24.4mp Nikon D3X is coming!

IMAGE VIA: Nikonrumors.com from Nikon Pro magazine

According to recent rumors via nikonrumors.com a high megapixel model will be released on December 1st.  With the D700 and D3 being current flag ship models and only pushing 12 megapixels, it's about time that Nikon launches something for the advertising and studio based community.  It has been known for awhile that Canon has been leading the DSLR megapixel game with their EOS 1Ds line-up.  I also noticed that Sony has begun to make some headlines with their Alpha 900 model, which pushes 24.6 megapixel and this may be one of the reasons for Nikon's sudden launch in the new D3X.  Should be an interesting week!

Amber & Blue

Shutter: 1/13

Aperture: f9

ISO: 1600

Camera: Nikon D3

Lense: Nikkor 28-70mm

Well its been reported that we have some wet snow coming our way!  This shot defines the Miller Group ploughs on idle, as they anticipate the call of duty.  Special thanks going out to Rick Anderson for teaching me the RWIS weather system...I feel like a meteorologist, now that I know how to read those sophisticated weather trends.

joey!

Love at first sight.

Shutter: 1/125

Aperture: f5.6

ISO: 640

Camera:  Nikon D2X

Lense: Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 VR
I was walking around in Toronto when I saw this shot.  The owner of the dog was still in the store and this older lady stopped to talk to the lonely dog and rub his face.  She must have stood there for like 10 seconds...so I got down on one knee and started photographing this cute moment.  It's moments like this where I really enjoy using my telephoto lenses.

practise your paparazzi skills!

Going Ga Ga over the new Nikon D90!

Team mascot to be launched!

Image courtesy of Hemmy.net

With recent developments by team NX...our new friend will be unveiled later this year as a vector drawing, acting as our new watermark! This watermark will be potentially used on images that are taken by the photographers who associate themselves with our creative learning team.

Defining Art

Shutter: 1/125

Aperture: f4.5

ISO: 250

Camera: Nikon D3

Lense: 40mm

Art should be a free form.  With that said, we should look at things the way we want to in an artistic manner, regardless of what group or institution puts an image under a microscope!  I look for art through my feelings.  What would stimulate your vision?  Take that and run with it...

The perfect gold and shiney sardine can caught my eyes and I zoned to life on the ground.  I shot this image pretty quick!  

First day of snow!

Kanye West vs. The Paparazzi

Ok...so in the past 24 hours a whole lot of rhetoric has been coming out of Kanye West's mouth!  

Remember this is coming from the dude that denied rumors about checking into anger management?  "The bloggers or the media got it all wrong again" West claimed.  So there's a scuffle at a club, a photographer gets a bloody nose and West gets arrested...interesting!

I continue to research the entire debacle...now it's about the late Princess Diana?  Can we let her rest in peace?  YES, she and her people tried to get away...BUT...the limo driver was also under the influence?  The car was faulty?  So many possibilities...

Here's an interesting fact!  I work for an elite UK based paparazzi agency and the owner used to get calls from Diana when she was going out for some tea...good publicity is a commodity.

I took the above image in LA awhile back and Kanye acted nice to me.  He makes no attempt to not look at my camera and he gives me the peace sign!  However his bodyguard tries to place his hand over my camera lense(they like that game)....so I slap his hand and tell him to not touch my camera.  This is how things escalate people!  Anyhow, they get into a car...I called out "thanks Kanye".  And that was it!  I got my shot, he's gone and life goes on.  Simple.  

Also note that I have photographed this man on several occasions...

The thing that bothers me the most, is the amount of 'selective memory' coming out of his mouth...he qoute's, "who's winning, me or the media?"  I think the Louis Vuitton Don(as he likes to be called) is being unfair for trying to ban the rights of many visual communications artists who depend on their photography to make a living.  I'm not going to get into ethics....you don't bleed up somebody because they take your photo?  Two wrongs don't make a right?  Anyhow things sounded pretty aggressive, I'm certain tensions ran high and things just got out of hand.

Celebrities either work with paps or they don't.  Some try to extort images for their own interests, while others love the attention and encourage it!

Hypocrisy!

joey!

The power of ISO 6400 - Part 1

Shutter speed: 1/125 

Aperture: f5.6

ISO: 6400

Camera: Nikon D3

Since the purchase of a couple Nikon D3's this Summer, I have to boast that my photography has just gotten smoother.  Nikon's 'At the heart of the image' campaign is truly what it's all about!  Going out, shooting naturally, having fun and pushing limit's without being upset that your camera can't do this or it can't do that...boo hoo.

