On the 16th January, 2010, I was asked to photograph the American Balalaika Symphony who were performing at the Strathmore. Make sure you try and catch one of their shows as they were absolutely fantastic.

Combining the rich traditions of the Russian Music School with the best of European and American music, founder, artistic director, and conductor Peter Trofimenko has created a unique American orchestra. Matched against 33 others in the performing arts, the American Balalaika Symphony was selected as the winner of the Great Strathmore 25th Anniversary Giveaway competition. ABS will perform in the Music Center on January 16, 2010.

Here are some images from the event shot with the available light in the concert hall with my Canon 5D mark II with the 24-70 F/2.8L and the 70-200 F/2.8L IS.

2009 was an interesting year full of ups and downs for pretty much everyone. We were (are) facing a massive economic crisis, unemployment was at an all time high, people were loosing their homes, on going war, yet we all are continuing to battle on and continue to live life doing the best we can with inspiration from stories of courage, charity and love. 2009 brought a lot of people together with great collaboration projects from artists who wanted to give back (Help-Project is a great example) and while photographers are doing their best in an environment that is changing against them, we are all coming together to bring new ideas and innovations.

2009 for me was a life changing year. Faced with the economic crisis, I, like many, lost my job. I saw this as an opportunity and took off with my wife on a road trip across country to take some time to think about where to take my career next and really concentrate on what really made me happy.

2009 saw me slowly fading away from design work and more into photography and at times, combining both elements together for my clients.

So I figured the best way to sum up 2009 is using pictures. Click on each photo for a very quite sentence about the photo.

So how was your year? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Great Falls National Park - Tony Eckersley

EXIF:

Taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

• Exposure: 0.6 sec
  
• Aperture: f/16.0
  
• Focal Length: 70 mm
  
• ISO Speed: 50
  

A wintery photo I took a few weekends ago on my way home from a meeting… With Great Falls National Park being the closest park to home, I like to stop in when I can, especially at this time of year where it is very quiet, peaceful, yet rough in the conditions of the falls.

There is a little bit of Post Production done to this photo, so let me explain a little:

This is 3 exposures combined, but not a HDR. I like to experiment with different exposures and water to create interesting textures, so what you see here is -2 / 0 / +2 overlapped to generate this unique water feel. The water has a very choppy feel to it, while still containing that milky feel from a long exposure. For a place like this I feel it is perfect to show the rough conditions and bring the viewer more into the picture. I generally use the Luminosity blending mode, mixed with lighten and darken. It’s all part of bringing the water to life and really pushes it away from the results you see with one exposure.

I boosted the colors in the sky a little too. The winter sun set had created a nice purple hue, but the blues had been washed out a little, so I upped the blue saturation a little.

I also added clarity to give the rocks a bit of a punch, but the sky exposure and water exposure come from using a grad ND filter (0.9) which helps bring out the shadows in the rocks.

On December 4, 2009 over a hundred people descended on Bethesda Lane startling shoppers with a surprise performance in celebration of Strathmores upcoming world premiere performances of Take Joy! A new holiday show, Take Joy! reminds us that amid the hurry and hassles of the holidays we can find light and joy with each other.

I filmed the above video with the Canon 5D mark II with a 24-70mm F/2.8 lens on a Cavision Shoulder Mount. My job was to rush around capturing people’s expressions of the surprise event and edit it together with some footage of a stabilized camera mounted above the event (shame that wasn’t a Canon 5D mkII!). It was a lot of fun and a great number of people were certainly surprised!

It was a tough place to film with people bumping into you, freezing temperatures (adding more camera shake), constantly changing focus as your moving, but we wanted to give the viewer the impression they were wandering around the crowd and I think we managed that quite well.

When I was really young, I remember taking a trip to Yosemite National Park and hearing this name over and over again that ultimately defined photography of the American West. The name ‘Ansel Adams’ stuck with me from that moment and has been an inspiration behind my vision for Landscape photography, just like so many. Recently, after entering the Ansel Adams National Park Photo Contest, I decided to go and photograph my local National Park and processing the images with a black and white techniques loosely based on old Dark Room Techniques (dodging and burning, but no chemical mixing!) to appreciate detail in the park that some may skip over with a color photograph.

