PixelatedImage Blog

While in New York I went out with a brand new 24/3.5 Tilt/Shift lens to see what kind of damage I could do. I’m preparing to take this lens as one of my primary lenses for the Iceland trip and wanted to start the learning curve now. I had some fun photographing this busker in Central Park and thought I’d share my process with you through a video podcast.

In the video linked below I show you every one of the 49 frames I shot in the series with nothing deleted, and discuss the why and how of getting where I did. If seeing the crap is helpful, that’s in there too.

This is a long and rambling video in the spirit of the Within The Frame Podcast series (and by “long and rambling” I mean just under 20 minutes of bandwidth-sucking viewing pleasure. Enjoy!) Click the screenshot below and it’ll take you to Vimeo so y’all don’t crash my puny little servers.

Comments? Questions? Feel free to have some discussion on this. I’m around all week and rather than a tonne of posts I’ll be hanging out, working, and checking in here to have some good ol’fashionned conversation.

I’ve had a couple people tell me recently that they had no idea I had a podcast series. I’m pretty sure I mentioned it around the time that Within The Frame came out, and it’s mentioned in the back of the book itself, but if this is the first you’re hearing of it, I thought I’d bring it to your attention. I have two reasons for doing this. The first is that others have said they really enjoy the series, if only to watch me awkwardly struggle with video, my arch-nemesis. The second is that I am about to leave you stranded without me while I head to India tomorrow to join Matt Brandon, Gavin Gough, Ami Vitale and 8 others for the Lumen Dei Tour in Ladakh. So this’ll give you a way to get your fix. There are, I think, 15 episodes live, with 3 more in the can and ready to be released. The series will run to 20 episodes.

Get the Podcasts HERE on the Peachpit site (then use the podcast tab) or on iTunes by searching for Within The Frame. They’re all free.

If you’ve not yet taken advantage of the early-bird pricing on my eBook, TEN, you have a couple more weeks before I change the pricing. Click HERE for more info. Thanks to all of you for the incredible response, it’s clear that this resource has been really helpful and as more and more comments and emails came in asking for a sequel I’ve got a new one coming and I’ll make it available the day I get back from India. It’s called TEN MORE and will also be $5. Start saving yer nickels, kids.

I’m also thrilled to let you know that VisionMongers, Making a Life and a Living in Photography is well on its way to production, will be to press earlier than anticipated and the release date will be much sooner than the Dec.25 release date listed currently on Amazon.com. It should be in hands by mid to end of November-ish.

I’m not posting photographs of my packing process this time because I’m embarassed by the fact that – for the first time – I’m bringing three large pieces of checked luggage. (Shaking head in shame…) I’ll have a short post tomorrow before I leave for the airport, then – I hope – will be able to check in a couple times while I am in Delhi. But once I hit Ladakh, y’all have to fend for yourselves.

The first WTF critique podcast is live HERE on the Peachpit site. Hope you enjoy it. Wierdly enough when you click the video there it doesn’t scale, or it doesn’t for me, so click the Download Video file – or just click HERE. Sorry, it’s 7am here in Tampa but 4am where I come from. Cylinders not firing. (When is my coffee going to get here?!)

A quick 5-minute video to run you through my personal back-up system. Click the screen capture above to see the medium-sized Vimeo version.  If you’d like to download a tiny version for the iPod or iPhone, click HERE.

Well, nearly made it through a whole video without the cats interrupting. Not that I mind when they do but soon y’all are going to get your expectations up and start coming here just for the cats and that’s when they’ll go on strike. Keep an eye out at the end, the cats start doing a scene from Fight Club. They’ve been rehearsing.

Here’s an oversimplified cheatsheet.

When it all comes down to it what matters is not whether I use DVDs or not (I don’t) but whether the system you have works for you well enough that you’ll use it. If your computer blows up or is stolen tomorrow does it leave you high and dry? With the cost of harddrive space these days, there’s no reason not to have some kind of back-up plan, even if it’s not as paranoid as my own.

Got a plan? Share it with us. (And yes, I know I got the date wrong. I recorded this on March 23, a Monday. Sigh…)

PixelatedImage.com – Think Tank Photo Shape Shifter Bag Reviewed.

I can’t tell you how painful this video technology is for me. I did this yesterday and between the chainsaw guys outside my window, my cats getting in the way, and the pain inflicted by iMovie, it’s a wonder I didn’t end up on a rooftop with a rifle, let alone actually finishing this and posting it.

It’s on Vimeo at the suggestion of my savvy wife and some of you. This should work. No doubt there are all kinds of subtle crappy problems with audio, etc. I’ll learn. Lemme know if you have problems.

Update: Once you’ve seen mine, take a look at Matt Brandon’s addendum / smart-ass response to it, if only to get a glimpse of the kind of sarcasm I have to deal with on our Lumen Dei tours.