Embracing Motion Blur to Create Art
Full Gallop, Rodeo Austin – Austin, Texas
Last week I posted a series of high-speed photos from Rodeo Austin. The cool thing about those photos is the realization of how much can happen in just one second. We are talking about sliced of time where we can no longer adequately comprehend the details. For today’s rodeo post, I’m taking almost the opposite approach. I’ve slowed the camera down to create images that shows motion and a blurring of time.
In addition to my Olympus E-PM2 that I used to take the fast shots, I also brought my Canon 7D with a long lens. Actually both cameras have the capability to shoot at 8 frames per second, the difference really comes down to the lenses. I had a fast f1.4 lens on the Olympus which allowed me to stop the action and at high quality by using a reasonable ISO. With the Canon, I used my 70 – 200mm zoom which has a maximum aperture of f4. While this lens allows me zoom into the action, it’s 3 stops, or 8 times less able to capture light. Since I wanted to keep the ISO at 3200 or less, I just didn’t have the shutter speed to truly stop the action.
So I took a different tack. I embraced motion blur. I used blur as a technique to enhance the feeling of speed while stretching out time. Along the way, I think I came up with something that feels more artistic and a bit more creative. I used the limitations of my equipment to do something different and I like the results.
Bucking and Blur #1, Rodeo Austin – Austin, Texas
The key in using motion blur is getting the right amount the blur. Use too much and you get a mess — you lose the context of the image. Use too little and it just looks like you made a mistake — the motion blur just comes across as a soft or misfocused photograph. You want to show enough blur that your intentions are clear but you still want to give the viewer an idea about what the image is about.
The way to get the blur, of course, is to adjust your shutter speed. For these photographs, the shutter was set between 1/20 to 1/30 of a second. This is what looked right to me. Your mileage, like any art, may differ. As a bonus, when you lower the shutter speed you can also lower the ISO — which increases image quality. In my case, I went from shooting at ISO 3200 to using ISO 800 or 1000.
Bucking and Blur #2, Rodeo Austin – Austin, Texas
Finding that right shutter speed is the big fun for these motion blur photos. Part of it is based on your artistic interpretation but the subject is also a big factor. 1/30 of second for racing cars at F1 maybe too slow while 1/30 for pedestrians maybe too fast. I’ve also used a tripod when shutter speeds become too slow to hand hold. It’s also important to shoot a lot of frames. These kind of photographs are unpredictable and when you have a lot to choose from, you can be more selective and pick your favorites.
Back in March at Rodeo Austin, I didn’t intentionally go to shoot these kind of photographs. It was a shift I made based on equipment and environment. But being flexible with the intent of just making interesting photographs allowed me to do different and unexpected things. It’s part of being open-minded as a photographer and embracing the possibilities.
Bucking and Blur #3, Rodeo Austin – Austin, Texas
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One second of the Austin Rodeo
I had a nice opportunity to shoot Rodeo Austin this year with a press pass. It gave me the chance to get into the Rodeo and to sit temporarily in any unoccupied seat. As a city slicker from the East Coast, it was great fun. And while I’ve been to the carnival portion of Rodeo Austin many times, this is the first time I ever stepped foot into the heart of the rodeo itself. Austin doesn’t feel very “Texas like” in many places but here I certainly felt transported to a whole different world. Sort of like a tourist in my own home town.
I often say that mirrorless cameras like the Olympus Pens are not suited for fast action sports. And that’s true in many cases but not all. Let me explain. If you shoot soccer, kid’s soccer in my case, the almost random back and forth motion of the game is hard to capture with a mirrorless camera. It’s really the continuous focus that suffers. Composing with an optical view finder, not an EVF, is really the best way to go and DSLRs are great for this — there is no EVF or LCD lag.
However, for fast action that is more predictable, the Olympus Pen can do a spectacular job. Below are 8 photographs I took with my Olympus E-PM2. This kind of action is perfect for this camera since I knew exactly where the rider and bucking bronco are going to start.
Bucking Bronco 1 – 8, Rodeo Austin – Austin, Texas
I took all 8 photographs in 1 second. Look at the LCD clock at the top of the picture. It matches perfectly with the E-PM2 specs of 8 continuous frames per second. All were shot at 1/500 of a second at f1.4 and ISO 1600. I used my favorite Panasonic Leica 25mm f1.4 which gives a 50mm equivalent view.
The action happens so fast it was hard for me to keep track. I basically aim at the gate and a fraction of second after the gate opens, I mash my finger down on the shutter. Then I just follow the action. As long as the horse remains at the same relative distance from me, they all stay in sharp focus. I got a pretty decent keeper rate too. After a second or so buffer fills up and the shots per second slows down dramatically.
I got a lot more than bucking broncos so I’ll post more photos from the rodeo in the coming days. It’s hard to believe that I shot these back in March. Time flies when you shoot too much and talk too much about gear. It’s all fun.
Please stay tuned.
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The end of an era for my sports photography
Backyard Slide Show – Austin, Texas
The end of the season soccer party last Friday was the end of era on many levels. Instead of the usual gathering at a restaurant, one the parents opened their home for a more personal get together. The boys are finishing 4th grade and the team is splitting up. The serious players will join the bigger, more competitive leagues. The rest of the players will either quit or join the purely recreational groups. For me, it will be the end of sports photography, at least on a regular basis.
For 5 years, from Kindergarten through 4th grade, I was the team photographer. And over these years, I have a total of nearly 1,000 carefully selected and processed photographs. The highlight of the evening, at least for me, was the backyard slide show. The parents were sentimental — seeing the boys as 6 year olds. Over the years, I’ve honed my skill to get a more dramatic point of view. I shot sitting on the ground to be at the same level as the kids. The 1/1000 per second action shots, up close, made the most clumsy player look like a pro. The slide show of my photographs set to music held the kid’s interest. I was more than happy that I was able to record a slice of life for the team.
I’ve also upgraded my gear too. I started with a Canon Rebel XT with a 28 – 135mm zoom. I then added a used Canon 20D paired with an old Canon 70 – 210mm lens. Somewhere along the way I ended up with the Canon 7D and the 70 – 200 f4 IS. My technique improved too. Quickly creating balanced compositions out of apparent chaos, became my weekend challenge. I also shifted from JPEG to RAW and experimented with different styles of processing. As I look back through my archives, I noticed that 3 years ago, I was into adding vignettes. Luckily, I got over that.
My earlier images were dull and technically inferior, but I noticed a passion. A passion that is no longer there in my more recent shots. Years ago, getting these action photos is what drove me. That was before the urban landscapes, going on photowalks and the broadening of my photographic repertoire. Relatively speaking, my son was a better player too, back then. While I photographed the entire team, I have to selfishly admit that my main motivation was getting great action shots of my son. As my son’s soccer interest and play decreased so did my photographic effort. The team began to play on larger fields and it became increasingly difficult to get that dramatic up close poses.
