A Different Perspective

Terex_AC250_Crane-2

My friend, Moose, calls them ass shots. In his case its usually aircraft. The bottom line is reminding yourself to try different perspectives. As he says, make the common, uncommon. Recently I was looking at a new Terex AC-250-1 All Terrain Crane. It was overcast, the crane was in the middle of an inspection, so “normal” shots were out of the question. So I tried a different perspective.

Tripod Feet – Claw Feet for Sand and Snow by 3 Legged Thing

I love my Gitzo tripod. A tripod that well made is worth the price. I must say I also love anything made by Really Right Stuff, just a great company with great products. They are my first stop for anything head or tripod related

In getting organized to photograph wildlife in Yellowstone in a week or two with Moose and the gang, I ordered the Really Right Stuff (RRS) Pod Foot Rock Claw tripod Feet to better deal with the anticipated snow/ice. They would replace the normal Gitzo feet during the trip. To my surprise they did not fit the Gitzo leg. The screws were too short. The great technical support staff at RRS quickly got back to me and told me that they have recently shortened the screw on the feet and they are now not long enough to engage into some Gitzo tripods.

Going onto the B&H website, however, I found another set of “B&H Website: Claws Sand/Snow Shoes” feet made by 3 Legged Thing out of London, which are designed for their line of tripods. Went down to B&H and with the help of their great staff, we tested them on the Gitzo model I use. We found that the thread on Sand/Snow Shows is 3/8″ and is long enough to fit into the Gitzo. Seem to be very well made and almost exactly like the RRS product. Problem solved. Onto Yellowstone!

Master of Light Program featured in Volume 17.1 of the BT Journal

I had the extremely good fortune to have spent a good deal of 2013 working through the Master of Light Program under the close one-on-one tutelage of its creator, Moose Peterson. What started as a desire to get it right in camera (Moose’s mantra) quickly spread to a wonderful personal exploration with the camera and telling the story, all the time guided patiently (very patiently) by Moose. Sitting here today on the “other side” of that experience and looking back on it, the profound effect it has had on my approach to image making is pretty staggering and hard to explain without taking up way too much of your time. But,suffice it to say, more than I would have ever imagined when I applied for the Program and was accepted.

Moose has been a critical factor in my development as a photographer and story teller and for that I am extremely grateful. That such a talented individual that is in such demand within the industry spends such a significant portion of his time sharing and working with other photographers really tells the story. If you want to get better in this field, this is someone you need to follow. Trust me on that.

So MLP is completed but its not the end. Just the beginning.

Moose features our MLP work in Volume 17.1 of his publication, the BT Journal, which just came out and is available for the IPAD through the App Store on ITunes.

If you are in New Orleans, love the blues, see if Marc is playing

Marc Stone
Marc Stone
Walking along Bourbon Street last Spring we heard the sounds of old Chicago blues coming out of the Funky Pirate Blues Bar. The man behind the mic and guitar was Marc Stone accompanied by the very accomplished pianist, Joshua Paxton. What started out as going in to listen to one song quickly turned into sitting through two excellent sets. Marc has a radio show in New Orleans and recently released his new album “Trickeration and Rascality” backed by an array of New Orleans musicians. He frequently plays in New Orleans and you won’t be disappointed if you want to hear the blues….

Try to make the common, uncommon

It’s a phrase that seems to always be going through my head when I’m shooting.  Put there several years ago, and frequently reenforced since then by someone that has greatly influenced my journey with photography, Moose Peterson.  Anyone with a passion for photography should know Moose.  His images inspire, his depth of knowledge about his craft constantly leaves me in awe, and the information that he shares at www.moosepeterson.com will make you a better photographer – all 3,500 + pages of it.  And learning doesn’t stop there when you factor in what he shares in his books (24 at last count, I think),  videos at Kelby Training, workshops, and personal appearances throughout the US.  A Nikon Legend Behind the Lens, nationally acclaimed wildlife and aviation photographer, published in over 140 magazines, Moose is the real deal.

So, walking around the Lincoln Memorial last year, I was struck by all the people literally jockeying for position to photograph the statue of Lincoln front-on for the iconic image, just inside the entrance to the Memorial. Literally waiting in line to get “the” shot.  I tried to challenge myself and come up with something that was different, but still conveyed the feeling you get when you walk into the Memorial.  I tried a lot of different things that afternoon.  Some worked, some didn’t.  That’s ok, as I have found just the experience of trying to make the common, uncommon beneficial in the long run to shaping my photography.  This is the one I liked the best from that exercise.

Happy Lincoln’s Birthday….