Digital Dilemmas

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Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Digital Photo Seminar...
2007-05-23 14:59:00
I just finished teaching a Digital Photo graphy Semin ar for BASF Chemical Corporation in Research Triangle Park, here in the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill Region. One day isn't a lot of time to teach 30+ people the basics of Photography and Digital Capture. Every individual had a different goal for using photography in their research, both in the field and lab. Covering the basics ( Photo 101) of beginners photography allowed me to transition them from Film to Digital and have it make sense in a short period of time. I really had a successful day and I am looking forward to returning in July or August for another portion of the seminar. Maybe by then I will have a new laptop and I won't have to wrench my back loading my desktop and 20 inch monitor into the car!More about this later...
More About: Mina

Canon Rumors....
2007-05-19 18:57:00
I check the Web and Blogosphere at least once a day for any news from Canon Camera about their Latest and Greatest DSLR, hoping that the next big thing is right around the corner for release. Most info out there is old and pure fanciful speculation. Some of the best gossip, fabrication and half truths come from obscure Chinese Language websites that pop up from time to time, usually just a page or two, poorly translated and half finished. I think the engineers at Canon put them up on the Web to entertain themselves during coffee breaks, just to mess with our minds! I'm thinking about adding a link to my site of the best Bull Sh_t Camera Fakes that are currently circulating on the internet. Maybe people could send me links to their own BS, cut and paste Frankenstein Super Cameras. I could send the best one sailing through cyber' space forever!More to come...
More About: Rumors , Digital Cameras , Mors , Anon

Lock and Load...
2007-05-18 04:21:00
Shooting the occasional personal project can really get you energized as an image maker. I know that I don't make the time to shoot new portfolio images as often as I should. Somewhere in all the work and bills to be paid, my urge to shoot personal images gets its butt kicked. I find that writing an idea down on paper ( scribbles, drawings etc...) in front of my computer really helps to make it happen. Without that constant reminder, the self- originated, creative and satisfying work just gets forgotten in my daily grind to get ahead. You have to convince yourself of the importance of shooting new work. New images can bring you new clients. Pick a day on the calendar and schedule your time just as you would for a real paying job!PS. Speaking of a Digital Dilemma! ..... I have 11 or 12 episodes of ABC's ' Lost ' digitally recorded on my cable box. I don't know whether the SOB's are still lost?..... on the island?......off the island? Are they all robots, or maybe just a figme...
More About: Load , Lock

Plan Ahead....Part 2
2007-05-17 22:07:00
Continuing from the 'Plan Ahead ' post on Tuesday, May 15 :5) Batteries! Batteries! Batteries! ...... Yes, I know it's a little condescending to be reminding other Professional Photographers to carry enough batteries to get the job done. But it's not just about your Ziploc Bag filled with Double A's and Triple A's. It's more about being prepared with fresh ( New ) batteries before you show up for the job and also about having the right type of Battery!Yes, I can hear it now ' This jerk is gonna tell me what batteries I should be using! Next he'll be telling me what kind of equipment to bring! 'What is the right battery for your Digital Camera? Well, that depends on whether or not you want to have your camera die right in the middle of an important job or shoot like a madman all day without having to crack open the battery cover. There's nothing lamer than having to fumble through a dark camera bag to find enough dollar store double A's to get you through the hour. That's...
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You Have To Have A Plan!.....
2007-05-16 00:26:00
If you've been shooting Still Film professionally for any length of time, you have certainly already come up with a workflow that suits your personal style and needs. Everyone has they're system for culling through slides, negatives and prints that works for them . But photographers new to digital can spend several years and waste lots of money trying to figure out the best way to manage the voluminous amounts of data created by our modern high res digital cameras. I personally have benefited from working at a studio where major investments of time and money have been put into the switch from film to digital. It has not been easy and the learning curve is painful (to both your wallet and behind). It requires many long hours in front of your computer and a healthy vocabulary of good cuss words...and Coffee, lots and lots of coffee! I still wouldn't trade my digital for all the fujichrome Velvia and Ektachrome 100 in the world! If your still fighting the switch from film to di...
More About: Digital Cameras , Plan

Another Day Another Dollar...
2007-05-14 04:32:00
Friday's shoot was a real challenge. We broke out all the "Old School Tricks" we could think of..... hot lights, Strobes, Vivitar 283's, gels, peanut slaves and dozens of rolls of background paper. We had the kitchen sink and the whole kitchen with us! Hardly a piece of equipment was left behind at the studio when we loaded for the job and the location was dusty and dirty from metal work and welding. And after all the preparation, hard work and gear delivered to the site, our hero's end up being 3 ambient light exposures (with a little help from 1/8th mile of white seamless) on a Canon EOS 1ds Mark II. Ain't digital great! But when the job was finished, there was quite a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. You have to have a few rough days to make you appreciate the breeze jobs that start at 9:AM and end before the lunch hour starts. The lunch hour being 'THE' most important hour of any day!Later...
More About: Dollar , Doll

Hello To All.....A Little About Me.
2007-05-11 06:19:00
It had to happen eventually....and here it is, my attempt at communication with the other obsessed people with camera envy, sore wallets and tired 'stared at the LCD monitor too long' eyes! I hope I can be of some help, even if just hearing another person complain makes your problems more bearable. I can bitch and moan with the best of them, so bear with me in the next few weeks as I lay out my plan to take over the photo world, one slow pay client at a time!Day One.
More About: First Post , Hello , Litt