What Camera Gear Am I Taking These Trips?

I figured I would have a couple of emails asking that (and I did) so I already had this post in the que. This will have to be a two part answer, a post now for the 1st leg and a post in a week for the 2nd leg. The 1st let I’m going to a brand new event for me, never been to the AirVenture. While the “subject” is planes, that’s really saying a mouth full. Planes comes in every shape, size, age and price tag you can’t imagine, and then some. Add to that the thousands upon thousands of folks and you get a better idea of the subject, it’s large than just planes. This is what I’ll have to photographically deal with what I want for telling the story of this adventure.

The planes come one of two ways, either on the ground or in the air. Statics (parked on the ground) has never been my forte, I struggle with them. So they are something I’m going to push myself on this trip. The primary lenses for statics will be the 18AF, 24-70AFS and 70-200VR2. I will also have the 16Fish just in case an opportunity arises for the ultrawide look. There is the slim chance I might be up in a plane doing some air2air work. For that the 24-70 & 70-200 are essential. Along with the statics are at times folks dressed in period aviator clothes, that means models. So I’ll have a SB-900, SC-27, gels and diffuser along. There are also some aircraft in hangers, long line ups of ships, possible needs for minimum DOF so the 24f1.4 is also in the mix.

That’s all that’s going for the ground work. For photographing the planes in the air, the 200-400VR2. That’s the easiest thing to take for this whole trip. When it comes to bodies I’ll be taking two, the D3x (main body) and D3s which is primarily for video capture.

Along with this, the Mountainsmith Day sling bag will also have the iPad (with model releases & portfolio), business cards, Leatherman Tool, spare D3 battery, 6 16GB 600x Lexar cards, Epson P7000, rain shell and couple other little things. This. along with the 200-400VR2 w/D3x attached will be over my shoulder. And this whole set up I have preflighted at another aviation show and that’s all the camera gear I’ll have on this trip.

How Do I Pack?

Yeap, I do travel a bit. Approximately six months out of the year I’m on the road shooting. Doing that for a long time, this packing thing is pretty much 2nd nature, doesn’t take a ton of thought. The exception is when I’m going on a specific project with specific goals under very specific conditions. What you’re seeing here is the gear that was packed for a two float trip in AK a couple of years back on the Kongakut River. As I pack to hit the road for a month on two different trips, I thought I would explain how I go about it in the thought it might give you some ideas.

When taking off on long projects, I make a written list, starting to write things down a month or more prior to leaving. Things I should have keep popping in my head so I keep writing them down. A couple of weeks out I go through the list and anything new that’s been acquired for the trip is tried out and tested. This gives me time to acquire new if the tests fail. A week out, everything on the list is gathered and laid out. Two days prior to departure everything is packed and weighed. Having done this so many times, items that I know I will need that I know won’t go in the check-in if FedExed to the location.

My trip in 10 days to AK I know I’ll be camping the whole time, working out of vehicles and planes so weight and electricity are a concern. More testing is done with this comes into the equation. Batteries, how many are needed and how to recharge them consumes time because in this day and age, you just can’t be without power and work. All of this has to go through the thought process.

Are there any tricks? Yeah, there are! The main one is to think through and write down what your photographic goals are for the project long before you buy airline tickets. With those goals written down, look at them, think them through and ask yourself, “What possible problems might I face photographically to reach these goals and who do I solver them?” You can never guess at them all, but the more you think about it, the better prepared you’ll be. Just simple things like your tent can make or break your success. If you’re going somewhere for example where you know it’s going to rain alot, is you tent big enough to house you, your gear, a place to work (ie download images, clean gear) and dry out clothing?

When it comes to gear, you can see what camera gear I generally take listed here. What if you’re new to travel and never gone on a project, where do you start? Well, while you’re reading this, I’m on a plane to WI for the big AirVenture and will be camping with a couple other guys out of a Cessna 210. I’ll the be there to talk with friends and clients, photograph planes and R&R. This is all new to me so once I knew I was going I started to make preparations. For example, the Cessna 210 can only take so much weight and only has so much space so going over everything I was taking and weighing it was really important. Tent, sleeping bag, ground pad are all bulky items. Next, I was working as a digital photographer, how would I recharge batteries and work? Lastly, how would I get myself and my gear around this giant place in 95degree heat and work? To answer the last question, I went to a place that was that hot, took the gear I thought I would use in WI and walked it around for four hours. I learned that while the gear I had did the job, the sling bag I owned didn’t worked so I bought a new one and then tested it out to make sure.

The airlines have pretty much taken and romance out of travel so it’s up to us to think things through, take what is needed to get the job done and be comfortable and safely pack it so once we’re on location, we’re good to go. Hopefully the little of my process I’ve written here and what’s available on the link will help you make the most of your travels

No Panning = No Speed

Here’s the same plane, a P-51D and it’s going the same speed and the shutter speed is still 1/90 yet it looks like it’s standing still. Does background make any difference?

OK, we’re looking down on the subject now, no sky in the photo and it doesn’t really help. Now the mind knows that planes fly and since we see the earth way in the background, we know the plane is flying. But the photo is not saying, “FAST!”