My son and a few others are distinctly in the social soccer camp. It’s unknown if he and his social group will continue next season. As for me, I’m giving up my sports oriented Canon 7D and switched to the more modest, for action, 6D. If pressed, I’ll still use the 6D for action but more as a test and with less seriousness. I suppose the 6D shouldn’t be much worse than my old 20D that I used with intensity and drive. And it will at least be better than my Olympus Pens. I tested those mirrorless cameras and I can confirm, they really don’t work well for fast action sports.
With a touch of melancholy, I’m moving on to different things. My family photographs are still the most important but there’s going to be a lot less action. There is a whole world out there waiting to be captured. I’m curious how a change in focus will alter my photographic trajectory over the next 5 years.
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Ima Spins, a candid portrait at Home Slice Pizza
Ima Spins, Home Slice Pizza – Austin, Texas
I met a few photographer friends for lunch on Tuesday, at Home Slice Pizza, one of the best New York style pizza places in Austin. I didn’t shoot much but had my Canon 6D with a 35mm f2 lens and snapped this photo.
Unlike yesterday’s posting, lighting conditions were considerably worse here. I also set the shutter at 1/200 of a second to stop the spinning motion which bumped the ISO up to 5000 even at f2.2. I’ve tried shooting here before but let’s just say the previous results were filled with more abstract motion blur.
I would love to take more of these candid portraits. Capturing people going about their everyday business.
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Buffalo Billiards, it’s better than watching TV
A couple watches the action, Buffalo Billiards – Austin, Texas
It’s not unusual to see a crowd during the peak hours, watching the action at Buffalo Billiards, on 6th street. On this quiet Sunday night, just one lone couple. My last several postings are about the Canon 6D, my newest camera and currently in test mode to see what I can do with this new tool. I was aiming for shallow depth of field — the full frame sensor and the 50mm f1.4 lens, my tools for achieving this.
A telephoto can certainly create a shallower DOF, but with a loss of context. I wanted to show the environment, not just the couple, and I didn’t want to stand half a block away to do this. I like how this came out. The viewers on the outside in sharp focus. The actors, the customers on stage, inside Buffalo Billiards, out of focus.
Bar Shuffleboard Instruction, Buffalo Billiards – Austin, Texas
What was so interesting? I wanted to know. I shot through the window capturing another couple by the bar shuffleboard table. I must have accidentally picked a clean part of the glass. The image through the window came out a lot clearer than expected.
I angled my camera to catch the reflection of the couple off the glass. The window frame got in the way. I couldn’t quite achieve the half inside and half outside feel of window reflected photos. But the mood is there. The urban, gritty and slightly mysterious feel of a night photograph in the city. Not too bad for my first night out. This camera has promise. I know it will take me a while to become truly proficient.
Reflections on 6th Street, Buffalo Billiards – Austin, Texas
This post is part 4 of my first real test of the Canon 6D series.
Also see:
Molly and her friends on 6th Street
Street Life with the Canon 6D
A peek inside 6th street, with a 6D at f1.4 and f1.6
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A peek inside 6th street, with a 6D at f1.4 and f1.6
Waiting for Customers, Roppolo’s Pizza – Austin, Texas
Continuing with my mini-series, here are some more images from Austin’s famous 6th street. Unlike the previous post, this time it’s all inside, shot at either f1.4 or f1.6 with the Canon 50mm on my new Canon 6D. I was testing the low light capabilities of my gear using higher ISOs and big apertures.
Waitress in a quiet bar – Austin, Texas
Giant Jackalope, The Jackalope – Austin, Texas
Most were shot from the window or doorway. This was a quick photo excursion and I didn’t stop inside for a drink. Many of the businesses flow on to the street to entice customers — the sights, sounds and smells are used to pull people in. 6th street is a marvel of capitalism. Unlike most places in the United States, stores actively promote and compete for businesses. Cheap drinks, live music and hip lighting are the weapons of choice.
Lone Candle, Bat Bar – Austin, Texas
Corona Extra with Bar lights – Austin, Texas
Getting many visitors on Sunday night is a stretch though, even for 6th street. Some bars are closed and most of them are sparsely populated. It is refreshing and a big contrast to a Friday or Saturday night. For the uninitiated, Sunday maybe the night to ease into the manic world of gritty streets, ever changing bars and cheap booze.
Last remnants of video games – Austin, Texas
Drummer, Bat Bar – Austin, Texas
This post is part 3 of my first real test of the Canon 6D series.
Also see:
Molly and her friends on 6th Street
Street Life with the Canon 6D
Buffalo Billiards, it’s better than watching TV
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Street Life with the Canon 6D
Admiring a Classic, 6th Street – Austin, Texas
Here are more photographs from last Sunday’s solo photowalk. It’s the first time I tested the Canon 6D in a real life environment. With a Canon 50mm f1.4 attached, I was doing low-light street photography — the kind I like — that captures the urban fabric. 6th Street, Austin’s most famous entertainment district, is one of the best for this kind of shooting, that I can find locally.
Most photographs were shot close to wide-open at a range of f1.4 to f2. The Canon 50mm f1.4 is not sharp wide-open, particularly around the edges. Typical with most lenses, the sharpness increases throughout the frame as you close down the aperture about 2 stops. Nevertheless, I like to play with shallow depth of field, it’s one of the reasons I got the Canon 6D.
Waiting for Customers, 6th Street – Austin, Texas
Scooters and Bikes, 6th Street – Austin, Texas
I like to shoot at night or indoors which means low light. I’m hoping that the high ISO ability of the 6D along with a large aperture lens with continue to unlock more and more challenging dark scenes. I’m willing to sacrifice some level to sharpness to capture the moody feel of the night. That said, it looks like I can stop down somewhat, to perhaps f2 or f2.8. Something that I may try in a future photo excursion.
Affinity Glow, 6th Street – Austin, Texas
Pubs and Cafes, 6th Street – Austin, Texas
Purples and Red Arches, 6th Street – Austin, Texas
I’ve posted these photos chronologically. The first one shot at 8:15pm, about 10 minutes before sundown. The last one at 9pm. You can see the progression of darkness. I think the city comes alive as darkness falls. I particularly love twilight. The warm man-made lights nicely contrast against the deep blue sky. The ambient light still reveals details, which disappear as night falls.
Driskill Hotel Carriage, 6th Street – Austin, Texas
Smoking Alone, Congress Avenue – Austin, Texas
What a Relief, Congress Avenue – Austin, Texas
This post is part 2 of my first real test of the Canon 6D series.
Also see:
Molly and her friends on 6th Street
A peek inside 6th street, with a 6D at f1.4 and f1.6
Buffalo Billiards, it’s better than watching TV
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Molly and her friends on 6th Street
Molly and Friends, Candid on 6th Street – Austin, Texas
With my brand new Canon 6D in hand and with the 50mm f1.4 lens, I was in street photography mode.
