Downtown Los Angeles - 5D MKII Infrared image with 24mm Tilt Shift Lens- ©2009 Vincent Laforet (5D MKII converted to infrared by www.irdigital.net )

We’ve made it to Los Angeles - and all is going absolutely great.   I started the day on a music video set this morning (the dressing room upstairs was set up in a production studio where S&M movies are shot - complete with Y shaped beds suspended from the ceiling with chains - definitely felt like “LA”) and later in the afternoon I was helping out a friend with some time lapse photography for an Audi commercial being shot in downtown Los Angeles.

I’ve been meeting some really cool people out here - many of them just as fascinated as I am with new gear and things that “have never been done before.”  The shot to the left is a digital infrared shot with a 5D MKII and the new 24mm T/S from Canon from this afternoon.

On a personal note, my daughter Eliana Lanai Laforet (aka “LaLa”) was born seven weeks ago and is absolutely amazing.  We’re almost done unpacking and we’re really liking the vibe in Manhattan Beach - I hear it’s rained 15 out of the last 19 days back in New York City!

Anyway - I do plan to start posting again here now that things are settled down a bit - but I suggest you subscribe to this blog from this point on - as you’ll be automatically notified when something new is posted.

Downtown Los Angeles - after sunset - Canon 24 mm Tilt Shift lens - ©2009 Vincent Laforet

The long and short of it is that between the move, the new baby and work - I’m finding less and less time to post regularly.  The other issue is that I’m finding that many of the new jobs / productions I work on don’t really allow me to post for weeks or months until they’re completed - just something that goes with the territory and is expected of course. By the time I’m cleared to share photos/clips/info,  I more often than not find myself working on something altogether new and forget to write about what I did weeks ago.  I’ll try to get better at this.   For example, today’s production mounted an Arriflex 50mm Anamorphic lens to a 5D MKII - it was a pretty amazing sight!   I’d love to share some pix of the rig or even some of the footage with you of course - but can’t for obvious reasons (the commercial has to come out first!)  So stay tuned - or more to the point: subscribed.

Note:  The Canon 5D MKII that took the first image was converted to IR by www.irdigital.net

As I mentiond - Life.com encourages the use of their images on blogs, e-mail, and social networking sites “for free.”  As you can see Gawker runs ads on their pages… so clearly they are a COMMERCIAL publication as they derive revenue from those ads.   They should be paying to use this image. 

While the usage rights are very clearly spelled out in their terms of service - I think this goes to show how dangerous printing those words “free” can be…  

To those that aren’t professional photographers out there - understand that photographers and entire agencies have been able to make a living for decades by building large collections of images and selling them to publications and splitting the profit with the photographer (those small fees add up!)  When an entity decides to put their entire collection online and then encourages people to use them “for free” - they are giving up on the old revenue model - and worse making it incredibly difficult for others to compete!   Then everyone wonders why agencies are no longer profitable and people (both editors and photographers) are being let go…  it’s not so difficult to figure out is it?

It appears that some “unintentional” infrigement may have taken place here - but as dangerous as it is to say this: I’ve got to wonder if Life.com and Getty Images’ wording wording and marketing tactics are partly to blame.  You reap what you sow.  And what Life.com and Getty Images sows - we all get to reap whether we want to or not.  Great…

This is the page the article links to - click to read the clear "for personal non-commercial" disclaimer...

The Canon 5D MKII was designed as a still camera first, therefore when you shoot video you will often find that the placement of the LCD screen, not to mention the ergonomics of the camera body itself are not ideally suited to shooting video.  Being able to hold the camera below your eye-line (or any angle for that matter) become quite important when shooting video vs stills.

I’ve had a chance to play with a variety of monitors out there - and for now Marshall Electronics’ V-LCD70P-HDMI is the clear standout both for the quality of the image it displays, as well as all of the extra features it offers.  This is a 7″ lightweight monitor that comes in at just over a pound, and offers an 800X480 resolution image.   I was able to work with a prototype of this monitor in January for 3 weeks of the Jamie O’Brien shoot and it was simply fantastic.  I should also mention that I am also testing out Ikan’s V5600 5.6″ TFT LCD Monitor and will write about that at some point as well - it’s small size may be very attractive to some. (I’ve yet to put it through it’s paces, but I plan to do so in the upcoming weeks.)

