Joby Gorillapod Focus w/ Ballhead x

Joby Gorillapod Focus w/ Ballhead x
Keith Patankar
Hunts Photo & Video

Sometimes you want a tool that is versatile and flexible. Especially when traveling, photographers are always looking for to lighten their load. Instead of carrying a full tripod that is heavy and bulky the Joby Gorillapod Focus just may be the perfect tool to take with you. But don’t expect the Gorillapod to replace your tripod. Instead it is a flexible support system that can be used for support in certain situations. Unlike a straight table top tripod the Gorillapod allows you to bend the legs in different angles. This allows you to place your Gorillapod on uneven surfaces. You can place it on a rocky hillside, wrap it around a tree branch or railing, or just lay it flat on the ground.

The Joby Gorillapod Focus supports up to 11lbs; which is sturdy enough to hold a DSLR with zoom lens. The Gorillapod measures under fifteen inches and weighs just over a pound and a half with the heady duty Ballhead X attached. The unique difference between the Gorillapod and a traditional tripod or table stand are the ball joint legs that are chained together and allow you to twist and turn each individual leg in any direction you desire. I was able to take this out and attach it to a railing, wrap it around a steady tree branch and position it on a rocky surface. The Ballhead X is very strong and is easily adjustable. It has a quick release plate with a standard ¼” thread to mount to the base of your camera. The bottom of each leg is equipt with rubberized seals that prevent the Gorillapod from sliding on smooth surfaces. It would be nice to see retractable spikes in future models to anchor into loose gravel surfaces. Overall the design and finish of the Gorillapod Focus is solid and does not feel like it will easily break.

So if your off on a hike or taking a trip that your will not need a full tripod the Gorillapod Focus with Ballhead X should be considered as a travel companion. It can’t and won’t replace your full size tripod, but adds another alternative in support when you need it in a pinch. I have focused on the larger of the Gorillapods in this article, but there are many flavors available to every kind of photographer out there. Joby makes Gorillapods for smaller cameras from point and shoots to smaller mirrorless cameras and even has options for your iphone. They have Gorilladpods with magnetic feet to snap onto magnetic surfaces. With all these choices you have support for any device to choose to capture your world.

Keith Patankar works in outside sales, marketing and specialty market at Hunts Photo & Video in Melrose MA. Please feel free to contact Keith directly at 781.462.2340 with any related questions.

american tintype

Online Photographer reviews OM-D E-M5, the m4/3 powerhouse

The Micro 4/3 has hit a level of professionalism that few believed could be achieved by the non-DSLR world. A number of Twin City photographers have invested in this new system and found it not only useful, but capable of producing quality portfolio prints. The Online Photographer features pros who are picky about the quality of their equipment and their prints and frequently put new cameras through the paces to see which ones rise to top. That makes their opinions important and helpful.

If you are interested in looking into the mirrorless world with its smaller bodies and smaller lenses, I direct you to the following:

Part 1 - OM-D review

Part 2 - OM-D review

Plymouth Arts Fair

Plymouth Arts Fair - November 17th & 18th 2012

The City of Plymouth in cooperation with the Plymouth Arts Council is pleased to announce the First Annual Plymouth Arts Fair on Saturday, November 17th from 10am-5pm and Sunday, November 18th from 12-5pm at the Plymouth Creek Center, located at 14800 34th Avenue North.

There will be over 30 juried artists that will display, demonstrate, and sell their artwork. Enjoy entertainment for the entire family, including a special children’s activity area. Listen to talented musical performers that will be featured in showcase areas from 1 – 4pm each day.

Admission is free and families are encouraged to attend this fun and educational event. There will be plenty of parking available at the Plymouth Creek Center. Be sure to register at the door and you may be one of the lucky prize winners!

The Art Fair is sponsored by Renewal by Anderson, Tri State Drilling and by Volunteers from the Plymouth Arts Council.


For more information, please contact Travis Karlen, City Liaison at tkarlen@plymouthmn.gov or 763-509-5223.

The Cell Phone and Photography

Jeff Berg sent this link along and I found it challenging reading. I hope you will find this is a worthy and thought provoking article.

http://www.wired.com/rawfile/2012/11/stephen-mayes-vii-photography/

Jeff uses the iPhone a lot. I don’t have an iPhone anymore since I have moved to an android which doesn’t have a great camera, but the analysis in this article could well be spot on. I seldom see small cameras at events anymore, I do see more cell phones and the users comment on how much easier it is to carry one device. It is the probably the biggest movement in photography today. Maybe bigger than the arrival of the Kodak, which was culture changing. I do fear the loss of prints, however, as digital storage is at serious risk and too many images are casually entrusted to social sites and most end up too small for prints, if they are ever even saved by some soul or another. We could easily lose the majority of what in the past would have been smallish prints tucked into albums or shoeboxes for posterity, discovered by delighted grandchildren years later. That said, it is a strong movement and unlikely to slow down anytime soon. However, it could also make serious photography even more important since it is in the hands of people who should understand the technology of fine prints and the accompanying storage issues. It could also force serious photographers into taking more important images rather than the multitude of pretty and colorful sunsets, charming landscapes, and ‘perfect’ portraits that say little or nothing about the subjects (which is not to say we should cease taking said images, I assure you – they hopefully sell well and look simply lovely on the wall). But perhaps it is time we also began to think about what we are putting into the visual conversation we are having with our viewers. Originally patrons hired artists to create grand and beautiful images as a statement on the success of the patrons and to record images of their families, but ultimately the artist drifted into a conversation with the viewer (patrons and the citizen alike) on culture, life, behavior, reality, truth and lie. Perhaps as we read this article we can find time to think of our own photographic art and our own photographic conversations. 

