Gear

Night Skyline with an FL-W Filter

Earlier this month, a friend of mine sent me a link to an Adorama Learning Center article by Bryan Peterson about shooting night/dusk shots with an FL-W filter. It looked very promising, so I picked one up (at B&H, ironically, because Adorama was out of stock) and waited for my chance to try it out.

Which takes me to this past weekend, where the weather here in Chicago was extremely gorgeous – again – and more importantly, the winds off the lake were especially calm. That meant, heading back down to the Museum Campus and getting some shots of the Chicago Skyline just after dusk and as night fell.

The After Shot

I know, you’re supposed to start with the before shot, but just check this out:

That’s just about right out of the camera, with the Hoya 77mm FL-W multi-coated filter sitting on the front of my lens. Sure, it’s a little dark, but that’s because I kept the exposure settings the same as the before image below, as to do a straight comparison.

You can easily tell that you lose a little light with the filter, but nothing a quick exposure adjustment can’t fix.

This was a 2 sec. exposure, shot at f/11 and at ISO 200. The same can be said with the before image without the filter, seen below.

The Before Shot

In all fairness, the before shot without the FL-W filter doesn’t look that bad, either. With the calm winds and the 2 second exposure, the water of the lake smoothes out rather nicely, too.

Yet, the color you get from the FL-W filter when switching to a white balance of Daylight really gives you a creative option you otherwise wouldn’t have on location like that.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Although it’s seemingly a night and day comparison already, here’s a quick side-by-side look I threw together with the Diptic App on the iPad:

More Images

I’m only getting started with testing this guy out, admittedly not being able to go out and shoot scenes like this as often as I’d like. The joys of being a new parent.

I do have a few other images from the shoot over the weekend posted on Flickr, which I’ll also be featuring here on the blog in the coming days as well.

We’re also heading up to northeastern Wisconsin this weekend, and there’s at least one or two spots I’m already thinking of shooting with this guy. So stay tuned for those next week.

– Kris

Review: ThinkTank Photo StreetWalker HardDrive Backpack

This is a short review of the ThinkTank Photo StreetWalker HardDrive Backpack.

Now that I’m back from the Maui Photo Festival last week, I can share a little first-hand experience with my new StreetWalker HardDrive backpack that made the trip with me. As I posted last month, I was in the market for a new camera backpack shortly after adding the battery grip to my Canon 5D Mark II. Doing so pretty much made my previous camera backpack at little too snug for my linking, so it was time to shop around.

Note: Click the photo above to view on Flickr and notes about each item in this shot.

Other Reviews

I did a fair amount of research into the ThinkTank camera backpacks, and there were already some good reviews out there. That made it easy to decide to go with a ThinkTank bag, but choosing which one out of the lineup was a harder decision. Since there were already a lot of good reviews and feedback out there, I’m not going to reinvent the wheel with my post. Instead, I’ll just share my experience with the bag so far and the gear I brought along with me.

Why the StreetWalker HardDrive?

I will admit, the Airport Series of bags that ThinkTank offers looked very attractive, even though I don’t travel all that much. But at the end of the day, I ultimately wanted a dedicated backpack and the StreetWalker HardDrive had a slimmer design (width-wise) that I felt would be a better fit for my needs.

Similar to the spirit of the Airport Series, I don’t like the idea of checking my camera gear when I do fly, and trying to wedge my older bags into a carry-on suitcase was something I wanted to leave in the past. So the fact that I could wear this onboard as a backpack and still have other items in my carry-on bag, that was a big bonus. In fact, it even fit under the seat on the plane (United Airlines, this trip) which was sweet because I could get to it in flight. So as we approached the island of Maui, I could easily reach down for my camera and fire off some aerial shots that I couldn’t do if my camera was stowed overhead.

I thought that was a nice bonus, and a good way to start our Maui trip before we even landed.

The Gear Inside

This bag has a ton of features, including side pockets and a spot to carry your tripod on it. Most of what I’m using it so far, however, is just in the main compartment.

The following list of gear is both the list of what I packed with me for the trip and what I left in the bag as I was off shooting. I could have just as easily left some of this out when I was shooting, but I’m not a fan of leaving camera gear in a hotel room or rental car, either.

• Canon 5D Mark II Body w/Battery Grip
• Canon Rebel XSi Body
• Canon EF 24-105 f/4.0L lens
• Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L lens
• Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 lens
• Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 lens
• 2x Canon Speedlight 430EX II flash units
• Canon Flash Wireless Transmitter ST-E2
• 5D Mark II Battery Charger + spare battery
• Rebel XSi Battery Charger + spare battery
• 58mm and 77mm filters in hard cases

It was a little rough on my back at times, but the backpack did it’s job and everything fit fine. So no complaints there.

There were some cases where I also had my Dell Studio XPS 1340 laptop – with oversized battery – and my iPad stored in the laptop pouch, but that proved to be the gear that broke the cameraman’s back. But again, the backpack help up with no problems.

