I recorded a podcast giving some recommendations for the photographer in your life. The pricing ranges from expensive(relatively speaking) to inexpensive, hardware to books and software. I hope it is helpful in making useful decisions for your holiday purchases. All of the items can be studied on line, here are the useful website links:
In addition, the National Association of Photoshop Professionals has an excellent training platform which provides video tutorials on a wide variety of photographic subjects at a reasonable cost for the active learner.
To listen to the Podcast entitled "Gifts for the Photographer in your life" click on the link following this sentence(s) or in the side bar of this blog. Additionally you can find the Podcast in iTunes under Hold the Eye Images Podcasting.
The roots of the Erickson Cattle Company began before 1892, the year a cabin was built on the out skirts of what is now Yosemite National Park. A lot has changed since that period but one thing hasn't, the Erickson family is still in the cattle business. Dan Erickson, the great grandson of the founder, tends the herd in the Sierra high country, rides rodeo, and lives an authentic cowboy lifestyle, albeit modernized. He drives the cattle to lower elevations in the fall, avoiding the heavy snows and does it the old fashion way on horseback. It is not nostalgia that drives this decision but economics. The open land is available, and trucking is expensive, so the cowboy trail drive is alive and well. They have a facebook account at this location: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Erickson-Cattle-Company/197768206917176.
This is a photography blog, so I was privileged to photograph some of their activity last weekend and interview Dan and Andra Erickson for Hold the Eye Images Podcasting. Co-hosting this podcast is Julie Kitzenberger, who works with Hold the Eye Images Inc., and is a well known photographer in the Bay Area. Examples of Julie's work can be found here:http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=979198. But before I share any photos, here is the interview on Hold the Eye Images Podcasting, which can be listened to on this blog page, or by clicking on the right side of the blog. It can be found also on iTunes under Hold the Eye Images.
So, you have listened to the discussion, here are the Erickson's and yes they are this handsome and beautiful both in the way they look and most importantly the way they act, right out of a magazine.
But let's look at the images they create for us photographers, pretty special when you think about it.
Here is Dan at the beginning of the day, quite a sight with the sun, always shot at F/22 and the mist from the body heat in the cool Sierra air.
And of course, the cattle drive, sepia gives it that olden day touch.
And there are more images for the taking!
So you have the option of different looks which are important for the variety of your portfolio.
And you can't forget what the sun gives you when a little dust gets up in the air. One sleeping and one watching, or one looking at his iPhone? You guess.
Also the close-ups that were discussed in the podcast, here are some examples. And yes the guns are real, and Tim who is pictured here fired off a couple of shots to wake up the cows in the beginning of the round-up.
And, no one ever gets in a bad mood with Dan standing watch!
And we have horses to photograph, many options including these running right at me.
So at the end of the shoot, my camera count was 3,000 images, and I have not looked at most of them by any means. I have some cool photographs of the roping, more still photography, more great images of cowboys riding and many more yet to be examined. The platforms for shooting are provided and work well. As Julie said, both wide angle and telephoto lenses are needed, and at the end of the day, you might get something like this.
After getting up early in the morning for a nap, even the horses need a nap. Happy Trails!
Special thanks to Rebecca, Al, Renis, and Charlie for helping and especially to Rebecca for putting together such a great workshop. And if you go and get a chance to talk with Al, his stories covering this area as a photojournalist are very interesting. See you soon folks.
The last leg of our trip was a few days in the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and then on to the Maasi Mara to conclude the trip with four days of amazing wildlife photography. Let's start with Lewa, a unique place where wildlife preservation is the purpose of the Conservancy. Like the rest of Kenya, there are lots of animals in Lewa, migrating across Africa, but the population most focused upon is the Rhino. Poaching is a serious problem for Rhino's and you will hear more about this on the podcast in this blog. Here is a Rhino from Lewa, that I photographed on one of several days we observed these majestic creatures.
One example of the White Rhino in Lewa
Be sure and listen to the podcast to hear about the efforts and costs in protecting these animals from extinction. Lewa has the full range of animals you see in Africa, the major difference is the extent to which The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy goes to protect the Rhino. A small army of armed police roam and watch over these creatures from poachers. With all the animals free to roam and move on, the task is daunting, but best described by Frans when he discusses the issue. In the meantime, check out http://www.lewa.org/ for more information.
Next we stopped in the Maasi Mara for four wonderful days of photography. We stayed on the Mara River at the Serian Camp(to get a glimpse watch this) , a great place with the sounds of Hippo's snorting at night. As you will hear in the podcast, the abundance of wildlife in the Mara is unbelievable. You land on a dirt road, no buildings, just your Rangerover(hopefully or you are screwed), to drive you into the bush. We did game drives twice a day, balloon rides, tracked animals, watched, saw and photograhed so much wildlife, at the end of this Safari, I had nearly 10K photographs. The Mara is truly a wildlife photographers paradise and here are just a few examples of what we photographed. The young and the old Giraffe.
The young and the old lion and going out with Jonathan Scott of The Big Cat Diaries. Jonathan went out with us one day to visit the Marsh Pride. Check out his work at http://www.jonathanangelascott.com/
The young feeding, in this case on a Zebra
The young and the old showing affection.
