Month: July 2010

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Talk About Large Format Photography?!?

I used to shoot with my 4×5 Cambo Legend on a regular basis. Some of my clients had needs that required its use. Then digital took over. I haven’t shot with it since 2005 or so… but, guess what? I’m breaking the large format camera out of storage and plan to use it again. Why? Because there’s something about giant pieces of film that help unshackle the artist inside me. But, that’s not all… I’m also going much, much bigger!


I just picked up an old 12×18 process camera for only $40 from a print shop that hasn’t used it in years. My plan is to get it set up to take 11×14 film and do some head and shoulder portraits. I’ve made a lot of connections over the years, and I was thinking about doing a project that took advantage of all the people I’ve met and know. I was thinking about shooting what I will call “Faces of North Texas”. It will focus on interesting, notable, famous and/or special people in the Dallas, Fort Worth and Denton area. All of it shot on 11×14 film! Wowzers!!!
We’ll see how long it takes me to get this project up and running, but it should be a blast when I do. I can’t wait to start shooting through film that costs $15 to $20 per frame (and that doesn’t even include processing and shipping fees)! Am I crazy?!? Yes.
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Contra vs. Kennis…

new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/stopthepresses/231834/vampire-weekends-cover-art-contra-versy-model-sues-band-for-2-million/

The story is interesting to read from a photographer’s point of view, but what really caught my eye were the insane comments left by other readers. It goes to show that the average person really doesn’t get the idea of copyright. Many readers complained that Kennis is probably greedy and has no right to sue, and that she should be grateful the band wanted to use her picture. Many also believe that a found picture (or a picture bought in a thrift shop bin) is free game to use commercially. Enlightening the general public about copyright is definitely an uphill battle!
It sounds like Vampire Weekend isn’t to blame, though. It sounds like this will come down to a battle between the photographer and Kennis. I am interested to see how it plays out…
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Large Format…

I haven’t been to this forum since 2004, according to their records, but I think I’m going to start hanging around there again:

Why? Well, I’m going to start shooting some 4×5 again. The last time I shot some film through my Cambo Legend was probably 2005. I’m also looking at picking up an old 12×18 process camera for $40, and I plan to convert it to shoot 11×14 film. This will be a lot of fun, if it works out like I planned. Film isn’t dead!
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The turntable…

I often spend my Sunday nights up in the studio… late into the night, working on photos in Photoshop and sending them off to clients via FTP. I usually have my turntable and a stack of vinyl to keep me company. It’s a varied collection, with a little bit of everything. One night it could be Joe Jackson (like tonight), another it could be Ferde Grofe’s Grand Canyon Suite.
Sometimes I wish I could just fall asleep to the record player and wake up in the morning to the sound of an old record slowly spinning at 33 1/3 rpm… the needle still skating over the center, waiting to be lifted off the album. I don’t know why I romanticize about vinyl so much.
I grew up in the late 1970’s and 80’s when vinyl was still king. We had some good records, mostly The Beatles, Elvis and other bands from the 60’s and 70’s. And, of course, there was the Fisher Price player and a giant stack of scratched up 45’s that I would play in my bedroom.
I was more of a cassette kid, though. We played a ton of 8-track albums, and most everything I bought in the 80’s was on cassette. I eventually moved to CD’s in 1992 or so, and I have a massive CD collection. But, nothing can beat vinyl for me now.
I guess one big advantage to vinyl is that it forces me to take short breaks from the computer, as I get up to flip the record or change to another album. If it weren’t for those frequent breaks, I’d wind up sitting in a chair for hours at a time, as I process all my photos. That can’t be good for the body! So, thank you vinyl.
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The Southern Sartorialist…

An interesting street fashion blog was brought to my attention the other day. It’s based in New York and it’s called The Sartorialist. This may be old news to all you trendy fashion followers, but it was something fresh and different to little old me. It’s basically fashion snaps, with a raw and edgy urgency. It reminds me of what might happen if Henri Cartier Bresson was working for Glamour Magazine’s blog today.

