Wrapping up 2016

December 31, 2016 in Client Work, Creative, Photo Shoots, Photography, Sony A7II, Sony RX1r, Work

Sometimes you look at your website and think, "Well it can't have been too long since the last time I posted" and then you realize it was 2 months ago. Sorry about that. I've been really busy. I promise! The time between the last post and this one has been my busiest, and in many ways most productive photography season ever.

So, before I get too far in here, let me just say thank you! If you are a client that trusted me to tell the story of your business, represent your professional image, show off your family or just spiff up your facebook profile pic I am sincerely grateful. You've made this an unbelievably successful first year in business for myself. I also want to say thank you to all of the friends that have supported me, asked about it and referred their friends and family my way. Your support is so valuable to me and I'm grateful.

So, what have I been doing the last 3 months?

I wrapped up my largest professional project to date- 200+ matching headshots over 16 sessions at 15 locations spread over 2.5 months.

I tackled 4 documentary style photo sessions which I'll be sharing more in-depth in the coming weeks (when the clients start using them). Headshots and patient documentary shots for a group of pedatricians, An entrepreneur coaching group in an amazing space in the Pearl District, a custom furniture maker, and a local winemaker marketing a new sparkling wine.

In the meantime, here are a few of my favorites from my professional work this year.

Photoshoot with Deena Anreise

July 03, 2016 in Portraits

I met Deena a couple months ago when I was shooting the WebVisions event in Portland and as we started talking we quickly figured out that we should schedule a photoshoot.

We met up without much of a plan, counting on using the older character on Portland's Eastside for our backdrop. We wandered around (and into) a few older buildings and found exactly what we were looking for. I really like how these capture Deena's personality!

Pip's Original Doughnuts & Chai

May 29, 2016 in Food, Photo Shoots, Sony A7II, Sony RX1r

A few weeks ago I spent a couple days with the team at Pip's Original Doughnuts and Chai in NE Portland. There's nothing quite like an all-access pass so you can get up close with those tiny doughnuts and the wonderful folks who make them!

The owners Nate and Jamie Snell have built a business based on a spirit of family, community and great food. From the recipes, the way they treat their employees, and the decor and feel of their beautiful space on NE Fremont, it's clear there's something special going on here.

Nate was recently featured on the Podcast Right at the Fork where they dig into the origins of Pip's, how they were inspired to do this combination of doughnuts and hand-crafted chai and what the future holds. I really liked hearing more about the way they are striving to build a true community with other folks in the vibrant food scene here in Portland.

I'm honored to partner with them and you'll see some of these photos appearing in their social media feeds over the next few weeks.

WebVisions Portland, 2016

May 26, 2016 in Client Work, Conference

I had the opportunity to photograph the 3 day WebVisions conference last week here in Portland. Day one's workshops were held at the beautiful PNCA campus in Northwest Portland. I was able to bounce between them, including everything from Aaron Draplin's actual file managment system and secret stuff he's working on to a plan for how to deal with a zombie alien invasion without killing the humans.

Days two and three were held at Revolution Hall in SE Portland which is an amazing old restored high school theater. Great venue, and really fun lighting for these great sessions. My two favorites - Mike Monteiro talking about the value of designers actually learning what they're doing from a mentor. Aaron Draplin brought his Tall Tales from a Large Man show which has had my brain going for the last week. I also took home a copy of his book which is worth the $40 many times over.

Unfortunately I could only be there until noon on day 3, missing the last few speakers, but it sounds like they were fantastic as well.

Thanks to Brad Smith for the amazing conference!

"Dan is friendly, easy to work with and highly professional. He scoped out our event venue and got great coverage of our event. I’d highly recommend him and will use him again if he’s not booked!”

- Brad Smith, Executive Director, WebVisions

Technical notes-

I carried 2 bodies all day long, all three days.

Sony Rx1r as my normal focal length (35mm) for candids, close distance and tight quarters.
Sony A7ii with the Sony 70-200mm f/4 for almost all shots in the theater or from across the room at the workshops. I also took a small handful of ultrawide shots with the Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 and some audience shots in the dark theater with the Sony Zeiss 55mm f/1.8.

