What saved me this time was the black subtractive surface.  Usually, I use it to subtract light from a subject or as a flag to block the light from hitting a subject.  This time I used it behind the camera to eliminate reflections on a glossy surface.  I needed a copy of a billboard I did and had a tearsheet too big for the scanner.  Since it was laminated, it reflected everything behind the camera.  Simply solution was to put the black TriFlip behind the camera and setting the camera to delayed release so my hand and face were out of the way.  The Triflip, camera and Manfrotto tripod were all black so no reflections there.  A difficult situation solved quickly and effectively with the Litepanel 8 in 1 TriFlip multi-use tool.  For another multi use tools I love see my blog entry on the Photo-Movie head by Manfrotto.

Litepanel Triflip 8:1

Yet, so often I have to remind photographers who are starting to shoot video that right after getting the exposure setting to white balance the camera.  I would say this is important all the time rather than relying on the presets even if you are shooting daylight or professional lights.  Very seldom do you really shoot in direct sunlight so there can be a bias in the diffusion material or fill reflectors.  Lights get old and change color plus any diffusion can again cause a color shift.

I always carry a 12 inch Lastolite  EzyBlance Calibration Card with me.  It folds down into a 7inch carry bag and flexes out to 12 inch with a neutral median grey side and neutral white reverse side.  The median grey side allows for both setting exposure and white balance.  This can be especially helpful to wedding shooters that have to contend with white gowns and black tuxedos under mixed light sources.

Lastolite EzBalance Calibration Card

Go to http://www.lastolite.com/ezybalance.php for more inforamtion.

Another handy device is the SyderCube.  For RAW shooters you can use it alone to find your color balance.  For video you can use it in tandem with the Lastolite  EzyBlance Calibration Card to further refine your color balance.  It has four areas for adjusting your color and exposure – white, median grey, black and black trap.  Again, small enough to easy carry with you. Simple shoot the SyderCube and use the white and median grey sides with the eyedroppers and the black slider in Final Cut Pro to show a slight difference in the black and black trap.  I’ll post a video using the SyderCube for corrections soon.

Datacolor SpyderCube

Go to http://spyder.datacolor.com/portfolio-view/spyder-cube/ for more information.

As we move down the head, in the back, under the balance plate is a place to store 1/4” and 3/8” camera screws which is handy.  Along the left side is the tilt lock and in the center is a large tilt dial making it easy to set the tension dial with three settings of drag and 0 for no drag. Next to the tilt tension dial is a smaller counter balance dial that has 0 to 5 steps of counterbalance for just about any camera system you would put on the head. It seems like I have to tilt the camera forward or back a bit after adjusting the setting to activate the tilt drag and counterbalance to the new setting. Below the tilt tension dial is the spirit level which is clear but is not illuminated which can make it hard to use in low light situations.

Moving on to the front of the head there is a locking knob for the pan and just below that is the large pan tension adjust dial with three settings plus 0.  This is nice because no matter how you position the system you are able to quickly ajust the pan drag setting.  I like the that the large dials for both the tilt and pan tension settings makes setting them easy.  Quick mention about the Pan Bar which is only on the right side but is adjustable for angle and tilt.

The head is supported on a 75mm ball allowing for a tilt range of +90 degrees to -75 degrees.  The ball fits into the 75mm bowl in the two 2-stage aluminum tripod with a mid-level spreader and with a foot spreader version available.  I find the mid-level spreader easier to deal with and still gives me the rigidity I want.  The legs are the split uppers with single sticks for the bottom two sections.   The system tops out at 66.5” and folders down to 33.5”.  The feet are a adjustable from soft rubber to spikes depending on the terrain.

Lee White working with Sachtler Ace M Fluid Head with 2-Stage Aluminum Tripod

Shooting with the Ace is a pleasure; the tension adjustment range is suitable for a variety of subjects.  I found the pan and tilt to be smooth from beginning to end without the jump that sometimes happens at the beginning with some heads.  Equally important there is no spring back when I stop the move.  The head is solid so I did not have to worry about holding it in place for the couple of beats I usually like at the end of my moves.  Check out the surfing shot I just did as an example.  I used the Panasonic HMC 40 recording onto a Hoodman Raw STEEL SDHC card to capture the shot.

