The Phoblographer

7 Things I Do To Prepare for a Long Day of Photography

Gevon Servo — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:51:37 +0000

First image from a ~7 Hour photo walk I recently did

Being a photographer is like playing a game of chess, you must think first before you move. No matter which style of photography I am doing, I have to prepare myself. This can make a long day easier because it allows me to focus on the creation of images.

Do Not Do Things at the Last Minute

Film is not dead, yet shooting it does take some prep

The best thing I can do is give myself time. It allows for a level of comfort. Time gives me the ability to think about what I will do. It helps in deciding how to go about things. Time helps me decide weather or not I am going to bring a film camera for art work or get shots for a review amongst other things .

Weather Conditions

Weather Conditions , the day after a storm

Knowing the weather is important. It does not matter if I am shooting indoors or not. I don’t like getting caught in the rain or snow without being able to protect my camera gear. I also do not want to over dress on a hot day or forget my towel. When I know the weather, I also know what I need to do to take care of myself, how much water to carry, etc.

Know What I’m Doing

This day was dedicated, mostly, to street photography

The first thing I do, perhaps most importantly, is figure out what I am going to shoot. This affects all choices that come after. It determines how I travel and what I carry. I create a checklist for one final check before I leave the house.

Which Bag to Use

Having my macro lens with me enabled me to get this shot

The bag I use depends on the weather. The style of photography I am shooting also matters. It also depends on the scene. If I am going to be in a crowded place, I want to carry a smaller side strap bag like the Think Thank Photo Retrospective 10. A bag like this is unobtrusive and maneuverable. If I am going to walking for a long time on, say, a landscape photography hike I use my Tamrac evolution 8. It holds a lot comfortably. It also has a rain cover in case of a freak storm. If I have to fly out somewhere for fun, I carry my Crumpler Haven L to transport my gear in my carry on and a low key sling to carry it in.

What Goes in the Bag

Havng My Zoom lens in the bag enable me to get this shot

Because I already know what I will be shooting, I choose my lenses accordingly. If I know that I will need my hands free at times, my BlackRapid RS-7 goes into the bag, I also carry a simple hand strap if I need even more flexibility. I always carry my flash or my Garry Fong Puffer just in case I need fill flash. I also put the checklist next to the bag so I can check before I go out, especially if I am going far. While loading my bag I make sure to check over all my gear. With this in mind, I make sure all my batteries are charged and memory cards are cleaned. I look over all my filters, if I will use them, and clean them as needed.

Dress Appropriately

It was a cold day, I am glad I wore warm clothes

Because I checked the weather conditions, I know what to wear. For example, I’ll know if I need a good pair of gloves or not. Also knowing what I am going to shoot helps. I know that I will not show up at a studio shoot dressed as if I am going to be out doing landscape photography. I make sure I am as clean as possible, too. You never know when you will end up in front of another photographer’s lens. I also keep in mind that first impressions are everything. How I present myself to clients and others can affect how possible future clients perceive you.

Rest and Take Care of Myself

Sitting down and having a cup of coffee, yeah thats how I rest

Before a long day, I like to get a good night’s sleep. I do not like going into a long day already tired. I eat a good meal, and bring a snack so I do not take time away from my shoot. I keep a certain amount of cash on me for emergencies. You never know when you will have to buy something last minute.

In the End

I started my photo walk in the morning, ended it in the evening

Being prepared is so very useful in photography. It ensures that you get your shots no matter what the situation is. If I am working with clients, it reassures them. It helps them know that their money is well spent.

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Kickstarter: Cam Crate

Mike Pouliot — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:41:34 +0000

If you’re like most photographers (amateur, enthusiast or pro), protecting your gear is probably a major concern for you. There are thousands of different bags and cases on the market but very few of them will protect your gear from the harshest of elements. I often leave my gear behind when I know that I’ll be in less than ideal conditions (kayaking, skiing, hiking in harsh conditions, etc.) because I don’t want to run the risk of ruining my gear. Yes, I have insurance but I like to avoid unnecessary risk to my gear when possible. Most traditional bags do not provide enough protection from shock and the elements while most hard cases are good for transportation but they are way too bulky to carry. I recently stumbled across a Kickstarter project that seemed to solve the problem of a truly transportable rugged case and it is called the Cam Crate.

