Finished up some more head shots. Eventually I’d like to get the awesome Rokinon 85mm lens for taking better portraits. The Nikon 35mm prime is nice, though I worry that features are too distorted. (I usually stay a few feet back and crop closer to hopefully negate the wide lens).

   So since I’ve been working in local film projects in the last couple years, I took it upon myself to go outside my norm and try something new. I wasn’t exactly comfortable with taking portraits/head shots for people to use, but I’m glad I did it.

   I really prefer environments or capturing those objects that people never paid attention to. Actually dealing with people head on is a situation I usually don’t find myself. I knew it was going to be challenging, but I cannot turn my back on an opportunity to grow as an individual. The most difficult part was giving people instruction. I’m not used to guiding my subject into the proper position for the photo. Partly is because of my distaste of posed photographs. I prefer a natural situation that lends itself to a little moment caught in an image. I think I did well for my first crop of head shots. These were some of the best in the series and hopefully bring in some work from local actors.

   I’m charging relatively cheap at $65 to not scare away students from this opportunity. Most professionals charge nearly $300 or more! At that range, most of the inexperienced actors do not get proper head shots, perhaps even costing them the role in a film. Since I’m fairly new to this side gig, I want to be fair but professional to all.

   Even though these first sessions were a completely new experience to me, I definitely see the value of posed photography. To be able to bring out a look or emotion through direction is a skill. I no longer look down at posed photographs, but I still do not prefer it. Despite this, I do want to get better and more comfortable with portraits and interacting with the subjects themselves. It was a great experience. I feel more comfortable with portraiture than I ever have and look forward to my next session!

Here are the images from the calendar I took. I think they turned out very good! Printing was done by www.overnightprints.com. Also I’m posting this with the mobile app. This should help me post more frequently but with smaller updates!

   As the title suggests, these are the two cameras that have caught my eye. Roughly the same price, with similar features. So if I had a Canon before, why not just buy another Canon and be done with it? Well there are some things about the 60D that I did not like, and there are very tempting features of the D7000 that caused my thoughts to stray into Nikon territory.

   Well the first reason why I started looking into the Nikon was that I was starting from fresh. A blank slate if you will. I sold my Canon 30D along with everything I had with it. Why would I do such a thing? Well first of all, I did not have any lenses other than the kit (I borrowed all the cool lenses from freinds). None of the cameras that I was looking at purchasing used the same batteries or even the same memory cards! So whether I bought a Canon or a Nikon, I would be starting from scratch. This created options for me when deciding upon a brand new camera.

   The second reason why Nikon became more tempting was the direction Canon decided to take with the XXD series of cameras. My 30D (and 40D and 50D) was considered a prosumer model consisting of features found on the pro models. With the 60D, Canon decided to switch gears and make the XXD a prosumer model with more advanced features from the Rebel line. So instead of making an inexpensive pro model, they made an expensive consumer model. Canon created a Super-Rebel.
   I do not like the feel of the Rebels. Their smaller, plastic bodies produce no good feelings in my hands. Unfortunately the 60D inherited these smaller, plastic bodies. I love the feel of the more pro models such as the 7D and 5DII. This is why I enjoyed my 30D and it’s all metal body for so long. Fortunately for Canon, they did add new features into the 60D that continued to hold my interest. They extended the movie shooting capabilities, added an articulating screen, and tightened up the functionality of what the T2i was able do. So even though the change in the XXD series was disappointing to me, it still held sway.

   The final reason why Nikon caught my eye was the newly created D7000 series. They created a new line that took the many features of the D300 and D700 and produced an inexpensive pro model. This was very similar to why the XXD series in Canon was created. Some of the features that hit me over the 60D is the new 39 point auto-focusing system, more advanced metering options, 100% viewfinder coverage, dual SD card slots, and weather-sealed metal body. With all these features tugging at the photographer in me, Nikon could not help but sparkle just a little bit brighter than Canon.

   In the end, these are two very good cameras. I would be very happy with either one. If the major emphasis of purchasing a new camera was to shoot video, the Canon would be a no brainer. With the advanced video options and articulating screen, it would have been the envy of other DSLR video shooters in the area :D Incidentally, I am more concerned with photography than I am with video. I feel like the Nikon did a fantastic job appealing to the photographer in me. So that is why two days ago I purchased the D7000, and I am anxiously waiting for it to arrive. After about a week of use, I will make sure to update the ole’ blog with my impressions. I’m not a fanboy in any sense of the word when discussing Canon or Nikon, and I hope that it did not come across as that. I just wanted to state my thought process as to why I chose one camera over another. It is not a purchase but an investment.
   So I will continue waiting…. anxiously…. excitedly…. for my new investment!

So I just saw this interesting presentation about a system and lens that allows the user to gather an image with a multitude of focal data. The original story can be found at PetaPixel. After capturing the “image,” the user can then affect the focal point once the data is gathered into the computer.

There are pros and cons to this. This would be great for those times when a subject is caught in the perfect pose, but just slightly out of focus. Being able to snap the focus back to the appropriate subject would save many a photo that are almost perfect. There are many of my set photos that had to be taken quickly to ensure that I capture the moment, but I would then find out that the focus was slightly off due to the quickness that the photos needed to be taken.

The cons are that this could remove and element of photography that is vital to how I experience it. One of the favorite aspects of photography is the thrill of finally sitting at the computer and observing the images. I like to analyze what went right or wrong, and then apply those findings next time I go out with my camera. This is so I can build upon my successes and failures. Taking the chance of failure out of photography ruins it for me. It is about learning, adapting, and progressing forward.

Sure one could say the same for everything that the DSLR brought that the film SLR could not do. Despite how automatic the DSLR can become, I prefer to use it in mostly its manual mode. I’d really prefer for companies to think about adding options to the camera user at the moment of taking the photos and less about options when in post. Maybe I’m just being stubborn, lol.

In the end, I suppose it is the person behind the camera that really makes the difference. Either way, this presentation helped inspire my mind about what photography means to me.

So I didn’t lie! I’m going to be updating more frequently. So this is me playing catch up. Here are photos from my recent and first visit to New York! I went with my sister, Kristel, who wanted to check out some of the graduate colleges up there. I also went with my best friend, Will, who was an awesome tour guide and really showed us a good time while we were there.

As I’m writing this, I’m having a hard time remembering everything we did because it was such a blur! We visited the MoMa, Manhattan, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Station, NYU, Columbia University, Hunters College, Central Park, Prospect Park, etc. We walked through much of New York and got to experience all different aspects of New York. The city is bursting at the rim with such variety. Our guest house was in Harlem (ChicandBudget is the best place in the world and run by Burt, a kind and gracious host). The fact that we could be in an area such as Harlem and then Rockefeller Center in 30 min. is a testament to the diversity of New York.

My favorite part of the trip would have to Brooklyn. The vibe of that area just resonates deeper in me than in the faster paced Manhattan. It was much more chill and inviting, but at the same time still had the New York soul. The climax of the trip was a concert we went to on the last day. There was a concert playing in Prospect Park that featured The Roots and Talib Kweli. It was the first time while I was there that I did not feel like a tourist. I felt at one with the community. It was a great feeling knowing that a place like New York (that was foreign to me) could open its arms and embrace anyone.

I wish I could talk more about my trip, but I feel like I’d bore anyone who continues to read. Plus there are other experiences this summer that I need to post about! I will not forget my time in New York and hope to be returning someday. It has helped to open up my eyes to different cultures and communities, and I hope that I can relate it to some of my personal artwork in the future.