I’ve always been a fan of Dana Neibert’s work, and I recently came across his new kickstarter project called the DigiPlate. What I love about this is that it solves a lot of problems we encounter on set, and I’d love to see this product come to life.

We’ve been using a laptop bag for digital teching, and pretty much the only one we’ve found out there and it is awful, but what can we do? One of the major problems we encounter on a 10 hour day, is the laptop overheating in this case, which the DigiPlate not only mounts the laptop, but acts as a heat sink and helps pull the heat off the laptop. It also allows you to attach the station to different types of stands some cable management.

Enough of me explaining. Get all the details and support it on Kickstarter here. You can see an in depth description and videos. Check out the updates page for a video where they mount the laptop to the roof of a car and drive 80mph.

I have to say, I wouldn’t blog about it if I didn’t back it. Back it with me so we can see this product come to life!

Check it out!

Skydiving is one of the most amazing feelings ever. I would much rather jump out of a plane than bungee jump. The rush of falling at 180mph for 60 seconds is incredible. You actually feel like your flying. I just went for the 2nd time in Byron Bay, Australia this week. I swear I could get addicted to this.

We jumped from 14,000ft which is the highest package literally, but worth the extra freefall time. If you pay extra, you can get a dedicated photographer that jumps out of the plane with you and shoots photos of your short lived journey to the earth. I was curious of how they do it, and I learned about a cool little piece of photography technology that is interesting to share. They use mouth trigger that they can fire the camera by biting down on it as they’re falling through the sky(see the pic below. He’s holding the mouth trigger in his left hand). The dSLR camera is mounted to the top of his helmet(unfortunately he had a garbage Samsung camera inside).

Unfortunately most of the images were terrible. Due to a couple reasons. His camera settings were wrong, and he was using a Samsung camera. If he was using a Canon and set it right, 90% of them wouldn’t have turned out blurry. At least I got a couple decent ones that I had to really doctor in PS.

Since these things have been sitting around collecting dust, I figure I may as well sell them. I’ve used them probably a max of 12 times since I bought them new a few years back. Everything is in great condition, except the reflectors are a slightly dented in a couple spots, but that doesn’t effect anything. All works the same.

The kit new with a nice Tenba case goes for $4,100 on BH. My tenba case is a little different and is great. I think it may actually have more space than the new kit on BH.

The used kits on BH start at $3400, so I’m going to price mine at $3200.

Email me if you are interested.

A lot of times people ask me what digital point and shoot I recommend, and to be quite honest, I’m not well versed in the point and shoot world. At this point Canon, Nikon, and Sony make pretty equivalent models. Since most models are equivalent, my criteria for what makes a good camera is it’s carry ability, and my favorite function, Slow Shutter Syncro. Since most P&S’s good daylight metering and most of the new ones are over 10 mega pixels, it’s close to the same. What sets them apart is size, slow shutter syncro option, and exposure compensation. This is where you can control a point and shoot a little more to get what you want out of it. These options take a point and shoot a step above any camera phone.

My favorite P&S thus far is the Canon SD1400IS. It’s super slim and slides into your back pocket when going out. I don’t like to carry a man purse everywhere I go, especially when I go out at night which rules out the Canon G12 or anything bigger than the SD1400. Females who carry purses may be able to carry something a little robust, but on the flip side when you’re going out at night you don’t need much.

Pick up the Canon SD1400IS here: http://nonk.it/AM_CSD1400

That said, here’s a tip with a point and shoot camera to get more out of them, even just shooting around with friends:

Slow Shutter Syncro: This is my favorite feature for shooting at night. Slow shutter syncro basically keeps the shutter open longer to drag the ambient light into the camera, then pops the flash on the subjects. You get light trails, and it brings more dimension in with light if you’re shooting in more open indoor spaces at night. You can also play around with shooting your subjects and moving the camera around while the shutter is open. Get some fun light trails. Here are a few examples from some random nights out:

Fun with friends:

I’ve recently had a few inquiries about lenses that I use, and I figured I’d throw a few thoughts down. First and foremost, I’ve never been one that is all about gear. Don’t get me wrong, having good gear is important to our job and livelihood, but cameras/lenses are just tools to get us where we want creatively. I like to use the right lens or camera for the right job.

