Posts Tagged Duehmig
Self Published Portfolios
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything on August 13th, 2009
This entry could be called “Printed Portfoilos,” “Self-Published Albums,” or even “How to say thank you for a vacation.”
I’m referring to the many options you have to get a high quality printed book done at a reasonable price. Short run or even single run printings of books. This can be an incredible tool for photographers.
This is the latest version of my portfolio. Email me or call me for a copy.
The first I saw of this service was an imbedded feature in Apple’s very cool iPhoto image management/storage software. Right from within iPhoto you can take your photos and lay them out using templates and hit an order button.
Soon came other book options and, I say this as a dedicated Mac user, they surpassed the quality and features of the books you can buy on iPhoto or the pro-level application Aperture.
Different websites offer different types of books. For example Blurb.com offers both hardback and soft back bound books while viovio.com primarily offers spiral-bound books.
I’ve used or played with several different company’s book printing options. I call them options because some are software programs (free) that you download, some require you to lay out the book in programs like Adobe InDesign or Microsoft
My first version of a printed portfolio. I've learned a few things since this version.
Publisher just using templates they provide. There are pros and cons to each option, but I have to say my preference is toward Blurb.com. The books are of excellent quality, with options like glossy dust jackets that look incredible. They also provide a layout program that allows you tons of flexibility in how the book is latex out. (Version 3 is a huge jump over previous versions, if you’ve tried it before.)
Another plus that Blurb.com offers is their on-line presence. They are gathering a following that communicates through their “Blurberati” web community. (http://blog.blurb.com)
They will also help you sell your books if you want. You can offer your books for sale through their website and you set the price, and determine your profit margin. Imagine providing a coffee table book to the Bride of her wedding photos as a bonus (it costs you about $30-40 depending on size) and she is thrilled. But then her family, wedding party and friends can buy copies too directly from the Blurb website with out you having to pre-order any. And you make a little on the books too.
The book I did for my crew when we sailed the Annapolis to Newport Race a few years ago. This image was taken by local photographer Don Dement, but is one of the best I've seen. (It's hard to take photos of your own boat when you're always aboard.)
I’ve published about 12-15 books so far. A few have been for vacations (I gave my crew a book on a sailing trip we took down the Chesapeake Bay and up the coast. I’m working on another for the Bermuda Ocean Race from last year where we won first place in our division.)
I’m also on the second version of my portfolio. If you’ve been to my website, www.MarkDuehmig.com, you’ve seen all the photos that are in my printed portfolio. But, when I’m speaking with a client, it isn’t good to end our conversation with “great to talk with you, now don’t forget to visit my website.” With a printed portfolio I can show them photos on the spot and leave them with a high-quality reminder of my product.
The 80-page, 10×12 soft cover book I order costs me about $27 each. I pay a few dollars extra when I order them to replace the Blurb logo with my logo. But maybe you could get by with a 40 page version and a smaller size? That lowers your costs dramatically.
A good friend of mine is an extremely skilled cabinet-maker here in Annapolis and the subject of a previous blog entry. (Justin de Gast, www.AnnapolisFineWoodworking.com) He is planning to publish a small book with photos (many are mine) of his work for the same reason I am. It is his portfolio.
Just think: being able to provide a client with a nicely published book is a heck of a lot more fancy than just handing him or her a CD full of images. Just make sure you build in money for this into your quote. Especially the first time until you learn the time commitment on doing the layout well. I’ve spent quite a few hours on my portfolio, getting the right photos in the right order, etc. Nothing good in life is free.
All for now. I need to get back to work and so do you. One last thought about these books though; no matter how much time you spend proofing the books, order only one on your first order. You WILL find errors, or at least stuff you want to fix when you have the hard copy on your hands.
Keep shooting,
Mark
www.MarkDuehmig.com
My phone has been ringing…
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything on July 20th, 2009
I knew there would be times when keeping the blog up would be a challenge and this is the first time I’ve really been unable to even make notes on my iPhone during a slow period. It has been crazy. My phone has been ringing off the hook.
Has the world suddenly decided I am an incredible photographer? Not likely. Instead, Google had decided my place in this universe does warrant a higher ranking, and the results have been immediate. I have asked callers and emailers where they found me. The answer is usually Google.
