River Cafe View – WOW!

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After an amazing day on the water, our very gracious host Howard provide us an amazing dinner beside the water. In true NY style, picked up in a Black Car and whisked across town, we put on our dinner jackets and ate dinner under the Brooklyn Bridge looking over at Manhattan. Me being me, I wasn’t without my camera. So while ordering dinner, before telling them what I wanted, I asked how I could get outside to photograph what you see. I’ve got my priorities! With the D4 w/50f1.4AFS attached, I headed out to take a 3 image, handheld pano. Then I simply dropped it into CS6 to assemble. What a gorgeous night, what a fantastic meal. Thanks Howard!

mmmm…Fire – Gooood!

I had the opportunity Friday morning to go out with some of the good folks from the 4C convention to the Posner Balloon Festival. I yearly festival that’s been held for decades, it’s a great event where I’m told 30 hot air balloons come to have fun. Arriving in the dark, my favorite time to start, we wondered over the field where the balloonist had parked.

I talked with some of the folks to get an idea of how they would handle the launch and then just started to watch. Knowing their general MO, in the dark of morning I looked for those with their baskets set up first. This takes a little time, hauling it our of the trailer, getting the rigging set up and clear in the dark getting ready for the preburn.

It was pretty simple really, you want to show that fire, you need a dark background. So once I saw the first basket ready to warm up the burners, I positioned myself with a background that told the story, was dark yet showed a little of the predawn light and waited. People are part of the story, so I wanted to include them as much as I could as long as they were active in the launch process. I tried to move about though to eliminate others who were just watching.

Anybody who knows me knows how much I like fire, so I was a kid in a candyshop! I mean, the sound, the length of flame, makes you want to grab a hotdog on a wire and cook! Now just like shooting blurry water, to make the shot I ripped the motordrive on the D4. This is because you just can’t see the pattern the burn is going to make, recognize it, tell your finger to shoot and the camera to fire fast enough. So when just as the big burn would go, I let the camera rip off 15-20 frames and then selected my favorite flame pattern back in the computer. I shot with fixed lenses, doing all my “zooming” with my feet. I did this because I wanted to shoot at f1.4 to make the most of the available light and minimize DOF for crowd control. These images were taken with the 50f1.4AFS and the bottom with the 24f1.4AFS. On the tech side, WB set to AWB, metering Matrix with Exp Comp at -2 to -1.3. While from the time when we arrived till the time we left was less than 2hrs, it was a great morning off to a great start. mmmm…fire…good!

A Moment with Sierra Lightning

Saturday night we had the makings of a thunderstorm actually producing some much needed rain. By sunset, nothing. Then I thought I saw a flash but never heard any thunder. Forty minutes later the fast moving storm had gone north past us. Using the iPad app Radar, I saw the track of the storm to be right over the house so I grabbed the D4, 24f1.4 AFS and tripod and went out on the deck and waited. I got outside and just set up when the first “close” claps began. Just then it started to pour so wimping out, I went inside.

Once inside (and back to the Olympics) I switched out lenses to the 50f1.4AFS because I could see less of the sky. My settings were basic night lightning settings, ISO100, 8sec f/4 – f/5.6, Manual Focus, Flash WB (so the house lights would be warm). I attached the MC-36 and while watching the Olympics, every time I heard the shutter close, I depressed the shutter release. And as fast as the storm started, it was blown past us. What you see here in the video is the start of the storm, the meat of the storm and then the last downpour light up by car lights. In one of the last frames, while there is no bolt of lightning, dead center you’ll see a Big Brown Bat flying by.

When it comes to creating the video, that’s a snap. I took all the images and had them in a folder. Launched Photoshop > Time Line > Add Media and selected all the images. I put a Cross Fade between each image and then Export > Render Video and upload. It was that simple! I like the video presentation for the storm rather than the stills you see here (my favorites from the shoot). And if I could, while you’re watching the video, I’d be right be hand your chair yelling, BANG!

The Box – eMotimo – Whole New Box!

