfrotto, you get what you pay for.  It is sturdy enough for most applications and it was used to take the picture above (albeit very quickly and not very well planned).  I'm content it works as it should and that it folds up quite small for transport (something that can't be said for the manfrotto boom which would need a utility van to lug around).  Oh yeah, as fashionable as black is to a photographer, in this case, that only means things scratch up a lot more easily and a hell of a lot more noticeably.

Like anyone looking for photography equipment, one would turn to ebay to see if they could find some gear without breaking the bank.  This is where I stumbled on the online merchant, Amvona (notice I’m not hot-linking the name so these guys don’t get any free hits off my blog).  For a while I ordered from them and was getting really cheap grip equipment but at inflated shipping prices (guess that’s where they make up the profit margins).  It was still cheaper then local retail stores so I suppose that was ok – the quality of the gear was so-so (a lot less sturdy than manfrotto but at 1/3 the price, you get what you pay for).  My last purchase was for a “Dynatran DBS-A Pro Boom Stand” (sounds impressive huh?) where the shipping via USPS was about $20US more expensive than DHL.  Usually I go USPS since their service was pretty good but I thought I’d take the chance with DHL since $20US is a fair bit of savings – that was my first mistake. *update: the price between DHL & USPS is now $5… great timing*

As time went by, I felt everything was going fine as usual and I was even more so confident in my purchase as it came with a tracking number.  Unfortunately that confidence quickly turned into disappointment as the tracking number revealed that it had crossed the border in good shape but ended up in Markham, damaged beyond repair, and to the point where it was no longer in any condition to ship to my house.  After numerous calls to DHL and finding out what I could do, all I got was the runaround and the statement that only Amvona (the original shipper) could file a claim.  I just wanted them to deliver the stand to my house no matter what condition it was in but they wouldn’t do that either.  Now after a month I’m juggling emails from both Amvona (who takes at least 1 week to respond to emails) and DHL who just says, they’re waiting for Amvona to make a claim.  Its like going back and forth between parents to see if you can have a sleep over at Sally’s house and having both of them divert responsibility to the other person, only in this scenario you don’t lose over $100US if either of them say no.  I decided to wait a bit longer and give this thing time to work itself out – I mean, I am a good customer after all (with 15 previous purchases under my account, why wouldn’t they do this for me).  So I played the waiting game.. that was my second mistake.

Now I suppose that it could be looked at as DHL’s fault for breaking the package but hey shit happens – that’s what insurance is for (which was chosen at the time of payment).  Even if there wasn’t insurance, having a package so damaged that it no longer can be shipped should be enough to say ‘we fucked up, we’ll fix it’.  What’s important is that things get resolved in a timely manner so that it all works out in the end.  I called DHL almost every day after a month had passed and they’ve yet to receive a claim from Amvona.  I was getting emails from them stating that they (Amvona) were ‘on it’ but I doubt they were doing anything at all.  Stressed and not wanting to deal with this any longer, I just let it go for the time being, hoping that everything would work out.  I had other things to deal with at the time and this was not at the top of my list anymore.

Months pass and surely I would’ve heard back from either of them and still… nothing.  I check on the tracking number on DHL and find that the item has now been destroyed. (perfect)  I had enough and I’m about to file an ‘item not received or not as advertised’ claim with ebay and paypal.  Here’s where it gets good.  I find out that I can no longer file a claim because I had to do it within 60 days of the end of the auction. (wonderful).  So this is why Amvona was stalling me… on top of that, I can’t even leave them negative feedback ‘cause it was now passed 60 days since the end of the auction (twice as nice).  I go to file a claim with paypal and same story.  I’ve been strung along to the point where I’m now unable to do anything because I was being nice enough to be patient and let them resolve matters.  Even after numerous emails saying that I would give them one last chance to redeem themselves by simply sending me a replacement (which they wouldn’t because it was DHL’s fault they haven’t received compensation yet), and even after saying I’d report them to the BBB, they still continue to drag this on. 

My third mistake would be to let this go, not report it to the Better Business Bureau and not warn anyone else about what could happen with the Amvona/DHL pairing but that’s not gonna happen.  Here it is for all to see and hopefully this will save someone the headache I endured as well as save them from losing any $ from companies that won’t help you when you need it the most.

A complaint has been filed and I'll keep you guys updated on the situation - wish me luck.

So, this is the quarter-century milestone that's come and gone just like any other day.  This year I get to celebrate with broken dolphins - yay! (don't ask "why dolphins?" as I'm still kind of wondering that myself)  Last year's gift met its demise today with a quick turn and a tumble to the ground. 

With not much happening to write about, I just wanted to pop in and wish everyone a safe and happy New Year.  Resolutions for me would probably be to update this thing more often - that might last a couple posts then back to the once-a-month routine however ;).  What's with the pic?  Its the only one in my stream that I thought might fit the post - you know, drinking/toast/new years etc...  Its a bit half-assed but that's just the way 2006 was so I'll try a bit harder in 2007.   Anyways, I'm headed out the door and won't be back for a couple days so have a good one folks!

Seeing that I haven't posted much at all lately, I thought I'd just share 2 videos as a cop-out from doing a real post ;) Besides, I haven't embeded a video to any of my posts before so this is a learning experience for me - that's a good thing.  I think they're actually pretty cool videos so I suppose that will make up for my laziness.  This has probably been viewed many times before but if you've never seen this, it's basically a guy named noah taking a picture of himself everyday for over 6 years. (btw, I think the original piano piece played during the video is fantastic).

Of course, with the release of that video, there's been many who've tried to do the same experiment themselves, and along with that came much controversy as to who orignally started the idea and whatnot.  With those politics aside, I've found this version to be one of the better "re-creations" I've seen out there.

