Phase one has just launched it's new series of digital backs called the IQ
It comes in three different sizes 40,60 and a whopping 80 megapixels.
I have not seen one or touched one but the new IQ back by Phase One looks set to change the landscape of medium format photography.
Why? well for many reasons but mainly because it has addressed
some of the last remaining issues which existed.
1.The LCD on the P+ backs needed improving and quite urgently, while the screen was OK but I never felt totally at home with it, the new super high res 3.2 inch LCD screen with it's rather iPhone like navigation is ground breaking in the camera world. The clever thing is too that the old classic 4 button interface has been retained too and sits alongside the new LCD touch panel.
2.File transfer was always super reliable with the FireWire 400 connection, but nothing stands still and the world was moving on, with some of Phase One's competitors already moving to faster FireWire 800 connection. The new IQ backs have FireWire 800 AND they have the much vaunted USB3 which is allows file transfers twice as fast as FireWire 800. This opens up the possibility of shooting to light weight platforms like the MacBook air which surely in due course will offer USB3(and until it does the USB connection is backwards compatible so I hear.
A full frame 80 megapixel sensor with enough physical memory to ensure that you never hit the buffer.Ever.
3.As a result of the 80 megapixel sensor this allows Phase One's sensor plus technology to come into it's own. Giving the photographer the ability to shoot at 20 megapixel resolution at DSLR like high ISO. Truly two camera's in one.
The IQ back is, like the previous P series backs, built like no other. Machined from aluminium promising great durability.
But I have not seen held or touched one.
That is set to change in the next few hours, I will let you know what I think.
Saturday, 12 February 2011
Sunday, 30 January 2011
What happens when two heavy horses 'Harvest' a Mamiya RZ67 kit with a 1930's bailng machine
Last Weeks narrow escape with an iPad was very widely read
So I thought I would tell a tale of epic disaster in which it was very lucky no one died, or indeed injured
It is a true story too
Many, many years ago I was assigned by a leading British Magazine to photograph heavy horses (BIG working horses which work on the land used for ploughing etc) which were working on a farm, somewhere in England.
It was in the days of film, and I was shooting on Mamiya RZ67 ProII.
A lovely big mother of a camera which for all of its size and weight limitations was a peach to use.
I had a good selection of lenses for it too, including the wonderful 140mm F4.5 macro lens which was a honey.
So I met the farmer and he walked me down a narrow farm track, where a party of school children were ambling, to introduce me to the HUGE and very beautiful heavy horses and the machinery they would be pulling, a bailing machine from the turn of the century in beautiful condition.
Having worked where the best vantage point would be I bought the car up with the equipment
The scene looked a little like this.
I started to shoot some pics in the middle of the field, I realised I had left a lens hood in the car.
I walked back to the car which was about 100 yards away, and retrieved the lens hood, I closed the door and turned around in time to see the horses bolt at top speed across the field toward the gate.
What caused this I truthfully have no idea
The faster they ran the more racket the bailing machine made and the more alarmed the horse came, and the faster they ran.
They ran straight over the Camera bag with a complete Mamiya RZ ProII outfit inside and it was gone.
Yes, gone, flattened by hooves and then harvested up by the machine which was now not only just ejecting hay but spewing out mashed camera gear.
In quite small pieces.
I forgot this in a second when I realised that the horse/haymaker combo was not going to make it through the gate way at that angle.
The horses made it but the bailer didn't.
It was ripped from the horses and was smashed to pieces.
Thankfully the children were no longer in the lane, so they avoided the running horses.
The horses ran back to their stable and were uninjured.
What lessons to draw from this?
Other than to have very good insurance, I'm not really sure.
But it was a shocker.
So I thought I would tell a tale of epic disaster in which it was very lucky no one died, or indeed injured
It is a true story too
Many, many years ago I was assigned by a leading British Magazine to photograph heavy horses (BIG working horses which work on the land used for ploughing etc) which were working on a farm, somewhere in England.
It was in the days of film, and I was shooting on Mamiya RZ67 ProII.
A lovely big mother of a camera which for all of its size and weight limitations was a peach to use.
I had a good selection of lenses for it too, including the wonderful 140mm F4.5 macro lens which was a honey.
