Phil's Depth of Field

Strob'n

2011-12-10T10:05:00.000-08:00

I can recall my first use of a non-built in camera strobe/flash. It was pretty significate, so the date sticks out like a sore thumb for me.

The first time I used one was to shoot U2. Yes, the band- U2.

Here is a brief back story:

I was getting in to photography, really feeling my oats so to speak. I had been looking at the idea of adding a strobe to my mix. However, I knew once I got it there would be a ton of settings, configurations, etc that I wasn't ready to take on yet. So I put it off. After all, I was an available light only sort of shooter. Why bother adding?! (Literally: Little did I know....)

Then U2 released it's semi-autobiography: U2 by U2. They also announced a support run of bookstores in three cities. One turned out to be New York City, a no brainer for a band who owns places in that city. There were contests for fans to get a copy of the book signed, and I failed that entry. However a buddy of mine in the Baltimore area won. I won my own lotto of sorts when I said I wanted to get a press-pass to shoot the band. I was in!

However, here is where the problem started: It was indoors along side some of the biggest news sources in America. I couldn't shoot available like and be any bit serious. I didn't have a spare $300 for a strobe, and very little time toprepare. So I asked for help from a friend who I knew would be there, and had a strobe to lend me for the event. Thats right, I went in to shoot U2 with a borrowed strobe with no clue how to use it, no experience, and very little idea of what I was trying to do.

I think I wound up getting some decent shots. However it drove me, I had to face the monster- strobes would be something I would need to bring in to the arsenal.

(The ATU2 flickr set of the event)

Since then I have moved away from available light. I have gotten almost snooty. For instance, my daughter was making sugar cookies with my wife this week. She was having a BLAST. Of course I wanted to shoot it... available light would have been awful. Bouncing the light was bad shadows... so I HAD to get out a lightstand and shoot thru-umbrella to give a wonderfully soft light to the fun. If I attempted the photos with the pre-strobe me, they would have been flat, grainy, and blech. Now I almost didn't take any photos because I wasn't happy with the light I was able to get. Thankfully my gear was nearby.

What was the differenece? A lot of reading, looking at how-tos, discecting photos, and not being happy with what I achieved. Even from my little photo shot of cookies being made, I still added some decent editing to make the image even better.

Here is a list of five sites that have helped me tremendously:

City of Blinding Lights- adventures in advertising

2011-11-30T18:28:00.000-08:00

The image that started this.

I had originally wrote most of this for @U2's series called Like A Song.

With the use license up for the image, I thought it was time to tell the story behind how I got one of my images printed in magazines like ESPN the Magazine and Rolling Stone.

I was contacted by an advertising agency in September of 2010 asking about the image seen to the right. They were looking to use it in an up coming Budweiser ad campaign called "Grab Some Buds." It wasn't anything I had heard of but the dollar figure they quoted made me seriously consider it.

This also proves that a shot from anywhere can be had. This image was a mistake, as outlined in the piece below. I didn't mean to take it. I almost deleted it as soon as I took it. But I kept it... not only kept it, but had mind enough to shoot at my Canon S70's highest resolution. I also backed all my images up, so I was able to pull it my from archives. Lastly, this was my 8th photo EVER to be posted to Flickr back in 2005. Never forget that almost anything can be used, a mistake with P+S camera, and one of my first posted images via Flickr. Amazing.

I was worried though. This was an image from a U2 concert, not something made for selling beer. I emailed some U2 photo friends, and some "in the know" U2 friends to ask advise. The end result was that I should go for it, but in the contract to include an indemnity clause protecting me in case U2 world came at the advertisement with lawyers.

The thing was, I had no idea if U2 had copy-written their shows. As in, something that was uniquely theirs, and any attempt to make it pass off as someone else's or to sell another product was illegal. If you know what you are looking for in the image above, Edge is in there.

Image used in ad in ESPN the Magazine

Well, now you know my story. I've only seen the image in ESPN the Magazine, as seen to the left here (October 4, 2010 issue), and Rolling Stone in the store. [interesting on the opposite side of a page involving Edge]

Now with some of the personal back story to this image and song.

The follow piece is taken from an article I wrote for @U2.

When I first heard "City of Blinding Lights," I was impressed. It was a big song for U2, and I thought it should have been the first song on the album. I had no idea when I first heard the song that it would twist through my life and supply me with distinct memories: from inspiring me in song, to inspiring me to help, to repaying me.

MARCH 26, 2005 – LOS ANGELES

I was in San Diego early to take in the first two nights of the Vertigo tour. I was assisting with the @U2 pre-concert party, and hanging out with two great friends, fellow @U2 staffer Sherry and her other half, Steve. We took the day to drive to L.A. because we had time, and of course, U2 was rehearsing. If this was going to be a U2 vacation, we were going to geek it up.

