Pentax K10D, Pentax SMC-A 50mm f/1.7 (manual focus), ISO 800, f/1.7, 1/25 sec, +0.7 EV, IS on

Another shot from the Centrifuge Bar at the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas while I was enjoying a beer and winding down from 3 days at the PMA show. In this shot I simply opened the aperture all the way up and with the camera on my lap played around with the manual focus (using the distance markings of the focus ring on my manual 50mm f/1.7 lens while estimating the distance) and let my Pentax K10D do the rest. It took 3 or 4 tries to get the framing right but using this technique saved me from getting down on my knees in the bar- something I try to avoid these days. This picture is essentially straight out of the camera with nothing more than my Lightroom default import processing of the RAW file. White balance was set to auto and has not been adjusted. Doesn’t get much easier than this!

Bouchon Bistro @ The Venetian, Las Vegas

The rest of the meal for those interested in such things:

Fresh oysters.

Warm pistachios.

Blood pudding sausage with roasted apples and potato pureé. I had the bar tender pick the wine for dinner. He selected a cabernet. Later he had me try a pinot gris he was thinking of suggesting. The cab was pretty rich with a peppery finish that matched the mild gamey-ness of the blood sausage. The pinot gris, on the otherhand, absolutely exploded in my mouth and provided an incredible contrast to the flavors in the meal. In hindsight he should have gone with the white ;-)