My Favorite Subject of All

After we returned from our sons' high school graduation ceremony last night, I pulled the memory card from the E-M5 and started copying the pictures to my MacBook Pro. Theresa warmed up a pot of soup she had made earlier, and we each had a bowl with a glass of wine.

We were both thinking about the events of the evening. The boys were so happy. We were so proud. Theresa set down her spoon and looked at me.

"Have I told you how thankful I am for the pictures you make?"

I looked back at her, "I think so. But this is really a good time to say it again. Thank you."

We then relocated to the couch and started to relive the moments of the evening, frame by frame.

"Is that the picture you're going to choose of us?" she commented about one group shot.

"I love it," I replied.

"But it looks like I'm talking, and Max too."

"But it has great energy. And everyone looks so present. It just sums up the moment for me."

Theresa smiled and we moved on to the next photo. We'll probably discuss my shot selection more later.

If I ever begin to think that this was all just a dream, I have these pictures to remind me otherwise. The images we've collected of two boys growing up, and their family around them, capture virtually every milestone in their lives.

In a couple months, they'll both be leaving for college. One goes to Santa Barbara and the other to Santa Clara. This will be a big change for their mom. She has given every ounce of energy to raise these kids.

And the change will be dramatic for me too. I won't be there to document the next phase. I know that's the way it should be. But I'm going to miss them.

Even though it's my work, photography is very personal for me. I've seen so many wonderful things through the lens of my camera.

But my favorite subject of all,

has been watching Max and Zach become young men.

-Derrick

Cheap Glass

Photographers tend to be obsessed with sharpness. The first question most will ask about any optic is, "How sharp is it?"

The question I'm asking these days: "Is it sharp enough?"

There's a big difference between the two queries. And it really depends on your view of the world.

There are a million perfectly sharp images on Flickr that bore the hell out of me. Yes, everything is in perfect order: excellent exposure, spot-on color, and corner to corner sharpness. Excuse me while I check my email. If those are the only elements that you think make a good photograph, then I think you might be missing the boat.

The images that attract me are the ones that surprise me, make me feel something, show me a different view of the world. And those photographs can be created with practically any camera sporting just about any lens, even a cheap one.

I've gone through an interesting period with my DSLRs lately. My camera of choice is now mirrorless. I love them. But I still use DSLRs when appropriate. 

I sold off many of my expensive Canon lenses to upgrade my mirrorless kits. But I still have two "L" lenses: the 70-200mm f/2.8 IS and the 24-105 f/4 L IS. If I need superb image quality, I can mount either of those on the 5D Mark II and get it.

But the lenses I've been shooting with most often are the Yongnuo 35mm F/2.0 ($129) and the new Canon 50mm f/1.8 STM ($125) - cheap lenses. Why? Because each have characteristics that I can't get with other optics. It's their imperfections that I crave. 

They are definitely sharp enough where I focus. But at wide apertures, all sorts of interesting things start to happen everywhere else. Instead of living in a sterile edge-to-edge world where everything has the same weight, the images take on a magical quality.

Fortunately, I have a client that loves this look. And I'm having a blast with these shoots, and making good money while doing so.

Don't get me wrong... I'm all for sharpness.

Just not all the time.

-Derrick

A Day in the Life of an iPad on the Road

I spent Friday working my way back home from New Jersey. Anyone who has ever made the trek from the East Coast to California knows that this journey requires endurance and patience.

Over the course of 12 hours of waiting and traveling and waiting some more, I had my fully charged iPad available to help me pass the time. I'm  amazed at the versatility of this device. So I thought I'd share the many ways it served me on my trip.

Internet Access Point at Newark Airport - Unlike many other airports that offer free WiFi, Newark uses Boingo that wanted $12 for me to connect my laptop to the Web. I would rather use that money for my lunch, so I instead tapped into the high speed Verizon connection on the iPad. As a result, I was able to publish an article on The Digital Story without a hitch.

Read Time Magazine - During the boarding process for the flight from Newark to Dallas Fort Worth, I read the latest issue of Time magazine. The iPad version is quite good. And it's great to have an entire library of magazines ready for the reading without having to deal with the overpriced airport newsstand.

Watched the Movie Frozen During the Flight - American Airlines was offering a few free movies on their WiFi network in the cabin. So I logged on with the iPad, plugged in my red Beats earphones, and throughly enjoyed the Disney production of Frozen. The Retina Display produced a much better film presentation than those terrible screens on the plane.