Then, the magic occurred. Fans who were gathered at the L.A .Sports Arena were let in with the radio contest winners to watch the last rehearsal for the Vertigo tour. To see a preview of what's to come for free before opening night was like winning a golden ticket. They opened with "City of Blinding Lights," and it was just magical: the confetti sprinkling down, the sheer joy of the moment, Bono singing "Oh you look so beautiful tonight" at full tilt. It was a defining moment in my U2 fandom, one I doubt I will be able to top. The song was perfect for opening the show, just as "Zoo Station" was perfect for the Zoo TV tour. It set the tone for the entire show.

MAY 14, 2005 – PHILADELPHIA

An accident occurred at this show for me that turned out to be somewhat magical. During the opening of the concert, Bono "appeared" to rise up under a shower of confetti at the front of the ellipse. I wanted to photograph that moment with my fancy point-and-shoot camera. I made sure the flash was turned off. While I knew what to expect, I missed the moment entirely -- I snapped too early. The resulting image, however, has easily become one of my favorites.

I have moved on to more serious photography interests, from a point-and-shoot camera to a digital single lens reflex camera. I have had opportunities to officially photograph U2 for @U2 at events like the "U2 by U2" book signing, Bono receiving the Liberty Medal, and a couple U2 concerts (1, 2, 3).

My interest in photography and U2 led me to the African Well Fund, where I organized three different photo auctions of U2 material by fans. The auctions raised more than $20,000 over the three years it has occurred. I put that image of "City of Blinding Lights" up for auction twice and was amazed at the money it raised for the cause.

FALL OF 2010

An ad agency contacted me last fall about using that same image for a high-profile ad campaign. The money they paid me allowed me to upgrade my camera gear -- something I couldn't do easily with a young family, and one thing I couldn't have dreamed of when I took the photo five years earlier.

Every time I hear the song, I think of those distinct moments in my U2 fandom, from golden tickets and mistake shots to helping a Bono-inspired charity, and how they all came full circle in giving something back to myself.

11/11/11 A football game- recap

2011-11-13T10:59:00.000-08:00

Shooting sports is not something I do that often, though I think I really like it. Therefor- it is VERY hard for me and I get frustrated.

As I predicted, my 70-200mm lens was on my 7D body for 95% of the game. And as the game was under the lights, I was glad for the usable higher ISO and the low low f/2.8. Getting the right angles, figuring out what is important, and following the action is even more interesting. (read hard) I think if I had more pratice and more of a direct goal, it could/would be easier. I do know a 70-200 is not going to get me very far in the sports photography world. I would need at least one more body and a 300mm or 400mm prime lens. The 70-200 is good for 'closer' up photography... in my case, it was the best I had and I 'happy' with the results.

I took well over 500 photos, but it was easy as the Canon 7D made shooting 7 fps much easier to snap crazy.

It was also a little frustrating as a lot of the action wind up being away from me, run away from me, or generally not easy to shoot. However, I did position myself to snap, as it turned out, the winning score. It was right in front of me, and I recognized the play pretty much right away.

Woot. Life is good for that one.

For the rest of the set, check my flickr set for them. It helps to have a relationship with the subject in question. I've shot other games, and I was able to call the day of and get permission to shoot this. Thank you again Calvert Hall.

Impromptu photo assigment

2011-11-11T11:43:00.000-08:00

I hadn't planned to shoot tonight.... not at all. However, as I will not be in town for the annual Turkey Bowl I won't have a chance to shoot it like I have in the past. (2010, 2008)

I realized yesterday that Calvert Hall was in the play offs for the MIAA championship. They play tonight under the lights at CHC, and I figured- what the heck?

I called, asked nicely, and they said sure. Gonna be cold, gonna be a bit windy. So layers, gloves, etc are in order. I got plenty of cold weather gear, not worried about that.

Haven't shot a sports game since I got my Canon 7D though. I think the 70-200mm f/2.8 IS is gonna be glued to the body for 90% of the game.

Gonna be fun, never 'officially' shot a CHC game at home before. Will offer the images up to the Alumni Office if they want any of course. Won't be like Ravens Stadium, but at least I won't be hedged to the stands.

Off to charge batteries and make sure my Patagonia Capilene doesn't stink.

U2 in Pittsburgh- a photography review

2011-07-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

(my set of photos on Flickr)

First off, it was relatively easy to get my 70-200 f/2.8 in to the venue. A huge lens like that, and you would think I would need some cloak and dagger to get it in, you would be sort of right. But that is not the subject of this post. (I guess it could be really) If I feel generous, I will add it to the end of the write up.

I had planned to be in the unwashed masses with General Admission for U2. Get there early, line up, grab my spot and wait. Turns out my ticket didn’t appear until 5:30pm. In the mean time I happened to get a very pricey ticket given to me for the Pittsburgh show- a Red Zone ticket. Someone couldn’t make it.

I would up third person in from one rail and on my own rail. (more on the Red Zone) I had my Canon 7D with 18GB of memory, and the following lenses with me- 15mm f/2.8 fisheye, 50mm f/1.8, 17-40 f/4, and 70-200 f/2.8. The 50mm was my decoy lens on the camera to get in the venue. As it was used in Chicago almost two years ago!

