barry sherbeck photography

Nyamagabe Stories

2011-06-02T00:31:00.004-05:00

Today I am launching "Nyamagabe Stories" - a series of stories which recount the lives, livelihood, humanity, and struggles of people in Nyamagabe Rwanda. Find details at the website, www.nyamagabestories.com, and more will be added before, during, and after our time in Rwanda this summer. Thanks in advance for following along if you so desire.

If you go to the site and find the RSS link on the right, you can easily follow the posts and updates.

HDSLR Video Camera - Here's What I'd Like

2011-05-23T15:14:00.008-05:00

I'm a still shooter who has shot a lot of video along the way.

I would love a great stills-DSLR which is also a great video-HDSLR.

Is this asking so much?

Because I shoot Nikon and have invested in Nikon glass, and they do make *great* cameras (just like Canon, Sony, Olympus, etc. also do), my preference would be to buy a Nikon DSLR which shoots excellent HD video and is a versatile HDSLR.

But right now I can't. There are trade-offs left and right.

Rather than complain, here's what I want. Mainly, ten things.

Full (35mm) sensor, full HD (1080p).
Excellent h.264 or better video codec.
Built-in XLR inputs (Even if it has to be an audio adaptor screwed onto the base of the body - why not, and how hard can this really be? Smallish video cameras can do it. Why not HDSLRs, with or without an adaptor?)
Headphone monitoring port for playback and during recording
Manual audio level controls and visible indicators
Articulating LCD screen (even better yet would be a bluetooth detachable LCD screen or optional use of iPhone/iPad - displaying a realtime view of the image - via wifi or bluetooth)
24/25 or 30fps, and 50 or 60fps (and 110 or 120 would be nice)
Built-in ND filters up to 8x to enable wide aperture video shooting.
Excellent ergonomic controls for focus, ISO, aperture.
Full-res 1080p HDMI output on playback and recording.
(10.1.1) Trackable auto-focus objects on entire image (eg. "track this eyeball and keep it in focus")
(10.1.2) IS built-in at the camera level (on the sensor) rather than within each lens.

I could make a longer list but this is for starters.

I'm planning over a dozen projects for the coming year and really hope either Nikon and Canon both get this right for their next gen HDSLRs. Competition is good for everyone.

Meanwhile, the current generation is OK but has a lot of room for improvement; and depending on the project, in some ways it's still best to use a regular video camera in the $2-5K range than an HDSLR.

"Beside Myself"

2011-04-01T18:25:00.002-05:00

This is my image for an art show along with 7 other artists who were asked to create a piece (various media) in response to viewing the documentary film, "Wrestling For Jesus," which world-premieres in the Wisconsin Film Festival Saturday (tomorrow) at 5:45pm.

Following the screening, at 7:30pm there will be a Premiere Party and Art Show at Lucent Room Studio, 305 S. Livingston Street. It's an interesting documentary and Nate Clarke (filmmaker and nice guy, you should meet him) has gotten some nice press at 77 Square, Isthmus, WISC-TV, and elsewhere.

This was my first time to create art in response to the themes in a documentary film (or any film) and I love the experience, I hope there are more opportunities to do this. I'm in the process of hanging the show in the studio, and there are some very interesting pieces in a variety of media.

I'm looking forward to seeing the film again on the big screen, and the party and art show. You're welcome to join any or all of the above.

P.S. I just heard the film might be close to selling out. If you miss it, come to the Premiere Party and Art Show, and ask Nate in person how you can see the film.

Video Camera Quandary

2011-03-24T14:24:00.005-05:00

I'm planning some upcoming multimedia projects in Africa which will involve both still photography and video, and audio in either case. I'll have some assistance some of the time, and other times it'll be just me.

I have a Nikon kit which I love, a D700 and great Nikkor glass, which I'll use for stills. I have audio equipment, mics, etc.

However, I need to evaluate and decide what camera to use for recording HD video.

Writing helps me process decisions like this, so I decided to write up a post about it.

My context will be shooting in a variety of conditions, some dust, some bright sun, lush green hills, and also shooting indoors which will typically be low light or very low light. I'll also be shooting some in early mornings and in the evening. I'll be shooting landscape, people, agricultural lifestyle, schools, homes, neighborhoods, some interviews, and some larger gatherings. I may bring a couple small LED lights for video, but I'll mostly shoot available light for both stills and video. I'll be in and out of vehicles, and walking a lot. I'll have a tripod along but preferring to not use it most of the time.

My video camera options include:

a DSLR (several choices), or
a compact but good quality HD video camera with tapeless media, or
a new Panasonic or Sony high quality, larger sensor HD video camera

I could probably rent or purchase any of these cameras, and that choice (rental or purchase) depends on which camera I decide to go with.

I've shot a small amount of video using three different DSLRs. I've not personally dealt much with DSLR audio issues, recording on a separate device, etc., but I'm familiar with the concepts, setup, and workflow.

I've shot plenty of video over the years, mostly with "real" video cameras (pro-sumer and pro), and because that's what I'm familiar with, it's also what I'm most comfortable with. But I don't mind doing something new as long as I have a few weeks to become real comfortable with it.

Here are some pros and cons of these video camera alternatives.

DSLR Video Camera - Pros

good or great low light (high ISO) sensitivity (depends on camera)
great lenses (I already have Nikon glass, if I use a D7000 for example)
can use the same camera for stills and video, rather than single-use
great depth of field with prime lenses or fast zooms
small, relatively lightweight
moderate cost
variable frame rate options (depends on the camera)
good quality video file

DSLR Video Camera - Cons

ergonomics - not ideal for shooting video, limited controls, some settings require menu selections
audio recording - need to record to separate external audio device, manage files, sync in post-production
audio levels adjustment and monitoring
requires optional optical viewfinder for stable handheld shooting
requires optional electronic viewfinder for low- or high-angle shooting
cropped sensors may require some different lenses than for full-frame DSLR kit
crop factor affects effective focal length
limited recording length per clip (6-20 minutes, depends on the camera)
limited frame rate choices (depends on the camera)

Tapeless Pro HD Video Camera - Pros

great ergonomics for shooting video
great built-in audio monitoring and controls
no external audio devices needed
XLR audio inputs
good (but not great) low light sensitivity
great built-in viewfinder
built-in articulating screen
built-in neutral density filters
great direct access to camera controls
easy access to selectable frame rates (24, 30, 50, 60)

Tapeless Pro HD Video Camera - Cons

higher cost
requires dedicated lenses (though some Nikon/Canon lenses can be used with adaptor)
larger and heavier camera (not by a lot, when audio issues are considered)
crop factor 2x or 1.6x (depends on the camera) affects wider focal length lenses
no VR (vibration reduction / image stabilization) on some cameras

Tapeless Compact HD Video Camera - Pros

smaller, lighter
several audio pros similar to Pro HD Video Camera option above
most unobtrusive and portable video option
moderate cost
built-in omni mic
good zoom controls

Tapeless Compact HD Video Camera - Cons

shooting ergonomics not quite as good, due to smaller size
some controls limited or accessed via menus
no interchangeable lenses, limited depth of field, slower aperture
smaller sensor; ok low-light sensitivity, but not great

This is not a comprehensive list but it represents three pairs of pros & cons for three video camera alternatives. It's wonderful to have three excellent types of video cameras (and over a dozen actual cameras) that would make really nice HD video files.