Image courtesy of http://sonyalphalab.com

Sony E Mount Strategy -Revisited

February 11, 2016 in Camera Gear, Sony A7, Sony A7II

I wrote a piece on Sony's lens selection and strategy back in late 2013. With the announcements of Sony's new G Master FE lens line, It feels time to revisit this topic. A little over 2 years later, while some of my criticisms have been answered, some still linger and new ones have appeared.

In that article, I suggested Sony develop some fast zooms to win over the pro DSLR crowd, but I kind of assumed they would have attended to the rest of the line in the meantime. Between then and now, they have released 7 FE lenses. I've added a basic description of each.

28mm f/2 (entry level Prime lens)
Sony Zeiss 16-35mm f/4 (Mid level constant aperture)
Sony FE 24-240 F3.5-6.3 OSS Lens (All in-one travel zoom with variable aperture)
Sony FE 28-135mm f/4 G PZ OSS Lens (Very large power zoom -primarily a video lens)
SONY FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS Lens (Pro level long zoom- Sports, Wildlife, and studio)
Sony FE 35 F1.4 ZA Lens (Pro level Fast Prime with manual aperture ring)
Sony FE 90 F2.8 Macro G OSS Lens (Mid level macro)

You might look at that list and think, "What are you complaining about?"

I look at that list and see a lot of compromise and a lack of direction.

Some Examples

When I think of a camera system, I picture a robust and standard mount that accepts a whole range of lens offerings offering consistent quality and design philosophy. This is one reason photographers have put trust and money into Canon's L series, Nikon's FX series and Leica's M mount lenses. There's a consistency to how they work, look, and feel. Prices also have some consistency and predictability.

Sony's FE line seems disjointed, and inconsistent. Not only are there big holes in the lineup, but the variance in design and price between lenses is really weird. For example, the 28mm f/2 is a very solid lens and has a good reputation for image quality and build. It's priced at $450, which seems like a pretty good deal and is appropriately priced for a no-frills lens.

If you move to the next traditional focal length of 35mm, there are two lenses which both have some good qualities and are well loved by many Sony shooters, but just don't make sense in a system. The 35mm f/2.8 Zeiss lens is slower than the 28, and close to double the price. These two lenses are awfully similar in image quality, but don't seem like they belong in a system together. Different finish, different branding.

Add in the 35mm f/1.4 and things get really confusing. Is there an upper line of fast Zeiss lenses with dedicated aperture rings and absolute focus on image quality? No? You mean this is the only one? See what I mean? This lens has almost nothing in common with either of the two I've already mentioned which would indicate that it belongs to its own "set" of lenses.

How about a 50mm, the standard Normal focal length prime lens? I see a good mid-high end model in the Sony Zeiss 55mm f/1.8. Is there an entry level 50 matching the design and price point of the 28mm f/2? Nope. Is there an f/1.4 model that matches the high end 35? No, that one doesn't exist either.

Let's say you want an ultra wide or a super wide angle prime lens for astrophotography or low light interior shots. The entry level 28 is the widest prime in the Sony lineup and if you want to shoot wider, your only option is a 16-35mm f/4 zoom.

Are you starting to see some inconsistencies?

Marketing Strategy

Even from a marketing perspective, this random strategy makes little sense. From my (admittedly) anecdotal view, there's a healthy market for sub $1,000 fairly compact lenses. I know of very few A7 owners that don't own the 55 or the 35 f/2.8. Though there's clearly a place and demand for the development of higher end lenses, I'd wager that Sony is leaving money on the table by not having a larger stable of standard primes.

It seems there's a psychological barrier holding a lot of people back from the idea of spending more on a lens than the cost of the body. Though experienced photographers know that glass is a great place to invest, there is a very broad (arguably larger) market of newer enthusiast photographers who would rather buy 2-3 good lenses for $1,500 than one great lens.

So, though I know it's unlikely to draw Sony's attention and seriously change their plans or philosophy, I'd like to offer a roadmap which actually makes sense and addresses many different types of photographers.

