Kind Words

I love photography and the connection it brings me with people I photograph.  Every once in a while I get really kind feedback from people which is totally thrilling, humbling and motivating. That was the case when someone pointed out to me that this comment was in the newspaper recently: 

A bouquet to Neil from Vivid Photography. The pictures of my kids were amazing. You went far and beyond what I expected of a professional. Thank you for the cherished memories on our wall.

So to whomever put that in, thank-you, you made my day!

Film

I had the opportunity to borrow the really nice Nikon film scanner from the photo club which was great as I had been considering buying a film scanner to put my 2000+ negatives onto my hard drive.  I only have it for a week, and film scanning is a very slow process, so my main goal right now is just to scan my 300 or so wedding photos so that I can work on them and create a photobook for my wife as I would do for any other bride.  I've also had our wedding video taken and put on DVD from VHS so I can make a slideshow.  It is pretty tedious, but I'm very excited about the project.  

When I first started scanning the scans were coming up really scratched up and grainy.  Being as we had our wedding almost entirely shot in black and white film it actually looked cool.  Much like I would have expected from a wedding shot in 1930, not 2001.  Of course, eventually I found the 'digital ice' setting on this scanner and when I scanned other negatives they came out crisp and scratch free.  Much nicer file, but kinda boring.  I don't have time to scan each one twice so I'm just going to randomly alternate.  I can always clean up grain in Photoshop or for that matter, add some (but not as naturally) so it is all good.  Btw, many thanks to my friend Ludy who was our wedding photographer.  She is still around photographing weddings and you can find her site here.

I know that most labs charge about $1 per negative scanned, so my wedding project alone would have cost $300.  I found a guy that did a pretty good job of putting my VHS tapes on DVD, which is good as I don't even own a VHS player (nor have I for years).  If you have been thinking about doing this with your film, now is the time.  Just do it.  You will love it.  And if you are lucky enough to have some black and white film negatives, it will remind you why it was awesome.  

I have to buy another film camera.  Anyone have an Olympus OM-4t they want to sell me?

Looking for a New Camera?

You know every once in a while I come across a great deal on a camera online. I already own too many cameras so I can't buy them, but it seems a waste not to pass on the good news. Panasonic made dslr's for a while before moving over to micro 4/3rds cameras. One of the problems with those two Panasonic dslr's on the market were that they bundled them with expensive Leica lenses which really brought up the price. Their last effort, the L10 was a really interesting camera, and one that should have been a big sucess if they could have sold it for around $600 or $700 body only. Well, they charged about $1500 new for the camera and sold very few of them. Now, patient bargain hunters can buy the camera brand new in Canada with the Leica lens for $700. Find it here. With this camera you can use any of the great Olympus lenses as well as any of the four Panasonic/Leica lenses and several by Sigma.

Karen and Kids

Thanks Karen for having us photograph your kids.  You were all so great and we hope you enjoy your images!

Photo Walks

Adam did a little mini session with Karen and her kids on Friday.  He did a great job.  I'll  leave it to him to post a sample photo here, but I know Karen will be thrilled.  I was only the lighting guy, or should I say reflector guy as we used natural light only that day.  

I was playing around in Lightroom with some old photos and thought I'd post up one with a new process I'm playing with (in this post).  We are going to be out photographing bicycle trails here soon for City publications on the trails in our city.  That will be a fun departure, looking forward to it!

Veil

My daughter and I were watching a wedding photography video, and I was surprised how interested she was in the lighting, and technical bits.  It was enjoyable sharing an interest with her, even if it was brief.  Anyway, there as a bride getting photographed in a veil and Malanya wanted to try it, so in the absence of a veil we used some old mosquito netting and had a blast playing around.  The photo here is from the 10 minutes we spent at it.  

I was reading around the net and came across a post by a photographer that took a photo in the UK of a police van parked in a disabled parking spot.  The police officer saw him and asked him to delete it.  He refused.  Thankfully the situation didn't get out of control, but it is just one more of those situations that makes you wonder.  

