tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26446298707793797292024-03-18T02:47:38.763-07:00The Photographic World of Drew GardnerThe blog of an infectiously passionate photographerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.comBlogger331125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-15632313149221841522014-11-23T12:55:00.000-08:002014-11-23T12:55:31.086-08:00A new home for thedarkart<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My blog posts have been less frequent than I would like of late.<br />
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It is with pretty good reason though.<br />
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The busier I am shooting, the less time I have to post.<br />
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2014 has been a brilliant year for me with a whole new body of work.<br />
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To better reflect where I'm at with my commercial work I have a new site<br />
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<a href="http://www.gardnercreative.co.uk/">www.gardnercreative.co.uk</a><br />
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You can see what I have been up to.....<br />
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Please update your bookmarks with the new blog address<br />
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<a href="http://www.gardnercreative.co.uk/blog">www.gardnercreative.co.uk/blog</a><br />
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I can't promise a Mona Lisa type project every week but there is some pretty interesting stuff in the pipeline.<br />
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You can still see my fine art work at <a href="http://drewgardner.com/">drewgardner.com</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com258tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-59000209936079120562014-07-28T12:51:00.003-07:002014-07-28T13:00:14.470-07:00Level 50<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As some humorous person wrote on my Facebook wall last year, I think, congratulations you have reached level 49.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It made me smile then and in a funny sort of way it makes me smile even more now.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Not only just reaching level 50 in the game of life, but managing to hang on in there and somehow reinvent myself in the game of photography.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This year is my 35th year as a pro photographer.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I'm actually quite proud of staying in the game as long as I have - though I do have to be careful, as when I tell some clients on the phone how long I have been shooting I think they expect to see some guy holding a Zimmer frame turn up on the shoot.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If you have been following my blog over the years, you may have noticed that my frequency of blogging has somewhat petered out.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I do have an excuse - sort of.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Over the last year I have entered a new genre of photography - new to me anyhow.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My new direction will surprise some people and I will share it with you in the next couple of months - along with a brand spanking new website to showcase my new work - exciting times.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Does this mean I am turning my back on things like the 'Forest' ? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Absolutely not.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Forest in fact, is right now touring China and by way of a (slightly) early birthday present this week I heard the news that the 'Forest' has won the grand award of the Qinghai photography festival </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Which means I get this trophy and quite special certificate adorned with red stars and hammers and sickles.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OfwZLAPyIk4/U9apkxJXWuI/AAAAAAAACM8/jFES2ljEKfU/s1600/20140715_103947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OfwZLAPyIk4/U9apkxJXWuI/AAAAAAAACM8/jFES2ljEKfU/s1600/20140715_103947.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What next? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Well, lots to tell.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My TV doc will be screened in the coming months....more of that too on the new site.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-79881706726714274282014-07-01T10:45:00.005-07:002014-07-01T10:45:54.965-07:00Why the demise of Apple's Aperture is bad news for all Raw shooters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So Apple have said they are no longer going to develop Aperture, effectively walking away from the 'Prosumer' market going as far as to recommend Adobe's highly featured Lightroom.<br />
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Though I have never been an Aperture user I regard this as a very sad, if rather inevitable day.<br />
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Inevitable in that I have suspected it sales were tiny and know no one who uses it, and sad in that it is another sure sign that Apple have no interest in supporting niche products which do not have mass market appeal, but if no one was buying it who can blame them?<br />
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But there is another reason why this is bad news for anyone who shoots Raw and uses dedicated software such as Lightroom or Capture One.<br />
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Any market place or competitive arena where there are strong players tends to make you and I the customers the winners, competition making everyone raise their game accordingly.<br />
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I don't suppose the demise of Aperture will make a huge difference to the team over in Denmark at Capture One who's focus is on quality above anything else.<br />
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I imagine however the scenes when the news broke of Aperture's demise broke at Adobe HQ the scene may have been somewhat jubilant, seeing a fellow 'big beast' leave the fray, leaving the way clear for them to further dominate the scene, with Apple gone, there is no need for them to watch their rear view mirrors any more to keep an eye on Apple just incase they came up with a game changing feature set.<br />
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Happy days for Adobe in particular, but I suspect that in the medium to long term this will be bad news for raw shooters, no matter what software they use, competition breeds success as the saying goes, and I suspect that the pace of development will not be quite so frantic as it was.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com82tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-74459315009758174882014-04-18T04:08:00.001-07:002014-04-18T04:08:21.846-07:00Zeiss Otus - If you shoot on a 50mm lens on a regular basis you should look at this.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I was extolling the virtues of the new Carl Zeiss OTUS 55mm lens to a highly respected photographer friend.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">'Stop right there I don't want to know about it' he said</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">'It's another expensive piece of equipment that I'm never going to own' was his justification.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In a way I know where he's coming from </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I'm a fan of BBC's Top Gear programme.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">For all its laddish behaviour and sometimes boorish comments it is still highly entertaining.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Yet when I find them reviewing some highly highly expensive car like the special super super carbon fibre version of some Lamborghini or some other daft sounding Italian high-performance car I find myself glazing over and somewhat tuning out mentally, not because I don't like fast cars, indeed I love fast cars, it’s I knowing that it's irrelevant to me, I’m not going to own an £800,000 car anytime soon.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">On the face of it a £3000+ standard lens is, well, rather extreme.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Unjustifiable perhaps?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Almost certainly.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Until you use one.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If you do you will see detail that simply does not exist on lenses made by Canon or Nikon.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Make no mistake the advantage the Otus possess compared to the camera manufacturers lenses is simply crushing.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Use the lens back to back and its like one of the lens is a lens and the other is doing an impression of a lens.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The advantage is most marked from F1.4 to F5.6 and wide open it is remarkable.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I did consider using a lens chart but I decided to leave that to the guys at <a href="http://www.dxomark.com/Reviews/Carl-Zeiss-Distagon-T-Otus-1-4-55-ZE-Canon-mount-lens-review-Peerless-Prime" target="_blank">DXO</a>, who describe it as a <a href="http://www.dxomark.com/Reviews/Carl-Zeiss-Distagon-T-Otus-1-4-55-ZE-Canon-mount-lens-review-Peerless-Prime" target="_blank">‘peerless prime’</a></span></div>
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I instead took it out on some real world shoots, working mostly at full aperture.</div>
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I compared the lens to a Canon 50mm F1.4 and the bargain basement 50mm F1.8.</div>
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Why not the Canon 'L' series 50mm F1.2? </div>
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Simply because I do not own one.<br />
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I wanted one, then tried one and thought better of it, not being entirely convinced of its performance compared to its more affordable brothers.<br />
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All comparison images were shot on Canon 6d mounted on Gitzo 5 Series tripod with a Manfrotto 405 head, focused using live view to focus as precisely as possible, the Raw images were processed with the identical base settings in Capture One 7 and were treated identically.<br />
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Firstly full frame on the Otus at F1.4<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zeiss Otus 55mm F1.4@F1.4<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canon 50mm F1.4@F1.4</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vUmvbIZepWA/UzGNs00HnyI/AAAAAAAACGs/nXfD6lMtDZA/s1600/Canon+6d+otus+55mm+F1.4@F1.4_100percent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vUmvbIZepWA/UzGNs00HnyI/AAAAAAAACGs/nXfD6lMtDZA/s1600/Canon+6d+otus+55mm+F1.4@F1.4_100percent.jpg" height="400" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zeiss Otus 55mm F1.4 @ F1.4 100 percent, of note is the bokeh which is very smooth, particularly when<br />
you compare it to the Canon. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canon 50mm F1.4 @ F1.4 100 percent</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hVMYwMLZmO8/UzGQ69WLfOI/AAAAAAAACHc/yp7czRO3ohE/s1600/Glass+Canon+6d+50mm+F1.4@F1.4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hVMYwMLZmO8/UzGQ69WLfOI/AAAAAAAACHc/yp7czRO3ohE/s1600/Glass+Canon+6d+50mm+F1.4@F1.4.jpg" height="400" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canon 50mm F1.8 @ F1.8 </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NQFTOMxkucE/UzGP2-mhq9I/AAAAAAAACHM/RcoaycR-uuI/s1600/Glass+Canon+6d+otus+55mm+F1.4@F1.4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NQFTOMxkucE/UzGP2-mhq9I/AAAAAAAACHM/RcoaycR-uuI/s1600/Glass+Canon+6d+otus+55mm+F1.4@F1.4.jpg" height="400" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zeiss Otus 55mm F1.4 @F1.4</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VUAfQOQJaHM/U1DoAhVEPTI/AAAAAAAACJQ/okdqEdzk43Y/s1600/Glass+Canon+6d+50mm+F1.4@F1.4_100percent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VUAfQOQJaHM/U1DoAhVEPTI/AAAAAAAACJQ/okdqEdzk43Y/s1600/Glass+Canon+6d+50mm+F1.4@F1.4_100percent.jpg" height="400" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canon 50mm F1.8 @F1.8</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zeiss Otus 55mmF1.4@F1.8<br />
