North Shore Shoot-Print-Frame workshop in September

With Rikk Flohr and Laurie Hernandez  (click for more information)

The Merry Wives of Winsor

Image from the Merry Wives of Winsor presented at Caponi Art Park, June 24, 2012.

Using the OM-D E-M5 (f5.6, ISO 1600, using the 40-150mm at 145mm - which is actually more like 290mm using 35mm comparison)

Caponi Art Park has a lot of amazing opportunities for photo shoots, so check it out! For more chances to see the Merry Wives of Winsor, see the Cromulent Shakespeare Company.

Migration to Mirrorless

"Why Your Next Camera Will Be Mirrorless" Minneapolis with Will Crockett

Multiple Dates 2012-07-21 13:00:00 2012-07-21 16:00:00

National Camera Exchange, | View map

Seminar date: July 21st, 2012 Sponsor: National Camera Exchange, Minneapolis, St. Paul area.

For more about Will Crockett click here and here.

Why I sold everything for the Olympus OM-D E-M5

The Photographer, is a "site run and published by Chris Gampat. He has worked for Photography Bay, Blind Photographers, PCMag, Geek.com, Magnum Photos, and MAC-On-Campus amongst others. He’s had photos in the NYTimes and all across the web and publishing world. Currently, he’s the Lead Writer for B&H Photo Video’s Social Media team." Recently The Photographer published an Op-Ed called, Why I Sold Everything for the Olympus OM-D E-M5 by Andy Hendriksen on June 21, 2012

Friends, I could have written that article. Over the last couple of months I sold every piece of Canon equipment I had - a total of 16 lenses ('L' level included), flashes, lensbaby, filters, a IR converted 10D and my beloved 5D classic, along with every tiny little accessory that surfaced. I had decided to start over with a clean slate.

Some people suggested I was giving up photography, others thought I had lost my mind. A number of smart souls lined up for a good deal on equipment! Adorama even heard about it from someone and CALLED ME wanting to buy. That was a first! But I am not leaving photography, and I have not lost my mind - at least not that be proved without a doubt. I was ready for a paradigm shift - a change in how I photographed, and how I saw the world. For one thing, Canon costs are escalating. I liked full frame but the new 5Ds, wonderful as they are, had climbed into the $3600 range, with lenses following suit. I really didn't want to haul around a bag of equipment that began at some $10,000 plus - especially considering the weight! I had way too many lenses (my fault entirely, but darn, Canon has some interesting stuff!), and they were either in my car or sitting at home. I could only carry a couple without being worn down by the weight or worry about drawing too much attention.

Then, one night at a club meeting, I saw some work created using a couple of Micro Four Thirds cameras. We were shown images taken with Canon or Nikon AND some with the M4/3. Same time of day, same location. I couldn't tell the difference and it blew my mind. Suddenly, there was an alternative that was outside of a point and shoot. That night I ordered an Olympus EPL2 with a couple of kit lenses, and a Panasonic 20mm 1.7, which was part of system created by the Olympus/Panasonic design experiment called the Micro Four Thirds. For a bit over $1000 I had an entirely new system. I did not sell my Canon equipment for that.....but I began to be sucked into the dark side. I loved the Olympus and the 20mm combination. My 5D was pushed to the side by this tiny little gem and the M4/3 became my go-to guy.

Then came the announcement of a new camera design series by Olympus, the OM-D E-M5, a prospective toe in the pro equipment water. All the Micro Four Thirds lenses would fit, and new ones were on the design table from Olympus, Panasonic, Sigma, a host of others. The camera body was small, the lenses were small, the prices affordable - and it looked like the sensor would be a huge step forward. All the previews created excitement and Olympus ended up with one of the largest pre-orders in their history. They are still trying to fill the demand, as are the lens makers working to take advantage of this new market. Backorders are unfortunately common.

I pre-ordered the E-M5, and it was in my hands early as I managed to be first on the list at our local National Camera store. Then I began to think about selling my Canon bodies and lenses. I really needed a change, but it was a risk. If this thing didn't turn out to be what was being marketed, I was in deep water. Luckily, the E-M5 ended up being everything I had hoped and I was completely sucked into the depths of the dark side. Light weight, reasonable cost, quality lenses, and a most importantly, a quality sensor and great images! Photography for me is no longer about the equipment, it was once again about being just a photographer. And I have my entire kit in one small bag - the E-M5, a 12mm 2.0 (24mm equivalent), 20mm 1.7 (40mm), 45mm 1.8 (90mm), 7.5 fisheye (15mm), and a 40-150mm (80-300mm). Life is good.

John Cyr: Developer Trays

Double Rainbow - Eden Prairie, evening, June 20



The camera didn't catch all the colors (or more likely I failed to do it right), but it was amazing and looked super wide. We didn't find the pot of gold, but I was pretty sure we were really close!

Freelensing: What is it?

Freelensing is the art of taking your lens off of your DLSR, holding it a few centimeters from the camera and taking a picture.  Apparently this works, or at least is does according to this article: freelensing. 

Check out the article, or better yet check out the technique. 

Video vs. Still Photography

Cameras are getting faster as resolution is getting higher.  So the question becomes "Will video replace still photography"?  In the future can someone just shoot a video and pull the best frame out as a still image?

Video cameras are not there yet, but a recent article comparing an image from a 22 megapixel Hasselblad with a Red video camera is illustrative of the debate that rages on.  See the article and image comparison here: Video v. Still.

In Defense of Depth?

DOF is a major discussion at the Online Photographer this week. Is it blur we want, or the deep depth of field used by the great photography masters of the 20th Century? Or perhaps we need to explore the proper limits of both. I would also suggest that in many cases we are directed more by our equipment than our artistic drive. Anyway, take a look and read the comments. Its a great discussion and your trusty blogger would love to see your comments on the subject here on 'Still Imaging'!

Using your own background - in the field? Yup

Using your own background is a great idea in the field! Mike Moats has a great, and legal, idea for us. This one is workable, portable, and inexpensive! Check it out.

LEFT BRAIN - RIGHT BRAIN

Click on Image for larger view