The usually lively 6th street is noticeably calm on Sunday night. I walked past the famous Driskill Hotel and spotted an interesting group, congregating. I raised my camera and fired a couple of shots. Molly, the red-head in the center, spotted me and posed. She seemed curious and a bit confused at the same time. “Why is this guy taking a picture of us?” I’m sure she was thinking.
I approached and had a quick conversation. I explained that I just got my new camera and was testing it out. Molly seem interested and I asked her for a portrait. It was set on f1.4, always a risky aperture to get sharp focus but I was going for maximum shallow DOF.
Portrait of Molly, 6th Street – Austin, Texas
She liked the results and she rustled up her friends for a group portrait. I reset the aperture to f5.6 and fired. One of my new challenges with full frame is to know what apertures to set for different circumstances. Only practice will program my mental depth of field calculator. With micro 4/3, it usually isn’t too much of an issue. With a smaller sensor, f2.8 or so is fine in these situations.
I also bumped the ISO up but neglected to look at the shutter speed — 1/30 of second. Should have been a bit faster. There is a little camera shake but not too bad overall. No in-body image stabilization, drat. Another thing to keep in mind with my full frame toy.
Group Portrait, 6th Street – Austin, Texas
Part of my first real test of the Canon 6D.
Also see:
Street Life with the Canon 6D
A peek inside 6th street, with a 6D at f1.4 and f1.6
Buffalo Billiards, it’s better than watching TV
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My first real test of the Canon 6D
First Citizens Bank – Austin, Texas
I got my Canon 6D last Thursday. After my test shots of Lucky, then the kids and my wife, I was ready for more. I headed downtown on Sunday night for a bit of street photography. I wanted to see what this puppy could do armed with a 50mm f1.4 lens.
Before I get into it, I’ve happily discovered that the 6D has already broken new ground. It’s going to radically change how I take my most important photos. With a fast prime like my 35mm f2 or 50mm f1.4, I can shoot anywhere in the house at basically any light level. I shot perfectly sharp and decent photographs at night with two very dim compact fluorescent lamps and the glow from the TV. And even with the f4 zoom (I got the excellent 24mm – 105mm f4 L zoom as my “kit” lens) I can still shoot in most places. The camera might jump up to ISO 10,000 or so but the images were acceptable.
Sunday night is a nice time to go downtown. There is a good supply of on street parking and it’s free. The usually noisy and crazy 6th street is remarkably calm. I parked on Congress Avenue and walked several blocks south and turned left to my destination. On the way, I shot this detailed older building on Congress. Up top, you see a boring daylight photo — made better in black and white — shot at the beginning of my photo walk. The night shot, from my trip back, has some good details even at ISO 2500. The deep blue adds interest making it a worthy color image.
I like the 50mm lens a lot more, now that it is a true 50mm. On my 7D, with the 1.6x crop factor, the 50 acts like a 80mm. I tend to like wider and not telephoto so this is a welcome change. My 50mm was always that vaguely sharp, dreamy lens, especially since I tend to shoot it wide-open at f1.4. Somehow, on the full frame 6D, it seems to work better. Possibly because I’m not magnifying the “unsharpness” by the 1.6 crop factor. It’s nowhere near as good as my Panasonic Leica 25mm f1.4 which, on my Olympus also acts as a 50mm. That lens is fantastically sharp even at f1.4, I wish I had it for the Canon.
The short outing was a success and I got a bunch of keepers. Expect to see a series of postings, with images, over the next week. The real world testing phase with the Canon 6D has begun — today, merely a quick intro. Over the coming weeks and months, I’ll test the 6D versus the Olympus. Remember, I don’t grade on absolute quality. I’m very much a price – performance kind of guy. Or in this case, more aptly, It’s going to be a weight – performance comparison.
UPDATE: More photos from my 6th street photo walk.
Also see:
Molly and her friends on 6th Street
Street Life with the Canon 6D
A peek inside 6th street, with a 6D at f1.4 and f1.6
Buffalo Billiards, it better than watching TV
First Citizens Bank at Night – Austin, Texas
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The struggle to make an impact in a noisy, digital world
Jack Jams, Red River Street – Austin, Texas
In this increasingly connected and noisy world, it is hard to make an impact. — to rise above the background clutter — to get noticed. I think about this all the time as I put my photographs out there and post to this blog. How do I increase my audience so that I can share my thoughts and images with more people? It is an exciting, brave new world. More than ever, individuals can put their art out there and broadcast it to the world. This opportunity has never existed before in human history.
I’ve talked about and featured photographs of Kao=S, a band that fuses traditional Japanese instruments with rock. I’ve taken a keen interest in this band, not only for their unique music but because I identify with their struggle to break through — to get noticed and build an audience. Unlike the other Japanese bands I’ve seen in Austin, Kao=S takes every opportunity to be heard. Beyond performing at clubs, they took to the streets to perform in front of anyone that would listen.
Shuji on Red River Street #1 – Austin, Texas
Daisuke and Jack, Red River Street – Austin, Texas
These photographs are from one of their impromptu concerts. They setup on Red River Street in the middle of the SXSW 2013. You can feel the energy, and a dynamic that’s different from a stage performance. I have tremendous respect for artists willing to perform in front of an unfamiliar audience.
Kaori performing, Red River Street – Austin, Texas
I see many parallels between music and photography. Both are tremendously impacted by digital copies and easy world-wide distribution. Both art forms are stolen by many people without a thought about the consequences. But ultimately, beyond the fear of theft, the fear of irrelevance is stronger. What good is art if it isn’t seen and heard by others? And though I don’t get the impact of performing directly in front of a crowd, I suppose I post my photos to put a piece of me out there. Perhaps something that will outlast me, in the digital ether, long after I’m gone.
Jack with his shamisen, Red River Street – Austin, Texas
Shuji on Red River Street #2 – Austin, Texas
While I don’t think photography has the same visceral impact as music, it’s the way I’m trying to leave my mark. I feature these photos as a proxy for my struggles to be seen. Photographs of me taking pictures or post-processing doesn’t seem as cool as these guys jamming on the street. But the same struggles are there, with any artist, in this modern, digital world. I’m glad that, in some small way, I can share the artistry of Kao=S through my art of capturing life in the city.
Kao=S on Red River Street – Austin, Texas
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Jasper’s Happy Hour, Sangrias and the XZ-1
Three House Made Sangrias, Jasper’s – Austin, Texas
I’m carrying around my Olympus XZ-1 point and shoot, more often these days. My main goal, to capture life. While I use my mirrorless Pens as a lightweight alternative to DSLRs during my photo oriented events, I don’t carry those cameras everyday. I find the XZ-1 a bit smaller and with the zoom lens, more versatile than my usual prime lens setup on the Olympus E-PM2.
