More Macro…

I shoot news, PR, event and marketing stuff all the time. Even though pictures of the mayor or the new president of the Dallas Bar Association (lawyers, not bartenders) pay the bills, it’s not what I would shoot for fun. So, I’ll often break out the camera on my day off and shoot the kids or play around in the backyard or at a park.

These images were shot nearby at the Dallas Arboretum at the beginning of October. I used my Canon 5DmkII and my macro extension rings. And, let me tell you… shooting a butterfly is a lot more fun and relaxing than shooting a corporate CEO!


Jason Janik vs. Pie…

I like Patrick Michels. Sure, he’s the competition over at The Observer, but he’s a genuinely nice guy. He was there covering the recent pie eating contest at the new Norma’s Cafe location that I shot for a new client. I liked his pics, and you can even see me in one. Just when I thought it was safe to go outside, it’s me vs. those huge pies again…

You can see me on the far left in photo 10 of 16 on their slideshow.

Postcards!!!

Are you familiar with Modern Postcard? They have serviced our industry for years, and they provide a great product. And guess what… they currently have a killer deal on their postcards.

Yup, a postcard, mailer, promo… whatever you want to call it. Photographers mail them to potential clients, have them set up at a trade show booth, pass them out at networking functions. It’s basically a big 4×6 or 5×7 advertisement, filled with pictures. It works a lot better than a business card, because you can fill it with your images. And right now – I think through the end of October – Modern Postcard has their fancy tri-fold cards at 40% off. Just use code OBE-OCT40 to get the discount.
I am in no way affiliated with them, and I receive no compensation for this endorsement. I’m just passing along a deal from a company I’ve used and trust. I hope this little tip helps you out!

Macro time in the backyard…

It was a Sunday and I had a rare weekend off. I spent Saturday at the in-law’s house and then went to the sporting clays course (if you’ve never shot clays before, it is a LOT of fun). Sunday was mostly spent around the house, or at Target (they get so much of our money, it isn’t even funny).

The two oldest boys wanted to play outside, so I took my camera and extension tubes along with me for fun. This is what I found in my backyard to keep me entertained:

For all you tech junkies, I’ll give you some photo details. All of the images were shot using my Canon 5DmkII, 50mm f1.4, and my EF 12 and EF 25 extension tubes stacked. Most of the images were shot at f8.

The ultimate “cheap” ring light case…

As promised, I have revealed my suggestion for a good, secure and reasonably priced travel case for your ring flash. It is no surprise that my google analytics shows “ring flash case” and “ring light case” has been a high search topic. The first thing I wondered after buying my Profoto ring light was “how the heck do I store and travel with this thing?”

Well, I didn’t see any cases sold by reputable companies specifically designed for any ring light. I didn’t see any blogs or forum posts that suggested anything other than a Pelican case with a custom insert. I had already blown around six grand on lighting and wanted to keep any further purchases to a minimum. Then I had an idea…
A drum case!!! I’ve worked with musicians a ton, and saw their sturdy travel cases, designed to carry round objects (cymbals, snares, etc) safely. They came in all different sizes, so maybe one might fit the ring flash and its cable? So, I went to Guitar Center, one of the biggest music stores in town. I found this in their percussion section for $50 or $60:
The case is made my SBK, a company that I trust. I’ve purchased their hard sided golf club case and their guitar case before, and they were both tough as nails. I forget the exact size of this awesome little drum case, but you can do like me and take your light into the store to test fit it.
The following two pics will give you an idea of how the ring flash head fits inside the case…
The case is soft and padded on the inside, and the lid is secured tight. If you were really worried about your light (and who wouldn’t be? These little Profoto heads aren’t cheap!), you could also stuff a small pillow or towel in the case to keep it from moving at all. As it is, that light fits snug, so I feel confident.
There you have it. My little secret for the best ring light case you can find, without having to break the bank!

Pie Eating Contests Rock!!!

How cool is it that I actually get paid to witness fun, kooky, silly, awesome things like this pie eating contest?!? I was shooting the event for the PR company that was running the contest, and it was quite a sight! There were a lot of messy contestants when everything was said and done.
By the way, this was held at Norma’s Cafe. They have the best chicken fried chicken I have ever tasted. I didn’t try any of the pies, but I’m betting they are pretty good, too.

Erykah Badu…

A recent photo of Dallas soul singer Erykah Badu that I took. I like the old feel of the image. It feels very 1920’s to me… maybe it’s the top hat?