One of my favorite tools just got a whole lot better! “The Box” as I call it, eMotimo has a whole new look built upon what was an already great platform. The first think you’ll notice is the entire massive beef up of the pan/tilt/time lapse mechanism. This provides incredible stability, flexibility and smooth as silk operation to hold the beefiest camera. The joy stick now operates via Bluetooh. And the programming software in The Box is improved and with more features. I decided to do a little test to prove my point.

i set the The Box to run all day during a thunderstorm. The D4 w/50f1.4AFS was set up and left running through the wind, rain & hail capturing 1294 Jpegs over 10.5 hours. The unit was covered with the LensCoat Raincoat to keep the rain out, but I had to constantly go out and dry off the front element. The D4 was powered with AC and was the eMotimo. As you can see, it worked flawlessly.

Simply Took my Breath Away!

The Great Hall at the Nat’l Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is simply amazing! The huge murals, one in each corner are simply spectacular! This one of lower Yellowstone Falls is one I would love to have in my house, if it was the size of s football field. After asking a museum volunteer if I could shoot in the room and being told it was OK (a big function was going on), I started thinking. I wanted to show that size in the photo, how do you do that? Gotta have something for scale and there is nothing better than a person. Going to the other side of the room, I shot with the 50f1.4AFS to keep lines as straight as possible. Then I had Sharon stand as you see her with a gesture saying one thing about viewing these gorgeous paintings.

Then we had Chris stand as you see him here with a totally different body gesture making a totally different statement. I really like them both, each saying differently about the impact these paintings can have on an individual. The photos taken with the D800 at ISO 1600 are simple clicks right out of the camera. I stood there looking at this mural for a long time, could stand there looking at them for a whole lot longer. I strongly urge you to go there, stand, and take them in for a long time as well!

Nat’l Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

If you are a lover of light, if you want to improve your landscape photography, it you want to be transported back to a different time, you must go to the Nat’l Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, OK. My good bud Kevin took us there while we were in Wichita and I’m so glad he did! This is a marvelous place we spent four hours touring, taking in our heritage and the art celebrating it!

Being partly a art museum, there are places where you can’t take pictures and that’s the way it should be. You should take hours just looking at the landscapes and the way they paint the light falling on it. Some of my favorite paintings are hanging on these walls, the originals that you can just stand there and take in. There are oils, watercolors, pencil, bronze, just a marvelous collection to get lost in. Then there is the western native American art section which is spectacular (you see here). Then you wonder into the western movie section, history section and on and on. It’s just marvelous!

Then there is the western town they’ve built inside for you to explore. You see here a ISO 1600, 5 frame HDR from the D800. The town is lit as if midnight and being display lighting, HDR was called for (no tripod, handheld). This is a museum for the senses that you just have to get to, I can’t recommend it enough! Oh yeah…shot with the 50f1.4AFS at ISO 1600 the whole time, love that lens!

“The General”

The Photoshop World precon was not only a great event, but provided a great field testing site for the D4. Starting with light that wasn’t great, I was able to see just what the D4 could do for me. The General was more then happy to be the guinea pig for my testing. I started off by getting past my own issues with photographing people. I’m simply not comfortable walking up to a stranger, talk to them and convince them they should let me photograph them. The General and I locked eyes and I took that as a opening to introduce myself and photograph him. Though the light was really nasty, under the tent flap it was very diffused and perfect. With the 50f1.4AFS attached, I shot at f1.4 and made some clicks. I actually like them too.

The General noticed the motordrive sound of the D4. It is distinct and when it’s rippin, you can’t miss it. He could pick me out of the crowd. I moved out of the scene so other could work with him and switched to the 70-200VR2 at f/5.6 and worked from a distance.

McNally did a really cool thing and brought in a giant sweep and set it up with a big Octie that folks could shoot with. The General moved in and I made my final clicks of him again with the 70-200VR2. This brings me to exposure and the D4. It’s not like exposure on the D3. How’s it different? I’m still running it though my brain pan but I do have a thought I will put forth in the near future. It is better but to talk advantage of it, I need to rethink how we make use of this new technology.

