The other day I was out looking for something to photograph. I drove by the cemetery on South Street in Martinsburg and stopped to see if there was anything. What I found was really sad. One or more really sick people had knocked over a considerable number of the gravestones, creating a scene of chaos. I am at a complete loss to explain why people would do such a thing.
Olympus Em-5, 14mm f/2.5, 1/5 Sec, f/6.3, ISO 1600
I don’t normally post test shots from a new camera, but I think this one may turn out to be special. It certainly has created a lot of buzz on the Internet and is still very hard to get. I got lucky when I caught it in stock at B&H during a very short window of opportunity last Monday and ordered it. It arrived on Wednesday so Thursday I took off with my friend Cornell Johnson and we headed down to DC (Thanks for driving Cornell!). We finally found a place to park in front of the National Archives and had two hours before they started towing from that spot. So we walked down to the Natural History Museum.
Olympus EM-5, 45mm kf/1.8, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 200
The Olympus OM-D EM-5 is the latest in a line of so-called “Micro Four Thirds” cameras. The 16 megapixel sensor is about 25% smaller than the “APS-C” size sensor in my workhorse Nikon D300. But the size and weight differential is extreme. Using three very small prime lenses – one on the camera and one each in my two shirt pockets – I had all the lenses I needed for this outing.
I’ve posted a small gallery of the images here.
I have also been shooting with a Panasonic GH2, also a Micro Four Thirds camera.
Why am I considering these cameras? I suppose that if image quality was the only concern I would be selling off as much stuff as I could and getting ready to buy a Nikon D800.
But I am getting to the point where size and weight in a camera kit matters and so I am exploring these small cameras, which are still marvels of new technology. That’s not to say I will not ultimately yield to the temptation to acquire the D800, but in the meantime I am really enjoying working with these small, light cameras and I have been very impressed with the images.
Finally, using a new camera (or anything else for that matter) for the first time will provide many opportunities for mistakes. Yesterday I was fiddling with the settings and accidentally captured a couple of shots at ISO 25,600! Noisy? Definitely, but certainly usable for some things.
Olympus EM-5, 20mm, f/1.7, 1/250 Sec, f/6.3 ISO 25,600
One of the oldest forms of art is architecture. Artistic design of living, working, and ceremonial spaces enhances all of our life’s activities. The Morgan Arts Council presents “Art in Architecture”, an exhibit to explore how architecture is depicted in art and how artistic design of architectural elements can enhance a living or working space. The exhibit will be in the Special Events Gallery at the Ice House in Berkeley Springs, WV.
The exhibit will feature a wide range of work from painting and photography to fine wood and metal work, stained glass, and jewelry.
I will be exhibiting several prints from my “Cityscapes” series and the “Interwoven Mills” series. I am also the curator for the exhibit.
The exhibit will feature a total of 16 artists. Here is the full list:
Rip Smith (Photography)
Alice Webb (Digital photo art)
Judy Rand (Cabinetry)
Becca Jones (Wood sculpture)
Lee Badger (Metal sculpture)
John Fisher (Torii jewelry)
Jerry Smith (Stick furniture)
South Mountain Creations (Carved sink)
Peter Wood (Metal sculpture)
Steve Adams (Wood bench)
Mary-Jo Bennett Photography)
Ralph Gonzalez (Stained Glass)
Doug Ritenburg (Photography)
Kat Cimaglio (Acrylic painting)
Wilson Webb (Painting)
There will be an opening reception Friday, April 4 from 7:30-9:00pm at the Ice House Gallery.
Hope to see you there!
I’ve been surfing the net a lot looking at the photography resources and organizations around the country. There are a lot of exciting organizations, events, and activities.
There are workshops, portfolio reviews, galleries, schools, and more in places like Boston, Santa Fe, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Houston, Charlotte, NC, Woodstock, NY, to name just a few.
Living in Martinsburg, West Virginia, I have been looking for something in the Washington DC area.
Thus far I have not found anything. One would think that Washington, DC would have some resources for photography.
Perhaps DC is too caught up in politics(?)
If anyone reads this that knows of something that I am missing, please drop me an email.
I just set this thing up and I wanted to see how it worked posting from my Blackberry. I don’t have much time to blog when I am home but I sometimes have time when I am waiting for things during the day,
BCNU …