First, it should be noted that when you actually start to record video on the 5D MKII, the video signal that is being output from the camera is not true HD - in fact it is limited to around 480 P (as opposed to 1080 P.) In effect it is not putting out the same full resolution image to the external monitor that is is recording to the CF Card.  This makes is considerably more difficult to focus critically while you are filming.   Having a sharp and contrasty monitor becomes a huge factor if you are trying to focus the camera as you shoot - and this is the only LCD monitor that I’ve tried out so far that allows me to do so consistently. (The fact that a less than full resolution signal (even in preview mode)  is being output from the camera also makes it impossible to capture an uncompressed video signal from the camera - many have asked me in the past if it was possible to hook the camera directly to a dedicate I/O external device capable of recording uncompressed footage - unfortunately this is not possible - all video that comes from the 5D MKII is ultimately compressed as H.264 in the end which leads to compression artifacting and a slight degradation of the final video as a result.)

The Marshall Monitor mounted to a RedRock Micro rig with the 5D MKII on the North Shore, HI.

You can find a lot more information about the specifics of this monitor and the numerous features this monitor offers on their site - in fact there is a great video that explains most them on the following link.

The two features that I found particularly useful are the Peaking Filter and the False Color features.   Given that the 5D MKII is not outputting a full resolution signal as it records - focusing is definitely a challenge and the Peaking Filter can be a life saver.

The image will switch to a black and white display and thin purple lines will appear on the area of the image that is in focus.  This makes critical focusing much easier - especially when you are on the move.

The second feature, False Color, can become pretty invaluable when you are working in bright sunlight - as many of your know, judging correct exposure off of any monitor can be a challenge when you are in a bright environment. 

This feature in effect allows you to judge the exposure “by the numbers” and it also allows you to more closely keep track of the proper exposure for skin tone - which is in the 56 IRE range - and colored GREEN and PINK within the false color key.   

The monitor is well built, full of professional features (multiple video in and out ports, ability to calibrate the monitor’s brightness and contrast with specific tools) and accepts a wide variety of batteries, as well as a 4-pin XLR power jack.  If the Canon 5D MKII were to at least output 720p while recording - I would say that many monitors out there would be more than adequate to help achieve critical focus.  However, given that the 5D MKII is outputting a lower resolution signal - the incredible clarity and contrast of this particular monitor give it a clear edge.

A view of the rear inputs and output ports of the Marshall LCD monitor.

I was a bit surprised at first when I heard of this - after all the Time Life collection has always been highly regarded in the photography world as one of the most important historical collections of the 20th Century.  

I think that it’s great to allow people to enjoy it - to view the images that are all too often inaccessible or hidden away and decaying in dusty filing cabinets. Yet there always has been a certain cache to these photographs - in fact I bought a limited edition Margaret Bourke Wife print a few years ago as a gift for my wife.   Now if anyone can legally print and share these images online for free - I do have to wonder: does this move lessen the inherent value of these images? (Granted making a low resolution print off of a web gallery doesn’t equate the value of a true black and white enlargement - but as we disseminate more an more of our content online (and no longer in “printed” form) I think the distinction between the two will become less relevant.)   However, does making them available “for free” to some in effect “cheapen them.”  Will people intrinsically value the use of an image a bit less now?

Perhaps what I find more interesting in all of this - is how Time and Getty Images are in effect encouraging the use of their images via e-mail, blogs, and social networking sites - without charging for that use (as long as it’s a “non-commercial” use.)   I think it’s very important to really study that - as they are in effect setting a precedent that images shared via those avenues should not lead to any income for photographers or agencies.   It stands to reason that LIFE.com and Getty Images stand to gain something from having thousands of eyeballs driven back to their sites - but haven’t the photographers lost yet another way of making potential income - even if these images were to be licensed for a nominal fee for personal use?  Are blogs and social networking sites in effect being granted a de facto right to publish images for free from hereon out?

This does set off a bit of a red warning light with me if you will - as it reminds me of the time newspapers (The New York Times, Washington Post etc.) established the precedent that they would make all of their content available online for free.   Now that both readers and advertisers are flocking away from printed media and that they are now going online - the newspapers are finding themselves in a bit of catch-22.  Given the precedent, people scoff at the idea of paying an online subscription and they are expecting to continue to get the content for free.  I often wonder why I still subscribe to the printed New York Times that is delivered to my door every morning - when I read 90% of the articles online for free.

What worries me specifically - is that I see blogs continuing to grow in popularity over time.  Does giving them the right to use as many photographs “for free” not give them an inherent advantage over other traditional “commercial” publications?  After all - I could go ahead and put together a very interesting blog post looking back at a historical event that included hundreds of some of the best historical images from the LIFE collection - and do so absolutely free and potentially drive thousands of readers to my blog.   If Newsweek Magazine or Newsweek.com wanted to write the same article - it is unlikely that they would be able to afford licensing the hundreds of images from the LIFE collection - they might be able to afford just a few images to accompany an article.  Which article are people going to be driven to read?    I don’t think readers will ultimately care if they read an interesting article on Time.com or Joe.blogspot.com -  readers will always flock to the best content - regardless of whether it is a “commercial” or non-commercial/personal web publication.  Are blogs in effect being given an unfair advantage over the more traditional “commercial” publications? 