So many people put so much emphasis on what gear you are using, but most importantly is what you are putting in front of your camera. I have shots in my portfolio from a point and shoot.

That said, in the realm of digital, I use Canon gear because A: it’s great and B: I got into the photography game when they were a leg up ahead of Nikon. Started investing into the lenses/bodies and have had no need to switch. Since then, Nikon has definitely caught up so either are great. I wouldn’t buy anything else in the dSLR world besides either of those. (Leica is definitely awesome, but I don’t feel like they play in the same realm.)

On to lenses, I’ve posted a little before, but a few years ago. I’ve even simplified my shooting, and use less lenses in the lifestyle arena. I prefer the fixed focal length lenses for the most part. Since I’ve been shooting more film, I only have 2 lenses for my Contax G2’s, the 28mm and the 45mm, but I primarily only use the 45mm. Below are a couple samples(click here to see the whole shoot: http://nonk.it/dYyrrF):

In the Canon Digital world, Here’s an overview:

Canon 20mm f2.8
I love this lens for close dynamic type of shots or landscapes. It has a great dynamic to it that you can pull a lot of story into. It also has a natural vignette that I like. It does distort a bit, but if used in the right context it works to your advantage. Here are a couple of examples:

Canon 35mm f1.4L
This lens is great for shooting group lifestyle. You can fit a lot more into the frame, while still being in a close proximity to the subjects. The downside is it does distort when you get closer, and at certain angles. Something to be aware of. Samples below:

Canon 50mm f1.2L
I bought this lens a while back, used it for a bit, then shelved it for a while. I’ve recently started to shoot it a lot more because it has less distortion for shooting one person closer up. Great lens all around though. Samples below:

Canon 70-2oomm f2.8L ISII
I use this lens if I want to get a really compressed look. This leans more into the fashion lifestyle side. Samples below:

I recently picked up an iPad due to the influence of my friend Mark Leibowitz. I was originally on the fence because I have so many freaking Apple computers in my house already that my friends make fun of me for it. Why do I need one? Well, it is a shiny new toy but the purpose? 2 of them.

Number 1: Showing more images, but never to take the place of a printed portfolio. I don’t think the printed portfolio will go away completely(at least I hope not). Most of the art directors and art buyers I talk to WANT to see how your work is printed on paper, and most say this won’t go away. It’s a tangible and tactile piece of your craft that represents to them how you put your craft out there. In addition, if they are creating print ads, they want to see your work in printed form, because that’s what they will hire you for. Will print completely go away? I don’t think so and knock on wood, it won’t. I think like most of us we love tactile things in our hands. So, back to the iPad. My point on this is the iPad is great for walking into a meeting with in addition to your printed portfolio to show images beyond it. Images do look quite stellar on the device. If you shoot video along with stills, it’s an excellent way to show people. The screen is much bigger than an iPhone so it changes the whole viewing experience. The backlit screen even gives your imagery a different dimension.

Number 2: Media research. I truly believe that the niche for the iPad (and other tablet devices) is INTERACTIVE MEDIA. From the internet chatter, and recent conversations it feels like people haven’t really caught on to this idea. While it won’t completely replace the magazines we’ve grown and loved, it will save them. I’ve downloaded a couple like GQ & Interview and the interaction with them has much more dimension. Photo Editor has a more indepth review with a couple of cool videos here. The touch screen interaction takes the media to a completely different level. It bridges the gap between an actual magazine and going the magazine’s website. I’m never sitting in front of my computer reading a magazine looking online for the things that I find in the mag that interest me. With this device, it’s one tap and you’re exploring further. We are in the early adoption stage where everyone is trying to figure out what to do with it, but just wait. Media companies are already jumping on and beginning to create great content for it, and that my friends is where we come in. The iPad will be yet another we will be creating content and where stills meet video in an interactive experience. The bigger screen(than the iPhone) completely changes app interaction. Adapting to where technology is moving is greatly important in this day in age. Look how the world of media has changed in the last 5 years since digital has entered the market. It will continue to change at a rapid pace, and we must adapt, and use it to our advantage to survive and succeed. That said, another big reason I picked this bad boy up is to get familiar with it and generate content ideas.