Some of you may not know what ISO is, but let's begin here; ASA was a common term describing film speeds and then suddenly ISO took over that term.  ASA defined in www.wikipedia.org

ASA(American Standards Association) photographic exposure system became the basis for the ISO(International Organization for Standardization) film speed system, currently used worldwide.  I'm not going to take you into the mud of things, instead I'm going to say that all ASA/ISO do is rate your film speed.  Film speed can determine the contrast and grain(digital noise) that we look for in different situations.  It also means slow or fast...so smaller(slow) numbers mean that we can shoot with less grain, but require lots of light.  Higher(faster) numbers mean we can shoot with more grain, but require little light.  Different settings for different applications.  The image I used in this article is an example of an exercise I conducted today.  I took a macro lens(105 mm) and used it to photograph my son's eye.  I ran into some sticky situations while hand holding the camera...I could feel the slight camera shake and I could see the softness in my images, while viewing and zooming in on them from the camera's 3" LCD screen.

And while I was at home on a Sunday and feeling lazy, I decided to push Nikon's flagship and do my own tests.  No flash, no tripod and no care in the world.  I cranked the ISO to 6400, knowing that I could have gone higher!  I was in the living room while Jackson was watching a little tv and I took his attentive spirit in cartoons to my advantage.  I sat on the floor and manually enabled the proper exposure settings, fitted for a ISO 64oo capture.  I normally shoot in manual mode...allowing me to have full control on exposure.

In conclusion, I was able to get some amazing close-ups of my son's eyes.  The detail is remarkable.  What anyone could do with the right equipment in a room filled with some late morning window light.  Hats off to Nikon for finally getting it right!  I spent years mourning over images that were taken at ISO 800 because I thought there was too much noise on my digital images. 

Note, that I only opened the image in Photoshop, viewed it at 100% and cropped it!

My new twin nephews...Peyton & Carter!

Here we grow again...congratulations to Brandy & Ian on their new extended family!

Well, I didn't achieve the lighting techniques that I wanted today, however the pose in the above image is accurate to what I wanted to achieve.  Knowing that these two brothers are twins, I was looking for a theme that promoted their closeness.  I will capture more images with every visit and keep everyone updated with my progress.

It's official...I'm an Uncle of 3!

joey!

Toddler falls while posing for a photo...

3 year old Alaina Pitton took an incredible turn today, when she fell backwards and nearly rolled down a cliff.  If you listen carefully to this YouTube video clip, you can hear her mother in dismay.  The children were posing for a photograph while sight seeing and enjoying a tour of Ecola State Park in Oregon with there families.

It's pretty scary how some family fun can instantly turn into a tragedy!  What I find odd is that a lookout or point, especially in a tourist area would have such a cheap fence?  "Add some more wood beams or something?"

Unbelievable...

joey!

Holiday toys for everyone!

So with holiday's around the corner, I decided to share some gift buying ideas.  The top images is the Little Tikes digital camera, suitable for ages 3 and up...it's not waterproof, but it does take a beating when thrown around!  The second item is a point and shoot camera bag by Crumpler.  I have been using Crumpler bags for years and I love their mail man style bags.  Crumpler is an Australian company, but my friend Jason has the rights for distribution in Canada.  Check out his Toronto store on Queen Street....Google Crumpler for more details.  The last item is known to be ranked as the best point and shoot camera on the planet.  The Stylus series camera's by Olympus are waterproof!  I'll say it once more..."There waterproof"...so this one is perfect for the grown-up's...take this camera to the pool and capture the wee ones having fun in the water, underneath or above.  

That last gift may be a little pricey, but it's perfect for anyone who want's to buy a nice gift for that significant other!  If you want to go the extra mile...I think the Crumpler Bundle(29.99 CDN)...and the Olympus Stylus 1030 sw would make a wonderful combination.  The Little Tikes camera is about 34.99 CDN at Toy's R Us and the Olympus camera is 349.99 CDN available at B&H, Vistek, Best Buy or Henry's.  And I'm certain that Best Buy saw the beauty in the Crumpler line...they now sell Crumpler!

In conclusion, you cover all age groups with the above items.   Find some colourful holiday gift wrap and a nice bow...BAM!

I cropped!

I recently posted a portrait shot from last Autumn and there was too much foreground.  Normally I shoot my subjects tighter, but with the help of the crop tool in Photoshop, I was able to correct my issues and bring the viewer closer to the subject!  

Remembrance Day...moments of reflection

ABOVE IMAGES: Medal, 2 portraits of Arthur James Smith, Red Huse and Arthur Smith, bottom image, L to R: Joe McGraw, Bob Swan and Bruce Markle making a toast to friendship and being alive to share there memories.

