I had a shoot with Sera-Lys Again today….

Camera: Canon 1Ds Mark II
Aperture: 1.4
Shutter: 1/160
Lens: Canon EF 50mm 1.4
ISO: 800
Date Taken: Jan.29.2007

Camera: Canon 1Ds Mark II
Aperture: 18
Shutter: 1/60
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM @ 35mm
ISO: 50
Lighting: Alien Bees Ring Flash
Date Taken: Jan.29.2007

Camera: Canon 1Ds Mark II
Aperture: 2.8
Shutter: 1/50
Lens: EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM @ 135mm
ISO: 500
Date Taken: October.27.2006

Camera: Canon 1Ds Mark II
Aperture: 1.4
Shutter: 1/100
Lens: Canon EF 50mm 1.4
ISO: 400
Date Taken: Jan.07.2006

First shoot with the new Ring flash HOT!! My new favorite flash!

Camera: Canon 1Ds Mark II
Aperture: 1.4
Shutter: 1/60
Lens: Canon EF 50mm 1.4
ISO: 800
Date Taken: Jan.28.2007

Camera: Canon 1Ds Mark II
Aperture: 2.8
Shutter: 1/100
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM @ 27mm
ISO: 50
Date Taken: Jan.28.2007

Camera: Canon 1Ds Mark II
Aperture: 1.4
Shutter: 1/200
Lens: Canon EF 50mm 1.4
ISO: 50
Date Taken: Jan.28.2007

Camera: Canon 1Ds Mark II
Aperture: 1.4
Shutter: 1/200
Lens: Canon EF 50mm 1.4
ISO: 50
Date Taken: Jan.28.2007

Camera: Canon 1Ds Mark II
Aperture: 1.4
Shutter: 1/1600
Lens: Canon EF 50mm 1.4
ISO: 400
Date Taken: Jan.07.2006

The view out my window this morning.

Camera: Canon 1Ds Mark II
Aperture: 4.5
Shutter: 1/125
Lens: EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM @ 200mm
ISO: 400
Date Taken: Jan.26.2006

Nope it wasn’t a visit from outer space (unless you consider Tennessee outer space) It was the UPS guy and my new portable ring flash!! Yup the company is called Alien bees and they make cheap studio gear. I got the ABR800 Ring Flash that has

been on backorder for a month, and a moon unit (The thing on my head:) to soften studio work even more.

Ring Flashes are wicked awesome for fashion and head shot photos because you get nice even shadowless lighting that tends to be über flattering and pretty!! You can use them alone as the only light source, or combine them with other hair and key flashes for more definition. The thing is 800Ws (Ws = watt seconds) as well which at full power blasts my 500Ws out of the water! We are talking the difference of two to four stops (f16 to f45) as near as I can tell from simple screwing around with my light meter! Light does appear to fall off quickly though as you can see in the photo with the moon unit on my head (I know i am a goof) but i imagine that with an umbrella it wouldn’t be so drastic. So that brings our studio contingent to about 2300Ws. I could light a lot of large things with that

See über soft and flattering!!! The ABR800 is sorta like two flashes in one as well for you can light stand mount it and attach an umberlla to it just like any other flash head.
I also got the portable power pack with it. The Vagabond Portable Power System consists of a power inverter, a sealed Lead acid battery, and a bag.

The vagabond is awesome because i have portable power for whatever I want when ever i want for whatever i want, it isn’t just for the flash. That gets a big Ol b00Ya!!! from me.

Anyway I am super stoked that this came cause I have a few shoots lined up over the next few days and I am super excited to try it out!!! (on some one other then me of course)

Camera: Canon 1Ds Mark II
Aperture: 1.4
Shutter: 1/500
Lens: Canon EF 50mm 1.4
ISO: 50
Date Taken: Jan.07.2006

Yup

Camera: Canon 1Ds Mark II
Aperture: 1.6
Shutter: 1/1600
Lens: Canon EF 50mm 1.4
ISO: 400
Date Taken: Jan.07.2006

Camera: Canon 1Ds Mark II
Aperture: 1.4
Shutter: 1/2000
Lens: Canon EF 50mm 1.4
ISO: 400
Date Taken: Jan.07.2007

This is the Bay of Fundy at low tide The Bay Of Fundy has the Highest tides in the world. It is a crazy place to drive around at low tide. all you see is boats that were left stranded with nothing but miles of reddish mud between them and the ocean! 6 hours later it is ocean front property. Crazy!

Camera: Canon 1Ds Mark II
Aperture: 11
Shutter: 0.5 Sec
Lens: Sigma 15mm Fish Eye ISO: 50
Date Taken: Sept.03.2004

Camera: Canon 1D Mark II
Aperture: 5.6
Shutter: 1/200
Lens: Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III @ 230mm
ISO: 50
Date Taken: Sept.02.2004

Just Because I am a lazy ass and I am far to sloth like to look at photos that I have taken recently, I found it prudent to simply post old photos. These are from our road trip east in 2004 (told ya they were old) I haven’t really looked at the 1000’s of photos that i took on that trip, but I am vowing to go thought them and post some stuff over the next month or so…

Camera: Canon 1D Mark II
Aperture: 4.0
Shutter: 1/250
Lens: Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM @ 75mm
ISO: 50
Date Taken: Sept 25.2004

Camera: Canon 1D Mark II
Aperture: 4.5
Shutter: 1/160
Lens: Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III @ 120mm
ISO: 50
Date Taken: Sept 25.2004

Camera: Canon 1D Mark II
Aperture: 4
Shutter: 1/200
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM @ 32mm
ISO: 400
Date Taken: Feb.09.2006

Camera: Canon 1D Mark II
Aperture: 3.5
Shutter: 1/160
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM @ 55mm
ISO: 50
Date Taken: March.13.2006

Camera: Canon 1Ds Mark II
Aperture: 7.1
Shutter: 1/320
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM @ 70mm
ISO: 200
Date Taken: March.23.2006

Ferries are interesting places, filled with captive audiences and overwhelming desires to be creative. I am not sure what it is about what amounts to water bound mass transit that makes me feel all inspired but it does. I would consider waxing on about the call of the ocean and boats being romantic areas of artistic exploration, but let’s face it I am on a BC ferry. A place that is all about cold hard cash and mass transit of people and goods. It is a boat that is not glamorous in the least and it totally devoid of soul, I am no way reminded of what it must have been like to hop on a boat bound for fame and glory in search of treasure and land for king & country all with no idea where you may end up, and a strong possibility of death..

I don’t take transit often but I get this urge of unfocused creative energy on most forms.. I assumed at first that it was because I had an uncommon stretch of time that I had no particular immediate and pressing task, but after reflection I can say that it isn’t it either. I am not sure really but it may have something to do with the weird infatuation I have with man made stuff I.e.: Architecture and mechanical wonders. I look at a boat or a train or a bus as being nothing much more then an inanimate metal model splaying itself out for me to take photos of. But I am a odd duck that way I guess.

Camera: Canon 1Ds Mark II
Aperture: 11
Shutter: 1/30
Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM @ 16mm
ISO: 250
Date Taken: March.13.2006

This was when it was starting to get (Dare I say it) Cold! And By cold I don’t mean oh my god i am from Vancouver and it is almost 0c outside, I mean it was – something and i wasn’t wearing a coat.