On a recent Friday afternoon, a group of us decided to go to Happy Hour at Jasper’s, an upscale restaurant serving down home food. It’s been an unusually comfortable Austin spring and we sat outside — details captured courtesy of my XZ-1. Of course people do this kind of photography all the time with their smartphones. But, I’m sure you can tell that there is a noticeable quality difference. These photos are nice enough that I don’t have “pretty them up” with trendy insta-filter effects.
Happy Hour Pizza, Jasper’s – Austin, Texas
Happy Hour Ribs, Jasper’s – Austin, Texas
While I’ve casually shot food before, I’ve never liked the way they turned out. Ironically, I find doing urban landscapes in dark places easier than capturing food. I found out recently that part of the trick in food photography is to use a longer focal length. This has the effect of compressing the elements so that the different items on the plate don’t look too far apart from each other.
An Arial View of Sangria, Jasper’s – Austin, Texas
I tend to shoot wide-angle primes so I wasn’t getting enough compression. The same goes for typical smartphones too. The XZ-1 has a zoom lens so I can now step back and zoom into the food. The pizza was shot at a 65mm equivalent and the ribs, 60mm. Of course, like all photography, good lighting is essential. Luckily, I was under a covered porch but also surrounded by bright, natural light.
Cute Dog at Happy Hour, Jasper’s – Austin, Texas
The Sangria was tasty and the dog was cute. As a bonus, I captured a decent view of the interior of Jasper’s on the way to the restroom. I locked the camera on ISO 100, braced it on a ledge and got a nice clean shot at 1/4 second. Not too bad for a point and shoot. Of course, I shot all my photos in RAW and did my post processing in Aperture 3.
Jasper’s Interior – Austin, Texas
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Don’t miss Arnold Newman: Masterclass
The start of the Masterclass, Harry Ransom Center – Austin, Texas
People around Austin, you have 3 more days to see Arnold Newman: Masterclass at the Harry Ransom Center on the University of Texas campus. I went to the exhibit with my friend Mike a couple of months ago. It was fantastic. It closes this Sunday, May 12, 2013. And it’s free.
Anyone that likes photography, especially black and white portraiture, this is the exhibit to see. Arnold Newman is one of the greats in photography with iconic images of the famous and not so famous. The Ransom Center has on display, over 200 of his works, from his early career in Philadelphia, to his creative collages to his world-famous images.
Mike and I marveled at the tonal range of these large format black and whites. No blown highlights and mottled shadows. This is pure, analog film photography at its best.
You hear from some people about this romantic notion of film photography. How it was different and more pure than digital. How people would get the photograph right in camera and never post process. You hear about how people would take that one perfect shot, well-considered instead of the multi-shot approach in digital.
Well I learned that this is bull.
The best of photographic art, Harry Ransom Center – Austin, Texas
At least Arnold Newman didn’t approach it that way. And I rather learn from a master then some person with a distorted view of history. Here are two examples from the exhibit.
1. Quoting the exhibit, it said “Newman might take 10, 20, 30 and in special cases even more than 50 individual photographs of the sitter, making minor adjustments each time. Sometimes the differences between the frames would be minuscule, though highly significant…”
2. The Ransom Center had the original of the famous Picasso portrait and showed how it was cropped to create the well-known, final version. I was shocked that Mr. Newman cropped like 70% of it away. He was shooting with a large format camera so his negative was still big enough to support a high quality image. Here is another quote “Cropping was also a practice Newman valued highly. His edges were determined with minute precision”.
So I encourage you to go. Learn from a master. You won’t regret it. Perhaps it will bust some myths out there from the ancient and mystical world of film photography.
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The challenge of seeing something new
A wild night on 6th Street – Austin, Texas
If you follow my blog, you know that I go on a lot of photowalks. Some by myself, others with a couple of friends and once in a while, with a huge group. Many of these walks happen in Austin, my home town. The problem is, there’s not a lot of places to shoot urban landscapes in Austin.
For all the national attention Austin seems to get these days, it is a medium-sized city at best. Sure it has 1 million plus people in the 5 country area but the central core is pretty small. The good news is that the downtown is growing and the fabric and texture of the city continues to improve. Never the less, this is no New York, San Francisco or Tokyo, nor does it have the wonderful old details of even a smaller European town. The result, if you shoot urban landscapes and architecture like I do, Austin poses a big challenge.
But like most challenges, taken positively, it strengths you. It hones your skills. I believe the dearth of interesting subjects in this city allows me to dig deeper, see differently and try new things. I try to discover new shapes and angles. I’m constantly in search of unique situations that may give a new perspective to an overshot scene. I also change-up lenses or cameras that give me new capabilities.
What this means is when I get to a big city, the visual possibilities are almost overwhelming. My brain seems like it’s going to explode with the 1000s of frames that I see around me. Trained for sparse visual conditions, the mind becomes drunk with overstimulation. In a place like New York City, I think I could shoot 8 hours a day, everyday for a year and not exhaust the urban material. Perhaps, some day I will get that opportunity.
I went on yet another photowalk this past Friday. A different group of people from a week ago but in the same general area. I almost didn’t go — I’ve been to this place so many times. But I wanted to meet my friends, which is a big part of the fun of these things. I’ve been on a HDR kick lately, enjoying my new-found freedom with my new, light weight Olympus setup. I saw color. I saw reflections. I created this festive shot in Austin’s famous entertainment district, 6th street. The image for me represents the sometimes wild, party atmosphere of this place.
It’s a new angle, one that I’ve never seen before.
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Missing Flickr and losing track of friends
Silicon Laboratories Headquarters at Sunset – Austin, Texas
I started my online presence on Flickr. Things were a lot simpler, social media wise, back then. A bunch of local Austin photographs kept in-touch via this photo sharing site. I had a pretty large following and there was only one place to post my photos.
Then things changed. People started shifting more to their personal blogs, Facebook, 500px and even Google Plus. The cohesive community started to break down. I am guilty myself. Despite my best efforts, after expending energy on my blogs, I found it increasingly difficult to stay active on Flickr. I let my presence diminish and I regret that now. I’m starting to post sporadically again but my friends have either left altogether or busy looking at other people’s work.
I’m reminded of the simpler days and the confusing array of online sites today, when a Flickr friend visited from Germany. He contacted Jim as he passed through Austin. I met Jim, Kay and his wife in downtown Austin for a Flickrwalk a week ago. We did our typical tour for out-of-towners. Start at the Driskill Hotel on 6th street. Walk up Congress Avenue for a tour of the State Capitol. Down Congress to the river just in time for sunset. Finally shoot the Austin skyline during blue hour. I captured the photograph above, at sunset, just as I crossed the river. An old-fashioned HDR, for old times sake (though I shot it with my small mirrorless camera instead of a DSLR)
This get together reminded me of the best part of Flickr. An easy way to meet a world-wide, friendly group of photographers. Facebook and Google Plus aren’t the same — there is too much noise. I want a place to interface with people through photography. I don’t want to know about their religious, political and social viewpoints. I may have to go retro and go back to Flickr. I am, however, staying with my smaller mirrorless cameras. Some trends are here to stay and the move away from the DSLR is one of them.
