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Software To Replace Photographers [The Ones That Deserve It]

photo mark_Petapixel_a1_mini on chase jarvis blog Photographer Mark Meyers just wrote up a nice enough story aimed at driving awareness fear in professional photographers … fear about the future of their career, their well-being, their jobs.  

Depicted in that article this image at left, which was completely generated by the author of the post using an emerging 3d modeling software called Blender. The quote that stands out from the article is this one:

“If you are a photographer that makes a living shooting still-life photos, this should scare you…”

Bullshit. Unless of course…

You take the kind of photo that actually requires no personal vision…or
you’re unwilling to evolve with the industry…or
you’re somehow deluded that photography should be bound to wait for it’s sectors that can’t evolve…or
you’re unable to comprehend the definition of photography expanding into new horizons.

In which case it SHOULD scare you because you should be replaced.

Because whether the camera is 6 megapixels or 60, it’s a point and shoot or a dSLR, or … gasp…the “camera” is a dude sitting at a desktop computer…these tools are JUST TOOLS and cannot create compelling content without a human driver, a storyteller, a visionary at it’s helm. And those photos are the only photos you should be aiming to create…unless of course, you’re ok being replaced by a lower priced pork belly.

This might seem like tough love if you’re hearing this for the first time. Apologies. But, get used to hearing no. If you’re an aspiring amateur or new pro, it’s fair to be disappointed, frustrated, or to find yourself in a position where what’s sitting in your lap is something different than you thought you signed up for. But it’s not smart for any of us to feel entitled — to complain about an evolving creative marketplace or desire to freeze an entire industry in time. Whether we like it or not, all industries march on.

Consider this your prime opportunity to start (or continue) to differentiate yourself, your work, your vision from that of your peers.

—-
(via petapixel)

Learning Speedlights – The First Step in Expanding Your Photography with Lighting

Beginner or emerging photographer? Well, once you know what’s happening with your camera and all those dials, it’s time to take on lighting and flash photography. In taking that next step – learning to light – you can do almost anything, and nothing opens up this opportunity more effectively and affordably than working with Speedlights, those small on- and off-camera lights that are your entree into a whole new world.

…Which gives me a great opportunity to plug a free, live online workshop over at creativeLIVE.com from my pal, the talented photo instructor, Mark Wallace. The action kicks off this this coming Friday, May 18th (register here for free).

This workshop will give you the confidence to incorporate small portable flash in your photography toolkit. From freezing action in sports or adding drama in location portraits, this workshop will include lots of live shooting examples that will help everything make sense. Once you start working with these portable flashes, I’m guessing you’ll never understand how you lived without ‘em.

Mark’s Breakdown of the 3-Days:

Day 1 (May 18) - get the principles down. Once you know what’s happening with your camera/flash you can do almost anything. Get students to try things at each step of the way (I have activities for people at home).

Day 2 (May 19) - expand on day 1 and get the flash off the camera and start modifying the light. More hands-on demos with lots of room for Q&A to put things in practice. More show less tell.

Day 3 (May 20) - Working through common scenarios. Day three will be almost all shooting based on the most common scenarios I hear about (how do I freeze motion on sports, how do I shoot at night, etc). Lots of room for Q&A.

Again – register now here to attend online for free. All are welcome.

Here’s an intro vid if you wanna know more…

My Favorite CameraBag of Tricks

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Camera Bag 1 on Chase Jarvis BlogHey photo friends. Erik here with a quick recommendation for an inexpensive photo editing solution.  I’ve been playing around with the CameraBag 2desktop software for the last couple months and I’m blown away at the capabilities packed into this affordable editing tool.  If you’re new to photo editing and wanna save a few bucks, or you’re like me and find inspiration in trying out new photo apps, I highly recommend you download this software. [20 sample photos by clicking the image tabs above...]

