simon p barlow

Hi Charlie

You could always try Photographers Direct

http://www.photographersdirect.com

You can register for free and they take a 20% cut of anything you sell. You also get emails detailing what publishers are looking for. There is an option to have paid service where people can search for your name and view everything you have submitted. They dont take a cut of anything you sell if you have this service.

They rate your photos, and the highr the average rating, the more web space you get for your photos.

All the best

Simon

Hi

Not sure if this would be suitable, but in Jan/March edition of EOS Magazine Canon announced the Canon Media Storage M30 and M80.

http://www.canon.co.uk/about_us/news/consumer_releases/2h06_news/digital_media_storage.asp

It takes the standard Canon camera batteries ? BP511A and can connect to the camera via cable or you can insert either CF or SD cards. I have no other information about it, but the write-up seems to address most of the requirements of the pro shooter. I don't know pricing, but I guess about 600 pounds (GBP).

Has anyone out there any experience of this bit of kit yet?

Regards

Simon

Hi Mark

The only thing that I wondered was if the wireless shutter release was firing the strobes at the same time as the shutter? There might be a time issue.

If the shutter is released the same time as the strobes, instead of the shutter being released and then triggering the strobes. Fractions of a second may have a difference.

If the output RF power of the wireless shutter release was significantly higher than the strobe system and the frequency's were close, maybe its an interference thing.

Have you tried a wireless shutter trigger with a sync cable from the camera to the strobe? If that works OK and no shutter shadow is present in the images, it might give you a clue as to what's going on.

My two cents worth

Good luck

Simon

Hi Wigwam

Unfortunately, he police in the UK are not all using the same databases...and most of them don't even talk to each other (databases that is) If something was stolen from me, I would report it to GMP (Greater Manchester Police) but if it was recovered in Cheshire, Cheshire police would not be able to search GMP's database for serial numbers. Technology at work! (Heck when two small girls were murdered a couple of years ago two in a high profile case, adjacent police forces couldn't even swap information to catch the guy who did it)

We are supposed to be getting a new national system, but if it's anything like the National health system it will be years late, over budget and full of ....! but if your goods turn up in Scotland, back to square one.

We have a TV show in the UK called "Crime Watch" which used to feature a table full of stolen items with the line "do you recognise any of these items...if so contact such and such police force" The items were mainly higher value - silverware, paintings etc. It hi-lighted the problem Police forces here have in tracking stolen goods.

I don't know if pawn shops have the same requirements to report serial numbers here.

I have heard that insurance companies will often contact police with a list of equipment and serial numbers asking if they can search their database. This my be an urban myth though.

I do take your point though about police forces not having the time to trawl through endless web sites searching for info regarding a few thousand dollars worth of photo gear.

My original idea was to help other photographers record there info just in case some low life out there walked off with their kit. I guess it comes under the heading of ? Must do that? - a bit like backups of your hard drive, everyone means to do it but.... I just thought as there are a lot of members of PN, our collective kit must add up to a couple of million bucks, lets prompt people with a reminder and a facility to record the info.

Charles - I didn't realise that you could add fields. I'm off to have a look at that now.

I did hear a story of a guy who printed out all the serial numbers of his photographic kit on a piece of paper along with ? If you have pinched this bag ? here is a list of the serial numbers that will be passed to the police? and laminated it. Placing a copy inside his bag. His bag was stolen from a wedding shoot and two days later handed in to the police by ?Mr J Public? stating he had ?found? it. Again this may be one of those urban myths... it happened to a friend of a friend of a friend.

Regards

Simon

PS

There is a couple of companies in the UK that you can register equipment with that the police can search for serial numbers if they recover items. In the UK, if they recover somthing but can prove it was stolen from someone (i.e. can't find the original owner) they have to give it back to the person they recovered it from even though they know it may be stolen!

How about PN having an area on the registered users page that would allow users to keep a list of there equipment and serial numbers, then if something was stolen it would be easy to add this item(s) to the stolen kit list.

My insurance company insists on it at each renewal. They have an area on line that I can list everything with a serial number and replacement value.

Just a thought.

Simon

Hi Shala

I can also recomend http://www.photographersdirect.com

they have around over 900,000 images on file and if you have a specific request, they can have a system where they can let photographers know what you are looking for if you cant find anthing on file.

Hope you find what you are looking for.

Regards

Simon

Hi Frank,

Good idea! I did think of using zener diodes to clamp the voltage but as I built it for my own use,(I don't have any intentions to produce any for sale), I thought of keeping it simple.

I did wonder if mixing units of differing types would have any affect. I looked through the spec for elenchrome (spelling?) and Allenbee's and they all use around 5 volts as the sync voltage. I couldn't find any posts of anyone having any problems with differing units.

There are a couple of opto isolators now on the market that would make it safe, as would a 9V battery and reed relays, but like I said, it was to keep it simple.

Maybe someone would like to make the next generation of sync box with the improvements and post the results?

Cheers

Simon

Hi Brooks

The optical slaves on the monolights have a switch on the back panel so I can turn them off. I did a quick test to see if I left one turned on if it would trigger the others, it seems when I plug a sync cable in to the light it automatically disconnects the optical slave.

Hi Doug

The .pdf is a bit chunky as I put a few photos in it at hi res so that anyone could zoom in to see more detail. it could be its taking about 50 seconds to download.

Cheers

Simon

Hi All

I came up with this simple but flexible solution to sloving a flash sync problem

that I was having. I thought I'd share it in the hope it can help someone else

to get round a similar problem. I'm UK based (Manchester) but have included

?Americanisms? where I can (OK OK dont all shout at me at once)

Cheers

Simon

PS There should be a .pdf with this post...