For more information on the SachtlerACE go to http://www.sachtler.com/?id=1109/product_fluid-heads-75-mm_ace-m__description.html

Chimera also introduced me to some new innovative products that I really enjoy like the Panel Frames/Window Patterns that are much more effective then the traditional cucoloris.  Rather than a single pattern on a solid 4X4 frame I have a choice of patterns on three different frame sizes which collapse into a small bag.  Chimera also has a line of Chimera constant lights that are mated with the Film & Video Chimera lighting gear and deserve a look.

Chimera Window Pattern in Foreground with Lee White Shooting Video

For more information go to Chimera’s website at http://www.chimeralighting.com/products

So how to get the best sound possible with in-camera synced sound?  First start with a professional quality microphone like one of the Sennheiser ME series condenser microphones such as the ME66 short shotgun with the K6 power module or the EW 100 G3 wireless system.

Sennheiser ME66 Microphone in K-Tek Shock Mount ©Lee White

Then use a quality XLR cable to connect it to the camera.  But wait, there is no XLR input on DSLRs.  So to get the XLR cable to work with your DSLR you need an adapter.

Beachtek DXA-5Da Passive Adapter

Some of the best adapters out there are the Beachtek DXA-5Da and DXA-SLR. Harry Kaufmann of Beachtek was kind enough to describe the differences between the Beachtek DXA-5Da and DXA-SLR.   “Both adapters work on any DSLR camera. The only reason that the DXA-5Da is named as it is is because it was originally designed for the Canon 5D. However, it will work equally well on the 7D or any of the other Canon, Panasonic or Nikon cameras. “

Beachtek DXA_SLR Active Adapter

“The DXA-5Da is a passive device which means it does not provide any amplification or phantom power. The passive circuitry keeps things very simple as there is no electronics to get it the way – it uses simple balancing transformers so it is very robust and completely noise free for superb audio. It can also operate with no battery. It is ideal for sensitive mics like the Sennheiser ME66, Rode VideoMic Pro, wireless mics or as an interface to a mixing board – in these cases no amplification or phantom power are required.  The DXA-SLR is a much more sophisticated active device which has built-it low noise preamps and phantom power so it can be used with virtually any microphone.”

DXA-5Da Adapter Controls

DXA-SLR Adapter Controls

Photos courtesy of Beachtek

Both can disable the AGC and let you set the audio levels manually.  So, if your microphone is a condenser type and you can power it with a battery in the microphone or inside the XLR cable the Beachtek DXA-5Da is a good choice.  If you need to power the microphone from the adapter or to boost the amplification of a less sensitive microphone then the Beachtek DXA-SLR is the right choice.

You can get more information on the Beachtek site at http://www.beachtek.com/ and Sennheiser site at http://www.sennheiserusa.com/.

The Manfrotto 055 Magnesium Photo-Movie Head has solved the problem by being a hybrid.  The photo-movie head has all the functions of a traditional fluid head and still photo head.   In what Manfrotto refers to as the photo mode, part of the head is released so it can move in a 90 degree arch allowing the camera to be locked at any angle from completely horizontal to completely vertical.  It is like a ball head but with resistance controls added.  Then by simply turning the photo/video selector to video mode, the camera is locked into a horizontal only position with all the functions of a traditional fluid head.

Some of the features that are very helpful are the bubble levels, degree markings and reversible pan bar.  There are bubble levels that work both for the vertical and horizontal positions, a must for video but helpful in stills.  The reversible pan bar allows you to choose which hand you want to use for panning.  I switch back and forth depending on the camera I’m using.  The degree marks help when shooting panoramas and matching shots in compositing.  It’s the best of both worlds, especially when shooting with the HD DSLRs.  It looks cool, too.

Manfrotto 055 Magnesium Photo-Movie Head

Cameras – Sinar P 4×5 Professional kit (will not separate), 8X10 and 4X5 lenses

Hasseblad

(2) Camera body 500C/m     $350 ea.