If you have a D4 and you’ve downloaded CS6 (and you SHOULD!) you might have noticed the ACR 7.0 does not recognize the D4 file. Trust me, Adobe is aware of this. Until they update ACR 7.0, you can use ACR 6.7 in CS5 to open and process D4 files.

In the Bag
• D4
• 50f1.4 AFS
• 70-200VR2

Why I Love Hangar Hanging

One of the really cool things about the AZ Wing of the CAF is the ability to hang around the hangars. I do it all day long! There is always something going on with aircraft, that’s the obvious photographic finds. But it’s the people who come to visit the Wing that are the real find. We have meet and become friends with many, most being vets from WWII. They come to see their old friends, the aircraft, and share some of their stories with their family. Well Monday we were hangar hanging with our good friend Bob at his Super Corsair when a docent came over and asked Bob is this 91yr old vet could sit in Stang, Bob’s P-51D Mustang. The gentleman flew them during the war. Without hesitation, Bob said yes and bounded over to Stang to assist. With camera in hand, I followed.

The gentleman hearing he could, started to approach the Mustang when he broke down. The memories came rushing back, what exactly they were, what his experience had been I don’t know but they were powerful. His family grabbed the gentleman steadying him. Bob then asked if the grandson would like to get up into the cockpit, experience a little of what his grandpa had long ago. Smart grandson, he was up and in in a heartbeat. After a little while grandpa had regained his composure and was being helped up into the cockpit. Once in, you could see he was back home, memories came rushing by and were communicated in his face mainly with big smiles. I asked if I could take some pics and they said yes with a very quizzical look on their faces.

Then I told the son and grandson to hop up on the wing for a quick portrait which they were happy to do. Then they all came off the wing and once grandpa was back on the ground, the emotions over came him again. And this is not uncommon in the hangar to the Wing or any time warbirds are out in public. To the men who flew them, they are more then just metal.

This is the reason I always have a camera with me when hangar hanging. After the family had finished with the Mustang and grandpa was back to telling stories, I passed them my business card telling them to contact me, I’d send them prints. Grandpa got all tearie eyed again. Odds of them all being together and with a P-51D again are pretty slim, the photograph though will always remind them of that moment. And that’s what photograph is all about!

Photos captured by D3s, 50f1.4AFS

Cisco Just Delivers

Cisco is this really cool place that I’ve blogged about many times. In fact, one of the residents said, “Yeah, photographers seem to come here all the time now. Someone blogged about it and now they all come.” Opps! If you blink while driving by Cisco, you will miss it. There simply isn’t much to it. There are so many ways to approach shooting at Cisco, this time I decided to go with the one lens approach. I wanted to find subjects that fit my perception of Cisco, a lonely place once a thriving community full of dreams. The lens I went with was the 50f1.4AFS, a wickedly sharp lens. I shot the entire time at f1.4, that narrow DOF bringing in the loneliness of Cisco. I found only 13 subjects that fit my quest and of those, these three I really like. I was with the gang when I saw the bottom image, definitely my favorite. I bent over to get the perspective you see here. I must have looked really funny because everyone stopped and asked, “What does he see?” Now they know.

Photos captured by D3s, 50f1.4AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film

PSW Orlando ’10

Photoshop World was just fantastic! The creative folks at NAPP have posted their recap video which you should watch. What you have here are just a bunch of clicks I made with the D3s, 24f1.4 or 50f1.4AFS. It was a great Photoshop World, one helluva a good time!

PSW Orlando '10

Photoshop World was just fantastic! The creative folks at NAPP have posted their recap video which you should watch. What you have here are just a bunch of clicks I made with the D3s, 24f1.4 or 50f1.4AFS. It was a great Photoshop World, one helluva a good time!

