Quite possibly a trip of a lifetime
Engine and Wing, Southwest Airlines
In a couple of days, I going to start, what may be, a trip of a lifetime. I’m going to travel internationally and in the US for the next two weeks. I’m very excited and a bit anxious. You see, it’s been a while since I did a real international trip and it’s the first time I’m going to a developing country (not including 4 hours in Mexico). For now, I’m not going to say where I’m going but I’m hoping to make a lot of great photographs. There should be a lot of architecture involved, along with street photography, photographic observations and possibly the occasional portrait. In other words, more of the same kind of things I typically shoot, except it will be different, because it will be from countries on the other side of the world. For me, it would certainly feel exotic. I’m not entirely sure how it’s going to turn out, which I guess is part of the fun.
In addition to the images, I’m also hoping that there will be interesting stories that I can blog about. I’ll also have a lot to say about the trip preparations that I’m doing. What cameras do I bring? How do I take a full range of gear without weighing myself down? Do I take the Canon 7D, the Olympus E-PL1s or the Sony NEX-5? Should I bring a tripod? I’ve thought a lot about this and I will see how my preparations turn out. There is almost an overwhelming amount of choices but a limited amount of practical space. Sure the photography will be fun, but I don’t want to be miserable touring around with a lot of gear. I also don’t want to stick out even more than the obvious tourist that I will be. So expect to see upcoming posts of how I decided what to bring and if my gear decisions worked out.
I’m not sure how good my internet access will be for part of the trip. I also don’t know how much free time I’ll have so I’m assuming I won’t be doing much blogging. If lucky, I may be able to post some images to mostlyfotos, my one image per day blog. I’ll preset mostlyfotos to post photographs from my library but I’ll also see if I can inject some images from my trip abroad. So check out mostlyfotos during my absence for some clues about my trip destinations. And see you in about 2 – 3 weeks for more updates to this blog.
Take care and keep shooting.
2012 Chinese New Year Celebration in Austin
Lion Dance, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration – Austin, Texas
NOTE: I posted an An alternative view of the Chinese New Year for a completely different take on the very colorful images on this post.
In last week’s blog post, I wrote about how I made a mistake and went to a photo event on the wrong day. I made the best of this by getting some interesting and possibly exotic images at a local Asian supermarket. I was also in search for my dragon image that I wanted to post on the Chinese New Year. I headed up to the Chinatown Center again, yesterday, in north Austin for the Chinese New Year’s day festivities. This time, I definitely had the correct day and place. Even at 10:30am the place was jam-packed with cars. I brought the same camera and lens setup as last week, the Canon 7D with the 70-200 F4 and my trusty Olympus E-PL1 with the 20mm lens. If you account for the various crop factors, I had a setup that covered 112mm to 320mm with my Canon and 40mm on the Olympus. Turns out the combo worked out great. From behind the ropes surrounding the performance area, I was able to get closeups with my zoom and use my E-PL1 as a wide-angle. Later on, I also used my Olympus exclusively when I was able to walk up close to the action.
Musical Performance, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Ellen Chang, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Dancing, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Drumming, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
The festivities started at 10:45 am with some traditional Chinese music. The two stringed instruments set the mood and the pace and action continued to increase from the opening performance. The music was followed by dancing and then drumming. Of course, there were the usual martial arts demonstrations.
Martial Arts, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
More Martial Arts, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
I haven’t been to one of these events in a while. Interestingly, many of the performers seem to be from the Austin area, including a large contingent from Summitt Elementary School which is part of the Austin public school system. Back 5 years ago, the performers came in from Houston so it definitely seems like the Asian population is Austin is growing. The dragon and lion dances were the main attractions of the Chinese New Year celebration. After a bit of research I discovered that the participants parade the dragon around on poles. The multicolored costumes worn by two people are the lions.
