My list before a shoot.

I was asked what do I when I plan to go on a shoot.

Here are some thoughts.

• Don't forget anything.
• Shutter Release - extra batteries for flashes, and cordless releases.
• Lens cloths and cleaners
• Tripod, Head and Plate
• Memory Cards
• Camera and Battery - don't laugh, last year I went on vacation and I forgot the battery on the charger.
• If you think of something the night before - don't count on remembering it the next morning - get off the couch and pack it - or set it aside.  I did that with my shutter release once and left it on my desk.
• Have a dedicated bag for pro shoots - and don't take anything out of it - ever.  Everything is always there - and stays there.
• Set your camera to base ASA - and get off Auto ASA.
• I shoot everything on Manual - Set it and keep it there.
• If going wide - check the main element for dust - those bulbous elements, when in the sun show everything - and dust on those is the worst to try to correct in post - almost impossible.
• Hoods
• Do a quick check for sensor dust - it's probably too late for a deep clean but a blow may be better than nothing.
• Format your memory card.
• Batteries at full charge.
• Know where you are going and be sure others at the site know who you are.
• Bring business cards - I was carded on site by a client to prove who I was.
• Don't shoot when you are hungry
• Compose and frame - and take a breath - look at the scene - and then shoot.  Slow down and notice the non-obvious.  Gum wrappers - distractions in the frame etc.
• Make sure everything is correctly framed and square - if it can be fixed in camera - do it.
• Be sure you are shooting RAW.
• If you can - shoot to two memory cards at once.
• Slow down -- slow down - slow down.
• What you miss now - may not be able to be captured at another time.

SAR Tri-Sig

Purchased from SAR Global Tool - http://sarglobaltool.blogspot.co.uk/ and I highly recommend you check out his blog and other Tools and Signaling items.

Great craftsmanship

Finn's Cafe - SLC

​An extra day off from the office in celebration of the Day's of '47.  You will have to Google it, to understand.  This is the closest to some captivating street as I've come in a while.  It's heavily  cropped - which is a bit of a change for me.

Rough Riders - MNSTC-i

7 years ago I arrived home from Baghdad - or should I say, from out-processing from Baghdad. 
It was a glorious set of days. 

I was assigned to the a group called the Rough-Riders of MNSTC-I - Multi National Security Transition Command - Iraq. 

It was a good gig - better than kicking down doors but it still had some challenges.  We took 8 IED's - and Hernandez didn't come back.  But 1400+ combat missions - and I was glad to come back to meet M.

I flew in this Friday night.  And then next day was this picture taken at the Saturday Market.  And I've been grateful for everyday after, ever since !

Cameras and Coffee

This last weekend I met up with a very good friend and with him was his new Olympus OM-D.  Upon comparing notes his research was exhausting.  He was on day 3.

Of course - I have to compare this to the Nex.  I know it has been done before and with a twist as this is non image dependent.  As we were both on the road and I didn't have a laptop to compare such.  But there is a lot out there regarding this camera and the sensor.

I feels great in the hand - because of the heft - it is just feels so well built - like a tank.  And I like that a lot.  That first impression of quality really goes far.  

Buttons and controls have a good feel - not snappy but responsive.  

Fit and finish is perfect.

The lens has push pull zoom function -- push and it's electronically controlled - pull and its barrel controlled.  I prefer barrel control.

Rear screen is OLED - who cares about that - it just looks great.

Electronic Viewfinder looks great also - better than NEX

Olympus must have a hell of an R&D facility because it sure seems they can come to market really quickly - this camera it seems to have come out of nowhere.

Holding the camera is awkward - to finger grip is way to go - any more than that and the other fingers start landing on buttons and pressing stuff.  Sometimes when that happens the only way to clear what you did is too cycle the power.

There are too many buttons on the back.  I understand Sony's reasoning to embed controls within wheels and scroll wheels etc.  It frees up real estate on the back panel.  And the Sony hand grip is about perfect.

Olympus tried to shrink an SLR body -- and it doesn't really work with out pushing a bunch of random buttons.

Autofocus is crazy fast - about instant - I didn't do any scientific low-light comparison but it was non comparable to the Nex.  I wish the Nex was this fast.