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Canon 50mm F1.4@F1.4<br />
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Zeiss 55mm Otus F1.4@F1.4, note the excellent control of flare compared to the Canon</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canon 50mm F1.4@F1.4(note purple fringing on highlights)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zeiss 55mm Otus F1.4@F1.4</td></tr>
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For me this is perhaps the most impressive of all of the tests, a nice clean image shot at F1.6 on the Zeiss Otus.</div>
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And then you see the detail which in my view is truly remarkable.</div>
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And Finally the portrait session with Tony Benn</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just wonderful detail.</td></tr>
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The images are far from a full test of the Otus, I would like to add some comparative images at other F-Stops, but as I said before, wide open is where the gulf is biggest.<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The advantage is most marked from F1.4 to F5.6 and wide open it is remarkable.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I did consider using a lens chart but I decided to leave that to the guys at DXO, who describe it as a ‘peerless prime’</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Quite a lot has been written about the Otus in terms of its optical performance, but little has been written about its form factor.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If you are used to manufacturer 50mm prime lenses by the likes of Canon and Nikon you will be struck by its size and weight, which is reminiscent of a medium format prime lens.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Initially this could be seen as a disadvantage but in regular use I have found that the slightly longer barrel length and it's tapered shape brings ergonomic means it fits your hand perfectly, I reckon I can hold a slightly longer prime more steadily too(I wrote about this a couple of years ago)</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If you have not used a Zeiss lens before the chances are that you will be struck by its build, fit and finish too, which shades camera manufacturer lenses.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Focusing with any fast prime wide open is problematic, with auto focus or not, and the Zeiss is manual focus only.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I was initially apprehensive about this but the longer throw on the focusing ring does make make manual focusing easier than you might imagine, the situation was further improved when I retro fitted the <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/590458-REG/Canon_3357B001_Eg_S_Super_Precision_Matte.html/BI/5317/KBID/6125" target="_blank">Canon EG-S focusing screen</a> which is optimised for fast lenses making the images snap into focus much more easily than with the standard screen(I have written about this previously)</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Is this a lens for everyone?</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Clearly not, but it is a lens for the shooter who does not want to compromise on quality.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If the 50mm focal length is one you use regularly, and you want the very best imaginable quality then I suggest you try one out back to back with your existing lens, you may well be surprised.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com178tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-68966570964806893712014-04-06T15:28:00.000-07:002014-04-06T15:28:30.283-07:00Shooting with the Sony A7S<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When I last posted about the <a href="http://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/interchangeable-lens-cameras/ilce-7r" target="_blank">Sony A7R</a>, a camera I had never even held, <a href="http://www.fstopacademy.com/new-front-template/" target="_blank">Den Lennie of F-Stop Academy</a>, had not yet invited me shoot with him on the launch film for the Sony A7S, in fact like everyone else I was blissfully unaware of its very existence.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You can see the film we shot in Arbroath <a href="http://www.fstopacademy.com/blog/sony-alpha-7s-first-hands-on-shooting-review/" target="_blank">here</a></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In a sea of DSLRs which shoot video what makes this camera special?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Well, for starters it is not a DSLR, it is a mirrorless camera, and that means though it may visually look like a DSLR in terms of styling, it is much smaller and lighter than a DSLR, around half the weight of a Canon 5D MkIII, in fact it is barely any bigger than a Black Magic pocket cinema camera (Black Magic pocket cinema camera 128mm x 38mm x 66mm - Sony A7S 127mm x 48mm x 94mm)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It has the ability to shoot in <a href="http://pro.sony.com/bbsccms/assets/files/mkt/cinema/solutions/slog_manual.pdf" target="_blank">Sony S-log 2 gamma</a>, meaning that if you expose appropriately, you can record a remarkable range of tonality, giving the footage from this tiny camera a look and feel which one normally would associate with a much bigger, more expensive camera.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It shoots 4k at 4:2:2 over HMI at up to 30P</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> .</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">There are quite a few products are out there which shoot 4k these days, but 4k on a full frame sensor IS something special.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Most 4k capable cameras use small sensors and it can be difficult to achieve the shallow depth of field you get from a full frame sensor on cameras like the A7S.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I was never previously sold on 4k but after a couple of days in the grading suite you really do get used to its super high detail and viewing 1080p HD, as good as it is, after you have been viewing 4k does seem like a bit of a come down. 4k is not just coming, it is here now. With the big broadcasters shooting their latest big shows in 4k to future proof them.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A full on grade is really quite something......</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pick a monitor.....</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Editing 4k is not quite such a headache as it once was either. Den edited the Japanese project on his shiny new 6 core Mac Pro, which made short work of editing 4k in real time using FCP X.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It has fantastic low light capability too.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I must point out that we did not shoot any direct comparison tests with the Canon 5D MkIII, so judgement must be reserved until those are conducted, but make no mistake, the A7S is seriously impressive in low light </span>with the ISO expandable to 409,600.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The A7S is very impressive in low light.....</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After using the camera in challenging low light scenarios I suspect that it is quite a bit better than the 5D MkIII in this respect.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Sony have taken an interesting route with the sensor too which is 'only' 12 megapixels for stills, a little over half that of the 5d MkIII.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Why?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Canon have chosen to make a camera which covers all bases for all shooters, this does though lead to some compromises.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Sony has chosen to make three different and distinct models from the same body, the A7 with a 24 megapixel sensor for general purpose stills photography, the A7R with its 36 megapixel sensor focused on high resolution stills capture and the A7S with its 12 megapixel camera with its primary focus being video capture.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The full frame 12 megapixel sensor was chosen because less pixels mean the possibility of less noise and good control of moire.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Does it succeed? Bearing in mind that Den Lennie and I were shooting with preproduction models of the camera you will see some complex structures in the videos such as roof tiles which have a complete absence of moire.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Shooting with the A7S is a very different experience to shooting video with a Canon DSLR, that is not to say worse, just different. The ability to magnify the image in the electronic viewfinder with the camera at eye level is a real advantage, enabling a shooter to retain three points of contact without the use of a loupe like a Zacuto Z finder.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In common with the rest of the A7 range it has an articulated LCD, which excels as a video shooting tool, making just heading out the door of the B&B in Arbroath with the camera, a couple of lenses in my pockets, unencumbered by additional accessories like EVF or a loupe, a real joy. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Comment has been made about power consumption of its stills focused brothers the A7 and the A7R, after all the A7 family does use an electronic viewfinder which by it's very nature does consume power whereas an optical viewfinder does not.</span></div>
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<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This is not an issue for A7S, as it is more focused on video capture, and the lack of an optical viewfinder is irrelevant.</span></div>
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<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In my shooting experience with the pre production samples of the A7S battery life is more or less in the same ball park as a Canon DSLR.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">While we are talking lenses it is important to point out that you can use your Canon, Nikon, Zeiss CP.2 lenses or even PL mount lenses on the A7 series with adapters, such as Metabones, meaning that if you do decide to go for one of these cameras you CAN still use all your existing glass. We did however shoot both projects on exclusively Sony glass though.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o4ZrwTfNt44/U0HFf_UVm2I/AAAAAAAACIg/z4rq4y_rSBM/s1600/BTS+Dawn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o4ZrwTfNt44/U0HFf_UVm2I/AAAAAAAACIg/z4rq4y_rSBM/s1600/BTS+Dawn.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Den Lennie on dawn patrol with the Sony A7S and Sony 300mm F2.8</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As you will have by now gathered I enjoyed shooting with the A7S which in the space of a few I short days, went from being an unfamiliar piece of equipment to a day to day tool which I felt at home with, it's a tiny camera with a full frame sensor, which is excellent in low light, shoots in Sonys S-log 2, and it's 4k quality is stunning.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Who will buy this camera? </span></div>