Dragon Dance, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Dragon Dance Closeup, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Dragon Dance Performers, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Intensity, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Big Head Buddha, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Lee Leffingwell, Austin’s mayor came out as the guest of honor, lighting the fireworks for the finale. The action shifted away from the makeshift stage to the back. The crowds at this point were 5 – 6 levels deep in most places. I somehow was able to escape from the stage and moved over the the backside where the firecrackers were in full force. The smoke and noise were so loud, it started to disperse the onlookers in the back. The people in the know had ear plugs which really is a necessity. Luckily for me, a blog reader suggested that I bring ear protection, something that I definitely would not have thought about — thank you, Jack. I was easily able to slip to the front right, right on top of the small explosions. By this time, I switched exclusively to my Olympus Pen camera. The 40mm lens was perfect for catching the up close action. I probably would have gotten even closer but the lack of eye protection made me hesitate.
Mayor Lee Leffingwell, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Lion Dance and Statues, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Big Head Buddha and Fireworks, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
After the main firecracker lion dance, the performers shifted to several locations around the shopping center. A large firecracker performance occurred in front of the Asian supermarket that I visited last week, intimidating some of the customers. After that, smaller firecracker lion dances erupted in front of the various smaller stores throughout the complex. Between the smoke and fast action, it was a bit of crap shoot to get great images. With all the mini-explosions near me, I didn’t have my usual time to compose the shot. Overall, I was extremely pleased with the performance of the cameras. The lenses I used worked great for me and by having two cameras I didn’t have to change lenses. Certainly a plus in this very smokey environment. Incidentally, my Canon 70-200 f4L and the Panasonic Lumix 20mm f1.7 are my two favorite lenses. It was nice to put them through their paces on the same shoot.
I was a bit out of practice carrying the 7D with the 70-200 and the 430EX external flash. This is my heaviest combination and after a while my back started to feel the weight. I guess I need to work out more since my light weight mirrorless setup is making me soft. I may have look a bit strange with 2 cameras, with a dramatic size difference, around my neck, but it worked for me.
Lion Dance and Supermarket, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Three Lions, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Lion Dance in Parking Lot, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Lion Dance and Fireworks, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
I’m not sure how this New Year’s festivity compares to the traditional celebrations in Asia but for a few hours I felt transported to another place. I’ve talked about seeking out other ethic celebrations in your hometown before on this blog. Whether it is the Dia de los Muertos celebration or the Chinese New Year, it is great to be able to shoot a different and diverse slice of American life. For the readers that have such opportunities, I encourage you to go seek out your local celebrations.
The photographs were taken with my Canon 7D and Olympus E-PL1. Please make sure to click on a photograph to see a larger image and hover over the photo to see the exposure details.
Some more information on the Lion and Dragon dance teams. Here are links to the Texas dragon/lion dance team and the Summitt Dragon/Lion Dance Team just in case you are interested in the groups or thinking about partaking in new year’s celebrations.
A trip to the supermarket can be exotic
Catfish packed like sardines, Chinatown Center – Austin, Texas
Do you know that Austin, Texas has a Chinatown? Well not exactly. It is a strip mall called Chinatown Center which does contain my Asian stores and restaurants. I headed up there yesterday to see the Chinese New Year celebrations and take some photographs of dancing dragons and such. Except I messed up. It turned out they were going to have the festivities next Sunday. At least I didn’t miss it. The Asian American Cultural Center in Austin was having a New Year’s event on Saturday so I just assumed that the shopping mall was having theirs the next day. Anyway, I decided that since I’m already here, maybe I can find something interesting to photograph.
I brought my big gun out to the event, my Canon 7D with my 70-200mm f4 and even my external flash, just in case it got sunny (a flash is really useful on sunny days, to even out the shadows). Luckily, I also brought my less conspicuous Olympus E-PL1 with my favorite 20mm f1.7 lens. If I’m walking into a supermarket, I was certainly not going to open fire with my Canon 7D. The Canon may be a bit less noticeable that a real gun but it was sure to attract attention just the same. WIth the small Olympus over my shoulder, I decided to go hunting for some dragons. This year is the Year of the Dragon on the Chinese zodiac, a particularly auspicious year I’m told. I wanted a nice dragon photo to put on mostlyfotos, my one photo a day, photo blog.
