P&S and Location and scouting camera

I’ve been asked by a few photographers about what small light cameras I use for my own personal or location scouting work. Usually I bring a camera with me just about anywhere I go. Either a small Sony W50 P&S tucked in my jacket pocket, a larger Canon G7 in my bag, or one of my 1D series work cameras when I have room and don’t mind carrying the weight. I use them a lot of scouting locations, grab shots, or family photography.

That is how the article started when I drafted it a month ago. Well, between then and now, my house was burglarized and they made off with my Canon G7 and Sony W50. The positive outcome of this, is that I replaced it with a G10. A far better camera than the G7, and the G9 I was considering replacing it with. So in the end, I got a forced upgrade, and at the full cost rather than selling the G7 to offset the cost.

Anyway, now I use the G10 for all my personal shooting, and location scouting. Its a perfect camera for most times a point and shoot lacks the controls and features, and when a full sized SLR would be too bulky to carry around. The G10 fits in my bag that I carry with me all the time, right next to my PDA, iPod, and other must haves!

The G10 allows full manual mode, flash overrides and adjustments, and has a very nice lens attached to it. It really turns out some nice images for such as small package. I use it for my own personal photography, scouting shots, and family photography. Its very easy to use, quick to operate, and I can setup a couple custom modes to match the type of shooting I do. It shoots video, Jpeg, and Raw formats of various sizes, and puts out a 14.7mp RAW file. I would have prefered to see them stick with a smaller file size and instead work on decreasing noise at the higher ISO settings. I find anything over ISO200 marginal, and over ISO400 are nearly usless except for documentation purposes only.

The custom modes can remember a whole series of settings to be quickly loaded and set in the camera when selected. For example, I use Custom Mode 1 to set the camera to manual mode, ISO 400, flash compensation -1, macro mode off, flash on, and slow sync mode (second curtain). I use it mainly for shooting interiors, night portraits, etc. Custom mode 2 is set for normal daylight shooting and set to ISO100, flash on, flash compensation -2 for fill, manual focus and set to infinity (less shutter lag time), etc. This way I can quickly change between interiors/night and daylight photographer by turning the knob one notch. Very handy feature.

The G10 also has a hot shoe, so I can even use it with my pocket wizards and studio strobes. This means I can use a 580ex on the camera for longer reach and improved battery life, or use a pocket wizard with one or more 580ex strobes remotely for accent and supplemental lighting.

It has the look and handling of a classic rangefinder camera. Rather than always having to fish through menus to set ISO, mode, flash, etc, it has a dedicated knob on top of the camera to adjust the ISO setting. Another one decided to the shooting mode, including custom modes C1 and C2. There is also a very handy exposure compensation dial easily accessible on the top of the camera. On the back face of the camera, there are buttons for macro mode, flash on, off, or auto, drive mode, and manual focus. And finally, there is a function setup button with a menu that is fast to navigate which has all the most often used functions easily accessible such as color balance, flash compensation, color modes, neutral density filter, image quality, and so on. Finally, there is a custom menu screen that can be customized to show the top five features and settings as the first screen you see. This all makes for a very fast handing camera.

The lens quality is excellent, and produces a very sharp and contrasy image. There are some typical flaws as with all small P&S cameras, but the lens on the G10 is definitely in the top of the class. The large LCD delivers a nice image for review, however the high gloss makes it hard to see in daylight with reflections on the screen. Shielding it is easy, so its a minor inconvenience. When viewing the LCD indoors or in more subdued lighting, the image quality is excellent. There is also a viewfinder that can be used in those instances where you don’t want to use the LCD to compose the image. Its small, but adequate and very useful when needed.

Battery life is excellent, and I can count on it being ready to go even after sitting in my bag for a couple weeks. I do charge it when I know I will be using it for a lot of images, but for typical use of a few images a day, I can go a coule weeks without needing to charge it. I carry the small charger with me in my bag, and can charge it off the 120V inverter in my car if needed, or top it off while in the studio, at a friends, etc.

All in all, I really liked the G7, and the G10 brings it to a new level. The thief will need to bring his A game if he wants to take my G10! I’ve got the SIG P229 locked and loaded, and new batteries in the laser sight!

Rambling on current work and iPhones vs Blackberry’s.

