Topics related to the taking or making of photos
After a long hiatus, the “What The Duck” from http://www.whattheduck.net/ came back. Here is one of his latest.
What The Duck: photographers stealing photos
We all heard about people stealing photos (excuse me “borrowing”).
I took the photo of this lady while she was using her Canon Rebel to take photos of the Sandhill Cranes. As you can see these Sandhill Cranes are pretty tamed. I feed them by hand, they eat the seeds from my hand (only during the winter and the early spring).
Lady Photographing Sandhill Cranes
So what's the problem? She is pointing her camera down on the Sandhill Cranes.
DxO Labs is a French company, in a Paris suburb, that started in 2003 doing software to correct lens/camera problems. To do it, they developed some equipment/software combination to measure these lens aberrations and how these aberrations were affected by the various cameras.
Have you noticed how some photographers are more lucky than others? Why them?
There was an old religious Jew in Paris. It had not been a good year for him, business was slow and both of his daughters got married. He paid for both wonderful weddings. So one day, after prayers, he asked God to make him win the Lotto. The day after the next draw, he checked the newspaper and … nothing! And on the following Lotto draw, again nothing, then again nothing. He was fed up, so he complained to God.
“So God, why didn't make me win? Don't I pray enough, don't I follow your rules enough?”
I was at a local camera dealer, the store was empty, no customer. I started talking with one of the sales guy. He showed me this little gadget that will be sounding the death knell (the ringing of a bell to announce a death) of the point and shoot cameras. It's a small add-on for an iPhone 4, iPhone 5 and I was told that it will also work with the Samsung Galaxy SIII. They do not have it in stock yet, but they have already placed a “large order.”
It's called a “snappgrip”
The Gymnastics of Photography click on image for gallery
They are looking at a large Great Horned Owl, one of the biggest owl around. The owl is perched on what looks to me a fir tree 15 ft/5m of the ground. It's around 10:30am and the owl is sleeping. The Great Horned Owl occasionally opens an eye to make sure that everything is safe, he mostly hunts around dusk and dawn. If he sees something worthwhile during the day, he will go on the hunt for it.
On Saturday, I was walking around a slew with my camera… when I saw this:
Bait Camera: Canon 1DMk4 and 500mm
British Columbia, where I live, use to be the North American capital of car theft. There is only one car insurance company for cars and it is government owned. The insurance company with the cops created the “Bait Cars” program.
I was speaking with a “famous” photographer. He was showing me some of his photos, mostly posed portraits. He went on to point to me the highlights in the eyes, the fill-in in the shadows that were revealing… The flash for the background… and all I could think was: “How terrible this photo was.” We were talking about a lady in her 50s with a Carmen Miranda hat1 a foot away from old, yellowish slats curtains.
The photos were technically “perfect”, but what a piece of cr*!p. It was more like a properly lit “jail mugshot.” He was under the impression that lighting is what makes a good portrait. I was in the process of reading “Secrets of Great Portrait Photography” by Brian Smith.
“Secrets of Great Portrait Photography” is not about lighting. Joe McNally and David Hobby have already cornered this market. The book is unique (I don't know of any other book) in that it deals with how to interact with people instead of dealing with light. Only 2 pages on the lighting gear and 2 pages for what's in the bag… For Brian Smith, portrait photography is a contact sport.
Henry: French Bulldog click on image for gallery
This is Henry a French Bulldog, aka a “Frenchie”. He is only a year old. He can be a terror. Nobody and nothing will stand in between him and treats.
Holding a Nikon D600 click on image for gallery
This gentleman is trying is his brand, brand new Nikon D600. It's Nikon's latest full frame camera with their new 24-85mm lens. Before placing the camera up to his eyes, he was walking like an “old man.” This gentleman was making tiny steps. He wasn't walking, he was shuffling his feet like if he was wearing a pair old slippers. He lifted the camera to his eyes and suddenly he started walking, almost like he suddenly was 20 years younger.
