Risa Binder “You Made It Rain.” – Paper Heart Album
When singer / songwriter Risa Binder contacted me to shoot an off the cuff unplugged music video where she performs at a sweet shop. Intrigued with the challenge for this musician I opted to take on the assignment. At the dessert shop Risa reviews some of the sweets and then performs an acoustic guitar version with musician Ryan Bull of one of her songs, in this video Risa sings “You Made It Rain”. We shot one cold rainy afternoon in Brooklyn, NY at One Girl Cookies. Since Risa was on tight budget I planned to do this assignment solo. The trick for me was how can I get two camera angles, be mobile, work fast and not disturb the customers with obtrusive video gear. I came up with the “J Rig”.
The “J Rig” consists of a Bogen flexible magic arm, 2 stud adaptors and 1 Adorama umbrella flash bracket. Mounted to this rig was a Nikon P7000, Hero HD camera and a Sony wireless stereo mic receiver. The rig worked perfectly allowing me to move freely and still be able to use the zoom on the Nikon P7000. I directed Risa to only look at the Nikon knowing that this camera will be the “A” footage. The Hero cam was set to it’s widest setting R4 giving the “B” roll an almost fish eye look. This worked perfectly due to the tight space we were shooting in at One Girl Cookies in Brooklyn, NY. After filming for 2.5 hours and a major sugar rush from the incredible Whoopie Pies we had what we needed.
As I began the edit process I presented Risa the first cut which was just over 7 minutes. Risa informs me that her record label Warehouse Records, LLC and publicist Shore Fire Media after seeing the quality of the video wanted to use the video to promote the release of her album Paper Heart. The one requirement was we had to cut it down to 3 minutes so it could be used on the Official Facebook Music Page. After a few more edit sessions cutting the acoustic song of “You Made It Rain” in half we finished in time for Risa’s February 14th release date of her album Paper Heart.
RISA’S DEBUT OF HER PAPER HEART ALBUM – EVENT DETAILS
WHO: Risa Binder – Vocals; Doug Yowell – Drums; Ryan Bull – Guitar; Lee Nadel – Bass; Chris Lopresto – Keys; Nadia Ackerman- Background Vocals; Anthea White – Background Vocals
WHERE: Rockwood Music Hall
196 Allen Street
New York, NY 10002
212.477.4155
WHEN: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 – 7PM
RSVP: jpage@shorefire.com
Are you a musician in need of video or still shots for your CD artwork, press kits and website? Contact me and I’ll be happy to discuss your project in detail.
Related Links
Warehouse Records, LLC – Risa’s Record Label.
Shore Fire Media – Risa’s Publicist.
LYTRO Technology is Perfect for the iPhone 5
In the upcoming Inside Apple book by Adam Lashinsky, it’s revealed that Steve Jobs had expressed interest and subsequently met with the CEO of LYTRO, the makers the first light field camera.
Quote from the book:
The company’s CEO, Ren Ng, a brilliant computer scientist with a PhD from Stanford, immediately called Jobs, who picked up the phone and quickly said, “if you’re free this afternoon maybe we would could get together.” Ng, who is thirty-two, hurried to Palo Alto, showed Jobs a demo of LYTRO’s technology, discussed cameras and product design with him, and, at Jobs’s request, agreed to send him an email outlining three things he’d like LYTRO to do with Apple.
The light field technology by LYTRO is poised for the smartphone market….. especially the iPhone 5. I can’t tell you the number people I’ve seen who have simply no clue to touch the area of their screen to focus the picture. The LYTRO technology will eliminate this all together. Being “focused” on the moment before you is key. Having the ability to focus after the image is taken is a better way to approach an image.
I’ve actually had the pleasure of a hands on demonstration of the LYTRO camera. You can read about that experience on my blog post by clicking here.
LYTRO – as a camera I’d have to say NO, however as a technology LYTRO’s breakthrough will be a welcomed feature in any smartphone, tablet, digital camera or imaging device.
Related articles:
Steve Jobs Met with Light Field Camera (Lytro) Company’s CEO – MacRumors Forums.
Book details Apple’s ‘packaging room,’ Steve Jobs’s interest in advanced cameras.
Will Apple’s iPhone 5 be the only camera you’ll ever need? – Computerworld Blogs.