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<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In my opinion everyone from the current DSLR shooters to production companies and film makers, who will see considerable possibilities in using such a tiny, but full frame camera in unusual and challenging situations, while being able to shoot with some great full frame glass.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With the A7S, Sony I believe has successfully continued the narrative of 'market segment disruption' which it started with the A7 and A7R.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When the A7S finally goes on sale go down to the shops and see what you think, see if the latest in the A7 range wins its way into your affections as it has mine, who until now, has been an avowed Canon shooter.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com483tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-75420611143297359652014-03-14T01:06:00.001-07:002014-03-14T01:06:25.491-07:00Farewell Tony Benn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dSGLsFq5iZ8/UyK4WfWNakI/AAAAAAAACGQ/2pEFGpwJqbU/s1600/tony_benn0170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dSGLsFq5iZ8/UyK4WfWNakI/AAAAAAAACGQ/2pEFGpwJqbU/s1600/tony_benn0170.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It has just been announced that elder statesman Tony Benn has died aged 88.<br />
<br />
Tony was a left wing politician of great principles and a brilliant speaker, a man who made you think.<br />
<br />
Wether or not you agreed with him, he wanted to make you think.<br />
<br />
A firebrand in his day who stood up for what he believed in at any cost, in later years he was out of step with the Labour party which was so dear to him.<br />
<br />
He wanted to be an MP but this meant renouncing his peerage, effectively a gift from the queen, something that was unheard of.<br />
<br />
Famously when he left politics he said he was 'leaving parliament to spend more time in politics'<br />
<br />
His diary which he kept daily since 1940 gave an insightful view into the world of politics.<br />
<br />
Voted on the BBC politics show as 'The UK's Political Hero' ahead of Mrs Thatcher.<br />
<br />
I photographed him in his flat in Holland Park late last year.<br />
<br />
His flat was packed with memories of a great life lived.<br />
<br />
Before I left I asked him if he could give one piece of advice, what would it be?<br />
<br />
He paused, mulling over what I had asked him before replying<br />
<br />
'Say what you mean, mean what you say and do it if you can'<br />
<br />
Wise words indeed.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>*note, I shot this image on the amazing Carl Zeiss 55mm Otus lens at F1.4. I will be posting a comparative test review shortly of this remarkable lens.</i><br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-64082358057495085112014-03-04T10:19:00.003-08:002014-03-04T10:19:40.354-08:00Iceberg what iceberg?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I write this from my bed having contracted tonsillitis at either BVE or the Photography show.<br />
<br />
Despite the discomfort I have felt driven to write this post.<br />
<br />
The moment you see a featherweight Sony A7R next to truck sized Nikon D800 in-the-flesh you realise that the game is going somewhere different.<br />
<br />
Though perhaps someone should tell the management at Canon if this interview with Canon CEO Masaya Maeda on DPreview is anything to go by.<br />
<br />
http://www.dpreview.com/articles/2097339172/cp-2014-canon-interview-we-dont-see-the-smartphone-as-an-enemy<br />
<br />
He makes a lot of valid points but to some extent he is living a little in the past.<br />
<br />
To hold up the EOS D70 as a sample of their stills innovation, in the face of the (relatively) rule rewriting new kids on the block is delusional to say the least.<br />
<br />
Much can be lost in translation but this is worrying to say the least.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-57580832757511633422014-02-16T03:20:00.001-08:002014-02-16T03:20:52.533-08:00Where next for Canon and Nikon?<br />Around the end of last year there was considerable speculation that Canon would be releasing a medium format camera system in 2014.<br /><br />Let me state right here I have no insider knowledge on this at all, but I strongly doubt that Canon will take this path.<br /><br />Canon have invested so heavily in the EOS mount and lens system it is difficult to see them investing millions of Yen on developing a new lens system for a niche camera which would sell, in Canons terms at least, in very small numbers, with no prospect of selling the lens system to the millions of 'conventional' EOS users.<br /><br />This rumor I think only surfaced as Canon, and Nikon are between a rock and a hard place at the moment with the compact camera market collapsing due to mobile devices, and the rising tide of 'alternative' cameras from the likes of Fuji, Samsung and biggest by far Sony.<br /><br />Sony are a curios company in terms of still cameras, having none of the heritage in the stills market that the big two have, buying its way into the market with the acquisition of the the ailing Minolta some years ago, and there it may have rested but Sony have been the most aggressive company in terms of coming up with new cameras and pioneering new technologies, not always successfully, but they do keep on innovating and their latest offerings have improved to the point that they can no longer be (unfairly) ignored by the Canon and Nikon fan boys.<br /><br />Enter the Sony A7 and the particularly interesting, to my eyes Sony A7R which, by dispensing with the mirror, packs the same full frame sensor as used in the the rather porky but excellent D800 into tiny lightweight package, and delivering, according to most tests I have seen, better quality too, at a handy price saving over its sensor sharing cousin.<br /><br />Not only does it outperform the Nikon in image quality, but from the varied tests on the web I have seen offers considerable images quality benefits over the likes of the Canon 5DmkIII and 6D too.<br /><br />Where does this leave Nikon and Canon?<br /><br />In the past they have been able to somewhat ignore Sony but the time has come where they both need new and relevant to the marketplace products, the approach particularly from Canon of producing 'me too' products like the EOS M needs revision and fast.<br /><br /><br />The danger for Canon is they will rest on their laurels with the Canon 5dMkIII selling in huge numbers, this is great news, but I believe they need to look forward and innovate.<br /><br />I like many others would like to see Canon make a higher megapixel full frame camera sometime soon.<br /><br />And what of Nikon? <br /><br />They have made some interesting product of late in the shape of the Nikon DF(though why has it taken a company with such a rich heritage so long to exploit its fine past, in a digital form?)<br /><br />The problem for Nikon which Canon does not have is that they are reliant on Sony for their sensors, and somewhat at their mercy, meaning that in all probability Sony are going to get the best out of the sensor with Nikon trailing.<br /><br />I predict that many more of us will own cameras from Sony, I admit I have started to consider the A7R for specific projects, the only thing stopping me are the last remaining Sony quirks which make it a none starter, such as there in no way to connect via hardwire a cable release and anecdotally(though not verified) tales of limited battery life and battery charging the camera directly from the mains via slow USB cable.<br /><br /><br />It's a crying shame that Sony have got so close with the A7R but failed to take into account these key details, but as sure as they listened to the market regarding their Minolta flash hotshoe they will eventually get round to fixing these issues.<br /><br />Not quite the last chance saloon for the old guard but they need to do something and pretty fast too if the are to have a bright future.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-63421232361592345202014-01-14T10:33:00.002-08:002014-01-14T10:33:51.619-08:00RIP John Button<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GlAk-btb-Es/UtWCvxCQZOI/AAAAAAAACGE/Ybd_QnRfos8/s1600/Jenson+and+John+Button+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GlAk-btb-Es/UtWCvxCQZOI/AAAAAAAACGE/Ybd_QnRfos8/s400/Jenson+and+John+Button+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;">I learned with some sadness that Jenson Button's dad John button, had passed away suddenly this week<br /><br />I have photographed Jenson Button on several occasions and I've always found him to be a really great guy, the archetypal British gentleman racer, polite and highly professional.<br /><br />The sad news took me back to the first time I met Jenson and his dad at his very first Formula 1 test for Williams F1 at Jerez in Spain in early 2000.<br /><br />Much was riding on the test- it was a shootout between Jenson and <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">Bruno Junqueira</span> , whoever was fastest would decide who got the Williams seat.<br /><br />While Jenson was tied up in team briefings and seat fittings etc I got to spend a little bit of time with John Button.<br /><br />My memories of him was a very warm, straightforward guy who was justifiably very, very proud of his son and just wanted him to do very well, and who was only too pleased to be photographed with his son while he had his shot at the big time.<br /><br />The next time I photographed Jenson was when he won the F1 world championship and I actually remembered to take the photograph that I took with me the photo shoot, so often people don't actually get to see the photograph is shot of them - the media just move onto the next thing and promises to send photographs so often forgotten<br /><br />Jenson was pleased to see it and thanked me - you could see he was pleased 'I shall have to give this to the old man' he said with a smile.<br /><br />It's nice to say thank you sometimes.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Technical note</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px;"><i><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Looking at the photograph on the system it once again made me realise how far things have moved on.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I shot on film Fuji100 ISO neg film, and as so often is the case these days when I go through my archive I'm shocked at how 'bad' film was, though in fairness quite a bit of this could be down to struggling with a kettle to process my C41 film in difficult circumstances at the circuit, never mind the scanner which perhaps wasn't the best there was.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I seem to recall shooting the image on a Canon EOS 1 with a 24-70 zoom lens, I lit the shot with a Norman 400b through a Chimera Medium softbox, under exposing the sky by around one F-Stop by the looks of things </span></i></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-87575772556657209102014-01-01T13:57:00.000-08:002014-01-01T13:57:06.050-08:00A bright New 2014 - In with the New<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have not posted in a while.<br />
<br />
This can only be a good thing, as when I post it tends to be when I have time on my hands - and I have precious little of that right now, with 2013 being probably my most successful in a decade.<br />
<br />
How have I managed to pull it off in these hard times?<br />
<br />
By following my own advice(see 'Turning Pro') but more importantly I have shifted my attention to shooting images which are more relevant to the way we consume media via the web, tablets etc(I'm not quite ready to go fully public with my adventures in my 'career' but soon I will be)<br />
<br />
2013 saw a lull in my Forest series and I look forward with few regrets on this.<br />
<br />
In the next few days one of my very biggest projects will be breaking cover, the fruits of a made for TV documentary shot some 2 years ago, which I felt the time had come for to release on the wider world, involving amongst others David Hobby, Jarek 'Arum light', The Bui brothers and Douglas Black Heaton, shot all over Europe.<br />
<br />
I will post on this as soon as it is out and about.<br />
<br />
So I look forward to 2014 and look forward to further embracing the remarkable age we live in and all the glittering possibilities it has to offer.<br />
