Camera Gear – Page 240 – Stuck in Customs
23
Dec 2013 : Monday
filed under  New Zealand, Photography Tips, Saint Bathans, Sony A7R

Say Hello to my Little Friend

Looking for Last-Minute Photo Goodies for the Holidays?

We put together a 30% off everything-at-the-store for a short time! Pop on over to The Stuck In Customs Store and you’ll see the secret code right there on the front page! 🙂

Daily Photo – Say Hello to my Little Friend

This is related to yesterday’s photo at Coomb’s Cottage! Right after I took the photo out the front, I walked up the hill in the back along the fenceline. The house pup bounded along and followed me all the way! He was very friendly. Maybe he was a bit worried about the upcoming storm…

Now this effect I got in this photo is a bit different! It’s pretty much straight out of the camera with the 24mm Leica f/1.4. And I shot it at f/1.4. You can see how the dog and the nearby stuff is in focus while the background and clouds are out of focus. I never really do landscape shots like this, but I kind of find it interesting…

Say Hello to my Little Friend

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2013-12-15 21:08:13
  • CameraILCE-7R
  • Camera MakeSony
  • Exposure Time1/350
  • Aperture
  • ISO100
  • Focal Length
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias

Comments
22
Dec 2013 : Sunday
filed under  New Zealand, Saint Bathans, Sony A7R, Travel

Relaxing in Saint Bathans

Funny Amazon Review

Here’s a ridiculously funny Amazon review of Kleenex by a mom.

Daily Photo – Relaxing in Saint Bathans

There was only one hotel in town and I think it only had two rooms. Either way, it was booked, so Stu and I were out of options almost immediately on what we assumed would be an overnight mantrip. So we went to the local giftshop and got into a strange LGBT conversation with the lady that worked there, and then she ended up recommending “Coomb’s Cottage” just down the road in the middle of this conversation. She raised her eyebrows as if this was an LGBT-friendly bed&breakfast. I raised my eyebrows with a slow nod to let her know I understood the nature of her recommendation. I did not want to let her know I was not in the family though, because I did not want to offend her hitherto sensitive sensibilities. Either way, we ended up a few kilometers away, here at this open-minded cottage with this open-landscaped view.

Relaxing in Saint Bathans

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2013-12-15 21:13:00
  • CameraILCE-7R
  • Camera MakeSony
  • Exposure Time1/60
  • Aperture
  • ISO160
  • Focal Length
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias

Comments
21
Dec 2013 : Saturday
filed under  New Zealand, Photography Tips, Saint Bathans, Sony A7R

Leica Lenses and More

Upcoming Leica Video

I’m in the middle of editing a video all about using Leica lenses on the Sony A7r. I’ve been doing a lot of experimenting. I’ll share it here and on my YouTube channel soon!

Thanks for all the Leica Help

A few months ago I asked for some Leica help, and you guys and gals gave me some great advice — thanks so much! I’m still learning, but I’m enjoying the process. I’ve tested about four different Leica lenses on the Sony so far thanks to my friend Stu, and more are to come

Daily Photo – The Lupins at F/1.4

The lupins are everywhere all over New Zealand this time of year! Some of the locals think they are weeds; this is something I’ll never understand. I even dug some of these weeds up and planted them around parts of my home, hoping they spring back up next year. It’s gonna be great, I tell ya! 🙂 Sure, they look a little scrabbly in the off season, but not so bad.

These lupins were swaying in the wind outside of home in St. Bathans. I had on the Leica 50mm f/1/4 wide open and snuck up on some pretty ones to get this shot.

The Lupins at F/1.4

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2013-12-15 18:54:23
  • CameraILCE-7R
  • Camera MakeSony
  • Exposure Time1/3000
  • Aperture
  • ISO64
  • Focal Length
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias

Comments
19
Dec 2013 : Thursday
filed under  Camera Gear, New Zealand, Photography Tips, Queenstown, Sony A7R

New Video: Learning the new Sony while learning to Paraglide

This was kinda scary, I’ll be honest!

