Photography for Profit or Fun

Document a Historic Event Now !

Most everyone knows the historocity of the recent weather events. Huricane Sandy and his wake are big news. The civil athorities are rightly requesting for cooperation in staying out of the way. Genuine photographers (you decide if that what you are) have not only an opportunity, but an obligation to record this event. With the availability of imaging technology aqvailable to virtually anyone who wants it today, photographers can make a huge contribution to history by recording anything that seems worthwhile to record. 

Use your head, use your eyes, use your cameras. Be sensible and careful. don't endanger yourself and others. Don't get into peoples faces--especially the civil athorities. Don't invade hurting people's privacy. Be sensitive. But record what you can. I am not saying to not take people, pet, and human-interest photos. But if you are ask not to--don't.

These are the times and events that award-winning photos are born of. If you are there--go for it. Only one bit of advice--take gobs of pix.

 

Paddle Away From Civilization: 4 Amazing Wilderness Canoe Trips to Take | The Art of Manliness

Paddle Away From Civilization: 4 Amazing Wilderness Canoe Trips to Take

by Darren Bush on October 30, 2012 · 24 comments

in Travel & Leisure

“What sets a canoeing expedition apart is that it purifies you more rapidly and inescapably than any other. Travel a thousand miles by train and you are a brute; pedal five hundred on a bicycle and you remain basically a bourgeois; paddle a hundred in a canoe and you are already a child of nature.” — Pierre Trudeau, P.M.

via artofmanliness.com

Canoes, kayaks, horse, snowmobile, backpacking, hiking, river-boat, and float-plane, are few ways to reach places where the scenic and wildlife photography is pristine. a lot of the trick to unique photographs is getting there.

Arkansas Delta, 40 Years Later - Photo Gallery - Pictures, More From National Geographic Magazine

Return to the Arkansas Delta

The delta west of the Mississippi River was once a place where sharecroppers lived in segregation and poverty yet forged a vibrant community. Industrial farming has erased their culture, leaving behind endless sky and few people. Eugene Richards documented their world four decades ago. Now he returns to where his pictures began.

via ngm.nationalgeographic.com

Sometimes we do, but usually we don't, know how important our photographs become as a valuable historical record preserving what would otherwise be lost. Various types of genre photography can be consciously engaged in over a lifetime. Who ever thought that a collection of train cabooses would become the only reference available on the subject--before the need for the real thing disappeared. Phone-booths are now mostly obsolete and disappearing fast. Pictures of buildings may endure long after the edifices have themselves disappeared. That big tree your kids play in at their grand-parents. Storms or bulldozers remove those taken-for-granted giants in time.
The pretty little dirt lane with grass between the tracks and canopy shading from thick trees that I loved so as a kid would be relegated to memory only, if it were not for a few surviving photographs.
It is a lot like collecting. Coins, stamps, dolls, books, publications, household items that are used without thought of their historicity and pass through our hands in the moment, becomes artifacts in time.
The fewer they are, the more likely they are to become important to future generations. And so it is with photographs.

7 Top Tools Every Videographer Needs to Shoot Great Video | Videomaker.com

7 Top Tools Every Videographer Needs to Shoot Great Video

With these essential production tools you'll be equipped to tackle every obstacle on any shoot.

Whether you're putting together a porch swing or building a bookshelf, one of the first things you'll find printed on the assembly instructions is a list of the tools needed for the job. If your toolbox contains the right tools you're good to go; without them you won't get far. The same is true for your camera bag. With a small collection of essential production tools you'll be equipped to tackle every obstacle on any shoot. Here is a list to the top tools a serious shooter shouldn't leave home without.

1) Tripod. Shooting steady shots and making smooth camera moves are absolutely essential for professional production, and the best way is to work from a tripod. Remember, all tripods are not created equal. Make sure yours is designed for shooting video, not still photos. This typically means the tripod has a true fluid pan/tilt head, pan handles and adjustable drags.

2) External Microphone(s). While your camcorder's built-in microphone typically has a decent quality omni-directional pickup element, its fixed position on the front of your camera keeps you from getting great sound unless you press your lens right up against your subject. The best way to record clean, clear audio is to get your mic close to the subject. This means getting it off your camera. Microphones come in many shapes and sizes to do a variety of jobs. The most commonly used and versatile are handheld "stick" mics and clip-on lavalieres. If you are shooting with a DSLR, you should carry an external audio recorder like the Tascam DR-07mkII, or the Zoom H4N.

3) Headphones. Invest in a pair of good quality over-the-ear headphones that block outside noise and let you clearly hear what your mic is recording. What's the biggest trick to getting great results from headphones? You have to plug them in and put them on. They may look cool hanging around your neck, but they aren't effective unless they are actually on your ears. Because you will be wearing them for the duration of your shoot, choose a pair that not only sounds good, but fits comfortably.

4) Reflector/Bounce Card. Reflectors and bounce cards will help you light right while you run and gun. A properly positioned reflector lets you create a polished lighting look from a single source, whether it's the sun, an incandescent bulb, or a Fresnel. Professional photo/video reflectors are often flexible, circular and shiny, with silver or gold surfaces. They tend to bounce hard, in

via www.videomaker.com

I am NOT a videographer, but I am still learning. I post some of this stuff periodically both because some of it crosses over to still photography and because video capability is so readily available AND important now.
I have always said that had I been resourceful enough to get my hands on a Bolex movie camera back in the day, that I would surely have made movies. But I didn't.
I HAVE made a good number of instructional videos during the past fifteen years from writing the script to edit and production. I enjoy it. One big thing the two have in common is controlling light. If you excel in one--it helps you excel in the other from that perspective.

» TSA Confiscates Camera, Deletes Footage of Checkpoint Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!

TSA workers steal memory card, cop claims “It must have fallen on the ground”

via www.infowars.com

Well, it COULD have fallen out and deleted a seemingly select portion of itself. No?