All in all, there are still bugs in the apps, and a few other kinks to be worked out but it will get there. I was totally skeptical until I went to the Apple store and held one in my hand. It truly is a sleek little device. Check out APE’s demo videos. I understand the beef everyone has with the whole non-integration with flash, but I’m starting to realize that the media will be all about the apps which in the end has way more functionality. I’ve hardly found myself web browsing on the device. That’s what a computer is for. Why did they not go for OS X? Because it’s a device that is not about that. It’s not a work horse, it’s an INTERACTIVE MEDIA reader. It’s also NOT an iphone. Right in between. My beef as with with all of Apple’s newest screens is the the gloss factor. While images look ridiculously amazing on them, the glare is quite obnoxious. Love it & Hate it all at the same time. Since it’s just a consumption device it’s fine. I don’t have to worry about color calibration and the gloss jacking up post processing. NEXT project, is an iPad friendly website. Adapt and change.

We've been using Photo Mechanic for a fair amount of time now, and integrating it into the DAM process in a couple ways. I wish I could say their brand and user interface was visually appealing like any mac or adobe products, but this is a case where function overrules design even though the product would be so much better it were designed well. Maybe everything I like about the program is the sacrifice of a visually appealing interface. Ok, so that said what do I like about it?

1. The Image Display Speed: The speed at which it displays RAW photos, and any photos for that matter is faster than any program I've seen out there. Bridge, Lightroom, Aperture, and Capture One all have to generate preview files, which sometimes can be painful in waiting time just to view an image.
2. The Editing Speed: I like to make edits fast, and most of the above mentioned are so slow when moving from image to image. You can fly through hundreds of RAW images making tags with a 1-5 numbered key stroke.
3. Easy File Browsing: You can click through the drive tiers on the left side of the window. Super easy to open image folders.
4. Meta Data Application: You can create an IPTC stationary and apply it easily to a batch of images.
5. Star & Label Rating toggles: You can toggle star ratings and label ratings on and off so you only see those rated images and it's super fast and easy. Makes it easy to drag and drop to Photoshop actions and/or copy and move files to different folders.

The overall speed is the biggest advantage with this program is the overall speed of everything. That's why it trumps the rest of them. Naturally its only a piece of the process.

The last few months has been quite a growth spurt in the new New York office. Relocating here was a big jump, but even more so setting up a proper digital asset management system. Its a work in progress at this point. I got a big kick in the ass this weekend, when I found out my good friend Fred Egan had his house burn to the ground. Luckily his office was left in tact and he was able to recover his photography equipment and images, but I think it's a good in my face warning that it could happen to anyone, including me at any time.

I've hired Jeff Holt, to come in and help me build, set up an IT infrastructure, and implement a back up system both on site and off site. The above sketch is a general outline of what we have in progress of set up and it's still evolving. It's very intricate. Designing an IT infrastructure is very custom to what you have an how much you have to spend, but after this great awakening with Fred, it's pushing me even more to get things in order, especially an off-site backup.

The main idea is to have a mirrored backup that is onsite and that are equal sizes, then to have the same data mirrored off site somewhere. Hard drives go bad completely at random, so a constant mirroring of data on-site is a necessity. In talking with an Apple IT consultant friend of mine, he swears by tape drive backups because they last at least 30 years. Backing up on to secondary hard drives is great if you have a method of spinning them up once a year to keep the liquid bearings from drying up. If you let them go 3-5 years, they dry and the HD is toast. They're meant to stay in use.

The trick is to build a system that is expandable and accessible. Obviously if you're serious about being a photographer, the more you shoot, the more your digital assets are going to grow. Now a days with the digital sensors getting larger and larger the RAW images take up quite a bit of space. I am also constantly needing to access images for portfolio uses, projects, books, website, blog posts etc. so having a system where you can easily access everything easily takes quite a bit of design.

