So after a very long, but amazing week (Well Wednesday-Saturday), and no sleep…here are my 4 daily videos, day of edits…

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3:

Day 4:

I have been a bad blogger as of late, but I promise it’s not due to laziness but the complete opposite – extreme working-hard-ness.
Just finished a 3 day long, all day long music festival called Osheaga, shot Elvis Costello, Eminem, Lupe Fiasco, City in Color, and my personal favorite; MSTRKRFT…it was nuts! And I’ve been going shoot to shoot to shoot for the last 5 or 6 months…
It’ll get better soon! I promise!

So yes, I’m still alive haha, but barely. I haven’t been able to post any new blog posts, and I probably won’t for a while…cuz I have mono!! :S

So stay tuned though, I’ll try to post when I have some energy, but thought I ought to let you know that I’m alive!

Sorry that I didn’t get any blog posts out last week (sauf-one), I’ve been combating a bug all month.

But anyhoo…I was shooting Saturday morning for the Westmount Independent (glad that the new season has started again!) with a 1D Mark IV and a 1D Mark II, and both cameras jammed. They just stopped working!

The mirrors came up, the shutter opened, the shutter closed, the mirror never came back down! I take out the batteries of both, put in different batteries, turn them on…and the mirror comes down, and they go back to working as normal. :O Strange no?

And so…I think a very good quote for this week would be…

“Luck favours the prepared”
-Louis Pasteur

Louis Pasteur was a French chemist and microbiologist. But he’s right when it comes to photography, or actually anything come to think of it.

If I didn’t come prepared to my shoot…if I didn’t have extra batteries for both cameras, I wouldn’t have gotten the shot, and wouldn’t have really been able to do anything.

Come prepared to anything you ever do…and also come with backups of everything!

Until next time!

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So it’s been a while since I put up a lot of work on the blog…and an even longer time that I haven’t updated my video portfolio, or even put up my new demo reel! But here’s some of the work I’ve done recently…

Sports Fest East 2010 from Tabish Bhimani on Vimeo.

A fun weekend…days starting at 5am, ending at 12.

From my trip to China…

Timelapse of the Hong Kong Skyline from Eric Bindman on Vimeo.

Day 1 of Montreal Fashion Week…

Day 1 of Semaine De Mode 2010 from Eric Bindman on Vimeo.

Day 2…

Day 2 of Semaine De Mode 2010 from Eric Bindman on Vimeo.

Day 3…

Day 3 of Semaine De Mode 2010 from Eric Bindman on Vimeo.

Day 4…

Day 4 of the Semaine De Mode 2010 from Eric Bindman on Vimeo.

Fatherly Films Intro Reel 2010 from Eric Bindman on Vimeo.

Behind the Scenes with Ben Wong from Eric Bindman on Vimeo.

A Zombie Lunch from Eric Bindman on Vimeo.

Botanical Gardens from Eric Bindman on Vimeo.

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So what a weekend! I’ll be sure to post about that, probably a bit closer to Halloween though…

But last night I saw a video…and since Schindler’s List, I haven’t been so affected by a film. And rather than having a quote for this week, I had to show you this.

Nuit Blanche from Spy Films on Vimeo.

I hope you appreciate it as much as I did. Have a great week and stay tuned! Also…shot a self portrait today
–
Sometimes so much is going on we forget about what’s really there. What matters, what counts.

Take a moment for yourself. And in that moment you’ll find the world keeps going, but you’re not needed right then. Take a moment for yourself.
–
All shot with natural light
–

Have a great week!

So when I was in China (I’m saying that a lot aren’t I?), the weather exceeded 45 degrees, with a humidex of around 95%…yeah, that’s hot.

But coming to your rescue is Photo Shelter and Chuck Westfall, who’ve completed 6 tips to keep your gear safe in the heat! I just wish I had this list when I was over there.

1.) Avoid Condensation:

This is a biggie. If temperature and humidity differentials are high enough, condensation may occur when moving photo equipment from a relatively cool environment such as an air-conditioned vehicle, to a warmer one. When condensation forms inside a lens, for instance, internal elements can fog up, preventing clear images. When condensation gets bad enough inside a camera body, it can cause short circuits resulting in unexpected shutdowns. Worse yet, when equipment temperatures finally equalize to the warmer environment, water droplets on glass surfaces inside a lens may dry out and leave spots, mildew or fungus that can’t be cleaned by the photographer.

Similarly, when condensation dries up inside a camera, fungus, mildew, rust or corrosion may be left behind on printed circuit boards, viewfinder eyepieces, shutter curtains, or other internal components. If any of this happens, the equipment may be permanently damaged.

Incidentally, no matter how good it is, ‘weather sealing’ cannot prevent condensation, nor was it ever intended to do so. Damage caused by condensation is considered a user error, and it will void warranty coverage. One of the best methods to avoid condensation is to allow photo equipment to warm up gradually before exposing it to a hot environment. If this is not practical, consider placing the equipment in an airtight, resealable plastic bag with silica gel packets inside before exposing it to heat. (Don’t forget to squeeze as much air as possible out of the bag before you seal it, otherwise this technique may not work.) Using this method, the condensation will form on the bag instead of the equipment. Once the condensation on the bag has dried out, it should be safe to remove the equipment and start using it.