So I met the farmer and he walked me down a narrow farm track, where a party of school children were ambling, to introduce me to the HUGE and very beautiful heavy horses and the machinery they would be pulling, a bailing machine from the turn of the century in beautiful condition.
Having worked where the best vantage point would be I bought the car up with the equipment
The scene looked a little like this.
I started to shoot some pics in the middle of the field, I realised I had left a lens hood in the car.
I walked back to the car which was about 100 yards away, and retrieved the lens hood, I closed the door and turned around in time to see the horses bolt at top speed across the field toward the gate.
What caused this I truthfully have no idea
The faster they ran the more racket the bailing machine made and the more alarmed the horse came, and the faster they ran.
They ran straight over the Camera bag with a complete Mamiya RZ ProII outfit inside and it was gone.
Yes, gone, flattened by hooves and then harvested up by the machine which was now not only just ejecting hay but spewing out mashed camera gear.
In quite small pieces.
I forgot this in a second when I realised that the horse/haymaker combo was not going to make it through the gate way at that angle.
The horses made it but the bailer didn't.
It was ripped from the horses and was smashed to pieces.
Thankfully the children were no longer in the lane, so they avoided the running horses.
The horses ran back to their stable and were uninjured.
What lessons to draw from this?
Other than to have very good insurance, I'm not really sure.
But it was a shocker.
Monday, 10 January 2011
How long does a 16Gb iPad stay on the roof of a Mercedes E class when driven on a motorway?
This is a cautionary tale
Many of us have all been in that busy parent situation with armfuls of stuff dashing in and out of the house while strapping our kids in the car
'Daddy can we take the ipad for the journey?'
Happy to oblige as ever as it equates to a quiet rapid journey
I could not open the door to the car and I was juggling a ton of stuff in my arms , so with the ipad on the top of the heap I committed the biggest no-no ever
I put the ipad on the roof of the car
'I will remember it' I thought
Except I didn't
Previously I have left a thermos flask on the roof of a car which made a whole 200 yards before reaching terminal velocity and exploding into a many, many small pieces.
So I left my village and joined the M25 at Junction 20, which currently has a 50mph limit on.
Then I took a very sharp turn up the slip road onto the M1
When it joins the M1 the 50 limit is lifted so foot down to the 70mph limit
Amongst the thousand things in my swiss cheese brain at the moment I wondered where the ipad was
I heard a dull 'flap...flap' coming from the roof of the car
I had my answer
It was on the roof and had been there for nearly 5 miles
Luckily I was right at junction 8 of the M1 so I decelerated without braking taking the exit
Would it even still be there when I stopped
I had after all travelled for half a mile in the dark so I had no idea if it would be there when I stopped.
It was.
Jammed between the roof bars of my car, teetering on the edge.
Rather like this...
I don't know what lesson to take from this other than don't put a ipad on the roof of a car, or anything for that matter.
Lady luck was smiling
Does anyone else have any tales of stuff left on the roof?
Many of us have all been in that busy parent situation with armfuls of stuff dashing in and out of the house while strapping our kids in the car
'Daddy can we take the ipad for the journey?'
Happy to oblige as ever as it equates to a quiet rapid journey
I could not open the door to the car and I was juggling a ton of stuff in my arms , so with the ipad on the top of the heap I committed the biggest no-no ever
I put the ipad on the roof of the car
'I will remember it' I thought
Except I didn't
Previously I have left a thermos flask on the roof of a car which made a whole 200 yards before reaching terminal velocity and exploding into a many, many small pieces.
So I left my village and joined the M25 at Junction 20, which currently has a 50mph limit on.
Then I took a very sharp turn up the slip road onto the M1
When it joins the M1 the 50 limit is lifted so foot down to the 70mph limit
Amongst the thousand things in my swiss cheese brain at the moment I wondered where the ipad was
I heard a dull 'flap...flap' coming from the roof of the car
I had my answer
It was on the roof and had been there for nearly 5 miles
Luckily I was right at junction 8 of the M1 so I decelerated without braking taking the exit
Would it even still be there when I stopped
I had after all travelled for half a mile in the dark so I had no idea if it would be there when I stopped.
It was.
Jammed between the roof bars of my car, teetering on the edge.
Rather like this...