Unfortunately for the blog, but fortunate for the wallet, I’ve been exceedingly busy the last few months. With the shift in the economy, I’ve seen the photography work drop off a but, but for some unexplained reason, my billings for video has increased more than enough to cover the offset. I won’t complain since I prefer shooting video over stills, but a mix of the two is a perfect fit for me. I’ve added a few recent images at the end of this post, and will try to re-compress some videos for the web and link to them here.

On the technology front, I’m still missing my Blackberry for all its convenient business features, but loving the iPhone for what I can do with it. If someone could smash the two together and end up with the best of both, it would be an awesome machine! We finally got cut and paste on the iPhone (should have been there with Ver 1, common Apple), so I can now respond on the iPhone via e-mail with more complex replies. With my Blackberry I keep numerous templates files to allow me to reply on pricing, terms, and common questions without having to re-type it each time. I could cut and paste from the templates and then edit as needed. This was fast, and enabled me to get right back to a client quickly as long as I had a minute or two and a cell signal.

With the iPhone, this wasn’t an option until cut as paste was added last month . There are so many nice features the blackberry had which suited business communications well that are lacking on the iPhone. But, the iPhone does have a virtual Zippo lighter and a level   But I can say, my images are actually usable on the iPhone for showing potential clients on the fly. Bright, sharp, crisp, saturated with good contrast, and big enough to be useful.

My assistant mentioned a book he was ordering, How to Cheat in Photoshop by Steve Caplin, and thought I might also be interested in. I told him to go ahead and order one for me. Whats nice about it, is that there are lots of quick solutions to every day problems, as well as some more obscure tasks. There are several chapters on each topic, with several solutions summarized in a page or two. For example, in the Perspective chapter, he covers horizons, vanishing points, two and three point perspectives, creating perspective, fixing wide angle objects using perspective, and so on each on a two page spread. He does assume a basic working knowledge of Photoshop, since he will tell you to create a layer or quick mask, assuming you already know these tasks, and not explaining each and every step along the way. For most photographers that work with Photoshop on a regular basis, they will have most of these skills in their tool box already.

I’m off on a couple trips, and will post when time permits.

Here is some recent work;

Available light portrait

Portrait taken under soft natural light from overcast skies. I used a reflector leaning on my legs at a 45 degree angle to bring in some light to soften the shadows. I wanted soft shadow tones for this image. I really like what I see in the eyes and expression, and how the hat and hair frame her face. I can also see various croppings working quite well.

Portable Flashes – mounting options

Using small portable flashes for accent lighting along with studio strobes is a technique I tend to use often in larger spaces such as interiors or factories. Also, when wanting to travel light, I will forego using the studio strobes on location, and opt for a much smaller light weight lighting kit,  ‘Strobist’ style.

One of the issues that crops up using the small portable flashes, is the lack of ‘grip’ equipment and light modifiers. A need to turn to the DIY method of solving problems and being a little creative.

The above image shows one way I mount a portable flash when I can’t use traditional methods. This is a Nikon SB24 mounted in a door frame using a putty knife. The handle of the putty knife was drilled out and a stud mounted.  From there, you can use the traditional methods to attach the flash.

The putty knife can be inserted in-between the door and jamb, under a set of books on a book case, held with a sandbag, clamped to a ladder step, in a rock crevice, etc. Lots of options just about everywhere.

The above image shows the complete setup less the pocket wizard. From the bottom up, putty knife, stud (not visible), elbow, stub with hot shoe mount, SB24. Typically, the hot shoe mount would be substituted with a paramount cords hot shoe cable and connected to a Pocket Wizard, then the strobe mounted on top of that.

The barn doors are being held on to the front via velcro, and can be mounted in any postion as needed. All in all, it provides for a very versitle lighting setup that can be mounted virtually anywhere, even to the point it can affixed with gaffers tape to any flat surface.

iCrack replaces CrackBerry

Ok, I was hooked on my BlackBerry. Convenient, powerful, easy to use, push e-mail, useful applications, and so on. It really helped me ease the pain of running my own business by providing me a lot of functionality on the move. I understand where the term ‘crackberry’ came from, but was never hooked to that level.

Then came the iPhone.

