Nyamagabe Stories

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

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.

1. Full (35mm) sensor, full HD (1080p).
2. Excellent h.264 or better video codec.
3. 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?)
4. Headphone monitoring port for playback and during recording
5. Manual audio level controls and visible indicators
6. 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)
7. 24/25 or 30fps, and 50 or 60fps (and 110 or 120 would be nice)
8. Built-in ND filters up to 8x to enable wide aperture video shooting.
9. Excellent ergonomic controls for focus, ISO, aperture.
10. Full-res 1080p HDMI output on playback and recording.
11. (10.1.1) Trackable auto-focus objects on entire image (eg. "track this eyeball and keep it in focus")
12. (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"

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

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:

1. a DSLR (several choices), or
2. a compact but good quality HD video camera with tapeless media, or
3. 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

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

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?

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.