If you are a reader of Fstoppers then I am sure you have heard about this little follow-focus tool developed by Daniel Bauen and Mark McJunkin? and funded via Kickstarter. Basically it is a small rubber gasket that fits around most standard lens sizes attached to a ballhead handle. A very clever take on a product that usually cost several hounded dollars! I have been watching the video presentation over and over again and have been wondering if there are any even cheaper way to solve this issue and have discovered that a very similar product already exists – in my own kitchen!
I then spent a further ten minutes on google and ebay and got my suspision confirmed! – I was not the first person to realise this! bugger!
…and the product?
A standard silicone jar opener like this one from Trudeau does the job extremely smooth and produces great results – and at a price of less than $6.00 – I bet you to find a cheaper solution!
I have also discovered a great video with the device in action:
Today I was actually supposed to finish off my review of a macro lens which Sigma Australia recently lent me but instead I feel like I have to share a few words about the RODE workshop I attended the other day.
RODE microphones had brought in one of the major players on the market for DSLR and Video; Mr Philip Bloom himself. If you don’t know who Philip Bloom is take a look at his webpage here.
During the full seven hours (10:00-17:00) we were taken on a journey where Bloom demonstrated the most crucial techniques when it comes to filmmaking. The pace, amount of information and not less the casual relaxed atmosphere in the auditorium made the day a fantastic experience for all of us.
On the large trestle table in front of Bloom he had put a lot of his tools and toys on display for us to touch, admire and play with. The selection included the new Canon C300, Philip Blooms own signature dolly, Sony F3 and not least a whole lot of Zacuto equipment with a retail value higher than most people’s annual income.
The always entertaining Ric Creaser did a quick rundown of the variety of microphones on the market today and Philip finished of with a very interesting segment on time-lapse.
I thank RODE for giving me this opportunity and I am looking forward to the next workshop – If you want the full rundown of the day please check out this great review.
Kind Regards
Morts
I will not give a complete rundown of the full day as I know that a few of the other attendees have already posted these online
Behind the scenes videos or simply BTS as they are also known have always been very popular online. I am personally a big fan of the technical ones where gear and technic are in focus. The little clip above is made by the creative souls from camp4collective who I have been a big fan of for quite some time. This video takes you on a little trip to my favourite country Nepal and shows you some stunning footage shot with Canon DSLR’s using the magnificent Kessler Pocket Dolly. Sit back and enjoy.
Just one hour ago Canon revealed their new flagship 4k video named the EOS Cinema C300.. As so often before they asked the DSLR guru Vincent Laforet to shoot a video. This time the film is called ‘Mobius’ and is recorded in the Californian desert with a simple drug-kartel related plot.
The C300 will be available from 2012 at a suggested retail price of $18k (or a mere $15k more than the 5D MK II!)
Please visit Vincent Laforets blog to get more information about this great video with interesting BTS and gear run-through.
Long time ago when I started to plan my recent trip to Denmark I decided to produce a little time-lapse clip with the crossing of the Great Belt Bridge between the two main islands Funen and Zealand. The total length of the bridge is close to 7km and with the East Bridge having the third longest main span of a mere 1630meters. This is the longest free span outside Asia.
I had planned the shoot in details but somehow managed to screw it up partly due to a technical glitch and partly due to a weak Bowens Magic Arm that failed.
As you are unable to stop during the crossing of the bridge I decided to use my Apple Iphone so I, at least, could get some footage of the crossing (which sets you back around $102/return)
I used the time-lapse application and set the frequency to 1s/5sec which with an average speed of 65miles/h would give me a 10sec clip when played back with a 24frames/sec.
The result is far from impressive but it gives a good impression of the majestic bridge pillars and the beautiful conditions Denmark offers at night time.
- Always bring back-ups of EVERYTHING
- An Iphone is a fun tool to play around with and can produce decent results
- Denmark is an expensive country
- Bridges are aways good subjects!
If this had been a client-paid project I would of course have brought several back-up cameras, arms, laptops etc. It is always important to learn from your mistakes and instead of seeing it as a negative thing see it as a new opportunity.
As part of the user interaction of this page I would like to invite you to submit YOUR requests and wishes of what you want to read about here on this blog.
I do now have more than 3000 unique visits each week which is more than I could ever have dreamed of five months ago when I decided to close down Photorism and dedicate my work to this blog instead. This is why I ask YOU for help now!
Tell me what is important to YOU and what would make it even more interesting for you to interact and participate on here.
Submit your ideas and wishes to me either via TWITTER, by commenting on this post or via email (post@MortenLindholm.com)
The word is YOURS! (All ideas will be posted here on the blog – spam will be deleted)
Thanks for your input
Kind Regards
Morts
PS. Photo does not have anything to do with this post, I just like it!
On Tuesday 21 June 2011 six british photographers were assigned different areas of the City to photograph. Some used tripods, some went hand held, one set up a 5 x 4
All were instructed to keep to public land and photograph the area as they would on a normal day. The event aimed to test the policing of public and private space by private security firms and their reaction to photographers.
All six photographers were stopped on at least one occasion. Three encounters led to police action.
This is what happened.
Produced by the London Street Photography Festival 2011
Directed and produced by Hannah White
Edited by Stuart York
(all rights & text: Shoot Experience & Stuart York)
For most photographers a handful of strobes and a smaller selection of modifiers are more than enough to create absolutely spectacular results, whether in the studio or on location. For Yuri Arcurs too much is never enough.
Being the worlds leading stock-photographer, Yuri has personally been in charge of designing and setting up his brand new photo studio in his home country of Denmark.
In this video he gives us the grand tour of his studio, which will make any photographer green of envy.
to read more about Yuri’s work take a look at his web-universe here.
I have previously mentioned Terje Sorgjerd and his absolutely outstanding time-lapse videos. His latest video is called ‘The Arctic Light’ and was filmed on the archipelago Lofoten in Norway during a two week trip earlier this year.
The movie was uploaded to Vimeo yesterday and has been watched more than 100.000 times and has been shared via online media platforms several thousand times.
If you have not watched it yet, please sit back, relax and enjoy!
The TED Prize is designed to leverage the TED* community’s exceptional array of talent and resources. It is awarded annually to an exceptional individual who receives $100,000 and, much more important, “One Wish to Change the World.” After several months of preparation, s/he unveils his/her wish at an award ceremony held during the TED Conference. These wishes have led to collaborative initiatives with far-reaching impact. The 2011 winner JR ahs produced a magnificent and touching video about a recent photographic project which is not only groundbreaking but also very emotional to watch.
The list of previous winners of the TED price includes Jamie Oliver, Bill Clinton and Bono
I know the above video has been available online for quite a while, however it is one of those clips you can watch over and over again.