The Cam Crate is a weather-sealed hard case that protects your camera and lens from water, dust, dirt, mud, shock and other things that may not mix well with your DSLR. Matt Geyster, an avid photographer and fellow Bostonian, came up with the idea after leaving his camera behind on a boating trip because he was afraid of his DSLR getting wet. I think we can all relate. The exterior of the case is constructed from a super hard and durable plastic while the interior is padded with over one inch of padding on all sides. Sounds pretty rugged to me.

The Cam Crate is designed to fit most DSLRs and Matt confirmed that it will even fit larger bodies like the Canon 5D and Nikon D700 with a lens. Smaller body DSLRs (think Rebel series or smaller) will even fit with an averaged sized zoom lens (think Canon 70-300mm). Matt is also looking into creating a larger version that will fit DSLRs equipped with a battery grip.

Based on comments and updates on the Kickstarter page, Matt seems open and accepting to recommendations and enhancements to the product before it goes into production. From what I’ve seen, it looks like he has decided to upgrade the foam used inside of the case and he is also working on, and I quote “…an attachment of some kind to the back of the case so you can attach it in a variety of ways.”

Interested in the Cam Crate? Well, you still have a few days to help make the Cam Crate a reality. Pricing info is below:

As I write this post, funding for the Cam Crate is roughly $3k short of it’s goal. If you’re interested in helping make the Cam Crate a reality, you’d better act quick as funding for the project ends on Friday, 2/10/12 at 5:55EST. Check out the official Cam Crate KickStart page for more details.

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How to Create Videos That Look Like They Were Shot with Kodak Tri-X With Your Olympus Micro Four Thirds Camera

Chris Gampat — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:49:59 +0000

Andrew Reed over at EOSHD loves the Panasonic GH2; he well should due to the fact that he is a professional videographer. He also has used the camera at super high ISOs in black and white while still achieving a film-like quality to the video. Because I dabble in street photography and have a video background, I have a love for Kodak Tri-X and the smaller Micro Four Thirds bodies like the venerable Olympus EP2: still considered by me to have some of the best image quality of all the models made. But even though the old camera doesn’t have the video capabilities of the newer GH2, it can still look quite nice providing that you use it correctly.

Here’s how to make your videos look like they were shot with Kodak Tri-X video film.

Gear

Olympus EP2

SLRMagic 12mm f1.6

Light Craft Workshop Fader ND Mk II

Kinotehnik LCDVF

Process and Theory

First thing you’ll need to do is to set your EP2 to manual mode. Next, you’ll need to go to the color settings. Though many Olympus photogs will tell you that Vivid is the best, for this video you’ll need to switch the camera up to monotone. Next, choose your white balance and notice how the tonalities change a bit. This is because of the fact that different colors are rendering in a different way now that you’re in black and white.

At low ISOs, it will look wonderful. But now set the camera’s dial to video mode and then crank the ISO up to 1600. Additionally, set the Image Stabilization to 40mm. In practice, I’ve felt that this gives the best aid for hand-holding the EP2 while shooting video.

Now set the shutter speed to 60 and keep it that way. Next, screw on the ND filter and pop on the Kinotehnik and adjust your aperture and filter accordingly to achieve the exposures and depth of field that you want.

See all that noise in your video? It looks like Tri-X movie film and Tri-X actual film with its grittiness. The reason for this is because it is eliminating all of the blue, purple, and orange colors that otherwise look like terrible chromatic noise.

Results

The problem with the pixels at the start of the video is due to iMovie’s rendering problems. I’m working on fixing that with new software. I no longer have Sony Vegas due to that computer totally dying.

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Four Reasons Why We’re Thinking About the Death of DSLRs All Wrong

Chris Gampat — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:42:38 +0000

Read any consumer publication or self-proclaimed guru on the web and they will tell you that the death of the DSLR is coming. With the heralding of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras combined with exceptional image quality, fast focusing, and lots of features in a smaller package, why wouldn’t one think that the DSLR has reached the end of the road?

Allow me to smack you in the face while you pretend to know what you’re talking about.

Editor’s Note: This is a very opinionated piece, but sometimes an Editor needs to speak from the heart.

Most Consumers Don’t Know What They’re Talking About

First off, most of these publications target audiences that are simply none other than fanboys. And to say that a DSLR will die to a fanboy is absurd when most of those people will sit there pouring over lab tests all day instead of going out and creating photos. I’ve seen them when people post our reviews in forums and complain about vignetting as if they can’t move a slider in Lightroom a couple of levels to the right or desaturate a certain color to get rid of fringing.