If I were to go with the DSLR, I'd need to choose Nikon or Canon. A Nikon would mean I could use most of my Nikon glass, which I'm bringing along anyway. A Canon would mean bringing a separate set of lenses just for this camera.

The Nikon D7000 is (as of March 2011) Nikon's best video-capable HDSLR. The ergonomics are not great, it's a cropped sensor, the same DSLR audio issues are there and have not been addressed. However, it could certainly create good video and be a solid option with its own unique set of trade-offs.

In all cases, whatever I end up choosing for these projects, I'll have:

excellent video quality
tapeless recording to digital media, just need to copy and archive files
good or great camera controls

The biggest factors that shape a decision like this are:

portability
cost
audio issues (monitoring, levels, built-in vs. external add-on)
removable lenses
low light sensitivity
fast lenses / depth of field
quality of the video file, compression
max length of video recording (sometimes an issue, depends)

If you have other considerations and insights to throw into the mix, please do so in the comments. If you're thinking about these same issues or maybe have already worked through a similar decision and have some hindsight about the pros and cons of your decision, I'd love to hear what you've learned.

100 Faces of Solidarity

2011-03-02T01:15:00.002-06:00

A Flickr set, 100 portraits of the over 100,000 protesters demonstrating in the snow around the Madison Wisconsin Capitol building on Saturday February 26.

John Steinbeck on Why Barry Loves Photography

2011-02-15T09:37:00.003-06:00

Miraculously, although he died around the year I started to take my first photographs (1968), in the first half of last century John Steinbeck knew EXACTLY why I love photography so much in 2011.

So I exaggerate. But I was so pleased to recently discover these beautiful words:

"As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment." - John Steinbeck

I think Mr. Steinbeck was probably describing something we've all experienced countless times, and perhaps this is his description of what he aspired to capture in his writing - the slowing down of time, such that minute details in his words might weave the essence of a scene, a place, a face, a gesture, and the timeless undercurrent of meaning and significance represented by that moment.

Those moments which come to symbolize our human experience have a universal quality to them, because they encapsulate our dreams, fears, memories, and aspirations.

Writers aspire, and so do photographers, to portray these slowed-down and stopped moments with their words and their images.

It's been 3 decades since I read John Steinbeck, and I need to change that.

Catch Anything?

2011-02-09T22:34:00.004-06:00

I'm working on a series. The only problem is, it's cold enough to freeze the Madison lakes enough to walk around on the ice. :-/

The few folks I've interacted with so far are fascinating people. Some are talkative, others seem to be out there on the ice because they like or need a certain solitude. They have interesting lives. They don't catch much, but they like to ice fish. Nobody ice fishes if they don't like to ice fish.

I have rigged a "click on a stick" setup that lets me position a camera boom several feet up in the air. I use a D700 and fast lens so it's heavy, especially if you include the pole extension and the remote trigger. I'll be trying some things to perfect this. I might also try a smaller/lighter camera.

If I don't fall through the ice, more images coming soon.

Strange & Wonderful Light

2011-01-15T19:42:00.003-06:00

Thursday morning showed some interesting light. Fog, frozen lakes, and interesting colors in the sky, with shades of orange near the horizon.

"national conversation"

2011-01-14T21:46:00.003-06:00

I drive the beltline most days after work and all this week have been thinking about the unfortunate circumstances that would prompt us to fly flags at half mast this week.

Violence begets violence (whether acted, demonstrated, experienced, viewed, encouraged, scoffed, humorized, entertainmentized, fictionalized, gamed, spoken, or even hinted).

So we're having another "national conversation" but I doubt anything will change in our overall trajectory.

So I went back at night and made this image. Americans are having an important but possibly ineffectual "national conversation" about vitriolic speech, which is not very likely to go on the decline any time soon.

I shot this for 13 seconds at f/22 at ISO 200 on Jan 12. It was a half moon. I cleaned up a little distracting lens flare in Lightroom. I have several images of just the flag and moon, but chose this image with the lights included, to add the sense of "conversation" and of a revealing light being shed upon what is happening in the USA on political, social, and cultural fronts.

REPOSE group exhibition Jan 21-25

2011-01-08T22:56:00.002-06:00

If you're in or near Madison WI please come to our group art exhibition at Lucent Room Studio. Ten artists are participating.

The opening reception is Friday January 21, 2011, from 4-9pm. Details at www.lucentroom.com.

Sandhill Cranes in Wisconsin

2010-10-30T13:13:00.003-05:00

Sandhill Crane migration on Wisconsin River, between Sauk and Spring Green.

And a nice vantage point over the fall colors below.

Here Comes the Moon

2010-10-26T22:01:00.003-05:00

The moon rising over Lake Monona in Madison WI with beautiful, moody colors in the sky.

I love the tools available in Adobe Lightroom. I usually steer clear of Lightroom's "recovery" slider because it can make an image look flat, though it does have the ability to recover some details within 1-2 stops on the far edges of the histogram, in the highlights and shadows.

In this case sliding the Recovery slider all the way to 100 (in Lightroom 4 this should go to 101) brought back some detail in the face of the moon, as I had exposed the image for the sky, and therefore the moon was still blown out. It's so nice to be able to do things like this.

In this case, nothing else in the image was affected because there's no detail elsewhere, so there was no downside.

Here Comes the Sun

2010-10-26T21:59:00.003-05:00

The morning sun over Lake Mendota in Madison WI with the State Capitol and UW Madison on the horizon.

Autumn Leaves in Madison

2010-10-16T06:31:00.002-05:00

I've been briefly studying the leaves and colors of autumn with my camera. These are from Eagle Heights, in Madison Wisconsin.

For me, the narrow depth of field and blur suggest how fleeting this season's colors are, gone before we know it.

Gallery Night Show: "hovering : waters"

2010-10-04T13:32:00.006-05:00

We really enjoyed our Madison Museum of Contemporary Art Gallery Night show on October 1, 2010 - good crowd of good people (old and new friends) and good conversations about art and life.

This was my second group show at Lucent Room Studio with Betsy Delzer and Cameron Anderson. This time, we chose a theme in advance and worked on this show for several weeks. It was wonderful to curate the show together last week as we saw each others' creations.

The theme was h o v e r i n g : w a t e r s

I received very encouraging feedback on my photographic images on canvas, and about the overall show - the way our pieces and styles fit together into a cohesive show. Betsy and Cam created some really wonderful pieces for this: if you haven't yet, you NEED to see them!

Below are my images from the hovering : waters show.

If you're in Madison WI and wish to see these, please contact me for a showing.

morning

evening

formless

gathered

water over

water under

rule the sky

rule the night

living and moving

World Dairy Expo People

2010-10-02T19:48:00.005-05:00

I love photographing the World Dairy Expo, there's so much texture and color to the people and their animals, their pride and livelihood and expertise. Character in their eyes. Today was the last day of Expo, and besides the usual requirements, I went around making several portraits. It's fascinating to speak with these people about their lives. Good, friendly people.

Willy Street Fair

2010-09-26T23:13:00.004-05:00

I usually miss out on Madison's Willy Street Fair in September, because it's one of my busiest weeks of the whole year.