Here are my 3 favorite features:

1. Presets: CameraBag 2 is loaded with dozens of awesome presets. Scott recently wrote a blog post and then another blog post about the pros and cons of using presets. It sparked considerable debate and it was a pretty even split between the fans and the naysayers. I am a fan. Presets are a throw back to the inherent experimentation that photographers had with film and help to discover new possibilities and styles. It’s great way to take a fresh look at your photos. But, even as a fan, I believe that presets are useless without the following functions.

2. Customization: The “Style” presets are customizable via the built-in “Remix” slider. It’s fast and it’s slick. The software also comes preloaded with about 80 presets in the “Favorites” tab that, when applied to your photo, display every effect and adjustment in play at the bottom of the screen. You can tweak each effect and rearrange them to see how the order affects the final image. Infinite customization.

3. Quicklook: The Quicklook view is just plain badass. Clicking it gives you a proof-sheet view of options for styles, adjustments, borders, or favorites. Executed as a full-screen, side-by-side preview of what’s possible it is a speedy and brilliant tool to find the aesthetic you’re looking for.

That’s just a handful of notable features. Be sure to take a spin through this gallery of images atop this post that features before and after shots (from some of my bts snapshots). More questions? Checkout the CameraBag 2 website

Daily Awesome: Digital Camera Made of Cardboard

Image via The Fancy

IKEA may seem like nothing more than a necessary evil for those who don’t wanna drop a full paycheck on a single piece of furniture (and hey, their pre-fab systems and some in-store displays are actually quite innovative…), but this here is some next level shiz: an eco-friendly, cardboard-bodied digital camera.

Shoots/stores up to 40 images, uses AA batteries (which, if you can find them hiding in the remote control, are a lot more convenient than clunky camera batteries which require special chargers), and it even features a super-handy swing-out USB plug for downloading your pure photo gold.

Not available in stores yet, but anticipated soon. And… not saying this will replace your iphone/droid, but I guarantee it’ll be a conversation-starter at parties or on location for your next commercial gig…

via engadget.

Selective Focus Can Be Your Friend — Tilt Photography on the Cheap

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Hey photo friends – Erik here. While I’m typically the video guy around these parts,  I wanted to hop on the blog to quickly tell you about a piece of camera gear that I’ve been enjoying lately.  I picked up a Tilt Transformer from Lensbaby about a month ago and it’s now a permanent piece of my walk-around photography kit.  The Tilt Transformer allows you to mount your Nikon lenses to a Micro Four Thirds or Sony NEX camera and then swivel the Tilt Transformer around for some dramatic selective focus shots. Tilting the lens creates a “slice” of focus that can be adjusted vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, and the size of the focus slice can be adjusted by changing the aperture on the lens.  It’s a great way to create tilt-shift style photography for a fraction of the price of a single tilt-shift lens.

Q: What is the benefit of a tilt or tilt/shift lens?
A: The benefit of a tilt (or tilt/shift) lens can be myriad, but mostly it’s incredibly effective at removing visual noise and focusing or drawing the viewer’s eye to the intended subject.

Use the image tabs atop this post to take a spin through a gallery of photos I shot with it and my Olympus E-P3 and see what I mean. Also take a peek at the Lensbaby site for more details.

From Skulls to Spam Cans — These Cameras Are SuperCool & SuperWeird

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Turtleshell camera by Taiyo Onorato and Nico Krebs via Flavorwire
My homies over at Flavorwire ran a really cool gallery of cameras made out of unusual stuff–like trees, shells, and–like you see in the photo above, a turtle shell (no turtles were harmed in the making…only natural causes of death…)… Which got me thinking: cameras have been along so long, people have had the chance to do some really weird stuff with them.

Though a lot of manufacturers might have you think differently, the body of your camera can actually–realistically–be made out of almost anything–who didn’t make a pinhole camera out of shoebox in their high school photography class? But some crafty photogs and designers take it to a whole new level. Some are hacked together out of other camera parts. Some are made of totally unrelated material. And one comes with shoes, dresses, and accessories sold separately. Flip through to see some of the cool/weird stuff via the image tabs above the photo here…
Lemme know below–anybody out there ever made a crazy camera?

