Author Archive

Adobe CS6 reportedly due in the near future

Posted in Photography, Photojournalism, Reviews, Video on March 13, 2012 by William Hooks

You know how it is… by the time you have worked with CSx for a while and feel relatively comfortable, well………………….CSx+1…….

 

Seriously- I really enjoy using Premiere Pro CS5.5 with Audition for sound editing, and importing stills from Photoshop and the new Lightroom 4 ; the latter has enhanced video editing capacity.

I wish that it were easier to link edits in LR4 and PS with the main video editor, Pr Pro!!!! I’m still trying to make that workflow seamless.

Marshall Electronics has Nikon users in mind- the V-BR5-NEL3 battery pack

Posted in Photography, Photojournalism, Video on March 6, 2012 by William Hooks

This $50 item greatly extends the field life of my two 5″ HDMI video monitors, from about 1-1 1/2 hr with AA batteries to adding another approximately 6 hr due to the added Nikon EN-EL3e batteries for each unit. The total battery life in good conditions amounts to about 8 hours of continuous use, making a huge difference in practical application.

Another advantage is that no tools are needed to attach or detach these from the monitor’s rear panel as they fit directly over the default battery cover; the included plug fits the lower left-hand corner’s 5V -DC input.

I went to the Marshall facility in El Segundo, CA to get mine after ordering by phone at (310)-333-0606.

 

 

 

Music composition with Steinberg’s Cubase LE5

Posted in Music, Video on February 22, 2012 by William Hooks

Partly because of the inspiration of Whitney H’s incomparable voice, I started creating some music this evening on Cubase LE5 and enjoyed the experience tremendously. After a lifetime of loving music as my favorite of all the arts, I’ve made a promise to myself to try to return to it in earnest and devote time to exploring it all over again- but now in the digital realm, instead of with a piano and a shelf of woodwinds.

Here’s to MIDI!

 

 

Au revoir, Whitney Houston.

Posted in Captain's Personal Log, Music on February 12, 2012 by William Hooks

I am deeply saddened to have heard of the death of Whitney Houston, one of my all-time favorite vocalists, at age 48 at the Beverly Hilton hotel in southern CA this afternoon.  Cause of her death has not yet been determined.

I have to say that in all honesty, I’m in mourning. Tomorrow afternoon will be the Grammy Awards presentation, and  I intend to watch for the tributes paid to Whitney. In my lifetime I don’t think I’ve ever heard greater vocal talent than she and her cousin- Dionne Warwick- displayed. It ‘s at least a comfort for me to know that Dionne is still be able to create her magic.

First time in a while that I’m having trouble seeing straight, because of the tears that won’t stop….

Nikon announces the D800- do I really need two lungs?

Posted in Photography, Photojournalism, Studio Portraiture, Video on February 7, 2012 by William Hooks

From what has been initially posted regarding this new machine, it appears that I will be trying to get my hands on one sometime this spring if possible- the video capability of the D800 seems very comparable to that of the D4 at about  50%  of the price.

For those like myself who already have an 11 FPS FX Nikon (the D3s),  pairing with the D800 could be a very efficient way to shoot both stills and video for action and landscape/studio applications!

Now I need to  decide whether to sell my right lung or my left lung.

 

 

Director’s helpers… the Atlona 3 way HDMI switch and Rocksoul dual HDMI splitter

Posted in Photography, Reviews, Video on January 23, 2012 by William Hooks

Rainy day here in the southern CA area, a good time to be in the studio…

I find the HDMI splitter and switch to be very helpful in reviewing multicam setups and making decisions about positioning, intercamera white balance,  lighting and sound from a single position. They help with both still photography and video.

The switch allows up to 3 inputs, typically cameras, automatically routing each in succession to the main 25″ TV monitor to evaluate.

The splitter allows seeing the output from one camera while at another camera , such as when using both a jib cam and a cinema rig with 2 Marshall 5″ monitors.  I find this system to be a great time-saver and it’s good that each router also supports HD sound.

They can also be connected in series from cameras to switch and then to the splitter, with 2 cables then yielding output to the  Marshall monitors. This configuration allows maximum flexibility, for example when capturing 720p/24 with a D3s and simultaneously capturing 1080p/24 with the D7000 and D5100.

I obtained mine from Fry’s Electronics.

Rode NTG-2 supercardioid shotgun microphone and blimp

Posted in Captain's Personal Log with tags , , , on January 11, 2012 by William Hooks

I added these to my microphone array today, enabling excellent sound in adverse windy conditions.  Most likely, this will be my primary mic setup for outdoor sports video and many exterior interviews.

As with the VM Pro, Sennheiser 400 MKE, and Audio Technica 8004L, it can be used either directly to cameras or via XLR connector to output such as the Zoom H4N.

William, remember to take out the AA battery every time after use!!! (it will also accept phantom power)

What a way to start 2012…..the Nikon D4 and the approach of the Games of the XXX Olympiad

Posted in Photography, Photojournalism, Video on January 6, 2012 by William Hooks

OMG— what else can I say, particularly as a videographer.

The D4 promises to be the answer to a Nikonian’s dream for $6000 USD (about the price of a very good -quality kidney).

Please see http://nikonrumors.com/2012/01/05/the-official-announcement-nikon-d4.aspx/ for the exquisite details- I predict that  this machine will unleash creativity almost beyond belief. If possible I will try to attend the 2012 International CES in Las Vegas, NV running from 10-13 January to actually experience this camera.

 

If someone would like to carpool, let me know!

 

PS: I still hold out hope to shoot in London this summer-

 

 

 

 

 

Next Landscape Workshop to be held 7-8 Jan 2012, in Joshua Tree NP

Posted in Photography, Travel with tags on December 23, 2011 by William Hooks

Hi,

There is still space for additional workshop participants for this session during the first weekend of 2012. The fee is $200 per person, and we will camp during the evening between the 2 days of the workshop in or near the park. Please contact me for more details if you’d like to sign up, either by phone (951)-255-9568 or e-mail at

benjaminlafayettesisko@gmail.com

 

Happy holidays—-

 

 

Field testing Lowe Pro’s Sport Sling 100AW backpack

Posted in Photography, Reviews, Travel, Video on December 12, 2011 by William Hooks

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For the next several days I plan to load this backpack and evaluate it for still and video landscape work, in the Sedona region of Arizona.

The idea will be to employ minimal camera gear, winter clothing and trek poles and try to get to some good locations to experiment with HDR video and other techniques.

I’ve added specialized presets to the Slideshow module in Lightroom, which allows processing for HDR video from still image sets.

 

After using this item for a few days, these are my thoughts:

Bright orange easily seen pack color with reflective piping, excellent for visibility in low light. I liked being able to open the camera bay on the side of the pack without risking spilling the contents; the amount of room for additional gear was surprisingly adequate, especially considering the extremely light weight and overall small size of the pack. A water bottle pouch with compression straps also allows carrying a small tripod. It has a small top pocket as well as paired compression straps at its base.

There was no need to ever take this pack off and set it on the ground, due to the sling design.  The pack can only be carried in one particular way, also due to this design; very comfortable back panel with padding.

It rained for 2 of the last 4 days, and the base’s all-weather cover is be considered an ingeneous alternative to carrying a separate rain cover.

In short, I would highly recommend it for day hikes not involving more than a camera body and 1-2 lenses or equivalent. It allows fast, safe access to photo gear while engaging in action sports.