New Forest

On the 27th of December 2009 we'll be tackling MT Snowdon, Wales. It's been a while since me and the boys went for a walk so me and Matt set off to just outside Minstead, New Forest, Hampshire. Naturally I took Camcorder and D-SLR to get a couple of flicks.

Entire Album can be viewed here

Roe Deer:

I was lucky to get this little fella. By chance I saw him bounding along in the distance so I set up to shoot at ISO1600 due to the low light in the forest canopy. Due to having to shoot F5.6 with the 70-300mm Lens, even at 1600 I could still only shoot at 1/100. He stood still just long enough for me to grab this flick :-)

Autumn, I do really love you.

Hello...

Its been a while since i posted here, its been at the back of my mind in all honesty.

But today while walking to work, it was impossible not to notice the rich spectrum of autumnal colours as the leaves laid on the pavement. It really was a very pretty sight. And for the first time in almost 3 Months now I had that urge to pick up my Camera again.

Unfortunately I had to go to work, so i couldn't. But it did make me wonder why its been so long since I picked up my DSLR.

For the time being, until I can find time to get out and do some nice photos I thought I'd post some of the last few months along with how they were shot (for the photo-heads

out there like I).

Lady Bird -

NIKON D50 SIGMA 70-300mm. Manual. ISO 200. F/5.6. 1/640. No Flash

Open aperture to widest at that zoom level for greatest Depth of Field in order to draw eye to subject. No flash used as the lighting was fantastic here and luckily they had just been watered so the droplets had formed.

Honey Bee -

NIKON D50 SIGMA 70-300mm. Manual. ISO 200. F/5.6. 1/400. Fill in Flash

I used a small amount of fill in flash here (notice the shine on eye and back of bee) as it was a very bright day and other bushes and such offered unwanted shade. Shot with wide Aperture to give good DOF but not too open that most of the bee remains in focus.

More Photos from this Set can be viewed on my Flickr and I update with more later on :-)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/robotdog/sets/72157622317782237

Thunder and Lightening!

As the title states. Down south in the UK (Dorset) its been a change from the norm and we've had some nice weather. And of course off the back of that nice weather and heat comes a storm and it was a real nice one as well.

Luckily the Panasonic HDCSD100 (and its brothers and Sisters like the HDC-SD20K) all feature a stunning little mode called 'Pre-Record' which buffers around 6 seconds of video onto your SD-Card (or HDD if you went for that option). It does what it says on the Tin, quite obviously pre-record, one enabled makes sure you don't miss a beat (or your mate falling flat on his face after a few beers, a perfect example of this being the Stonehenge video coming next week).

Another prime example being the capture of this electric storm. As soon as i saw the flash all i had to do was simply hit record; and it gave some fantastic results. Have a look for yourself:

Lightening/Electric Storm Dorset, UK from James Williams on Vimeo.

Question from 'Danny Digital'

I received this Question From Vimeo User Danny Digital regarding the Miny 35mm Vibrating DOF adapter from http://www.miny.tv/

Here is my Honest and Frank Response.

Conversation with Danny Digital

saw you got the miny 35mm dof. which one did you get and do you recommend it? 

Hi There. I ordered the Vibrating DOF with ACHROMAT. 

I wouldnt recommend any of them, it was of poor build quality and the ground glass focusing screen seemed as if it was about 20 Micron, had loads of noise on it (they custom make them and they are not very impressive at all when using high def cameras) The vibrating part, which is a motor with a small weight on the end (much like you would find in you PS2 controller) was not much better.The motor decided to spin at different speed Despite changing batteries a number of times presuming it was that!

The Motor then span out of control, so much so that the GG holder was hitting the side of the extension tube uncontrollably. Rendering it useless.

Then, to top it all off the wire attached to the battery case fell off (was soldered on really poorly).

In summery. DO NOT BUY ONE!

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, i know they are cheap, but that is for a good reason. 'Buy Cheap, Buy Twice'

And I've had to do exactly that.

On the good side, i did get a refund (apart from shipping, so i lost £20!).

If your looking for a DOF adapter in the same price bracket may i recommend jag35.com.

They offer a range of DOF adapters to suit price ranges. 

Mine is in the post as we speak. I can give you a review once i receive it if you wish.

Cheers

Jim

I knew its importance, but didnt appreciate it

It would be bloody stupid me for to say 'Light is really important in photography and Film'.

So I'll say it but with inverted comma's, then it wont make it look like I'm trying to make an extremely profound statement (pah!)

Of course it is. Light is essential for all of life. Not entirely the light itself but the energy of course. 

But in this case I'm not really talking about the sun. More of artificial light, and how to manipulate it.

In the last 2 years (prior to that i was kinda floating through a land of photographic discovery) I've really come to appreciate every technical aspect of photography, and i become astounded by the people who are not. 

