Video test

Just a little test of my new lens a Sigma 17 - 50 f2.8 ex dc os. I quite like this lens. It's very well built and feels as good as nikons own 17 - 50 lens. Optical quality for still images is in the process of being tested at the moment . But the video looks good, contrast is nice. And if you wanted more you could dial it in o the camera settings or do it in post.

These shots are hand held with the sigma Optical Stabiliser turned on (this helps to keep the camera stable for still photography but also works for video which is great), I think it gave good results for hand held shooting with no planning. As with anything a bit of planning and i should have rested my arm on something as i took the shots. But hey, i'm not judging my hand held skills here.

Nikon D7000

Sigma 17 - 50 f2.8 ex dc os

I think this lens is very well made. It all feels very solid, as solid as the nikkor 17 - 55mm f2.8 lens which is several hundred quid more expensive. I think i'll run this video through the editing suite again this time colour grading the image and adding some post stabilisation to make it look smoother.

The Depth of focus is really nice on the lens and although the focus has a small motion, turning from close to infinity in just a quarter turn, there is some resistance in mechanism which makes pulling focus quite smooth. The bokeh (the out of focus blurriness) is really nice at f2.8. I'll do more little tests on this lens in the next few days, both video and photography. I'm going to use it to video a few interviews tomorrow!

Anyway this has been a bit tech heavy compared to my usual blogs so if you've made it this far and have questions don't be scared to leave them down below.

Gordon

The continuing adventures...

Thursday night I was returning from a little art showing in Mayfair, where Laura was displaying one of her commissioned pieces. I as per usual brought my camera. I definitely think this blog thing has helped me to focus and I got some killer event shots.

Anyway I digress, I was walking up the tube platform with the umpteen million people squeezing themselves through the doors and barging past each other like the Gap was going to chase them down and eat their brains. I stopped, like the git I am, to do up my boot lace. I can hear the muffled moans as the Gap catches up with these people and their dispare that my inconsiderate bootlace has caused them.

After the bootlace is sorted and I can safely perambulate without tripping over and really encountering that dreaded Gap people are so fearful of, I look around me. The platform was deserted, apart from one man who was just waiting, but what for I don't know because I was on that platform for 3 more trains after my one passed and he didn't get on any of them. Digressing again...

Like any good photographer in this situation I decided to get as close to the big DO NOT CROSS FOR DANGER OF DEATH sign and lay down on the floor to wait for the next train, resting the camera on this little diddy table tripod I had in my pocket.

Zoooooooommmm.

Having the camera stable on the floor allowed me to have a long exposure speed of about a second, meaning I could capture the motion of the train zipping past me whilst the rest of the shot stayed in crisp focus. On top of this laying on the floor gave me an angle which is not seen often by the casual observer adding interest to the piece. You can try this yourself on pretty much anything, look at pictures of flowers. Who many good ones can you see taken from the top down, you'll see they're all take from the side or from down below, because it presents a familiar object in an unfamiliar way.

I've been playing around with creative borders in my pictures also.... I love borders and vignettes. Have you noticed that yet?

Talk soon.
Gordon

Day 30. Feb 2st 2011

Final Day. Wow. I made I lot of photo's in this 30 days! Today's photo is a portrait of myself. I'm definitely not the most photogenic person on the planet but i think i succeeded. I used the simple method of adding shit loads of soft light to smooth out my skin tones.

And there we have me! I kept this one simple with the photoshop, though the temptation was there to airbrush the crap out of my face. I would have liked to use more lights to be honest, but one of my little flashes has started to malfunction. Let that be a lesson to those who buy cheap stuff from Hong Kong. Though ti be honest, the ebay seller is more than happy to replace the light, I just have to return the faulty one in it's original packaging, it's going to take some time to get back to me. Wish I'd spent the extra £20 and brought it from amazon.

So in this luna cycle what have I learned? I've learned that I can show more photo's as i've been so bad in the past of just snapping away and saving things to my harddrive never to be seen again. I've learned to focus more on composition and hold back on my itchy trigger finger. I've discovered that in a short space of time I can produce better results. I think i'm still miles away from having my own photographic style. I've learned the importance of backing up my harddrive and how useful that extended warranty can be. I've come to the understanding that I should only every attempt poetry as a comedic gesture. I can write. I must stop taking photo's, I need to make more photo's.

Although this is the end of my Photo A Day challenge, this is not the end of my blog. I'm looking forward to once a week posting a photo, which has had much more thought behind it than what i've, sometimes very, hastily composed this past month. I may even try my hand at reviewing camera equipment. I'll also be posting dSLR video footage too, though how and when has yet to be decided.

I hope you all have enjoyed my ramblings and my photography.

Stay tuned ya'll, this blog ain't going no place.

Gordon C Burns

Day 29. Feb 1st 2011

You know, we're already 1/12 of the way through the year. It's going to be a fast year I can just feel it, so please everyone buckle those safety-belts.

Today I was a bit mehh. After loads of days at work I've finally got a day off and my brain just shut down. It wasn't until I was about to give up on taking a photo today when I saw some mist rolling in (I live in london so when I say mist i mean smog; deadly, choking, polluting smog). The light on the other side of the little communal garden was on lighting the mist quite eerily.

Now to be honest after I returned with my camera some of the mist (deadly pollutants) had dispersed. But still i think it's an interesting composition. Very little in terms of photoshopping has gone into this, apart from a tiny touch of contrast adjustment and I removed a bit of light reflecting on the lens.

So tomorrow's the last day of my Blog a Day for this luna cycle! So i'm going to make it a good one. I'm hoping to return to head-shots/portfolio pictures... wonder who the model will be?

Gordon