This was a very long working weekend for me, and today I maintained a modicum of sanity with two 20-minute breaks out into the wonderful world of the WSF.

I was testing out a Nikon 14-24 f/2.8 from @lensrentals which I'll be using for next week's World Dairy Expo. Really sweet lens. I'll need to get me one.

Asiatic Lily

2010-06-07T15:22:00.002-05:00

An asiatic lily from our garden on Saturday.

Nikon D700 and 105mm f/2.8

Tiny Flowers, Tiny Miracles

2010-05-28T10:42:00.007-05:00

My lovely wife grows these lovely miniature flowers with the help of some sun, water, and dirt. These graced our kitchen table early this morning. Shooting them was the best 15 minutes of my day so far. These flowers are about the size of a quarter. Little miracles.

Nikon D700, Nikkor 105mm Macro

My Father's Garden

2010-03-03T13:03:00.001-06:00

A friend shared this with me. Beautiful images, editing, timing, and sound. By Mirko Faienza.

My Father's Garden from Mirko Faienza on Vimeo.

Making Space for Inspiration

2010-03-02T14:37:00.007-06:00

As I prepare to create and exhibit some new photographs in May for Madison's Gallery Night, I'm wanting some inspiration, and I'm finding it here and there but not with any predictability.

Inspiration is one of those elusive things that can be so hard to describe or understand. We know when it's absent, but not how to guarantee its presence.

As a writer, photographer, and visual artist, I'm intrigued and sometimes miffed by the randomness of inspiration. It seems to appear and disappear on its own whims and terms.

While inspiration has no on/off switch or valve to open or close at will, there are ways to facilitate inspiration, to make some inviting space for it, and foster conditions which are favorable.

In my experience, two of the primary things that produce inspiration are Story, and Light.

Story, as I'm using the word here, can be anything which presents words, actions, journey, context, relationships, value, adversity, surprise, risk, reward, cost, cause and effect, and implications for the human experience. Anything that happens and about which we care is Story.

Light, as I'm using the word here, can be anything which enlightens, explains, reveals, informs, expands on, shows the detailed shape and shadow of Story. The why and what-for and how-come. The counterpoint or question which takes us deeper into the Story and gives it more meaning.

To increase our encounters with inspiration, if we could do such a thing, the least we can do is create conditions that are favorable for us to hear some Story, and see some Light.

I rarely create in a void or vacuum. Most of the time when I create (with words, or images) I'm discovering something, reacting to something, or both.

If I live so that my chances of discovery are low, I'm far less likely to be inspired to create. If I live so that there's little new input, I won't have much to respond to, and I'm far less likely to be inspired to create.

But if I choose to converse with people who are different from me (and the best conversation involves more asking and listening than speaking) I am in a much better position to hear intriguing Story, see some interestingLight, then discover and react as I can create something new.

If I make choices that bring a stream of new ideas and perspectives into my path, I'll significantly increase the likelihood that inspiration will show up and be my friend.

The internet can be a friend or foe in all of this. Of course, there's a wealth of Story and Light to be encountered on the internet, in ways which might inspire me to discover, react, and create. There are billions of pages, stories, news articles, blogs, photos, videos, songs, and more, representing thousands of cultural perspectives. More importantly there are diverse people and communities on the internet, and ways to actually interact with them.

The danger with the internet is that there's so much, there's TOO much; and by necessity we now have tools to fine-tune the scope and focus according to our own preferences and biases. We friend, unfriend, follow, unfollow, subscribe, and unsubscribe. If we don't do this with care, we end up filtering out much of the Story and Light that would otherwise enter our journey and lead to inspired creativity.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. How do you make space for inspiration, inviting not too much and not too little story and light, so that you can be prompted to make something new?

Flashes of Hope

2010-02-26T15:50:00.004-06:00

Here's one from yesterday's Flashes of Hope shoot at Madison's UW Children's Hospital. I'll post a few more when I process them.

I'm always amazed by these kids. And Trudy the Director is great to work with.

This experience always humbles me - to photograph children and families who are struggling with serious illness. When things in life are relatively smooth, it can be easy to sail along without an acute awareness of priorities, gifts, and grace.

Sometimes it takes life's bigger interventions to help us sort the "things that matter" from the "things that don't," to do so some of life's weeding and sifting, and then to also live accordingly.

Schmech-nology

2010-02-23T15:43:00.000-06:00

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." - Henri Cartier-Bresson

Margin. How Much Is Enough?

2010-02-23T14:45:00.006-06:00

Margin is a word I think about almost daily, these days.

Too much margin and a person can drift, waste time, get lost, not rise anywhere near their potential.

Too little margin and a person can suffocate, get crushed by an overload, have nothing left over.

As a photographer, I appreciate just the right amount of margin.

Too much margin? I'm not sure what to shoot. I'm not conforming my photographs into my vision. I'm wandering. My photographs will eventually show it.

Too little margin? There's no room for energy or creativity. I shoot before I think. Just like that last president.

Just enough margin? I'm pushed a little, with optimal constraints, I've got to optimize, must FOCUS... to make my best creation under the circumstances.

The Audacity of Self Promotion

2010-02-19T16:57:00.007-06:00

The best promotion, in my humble opinion, is to do what you do, do it very very well, and let others speak well of you if they are so inclined.

Self-promotion, in the 21st century, is a whole 'nother deal. It's a somewhat foreign deal.

I see some people who are good or great at modern self-promotion. Extroverts, likable, well-spoken, confident, connected (genuine relationships or not) and it helps to be talented (though not all self-promoters are).

Sometimes there's plain old arrogance and self-absorption, I think we've all seen some of this too. Where it's found, it's not entirely ineffective.

When I observe self-promoters I have a slice of envy and a slice of discomfort (or in extreme cases, worse).

In this age of blogging, tweeting, and feverish friending there's a certain crude benefit to audacious self-promotion.

But long before the internet or modern media, there was also a certain value ascribed to graceful humility, a basic commitment to excellence, the advantage of signal over noise. Quality over quantity.

You know... a recognition that cream naturally rises to the top, rather than feverishly proclaiming, "Hey everybody, I'm cream! Please RT!"

In 2010, I find much of (post?) modern self-promotion to be crass and unsightly; such as when people RT (retweet) their own posts, and a majority of their social network activities amount to "look at me."

On the other hand, there is some sort of strange temporal sweet spot in modern so-called "social networks" for those who are well suited to tooting their horn as they chase after some measure of accomplishment. There is a sweet spot of quick results, followers, friends, respect, notoriety, attention, or other things that might be deemed good.

Is it worth it? What personality types are ideally suited for such ventures? What are the lasting fruits of these exploits? What life deficiencies lend themselves to audacious self-promotion? Where's humility in the mix, does it matter any longer? When will the internet advance far enough to offer an "ego filter?" Where does self-promotion crossfade into spam?

(I would say that perhaps 1/3 of everything I see on twitter is essentially spam or noisy chatter with little signal. 1/3!!! Would you watch TV or listen to radio if 1/3 or more was noisy static?)

These are questions I have, more than any answers, or even my own conclusions. I'm trying to navigate these very waters. I transgress my own boundaries from time to time.

I have a degree of skepticism, maybe that's all I'm saying.

My instincts tell me: do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly.