Change the angle of the Mustang, use a cleaner background and throw in some clouds and still, no speed. Why? The camera is not panning with the subject! Flying air to air, the camera is keeping pace with the subject not by the camera moving but by the camera platform moving. The camera, subject and background are all going the same speed. It’s really no difference then photographing a rock. And here lies the problem, I want that “speed” or movement in my still images when I’m shooting air to air. I’ve written about this problem before and as you can see, I’m still looking for “the” solution.

What’s the problem? We need a blurred background to communicate movement, something not being captured when the camera is moving in relationship with the subject AND the background. I have found an in camera solution to this problem and I’m saving my pennies to do it because it will cost money. So while I’m saving my pennies I wanted to see if there was something that was in the budget that would solve the problem in the short term.

The folks at OnOne Software make some really cool products and in my search I was in touch with them and they turned me on to FocalPoint2 . FocalPoint2 is a pretty sophisticated software that basically gives you an f/1.4 appearance to a photograph taken at f/32. That’s really selling the pluggin short because it does a lot more, but you get the basic concept. Since my problem is the background is too sharp to communicate speed, I thought I would give this a try. As you can see, it does look like I shot at f/1.4 but I don’t have the feel of speed, not even close. Why not?

When you pan, the background gets blurred but more than that is happening. Anything in the background just doesn’t go out of focus, but “streaks.” Those streaks give the eye a since of direction and really mimics what you see in comics when they draw something moving. You see streaks coming from behind the moving object indicating movement and speed. So while FocalPoint2 does a killer job accurately creating an out of focus background, it doesn’t streak it. You might be saying something like, “Hey Moose, use Motion Blur in Photoshop!” It doesn’t work either, I spent an hour trying. So, the bottomline is, keep saving the pennies, in camera is the solution.

As a side note, all off OnOne pluggins run 64bit! That’s cool!

Panning = Speed

Panningis an essential technique we use to freeze a moving subject. By the camera staying in one place and keeping pace with the subject, we null any movement of the subject so even at slow shutter speeds we can get a sharp subject though the camera and subject are moving. The reason is real simple, the subject and film plane are in sync. So when you do it right, you get a photo like this. A tack sharp image of a P-51D going 451mph.

With panning, while the camera and subject are keeping pace with each other, the background on the other hand is not. Since the camera is moving with the subject and the background is not moving, the background gets blurred. How much blur? That all depends on the shutter speed, the slower the speed the more blurred the background.

Ever watch the movie The Aviator about Howard Hughes? Well there’s a great scene where Hughes while watching dailies of his Hell’s Angles movie, watching planes flying against a bald sky screams the planes look like they are holding still. His solution, clouds! Clouds make a world of difference! As you can see here, the camera is stationery on the ground panning with the P-51D as it rips by. With no clouds in the background, the planes looks like it’s pretty much standing still. Put clouds in the background, even though they are a long ways in the distance, shooting at 1/90 the panning action blurs the clouds enough to give the illusion of movement.

Why do I bring this all up? Being a visual communicator and an old fart, I’m always looking for ways to tell the story better and at the same time, finding those answers in camera. Yeah, I know my way around the digital darkroom but finding an in camera solution is what I always strive for. You ask, “What’s the problem here?” Come back in a minute and I’ll show ya.

Photos captured by D3/D3x, 200-400VR on Lexar UDMA digital film

Meet my Exercise Partner – Rocky

This movie requires Flash Player 9

Yeap, basically everyday when I’m home and not shooting, Rocky here is my exercise partner (a Douglas Tree Squirrel). I’m still amazed how many folks really wonder and ask me, “Do you really handhold those big lenses?” Not only do I really do that, but here’s an example of doing it and getting a sharp image at 1/30 f8. It doesn’t come by accident, VR technology isn’t getting the sharp image (because I’m not moving, it ain’t active) but good old fashion proper handholding technique and lots of practice.

No I’m not out to make gallery images when I exercise, just simply get proper handholding a second nature response. In this case, I got so close to Rocky that I had to manually focus because I was inside the realm of the 200-400VR2′s AF MFD. At the same time, Rocky like usual is eating. When small mammals and birds eat seed, their lower jaw/mandible which is controlled by a muscle connected up by the ear can cause the eye to not be sharp. So when shooting at 1/30 (1/125 or higher is required to freeze this action) I work on not only my handholding but also peak of action to freeze the eye. It sounds really silly, but it’s what I do because bottomline, image quality is everything and it starts with a sharp image. (And no, not every image will be tack sharp even with practice)

Photo captured by D3x, 200-400VR2 on Lexar UDMA digital film

Lovin’ the 200-400VR2!

The principle lens I used at PRS was the 200-400VR2. It did a great job, I’m lovin what I’m seeing in my images. Here’s a quick example, focused on the pilot, Bruce, as he heads around the pylon. The shutter speed for this handheld image was 1/180. Schweet!

Click Here

You Can’t Get Any Shallower!

I spent most of my time shooting in Texas using the TC-20e3 and I couldn’t have been more pleased with the results. And while it provided a bigger subject in the frame, the trade off was basically NO DOF! What do I mean?