Smithsonian, Picture Perfect

The Final Kodak Moment

The final Kodak moment: Photographer charts slow death of his industry with eerie images of factory demolitions, abandoned dark rooms and forgotten studios

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2231352/Robert-Burley-Photographer-charts-slow-death-camera-film-businesses.html#ixzz2ByVHFrUD

http://www.petapixel.com/2012/11/08/photographs-documenting-the-demise-of-camera-film-companies/

Hutchinson Annual Photography Showcase

 

NorthStar Nature Circuit Judgings -- November 10th and November 17th

NorthStar Nature Circuit Judgings -- November 10th and November 17th

We are inviting everyone to our international salon photo judging sessions. 

 There are approximately 1500 images by photographers from all over the world. Come and see the great images! Also, we could use a couple of more volunteers to help record the scores.

The sessions will start at 9AM at the Oak Hill Campus of the Woodbury Lutheran Church (9050 60th Street North, Stillwater, MN 55082). We will be judging all three classes (General Nature, Wildlife and Botany) on the 10th and two classes (General Nature and Wildlife) on the 17th. Lunch and snacks will be provided.

If you have questions, please contact Mike Prokosch on 651-429-6750.

Landscape Photographer of the Year winner disqualified due to Photoshop

"The winner of a prestigious photography competition has been stripped of his title after the judges ruled that he had changed his picture too much using computer software." - Telegraph

Not only did he break the rules, which was disappointing and a financial loss for him, it brings up the discussion once again of how much post-processing is too much and if it is done correctly. The link following includes a discussion of the perspective issues with the image. Quite frankly, if it had been done correctly, it is possible that no one would have noticed the processing - but then the right or wrong of the changes would still be there. We should always stick to the rules in competitions. It is the honorable thing to do. And if we enter a competition that allows for a lot of processing, then the honorable thing is to understand the artistic demands and do it with skill. There is more to skillful post-processing than understanding the software. We must also understand the art.

Tim Parkin, Landscape Photographer expounds on the issues. The article is well worth reading if you are into Photoshop or any other post-processing program.

Time Magazine photos - iPhone and Instagram

Time Magazine shooters use iPhone and Instagram to document Sandy:
http://lightbox.time.com/2012/10/30/in-the-eye-of-the-storm-capturing-sandys-wrath/#1

"As Sandy drew near, TIME asked five photographers — Michael Christopher Brown, Benjamin Lowy, Ed Kashi, Andrew Quilty and Stephen Wilkes — to document the hurricane and its aftermath via Instagram." - Time

What do you think? Does this work?

Hunt's Annual Sale

Hunt’s Annual Photo Show Sale !!!!  We are gearing up for our 36th Annual Hunt’s Show Coming up November 2nd, 3rd and 4th. This year we have extended show pricing for an extra day. For your convenience you may also call in on Monday November 5th and receive the same specials offered over the weekend. These are our lowest prices of the year and all orders placed during the show will receive free shipping. In addition to all of the Show promotions, we will be offering “exclusive Hunt’s mail-in rebates” on most digital still and video cameras! Nikon / Special Nikon 1 V1 $449.95 after sale and rebate! Leica / One Weekend Only! Special savings and/or rebates on all Leica products. Tamron / Save on all Tamron Lenses! Plus save an extra $50 by trading in your old lens. Sigma / 18-250mm DC OS lens Show Special $399.99. All other Sigma lenses on Sale *Plus Free Sigma Circular Polarizer with Qualifying Sigma lenses. Manfrotto & Gitzo / Trade-in Your old Tripod or Head and Save on all Manfrotto and Gitzo Tripods! Epson Printers / Save on all Epson Printers this weekend including the Stylus R3000, Pro 4900 and Pro 7900. Epson Paper / 20% Off All Epson Paper. Plus get additional 30% off select Signature Worthy Paper by Mail-in Rebate**deal good up to 5 packs. Datacolor / Save 15% on all Datacolor Products! Plus Recieve a Free Spyder Cube with pruchase of Spyder4 Pro or Spyder4 Elite a $50 value. Wacom / Special Savings on all Wacom Intuos5 tablets! Sandisk / Extreme 2-Pack 16GB SDHC Class 10 45MB/sec.$39.99 Final Price Think Tank / All Think Tank Bags on Sale this weekend! Call for great savings! Delkin / Save 20% Off all Delkin Memory Cards this Weekend! Plus receive a Free Jellyfish with the purchase of $50 on any Delkin product. Best, Gary Farber, Vice president Please call in at 1-800-924-8682 to place an order. Show Hours You may also call to speak with Gary Farber direct at 781-462-2332 Friday 10:00AM-8:00PM EST Keith Patankar direct at 781-462-2340 Saturday 9:00AM-6:00PM EST John Duggan direct at 781-462-2314 Sunday 10:00AM-6:00PM EST Monday 10:00AM-6:00PM EST Hunt's is a sponsor of the Council's annual Spring Break.