Jun 112010
Mar 252010
45/365 Fenton’s Sliders with a Black and Tan, originally uploaded by Kirk Howard.
Image 45/365
Sunday Valentine’s Day my sweetie and I went to Fenton’s Creamery in Oakland to split Sliders and a Fenton’s Famous Black and Tan Sundae
Mar 252010
44/365 Paper Whites, originally uploaded by Kirk Howard.
Image 44/365
Paper White in Oakland/ Piedmont California
Mar 232010
This is a late Tech Tuesday post. I have always wanted to try my hand at time-lapse photography. I have seen several videos that I thought were great. Unfortunately my equipment didn’t allow for easy time-lapse set up. I currently shoot a Nikon D70s. The newer Nikon models have the time-lapse (intervalometer) feature built into the firmware.
In order for me to achieve time-lapse I need to purchase external equipment i.e. The Mumford Time Machine. The new equipment wouldn’t even make it seamless. I would have to make modifications to my current camera setup and I wasn’t sure I wanted to go that route.
In July or August of 2008 I met a Pro Photographer from Australia. He was using high end Canon Cameras, but he also had the Canon G9. The G9 had a intervalometer built into the firmware. However shortly after Canon discontinued the G9 and replaced it with the G10. I purchased a G10, from a local store thinking it had a intervalometer. I was wrong, and all the G9′s out there on the used market either were abused or cost more then the G10.
A few weeks ago while researching this project again, I ran across the PocketWizard MultiMax. I already had PocketWizard Plus II that I use for my studio strobes. In the MultiMax the software has an intervalometer. I went to my local photography store to test it out. It worked great. It was expensive, but I at least could justify the purchase, because I knew I would use it with over studio gear, so it would serve dual purposes.
As with all new unfamiliar equipment I need to work out some bugs. However over the weekend I did manage to take a time-lapse of the sunrise in San Francisco, and later that evening I did another of the sunset in the same direction. I marked my tripod and when I returned, I placed it in the exact same spot. However, I did find out you need to babysit it to make sure that the lighting is right. Cameras setting is one of those bugs I will work out as I do more. Making sure the ISO is set right, Aperture an Shutter are set correct. I read that you should put the camera in Aperture Priority. I did that and it didn’t work like I hoped. I will play with the setting and come up with the right recipe.
My next quest is to find inexpensive (free) software that will complies all the images together. I have gone to VersionTracker, but most of the software they offer is for iSight on the Mac’s. I use a Mac, but I need something more then that. A few people have pointed me to QuickTime Pro 7. It isn’t very expensive and may work seamless with iMove. Unfortunately QuickTime Pro 7 doesn’t have a trial.
On a side note, while I was doing time-lapse research, I did find a photographer Nicolesy Photography, that does a two video series on How to Create a Time-lapse. Below is the first video of her two part series. Plus as a bonus I will add another of her videos of a time lapse that she did of a portrait shoot setup and the shoot it’s self.
Stay tuned for next weeks Tech Tuesday. I that series I will explain how I set up my first time-lapse and what I leard from my mistakes. Plus I will include Nicolesy Photography second How to Create a Time-lapse video and a bonus video as well.
If you would like tocomment or add links to your time-lapse photography video, please put them in the comments below.
Are you a PocketWizard user? I am a PocketWizad user. I have investigated several different types of wireless triggers for when I purchased my first studio equipment. I currently use three PocketWizard Plus II and a MultiMax for more specific needs and time-lapse photography on my Canon G10.
I use Calumet Geneses 200 gear for my home studio. However, since my camera gear wasn’t set up with a PC link (Nikon D70s and Nikon SB600) I decided to go wireless. My choice is the PocketWizard Plus II. It was not the cheapest wireless system on the market, however it filled my needs, with the ability to expand and grow as my needs grew.
When I found out last year that PocketWizard released the Flex TT5, Flex TT5 Mini for Canon equipment, I couldn’t wait for the release of the Flex TT5 for Nikon. However, PocketWizard ran into several issues with the Flex TT5 for Canon. These issues delayed the development of the Nikon gear until the worked all the kinks out of the Canon Flex TT5.
Now it looks like they have figured it out and hopefully they have worked all the bugs out, and corrected them for the release of the Flex TT5 for Nikon.
Mark Wallace of Mark Wallace Photography and SanpFactory has put of a short video on his test of the Flex TT5 for Nikon at WPPI last week. Mark Wallace is a Canon shooter, but he is using Nikon equipment for this test.
Check out the video below or hop over to his SnapFactory Blog to get the write-up. Or get the official work from PocketWizard here.
After talking to a few local photo stores the speculated release date will be some time in April.
Mar 092010
38/365 SF Roof Top, originally uploaded by Kirk Howard.Image 38/365 Shot from my Sister-in-laws roof top. She recently moved to a new place in San Francisco. She now lives in a snow globe. When sitting on her couch she has a view from Yerba Buena Island to Russian HIll. This view includes the Bay Bridge, Coit Tower, Cathedral at Washington Square and Transamerican building.
Mar 082010
37/365 Orpheum Theatre, originally uploaded by Kirk Howard.
Image 37/365
I really think I should have named this where’s Waldo. My wife and her sister went into San Francisco to see the Play Wicked at the Orpheum Theatre. I was there only to meet them for dinner.
I snapped this image as I saw my wife, she is the short blonde that is looking at me.
Feb 272010
33/365 Alcatraz Island, originally uploaded by Kirk Howard.
Image 33/365
Here is a early morning image of Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay. I was walking from Pier 39 to my sister-in-laws apartment.
The morning light was great. The sun wasn’t so high in the sky that it casted shadows, plus the air was clean from the previous nights rainstorm.
Feb 122010
Image 31/365
This was taken at my youngest Nephews 3rd Birthday Party. He loves Curious George.