Click Here

You’ll see a line in the photo, that’s the focus plane. I focused in the middle of the back on the dragonfly. I was at f8 (f4 w/2x) but has an effective f/stop of 6.7 and was shooting 17′ away from the critter. If you look at the photo, you see most of the stick is sharp since it was in the focus plane. If you look just a 1/2″ in front of the focus point and 3/4″ of an inch behind it on the wings, you’ll see the focus is gonzo! That’s just how narrow the DOF is with the 600VR / TC-20e3 at 17′.

Now this can be a good thing or a bad thing. If you want a lot of DOF, this is a bad thing. If you want the background to just disappear, it’s a good thing. Can you work around the narrow DOF? In a way you can things happen. If you have the subject on the same plane as the plane of focus, then the entire subject will be sharp. As like this butterfly, it is flat to the plane of focus so its wings are all in focus. But anything in front of or behind those wings are gone. You as the photographer have to decide first what’s the subject then where to focus the lens and lastly how much will be in focus with DOF. There are plenty of tools to go either way, use them all to your advantage!

Nikon 200-400VRII w/TC-20eIII

I am a little amazed after my quick blog posting about the 200-400VRII w/TC-20eIII works…but…I didn’t get one query. That but though is a big but and has absolutely nothing to do with image quality!

Finding a subject to do real world field shooting and cooperative to do a side by side has been a challenge. In the last couple of days the Violet-green Swallows have come back to Mono Lake to nest. And with sex in the air, a photographer testing a lens just doesn’t register. Thanks goodness, this was not only a gorgeous male but dang helpful in illustrating my points.

Photo on left is just 200-400VRII / on right is the exact same everything but with TC-20eIII added.

First and foremost, shooting the 200-400VRII with the TC-20eIII (no, didn’t test and not going to test with 1.7x) produces gorgeous quality, easily producing a 24×30 print which is my standard. With this said, I would personally never use that combo. The 200-400VRII lives to be shot on its own! The reason is two fold, the main one being the DOF is just too damn narrow! I had to work my butt off and think way too much about technique taking my concentration away from the subject. Next, the number of elements in the 200-400VRII cuts the light down enough so the AF system isn’t as responsive. Shooting the exact same swallow with the 600VR w/TC-20eIII, AF was snap on. Those two factors would keep me from taking this as a serious wildlife photographer solution. Sorry.

This pair of swallows was great, the male displaying to keep other males away from their nest site. And the female bringing in nesting material, feathers being a very popular item. I was only 9.5′ away during my shooting which made testing real simple. Now many have asked about the “old” 200-400VR with the TC-20eIII. I have no clue on that combo. Many have asked about the combo I did test, hopefully you have my own personal conclusion there, it works and works optically beautifully. I still get a lot of folks asking if the new 200-400VRII is “better” than the old version. Like I stated just last week, displaying via the web a visual of what I’m seeing on my Cintiq just isn’t going to happen. IMHO and for MY photography, the new 200-400VRII produces a cleaner image. Or in terms that have become infamous in my 70-200VRII video, it’s a TAD of an improvement. YOU will have to decide for YOUR photography if the upgrade is worth the price. I’ve already put my money down (thanks Jeff) so my mind is already made up. I sure hope this helps some folks, it’s all I have to offer.

Teleconverters – Again?!

“Does the 200-400vRII work with teleconverters?” You have NO clue how many emails, twitts , wall postings I’ve received asking if the new 200-400VRII work with converters and if it does, are they great. Here’s a photo from this morning taken with the 200-400VRII taken with TC-20EIII which would easily produce a 24x30print and no one would know how it was taken. SO the answer is YES….but….

When I am ready to put out the answer and I have time to put out what I’ve found for my own photography on this combo, I’ll get it out.

How Sharp is Really Sharp?

I’m sitting on the front porch waiting for Mr UPS to deliver the new 200-400VR2. I’m incredibly excited to see for myself how the new nano crystal coating has juiced up the optical performance of this lens. I’ve been told great things but I’ve got to see it for myself. And while I’m sitting here waiting comes the dilemma, if I see an improvement in the lenses, how do I share that with you other than in words? The true measure for me personally is not in words but in photos. But in this medium of the web, you can’t tell the critical difference between what might be just sharp compared to wicked sharp. The 200-400 is a major lens in my arsenal, I know there are lots of owners out there who have contacted me already anxious to here what I think. Trying to avoid the pitfalls of the past, I thought I would set the stage a little by visually showing what I mean when I say wicked sharp.

Click Here To degrees in Sharpness

The photo of Donald was taken with the wickedly sharp 24f1.4AFS. You look at his beard and eye on the 21UX Cintiq or 24×30 print and you can count every individual hair. Good luck doing that on the web! Now to communicate what I’m seeing and saying about sharpness, I took this wickedly sharp image and using Gaussian Blur and going back and forth on the web, I created four images displaying different degrees of sharpness. Keep in mind what I wrote here, or here, or here, .

Hopefully, this will help us all down the road when talking about lens performance.

Next Page »