This blog is no small part. Google keeps track of traffic between websites and apparently my readers, (both of you 
) have been visiting my website. AND you have been talking about it. Thank you.
If you feel like it, since you have probably gone through my portfolio at www.MarkDuehmig.com if you are reading this blog, consider reviewing me on Google. If you search for Annapolis Photographer, my listing should show up in the top ten in the business directory. Click on “Local business results for photographer near Annapolis, MD” and you’ll see an option to write a review. (Actually, the underscored part above is a link. It will take you right to the business results.) Thank you in advance if you choose to do this. Being busy is good!
Ok, I’ll write more soon. But I’ve got two more days of shooting before I rest. One of the days is a project I look forward to telling you about. Oh! and I just did a first printing of my paper portfolio at Blurb.com. I’ll tell you about that too. Very cool stuff. Next post….
Good night.
Mark
www.MarkDuehmig.com
PS - Welcome back Steve. I look forward to seeing your shots.
Choosing a camera bag
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything on June 25th, 2009
Choosing a camera bag…
Disclaimer: I LOVE camera bags. I understand why some women want a lot of purses. No single purse will fit every occasion and no single camera bag will work in every shoot.
There are two things that might help you in your shopping though: first, expect to pay for quality, and second, get over the beautiful photos of the large bags festooned with camera bodies and lenses.
Point one, paying for quality; if you have a lot of equipment, it won’t take long before that ads up to thousands of dollars of gear quickly. You need to protect that stuff. So don’t wince too much when you need to spend $300 for a good bag. It will last you a long time.
Second point; if you get that big bag with 30 slots for lens, four slots for camera bodies, three more for flashes
A promotional photo of a loaded camera bag. I used to drool over these images. What do you think this weighs?
and side pockets for the little things, it needs to come with something else: a Sherpa to carry it. This might be ok if you take the bag from home/office/studio to the car, and from the car into a shooting site where you just pull from the bag all day. But there aren’t too many jobs like that unless you’re primarily a fashion or product photographer.
I still have, and it is still one of my favorite cases, a Tamrac 814. (I think it is an 814. They don’t make this model any more.) And I loaded it full of gear and was trouncing around Cairo one day when I started to take on an “S” shape. That gear was killing my back with continuous walking and shooting. And if you want to keep your gear, you don’t dare set it down in Cairo.
I wasn’t home 20 minutes when I ordered a Lowell Pro backpack. A little more difficult to swap gear in and out of, but a lot easier on the back.
I have a bunch of bags, but here are some favorites:
* Case Logic Camera Messenger bag; This is my everyday bag that allows me to carry my camera and essential gear with me everywhere. I carry a D-700 body with a 17-35 lens attached, and a 70-200 mm lens in the side. I have to detach the handgrip/battery holder and this goes in the other side, along with a SB900 speedlight. I also have room for my Canon HD video camera if I want to take it along. (I shoot video for the Weather Channel, and it isn’t good to run into a nice wall cloud and not have a camera.)
* Tamrack 814; This is a minimal sized bag for carrying a D-700 and two lenses. The 70-200 mm is just too long. But if I get a bigger bag, I’ll just fill it, so I’ll make this one work. It is supposed to be able to carry two camera bodies in this model, but not unless they both have small lenses. Even with two pro quality medium zooms it would be tight.
* Lowell Pro backpack.; this is a great bag. It holds the above gear easily and can accommodate a second body without a lens attached. Or a video camera. This is an earlier version of their packs and the accessories pocket is one big, giant maw. New bags have many smaller pockets to help organized stuff. I recommend this if you carry the stuff I do. (See my packing list below.)
* I have two excellent bags from National Geographic. They caught my eye because I thought they looked good, and I was curious about their quality since National Geographic put their names on them. Yes, they are excellent. I ended up getting a daypack and
Me shooting at the edge of Lake Fagnano in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Everything fit in my National Geographic bag. This is the "Explorer Backpack - Large."
a large backpack. The daypack acts much like the Case Logic bag above, but dressier. I take it when I don’t want to look like I’m carrying a camera bag. The large backpack holds lots of gear and enough clothes for a day or three, depending on where you’re going and what you need. Everything is padded well and looks great too.