FROM THE FUTURE: Fully Remote Photography + Video For Less Than $100

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I don’t know these Galileo guys, but I want to know them now. After you’ve pondered this video for about a quarter of a second and fully comprehending the future of this device and others like it — all the way down to how it might affect your job, your future and your career path (for better + worse), consider kicking into their kickstarter project. I did.

Or you can always bury your head in the sand.

From their page: The Galileo is a revolutionary, iOS-controlled robotic iPhone platform with infinite spherical rotation capability. Just swipe your finger on the screen of your iPad or other iOS device and Galileo reacts, orienting your iPhone or iPod Touch accordingly. With applications in areas of photography, cinematography, social networking, and video conferencing, Galileo gives iOS devices endless possibilities of remote-controlled motion. Capable of infinite 360° pan-and-tilt at speeds up to 200° per second in any orientation, Galileo is an invaluable tool to everyone from an amateur photographer to the professional cinematographer, and vastly improves the experience of video chat for anyone needing to stay connected.

Click thru the gallery of images using the image tabs above the video…

…and then when you like what you see head on over to the Galileo kickstarter project over here. Last I looked they’d raised $330,000 of their $100,000 goal. Not too shabby.

(thx Bryan!)

Video Blog/Update from Aspen-Snowmass Campaign Shoot — Day 3

Heading into Day 3 during our Aspen/Snowmass campaign, the weather report was looking sketchy. Lo and behold, we were completely wrong–the weather shifted to pure glory and we were able to make some amazing photos again today with the collaboration of a solid crew. Thought I’d save some time/energy from doing some typing, so here’s my video journal breakdown of the day…

Highlights:
-surprise perfect weather
-more work with Chris Davenport, world-renowned skier/mountaineer
-work with the remote helicopter folks from GravityShots – amazing angles with that chopper
-epic skiing in the Aspen trees
-NOW the weather looks to be shifting to the worse…

Watch the vid for more details on each – plus there’s some behind the scenes photos at the end of the clip… Enjoy – and feel free to hit me with any questions if you have em!

________

chase jarvis aspen video

The Canon 5D MK III is here.

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chase jarvis canon 5d mk iiiHey there photo nerds. We’re all in this together and today Canon just added more fuel to the HdDSLR fire – the much-anticipated Canon 5D MK III is here. They made some interesting choices on pixel count, recording modes, etc. So let’s review the skinny of it all.

Here’s some highlighted specs:
_22.3MP Full-Frame CMOS Sensor
_3.2″ Clear View High Resolution LCD
_DIGIC 5+ Image Processor
_61-Point High Density AF
_Full HD 1080/30p and 720/60p Formats
_Built-In HDR and Multiple Exposure Modes
_Extended ISO Range (50-102400)
_Up to 6.0 FPS Continuous Still Mode Shooting
_Dual CF and SD Memory Card Slots
_Magnesium-Alloy Construction

The curve balls for the people I’m talking to? The no 1080 at 60p. Please note I HAVE NOT touched one of these cameras – unlike Nikon, Canon doesn’t trust me with a 10-foot pole and I get no advance copies of these cameras.

The look? She’s small and sleek. Click thru a range of images of the camera via the above tabs.

Now, not unlike what I’ve done with the recent launch of the Nikon D800 and Nikon D4…rather than me spouting off about having played with the system or telling you what your feelings about this system should be, I’m turning the tables back to you. What’s your take? Love, hate, indifferent? Insights? I know that Canon folks, including, ahem, Chuck Westfall read this blog, so your comments on this post – glowing or otherwise – might help inform Canon and the rest of the camera manufacturers about what your thinking…

Link to all the Canon 5D MK III details and/or purchase here via B&H.

The 50 Greatest Cameras of All Time?

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50 greatest camerasHey photo friends, Erik here.  I recently stumbled upon Photography Monthly’s article on “The 50 Greatest Cameras of All Time”.  I was a little surprised that my beloved Olympus E-P3 didn’t make their list, but I put together this little collection of some of my other favorites with some bits of information about them for your perusal. 