Answered Email and Checked Bank Balance - Once we landed in Dallas, I took care of a couple online chores with the iPad. I even had to make a bank transfer, which would have been too late the next day at home.

Watched the Warriors on ESPN - My favorite NBA team was playing the Grizzlies for game 6 of the playoff series. Fortunately, the matchup was on ESPN, so I was able to watch it live on the iPad while sipping a coffee in the waiting area. DFW has free WiFi, so I didn't even have to use my cellular connection to  root for Golden State. The video looked great, and the commentary came through crisp and clear on my earphones.

Once we were in the air and on our way to San Francisco, I put the iPad away. It was time to sleep. But after all of this activity, I still had 45 percent battery left. And it fits so easily in my carry on camera bag.

I'm not a guy who particularly like airline travel. But I have to say, the iPad mini has made the experience substantially better.

-Derrick

The Agony and Ecstasy of Price Drops

 Because I follow industry news daily, I have a pretty good eye for deals.

I've had scores such as the Canon S110 for $199 and the Samsung NX3000 with power zoom lens for $289. Those purchases feel great, especially after the price escalates again when the special offer expires.

But I've had my share of misses too. And those hurt. For example, In April, Olympus was offering the premium kit version of its OM-D E-M10 for $875. It included the body with a special leather texture, a $300 power zoom lens, leather neck strap, and commemorative lens cap.

Considering that the standard body alone was selling for $699, and the premium kit had been $1,250, I considered this a deal and bought it. I absolutely love the camera and have already taken many beautiful shots with it.

My enthusiasm was dampened a bit last weekend when Olympus dropped the price $200 on the very same kit that I had just purchased. It is now available for $675 (which is a steal, BTW). The reduced price for the E-M10 was also available at many online retailers.

At first, I said to myself, "That's the way it goes sometimes." Purchasing technology is always a dicey affair. I know people ask me frequently, "Should I buy now, or wait for the next model." The real answer is, nobody knows for sure. My general rule of thumb is, do your research and purchase when you need the item. Beyond that, it's mostly luck.

But for some reason, this price drop bothered me. $200 is a lot of money, and just a few weeks after my purchase. One of our other virtual camera club members, John, had a similar dilemma with his purchase from B&H. He wrote me:

"Great B&H story for you. I was so impressed by the E-M10 body you showed me in SF that I ordered one from B&H (linked from TDS!) - just 3 days before a 25% price drop. I figured that if you don't ask you won't get, and shot off a note to customer service. Within an hour a refund was in process for the difference between the $599 and $449. B&H has a customer for life."

And you know, he's right. It can't hurt to ask. So in the same spirit, I sent off a note to Olympus customer service asking if there was anything they could do for me. They replied right away asking for my order number so they could look in to it. I'll post a comment on the outcome as soon as I hear back. Regardless of what happens, I feel better for asking about it.

My bottom line here is this: On the whole, smart shoppers who do their research will save many dollars over those who impulse buy. But if you do experience a price drop just a few weeks after a purchase, write a polite note asking if anything can be done.

You never know. They may surprise you.

-Derrick

I Know Why We Sometimes Hate Computers

I remember this poster from the 1990s that read something like this, "If you want a job screwed up, give it to a person. If you want it really screwed up, do it on a computer."

I think most of us can relate, even today. The fact of the matter is that computers haven't really made us happier. Yes, they're faster, sleeker, and more powerful. But friendly... not really.

I'm really good with technology. It's been part of my living for decades. And I have weeks where it feels like the silicon chips are conspiring against me. (Or is it something more sinister?)

Where it's particularly annoying is when something that was working just fine, suddenly decides to go haywire. I could see if I was tinkering with it then broke it. But more often than not, this isn't the case. 

Everything is so darn connected that a worker bee changes a setting on a server thousands of miles away, and suddenly you don't have access to your website anymore. A not nice person, someone you don't even know, decides to attack you. Or for some unknown reason, your Internet doesn't work anymore because of a system upgrade by your provider.

More often than not, the reason why we hate computers is because they're not reliable. They mess up our schedules, productivity, and frame of mind.

The problem is, people do too. In fact, they're often behind the technology problem. And there's where the expectation breaks down. We thought that computers might save us from human shortcomings.

And the reality is,

it's still people messing things up.

-Derrick