I happened to get my new Sony as the same time I was learning to paraglide solo over the Southern Alps! So I decided to combine the two into a video. This is a sneak peak inside www.TheArcanum.com too for you. 🙂

You might also be interested in the full new Sony A7r Review in case you missed it!

Chris before the jump

Here’s my neighbor and friend Chris Madison (who just started Aro-Ha here between Queenstown and Glenorchy) just before the jump. We were checking out the wind and getting our equipment ready. This was taken with the 35mm at f/3.5.

Chris Madison Before Jump

Daily Photo – Ready to Jump

What an amazing time I had! I was overwhelmed with both the new camera and the new experience of learning to fly solo. I can’t believe that I ended up jumping off one of the highest peaks in the Southern Alps. It seems totally insane and scary, but it turned out to be amazing.

This is a shot with the Sony Alpha DSLR lens – the 16-35mm. I used the adaptor with the new Sony A7r so that I could attach it. It’s one of my go-to lenses now for wide-angle work like this.

Ready to Jump

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2013-12-10 12:07:23
  • CameraILCE-7R
  • Camera MakeSony
  • Exposure Time1/200
  • Aperture6.7
  • ISO50
  • Focal Length16.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramProgram AE
  • Exposure Bias

Comments
18
Dec 2013 : Wednesday
filed under  Camera Gear, New Zealand, Sony A7R

Sony A7r Review is here!

Enjoy the full Sony A7r Review

See the Sony A7r Review that just went live on the site in the past few hours. I hope you enjoy it, and if you have questions, be sure to let me know there.

And below is my first published photo from the Sony A7r! 🙂

Daily Photo – A Sunset over Central Otago

It was a cool evening with a light breeze while I was walking along the fenceline of the bed & breakfast (Coomb’s Cottage) I was staying at near St. Bathan’s. There was an unknown weather system boiling on the far horizon that got closer and closer and more colorful as the afternoon fell to an end.

A Sunset over Central Otago

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2013-12-15 21:05:50
  • CameraILCE-7R
  • Camera MakeSony
  • Exposure Time1/500
  • Aperture
  • ISO100
  • Focal Length
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias

Comments
3
Dec 2013 : Tuesday
filed under  Camera Gear, Sony NEX-7

Way Above Queenstown and Live Interview Today!

Live on This Week in Photo Later Today!

I’ll be on live answering questions all about The Arcanum. It’s gonna be a very fun show with Fred — looking forward to it! To see your local time, visit the event here! (You can also watch live on that video)

Speaking of our chopper ride below

If you want to see more from our little chopper adventure, see the new top-banner collage from my friend Peter Giordano on the top of his Facebook page

Daily Photo – Way Above Queenstown

We had a great flight all around Queenstown with Choppy. She runs a company called Over the Top and I’ve flown with her many times. She’s so smooth! We landed up here for a short bit and took some photos as the sun was going down. It was so beautiful!

Way Above Queenstown

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2013-11-05 06:53:52
  • CameraNEX-7
  • Camera MakeSony
  • Exposure Time1/50
  • Aperture16
  • ISO100
  • Focal Length20.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias-1

Comments
2
Dec 2013 : Monday
filed under  Beijing, China, Sony NEX-7

The Mysterious Table and Don’t Forget about the Contest!

Don’t forget you can win a Quadcopter with a camera!

Be sure to pop on over to This Post from a few days ago and enter a comment to win a DJI Quadcopter. I have one on the way, and I am so excited! It’s called the Phantom 2 from DJI, and it looks pretty incredible. It even has a 14 megapixel camera, which is not too shabby. I’m starting to think about some crazy photos and videos I can shoot with it!

And Speaking of Drones…

Amazon just announced they are working on some package delivery drones. They look like they’re pretty far into testing them! You can see this rather amazing video over on the right… whoa… I wonder how long before we just see drones all over the skies… probably not too long if this looks to be happening. I’ll probably order all kinds of useless stuff just so I can see the drones come over again and again!

Daily Photo – Secret Photo Day

Can anyone tell me where this amazing place is located?

I found it on a recommendation from Sir Richard Taylor (the gentleman from Weta Workshop), and he told me it was absolutely crazy inside. He was right! There are so many crazy pieces of art, every chair is unique, and, well, the list goes on and on. I think there are over forty rooms, and they are all different. This is just one of them!