Stone Dragon, Chinatown Center – Austin, Texas
In the prominent middle building of the Chinatown Center, there is a large Asian supermarket. A sure sign that the Asian population in Austin is growing. There were also a healthy number of non-Asian customers, a cross cultural mix that is one of my favorite things about this country. I didn’t have to go far to find my dragon. Flanking the entrance were two large stone dragons. These imposing carvings would look good at a temple but with the shopping carts in the background, I found it changeling to get a nice composition. I decided a closeup was best to eliminate the background as much as possible. Once inside, I was greeted by a large, red, multi-language banner in English, Vietnamese and Chinese. I wished I had a wide-angle lens with me, the 40mm view didn’t allow for the best composition. I stepped back as far as I could but the image below is about the best that I can do. The rare times when a simple kit zoom would have worked a lot better.
Chinese New Year Banner, Chinatown Center – Austin, Texas
I found more dragons inside. Trinkets found in the gift area. There were comical hanging dragons, colorful dragon statues and even intensely golden dragons. Nothing too exciting photographically but it will give me something to post on mostlyfotos. The image at the top of this page is my favorite. Something a bit different from the norm. These catfish were alive, swimming in a packed tank, ready to be purchased and become someone’s meal. Turns out the most interesting photos I took during this outing were of dragons and fish. I didn’t feel comfortable taking candid people photos inside a private business, unlike an open air public market. The camera I had didn’t attract too much attention but I didn’t want to blatantly go around snapping tons of photographs, most stores tend to frown up this kind of thing. The point I wanted to make is that potentially interesting photos can be captured in all kinds of places, even in a supermarket. Photograph the world from your neighborhood. In the United States, there are enough ethnic festivals and stores to capture a slice of American life that a bit unexpected. Whether it be a Dia de Los Muertos Parade in downtown or a Asian supermarket, there are opportunities abound to see different things.
On the way home, I stopped at a Vietnamese sandwich shop. Did you know the Vietnamese make great French baguettes? Yup, Vietnam was once a French colony and there was certainly a culinary influence. They also make a ham and pork sandwich on a baguette with fresh vegetables that the Vietnamese usually put on their noodle soups. A tasty end to a mix-up that turned into a short Asian tour. Maybe next Sunday, I’ll get to the New Year celebration, which is a bit late since, today January 23rd is the official Lunar New Year.
Happy Chinese New Year!
May the year of the Dragon bring you success in photography and in life.
Lots of dragons and fishes all shot with the Olympus E-PL1 and 20mm f1.7 lens. Please make sure to click on a photograph to see a larger image and hover over the photo to see the exposure details.
Hanging Dragon
Dragon Statue
Golden Dragon
Stone Fishes
My New Two Camera Olympus Pen Setup
My two camera setup, Olympus E-PL1 with 45mm and 20mm – Austin, Texas
Introducing my new two camera Olympus Pen setup. For a couple of years, I’ve been looking for a smaller camera alternative to my current DSLR, the Canon 7D. I’ve used a couple of different cameras and did a bunch of research to come up with this setup. At first I used the Sony TX5. While I originally bought if for a beach trip, this tiny waterproof point and shoot has great image quality and a take anywhere size. And, while the image quality is very good for a small point and shoot, I ultimately wanted something better. Then, I got into the Sony NEX-5. After much research, this was the first mirrorless, EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens) camera I purchased. I’ve used it extensively and blogged a lot about the camera over the year. If you read my detailed review of the Sony, you know that I’ve had great success with the camera but there were a couple of things that weren’t ideal for me. I continue to use the camera but almost on a lark, this past summer, I found an inexpensive Olympus E-PL1 kit that change my equipment direction which culminated in this new setup.