Meanwhile, there are few things as rich as promoting the talents of OTHERS -- using twitter, facebook, blogs, and actual face-to-face REAL social networks... to point to the creative excellence and genuine exploits of other people, and encourage their endeavors.

Just some thoughts for the mix.

Horses are Beautiful Creatures!

2010-01-27T15:38:00.005-06:00

Yesterday I photographed some horses near Oregon, Wisconsin.

It was early afternoon, a cloudy winter day, which gave me a nice big softbox in the sky.

The only problem? It was c-c-c-cold! 20 degrees F. is not so bad but with the wind it probably felt like 0 degrees F. or lower.

These are such majestic animals, the way they move and hold themselves. It's wonderful to study these creatures with a camera.

Between the River and the Sea

2010-01-21T16:29:00.006-06:00

I'm participating in a group exhibit at the Pyle Center in Madison Wisconsin. The theme is Between the River and the Sea, and the exhibit will run from January 25 through February 28, 2010.

Here are 4 pieces I'm including in this show. If you're in or near Madison, please stop in and see these prints and several pieces from 10 other artists with a diversity of styles and media.

A big shout out to Bobbette Rose for her work on lining up this group exhibit.

Lastly, Makoto Fujimura, a New York based artist, will be in Madison for a few events in early February. I'll post more details soon but you can find some info on the Facebook event page.

My Top Ten for 2010

2010-01-04T10:06:00.003-06:00

My Top Ten Ways I'm Going to Start Out The New 2010 Year

Not make top ten lists

Metaphor: Trees and Forest and Focus

2009-12-05T15:10:00.009-06:00

I love the way photography offers metaphors for living. Here's one of them.

In photography, there are no trees. There is no forest. There is only depth of field.

(Definition: "depth of field" = how much of a photograph is in focus. Could be a lot, could be a little.)

So we need to focus. Not too near, not to far.

That's what I'm trying to do these days. Long-term thinking and planning, which is (permissively) imperative... while also getting today's highest priorities accomplished.

This tension can be difficult at the best of times. We have to make choices. We can't do it all, we can't focus on everything at once, near and far.

Long-term thinking tends to move us away from immediate priorities, as we ponder things like... what are my two biggest 5-year objectives and how do I get there? How will we fund our children's education? When will we retire? When will we spend several weeks in western China? How will I care for my parents over the next decade? You know, things which are real but don't relate to "today."

vs...

Is a bill due tomorrow (or yesterday), how can I be prepared for this afternoon's meeting, what surprise was just sprung on me, now's no time to get sick, do we need more milk? I need to exercise, I need enough sleep, and of course, "Ooh, shiny."

Most of our lives we are focused on immediate things, and occasionally if we happen to undertake such a discipline, we might also focus on longer-term planning, goals, objectives, and strategies.

Sometimes when meeting the insane demands of the current moment, we need lots of bokeh (bokeh : wikipedia). We regularly need to "throw" the longterm things (as beautiful as they might be) out of focus, off our radar, so we can efficiently accomplish the most important responsibilities of today and this week.

But if we continue to live this way, focusing only on the present (even if we get good at it, and some people are, damn them :) we may end up being controlled by circumstances rather than our dreams and goals.

On the other hand, if we focus only on the horizon's dreams and goals, we may live very rocky lives in the here and now, finding limited success at meeting today's responsibilities and tomorrow's obligations.

In photography, the amount of focus (depth of field) a photographer chooses is influenced by at least two things:

Subject (what the photographer is recording and what the image is about, on its own terms)
Vision (what the photographer sees / interprets, and would like to communicate about the subject)

In life, the amount of focus (depth of field) a person chooses is influenced by at least two things:

The needs of today (trees)
The dreams of tomorrow (forest)

And like Solomon in Ecclesiastes, I'm thinking there's a season for everything. There's a time when it's good to see today's trees. There's a time when it's good to see the long-term forecast, tomorrow's forest, the long, bird's eye view of all those tiny little trees from a wonderfully high altitude.

And daily life needs both. Sacrifice everything one for just the other, and we're in trouble. Maintaining both is hard, but it can be done.

That's all for today. :-)

The Fantastic Mr. Fox Meets the Nikon D3

2009-11-16T18:32:00.005-06:00

The "Fantastic Mr. Fox" stop motion movie, just released, was shot completely with the Nikon D3.

35 workstations; 5,229 shots; 621,450 frames; 120GB data per day (18.5TB total).

One lazy director (jk) supervising the whole thing from his remote couch in Paris. :)

Here's a short "making of the movie" video, on wired.com.

Anybody making a movie with your DSLR? :)

And how much time and money do you suppose they saved on camera costs compared to yesterday's stop-motion cameras that would have been used, plus film processing, plus editing? I'd love to see more behind-the-scenes about this movie.

P.S. I love that the movie characters have "real" voices, while one of the guys who talks about making the movie has a cartoon voice. :)

IronMan Wisconsin - Swimmers

2009-09-13T13:39:00.002-05:00

Niagara Falls Before & After

2009-09-11T12:07:00.004-05:00

I decided to post the before and after - first one with no processing except the crop. Handheld, 1/4s, f/13, ISO 200, 8x ND.

This place had a hush and a roar at the same time - innocent and mesmerizing but also powerful and deadly.

In one place it was quite strange to stand 3 feet from where the water quietly glided over the edge.

I tend to not do a lot of post-processing, but I'm not a "purist" either. With artistic images, I don't have qualms about doing moderate or extreme things to an image to achieve a desired effect. I should experiment more than I do, just to see what's possible.

Niagara Falls

2009-09-10T22:51:00.003-05:00

This is *way* more processing in Lightroom (very light original image + recovery, blacks, vibrance) than I usually do.

I just felt like it, I like the resulting mood. This is not what I shot, but somehow it represents what I felt.

As a family we only spent a couple hours in the area. I could easily spend a week or two shooting in this place, with all the light, mist, water, lines, and gravity. It felt powerful!

And we made some interesting demographic observations about the other tourists. Ask me sometime. :-)

Horses

2009-09-10T13:18:00.005-05:00

I've had several opportunities to shoot horses (with a camera) over the past few weeks. They're such beautiful and intelligent animals.

I have lots more editing to do but here are a couple "hortraits" and one of a very friendly interaction between a horse and a dog, they just nuzzled for a while.

Passion and Imagination

2009-09-02T22:48:00.005-05:00

I have several passions. They change over time, they do ebb and flow with some sort of tide and timing.

One of the staying-power lasting passions for me after 46 years is for the visual arts, specifically photography: recording glimpses of things which represent other deeper things.

Like any healthy passion pursuit, there are many aspects of and outlets for this passion of mine. I like that.

I make images / photographs almost every day. Some are casual and careless; others are intentional and serious.

On the days I don't make them, I definitely consume images, taste them, ponder them, dream of making them, refine my mental framework about visual images.

My worst nightmare would be to become blind, I sometimes think. But in a strange way, I would probably accept even blindness (just as every person who is blind must do), and I think my passion for the visual would not go away, it would just adapt.

Much of our vision is imagination. We see a ball, but we imagine childhood, play, innocence, leisure, competition, cohesion, teamwork, or perhaps many other things. We even imagine things that are not possible to see, triggered by the things we see.

If we were to lose our sight, we'd still have imagination, which spans much broader and deeper than physical sight.

