Description:
Anders Zakrisson - Photos & Thoughts
Contents:
Travel Photography
 A traffic light in front of the Notre Dame in Paris. A 35mm lens was used on the 40D.
Famous sights are famous for a reason, they're usually beautiful and interesting. However, most standard views have been photographed millions of times. Try to find new views, either from other angels or with a proper subject in the forground and the object in the background. Notre Dame in Paris is featured here as a backdrop to a pedestrian traffic light.
 One of the dealers at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. The contrast to Circus Circus is hard to believe; the girls working are amongst the hottest I've seen, the interior design is contemporary and themed (rock, obviously) at the same time and everything is clean and fresh despite it being a stronghold for the young, party happy crowd.
Locals in natural situations is a great way to capture the general feel of destinations. This dealer at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas is very descriptive of the staff at the higher end resorts and the hip, sexy vibe at the Hard Rock Hotel.
 Phil Ivey waiting for cards during the WSOP 2008.
Celebrity spotting is sometimes fun, but to avoid papparazzi style photos with agitated people and crappy quality try to find the celebrities in their natural environments. Poker super stars (and many hollywood stars) such as Phil Ivey can be found at the World Series of Poker every year.
 A flower lying on the back end of big loader found while walking around in Sollentuna.
Objects that stand out through their shape or colour from their surroundings provides good photo oportunities. This makes it easier to create a separated for- and background, something highly desirable for a good composition along with the rule of thirds. This flower on the back of a big loader was found while walking around in Sollentuna in Stockholm, Sweden.
Natural Portraits
By always carry the camera, portraits can be snapped of your travelmates when they either have tired of you or aren't aware that you take photos and thus leading to more natural portraits.
Carrying Gear
Since you already are a tourist no matter how much you try to blend in you can carry big cameras without anyone looking more suspicious than usual at you.The staff at stores, restaurants and tourist sites are usually pretty forgiving as well and by asking politely (or sneaking a little bit) most doors can be opened.
The Obsession With 24fps Frame Rate
In a word, no. A higher frame rate will only lead to smoother playback and is uncorrelated to image quality. The film like qualities sought is smooth movements of the subjects, something attributed to the fixed shutter speed (1/48s) of many 24fps film cameras which results in motion blur. Some believe that this motion blur is close to how our eyes perceive motion and that video captured using faster shutter speeds is just too clear.
As a result it's not the 24fps that we're chasing, but rather 1/48s shutter speeds. The 5D mark II varies its shutter speed from 1/30s to 1/125s resulting in some parts that resembles film and some that resembles video. Is it so?
In a word, no. That would mean that slow motion sequences in big-budget movies would look like video since they're shot using shorter shutter speed than 1/48s. No matter of how the effect is perceived, the slow motion parts of the movie 300 doesn't look like video to me.
There's so much more that separates video from 35mm film; contrast, dynamic range, depth of field, resolution, colors and so on. Basically, the same parameters that separate our D-SLR’s from the compact cameras. The 5D mark II won't be transformed to a 35mm film camera if a 24fps Movie mode is added through firmware. It's not a film camera just as it isn't a digicam. It's something else, a new breed of movie camera along with the RED ONE that's neither.
Just as some prefer the distortion added by valve amplifiers in high-end audio reproduction some prefer the added motion blur captured by film. In my opinion it's preferable to start with the cleanest and clearest source possible and then degrade it by choice rather than capturing it muddy from the start. Who knows, maybe it's possible to add a motion blur filter to the next generation of our playback devices?
EDIT 20081218: It has been brought to my attention that the different types of shutters in film and digital movie cameras cause one more difference in how motion blur shows up. The 180 degree rotary shutter in most film cameras exposes the film for half of the time for each cycle and blocks the film the other half (to allow the advance to the next frame). This leadsto the 1/48s shutter speed for 24fps film and also motion blur streaks which aren't consistent between each frame, there will be gaps between the ends of a motion blur streak between two frames since the exposure is blocked for 1/48s.
The 360 degree (or fully open) electronic shutter of digital cameras means that there will be no gaps in the motion blur trails from one frame to the next. This creates a more theoretically correct motion blur, just something that we don't associate with high-end movies, yet.
Shorter shutter speeds than 1/48s is seen in the landing scene in Saving Private Ryanand Gladiator, for example. Shutter angles such as 90 and 45 degrees produces shutter speeds of 1/96s and 1/192s, respectively. This freezes the motion and reveals much more details while also introducing a "staccato" effect when objects moving at high speed are clear and full of detail. One of the oldest tricks in the book to show the speed of a fast moving object is to introduce motion blur. When the motion blur isn't there it makes us think that something is wrong since we aren't used to it. It isn't wrong, just something we needs to be accustomed to and which can be used to creative effect if it can be set manually (which the RED cameras can but 5D can't).
The big benefit with 24fps frame rates is not the film like quality then, since it doesn't exist. More frame rate options helps to reduce light flicker from lights running on mains electricity by synching frame rate and frequency. It is also much easier to convert to other frame rates suitable for broadcast and DVD’s around the world. 24 fps can be converted to 30 fps through a 3:2 pull down which introduces extra frames, the other way around is much harder. However, most (if not all) DVD/Blu-ray players, HD-TV sets and computers can show all common frame rates which makes this a solely theoretic advantage. Film in 30fps, edit in 30fps, distribute in 30fps and show in 30fps and the problem is solved.
