Olympus OM-D 5 Axis Image Stabilization Helps Photographer With Tremors

I’ve been keeping an eye on the new Olympus OM-D E-M5 since it was announced. The smaller form factor, weatherized body with 5 axis image stabilization and pocketable M43 sized lenses makes a very exciting package. Their 5 axis image stabilization is really raising the bar. This technology has allowed a photographer with a palsy or tremor to overcome his physical limitations to shoot sharp photos and smooth video. It’s great how technology can improve peoples lives. … Continue Reading

Ansel Adams Mount Williamson Pilgrimage

I attended a recent lecture by Alan Ross at the G2 Gallery in Venice that was presented in conjunction with the Ansel Adams Exhibit: Open to the Public.  The show consists of 22 national parks images which includes the iconic Mount Williamson photo.  I have always been interested in that image because I often go up to the Eastern Sierras at Lone Pine to shoot landscapes and I’ve wondered about the exact location where that image was created.

According to the G2 website: “Alan Ross is a renowned photographer who worked side-by-side with Ansel Adams as his photographic assistant and who knows Adams’s approach and technique perhaps better than any other photographer today. He was personally selected by Adams to be the exclusive printer of the Yosemite Special Edition Photographs in 1975, an assignment Alan continues to this day, making each print by hand from Adams’ original negatives using traditional darkroom techniques”

After the lecture I asked Mr. Ross where Ansel shot that classic image and he told me the general location of the dirt road.  That’s a good starting point but where exactly on the road did he stop and would I recognize it as I’m driving through the rocky arid terrain?  A Google search lead to some more details from others who have tried to find the exact spot the image was taken. … Continue Reading

Should I Buy the Canon 5D MKIII?

The question everyone is asking me lately is “should I buy the Canon 5D MKIII?” Of course you should, you deserve it – right? I think there are several good reasons to spend the money and an equal number of reasons not to upgrade depending on your situation. Lets start with the obvious upgrade candidate, someone who is mostly shooting HDSLR video.

Video seems to be one of the biggest reasons to upgrade on the new 5D. Noise, artifacts, ISO, dynamic range and compression have all been tweaked for better video performance. HDMI out no longer drops to SD when recording and if your only shooting video you can set the shutter button to start/stop video (this will allow you to use wired remotes connected to the R3 socket). The rolling shutter is also a bit faster so it should show less jello effect and the 12 minute recording limit has been changed to a maximum clip length of 29 minutes 59 seconds.

The audio recording capabilities have also been greatly improved. In addition to visual meters while recording and a headphone monitoring line out, the in camera recorder is now pro level with uncompressed PCM audio at 48 kHz. … Continue Reading

Nice Point of View About Photography and Art

Kirk Tuck with an interesting perspective about art and photography.

Maybe what modern photography needs is more, and more educated, critics. I’ve often stated my opinion that if work had to be shown in a physical gallery to be taken seriously people would put a lot more thought and care into what they showed

Tamara Lackey Interviews Brian Smith

Tamara Lackey at the reDefine show has an interview with our friend, epic editorial shooter Brian Smith.

… Continue Reading

David McLain Shoots Lifestyle Photo and Cine

I heard David McLain speak at a Sony sponsored event recently and he’s really inspiring. He’s a photographer who has successfully added video to his repertoire. He uses everything from a Sony Nex-5N to a RED – whatever gets the job done. This lets him effectively deliver stills and motion to clients which strengthens his business.

In his seminars he talks about how the sweet spot for a photographer shooting motion is with a small crew of 4-8 people. Full sized productions are exponentially more expensive and are not nearly as flexible or spontaneous as his team can be. He thinks that multi-disciplinary photographers have an advantage in this micro production scenario. Check out this video he shot for a clothing company out of Austin Texas for inspiration.
… Continue Reading