Hi everyone! This is my first post of a double self-portrait for this week since I missed the previous week. The name of this title says it all. I'm blowing what looks to be smoke out of my mouth. In fact, it is milk that I'm using to substitute for smoke and I must say it looks pretty cool. I got this idea from another photographer who did pretty much the same thing and I thought it was interesting to try out. All credits go to Patrick Taschler who originally did this. You can check it out here.
The photo was achieved by filling a fish tank with water. I set the camera on a tripod attached to a remote cable that I triggered and I had one flash used wirelessly to my right. I dunked my head in water with a mouth full of milk and I blew it out making the smokey effect. I also cleaned the image up in photoshop to get rid of some of the bubbles.
Hi everyone! I'm going for something different in this week's self-portrait and after looking at some inspirational images and sites, I came up with this photo of me falling on my bed. These sort of photos are called levitation photography and they're pretty fun to do and set up. Don't be surprised if I do more photos like this in the future.
I took this photo with five shots merged together in photoshop. The first was just the background. The second was of me on a chair lying down on top. The third and fourth was of my two pillows and the fifth shot was a shot of a random running shoe. The camera was set up on a tripod with a remote cable to trigger and set on a two second delay. I was using an off camera flash with an orange gel attached sitting on one of my stands.
Gear used:
- Sony a350 with Carl Zeiss 24-70mm 2.8 lens attached
Hi everyone! I did a photo shoot with one of my good friends not too long ago for his business. He is a great personal trainer who strives to get you the best results. If you'd like to get in contact with him for a session, you can visit him at his facebook page, JR Fitness where he also posts very helpful training tips.
Although this was a short photo shoot, it was pretty fun and very well organized so everything went smoothly without any hassles. This is just one of the photos that we took on the day but the rest can be viewed here on our JMCK Photography page.
Gear used:
- Sony a350 with Carl Zeiss 24-70mm 2.8 lens attached
Hi everyone! Today I wanted to do another close up photo but to make it different I took a couple of photos and printed it out to hold against my face. It is slightly Picasso inspired but in a photographic way.
I took a couple of photos beforehand and used a polaroid printer to print out the photos that I was holding. The camera was prefocused and set on self timer with Marione directing me on where to hold the photos. This small shoot was pretty fun because of all the weird faces and expressions that we came up.
Gear used:
- Sony a350 with Carl Zeiss 24-70mm 2.8 lens attached
What a day! Sony announced a plethora of cameras and accessories for the A-mount and E-mount systems. There were a total of four cameras announced today, the a77 and a65 for the A-mount and the NEX-5N (NEX-5 replacement) and the NEX-7. Let's not forget, the NEX-VG20 which is a camcorder style video camera was also announced too. Since Sony announced a lot of products today, this is going to be a long post but I'll begin with the a77.
Sony a77 with Carl Zeiss 85mm 1.4 lens attached
The a77 is Sony's much anticipated successor to the a700 that was discontinued a couple of years ago. It takes the crown as being the world's fastest camera with an APS-C sized sensor that shoots at 12 frames per second at full resolution, that is at 24.3 megapixels. The camera is mainly aimed at both professionals and enthusiasts as well as videographers. I won't repeat all the specs of this camera as I'm sure many readers have already done so from other sites but if you haven't click here for the specs with the press release. I'll instead write a little about using this camera from my short time with it.
- The camera is lighter than I originally expected and very well built.
- The magnesium alloy body and weather sealing make this camera great for shooting in a variety of environments.
- It is very quick and responsive
- The XGA OLED viewfinder is a major upgrade compared to the a55. The EVF provides a sharper and more accurate picture of the scene which is great because what you see in the viewfinder is essentially exactly what you are going to get. The camera settings are perfectly laid out in my opinion and though the viewfinder doesn't perform as well as the a900 and a850's OVF it is still the best EVF on the market.
- Lastly, the articulated screen allows for a more easier way of composing your shot. The screen can be tilted up and down for self portraits and can twist and turn all in line with the lens axis. I personally like how Sony implemented the three way articulating screen, because the LCD turning out from the side throws the camera a bit off balance and I much prefer the LCD turned in line with the lens axis.
Sony a77 with new kit lens 16-50mm 2.8 SSM
A new kit lens was also announced with the a77, that is the 16-50mm 2.8 SuperSonicMotor (SSM) lens. This lens is the first lens to be advertised as weather sealed and with SSM and a constant 2.8 aperture, this is quite amazing for a kit lens.