I don't know what lesson to take from this other than don't put a ipad on the roof of a car, or anything for that matter.
Lady luck was smiling
Does anyone else have any tales of stuff left on the roof?
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Making your 'Boring' corporate head shot work for you
We have all been there
Some relatively staid corporate portrait we have been commissioned to shoot
It can be quite a challenge, there is always the danger of it turning into yet another man in a grey suit in an office shot, which can be.....very dull and boring
Believe me I have been there and got the t shirt on this one on many occasions, who hasn't?
So the night before the shoot do a quick web search on the person you are shooting so you have at least some knowledge not only of their job, and their business, but also who they are and what makes them tick.
This for me is invaluable, as it gives you that vital advantage of playing for time and persuading them to spend a few more moments with you to get a shot which makes them look better and gives you a cool pic which better represents your talents to help ensure you get the gig again.
After all, if the CEO of Acme paper gets a pleasant photographer knocking on the door of his or her office, and that photographer knows a little more about them, takes an interest in their company and their achievements I would contend that photographer would get the next gig over the mouse of a photographer who conforms to the stereotype the CEO has in his or her head.
So hearts and minds it is my friends, it makes the job a lot more fun and makes a ton of business sense
Ok, we now know a little more about our subject, but what is his or her office like?
A quick web search can reveal photographic location opportunities within their office and importantly reveal the high or more often than not lamentable photographs the company currently uses, yes yet another opportunity to up sell your services, you make sure you pop some of your better interior shots on your iphone, ipad or whatever.
You may not get the chance to show your stuff off but if you do you are prepared.
Ok, you have been diligent and checked the CEO out on the web and discovered that the Head office is 5 feet square and a mess.
Now what?
Google street view to the rescue
What did I do before this came along? It has saved me a time or two
Here is a 'scouted' and commented Google streetview
Is this rocket science? Absolutely not, but it means I have 'done' the shoot the night before and it makes a cool location an easier sell to my sitter and drag them out of their dull office, should the need arise
We have so many excellent tool at out disposal and yet we, myself included, often don't make the most of them
It is a tough photographic market out there, and it is about survival for the fittest photographer who makes the most of any edge he or she can to gain that valuable advantage
Just think, I have been talking about doing a shoot and have not mentioned gear once
The gear is all so often the easy bit these days.
All the fancy gear is just a tool, the brain is where a shoot really happens
Blimey, you can tell what mood I'm in today!
Some relatively staid corporate portrait we have been commissioned to shoot
It can be quite a challenge, there is always the danger of it turning into yet another man in a grey suit in an office shot, which can be.....very dull and boring
Believe me I have been there and got the t shirt on this one on many occasions, who hasn't?
So the night before the shoot do a quick web search on the person you are shooting so you have at least some knowledge not only of their job, and their business, but also who they are and what makes them tick.
This for me is invaluable, as it gives you that vital advantage of playing for time and persuading them to spend a few more moments with you to get a shot which makes them look better and gives you a cool pic which better represents your talents to help ensure you get the gig again.
After all, if the CEO of Acme paper gets a pleasant photographer knocking on the door of his or her office, and that photographer knows a little more about them, takes an interest in their company and their achievements I would contend that photographer would get the next gig over the mouse of a photographer who conforms to the stereotype the CEO has in his or her head.
So hearts and minds it is my friends, it makes the job a lot more fun and makes a ton of business sense
Ok, we now know a little more about our subject, but what is his or her office like?
A quick web search can reveal photographic location opportunities within their office and importantly reveal the high or more often than not lamentable photographs the company currently uses, yes yet another opportunity to up sell your services, you make sure you pop some of your better interior shots on your iphone, ipad or whatever.
You may not get the chance to show your stuff off but if you do you are prepared.
Ok, you have been diligent and checked the CEO out on the web and discovered that the Head office is 5 feet square and a mess.
Now what?
Google street view to the rescue
What did I do before this came along? It has saved me a time or two
Here is a 'scouted' and commented Google streetview
Is this rocket science? Absolutely not, but it means I have 'done' the shoot the night before and it makes a cool location an easier sell to my sitter and drag them out of their dull office, should the need arise
We have so many excellent tool at out disposal and yet we, myself included, often don't make the most of them
It is a tough photographic market out there, and it is about survival for the fittest photographer who makes the most of any edge he or she can to gain that valuable advantage
Just think, I have been talking about doing a shoot and have not mentioned gear once
The gear is all so often the easy bit these days.
