fullmetalphotograper

March 7, 2011

I would not get any of those lenses. From my days of shooting sports for a daily paper and covering a lot of high school sports, I would be hard pressed to use any of those lenses. I am not a huge fan of the 50mm lens. I would suggest looking at the AF NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8D http://www.nikonusa.com/Nikon-Products/Product/Camera-Lenses/1931/AF-NIKKOR-85mm-f%252F1.8D.html. I would say for Basketball, volleyball and wrestling it would be a better choice.

The lenses that I use are:

Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 AFS

Tokina 28-70mm f/2.8

Tokina 300mm f/2.8

Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8

March 6, 2011

I went through your pain about 3 years ago, when I worked for Lee Enterprises as photojournalist. I had saying back then, "One does not live by photojournalism alone". I work for a daily paper and seven weeklies in central California. At last count they were down to four publications. I had over 20 years experience with different papers.

The handwriting was on the wall for a long time about the newspaper industry. What is funny is the although the internet received the lion's share of the blame it really was a minor player with newspapers' current issues.

Here is want I did to prepare for my parting. First I made sure that I had, my own photo gear including computers and programs. I built up my own studio gear and built up a commercial client list, through my newspaper contacts over the years.

By the time I left Lee Enterprises, I was making as much off my commercial and editorial clients as I was getting paid from Lee Enterprises. I made sure there was no conflict with my newspaper job by doing all my shoots on my own time and with my own equipment. The big thing to rember is California is a right to work state. So if you use your own gear and time the paper can not fire or stop you from shooting on your own time so long as you are not working for a competitor.

Also do not use the company computer for personal use and such as emails, personal photo editing and web browsing. Realize if they plan to can you they will be searching for any reason, made up or real.

Now here is something you have to remember there is life after newspapers. I am still a photojournalist, but I am an independent contractor. I do editorial and commercial work. The hard part is the income is not stable and I am responsible for my own healthcare, but I do not have deal with stupid office politics.

Photojournalist have a major advantage over most photographers in the general market in general shooting skills. With the college, formal and on the job training your skills should be more than a match for the average pro shooter. When I left the newspaper biz I could shoot any event, environmental portraits, formal portraits, stobist style, use studio lighting and sports. I also could turn assignments faster that the competition.

The big disadvantage you will find is people skills and dealing with clients will be lacking compared to the rest of the world. Simply put photojournalist's have major creative freedom when shooting, but that changes when have to answer to client or an art director.

The other thing that, I have done is add video production to my skill set, that also has expanded my market.

Finally even if you are canned do not burn bridges with the paper. I still use them to run my photos for my PR clients although the paper can't afford my rates. ;)

January 21, 2011

For my hair light I am using a Smith-Victor MB-110 Mini Boom <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/250423-REG/Smith_Victor_401289_MB_110_Mini_Boom.html">(link)</a>. I am using Impact Air Cushioned Heavy Duty Light Stand, Black - 13'. <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/253065-REG/Impact_LS_13HAB_Air_Cushioned_Heavy_Duty.html">(link)</a> What I would strongly recommend is that you get good solid lightstands especially for any boom set up reflectors. Also get some sand bags. I think a lot of photographers skimp to much on the lightstands. Beware of buying boom kits because the stands might be to light weight. If the lightstand is to light weight then the booms and reflectors will be very unstable. With booms this can be a safety issue. <a title="studio01012909 by FullMetalPhotographer, on Flickr" rel="nofollow" href=" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3307/3274089120_1d61932357.jpg" alt="studio01012909" width="500" /></a> <a title="IMG_6510 by FullMetalPhotographer, on Flickr" rel="nofollow" href=" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3432/3276026568_54688e466e.jpg" alt="IMG_6510" width="500" /></a> <a title="setup by FullMetalPhotographer, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5164/5240854148_79420c5d7e.jpg" alt="setup" width="500" height="398" /></a>

December 24, 2010

The only lighting I would use continuous lighting would be iKan http://www.ikancorp.com/productListing.php?CategoryID=32 and Kino Flo http://www.kinoflo.com/Lighting%20Fixtures/Diva-Lite/Diva-Lite.htm

There is two things to keep in mind with continuous lighting it is more expensive than strobes and is the same amount of work as strobes to setup.