Nikon D4 Overview: Digital Photography Review
Nikon has finally released the news that the Nikon D4 will be on the shelves starting in February of 2012. Finally a Nikon camera with some cojones!!! I personally have been waiting for this camera since 2009 when I realized the Nikon D3s was sub-par. Some features I am excited to put the test are the facial recognition system, the 204,800 ISO which should be noisy but could play that up to create some interesting images. Ohhhh and finally the 1080p video… YES! That is the sole reason I did not purchase the Nikon D3s because it was wimping out at 720p for the video. I have to say was a bit upset to see the $6,000 price tag when the past price point for Nikon’s flagship cameras had been steady at $5,000. OUCH!!!
Here are some things to note about the Key Specifications for the Nikon D4:
• 51 AF focal points – When people’s faces are priority subjects, the Advanced Scene Recognition System delivers particularly outstanding performance. The camera’s auto-area AF mode accurately recognizes human faces and achieves sharp focus immediately and automatically
• D4 also has the all new card format.
• 16.2 effective megapixel, full-frame sensor (16.6MP total)
• 10fps shooting with AF and AE, 11fps with focus and exposure locked, 24fps 2.5MP grabs
• 91,000 pixel sensor for metering, white balance, flash exposure, face detection and active d-lighting
• ISO Range 100-12,800 (extendable from 50 – 204,800)
• MultiCAM 3500FX Autofocus sensor works in lower light and with smaller apertures
• Two sub-selector joystick/buttons for shooting orientation
• 1080p30 HD video at up to 24Mbps with uncompressed video output
• The D4 is designed for crisp stereo recording with a built-in external stereo microphone connector. Attach the compact Stereo Microphone ME-1 to record clear sound while significantly reducing mechanical noise. An external headphone connector enables use of headphones to effectively monitor and control audio in isolation. The indicators offer visual confirmation of audio level and the microphone sensitivity can be precisely controlled in 20 incremental steps.
• New EN-EL18 battery (21.6Wh capacity, CIPA-rated at 2600 shots)
• Twin card slots – one Compact Flash and one XQD
• Wired and wireless communication system
The D4 employs a built-in wired LAN function of IEEE802.3u standard (100BASE-TX). Moreover, the D4 is compatible with the compact, easy-to-connect, newly developed WT-5A/B/C/D* (optional) that realizes high-speed wireless transmission. Also, IPTC (International Press Telecommunications Council) data can be automatically added to the images within the camera. In addition to input with a camera, it is possible to add information to a series of images at high speed using an IPTC file created on a PC in advance. *Wireless Transmitter WT-4A/B/C/D/E is also compatible.
Below are some related articles.
Hands on: Nikon D4 review | News | TechRadar.
LYTRO Camera A PRO or A CON?
Today LYTRO had a hands on demonstration at the Wired Store in Times Square in NYC. I was fortunate to have the trial run with Lytro’s uniquely designed light field camera at a pre-demo special invite only session. Ooooooo fancy right?
Here’s some pros and cons just from my brief encounter with the camera.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| • No need to focus • Focus later on different desired areas of the photo • No shutter lag - Camera fires instantly • 3D capability - Stunning • Perspective control • Simple to use • As the LYTRO tech progresses the older LYTRO files will be able to use the updated software • Sharing is easy and the end user does not need any software. Sharing is by: embedding, via social medias emailing or uploaded to LYTRO's picture gallery. • Memory is built directly in the camera No memory cards to buy. • Long life battery • Light weight - just under 8 oz. | • Small screen • No flash for now. But it is possible and on the roadmap. • No continuos shutter mode • No interval shutter mode • No remote shutter release • No manual controls • Soft Shutter Sound - there is an audible mechanical shutter (hard to hear in a noisy room) • Design of the camera is a bit odd to hold and shoot. • Square format. This is more of a personal preference. I'm just looking at all that wasted space on my computer or TV screen. • Special glasses are required to view the images in 3D quality on some devices. That's an added expense. E.g. You can view on HTC Evo sans glasses |
The thing about the LYTRO Camera is… this is the first one. Yea obviously Spencer thanks. When the LYTRO 2 comes out the ones that got the first one will say “Awwww man I wish I waited.” Although as the light field technology progresses the older LYTRO digital files will be able to use the latest LYTRO software advances. Which is smart on LYTRO’s part because at some point in our past digital experiences the digital media we created just won’t work on the latest computer or OS. Like my buddy Douglas who had bought the first Leaf digital back for $30,000 and at a certain point that digital back only ran on a certain Mac computer running a certain OS software. However LYTRO claims that your living images will be able to keep on living even when the newer LYTRO technology takes over from the old.
Additional blog posts about LYTRO:
LYTRO – Will It Be A Fad?
Could Lytro Squeeze into the DSLR Market?
