The Phottix Journal conducted an informal survey via Twitter. We asked: Canon, Nikon, Pentax – Why did you pick your camera brand? The responses: @stateofjoe: Nikon. Cheaper, and I find the hues and tones more vivid. Not to mention every noob in school has a Canon over here. @DaveTreadwell: …personally think Nikon make better quality…
Carrie Kellenberger is a well-known name in travel writing and blogging circles. As a Canadian in Asia, she has launched several websites featuring her own travel tales, tips, and images, as well as showcasing the work of others. This week’s Photog Friday features Carrie Kellenberger: Writer, Editor, and Photographer: A woman of many talents. How does she see the world through the lens? How does she capture moments while traveling the world? Read on…
Name: Carrie Kellenberger
Country of residence: Taiwan
Brief Bio:
I’m a Canadian expat living in Asia since 2003. I work as a writer and editor for a publishing company in Taipei. In my free time, I also find work as a freelance writer and occasionally, as a photographer. Although photography is a hobby for me, I’ve been lucky enough to get a few prints published.
How did you first get interested in photography?
I’ve always loved taking photos, but I didn’t really start getting serious about photography until 2006. I was traveling through Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia that year, and I captured some really great images on my little Canon point and shoot. That was the turning point for me. I bought my first DSLR, a Canon Digital Rebel 400D, in 2007 and was instantly hooked.
What do you like to shoot?
Anything and everything. A cursory look through my photo library, however, reveals my propensity for nature, landscape, and travel photography. Lately, I’ve been focusing on branching out into other areas of photography to increase my range and knowledge.
The rumor mill has been buzzing the last few days about a Nikon EVIL camera. For those into acronyms: EVIL = Electronic Viewfinder, Interchangeable Lens.
An announcement from Nikon is rumored for August or September of 2010 – perhaps at the Photokina show in Germany. Nikon Rumors has posted a artist’s conception of the Nikon EVIL as well as illustrations from recent Nikon patent applications.
Four thirds cameras are “the thing” to watch in 2010. A Canon EVIL is in the works, and Sony is rumored to be working on something similar, a competitor for the Panasonic GH-1.
Enter the haters. Wired Magazine published an article on 5 Reasons to Ditch your DSLR. Photographer Ken Rockwell has predicted:
The 2000s were the DSLR decade. Those days are over. DSLRs are about as relevant today as dial-up modems and SCSI-conected scanners. The 2010s are the decade DSLRs died.
That seems a little far-fetched. An oracle of Delphi Ken Rockwell is not.
Ben Lawson considers himself an artist first and a photographer second. He bought his first camera a 7 years old and was instantly hooked. His current goal is to bring boudoir photography back to his ultra-conservative community. What are Ben’s secrets? How does he set up his shots? Read more in today’s Photog Friday.
Name: Ben Lawson
Country of residence: USA
How did you first get interested in photography?
When I was around 7 years old, I bought an old manual twin-lens reflex camera at an auction. Being a kid and a beginner gave me the freedom to experiment. I was hooked as soon as my first prints came back from the lab. It was a sad day when the film it used was discontinued, and I had to retire my beloved first camera!
What do you like to shoot?
I think of myself as an artist first, a photographer second. I shoot subjects and concepts that interest me, or challenge me to expand my skills. I love working with other people, not just clients but models, makeup artists, etc. The experience of collaboration on an art project has always been very rewarding.
What’s your approach to photography, your philosophy?
As I said, I am an artist first. Although I have quite a range of subject matter and themes, they are all intended to create a body of art. Even client work like weddings and portraits are approached with the same goal in mind. I loathe the traditional formal portrait, and strive to have fun and be creative with everything I do. I collaborate with every client and model to convey their unique personality along with my own vision.
Canon’s new L Series lens, the 70-200 f/2.8 IS II USM was announced January 5. The highly anticipated announcement offers photographers new features and an improved IS system.
The updated lens features a re-designed optical system, with 23 elements in 19 groups, with a fluorite element and no fewer than five ultra-low dispersion (UD) elements. These changes, says Canon in their media release, drastically reduces chromatic aberration through the zoom range and produces edge-to-edge definition in high contrast images.
The lens’s new autofocus system is geared towards Canon’s new DSLRs, the 1D Mark IV and 7D. This updated model features a ring-type USM AF motor. When combined with a new high-speed CPU and AF algorithm, focusing is both faster and quieter.