Taking the Market to New Heights

A lot of times we photograph the same places or events quite often. I decided to take my 13ft light stand (how about this?) and attach my camera to it to give me a different perspective of a generic Saturday Farmer's Market. I was able to raise my camera high above the crowd so that you could see a point of view that most market-goers don't have a clue what it looks like. What came out was a nice overall look at the market which will come in handy with stories about this place.

People enjoy the vendors Saturday Farmer's Market in a parking lot between Wall St and Flume St near 2nd St. Saturday, January 19, 2013 in Chico, Calif.  

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

No Excuses

In light of my recent broken equipment, I have still had to do my job. I had a great performing Canon EOS 1D, and a good quality second body Canon 40D. But since both of them have decided to break over the same time period, I have been left with an entry level DLSR, a 10D. But this is no excuse for me to not perform. While I will also give no excuses to not buy new gear, it has never been the gear that have created great photographers. It has always been the images.

Gear merely provides a convenience. Instead of waiting for that perfect timing, just push the shutter for an 8 frame per second sequence that will probably snag what you are looking for. Having the gear doesn't mean you'll get the shot. You still need to work hard. Gear just makes it a little easier.

So, when I was force to use a camera that didn't have all the bells and whistles, I still had to work for that shot. I was able to shoot a baseball game and get a decent shot out of it.

Chico Outlaws' #12 Anthony Manuel (right) fields the ball to first base for the force out against the Na Koa Ikaika Maui's #8 Phil Alves (not seen) as #5 Paul Nishimura (let) attempt to advance to third base in the top of the third inning during their baseball game at Nettleton Stadium Thursday, August 19, 2010 in Chico, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

I'm Back, Broken, and Over Buying

I came back from my vacation and am excited to start taking images again. While I was out, I lost some tools and gained some too.

I ended up breaking my work camera the day before heading out for vacation. And the day before I came back to work, I broke my personal backup camera. So now both are out of commission. My personal one has been sent for repairs under warranty, but I'll have to wait 3 weeks until I can get it back. I hope it will be in time for me to start the MFA-Photography at the Academy of Art. My work camera was to costly to repair. I can only hope to get a replacement. There has been a discussion of the replacement camera to include HD video features. That might allow me to start producing more videos for the blog.

The damages were not my fault. They both were of simple wear and tear. My work camera, a Canon EOS 1D, had its power supply cut out. My personal camera, a Canon 40D, had the mirror hinge break.

But not all was lost. I had a good vacation trip with friends and my wife in Las Vegas. It was a nice weekend. And when I returned, I geared up with a new MacBook Pro... courtesy of student loans. So I still was able to enjoy myself.

I hope to start taking some shots again soon and sharing them as I have been doing lately.

The mirror hinge broke leaving the mirror in the way of the sensor of my Canon 40D while photographing friends wakeboarding at the Afterbay Monday, August 2, 2010 in Oroville, Calif.

(Jason Halley/ProPixelographer)

Going Sky High for Solar Assignment

     The other day I headed out to Sunset Moulding to photograph the company's CEO with the new solar field that was installed and maintained by Pacific Power. Sunset Moulding is switching their power resource to renewable energy. When I arrived, they had a scissor lift available for me to go up in. I love these assignments where I get to operate (or take a ride in) heavy machinery that under normal circumstances you must be well trained to use. I was raised about 30 ft or so in the air to get a higher viewpoint of the solar panels. I am sure almost every photographer would like a scissor lift in their camera bag at all times. Unfortunately this is one piece of equipment that doesn't fit the budget or the bag. It is nice to have for those high angle shots. 

Pacific Power Director of Communications Sarah Modgling, Pacific Power VP of Business Development Kelly McMahon, Sunset Moulding President and CEO John Morrison, and Pacific Power Project Manager Rod McKenzie, (left to right) look over the Solar Panels installed by Pacific Power at Sunset Moulding on Tuesday, May 25, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

What a Gigaview!

Recently I came across something very incredible. It was the combination of a photographer I have been following and his use of an equipment called Gigapan. It takes a normal compact point and shoot camera and combines a combination of photographs taken over a span of 15 minutes in 20 rows and 11 columns of individual images taken at full zoom. What this means is that it can give an image of 1,474 mega pixels. or 59,783 X 24,658 pixels. I have seen the technology in previous events, but for this photographer to use it at the Presidential Inauguration was truly an astonishing feat. It is the technology savvy "Where's Waldo" of photography.

See the image in fullscreen

Read how the photographer, David Bergman took the image

I have given much thought to a piece of technology like this. But never really seen its true potential till now. Before I had seen it be used in mostly still environments, but using it now during the Presidential Inauguration gives new meaning to its application. I myself am looking forward to investing in this awesome piece of equipment.