The following is a video ad for the Sony a77. Enjoy!
Sony a65 with 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 lens
The Sony a65 announced along with the a77 is a camera aimed towards enthusiast and family class photographers who want high level performance in a light and compact body. This camera sits between the a77 and the a55 in Sony's line of Alpha cameras. I didn't play around with this camera as I was mainly using up my time with the a77 but with the short time I got to play around with it I can say that the build quality is better than the a55 and it feels a lot nicer in the hand. The specs and press release of this camera can be viewed here.
Sony a65 with kit lens 18-55mm 3.5-5.6
The following is a video ad for the Sony a65. Enjoy!
NEX-7 with 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 lens
Now we move on to a new class of NEX cameras, the NEX-7. This camera is aimed towards enthusiast photographers that don't want the bulk of carrying around a DSLR/DSLT sized camera. Its headline features include a 24.3 megapixel sensor, world's fastest shutter release time, built in XGA OLED viewfinder (same as the a77) and a customisable and intuitive interface. It has a built in flash and a hot shoe for Alpha flashes which is great news. Now I didn't get to play with this camera as it was in a glass case and I was told it was the only one in Australia so I can't really comment on how it handles but i must say it looks like a great camera and with the Carl Zeiss 24mm 1.8 lens it will surely be a great combo. Press release and specs of the camera can be viewed here.
Sony NEX-7 with 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 lens attached and Carl Zeiss 24mm 1.8
Sorry for the reflection in the photo
The following is a video of the Sony NEX-7. Enjoy!
NEX-5N black and silver with 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 and 16mm 2.8 lenses
The NEX-5N are minor updates to their predecessors, the NEX-5. These new updated cameras now feature a touch screen, a newly improved sensor, ultra fast focusing and more. I actually forgot to take photos of this model at the presentation but I'll do that next week. For more information of these cameras click here.
The following is a video ad for the NEX-5N. Enjoy!
NEX-VG20 with 18-200mm 3.5-5.6
Last but not least we have the Sony NEX-VG20 camcorder. Seeing as this was not as the Sony presentation I can't really say much about it but the headline features include a 16.1 megapixel sensor, AVCHD full HD video with 50p and 24p, improved ergonomics and handling as well as a touch screen which are all welcome additions over its predecessor, the NEX-VG10. For more information about this camera, click here.
The following is a foreign ad for the NEX-VG20. Enjoy!
Sony also released new lenses and accessories for both the NEX and A-mount cameras. These include:
- The new 16-50mm f2.8 SSM kit lens for A-mount
- Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 24mm f1.8 lens for NEX E-mount
- 50mm f1.8 OSS lens for NEX E-mount
- Telephoto 55-210mm f4.5-6.3 lens for NEX E-mount
- Adapter which allows A-mount lenses to be mounted on NEX cameras with phase detection auto-focus (LA-EA2)
- Electronic viewfinder that can only be mounted on the NEX-5N (FDA-EV1S)
- NEX body case (LCS-EB50)
- Lens jacket (LCS-EL50)
- Should strap (STP-XS3)
- Soft carrying case (LCS-EMF)
LA-EA2 lens adapter
Sony a77 with flash accessories and lenses
16mm 2.8 fish-eye lens
300mm 2.8 telephoto lens
Sony a55 and a35
Sony a77 taken apart
Now I will finish this post with a summary video of the latest interchangeable lens cameras. Enjoy!
Hi everyone! Today I did a quick shoot of myself at the Rocks in one of the phone booths. I was trying to make myself look like I was in a movie or something so I actually dressed up for it. I suck at making names for my photos so I titled this shot, phone call.
This shot was taken from outside the phone booth with my camera mounted on a monopod (can't find the base plate for my tripod at the moment). The camera was triggered via remote cable by my other hand which you can't see. I had to manually focus this and though its not completely sharp, I like how it has a slight out of focus look. No flashes were used and it was ambient light.
Gear used:
- Sony a350 with Carl Zeiss 24-70mm 2.8 lens attached
Sony Alpha Rumors has got product shots of the upcoming Sony a77 and its design looks impressive. After all the previous leaks of specs, pictures and even a video, a lot of hype has built up over this camera and the overall impression of this camera is very positive. Many people like myself are anxiously waiting for the official announcement of the a77 which is only 2 more days away at the time of this post and I'm sure many people can forgive Sony for taking so long for the a700 replacement to arrive.