Imagination is a form of faith: wondering, hoping, believing, conjuring, placing trust in what might be even if we don't exactly see it.

There's so much mystery in this realm of sight and imagination that I expect I'll never lose my passion for photography. It's poetry for the eyes; and when poetry really moves you there's no explanation, there's only mystery.

What if HDR were taken away?

2009-08-14T04:15:00.000-05:00

30 Lessons for Photographers

2009-08-11T11:44:00.013-05:00

Here are 30 lessons I'm learning as a photographer and visual artist.

I write these in the first person because primarily this is a list for me, not about some other theoretical photographer somewhere. In no particular order:

set goals and track my achievement of those goals, revising along the way
learn and adapt on a daily basis
at times move beyond on my "tried and true" or default techniques (lighting, composition, gear, framing, angles, whatever.)
always get the shot and deliver the results
learn from mistakes and failures (mine and others)
don't repeat the same mistakes or failures ("ya don't get fooled again" - W)
don't look too much at the photography of others (if I end up largely trying to imitate it, or thinking it's already been done)
don't look too little at the photography of others (if I miss learning from others' inspiration, successes, failures; how good images could be better, or what makes them great)
review my work from last week, month, year, and 10+ years back, to see how I've improved and where I need to improve or get out of a dumb rut
never become complacent (a healthy discontent is much better, it leaves room for striving & moving somewhere)
push myself regularly to tackle projects I'm not sure I can accomplish, or things I haven't done before
dispel the notion that new gear will help me make better images than I can make with the gear I already have
keep my promises, such as when I'll process and deliver images & prints
deliver results, instead of making excuses (to myself or a client)
don't wait for the best work to come to me rather than setting a strategy, going out to get it, making it happen
don't be a well kept secret - not doing a half decent job at marketing
don't be a self-absorbed self-promoter or spam my social networks (which I really don't, just something I want to remain sensitive about)
move toward work I'm passionate about, rather than relying on work that I don't care so much about
don't repeat "I hope some day to do more of such and such" rather than just doing it
pay less attention to the latest buzzwords, jargon, fads or hype (examples might be HDR, Lensbaby, etc.) than to the consistent quality of the images I make
make photographs, more than reading about / discussing photography
don't play it safe, avoiding risks; be a little reckless now and then
take a break from photography now and then to enjoy the finer things in life (yes, there are)
present my work in a way that elevates it, puts it in its best light; not too casually as can be my tendency
don't take myself too seriously at any time
take advantage of opportunities to elevate and encourage the work of others - accomplished pros and amateur photographers alike
pursue my best ideas even if I might not know how to get paid for them
shoot it Now, or This Week; don't say "I'll shoot that sometime"
always notice the light, how it behaves, and how beautiful it makes everything
don't be so preoccupied with chasing my own concept of vision or inspiration that I don't let wonderful images knock down my door, come and find ME out of the blue

What did I miss? Please comment, add to the list.

All of that said, I'm sorry to admit I fall short of many of these lessons all the time, that's part of my own failure and recovery and striving to be better, more professional, innovative, adaptive, and versatile as a photographer. There's always room for improvement.

Photography will never be boring unless I work myself into a deep nasty lazy rut and stay there.

To some, this list might make photography seem like a big burden, and I could see how it might feel that way. For those who simply enjoy photography as a wonderful, casual, creative hobby, much of this list is not necessarily for you and that's OK. This is more for those who make a significant portion of their living as (and/or desire to improve as) serious visual artists over the long haul. To do so requires discipline and intentionality.

And more on this soon, but I love having an iPhone with me and making simple, creative images with it daily. It's suitable for work, and for play, and repeatedly helps me lean into some of these lessons.

Flashes of Hope, Spring 2009

2009-07-28T07:29:00.009-05:00

I'll keep saying it because it's true: I love photographing for the Madison WI chapter of Flashes of Hope. Trudy, the coordinator, is wonderful. The kids are an inspiration to me. They're strong, resilient, sometimes joyful, but also tentative, vulnerable, uncertain; sometimes tearful, other times full of laughter. They're tired of disease and the smell of hospitals and the machines of treatment. But they're riding with it.

I love being able to participate with other volunteers to provide portraits of these kids and their families during a very difficult time for them, a season of life when the last thing they'd be doing is scheduling portrait sessions. It's a beautiful gift to them, and who wouldn't love a chance to help make and give a beautiful gift to someone who's hurting? It's a privilege.

For an afternoon, we convert a conference room in the UW Children's Hospital into a "cozy" studio (smaller by a couple feet and it almost wouldn't work) and after any special makeup or selection of wigs or hats, we make a few photographs together to record this journey. Sometimes it's just the child, other times mom or dad or grandparents or siblings join in. The child might be a year old, or a teen.

The most difficult portrait I've made in the four times I've done this so far has been a trip to a 4 year old boy's hospital room a few weeks ago, he was immobile and unable to come to the studio, after surgery on his spine that week. We made some memorable portraits I think, but it was especially difficult for me -- trying to be sensitive to the mood in the room and to his pain; not wanting to intrude or disrupt his quiet; but also wanting to make some meaningful portraits of him and his sister and mom since they had accepted the offer from FOH. I haven't posted any of those portraits, they are somehow too personal and intense for me to feel comfortable yet, portraying them here.

Setup info for anyone who cares: these portraits are all shot with one light (a White Lightning X1600) through a 47" softbox, camera left; a white reflector camera right; and in this case, far enough away from the unlit canvas backdrop (somehow, in the tiny conference room) for falloff to render it very dark or black. Triggered with Pocketwizards. I like the soft light of the big softbox. I shoot with a 50mm 1.4 or a 105mm 2.8 or a 24-70 2.8 at 70mm; in all cases usually close to wide open aperture. I focus on the near eye and let the rest fall where it may. For groups, I stop down a little to gain some depth of field. I'm going to experiment next time with the background. I process everything in Adobe Lightroom, a wonderful tool.

We keep some stuffed toys at hand, and some bubbles. One of my tricks with kids is a stretchy bouncy squeezy goofy rubber thing (quick, trademark that name) from Walgreens which I sometimes rubberband to the lens hood. With very young kids, it gives me 1-2 minutes of curiosity, smiles, maybe even laughter, directed at my lens. Then they're bored with it. :-)

So that's the tech and gear side of things, which all needs to be reliably in place, well exposed and composed, in focus. A few dozen parameters to keep in mind. But all of this needs to become second-nature, because the most important part of portrait photography is helping the subject feel comfortable with me, with the room, with the process; and inviting them to participate in making the photographs. It's an invitation for them to let their personality show, and sometimes, if they're willing, to reveal some of their feelings about this difficult road they're traveling. All of that in a 10 or 15 minute window, with a total stranger, lights and lenses.

I don't mean to speak about this like I'm an expert who has arrived or figured it out, because I'm not. I always feel like I'm still learning and still have so much more to learn. Every person comes into the room with a unique personality and emotional, psychological, spiritual and physical presence. For a photographer, this is 9% physics and science, and 91% improvisation and adaptation. (For you math zealots: the other 28% is luck.)

I'm partly afraid of this (fear can be healthy!) and partly invigorated by the challenge because I enjoy collaborating with each person to make portraits which represent who they are (love overcomes fear!). When it all comes together just right, a portrait seems to reveal something genuine about who a person is inside.