I talked up the security in front of me, a nice lady who pretty much could care less if I had pulled a professional video camera out. As long as I was not interfering with others and it wasn’t harming others (or the band), they could care less. This was also confirmed by the area supervisor who turned out to be a really nice guy. I quickly made friends with the folks around me, informed them of what I was doing, and they were all cool with it.

The show started after nine, and I was very hesitant about getting the 70-200 out of my bag, and using it. After the first two songs, I pulled it out and realized I saw no one even looking at me. I continued to use it without hesitation for the entire show. I kept looking for U2’s security to come around because I was so exposed in the spot I was in, that the big white lens would be easily spotted. I was my only check to keep using it.

The only things that slowed me down were the weight of the gear and my own internal check for interesting photos. I had not expected to be able to use the 70-200 for 2.5 hours. That’s a lot of weight to keep up in front of my eye for stretches of time. (3.2 pounds for the lens plus 1.8 pounds for the camera body)

I realized the day after that I had violated a (generally speaking) cardinal rule for photography with a long lens- keep your shutter speed one stop above focal length. This caused me to lose quite a few shots. *sigh* I still got a great deal of really outstanding photos.

Afterwards U2 friends asked me after hearing how many photos I took, “so, did you enjoy the show at all?” My response was something like this, “If I wasn’t photographing during the show, all I would have done was think about photographing it.” I think I was admitting having an addiction.

Quick hits:

Was trying to get some different feeling shots that just didn’t turn out in post the way I had thought they would.
Going through 1,700+ photos is never fun, but Lightroom made it much easier.
During the bonus song of Bad, there was VERY basic lighting which made for very bland photos. An AMAZING song, but not so much for the photographer in me.
For Ultravoilet, there were two techs right around Bono doing the smoke machines to help with the suit of lights Bono had. Very very distracting. Very hard to shoot around.
$3.50 for a bottle of water wasn’t TOO bad. Thankfully I could go refill it at a water fountain and disperse the cost.
Amazed at the number of empty seats.

Simple gear dilemma

2011-05-18T18:52:00.000-07:00

So my birthday just passed and I got some cash to buy photo gear. I know what I would LIKE to get, however the budget is not that expansive! I would love to get the Canon 5D Mark II, or the 24-70mm f/2.8, but that is not realistic at all. Not when the lens is about $1300 and the Canon body is $2500.

What can I get that is cheaper and usable? Now that is a pickle.

So far I have decided on:
Op/Tec raincover
Digital Timer Remote
Two new replacement Batteries
Some Conkin P series adapters for my 70-200 lens

I am debating on several other items, such as an additional Compact Flash card, maybe trying out a cheapie beauty dish/ring light. But the debate rages in my head on what would make photographing the kids easier. At this point, unless I get a separate high ceiling room in my house with a full-time setup for portraits, not much rings a bell for me right now.

I've built some DIY gear like gridspots, light tent, gels for strobes, and some other fun stuff. But how much homemade stuff can I do?

So basically I have hit a practical wall- there are not much else I can do with small items unless I spend more time and energy to put in to the hobby to learn and grow more. I am very comfortable with my results, but I know I can do better. So whats next? I don't know if I can get there from here with the time and energy I have available.

Maybe I should just get a nice new hiking camera bag.

New soup container Strobist style hack

2011-05-10T06:24:00.000-07:00

A friend bought some PF Changs for us, and one of the items was in a large soup container. My mind was working once I saw it. I have done a "similar" mod to a smaller soup container. But this one was more of a portrait style light mod.

Disclaimer- yes, it does look silly. Show up with this to a paid gig and prepared to be laughed at. However, the same can be said of the Fong stuff. People say it looks like a taco tip container!

So here is the setup:

What you can see is the soup container with a dual paint job. Inside is half painted white with plastic friendly spray paint. The outside is half painted with plastic friendly spray paint. The top is the same but it is completely covered to help bounce the light out the front.
I measured my strobe on the bottom, and cut out with a box cutter. (very carefully!)

First, here is a bounce light shot:

While very easy and helpful, there are always shadows on people's face. This is caused by the light coming from above and not in front. A straight up strobe to the face is usually over whelming.
Setting up an umbrella is not always easy nor quick. So I thought, why not try to do a quick and dirty mod?

Here is the result:

Not saying it is perfect, but it is a drastic improvement in the quality of the light source.
The downfall is that the strobe has to stay in one direction- I cannot go to horizontal grip for shots with this mod. If I did, I would be lighting to the side and not the front!

[update with self photos, thank goodness for timers]

1/8 power bounce off ceiling:

Notice the shadows and barely lit. Normally in these conditions I go up to 1/4 power and adjust from there.

Strobe test- 1/8 power with mod:

Strobe test- 1/8 power direct with built in diffuser:

Strobe test- 1/8 power direct:

And yes, I couldn't see for a little bit. Yozzers.

Winning!