The system I have set up is 2 x 8 bay enclosures in a J-Bod(individual drives) setup with 1TB drives in each bay totaling 16TB. Each bay from one enclosure is mirrored to the parallel bay in the second enclosure for the redundant onsite data. These are the archive drives where jobs are dropped once they are finished and archived. We have a 2 bay enclosure with a RAID 0 that acts as a production drive for jobs that are in progress. The archived jobs will then be backed up onto tape and sent offsite. This system is hovering $10K.

Creating a system that is customized to fit your needs and budget can be pretty tricky and techie. Jeff has set up a few consulting packages to design the right system for you if you need it. His packages go from over the phone consulting to in-house setup. For more info send him an email: Jeff Holt

Another part of backing up is HAVING insurance. Unfortunately for our friend Fred, he had no insurance which resulted in a total loss. Irresponsible? Maybe so, but shit happens. I know I go through life thinking these things will probably never happen to me, and knock on wood they don't, but this is a sure realization that they can happen to anyone any time. I know what it's like to be strapped for cash and not finding the funds to pay for insurance premiums, but this is definitely a hard reminder. Our friend Jory Cordy has set up a donation page if you feel so inclined to help Fred out as he lost his living possessions.

In regards to insurance, one thing to be careful of is that a lot of renters/home owners insurances won't cover your gear if it's for business use and it values over a certain amount. It's good to have separate policies. I have a basic renters policy with Liberty Mutual, and a Business policy with The Hartford Agency. http://www.thehartford.com Business insurance gives you liability coverage and and inland marine coverage on your gear world wide. The premium for the business insurance varies on where you live and how much gear value you want covered. It IS essential!

I'm starting to get asked this question all the time, so I figured I'd throw down a post about it. The first debate is Canon Vs. Nikon, and to tell you the truth at this point in the game it doesn't really matter. They're both great brands and cameras. Nikon has definitely been catching up to Canon and giving them a run for their money. I prefer Canon for a few reasons. The colors I get from the sensor, and the fact that I've been shooting Canon since I started. When I started a few years ago, Canon was the frontrunner in the digital world. They were the only brand that had a full frame sensor, not to mention the image quality was far superior and larger to Nikon, so I got invested. Once you start buying lenses for one brand, they are compatible and interchangeable with any camera within that brand. Recently the game has changed in quality, and Nikon has been releasing camera bodies that compete with Canon. I still prefer the color tones of the Canon DIGIC processors. The reality is that if you have either you are good to go. I don't really even consider any other brand a player in the market. Obviously since I know and shoot canon, thats what I'll be recommending.

Remember, lenses are as important or more important than the camera body. The quality of the image that is projected onto the camera's sensor is what your image will be so if you have great optics you will have great quality images. I love fixed lenses, but for people starting out I usually recommend a few zooms to cover a wide focal range.

That said, you need to ask yourself a couple questions. A:  How serious are you about taking photos? Do you want to just have fun, and take better memory photos, or do you want to eventually shoot on a pro level? B: How much money can you spend? 

Scenario 1:
If your answer to A is just wanting to have fun and taking better memory, then you won't need to spend as much to jump into an DSLR.

Here are my recos for this answer depending on your budget. The Canon Rebel is a great series for this scenario for someone who doesn't need or want to invest in a photography career.
A: $1000ish: Canon Rebel series(approx $750) + a 50mm f1.4(approx $350)
B: $1500ish: Canon Rebel series +
C: $2000ish: Canon Rebel series(approx $750) + 24-70mm f2.8L (approx $1300)

Scenario 2:
If your answer to A is wanting to try out photography with the potential of doing it as a career then you'll want to step it up a little. I would recommend saving up your money to invest more in the beginning then having to rebuy a prosumer body down the road.

