21 February 2013
Skindiving ★ enewspaper2.thewest.com.au

I dove into the world of freediving by accident when I was snorkeling in South Sulawesi. Then I began reading about it but never seriously took it up as a sport/hobby. Recently, I met [this fella](http://www.balifreedive.com) and learned more in one day than the number of days and weeks I was reading about it.

I guess it’s the sheer joy of floating freedom that somewhat reminded me back to the early days of my photography journey, but the idea of actually taking a course to dive deeper is fascinating.

Daedalus Touch Goes Universal ★ daedalusapp.com

Having used their desktop app Ulysses, Daedalus touch was an instant buy when it came out from the iPad. The stacking paper metaphor works, and the gesture feels natural; most importantly text input and presentation is flawlessly intuitive.

It has seen regular, and great updates, but the iCloud syncing and the new iPhone compatibility makes [five bucks a very lucrative offer](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=JN0LfYsl8*E&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fdaedalus-touch-text-editor%252Fid406964546%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30).

A Study in Light ★ wmotors.ae
[The Lykan © W Motors](/assets/2013/02/W-Motors-Lykan-HyperSport-15.jpg) The Lykan © W Motors

Having shot many cars and observe how manufacturers shoot their automobiles, I find the W Motors’ approach refreshing. Smoke & flare aside, the deliberate placement of the props are not only immaculate, but also properly lit individually. This is not a convenient photo shoot.

Photographing car is an art of itself. Most cars are either curvy or boxy, but this one’s got both, so it’s definitely challenging and fantastic to play around with. Whoever shot this car was having loads of fun in the studio. (via [Motoriginal](http://motoriginal.tumblr.com))

SLR Magic’s Beast ★ gearpatrol.com

> …think of Falkor the Luckdragon meeting a unicorn and having beautiful babies.

Gear Patrol looks at some of the best 35mm lenses available on the market today, and of particular interest, SLR Magic’s 0.95 made the list. Undoubtedly, it’s one of the most famous lenses among blogging photographers today.

Shooting Film in the Digital Age ★ petapixel.com
["There's only one frame to get the shot" © David Burnett](/assets/2013/02/davidburnett_londonolympics-9.jpg) “There’s only one frame to get the shot” © David Burnett

[See the short video](http://vimeo.com/58545881), or [read the short article](http://www.petapixel.com/2013/02/08/david-burnetts-speed-graphic-photos-of-the-london-2012-olympics/)

The Big Question ★ blog.photoshelter.com

It’s obvious, but Allen Murabayashi asks the question anyway: [Why Do Photo Contest Winners Look Like Movie Posters](http://blog.photoshelter.com/2013/02/why-do-photo-contest-winners-look-like-movie-posters/)?

This is a study of beautification.

11 February 2013
On Making Mistakes ★ zenhabits.net

Leo Babauta:

> Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. They are some of the best teachers. Instead, learn to be OK with mistakes, and learn to learn from them, and learn to shrug them off so they don’t affect your profound confidence in who you are.

His advice will be mine to my own kids one day.

‘Life is not measured in years alone but in achievement’ ★ devour.com

I may have understated when I said [excellence has no expiration date](/2013/02/excellence-has-no-expiration-date), as it is contagious, and spreading slowly across time and space in the form of inspirations.

This McLaren tribute for their golden anniversary says it well:

> To do something well is so worthwhile that to die trying to do it better cannot be foolhardy.

Watch the whole clip and feel it.