Conveniently there are great pieces in the current lens lineup to guide us. Here's to development of a system which is optimal for shooters and gives Sony some great price points to drive wider adoption and good-will with photographers.

FE lenses

FE 28mm f/2 with UWC attached photo coutesy sony.com

This is a lineup that should resemble the 28mm f/2 . Smooth, satin finish bodies, a single focusing ring, simple branding and fairly quick apertures. On this line, I'd avoid OSS and apertures faster than f/1.8 or f/2 to keep the body size under control. These should all be in the $300-$700 range. Here are my suggestions.

21mm f/2
28mm f/2 (current model)
35mm f/1.8
50mm f/2 or f/1.8
Fisheye is already covered with the adaptor for the 28mm

Sony Zeiss Lenses

image coutesy of http://lenspire.zeiss.com

Sony and Zeiss have a great history of collaboration and I really hope nothing happens to jeopardize it. There are some great Sony Zeiss lenses, but there just isn't a consistent direction. The 3 zooms are similar, but the primes are all over the place.

I'd move towards a set of prime lenses modeled after the 35mm f/1.4 Distagon with prices in the $800- $1600 range. Satin/Matte finish, Zeiss Branding, T* coatings, and dedicated aperture rings for the primes. I know a lot of photographers prefer to use zoom lenses to cover the broad ranges and then add a couple key primes in critical focal lengths. This line should reflect that.

14mm f/2.8
21mm f/2
24mm f/2
35mm f/2.8 (current)
35mm f/1.4 (current)
55mm f/1.8 (current, but ready for an update)
85mm f/1.8
90 f/2.8 Macro (current, though branded as a G model and priced like a Zeiss?)
135mm f/2
16-35mm f/4 (current)
24-70mm f/4 (current)
70-200mm f/4 (current, though branded as a G model and priced like a Zeiss?)

Sony G Master

This is relatively new line (they haven't even shipped the first 3 lenses yet as I write this). It seems Sony is really aiming to compete with the high end L glass from Canon, and the upper end FX lenses from Nikon with this set. I predict this being a much more speciality oriented set. Aperture rings, high end speciality glass and designs, with a distinct visual design. In some ways this line doesn't have to be that complete. This is the place to go all-out and try new stuff.

16-35mm f/2.8
50mm f/1.4
85mm f/1.4 (Current)
16-35mm f/2.8
24-70mm f/2.8 (current)
70-200mm f/2.8 (current)

So, that's my proposal. It's a lot, but there really is a lot of room for improvement. Some of these aren't exciting, but would be great pieces to add if they have real long term plans for E-mount. Go take a look at the primes lenses available on just about any other system and this doesn't feel like a lot.

Other Makers

I really believe that Sony needs to offer their own complete line of lenses. That said, its great to see other companies get into the E Mount business. There are a few, but the only one that has really made a commitment to this mount is Zeiss.

There are a handful of other lenses with native E Mount, but these Zeiss lenses are the only serious peers and compliments to Sony's offerings. Zeiss has even gone so far as to publicly discuss their relationship with Sony and the differentiation between the Sony Zeiss collaborations and their own lenses.

Sony doesn't really do the same, which isn't all that surprising. Thankfully, these Zeiss lenses fill gaps between the Sony lenses and in-fact the Loxia lenses offer truly unique character and beautiful design and handling. If the Sony 55 is sometimes reviewed as "clinical" in it's rendering, the Loxia 50 seems full of character. As tests come in on the new Sony G Master 85, it will be interesting to see how it compares to the Batis 85, which is also really new.

My take on it? The Zeiss lenses offer some upgraded character, handling and build, but image quality is very similar to the Sony Zeiss lenses. It remains to see if the G Master lenses represent a significant upgrade.

What about APSC?

People express so much concern over Sony's lack of new APSC lens development and view it as a sign that APSC is dead or not a priority to the company. I suggest Sony cease marketing and making APSC-specific lenses and begin moving toward a universal E mount that can be used on both sensors. Perhaps keep the base model zooms and either the 21mm or 16mm pancake. This gives customers an easy and inexpensive way to get started, but removes the confusion and simplifies the upgrade path in a way that no other camera maker does.