EDIT 20090105: I just read an article on Variety where James Cameron describes his views on 3-D movies (and cinemas) and he also discusses resolution and framerates for normal movies. Turns out I'm not the only one who don't like judders during pans:
"For three-fourths of a century of 2-D cinema, we have grown accustomed to the strobing effect produced by the 24 frame per second display rate."
[...]
The DLP chip in our current generation of digital projectors can currently run up to 144 frames per second, and they are still being improved. The maximum data rate currently supports stereo at 24 frames per second or 2-D at 48 frames per second. So right now, today, we could be shooting 2-D movies at 48 frames and running them at that speed. This alone would make 2-D movies look astonishingly clear and sharp, at very little extra cost, with equipment that's already installed or being installed.
Increasing the data-handling capacity of the projectors and servers is not a big deal, if there is demand. I've run tests on 48 frame per second stereo and it is stunning. The cameras can do it, the projectors can (with a small modification) do it. So why aren't we doing it, as an industry?
Because people have been asking the wrong question for years. They have been so focused on resolution, and counting pixels and lines, that they have forgotten about frame rate. Perceived resolution = pixels x replacement rate. A 2K image at 48 frames per second looks as sharp as a 4K image at 24 frames per second ... with one fundamental difference: the 4K/24 image will judder miserably during a panning shot, and the 2K/48 won't. Higher pixel counts only preserve motion artifacts like strobing with greater fidelity. They don't solve them at all."
[...]
"I would vastly prefer to see 2K/48 frames per second as a new display standard, than 4K/24 frames per second. This would mean shooting movies at 48 fps, which the digital cameras can easily accommodate. Film cameras can run that fast, but stock costs would go up."
[...]
"Of course, the ideal format is 3-D/2K/48 fps projection. I'd love to have done Avatar at 48 frames. But I have to fight these battles one at a time. I'm just happy people are waking up to 3-D.
Maybe on Avatar 2."
ESPN Hostess at the WSOP
An hostess from ESPN during the 2008 WSOP. Although most of the conventions centers and indoor areas are quite dimly lit in Las Vegas, the lighting from the tv-crew helped to separate her from the background.
Robert Erhart in Las Vegas
Poker pro Robert Erhart taking a break from live poker by playing online poker during the 2008 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.
GM Fails to Mention the Faith of Opel
Opel has been GM's main European presence since it was acquired in 1929 and many Opel designs are global platforms for GM cars.They were sold in Buick dealerships between 1958 and 1975 but has since been sold under Saturn and Pontiac brands in the U.S. Cars from Opel are sold as Vauxhalls in the U.K. and Holdens in Australia.
What does GM mean by forgetting to mention them? My guess is that they see them as a core brand and vital part of their operation but don't want to upset the Congress and American public by displaying that American tax-payers money could potentially go abroad. Sneaky, but maybe that's the way the game has to be played.
References:
GM's Government credit details from December 2nd: GM's asks Congress to kickstart its ambitious plan
GM's Letter of Apology: GM'S Commitment to the American People
Low Light Photography
Reducing Noise By Downsampling
When the ISO performance is compared between cameras it is usually done at 100% blow ups of the original files, while this shows the actual noise in the image files it is misguiding. Most photos aren't used at their maximum size, especially photos destined for the web will be significantly downsized. By averaging every pixel, the noise is averaged as well and less noise will be visible in the final image. Prints will benefit from this as well since a 300dpi print will work in the same way and average the noise. As a result all noise comparisons should be made at a predetermined target size which could be a 600x400 pixel image for the web or a 20x30cm print at 300dpi. This also means that if the photo will be used for the web or moderate print sizes it usually has about one stop extra ISO available.
Shooting Raw
A common problem when shooting in low light is the high dynamic range in the scene, thesmall light sources and objects directly lit are very bright and the shadows are dark. In order to extract as much dynamic range as possible without clipping the highlights and introducing excessive noise in the shadows it's crucial too shoot .raw-files. The 14-bit files of current DSLR cameras can give up to two stops more dynamic range than 8-bit .jpg-files.Thepossibility to adjust the white balance in post production (since few cameras nail the WB in bad light) and the increased latitude to push it without clipping the saturation in individual channels is also important. Since sharpness is done at the target resolution (instead of in the full size .jpg) no halos are produced which degrade the result. A good start to experiment in Lightroom is to set Exposure to-1, Shadows to 0, Brightness to 70, Contrast to -50 and the Contrast Curve to Linear. Of course, the mood, feeling and values of the photo is far more important than one stop of extra dynamic range.
Noise Reduction
The most visible noise in a photo is the blotches of chroma (color)noise. By keeping the luminosity information detail is preserved while visible noise is reduced. A similar effect and good tradeoff in Lightroom (since a .raw-file is used) is to set the Noise Reduction setting to 25 for Luminance and 75 for Color.Photos that need even more noise reduction can be processed in Noise Ninja or similar software where even more noise can be removed at a cost in detail.