While we live in a world full of ignorance, Canada paused today for 2 minutes.  We reflected and paid our respects to all of the men and women who put their lives on the line for this country!  I've never experienced a military draft or a great depression and I'm certain that many generation x'rs don't think much about such roads to misery as we are so inundated with things like mp3 players, reality tv and the liberty to do a lot of whatever!  I took a journey today down a road that is less travelled and sat down with some veterans to commemorate what we know as 'Remembrance Day'.  November 11th is a significant time of the year where we wear poppies, we remember Normandy and we think of a special poem 'In Flanders Fields' written by, Lieutenant Colonel John Alexander McCrae(1872-1918).

I had the privilege of walking into the Royal Canadian Legion-Sir William Stephenson(Branch 637) in Oshawa, Ontario.  During my stay I was able to grab a warm cup of coffee, mingle with veterans and hear short stories about World War I and World War II.  I gravitated to a gentleman who was sitting alone and looking out the window(pictured above).  I approached him and asked him if I could take his picture.  He indicated that I could and insisted that I take a seat.  He introduced himself as Arthur James Smith(they call him 'Smitty') and we spoke for 15 minutes or so.  Arthur told me his father(Albert James Smith) fought in World War I and that he was a very brave soldier.  Arthur went over as a 48 Islander in 1943 and transfered to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders regiment and stayed until the war ended in 1945.  He also told me that he remembers the gas masks and the gas bombs, the occupation forces stationed in Oldenburg, Germany and that he landed in Bayeux, France.  

The stories I heard today gave me goose bumps!  It's amazing when you stare into the eyes of a veteran.  You see the bravery, you see the glory and you can feel the honour.

My goal behind today's posting, was to show students that you can go out into the field and be creative.  I walked into the legion as a photographer and also a reporter, I took the challenge and experienced a unique opportunity!  I think it would have been amazing to meet a veteran who was a photojournalist in the war, just to hear about the war from their point of view.

Special thanks to Irene Robinson from Robert Aldsworth Photo World for suggesting Branch 637 and helping me break the ice on today's assignment.  I was disappointed that I missed the city memorial and parade...I will try again next year!

Congratulations Christina and Dave!

My gallery wraps have arrived!!!

So I got my www.canvasondemand.com order and I have to say that I'm impressed for the most part.  These gallery style wraps add a nice kick to any room in the home and are a fabulous way to show case your best work.   I'm thinking of having a wine and cheese photo exhibit at the house!  

The 'Little Hamburgler' has stolen the show, his prints have been a popular request amongst family members and I'm going to be shipping one over to McDonald's marketing department for review!

Ottawa nixes plans for the Portrait Gallery of Canada

By James Bradshaw
The government has cancelled plans to build a permanent home for the Portrait Gallery of Canada, a move that is likely to anger members of the arts community who slammed the federal Tories during the recent election campaign over cuts to cultural programs.
Citing the uncertain economic conditions, James Moore, newly appointed Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, announced yesterday evening that after years of stops and starts and squabbles, the selection process to grant the new gallery to one of three competing cities has been cancelled.
"A number of developers submitted proposals to house the public programming and exhibitions of the Portrait Gallery of Canada," Mr. Moore said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, none of these proposals met the government's requirements, and we are therefore terminating the selection process.

"In this time of global economic instability, it is important that the federal government continue to manage its own affairs prudently and pragmatically."

He refused to say what was wrong with the proposals due to "confidentiality requirements."
Mr. Moore's statement was released after 5 p.m. yesterday to the ire of NDP MP Paul Dewar, who for years has spearheaded efforts to build the gallery a home in Ottawa.
"Here it is, the classic a-quarter-to-six release on Friday. Obviously they're not too proud of this decision," Mr. Dewar said.
Many in the cultural community fear the Conservative government is targeting the arts since nearly $45-million in cuts to cultural programs were revealed in August.
A deluge of criticism from artists such as Margaret Atwood put the Tories on the defensive during the election campaign, protesting that they had in fact increased arts spending overall - a refrain Mr. Moore repeated yesterday.
His economic rationale echoes Prime Minister Stephen Harper's defence of the earlier cuts as responsible fiscal management. But Mr. Harper's refusal to reconsider his decision, and divisive comments he made about the disdain "ordinary working Canadians" have for artists who attend publicly funded "rich galas" may ultimately have cost him dearly in Quebec and denied him his coveted majority government.
The Liberal government had planned to house the portrait gallery in the former U.S. embassy, across the street from Parliament Hill. But the project was delayed, and then abandoned after the Conservatives took office in 2006, with the Tories citing ballooning costs and a desire to use the site instead as a reception centrefor the government. That plan was scrapped after fierce public opposition.
After a failed attempt to build a gallery in Calgary in partnership with Epcor, the Tories unveiled an unorthodox bidding process that allowed developers from nine Canadian cities to submit bids to build the gallery and then lease or sell it to the government, provided they could demonstrate substantial backing from the city.
Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton submitted the only bids, which the selection committee today rejected. The Alberta government had earmarked $40-million for projects that would bring the gallery to the province.
Opposition to moving the national portrait gallery outside Ottawa had been strong, led by Mr. Dewar and Liberal senators Jerry Grafstein and Serge Joyal. They said that the collection is currently in a specially outfitted Gatineau warehouse, and annual transport costs would have been substantial, especially because the Conservatives had cancelled the government art transportation program.
Opposition forces also accused the Tories of wastefulness as an estimated $11-million had already been spent on the embassy site.
Mr. Moore said in an interview last night that his government did not feel it prudent to embark on a project that could cost "in the neighbourhood of $100-million." But part of the rationale for abandoning the U.S. embassy site was that projected costs had ballooned to $45-million, a figure the Conservatives argued then was too high.
Mr. Dewar scoffed at Mr. Moore's $100-million estimate.
"You can play around with numbers all you want. Does he have an actual bona fide study to show that?" he said.