I have to admit that I was drawn to the style of the National Geographic bags in part because of Marlin Perkins. You know, the white haired guy from 70’s Sunday night show Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. “The lioness has my leather briefcase firmly in her claws, but my companion Jim is going to go get it back for me. Well done Jim! See to those cuts before you get blood all over the Land Rover.” I loved that show. But I digress.
* Tamrack Velocity 5 case; I don’t use this much any more. My first DSLR was a D70 with the kit lens. This bag worked great as my day bag to keep a camera with me, as well as a few other things. But it isn’t big enough to accommodate large pro lenses. The truth is few bags are designed to work with a whole set of f2.8 lenses. So try before you buy.
* Hard cases; I have two hard cases for carrying gear. The first is a Pelican 1650. I got it both to protect my gear in wet environments, and so I could safely check a bunch of gear on an airplane. There was a problem with this latter plan. I don’t know the exact weight of this case, but I’d guess about 35 lbs. That only leaves me about 15 lbs of gear before the airlines charge me exurbanite fees for being over the 50 lbs limit. I still haven’t really solved this since tripods and stuff weigh so much. I’d get charged for multiple bags too, depending on the airline… Sigh.
My other case is smaller and holds one set of gear. One body, two lenses and a flash. It is my go anywhere in any weather case. It is a Seahorse brand. Works well so far and cheaper than the top of the line Pelican cases.
* Tripod bag; There are times when I need to carry a big tripod, and the rest of the gear I’m packing won’t accommodate it. I have a PortaBrace Tripod bag. It is made to carry big video tripods so I can carry two smaller tripods or even a set of light stands. Odd story; once in St. Louis, I’m at the baggage carousel waiting for my gear to come around. I see the tripod bag on the belt and wait patently for it to get to me when this older (I’d guess 70) lady picks up my tripod bag, carries it over and lays it with her growing stack of bags. Folks, there is nothing common about a bright blue, 4 foot long triangular bag with a wooden handle. It wasn’t like it was a black roller bag. When I went to retrieve it, she seemed surprised; “Oh, is that yours?” Hmmm.
Ok, anytime you have a bag, you’ve got stuff to go with it. Some of this stuff varies depending on where you go, but a few things are good anywhere.
Accessories I carry in my camera bags:
Small flash light
Small roll of toilet paper in a ziplock bag
Lens cloth(s)
Comb
Small screwdriver
Small package of Band-Aids
Sensor cleaning swabs (NEVER use paper products!)
Pen & notepad
Business cards
Memory cards in crush proof case
And when I’m actually traveling with my camera bag as my carry on,
Cell phone
iPod
Water bottle & snacks
Tickets & passport in quick access compartment
I used to carry one of those cable locks where a cable pulls out, goes around your bag and connects it to something solid, so someone can’t grab your bag while you are sleeping at the airport or from under a chair at a restaurant. That is until I had my bag locked to my chair at an outdoor café in Uruguay. It wouldn’t unlock. At all. I ended up borrowing a pair of nail clippers and working on the small cable over time to get the thing cut. It took a while. I’ll get another some day.
All about camera bags now. I’m sure you guys have suggestions, tips and stories. Let’s hear them!
Keep shooting,
Mark
Photos of Annapolis to Newport Race finally in Gallery
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything on June 14th, 2009
Well that took a while. But all 430 (or so) images are up in the Galley section of my website.
Bright spinnakers on a rainy day as the fleet departs for Newport.
Go to www.MarkDuehmig.com, click on Galleries and you’ll see one listed as Annapolis to Newport Race 2009.
A boat races down the Bay, stowing sails that won't be used until they hit the Atlantic. The foul weather gear hid faces in so many shots, removing the all-important human element.
There are a lot more photos than I’d normally put in any gallery. You’ll see three or four (sometimes more) of nearly the same shot and I HATE doing that. But I’m going to let the race organizers know they are there so maybe people will pick and choose the ones they like. I’m not going to charge for this shoot since I didn’t make a real effort to get every boat.
The Cal 36 Diamond in the Rough prepares to start for Newport.
Here are a few of the photos I thought were a representative mix of photos. If you like these, paw through the whole set on my portfolio page and I’d love to know what you think.
Thanks,
Mark
Dawn Treader jockeys for position at the start.