I admit that I tend to analyze stuff, a lot. It’s in my nature and I have to admit that I enjoy the process. I don’t intensively concentrate on finding the solution per say. Rather, I think about the problem and I keep it in the back of my head. As I come up with a thought, read something on the web or hear something from a friend, I stuff those little nuggets of information somewhere in my brain. Eventually, those nuggets start combining and attach themselves to the problem. It’s almost like white blood cells swarming together to fight a foreign invader — I start getting possible solutions or directions to solve the issue. The problem that’s got me analyzing all this data is “What do I use when I wanted to take highest quality images but with the smallest possible camera?’” DSLRs are excellent general purpose devices that do almost everything well in photography but what If I were to narrow down my requirements so I could “make do” with a device that is more targeted. My desired smaller camera will not have to do action or sports. I did not need extreme telephoto zooms. It didn’t have to be built like a tank or be weather sealed, but the camera didn’t need to be tiny either — it didn’t need to be pocketable. I was perfectly willing to carry this camera in a small bag. I just didn’t want the bulk of the DSLR at times. I’ve been thinking about this issue for a while now. Along the way, I’ve read some great stuff on the web that has influenced my direction. First up is that whole, your camera doesn’t matter it’s the photographer mantra that is so popular on the web. Many have spoken and written about this and within certain parameters, I certainly agree. When I see spectacular images like this from Wilson Tsoi, taken with a low-end Canon PowerShot A80, I feel invigorated to take the small camera challenge myself. Then there is this excellent writeup by professional Danish photographer Thorsten Overgaard. He is a Leica shooter but loves his old, lower end Leica Digilux 2 which was introduced in 2004. I just love his understated images and they are also a source of inspiration for me. Over the years, I have a better understanding of what I like to photograph. I have gravitated towards street photography, candid images of people and city life. I’m taking up the challenge of finding interesting observations in mundane places and documenting them. Sure, its fun to go to some spectacular place to take beautiful scenery but can I make interesting images in the everyday places that I’ve been to many times. I like shooting a lot in lower light conditions, either indoors or in the evening or night. And finally, I’ve really like the quality and simplicity that prime, non zooming, lenses give me. These external inspirations as well as my internal interests have molded together to form the input to the new camera system that I’m looking for.
So how did I end up with this two camera Olympus system when there are so many excellent cameras out there? I talked about the two Sony cameras I’ve personally used. There are great new cameras by Nikon, Panasonic, Fujifilm as well as the famous Leica. I admit that I’m a fairly frugal person. Above all else, price performance is an important consideration. Sure, I appreciate Leica’s legendary image quality and incredible fit and finish but I really can’t justify the $10,000 and up price tag. The $1,200 Fujifilm X100 is an enticing camera and I’ll have to confess that I’ve spent many a night researching and dreaming about the camera. It’s on the upper end of what I was willing to spend but it has some spectacular capabilities . I’ve played with a friend’s X100 and thought about it a lot. I had my inexpensive Olympus E-PL1 with a kit lens at the time but I was willing to switch to the X100 if it made sense. Ultimately, I decided to get the Panasonic Lumix 20mm f1.7 lens for my Olympus instead. This lens gives the Olympus a similar angle of view as the Fuji X100, 40mm vs 35mm. And while the Fujifilm has a larger and better low light sensor, I came to the conclusion that the built-in image stabilization of the Olympus generally compensates for the Olympus 4/3 sensor for my type of photography. Based on my friend’s feedback, the Lumix 20mm f1.7 appears to be sharper wide open (at the f1.7 aperture) than the Fujifilm’s f2.0 lens wide open. Indeed, I usually shoot with this lens at f1.7 and at ISO 800 with image stabilization and I can make photographs in most places that I care to. I also believe that focusing with the Olympus is superior to the Fujifiim, especially in low light. The X100 has some strengths over the EPL-1 though, in particularly I love how the Fuji balances flash exposure with ambient light — this is definitely one of the E-PL1′s weaker areas. Panasonic makes some great cameras also in the micro 4/3 format. They seem to be superior for video but I prefer the Olympus color and exposure and the Panasonic cameras lack that all important in-body image stabilization. I can’t overstate how important image stabilization (IS) is for the type of shooting that I do. Sure, IS does not freeze action, but it allows me to get higher quality images for static scenes, so much so that I often get superior results with my small Olympus compared to my big Canon 7D. There are other things I like about the camera and I talk about the good and the bad in my detailed Olympus E-PL1 review. Finally, there is the new Nikon 1 system. There is a lot to like about the new camera but right now there are two things holding me back. First, they don’t have any large aperture prime lenses, I’m sure that this will be remedied in the near future. The camera lacks in body IS which probably means that their future prime lens will also lack IS. This is a concern but we will see what the future brings.
