An explanation of SOPA

NIKON D4

Nikon, today, released the D4 - the successor to the D3s, and I've been asked if I will get one.   Short answer, is no.  But if you are trying

to decide there are a couple of ways to figure this out.

26 months ago I bought the D3s - which replaced the long in the tooth D2h.   

The D2h was a great camera, but I out grew it.  When the mega-pixel race was on there those who would argue that MP didn't matter, and there were those who knew better.  This is a bit of a long back story but it's an important part to the decision when weighing the why.   

The D2h was a love it and hate it piece.  The AF was thoroughbred, the files were small and easy to manage and the body fit the hand like a glove.  ASA's could be pushed to 1200 with great results.   

On the flip side, it was only 4mp - so forget anything bigger than 12x19 and to push that limit you had to nail the exposure and know what you were doing in post.  The JPG engine was crap - and the reds and greens were bad for jpg and marginal for RAW.  Every single image - and I shot a lot of images with that camera, had to be touched - and that was ok, as I had nothing else to compare it too.  The only better in the market place was the D2x and that you couldn't shoot past 800 ASA, and it was twice the price on a good day used.   

As this was my first - I decided on a $1200 used D2h.   

The D3 was released 6 months after I purchased the used D2h. 

I was still in my learning curve though - and shooting a kit lens, 18-135 f3.5-5.6, with really good results, before I even know what the D3 could do - I still lusted after the D3. 

Two years latter I finally started to get frustrated with the D2h - the reds and greens were a pain - the images lacked detail, and I wanted something new.  So I worked two jobs and saved the $5,200 for the upcoming D3s - rumored, but yet to have been announced. 

Long story longer - I ordered it when it was announced in Aug of 2009 - and it changed my game. 

The images are like butter, colors are spot on - I have a two-three stop latitude if I want to adjust or really screw something up - AF is even more racehorse and it's full frame.  Did I say full frame.  Oh -- and it can shoot in the dark - I exaggerate with that last comment, but lets say it puts me in the 5%. 

So since I'm still totally happy with the D3s - and it's paid for itself this year -  I will still have at least 2 years left until the D4s is announced. 

Then I may get a new body.  The other side of this argument is save the cash for Lenses - and I'll discuss that in a later post.

I can't wait to see the photographers at the Summer Olympics flying the Nikon flag - good luck Canon.

Aerial Video

Keep hands and feet inside the ride and no cameras or video recorders.  I cheated - and didin't listen.  This brought us up 301 feet and rotated while we were strapped in.  It wasn't as bad as it looks - Knott's Berry Farm.

The 5%

Trey Ratcliff, @treyratcliff, posted his thoughts about the death of the traditional SLR as we know it.  I didn't quite know what to think of his far reaching ideas - and I had to think about the industry and more importantly the photographer. 

His ideas maybe don't quite take into consideration what I call the 5% rule.  There are going to be certain things related to process and equipment which is going to allow you to perform past the 95% of your peer group, putting you in the top 5%.  This may be achieved in many areas such as approaching a job, composition, process and delivery - and when all of these disciplines are in the top 5% then a sort of state of Grace happens.  Meaning - you nail it !

Now -- back to the hardware -- sure, there are those who say the camera equipment doesn't matter - and they can make pictures with some film, a lens, and a paper cup.  Of course I'm being sarcastic. 

Recently Sony is getting some traction with their mirrorless NEX series - and Panasonic and PEN with the micro 4/3 systems. 

I have a NEX-7 on order - and I can't wait to get it and run it into the ground.

For me - during a shoot, I try to live in the 5% - the D3s sensor allows me this by being able to shoot at a printable 6400 ASA - and printable I mean this ASA was published - amazing.  I could only get these photos by the way of the D3s - and I was in the 5%.

An 80-200 f2.8 lens - puts me in the 5%

9 "Full" frames per second - puts me in the 5%

There are times when most of this related to photography doesn't matter -- there are times when 95% of the time I can use an Iphone to get some great pics -- but, and here is the key to my whole argument - when someone is paying me to perform for them - I'm using the best to almost guarantee the 5%.