(notice the time I posted this - indeed, I still can't shake that bad habit)

A question was asked of me as to why I cross-process certain images.  In response, I’d say that the majority of it is experimentation, plain and simple. 

Not knowing the result of a photo until you get it back from the lab is a definite change of pace from the usual instant gratification of digital.  I guess that can be said about film in general but cross-processing adds that extra bit of uncertainty that I like. 

Sometimes I’ll shoot the same scene with digital and film just to see in what respect they differ from each other – that just enforces my knowledge of the photographic process and strengthens my digital skills.  I’d also say that being able to see things in a different way is another reason why I’d cross-process film.

For this particular image, I figured that the increased contrast combined with the funky tones of expired tungsten film would make a great addition to the majestic structure that miniaturizes the subject.  The gas mask was just an added element to my “Dedication To Asthmatics” series which just carried over to this image.  I kinda like it.

In a sense, we’ve all seen that same building structure, person, or locale before but not necessarily through the results of a crossed C41 (or sometimes E6) chemical bath.  Sure it seems gimmicky and that it’s been done plenty of times before but the same can also be said for skydiving, rock-climbing, and anything else that people find enjoyable.  Just because it’s been done before doesn’t mean you can’t try it for yourself.

Opportunity knocked, and I opened the door.  Got a new photographic tool today and so far I'm pretty pleased with it.  I bought it used and for the price I got it for, I wouldn't see similar in retail stores for about a year.  I figure I'll take some pretty good pics within this year to justify not having to wait until then.

I guess one can say I'm being hypocritical in saying that I need better eyes rather than a new camera but if a better viewfinder can aid in me seeing the world a bit more clearer, then there's some justification in there.  (I'll just keep telling myself that;).  Honestly though, I need a backup.  It's scary walking into a job and wondering if your equip will just suddenly decide to take an extended vacation without two weeks notice.

If you're wondering about the gaffer's tape debranding, its simple.  I'm an advocate for not judging people by the equipment they use.  A camera is a tool and no one should be dismissed from being a good photographer simply because they don't have the latest and greatest.  The less others know about what I'm shooting with, the better.

Contrary to popular belief, debranding won't deter anyone from wanting to steal a camera - any 'pro-looking' cam is a prime target regardless.  From prosumer digi, to dslr, to mf - it doesn't matter; it'll still buy the same amount of crack 'cause they usually don't know the difference between the formats.

As for a review... there's plenty out there.  I'll just say that results will speak for themselves.  Now where's that freakin' body cap...

A couple friends and I went on a road-trip to Buffalo to scope out the home of the original Buffalo Wings, "The Anchor Bar".  Drive 2hrs for wings you say?  Oh Hell Yea!  Of course being a long weekend and a Sunday, no traffic was expected - oh how wrong we were.  The States doesn't celebrate this particular holiday... (bastards) 

At least there was still daylight by the time we arrived (oh btw, did I mention? Easiest. Border-Crossing. Ever.)  Finding ourselves in the glorious streets of Buffalo we walked around the 'hood.  Minutes later, and cameras branded for all to see, we get approached by some dude who wants us to take a pic of him and his dog in a bookstore setting (his friend's bookstore to be exact).  Seeing how an odd request this was from an utter and complete total stranger, we had no choice but to take him up on that.   So after killing a roll and a 512mb card to amuse the hell out of him, it was time for a drink.

We're tourists in the area so there's absolutely nothing else to do but pick the shadiest, dirtyiest, and most run-down place we could find - the bar formerly known as "The Pink Flamingo" (how's that for tacky).  Apparantly Rush used to play here and the bass player of Goo Goo Dolls used to DJ there as well... figures.  Anyways, this place had the most interesting characters you'd only find in the movies:  ex-firefighter hero turned bar-owner, 45 year old female bartenders, bikers with swastika tattoos, and a guy named Jimbo (I'm fuckin' serious lol).  It was one happy family and man did they know how to have fun.  Honestly, these guys were fuckin' awesome!  We were 'paparazzi' to them and they loved being in front of the camera.  After killing off the last of our film/cf cards, 5 email requests for pics, 2 drinks (one free), and getting flashed - it was time to get some grub.  Off to the infamous Anchor Bar we go!

If Dennys and TGI Fridays ever had a dysfunctional child, that would probably be the best way to describe this joint.  Licence plates on the wall, motorcycles hanging from the ceiling, and wings served to you on a raised silver (bling bling yo) platter was the norm around here.  Nothing to do but take it all in. Of course, we had to wash our hands first after our visit from that seedy bar.  50 dry wings later, we called it quits.  We should've listened to the locals when they said that this place hasn't served wings like they used to.  They did suggest other places to go for some 'damn fine fried baloney' so we'll be back for sure (who can argue with Jimbo afterall?).  Oh well, it would've been a disappointing trip to say the least if we didn't hit "The Pink Flamingo" first.  Time to head home and of course being a long weekend and a Sunday, no traffic was expected...

(oh btw, did I mention? Easiest. Border-Crossing. Ever... AGAIN!)

So how good are your photojournalistic skills?  This online game gives you a go at trying to photograph Superman. (beats shooting flowers, puppies, and babies)

You're rated on the photos you take and in this roll of 'film' you've only got 6 shots (either someone really over-wound the leader of their film canister or forgot to format their card before a shoot).

I'm not gonna comment on the continuity problem where Jimmy Olsen actually uses a D2X & 80-400mm VR lens in the movie instead of a Rebel XT but anyways..

Sorry if this is old but I just found about this now and thought it was kinda fun so go nuts - try and beat my score ;).