New 50 and 35mm models in the FE base line could take the place of the current 50mm f/1.8 and 35mm f/1.8 models.

The Future

Sony is most certainly pushing the envelope with the Alpha series. New bodies are coming out quickly and many photographers are deciding that Mirrorless is finally ready for professional use which makes it a great time to land an upgraded lens strategy. It will show established photographers that Sony is willing to support a full system, making it easier to switch and it will allow new photographers to grow with this mount and system.

New Years Day

January 23, 2016 in Food

We had some friends over for New Years day and had a delicious Prime Rib. Emily has the prep dialed on this cut of meat.

Sony Needs to Do Better with Lenses for the A7

October 20, 2013 in Camera, Photography, Tech

So, now that the full announcement, previews, first image samples and first criticisms and praise for the Sony A7 and A7r are here I have a few more thoughts. The A7 is what I and many of my friends value- Top notch Image Quality but smaller and lighter than what has been previously avialable.

I'm gonna put one piece of criticism out there.

Lenses. What's the deal with Sony and lens planning?

How is it that Sony isn't just releasing amazing Primes right out of the chute for this system?

The 55 f/1.8 Zeiss is great, but why not go faster with the 35? We know it's possible because they already put out an amazing f/2 on the RX-1. I've heard rumors that the short mount distance on the RX-1 makes this lens work, but no one would have complained about an extra centimeter of length due to the interchangeable mount. And why not a 24mm and an 85mm? They could have totally changed the reputation among serious photographers regarding their lenses if they'd just done it right.

Instead, they are getting the same criticisms they've always gotten for the NEX system. Great bodies. Bummer of a lens selection.

Also,why does Sony refuse to go faster than 1.8 on mirrorless?

They need to take notes from Fuji who is pretty much universally praised for the quality of their X series lenses. That's a way to release a system. There isn't really a missing focal length in their native offerings and they are comparing favorably to the Zeiss Touit lenses. That says a lot.

Sony is saying that there are 15 full frame lenses on the way, but there aren't even 15 E mount lenses for NEX APS-C right now. There are a few more if you include third party offerings from Zeiss, Sigma and Rockinon, but they mostly duplicate Sony's own offerings.

16 f/2.8
10-18 f/4
20 f/2.8
24 Zeiss f/1.8
30 f/3.5 macro
35 f/1.8
50 f/1.8
18-55 zoom f/3.5-5.6
16-55 pzoom f/3.5-5.6
18-200mm f/3.5-6.3
55-210 f/4.5-6.3
big video power zoom 18-200 f/3.5-6.3
Zeiss 16-70mm f/4 zoom
Sony g zoom 18-105mm f/4

I might be missing something…but 3 years in and they are still missing a few key lenses. No 75, no 100, no fast zooms at all. Every zoom is 3.5 and the only two that are constant are f4. Perhaps more importantly, the quality of the above lens selection is really hit and miss. There are some great lenses in that list, but there isn't the consistency to build a good reputation.

If they want to be taken seriously and convert pro Canon and Nikon owners they need to develop competitors to the long fast zooms. They might be big compared to current NEX offerings, but they should be able to make them smaller than FX and L lenses because of the short mount distance.

How about a 70-200 f/2.8, an 18-105 f/2.8 or a 14-24 f/2.8?

It seems to me that the majority of pros using full frame canon and Nikon care way more about sharp fast zooms than primes.

By contrast, almost no one uses zooms on mirror less cameras because they don't make any nice ones that are sharp anywhere but in the center.

The Sony guys are talking about using glass from other mounts using adaptors, but they need to develop native e mount lenses if they hope for people to switch. They can't make folks go elsewhere to for their go-to lenses.

So, if you've read my blog at all before, it's clear that I'm a huge Sony fan. They are pushing the envelope like no other company out there. I only put this criticism out as a fan who wants to see Sony succeed. They could really make a huge shift in the camera market and the perception of mirrorless systems in general with this new camera. I just hate to see them fumble on the lens part.