And these people will also probably never buy a camera.

Shot with film

Most people sitting there saying, “I want to the Canon 5D Mk III” are sitting there only fantasizing. The Mk II is still an excellent and formidable camera that took other manufacturers years to catch up to.

And sometimes, it seriously pisses me off that marketing machines do just that: confuse customers into thinking that they will never be able to take better photos unless they buy their product.

Mirrorless Cameras Can’t Catch Up in Sports

Most of said consumers will watch to capture sports, their kids running, their dogs, etc. Ever try doing that with a mirrorless camera? It’s not easy. Even the Olympus EP3 has a tough time getting objects extremely sharp and it can’t compare to the focusing algorithms in the Canon and Nikon DSLRs (60D and D7000 and above.)

And when someone says, “We’ll get there” the focusing algorithms in a DSLR with a mirror and pentaprism will turn the world upside down on its head.

As one technology goes up, so does another one proportionally.

Real Viewfinders

Think about it: people love cameras right now. They’re in love with them, in fact! Students in college will be trained on old cameras with real viewfinders for years and years to come. And they’ll become used to those old school viewfinders. Indeed, I can use both EVFs and OVFs. But an OVF’s experience can’t be topped by an EVF. Even the Olympus VF2 and Sony TruFinder still can’t beat it.

DSLRs Could Become Novelty Items

Let’s think about it: people love mirrorless cameras because of their sexiness (partially.) And one can easily argue that a DSLR is ugly.

Okay, that’s a fair accusation. But can you really tell me that a DSLR can’t evolve to become a sexy novelty item with excellent imaging capabilities?

Then there is the argument that it is too big.

I want you guys to feast your eyes on the Hasselblad 500C: loved by Lomography lovers everywhere and actual photographers plus those that love novelty items. This thing is larger than most other DSLRs out there (though it is in fact a film SLR). Why is it loved though?

- Built like a tank

- Exceptional image quality

- Cheap

- Easy to Use

- Reliable

- Common item to find

- Shoots a large negative

With all that said, owners of the camera have no problem lugging one around. In fact, I’d buy one if I can.

Now who is to say that a DSLR can’t have an all metal build, be kept relatively light, be built like a tank, and also not shoot exceptional images? If one was made, it would probably be a big hit amongst all the consumers and magazines alike.

Think about it: we’re focusing too much on the mirrorless and not thinking about how the DSLRs will evolve proportionally. It is bound to happen.

I’d love to hear your thoughts in a discussion via the comments.

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Lomography Partners With Virginia is For Lovers To Announce New La Sardina Camera: Reminds Me That I’m Single

Chris Gampat — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:39:10 +0000

This evening, Lomography announced their new partnership with Virginia is for Lovers. To kick off the new love affair, they announced a special edition of their La Sardina camera (previously reviewed on the site) in typical Lomo style: with a big party. We got to have some hands on time with the camera and also got to take one home with their special Fritz the Blitz flash.

Photos and more about the partnership (including a competition) after the jump.

The camera itself is actually quite cute and to be honest, it could even make for a great valentine’s day gift. Quite a bit of interesting details in the artwork seem to have gone into it. I didn’t notice it before, but those are lips on the left and the hearts remind me of something super emo but still kind of cool.

Interestingly, the rest of the camera is black: reminding me a bit of Harley Quinn from Batman.

The top dials are essentially the same except for the big giant heart in the middle of the film rewind.

The back of the camera is adorned and well plastered with the Virginia is for Lover’s logo.

As an extra and added touch, there is a non-tainted heart on the side of the camera which reminds me a bit more of a deck of cards. Either way, it’s a very nice design for a fashionista type.

Now here’s the skinny on the competition they’re throwing.

THE LOVE UNEXPECTED COMPETITION

The Love: We teamed up with Virginia Is For Lovers to spread our mutual affection for the loveliest state there is: Virginia! The Competition: Join the Love Unexpected competition and submit your best kept love pictures to win one out of four week long trips to Virginia or a special La Sardina Virginia Edition!

The Camera: A very special La Sardina Virginia Is For Lovers Edition will be launched for this loving cooperation – get it while stocks last!