I recently add the Olympus 45mm f1.8 lens to my kit. My initial test confirms that this is a spectacular lens and it gives me the capability to make images that are different from the 20mm f1.7. It creates a shallower depth of field and would also make an excellent portrait lens. I’ve shot quite a bit with just the 20mm and at times, I wish that I have more reach. There is only so much you can do when you zoom with your feet. The 45mm, which is equivalent to 90mm in 35mm terms, gives me that extra reach when it is needed. For a brief time, I actually considered getting the Fujifilm X10, which is the less expensive baby brother to the X100. It has a 28mm – 112mm equivalent fast f2.0 – f2.8 zoom. At $600 it more expensive than the $400 45mm Olympus lens but it would give me more flexibility. In the end I opted to go with the higher quality with the 45mm lens which will give me the range I want but in a somewhat less convenient package. Then, I noticed a deal at Cameta Camera that I found too to good to pass up. Cameta is where I originally purchased my E-PL1 kit and they had a spectacular deal. They had a factory refurbished body only E-PL1 for $179. They go in and out of stock on the refurbed units but the deal is still there as of this writing. You can check out their refurbished Olympus deals here. I figured If I get the second Olympus body, I can have the 45mm lens mounted full time on the new body and have the 20mm on my other. Ever see those photo journalists or wedding photographers that have two DSLRs with them, strapped to their body? They usually have a wide angle zoom on one body and a telephoto zoom on the other. Well, I guess my new two Olympus camera set up is the poor man’s version of this. I’ve taken this two camera setup several times now on my photo walks and its been working great. I get to use two identical bodies so the controls are exactly the same. I also get to quickly switch between a normal 40mm view and the 90mm telephoto view. On a recent conversation with Kirk Tuck, local professional photographer and blogger, he mentioned that the old Leica CL system shipped with two lenses, a 40mm and 90mm. Intrigued, I did some research. It turns out that back in 1973, Leica worked with Minolta to come out with the Leica CL. Here is some background on it, if you are interested. So my two lens setup with a 40mm and 90mm wasn’t a complete fluke. I guess it does make for a decent setup.
So is this the perfect system and am I completely covered? Well no but this setup should cover much of my daily needs. It would be nice to add a wide-angle to the package, like a 24mm. Olympus did recently release a really nice 12mm which is 24mm when you consider the crop factor. It’s a bit pricy at $800 so I won’t be getting it anytime soon. I have the Sony NEX-5 with the 16mm lens which is equivalent to 24mm on that system. So, when I want to shoot wide, I’ll use the NEX-5 in conjunction with the E-PL1. The major weakness I see in the current Olympus E-PL1 is the video. It’s only adequate but not especially great. Video is not a major component of my photography and I’m still looking for the elusive do all video and still image camera. The camera market is rapidly changing right now and until something remarkable comes out, I’m set with the current Olympus system. There are no more equipment excuses. I just need to go out there and continue to practice my photography.
Here is a sample of my work using the Olympus E-PL1. I’ve posted them on my one-photo-per-day photo blog, mostlyfotos. There are a lot of images so click the << Previous Photo link to see more. You can also hover over the photos to see the exposure information.