There are some similar shots here, but it’s just from one visit. Expect more soon.

Click here to see my collection of photos from Great Falls National Park.

Great Falls National Park

Fall Detail

Kayakers takeoff point

Fall detail

Great Falls Overlook

Fall Detail

I remember a Travel documentary I saw about 5 years ago on the BBC and it was asking people if they had one word to describe the Grand Canyon, what would that word be?

Most people’s choice? “Awesome”

It’s very true. Every time I visit the Grand Canyon I will always overhear people who wonder to the edge, take a moment to look over the vast canon and then exclaim, “Awesome.” I admit that I have done the same thing.

But my favorite thing about this place is it’s color. Like many of the famous wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, the Pyramids in Giza, Egypt, etc, every hour in the Grand Canyon is a different experience as it is always changing color depending on where the sun is. The colors in the Grand Canyon are incredibly unique especially at the ‘magic hours’ for Photography. I prefer the sunrise over the sunset in the Grand Canyon. It has this magical feel to it and everyone who has braved the cold and early hour to see it will just sit in silence and watch this great event. In fact I think it’s the only time the Grand Canyon’s tourists are quiet!

I have put together a collection of some of my favorite photographs I have taken from the Grand Canyon from a recent trip. President Theodore Roosevelt called Grand Canyon “the one great sight which every American should see,” and I fully agree. Anyone with the opportunity to see this wonder, should.  

Click here to see my collection of photos from the Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon Lightning

Sun Set at Yavapai Point

The Sun at Desert View

Sun Set at Desert View

Sun Set at Desert View - Photograph by Tony Eckersley

The Colorado River

The Colorado River

Dusk colors at Desert View

Sun rise at Mather Point

Canon 5D mark II
Tamron 70-300mm F/4
Cokin 0.9 Grad ND Filter
0.4 second, F32

From FXGuide

“We understand that EOS 5D Mark II users desire additional frame rates and we’re preparing a firmware update to allow the camera to shoot at both 24P and 25P,” said Chris Macleod, Brand Manager – EOS, Canon Australia. “The upgrade to 24P and 25P will broaden the usage scope for this popular camera to include cinema and broadcast applications, respectively.”

Canon expects the firmware update to be available in the first half of 2010 and will release more details as they become available.

Probably the best Canon news of the evening for me (don’t forget the 1D mark IV was announced!). But seriously, first half of 2010?

About the picture above?

Took an evening trip to watch the sun go down at Great Falls Park and did a small hike to the water side to watch some kayakers. I set up my tripod and as the sun went down, the sky turned pink and I felt like it was winter already!

Luckily the clear skies picked up some clouds to add a little more to the image. Unfortunately, the Grad ND filter I used really made the purple/pink seem a little too much/distracting than it was in real life. I may fix it in lightroom one day.

Last night Nikon announced the Nikon D3s, a camera that had been rumored for a while with more solid details emerging last week. The rumors were pretty much correct with the amazing new high ISO/low noise sensor (up to 102400!) clocking in at 12.1mp, 720/24p D-Movie mode, and some other updates and improvements over the original D3 that arrived back in August 2007. One rumor/wish that was missed, and this really surprised me, was the lack of a 1080p video mode, ala Canon 5D mkII, and 7D. With the Canon 1Ds mark IV being announced next week that will no doubt feature a HD video mode, Nikon’s announcement got me wondering why 1080p is not present.

Video in DSLR’s is still in it’s infancy in reality. Granted, Canon really blew the doors wide open with the 5D mkII, but mistakes were made, such as leaving off manual control and 24/25p. We’ll never know the real reason, but maybe Canon weren’t expecting it to be in such demand. Maybe they ran out of time? It’s tough to say, but I imagine they were surprised to see how well adopted it was. I also believe they can partially thank Vincent LaForet and the buzz he created. It’s interesting to think back that Nikon were the first camera manufacturer to place a HD movie mode in a DSLR, yet the real hype came from the Canon camera that did the same, just a little better. It’s been a year since Video DSLR’s have entered the hands of professionals and hobbyists and the results have been staggering. That’s why it surprises me that the Nikon D3s does not have the same features to match Canon’s line up. Why is this? This is my random musing on the matter.