So what happens when these blogs start to run banner ads (or any ads) on their pages?  Are these still considered  ”non-commercial”  publications?  I know a blogger who makes more than $20,000 from banner ads each month - he doesn’t charge a subscription fee but does his banner income make him a “commercial publication?”  My facebook pages have ads run on them (put up there by Facebook not me)  - how does that fit into all of this?   It seems that blogs and social networking sites are being given the green light to live in this “grey” area of being non-commercial and that they are being told that they should not expect to have to pay to license any images.  I do think that LIFE.com and Getty Images should clearly specify in their terms of service that if any of the personal sites/ blogs / social networking sites run ANY advertising on their pages or make any profit whatsoever  can no longer be considered “non-commercial.”  If you derive a profit - you are a commercial entity - right?   Well I don’t see such a distinction anywhere in their terms of service.  

It’s tough to answer a lot of these questions definitively - but I hope it starts to bring up quite a few questions that we should all think about.  Life.com and Getty Images - two very large entities in the photo world are already making these decisions for everyone it seems.   We should definitely think about where this is all going in the long run.   Why?   Because as more and more of the content is migrating to the web - there seems to be a growing expectation that it will be available online “for free.”  I think it’s pretty obvious that most of the world’s content is going to move online and away from traditional printed material over time.  And sure, LIFE.com and Getty Images will continue to charge licensing fees to the traditional publications that are moving online.    Does allowing certain “non-commercial” online blogs the right to publish images for free not give them a huge advantage over other traditional “commercial” publishers?  I have to ask: if most of what is being put online is being put up there “for free” - how are the people responsible for producing that content supposed to make a living in the long run?

Los Angeles ©Vincent Laforet

Well it looks like I finally made one of my dreams come true.  After months of being pulled to the west coast for various projects - I’ve decided to become bi-coastal and to move my family to Los Angeles.  This summer we will officially have a base in Manhattan, as well as Manhattan Beach!  

My wife and I have decided that raising babies on the sand is more enticing than being cooped up in the dead of winter.   Please understand one thing: my love affair with New York City and the way it photographs from above is far from over - we will be maintaining a “pied a terre” as well as an office space here in the city and I wouldn’t be surprised to find myself working here more than I do now!

I’m very excited to continue branching out into the film/video/commercial world and finding new ways to implement the new DSLR technologies and digital cinema cameras in upcoming projects.  This expansion will give me a much greater chance of working with pioneers in that industry - I’ve certainly racked up my fair share of frequent flyer miles flying out west this year. 

Now you can probably understand why I’ve been relatively quiet since posting the Jamie O’Brien project - we’ve been busy working out all of the details of this move - not to mention that we’re expecting our second child within the next few weeks!  I have a lot of ideas and posts that I’ve been holding back amidst all of these changes along with my crazy travel schedule  - I hope to be able to share more with you in the next few days.

As crazy as these times may be - I think that taking a chance with change keeps the creative fluids flowing!  It makes me feel like I’m 34 - not 64… the last big change I made was leaving my staff job at The New York Times a little over 3 years ago - and what a ride it’s been!

(P.S.: Not one person mention a single thing about traffic!  Or you’ll burst my little bubble… Manhattan Beach is a little over 10 minutes away from LAX - so this is definitely thought out… I can hear the laughter from afar… )

See it bigger (up to 1080p) on SmugMug!

Here is a first look at the Jamie O’Brien project.   This is a reel of some of the best shots from the 3 week project.  I would like to point out that this first look does not reflect our ultimate goal of producing a more in depth documentary that includes interviews with Jamie and other influential members of the surfing community.   One of the reasons that it’s taken me this long to get this short cut up on the blog is that we’ve been working on the two cuts simultaneously.  My goal all along has been to NOT make yet “another surf film” as those have already been made and made very well by some incredibly talented filmmakers - and shot over a much longer period of time where budgets and time allow the filmmakers to wait for the perfect conditions / swell.   During the 3 weeks in Hawaii - we probably saw 5 days of sun, and 2-3 days of decent (but relatively small) waves.  I was well aware of some of these challenges (weather is always a huge factor when shooting in the winter months in Hawaii) and made a point from the beginning to draw upon my experience as a  photojournalist to work towards producing a different type of film.  I hope to be able to share that with you at some point in the upcoming months.