2011-04-13T07:02:00.001-07:00

"I hate to lose" or something like that. Conversely, "I love to win" or "I'm very competitive." That's all the basically the same idea. I've read that in several places on several different sites about photographers and their take on photography. The ones who go down this path more often than not are in photojournalism or sports photography. They have deadlines, they have high pressure clients, and they have a lot of competition to get the shot. Just get it done.

I suppose there are some wedding photographers who have that view- win the client over. Get a great result for a winning response. But that is so loosely viewed through the lens of the person with the job. What is validation for some is not for others- money, clients reaction, being as professional as possible.

It comes down to the person taking the photos- are they happy with the results? Are they happy their photo is on the front page or the back page? Are they happy they have a job? If they enter a contest, if they don't get first, are they happy?

The results in photography are not as clear cut as the score in a baseball game.

Where do emotions mix in with photography?

The statements above in quotes all have a similar theme- emotions. Getting the shot at your own pace is one thing, but getting mad that someone else got it, or did it better is something completely different. I can see reasons for "winning" a photograph:

· Pride to be the best

· Motivation to be prepared

· Knowing your best shot is going to get the job done

· Motivation to go the extra step

· Learning from your own failure

· Expanding to different information and techniques

I've never been competitive in photography. I do it because I like it. Now and then I randomly get a complement I wasn't expecting. It is a nice validation of my results, but I don't go out of my way to do so. Such as submitting a photo to a contest, or selling my photos actively. (ok ok, I have submitted some to micro-stock sites) I do it because I find it fun, interesting, and a way to share. I don't know if I would have that competitive hustle needed to be a professional. I would need motivation, like this is how I am feeding my family now.

Being able to control and harshness that emotion is also very important.

How long can someone keep going like that, to be emotionally invested in the outcome for years before it really gets to them? To know that you will never ALWAYS win, that there is only so much preparation you can achieve would just eat at me. Lastly, to know there are always new people coming in to the field. They might be just as hungry, but the crowd of amateur photographers don't have to be as good as consistently as the professional- they just need to be lucky. That would drive me nuts as a professional- lucky rather than good.

With photography, I have learned that what I thought was a 'whatever' shot can be prized by someone else. It is interpretation. Things I thought that rocked the house, were received with coolness by others. The important thing is to find a client, whether it is a newspaper or school year book, or whomever likes your results.

I think to be a professional and successful one, you need to be a bit competitive. That provides motivation, that provides focus, and ultimately a method of validation- pay, success, more jobs, whatever makes you tick.

Just don't get eaten by the monster of emotions which could easily be done. There is little difference between love and hate.

Vastly underused

2011-03-31T12:53:00.000-07:00

It has been several months since I last posted anything in this blog... I am horrible, I know. I counter with, I work full time, going back to school, and I got two kids under 2. So *pppppppptttthhhhhhh* to you! (assuming you wonder why I don't update this blog that often)

In the mean time, I have some photography accomplishments to post about! Figure I might as well toot my own horn for a bit:

My Flickr account went past 1,000,000 collective views back on February 11th. It took 6.5 years to get there.
My photos from the Calvert Hall v. Loyola annual football game were used in the Calvert Hall Alumni newsletter. Matter of fact, one of my shots was on the cover.
I sold an image to be used on the cover of an upcoming book about Bono. Small academic book, but still- its a cover image!
An image I have of Sierra was selected for a national dog food advertising campaign.
Another image I have was used for another national advertising campaign. If you can find it, good on you. I also wrote about the image story for @U2.
I got a Canon 7D camera body. =)

In other news:

My RSS feed list for photography stands at 33 sources.

Liking Flickr's new sharing methods!

Been using Twitter more for commenting on things I find now photo-related.

Six years ago

2010-11-22T09:26:00.000-08:00

It has been nearly six years since my buddy Matt badgered me in to getting a Flickr account. I didn't quite understand the impact it might have, but I went with it. He seemed to be smarter on these things than I was. I was interested in photography, and I didn't want to self host images. It was a good solid site, free at first!

Now it is almost six years to the day that I signed up. And I have put up over 7,500 items- 99.999% images. A bucket load of the images are U2, followed by Sierra my dog, then Gamenight. Five years of TurkeyBowl- Thanksgiving day game between Calvert Hall and Loyola. Four years of the Hon Fest.

I could go on and on... and I nearly did... but in most of that time I never really considered myself a professional. Just a guy who like taking photos and sharing them.
Well, recently things have changed a little bit. I am not sure what happened... and without getting myself in to trouble with Flickr, lets just say I have been able to obtain a few things that I wouldn't have otherwise.

So thank you to Matt, and thank you to all those who have taken a look- more than 960,000 times. (seriously, thats a lot)

Just put up my first video from the 7D:

Check me out on Twitter

2010-09-08T03:19:00.000-07:00

I do about all my commenting on photography now from Twitter. Check me out there:

http://twitter.com/promans

the end of P+S...

2010-06-09T05:25:00.001-07:00

http://photofocus.com/2010/06/09/the-hottest-selling-new-compact-camera-will-be…/

The end is coming... the end of the P+S as a stand alone device. I am sure there are plenty of people don't own a seperate camera, but just use the camera-phone as a 'I've got something' camera.

