Geek Hardware: The Toy Cameras

If any of my college professors are reading this post, please return to my webpage and enjoy the pretty pictures...you will not like what you are about to see.

Everyone ready?

Here goes...

I like blur...

There, I said it. I can't take it back now..it's out there. Everyone knows. Even though it flies in the face of everything I learned as an undergrad...that everything must be razor sharp, so sharp in fact that to run your hand down the front of the print would cause it to bleed. It's true...I have developed a love affair with blur. I feel better now.

Of course you can create blur with Photoshop or any other decent post processing software when it comes to your digital files. But I have found that blur looks the best when it comes from film...just like everything else in life. *coughGOFILMcoughcough*

With that in mind there are a whole slew of cameras out there whose lives are built around the blur...many of which are coupled with my other love...the vignette. The darkening of edges to create a dark and ominous mood....mmm...vignette. These cameras are generally plastic in nature and tend to leak light like a sieve. The time tested favorite of these cameras is the wonderfully dynamic Holga.

Holgas are easy to find and super easy to use. The cameras can be found online at Amazon.com and B&H Photovideo. Many local stores also carry them as they have become a big part of what I would like to think is a film revival. I know that digital has become the way of the photographic world,  but I think that there are a large group of photographers that still enjoy the look and feel of film and will be hard pressed to give it up for some applications.

They take 120 film which can be purchased at any decent photography shop. They also generally require copious amounts of taping with duct tape to cover all the loose seams and light leaks.

Focusing the Holga (as well as many of it's sister and simlar cameras..the Diana, the Woca, etc.) is notoriously simple and requires some guess work. They are also a fixed f/8 ('ish) aperture. So that gives you a good amount of sharpness with a good fall off to the blur.

Everyone, go out and get a Holga, a Woca, a Diana Camera, or any sort of cheap 20.00 plastic camera and get out shooting. The results are awesome and everyone will KNOW that you're cool when they see you shoot one of these monsters.

New Hardware Alert: Canon EOS-1D Mark IV Digital SLR

So, Canon released it's newest addition to its Digital SLR line up...the 1D Mark IV. I'm super excited to see how well the extended ISO settings look. I'm sure it'll be phenomenal otherwise they wouldn't offer it...but still! Any excuse to get my paws on one or to see the results...I'm there! Check out the Canon Page linked below...

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV Digital Dreamboat

Super cool stuff, but now...it puts me one more step behind the times...methinks it's time to upgrade! YAY!

Geek Hardware: Cactus Wireless Flash Trigger Set V4

Off camera lighting is the best way to get that professional look that we all strive for in photography. There are countless ways to do it that range from those self contained light heads that we see in every studio across the country, to a tiny little external flash stuck on top of a light stand.

To trigger them many pros lean towards Pocket Wizards. Awesome little triggers and recievers that will allow you to set up your off camera flashes and trigger them from a ways away. That gives us latitude to selectively light a scene and get the look we want. The problem with Pocket Wizards...they can be SUPER expensive for us beginning professionals. The solution...a great little setup from our friends at Gadget Infinity.


Cactus Wireless Flash Trigger Set V4.

These little gadgets do the same thing as our Pocket Wizard friends..at a FRACTION of the price. Thus enabling we kids who live in a super tight budget, to start dabbling in the world of off camera flashes while we save up for the spendier Wizards. So now...there's no excuse to resign ourselves to our on board pop up flashes any longer!

Got your credit card out yet?

Travelling with Camera Gear

Hello Everyone,

As I am currently planning a vacation to Boston in the coming week, I thought it would be a good time to revisit the TSA website and see what sort of requirements or restrictions are in place regarding camera equipment. I had heard a while back that they were banning Lithium Ion batteries in Carry-on baggage. After reviewing the website (link below) it turns out I was backwards. It's cool to keep extra batteries for you camera and other goodies in your Carry-ons, but not in checked baggage. Interesting...

As always it's a good idea to check the TSA info page before you fly and there are a number of great sites out there that give tips to we photographers on how to make sure your gear lands safely and in one piece.

(http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/batteries.shtm)

Also, be sure to keep your camera good safe when you are at your vacation destination...a few good tips:

Don’t advertise your camera. Keep your camera in a bag, preferably a plain old run of the mill one, not the one that has Nikon, Canon or Kodak plastered all over it. It's much safer for the camera anyway.

Keep it on your body whenever possible. If it’s a book bag type you can sometimes keep it on you while you’re eating at a restaurant, or you can sit the bag down between your feet and put the chair leg through the back straps to give your bag a little more protection. (Just don't forget it when you leave!)

Don't just leave it dangling from your neck, either. A quick cut of a knife and the strap is worthless, the camera is gone.

Be aware of your surroundings. I always give a quick look around before I pull my camera out. Even then, I wrap the strap around my wrist a couple of times before the camera leaves my bag.

Insure it! All the prevention in the world cannot thwart the craftiest thieves. Your homeowner's or renter's insurance probably offers "scheduled coverage" for an added fee (your insurance otherwise will not cover it once you leave your home). Travel insurance policies also provide coverage, although read the fine print first to be sure the coverage is as valuable as the camera. If you're camera is quite valuable, or you are a pro or serious amateur with a lot of equipment, check into policies specifically for cameras and photo equipment.

Secure your images. No policy can replace those great shots of the family posing at the Grand Canyon, and imagine the expense to return later. While you are traveling, you can back up those images even without a laptop on hand. Look for hour-photo shops that will convert those images on your memory card to CD. Keep that CD somewhere safe.