Preparing for Alaska Trip in 2 weeks

M wife and I are preparing for a well earned vacation in Alaska coming up soon. While we've taken short 2-3-4 day vacations, it's been a year an a half since our last real vacation.

I thought it might interest some of you to follow our preparations as we get ready. It always amazes me how many times I change my mind about equipment to take on a personal trip. Since I have so many options -- pro video camera, consumer video camera, HDSLR, big tripod, small tripod, slider/dolly, etc. -- I change my mind almost daily.

As of today -- an this is likely to change again before we leave -- I'm planning to take my big Sony EX1r video camera and possibly my Canon 60D with a couple of basic IS lenses. I'll bet that I've changed my mind on what to take over a dozen times in the past couple of weeks.

At least 3 times a week I've taken different cameras out and experimented with different situations and different conditions that I'm likely to face in Alaska. Each time I find everything inferior to the EX1r so, for the moment, that's what I'm going with.

My main focus on this trip is video, so it was a choice between the EX1r, my Canon XH-A1, and the little Canon  HF-31.

The criteria centered on two things: size/convenience and quality. The HF-M31 is definitely the smallest of the three, It's quality is also great when there is plenty of sunlight, but we will be shooting all hours and in darker forests as well as probably under cloudy skies most of the time. I also have an underwater case for the M31 that would be interesting to use to shoot salmon in the river, but since it's a little early for the salmon runs, that's not really relevant.

The A1 is better under a lot of conditions, but it is tape. I've really become accustomed to taking the material straight into the computer and my editing software. I've also found I really don't like the 24f files that the A1 produces. It does have a lot of extra reach with it's 20x lens. That would be very useful when shooting wildlife from afar.

I seriously considered using the 60D for both photos and video, but, despite the quality of the video the little camera produces, it still doesn't hold up against the EX1r. For convenience, nothing comes close and that is why I will work with it a little more this weekend to compare the two before my final decision. (That is, until I change my mind again.)

The EX1r has a lot going for it. Being the most expensive by far, it has a lot or the price. The three 1/2" chips gives it the finest image quality, by far. The wide angle and telephoto attachments that I use are extremely high quality, too. Now that I've learned to relatively quickly import the files into Avid Studio without affecting the original files for use in Premiere Pro, I can easily edit on the road which is something I really want to do.

The only downsize with the EX1r is its size. The camera is considerably bigger than the other two and might require a larger bag to carry. Fortunately, I think I've found a solution to that problem and I'll be writing more on bag choices soon. Look for more details about the trip as well as discussions regarding bags, tripods, etc., in the next few days.

So that's where I stand now. Let me know what you think. I'm open to  to any ideas that I haven't thought of yet. Since this trip probably won't be repeated for a long time -- maybe never or us -- I want to make the best of it.

Don't Leave Home Without It...

Okay, I broke the most fundamental rule of traveling with a camera: don't forget the camera!
Yesterday morning I left for a 3-day trip to Austin to cover Texas high school track and field championships -- the biggest, most important HS meet in the world. While my intention was to take my time, something came up and I decided I needed to see my doctor ASAP. (Turned out to be just a little blood pressure problem.) Though I had prepared most everything, I finished packing and started loading the car. In my rush I went off and left my Sony EX1r video camera sitting in it's bag right next to the door!
This reminded me of a rule that I too often forget -- always use a checklist of the things you want to take. It's easy to make a list of the items you would want to take with an particular camera. I generally travel with either my full-size video camera (the EX1r) or a small consumer camera, a Canon HF M31 and/or my Canon 60D DSLR. For each, I have prepared a checklist of all the possible accessories that  could need including the can't do without items such as batteries/charges, lenses, and recording media. (I probably need to make additional checklists for things like my laptop.)
Fortunately, my main goal on this trip is to photograph the competition, so it's not such a big deal since I have my 60D with everything I need. Still, it makes me mad to know that I left something like my video camera behind. Going over my checklist one last time as I lock the door or get in the car would have avoided this goof.

Inspiration found!

While thinking about next week's trip to west Texas, I looked through my library of video and photo books for some inspiration on how I could make this trip a memorable one so I could bring back some wonderful video. Many of my books are more technical in nature — topics like color correction, editing, cinematography, etc.

