Above, Below and Around San Diego

Thought enough time had passed since posting my D70 photos from
San Diego that I could put up a few shot with the D3s. Not much to say other than...what a sweet camera! And the 24-85mm isn't so bad itself. I guess I should start saving some cash.

It's the Card Stupid, or the Camera, or...Maybe it's Me

I just got 10% smarter than my equipment...marginally smarter. The other day's issue with the card reading full after only a few shots is resolved. I suppose it's not a good thing though. After sharing my misadventure with fellow photographer Al Cuizon, I was theorizing the problem I'd had was the six year old compact flash cards I was using. I told Al each one of the cards only took two to four images, after I'd deleted the images and reformatted the cards. Al told me he'd done the same thing, (reformatting) with the same D70 with a brand new card and now the card no longer works. I put the cards in a D2Hs with the same result. The solution? Throw away the cards, buy new ones and stopping formatting the cards in the D70. It appears there is a "thread" on the internet about this problem and how to reformat the corrupt cards. So here's my solution...throw away the card, buy new ones and stop formatting the cards in the D70.

By the way, today's photo was made with the Epson Perfection 1640SU. And in case you're wondering, the bracelet is called a Survival Bracelet and was made for me by a buddy whose has recently returned from Afghanistan.

Trouble in Paradise

I'm going to defend myself straight away and claim "operator error." And contradict an earlier posting where I claim to be 10% smarter than the equipment I'm operating. So, here it goes!

I made this photo yesterday on the way out of the office. I always think of photographer Eric Meola's vibrantly red Kodachrome images when I see anything with red in it. I pulled out my trusty and ever present Nikon D70 companion and fired off...two frames. And the display blinked, FUL...FUL...FUL. I had just deleted images off the card and reformatted it, which I've done before, to the very same card. And then right there on the spot, deleted the two images, reformatted and fired off two more frames and got FUL...FUL...FUL. Chimping off the screen on the back of the camera and decidedly happy to have two frames, I went home and drank wine instead of figuring out the problem.

This morning after downloading my two Meola knockoffs I replaced the card in the camera and tried again. One..two..FUL...FUL...FUL. I tried another card and the display told me I had more than 800 frames to go. I need to do a little research and figure out what's happening. I'll get back to you...to be continued.

Nikon D70 Goes to School

 

 

 

I spent this past weekend as a photographic editor and mentor with the San Diego Shoot Off 2010. Shootoff Visual Media Workshops provide not-for-profit educational programs for our military and civil service photographers. It is a wonderful opportunity for photographers to learn, share and network. 

One of the workshop sponsors, Nikon USA, was there with a "boat load" of photo equipment. Including the newest top of the line professional camera body, the Nikon D3s digital SLR camera. It is an amazing tool in the photographer's arsenal of equipment. All of it was available for workshop students and staff to sign out (and return of course) and use, that's not how the above photos were produced. I did wander around shooting with the D3s and it is a fantastic piece of technology, and if I had my way...of course I'd be shooting with the D3s!

Again, with a nod toward getting back to basics, after the workshop I headed up to Little Italy for a bit to eat. And inspired by a weekend of teaching, learning and sharing, I was making the D70 work for me. Once more, it's what we the photographers do with the tools we have, are given, forced or left to work with. And though even with the latest and greatest equipment available to the workshop's students, it's not really the D3s that the captured some of this weekend's greatest photos, it was that talented and passionate photographer behind the tool.