Summer continues to wind down, and so too does the daylight. The sun is setting earlier and earlier these days, reminding me of the age-old photographic issues of Manitoba’s long winters. I’m already depressed thinking winter is just around the corner.

For now, I’ll try to live in the moment and squeeze as much summer out as possible.

Here are some great reads to enjoy on the beach, at the park, or on your deck or balcony.

Happy Sunday.

Great Reads

Obsession — Matt Gemmell:

I can be consumed by an idea – whether it was for an app, or now an article, or a story – and then nothing else matters. I’ll disappear into hours of planning (previously, drawings of interfaces, and jotting down lists of features and implementation notes; now, outlining and playing with narrative arcs, character sketches and plot points), and sometimes be unable to sleep until I’ve begun the act of creating whatever it is. When I do sleep, I wake up desperate to get straight back to work.

It is within this first stage, when an idea is in its purest, youngest form and when nothing can stand in the way. But for me, as time slowly passes, self-doubt and skepticism set in, setting up barriers for completion.

Game Theory Says R.A. Dickey Should Throw More Knuckleballs — As a batter, dealing with the devil you know is better than dealing with the devil you don’t. It seems obvious the pitcher would then want to do the exact opposite.

Peregrines—and a Photographer—Bunk Out at Chicago Man’s Apartment — Evolution takes place right in front of our very eyes. Not only have these peregrines adapted to the concrete jungle, we can watch them adapt from a few feet away.

Photography

Review: Olympus M.Zuiko 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO — I was waiting to pass final judgement on this lens until Jordan reviewed it. Now that Jordan has had his hands on it, my initial impressions look to be correct: This is a lens worthy of your attention. It’s been officially added to my “Want to Have” list for the future.

Please Don’t Buy a Digital SLR — As long as Leica remains visible in the mirrorless world, so too will DSLRs. If people are willing to spend exorbitant amounts of cash on a mirrorless Leica with no autofocus and next to no handy features, then people will be willing to spend exorbitant amounts of cash on large DSLRs with proper mirror prisms.

And they won’t be wrong either. Leica’s do offer characteristics no other camera maker can boast about. As long as Nikon and Canon’s DSLR systems continue to offer something unique, they’ll stick around. And they’ll be a great choice for professionals, sports photographers and wildlife photographers.

Outside of that group though, Ben is right. Please don’t buy a Digital SLR.

iOS and color management: why your pictures sometimes look weird on mobile devices (and how to fix them) — I absolutely love when someone else does all the dirty investigative work to fix a problem. Now that Álvaro has solved this odd mystery, the rest of the internet doesn’t have to.

Panasonic Leica 42.5mm f/1.2 DG Nocticron, or “The Joy of Subject Isolation” — This is a unique way of writing a review. More poetic prose and a back and forth between the event and the specifications. Very neat.

A weekend with the Canon EF 200-400 f/4 L IS USM zoom lens. — As I stated in the blurb about Ben’s piece on Digital SLRs, full frame DSLRs will probably never go away. And it’s lenses like the Canon EF 200-400 f/4 L which rest my case.

Some Beautiful Watches, A Funny Video, And An Apartment You’ll Never Be Able To Rent

Dezeen Watch Store — I generally head into an online store and only find one product which I like enough to consider buying.

This Dezeen store, on the other hand, had more than 10 wristwatches added to my cart. If you like the look of a Daniel Wellington, you’re guaranteed to like the look of some of these beauties.

Roadtripping man annoys his sister with seven hours of lip syncing — I smiled throughout this entire video. The man has rhythm.

This is NYC’s most expensive apartment for rent — I’ll probably never meet anyone who makes enough money to rent this apartment, and I’m willing to bet any person who can rent this apartment would probably choose to buy it instead.

Regardless, I’d venture to say this is a $150,000/month view.