I was also going through the various blogs and forums I read and was reading with interest a post by Scott Bourne on the new Olympus E-P1.  Scott essentially calls it an overhyped, too expensive and underperforming camera.  Now, he hasn't shot with it yet so to his credit he reserves final judgement until he tries the camera but I'm surprised he is so skeptical when he himself is a user of both the Panasonic GH1 (same sensor size and lens format) and LX3 (about the same size camera and look/functionality).  Frankly I think he is jumping to conclusions about a camera based on his irritation that it is generating mass interest.  I think this camera might cause a bit of a stir in the imaging world as it finally delivers on the camera size promise of the 4/3rds sensor.  Once users start wandering over and seeing how good it is with Olympus lenses they just might get hooked.  Scott included.

Lastly, I was reading the new Popular Photography magazine.  They do a nice preview of the Pentax K7 saying that Pentax have really stepped up their game (and I think they have).  They also have a nice article on high quality zooms.  I'm surprised by how nicely they talk about the Nikon 70-200 f2.8 given that they identify some issues with the lens.  But it was also a nice surprise to me to see them including my dream lens, the Olympus 35-100 f2.0 lens. They get it right too, essentially calling it the digital zoom lens of such high quality that it should be the lens that all future lenses aspire too.  One day I will own that lens.

Contemporary Wedding Photography

I just finished a book this morning on wedding photography titled "Contemporary Wedding Photography" by Julie Oswin and Steve Walton.  Now I'm not going to make you skip to the end of my ramblings to see if I liked it..... I loved it.  It is full of beautiful photographs, inspiring ideas and fits well with the style of wedding photography that I like, a mix of photojournalist (candid) and formal.  

Now Julie Oswin is an accomplished and awarded photographer in the UK.  The style of her and her partner is very modern, emotive and professional.  In the book they break down all the different parts of the wedding (ceremony, reception, bride and groom preparation, etc.) and give tips on what a photographer might encounter and should be focusing on at different points during the event.  They talk about creation of albums and marketing strategies as well as absolutely fill the book with different tips on posing, and quiet candid photography.  The photography is top notch and will fill a wedding photographer (like me) with ideas for their next event.  

If I'm going to pick a downside to the book, it is that it falls into the same pitfall that most photography books do.  It has a chapter on post processing or computer work.  Thankfully it skips the gear talk, but honestly being as books are not absolutely current (as the internet is) they risk getting dated when they dedicate too many pages to technology that changes monthly. Thankfully, it is one chapter only, but being as it is only about a 140 page book, I would have loved to have more of the good stuff rather than the 16 pages they dedicate to post processing and printing. 

If you are a wedding photographer, new or old established pro, I give this book a big two thumbs up.  It will teach any old dog a new trick or two, and gives new photographers to the industry a very useful roadmap into the industry.  You can find a link to the book at Amazon on our featured book link on the top right side of this blog.

Parksville Museum

I went with my family to the Craig Museum in Parksville today.  It was really interesting, with lots of buildings to wander through and things to look at.  It was also very quiet, us being the only ones there.  It is hard to believe I haven't been there before given it is only 20 minutes away.  It is a nice way to spend an hour if you get a chance.  The chains in this photo are from there, see if you can find them if you visit.

Figure Skating

I was out photographing some skating yesterday for Parks and Rec and it was a blast.  In the morning I photographed some adult ice dancing which was really cool.  I love seeing people live and enjoy life and these guys really were having fun.  In the afternoon I was out doing some figure skating and had the chance to photograph this girl that was really an accomplished athlete.  That was a real treat as the ice was fairly empty so I was out sitting in the middle of the rink (getting my bum wet and cold) and able to get some really fun shots.

I'm taking my daughter out today to the museum in Parksville as we haven't been before.  I'm looking forward to grabbing some photos with my old L1 while there.  Speaking of my daughter, my wife and I were looking at a photo we have of her when she was just two that is up on our wall yesterday.  I walk by it 5 times a day without looking, but when we looked at it yesterday it just captured us both with a fond memory of a moment.  It's one of the reasons I love photography.

Lastly there are rumors of the Nikon D300s being released this summer which will have video. Adam and I want to add a video capable dslr for use while shooting weddings for those short video inserts into slideshows.  I know he is interested in the Pentax K7, but I suspect the D300s is tempting as well.  It will be a wait and see.  The current Nikon D300 is a very capable and excellent camera, but neither of us was thrilled with its build quality and ergonomics.  The problem with Nikon's lenses is that they don't always have the best quality on their full-frame cameras (70-200 f2.8), so their crop sensors are somewhat more interesting.   We shall see.  It is just GAS (gear acquisition syndrome).  

