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!
-->
"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
No comments:
Post a Comment