Sometimes, after they leave the room, I think about what I should have done or said differently to make the mood, the process, the experience, and the outcome even better. That's learning, and I love it. Wouldn't photography be boring if there were no fear, no failure, nothing more to learn, no more room for improvement?

If you've read this far, thanks for reading, and please share your own thoughts or questions in the comments. And check out Flashes of Hope.

Exposure vs. Brightness

2009-07-27T07:52:00.001-05:00

iPhone contemplates its own reflection

2009-07-25T09:20:00.001-05:00

Worldwide Photowalk - Madison (slideshow)

2009-07-23T01:58:00.003-05:00

I posted the rest of my selects from the Madison Photowalk on Flickr. Here's a slideshow:

And a brief side note, I finally installed a Lightroom plugin for exporting to my Flickr account, direct from Lightroom. There's another one I'll try soon for exporting to Facebook from Lightroom. This will save a LOT of time and file management! The Flickr one lets you choose sets (or make a new one), set keywords, etc.

Worldwide Photowalk - Madison

2009-07-21T08:10:00.006-05:00

Here are a few of my photographs from Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photowalk on Saturday in Madison Wisconsin. I'll post a bigger selection on Flickr soon. More observations below.

Madison Museum of Contemporary Art

My precioussss

Great music! (handheld, 1/2 second,
Martin sneaking up on the bass player)

"Talk to the hand."
This is in the running for my favorite.

So this was my first-ever photowalk. I've heard about photowalks and I've been partly intrigued and partly disinterested. The idea of walking en masse down a street with 50 photographers is not something I'm naturally drawn to.

Much of my photography is a solo venture, a lot of internal thought and instinct during my creative process, not very much of a community venture. So this was a stretch out of my comfort zone, and that's probably the main reason I participated. I was also curious about the experience, and don't like looking back at missed opportunities wishing I'd tried something.

I'm glad I did it - it was an engaging creative challenge to shoot around 450 images in two hours and end up with 50-60 that (to me) are interesting little moments and glimpses into downtown Madison and State Street. And I met some photographers, made some friends, and gained a couple new ideas for subject matter.

We had the whole gamut of photographers, from some working professionals to some point-and-shoot hobbyists. It was wonderful to see in virtually every direction someone framing and composing a little part of downtown Madison in their camera. If I could clone myself I'd spend the whole time just documenting the photographers and their encounters with people.

Moral of the story? Try anything at least once, and if it's as enjoyable and interesting as this was, plan on doing it again. I have some ideas for next year's photowalk if it works out for me to participate.

Not All Readers Are Created Equal

2009-07-21T07:33:00.003-05:00

After delaying for no good reason, I recently bought a Lexar Firewire 800 reader, and it's fast. A little or a lot faster than the USB 2.0 transfer devices and workflow I've been used to for 8-9 years now.

My first digital images copied from a CF card, probably around 9 years ago, used a PCMCIA adaptor which took donkey's years to move files. For a short while I used a USB 1.1 reader, until I realized I could just shove bamboo splinters under my fingernails.

Things have come a long way. I did 3 quick tests today with a full 8GB Lexar Professional 300x UDMA CF Card. It had 7.44GB of images, 1,074 files (half each: JPG, Nikon NEF).

The target drive was a Seagate 1TB External Firewire 800, 7200RPM.

Here are the results, with 3 different CF readers:
Lexar Firewire 800 CF Reader = 4:34 (274 seconds)
Sandisk USB 2.0 CF Reader = 5:05 (305 seconds)
Dell LCD / USB 2.0 built-in CF Reader = 12:50 (770 seconds)

The Lexar Firewire 800 reader was 1.1 times faster than the Sandisk USB 2.0 reader (which really surprised me, I expected it to be closer to 2x) and 2.8 times faster than the DELL Monitor's built-in USB 2.0 reader. I'll not be using the built-in CF reader in the DELL any more, even though it can be very convenient.

And for reference: copying these same files directly between 2 Firewire 800 hard drives took 3:28 (208 seconds) -- 75% of the time to copy from the Lexar CF Reader to a hard drive over Firewire 800. So today's high end CF cards aren't doing to bad in terms of comparable transfer rate.

Sandisk also makes a Firewire 800 CF Reader and I have not tested it, I would expect it to be comparable to the speed of Lexar's reader. I think Rob Galbraith has done some comparisons on these (is there anything he's not compared?) but I've not studied them.

Now I'll be honest, 4.5 minutes still seems like a long time to wait, copying files off an 8GB card. If you have four full 8GB cards from a shoot, even with Firewire 800 that would be about 20 minutes of transfer time... waiting.

I realize this sounds impatient. I'm simply making the point that anything which has us waiting for the computer is by definition a workflow bottleneck, in this case partly caused by the growing data size of today's digital images, and partly caused by the current limitations of bandwidth constraints.

For now, I'll happily take a speed increase factor of 1.1 or 2.8.

And, contrary to my expectations Sandisk's USB 2.0 reader is only 10% slower than the Firewire 800 reader, making it still a very good option. I like to have an extra CF reader handy in my camera bag and light kit.

Madison Aerial Sunset

2009-07-20T22:33:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I did some aerial photography of the downtown Madison skyline at sunset. I could do this every day, no complaints.

For anyone unfamiliar with Madison: Monona Bay on the left, Lake Monona on the right, Lake Mendota on the horizon, and the Capitol building on the right, on the Isthmus. And the other tall building near the middle is Van Hise (UW Madison) where I studied Arabic and Hindi. :-)

Have Bike, Will Stand

2009-07-17T21:59:00.007-05:00

Mainly a runner, MC is experimenting with triathlons, he's done a couple "sprint" triathlons and half marathons. We shot a few images in the studio the other day with his bike.

White continuous, WL X1600 + softbox upper left, fill reflectors on right, 2 speedlights with umbrellas for the wash.

Exposure: Over, Under, or Neither?

2009-07-14T07:04:00.005-05:00

Over the past few years I have heard and read various arguments for how to expose digital images. Over-expose? Under-expose? Neither? I want to offer a few thoughts about balancing these arguments in light of each photographic situation.

For starters, if it needs to be said, virtually everyone who can shoot "RAW" images should be doing so. A camera-raw image holds much more information than a compressed JPG file which the camera can make by throwing away information it decides will not be needed, in a split second based on predetermined criteria chosen by the camera manufacturer.

It might be a perfectly fine JPG file, but it's a reader's digest version of the full RAW file.

And secondly, a very common photographic challenge is to somehow capture and store (either on a piece of film or a digital sensor and file) the large range of dark and bright information which our eyes can so easily take in.

With photographs, often a sacrifice must be made, to preserve the details in the brightest areas of an image at the expense of the details in the shadows; or vice versa. The "dynamic range" of a human eye is huge - the range of brighter and darker exposure values which can be taken in as part of a scene.

The dynamic range of color negative film is about 8-10 exposure stops. The dynamic range of color slide film (which Kodak just discontinued - Kodachrome, the longest and best regarded slide film) is about 6 exposure stops. Because slides are projected as-is, they need to be exposed correctly.

The dynamic range of a digital sensor today is 5-12 exposure stops depending on the camera. The higher dynamic range is only found in higher end DSLRs costing several thousand dollars. This is rapidly changing of course, as the search for the digital sensor holy grail continues.

