blog | photography by David Kennedy

2nd Thirty Days – Day Five

David — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:00:30 +0000

Today I have to return to Canon the 50mm f/1.2L lens that I’ve been enjoying so much. It is remarkable just how superior this lens is to the 50mm f/1.4 that I have been using for a few years now. Is it sharp? Of course, the 50 f/1.4 is no slouch, either. However, the contrast and the bokeh of the 50 f/1.2L are simply amazing. Am I buying one? Not right now, but it’s definitely on my “wish list” for the next couple of years! Highly recommended.

Why is Chris Dunn sad? | Canon 5D Mk. II and 50mm f/1.2L lens; exposed 1/100 sec. @ f/2, ISO 160

Ah...her Sweetarts were stuck in the vending machine! | Canon 5D Mk. II and 50mm f/1.2L lens; exposed 1/125 sec. @ f/2, ISO 160

Mito seems to have the same expression, though... | Canon 5D Mk. II and 50mm f/1.2L lens; exposed 1/160 sec. @ f/1.2, ISO 160

One (OK, two) more reason(s) to like the Canon 50mm f/1.2L

David — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:59:31 +0000

Calin Ilea at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park | Canon 1D Mk. III and 50mm f/1.2L; exposed 1/320 sec. @ f/1.2, ISO 100

Two more reasons to like this lens: the smoothest background one could ask for that isn’t solid sand/water/etc., and ridiculously sharp wide open. This is f/1.2, folks. Shallow depth of field but helped by a couple feet of distance? Sure. But the 50 f/1.4 can’t do this. Why Calin looks so concerned about the grill is another matter altogether…

2nd Thirty Days – Day Four

David — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:00:19 +0000

Jakob Berr at Rock Bridge State Park | Canon 1D Mk. III and 50mm f/1.2L lens; exposed 1/50 sec. @ f/1.2, ISO 3200

While the noise performance of the 1D Mark III is not quite up to the same level as the 5D Mark II, its ability to focus in low light is far superior. “Horses for courses.”

A thought about equipment…

David — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:21:50 +0000

What the Duck - 3-7-2010 | www.whattheduck.net

For the past few days I’ve been working with a Canon 50mm f/1.2L lens from Canon Professional Services. It’s a fantastic lens: built solidly, weather-sealed, fast, smooth bokeh. I’m hoping to get a 35mm f/1.4L from CPS next, as it’s one that a few of my friends absolutely rave about. And I’d like to see a 1D Mk. IV, and wouldn’t mind comparing my 5D Mk. II to the 1Ds Mk. III.

But, as much as I like new equipment, any camera is better than no camera, and no camera guarantees excellent pictures. Gear is no replacement for experience, and lack of gear should not be a limiting factor for any photographer. Instead, we should all aspire to make the most with what we have.

Even people like me, who enjoy tinkering…

2nd Thirty Days – Day Three

David — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 02:25:16 +0000

Stumbling home | Canon 5D Mk. II and 50mm f/1.2L lens; exposed 1/160 sec. @ f/1.2, ISO 2500

2nd Thirty Days – Day Two

David — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:00:23 +0000

Meg Burcke | Canon 7D and 50mm f/1.2L lens; exposed 1/640 sec. @ f/1.2, ISO 400

Given that my friend Lillian Kelly posted an image of me making an impromptu portrait of Meg Burcke after the three of us got out of class on Friday afternoon, I felt compelled to post one of the results.

More after the jump!

(...)
Read the rest of 2nd Thirty Days – Day Two (122 words)

A New Thirty Days? Day One…

David — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 05:30:23 +0000

Chris Dunn gives me a "thumbs-up" with a chocolate croissant...she's not sure about this "Second thirty days," either, but were doing to do it! | Canon 7D and 50mm f/1.2L; exposed 1/1250 sec. @ f/1.2, ISO 800.

It was with much fanfare–and relief–that I parted ways with what I thought was a successful project for my Picture Story class at the University of Missouri: posting on my blog a new photograph every day for 30 days. Well, not so fast.

The majority of the class wanted a second crack at the project; some had made some excellent images and wanted the pressure to stay on, others found it to be no pressure at all, and others still just fell off the wagon early on, and wanted to see if they could work up the resolve to post daily.

Here we go again…

Five Points of View on the True/False Film Festival

David — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:30:31 +0000

…well, more like ten…

POV# 2: Feral Foster, a solo musician from New York City, sings to the audience of "Identity Crisis" before the movie begins on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010 at the Tiger Hotel in Columbia, Mo.

Background…

Last weekend, Columbia hosted the True/False, an annual film festival for documentaries. The streets bustled in a way not often seen in this part of the country; a friend of mine, Mito Habe-Evans, commented that it felt like we were in a “real” city.

All weekend I walked in a circuit through downtown Columbia, from the Missouri Theatre to RagTag Cinema across Broadway and down to the Tiger Hotel, intermittently weaving through the middle of my route just to mix things up. There were times that it seemed the petitioners were in equally strong force as the movie-goers….who were mostly from out of town.

The restaurants were packed, and the trash cans on the street swelled and became domed with all of the trash that people couldn’t fit inside. But for all of the visual variety in front of me, it became difficult to find a narrative that would “work” for a coherent essay about the event. There were lots of singles to be had–indeed, some of them have made it onto this blog already–but finding a thread was difficult.

After editing my take five different times, I found that there were two threads I could pursue: one of the experience of the film festival for movie-goers, and the other the experience of volunteers.

These are the images I have selected to tell the story of the spectator’s experience at the film festival:

More photos and commentary after the jump!(...)
Read the rest of Five Points of View on the True/False Film Festival (374 words)