And then I spotted a cover I hadn't pulled out in quite awhile. Five years ago I purchased Digital Video for Beginners and immediately fell in love with it. While it looks like a very simplistic text meant for extreme beginners, it's actually chock full of tips and tricks on how to make your videos better.

You have to get over the occasional reference to old equipment like VHS tapes and the lack of discussion about HD video or DSLR's,  but almost every page has detailed yet understandable explanation of things like white balance and color temperature. You learn about the myriad of factors that can influence your videos and how to use them to your advantage.

The section on "Shooting Techniques" is fabulous for a family videographer. It contains great explanations on how to incorporate lots of ways to shoot like zooming and panning, over-the-shoulder shots, point of view shots, etc. Just adding a couple of these can take a typical ho-hum amateur video to another level.

The next section on shooting great home movies goes into detail on over a dozen typical genres like kids' birthday parties, family vacations, and sports events. My favorite part of the book are the ideas here on the kinds of videos the average person can do and how to pull them off in quality fashion. Each specific chapter contains a wealth of information that can be carried over to every other situation as well.

You learn about things like shooting what's important, capturing B roll shots, and when to use closeups and wide shots. There are even some cool ideas (e.g., a neighborhood portrait) that you can help your kids with so they will learn about making video, too. Sounds like a good idea for keeping kids busy during the summer as well as a chance to bond with them, huh?

I'm not as excited about the Editing Techniques section as it focuses on older software for examples. What this part is good for is explaining a lot of editing terms which apply to even the most current video editing software. It's so much easier to understand a software manual and get up to speed when you understand the terminology that they use.

The least useful section is the last one about sharing your videos. I don't think it even mentions YouTube and talks about recording to videotape! There's some good introductory stuff daling with making DVDs, but that's about it.

This would make a great Father's Day gift and is a book I'm reading over right now in preparation for my upcoming vacation next week. You can buy it here: Digital Video for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide to Making Great Home Movies (Lark Photography Book).

My Upcoming Trip - Decisions, Decisions...

Next week I'll be flying to Midland, Texas for 5 days of vacation  in west Texas and New Mexico. I love the desert and the mountains of that part of the country. Thanks to an American Airlines sale, I was able to save some frequent flier miles and fly from Dallas-Fort Worth airport for only $96! Got a great deal on a rental car through Avis, too.

Now I have to plan the trip. After buying the ticket and committing myself to the trip, I now face the reality of west Texas in the summer — it's going to be really, really hot!

I want to make this trip pretty cheap. I am considering doing some camping or staying in some really cheap motels -- just checking in at night to crash before heading out the next morning while it's still relatively cool.

My dilemma is what do I take with me? I'll be flying on a small commuter-type jet and, of course, have no desire to check any of my equipment except possible a tripod and maybe my Kessler Crane Pocket Dolly Traveler slider since I can take a hard-side suitcase.

I'm leaning towards putting my Canon 60D and an assortment of lenses inside a LowePro Computrekker AW along with my laptop. If I leave out my Sigma 150-500 — a very hard thing to do! — then I can include my trusty Canon HV40 camcorder. Or I may simply leave the camcorder and do video with the 60D.

Doing video on the HV40 is so much easier than the 60D. I love the constant focus that Canon DSLR's still can't do. The HDV tape workflow is something I'm really comfortable with, too. But that extra space would be nice to carry my Sigma "Bigmo" as it's often called. (Can you tell I'm trying to convince myself to make sure I take the Sigma?)

Frankly, I've about convinced myself to go strictly with the 60D. I can take another small carry-on bag full of odds and ends like batteries, filters, microphones, etc., that might not fit inside the LowePro. I have to keep in mind the small plane that I'll be on. I certainly don't want to have any delicate equipment checked into the luggage compartment.

I'll probably change my mind a dozen times between now and the 23rd when I fly out to Midland.

I also have to decide where to go and what to do. I've got an idea where to go and have a cool idea on what to do while I'm out there, but more on that later...

Finding a Different Perspective

Wherever I go, I always challenge myself to see things from a different viewpoint or perspective than the normal view we take.