December 17, 2010

I have worked as an editorial shooter and as a commercial shooter most of my career. Handing off images to an editor or art director is par for the course. If the check clears I am good.

December 14, 2010

DX Sensors are called cropped sensors, so you don't have a change in mmm or magnification, but a cropping of the frame. So a 50mm is still a 50mm lens. That is why the call them cropped sensors. So you have the same distortion factors as on a full frame camera. You are just backing up to get compensate, to fill the frame, this is changing your distance to the subject changing your depth of field.

Simplest way to put it is a crop factor not a magnification factor.

Here another example of this if you use a DX lens on a DX body you still get a crop factor of 1.5.

So the the depth of field, focus, and lens properties do not change what changes is you moving further back to fill the frame, which changes the the distance to the subject which changes the DOF. But the basic properties of the lens does not change so 50mm is still a 50mm. The focal length is the same. If place a FX lens on a D700 or a D3 into DX mode with a full frame the focal plane stays the same the senor is just cropped.

Think of it this way. The lens of your camera is the sits a certain distance from your sensor plane. Like a movie projector. Lets say you have two screens. Your projector is locked in place it can not be moved the it has a set distance from the wall which the screens hangs (This is like the distance between your lens and your sensor). You have FX screen that your projector covers perfectly and you have the DX Screen that is smaller. If I switch to the smaller screen the movie is now projecting outside the area of the screen. So you only see part of the movie. Remember the distance from the projector to the wall has not changed only the screen size. Now lets say I a simple box over the over the projector lens so that there is no stray light going beyond the smaller screen. That is your DX Lens setup on a DX camera.

Now with this projector setup I have an audience come in. I don't tell them I cropped the movie instead I magnified the movie. That is what is going on with your lens. A DX 50mm is the same as an FX 50mm.

December 12, 2010

I know that Leica has been has been doing upgrades and changes to some of there cameras, but I suspect that there is a lot of structural changes that difficult. If you what a place to recycle your gear I recommend ERI http://electronicrecyclers.com/

October 4, 2010

I think they are great. I use them everytime xmas comes up. I hang them on tree as decorations with the old AOL disks.

October 4, 2010

Do a custom white balance with a gray card. Most likely you are dealing with tungsten light bulbs. These give an orange tinge. If have a greenish tinge fluorescent lights (office building usually). The other way to comp for this is to shoot with a flash and use an orange gel to match the ambient lights color temp and do a custom white balance. My other suggestion is to shoot RAW. It makes less and less sense to shoot JPEG.

October 4, 2010

I found primes to bulky and heavy for my work, could never find a use for the 50mm. The lens I carry are in my main kit 14-24mm f/2.8, 28-105 f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8 and 300mm f/2.8.

In my backup kit I carry a DX 12-24mm f/4, DX 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 and 80-200mm f/2.8. I do both editorial & commercial work.

September 27, 2010

Full Frame has a lot of advantages, but it isn't perfect. The circle of confusion is smaller on an APS-C sensor. Lenses are lighter when designed for APS-C and they tend to have more reach.

On full frame, you get better high ISO performance and tend to have slightly better dynamic range. If you prefer shallow depth of field, it is easier to attain on full frame. In some cases, full frame cameras have larger, brighter viewfinders, but there are exceptions. As an example, the D700 has a brighter viewfinder than a D300, but the D300 is a 100% viewfinder when the D700 is only about 90%.

For most applications photographers prefer Full Frame, but there are scenarios where APS-C is better and many in which it will really make no difference. There are some exceptionally good APS-C cameras out there, The Nikon D2x, the Canon 7D and the Nikon D300s come to mind. There are also exceptional full frame cameras as well.

