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Studio Shoot – Dani (hair flick)

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Studio Shoot - Dani (colorful)

Studio Shoot - Dani (colorful)

 

Here are the final couple of images from last month’s studio shoot with Dani . For these shots I switched the beauty dish for a large octabox (an octagonal softbox) that creates a look similar to light from a large window.

Once I had got the image above I was ready to pack up the gear. Luckily, Pete Leong had just dropped by and he suggested the hair flick. It’s the kind of idea that might or might not work, but as I was shooting digital, and Dani didn’t mind throwing her hair around, we could do it numerous times until we had the shot in the can.

 

Studio Shoot - Dani (hair flick)

Studio Shoot - Dani (hair flick)

 

Pete also had his camera on hand to get some behind the scenes coverage. Here I am happily chimping away!

 

Behind the Scenes - Studio Shoot with Dani (photo by Pete Leong)

Behind the Scenes - Studio Shoot with Dani (photo by Pete Leong)

 

F.A.Q.s What lens should I buy?

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This is an almost impossible question to answer without knowing all the details. But here’s some general advice

1) A lens that fits your type of camera, both brand and sensor size. A Canon lens won’t fit on a Nikon / Pentax / Sony camera. A lens designed for a smaller sensor won’t work on a camera with a larger sensor.

2) A lens that fits the type of photography you want to do. If you’re a birdwatcher get a long telephoto lens. If you’re into bugs get a macro lens.

3) You get what you pay for. But like most things the relationship between cost and performance is not linear.

My brother asked this question recently so I can share the answer I gave him.

About a year ago he bought his first digital SLR camera, a Nikon that came with two kit lenses a 18-55mm and a 55-200mm. He wanted a new lens to broaden his horizons (Insert pun about buying wide angle lens here.) and help  improve his photographic skills.

I recommended that he should get Nikon’s 50mm f1.8.

AF NIKKOR 50mm f1.8

AF NIKKOR 50mm f1.8 (Image by Nikon)

Why?

Price:   There are other 50mm prime lenses by Nikon, but the F/1.8 will give him the most bang for his buck. ( f/1.8$120, f/1.4G  $350, f/1.2 $650) Nikon’s f/1.2 50mm is actually an older manual lens, Canon has a modern L series autofocus 50mm f/1.2 with a list price of US1800.

Utility: A fast, bright lens that can open up to 1.8 will allow him to experiment with shallow depth of field. I think he will really enjoy shooting portraits with this lens.

Weight: Put the 50mm on the camera, leave the bulky zooms at home, and you have a great lightweight system. You’re more likely to take the camera with you if it isn’t a burden.

Simplicity: By removing the ability to zoom, it simplifies the process of taking a photograph allowing you to concentrate on other aspects. Focus, aperture, composition. It’s a good way to hone your skills.

Full frame lens: It’s not important now, but if my brother ever buys a full frame Nikon body he can still use this lens.

Zakimi Castle – Film and Digital

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Zakimi Castle - Pentax 645D 645 35mm lens

This morning I got up early and drove over to Zakimi Castle.  I decided to get a shot from the same place I took one of my favorite photographs of Okinawa. Although it was 7.30AM the sky was a little hazy, and even with a polarizer it didn’t pop. When I came home I compared the image to the “original” taken with the Pentax 67II, a 45mm lens, a polarizer and Fuji Provia.

Zakimi Castle - Pentax 67II, 45mm lens, Fuji Provia Film

Zakimi Castle - Pentax 67II, 45mm lens, Fuji Provia Film

The detail in the first shot is fantastic but I prefer the wider angle and the saturation of colors in the original. Unlike today, I had managed to catch the castle under glorious clear blue skies.

However, I did get an interesting new image of the stonework. It’s a simple “detail” shot that says a lot about the construction of the castle.

Zakimi Castle, Okinawa - Stonework

Studio Shoot – Dani (Purple)

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Studio Shoot - Dani (purple)

Studio Shoot - Dani (purple)

Another image from the shoot with Dani a month ago. This one’s quite interesting for the superhero (or heroine) pose, but also because the lighting isn’t what I had planned. There were two strobes: a beauty dish over my right shoulder and a hair light behind the model. Unexpectedly, by having the model at an angle to the camera some of the light from the hair light is also hitting her body. (Hair light should probably have been higher, closer and pointed more accurately.) I think the image still works, and I’ll treat this as a lucky mistake.

Kishiwada Danjiri – The Action

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Kishiwada Danjri, Osaka

Kishiwada Danjri, Osaka

It’s the job of some men to drag the danjiri through the streets, while other men get to ride along.

Kishiwada Danjri, Osaka

Kishiwada Danjri, Osaka

The above photo is clear evidence that I was standing where I shouldn’t be standing! The large group of men in the left of the image are just about to stampede past.

Kishiwada Danjiri, Osaka

Kishiwada Danjiri, Osaka

The man on the roof of the danjiri jumps from side to side and performs something similar to YMCA as they hurtle through the streets.

Rapi:t Train, Osaka

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Rapi:t Train from Kansai Airport to Namba

Rapi:t Train from Kansai Airport to Namba

The Rapi:t are  express trains running from Kansai International Airport to Namba Station in Osaka.   I’d describe their design  as retro-futuristic as they look like they were thought up in the 50’s as “trains of the future”. I wonder if the architect actually did aerodynamic testing or based his design on something else….

Gigantor / Tetsujiin #28

Gigantor / Tetsujiin #28

Depending on the number of stops, the train is the named either  rapi:t α  and rapi:t β.

A quick tip for anyone naming products (or indeed children) – please stick with your basic letters A to Z. Otherwise hardly anyone can spell your product or find it on Google.

(Even Pentax made this mistake naming its first digital SLR the unpronounceable *ist )