As someone who is an IR rated pilot (both USA and UK) and takes aerial photos (but not at the same time!), you can't fly and take photos at the same time safely. VFR rules... you look out the window to see other traffic, IFR rules... you have your eyes strictly "in the office".

Get someone else to fly and the viewfinder is fine.

I usually put the aircraft where I want it and then hand over to the pilot to fly, giving them instructions as required. I concentrate on the photo stuff and they fly the aircraft.

Regards

Simon

Thanks All

I sent a reply to the email asking the "101" questions and all has gone very quiet! (No surprise there then)

Wigwam, good links, I've had a good read this afternoon.

Regards all.

Simon

I have received an email from someone in Little Rock,Arkansas who wants to book

me for her daughters wedding in the UK at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

in Liverpool (I'm UK based)in May.

Something about the email reminds me of a thread on here a few weeks ago about

scam requests for bookings, but I thought it was confined to photographers in

the US. I have sent a polite reply asking the usual questions but I just

wondered if any of you Ladies and Gentlemen out there have had similar requests.

I contacted the venue and they have not got any private event booked on that

day. ( I guess I have answered my own question there then!) But I just wanted to

sound you all out.

Thanks

Simon

Hi Bob

I can only give you a rough guide as to how I do it in the UK.

You will need to talk to a pilot about his charges. You need to find out his charges per hour. You need flight time to get from the airfield to the job site, loiter time at the job site and return time to the airfield.

Also you need to consider ?bad weather? fees ? you can book a pilot and plane/chopper but will he need any payment if you have to cancel (this you need to pass on to your customer)

So: 30 min flight time to the job, 30 min on site, 30 min return

Total 1:30 flight time (if there is anything interesting that you can take ?on spec? to and from the job with slight diversions, its usually worth it. A ground recon run in a car might spot other developments and an approach to them might pay off... ? I'm in the area doing aerial work etc etc)

Other things to consider ?

Air Traffic Control restrictions ? will there be any delays to/from or over the site?

Altitude Restrictions ? will there be any issues on height?

Weather ? If the job site is 50 miles away, check the local weather, Haze, Overcast etc

The Pilot will be able to assist with all these questions.

Finally ? Google Earth ? Go and have a look at the job site from the air, print out the page and show it to the pilot, you can work out land marks that will help him and mark on the direction you want to shoot from.

I have a Cessna 182 and flying myself, it still works out at around $2.50 per min in the air (Yep its expensive in the UK!) so I do as much on the ground as I can, so I can get there quick, know exactly where to fly to get the shot's and get back to the airfield.

Hope this helps

Simon

PS Any other aerial photog's out there that have tips, as I sure would like to get the cost down!

Maybe just some cropping and rotation?

Regards

Simon

Hi

I use a couple of the pacsafe stainless steel nets...

http://www.pac-safe.com/www/index.php?_room=3&_action=detail&id=48

I can put them round my camera bags and lighting bags and lock them to a heating pipe or somthing large (like round a 8 foot statue!). The company also sells a cable safe that wraps around my stands and tripod when required.

These are available in the UK from good hiking equipment shops. I also checked with my insurance company and they accepted that this was the best method for reducing risk. They suggested that I also use them in the trunk of my 4x4 and lock them to a load tie down ring.

I have also seen a photographer use an electronic tag. One unit is hidden in his equipment bag, the other end is on his belt, like a pager. If the two are apart more than about 20 feet, the unit on the belt vibrates (he has the sounder on silent in the church) and the unit in the bag starts beeping loudly for 20 seconds before sounding a 110db alarm.

Regards

Simon

Hi

Not sure if its a typo, but you said "......plugged it to the pocket wizard and plugged it into the SNYC hole on my elinchrom flash head. also, put the power on, channel to ONE and transmit mode to BOTH"

The second pocket wizard should be set to RECEIVE on the selected channel.

Regards

Simon

Hi

If you are in the UK, give http://www.theflashcentre.com a try.

Never used them myself, but I did hear from another photographer that they might be able to source courtney spares.

Good luck

Simon

Hi

I use a couple of sets of Calument's own brand background supports..

http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/Studio/Backgrounds,+Coving,+Cycloramas/?type=MENU

The Heavy duty are around ?160 and the standard ?115. Two stands, four poles and they come in a handy carry bag.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Simon

The easy way is to call into your nearest Calumet or other photo store and buy a couple of Bowens Pulsar radio triggers. I use these and I have had no problems using a wide range of flash/strobe heads from different manuf.

There are similar units for a lower price available on ebay. You could buy Pocket Wizards (I think thats what they are called) from the US. There may be an issue on the radio channel frequency though. There is a posting on this site with that info.

Talking about posting on other sites... did you not post this question on another site and get a response?

S

Hi All

I found this company in NY (you guys across the pond may already know of them)Paramount Cords who have a good selection of sync cords on their web site or will custom make leads and ship to the UK for a good rate.

As far as I can tell, they dont sell the PC plugs for making your own leads, but at the prices quoted and the ? - $ exchange rate at the moment, its cheaper to have them made.

http://www.paramountcords.com/default.asp

Maybe some of our US friends can let us know what they are like to deal with.

Cheers

Simon

Hi John

I have found that my 30D and Canon 70-300 f4.5 DO IS lens set up will ?hunt? for focus at above 1500 ft AGL. Through experience, I have found setting the focus to manual at max zoom, just short of infinity, will in most circumstances give you good enough focus for aerial work at any focal length setting. I don't think it's any issues with vibration, but I never let the camera or lens touch the aircraft when shooting.

I originally thought it was a problem with the equipment ? I had no problems with my 5D and Sigma 28-300 set-up, but I could hear the lens ?hunting? for focus through the mic of my headset so I could switch quickly to manual.

I have never shot from 5000 ft ? unless it's been air to air, I always try for 1500 to 2000.

Cheers

Simon<div></div>