By the way, my Flickr account is atmtx
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SXSW Japan Nite: Wacky and full of variety
Cumi from Josy, SXSW Japan Nite – Austin, Texas
One thing you can say about the Japan Nite shows, they have a lot of variety. 2013 was no exception.
You got quirky Japanese Bands like charan-po-rantan. Folk and Jazz bands like Pirates Canoe and Yamazki Chihiro+Rote 14 band. Of course, as I mentioned, you also have my favorite Kao=S which fuses traditional Japanese instruments, Rock and a Samurai Sword. I didn’t bother listening to all the bands. I shot the ones I wanted and socialized during the rest.
I brought three cameras but mostly used two. The Canon 7D with the 50mm is the same as last year but my Olympus gear got upgraded extensively from the E-PL1 with the 20mm f1.7 to the E-PM2 with the 25mm f1.4. They both worked great. I’ve talked about the equipment I used that night on two recent posts, SXSW Japan Nite: Kaori’s etherial petals and Olympus E-PM2 vs. Canon 7D, guess which won?
The only gear related point I wanted to add is about the stage lighting. In brighter and dramatic stage lighting, I would prefer to go totally ambient and not use any flash. Red, purple, blue and other multi-colored LED stage lights gave a sense of moodiness but they are not great for skin tones. And these lights weren’t bright either. Here are a series of 4 photos that show the lighting options.
Option 1: Here is Non from the band Josy again (I had her in a previous posting) with an example of what the Canon 7D with the bounce flash looks like. I used it to overpower the ambient light. It made for much better skin tones but you lost most of the feel of the club.
Non from Josy, SXSW Japan Nite (Bounce Flash with Canon 7D)
Option 2: This next photo was taken with the Olympus E-PM2 with a very weak direct flash. It added fill to her but maintained some of the color of the stage lights.
Non from Josy, SXSW Japan Nite (Weak direct flash with Olympus E-PM2)
Option 3: This photo is from the Olympus with no flash and it worked pretty good since she was up front and closer to the stage lights. Most other non-flash shots were very dim. In most cases, uninteresting and dull.
Non from Josy, SXSW Japan Nite (Olympus E-PM2 with no flash)
Option 4: Finally, another non-flash shot but with a slower shutter that added some nice motion blur. These types of shots are very hit or miss but I like the way this came out.
Non from Josy, SXSW Japan Nite (Olympus E-PM2 no flash, slower shutter)
My most wacky band award goes to charan-po-rantan. Imagine Polka like Japanese accordion music with eclectic and colorful costumes.
charan-po-rantan, SXSW Japan Nite – Austin, Texas
Like last year, Japan Nite was held at the Elysium on Red River just north of 6th Street. It is a dark cave like place with lots of black. You get the feel of the place with this photo of Pirates Canoe taken from mid-crowd.
Pirates Canoe, SXSW Japan Nite – Austin, Texas
Yamazki Chihiro+Rote 14 band, SXSW Japan Nite – Austin, Texas
Chihiro was fantastic on trumpet in the jazzy Yamazki Chihiro+Rote 14 band. And finally, more photos of my favorite Kao=S. This year, they add a Shakuhachi (Traditional Japanese Flute) player which adds a nice dimension to their music. Combined with the Shamisen (Traditional Japanese Stringed Instrument) and western guitar, there is a nice East – West mix. Of course, Kaori look great in her Kimono and dramatic performances.
Daisuke plays Shakuhachi in Kao=S, SXSW Japan Nite – Austin, Texas
Jack plays Shamisen in Kao=S, SXSW Japan Nite – Austin, Texas
Shuji plays Guitar in Kao=S, SXSW Japan Nite – Austin, Texas
Kaori performs and sings in Kao=S, SXSW Japan Nite – Austin, Texas
Finally, I didn’t use it much but I had my E-P3 with my 14mm f2.5 and wide-angle adapter. This older camera and slower lens does not quite match the 25mmf1.4 on the E-PM2 but made a couple of decent back and whites, especially paired with a flash.
Shuji, Daisuke and Jack jam in Kao=S, SXSW Japan Nite
Shuji, Daisuke and Jack jam in Kao=S, SXSW Japan Nite
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Olympus E-PM2 vs. Canon 7D, guess which won?
Non from Josy, SXSW Japan Nite – Austin, Texas (with the Canon 7D)
Non from Josy, SXSW Japan Nite – Austin, Texas (with the Olympus E-PM2)
You might think it’s a bit odd to compare a small, entry-level mirrorless interchangeable lens camera like the Olympus E-PM2 with the Prosumer Canon 7D. You would expect the 7D to outclass the Olympus in every way. An unfair comparison, most people would say. But, I was very surprised with the results. Shocked actually.
Before I get into the results, a little background. I attended SXSW Japan Nite again this year. I brought along my Canon 7D with the 50mm f1.4 lens, like last year, and I also brought my newest Olympus mirroress, the E-PM2 with the Panasonic Leica 25mm f1.4 lens. The two cameras actually make a decent combo. The 50mm on the Canon is equivalent to the 80mm when accounting for the 1.6x crop factor while the Olympus 25mm is a 50mm with the 2x crop. Both are f1.4 lenses which I wanted for these darker, indoor music venues. I also had external flashes attached to both cameras.
This is the first time I used both of these cameras together. A nice opportunity to compare them in a challenging, real-world setting. I shot both typically at ISO 800 and sometimes at ISO 1600 in Manual exposure. With the Canon, the bounce flash became the primary light source. Aperture set to f2.5 to with a shutter speed of 1/250s. With the Olympus, I balanced the ambient, colored stage lights with a touch of fill from the small FL-300R flash. Shutter set to 1/160 and aperture set to f1.4.
The difference in look between the cameras is due to the way I use the flash. If I did a bounce flash with the Olympus, you will get the nice skin tones but lose of the feel of the ambient stage lights. The tiny FL-300R flash is much too underpowered to do a bounce so I opted to do a very weak direct flash.
Here is what I found.
Kaori Gestures, SXSW Japan Nite – Austin, Texas (with the Canon 7D)
Kaori Gestures, SXSW Japan Nite – Austin, Texas (with the Olympus E-PM2)
Ergonomics
The E-PM2 is much lighter and easier to handle. Its main advantage — since I can used the back LCD screen like in a point and shoot — I was able to hold the camera high above my head and frame shots with no difficulty. This gave me a point of view closer to the level of the on stage performers. With the Canon, all my framing needed to be done via the optical view finder, creating more restricted compositions. The 7D live view is primitive and unusable for anything with motion.
