Archive for the Photojournalism Category

Day of Action Events, Los Angeles, CA

Posted in Captain's Personal Log, Photography, Photojournalism, Video on November 18, 2011 by William Hooks

I completed HD-video coverage of the GoodJobsLA.org -sponsored union action in downtown this afternoon, proceeding from the OccupyLA encampment area at 1st and Spring Streets to the financial district, including a large protest at the bank of my personal (at least prior) choice- Bof A.

See the postings to go online later at their website for more information and to witness, from several POV’s, what transpired there. The law enforcement presense was substantial and there was  what  seemed to me a schizophrenic relationship between that contingent and the crowd; uneasy and tentative but with, to my knowledge, no use of chemical agents or projectiles. Others also covering the day may have obtained new information regarding this issue….

This material will also contribute to my ongoing documentary of the Occupy movement. I used the D7000 for 1080p/24 files, and the Audio Technica 8004L handheld omni microphone for direct capture. The D3s went with me for the few stills I made.

 

OccupyLA-related coverage tomorrow, 17 Nov 2011: GoodJobsLA.org

Posted in Captain's Personal Log, Photography, Photojournalism, Video on November 17, 2011 by William Hooks

I plan to shoot HD video and stills tomorrow in downtown Los Angeles, covering aspects of the worker’s movement for the organization GoodjobsLA.org  which is based in Inglewood.

If you’re also documenting the events occurring tomorrow, I hope to connect with you. Stay safe—-

 

 

 

 

 

Editorial Comment: Occupy LA and Occupy Oakland

Posted in Captain's Personal Log, Photography, Photojournalism, Video on November 2, 2011 by William Hooks

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I’m very pleased to learn that Occupy LA plans to march in solidarity with the Oakland contingent this evening.  If possible,I will be there to cover this event.

I personally feel that the Occupy movement is not only legitimate and important, but necessary at this point in the history of the US as a formal expression of the situations  experienced by 99% of its people- among themselves and to the 1%. It’s essential that the many diverse grievances they report be heard around the country and the world, with a sense of desperation- because it is my belief that if they are not addressed, the next time they are raised may well be in the context of violent revolution.

In short: most people understand whether they’re being exploited without the need for a university degree…..

Hanging out at a beach house in Santa Monica

Posted in Captain's Personal Log, Photography, Photojournalism, Travel, Video on October 25, 2011 by William Hooks

I’ve been working here for almost 2 weeks and may finish this job at the end of this week, or possibly continue it. Meanwhile, it’s been pretty cool weather here by the Pacific and I have been able to replace my stolen notebook computer since last post, as well as configure most of the imaging software; and to my delight, this machine runs Premiere Elements 9 like wildfire!

Next week I plan to take a vacation, and perhaps head back to the Bay area for a few days. It’s possible I may go to Joshua Tree NP as well, and certainly I plan to do some more videography and photography.

Occupy LA is going strong, and with luck I will have another chance to document what’s happening there- and maybe even contribute some items to help those people live more comfortably such as tents, stoves, and other camping gear.

 

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Occupy LA Wall Street Protest, 1 October 2011

Posted in Photojournalism, Reviews, Video on October 2, 2011 by William Hooks

I shot HD-video at this event, located at Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles, prior to the start of the march to City Hall.

The D7000 was set for 1080p/24 FPS and I found the 17-24mm D- Nikkor to work very well in close quarters, although it would have been nice to have brought the 70-200mm for some shots of the legal team as they gave advice to the protesters from a makeshift stage. The shoulder rig was excellent for this kind of ENG.

Audio was captured with the Rode VideoMic Pro, directly into the camera. I was very satisfied with the sound quality in post.

The parking was only $6 for all day- not bad, but I wasn’t about to talk about that given the subjects at hand….

Concurrently, there was a massive related protest in NYC centered at the Brooklyn Bridge- take a look at the ANSWER.com site or HuffingtonPost.com, CNN, RT, etc for more information.

ENG basic setup (electronic news gathering)-no assistant

Posted in Photography, Photojournalism, Video on September 26, 2011 by William Hooks

This is what I’ll be taking tomorrow afternoon, to do stills and video at the antiwar protest in front of the House of Blues- the site of President Obama’s $35,000/plate fundraiser dinner. It’ll be shot in 1080p/24 or 720p/24, depending on consultation with ANSWER personnel for end-use.

 

hand-held  RRMicro rig, with follow-focus

Nikon D7000, spare battery/cards, Hoodman cinema kit (loupe)

35mm f/1.8 DX

17-35mm f/2.8 D

105mm f/2.8 VR Micro

LED spot light and Nikon SB-700 flash

Rode Videomic Pro shotgun microphone

LowePro Street/Field vest, belt and lens carriers

New Orleans, Louisiana- 6 years after Katrina

Posted in Photography, Photojournalism, Travel, Video on September 24, 2011 by William Hooks

I just returned from 3 days in New Orleans, including shooting for a snapshot-style documentary about how this city has changed- and hasn’t changed- since August 2005.

The Upper and Lower 9th Wards, Downtown, Metairie and Jefferson Parishes, and the Jean Lafitte National Wildlife Refuge were some of the locales.

It was my first time in both the city and the state, and I hope to return to explore this subject in more depth.

Public Print Exhibition opens tomorrow in southern CA

Posted in Photography, Photojournalism, Travel, Video on September 21, 2011 by William Hooks

I will be showing work from China and from the XXI Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver last year, as part of this 2 month exhibition to begin tomorrow (21 Sept 2011). Several other photographers will be represented as well.

The prints will be on display from 10 AM-5PM except Mondays, at the Hsi Lai Buddist Temple located at 3456 Glenmark Ave, Hacienda Heights, CA. Parking free, admission $1.

 

 

 

Nikon D7000 and D5100 setups with Redrock Micro rig, Konova slider

Posted in Photography, Photojournalism, Reviews, Video on September 18, 2011 by William Hooks

These are to illustrate some of the possible configurations, and include setup of dual wireless receivers for AudioTechnica lav microphones on the Redrock rig. Also present on that rig is a Stellar STL-3000 LE spotlight.

The D7000 is slightly less convenient to use for this rig compared to the D5100, because of its somewhat larger size in relation to the carbon-fiber rig cage and the layout of its video controls: they aren’t segregated to the right rear as on the D5100 and are arranged to be activated with both hands. I prefer accessing everything I need with only my right hand, including deleting files and activating playback.

This setup works well otherwise, as I can then employ the articulated screen on the D5100 for use on the slider or jib if the 5″ HDMI monitor stays with the D7000.

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Current tasks….

Posted in Photography, Photojournalism, Reviews, Video on September 15, 2011 by William Hooks

I’m burning a DVD of the first cut of the China documentary from Premiere Elements Pro  (SLOW process).

Meanwhile, some upgrades: Konova ‘s smooth linear 1 meter slider, adding a D7000 and MB-D11 battery pack- which seems to yield very good low-light video!!!; a cable to allow Pocket Wizards to trigger the D7000/D5100 remotely.

Recently, I have written to several who requested being guest posters on this blog. Thanks to them for their interest.

The location scouting for 2 days in Joshua Tree NP was fun, I encountered a long lightning storm on the last morning…plans continue for the upcoming climbing documentary.

I’ve contacted the ANSWER Coalition ‘s LA office regarding coverage of several events in the next month, including a protest on Sunset in West Hollywood  regarding President Obama’s fundraiser on 26 September and an antiwar protest event in early October at the Westwood Federal Building.