The quality of the images on phones are increasing- big time. However, the size of the censor, the ISO, and 'lens' are the sticking points in my mind. Just like multi-purpose print/scan/fax/copy systems, the do it alls will never out perform single tasked systems... however multi-use devices are VERY useful for those who use them now and then. Throw in video, HD video, and holy crow. In the hands of someone who knows what they are doing- and they become very serviceable devices.

I would seriously consider getting an iPhone G4 just for the camera aspect in my pocket... Just as the article describes, the Chase Jarvis 'The Best Camera..' project is VERY true. I don't carry a dedicated camera with me all the time. I really have the make an effort to have my camera with me at all now a days. I have a hard time just slapping on a single lens and rolling out- I want to do more... control the lighting now that I know how... have choices of lenses now that I know how and what they all do.... a carry around camera phone? Would make me think a heck of a lot more and at least it would be with me.

I can justify the cost of the device... I can justify the use with the camera, the GPS. The only downside- the cost of the data plan. Seriously... there has got to be a way to bring that price down.

I don't ever see a hotshoe being ingratiated to the phone- but I somehow do see a PocketWizard app. =)

Possibilities

2010-04-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

I was thinking the other day... if I had my own photography company- I would want a dedicated piece of transportation for all the gear I would take on various locations. So, what would I use for all that? Of course I would have all sorts of options on site. Better to take it and not use it than go and not have a piece you need.

I would think I would want some sort of roof rack so I could setup on the roof for shots. I would want lots of secure storage in the back... some sort of way of charging batteries on the road too. Inverters off a dedicated battery maybe.
But I think the vehicle for me would be the Sprinter van probably... maybe I just want it to be. More likely I would wind up getting some junker minivan.

Ah... dreams of what might be. I think I am more excited about the possibility of doing than the actual doing. Thats geek right there.

Links:

- Canon 5D Mark II used to shoot entire House season finale, director says it's 'the future'- Engadget; Cool beans... quiet the change from the big cameras they normally use.

- Turn Off the Flash for Better Food Photos- LifeHacker; If you use on-camera flash I would agree... however, if you are a Strobist, then you can figure it out better to light the item.

- DSLR Concept Redesign Makes More Room For Your Face- Gizmodo; Cool idea. How ergonomic can they push it?

- Photographing Children – Know When to Leave your Camera- DPS; Good points... I often leave my camera when going with my kid. Though there are a few times I regret it. The times I do take it, I find that I am paying more attention to locating the shot than I ought to.

- The Most Powerful Light In Your Bag- Strobist; Great article. I often don't take my tripod because it is too balky... but in low light I try to take it with me.

Photo-gathering

2010-04-13T08:09:00.001-07:00

This coming weekend, I signed up for a group of folks to get together and do some photography. Nice, good. It will be my first venture out to try things out in a while. Cool beans.
The question is now- what do I attempt to do? Short of possible bad weather, lack of models, and other issues... I want to at least have a game plan.

I think such gatherings would be good to talk shop, show off technique, and generally learn some new ways of doing things. I am usually pretty interested in finding out how/why others shoot the way they do. It is one thing to see the end result, but 'seeing' the thought process has always been very helpful to my learning. (monkey see- monkey do might be another way of looking at it.)

I am gonna bring most of my gear along just in case, you never know what you might need. (short of the backdrop that is)

But the question is, what do I want to try? My normal photography is fly on the wall stuff, but I have been getting in to more people stuff. Outdoors would be a nice practice for people. With the warm weather, trees blooming, there is more opportunity to photograph people outside. I do love open shade, but what happens when that isn't possible? I guess that is something to think about and work for... and if it is only me- then what? Things I don't want to run in to and tackle when I have a rare paying gig without some information!

Hopefully the weather holds up and we have some people to photograph other than each other... nothing worse than a photographer trying to photograph another one. Seriously... overall, I think most photographers like being behind the camera instead of in front of it.

Links

2010-04-07T06:22:00.000-07:00

It has been a while, just been busy. Here is a slew of new links!