Whose pushing it

Canon are doing a fine job of promoting and pushing the use of HD video in their DSLR’s. From the moment “Reverie” (which in all honesty, isn’t a great film, but a great example of what could be achieved) went viral, Canon knew they had perfectly hit the right market. And most of them are already shooting with high end DSLR’s. This camera opened up opportunities for Journalists out in the field, such as Danfung Dennis who used his 5D mkII to cover the Afghanistan war that has been broadcasting on PBS, Documentary film makers such as Dan Chung, Indie film makers like myself, wildlife photographers and even Wedding photographers who have added this option to their services. In reality, the possibilities are endless. For example, right now I am shooting a short video for a bar using a glidecam rig with my 5D mkII that will be transformed into a flash intro for their website. There are tons of examples of still photographers embracing this technology for their own work or their own creativity and has really proven, in my opinion, that video in DSLR’s is really worth the investment.

Should everyone be pushing it?

The real kicker here is that Canon in all fairness has a lot of money to spend on research and development. Their product spectrum as a brand is much bigger than Nikon and ultimately, in my opinion, more focused than Sony. Canon have developed fantastic video cameras for years, giving an advantage over Nikon. But, putting that in the corner for a moment, should other manufacturers be as focused on bringing these opportunities to their users? Sony themselves said:

“The video implementation of SLRs today do not deliver the video experience people expect from Sony…. we believe that mainstream SLR customers…may not have a camera with the existing technology fill their expectations…delivering an excellent user experience…is an obligation that we have that we don’t necessarily see being taken quite so seriously when we see video implementations that don’t follow focus…or exposure…we understand that has a value…we can imagine that HD video without focus and exposure…can be tough for people to get a good experience out of…but it has to be better…not just possible, but better.”

CNET

These are very valid points. Using a DSLR for purely video is tough. It is in no way shape or form designed to be a video camera! Money has to be invested into making it more like a video camera, such as using Zacuto rigs or  RedRock Mirco rigs (created a nice niche for those guys though). I have also heard that Sony have also said that they don’t see a market for professional use for DSLR’s ( I can’t find the link unfortunately), but are they missing out on the users than Canon have excited with the 5D mkII? The photojournalists, indie film makers, etc who make amazing work out of these camera that have ultimately not been designed for such use. Look at this great list of videos at planet5d for example.

Do Nikon feel the same way then? They are unable to deliver a ‘proper’ video recording experience, so why push it? Why invest their time? Even Moose Petterson speaks along these lines:

To me, it makes no sense and diverts engineers from giving us really cool things that still photographers could really run with…

720/24p looks really great especially from the D300s, but this can be limited for it’s “professional” use. Sure this is perfect for the web, but it is not future proof in my opinion. For example Indie film makers want 1080p (or more if they have the budget for a RED) and full manual control. Everyone saw the up-roar when the 5D mkII didn’t have manual control. Surely this was a big hint to what the user wants? Has the Nikon brand and user base not had that “Reverie” moment that really sold them on this technology? I don’t really think that’s true, as I have read on many forums today that people were hoping for that 1080p on a FX sensor based on what they have used with the  D300s or the D90. Of course people argue back that it’s unnecessary and if you want to shoot video, buy a dedicated rig. But why should we? Consumers have reacted very positively to this convergence. And you just cannot buy the same quality video camera for the price of a 7D or a full framed 5DmkII. Especially with the range of lenses.

I am just very surprised that they did not spend time on upping the resolution to 1080p. The thing is, they have some beautiful examples on the Nikon D3s site that shows how amazing the footage caught on these cameras are – What’s stopping them going for 1080p.

Maybe it is technology based? Maybe 1080p causes the sensor to overheat to quickly, maybe the “jello effect” gets worse at a higher resolution because the processor can’t keep up, or maybe they haven’t had time to change the application-specific integrated circuit’s that they have used for their video, which seems limited to 720p.

The Future?

I don’t see Nikon users jumping ship however – why should they, they have an amazing camera range. But I have seen some Nikon users purchase a 5D mkII (such as Zack Arias) and some even mount their Nikon lenses on them, like the early adopters who wanted manual control over their exposures. It just seems strange that one of their Flagship model’s, that doesn’t get updated often, does not carry this option that so many artists have raved about.