Autumn leaves

Well with Halloween being over and raking all the Autumn leaves around the yard, I recall this same time last year when I took Steve and Erin out for a drive to get their portrait taken.  We drove and drove, until we found the right location that had the right fence, the trees, the leaves and just the right setting.  The Jack Russell belonged to the owner of the property, who granted us permission.  He really wanted to be in the photo...and I think that Steve and Erin couldn't resist him...

This particular image was taken with my Nikon D2X at the time and I also utilized a Gitzo tripod.  I'm an advocate of the tripod.  It allows me to setup and leave my gear so I can fiest my eyes on the couple and talk to them, tweak their pose etc....before I'm ready to jump behind the camera to compose and fire off shots! 

I didn't use any flash, I relied strictly on ambient light and set my camera's white balance to overcast.  I also didn't see a use for my flash, the lighting looked balanced and I wanted to keep it simple!

However I may crop this image...there's a little too much foreground for my liking.  The image also looks too vertical.  I could have used a small ladder and shot down a bit?

Feel free to critique!

Congratulations to Monica & Robert

Britney Spears launches website attack on paparazzi

After regaining her stardom with her latest hit 'Womanizer' the diva has launched a new section of her website, Britneyspears.com, dedicated to mocking the paparazzi photographers who follow her.
Spears is awarding a weekly "paparazzie" award to the photographer who she thinks has made the biggest fool of themselves.

This week (November 3), the website features a video of a photographer caught on camera falling into a plant pot while trying to photograph the singer. The website says the paparazzo received the award for "special achievements in walking backwards."

Check out the 'Piece of me' video on YouTube...lots of paparazzi shooting!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4NayXtzsBo

"I had to post this because I have an obsession with Britney and I almost encountered her a couple years ago in Miami."

And truth be told, celebrities work closely with the paparazzi.  We provide a PR service that caters to these pop stars.  Some of us are just more evasive than others!  It's all about building working relationships and greasing the right hands...

joey!

A moment in history!

Last night hallmarked a moment in history. We all witnessed a unique Presidential election in American history. And while some didn't vote or were disappointed with the end results. I have to say that I was moved by the Democratic victory. With economic uncertainty everywhere, you don't have to be an American to feel concerned about the world we live in. I hope America repairs its self esteem and mends it's relationships with all Nations. As the first black U.S. president in American history, Barack Obama may be a great ambassador for diplomacy!

Is our perception of beauty distorted?

more blogging news...

joeyimages.com has joined Bloglines!

what is blogging to me: fun, it's about sharing, freedom of information, a good way to promote your photography skills through freelance journalism.  

I have to thank Dan Deveau from Life in a Flash for his blog consulting and shared knowledge.

The future of blogging is well alive!

logo ideas are giving me a headache...endless possibilities!

I'm still up and it's 3:31 in the morning! The following is a refined version of the current logo I created for the blog. I'm just debating it's future use for the official joeyimages.com website!

a child's beauty...

I find that I have to work harder for magical shots.  I played with one single Nikon SB 800 flash and bounced it off the wall, but I also had to compete with an incandescent light behind his right shoulder, so I'm still uncertain about the colour tone.

Reality check...

Well it's officially November and so much needs to get done before the year end.  I'm trying to compile more content for my blog and continue to be resourceful to all the students who visit and seek digital imaging knowledge...justification for a higher education!  I'm always thinking up some new ideas to bring to the table and make the blog an exciting outlet where everyone can share techniques and creativity.  So some of my goals for 2009 include, tutorials and regular article submissions related to camera gear and digital imaging.  I have been communicating with Nikon Canada in hopes that I can bring some of the their products into the classrooms.  I'm also working with various web design/development consultants who are willing to share their talents and appreciate digital imaging and graphic arts.  My attitude right now is that I need everyone!

So I welcome feedback....

joey!