What's News 2

It’s Thursday, so it’s news day for My Togging Life.

First a quick heads up from Olympus; apparently Olympus users may find that their autofocus system may not work if they are using the new Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200mm f/2.8 Power O.I.S. Luckily Olympus have announced the release of a firmware update that shook fix this problem. The update will be available starting February next year and will be released as follows:

    •       E-M1 Mark II / E-M5 Mark II / PEN-F - February 2018

    •       E-M1 / E-M10 Mark III / E-M10 Mark II / E-PL8 / E-PL7 - Spring 2018 (For the rest of the world we can assume this means from the start of March to the end of May)

    •       E-M5 / E-M10 / E-P5 / E-P3 / E-P2 / E-P1 / E-PL6 / E-PL5 / E-PL3 / E-PL2 / E-PL1s / E-PL1 / E-PM2 / E-PM1 / A01 - 2018 (so sometime in the next 390 or so days…)

This isn’t really unusual. I mean, new tech needs new solutions to new problems. I do find myself wondering about the time frame, though. Do firmware fixes usually take this long? Anyone out there who can give me an answer to that one gets a gold star! I mean, why wouldn't you be ready to roll when you announce the fix?

Anyway...

Next, There Legged Thing are excited about a great, sensational, fantastic new thing they are doing with the Punks range of tripods. Yep, 3LT have unleashed Punks Anarchy! Yeah! Woo! Anarchy!

Slice your way through the ‘ad-speak’ and the hype and… they now come in black.

So...

Finally, I am going to editorialise a bit here, express my views on the latest (read never-ending) debate in the photography community. Basically I'm gonna have a rant.

The JPEG vs RAW debate has gotten more air time with Tony Northrup releasing a video explaining his views on who should use each file format and why. Jared Polin, vocal advocate of the RAW file format, then released a video expressing his opinion that Northrup’s views were confusing. Northrup retorted in another video, etc, etc.

Then Wasim Ahmad from Fstoppers chimed in with his view that, and I am paraphrasing here, everything Polin thinks is wrong and that Northrup is the way and the light. If that wasn’t your intention, Wasim, then I apologyise for my misinterpretation. But read over your article with an objective eye and you’ll see why people might think the way I do.

Now, seeing as Wasim felt free to chime in with his ten cents worth, i’m going to chuck in a buck fifty and see where it leads. Here goes:

WHO CARES!!!!

Seriously, people. Is it really all that important what format you shoot in? “Beginners should do this. Beginners should do that. If you are a pro, do this. If you are a pro, do that.” Yes, Jared, you are 100% correct. Yes, Tony, you are 100% correct. And no, you are both 100% wrong. Why? Because what you are expressing are opinions. They are right or wrong depending on who is reading them, when, where and in what context. But, and this is the thing that everyone needs to take away from this, it doesn’t matter (Okay, sure, if you are a photojournalist you will probably be required to shoot in jpeg. Then it matters. Granted).

Take this idea on, people; it is called photography. It is not called RAWgraphy, neither is it called JAPEGraphy. So it doesn’t matter if you get a RAW file or a JPEG file, it only matters if you get a f—-ing photo!

This has got to be one of the stupidest wastes of time in the photography world today. Right up there with Canon vs Nikon and mirrorless vs DSLR.

Let me see if I can’t annoy everyone. At the moment I shoot Nikon, and for most of my images I shoot RAW. But in the New Year I am hoping to start vlogging, at which time I will be getting into a mirrorless system. I am seriously considering the Canon EOS M6 or the Panasonic G7. whichever kit I get, I plan on using my mirrorless kit as my holiday photo kit, and on holidays I shoot JPEG.

BECAUSE I DON’T CARE!

I hope you got a little something out of this. If you did, and you don’t want to lynch me, check me out at:

https://bobcartledgephotography.myportfolio.com/

You can also find me at:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+BobCartledge

https://www.facebook.com/bob.cartledge.758

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152458661@N05/

https://www.instagram.com/bobcartledgephoto/

And I am @BobCartPhoto on Twitter

Thanks!