High-speed, medium-format DM40 DSLR puts Mamiya back in the money again- Engadget; Medium format is very cool- but WAY too expensive for my budget.
Get the Most from Your Point-and-Shoot Camera- LifeHacker; Wish I had something like this when I first got my Canon S45 about 7-8 years ago.
Sony's Ultra Compact DSLR Camera Concept May Have Powerful Touchscreen Menus- Gizmodo; Would this sort of touch screen come to other manufacturers? Maybe... I don't know how I feel about it. Literally. When I am shooting I can adjust everything on the fly by touch. No clue how they configure that with a touchscreen.
Understand Your Camera's Histogram to Take More Balanced Pictures- LifeHacker; Very important that histogram. I didn't care about it for years- now it make much more sense in the quality of the image.
Take Better Interior Photos by Kneeling- LifeHacker; Changing your prospective is great way to get interesting photos. I also do this by holding the camera above my head and shooting 'blindly' and seeing what I get sometimes.
44% of those who own a Digital Camera with Video Never Use it- DPS; I don't know if I would be part of that 44% or not. I think with some messing around I would use it from time to time, but to make home videos- naa.
GigaPan Epic Pro robotic camera mount shipping in April- Endgaget; Ya know, for those EPIC scenes.
Learn to Use Depth of Field to Focus Attention, Take Better Photos- LifeHacker; DOF is where it is at.
Reason #92,417 Why We Should Be Grateful- Gizmodo; I love batteries... just love them. And this is a great example of advances.
Photoshop's Upcoming Content-Aware Fill Feature Looks Like Magic- Gizmodo; Wow and wow. If they brought this little bit to Lightroom, I might pee my pants.
A War Photographer's Storage Casualties- Gizmodo; Sounds about right.
Print a Lens Hood for On-The-Cheap Sun Blocking- LifeHacker; I've never needed this, but I am glad something like this exists.
26 Gigapixel of Paris.

I so love What the Duck

U2 photo auction for AWF

2010-03-25T18:20:00.000-07:00

I have coordinated two different photo auctions in support of a great charity called African Well Fund. Over those two, they have raise about $19,000 for the cause. Wonderful!
This write up from @U2 does a much better job than I could ever try to attempt.

I offered my help to the charity a while back with the idea to auction off photos of U2 from fan photographers. It was a modest idea, one I thought would raise maybe a thousand or two, and it just took off from there. I had some issues with shipping and shelved the idea until the folks from AWF came back to me asking to help with the goal of raising $50,000 for Bono's 50th birthday. Sure!

There was already a great list of photographers from the previous auctions, and we were off. Lots of great shots. Some from way back in 1983, and some from just about the last show of the tour so far. And a little bit in-between.

As always it is interesting to figure out which three images of my own I am going to pick. I think I got two of them, the third is still up in the air. It is a small matter of pride to see how my images do with the rest. I think my efforts to get quality images this tour finally matched up with my ability. The only downside is that I was only able to attend two concerts instead of 16 like the previous two tours each.

Links

2010-03-07T17:43:00.000-08:00

I had entirely planned to go over filters in an article until I saw my first link. Damn.

Photo articles are becoming hard to come by as my time is now being diverted outside with the nicer weather. A good problem to have!

- The Essential Filters for Controlling Contrast in Digital Nature Photography- Singh-Ray; See the first sentence. Seriously though, the shot of the filter being put in to place could be my camera setup. Exactly the same.

- 21 Reasons to Use Lightroom- PB; In case you needed more.

- How to WaterMark or add Logo to a Batch of Photos and Images!- tnerd; Great stuff! Though I run my through with LR plugin.

- "I'm Not Taking Your Picture, Don't Look at Meeeeeeee"- Gizmodo; I looked at this, and it is too complicated and a hindrance to normal photo process. I guess if you want to look creepy you could use it.

- Don't Be Afraid to Shoot in Low Light Without a Flash- LifeHacker; I started out shooting without a flash because I was lazy and thought it would be easier. Now I go in to a room looking to see how I can light it. Maybe I ought to go back to natural lighting for a bit......... naaaaaa, rooms are hardly ever lit nicely even for a 50mm f/1.8

- Judge Joe Brown - Cheap wedding photographer- YouTube; I don't even know where to start... hundreds of weddings with a Rebel XTi?!

- Greatest Swag In The History of Swagginess: The Canon Lens Thermos- Gizmodo; That is so amazingly amazing. I think I passed out from amazingness.

Feeds and links

2010-02-23T06:58:00.000-08:00

I currently have 29 RSS feeds in my Photography folder, and if you count WTD, then I have 30. And they represent the most active way I have of keeping up to date with what is going on in my interest in photography. I am not saying they are the best out there, but for what I like and am interested in they do keep me well informed.
Some sources are updated daily, one barely twice a year. But they are all important to me. One is a feed for keeping up with new comments on my Flickr stream- I don't always go there to keep up to date. One is for friend's photo blog, and another is for a charity photography event.
~~I thought about posting the feeds, but realized that you should find your own. If you are interested in checking them out- I will post them in the near future. Just let me know.~~
Here is a link to that OPML file (right click and save) that you can import in to your favorite RSS aggregator/reader. When you import it, the file will create a subfolder called Photography and have the links I use be added.

On with the links!

- Pixel LV-WI Wireless Live View Remote Control: look out, family self-portraits- Engadget; Not sure what to think of that. Good for... ummm, yeah- self potraits I suppose.

- Through the Viewfinder Method Makes Your Digital Pics Look Analog- LifeHacker; I've read about this before. Not sure if I want to go down the arty route of photography. One of my orginal goals is to reproduce photos as best as I saw them.

- 122 Brilliant and Blinding Blow Outs- Gizmodo; I suppose there is always a time and place to break the rules!