The SLR and the big lenses will never disappear -- be it for weatherproofing, easy external controls, great battery reserve, dual memory card slots, or lighting fast autofocus.  And more imporantly, when I"m shooting a job - that's what I'll be using - else, it's amature hour.

Disney

The new year and a new experience of Disney Land with the extended famly.  I'm amazed at the will of man to develop such a place.  I enjoying it - much to my dismay of the thought.

The big camera stayed home - and I'm with IPhone-4 and the small Canon SD780.  I love the phone for it's ability to instantly process and share/post - and I love the Canon for the video.

This is my best shot so far - I love this - early morning breakfast overlooking the park.

Camaro

Chevy Camaro 2010, SS - idling, ready to be driven.

Woody and Buzz

So... I got a little coop'd up and decided to pose some action figures -- yep... between the re-runs
of "Storage Wars" -- and "Pawn-Stars" I let'er rip.

Processed with an X-Equals preset in the Fuji family and shot with a 50mm f1.4.

 

LOW LEVEL STREET

 
I took some time to go to down town SLC Sunday and shoot the converted Olympus 35mm f2.8 Shift.

In the meantime I also shot some low-level with the 50mm.

These were all developed with X-Equals presets.

 

OLYMPUS ZUIKO 35MM SHIFT f2.8 LENS

Here is a video review of the Olympus Zuiko Shift 35mm f2.8 lens.

Purchased used and converted to a Nikon Mount thru a Spanish company called Leitax.

I incorrectly pronounced their name with a "Z" - my appologies.

Puscifer – Capitol Theater, Salt Lake City Utah

Puscifer – Capitol Theater, Salt Lake City Utah.

Maynard Keenan with his 10 foot airstream trailer in tow approached the stage as a silent crowd

listened to his brief mantra of personal activation and existence, opened the second 

leg of his Puscifer show last night.

Flat screen monitors flanked the stage as behind the band, other projected images lit the white wall.

While talking to the crowd and dressed in jeans and "Blood into Wine" esque cowboy hat, Keenan set

up a pseudo BBQ scene with folding chairs, side tables and a fake Webber Grill as band members

joined him - including the mounted drum set on a modeled hay trailer.

His fan mix was eclectic, either pierced and tattooed or some just leaving their 

offices wearing white button down shirts and all having to enter a TSA type search of your person for cameras and recording devices.

Before the set began a pseudo documentary shown in the background projected on the 

far wall of his previous years act with a mockumentary type style of the past characters male and female which Maynard dropped, for at least this venue. Keenan appears to sarcastically mirror his fan base with the film.  His past character wears a mullet and embraces trailer living with a squeaky voiced female sidekick companion.

The set opened with familar Keenan arrangements with a heavy influence of Tool and Perfect Circle melodies and typical Keenan vocals.  Arrangements were simple but with layering became complex and the crescendo blended sounds brought control to his musical vision.

The technical mix and execution was something only personally comparable to my viewing of Emerson Lake and Palmer early '90's tour.  Puscifer was masterful.

His middle set performance brought the drummer to middle stage on a different rolled portable set of an electronic kit and the band broke from the familiar and entered the into experimental.  The sounds were non-typical combined with a mix of visual with panoramic video and images.  Most of this was melodic.

Two bottles of wine with glasses were on stage and times before and after songs Keenan would imbibe where appropriate. 

Puscifer is a creative experiment of music, visuals and mantra and Keenan's show exposed that his Puscifer performances are very serious business creatively - and he didn't disappoint.  

LIGHTS TOWARD THE TRAXX

I haven't been shooting much lately - the occasional family event will bring my gear out of the bag or of course paid work where I'll be motivated by a job - but lately that has been it.

The excitement of the new Sony Nex-7 is still fresh - yet yesterdays announcement by Sony's delay because of their flooded assembly plants has put a damper on this future format of a smaller less obtrusive camera.

So - as a motivator I decided to shoot on the way home from work, the walk to the UTA Trax line.  The time change made for some surprisingly rich colors - and this experience opened my eyes so to say - that certain times of day add an attractive aspect of color.