The maxi racer Rambler spreads her huge wings as she heads down the Bay. Rambler was the first to cross the finish line but did not set a course record. Notice the vignetting on the photo. My 70-200 2.8 sometimes does this when the light is right and I usually correct for it. This time I thought it added concentration to the image so I left it.
My gear packed in a Pelican waterproof case, we race out to the starting line. It was really hard to keep gear dry, so you did what you could.
Got it covered…
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything on May 31st, 2009
I am honored to announce that one of my photos is gracing the cover of one of my favorite magazines, Spinsheet.
I’ve written in this space before that I am a real fan of this magazine. It maintains a true Corinthian spirit to taking to the water. Everyone belongs on the Chesapeake Bay and this magazine celebrates that. And I’m proud to be part of it.
Cover of Spinsheet Magazine
I did some traveling this month so I didn’t get to haunt the boat yards and docks like I wanted, looking for photos of opportunity. But one Sunday morning my daughter and I had gone out for a drive and she fell asleep in the back. As we crossed the Eastport drawbridge I saw a line of boats tied up and a sole figure working on them in the rain. I circled back and had a look.
The boats are part of the CRAB fleet. That’s Chesapeake Regional Accessible Boating. This wonderful organization has boats equipped to make sailing possible or easier for people with disabilities. Again, helping get everyone out on the water.
I had my cameras with me* and I stepped out into the rain and shot off a handful of photos. My gear was getting wet, but then again, taking pictures is why I have it. And both the gear and me would dry.
There are a handful of elements that make this photo work. I wanted a short focus so I dialed the aperture to the max opening of 2.8 on my Nikon 70-200 lens. There was too much busyness on the other side of the creek that would distract from the foreground subjects. There is also an interesting reflection on the wet docks. But I think the boat’s name, Steamed, next to the CRAB logo was also an important draw.
So, I’ll thumbtack this up on my wall of my studio and smile when I look at it. It means a lot more than some anonymous magazine I don’t care about. I’m still waiting for that National Geographic assignment, but until then, I’ll try for next month’s Spinsheet cover…
Mark
www.MarkDuehmig.com
*You should always have a camera with you. (http://blog.markduehmig.com/index.php/archives/55)
Not all lenses are created equal
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything on May 27th, 2009
I’ll begin this entry by saying I am writing it without coffee. I went through the drive-through this morning and forgot to order coffee. Now this shouldn’t be a big deal, but my daughter has fallen asleep in the back seat, and this much-needed nap will help her get though pre-school today, so I’m going to just sit here and write this… without coffee.
OK, so you’ve got a nice camera, likely with the “kit” lens that came with it, and you’ve decided that one of the first things you want is another lens. Either really wide or really long- something to compliment the mid-range workhorse that came with your camera. But when you look at the prices from the camera stores, you are shocked and confused at the wide range of prices for some lenses. Why the big differences?
A couple of reasons, but first, lets make sure we’re comparing apples to apples. When you see prices on line, or in the back of magazines, beware the unscrupulous sellers. Some will, at best, bate-and-switch you or sell you gray market stuff. At worse, you’ll end up with junk and without your money. I have experience with both, as those prices can be tempting and my spirit was weak. But please, take my word for it; there are only a few places to trust: B& H, Adorama & Abes of Maine. Hopefully your first choice is your local camera store. We need to keep those in business so we have a place to go and touch and feel our goods before we buy them without flying to New York. But I digress…
There are two big differences in lenses that affect their price; construction materials and the speed of the lenses.
The kit lenses that often ship with DSLRs are a good example of materials. The lenses are probably a high quality plastic such as fluorite. This isn’t bad as it does a great job and is lighter than glass. But, it isn’t as perfect as glass.
Even with glass lenses there are different qualities. Ground glass vs. cut glass and even composite glass, are all options for making lenses. The most expensive lenses are made from high quality glass blanks that are ground down to their final shape. The difference in quality is definitely that last 5-10%. Lens technology is such that the kit lens sold today with a camera is superior to a great lens just a few years ago.
The other, more important factor, is how fast the lens is. When I mention the speed of a lens, I’m talking about the smallest f-stop that a particular lens can be set to. The f-stop is a ratio between the focal length of a lens and the opening of the lens. The focal length is the number most people are familiar with; “I just bought a 200 mm lens.” 200mm is the focal length.
