Saturday, December 27, 2008

Photography quote to consider

"The simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as the precise organization of forms which gives that event its proper expression... . In photography, the smallest thing can be a great subject. The little human detail can become a leitmotif." — Henri Cartier-Bresson

Video made from 45,000 images

This video is a few minutes long but if you want to see a different twist on making a video [using 45,000 still photos] then check out this slick video.


Fat City Reprise - Long Gone from Cesar Kuriyama on Vimeo.

If the video does not work in your browser, then click on this link.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas 2008!

The following verses are some of my favorite passages concering the birth of Jesus Christ.

Luke 2:25-30  And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

Luke 2:30  For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

Verse 30 is a very powerful verse.  Please take the time to meditate on this verse.  Simeon knew exactly who the child was and is; salvation.  Salvation to not only the Jew but to the Gentile.  To everyone who will receive Him [Jesus] as their Saviour.

John 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Jesus Christ knew the reason He came to this earth.

Luke 19:10  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
John 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

The greatest gift ever given was given to us two thousand years ago by God the Father in His Son, Jesus Christ. 

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

If you never received Christ as your Saviour, ask Him to save you and receive the greatest gift of all time!

Recently, I finished the book by Glenn Beck.  "The Christmas sweater".  I will do a quick review in the next few days.  The short version; I highly recommend the book!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Funny video momsense

This is one of the funniest videos ever. You will need to click on this link to view 'momsense'.

I know it is not photo related but with all the negativity in the world, a good laugh is always good.

Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Monday, December 22, 2008

All this for a King 08

I had the privilege to shoot a recent event at Victory Family Church in Cranberry Twp. "All this for a King". As always, it was an amazing arrangement of music, light, and sound. One of the most challenging parts about shooting a low light or ever changing light event is capturing the proper exposure. This event was no different. However, creating creative images are an event photographers dream come true.

In the first image I used the 50mm at f/2.2, 1/40 second and ISO 1250. I set my focus point on his face [as close to his eye as possible] knowing that the area that would be in focus would be limited. When shooting in very low light you must keep the camera to your eye and watch the light change and not press the shutter until the light 'looks right'. This was shot in manual and not in aperture priority since the light was changing very fast and I knew only manual exposure was the best choice.



The second image was shot a few seconds prior to the first image. I use this image to illustrate how the light was changing but more important where the light was located. The singer was front lit [in this image] but I was behind him as he walked through the audiance toward the stage. The light position created an interesting image. The stage was to my back and I knew I had little time to capture him with 'perfect' light. The challenging part about the second photo in this blog [it was taken prior to the other image] was not to get in the path of the singer [it wouldn't look good if he tripped over me :-) ]. The second challenge was not to get in the path of the video cameraman. He was off to my left and I had to keep an eye on him to avoid getting in his path since it was a 'live' feed to the large screens at the front of the church. [It wouldn't look good if my shiny head appeared in the video instead of the singer.]

I will post a few more images from the event later in the week.

This is proof of the value of the very affordable 50mm f/1.8 lens. If you do not have one and wonder if it is worth spending $100 on a 50 mm, by the end of this week I hope I am able to prove the value of this lens through the images.

When I shoot this type of event I spend most of my time on the floor or in a very low position. This is needed to keep the attention from me and to stay out of the range of video cameras projecting the event on the big screen. I do not state this to brag on my physical ability but to praise the Lord. As I type this I am thinking back to a few years ago when I seriously hurt my back [due to doing stupid] and I had to crawl on the floor to get around because I could barely walk. The pain was nearly unbearable but through the grace and power of the Lord, I am able to walk and manuever on the floor with no pain today.

If you ever have the opportunity to shoot low light photography, I recommend that you give it a try. It is fun and provides tremendous opportunity for creativity. Before you venture out, I highly recommend you learn the controls of your camera without looking. You will need to be able to change a lens in the dark and adjust your camera settings without thinking or looking.

If you take nothing else from this post, please keep in mind the importance of learning your gear.

As always, get out and capture the beauty of life!