The lights - the setting sun and wide open exposures all came together.

SADDLE FENCE

Twin Falls Idaho, in the back country a saddle sits perched atop a split rail fence, frozen and beaten not by a rider or a Neddy - but beaten by time.

IPhone 2007 Print

I just received Duncan Davidson's  IPhone 2007 print and here is the unboxing.

Update -- on the inside cardboard is a signed Certificate - I almost missed that if not for a tweet from the Artist - whew  !!

ZUIKO 35mm F2.8 SHIFT

I've been wanting a shift lens for a while - and I found an Olympus Zuiko 35mm f2.8.

The only trick was figuring out how to mount an Olympus lens to a Nikon and I found an online company in Spain called Leitax - www.leitax.com. The mount wasn't cheap - but it was take it or leave it - so I took it.

So far from initial tests - the lens appears to be amazing - and on full frame I'm at 35mm and on an APS-C sensor I'll be somewhere at 52mm.

This lens hasn't been made in years - a testament to Olympus' optics capability.

- more to come -

MISSION IS A GO

Thursday -- a client asks me if I can shoot a science lab on short notice.  I never say no - so of course I say yes.

The shoot may need to happen today, tomorrow or Monday - they really don't know.  I never say no.

I bring my gear on Friday - the mission is scrubbed.  I'm used to this from happenings in a past life.

I bring my gear on Monday - it's a go.

I get to the site and it's flurry of activity - the punch list is happening as I approach.  I'm the only

one in the place wearing a tie.

I ask some to take two steps to the right - inorder to clear the frame - others I ask to bundle up sets - some are obscured by inches of cabinets in the next room.

All went well - from the looks of it - a cave man could have come out with these images.

 

VIOLET AND BUGS

Violet came into the kitchen, she was outside in the fenced backyard, and let out howl, as best

as cats can - signaling that at her feet was a gift from the hunt.

And there it was - this green bug.

I grabbed the Canon S410 to capture the moment and let it pose atop the fence where it flew off.

LIBERTY

Upon reviewing the archive of photos - funny saying archive, but kept photos really add up, I happened upon this of Liberty from our 2008 NYC trip.

 Developed with an x-equals Fuji 800z preset

PEOPLE IN THE PHOTO

I shoot architecture - and evey once in a while, people get in the shot.

So -- I had about 30 seconds to set up this shot. I knew I would be a distraction and I wanted to get in a and get out as quickly as possible.

I entered the studio - with the 14-24mm f2.8 mounted on the D3s - it was all set - Aperature Priority and since I was going to be all wide, depth of field is good even at aperatures you wouldn't think of.

I set the frame rate to High-speed - approached the middle of the room - framed, and burned 5 frames - Done.

SUNDAY MORNING PRINTS

This morning my wife dug out some empty picture frames - and as It turned out I just bought a new ink set last weekend for the Epson 2880, I think you can see where this is going.

I haven't printed in about 6 months - and printing for me is never a very fun process because my results are never the results I want.

So -- the request came in while sitting on the couch as I was having a cup a coffee - and I knew I couldn't wave this one off... I had the ink - and paper... and this "Fancy Printer".

Long story short - while I'm one-offing the two 5x7 vacation pics - I decided to switch black ink tanks and print one of my favorites of a few weeks ago in B-W on Epson's new Hot Press Bright - of course I can't post the print - but here is where I"m starting from.

The printer hasn't budged a bit after 5 minutes -- after I hit the print button... it kinda has me worried... 

it's Sunday - say a prayer for me.

Update - the print turned out amazing.  Just amazing.  The planets must have aligned - go figure.

HOTEL UTAH - JSMB

JSMB - Joseph smith Memorial Building - aka Hotel Utah - restoration Architect Roger Jackson spoke

last night.

A part of the current ownership of FFKR Architects - www.FFKR.com - Jackson discussed his role on the 6.5 year project during the late 1980's as a new Architect with FFKR.

Of the seismic upgrade, the renovation included the conversion to adminstration offices in keeping with

the soul of the origional public interior spaces.

The even was sponsored by the "Institute of Classical Architecture & Art - Utah Capter"