August 24, 2010

More likely you are looking at something meant compete with the Red Camera

August 18, 2010

I'd say both (college & the school of hard knocks). Shot my first wedding at 16, majored in photo then photojournalism, work for two papers part time and the college information office to pay for school.

August 5, 2010

In someways this question reminds me of who steers the bus the driver or the passengers. You are the one in charge. Basically the the client tells you what he wants then you make it happen. Not only that but you try to meet the clients needs he stated but the needs he did not state.

July 28, 2010

I just picked up a used 15 inch mac for $1000, but if I was to buy a PC, I would go with Alienware.com.

http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/notebooks/alienware-m15x/pd.aspx?refid=alienware-m15x&s=dhs&cs=19&~ck=mn

http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/notebooks/laptop-alienware-m17x/pd.aspx?refid=laptop-alienware-m17x&s=dhs&cs=19&~ck=mn

I use my laptop for quick edits and location work I prefer my tower for serious and commercial editing.

July 27, 2010

I had the opportunity to photograph and do video of the negatives being authenticated. Well here is the follow up to it. and a link to the story. http://www.businessstreetonline.com/news.php?ax=v&n=1&id=2&nid=2226

One thing do love about doing photojournalism is getting to see history.

Rick Norsigian holds up one of the 60 glass negatives he purchased at a yard sale in Fresno in 2000. The negatives are believed to be the work of famed photographer Ansel Adams.

July 8, 2010

There is Canon Day, April 1st. ;)

July 7, 2010

Jason you are right in the military you need to follow orders, and I do appreciate the sacrifices made by our citizens in uniform. With that said freedom is not just a right but a responsibility. We as citizens have the responsibility to make informed decisions and to question authority. If we did not women would not have the right to vote and Jim Crow would still be in place.

I will admit I am bias because I am a member of the press. Can you really say that civilians on U.S. soil should just follow the edicts of the Military or authority without question? Is that the country that so many brave soldiers spilt their blood for?

To question authority is not just a right but a responsibility.

July 4, 2010

The Coast Guard has set up criminal penalties for anyone covering the oil spill if they get to close to the oil spill. Maybe they should be called the BP guard?

http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/is-the-media-restrictions-imposed-by-coast-guard-for-safety-reasons-or-to-censor-news-of-gulf-coast/question-1087979/

July 4, 2010

My basic fee goes like this:

Time Shooting (hr or Day rate) + Expenses (milage, rentals, hotels and ect...) + Post Time (photo editing) + Usage = Fee It is simple but flexible formula for fees.

Images are submitted to a website that is password protected for the client to view and download.

Usage is how is the image is used commercially or editorial, how is it played, is it for a newspaper, magazine or online. To calculate usage I use a program called Fotoquotes. http://www.cradocfotosoftware.com/

July 4, 2010

I own the Tokina 300m f/2.8 Nikon mount for over 10 years now. I only sent in in the shop once. It is a great lens. With my my lens it relies on the camera to drive the AF because there is no internal motors for it. What is surprising is how fast the AF is. I have used Kenko teleconvertor for it and found it to be slow AF with it.

BTW I check Tokina's site they don't mention a pentax mount for this lens. Tokina did not merge with pentax when this lens was in production.

June 30, 2010

I would check with the local film commissions. They usually have list of different locations. Also you might be able to take advantage of the BP spill to shot unpopulated beaches that normally busy.

June 30, 2010

I would have the bear hold a grey card for a custom white balance. ;)

June 27, 2010

I have always like using locations for my glamour work. In many ways I prefer it to studio set up.

I like the way different textures and contrast with the models:

Cigar Store Shoot.

Another Store Shot

And of the beach.

I really like the vibe one can get from a location shoot.

June 26, 2010

I view it as a tool and instructional guide. It is a good place to start, if you do not understand the market, or how to proceed. Like a road map it gives the very basic information to get there. How and if you get there is up to you.

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