<br />
Wishing you a brilliant and happy 2014.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-88863549169692422082013-12-06T02:44:00.001-08:002013-12-06T02:44:33.923-08:00Meeting Mandela - The greatest moment of my career.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm often asked what is my favourite photo that I have taken.<br />
<br />
I cannot easily answer as there have been so many highs (and lows!) over the years.<br />
<br />
Often truly amazing things happen and you achieve great things in difficult conditions and there is no photo to show for it.<br />
<br />
Or perhaps there is a moment, not captured by you or anyone else on film for that matter.<br />
<br />
In the early to mid 1990's I worked quite a bit in South Africa, covering many different issues from political to environmental.<br />
<br />
I was in Johannesburg working with journalists Fred Bridgeland and Ross Dunn of the Sunday Telegraph and there was an opportunity to photograph the recently released Nelson Mandela at a press breakfast.<br />
<br />
Being a member of the foreign media I was issued with the name badge with my publication and nationality on it, complete with a mini Union Jack flag.<br />
<br />
I shot a whole load of photos of Nelson Mandela addressing the press, not the greatest stuff I will admit, but it was an age before wireless flash was really going on (if only....).<br />
<br />
I can't think of anything to say about Nelson Mandela which has not been said a million times before, but his lack of bitterness and an openness to reconciliation are lessons we can all learn from.<br />
<br />
After the press breakfast I skulked out of the room to the entrance hall, where I was completely alone, leaving the press throng behind me to try and get the rolls of film in order so I could get them processed for air freighting back to the UK (not a pixel in sight...just imagine it!).<br />
<br />
I was deep in faffing around mode preparing and labelling my films when I heard the swing doors to the press breakfast room open. I turned around and I saw an entourage of bodyguards with Nelson Mandela at the centre leaving the press room. Camera not in a ready state to use and even if it had I would no have used it, as they walked by I caught Nelson Mandela's eye and smiled at him.<br />
<br />
What happened next will live with me forever.<br />
<br />
He broke away from his somewhat nervous bodyguards and stepped over to me.<br />
<br />
He reached out his hand to shake mine, his grip was firm and powerful and he had a spark in his eyes which was undimmed by the loss of his liberty for 27 years and a smile which radiated a warmth which would have melted the coldest of hearts and glanced down at my name badge.<br />
<br />
'Thank you so much for coming to South Africa to tell the world what is happening here....thank you.'<br />
<br />
I think all I could manage was 'It's my greatest pleasure'. My response was lost in this special moment. It was over in seconds as his guards politely and somewhat nervously motioned him away.<br />
<br />
The moment lives with me beyond any other in my career.<br />
<br />
Nelson Mandela was no saint, nor would he have claimed to be but when President FW De Klerk bravely started the process of dismantling apartied to a brave new world of equality Nelson Mandela took the opportunity without bitterness or rancour to help South Africa take its long deserved seat at the 'world table'<br />
<br />
I don't often get into politics even though I'm deeply interested in current affairs but I believe that even though Nelson Mandela had retired from politics he was omni present in the conscience of the the ruling ANC party.<br />
<br />
The world will rightly miss Nelson Mandela but South Africa will feel his loss even more. With some challenging times in the current political scene in South Africa, the key players perhaps should reflect on how South Africa made a relatively bloodless transition to where it is now. It could not have happened without the great generosity of spirit, forgiveness, selflessness and above all else, love of Nelson Mandela.<br />
<br />
May you rest in peace and may we all continue to learn and be inspired by your remarkable example.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-45943509341416287922013-10-18T07:40:00.000-07:002013-10-18T07:40:09.923-07:00Latest Forest Shot -Behind the Scenes Video<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here is the behind the scenes video form the Moose shoot which gives you a bit of an idea just how BIG an Elk (Moose) is, and how much nerve you need to get on one!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/74588207" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
I hope you enjoy it.<br />
<br />
There has been a potentially sad twist to the shoot regarding the fate of the Elk which I am just checking out now before I post about it.<br />
<br />
Have a great weekend</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-76241253285826020362013-09-15T15:58:00.000-07:002013-09-20T02:31:14.147-07:00The Elk (or Moose, depending on where you live)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">'Being invited to exhibit at the highly prestigious Shanxi province-based Pingyao International Photography Festival <a href="http://shanxi.chinadaily.com.cn/pingyao/2013-06/01/content_16555359.htm"><span style="color: #011a99; letter-spacing: 0px;">PIPF 2013 </span></a>was my incentive for shooting what may be the final image in what may be the final phase of of my Forest Series. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I wanted to finish with a spectacular image -- one that had, in all probability, never before been attempted.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">That is not to say I decided to embark on this shoot as on a whim. The seeds had been sown some years before when I first contemplated shooting (photographically) a moose as part of the forest series.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I had made some inquiries and all evidence pointed to them being potentially dangerous animals, so I did not pursue them as a subject.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Then early this year, while researching an unrelated shoot, I discovered that someone in Sweden had trained Elk that could be ridden.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Elk? I thought we were talking about Moose?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Swedes refer to <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moose">Alces alces</a></i> as an Elk, whereas Canadians and North Americans refer to <i>Alces alces</i> as Moose (a North American Elk is an entirely different animal<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elk"> <i>Cervus canadensis</i></a>)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As much as I like America, Sweden is also a much more appealing location too, for one simple reason - it is drivable, all be it very long drive across six countries, for a total of some 2671 kilometers (1660 miles)I thought that this would be a great opportunity to explore the depths of my iTunes collection and the amusing and thought provoking audio book <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=this+book+will+save+your+life+neil+strauss" target="_blank">‘This book will save your life’</a><a href="emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life: Neil Strauss"> by Neil Strauss.</a></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Driving is key because I’m carrying a very large amount of gear, both photographic and camping, this was done on a budget.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The countries I crossed were key too as passing through Denmark (home of Phase One) and Sweden (home of Profoto)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I picked up my new <a href="http://www.phaseone.com/en/Camera-Systems/IQ2-Series.aspx">Phase One IQ280</a> back in Copenhagen and I dropped into<a href="http://www.profoto.com/uk/"> Profoto’s </a>HQ in Stockholm to try out one of their latest offerings the <a href="http://www.profoto.com/prob4">Profoto B4.</a></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Though I have played with Profoto I have never actually used one in anger on a shoot and I figured this could be the perfect opportunity to do just that.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The distances in Sweden are not to be underestimated and once you get to Stockholm it is still a 7+ hours drive to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ume%C3%A5">Umea</a> (only a 3 hour drive south of the Arctic circle) with strictly and wisely, enforced speed limits. Added to that, the danger of crossing Elk dictate a sensible approach to progress.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K0MiL1edx9g/Ui8cRdyWrxI/AAAAAAAACD4/kOn_X1QDtzk/s1600/sweden+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K0MiL1edx9g/Ui8cRdyWrxI/AAAAAAAACD4/kOn_X1QDtzk/s400/sweden+map.jpg" width="383" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZLLiQxcw3XU/Ui8frvwxzTI/AAAAAAAACEo/hZiW0gjqo7Q/s1600/sweden+scenic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZLLiQxcw3XU/Ui8frvwxzTI/AAAAAAAACEo/hZiW0gjqo7Q/s400/sweden+scenic.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweden is a lovely place if you like trees</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The schedule meant that we would have just two days in the quirky and cool city of Umea, one day to check out the location and prep gear and another to do the shoot.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">We met former World champion cross country skier <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christer_Johansson_(skier)">Christer </a></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christer_Johansson_(skier)">Johansson</a></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> at his </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://www.algenshus.se/">Älgens Hus</a></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px;"><b> </b>Elk centre some one hour outside Umea.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">All it seemed was set but Christer did have some doubts about the way the Elk would take to the soft box and they did react in a somewhat nervous manner. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4XWlnlcba8g/Ui8dwoclPmI/AAAAAAAACEE/Axv6qkPpGbQ/s1600/moose+intro.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4XWlnlcba8g/Ui8dwoclPmI/AAAAAAAACEE/Axv6qkPpGbQ/s400/moose+intro.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So I came up with a plan to get the Elks used to the lights, I left one erected outside of their enclosure over night, just so they would get used to it (I have used this method before to habituate thoroughbred race horses to a potentially ‘frightening’ light)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px;">Elk are very interesting </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">animals with certain qualities. Think of a skittish, highly strung and nervous cat trapped in the body of a very big(up to 2 metres tall) gangly primeval animal and you will not be so very far off.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">They also have the uncanny ability to sneak up on you, silently and unseen, which can give you quite a fright.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">It goes something like this: You are standing in the forest and you look around to see if there are any Elk nearby, coast clear, you look into your camera bag to sort out some equipment for a few seconds, you look up and there will be three Elk, quite close by watching every move you make. I'm not quite sure how they do it but they do it, perhaps something to do with them being brilliantly camouflaged in the forest.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Why shoot this is late August? Simple. I wanted to photograph the Elk with full antlers, so we chose late August as the antlers are there largest then and I was able to shoot the Elk with full antlers but before they shed their lovely velvet.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xb6XhCMnbkE/Ui8d9lSgyVI/AAAAAAAACEM/5pUH1Dh5qAU/s1600/moose+aclimitsation.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xb6XhCMnbkE/Ui8d9lSgyVI/AAAAAAAACEM/5pUH1Dh5qAU/s400/moose+aclimitsation.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We may not have ended up actually using the tent on the trip but as you can see the guy ropes, pegs and mallet were rather useful.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SJqOmdoAwmA/Ui8eXc8POsI/AAAAAAAACEU/TH1y5__9BEg/s1600/hut.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SJqOmdoAwmA/Ui8eXc8POsI/AAAAAAAACEU/TH1y5__9BEg/s400/hut.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We got an early night in our humble little cabins on the outskirts of Umea all set for a shoot at first light.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Why first light? For many reasons but it gives a whole load of lighting possibilities particularly when shooting with the Phase One camera and it’s leaf shutter lenses.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Also the location, even with the very best will in the world, does become strewn with equipment and possessions, if you shoot at dusk you will never find your stuff in the dark....I know this from bitter experience.</span></div>