My son coined the term iCrack as his replacement for Crackberry, which he used to use when he would see me hunched over it. I must admit this iPhone  is so useful and convenient, that I am finally addicted to a PDA/Phone device. The speed at which I can check my e-mails, scan my RSS blog and news feeds, check on the stock market, SMS messages, watch news clips, or have just about any kind of data available at my fingertips is astounding.

If I need to check my bank balances, look up a phone number in the white pages, check on my flights status, book a flight/car/hotel, browse though my important files, calender, send notes and reminders to my desktop, find local business close by, check my camera/gear PDF manuals, update my Netflix queue, tell my DVR to record an upcoming show, look up auto repair prices, find the closest gas station, or the cheapest, plus so much more. This isn’t even the tip of the iceberg, but more of a couple snowflakes in the field.

Here is a typical scenario that shows how fluid this process really is. A very basic task that would easily take 5-10 times longer if I had to use my laptop, and even more if I had to resort to the yellow pages, telephone, and printed maps and information.

So, I click on the Icon for ‘Around Me, an iPhone application that will give me a list of local businesses in my general area (determined by the built in GPS). It then presents me with a menu of choices for things like banks, coffee, bars, shopping, gas stations, supermarkets,  hospitals, etc.

I then click on Restaurants and am presented with another list of the closest restaurants in a pre-set radius, sorted by distance. I scan the list to find one that interests me, and click on it.

I am then presented with the address, phone numbers, distance, e-mail, and so on. If needed, I can click on the phone number, and it will place a call so I can check on hours, make a reservation, etc.

Clicking on the ‘Show Route’ button brings up  a map which shows my current position, a push pin for the restaurants position, and a marked route on the map to the restaurant.  As I drive toward the location, my position on the map is updated as I go. There are also routing options if you plan on taking a bus, or walking. Try that with the Yellow Pages and a paper map! It really is faster and easier to do than to describe. It rocks!

There are so many other similar examples for various other tasks, all executed smoothly, quickly, and, well, presented in a very cool manner as icing on the cake. It just makes my life easier in so many ways, and it fits in my pocket.

I’ll try to post a few segments on the various applications and uses as it applies to a small business owner, and more specifically, one involved in commercial photography. Such as the ability to take pictures with the iPhone while location scouting, upload them to the desktop, and be able to pinpoint the location on a map where the image was taken. No longer needing to somehow track the locations separately. With the photo taken, Google maps, satellite view, street view, GPS reference data, it can really make cataloging location scouting images very easy. So look for some future updates.

A few other cools things I’ll try to touch on, such as the photography related utilities, travel aids, access to my bank, important files, weather forecasts, position of the sun for lighting evaluations, calendar, displaying my ‘mini electronic portfolio’, keeping in touch on social sites such as Facebook, my own ‘in-flight’ entertainment of video/TV/movies/music, and on and on.

And if you also have an iPhone, and have some great apps that work for independent photographers, feel free to add them in a comment.

080406-VU0S0825-Edit

Taken during a shoot last summer, this image has grown on me. Lit with a 1600ws strobe bounced off a California Sun Bounce reflector from the left and balanced with existing daylight.

Canon G10 from my little ‘Top of the Wold’

Parked at the top. Gorgeous views, unsettled skies. I wanted to spend some time capturing it, but one of those traveling wtih us was freezing cold. I cut it short and headed back down.

With all the activity in the last few months, new work, new clients, holidays, home remodeling, tax season, and so on, the blog has been pretty dead. For those following, I apologize for the lack of updates and vow to increase postings in the future.

In the mean time, I took some much needed R&R up north along the Canadian border perched upon a ridge overlooking Canada, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. One of my favorite places in the dead of winter, regardless of how cold it was. And it was cold! We started our trek in the morning with temps in the -10 degree range at the lower elevations. The temps dropped as the day wore on, and into the -20’s in town. At the higher elevations, it was another 10 degrees or so colder. And with the wind at 20mph with gusts to 35, the wind chill index was in the -41 to -53 range based on the NOAA charts. That’s damn cold!

Don, standing behind my sled, and in front of the flag at the top of the mountain.

But the real reason for this post is in regard to the Canon G10 I brought with me. It worked like a champ. I can’t say we fared the same In the amount of time I exposed my hand to take a short video clip, I could feel the pain of the cold setting in. I doubt it would take more than 10 minutes before frostbite set in. My gloves went back on until we descended down the ridge to warmer temps.