That should be enough background. Regarding digital exposure, there are three approaches: over-expose by about 1-2 stops; under-expose by about 1-2 stops; or do neither -- seek an "accurate" exposure for the subject that neither favors the highlights nor the shadows. The game plan, in all cases, is to try to recover useful image information (captured by the sensor and stored in the RAW file) in the darkest and the brightest areas of an image.

1) The over-expose strategy. This is sometimes called "Expose to the right," which refers to the histogram: choosing to expose images so that there's more information crowding the brighter (right) side of the histogram (which all DSLRs and some point-n-shoot digitals provide on the LCD display) and there is little or no "clipping" of blacks and shadow detail on the left side of the histogram. The argument here is that it's easier to recover highlight details out of the nuanced exposure information from a RAW file than it is to do so with details in the shadows.

2) The under-expose strategy. Not everyone agrees with the "expose to the right" approach. I just listened to a podcast where a respected photographer was advocating exposing for good preservation of highlight details even if this means the shadows are clipped and end up crowding the left side of the histogram, with the expectation that these can be recovered relatively more easily from the RAW file than is the case with highlights. Basically, approaches 1 and 2 are opposites. Opinions differ, and people can back their opinions with anecdotal experience.

3) The "neither" strategy. When shooting slide film, this was the only choice. Shooting even 1/2 stop over or under would result in an image on slide film (projected on a screen) that looks incorrectly exposed. And even though digital sensors and raw files allow for a range of choices to be made after the image is captured, some would advocate that the best approach is to accurately expose the overall image on average, leaving room to pull details from either the shadows and the highlights (or both) back into an edited image for the screen or for print.

My argument with all the above is that it depends. Specifically, it depends on at least three things, and we're assuming for this discussion that the image is being recorded to camera raw, not just to a JPG file. It depends on the subject, the camera, and the intent for the image.

First, what is the subject matter? Does the image being captured have a huge dynamic range of 15-20 stops of information, such as a sunlit marketplace with trees and shiny roofs and faces peering out from doorways and windows? Or is it a soft lit portrait of one of those faces surrounded by the darkness of the interior? Is it a macro of a flower? Is it a bride in a white dress, with African skin tones, and surrounded by a wedding party with varying skin tones and some of them wearing black tuxes?

In each case, how the image should best be exposed depends on the subject and the light which makes it visible to the camera. There is no simplistic, universal approach like "expose to the right" or "expose for the highlights" or "just expose it accurately!" :-)

Second, what camera is recording the image, and what kind of digital raw file does its sensor create? Is it capable of some of the highest dynamic range that today's best sensors can achieve? Or is it a 4 year old DSLR which makes a very nice image but may have only 7-8 stops of dynamic range on a good day?

Third, what is the intent for the image? If it is for family prints and shared Flickr sets, or a print ad campaign, or a fine art gallery show, or wedding enlargements, or a coffee table book -- each of these intended uses for the images might inform the best arguments for how best to expose the images. There's no one golden rule of exposure that best suits the many ways images might be used.

One rule that does apply to almost all images, whatever the exposure, is that post-production is an important part of making the image. A careful study, on a calibrated monitor, of the shadows and highlights, and an evaluation of what information can be recovered, and which information should be favored when we can't "have it all." Because we can't. Photographs don't yet store the information our eyes could see when we saw the scene. The challenge is to make our best effort at capturing the best essense of a scene and representing it later.

How do you expose digital images? Over? Under? Neither? I'm interested to hear your comments.

Nikon Lenses Rants and (mostly) Raves

2009-07-09T18:25:00.010-05:00

I feel like slightly ranting, and mostly raving.

Can I just say this? I love my Nikon Nikkor lenses.

And FYI, this is a "big picture" blog post, not a techy nitty gritty post about lenses.

A lense, made up of many groups and elements of ground glass, takes in light from an image which might be inches or meters or miles away, and focuses it on a piece of film or a digital sensor. This is a small miracle. To do this with the high quality with which today's lenses are capable is a bigger-than-small miracle. It might be scientific to a certain degree, but like most of science, it's also miraculous.

As professional SLR brands go, my experience has been 100% Olympus with film, and for the past 6+ years is now 100% Nikon with digital. (I still have an Olympus OM-1n film camera and love it, more on that some other day.)

30 years ago I cut my teeth on some really nice Olympus Zuiko and Tamron SP lenses, and I've had a couple very good Sigma lenses over the years too. (In my youth, a Tamron 80-200 was on my camera about 80% to 200% of the time.)

But today, I do love the quality of the Nikon / Nikkor lenses in my kit. I prefer Nikkor's higher quality ED glass, and I like fast glass.

The main lenses I regularly use today are 3 primes and 3 zooms, all Nikkor:

24-70mm 2.8 (main lens on my D700)
17-55 2.8 (approx DX equivalent to the 24-70; main lens on my D300)
105mm 2.8 VR micro
50mm 1.4
10.5mm 2.8 (DX, usually attached to my D300)
70-300 4.5-5.6 VR (a cheaper but really good lens, just not as fast)

My next lens might be Nikon's 70-200 2.8 VR, although with the D700 I get an extra 2-4 stops of usable extra "speed" (courtesy of higher ISO) to work with and therefore the need for a faster zoom than the one I have is relaxed quite a bit. If I do go this direction, I'd get this faster (2.8) telephoto zoom mainly for the narrower depth of field around the 60-100 range for portraits (compared with my 70-300's 4.5-5.6) and a faster VR-assisted performance for longer, fast action stuff like sports.

Balancing these things, the 70-300 Nikkor I already have makes a very nice image, and is much more portable. I would need a different camera bag to carry the 70-200 2.8 with my kit. :-/

My only super wide currently is the 10.5mm DX lens, which doesn't cover the D700's full frame, although I can shoot a very usable (if lower res) wide image with it on the FX sensor, and I've done that a few times.

Three other lenses I'm interested in are the Nikkor 14-24 (to fill the focal gap; and some architectural stuff I do) and the Nikkor 85 f/1.4 (for individual portraits with very narrow dof) and a longer fast prime (400mm or more) for wildlife stuff and sports. And for the moon, I love to shoot the moon.

Lenses. There are always more of them. And one can always dream, right? But the point is to make great images, not accumulate lenses.

As I mentioned, I like fast glass. Part of the reason in the past was that I like to shoot handheld, and shooting people and events that are on the move (while I too am on the move) and when the light might be on the low side is much easier to do with a wide aperture.

The second reason I like fast glass is I love bokeh and separation from the background. Aside from some cultural documentary and event photography and certain macro scenarios, I'm often at or very close to wide open, on my fastest lenses.

Fast glass is expensive, heavy, bulky... and worth it all.

Raves? I do have them, one for each lens.

