Life At The Beach Timelapse

I shot these clips in an afternoon while we had offsite meetings about upcoming work projects. The images were captured on a 5D Mark II with a Vello Shutterboss. I shot RAW and edited the images in Lighroom and assembled them in FCPX. I took Richard Harrington’s NAB time-lapse workshop and have been hooked on time-lapse video since. I’m still playing around with settings and finding out what works best. I don’t have any de-flicker software yet, so I decided to enhance the look with flash frames during the edit process.

And if creating a cool Timelapse video isn’t enough for you to try it yourself, you have the added bonus of hundreds of images to pick through to find still frames you like.

VIDEO: Shooting Time Lapse in Red Rock Canyon at NAB

A quick video from my first experience shooting time lapse at Red Rock Canyon. It includes some photos and the time lapse shots I captured at the workshop. This is my first time at NAB and my first time shooting time lapse photography. I bought a Vello Intervalometer for my birthday back in January, but have not had the time or energy to invest in learning time lapse. I took the Time Lapse and Panorama Workshop with Richard Harrington at NAB to learn about the techniques and jump the first hurdle keeping me from learning. It was a great course and a beautiful environment.

Gear: What I Am Shooting In Sierra Leone

A lot of people ask me what I shoot when I am out in the field, so I decided to do a quick iPhone video showing what I was using in Pelewanhun, Sierra Leone this week.

Finished Packing: Here’s what I was able to fit in my luggage

Well I just finished packing for my upcoming Operation Blessing trip to Liberia and Sierra Leone. I faced some difficulties trying to keep most of my gear in carry-on luggage while still having room for a couple days worth of clothing. It is a tough balancing act, but one I must make because I have had gear stolen from my checked luggage and several trips where my checked luggage is lost – leaving me without extra clothes to wear. In the end, I feel like I’ve been able to pack enough for me to get by without my checked luggage or items that may be pilfered. I look forward to the trip, the people I will be able to meet, and the stories that will be captured. In the end, that outweighs all of this heavy stuff that I am trying to bring.

Here’s what I was able to pack in 2 carry-on and 2 checked bags:

Eye-Fi and Print Giveaway

THANK YOU GIVEAWAYS

I hinted at this earlier this weekend, but here are the details. I am giving away an 8GB Eye-Fi Mobile X2. These cards cost more than the average memory card, so I waited a long time before I actually gave one a try. It has changed the way I shoot and share images from my cameras, because they are sent straight to my phone for editing and uploading. It doesn’t have to go to your phone, it can wirelessly sync to your computer, iPad, FTP, etc. To thank you all for your support, I wanted to give one away with an 8×10 of my photograph, Fulani Weathered Wisdom. I am also going to draw two other winners who will each receive an 8×10 print.

HOW TO ENTER

All you have to do to enter the drawing is like this Facebook page, or subscribe to this blog.

You will be entered twice if you do both.

WINNER

The winner will be announced on February 2nd. If the winner does not claim the card or chooses not to receive it, I will draw another winner. To be fair, the other two winners of the 8×10 prints will be added to the list. To receive the prize, all you have to do is send me a valid mailing address and I will ship it to you.

Thanks again for taking the time to observe the photos on my site and learn about their stories.

34th Birthday Self-Portrait

I turned 34 today and on my Facebook wall, a friend said I should post a birthday self-portrait so that people could “like” it. In many ways, this is a pretty accurate account for most of my online storytelling – photos. That’s how I see and share the world and how people interact with me. So it was a fitting request and an idea that spawned a self-portrait with that in mind. An image of me as many people see me. It has my two of my favorite lenses – my iPhone and a Canon 50mm f/1.4.

Below is me and my boys blowing out the candles on my delicious home-made birthday cake.

Digital Christmas Card

Merry Christmas from my family to yours. As a creative person, I like to explore new ways to be creative with digital Christmas cards and thought I would do something a little different this year. Instead of a photo, I decided to try my hand with a digital art project. I hope you it blesses you. A version of the card can be found below to save, print, use as a desktop, etc.

Meet The Olloclip.

I have looked at lens options for my iPhone since 2008 when Apple released the iPhone 3G.  The release of this new phone and iOS, the app store began to fill up with wonderful photo editing and sharing apps.  My fascination with iPhone photography started with the original iPhone I purchased when it was first released.  I liked the LOFI look of the images.  Because I was also shooting with Lomo film cameras, in 2008 I created a site to showcase what I called iPhonelomo.  Quirky photographs shot without the intent of perfection and focused more on creativity.  It pushed me to think differently about photography and what I see around me.