The Lenses
Though both are f1.4 lenses, I didn’t use the Canon wide open. The Canon 50mm f1.4 is not very sharp wide-open. It also has an extremely shallow DOF. In order to make it easier to focus on the eyes and get sharper results, I shot at f2.5 instead. The Panasonic Leica f1.4 on the Olympus is one of my best lenses and I have no problems shooting wide open at f1.4. Also because the Olympus sensor is smaller, I get more DOF and thus had no problems getting the entire performer’s face in focus.
Focus Speed
Surprisingly, for relatively steady subjects, the E-PM2 actually seemed faster to focus than the 7D. This is perhaps affected by light levels but at this club, I noticed the 7D hesitated more. For fast action, like Karoi’s samurai sword performance, I preferred the 7D.
Focus Accuracy
I consistently got better and sharper focus with the E-PM2. While the E-PM2 may miss focus once in a while, the 7D had more misses. Perhaps because of the softness of the 50mm even at f2.5, I generally didn’t get many tack sharp photos. The contrast detect focusing and the ability to place the focus point at nearly any place on the screen let me nail the focus on the Olympus. I was a bit surprised by this.
Image Quality
At ISO 800 and 1600 image quality from both cameras were in the same ballpark. The fine noise pattern at 100% differs between the two but the details and level of noise were similar. If pushed, I think the Olympus has slightly less noise.
Raw Image Latitude
This was the biggest surprise in this comparison. When I post processed the RAWs and pushed the processing, the Canon files started to fall apart faster than the Olympus. When I lightened the shadows and added some sharpening, I noticed tiny white pixel-sized specs on the Canon photos at 100%. They showed up ISO 800 and got noticeably worse at ISO 1600. Luckily, these processing artifacts do not show at regular screen resolutions on a 27″ monitor, only when I pixel-peep at 100%. My Olympus photos were generally darker since I used primary ambient light with a touch of fill, I needed to brighten the photos a lot more. Even so, I noticed very little of these types of artifacts with the Olympus RAW file. Photos from both cameras were processed using Apple’s Aperture 3 software with Apple’s RAW converter for each camera.
Conclusion
I created nice looking photos with both cameras. And certainly the lens is important to the overall quality and capability of the cameras. But when you consider what the newest generation of Olympus Pens can do, it’s a real eye opener. Even though the E-PM2 is the entry-level model, it shares the same processor and processing engine as the flagship OMD E-M5. So this little camera is deceptively powerful.
As for the Canon, the 7D is now a 4-year-old camera. Perhaps it’s beginning to show its age, especially in the RAW processing and high ISO image quality. For Canon, the problem is their newer APS-C DSLRs are not much better than the 7D. Also, the 7D is still in the Canon lineup with no replacement. And what about the focusing speed and accuracy. Isn’t that what DSLRs are known for?
Even though the camera tech improves rapidly, I was surprised by the results. At Japan Nite, as the performances continued, I used the Canon less. I tucked it in my bag and had fun shooting with the small camera. I enjoyed the ergonomics but more importantly I was confident that I was getting great pictures.
UPDATE: As my friend Steven correctly points out that even at f1.4, the micro 4/3 format is not going to give you the extremely shallow DOF that the 7D or especially a full frame (35mm) camera will give you. The bigger the sensor (or film) the shallower DOF field that is possible at any given aperture or focal length.
Shallow DOF can be an advantage or disadvantage depending on what you are photographing and what you want to achieve. In this case, having a shallower DOF will have the advantage of blurring out any distracting background elements and focusing more attention on the subject.
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SXSW Japan Nite: Kaori’s etherial petals
Kaori’s Etherial Petals, Kao=S at 2013 Japan Nite – Austin, Texas
It’s not often that I have a favorite photograph from a photography session or an event. Typically, I may have a dozen or so selects. Luckily, I was able to attend the 2013 SXSW Japan Nite last Friday and this photograph is my favorite. I shot about 800 photos and narrowed my choices down to about 100. This particular image still bubbles to the top. Of course, it’s from my favorite group, Kao=S. While Kaori, the lead performer, is known for some dynamic and aggressive samurai sword performances, this scene with the cherry blossom petals is quite the opposite.
I wish I can say that I can nail this kind of photo all the time but I do admit there is a certain amount of luck and good timing to these things. I didn’t know she was going to blow the petals and I just happen to be there to catch it and with a good expression. I think the color and light works well and the wispy, motion blurred petals have an etherial quality.
While good timing is key, having the right camera settings also help. Here’s how I got the shot. I used my Olympus E-PM2 with the Panasonic Leica 25mm f1.4 lens. The real star, equipment wise, was the little Olympus FL-300R flash. It’s a really compact flash that runs on two AAA batteries and is properly scaled to the small Olympus Pen bodies. I dialed in a really light -2 1/3 flash exposure compensation. This allowed me to add just a touch of fill on the subject while preserving much of the colorful stage lighting. I used ISO 800 and at f1.4 which gave me 1/160 second shutter.
Like last year, I also used my Canon 7D with the 50mm f1.4 lens but the Olympus Pen really hit its stride this year. I use the older Olympus E-PL1 and the 20mm f1.7 lens last year, with no flash. The images were usable but nothing special. This year’s Pen setup was dramatically better and in some ways bested the results from the 7D. Quite surprising, actually. I’ll talk about how the two cameras compared at Japan Nite, in an upcoming post. Please stay tuned.
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Japan Preview Show: Experiencing Kao=S again
Kao=S at The Grackle, 2013 Japan Preview Show – Austin, Texas
My favorite group from last year’s Japan Nite, Kao=S, was playing again this year. I wasn’t sure if I could make it to this year’s Japan Nite so I decided to go to the preview show on Thursday afternoon. Luckily Kao=S was the last group playing so I headed down there after work at about 6pm. The Japan preview show is a great, free alternative to the main show which is restricted to people of drinking age. It happens during the daytime and people of all ages are welcome.
This year, the performance was at The Grackle on 6th Street on the east side of town. I don’t get to this part of town often and naively assumed that parking would be a breeze. I was dead wrong. The parking situation is worse than downtown in this mostly residential area. I was lucky to find a tight spot 8 blocks away. The glass shards from multiple car break-ins gave me pause but I wasn’t going to stay late.
My timing couldn’t be more perfect. The 2nd to last band was finishing up and Kao=S was prepping the stage. I was pleasantly surprised when the band members recognized me from last year. Apparently, they really liked the photos I shot of them, which you can see on this blog post, Kao=S at SXSW Japan Nite, Original and Spectacular. On that post, I talk about why I like this group so much. They fuse Japanese instruments and culture in a modern context and it’s also a very theatrical show.
Unlike the dark indoor venues which require high ISOs and/or flash, this was an outdoor event in bright light, on a small stage, setup under an open sided tent. I thought that it would be easy to make great photos but I was completely wrong. A couple of things conspired against me. By 6:30, the sun’s warm rays were streaming under the tent, creating uneven harsh shadows. Using a flash tamed the shadows somewhat but not enough to make high quality shots. There was also a lot of background clutter. The jumble of chain link fences, people and the East Austin Neighborhood didn’t give me that clean look that I was hoping for.