The Canon 50D and 5D series cameras are great for this scenario. Purchasing the right one will depend on your budget. Obviously the 5DMKII(my review of the camera) will be the best choice, but is going to be more expensive. The 50D has a cropped sensor so your focal lengths will be multiplied by 1.6. That is the trade off for not spending as much on the body. The crop is something you just have to get used to and work with if you don't want to spend the money to jump to the 5D series.
A: $2000ish: Canon 50D(approx $1400) + 50mm f1.4 (approx $350)
B: $2700ish: Canon 50D(approx $1400) + 24-70mm f2.8L (Approx $1300)
C: $4500ish: Canon 50D(approx $1400) + 24-70mm f2.8L (Approx $1300) + 70-200mm F2.8L IS(approx $1700) these two lenses cover a great range.
C: $6000ish: Canon 50D(approx $1400) + 24-70mm f2.8L (Approx $1300) + 70-200mm F2.8L IS + 16-35mm F2.8L(approx $1500) even fuller range.
D: $3500ish: Canon 5D (approx $2700) + 50mm f1.4(appxo $350)
E: $4000ish: Canon 5D (approx $2700) + 24-70mm f2.8L (Approx $1300)
F: $6000ish: Canon 5D (approx $2700) + 24-70mm f2.8L (Approx $1300) + 70-200mm F2.8L IS(approx $1700) these two lenses cover a great range.
G: $6500ish (my fave lenses): Canon 5D (approx $2700) + 20mm f2.8L(approx $450) + 35mm f1.4L(approx $1400) + 70-200mm f2.8L IS(approx $1700)
H: $7500ish: Canon 5D (approx $2700) + 24-70mm f2.8L (Approx $1300) + 70-200mm F2.8L IS(approx $1700) + 16-35mm F2.8L(approx $1500) even fuller range.

Please note that these are just guestimated figures. It will depend on where you buy your gear for more precise prices. I usually buy everything from BH Photo. I also shoot on the 1Ds MKIII series camera. There's plenty more money to be spent in areas other than just a camera an lenses, such as computers, compact flash cards, additional HD storage, etc. These lens configuration also pertain to the imagery that I like to shoot. There are many options depending on what you are wanting to shoot for yourself. The sensors in all the Canon cameras are pretty great and you won't go wrong with them.

If you're a semi-pro/pro (non photojournalist/sports photog) then the 5DMKII is a great camera if you don't have the funds for a 1Ds MKIII, however the 1DsMKIII takes the crop and is pretty awesome. The auto focus system is way better, along with the more rugged body.

The biggest thing to remember is that good equipment is just the entry to good photography. It's all about your eye and your vision. Just because you have a Mont Blanc $10,000 pen doesn't mean you're a writer. In the same respect, having good gear doesn't make you a photographer. It come down to final product that you are outputting.

I just picked up a 5D MKII last week, and I thought I'd take a minute and write down a few snippits of what I like about the 5D, and what I don't like about it. I bought this camera to primarily serve as a backup camera and to make use of the video aspect. The 1Ds MKIII will still be my primary camera. I'm reviewing this c
amera in the respect that I would normally go out and shoot. So my review won't be too techy.

So what DO I like about it?
•The color and image quality are great, and as good or better as my 1Ds MKIII. I think there's a little more range, but the images look great.
•The screen is huge and crystal clear. Images look beautiful on it!
•The GUI has a little bit better graphics
•The video straight out of the camera is pretty amazing. Still learning how to maniuplate it. (Laforet has some great posts on this) it's pretty spectacular.
•the ISO in the normal range reaches 6400 and can be expanded to 25,600
•3 sizes of RAW files-Great if you're shooting things that don't need to be at the 21mp size

What DON'T I like about it?
•The focus compared to the 1D/1Ds series cameras sucks. The focus points are really small so it makes it harder to focus. If you've got an 20/30/40/50D or old 5D camera, you probably won't really notice a difference. I think this is where the price point comes in and you jump to the higher end Pro cameras.
•To open the 5DMKII files in Capture One you have to have the newest version which is only supported by Mac OSX leopord.
•The body feels light. Compared to the 1DsMKIII, it feels like a toy. Feels weird to grip, but I will have to get a battery grip to balance this out. (this doesn't really matter though)
•Shutter sound is not as beefy.

Overall, the 5D MKII is a steal. To get into a full frame great camera for $2700 is dirt cheap! Basically disposible.

Here's a couple recent shots: