Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Looking back with some embarrassment



 

Christmas is coming up.

And as the job grinds through the holidays (Disneyland never closes, you know), my family manages to celebrate Christmas spread over a few days as we wouldn't all be available on the same day.  You get used to it.

That said, my mind is already into January of 2014 - it's always forward of where I physically am.  And the first big thing that happens for me is the NAMM show at the Anaheim Convention Center.  The general public is not allowed to attend as it is an 'industry' event, you have to be affiliated with someone in the music industry to attend.  As a musician, I get to be affiliated with different companies so I can attend as a visitor, the first couple of years it was with Acoutin Drums - a local drum builder who makes these incredible drums in Huntington Beach.  They were probably the only snare drums I heard that sounded different from everybody else's, and the retail prices reflected it.  
Due to various connections, I may be a guest of Pearl Drums this year, but I haven't been told yet.  It's just cool to go to the show (it happens over four days) see some musical stars, see the new products, enjoy the circus.  In reality, it's really just like a local RV or Bridal show, that's attempting to keep itself exclusive, for the sake of selling people their wares.  If it really was an "Industry Only" event, you wouldn't see many freaks on the floor seeking out autographs of the stars - which really has nothing to do with debuting new products, right?  

But it makes for a great photographic experience.  It's kind of like being a street photographer, but you're inside, and people generally want to be photographed.  So if you're in there with a camera, you have a captive audience of people that want their images taken.  Everybody who's anybody will pose for a shot, because afterall, the more press they get and exposure, the better.  Not that I expose them anymore than they already are, but I do fall into thecategory of "guy with camera", so they're nice and they pose.

The above shot is my wife with Living Colour bassist, Doug Wimbish.   The man is an incredible player.  He's such a great solo performer on the bass guitar, I would imagine playing in a band must be a little stifling for him - he can carry a whole show on his own with a four-string bass.  Remember that rap song "White Lines" with that crazy repeating bass part that was really the whole song?  That was him.  He's done alot of things since then, but that's probably the biggest music standard he's known for.   In Living Colour the man is THE bottom end for that band.  The man lays down some mean bass with those guys.

Anyway, the shot above is an embarrassment shot.  He was doing a small concert at the DOD Electronics booth, and I was shooting away while he played - it was incredible.  I'm wearing a Canon EOS-1D with a 20-35/2.8 Tokina zoom lens, totally playing the part of pro photographer, and this rig without a flash is about 8 pounds.  After he's finished, I managed to get him to pose with the wife for a shot, only thing is, after we're done and he's having a meet and greet with others, I discover the camera decided to act up on me and it didn't take the shot!

Mortified we hang out a little bit longer, and while he's trying to pack up his bass to go get something to eat, he notices that we're still lingering.  I told him the shot didn't happen and could he please pose again?   He's cool, he does it and we got the shot.  It's not perfect, but I'm not gonna bug him any more than I have to, and then he's gone like the wind.  

This was the event that got me mad at my gear - for not working when it should have.  I know it happens - but a Canon EOS-1D should not glitch.  I'll admit it could've been operator error, but who the hell knows?  I was shooting everything beforehand just fine - I got all those shots.  The one of him and the wife is a big deal, and the camera glitched

Part of me is angry because the camera did this to me.  Part of me is embarrassed because I may have done it to myself.   Had I known my gear a little better, it might not have happened at all.  This is what makes me embarrassed.   If there's anything you can glean from this experience, it's learn-and-know-your-gear.  You never know when that incredible shot will present itself and when it comes, you need to be able to solve the problem fast and get 'er done!  

After this incident, I started studying my owner's manuals with camera in hand and seeing what button pushes do so you can concentrate on running the shoot.   I'll tell you this much, that ain't happening ever again ;)



Monday, December 9, 2013

So the Canon 5D Classic does ISO3200!



What impresses me about the new crop of cameras, especially those Fuji X cameras, is the high ISO capability.  Even today I just read the little Canon Rebel SL-1 (the tiniest DSLR on the planet) can do stupid high ISO like 125600 or something.  I haven't seen any photos done yet like that, but I figure that must mean you'd get photos at least acceptable up to ISO6400, right?

So I had to consult my manual about my classic 5D cameras.  I'm somewhat of an idiot.  When I got the cameras I just pressed the ISO button and turned the command dial to see how high it would go.  It goes up to 1600?  I'm happy!  You have to understand, I cut my teeth on film and 1600 was as high I could've gone with the films I was using.  I have lighting too, so like Joe McNally, the best thing to do is shoot at ISO100 all the time anyway, which is what I've always done.  My attitude has always been that the images get softer and grainier the higher the ISO goes, so I was always about maximum quality - thinking every image had to be able to be printed with immaculate detail up 16x20 ;)

In the 5D manual, Canon has all these "Custom Functions" and one of the functions when turned on, extends your ISO to 3200 on the high end and 50 on the low end.  I can see using the 50 alot.  On the display, you hold down the ISO button and turn the command dial, then it'll read either "H" or "L" depending on which end of the scale you are. 

Excited I could do this, the shots above were shot around the house in the "H" setting (ISO3200).  The lights were dimmed and almost dark.  I wanted to see how well the camera handled in this kind of lighting.  The camera seemed to autofocus well, so long as I was looking at contrasting points, and with the White Balance set to the incandescent light icon, the pictures above are straight out of the camera.  With the exception of the black and white one, that was unsaturated in PhotoShop, but that's it.   If anything, I could shoot ISO3200 in black and white and get some cool art!

Being able to do this is what's holding me off from upgrading to anything new.  Again, I'll learn this gear through and through and drive it into the ground.  What's nice is now I can do a walkabout and shoot indoors without flash - which is what I initially did when I started with an old beat-up Nikon FM with a couple of lenses (a 24/2.8 and a 50/1.4) and ISO800 color film.  My photography was so simple then, I need to get back there.  It's so complicated these days because of the amount of toys I show up with.  Gotta cut that crap loose ;)

It's been TWO friggin' years - I KNOW!

I know - it's been about two years for my neglected blog - but I'm back with something to say!

I apologize for not keeping up, but it's been quite a busy time around here.  Got an additional job with my company, involving playing drums as a world famous mouse, got into new cameras (well, they're considered old and ancient by now), my dad passed away from cancer, my wife's dad just passed away a couple of months ago, the house got a slab leak, then got re-piped, then we got a new floor.....you know how it is, LIFE happens and here we are, two years later.  The family is now a bit closer to each other and we even went back home to Hawaii to spend time with the family - I realized that we hadn't been back there in over ten years.  Where did all the time go?  Relatives are getting older and passing away and I have nothing to show for it.  We took the time to reconnect with family, and I think that's pretty important after the two big losses we just suffered.

I've re-connected with my photography, my drumming.  I picked up playing the ukulele and got away from electronic music production (an interesting side-business, but hollow).  I have new attitudes about some things, and have let alot of baggage go since you only live once, and time is short.

Probably the one crazy thing I did was install a few rotary dial phones around the house, as evidenced by the opening photo. In avocado green, no less!  That's a nice connection to the past with something I can actually still use, so I got 'em!

As far as photography goes, I got into a couple of Canon EOS 5D cameras, after dumping my venerable EOS-1D's bodies.  I was getting pretty tired of hauling around all this huge gear and either getting lazy and missing shots because I wasn't ready with the boat anchor, or just didn't care because the stuff was digging into my shoulders.  So I went slightly lighter - didn't even get into the extra battery pack - it's easier to just carry extra batteries.  I dumped my zooms and got into prime lenses.  I started off with a 20/2.8 and a 50/1.4, and I ended up dumping the 20 since I didn't do that much with it because in some instances, it was simply too wide.

Then I started reading up on this new mirrorless camera thing.  And Fuji hit the ground running with a rangefinder-like camera that looked like a digital Leica, and ISO technology is just stupid crazy now - those cameras can literally shoot in the dark because it's now natural to be using ISO 3200 and 6400 nowadays.  For the last few weeks now I've been hot to dump my DSLR's and go with these new mirrorless cameras.  I'll take one pound hanging around my neck anyday, as opposed to 3-4 pounds using a single 5D with my one prime lens.

But I blame Zack Arias for my dilemma and cold feet about doing it.  For one, he turned everybody on to these Fuji cameras, and he himself has jettisoned his DSLR gear and has done major campaigns with his Fuji gear.  The lure of being stealthy is strong with me.  I rented a Fuji X100s for a week and it was incredible that I had a one-pound awesome camera that looked like a 1953 Leica M3, hanging on a Black Rapid strap - and when I put my jacket on, you didn't even know I had a camera!

You know how people just wear big cameras to broadcast that they are professional photographers?  I for one am no longer diggin' that moniker.  I like to make photographs, but I no longer want to look like I have to be doing that.  It gets in the way of getting a good shot, or it scares potential subjects away.  Basically you look like the proverbial creepy-guy-with-a-camera and my head is no longer there.

But of course, these new mirrorless systems have issues.  One of them being that it doesn't focus as quickly as a DSLR (yet).  I'm sure as time marches forward, the manufacturers will figure it out.  But for now, the DSLR is still king.  But it's days might be numbered.  Imagine the DSLR going the way of 8-track tape!  Mirrorless cameras have the advantage of being alot smaller (good), less moving parts (you know how many pieces move because of the DSLR mirror box?) and being extremely quiet.

Somebody posted a diatribe on how mirrorless can never replace the DSLR because when you shoot fast moving subjects, the mirrorless auto-focus just isn't there yet.   Well, duh!  Give it time though, and the manufacturers will have figured it out.  I've only replaced a shutter on one of my cameras over the years, and that was extreme.  But when you see the moving parts involved in making a picture with a dSLR, I'm surprised not more break or wear out sooner.

Anyway, getting back to this Zack Arias guy.  He hypes these Fuji cameras, but he also has videos on YouTube where he's teaching (before he got into the Fuji cameras) and he talks about staying with your gear and learning it inside and out.  He said when he started he only had one lens and did everything with it.  So part of me is thinking I should really run these 5D's into the ground if I plan on becoming a better image-maker, and I just might do that instead.  I'm sure if I wait a couple of years, the mirrorless cameras will be even that much better.

For me the 5D seems fine and does everything I need it to do.  It even does ISO 3200, and I practiced with that setting this evening in a darkened house, and you know what?  The dang pictures came out!  sure, it's a bit large, but not as incredibly hulky like the EOS-1D with a 70-200/2.8 zoom on it.   I think I can be somewhat stealthy with a 5D and a prime lens.  Maybe I'll go find a cool-looking hipster bag instead.  I think I might want to get into the Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM lens though.  Sometimes I think the 50mm is too narrow, and I can't get far enough back to get everything in the shot.  So that might be a nice Christmas present to myself.

But yeah, I think I'm curing myself of GAS (gear-acquisition-syndrome), at least as far as my photography goes.  Two bodies, two lenses, I have various lighting devices and meters....what else do I need?  There are tons of photogs out there that get something new every other month, on the constant search for that newest magic bullet.

The cure for this is linked to my being a musician.  I've known for years as a drummer/percussionist: it ain't the drums, it's the drummer.  And this has been true for me from the beginning.  I've always played small drumsets (not more than four drums) because my idols all did, and they were able to say so much with just that.   Photography is the same way.  If you have nothing to say - having bitchin' gear is not going to take the pictures for you.  It's funny how it seems I've only gotten this together now.  But like I said, alot has happened in the last year.  I'm rollin' with the changes.

I'll leave you with this quote from famed photographer Edward Weston, who is one of the fathers of modern photography.  He had alot to say about photographers and photography, and this one sticks with me.  Stay tuned for new images coming soon!

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"The fact is that relatively few photographers ever master their medium. Instead they allow the medium to master them and go on an endless squirrel cage chase from new lens to new paper to new developer to new gadget, never staying with one piece of equipment long enough to learn its full capacities, becoming lost in a maze of technical information that is of little or no use since they don't know what to do with it."

-Edward Weston