THE LOVE

Virginia’ soul is all about nostalgic places such as old-school diners, drive-in movie theaters, roadside wonders, music jam venues and craft wineries and breweries found statewide in Virginia’s small towns. We fell in love with this state right from the start and teamed up with Virginia Is For Lovers to cherish this affection, start a unique ten months long online competition and release a wonderful special La Sardina Virginia Is For Lovers Edition to spread the love all over this planet.

THE COMPETITION

Starting February 3 we will host a different online competition every month throughout December focusing on our favorite topic: love! May it be your favorite ice cream, your first big love, your shiny new bicycle or the cutest puppy – everything to fall in love with will be the center of a competition. Ten monthly winners will win a special La Sardina Virginia Is For Lovers Edition, and from them four grand prize winners will be chosen to each experience a separate, over-the-top vacation in Virginia. Each prize trip is themed to the spirit and adventure of each vacation including the Roadside Wonders trip, the Wines, Brews and Spirits trip, an Old School Seaside Eats and the Music Jams trip, where the winner will receive an all-access pass to the 2012 Floyd Fest and bear the title of “official event photographer for Virginia is for Lovers.”. So give your loving best!

THE CAMERA

Such a loving collaboration would not be complete without a special limited edition camera! For this reason we designed together with Virginia Is For Lovers a lovely La Sardina camera wrapped in a unique design. Sweet design combined with super easy handling make La Sardina the perfect every day camera that captures wide angle pictures wherever and whenever you want. Its plastic wide angle lens enables pros and beginners to shoot beautiful Lomographs easily. No need for long explanations at your local lab, the processing is really easy due to the regular format of the shots. Accompanied by Fritz the Blitz, our most sophisticated flash, La Sardina will make your photos shine.

If you digg old school and vintage stuff, check out their special shop.

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MOD Announces New Fashiony Camera Straps: Includes Skin from Elmo

Gevon Servo — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:16:23 +0000

MOD announced today a new line of straps for DSLRs, SLR, and compact cameras. Coined the: ECO straps, compact camera straps and bags, drop-in pouches for DSLR & SLR cameras, strap wraps, neck pads and quick release adaptors. In addition to the new product lines, new assortments of styles and designs have been added to existing collections. Consistent with the company’s commitment to excellence in design and quality, all new product fabrics are personally hand-selected and all products are proudly manufactured in the United States.

ECO STRAPS:

This new line of camera straps is made from “up-cycled” billboard vinyl. When big businesses are finished sending their messages on the side of the highway, they reclaim and repurpose the material. Offered in 3 color pallets, natural, vivid and white, these one-of-a-kind eco-chic straps will make your friends ‘green’ with envy.

COMPACT CAMERA COLLECTION:

This collection was created specifically for the compact camera user who wants a stylish accessory that they can personalize, while adding a touch of sophistication to their compact camera. The compact camera collection includes an adjustable wrist strap and matching camera bag.

DROP-IN POUCH:

This versatile pouch allows you to carry your camera in style while keeping it free of dust, dirt and sticky fingers. Just place your camera inside, secure the pull strings, and you’re ready to go. Lined in our signature soft, plush, minky fabric, this pouch is the perfect alternative for that heavy camera bag you’ve been lugging around.

STRAP WRAP:

This innovative new product keeps your extra batteries, memory card, ID, money, etc. on hand (and out of your pocket). Coordinates with or complements your camera strap with a mod approach to organization and convenience.

NECK PAD:

Looking for that “ooh, ahh” feel for your basic camera strap? The neck pad provides extra padding and blissful comfort so you can shoot for hours! Easily attaches to your existing camera strap and matches our basic camera strap line. Can also be used with other camera straps.

QUICK RELEASE ADAPTOR:

The Quick Release Adaptor gives you the ability to change out the decorative portion of your mod camera strap easily, as well as allowing you to remove it if you need to. The pieces attach to the camera at one end and your camera strap at the other.

CAMERA STRAPS:

MOD straps feature, “the highest quality synthetic and genuine leather.” The Classic and Premium straps are lined with high quality, minky cuddle plush fabric for ultimate comfort. All fabrics are personally hand-selected and proudly manufactured in the United States.

ACCESSORY BAG:

Your additional camera accessories and lenses will be scratch free and protected in this luxurious minky lined bag. This bag is also great for personal accessories; such as your phone, sunglasses, keys, makeup, etc.