But the G10 did its job and captured the images and video clips without a hiccup. Granted, it acted very sluggishly, taking a second or two longer to extend the lens, and the image appeared on the display in twice the time it normally takes. But it worked perfectly capturing images and video clips for the entire trip.

I did have some fogging when moving in and out of temperature extremes (cabin to outside, etc), but it resolved quickly. The battery didn’t even hiccup, but it did have a full charge from the start and I only took about 70-80 images, so no surprise there. The camera was also stowed in an outside pocket for quick access, and there was no insulation from the cold. So it was pretty much exposed to the elements the entire time.

Old faithful sitting idle, eager to go out and do it again. Even sitting all night in 20 degree below zero weather, I pressed the start button the next morning and she fired right up! Gotta love Ski-Doo's

I did have friends with me on this trip, so I didn’t take anything more than snapshots. I didn’t feel their best interests would be served watching me stop every 20 minutes for photo opportunities. But snapshots are indeed the real reason I purchased the G10 in the first place. Its a great combination of features aimed at advanced photographers packed in a reasonable sized package that’s easy to carry when you really don’t want to carry a SLR and lenses.

Grab shot while driving home through a dirty windshield .

I do vow to someday take my remote controlled helicopter up there, attached the SLR with a fisheye lens, hover it above us on the mountain top, and catch a real glimpse of the lay of land. It will give a very good illusion of sitting on top of the world. I know its not Everest, but I do feel like I am on top of the wold where there. So I might as well capture it that way

I vist here most times I pass by. Its a great half way point, and a reason to stretch the legs in the middle of a long drive.

More Workshop Images

Curt Johnson sent me a set of images he had taken during my most recent workshop (Boston Creative Lighting Workshop). There are a few setups that haven’t already been mentioned prior, and I thought would be interesting to discuss then with these images.

Stacey in hallway - by Curt Johnson

When I saw a few of the photographers shooting Stacey in the hallway, I thought it would be interesting to add some creative lighting techniques. After all, it was the Creative Lighting Workshop!

They were already shooting available light, so I decided to use it as an opportunity to show some mixed lighting techniques, and how the color balance differences will create various effects in the image. It was also a good time to use an acrylic mirror setup, since with tungsten or constant light, they can see the results of how I use the mirror for some techniques. Its much harder to show it with strobe, since the effect isn’t immediate and readily visible.

So I dragged a tungsten light fixture, a Lowell DP 750W hot light, out into the hallway. To further add some drama, I used the acrylic mirror with a bunch of gaffers tape on it to create what I call a ‘reverse cookie’. What this does is to block some of the light from being reflected off the mirror, thereby creating shadow and highlight areas, which can be put to good use.

I held the mirror off to the side of the photographers, and aimed the tungsten hot light at myself and the mirror. That allowed me to aim the reflected light at Stacey and the hallway, and bend and flex the mirror to adjust the light pattern as needed. I kept it moving around to create varied patterns on Stacey and the wall, while keeping her eyes and face in a bright spot so I wouldn’t loose her expression.

The blue behind Stacey partly came from the light blue wall behind Stacey, and party from the color imbalance of the sunlight coming from a window behind her. Since the foreground would be balanced for the correct color on the model, somewhere around 3200K, that would throw the diffused sun at 6000K behind her into the blue range. That enhanced the blue on the wall further, and created the multiple levels of blue. The various darkers areas of shadow are from the gaffers tape blocking light from reflecting back off the mirror. I’ll try to grab a picture of the mirror, and a diagram of the setup, and post them here.

I like Stacey’s pose, and how Curt used a ‘dutch tilt’ to further enhance her in that space. Overall, its a very dynamic image, and the styling sets a nice mood.

Jenn in Hallway - Curt Johnson

Above is another image Curt took in the same basic area and lighting, but with another model. In this image, you can see better the color imbalance, with the blue light in the rear which is just normal window light, and the foreground lighting which is more neutral. Since the camera was set, or the color balance changed in post for the tungsten ligthing in the foreground, the sunlight will turn blue. It can be used to create interest as it has in this image. While it may look like a blue gel was used on a strobe behind her, its just the natural sunlight.