Yesterday evening my wife and I went to downtown Dallas to visit the site of President John F. Kennedy's assassination nearly 50 years ago. Frankly, I just don't see the attraction of the site. It's nothing special, but always has a crowd of visitors still wandering around. Still, my wife, an immigrant from Peru, has developed a growing interest in US history, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to see where one of the most important events of the last half century took place.

I carried my trusty Canon 60D and my favorite walk-around lens, a Sigma 17-50 OS. Though I'd been here before, I always found the site quite unimpressive. It's interesting to easily imagine what it was like on that morning back in 1963 — the motorcade turning down Elm Street and passing beneath the Texas School Book Depository as Lee Harvey Oswald secretly took aim and fired at the President from the sixth floor window on the corner. Despite the historical significance, I just can't find the site particularly picturesque.

Click here for larger pic

A few weeks ago, while walking around the area with a Tokina 11-16 wide angle lens. I first noticed an "X" painted in the middle of the road. Immediately, I recognized that it marked the spot where Kennedy was shot. (Last night I noticed a second "X" marking the other spot where Kennedy was first hit.)  Despite the busy traffic on Elm Street, I timed a quick run into the road between red lights to get a quick picture of the "X" with the Depository building and the infamous window clearly seen in the background.

I liked this photo because it shows a perspective that I haven't seen in any other photos from the site. It captures the exact location where a nation was changed in an instant.

When we returned yesterday, I was looking at for another unique perspective on the site. One thing I've learned over the years is to walk around and look in all directions. Patience and a constantly roving eye can often lead to a photograph that is a cut above the normal tourist photo.

Click here for a larger pic

We walked around for about 20 minutes as I explained the significance of the place to my wife. As we were heading back to the car, I happened to look up and see the window through a break in the trees which line Elm Street next to the Depository building. I continued walking before realizing that I had seen the window in a very different way.

I immediately walked back to the same spot on the sidewalk and looked up at the window. Suddenly I was seeing it in an entirely new light.

I imagined what it would have been like to have been standing on that same sidewalk nearly 50 years ago as the President of the United States rode by, waving at the all of us from the back of the Presidential convertible limousine.

All of a sudden a loud pop is heard quickly followed by another coming from over my left shoulder. As the President slumps forward and the crowd begins to react, I turn around to look up in the direction where the sounds came from.

Can you imagine being in that situation and seeing this same view in 1963? Can you imagine looking up through the trees and seeing the slender barrel of a rifle through the half-open window?

Look at this comparison of this shot with another basic shot of the window and the building. Which one do you think is more compelling?

Click her for larger pic

 

Never hesitate to shoot away with our camera. With today's digital cameras, you can shoot as long until your card is full or the battery runs out of juice. Professionals will tell you that for every "keeper" they get, they take an untold number of mediocre (and even poor) shots.

Getting more interesting photos is all about learning to look at things in different ways. It's all about practice and patience.

Believe me, if I can learn to do it, anyone can!

Traveling with your Camera(s)

While vacations can take place at any time of the year, summer is the traditional time for families to pack up, for workers to seek rest and relaxation, and for most of us to leave the confines of our normal world to experience new places.

I’ve been blessed to have done more than my share of traveling. Since I was a young boy I’ve always carried my camera with me. From my first Kodak Brownie to a hand-me-down 8mm film camera to my first Pentax SLR all the way to the my current Canon 60D and assortment of simple to professional HD video cameras, I’ve learned so much about capturing the essence of the places and people that I’ve been privileged to see.

While I’ve never been a professional, I have learned so many things that make simple photos and videos so much better -- things that anyone can learn and use to improve their own shots. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard compliments and praise for my work from family, family, co-workers, etc., and always I remember how easy it  is to capture images that set my work apart from the average vacation photos and videos.

My stuff doesn’t look like it came from National Geographic or the Discovery Channel, but it probably looks better than what most of us do. Anyone can do what I do and anyone can make photos and movies that you’re proud to share. And you won’t have to worry about people being bored seeing the same old “standing in front of the lake/building/statue/etc” photo!

Hopefully, I’ll be able to share a little of all the knowledge I’ve gained through experience and years of learning as I always tried to get better and better.  Check back regularly as I discuss ways to improve your own work as well as discuss equipment like cameras, lenses, software, etc., that will help you, too.

I'm on summer vacation from teaching right now so I'll be updating all the time. Feel free to email with questions and comments at any time!