My conversion to black and white solved several problems. The uneven color from the sun, the harsh shadows and even the background clutter were all tamed by my monochromes. I also think this gives a more photojournalist look. This use of black and white also nicely coincides with my recent interest which I talk about in SXSW Photowalk: A black and white exploration.
Finally, as the sun dipped below the horizon and with the harsh rays safely tucked away, I ask the band if I could make a portrait. I shot several of the band and of Kaori, the lovely lead performer. With the lighting under control and the background somewhat simplified, I made satisfactory color photographs. A nice ending to a busy work week and I’m happy to report that my car was safely waiting for me, unscathed.
Kao=S Group Portrait, 2013 Japan Preview Show – Austin, Texas
Kaori from Kao=S, 2013 Japan Preview Show – Austin, Texas
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SXSW Photowalk: A black and white exploration
Trey Ratcliff addresses the Crowd, SXSW Photowalk – Austin, Texas
I wanted to do something a bit different for this post. I’m using all black and white photographs. While I certainly love color, usually the more color the better, I have an appreciation for black and white. In fact, recently, I’ve done more black and white conversions. I took these photos on the SXSW Photowalk from this past Monday. I’ve posted my favorite color photograph from the event, earlier this week. But for today, we are going strictly monochrome.
We started the photowalk on the steps of Austin City Hall. There were 200+ participants and I was one of a dozen “coaches” who helped people with questions about photography. I brought two cameras with me, the Olympus E-PM2 with the 14mm lens and the wide-angle adapter. The other camera was my Olympus E-P3 with the 25mm f1.4. My smaller E-PM2 was attached most of the time to a light weight tripod for doing long exposures and HDRs. The other camera was perfect for street photography. Most people used traditional DSLRs but many looked at my gear with curiosity. Some even commented that they wanted to downscale, weight-wise to a mirrorless camera.
The SXSW Photowalk Crowd – Austin, Texas
Trey Shoots Nicole, SXSW Photowalk – Austin, Texas
How do I decide when to go black and white? This will probably make purists cringe but the short answer is I use black and white when I think it looks better. Subjective certainly, but as I gain more experience, I’m beginning to get a better idea of when to axe the color. Here are some of my simple rules.
1. I often use black and white to emphasize shapes and texture. This works great for architecture and cityscapes, especially if the color pallet is simple.
2. Sometimes, a black and white can add more mystery and moodiness to an image, especially when there are a lot of dark areas.
Hidden Blackberry, SXSW Photowalk – Austin, Texas
3. Black and white can also be used to simplify the image especially when similar colors blend into a similar shades of gray. If you have distracting color in the background, getting rid of the color can also simplify. There are at times when black and white can work in reverse and make at image too busy. If you have too much non-repeating texture from trees and bushes for example, it can overwhelm your composition. Make sure your subject is not overshadowed by the increase in texture.
4. When you can’t get those nice blue skies because it is overexposed, turning the image to black and white may better harmonize with the subject. The lack of a blue sky is no longer a negative, it just becomes a non-issue.
5. If the color in the photograph is blah and boring, I find a B&W conversion is worth a try. With black and white, I can usually increase the contrast more than in color. In boring, uninspired light, the stronger contrast can bring out interesting details and add more dynamism.
The Astronaut Among Us, SXSW Photowalk – Austin, Texas
6. I’ve also converted to black and white when the color cast of a photograph is particularly nasty. People’s skin color is especially important and in mixed lighting conditions or indoor lights with poor, limited spectrum lighting, getting rid of the color can be an easy way to make a better picture of people.
7. I’ve converted to B&W when I want that “traditional” street photography look or when I try to emulate a particular old-time style. This is perhaps just a gimmick but I do admit to doing this.
8. Finally, you can convert to black and white, just because. You are the photographer and you can do what you want when in pursuit of your art.
The Corner of 6th and Congress – Austin, Texas
The first 5 photographs are a straight forward black and white conversions using Apple’s Aperture 3 software. The last three photographs are black and white HDRs. I created a HDR out of 3 exposures and then converted the resulting image into a black and white. I think the increase in texture and dynamic range adds to a level of detail that changes the feel of the image. To my eyes, it simply looks different from a typical digital photograph. The last 3 photographs were also taken on 6th street which is normally packed with cars. The street was pedestrian only during SXSW so I had a unique opportunity to shoot the street life without the interference of parked cars or worry about getting run over.
Roppolo’s and Ritz, 6th Street – Austin, Texas
Bars of 6th Street – Austin, Texas
Museum of the Weird, 6th Street – Austin, Texas
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SXSW Photowalk: Google Glass spotted
Nicole sporting Google Glass, SXSW Photowalk – Austin, Texas
The SXSW Photowalk I’ve been talking about was sponsored by Google. They gave out some swag, I got a microfiber cloth and a LED flashlight. Something that made even a bigger splash were a couple of people who sported that latest tech. Google Glass is a wearable computer, voice activated and still in beta. You will notice that these two women are wearing the computer on their face. The plastic piece attached to their “Glasses” on the right side of their face. It has a built-in camera and probably loads of other features that I don’t know.
Lisa sporting Google Glass, SXSW Photowalk – Austin, Texas
The first photo features the latest in tech. In addition to Nicole’s Google Glass, she is also looking at a Lytro, light field camera. Just part of the nerd-like fun at these SXSW Interactive Photowalks. We didn’t get to use the Google Glass, so I can’t give you a first hand account. I’m interested in trying it but I’m uncertain about using it myself. It’s one thing to have attractive women sporting these devices but for me, not so much. I need to be decreasing my nerdiness, and I’m not sure if this device will help my case.
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SXSW Photowalk: 6th and Congress sparkles
6th and Congress Sparkles – Austin, Texas
A mass of 200 – 250 people stormed through Austin last night with cameras in hand. We organized at City Hall and took a zig zag pattern though downtown. Yes, I attended the SXSW Photowalk organized by Trey Ratcliff, yesterday. As the group moved, we spread out into smaller clumps, occasionally regrouping as we travelled through the colorful entertainment districts. Why so many photographers? Was there a celebrity nearby? People were either confused or accepted that maybe this was just another wacky SXSW stunt.
I reached the corner of 6th and Congress Avenue at the peak of blue hour. I popped open my lightweight tripod topped with the Olympus E-PM2 and the 14m with wide-angle adapter. My camera was pre-set perfectly for HDRs, set to manual focus, ISO 200 and a deep aperture. I shot several brackets, this one, my favorite.
The streets were busy, the trees sparked and the Frost Tower shined. The mid-60′s temperatures tricked visitors into thinking that Austin is perfect — just wait until summer. But for now SXSW is in full swing. Interactive winds down as the music spins up. 4 days gone, 6 more to go.
