Friday, August 31, 2012

A few flowers, a lens review and a personal update.

I'm posting a few new stills to both the blog, then they will be processed and for sale shortly on my website.

I don't tend to get asked this very often by clients, but I do get asked by other photographers what system I shoot.  I use Canon cameras, and Canon lenses.  I don't use any third party items.  I recently added a new lens to my line up.  The Canon 24 1.4ii L.  The lens is one impressive looking piece of glass.  It weighs (guessing) as much as my 24-105 (which is less than my 24-70).

I added it because I wanted another low light prime.  Well I bought 2 of them that just couldn't focus to save their life.  When I used them and they hit, the results were magical.  They were simply unobtainable by another lens.  It's the fastest wide angle lens with auto focus Canon makes.  I did some research and it appears that the 24 1.4 that Nikon has it equally a piece of crap to use in the focus department and isn't even as sharp as the Canon version.

What good is sharp when I can't get the stupid thing to focus?  People have suggested sending my cameras in because they could be the problem.  Seriously, what are the chances that I have 3 professional level Canon bodies that work FLAWLESSLY with 8 Canon lenses, zooms/primes, but have a problem that they can't work with another lens?  I actually had someone suggest to me that perhaps the bodies and lenses I have were ALL out of adjustment just enough, but close enough to each other to work.

Seriously?  No, I either got 2 bad 24 1.4ii's (I went through two of them extensively) or the 24 1.4 just sucks.  It was a 1599 after the 200 dollar rebate piece of crap.

I sent it back and I won't be revisiting it anytime soon, that's for sure.

Someone suggested using manual focus, but sorry I didn't buy a lens to use as a manual focus only lens.  I would've bought a Zeiss instead if I wanted over priced manual focus only optics.

Aside from being a professional photographer, I do have a few other interests/hobbies.  I enjoy working out, playing music and studying Judo and JuJitsu.  I received my black belt in Judo this month.  I plan on doing a write up and some photos of that here soon.  I'm excited and looking forward to that write up.

Here's the still's I was talking about before I started the wall of text :)

They will be available for purchase on my website shortly. Thanks for tuning in and stay tuned for the new website launch.


Sunday, August 5, 2012

Status update!

The website redesign is going well, so well in fact that I think launch isn't too far out.  Just finalizing details, and *gulp* writing some bio stuff up for you guys to read!  I'll keep you posted.








A friend of mine and I were having a discussion about things in life that are never not worth something.  There's multiple types of watch movements.  Automatic, and quartz.  Basically self winding and battery.  A self winding machine is true to real watch making as you get.

There were other items on the list as I'm sure you can imagine, but it was a good talk.


Pictured is a 90's era Omega seamaster (Think James bond circa 95, only the first three they had were quartz and not automatic) with a faded bezel. 

I'm going to see if my friend wants his collection photographed, because it's always unique trying to get cool concept photos of nice items.  He's definitely got some cool/interesting pieces and like I said, I'm going to try and photograph them.