Secret Photo Day

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2013-05-29 12:48:46
  • CameraNEX-7
  • Camera MakeSony
  • Exposure Time6
  • Aperture4
  • ISO100
  • Focal Length10.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias

Comments
21
Nov 2013 : Thursday
filed under  Christchurch, New Zealand, Sony NEX-7

The Air Force Museum in Christchurch

Flying from China to Sydney

Here’s a little video I made that shows the view out the window while landing in Sydney and then a slideshow from some photos from China. The looking-out-the-window bit is kinda boring for some people I guess… but I always stare out the window like a little kid whenever I land anywhere! 🙂

Loon Recap

This photo below from the Air Force Museum was taken during my Google Loon Balloon adventure. The big unveiling was here in a huge theater. While everyone was getting set up, I was walking around taking a few photos. Anyway, in case you missed that Loon Balloon thing, here is a video below that shows a bit about it! 🙂

Daily Photo – The Air Force Museum in Christchurch

This is only the second airplane museum I have been to other than the Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. It reminds me that I should go more often, because they are always awesome. This one had particularly cool lighting, which I’m always a sucker for! There’s also something very cool about seeing airplanes indoors — I’m not sure why that is other than just the pure novelty of it!

The Air Force Museum in Christchurch

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2013-06-14 23:50:25
  • CameraNEX-7
  • Camera MakeSony
  • Exposure Time10
  • Aperture4
  • ISO100
  • Focal Length10.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias+2

Comments
19
Nov 2013 : Tuesday
filed under  Glenorchy, New Zealand, Paradise, Queenstown, Sony NEX-7

Flying through the Highlands

Photomatix Upgrade Policy

I know I mentioned the new Photomatix just two days ago, but I’ve been informed I was mistaken about the upgrade policy. Sorry about that! But, here, straight from them, is the latest upgrade policy:

“The upgrade to Photomatix Pro version 5 will be free of charge for customers who purchased a license of Photomatix Pro version 4.0 or higher through our website or authorised resellers (Photomatix Pro 4.0 was released on October 2010).”

The final Photomatix 5 should be out very very very soon — I am excited! I used it on the image below… and, well, most images you see on the site here!

Do you primarily use a Mac to edit your photos? If so, then check out Aurora HDR Pro! I worked with Macphun for over a year to build the ultimate HDR software!

Daily Photo – Flying through the Highlands

This is one of the first landings we made with Choppy on our latest helicopter tour. I swear — they are the most awesome things. I decided to reward myself with a few of these per year… the views you get are just amazing and I spend half the time being in awe and the other half recovering from the awe. Of course, I’m taking photos all the while!

Flying through the Highlands

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2013-11-05 04:09:42
  • CameraNEX-7
  • Camera MakeSony
  • Exposure Time1/320
  • Aperture10
  • ISO100
  • Focal Length11.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias+1.3

Comments
15
Nov 2013 : Friday
filed under  Arrowtown, New Zealand, Queenstown, Sony NEX-7

The Wine Barrels at Gibbston Valley Winery

A great Wine Tour!

If you’re looking for a good wine tour here in the south island of New Zealand, I recommend Appellation Central Wine Tours! Even though I live here, this was still a great way to do it. Philip showed us a bunch of great wineries with a stop for an incredible lunch. I took a ton of photos that day… here is one of them below!

Daily Photo – The Wine Barrels at Gibbston Valley Winery

This is a cave that was dug into 80 meters into the side of the mountain here in Gibbston valley. It keeps the wines at a constant 12-14°C (53.6-57.2°F) without the need for any other refrigeration. Even better, these kinds of places were made for photography! I got a few different angles… they are all interesting, but thought I would post this one first.

The Wine Barrels at Gibbston Valley Winery

Photo Information

  • Date Taken2013-11-07 22:58:34
  • CameraNEX-7
  • Camera MakeSony
  • Exposure Time13
  • Aperture8
  • ISO100
  • Focal Length13.0 mm
  • FlashOff, Did not fire
  • Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
  • Exposure Bias+1

Comments