The difference in colour tones you achieve by using different temp lights (6500K 'Daylight' being the best imo), Difference in contrast, shadow and harshness by using diffuse lighting (softbox's, overcast days) the different levels of compression and DOF you can achieve by using large or small apertures.

I wont go on forever, you get the idea. This has lead me to a fascination with Film Noir. 

Its hard and precise lighting, with the use of extreme camera angles and clever shot composition. 

Its got me all excited, so for the next project I'm determined to make a Film Noir Short. 

Next on the shopping list of a set of 3 Studio Lights with Softbox's (Key, Fill and Back Light).

If your interested in getting involved get in contact - Contact@manychefsbroth.co.uk

Test Footage shot on 26/05/09 With home made light kit

A Trial of Film Noir: Lucid Dream Motif from James Williams on Vimeo.

LCD Monitor Initial Thoughts

It was PAINFUL trying to acquire this item! 

The unfortunate thing being; nobody in the UK seems to do items like the LCD4VIDEO external monitor, so without any options i had to order it from the US.

I don't have a problem with ordering outside the UK, in fact a lot of my purchases are made online to websites all over the world. Main reason being the items i need are not available in the UK.

First of all, Parcel Force are Rubbish. And Second of all, I hate Customs TAX.

For one, my items arrived at the Bournemouth Depot of Parcel force but couldnt be released due to Customs Charges (£63!!) but how was i to know this?! 

No letter was sent to me what so ever. So if it wasnt my me growing concerned about my parcle and checking it online via the tracking number i would have never had known where my item was. 

So...after 19 Days since ordering. I finally had my Item.

Shooting with 35mm DOF adapters offers a few challenges indeed. First of all, and most obviously the issue of horizontal and vertical inverted images. 

Using a 35mm DOF adapter without the use of an Achromat lens (to invert the image) means what you will see onscreen will be your shot but upside down and back to front. 

This (obviously) makes it extremely hard to track your subject matter and to properly frame your shot. 

The other issue being, the freedom of creativity the DOF adapter offers can be quite unforgiving when it comes to getting your subject in focus (say goodbye to auto focus). I personally prefer the Focus all my shots manually, it gives faster and better control over your shot. But it can be very challenging when it comes to shots which require you to be quick when it comes to getting your subject in focus. 

The Answer? 

An External Monitor large enough to make it relatively easy to frame and focus your shot which also offers the capability to flip your image Horizontally and Vertically. 

LCD4VIDEO's product does exactly that.

The monitor comes with an array of accessories (i opted for the full kit)  from a screen protector and carrying bag to a battery pack to use in the field and a hot shoe clamp to mount it atop your camera.

...Talking about the hot shoe clamp. This I've found to be the only let down so far, it don't feel safe mounting my monitor on it at all. It is clumsy and poorly made, the monitor wobbles and flops about.

Apart from that it is a very good product indeed. The colours are fairly close to what your shooting, its resolution isn't fantastic but it will do the job when it comes to focusing your shot and the build quality is surprisingly good in contrast to its price tag.

I was, in all honesty expecting a cheap, creaky plastic frame around a low res screen; on the contrary it feels solid and well put together. 

It has a screw mount on the bottom and a slide in mount on the back giving the user a few options as how they want to mount their screen. 

You can change everything you would expect from a monitor (contrast, Brightness Colour) It auto detects PAL or NTSC and you have the option between the two common aspect ration's 16:9 and 4:3. 

The sunvisor (or sun protector) seems well made and offers good shade for your screen.

There is plenty more to say, but I'll hold first until its field tested. 

Full review then!

Until I've done that, i would recommend it for enthusiasts like myself using DOF adapters.

'Dad Dancing' You Betcha!

Festival De Cannes is considered to be the most prestigious of all film festivals, agreed?

Now, if i ever (EVER EVER EVER) had a film selected for entry (the only US entry in ALL of Cannes this year i might add) i think i might do a spot of 'Dad Dancing' myself.

Its such a shame, i would consider it such a delight to whitness one of the greatest Filmmakers of our time Prancing around flailing his arms and legs to Dick Dales 'Misirlou' !

Of course the 'Media' see it differently. Of course they Do.

Suggesting he needs 'Dancing lessons' displaying 'whats only know as bad dad dancing'

Whatever Trevor, about 20 films a year get selected for Cannes, Its his First war film of which is greatly anticipated and he premiered it at the festival. 

Like i said, I would dance like anybodies dad to be in his shoes.

Its not the first Time Tarrintino shows off his awesome Dancing Skills. And he does a great job of promoting his film by doing so.

I take my Hat off to you SIR!

Inglorious Bastards General Release 21st August, put it in your Diary!