Dunn Quite a Lot

Guess what? Turns out I can do a blog post this week. And next week. Yay for me!

As I think I’ve mentioned at least once in the last week, I am back in Queenstown to continue work on my photo story about Q-West Gallery. While I’m down here I am interviewing artists who work and exhibit at Q-West Gallery. I’ve done two interviews so far and I have found that there is a great amount of depth behind the artists here. So much so that I felt I had to write about it. But I don’t want to rabbit on too much because, well, photo story. So what to do, what to do?

I think I’ll talk a little bit about James Dunn (He prefers Jim, and I know he’s going to be reading this, so there’s this evil little voice in the back of my mind saying ‘call him James!’. But I’ll defer to the fact that he’s bigger than me and call him ‘Jim’).

Now there is a hell of a lot about Jim that I can talk about. I can talk about the fact that he is a blind sculptor and quilter and wood carver. I can talk about the fact that he has worked in television and radio and healthcare. I can talk about… man! There’s a lot to talk about! But I’ve decided to talk about the impression I got of the man during the interview.

Jim is a 53 year old man with Autism. Don’t get the significance of that? Then let me explain. Jim was an autistic child during a time when there was no distinction between autism and ‘mental retardation’, to coin the term of the day. And not only was he an autistic boy, he was a blind autistic boy. Imagine the nice little cubby hole that would have made for him in the welfare system of the day!

Jim made it plain that, for much of his formative years and into his adult life, the things people were most interested in telling him were what he couldn’t do. The focus of family, social services, educators, everyone was on Jim’s limitations, not his capabilities. And I honestly believe that was the best thing that could have happened to him. Because it motivated Jim to prove them wrong.

This blind autistic boy, at the age of eight, completed his first ever artistic work; a quilt sewn on his great grandmother’s Singer sewing machine. Crafted by a child supposedly ‘mentally retarded’ and incapable of just about anything, as decided by a fresh-faced young psychologist straight out of school with a book of definitions.

So what else has Jim done to prove the system wrong? Well there’s the 30 years of community radio, including production and hosting late night talk back. There’s the television where he was a technician, a cameraman (no joke! According to Jim he just worked the focus until it was at its least blurry. And it worked!) And he was producer/director of his own show.

Now, in Queenstown, Jim is the secretary of the local Men’s Shed, and key in the recent acquisition of funding for that shed, he is an active member of the Friday afternoon Quilting Group and of the Q-West Gallery (funnily enough). And at home he carves wood.

And this is all very interesting and makes for a compelling story and had absolutely nothing to do with why I chose to tell you about Jim. You see, when organising this interview I asked Jim to bring in some of his pieces so that I could capture images of Jim with his work. During the interview, I asked Jim to talk to me about the quilt he brought with him. It was during this description that I saw the complex and subtle mind that lay behind all the history and all the labels. I saw someone with a deeper understanding of himself and his autism than any supposedly ‘normal’ and apparently ‘healthy’ person could hope to achieve. His description of the quilt, the meaning of the colours, the nuanced design and construction, the intentional disparities all served to paint a picture for me, not of the autistic blind man, but of the highly intelligent man, the highly skilled artist, it had been my pleasure to talk with.

And that is the point I want anyone reading this to take away; look beyond the surface. Ignore what you can see, what you are told is there and what you expect to be there. Do that and you will see what is there. Jim the Autistic Blind Man is far, far more than those labels convey, but many people have allowed those labels to define him. And man, have they missed out!

What's News

Thursdays are news day from now on, folks! I’ll go through the news of the week, pick my top stories and give you my spin. One story each week I’ll go into with a little more depth, giving my views or cutting through the crap, depending on the story. Now let’s get into it!

Sigma have released the 16mm f1.4 DC DN Contemporary lens for Micro 4/3 and Sony E-mount cameras. According to Sigma this lens, second in a line of lenses that began with the 30mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary, is the first lens for the Sony APS-C line of cameras that offers an equivalent 24mm focal length with an f1.4 aperture, and from a quick browse through lenses on offer for Sony E-mount cameras this would seem to be the case (if you know something I don’t, let me know!).