How To Videos

Part of how we do things at Vivid Photography is to price our products reasonably and allow people control over their own images.  We provide our corporate and portrait clients (and others who purchase rights) to download full sized high resolution copies of their photos from their online gallery.  We call that a virtual CD.  That saves us time and material in providing them with a CD or DVD of images ourselves a lot of the time, and most people nowadays are pretty computer savvy and can figure out how to do this themselves.  Some customers however do have difficulty and I find that just giving verbal instructions or a written set of instructions is often no help, so I created some short video tutorials.  One on downloading photos and one on ordering prints.  Now we still provide CD's if customers request them for a small fee, but for those that want to save a bit of money, this tutorial should show them how.  Just one more way we are trying to be a little different from every other photographer in town.  

Speaking of video, its not really my thing.  There is a real convergence of photography and videography happening right now with camera's having high quality video built right into them. I've used my LX3 for video at weddings, and now last night I did a short video of hockey as a sample of our Parks and Rec project.  I'm trying to keep an open mind about it, but video is a lot of work on the computer later, and eats hard drive space like crazy.  Definitely a learning curve for me as I am sure it is for a lot of photographers who are now being expected to add video to their bag of tricks.  A big key for me is that video needs to be short.  Attention spans aren't long for most people and I just find long videos really boring, unlike an image that I can stare at seemingly forever.  

Anyway the video tutorial on downloading is in this post.

Photographer Profile: Dallas Logan

Model: Bintou
Originally uploaded by dallasjlogan

Dallas Logan is one of the photographers I follow on Flickr. I like to check in on others work both as a source of inspiration and because even though I'm a photographer myself, I'm a fan of photography. I enjoy looking at great photos.

Now Dallas is one of those photographers that I'm really polarized about. Some of his images I'm totally amazed by. They are awe inspiring. Others I find overdone, or awkward. To me though, this is the sign of a good photographer. His images are making statements about the subject, and like a good movie or book you either love it or hate it. There is no gray area.

Check out Dallas' photostream here or his website here.

OOPS, UK is Still Banning Photography

I guess the UK is now allowing uniformed police officers to seize photographers equipment in certain zones throughout the country.  They need no reason other than simply seeing photography equipment.  So where can't you take photos?  They refuse to tell you!  I guess it's just best to walk around with your camera and wait and see.  Apparently the whole of London is subject to search and seizure of photography equipment, so if you are planning on going there as a tourist you'd better leave your point and shoot at home.  Read about this here. 

Before I go.  I recently bought my third camera bag.  A ThinkTank Urban Disguise 50.  I had been hearing about this company for some time, and how well built and thought out their bags were.   Photography bags are one of those things I can already tell I'm going to have a large collection of. I also want to add a rolling suitcase and a hard case to by collection.  Anyway, the ThinkTank bag swallowed both of my dslr's 4 lenses, various lighting bits and bobs and batteries and nick nacks no problem.  Upon receiving it I could tell all the hype about quality build was true.  It is sturdy and has lots of thoughtful little add-ons like a memory card holder and rain cover.  It is the second largest shoulder bag in their lineup.  

Vancouver Police Update Photography Policy

Well, it seems that at least one police service is realizing that they need to educate their officers on how not to illegally bully photographers. The Vancouver Police have updated their policy for officers in how they deal with seizing photographers equipment after they were embarasssed by an officer seizing a news photographers camera without a warrant. You can read about it here. There are always going to be those photographers out there in a small minority that deserve special attention from the police, just like with any population of people, but it is nice to see a general recognition that knee jerk policing just doesn't work. Hats off to the Vancouver Police, even if it took public embarassment to force the issue.

E-P1

E-P1

It is here!!!!  

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Photo Contest

The Georgia Straight Alliance is hosting a photo contest and you can find information about it on their site here.  As with all photo contests, it pays to read the fine print and copyright statement. With this one you keep ownership of your photo, but you grant rights for them to publish and use your photo (with credit given) for all time.  