And whoa are there some doozies in there. The list is fascinating, lots of history and indications of the future. Click thru the gallery tabs above to see the rest of the cameras and then let us know what your favorites are – whether they’re on the list or not. Commentary? Why do you love em? Inquiring minds want to know…

Nikon D800 Camera is Here. What do YOU Think?

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nikon d800 chase jarvis

Nikon D800 via B&H

Alright photo geeks. Indeed, Nikon just dropped another news bomb this week – the much-anticipated Nikon D800 is here. Not unlike the D4, I’ve known about its imminent arrival for some time. But there are some sorta cool curve balls….So let’s get into it.

Here’s some highlighted specs:

_36.3 megapixel, full-frame sensor (FX)
_up to 5fps still image shooting
_1080pHD video 24 or 30fps
_ISO Range 100-6400 (extendable from 25,600)
_Live View + External Monitor viewing for professional video applications
_Built in external microphone with audio monitoring capabilities via external headphones
_Twin card slots – one Compact Flash and one SD
_weight = 2 pounds 3 oz

The curve balls for me? The megapixels. There’s a lot of em. Also, this is geared a lot more toward video than I would have anticipated. But beyond that… Please note I HAVE NOT touched one of these cameras, and like the D4, NO I didn’t shoot the campaign. I haven’t yet spent time with the camera to tell you any gory details, although I’m assuming I’ll be able to chat more soon.

Aesthetics? Click thru a range of images of the camera via the above tabs.

So.. I (we) knew this was coming, but rather than me spouting off about having played with the system (I can’t – although some of you journalist types have I’m sure), or telling you what your feelings about this system should be (I won’t), I’m turning the tables on you.

What’s your take? Love, hate, indifferent? Insights?

[Reminder that Nikon plays close attention to this blog, so your comments on this post - glowing or otherwise - might help inform Nikon about what your thinking.]

Link to all the Nikon D800 details and/or purchase here via B&H.

Talent Imitates, Genius Steals: chasejarvisLIVE REMIX episode with MIKE RELM [coming Tues Feb 7]

mike relm on chase jarvis via SF Weekly

Mike Relm will move you. Photo: SF Weekly.

UPDATE: if you’re reading this post now…The no “Talent Imitates, Genius Steals – REMIX” edition of #cjLIVE with one of the world’s leading multimedia (audio + video) DJ’s Mike Relm is TODAY 11:00 Seattle Time, 2pm NYC, 19:00 London! Tune in here to the live page to unlock your creative mojo and realize that inspiration is all around you.
———
There’s a saying that you should understand. It’s “TALENT IMITATES. GENIUS STEALS.”

Now before your undies get in a wad, I’m not saying steal work and pretend it’s you’re own. More deeply, I’m asking a question. Do you want to understand and set free your most creative work? Then pay attention here. And mark my words: the REMIX is the single most important artistic concept of our time [Go ahead and read that again. And read all the way to the bottom if you want to win a Polaroid Z340 instant digital camera...]

In truth, I didn’t really understand this until I met THE remix king himself, MIKE RELM. If you’re familiar with Relm’s work, then you’ll know why he’s the very important guest kicking off our 2012 cjLIVE season this Tuesday, February 7th on chasejarvis LIVE. Mark your calendars – you will not forgive yourself if you miss this episode, especially because (apologies in advance…) the performance portion of the show–Mike ripping it on the 1′s & 2′s–can’t be rebroadcast based on music licensing. (irony noted ;)

Who: You, Me, Mike Relm & a worldwide gathering of creative people
What: Q&A plus a LIVE PERFORMANCE remix legend Mike Relm
When: this Tuesday, Feb 7th at 11:00am Seattle time (2 pm NYC time or 19:00 London time)
Where: tune in to www.chasejarvis.com/live. It’s free – anyone can watch.