The lens is constructed of 16 elements in 13 groups, made of “the finest materials” (I find myself wondering what “finest materials” actually are... Oh well!). This design includes 3 FLD glass elements, 2 SLD glass elements and 2 moulded glass aspherical elements, the combination of which reputedly minimises optical aberrations such as coma, flare, ghosting and onion ring Bokeh. The result of all this is a lens offering “superb resolution”. Unfortunately, the announcement does not offer a definition for “superb”, so it is up to you to make your own determination.

Honestly, I think this looks like an interesting lens and I would love to get a hold of one to take for a test drive. Maybe I could figure out what “superb” means. I’ll put the link to the announcement at the bottom of this post so you can have a closer read if you so desire!

It’s selling in Australia at the moment for around A $548.

DJI have also announced and interesting piece of gear this week, particularly if you are into drone racing!

The DJI Goggles RE (Racing Edition) come in a new metallic matte black colour with red leather padding on the head band, apparently offering a more comfortable wearing experience. These new goggles are reported to give the wearer access to full flight data, flight setting adjustments and control over the camera gimbal.

These goggles are being released in conjunction with the new OcuSync Air Unit. This camera module has been designed to be attached to any drone or, indeed, any other remote controlled vehicle. The OcuSync unit synchronises with the DJI Goggles RE to give the user a real-time first person view from their remote controlled vehicle.

Shipping at the end of November, the DJI Goggles RE are going to sell for around US $549, or you can drop US $859 for the DJI Goggles RE Combo. That will get you the goggles, one of the OcuSync Air Units and a DJI Goggles Carry More Backpack. The link to the story is at the end of this post.

Finally, I was going to take a look at the ‘Sony Star-Eating’ story as it seems to be gaining some traction this week. The problems is the story only seems to be gaining traction because there’s not really anything else going on. It looks like a case of recycling the old to pad out a boring week.

The link to this announcement from DJI is:

https://www.dji.com/newsroom/news/dji-introduces-racing-edition-goggles

And the Sigma lens article link is:

https://www.sigma-global.com/en/lenses/cas/product/contemporary/c_16_14/

Have a look, have a read and share your thoughts!

If you like what I do here, please comment. If you don’t like what I do here, please comment. Tell me what you like and what you don’t and I’ll do my best to give you what you’re wanting.

And don’t forget to check out my portfolio at:

https://bobcartledgephotography.myportfolio.com/

You can also find me at:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+BobCartledge

https://www.facebook.com/bob.cartledge.758

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152458661@N05/

https://www.instagram.com/bobcartledgephoto/

And I am @BobCartPhoto on Twitter

Back to Queenstown for the Photo Story

You may have noticed over the last couple of posts that I keep banging on about not being home next week. That’s because I will be dog-sitting at my father’s house while the oldies are off visiting my sister and her boys. And while I’m down there I am hoping to get the rest of the leg work done for my photo story on Queenstown’s Q-West Gallery.

So far I have got some images presenting the styles of art commonly on display at the gallery, the opening event of the galleries latest exhibition and some shots of artists at work. To complete the project I still need to get interviews with some of the artists that regularly exhibit at the gallery, images of those artists at work and some portraits.  I also still want to get some shots situating the gallery in the town but, to be honest, I cannot for the life of me figure out how! You have to see the problem to understand.

For today’s post I thought I’d give you a run down on my preparations for the tasks ahead. I’ll tell you about the gear I’ll be using, my preparations for the interviews, and the challenges I expect to be facing.

Okay, let’s start with...

The Interview

I may not know much about photography but I am pretty good at conducting a research interview. And what I have found that I always need to conduct an effective interview is the right recording equipment. For me, that equipment is:

·   Rode Smartlav+ - a low-cost, high quality lapel microphone designed specifically to work with smart phones or tablets.

 -   iPhone 5S – The smart phone I happen to own at the moment. Any smart phone or tablet will do the job, so long as it has a 3.5mm jack.