M4A1 Rifle + Prototype

Here's a Tiny clip of a panning shot of an M4A1 Rifle (Extreme Close up). Shot using the DIY Prototype 35mm adapter (static). This was shot using a 70-300mm Sigma Lens at F4.0

Shows quite nicely the shallow Depth of Field due to the large Aperture.

Added 'Glow' effect in Sony Vegas

M4 Rifle Prototype DIY 35mm Adapter from James Williams on Vimeo.

35MM adapters for idiots, just like me.

Right, continuing from where i was. 

I'm not going to babble about DOF too much. And please don't get me wrong; having a SHALLOW DOF does not make your film look instantly fucking awesome. Of course, I'm not that naive.

Shallow depths of field can be used to great effect, specially in stack focus shots or for drawing the audiences attention to a specific subject.  Also creating Bloom (over exposure seeping light into under exposed parts of the frame) can give a very powerful image.

Enough crap talk.

Now. Back to my Prototype, please remember this is a very early one and in fact cost me around £4 to make myself.

As you can see from the video there is a HUGE amount of noise, and not only from the grain on the GG (Ground Glass, will go on about that later). Also fingerprints, Dirt (i couldn't remove even with plenty of cleaning)

This is all down to the GG i decided to use. As i was building this prototype on a a budget i decided to test it out with an old GG i had in an old NIKON FE film camera i had lying around (from about 1970's i think, its lovely and will return it to its former glory one day).

Oh yes, and you have to ignore the focusing section slap bang in the middle of the frame. Its brilliant for manual focusing of film cameras. But not so good when using it for unintended purposes.

Noise?

Well the noise is obviously a big problem. in short, in order to get rid of noise from the GG (specially for HD cameras as they pick up a lot more detail) the camera needs to be shooting at a slow shutter speed (24p upto 50fps preferably.....or if you really want to be pedantic - 23.976 fps) and the GG needs to be moving.

The most popular method of doing this is to make it vibrate. Using a 'pancake motor' attached to  a GG holder. 

This then blurs the grain (noise) of the GG and offers a much cleaner image.

(NB it also gives a slight sense of the frame moving, giving a feeling of being shot onto real film)

Simple eh?

Not really. but i wont go into that yet, that is the next step.

That's enough bullshit for now. 

Here's the viddie. 

DIY 35mm Prototype from James Williams on Vimeo.

The main point here is

1. It works

2. It has a shallow DOF (also helped by use of the 70-300mm Lens)

DIY DOF (Depth of Field) Adapter.

To those who are not as sad (or passionate, you choose) about the Technological side of film (if you don't bum articles about certain lens compression, shooting with UBER large apertures or would die for a REDROCK adapter) then you MIGHT not know what a DOF 35mm Adapter is (Honestly i dont mean that to sound patronising, in ANYWAY!) 

Well just briefly; in Film* a 'Cinematic' quality is usually achieved by a shallow/short DOF (Depth of Field, amount of subject/distance in focus within frame) allowing for greater control  and Selective Focus. And by 'Film Grain' (or 'Film Noise') which adds the making the film look softer and a bit more 'diffused'. 

*When i say Film, I'm taking about methodology/composition. Of course you cannot just put a 35MM adapter on your Sony HandyCam and make films similar to KUBRICK.

Home video and small diameter lens cameras look cheap and crap due to a large depth of field (everything being in focus) and by being extremely 'sharp'

In order to get a 'Cinematic ' quality you'll need some way of shooting with high quality, large 

Diameter/Aperture lenses. 

Conventionally there is no way of slapping a 'Prime' lens onto a standard video camera like mine (PANASONIC HDC-SD100) so in order to achieve this look we need an adapter.

Bring on the DOF (Depth of Field) Adapter.

Here is my HDC-SD100 with home made DOF adapter and SIGMA 70-300mm Lens. 

No, this is only a working prototype. I couldnt not be used for making any shots at all. 

A few MASSIVE reasons why. Next Blog

Finding Time!

Ok. Well i do need to find time.

It occurred to me that all this blogging is a great way to keep a journal (Remember, guys keep Journals, Girls keep diaries. NB unless perhaps you are 'Indy' then you can act like a fag twat)

Yeah so its almost like a log of everything you do (or wish to share) and contribute.

That's obvious though isn't it really, i just haven't been that bothered to do so. 

So from here on after i promise to update at least twice a week with shit i produce or create.

I do create a lot of 'Shit' as well.

Some of it I'm proud of and think 'well, that's not bad. I can learn from creating that' and some of it is just pure rubbish.

Everything cant be brilliant. And I'm happy with that.

Eyes peeled. I've invested in a DOF adapter to use my Nikon Prime lenses with. 

There will be plenty of lovely viddies soon.; 

Nice!

Along with investing on a premade DOF adapter i've been building my own and i will update on its progress (still needs some work)

Here an image taken from some AVCHD (RAW) video shot using the DOF adapter and a SIGMA 70-300mm Lens.