In the unlikely even you’re not familiar with Mike’s work, he is a director, a DJ, a producer and live performer like you’ve never seen and he’s perhaps more knowledgable about the Remix than anybody in my rolodex. He’s directed mashup music videos featuring Del the Funky HomoSapien, done commercials for Hollywood blockbuster films (like Favreau’s IRON MAN) and Google and beyond, he even performed live at the 2010 Olympics. This episode will slap you around and wake you up to the very real notion that talent really does imitate, while genius steals.

Ditch the idea of yourself as a lone artist out on the plains of oblivion. Throw away the notion that you are your own creative soul. Just like other no-BS, hard hitting episodes, this won’t be a about theories or what-ifs, this will be about how to specifically take stock of your inner dialog, fuse it with pop culture for inspiration, and then make kickass creative work.

***Lastly, two important things:

1. For some fun and to pimp this show, I’ll be giving away a brand-new Polaroid Z340 camera ($300 value) autographed by yours truly, to the the person who follows @chasejarvis and sends out the best tweet that contains the URL (or short url) to THIS post AND hashtag #cjLIVE, starting right now and ending at the beginning of the show on Tuesday. Enter as many times (tweets) as you want – we’ll be watching out for your shoutouts.

2. If you’d like to be a part of the live in-studio audience, meet me and Mike and our cjINC crew, sign up for our email newsletter on the cjLIVE page here AND send an email to production@chasejarvis.com with “Remix” in the subject line. We will invite 30 guests new to our email list to attend the show in Seattle.

See you on Tuesday Feb 7. Please spread the word! [some of Mike Relm's work, below]

Buying Mics & Hacking Audio for Your DSLR Video Setup

Zoom H4n on D7000HDSLR video is a great way to get high quality footage on a micro budget; and a great way to keep that budget micro is to be picky about what accessories are right for your setup.  I recently received an email question focused on this and–in particular–if I had to choose between the Rode Stereo Videomic or the Zoom H4n, which would I use?  So here’s a little background on my thinking…

1. Cost. They cost roughly the same amount, and I use both on a regular basis, so the question is a tough one.
2. The Rode. I recently did a blog post about the Rode Mic a few months ago. You should read it, but to summarize; I love the thing for its straight forward simplicity.  It allows me to just shoot and not worry about sound, but…
3. The Zoom. …When I DO need to worry about the sound (such as an interview or a scene in a narrative film) I bust out the Zoom H4n. It captures better files that the straight camera – remember it’s sole function is audio.

So, while my preference is to have both, if forced to chose one, I would buy the H4n. Here’s why: with a little hack, spending a little more cash and buying one extra cable plus a hot shoe adapter you can turn the Zoom H4n into a badass on-camera mic. Here’s how:

First, get a hot shoe adapter like this one and mount your H4n on top of your camera.

Second, plug this line-out splitter into the headphone jack of the H4n and plug the male end of it into the mic input on your camera.  Now your camera will record what the H4n’s microphones are picking up and your H4n will record a high quality, AGC (automatic gain control) free backup file.

Third, you can even monitor what the H4n is recording with 1/8” headphone jack on the fancy new cable you bought.

Lastly, an important tip. Make sure the H4n is recording!  It’s easy to forget to start your audio recorder when the director just yells “Roll camera!”.

This is a little more of piecemeal one-man-band kinda setup than using just a microphone like the Rode, so make sure you’re familiar enough with your equipment to make it work properly without slowing down the production while you make adjustments.  You’ll probably be in the role of be being audio guy and camera guy, so make sure to practice to get good at both.

Here’s an enlarged image of the thumbnail above, highlighting the cabling. Keep in mind that these cables were purchased at RadioShack a while back just to test out my original hack job/experiment. If you buy the cables I linked to above from B&H, your setup will look much slicker than this first attempt pictured here.

Zoom H4n on D7000

Here’s a picture of my setup with cables purchased at RadioShack. If you buy the cables I linked to above, your setup will look much slicker than mine.

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