All the fancy gear is just a tool, the brain is where a shoot really happens
Blimey, you can tell what mood I'm in today!
Thursday, 30 December 2010
A Brave New Year
The View from Ardnacross, Isle of Mull
It has been a quiet on my blog of late
By now I should have blogged about, the Zebra Shoot, my foray into Infra Red and my new affordable digital Download series 'The Story Behind the picture' (which is going rather well, thank you to all of you who bought it)
But somehow I have not got round to it, mainly because I have had a crazy schedule over the last month, with the launch of my food book, building the new website, working on an ambitious and rather big photographic project with my partner Lucinda Marland which we sincerely hope will make quite a splash in 2012(you will be the first to know about it when I'm able to talk about it) throw into the mix a road trip to the Isle of Mull on the west coast of Scotland and that was December more than full.
2010 was a pivotal year for me in so many ways
And I learned some very big lessons -
1.That things can change very quickly indeed.
2. Engaging in area's and with people that you had no prior knowledge of, can change your world and that of others too
3. Sheer persistence and not taking 'no' for an answer can carry the day
The key in the lock was travelling to South Africa to undertake a week long workshop with some under privileged youths in a South African township
Doing this workshop opened so many doors for me, personally and spiritually
Giving is one of the most powerful things we can do as human beings
But in all probability learned more from them than they did from me
I know and understand that we can't all tear off around the world, but there are many ways in which we can give back, using our photography, on our own doorstep
I suppose what I'm driving at is that we as photographer's, myself included, often get wrapped up with the obsession of equipment and not what we do with it.
One of the high points for me this year was when Diego Huerta and his girlfriend went out to record the Hurricane which hit their city
The only way I feel for a living breathing photographer to grow is to shoot what one loves and learn along the way, not only about photography but about life itself as one does
As the economic recovery continues to be uncertain, with tough times ahead for all working photographers and amateur photographers in their day jobs, I see great challenges ahead, but also great opportunities.
If we did just one thing to make a difference, large or small, and put some of that fancy photographic equipment to use it can make a bigger difference than one might imagine.
So my friends I wish you a very Happy New Year
Let's get out there and shoot some great pictures which make a difference - someway, somehow
Thursday, 2 December 2010
Bui Brothers iphone Pano from Zebra Forest shoot
Just one more day before the video and images from the Zebra shoot are up
In the meantime I thought I would post an extraordinary photo form the shoot which was taken by the Bui Brothers on their iphone(s)
Yes, you read right
This 51MB stitch was done on the fly at the shoot
I think you will agree with me that this degree of quality should make us all sit up and take notice
Remember if you want to know more about this and the rest of my Forest shoot series please do join me at my Manfrotto School of Xcellence Webinar on Monday 6th December
They tell me there is still space right now and it is FREE!
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
Food glorious Food
Followers of this blog know will I'm nuts about photography but perhaps don't know I have perhaps an equal passion for food
So some two years ago I was asked by Andrew Pern of Michelin Starred 'The Star Inn' to shoot his new game food book 'Loose Birds and Game' I leapt at the chance
Hanging out in the kitchen of Britain's top gastro pub and sampling THE finest food
Little did I know what a monster I was taking on, putting few thousand miles on my car and a few inches on my waistline
360 pages packed with my photography, in and out of the kitchen
Out on pheasant shoots, deer stalking exploring the upper limits of high ISO on my Canon 5d MkII
Lots of kitchen action and those plated shots.
Yes, those plated shots (all shot on a phase One P45+)
New territory for me but hoping that this first foray into food photography will not be my last
Assisted by Marie Absolom who has worked with some of the biggest names in the food photography business, she kept me on the straight and narrow and taught me so much.
Mainly that when it comes to food photography time is of the essence and food only looks good for a fleetingly short period of time when you are working with real food, which we did.
The book should be out in the next week or so (so long as the truck does not get stuck in the snow!) and you will be able to buy it from me direct from my all new website, a great Christmas present for a foodie
I will be sharing some of my experiences over the coming months but in the meantime I thought I would share some of the pages with you
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