On a related matter, in hot and humid conditions, perspiration may cause condensation to form on your camera’s viewfinder eyepiece. Some camera manufacturers including Canon offer anti-fog eyepieces to prevent condensation from forming.

2.) What To Do When Condensation Has Occurred:

Use a soft, dry clean cloth to remove moisture from exterior surfaces. If possible, place the equipment in a dry, well-ventilated area to prevent further condensation from occurring.

3.) Cover Equipment When Not In Use:

If you must leave your camera equipment exposed to high heat and/or humidity conditions for long periods of time, consider covering it with a dry white towel when it’s not in use. Even when condensation is not an issue, heat absorption is another big concern for professional cameras and lenses, and especially digital SLRs. Cameras are designed to operate within a specific range of temperature and humidity conditions. For instance, the EOS-1D Mark IV professional camera has a high-end temperature rating of 45C/113F and a humidity rating of 85% or less. Since most camera bodies are black, internal temperatures can exceed this limit even when the ambient temperature is below it.

4.) Avoid or Limit the Use of Camera Settings that Generate Heat:

Heat build-up caused by ambient temperatures is one problem, but the other side of the coin is heat build-up caused by the camera itself. This has become more of an issue recently with professional digital SLRs due to the incorporation of new features such as Live View and HD video recording. These features generate heat from several camera components including battery packs, image sensors and LCD screens. If you plan on using Live View or recording video outdoors in high-temperature environments with your digital SLR, there are a couple of things you can do to minimize heat build-up inside the camera:

• Limit the use of Live View for still shots. This will minimize heat build-up from the image sensor and LCD screen.

• Use an external monitor when recording video. This will shut off the camera’s LCD screen.

• Use an AC Adapter Kit. This will reduce heat build-up by eliminating battery packs.

• Set the camera’s Auto Power Off setting to a reasonably short interval. Let the camera help to minimize heat build-up by allowing it to shut down automatically after a minute or two of inactivity. This will also conserve battery power.

5.) Storing Equipment in Hot Weather:

In high temperature environments with ambient humidity over 80%, use silica gel packets in your gadget bag or equipment case to absorb excessive moisture and protect your camera gear. Silica gel packets can be purchased in quantity from professional camera dealers and chemical supply houses, and are available in clear or moisture-indicating varieties. For long-term storage, consider storing camera equipment in Tupperware or similar sealable plastic containers with silica gel packets to absorb moisture and prevent fungus and mildew. In severely humid environments, even silica gel packets may be insufficient; so-called “camera dry cabinets” from manufacturers such as Toyo Living are available for such conditions.  No matter what kind of storage container you use, ideally the humidity level should be less than 60% for maximum protection. Relatively inexpensive hygrometers of the type used for cigar thermidors are available to monitor humidity levels inside the containers.  Remember to test hygrometers at least once a year, and recalibrate them if necessary.

6.) Store Battery Packs Separately and Keep Equipment Clean:

To prevent corrosion of your camera’s electrical contacts, remove battery packs prior to long-term storage. Also, as a matter of good housekeeping, clean cameras and lenses regularly and thoroughly. This is especially important in hot and humid weather, or after your camera equipment has been exposed to rain or condensation, to prevent mildew and fungus from forming.

© August, 2010 by Chuck Westfall

http://blog.photoshelter.com/2010/08/keeping-your-camera-gear-safe-in-the-heat.html

So today is Monday, and although it’s been a few weeks since we’ve had a Monday Quote (sorry about that, there’ll be a “goings on” post bringing you up to speed), tis time for a quote!

Todays quote comes from Christopher Collins, and if my research is correct, he is an American actor, known for his roles on G.I.-Joe, and Star-Trek The Next Generation.

So without further ado, this weeks quote is…

“You should never underestimate good B-roll. When everything else is crap good B-roll will carry you through the entire time”

-Christopher Collins

He’s so right though. I just spent all weekend shooting video, starting from 5am ending at 9pm, and really, the footage that was most important that we got was B-roll.

It’ll save your ass, not just when everything else is crap, but you just need good B-roll. It’ll make or break the video.

And with that little tip/quote, I’m off to a well deserved early bedtime.

Happy thanksgiving btw!

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A month and a bit ago, I was in China. More specifically Macau and Hong Kong. I was there on behalf of Dragon Boat Canada, shooting the World Championships.

I was there for 12 days, and shooting for 9. Now, it was the toughest shooting conditions I’ve ever shot in. We had 45 degrees on average with a 95% humidex. We would walk out of the hotel and be sweating by the time we where in the taxi.

I was stationed with the 22 Dragons from Montreal, and wow, what a job they did! But as for my assignment, I was supposed to shoot everything, action, atmosphere, team shots…what not. It was a helluva lot of fun, but boy was it hot.

My cameras overheated twice! Also for all the tech guys out there…I was shooting with a 1D Mark IV, a 1D Mark II, and borrowed a D3s for a bit (I’ll post something separate for that.) and occasionally with a 1Ds Mark III. Lens wise, a 400 f/2.8L, and a 70-200 f/4L with a 1.4x teleconverter. And a 24-70 2.8. And also the Tokina 12-24 f/4

And here are some shots from it:

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