This fascination made me look for ways to do more creatively with my phone.  I started my iPhone lens search with a Griffin Clarifi case that made close-up (not quite macro) photography possible with the 3G and 3GS.  It also allowed me to create artistic images without anything in focus.  I got a lot of use out of this case because it served two great purposes and didn’t require me to carry any accessories.

Dino And Domi Ride The Norfolk Tide

Both of my boys like trains, but Dino really likes them. This Christmas we introduced him to Polar Express. I wasn’t sure what he would think because he is only 2.5 years old, but the next day I heard him muttering about losing his ticket. We quickly made him his own golden “Ticket to Ride” and he carried it around with him. The day after Christmas we decided we needed an outing.

This year Nofolk, VA finished their light rail system called The Tide and one of the few stops is just over a mile from our house. We jumped in the car and headed up to ride The Tide to the MacArthur mall so the kids could play on the playscape inside.. This iPhone video captures their ride.

For those interested in the footage, it was all captured on my iPhone using an Olloclip lens. It is a wonderful piece of photographic equipment for the iPhone that allows you to shoot Wide Angle, Fisheye, and Macro. Check the link to learn more. I bought mine at Best Buy because the Apple store was sold out.

Music
“Night Lights” by Learning Music (http://www.learningmusicmonthly.com/)

An Interview with Michael Pritchard, Inventor of the Lifesaver Bottle.

Yesterday I had the privilege of interviewing Michael Pritchard, the inventor of the Lifesaver Bottle, for an upcoming video that Operation Blessing is putting together to show how we are using his technology to bring clean water to remote areas of the world. Not only was it great to be able to interview him, but it was also fun to create an atmosphere for the interview in our office space.

I had a few ideas going into the shoot about using black and the striking yellow Lifesaver jerrycans, but creative juices started flowing as I inspected the space. One piece in particular caught my eye and  changed our “set” for the better. It was an old light table that is usually unused and in our way. It became my third light source and put an interesting aura under the jerrycans. But lighting aside…let’s talk about the Lifesaver technology.

As an employee of Operation Blessing, I spend quite a bit of time out in the field and have had the privilege of using and distributing Lifesaver bottles and jerrycans. Their ultra filtration system removes viruses, bacteria, parasites, and other waterborne pathogens. It was great to hear his story about the creation of the Lifesaver systems and his goal to end water poverty. I thought I would use this inspiration to talk a little bit about my hands-on experience with Mr. Pritchard’s Lifesaver systems.

I carry a Lifesaver bottle with me on every trip I take because I never know what situation I will be in where I won’t have access to safe drinking water. Even when I have access to water in a hotel room overseas, it isn’t always safe for drinking. I’ve saved a ton of money by avoiding the expensive bottled water provided in hotel rooms. In disaster scenarios, it can be even more crucial. I used it daily when our team was in Haiti right after the earthquake and helped distribute Lifesaver jerrycans during the cholera outbreak. Operation Blessing was able to deliver safe water to the hardest to reach places because these systems are small enough to pack into 4 wheel drive SUVs that can handle the worst terrains.

Because the Lifesaver jerrycans are so portable, we were able to give one to every family in the water-locked village of Luben. They were completely surround by the cholera-infested water and these systems were a real “life saver” for this and other communities in the area that were unreachable with larger purification systems. Having been back to the village of Luben, months after the outbreak of cholera, I heard firsthand from villagers, like Wilna, who are using their Lifesaver Jerrycans daily to protect their families from the cholera that is still in the river where they get water. (See her video story below.)

Even though I am currently in the US and don’t personally have to worry too much about the water I am drinking, I don’t forget about the people who are less fortunate.  It was truly great to hear the passion that Michael Pritchard brings to his innovative technology because he cares about others and wants to bring a solution to this water crisis that over 1 billion people face. 

You can learn more about how the Lifesaver technology works at http://www.lifesaverusa.com/
To make a donation to Operation Blessing to give this technology to families in need, Click here.

Videos:
Waterlocked Village In Haiti Battles Cholera With Clean Water

Wilna’s Story – Surrounded By Death: Cholera in Haiti’s Waters