LYTRO’s Release Date Is Missing Out.
Be a guest blogger contact Spencer right after you tweet this post.
Samsung vs Apple: The NextBigThing Is A Flop
This guy looks unimpressed and bored with the Samsung phone while the guy behind him is more interested in his iPhone!!!
I’m sorry… NO, I’m not…this ad is CRAP. There I said it! Yeah that’s right I’ve got the cojones to step up and say something.
The reason people wait “9 hours” for the iPhone is because that bloody thing is awesome! I can deposit checks directly to my bank account, book a Zipcar, get subway information with directions and times, touch a date and time in my email and it automatically gets put in my calendar, voice command multiple features on the phone…. jeez I could go on and ON. The only thing that Samsung toted in TheNextBigThing was the screen is bigger. Whoooooptieee Freaking Doooo!
Note to Samsung if you want to persuade potential customers to come buy your product show them what they are missing. Create a feeling… you want your customer to say… “COOL.” I do not hear any of my iPhone friends complaining about the size of their screen. If I wanted a bigger screen I’d get an iPad.
Look I get that Samsung is trying to capitalize in the smartphone arena and piggy backing on the iPhone is gonna drive some traffic to your product. The problem is Samsung hired the wrong creative team. Yes, I get the Samsung phone is iPhone like but ultimately Samsung needs to set itself apart and blaze a trail that get people to go “WOW I want one”. Well Samsung….. ya didn’t.
You can watch the ad by clicking on the link below if you got a minute to kill.
Nikon D800 Review – Release Date
2 years ago I was ready to purchase the new Nikon camera. My Nikon D2Xs has been a great workhorse of a camera but it is missing that ever imposing video feature. Since I am invested heavily in Nikon lenses this keeps me as a Nikon shooter. I love the Canon 5D Full HD video capture at 1920×1080 resolution quality for video and 2 years ago I was excited about the NEW Nikon D3s. But wait… it only had 720p video!!! For $5g’s I said “NO way not until you get that puppy up to 1080p!” Especially for that kind of do-ray-me. With photographers continually having to expand their horizons the tools of the trade are more important than ever. Photography gear is expensive and the equipment I purchase I want it to meet mine and my clients needs. I’ll be curious to put the D800 through the paces on the battle ground.
The Nikon D800 has no set date for when Nikon will release this camera to the public yet. I predict they will release the Nikon D800 in the Spring of 2012. Although I don’t know all of its features and specs just yet, I can tell you that it will have a resolution of 7360×4912 (36MP), HUGE! The video resolution will be better than that of the D3s camera. It will also have different video modes: 1080p/30/25/24 and 720p/60/30/25/24, and both CF and SD memory card slots. My only concern will the Nikon D800 have the shooting still speed of the D3s. We shall see.
Come on Nikon it’s time to bring it!
RESOURCE MAGAZINE » GEAR NEWS: Upcoming Nikon D800!.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the Nikon D800 | Nikon Rumors.
Next week I will have a hands on test demo with the LYTRO camera. Read the preliminary post about the light field camera.
Andreas Gursky’s Rhein II Photograph Auction Record
© Andreas Gursky Rhein II - copy by Associated Press
Is Andreas Gursky’s Rhein II photograph worth $4,338,500?
Personally I’ve seen lots of art that I think is not worth it’s weight in salt. However art is a subjective thing. Photographs – art for that matter are worth what the market will bear. Question is who can bear with 4+ million dollars in this economy? Obviously the very wealthy. Why would they pick this particular photograph? My theory is artists are treated like a commodity on the stock market and currently Gursky’s work is a stock these investors see as lucrative buy. Next question is how long will the buyer hold on to this photograph before they sell it to turn a profit? Because 20 years from now I’d be shocked if this image is worth a 5 figure sum.
In my opinion Andreas Gursky’s photo Rhein II is not worthy of a postcard. If this image was to be submitted to a stock photography library it would be rejected.
The price tag on some art is determined not by it’s content but by the story around the art. All this talk is driving the price higher.
The Conscientious Extended makes some good points: “Why don’t we talk instead about what photographs tell us – regardless how much they’re worth? If Rhein II sells for so much money, why don’t we talk about the photograph? Let the millionaires and billionaires play their games at Sotheby’s, let them fight with oligarchs and sheikhs over their prints and paintings and sculptures and now photographs. None of that adds anything to photography – other than that little further corruption of the soul, when money is taken as the most important measure of a photograph’s value.”
Read this article by Conscientious Extended for more information
Want to see the top 10 most expensive photographs listed by The Telegraph.