So - in the end there is no such thing as the perfect setup - and you shoot what you have to shoot.  For some that's a Brownie - others may have a D3s.  I have Nex and his is the OM-D.  You work with what you got - and in the end, the image does the speaking for you.

Get out and shoot.

THE 4TH WEEKEND

This year's 4th party in Idaho - love the Brother-Sister in formation with the SuperSoaker.

More Evening

This is hand held - and ended up being 1/60s @ 640 ASA.  The built in stablilzation is really handy and makes this little setup really shine.  This is with the Intelligent Auto setting.

Evening Street - SLC

Street shooting this last week - all with the Nex-7 and Kit, during the evening.  Evening light, with lights and available neon and the glow of the sky - can be captivating.

 

Olympus Zuiko 35mm Shift

It's all about the lenses - and recently I've come to realize that a good sensor is 1/2 or 1/3 the battle.  I cut my teeth on a D2h - where 4mp was fine for those proving a point and for those who knew better, moved on to the "X" series or something a more robust sensor.  But mated to great glass - that D2h would fool you if you cropped in the frame.  Those limits honed my skills - and always get it right in camera - I hate cropping in post and will leave that up to the Creative Director.

Months ago I wanted a Tilt-Shift - but what I wanted and what I could afford were too different things.  Searching the Net were two other options for a shifting lens.  Nikon's 28mm - which wasn't a great performer - and an Olympus Zuiko 35mm.  I could live without the Tilt -- and so settled to find a Zuiko.

The biggest hurdle was determining if there was any way to adapt the Zuiko to a Nikon - and sure enough - www.leitax.com makes a custom mount for the Nikon F.

I ebayed the Zuiko - a bit of a bad experience because I had to get it repaired/adjusted.  The seller was accommodating - but I did all of the leg work - and then I ordered the Leitax mount.

Once it was all said and done - it works great, and it is probably a 30 year old lens to boot.

I've since purchased Nikon's 24mm PC-e Tilt Shift - and with this Zuiko, 35mm FOV I have another option when 24mm is too wide.

A few weeks ago - I used it for the first time on a job (see image) - and the shot ended up being one of my selects.  When framed in camera - the view of it being such, was somewhat obvious.  Yet don't try to get too excited as, in camera can be misleading.

MIR has a great link describing this lens - here - MIR

Larry H. Miller Chrysler, in Riverdale, Utah.

PRESIDENTIAL MURAL

This is one of my faves from last week -- 

A few fancy Violins from the Smithsonian

NEX-7

Nex-7

All of these are with the kit lens in Intel. Auto. - with the exception of the Honor Guard in Arlington which was with a 30 year old 200mm f3.5 Vivtar. I like the lens for the reach, it just has some crazy purple fringing and I'm spoiled by even today's consumer lenses micro contrast which seem to out perform the older stuff.

I'm still getting used to the 7 - I mean, I wish it was a mini-D3s. The thumb dial is difficult to navigate and could be made more distinct and joy-stick like for setting selections. I'm puzzled about the lack of a firmware update. I wish shutter speed adjusted with the auto ASA in aperture priority.

I like how small it is and the flip screen. I wish it was touch focus etc. 

I shoot Intel. Auto just about all the time - unless I have the time to really set up a shot. Or if I'm using an adapted lens then I'm in manual. Since I'm really spoiled by AF I usually shoot the kit vs. an adapted lens - although every time I shoot my adapted 85mm f1.4 I love the results also - it's a viscous circle.

With this DC trip I brought a handful of lenses - 50mm f1.4, 200mm f3.5, 85mm f1.4d - and I've only used the 200mm for some reach at Arlington.  Nothing else was touched - hard for even me to beleive.

So I've come to realize that I really like having the adjustability of the kit lens - of going wide and going tele and having AF. You just have to work the constraints - and after all - this is a travel set up. I'm not shooting a job - and if so - then I'd be shooting the D3s.  With this minimal setup the is system very comfortable to carry - pull out - and shoot.

The dynamic range of this sensor is great - maybe twice that of the D3s - but the shutter speed has to always be twice that of the focal length to nail sharpness every time or else you are setting up for blur.