My 105mm 2.8 "micro" (the rest of the world calls this "macro" except Nikon) is an amaaaazing lens. I use it all the time for macro photography, individual portraits, and even some landscapes and wildlife. It has wonderful bokeh, separation, macro capability, and can focus about a foot away from the subject. I use its VR some but not a lot, usually when doing handheld macro photography. If the subject's not moving (wind, etc.) and VR is helping me on the camera side, I can get crisp images.
I love the 50mm 1.4 for individual and group portraits, low light, streetwalking. It has beautiful bokeh, and wonderful separation at f/1.4 or slightly closed down. It's so nicely compact. And it has an aperture ring on it. I (don't use but) love that!
I love the 24-70 f/2.8 for groups, portraits, landscape, architecture, and event photography. This is the lens I usually keep on the camera. (The 17-55mm is comparably wonderful, on the D300, but I'm usually shooting this 24-70 on the D700)
I love the 70-300 (on a DX body this zooms to an equivalent 450mm!) with it's VR and light weight. I do some portraits with this, especially outdoors with just 1-2 people. In spite of the smaller slower glass it produces very nice images. The VR is nice, esp. at 300mm.
I love the 10.4mm fisheye even though it's a DX lens and doesn't cover my FX sensor; I've still used it on the D700 for some very usable images. It can focus up to an inch away! It's an awesome lens. Thanks Nikon! It's wonderful on the D300. Actually, it's my main lens on the D300. It's my "Fish on a Stick". More on that some other day. :-)

Rants? Gripes? I have very few. For now, I do have TWO.

First, something I am confident will never change, I resent the decision Nikon made in the very early beginning days to use a "backwards" rotation to attach the lens to the camera. Completely unnecessary mistake by Nikon! And even though I've been using Nikon cameras and lenses almost daily for 6+ years, it's still partly counter intuitive. Lefty Loosy, Righty Tighty. I don't actually ever use that reminder, but I do instinctively know which way things go "tight" and which way things go "loose," this is universal and worldwide. Why, oh Nikon, did you do the opposite? I think there's probably no good reason you couldn't have reversed the mount so it was compatible with THE WHOLE FURGEN RESTA DA WORLD. But no. And now it's too late to change because on the other hand, the AMAZING thing you have accomplished is virtual compatibility between your oldest and newest lenses and bodies. There's no going back now. OK, rant #1 is over, I'll try not to bring it up again. (breathe)
My 105mm 2.8 is the only Nikkor lens I've ever used that has serious problems auto focusing. It will very slowly "hunt" its way (usually in the wrong direction and eventually back again) to find focus even when it was very close to focus or even ON focus to begin with. By slow, I mean, several (3-5) seconds! I have used this lens on four (4) Nikon DSLR cameras, always with the same result. This lens, which produces amazing images, is the only one one I know that's dubious of the Nikkor name for this stated reason.

A couple thoughts on DX and FX lenses. I'd very seriously hesitate at this point in time to buy another DX lens. Part of the reason is I think the smaller sensor DX format will eventually go away in Nikon's DSLRs. (My guess is within about 4 years.) A DX lens is designed to project its "deliverable" image on a smaller area than the newer, better "full frame" FX sensors.

Since Nikon does and will increasingly continue to make great glass for the relatively newer FX digital sensor size (which does remain compatible with DX sensors too, those cameras simply use less of the image delivered to the focal plane by the lens), there's a much bigger risk of lost investment in a DX lens than a normal lens that covers a full 35mm frame area.

Having said all of the above, life has constraints, and not only am I willing to live within constraints, and not only do the lenses I already own provide a huge creative lattitude to make the images I love to make; but I believe my creative efforts will thrive more when I work within constraints rather than without them.

Meanwhile, Nikon: please keep making great lenses, please apologize to each of us some day (a free new lens would do) for the wrong-twist-direction thing; and thanks for the wonderful tools.

Tunnel Vision

2009-07-03T15:07:00.002-05:00

Sometimes tunnel vision is necessary, to see the light at the end of it.

Concerts on the Square Makeup Session

2009-07-03T11:27:00.002-05:00

Well now that's more like it.

Concerts on the Square Canceled

2009-07-01T21:14:00.001-05:00

Disappointment.

Making iPhone Images

2009-06-30T08:11:00.003-05:00

I like the spontaneity of shooting with the iPhone. It's a very mediocre camera at best. But you can make interesting images with it. Usually, you can make an interesting image without moving more than 10 or 20 feet.

I shoot images with my iPhone every day. Plenty of them are throwaway, often because of limitations of the camera, lens, and sensor (but never, EVER due to any limitations of the photographer, let's be clear about that!).

Making this a habit helps train my eye to be alert for visual interest, not just when I'm carrying my DSLR or wish I had a camera with me. (The old saying: the best camera is the one you have with you.)

Here's something cool: Chase Jarvis is a well-known photographer who's always shooting stuff with his iPhone. He upgraded to the 3GS and offered his 3G iPhone to the winning "send me your iPhone photos" contestant. Some 3500 images later, here are 100 wonderful iPhone images from the cream of the crop.

Fireworks - 2009 Rhythm and Booms, Madison

2009-06-29T14:24:00.006-05:00

Here are a couple photographs I made of last night's Rhythm and Booms fireworks show in Madison Wisconsin, held at Warner Park. These were shot across part of Lake Mendota. It was a beautiful day, wonderful evening, and very nice fireworks show.

20 Lightroom Shortcuts

2009-06-29T11:56:00.003-05:00

Why reach for the mouse when the keyboard is faster?

Here are the Lightroom shortcuts I use the most. Use these regularly and they become instinctual (even though the shortcut letters for some are not intuitive).

G/E - toggle between Grid view (thumbnails) and loupE view (one image)
spacebar - quick zoom and and out (Z does this too)
spacebar-hold-drag - quick way to slide the image around even when other editing tools are selected
0-5 - assign rating stars 1-5 or unassign stars (0)
P/U - toggle Pick and Unpick flags
X - set rejected flag (for batch delete later)
R - crop (toggles it on/off - a quick way to check if the image is already cropped)
Cmd-C - open Copy dialog to select which attributes to copy to clipboard
Cmd-V - Paste current clipboard attributes from a prior image to the current selected image
Cmd-Shift-E - export the selected images
Tab - toggle the side panels on/off
N - toggle spot removal / clone tool on/off (Develop mode)
K - toggle adjustment brush on/off (Develop mode)
C - toggle the Compare window - I just recently discovered this - have your "best so far" of a series of shots in one window and compare a few others to help single out the best one
Cmd-1,2,3,4,5 - quickly switch to any of the 5 Lightroom modules (library, develop, slideshow, print, web)
F - toggle through 3 fullscreen display modes
L - toggle through 3 lightsout display modes
I - (when in loupe view / single image) - toggle through 2 image "info" displays and back to none (resolution, exposure info)
Cmd-' - create virtual copy of selected image (I do this for multiple crops, B&W version, etc.)
Cmd-E - edit image in Photoshop

Now try this... (Peeking Sun)

2009-06-27T14:18:00.002-05:00

A post via iPhone with an image and some text.

Peeking sun.

Blog post via iPhone email

2009-06-27T14:07:00.001-05:00

Nothing to see here. Just testing.

SMS

2009-06-27T14:02:00.002-05:00

This is a blog post from SMS. (no way to enter a subject? just after the fact)

Goodby, Hiatus

2009-06-27T13:19:00.004-05:00

I've blogged on several blogs over the years, including a photography blog (which I released to dormancy) on an older site of mine.

So I went on blog hiatus while I was working on my new photography website. I'm still working on my new website unfortunately; but I can't wait any longer for a photography blog.

Enter blogspot.com. Goodbye, Hiatus. Hello, it's good to be back.