But an important factor with that focal length is the size of opening on the lens that lets light in. Comparing the two gives you a minimum “f-stop.” For example, if I had a 100 mm lens with a 50 mm opening on the front, I’d have an f 2 lens. (100/50=2). The smaller the front opening, the bigger this number becomes. A 100 mm lens with a 25mm opening is an f 4 lens. An lens is rated by its smallest f-stop.
It isn’t hard for a lens manufacturer to increase the focal length of a lens, just separate the glass elements further. What costs money is increasing the size of that front piece of glass (and most other inside too.) You can guess that time and materials increase greatly between a 25mm wide piece of glass and a 75 mm wide piece of glass.
So why do you care how big the front lens is or how fast lens is? If a 200 mm f 5.6 lens has the same magnification as a 200 mm f 2.8 lens, why not go photograph birds with the cheaper, and lighter, lens?
The difference is light gathering power. A lens with a bigger opening lets more light in. The results are brighter, crisper photographs and much faster shutter speed. Have a look at the sidelines at a pro football game. The photojournalists all have big lenses with HUGE front lenses. Those are 500 mm and bigger lenses that open up to f 2.8. They cost big bucks. (And don’t get lens envy, most of the photogs rent them.) But to stop action with fast shudder speeds and get crisp images, you need to let a lot of light in.
There is one other big benefit to a fast lens; depth of field. This is a whole posting in itself, but the f-stop you’ve got your lens set to determines how much of your image will be in focus. If you’re on the edge of the Grand Canyon and want everything from the rock in front of you to the distant river to be in focus, you close down your aperture to a small opening, which changes your f-stop. If there is enough light, you might choose f 22. If there isn’t enough light, use a tripod for that long exposure. Everything will be in focus.
But if you’re taking photos of your daughter blowing the seeds from a dandelion, you want all the attention just on her. So you stop down to f 2.8 if you can, and only what you focus on will be sharp. Everything else will be soft and unimportant.
Most “kit” lenses are listed around f 4.5-5.6. This means that zoomed out, they can open up to about f 4.5. And zoomed in they’ll have a minimum f stop of 5.6. These will give you good general photographs, but won’t allow you the option of a short depth of field.
So that is the 10,000 foot view of lenses. When you open your camera catalog, you’ll see the wide range of lenses and prices. The difference between a $200 and a $1600 lens is that last 10% of quality and flexibility when composing a photo. Is the difference worth about $1400-1500? That is up to you.
I’ve always given the advice that pretty much all DSLR cameras now are fantastic. With cameras, like lenses, you’re paying for that last 10%. But lenses will outlast cameras. The glass is where you’ll see that last 10% for many more years. If you can afford it, buy a cheaper camera body and put your money in the glass. When you wear out your camera you upgrade the body and keep using those wonderful lenses.
But isn’t it nice to know that even if you are using the cheapest digital gear out there, you can still have great photos? It all comes down to you and when you push that button. The Moment. So whatever you have in your camera bag, get out there and…
Keep shooting,
Mark
www.MarkDuehmig.com
A short treatise on long lenses
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything on May 27th, 2009
My friend from New Zealand read my posting on photographing people out on the surf and thought using a long lens from shore might be the best option. So, he asked, what should he consider when buying a long lens?
I have a blog posting all written up that I haven’t posted yet on how to choose lenses in general- and why some are so much more expensive than others with similar specs. I’ll put up that post shortly as it will be useful for this topic. But here are some points specifically for “long” lenses.
A long lens refers to great magnification and is measured by its focal length in millimeters. So a 200 mm lens is longer than a 50 mm lens. So the longer lens you get, the more you can “zoom in.” That’s the basics and you probably know all that.
As you’ll hopefully read in my next post, not all lenses are created equally. I’ll come back to this.
In this case, Paul is rightfully concerned about “lens shake.” The more you are zoomed in, the more your camera movement is visible. There are three ways to deal with this.
First: use a tripod or monopod. Either is good and has advantages. A tripod has more stability but is less easy to adjust on the run. And is heavier. Oh, you can buy carbon fiber, but look at the prices first…. A monopod might be good for this situation but you have to double check for straight horizons. Plant the camera, take a deep breath and compose the shot.