Where it Went

As mentioned, I don’t like leaving my camera gear in a hotel room, so the backpack went with me just about everywhere when we were in Maui. That included a few shoots on the beach, one extended hike, and more than a few leisurely walks. Even with the beach shoots on the one hike, not a spec of sand or dust made it into the bag or anywhere near the gear inside, so the backpack met my expectations there. It didn’t rain – thank goodness – while we were there, so the rain cover didn’t see any action this trip.

When we go back to northeastern Wisconsin in October, chances are we’ll get hit with showers like we did last time, so maybe I’ll break out the cover and give it a shot.

Next Tests

So far, the backpack has been great. As far as the next tests, I’m booked for an outdoor photo class on the 18th in downtown Chicago, and then will likely join a walk during Kelby’s photowalk weekend. After that – as mentioned – it’s back to northeastern Wisconsin for shooting a little of the fall colors and hopefully (weather permitting) another aerial shoot and some hiking in the state parks nearby.

By the end of October, I’ll know for sure if this backpack has held up to everything I’ve got.

Thoughts?

So, that’s my take on the ThinkTank StreetWalker HardDrive backpack. Hopefully it’s given you a little more first-hand experience than some of the other reviews might not have provided, but if you still had a question or comment or two, feel free to leave it below and I’ll respond accordingly.

Thanks,
– Kris

Photographer with Battery Grip Seeks New Camera Backpack

I’ve been shooting with the Canon BG-E6 battery grip for my Canon 5D Mark II for about two weeks now, and beside from adjusting to the slightly hair trigger (compared to the shutter button on the body, anyway) I’d have to say I enjoy using it.

The one drawback I’ve encountered, however, is the fact that when the battery grip is attached, the camera barely – and I mean barely – fits into my trusty old Canon Deluxe Photo Backpack. I’ve had that backpack since ’06, and it has treated me very well. I have a new growing paranoia that zipper on my current backpack will pop open at the worst possible moment and then I’ll be picking up my treasured camera gear off the ground (possibly in pieces). Not something I want to experience, mind you.

The Search So Far

I have had a few different bags over the years, but I’ve grown attached to the backpack models, so that’s where I’ve been focusing my search so far. The Think Tank Photo backpacks have been drawing most of my research this weekend, and after reading and watching reviews, there seem to be a lot of people saying good things about their bags.

Think Tank Photo seems to be pretty popular with photographers for all their products, too. I just recently picked up one of their camera straps to replace the so-called “steal me” strap that came with my 5D Mark II. No complaints so far (although, it is really just a strap after all).

The Finalists

At the moment, as far as the Think Tank backpacks are concerned, I have it roughly narrowed down to the following:

• StreetWalker HardDrive
• Airport Acceleration v2.0
• Airport Ultralight v2.5

Reading the reviews from customers and seeing some of the video reviews on YouTube, the Airport series seems very well thought out and applicable to extensive travel photographers. In particular are the dimensions that are carry-on approved and include pull out handles and wheels. Had I see an extensive itinerary of remote destination shoots in my future, I’d probably be leaning towards one of those.

The StreetWalker, however, is standing out to be more of my taste at the moment. The fact that it seems slightly slimmer as far as a backpack goes, while still holding quite a bit of gear, has put it in my top spot. The fact that it’s under $200 is a nice plus, too.

Other Suggestions

Ultimately, I’d like to have a new bag on my back in time for my upcoming Maui trip in 3 weeks, so there is still a little time for continued research and maybe some insight from other photographers to help influence my decision.

If you have first hand experience with any of the Think Tank bags or have your own trusty model that you won’t leave home without, please do share your thoughts.

Thanks,
– Kris

My Studio Gear (So Far)

After packing up the car and for the first time bringing my relatively new studio gear “on location” to a friend’s house portraits this past weekend, I realized I picked up quite a bit of gear rather quickly.

So, short of snapping a shot of the full trunk of our SUV on Sunday, I thought I’d fire off a quick list of what we used instead.

The Gear

Most of this stuff was either picked up either on Amazon or Adorama over the past 8 weeks or so…

• 2x – Westcott 750 Photo Basics 7.0-Foot Light Stand
• 2x – Westcott Metal Adjustable Shoe Mount
• 1x – Westcott 2021 60in. Optical White Satin with Removable Black Cover
• 1x – Westcott 32″ White Satin Umbrella with Removable Black Cover
• 1x – Westcott Background Support System
• 1x – Westcott Photo Basics #700 Background Carry Case
• 1x – Westcott Masterpiece Muslin Sheet Background, 10′ x 12′, Storm Clouds
• 1x – Canon ST-E2 Speedlite Transmitter for Canon 580EX II, 430EX, 430EX II Speedlites
• 2x – Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
• 1x – Flashpoint 32″ 5-in-1 Collapsible Disc Reflector, Translucent, White, Black, Silver & Soft Gold.

Boy, my back hurts just thinking about carry all of that stuff. Sure makes shooting landscapes in Maui with nothing but a tripod and a circular polarizer seem like traveling light.