Blue Sky At Night, Baseball Delight

Blue Sky At Night, Baseball Delight
Originally uploaded by liquid tension

I went to a Victoria Seals game yesterday with a friend and our kids. It was fun. I have been going down to Seattle to watch Mariners games pretty much every year since I moved to Vancouver Island in 1994, but it is nice to have a local team to go watch even if they are not major league caliber. Heck for $60 I was able to buy two tickets, lots of food and spoil my girl with souvenirs, and that would have likely not even covered my gas to Seattle. Plus my daughter and friends boy were chosen to run the bases in a race against the mascot. That was surely the highlight of their day (along with the hot dogs and foamy fingers) and we won 4 free tickets to a future game.

I saw lots of photographers at the ball park shooting Nikon's, a Canon with a big white lens and (what really caught my eye) a Pentax K20D with an old film era lens on it I didn't recognize. I had 'met' through Flickr a photographer in Victoria a while ago through a shared interest in sports photography named Jon, or 'Liquid Tension' on Flickr. He is a photographer for the Victoria Seals as they have their first official year. You can check out his photos here. One of his photos is in this post. Jon is a good sports photographer so check him out.

In photo related news, I'm pretty interested in the new Olympus micro 4/3rds camera being announced sometime today. Photos of it have already been leaked and can be seen here at the Olympus Rumors site. The camera looks relatively the same size as my LX3 point and shoot. A very appealing and interesting camera for sure. It will be interesting to see if it catches on with the Canikon crowd.

Kelli Etheridge of Etheridge Photographic is hosting a Pro Show workshop on how to create photography slideshows if anyone is interested.  Kelli is a very talented photographer, if you are at all in need of instruction, or need lighting gear (she sells Opus gear) you should contact her.  

Adam and I are going to be photographing the Canadian Bodypainting Festival again this year in September.  We met with a small group of photographers and the organizers last week.  It looks to be shaping up to be a bigger and bigger event each year and we are looking forward to taking part again.

Window Portraits

I was playing around with my FL50R and its wireless flash capabilities, but ended up feeling like shooting some natural light window headshots instead.    We have  a couple of skating shoots scheduled this week which should be fun.  

Olympus E-P1

Olympus has had photos of their new micro four thirds camera leaked, the E-P1.  It is designed to be similar to the old film PEN cameras.  Hopefully they find the success they did with that camera in the digital age.  It is much smaller than the Panasonic 4/3rds G1 and GH1 and should appeal to people that want dslr capability without the big size.  The E-P1 will be a more consumer oriented model and apparently Olympus plans on releasing a higher grade version in winter 2009 aimed at advanced amateurs and pros looking for small cameras.

The official announcement comes in one week for the E-P1, but if you want to get the scoop jump over to Olympus Rumors Website.

It's Happened Again

It has happened again.  Another photographer was arrested for taking photos.  This time in Ottawa.  A college student was taking photos of city buses for a school project and was arrested and convicted as a result.  Seems a high profile Ottawa lawyer has found out about the story and is offering free legal help to the young woman, which is great.  I seriously can't imagine how some college kid taking photos of buses needs to be the biggest priority of our policing resources.  

FL50R

I tried my new Olympus FL50R flash today in wireless mode with the E3 and I have to say, I'm deeply surprised how effective it is.  The on camera flash has to be used, though apparently it doesn't actually fire during the shutter moment, just to set up and communicate with the big off camera flash.  I've yet to use it for a portrait, but indoor photos just of a room work great.

Thought I'd put up another photo from my shoot with Jasmine and her family.  They were lots of fun.  I didn't tell them to climb a roof, but hey if they are going to do it I'm going to photograph it!

Flash Zebra

Flash Zebra came through again with some cool custom cords for my flashes to work with my Pocket Wizards.  They make it so easy to find what you need, and not only support Nikon and Canon, but Olympus, Sony and Pentax as well.  If you are looking for flash connection cords, hot shoe accessories or other lighting bits and bobs, I can't recommend them enough.

While on the subject of flashes, I just picked up my third flash, an Olympus FL50R.  It is pretty much the same flash as my Panasonic FL500, but has a plug for external battery pack and allows for remote control with the E3 which is nice (though it is only IR so line of sight only).  I'm looking forward to giving it a try.

Thanks to Jasmine and her Family

Jasmine and her family joined me (their third time getting photographs with us!) for some family photos at my new favorite spot, the old barns behind Beban Park.  It was a hot day (too hot) and there wasn't a lot of shade, so thank-you for your time and I hope you like your photos.  Here is one little sneak peek in this post.