More photos to come…
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Promotions Galore at SXSW Interactive
Lisa, Sarah and Elena for Samsung, SXSW Interactive – Austin, Texas
The storm cleared last night and today was a beautiful late winter day in Austin, Texas — sunny and 70 degrees. I headed downtown for some street portraits and to check out what’s happening this year at SXSW Interactive.
I don’t have a long history of going to these things so I can only compare this to what I saw last year. It seems like this year, there are more storefronts rented out, for several days, as promotional showrooms. I saw big splashes by Microsoft, Warner Brothers and Samsung. It was also nice that these places were open to regular people, like me, who did not have a SXSW badge. Some of them even served drinks and food. It’s my birthday today so I gladly partook in some free, mid-day alcoholic beverages. Combined with taking candid and posed portraits, it was a fine way to spend the afternoon. The family celebration was later in the evening so I had several hours to photographically explore.
Tablets at the Windows Studio, SXSW Interactive – Austin, Texas
As usual, I travelled light, opting this time to take my Olympus E-P3 with the 25mm f1.4 and my Olympus XZ-1. My most often used (these days) E-PM2 and 14mm was left at home. I will use it tomorrow at the giant SXSW Photowalk being organized by Trey Ratcliff. Today, I was planning to concentrate more on people instead of architecture. The 25mm (50mm equivalent) lens strikes a nice balance for candid photography as well as portraits. The XZ-1 point in shoot was going to fill the gaps with its 28mm to 112mm equivalent zoom lens.
Warner Brothers’ Revolution, SXSW Interactive – Austin, Texas
80′s Flashback, SXSW Interactive – Austin, Texas
Dancing on 6th Street, SXSW Interactive – Austin, Texas
As usual, people found creative ways to showcase their products and services. Nicely decked out showrooms are always popular especially when they have tchotchkes. But organizations with smaller budgets also had their own unique style. There was a colorful, 80′s leotard wearing troupe, dancing through 6th street, which gave me Olivia Newton-John flashbacks (Let’s get Physical, anyone?). The only problem was that I didn’t know what they were promoting.
Props for impromptu photographs were also popular, both Flickr (Yahoo) and Phunware used them. Think about this. Only several years ago, photo props wouldn’t work unless you supplied a camera and a photographer. These days of course, with the advent of smartphones, almost everyone has a camera with them. Common place now but it would’ve been unheard of just 1/2 decade ago.
Phunware Poses on 6th Street, SXSW Interactive – Austin, Texas
Zoomdata Guy, SXSW Interactive – Austin, Texas
Shelby for Samsung, SXSW Interactive – Austin, Texas
One more change SXSW made this year was to separate the Games Conference into a free, publicly accessible venue south of the river. I took my boys to see it yesterday. And although the older, 14-year-old is too cool to be excited by this, the younger one was really blow away. It’s nice that the organizers and the sponsors have opened up some of these events to the people beyond the badge holders. SXSW has gotten so large that it has a big, sometimes negative, impact on Austin. It’s fantastic that everything is not just a badge accessed, walled garden. It certainly makes it more fun for me, at least. Let’s see what 2014 brings.
Lauren and Nicole for TrueAbility, SXSW Interactive – Austin, Texas
Tiffany for Xi3 Corp, SXSW Interactive Game Conference – Austin, Texas
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Precision Camera Transforms
Precision Camera Exterior – Austin, Texas
Precision Camera, the only remaining full service camera store in Austin opened a brand new, shiny store last week. Actually they moved from their old store to a new location 4 miles north on Anderson Lane. And what a difference. The old place was cramped and dark. The new place is light, airy and upscale, in a friendly and accessible way. The showroom is at least 2 1/2 times larger and now located in a place with ample parking.
I walked into their new digs last Saturday, a couple of days after the official opening. I saw Jerry Sullivan, the owner, and congratulated him. He was beaming like a proud Papa and he gave me tour of the entire place, including the back offices and the repair and print centers. The store now has the space for people to breath and congregate. Along the left side, a long counter with all the cameras available for personal demos. In the back left, a repair and equipment rental facility. To the back right, a comfortable lounge is positioned in front of a mini camera museum. And on the other side of the museum display, a 70 person classroom.
Precision’s Wall of Cameras – Austin, Texas
Jerry told me that traffic is up noticeably from the old location and, with all the additional space, you no longer feel like you are tripping over people or knocking into shelves. Gone is the dark cave like feeling, replaced by lots of natural light and natural wood tones. The place encourages people to linger and talk to other customers. And talk I did, for 2 1/2 hours. After Jerry’s tour, I ran into my friend, photographer and blogger, Kirk Tuck. We caught up for a while and even helped introduce the wonderful world of mirrorless to one of Kirk’s friends. Of course, Kirk was extolling the virtues of the Sony NEX line and I talked about my love for Micro 4/3.
The Central Aisle, Precision Camera – Austin, Texas
The Lounge and Camera Museum, Precision Camera – Austin, Texas
It’s nice to live in a city with such a resource and I feel, more than ever, it will be the unofficial center of Austin’s photography world. If you live in the Austin area or visiting, you should stop by Precision Camera. Hope to see you there.
Click on the photographs to see a larger image and hover over the photos to see the exposure detail. Multiply the focal length by 4.66 to get the 35mm equivalent
March (Photo) Madness, Austin Style
March is a very busy time in Austin. Two big events coincide — luckily they happen in different parts of the city. Downtown, the big SXSW (South by Southwest) Music, Film and Interactive festival dominates and pulls people from around the world. Out to the east, at the Travis County Expo Center, Rodeo Austin caters to a different, more local crowd. Both events are great opportunities for photography. For my readers in the Austin area, I would encourage you explore these photo opportunities.
First up, on Monday March 11th, Trey Ratcliff is leading a large SXSW Photowalk. It will start at the Austin City Hall at 6:30pm. I will be there and so will a bunch of my friends. Trey Ratcliff is a famous internet photographer and has made a name for himself in HDR photography. He runs a very popular site called Stuck in Customs.
Beyond this photowalk, SXSW can be a very interesting place to shoot. With a lively crowd downtown, it is a fun place for some street photography. I did a blog post and shot these images last year.
Of course, the historic heart of SXSW is the music and the numerous venues around Austin that features live performances. Photography restrictions at these places will vary, though it seems like people will smaller “less professional” (ie. non-DSLRs) cameras tend to fly under the radar. I’ve shot at the annual Japan Nite for several years in a row. Last year, I was really impressed with the originality of Kao=S and I’m excited that they will be here again this year.
The Austin Rodeo is equally interesting. Whether you shoot long exposures of carnival rides or capture the festive environment of a county fair, the Rodeo and Carnival can be a great place for photography. I did a photo essay about the last year’s Rodeo and Rodeo Austin even featured some of my photos on their website. I planning to go again this year. Probably the week after SXSW ends.
SXSW
March 8th – March 17th 2013
Rodeo Austin
March 8th – March 23rd 2013