Anyway, I already had one Speedlite 480EX II and the ST-E2 wireless transmitter from back in ’09, but I only recently picked up that 2nd unit on eBay last month. I had initially tried shooting portraits with just the flash, the transmitter and a Sno-Cap diffuser when we were up in Wisconsin last month, but it just wasn’t working for me. After visiting a camera store in Green Bay while we were on our trip, I walked away thinking I’d do better with more toys gear.

What’s Next?

Well, I kinda jumped into the umbrella’s first because I already had an existing flash unit to use off-camera and the price was right to just try-and-see. Now that I’m starting to get hooked on these types of shoots (who’da thunk, right?) I certainly want to try to bump up to a softbox and maybe continuous lighting like a Spiderlite or something.

Seeing that there’s not exactly a ton of room in our condo right now, and that I just dropped some coin on some serious glass, and the fact that we’re leaving for Maui in five weeks, I think all of that will likely wait for awhile. I’m certainly happy with what I have now and the type of results I’ve been getting – for my beginner level, anyway. I keep learning more each time I set this stuff up to shoot with and the more time I spend reading, and that’s really the best things for me right now.

Practice, practice, practice.

Why Now?

It’s kinda ironic that it hasn’t even been two years since I wrote about my thoughts on never shooting portraits and not stepping out of my comfort zone shooting landscapes and the night sky. Now, given the birth of our first child at the end of last year and a self appointed duty to capture all of these great memories being created all around us, it’s just flowing out all at once and I’m enjoying the ride on all of this momentum.

I guess becoming a father has driven me to become a better photographer – or at least a more well-rounded one, to start with. What was once reserved for vacations and shooting the occasional hockey game is now becoming part of my daily life. I have to admit, that’s pretty exciting, and I know the possibilities are truly endless. Nice!

But I Digress

Hmmm, all that from just wanting to list out the studio gear I’ve been using lately. Oh well, sort of a two-for-one blog post special today.

As always, thanks for reading.

– Kris

Rolling the Odometer on my Rebel XSi

Just a short little message that I passed kind of a neat milestone (to me, anyway) this past week when I was shooting at the Wolves game on Friday night.

I was shooting with two bodies (my 20D and my Rebel XSi) with different lenses, but I took most of my images with my Rebel XSi. During the game, I surpassed the 10,000 exposure mark with my XSi, just over a year since I added it to my arsenal. That probably doesn’t mean much to more avid photographers than myself, or others that shoot on a more regular basis than I, but I thought it was neat.

10,000 on my 20D

That little milestone in just 13 months made me pause and ponder how long it took me to hit that same mark on my first DSLR, the Canon 20D. It took more than 3 years to hit 10,000 on my 20D from my very first photo back in ’06 to just this passed September at the Maui Photo Festival.

In all fairness to the 20D, I did put it on limited duty late last year when my XSi arrived. I decided to go back and check the last shoot before I became a two body shooter, and my 20D had logged just under 9,500 photos at that point.

They’re Only Numbers

Sure, they’re just numbers and don’t mean a heck of a lot. For me, at least, they highlight the fact that I am making a more dedicated effort to go out and shoot more and practice, practice, practice. While I’m still not to the point where I’m shooting everyday or even every week, I’d like to get closer to that as soon as I can free up more time and plan accordingly.

Looking back at the last 13 months shooting with my Rebel XSi, I’m pretty happy with all the shoots I’ve done. Here’s a short list of the highlights.

• My first photographic visit to the local forest preserve.
• 4 professional hockey games – 3 of the Chicago Wolves, 1 of the Blackhawks
• 2 trips to Maui – 1 in February and most recently at the Maui Photo Festival
• 3 visits to Door County, WI – although the last one was mainly washed out
• 2 aerial shoots – one helicopter flight without doors over Maui and a plane ride above Door County.
• Fireworks at the Taste of Chicago
• 2 semi-serious portraits shoots – including my great-grandmother’s 95th birthday bash.
• A handful of time lapse sequences – including our Christmas Tree last year.
• An initial curiosity with infrared shooting.
• And last, but not least, a new found interest in shooting HDR images.

So, you can kind of see it’s been a busy year for me, but in my overall plans for my work, it’s really just a beginning.

So, Now What?

Well, I’ve had my eye on the Canon 7D as my next DSLR for about two months now, after agonizing whether I can afford to go full-frame yet (and deciding I can’t). With its HD video capability and a emergence in fusion shooters out there, I’m not sure I’ll have a desire to shoot video just yet.

I’m more interested in getting that 3rd DSLR body so I can have my original 20D converted for IR shooting without filters next year. I think that’s going to be a fun tool to have in my camera lineup.

More immediate, though, I think my main goal of getting out and shooting more is really the first order of business. With winter coming any week now here in Chicago, I get to go out and do more winterscapes (which I really enjoy) and focus more on building out my online portfolio here on the website and with my new Flickr account.

That, and looking into the prospect of making fine art prints and finding a few local art fairs in the spring have me pretty focused for the next six months. All good times if you ask me.