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When we arrived it would seem the Elk had indeed become accustomed to the lights and they were a little too friendly. As a result I switched to a battered old Chimera medium soft box instead of using a loaner Profoto soft box which could be ruined with one swipe of the antlers leaving me with some explaining to do, can you imagine the conversation....</div>
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Ah the Profoto lights, what did I think of those?</div>
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I borrowed 2 Profoto B3 lights and 2 of the very latest Pro- B4 lights.</div>
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The new Pro-B4 has a nicer interface than the B3, based on the 'see, touch, feel' principle which Profoto has, using analogue switches and dials for all the key inputs, rather than relying on 'deep' digital menus, which we all know can be clever,but confusing.</div>
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I like this interface very much indeed.</div>
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Other key points of the Pro-B4 are an impressive 1/25000 sec flash, up to 30 flashes a second, a charge time of only 45mins, and if you plug it into the mains you can use it as a studio pack.</div>
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Profoto gear has never been the cheapest, but you really do get what you pay for, some really great features in a superbly built package.</div>
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Buy one of these and your bank balance would feel it, but you would have a pack which would go on and on for many, many years.</div>
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Next task was to set the lights up in an array, so the Elk could be walked into the frame and I could get the shot, this is a technique I have employed many times in the forest series.</div>
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The terrain we were working on was rocky and boggy, which meant setting the lights up took some time.</div>
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All was ready and good to go but we hit problems straight away, the elk kept moving out of the influence of the 4 light set up, which meant I was always adjusting the lights instead of shooting, the lighting was simply not going to plan and it looked less than good. Added to this the previously nervous Elks came flocking and got between the camera and Janina.</div>
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The Elk may have been a problem but the truly amazing Janina(pole dancing teacher, model and truck driver) certainly was not, climbing up onto the simply enormous moose with great poise and confidence, and believe me it is along way up onto the back of a adult bull Elk.</div>
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I was looking down the barrel of failure of some 3500 mile-8 months of planning-one week of my life proportions.</div>
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This needed a radical rethink and fast.</div>
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First distract the other Elks which ended up blowing a lot of the food supply of bananas(Elk love them), luring our 'star' Elk (biggest with biggest antlers) further into the forest where there was a whole load of natural light flooding in, this meant I could use this as the backlight and just concentrate on one light, if the Elk stood in the wrong place we only had one light to move, not four.</div>
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There was then the issue of the wind, this was causing huge problems for James who was on smoke machine detail with the truly excellent<a href="http://www.smokemachines.net/buy-12v-dc-battery-smoke-machine.shtml"> Mini Rocket</a> battery powered smoke machine from Peasoup.</div>
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The wind kept changing so when the smoke was drifted in, it frequently did not go where I wanted it to go, so this took many attempts.</div>
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As a foot note, I have since discovered you can make the Mini rocket a little more affordable(saving around £100) if you choose to delete the battery and cradle -neither of which I use anyway, as I just attach it to a car battery. It also makes the machine tiny - perfect for shipping.</div>
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I shot in the new location with one light using the sun as the backlight and picking up some ambient light at 1/60sec.</div>
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The lighting was excellent but I stared to realise, that though I was getting something it all looked static and stiff, rather like a taxidermy example, after all for the sake of safety, the Elk could not be moved.</div>
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The food supply ran out, the shoot was over and I did not have the shot.</div>
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Then the magic happened, the Elk walked forward, which was potentially tricky for Janina, so she had to jump off into Christer's arms pretty damn quickly.</div>
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Just before she jumped I got the shot - The majestic primeval Elk walking with a slightly unsure Janina riding it, pin, pin sharp, with a hint of movement on the moose which I'm very happy about.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-POIhl5tcgMg/Ui9E-lDx0WI/AAAAAAAACFU/emf7QifJ4jQ/s1600/Moose_Thong_Colour_treatment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-POIhl5tcgMg/Ui9E-lDx0WI/AAAAAAAACFU/emf7QifJ4jQ/s400/Moose_Thong_Colour_treatment.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have not mentioned the Phase One IQ280 so far, and I suppose I'm saving the best till last.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1cSYbzuyZds/Ui9DHF4-iHI/AAAAAAAACFI/2RSswICalIU/s1600/645DFplus-with-IQ280-back.ashx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1cSYbzuyZds/Ui9DHF4-iHI/AAAAAAAACFI/2RSswICalIU/s400/645DFplus-with-IQ280-back.ashx.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Do have a look at the detail in these 100percent crops, in my opinion, it is the very pinnacle of what can currently be achieved photographically.</div>
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I intended to use the WiFi and iPad setup which works so very well, but I had no time before the shoot to set this up-at all. So in trying conditions I reverted to a firewire cable and laptop (I have used the IQ280s Wifi since and I have to say it is child's play to use, fast reliable and simple, something which often is not the case with WiFi, right?)</div>
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If you have ever previously considered a medium format back and not quite pulled the trigger, this might be worthwhile looking at. It is the best, most complete, fantastically engineered medium format back ever built.</div>
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So next week I travel to China to hang the Elk and all his friends at PIPF 2013 in China, a great honour and big deal for me, I feel it has all been worth it.</div>
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'Why did I shoot the forest series?' asked Johan after the shoot.</div>
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I can't remember what my answer was, but thinking about it, I did it because I could, because I wanted to do something exceptional, which will perhaps outlive me.</div>
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Photography should be about adventure and discovery, that is why I chose photography as a profession 35 years ago.</div>
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'Never say never' as they say, but the moment I'm leaving the forest behind, for a while at least, and may never go back there again.</div>
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What next? I have always been about reinvention and I'm in the process of doing that right now, it will still be photography,but in a completely different genre, which has been driven but this remarkable digital age we live in.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px;">The shoot could not have happened with out James Mitchell, Jan </span><span style="font-size: 12px;">Christiansen</span><span style="font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px;">, Micke </span><span style="font-size: 12px;">Johansson</span><span style="font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px;">, </span></span><a href="http://www.algenshus.se/" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px;">Christer Johansson</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px;">, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><a href="http://kristoferlonna.se/">Kristofer Lönnå</a></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">, <a href="http://gunseus.com/">Johan Gunséus</a>, </span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><a href="http://sandro.nu/">Lena Öystilä</a></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">,<a href="http://debasly.com/"> </a></span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><a href="http://debasly.com/">Guillaume de Basly</a></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">,<a href="http://saraingman.com/"> </a></span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><a href="http://saraingman.com/">Sara Ingman</a></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, </span><a href="http://www.polepointstudio.se./">Janina <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Näslund</span></a><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px;">I also wish to thank everyone else who </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">contributed to this series, all over the world.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-3224230150481731382013-09-10T04:34:00.001-07:002013-09-10T04:34:48.397-07:00The Deer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I had long wanted to shoot one of my forest pictures in a bluebell wood.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This year was particularly difficult though as the unseasonably cold spring made the bluebells late, and somewhat stunted.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I was still determined to press on as I knew it would be my one and only chance to shoot the image before the Pingyao International photography festival in September.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d66ogPa_KTk/Ui7_Wt9BMOI/AAAAAAAACDg/XvvwqXLLhLk/s1600/deer+copy+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d66ogPa_KTk/Ui7_Wt9BMOI/AAAAAAAACDg/XvvwqXLLhLk/s400/deer+copy+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" nbsp="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/73705678" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The forecast was a little iffy to say the very least, and for this shot I needed the sun, something you cannot count on in the UK, so I bought something along which would give the sun ‘look’ for the back light.