The 24f1.4 AFS and YOUR photography

You might be looking at the price of $2200 for the 24f1.4AFS and be saying to yourself, “Damn, speed’s expensive!” The answer is, yes, it is very expensive but before you discount the 24f1.4 because of price, consider what that f1.4 can do for you at 24mm and nice and close to your subject. Minimum DOF, isolating your subject, taking in the rest of the world but just hinting at it, these are just some of the attributes the 24f1.4 might bring to your photography. I have two videos on the two f1.4 lenses I currently have in my arsenal, you might want to give them a view, they might help you think if a need for the 24f1.4AFS.

28f1.4AF
50f1.4AFS

If you’re on the fence, can I recommend you rent the 24f1.4 prior to buying it. When you rent, do it so you have a least a week with the piece of gear and when you have time to really shoot with it. You’d be surprised how you’ll find the right lens doing this and the right lens can make all the difference in the world!.

Simple Click – Moose Eats Baby

Photos by grieving parent RC with D3s, 50f1.4AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film

The Nikon 50f1.4 AFS

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Those sparkling eyes, they get me every time! The lens to capture that sparkle, the 50f1.4AFS…check out why and how.

Yellowstone Adv – Wolves!

This was one of those magical days in a career you know will come if you put your time in. So you drag your butt out day after day long before sunrise is even a hint on the horizon just waiting for it. We made the bend in the road at Seven Mile Bridge when Steve says, “Is that a Wolf?” There, beside us is a Gray Wolf pulling on an elk carcass. Could have grabbed its tail by reaching out the door! It’s just after 7AM, the sun won’t rise for another 30min but it won’t help, it’s snowing. No matter, even with the worst possible light we stop and get out cautiously.

It was a no win situation from the get go. A moving subject in no light on white snow. There was no way to make the great image or even making any real image so with nothing to loose, I advised cranking up the ISO so that this rare opportunity could be captured at least for their memories to reflect on later in time. I grabbed the D3s, attached the 200-400VR and slipped out. I made the handheld shot at 1/30 at f/4. It will never make it on the wall or in a magazine but it is forever embedded in my heart!

Shooting in no light with the subject under a tree making things worse with an high ISO that you knew would produce noise because of the light, I made the decision for myself to ditch stills and go to video. A reason for having video in our DSLR. This plan had long sunk into my shooting as a possible option before this moment so it only required a push of the LV button to put into action. I am so glad I did, see why.

This video was shot at ISO6400 and while it will never win an Academy Award for technical excellence, it was more than acceptable to the wolf biologist Jesse who came by after our encounter. He had been tracking the Canyon Pack with telemetry and with the video playback, could confirm it was that pack and with that, an exchange on information occurred. I like Jesse, smart kid and I’m sure he’ll have a long career in wildlife management. We talked biology, he provided great insight into the pack which help be decide to spend the whole day on the kill and even cameback to tell us of a Bobcat up ahead (stuck with the carcass, blew off bob). I just love biologists!

What an amazingly spectacular day, one that is one of the great rewards of this profession. To see such a wonder as wild wolves, being able to share it with photographers wanting to improve their wildlife photography and coming back with a couple of snaps too, what a gift!

Photos captured by D3s, 200-400VR / 50f1.4AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film

Simple Click – ID Mailbox

I just really love this photo, it’s so simple. Lonely mailbox in the middle of nowhere.

Photo captured by D3s, 50f1.4AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film

Simple Click – Madison

It’s probably just me, but I love things draped in winter. This highway maintenance office probably never looked better.

Photo captured by D3s, 50f1.4AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film

I’m So Excited!

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Yeap, the light was just that suckie as Old Faithful blew. I put myself in the best possible place but gray steam against gray skies in gray light, was there really a prayer? On the way to Old Faithful I thought about something I learned in post and thought that just maybe, maybe there would be a way to beat this kinda typical scenario. Well, as you can see, I was able to pull out the detail in the steam and with absolutely no pixels were harmed and no brain cells used.

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How’d I do it? I taught all my folks with me this week how and it’s not in the B&W conversion, that’s just icing on the cake. Nope, if you want to learn how, you’ll just have to tune in all week as I drop a hint here and there. I’m so excited!

Photo captured by D3s, 50f1.4AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film

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