Desaturating Phots and Black and White
The chroma noise can be pushed back even further by simply desaturating the photo or processing it to black and white. The remaining luminosity noise can actually be quite pleasing and give a documentary film kinda look. Of course, there's limits when the noise just gets too harsh but this will give significant headroom.
Underexposing
The extended ISO range in camera is simply a digital amplification of the signal. A better way to do it is to set the max native ISO, underexpose a stop or two and then lighten the photo in post production since it provides better control. One stop of underexposure equals a doublingof theISO, so -1 EV at ISO 1600 equals ISO 3200 and aDSLR with a maximum ISO of1600 suddenly has ISO 6400 at its disposal without resorting to extended ISOs.
References
More Pixels Offset Noise!
Dpreview's Canon EOS 40D Review
New Restaurant Reviews at Flashpacker.org
The Pontus! review and the Grill review can both be found in the articles section of flashpacker.org.
Blacksmith at Medeltidsveckan
A blacksmith at Medeltidsveckan 2006 in Visby.
Kayman in Tortuguero
A small kayman spotted in the national park in Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Although Tortuguero is situated very close to the equator, I had to use a high ISO and relatively slow shutter speed due to the incredibly dense tree canopy above the river.
Sea Lion at SeaWorld
A sea lion at the SeaWorld in San Diego. This was one of the first photos I took with the Canon EF 70-200 F2.8 L IS lens and I was stunned by the contrast, detail and sharpness. One of my best investments ever.
Canon EOS 40D Review
The EOS 40D seemed like a good buy; reasonable money, ISO performance rivalling the 5D,decent resolution (10Mp), 6.5fps and a tough magnesium body with professional controls and speed. So as soon as it was available I ordered it and it soon showed up. My plan was to go through the different areas of performance using real world photos taken during the last year. So, here we go!
White balance/Colors
The white balance on Auto is very good in sunny daylight and bright indoor light (using natural light from windows). On other occasions the custom settings are needed, cloudy and rainy days end up too cold and artificial light (incadescent and light bulbs indoor) always end up too warm. Even when using the incadescent setting and lowering the saturation through picture styles the photos are too warm and has to be manually white-balanced and adjusted in post-processing.
 Trouville Beach on Sandhamn a day in November.
When the white balance is set though, the 14-bit A/D conversion of the 40D produces photos full of beautiful colors and contrast. Find the right light and subject and the image can be tweaked while keeping all details and subtle color gradients.
6.5 Frames Per Second
The 40D are sometimes marketed as an 1D light, a semi-professional sports camera. That's wrong, the 6.5fps are very handy, but not for sports. The auto-focus system is too slow and erratic totrack fast moving objects. What it is though, is an excellent tool for the portrait photographers and photo journalists seeking in-the-moment portraits on location. By taking multiple frames you have much better chance on nailing just the right expression and composition, I always have my 40D on the high-speed multiple frame Drive setting.
Another benefit of using the high-speed setting is to pick the sharpest frame when using long shutter speeds. Camera shake has several causes which all stem from the user, however, by taking several frames and keeping the release button pressed a number of them will be minimized. By using this technique you can generally use shutter speeds where camera motion is no longer a problem but instead subject motion will be the limiting factor (t>1/50s). I then scroll through the images and mark the sharpest (while zoomed in) and with regular intervals choose "delete all images" to delete all unsharp and bad frames. This is an essential technique to speed up the post-processing and sorting by only working with photos that are decent from a technical standpoint and getting rid of all the garbage as soon as possible. Needless to say, I produce quite a lot garbage that I discard but I make sure to save photos that might not be perfect but has thepotential to be saved.
Low Light Performance
 Sharon Stone at a private dinner event. The photo was captured using a 70-300mm f4.0-5.6 lens and a Canon 40D in a dark room. It was underexposed 1 stop at iso 3200 for an exposure of 1/10s at F5.0. By taking a series of photos I got one that was reasonably sharp.
The ISO performance is very good, this generation of digital cameras (which really started with the 5D) is the first to match the image quality of film and provide better low light performance. ISO can be set to 1250 for noiseless results using the noise reduction in Adobe Lightroom set to 25/75 (luminosity/chroma).
Phil Ivey waiting for cards during the WSOP 2008.
When it gets really dark ISO 1600 still provides good photos that can be used in color with normal post-processing, underexposing 1 stop gives an effective ISO of 3200. The ISO 3200 (extended) setting can be used with very results by decreasing the saturation or making the photos black and white, they'll have a slightly grainy look which can actually work to your advantage in some occasions. When it gets really dark a fast lens (F1.4-1.8), ISO 1600-3200 and 1-2 stops of underexposure gives you an effective ISO of 3200-12800 which is adequate for all situations where my eyes work satisfactory. The biggest problems then are not the actual image but the autofocus performance and the difficulty to focus manually since its so dark. Of course, I always want more ISO at better quality since it means that I can take photos of moving subjects when it gets darker, but the with the 40D and good lenses I've never felt really hindered by darkness.
Home
|