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Lighting out put is not the problem but height and angle of the light is, I needed a tall light stand, an exceptionally tall light stand.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I ended up using a stand which is not actually a light stand but a camera stand.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r77a6QmxNxU/Ui79Y6mjyiI/AAAAAAAACDU/UdGLUd3_2Jo/s1600/e41b8f90da84e636d2a798fe9adfef61.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r77a6QmxNxU/Ui79Y6mjyiI/AAAAAAAACDU/UdGLUd3_2Jo/s320/e41b8f90da84e636d2a798fe9adfef61.jpg" width="197" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/525379-REG/Manfrotto_269HDB_3U_Super_High_Camera_Stand.html/BI/5317/KBID/6125">Manfrotto 269HDB-3U </a>a truly spectacular stand which extends to over 7.3metres(24 ft) in height which with a small amount of tweaking(using a brass spigot which screws on top) will take a<a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/532562-REG/Elinchrom_EL_10287_Ranger_RX_Speed_AS.html/BI/5317/KBID/6125"> Elinchrom Ranger </a>flash head. I used the light stand at its full extension and held my breath(It actually does ship with guy ropes but I had a small crew for the shoot so be didn’t get round to using them)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px;">The key light, camera left, was an Elinchrom Ranger too with a <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/118310-REG/Chimera_1135_Super_Pro_Plus_Softbox.html/BI/5317/KBID/6125">Chimera medium </a></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/118310-REG/Chimera_1135_Super_Pro_Plus_Softbox.html/BI/5317/KBID/6125">soft box.</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I originally was going to do the shot on a longer lens, a Phase One Schneider 240mm LS on a Phase One IQ180, to get some degree of compression on the bluebells but the way the trees and the blue bells were it did not work out and I ended up shooting it on a Phase One Schneider 55mm LS.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I never cease to marvel at the quality from a Phase One back.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Iy0eJPq0MeM/Ui7_9UkOJqI/AAAAAAAACDo/tdGhwZBjCLc/s1600/deer+100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Iy0eJPq0MeM/Ui7_9UkOJqI/AAAAAAAACDo/tdGhwZBjCLc/s400/deer+100.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I mentioned the unseasonably cold weather and that on the day was the very biggest challenge. Katie really was an exceptional model but she struggled with the bitterly cold weather as you might see in the video, all very well for the rest of the crew who were warmly bundled up in many a layer.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">To get every element working together, the deer, the light, the smoke and the model was particularly challenging this time and in the end it came down to one frame where everything worked out.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In the frame I chose the deer is spot on with just a a little wind in the models hair.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The shoot was over in a relatively short period of time, well under an hour, there are limits when working with live animals and cold weather conditions.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Stay tuned for the grand finale which will be posted just before I depart for China to hang my work at the <a href="http://shanxi.chinadaily.com.cn/pingyao/2013-06/01/content_16555359.htm">Pingyao International photography festival.</a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-79935967319230806992013-08-15T13:53:00.002-07:002013-08-15T13:53:31.470-07:00Packing the car<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ok, I admit it.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I have not written this weeks blog.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Why?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Well I’m packing the car and I’m about to go on the mother of all road trips (for me anyhow)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Where to?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A little detective work on this blog will give you your answer....</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is a road trip which will take me just short of the Arctic circle.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I intend to finish the first Phase with a real flourish and shoot something that has in all probability has not been shot before and in all probability will never be shot again....</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is my first full on shoot with the Phase One IQ280 too.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I will be posting as I go.....</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-11499876965086672292013-08-09T06:48:00.000-07:002013-08-19T09:05:21.183-07:00The Fox - My latest work in 'The Forest' series<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ennLdc__cKk/UgTkTosTLII/AAAAAAAACC0/4sHmFBQgKUo/s1600/Fox+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ennLdc__cKk/UgTkTosTLII/AAAAAAAACC0/4sHmFBQgKUo/s400/Fox+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/71978185" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <a href="http://vimeo.com/71978185">The Fox from the Forest Series</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/drewgardner">drew gardner</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Though it is the latest work to be released out into the wild, it was shot way back on a bitter freezing cold day in March.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Why the middle of Winter to shoot this 'art nude' ?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One thing lacking in my 'Forest' series is Winter shots, and I do intend to further rectify this.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I have had my eye on this location in Southern England for 4 or 5 years (yes that long) and I knew Winter would suit this unique location.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Firstly, planning the shoot was a nightmare, it involved getting a trained fox and model in the same location when it was not lashing down with rain.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Models, trained foxes and crew, all add up to not inconsiderable expense, which means you have to get it right - It simply had to work.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Up until two days before the shoot it was not totally confirmed due to the awful and freezing weather.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When I pulled the trigger on the shoot I had lucked in without realising it, we shot on the only day it did not rain or snow for around a month.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Location photography involves a huge amount of luck but I have my own weather 'formula' before I go ahead with a shoot.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If the weather forecast says 'sunshine and showers' with breezy conditions, in a relatively consistent weather system then I go for it. The wind is the important part though, as strange as it seems, because this allows the weather to be 'pushed through' and change to something more favourable even for a short period of time, and hopefully I can get the shot.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So we had the weather but the temperature was still hovering around zero degrees Celsius.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I checked with the model <a href="http://www.ivoryflame.co.uk/" target="_blank">'Ivory Flame' </a>who rather bravely said she would go ahead with it.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I scouted the location out the day before and I knew the best time would be very first light, around 0600.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Easy enough, you might think but the huge logistical challenge was physically getting the excellent, if weighty, <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/532562-REG/Elinchrom_EL_10287_Ranger_RX_Speed_AS.html/BI/5317/KBID/6125" target="_blank">Elinchrom Ranger </a>packs down to the location which was 30mins away from where the car was parked along very tough and rocky terrain, where it was often difficult to maintain your footing, special mention to the<a href="http://www.manfrotto.co.uk/master-stand" target="_blank"> Manfrotto stacking light stands</a> which means you can transport the stands easily in 'racks' without bags, it makes moving stands much less painful.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Logistics nearly did scupper the shoot, 30 mins does not sound too bad but then you have to come back for the next lot of gear, making it an hour round trip.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We started to drop gear at the location when it was still very dark at 0430, it took 4 round trips to get all the gear down the track, if I had been on my own that would have been 4 hours, even though I had my good friends Jarek 'Arumlight', James Mitchell and Jonathan Marshall assisting it was brutal, and we only just made the latest 'window' of light for the shoot at around 0830.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> I made special arrangements for smoke this time, as there was going to be no opportunity to power my colt turbo smoke machine, I needed something powerful and battery powered.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A phone call to Ben at <a href="http://www.smokemachines.net/" target="_blank">Pea Soup</a>, the Smoke machine experts, identified the machine I would need for the job, and we hired a <a href="http://www.smokemachines.net/buy-12v-dc-battery-smoke-machine.shtml" target="_blank">Mini Rocket</a> rigged up to a car battery (you can use the battery supplied with the machine, but I feared the bitter cold temperature would take its toll and I wanted staying power for the shoot)</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RFDrRiDxRc8/UgTyyU0aNeI/AAAAAAAACDE/_ClXYATxrFk/s1600/400w12vdcfogger_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RFDrRiDxRc8/UgTyyU0aNeI/AAAAAAAACDE/_ClXYATxrFk/s320/400w12vdcfogger_lg.jpg" width="295" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In hindsight, this machine is better suited to the type of work that I do, even though its output is not as great as my <a href="http://www.smokemachines.net/buy-colt4.shtml" target="_blank">Concept Colt 4 turbo smoke machine</a>, its size, weight and sheer portability make it a gem of a machine, perfect for location work wherever you are.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">James Mitchell was on smoke machine duty, hiding behind the rocks camera right, diffusing the smoke with the aid of a Chimera softbox which was in reserve.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It was crucial that the smoke was drifted behind the subject and not in front of the subject ( in my next shoot I use the smoke in a different way, drifting it over the model, to get a different effect)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I borrowed a <a href="http://www.phaseone.com/" target="_blank">Phase One IQ180</a> for the shoot because I knew the super low native ISO 35 could prove to be be super useful if the ambient light was a little strong.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Little did I know by choosing to test drive the Phase One IQ180 that I would trip myself up with a simple error, but the advantages of the back would save the day.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I only bought a FireWire 400 cable with me and figured it would work well on my old MacBook Pro, indeed I tested it before the shoot by tethering my P65+ with the FW400 cable and the FW800 adaptor I had bought.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I can make all the excuses in the world, there was so many check lists, it was very early, we were very tired but I made a massive mistake.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I had checked the wrong end of the cable, it fitted just fine into my old MacBook Pro but I needed the adaptor to plug into the Phase One IQ180 and the cable connection was simply too small for the adaptor and it would not fit.