Second, pay a little extra for image stabilization. One of the best lenses I have is the Nikon 70-200mm lens with image stabilization. This lens has built in compensation for small movements and can help reduce shake a lot, especially in low light situations with slow shutter speed.
Third, pay for a “fast” lens. Remember where I said not all lenses are created equal? A fast lens refers to the “f stop” of a lens and is a ratio between the focal length of a lens and the size of the opening of the lens. In short, how big is that piece of glass in front? The bigger the opening, the more light that is let in and the brighter the image. The more light, the faster the shutter speed and camera movement is less of a factor. The smaller the f number, such as 2.8, the faster and brighter the lens.
You’ll notice that solutions two and three start with “pay extra.” Image stabilization isn’t too bad nowadays, but big, bright glass is expensive. My Nikon 70-200 lens with image stabilization is a fast f2.8 throughout its focal length but it cost about $1700. That’s more than 3x as much as a D40 camera with a standard lens. On the other hand, you can get a Nikon 70-300mm lens that is a bit slower at f/4-5.6 (This means it is f4 when at its widest point, and f5.6 when zoomed in) for about $160 US from B&H Photo. And that has image-stabilization built in to it! (Nikon calls it VR for vibration reduction.) So is that extra bright glass worth about $1500? That is up to you to decide. If you’re going to do this for a living, you’ll want the good glass. If you are shooting casually, go for the slower lens and shoot on bight, sunny days. And use a tripod.
One other big lens option when you need a LOT of magnification and just don’t have the pocketbook for really big glass (a Nikon 500mm f4 lens is $8500) you might use a mirror/lens. Technically a mirror/lens is designed like a Schmidt-Cassegrain reflector telescope and uses a big mirror to collect the light, rather than a lens. It is much easier to make a big mirror than it is a perfect piece of glass. So a 500mm mirror/lens is about $120 or so, and an 800mm mirror/lens is less than $250.
Naturally, there is a downside. First, most of these mirror/lenses are a slow f8. I’ve used these and actually notice the image is a bit dim. Second, they are all manual. No autofocus or other fancy 3-D metering blah blah. You put it on your camera and focus it and keep it focused while you take a picture. But, when it comes to high magnification at a reasonable price, these are it.
That is about all I can think of to help you decide about long lenses. If the price tag of a fast lens didn’t scare you, read my upcoming post on what makes a good lens good.
Thanks for reading,
Mark
www.MarkDuehmig.com
Shooting with a splash
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything on May 21st, 2009
A friend of mine from New Zealand sent me a note saying he is working on a website dedicated to Stand Up Paddle Surfing. How cool is that? My first guess was that paddle surfing was similar to cross-country skiing; still skiing even when there aren’t hills nearby. Nope, when I saw the website, I saw it is big Pacific Ocean waves and serious surfing. Have a look. If you’re an adventurer, it might be for you.
http://www.standuppaddlekiwi.com
But he wants to be able to take pictures in a really wet environment and he asked if I had any suggestions. Indeed I do.
There are several options to dealing with this wonderful liquid. To determine which path we’ll take, we need to know the whole range of photographic needs and decide if they extend beyond water photography. Some questions we might ask are; Are water photographs all we really need to take pictures of or are these a small percentage of the overall use of the camera? Is it a one-time shoot or will we be frequently updating our wet-shots? Is the camera likely to get damp, wet, dunked or submerged? Any actual under-water photography in the plans?
Lets go the easier route; if using the camera for these water photographs is an infrequent or one-time use, consider renting your equipment. There are lots of places that will rent waterproof gear to you, even if they have to ship it to you. It won’t be cheap, but it will be much less than if you bought equipment that will sit on a shelf.
On the other extreme, if you want to do some diving with your equipment and water photography is in your indefinite future, then you’ll need some specialized gear. For example Nikonos is the Nikon line of submersible camera equipment. Any of it will be suitable for getting in waves and getting water all over everything. (But keep in mind that if you envision diving to photograph colorful reefs, the name of the game is light. You’ll need to be able to use a big external flash, or flashes, to get your photos.)
Most people, and I think my friend Paul is in this group, need something in the middle.
Fortunately, there are several cameras that are designed for the task, mostly in point-and-shoots, but there is an option in D-SLRs too.
