Sigma 35mm 1.4 DG HSM

The Sigma 35mm F/1.4 DG HSM A1 is the first lens introduced in Sigma's new line of Art lenses. It features 13 elements in 11 groups; focusing is done through Sigma's HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) system. This ensures silent and quick focusing, this system puts it on par with the focusing system used in higher-end Nikon and Canon lenses. I love the 35mm focal length because it is wider than a 50mm but doesn't have the distortion of wider lenses. On a full-frame body this lens is perfect for "environmental portraits", it's an excellent choice when you want to show off a subject as well as their environment. Sigma also has a USB interface that will allow firmware updates on the lens to be carried about by the user. This solves one of my biggest issues with aftermarket lenses; often times firmware updates are necessary to maintain compatibility with new camera bodies. The new USB interface will allow such updates to be carried out without having to send your lens in to the manufacturer. Stay tuned, soon I will be comparing this lens to the Nikon and Canon variants.

Bringing the Blog Back!

Seems very odd blogging here again, despite my 2 year fling with Facebook I have decided to return to what is tried and true. Despite all the tagging and "likes" of Facebook it is stating to get a bit repetitive there lately. I have had a lot more that I would like to share about my recent shoots and the blog is a much more logical medium to use than FB. I have also decided to begin doing more with video, I have always had a fascination with the medium but it hasn't been possible to explore it more until now. The first part of my foray into the world of video consists of YouTube reviews and tutorials, more on that can be seen HERE I will be returning to the blog soon, hopefully I can keep that temptress Facebook at bay...

The Bigger Picture Part I

As a younger photographer I have very little experience with film. I have never been and never will be one of those photographers raving about the "look" of film. I know nothing about emulsion, developers, and fixers. I hear enlarger and I think bicubic interpolation, I hear negative and I think 16-bit RAW file, I hear...well you get the idea. All talk of darkrooms and film is not my language of photography, it is something of a relic; a history lesson to look back on and appreciate. When I was a kid most of my time spent on anything photography related centered around image processing. I'd shoot with my moms' Fuji Discovery Point and Shoot and scan the photos. I figured one day I'd get myself something like the Olympus C-3000 . When I was not working on images in Photoshop I read about shutter speed, aperture, iso, and all that fun stuff. I decided to spend all my extra money on software (as a techie all those camera settings seemed easy enough) and keep shooting with a point and shoot camera. This allowed me to work on the one thing that I believe can't really be taught, composition. Eventually I got my first point and shoot digital, a 1MP Fuji A101. Fast forward to 2010 and we have the subject of our article: How do multiple camera systems compare? And the ultimate question can those film snobs really tell the difference between film and digital? Stay tuned!

Unfair advantage:



The 36 x 23.9 mm Nikon D700 sensor compared to the 44x33 mm sensor found in the Mamiya/Leaf DL28. It is interesting to note that the DL28 does not have a full-frame 645 sensor. It is actually a 1.3 crop of the 645 frame, we will take a look at the 56x36 full-frame sensor later.

In the Beginning There Were Sticky Notes...

Well ladies and gentleman this is where it all starts, early morning hours and sticky notes. In keeping with my recent trend I am going to try and update more frequently. For now I won't spoil the fun to come, but I can say this shoot will mark a very defined change in my imagery. Stay tuned this journey is one step farther away from stickies and one step closer to it's termination point.

Creativity Comes In Twos!

Last nights' adventure was a bit of a departure from my norm. My latest adventure took place at the Red Door Gallery in North Little Rock Arkansas. I had the pleasure of photographing an event for featured artist "Twin". The highlight of the evening was a live painting demonstration by the duo. Proceeds from the artwork created during the demonstration went to P.A.R.K. (Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids). P.A.R.K. is a non-profit organization which was established in 1993 by Keith Jackson. Keith Jackson is a native of Arkansas who graduated from the University of Oklahoma and played in the NFL from 1988-1997 for the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers.

Here are some of the photos from the evening, enjoy:







Happy art buyers!



It all begins with a blank canvas...







It's amazing how quiet everyone became once the painting started.







It's so easy he can do it with one hand behind his back!









One final touch...



And here it is! The finished work, somehow all the paint ended up on the canvas. How do they do that and stay so clean?



Going once...going twice...



Sold! The lucky new owners of the latest work.

New Website

I am proud to announce that I have completed one of my primary goals for 2010...a new website. Take a look and let me know what you think! It is still a bit sparse on content in some areas but I a looking forward to a lot of awesome images as 2010 progresses! Click HERE to check it out!

Nikon Firmware

My inner photo geek was delighted to find out this morning that Nikon released new firmware for several camera models. Updates were released for the D300s, D700, D3, and D3x. The update is supposed to improve auto white balance and allows further auto focus customizations. It also adds support for 64GB UDMA-6 memory cards and (finally) allows the clock to be set via the gp-1 gps module. It will be interesting to see if I can tell a difference in the auto white balance performance, of course I'm sure I will still prefer a gray card. Just did the update and so far the camera hasn't sprouted legs or arms, nor is it speaking to me. I guess this means it will still need me for the creative aspect of things...