- Snapm Helps You Find and Book Photographers- LifeHacker; I might try this site- but the 15% off the top it takes for a gig booked is a bit much. How does it know you booked the gig if they can contact you? Supply an email address and avoid it... then again, I haven't used it yet.

- 17 Clever Tricks of Scale- Gizmodo; Good stuff.

- Lowepro Unveils Next Generation SlingShot AW Bags- PB; I love my SlingShot, love the addition for the tri/mono pods. Heavy gear makes it tough to carry a single strap system though.

- Retrospective Shoulder Bags from Think Tank Photo- PB; When I think bags, I think protection for my gear, then I think ease of transporting- ie how easy is it to carry around. It comes from my backpacking days when comfortable straps is vastly more important than looks.

Links

2010-02-14T11:23:00.000-08:00

Another round of photo-related information I have found.

- Build a High-Speed Laser-Triggered Photography Rig to Capture Split Second Exposures- LifeHacker; That is simply amazing.

- Giz Explains: Why ISO Is the New Megapixel- Gizmodo; Very good stuff. I have wondered why most folks need anything above 8megapixel. You are never going to crop a photo and print it bigger than 8x10. The better ISO is one key to a great quality image. (Along with the lens)

- Flickr meetups! There is some great action going on with the photography world and it is tied to Flickr groups like the DC/Baltimore Strobist. For these groups, members are arranging for get togethers to discuss, do, and learn. Some people are professionals, some are newbies, most are just eager to learn, practice, and share with others of like mind. I've only been to a couple, but they are fantastic things. The group dynamic makes they fun and interesting. It is relatively easy to get it all lined up... spend a day shooting with folks, and maybe create some new friendships through photography.

- Finally, WTD mirrors my life. In my case, it was cupcakes not beer.

SNOW!

2010-02-11T16:08:00.000-08:00

Now that the two blizzards in the area have gone away, I can report on my few photography attempts. The first was to do time lapse photography of the progression of the storm. I do not have anything fancy like a Timer Remote Control. I would also not argue if someone bought me one. Instead I went old school and snapped at semi-regular intervals. I used the tripod to setup a spot next to the front door so the images would be consistent. What I did not count on was the blowing snow melting on the window and creating a bad image. Live and learn.

I had thought that was pretty cool.. then we had a second blizzard. In less than five days- wow. I did the same setup, and while I knew the window would get really crusted, I didn't care. However there was a point that my inner-photogeek awoke- a snow plow at 5:51am! Wonderful! Low light meant I would do a 2 second exposure and the slower snowplow with lights would make some good streaks.
I was very happy with the results...

Here are the two sets of images:
Blizzard #1
Blizzard #2

Funny thing you can see from the shots was my slowly disappearing mail box. I don't think I will get it delivered again until July!

In an attempt to do something other than snow photos, I did some others. Most from an attempt I saw else where. A piece of glass, with a strobe underneath shooting up, and a second strobe isolating the item from a different angle. Here is my favorite of the attempts.

Bald eagle nest

2010-02-05T07:49:00.000-08:00

On my commute home, I have seen Bald Eagles several times now. And over the past two/three weeks I have spotted what I believe is their nest. It is almost at the intersection of two major interstates. I would love to find some time to spot them and photograph them, but after looking at the map of the area- the only way to do so would involve parking on the interstate shoulder.
There are some businesses on the other side of the swampy/pond area, but I doubt I could zoom in close enough with my 70-200 to make it interesting.

Ah the joys of seeing nature but not being able to photograph it!

If anyone has suggestions let me know.

Links

2010-02-03T07:15:00.000-08:00

Stuff I have found in my travels on the web:

- Hydrophobia rain cover promises to keep your DSLR dry, mysterious- Engadget; I don't know if I want to be out in the rain snapping photos if I need one of those. Best for sports photographers probably.

- The Making of an Expert- HBR; Very interesting stuff.

- DIY Camera Sling Keeps Your DSLR at the Ready- LifeHacker; Nice idea. Seen the R-Strap stuff around for a while now. Never done it myself, but I see the value.

- Unconfirmed: New Canon Rebel DSLR Coming Next Week, Bringing Better Video- Gizmodo; How many cameras does Canon release in a year? This backs this rumor.

- World's Oldest and Most Expensive Camera Hits the Auction Block- Gizmodo; Wonder what sort of megapixel it gets... shutter speed might be a touch slow. =)

- Pricing Professional Wedding/Portrait Photography: Resources and Ideas- PhotoFocus; Good article on pricing and professional photographers. I have done a wedding or two, but the people knew going in that I was not a professional- I told them at least three times. I would do my best, but this is not my livelihood and I am going to make mistakes/miss things. They accepted that risk and still went with me.

The Photography Channel?

2010-02-01T05:57:00.001-08:00

Trying to get to sleep last night, I was hit with the thought of 'why isn't there more photography related shows?' Then the next thought was 'I wonder if there could be a Photography Channel' like FoodTV? I still recall hearing when FoodTV started that it was a little odd to have a entire network based around food. But I saw the light... I doubt that a Photography Channel would ever get to the level where it is selling its own gear at Kohls like FoodTV, but I do believe there is a place for it.