(3) A12 Camera back   $175 ea

Hasselblad PLANAR  Black T* 80mm f/2.8 Lens $525

Hasselblad PLANAR  silver 80mm f/2.8 Lens $425

Hasselblad 150mm f/4 Sonnar Chrome $450

HASSELBLAD 40MM C F/4 DISTAGON LENS $850

Hasselblad Bellows Pro Lens Shade With 2 Masks

NC-2 NON-METERING PRISM FINDER/500C/M $75

KOMURA TELEMORE95 2X TELECONVERTER FOR HASSELBLAD  $75

Hasselblad 100 Polaroid Back for 500CM  $55

Hasselblad rapid winding handle for 500c/m.  $35

Hasselblad 500 C/M Back Body Cap  $40

Equipment

Manfrotto 501HDV Pro Video Head

Beachtek DXA-5D

Calumet Medium soft box

Red wing medium soft box

Chimera large Strip softbox 21X84

Chimera medium Strip softbox  14X56

Photoflex Halfdome Xlarge

Calumet 3-D reflector  Large

Photoflex 3X6 frame and fabric

Studio – Equipment – Mono camera stand internal conterweight, umbrellas, softboxes, Balcar strobe pack, darkroom equipment and more.

Photo backgrounds – Painted scenes and abstract, assorted seamless, flats, strong boys, etc.

Props – wardrobe, furniture, shoes etc.

Tools

Any type of travel bring with it certain difficulties and far off lands bring the add problems of different electrical issues.  There are different plugs, voltages and cycling.  I have a fist full of plug adapters.  I shoot my still photography with Balcar multi voltage strobes.  And take special care when setting my shutter speed shooting video.

In the US, it is usually fine to shoot video under fluorescent lights with shutter speeds at 1/48 to 1/60 of a second to prevent flicker and that holds true for any 60 Hz country.  In european countries and other places in the world that use 50 Hz AC power shooting video at 1/100 of a second usually solves the problem of fluorescent flicker.

This time my found photographic subjects were rocks along the seawall.  The light seemed to caress the smooth round surfaces late in the day. I found one design after another.  I struggled to take what was chaos and find order.  I realized I must first take in the whole and then find the areas that most interested me to photograph.  I wondered if while placing the rocks if the workers just considered strength or somehow drawn to the designs they were creating.  While photographed in color the rocks were monotone and I felt they were best represented in B&W.

Ventura CA Seawall Rocks by Lee White

Ventura CA Seawall Rocks 2 by Lee White

Ventura CA Seawall Rocks 3 by Lee White

Ventura CA Seawall Rocks 5

Ventura CA Seawall Rocks 6 by Lee White Photography

Ventura Sea Rocks 1 by Lee White Photography

It is totally different when there is no assignment or even a specific purpose for my photography. Each day I get up looking forward to the chance make an image. Note, I said “make an image” not just take a photograph. Anyone with a camera can take a photograph by just pushing the shutter, to me that is not making an image but just recording a scene.

I was recently listening to how Sam Abell talked about making his layered images and the discovery process he went through. It reminded me that it sometimes takes trial and error before setting on an image that you like. I think most photographers go through a similar process of sorting out how and what to use in making images.

This evening, just after sunset, as I strolled among a nearby beach, I found the tide was unusually low. I noticed it exposed the ocean floor that normally would be under several feet of water. There as a different texture to the sand and some interesting patterns. But, in the quickly fading light there was not quite enough drawing of the contours. Then, I saw the piece of seaweed in the first image which looked promising but again the light had faded a little to much. There was still enough side light to create interest but the values were now too close to really make a statement.

As I walked along, I noted shore birds wading near the shore with beautiful golden light reflecting off their white chest feathers. But, I was not prepared with a long enough lens to make anything worth while.

As I walked past the birds, I started to notice some chest feathers had come loose from those birds and were now sitting on some of those ocean bottom contours. I selected the ones I felt would make the most interesting images and quickly composed them in the fading light. See my final picks below.

Feather Sand #1

Feather on Sand #2

Feather on Sand #3

Feather on Sand #4

Feather on Sand #5

As you can see by the time I found the last feather, the light had almost faded to nothing.