Have Nikon been rushed? The Canon 1D mark IV is set to be announced next week and of course it will feature a video mode that will no doubt trump the 7D’s resolution options as well as keep all the same manual controls we get on the 7d and the 5D mkII. Canon’s flagship model, that we assume is set to ship before the Winter Olympics, will probably tell us a little more of where Canon is heading with their market and I know Nikon will be watching. Should Nikon have waited?

So what do you all think? Is it something as hobbyist you want in your DSLR? Something as Pro’s who want to add to their services? Is it a fad that will fade away?

For a upcoming movie project that I can’t really discuss yet (more on that in the fall) I have been hired as the Director of Photography (I think I got that title because I own a Canon 5D mkII!). Shooting starts in October and whilst talking to the director and producer about the project we talked a lot about stabilization and the look and feel of the movie. While “shaky cam” has it’s place in certain movies (I advise you to check out Channel 4’s “Dead Set,” a TV movie in the UK), we were looking for something a little more stable, so to speak. Shooting with a DSLR is much different that shooting with a traditional camera, especially when not mounted to a dolly or other industry standard camera tracks. It’s not designed to be used as a video camera. Period. It’s a still camera. There is no easy way to keep your video’s steady without investing in tripods (very stable, but can’t really follow subjects easily unless you are in a static place), monopods, DSLR Gunstock Shooter or other kits designed to make your video’s smoother. And you to give companies like Zacuto and Red Rock a lot of credit as they have done a great job in making some brilliant products that are well worth your money as a indie film maker.

But after reading the screen play and started to envisioning certain scenes with the writer and director, we knew we would need a device that allowed for long shots of walking, sometimes up and down stairs, and a lot of follow shots, which, after filming with the Red Rock Micro shoulder mount, needs something with significant stabilization.

Hit the jump to read more

As we are on a budget, we started searching for a reasonably priced stabilization system and often kept coming back to the fig rig. While a great concept, we were not convinced it would work up and down stairs. The director did some research on certain body mounted Camera Stabilization System that would suit the Canon 5D mkII and found the Glidecam HD-4000/Smooth shooter to be highly regarded by its users. The director decided to give it a try and very much liked it and ordered it right away. Today I got my hands on it.

For those who do not know much about it, here is some blurb from the Glidecam website. And hopefully the image with give you a better representation of what it is exactly.

The SMOOTH SHOOTER system works by isolating your body’s motion from your camera, while your camera is balanced in a relatively motionless and isolated state. The SMOOTH SHOOTER’S Support Arm can be boomed up and down, as well as pivoted in and out, and side-to-side. It is the combined booming and pivoting action of the Support Arm, which isolates your motions from the camera in a way that creates smooth camera footage.

You combine the Smooth Shooter with the Glidecam 4000:

When using the Glidecam 4000 Pro in hand-held mode, it is your arm that carries all of the weight. However, when the 4000 Pro is used with the SMOOTH SHOOTER, it is the SMOOTH SHOOTER’S Spring-loaded Support Arm that carries all of the weight. Because of this, you will now be able to shoot for extended periods of time, whereas before, the stress associated with hand-holding the weight reduced your shooting time.

Without really setting the Glidecam HD-4000/Smooth shooter up correctly I decided (because I am impatient with new toys wanted to play before it rained) to take her out for a quick test with my Canon 5D mkII. See the results below. I am using the 24-70mm F/2.8L at 70mm so see how much shake there would be and I was purposely was a little heavy footed going down stairs and on uneven surfaces (where I actually was watching the floor not the screen – hence the shaky turns) but I was quite impressed. I need to balance it out properly though, especially the “smooth shooter” spring tensions… There are much better demos than the one’s below, I was just playing. The side to side sway of the video is me not really paying attention to what I am filming but rather watching my footing. I need a spotter…

Here is a quick test running through my house. I tripped twice because of dogs but it is still pretty smooth.

Update: Did some balancing and the results are much better. Until I walked into the pinball machine at around 21 seconds and then tripped over the dog (again) at 30 seconds and then got stuck in the hallway at 42 seconds!

Just thought I would let you know that I have updated a new section on my website which I am creating for my favorite images which you will be able to buy soon!

Check it out here