I realize there are drawbacks- like current lack of any successful photography related TV shows. Most of the content is rolled in to shows about something else. Like Christmas in Yellowstone by PBS. It showed some of what it took to get amazing photos in those conditions. But that was it.

I think if photography was more popular like cooking, that there would be more shows devoted to them. The push for it does not seem to be there.

However, I think it could be a good niche channel. There are plenty of channels on cable/dish etc that you do not watch, so why not give it a try? There could be all sorts of subjects. Here are some that I came up with off the top of my head:

Gear reviews- from camera bodies, to lenses, to lighting, to extras.
History of photography
Classes/follow-along to try your own hand.
Professional uses- wedding, portraits, sports, photo journalism
Contests
Best of
Photography stores
Computer based photography- editing, posting, hosting
Copyright laws
Selling images in various formats
Film studies
Travel base photography
Editing tools like Photoshop, Gimp, Lightroom, Aperture, Picasa

Gosh knows there is always something new to report on. Every year there is new gear introduced, lots of new people using them... I know I would latch on and find a couple shows to work with. May I put in an early vote to give David Hobby his own show! =) (I suppose it was only time until he got a Wiki entry devoted to him!)

In any case, has this been tried or attempted yet? Has anyone thought about this? Can I get a large benefactor to help me out here to get this started?

Or is the current state still scattered enough to support the market place? Various support websites do an amazing collection of people. But I think there are plenty of people who don't want to dig in to the sites to learn nor want to spend lots of money for classes. There is a market out there folks- now lets get this started!

Channeling my inner photographer

2010-01-29T12:25:00.001-08:00

Finding time is a new issue of mine when dealing with my primary hobby of photography. My job change a year ago has left me with less access to open resources to get myself interested- Flickr, training videos, general inspiration. The other big time change is my daughter. She is a wonderful, incredible, change in my life. I look back at photos from the first month and I can't believe it happened still.

I do a lot of photographing her, and she is my main target of focus. My nature and other object photography has taken, a literal, backseat to her. I used to go out side to photograph frost on blades of grass, but now I spend that time playing with her. So the time I spent practicing photography is no longer as abundant as it used to be.

I don't feel like I am in a rut with my photography, but I don't feel natural progression I had felt for the past couple of years. I have taken a grand total of one vacation day for travel in about a year now. (thankfully that was to Chicago for U2) I've been to a couple concerts, but photography was not a primary goal due to new time restrictions. I used to look forward to trips as adventures in photography. Ways of getting out and capturing the locations I was visiting. For instance, traveling to Peru two years ago. I was super excited about that prospect. I came back looking for ways I could have improved myself, or if I had other gear in those conditions. I always try to learn from those conditions.

But now, I am not traveling, limited free time to venture out for photography, and very little research time to get inspired and learn. While I am very happy with the resulting photos I take, I always want to get a better shot or expand what I am able to do. I am my own worst critic I suppose. So what can I do to grow?

The one area I think I need to work on, and can, is my planning. What the resulting image should look like in my head- then reverse design it to get my best possible shot. I am fairly comfortable with the limits of my gear, have some wide variety of ideas, and the execution can be tricky for me. Taking the time to sketch out a design, or making sure the setup is good well before the time comes to do the photograph.

My second goal is to improve the execution of images. If I am dealing with people, give them directions, be more communicative. Talk with them, give/get a feeling for what I am trying to do with the image I am taking. Show them the results to see if they like what they see if possible.

If I am dealing with setups of stationary objects, really work at making sure the image is what I want it to be. Don't accept the idea that 'well, thats as good as it gets...' Try something different, maybe a different shade of light, or otherwise. In other words- be creative. Something that doesn't come naturally to me.

In summation, I need to work on areas that do not come naturally to me- people skills, communication, being creative, and thinking differently. I know I love to do the 'monkey-see, monkey-do' style of photography. These are times and chances to branch out a bit and see if I can't come up with something I hadn't previously thought of because I was able to spend the time, research, and inspiration to grow. Now I need to find if I can channel the inner photographer to come up with new stuff on my own with the limited time I have to do it... an daunting task I am willing to take!

Links

2010-01-21T07:53:00.000-08:00

Another batch of Photography related links!

- Pack a Gun to Protect Valuables from Airline Theft or Loss- LifeHacker; Good information if I ever become a paid-traveling photographer.

- 570-Megapixel Digital Camera Is the Mother and the Father of All Cameras- Gizmodo; See next.

- Stay Under 7 Megapixels to Avoid Photo Noise and Diffraction- LifeHacker; See previous.

- Super-Budget Lens-Mounted Ring Flash for DSLRs- Gizmodo; I want to see results before buying something like this. Also, whats the white balance like for this LED source?

- An Introduction to Creative Commons Licensing for Your Photographs- DPS; Good information, and a great primer. One note- if you change your license after posting, things could get harry. I think.