CAP SAVERS:

These adorable designs coordinate with our strap styles and keep your lens cap from getting lost. You’ll never lose your cap again!

You can see more at www.modstraps.com or their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/modstraps.

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New Lensbaby Macro Converters Give Lensbaby Shooters Limitless Close-Focus Options

Gevon Servo — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:17:12 +0000

Lensbaby announces today the addition of its new macro photography accessories for its lens bodies and optics, the Lensbaby Macro Converters. These Macro Converters help Lensbaby photographers create close-up, dreamy and artistic photos while blurring out distracting elements.

Though the company already has an existing Lensbaby Macro Kit these Macro Converters offer can be used with the existing kit to get you even closer. The Macro Converters are available as a set containing one 8mm converter and one 16mm converter, which can also be stacked together to make a 24mm converter. The Lensbaby Macro Converters are available now for $50 from www.lensbaby.com, and Lensbaby-authorized photo specialty stores worldwide

No word on light loss.

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Pentax K-01 Sports APS-C Sensor, Weird Look

Chris Gampat — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:41:11 +0000

Yes, the rumors were true. Pentax announced the K-01 mirrorless camera. Unlike the Q, this one’s got an APS-C sized sensor just as large as their very good K-5. Other important features are 1080 HD video (H.264: 30p, 25p or 24p, ISO output up to 12800, and a burst shooting rate at 6 fps at the fastest. Plus, it features a 3.0-inch 921k-dot LCD and sensor-shift image stabilization. Lastly, it features an SD card slot. The Pentax K-01 will be sold body-only for $749.95 and will also be available with the new 40mm pancake for $899.95. By itself, the 40mm F2.8 XS will be $249.95.

Look for it all in March.

(UPDATED) Which One is Which? Sony NEX 5N vs Canon 5D Mk II

Chris Gampat — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:18 +0000

Recently at a concert in Brooklyn, I took the Sony NEX 5n and 50mm f1.8 along for a ride. Since I needed my 5D Mk II and 85mm f1.8 that day as well, they just happened to be on me at the time. During the concert, I got curious about their performance against one another and shot the following two photos. Can you discern which is which?

EDITOR’S NOTE: Photo 1 is from the Sony NEX 5n and Photo 2 is from the Canon 5D Mk II. The hints: Canon renders warmer images out of the box plus it did indeed misfocus in such low lighting conditions. The center focusing point is its strongest one. The NEX 5n nailed it in low light. Part of it also has to do with the focal lengths.

Gear Used

Canon 5D Mk II

Canon 85mm f1.8

Sony NEX 5n

Sony 50mm f1.8 (NEX)

Process

Both images were shot from approximately the same area and I tried to capture essentially the same scene. They were exposed with the same settings and focused on the same spot (ISO 800, 1/100th at f2.) Amazingly, the NEX 5n’s LCD showed me a much better image than the 5D Mk II’s LCD showed me. When brought into Lightroom 4 though, the truth came out: the images looked remarkably similar.

They were sized down to 2MB files and placed down below for your observation. No edits were done to the images at all.

Images

Photo 1

Photo 2

Which one is which, can you tell? Let us know in the comments below. No peaking at the EXIF data. We’ll eventually reveal which one is which.

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CameraBag 2 Comes Out of Beta; Essentially Lightroom with More Presets

Chris Gampat — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:49:05 +0000

Not long ago, we did a quick hands on review of the beta version of CameraBag 2. Today the company has announced that they are releasing the entire version. CameraBag 2 is a piece of software for Mac and PC that lets the user apply loads and loads of those amazing Instagram-like filters to their images (both RAW and JPEGs.) Additionally, it offers a totally different interface that Lightroom 3 and 4 do while still allowing the user to do quite a bit of the manipulations that those programs offer. It does all this while still remaining non-destructive in the editing process.

For the person that doesn’t want to take the plunge into Lightroom yet, you can surely consider CameraBag 2. However, don’t consider it a replacement for Lightroom or Photoshop.

CameraBag 2 is available now for Mac and PC. A single cross-platform license is available at www.nevercenter.com for $29 (launch sale price: $24), and a Mac-only version is available via the Mac App Store for $24 (launch sale price: $19). A free, fully-functional 30-day demo is included in the download from www.nevercenter.com, where more info, tutorials, and videos can also be found.

I’ve been using the final release for around a week now and will have a full review coming soon.