The handsome young posing like a "rock star"
And one of the most feared animals in Africa
The Topi looking like a sentry for predators but not really, he is staking out his territory. A common citing on the Mara
And for birders the Lilac-breasted Roller(hope I'm right), one of the prize birds of the Mara.
Also common the Gray Crown Crane, on beautiful bird with quite a mating dance.
To hear more about this place, from the perspective of others and listen to Frans and Christine talk about their work, click on the podcast embedded in this blog or click on the Maasi Episode listed in the right column.
Well this is the last of the podcasts while on the Safari, I plan on an upcoming one, talking about what I learned about the "right gear" for such an adventure in Africa. To say the least I learned a lot, but I was lucky with my choice of equipment but most of all with choosing Frans and Christine as the Safari Leaders, they are wildlife specialists, world renowned as videographers, photographers, and writers, and their explanations as well insight helped make this a trip of a lifetime. Also a special thank you to David and Patrick our guides as well as Lydia and William of Origins. All of the camps I have written about were wonderful as well as great experiences. There is so much to see, to learn about, to appreciate, that at times it is overwhelming. Africa is a wonderland of opposites, great good and evil, chaos and tranquility, but most of all change. Rwanda with a terrible past just a few short years ago is peaceful, clean, and tranquil today. The wildlife that is abundant today is struggling, no one knows what a decade will bring, or when the last wild Rhino will disappear. There is nothing profound that would do Africa justice, it is what it is, and as a westerner, I have never seen anything like it.
Given the announcement of a new version of Photoshop, CS5 sounds like this is a good bet. Or, the new HDR software from Unified Color, PhotoStudio which is all the rage among certain groups of HDR photographers. Both of these are good bets. Nikon has competition with the new 24mm/1.4 lens which many photographers rave about. New cameras are rumored from Nikon so why not wait and see what falls out in June? Of course, the new Ipad is a photographers dream for showing portfolio's full of spectacular images. Or, to carry your gear around, the new Think Tank Logistics Manager which is a photographers dream for storing, traveling, and keeping safe all of your gear. Easy to move with rollers, and easier to secure with the built in wire. So folks there is no end to the "gotta have's" of a photographic gear head like me. And, I haven't mentioned all the new Canon stuff(I'm a Nikon shooter so the pagan Canon gear is not my specialty). So what is the best investment around today for your photography?
The short answer, none of the above. The best investment is your photographic eye because in the end, that's the only piece of gear that will dramatically affect your photography. If you want to improve your photography, you have to work your eye, experiment, train, know the limits of your imagination, work some more, push those limits, and become a better photographer. This is hard work, and progress doesn't come from writing a check or using a credit card. It comes from shooting, shooting, and shooting some more. Its a lesson that is hard to follow. It's much easier to buy a camera with a bigger sensor or a better lens, these are tools, nothing more, nothing less. A carpenter doesn't get better with a new hammer and although it sounds ridiculous in this context, its the same for photography. To be honest, I'm writing this as much for myself as anyone reading. I fall prey to wanting more gear just like everyone else. If only I had a Leica M9, I could get those street shots I have always wanted, or .......you know the rationale. If I spent as much time focusing on my eye as I do reading about and lusting after the next new thing, my photography would be on a different level today. Yes, I'm a gear sinner. Unfortunately, there is no quick cure, only a recognition that gear only helps your photography on the margins. To get better you have to improve the lens, the one in your head. So that's the best investment in your photography, grab a camera, give yourself an assignment, try capturing as many different images as possible, all looking differently. Hang out with a photographer whose work you admire, listen, learn from the experience. Take a class from a great photographer, learn from the other participants, ask questions, experiment without embarrassment, you'll make progress. Another option take a One on One from a great photographer, like William Neill(I'll review his One on One in a later podcast}, prepare in advance, take it seriously and you'll make progress. Keep shooting every chance you get, take risks, enter local competitions, be open for change, you'll make progress. Look at great photography, think about how it was shot, try some of it in the field, you'll make progress. Now do you think a new lens will help. If you are thinking yes, go back to the beginning and re-read! You'll make progress. I feel better and I made progress.
Doug Murdoch, President/Product Designer of Think Tank will be featured on an upcoming HTEI conversation. Think Tank has become the most talked about company in gear management and we will discuss all of this with Doug. Additionally, we will have a conversation with John Storrie of The Vested Interest, the top wildlife photography vest designer/maker in the US. These vests are terrific, hold everything, and make carrying a big lens and gear much more manageable. John's vest are not only great, they are custom made for your body size. Hear all about this and more in the weeks to come. The current episode of a conversation with acclaimed landscape photographer Bill Neill can be found on iTunes at:http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/interview-with-landscape-photographer/id363484296?i=81717791
Pat Conroy has the ability to create strong visual images, deep texture, in his masterful crafted stories. "South of Broad" is a wonderful book of images of Charleston told over decades, enriched with strong characters, deep emotions, with passion and tragedy. Mr. Conroy is one of the best writers of our time and I wanted to read more about his characters in this book as I finished the last page. A real testament to a book that is not written for a sequel.