·   A free Dictaphone app. The iPhone comes with a voice memo app, but I want to be sure I record everything, so an app developed specifically for this kind of use is essential. And its free, so who cares?

Put these three together and you have a rugged, dependable, go-anywhere voice recording device in a small package that will meet your interview-recording needs. Slip the phone into your subject’s pocket, clip the microphone to their lapel and away you go.

There a lot of different opinions on how to conduct an interview. The way I’m going to describe is just the one that works for me. It is an incredibly simple technique, but it does require the interviewer to be flexible and adaptable.

Step one is to decide what you want to learn during the course of your interview. For example, I am interviewing artists so I have decided there are four main topics I would like to cover with every artist and then I want to find some special or unique feature of each artist that I want to highlight. That is what I want.

Here’s the thing, though. Regardless of what you want, in a good interview the interviewer goes where the answers take him or her. Yes you have the points you want to establish, but if you allow yourself to be guided by the interviewee, you may find a far more fascinating tale to tell than your questions would ever have revealed. And, as a bonus, you will find your subject becoming far more relaxed and willing to open up. At the start of the interview your subject is going to be tense or nervous or on the defensive. Letting them be your guide through the process is an empowering gesture that helps them achieve that relaxation and a more open approach.

There is one thing you should note with my method, though. Ordinarily I would only use this as a preliminary interview in order to find topics to drill deeper into during subsequent interviews. But in this case, considering the final use to which I will be putting the information I receive, I don’t think I will need any secondary interviews. We’ll see whether I’m right, I guess.

Next:

The Artist at Work

This will be a fun, and challenging, part of my week in Queenstown. Fun because I will be photographing something new and different with every artist, in new and different environments and a range of different lighting conditions. Fun right?

The challenge comes from the fact that I will have absolutely no idea what kind of environment I will be shooting in. This is where gear choices become important. For maximum flexibility I will be taking my 70-300mm telly lens just in case I have to shoot from a distance; my 18-55mm kit lens because it is the widest piece of glass I have and I may find myself in a tight situation; my nifty fifty f1.8 for best results in low light; and my 50mm macro just in case there are some detail shots on offer. Thinking about it, I might take my extension tubes to use with the telly. You never know!

Finally:

The Portrait

This one worries me. As I think I have mentioned, I am a nature photographer. I shoot landscapes, wildlife, macro and dogs (just ‘cos’ I like dogs, you know?). I have never shot a single portrait in my life! I have taken some candid people shots, but I have never sat and posed a subject in a formal portrait-type situation. I mean, look at my gear! I have just listed every lens I own for you, and none of them seem really suited to portraiture.

But here’s what I’m thinking (and if you have a better idea, please let me know!); my best options are the 50mm f1.8 or the 70-300mm. Mounted on my D3200 the 50mm becomes a 75mm (1.5x crop) giving me that little bit of compression and, with a fast aperture, it gives me a bit more flexibility with light. On the other hand, the 70-300mm gives me more compression but, with its variable aperture, it makes finding correct exposure for the lighting (whatever that may be) a little more interesting. And just to add a bit more complication, the kit lens might be the best choice because, to get the artist with their work, I’m looking at something more like an environmental portrait, meaning I’ll want fit more in the frame. Gee I love not knowing what I’m doing! And let’s just crank up the complication a little further, shall we? I don’t have flashes, nor does anyone I know, nor would I know what to do with one if I did, so it’s available-light portraiture for me. Oi!

So that’s where I am with my photo story. If anyone has experience with portrait shoots please, please, pleeaassee give me some tips. And, as always, if anyone has questions, comments or suggestions, or just wants to share their own experiences, there is a comments section just down there ↓ so go for it!

 As always, I hope you enjoyed the read!

Please check out my portfolio at:

https://bobcartledgephotography.myportfolio.com/

You can also find me at:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+BobCartledge

https://www.facebook.com/bob.cartledge.758

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152458661@N05/

https://www.instagram.com/bobcartledgephoto/

And I am @BobCartPhoto on Twitter