Sound, Camera, Action!

The medium of digital photography came a long way since just trying to make a good, "non digital" looking photograph; photographers now can use their DSLRs to capture much more then just still images, a lot of people are using the latest DSLRs to capture motion and creating beautiful movies.

Last week, a few talented indie movie makers were shooting footage of a rehearsal in NYC.
The idea was to shoot in a BW, grainy sort of look that might be reminiscent of an old Jazz club...
The equipment used was pretty basic, Canon DSLRs - two 7Ds and a 60D coupled with an array of lenses, simple lighting setup and pro audio field recording.

Here is an edited version of the footage I shot with my Vixia HFS11 so you can get the idea, if you would like to see the full, unedited version of an entire take you can do it here, there are two - one has camera angles and the other shows some slider work.
Having three cameras on hand for each take makes for great editing options later on and helps to cut down on actual shooting time, you can do it all with one camera, positioning yourself at various angles to your subject and editing the footage any way you like .



(This was edited with Sony Vegas Pro 10 which I absolutely love, even though I'm just a novice and have much to learn).

I'll post a link to the finished movie when it's all edited to the final version (I wasn't part of the project,more like a fly on the wall documenting it :))

If you ever wanted to explore movie making this is the time to do it!

Dress for Success

We all know that what we look like effects the way other people perceive who we are.

I am fortunate to be able to attend most of the major photography trade shows (usually as part of the Canon gang), and one of the perks of doing so is the ability to pick up gear and software for up to 50% of the regular cost - I do take advantage of that a lot, lol!

When attending Photo Plus (NYC) last Oct, I picked up a photography vest from LowePro.

What struck me the most about this vest was it's size and also the "no nonsense" pro look; as you know by now, I'm not a big burly girl...so when I'm on the job it's important for me to give the client the security of knowing he/she has hired a pro.

One of the things we can use to impart a specific impression is the way we dress, that is why different professions have uniform, think about it, would you like your MD to show up with a pair of baggy jeans & a shabby T shirt? (before you know he is a brilliant surgeon)...
We also move and carry ourselves differently in a business suit then we do in flannel pajamas...

So when I put on that black vest I felt like I was ready to take on the toughest assignment and no one would think twice about giving it to me!
It was amusing to see the looks I received as I was walking through the trade show floor and the comments I got from random people were very congruent with what I expected.

So although the vest itself is very functional, versatile - (you can connect a bunch of accessories on to it for different purposes) and well built, I admit that the reason I wear it is because it has the look I want.

I'm sure you have felt this way about something at least once in your life :) ...



You can check out Derrick's blog here for more cool stuff!