For point and shoot cameras, Olympus has a waterproof and shockproof Stylus 720SW. There is also the Pentax Optio W10 and the Vivitar VIVICAM-6200W. (Since you have a choice of several waterproof cameras to choose from, make sure you compare features like what depth it is waterproof to, and how long it can stay there. Is it meant to just survive a dunking or really go swimming?)
The only choice in the D-SLR line that comes close to wetness protection is the Pentax K10D. And this is weatherproof. Not waterproof. So why do I mention it here? Well if rain is what you’re fighting, or if you’re following a surfer in a boat or jet ski with spray and splash, it might be a good choice for you. Especially if you want to work with long lenses and work with manual functions.
There is another choice for people working with sports in a very wet environment, (like surfing); the Sanyo Xacti video camera. I own one of these and when I raced my Tartan 34 sailboat to Bermuda last year, I left it in the cockpit through waves and rain so I capture whatever happened without trashing my best gear. AND it takes 8 megapixel still images. And it can take those still images while recording video.
It really is an amazing camera, but there are two big downsides to it; first, it records video in standard definition (640 x 480) not high definition. (I think there is a PAL version available.) Standard Def is no problem for the web, but if you put the video up on your new 72 inch plasma HDTV, it won’t look as good as you might imagine. (Sanyo makes an HD version of this camera that is not waterproof at the time of this writing, so don’t get confused and buy the wrong one.) Second down side; the still photos are ok, but not great; middle-range point and shoot quality. But if you want waterproof (up to 6′ I think) video and still images at a reasonable price (about $220 US) there really isn’t anything else that I’ve seen.
A good balance to really protect your stuff, especially if you already own some camera gear is to go with a protective housing. There are quite a few to choose from, depending on how much protection you need and features like connecting external flashes. Some are just sealed bags that are custom fit to certain cameras and others are small submarines. The prices vary widely so take an antacid before you go shopping. Ewa-Marine is a well known name in camera housings.
So what do I think? If there is any need for video, that Sanyo is hard to beat.
Really want to use your expensive D-SLR camera but don’t like the prices of the waterproof housing? Save your money and buy a really long, really fast lens and shoot from shore.
If still images are all you need, a waterproof and shockproof point-and-shoot camera is probably your best bet. Very good quality and usable with one hand. (Very important when shooting a guy paddle surfing 20 feet away from you, and you’re both about to get crushed by a cresting monster wave.)
So don’t forget to put the wrist strap on, and keep shooting!
Mark
www.MarkDuehmig.com
The benefits of keeping your camera with you
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything, Focus on May 18th, 2009
I’ve mentioned before that a camera doesn’t do any good sitting in the camera bag, sitting at home. I try to carry my camera all the time, and when that isn’t possible, I’ve got a small Sony point-and-shoot that I’ll stick in my pocket.
Last week I was able to pull over to the side of the road, on a bridge, and get a few shots of a schooner sailing by.
The schooner Woodwind sails by under the Severn River bridge last week.
The bow of the schooner Woodwind cleanly cuts the water of the Severn River.
But I wouldn’t have anything but regrets if I’d seen the boat and I just had to watch it go by.
Mark
www.MarkDuehmig.com
A Classic Cartoonist
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything, Focus on May 14th, 2009
I’m not afraid to tell people about something good I’ve found if I think they’ll benefit from it. It doesn’t matter what it is. Even an artist.
A few months ago I got the chance to help cartoonist Jim Hunt pull some video off a DVD and quickly learned he is a good guy. The video was of a Boston Red Sox game where some of his drawings of players were shown on TV. (Don’t ask me, some people just like the Red Sox. He’s still a good guy.) And later he had some video of himself sitting in the stands, a few feet behind home plate, holding the radar guy that measures the ball speed for the TV stats. Obviously a friend of the team.
Through all this I got to see his cartoons. He isn’t just the guy who did the menus at my favorite restaurant here in Annapolis, he does all sorts of creative stuff. I strongly recommend you check out his website and see for yourself. You will probably even recognize his hand from editorial cartoons, town maps, book illustrations, logos… you get the point.
http://www.acartoonist.com/
This isn’t an advertisement. It is a recommendation. I haven’t stooped to advertisements yet.
You won’t be disappointed.
Mark
www.MarkDuehmig.com