So, it looks easy enough. I’ve done similar stuff for publications like FD Luxe and Quick. I’ve had to attend events and get snaps of people for the “who’s who” type pages. However, the Sartorialist blog takes it a step further. It’s like a mini, impromptu fashion shoot in the middle of the street, all done in a few frames or less.
Well, I decided to try it out for myself, doing a sort of Southern version of The Sartorialist. I decided to capture a slice of Dallas’ Mockingbird Station on a recent Friday evening. I knew it would be a place where a mixture of styles would converge and mingle, and this is what I caught…

I liked this simple, yet trendy look. Of course, being a guy, I’m going to gravitate towards simple and comfortable clothing. It was hard to just press the shutter button and not turn this project into full-blown “photo shoot”. I had to resist, though, as The Sartorialist style seems to be very spur of the moment. It appears like there is little to no art direction and the whole shoot happens in a matter of seconds.
This guy was dressed right! He was dressed up, but nothing looked constrictive or uncomfortable. His girlfriend was in perfect summertime clothing, too. I think you need to balance high style with comfort during Dallas’ hottest days.
This is retro rockabilly perfected. I think he looks cool! Maybe I’m biased, since I love styles based around music.


This feels very Austin to me. Or maybe Denton. Both cities seem to lead Dallas on the newest indie-hipster trends, so expect to see this style more and more in Big D.

Classic punk pop look. I’ve shot a lot of bands at the Warped Tour dressed like this. I bet he’s a musician. Or, at least someone cooler than me.

Anyone who sports a good metal t-shirt is OK in my book!

I want to find out more about that little pouch attached to his leg. I haven’t seen those before (well, except for the drop leg bags that military and police use), and I’m sensing a new trend!

OK, so my stuff is nowhere near the quality of The Sartorialist yet. Of course, he’s been perfecting this type of shooting for five years now. Maybe my street fashion pics would be as good or better after five years of doing it?!? Either way, it was fun to capture a slice of the city’s real life fashion. I might just try this again. Watch out Sartorialist, you might just have some southern competition!
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New Profoto Batteries For Twenty Bucks?!?

OK, one of my batteries on the Profoto AcuteB 600r packs finally died on me. It should be no surprise, as I’ve been foreshadowing this day in previous blog posts for a while now. I’ve had the kits for over three years, so they beat the odds (the batteries are estimated to last two years with regular use).
It was working OK the other day, but the yellow light would come on almost immediately after I started shooting. I knew it was on its last legs. The next day I took a pack with me for a new photo project I was trying out, and the thing just gave a pathetic whimper and wouldn’t even turn on. It reminded me of a car with a bad battery that won’t start. I tested the pack with another battery when I got back to the studio, just to trouble shoot things (and make sure it really was a bad battery and not a bad pack). Yup, the pack worked fine with a different battery, so I found my culprit!
There are a few options for replacement. One might be the new Lithium battery pack, but that is more than $600, and I am assuming that it requires a new, dedicated charger. Another option is to purchase a new Lead Acid battery cassette made by Profoto, selling most places for around $275. I went with option three (ordering a similar spec non-Profoto battery) for $20 each… we’ll see how well it works when the new batteries arrive.
The batteries that I ordered show to be the same dimension as the Profoto battery. They have the same voltage and a slightly higher amperage. I am guessing they will get the job done just fine. As you can see below, removing the old battery was a snap. It’s really just four screws and two connectors. I’m guessing that installation of the new batteries will be just as easy. These are the three main pieces to the battery cassette (not shown are the four screws):


So, we’ll soon find out if I have found a good $20 per pack battery replacement for my Profoto AcuteB 600r packs. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
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Trains, trains and more trains…

The model train club was set up at a recent event I was hired to document for the museum. Who doesn’t love model trains?!? They are fun to watch. My boys would’ve loved it and could’ve stood there all day!