Ken’s Shoot Notes Blog

Grafiti @ RIT in HTML

Posted on March 28th, 2008 by HuthPhoto.
Categories: Funny, Internet, Rochester NY, Colleges, Rants.

OK, a lot of this stuff looked trashy, but they were on to something funny in a few of these things… Only at RIT would the graffiti include HTML tags!

… or deep thoughts like this.

Thanks to the two guys that ‘held it’ whilst I shot this.

I’m still process if I thought this was stupid or not ((thinking))

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Slooooooow!

Posted on March 28th, 2008 by HuthPhoto.
Categories: Blogging, Rants.

Dang… I just can’t figure this out, but the Blog is loading very slowly (even before you get to the content)… Sorry!

My main site is fine and I’m exploring reasons, if it’s something with Wordpress, or the slimeball spammers that leach stuff from the blog… we’ll see.

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Red Cross Day @ GEH

Posted on March 26th, 2008 by HuthPhoto.
Categories: Shoots, Funny, Rochester NY, Rants.

This is what I do for a living… I followed the blood drop around the house looking for kids that wouldn’t be frightened of him

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Now that’s how to do a ‘Famous Person’ meet and greet

Posted on September 25th, 2007 by HuthPhoto.
Categories: Shoots, Skills, Photo, PhotoJava, Rochester NY, Colleges, Famous People, Rants, Events.

The UofR Medical Center held the annual Golf Glassic with Pro Jeff Sluman there to visit and work with the golfers.

Now, often these ‘Famous People’ Meet & Greets I’m hired to shoot, usually go like this:
Cattle-line of folks waiting to meet ‘Mr. Famous’, They shake hands and I take a photo, the donor gets to say ‘I really like your work’ and then on to the next person.

Now hey, I don’t want to bust on anybody… just rave about how it went at the URMC.

For anyone that showed up early, Jeff did a clinic, told stories along with Oak Hill pro Craig Harmon.

Then Jeff was at one (very challenging) hole and he’d chat with folks while waiting for the foursome ahead to get off the green, we’d snap a quick shot of the foursome with Jeff and he’d hit a ball with the group… pretty cool seeing a pro at work up that close, and…if you could hit it closer to the pin, you got a gift certificate from the pro shop.
 

Another cool touch, my UofR contact Tom and Jeff worked out that Jeff signed the balls, and no matter if you won against Jeff…the golfer who was closest to the pin on that hole got to keep Jeff’s signed ball.

So, kudos to URMC’s development folks and Jeff, who’s got the personality (and funny stories) to make it all happen!

See more of my photos from the event HERE

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Canon Focuses

Posted on September 3rd, 2007 by HuthPhoto.
Categories: Shoots, Theatre, Equipment, Teaching, Rants, Canon Cameras.

Quick update on my switch from Nikon to the Canon 5D.

Big View HERE
Just got done with a Geva show and two major things I noticed:

High ISO rocks!
It was wonderful to shoot most of the show (a VERY dark Sherlock Holmes mystery) at 800 and 1600 ISO, instead of thinking that 500 was OK on my Nikon D200 and really not liking ISO 800 on that camera. The Nikon would get mushy at high ISO, as well as the noise. The Canon gets less noisy, but more importantly, the subject stays solid looking, not mushy.
Also, my 2 D200’s both had big dead pixels at all ISOs and much worse at 800.

The Canon Focuses!
Man, I blamed myself for years with the Nikon, and had ‘backfocus’ problems… but the new camera shows me that the Nikon was just crummy at focussing.

So I’m very happy.

I will complain about Canon things in some post too, so stay tuned for the down sides…

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Tripods

Posted on May 4th, 2007 by HuthPhoto.
Categories: Skills, Equipment, Photo, Teaching, PhotoJava, Rants.

[b]Beatrice in Japan Asks (a Ninja!):[/b]
…sorry I couldn’t help the Ask a Ninja Ref

Mother’s Day is around the corner and my husband wants to get me a tripod for my gear. It is waaaaay overdue! I am on the brink of a migraine and tears trying to figure out what to purchase. Could you make a recommendation based on the following information?

+ Canon 20D w/battery grip
+ Canon 580EX flash
+ largest lens: Canon 70-200L IS f/2.8 w/collar
****************snip**********
(note: and she’s on a military base and so can play with options much)

[b]Ken Says:[/b]
You know, I hate tripods and consider them a necessary evil… so my advice is about what I use, and not up-to-date review filled with love for tripods
I have an old, lightweight[b] Slik tripod[/b] I love. It seems like this one:
Slik U212 Universal Deluxe Tripod with 3-Way Pan Head #212
for $99 here:
http://www.adorama.com/SLU212D.html

I love that it’s legs can go out seperately, has a quick release for the camera, level, rubber and spiked feet and flips pretty easily and versatilely for copystand work, etc. Even though it’s light, it should be fine for a normal digital setup as you describe.

I used to own a Bogen/Manfroto which was super heavy. You buy those legs, then head of your choice. It was nice and solid, but a bit of a pain then to drag around. But do you know the real reason I didn’t like it?? The stupid flip-style leg locks really hurt when opening and closing… Maybe I’m just a dufus, but I couldn’t find a way to not pinch my fingers in every photo session. So fortunately it was stolen and I didn’t have to keep getting pinched
So do consider which leg lock setups it has. I don’t like the spinning lock as it’s harder to tell when they are tight, they get loose easily, etc… YMMV. Also how the camera will attach and quickly be removed.

My life is hit and run, so I like speed releases. I’m also a fan of the heads that you grip to let loose, then the ball gives total swivel positioning. BUT it MUST be a top-quality, expensive one or it can slip or be cheesy quality. Good ones are very easy to use and lock down tight.

I used to work at camera stores in college and my first year out, so I’ve been around a few tripods… but that’s 20 years ago now. I am interested that my Slik is still made. I think that’s a good sign for it. Also, tripods aren’t high tech and don’t change often.

Great husband, BTW to do that. Military and supporting the photo habit. Tell him I say he rocks.

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