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The bottom line is that I should have done a trial tethered shoot and I did not.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It meant I was shooting untethered and relying on the LCD of the Phase IQ180.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Sounds like no big deal but if you are shooting pretty much wide open on a large sensor medium format camera, focus is more critical than you might imagine.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I had raved about it in hands on short tests, but in this baptism of fire(or should that be ice?)it simply excelled, a double tap on the simply magnificent LCD gives you 100 percent magnification in a clarity that surpasses anything I have encountered, which was rather a good job, as I no longer had my laptop to rely on as my 'helm' of the shoot, checking and controlling the lighting.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This shoot heavily influenced my decision to go for a <a href="http://www.phaseone.com/" target="_blank">Phase One IQ280</a>, which I hope will bring me all the benefits of the IQ180 but with the capability of monitoring the shoot on an iPad.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When I worked out the optimum angle for the shot with Ivory Flame on the rock it was slightly tricky as the camera position was IN the river itself, which was fast flowing and very cold. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The <a href="http://www.gitzo.co.uk/systematic-series-5-carbon-tripod-super-compact-6-section-gt5562lts" target="_blank">Gitzo GT5562LTS </a>(with its great stability and high load capacity, and yet packing down into my carry on luggage is becoming my everyday tripod)was beyond rock solid in this quite tricky situation, as ever I used my <a href="http://www.manfrotto.co.uk/405-geared-head" target="_blank">Manfrotto 405 </a>geared head for the super precise and fine fingertip adjustments.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Having a tripod/head combination that is so good that you have the confidence to place it anywhere cannot be praised highly enough, last week it was on the very top of a thatched roof, with a weighty combination which would have some sweating.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Likewise the optimum position for the key light, camera left, a Elinchrom Ranger with a <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/118310-REG/Chimera_1135_Super_Pro_Plus_Softbox.html/BI/5317/KBID/6125" target="_blank">Chimera medium softbox</a> was on a small island in the middle of the river, which called for some pretty deft foot work from Jarek to get it into position whilst keeping his feet dry. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My backlighting continues to head down a softer route, and I used a small Chimera soft box on an Elinchrom Ranger for Ivory Flame.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I used an Elinchrom Ranger with a kill spill on the sunlit bank of the gorge to push some backlight over the top of the fallen tree.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The fox 'Arthur' from <a href="http://www.amazinganimals.co.uk/" target="_blank">Amazing Animals</a> was handled by Emma Hill who with the aid of pilchards on a twig, and more than a little animal handling talent, managed to get him to look the right way.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">'Arthur' had his own small soft box aiming at him from the opposite bank, camera right.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is critical that the model does look spot on for the shot and Martine Rodda did a fantastic job on hair and make up.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ivory Flame was coached on pose and wrapped up all ready to go into position as soon as I was ready for the shot.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Just one hitch, the weather.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The wind, which was pushing the weather system through, had broken the cloud to such an extent that the harsh early morning sun was shinning deep into the relatively steep gorge we were shooting in.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I really had not planned for this, but the IQ180 has a deeply useful native ISO 35 which allied with the leaf shutter on the Schneider Kreuzenach LS 110mm F2.8, enabled me to balance the light, bearing in mind that the river bed was in complete shadow, while the bank of the gorge was in full sun.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I processed it in Capture One 7, if you have not done so already give the f<a href="http://www.phaseone.com/en/Downloads/Capture-One-Pro-7.aspx" target="_blank">ree trial</a> a go, it is superb and intuitive.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I was really not sure how it would look at the time but I think it has worked out just fine.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Perhaps my favorite shot in the series - so far anyhow.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As with the rest of the forest series it cost quite a bit to do, around £2000 and was not sponsored or commissioned by anyone.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A follower of this blog, Iden Ford, sent me an interesting and thought provoking email which talked about what made the greats in rock and roll create something.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I'm not a great, nor am I in a Rock N' Roll band, but for me what it is all about is having an idea and going out there and making it happen, no matter what.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Truthfully, I have no idea where the Forest will take me, but I am living the dream and the first series will have its world premier (in printed form) at the the <a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/m/shanxi/2013-04/18/content_16420214.htm" target="_blank">Pingyao International Photo exhibition</a> in China this September.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Between then, along with the regular posts, there will be 2 more 'Forest' posts, one of which will be about a multi country epic adventure.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">*<span style="color: orange;">please note, due to pressure of work I will not be posting again until next Friday 16/8/13</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-24323626865265671782013-08-05T06:09:00.001-07:002013-08-05T06:09:53.982-07:00Rotolight and Den Lennie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Firstly let me state right away that though I am friends with Den Lennie of<a href="http://www.fstopacademy.com/new-front-template/" target="_blank"> F-Stop Academy</a> (indeed we made <a href="http://www.thefstopstore.com/A_Guide_to_Shooting_HD_DSLR_Video_p/fstop-sim-dvd-0510.htm" target="_blank">‘Stills in Motion’</a> together) I have had no communication with him on this matter whatsoever.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Den posted a test on <a href="https://vimeo.com/fstopacademy" target="_blank">Vimeo</a> of different light sources and somehow, for a period of time, the post was removed, even though the video was Den’s.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">To read the whole sorry story, of what did and did not happen with <a href="http://www.rotolight.com/" target="_blank">Rotoligh</a>t, in this rather unfortunate affair you can read <a href="http://www.fstopacademy.com/blog/censorship-when-a-review-does-not-go-the-way-of-a-manufacturer/" target="_blank">Den’s post on the matter</a> which also includes a full statement from the manufacturer.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Goodness me, the video was taken down, and later reinstated but pandora’s box was well and truly opened.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It reminded me of the days when I used to shoot the pics for a leading Sunday magazines newspaper motoring column.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">All car manufacturers at some point in their history have made a car which was not quite as good as should have been.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The reviews you read in the media tend to accurately reflect the situation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px;">When a less than favorable review is written, the press offices for the manufacturers might possibly call the journalist involved and pull them up on what they considered to be unfair treatment, and possibly invites to future car launches in exotic locations may be withdrawn, though this </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">was rare.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">More often than not nothing was said, and the matter was quickly forgotten as the press offices need the journalists as much as the journalists need cars to write about.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There was one manufacturer however though who wielded a very big stick.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A harsh review could, on occasion, be followed by stern words to the editor or even the proprietor, threatening to pull all of advertising from whole groups of newspapers.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I’m not sure of the specifics, but deals were struck, and the ship sailed merrily on.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A victory for the manufacturer who showed just how strong they were and how they were not to be messed with.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Or so it seemed.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I heard tales of journalists giving the brand a wide berth and avoiding reviewing the companies products, not wishing to expose themselves to a whole world of pain.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The car company won the battle, but lost the war, getting less coverage than they might have.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Any company, who makes anything at all, needs to consider very carefully the unforeseen consequences of wheeling out the big guns, and how it might make them appear.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I know from my own experiences that the car manufacturer who adopted a more measured and softly spoken approach, with the invitation of a re-test of what was a faulty model, fared much better in the short and long term, than the manufacturer who used strong arm tactics.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Any manufacturer would do well to make note of what has happened in the last week or so, and consider if Rotolight’s response was indeed a wise one.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-34803220264509298872013-08-02T10:46:00.001-07:002013-08-05T05:57:29.045-07:00If you have not done so already, check this out<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
360 degree panoramic photos have been around for a little while now but have only just come of age thanks to the iPad and broadband internet.<br />
<br />
To say that they vary wildly in quality in an understatement.<br />
<br />
They go from some occasionally rather scruffy examples used by the likes of estate agents and holiday resorts to mind warping, brilliantly executed panorama's like this one by Jeffery Martin which is a towering achievement at 600,000 pixels wide (yes, really)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NboCijiLwmI" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-71298326473034429572013-07-28T11:57:00.000-07:002013-07-28T11:57:07.475-07:00Helping out with the smoke machine on the new Amelle of the 'Sugarbabes' video<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When I was running through the requirements of gear for the Amelle of the 'Sugarbabes' video 'Love is all we need' with Rodney Charters, the subject of a smoke machine came up, I said I had a super powerful one, Rodney took me at my word.<br />
<br />
The smoke machine was going to play a key role in the back lit performance shot in the studio<br />
<br />
All seemed good until it really started to sink in that everything in this shoot seemed to be so much bigger and remarkably engineered than most of the equipment I encounter when shooting video.<br />
<br />
We arrived at <a href="http://www.parkroyalstudios.com/studio3.htm" target="_blank">studio 3 of Park Royal studios</a> and soon the subject of the smoke machine cropped up, I pointed to the small bag that my smoke machine was in, and it would be fair to say that quite a few faces dropped, indeed there were murmurings that the machine was simply too small for the job.<br />
<br />
It was a big studio after all and these folk did have all the gear delivered in a sizeable truck, I confess that even though I put up a spirited and confident defence of my smoke machine, that I did begin to have doubts.<br />
<br />
Faces dropped further when I unpacked and powered up my <a href="http://www.smokemachines.net/buy-colt4.shtml" target="_blank">Concept Colt 4 Turbo</a> smoke machine.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JZwRn7xmRh8/UfVoe-U0KtI/AAAAAAAACCk/NWcMGhTkk28/s1600/smoke_machine455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JZwRn7xmRh8/UfVoe-U0KtI/AAAAAAAACCk/NWcMGhTkk28/s400/smoke_machine455.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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'We can get another one if you like?' came a voice.<br />
<br />
They were clearly used to much bigger machines.<br />
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Perhaps they had a point, the studio was 80 feet long, 47 feet wide.<br />
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As you can see from these screen shots I need not have worried.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c-dIwB7H1aQ/UfVnCLGqhoI/AAAAAAAACCU/OHvObvd8_gA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-28+at+19.29.36.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c-dIwB7H1aQ/UfVnCLGqhoI/AAAAAAAACCU/OHvObvd8_gA/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-07-28+at+19.29.36.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xoyChitZrxw/UfVm3y16nOI/AAAAAAAACCM/YVK25hc1lgo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-28+at+19.38.03.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xoyChitZrxw/UfVm3y16nOI/AAAAAAAACCM/YVK25hc1lgo/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-07-28+at+19.38.03.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sAkcEpiwV-A/UfVmlSJ_miI/AAAAAAAACCE/wdqRQI7xqRY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-28+at+19.34.01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sAkcEpiwV-A/UfVmlSJ_miI/AAAAAAAACCE/wdqRQI7xqRY/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-07-28+at+19.34.01.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
As you can see more than enough smoke.<br />
<br />
It is not how much smoke the machine emits but the quality of smoke.<br />
<br />
Believe me this matters.<br />
<br />
It hangs in the air for a considerable amount of time before having to be topped up, it is user friendly too, with the smoke aerosols being egg white, so safe to use.<br />
<br />
The crew were suitably impressed.<br />
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More stories from the shoot coming up this week....<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-80232163189252898512013-07-27T01:56:00.002-07:002013-07-27T01:56:49.645-07:00Umea helpers?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Less of a post more of a come on.<br />
<br />
I will be shooting a very special project in Umea, Sweden on 22-23/8/13.<br />
<br />
I'm seeking some local Swedish helpers for what should be highly memorable shoot.<br />
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If you follow this blog regularly you will have some sort of idea what it is.....<br />
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If you are interested mail me at drew@drew.it<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-13939609539881895002013-07-22T13:04:00.001-07:002013-07-22T13:04:02.863-07:00I bought possibly the most expensive Canon 6D ever<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Canon 6D is a remarkable camera, a big bang for the buck.<br />
<br />
Though it cost less than £1500 has cost me a huge amount of money.<br />
<br />
Let me explain.<br />
<br />
The 6D has many strong suits, small, light, quiet shutter, great low light performance but its killer feature is Wifi.<br />
<br />
It takes photographic possibilities to a whole new place, giving me an advantage in remote shooting which enables me to get pictures that you cannot any other way (I'm still not quite ready yet to share the results but they are very impressive)<br />
<br />
So far so good 'only' £1500 spent, where could it possibly go wrong?<br />
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Well it has, in the very best possible way.<br />
<br />
A few years ago I bought one of the very first Phase One P65+ backs and I have been very happy with it.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZCxEbRCCtdg/Ue2PVzXwaFI/AAAAAAAACB0/PHb6SiQg-lQ/s1600/p65-jump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZCxEbRCCtdg/Ue2PVzXwaFI/AAAAAAAACB0/PHb6SiQg-lQ/s400/p65-jump.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In some ways I could not see how it could easily be improved over the short term to make me part with my hard earned cash, it has been my mainstay for 'The Forest' series which is due to debut its first phase in full at the Pingyao International Photography festival in September.<br />
<br />
The all new IQ backs came along and with their new wonderful touch screen LCD and up to 80MP I was impressed, but not quite enough to pull the the trigger.<br />
<br />
Why not?<br />
<br />
I felt that there was something else coming, some further potential to be unlocked that Phase had not owned up to.<br />
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With the IQ2 backs my suspicions were confirmed and reliable WiFi made a bow.<br />
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All of a sudden it made sense, with no need for a laptop to shoot 'tethered' with challenging and complex setups.<br />
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One day, I thought<br />
<br />
After the 6D experience I have come to realise that day is now.<br />
<br />
There are all sorts of clever and highly lucrative jobs I have lined up for this back.<br />
<br />
I went for the <a href="http://www.phaseone.com/en/Camera-Systems/IQ2-Series.aspx" target="_blank">Phase One IQ280</a> as tempting as the IQ260 was with its capability of one hour exposures.<br />
<br />
It is a sizeable investment BUT as I said the WiFi capability more than justifies the investment which I believe will cover itself quite quickly.<br />
<br />
When I take delivery next month I will share my experiences with you.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-45033042269822997112013-07-19T11:15:00.002-07:002013-07-19T11:15:28.519-07:00David Collins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There is a very sad link to my previous post, which was focused on skin cancer prevention.<br />
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This week interior designer David Collins died from skin cancer aged just 58.<br />
<br />
You can read more about him in his obituary in <a href="http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2013/07/17/david-collins-dies---obituary--tribute---luxury-interior-designer" target="_blank">Vogue</a><br />
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His magic touch transformed some of the biggest named bars, restaurants and hotels won him a place in the coveted GQ man of the year awards.<br />
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I was asked to photograph him at the Wolsey in one of his creations.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WUphLNDqn0Q/UemB-3HWzxI/AAAAAAAACBk/awpSpZXL-SA/s1600/GQ+David+Collins-001887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WUphLNDqn0Q/UemB-3HWzxI/AAAAAAAACBk/awpSpZXL-SA/s640/GQ+David+Collins-001887.jpg" width="434" /></a></div>
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<br />
He was a high flyer but a really nice guy, witty and funny too, with a fine understanding of the important part that light and lighting plays in the ambience of a special venue, in fact we talked extensively about this.<br />
<br />
So even though he was not a photographer he really 'got' lighting.<br />
<br />
This shot was far from easy.<br />
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Lit with multiple lights in a busy high class restaurant, there were understandably lots of conditions we had to abide by.<br />
<br />
I recall it was one Elinchrom Ranger bounced off the ceiling, another with a Chimera medium softbox as the key light, with one more concealed with a snoot lighting the wall behind him to give the little glow.<br />
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Not that this matters one jot, but I know some will want to know.<br />
<br />
Skin cancer is something that many of us in the UK do not take seriously enough, not enough sun we think...<br />
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Well we are wrong.<br />
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As the video I posted earlier this week said, we should be more aware of the potentially harmful effects of the sun particularly in the beautiful weather we are having.<br />
<br />
Rest in peace David.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-49867625709764666372013-07-16T02:02:00.000-07:002013-07-16T02:02:21.778-07:00My latest corporate project - The John Lewis Golden jubilee trust.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm pleased to say, a very busy and diverse time I'm having at the moment.<br />
<br />
Stills, moving and 'new' media too.<br />
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I really have a great deal of admiration for The John Lewis partnership.<br />
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A company which has an authentic commitment to the community with projects like the golden Jubilee trust, where they encourage selected partners(they are a partnership) to go on paid secondment out into the community helping charities take their work to the next level.<br />
<br />
I was commissioned to shoot this short about Will Robbins.<br />
<br />
All shot in one (very full) day with the Canon C300, with Zeiss ZE glass.<br />
<br />
It was shot by myself and Ed Checkley, Edited by Melissa Tanti, with the music by Doug Black-Heaton.<br />
<br />
We integrated a fun Banana time lapse by Wildern school which forms part of the campaign.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="354" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/70317343" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="630"></iframe></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-44895408933535187252013-07-12T06:52:00.000-07:002013-07-12T06:52:14.683-07:00A lighting tip I picked from Rodney Charters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A great, simple, little lighting tip.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/70119582" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <a href="http://vimeo.com/70119582">Quick lighting tip</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/drewgardner">drew gardner</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644629870779379729.post-47729662749713417952013-07-08T04:20:00.000-07:002013-07-08T04:20:17.997-07:00A fine video by the Bui Brothers- plus an interview with Lan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My very good friends the Bui brothers shot this superb 'adumentary' video for Manfrotto.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/64130246?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<br />
It could have been cheesy but wasn't.<br />
<br />
I had a little chat with him earlier today and he gave an insight into the project<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_ulvrYylRvs" width="400"></iframe><br />
<br />
You can read about what it takes to pull off such an ambitious project<a href="http://thebuibrothers.com/blog/2013/06/an-adumentary-for-the-manfrotto-befree-tripod-shooting-a-traveling-commercial-series-part-1/" target="_blank"> here</a><br />
<br />
Quite inspirational.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10359795436606745114noreply@blogger.com3