I always develop from raw - but also shoot JPG in case I want to tether to the ipad and transfer to post/email etc. My workflow is simple - LR4 - exposure, some clarity, and sharpening. If a preset can add some pop I'll use something from x-equals.com.

The Nex solves the problem of a large sensor in a small body.  And from what I've seen it's one of the best.

THE MONUMENTS

What a great city is DC - and I've come away with a renewed love for God and Country. 

How could you not ?

BENEATH THIS STONE

BENEATH THIS STONE

REPOSE THE BONES OF TWO THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN UNKNOWN SOLDIERS

GATHERED AFTER THE WAR.

FROM THE FIELDS OF BULL RUN.  AND THE ROUT TO THE RAPPAHANNOCK.

THEIR REMAINS COULD NOT BE IDENTIFIED.  BUT THEIR NAMES AND DEATHS ARE

RECORDED IN THE ARCHIVES OF THEIR COUNTRY:  AND TIS GRATEFUL CITIZENS

HONOR THEM AS OF THEIR NOBLE ARMY OF MARTYRS.  MAY THEY REST IN PEACE.

SEPTEMBER. A.D. 1866.

LAST NIGHT STREET

The culture here is very refereshing - and it almost seems SLC is in a vacuum.  We didn't at this French place, it was packed, as the food was just a bit too French for us - loved the atmosphere though.

THE INTERNET IS JUST FINE

The Internet didn't blow up -- in case you were concerned.

Today was all about Arlington - M was busy with conferences - and I explored on my own.  I would really like to up load more photos but as with yesterday, I'm now a scared cat.  Until I have more - here's one.

I visited Arlington in 1998 - just before I enlisted.  It didn't mean as much as it means now.  I have a different view - a view of understanding of those who serve, with the expectation of receiving nothing in return.

I Broke the Internet

Here in DC while updating the picture gallery - I broke the hotel Internet - the techs are still scratching their heads. In the meantime I was only able to get about 3 photos up before the crash.

Between some street shooting, performing the Heumlich on a visiting tourist while at dinner with M, and running into a 2/75 Ranger bud at a cafe, by chance - it was a great day.

STAR ON THE PORCH

Kit lens -- off the porch - love the colors.

STREET SLC

Last night of the street shooting downtown.  And this is more of a test of how everything works and the limitations of the NEX.  The lens bag consisted of Nikon 50mm f1.4 AIS, Nikon 85mm f1.4 D, Vivitar 200mm f3.5, and the kit 18-55mm.  I used them all - but I always favor the sharpest and I have to be careful as that's too easy.  And maybe the only way push thru constraints is to be limited by only one lens.  But I'm not there yet.

9pm outdoor light - kills base ASA - kills it -- and staying below 1600 requires f2.8 or better.  The 50mm gets mushy at 1.4 - the 200mm stops at f3.5 and the 85mm is too long most of the time.

I've been shooting the JPG and RAW combo with the Standard setting and the max sharpening.  The JPG's look great but detail is a bit crushed and mushy where RAW keeps the grain structure which looks like real film and I like that.  These are all from RAW - but could be from JPG as I would only use RAW for a Print.

7 DISCUSSIONS

The Nex-7 has become my goto camera.  Partly because I bought it to do so - and so I've made it work - so I guess this is some kind of viscous circle where this is so surprise.  Ok -- that was a bit of a rat-hole… I digress.  

It's a great camera - and mated with some Nikon lenses - wow.  That became evident at the Air Show last weekend where I mounted (visions of Grumpy old Men, movie quotes) the 84mm AF f1.4 D - focusing was very easy.

I've also been a big fan of the 24mm Canon f2.8 SSC -- until recently.  On the long end "it ain't worth a crap" -- on the short end it's amazing - if you can get it in focus.  I don't know why but it's very difficult to confirm critical focus.  I'll probably dump it - and get the Nikon version.  The Nikon lenses

have this blackish - deep - contrastly look of which I've come to really like.  

So -- in two weeks I'm off to D.C.  And I'm going to take nothing but the 7 and a bag of lenses.  

Question being - which ones.

HILL AF BASE

The air show is this weekend - but it's raining - and I was first in and first out.

Nex-7 with Nikon 85mm f1.4D