For now I hope you’ll enjoy this first look.  I look forward to getting back to writing more regularly on this blog now that this cut is done.   A huge thanks goes out to all of the crew members, the sponsors who provided financial and gear support (many of them prototypes) and of course to Jamie.

Oh and my wife is also very pregnant (29 weeks to be exact) - so a lot of my free time that I would put towards the blog is being transfered to spending some much needed time my 4-year-old son and wife.  

My favorite new thing is falling asleep in my son’s bunk bed as we read books each night - which means I no longer run off to the computer every night to write blog posts…  

So please be patient with me - I’m sorry for the silence - and thanks for the concern.   There’s actually nothing at all to be concerned about! 

See it bigger on SmugMug!

(Due to the length and size of this piece I am putting it up at 720p.)

Please note that Tiffen and Formatt BOTH make screw on filters and 4 X 5.65 filters for the matteboxes.   I use a variety of filters from both companies - I use 1-6 stop Neutral Density filters as well as a few 10 stop screw on filters. (The RED One camera became part of our production a few days before we left and we had to scramble to find the appropriate filters in time - luckily both Tiffen and Formatt helped save the day in last minute fashion.)

Both companies also make graduated NDs and Hot Mirror filters that cut out infra red light when using the RED One camera.   The 4 stop and 6 stop are the NDs we’re using most often.   I personally like the 10 stop to use my 1.2 lenses wide open in sunlight.   Also - if you want to stay very light and mobile - I recommend you use the screw on filters - I travel with a set of 72mm and 77mm filters for my Canon lenses - but you could also buy a step-down adapter to screw on your 77mm filters onto your 72mm if you’re looking to economize.  I tell every friend buying a 5D MKII to:  1. buy ND filters right away and 2. an good video head (see the Gitzo G2180 below) 3. an extra battery for the 5D MKII 4. and look into audio (see previous posts for the Rode mic and other options.)

We’ve also been using a variety of Manfrotto Tripods and video heads that we mention in this Behind The Scenes on this project that have allowed us to pull of some very nice pans of Jamie surfing.   I can’t overstate how important it is for you to get a good tripod set to shoot nice pans - and you’ll need the heavy duty stuff to shoot with the heavier RED and long Canon glass.   If you want a simple setup to start off with a 5D MKII and shorter lenses - we’ve found the Gitzo carbon fiber tripods and the Gitzo G2180 Fluid head to perform quite remarkably (but don’t overload it or any fluid head with weight - unlike still photography you can’t really get away with overloading a head with video as your pans and tilts will suffer.)  Another really nice option are these self-standing monopods by Manfrotto that I recommend you use with a quick release plate.

Check out the RedRock Micro DSLR Rig and long lens support that I’ve mentioned in the past as well as the Wicked Circuits EF Lens adapter for the RED One Camera.

I will be posting a DETAILED list of all of the gear described within this and the first behind the scenes clip in a few days after we put up the 3rd installment of the Behind the Scenes up (it’s a long list and I want to add links so it’ll take me a better part of a day to do and we’ve only got a few days of shooting left on this project.)

See it bigger on SmugMug!

(UPDATE - The video is now up at 1080p - see “Full HD” link on top of the window.)

Creativity in surfing is the opportunity to express oneself on a wave.  Surfing is nothing but the physical extension of one’s ability to explore that realm between land and sea.  Being free to do it without the constraints of commercial endeavor or competitive goals creates true freedom of expression.  Somewhere between the land and the sea Jamie tries the other side, switching his feet around on take off, choosing the opposite stance, then midway, switches back… as if to say I can do “whatever I like.”  Jamie embodies the term “free surfer.”

We had a long behind the scenes clip queued up for you today (including the ND filter piece that I promised) but the newsman in me forces me to put this clip out now - for the non-surfing crowd out there:  this footswitch by Jamie is something unique to his skill set, and something seldom captured.

The best thing about watching, let alone filming, Jamie - is the privilege of seeing someone do something so beautiful, so difficult, so effortlessly.   The last time I saw something like this on such a regular basis was when I photographed Michael Jordan at the United Center in Chicago for his last 3 years on the court.

The best part is that I’ve actually had a chance to eat some poke with Jamie - a local delicacy.   Whereas social time with Michael was nothing but a distant dream.    After a very trying week - I can’t wait to sit back and spend the next week watching Jamie surf.   Hope you all feel the same - this is but a small sampling.

This shot was made with a Canon 500mm f4 - on a RED One at 100 frames per second at 2K using the Wicked Circuits EF Lens Adapter.  That’s the equivalent of a 1600mm on a 35mm camera.   Big thanks to Mike Isler for the focus pull and spotting.

Vincent Laforet