"Photography has not changed since its origins except in its technical aspects which for me is not a major concern" Henri Cartier-Bresson from "Perception and Imaging" by Richard D. Zakia
Try Kelby Training. It is an online resource associated with NAPP that has tons of videos to watch and improve your photographic skills. Everything from photoshop, HDR, flash photography, wildlife with Moose Peterson, to advanced skills in all these categories. I use it a bunch, watching videos more than once, or covering a subject just when I need the information. They have specials where you can get books/videos or other things with your membership and if you are a NAPP member, you get a discount. Now I belong to NAPP also, and aside from all the good materials I get in the mail, you can ship 3 day from B&H for free. I order the majority of my stuff from B&H, great prices, customer services, and product range. No taxes, no shipping, hard to buy any place else if you value money. Both of these make a gift that keeps on giving all year long for the photographer. They update their training on a reasonable basis so you have to check in frequently to see the new stuff. I have learned a lot from Kelby training, and I have no relationship with them other than membership and get no money or perks for what I write about them, so it is purely based on my experience and learning needs. They are inexpensive if you use them frequently, expensive if you buy and never take advantage of their video library. Think of it like a gym membership, don't work out- bad deal, work out regularly-best deal around.
Like many others, I assume you need Yosemite, Yellowstone, Alaska, or some other exotic place to capture special images. Places where people are different, animals perform in the wild, landscapes that cause your jaw to drop, or some other phenom that is different from our ordinary lives. I have changed my mind completely! I know believe the ordinary is where the great images lie. It is everyday life that the extraordinary exists, we just don't see it, and when we do, we are amazed. The exotic has been so recorded, discovery channel, national geographic, as well as countless still images everywhere, make us immune to the impact. But, capture some new view of our ordinary life and it causes notice, stops you for a moment, and creates impact. The exceptional, is all around us, unrecognized because it is us who are ordinary, not our surroundings. We tend to look at the world with the same view, only seeing what we have seen before, not stopping to see things differently. I'm as guilty as anyone of this. Fresh images are everywhere, fresh observations are not, so we don't have to go to exotic places, we need to become exotic in our perspective to our ordinary world. This was brought home to me with my recent trip to Lassen Park. A friend who was photographing with me, brought by some images today, and I was stunned. He had taken a stream, a bridge, two trees, and made some very special images. The scenery could have been anywhere, it was his perspective that was different. We have been talking about fresh looks, and he really demonstrated the possibility. I know I tend to harp on this subject, partly to control my own behavior, but I do believe you have to break rules, not see things as a human on two legs, put your eyes in your toes, or in the dark, catch life in its height, not in a static state. All of this is work in progress, my journey of discovery, is not limited by money, transportation, access, mobility, or any of the other "things" we assume limit us, but simply of my own powers of observation and perspective. For in the end, all of those "things" will not improve one pixel of my vision. That is true discovery.
That was the question I had when I called Bear Images in Palo Alto California, distributor of Phase 1 digital backs for medium format and large format cameras. You read lots of claims about 35mm digital exceeding medium format film, approaching large format quality but you have to be careful since so many of the "experts" have a vested financial interest in what they are promoting. My interest, I was a medium format shooter before digital(I also shot 35mm film but loved medium format), and gradually adopted more digital, now I shoot 35mm digital almost exclusively. However, unlike most, I did not sell my medium format gear, I just could not part with with those Zeiss lenses and so I wait. For what? A reasonably priced back that I can shoot landscapes, and fine art. Wildlife is always 35mm digital because of the speed, as well as event shooting because of the ISO range ability. But those medium format chromes are breath taking, and I long for a solution in digital that will not require a second mortgage, or a foundation endowment. I have not found it yet but did have an interesting discussion with Jim at Bear Images. He explained that the current 35mm digital cameras place a blurring filter over the sensor to account for differences within pixels (on the sensor). This is done for economics of manufacturing and has an obvious image impact. Phase One backs have no filter or blurring effect and therefore the image is much sharper and with a significantly higher pixel count(backs have variable MP counts up to 65MP). The downside, the backs are very expensive, normally reserved for clients who demand this quality. For file size, a 30MP back will produce a 180MB 16 bit tiff file. A Nikon D3X at 21.5MP produces a 130MB file, but the big question is, "are these files equal in quality" or does the 35mm filter significantly reduce the comparatively quality. I'm told the Leica M8 sharpness, which is talked about, is the result of removing the filter from the sensor. I plan on visiting Bear Images and taking my 35mm digital Nikon to compare the images. They offered to compare the cameras, and I'm curious about the difference. Update on the print, recall my photog friend John created an HDR psd file entitled Green Street, and sent off for an Epson print of 42" X 63". The print has returned and it's great! It is going to look fabulous framed and matted. I don't think it would have been possible for a print of this size and quality in 35mm film format. The file was enlarged with Genuine Fractals 6, and sharpened selectively with Nik's output sharpening software. Nik allows sharpening based on the printer model you are going to use so the effect is specific. Maybe more than you want to know or care about.
I'm off to the DC area in the morning, taking just my Leica D-Lux 2, which is great for travel when you need to be light.
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