RED Camera: I'm RED with ENVY

Ok friends, brace yourselves. The company that brought us the RED ONE video camera--that I've used and raved about before, ad nauseum--today announced their newest addition to the imaging world: not one, but two new DSMC (that's "digital stills and motion camera" in case you missed it) camera platforms...EPIC and Scarlet.

Sure you remember my earlier post about the converging technologies of still and video. We've naturally been excited by the newest video dSLR's by Nikon and Canon, but hold your horses. This new stuff from RED has got to have our longtime camera-manufacturing friends' knickers in a twist. You want to shoot 24mp images at 100 frames per second? OK. And you want the system to be 100% modular so you never have to buy an entirely new "camera" again? Check. And, you probably want to use all your Nikon, or Canon, or PL mount lenses too? No problem. If that interests you, click the 'continue reading' link below. This is bigtime.
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Of course all this versatility comes at a price--that's been the argument against the RED system before..."sure the body only costs X (and the first time it came out, X was 17 grand), but the all the lenses and the glass will cost you 3x", etc. Well, as I understand it, at least half of that argument is gone as of today. You can leverage your existing Nikon or Canon dSLR glass into this system. Smart move RED folks. Yes the accessories will also cost a pretty penny, but consider that this system is mod-u-lar. New sensor technology evolves? Just replace the old sensor portion of the camera with the new juice. Same goes for display and recording modulars. That's mind blowing.

Don't get me wrong - there is still plenty of room to be skeptical about the yet-proven success of such a platform, but c'mon, if you know anything about me or this blog, you know I'm easily excited by a new way of looking at an old problem. Hell, just simply the conceptual rhetoric about such a system get's me light-headed and grinning from ear to ear.

Alright, enough banter say you. Give me the meat and potatoes.

First, according to the manufacturer, the EPIC line "features a robust, machined body and has virtually unlimited options for frame rates and image formats." The Scarlet line, on the other hand, is "compact and lightweight and supports a limited range of motion and stills formats".

Second, hold onto your chair. Prices for RED dsmc--body only--range from $2500 to $55,000. Yowza. The one I had shipped to me yesterday fantasies about today is called the FF35 and will shoot 24mp at 100fps. It rings in at $35,000. That's some crazy-high, Hasselblad-like resolution, and/or some massive frame rate (=gorgeous slow motion in vid mode) if you want it, and a commensurate price tag.

Here's a chart to show you still image size and frame rate for each type of camera:


And here's an image highlighting some of the super hot and sexy accessories you can strap onto this bad boy:


If you're in the market for this stuff, the time has come. If you're not in the market and hate the hype, or if you're understandably cursing the pricetag, do suspend your feisty side and take a minute to reflect. This sort of technology, just prior to this release would run a hundred or two hundred grand - easy. Now, it's a fraction of that. Also, we all know what happens to technology - it gets cheaper fast. Lastly, what will Nikon and Canon do to answer this call? When these camera companies put their thinking caps on and get all competitive, remember it's us that win.

This is big news.

Now go visit the RED Camera Epic/Scarlet page. Note before you go that the site's navigation is a bit bizarre - you're supposed to just scroll down to continue to get more info...

Photo(s) of the Day 11_06_08

I'm now peppering in occasional images in a photoblog style, per some earlier discussions. Just shot a commercial sports gig with an editorial flavor - my bread and butter.

Posed or grabbed moments? Lighting? You tell me. Is it possible to connect deeply with an image if you know it's commercial? A few more images after the jump...
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Photoshop CS4/Color Correction Class - FREE in Seattle

Want to learn something about color correction and Photoshop CS4?

Just got off the horn with my friend Craig, founder of CreativeTechs here in Seattle (I reference them regularly on this blog). CreativeTechs is THE go-to group for Apple Mac support here in Seattle, offering "right brain support for left brained people". In addition to tech support, they also do cool seminars on a variety of topics including retouch techniques, software, etc... They've been doing these classes for a long while - they're great. 90 minutes long - short and really dense with great info, and normally go for $50.

Craig tells me he will let anyone using the coupon code 'chasejarvis' or this link attend tomorrow's Color Correction Photoshop CS4 class in person for FREE.

(This does not extend to the other people already signed up for the class, so please keep the discount on the down low ;)

That's tomorrow, Thursday November 6, 9-10:30 am. Follow the above link for event details, location, and to sign up.

Teachers, take your whole class. Students, this is a no brainer...

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Please Vote

If you don't know where to cast your ballot, Google has a really simple website to help you find your local polling location. Just enter your address and it'll tell you where to go. Please get out and vote. [International readers, please bear with us ;] (link via CreativeTechs.)
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Nikon D90 Mod - Steadycam from Hollywood

Couldn't resist this Gizmodo post today... This little jobber turns video dSLRs like the Nikon D90 and the Canon 5D into cheapo movie steadycams. Not unlike the Redrock "cinematizing" kit featured last week also on the Giz, this new rig features light controlling barn doors, fine focus and zoom controls, plus a monitor, a structural beam that goes past the user's shoulder, an adjustable pad, and counterweights. Rumors abound that this little dealio was hot news at the Photo East tradeshow last week. The travesty for amateur filmmakers? No price announced yet. Said to be going on sale November 1st. Who will be first to get one fall down the stairs wearing it? Now THAT'S video I want to see...
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Thanks Ben, via Gizmodo.

Digital Railroad (DRR.net) Bites the Dust

Ouch. Further attrition hits the photo news today as Digital Railroad announces it is shutting its doors. Speculation that this was going to occur has been widely reported within the industry, but today this notice appeared at www.DRR.net:

October 28, 2008

To our valued Members and Partners:

We deeply regret to inform you that Digital Railroad (DRR) has shut down.

On October 15th we reported that the company had reduced its staff and was aggressively pursuing additional financing and/or a strategic partner. Unfortunately, those efforts were unsuccessful. Therefore Digital Railroad has been forced to close all operations.

Digital Railroad has attracted a loyal set of customers and partners, and we regret this unfortunate outcome. Without sufficient long-term financial support, the business had become unsustainable.

Thank you for allowing us to serve the photographic community these past few years.

All questions pertaining to claims should be addressed to:

Digital Railroad, Inc
c/o Diablo Management Group
1452 N. Vasco Road, #301
Livermore, CA 94551

Very sad news indeed. I had some good friends over there that have driven that bus for a while - time to call them up and buy them a stiff drink. Of course this comes on the heels of Photoshelter's pull back from the licensing marketplace last month. This double whammy is sad news - two outfits that were doing a good job gunning for photographers, now down the tube.

While there is no "twist" to this story in the classic sense, keep in mind that the sky is not falling. Yes, the economy is tough. But for artists, this is a reminder that over time capitalism rolls up and aggregates the creation and distribution of commodities. Solution: work to create images that are not (yet?) commodified. Find your own voice and shout it out loud.

Those that want more nuts and bolts or have accounts with DRR.net (update: want to get my true feelings on this whole matter...) should read on after the jump...
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The SAA recommends that any photographers that stored archives on DRR.net take the following steps:

-Ensure that all of your files and data are backed up.

-Download all details of licenses made with outstanding royalties due.

-Download a list of all registered users who have accessed your Archive.

-Check that any monthly or annual fees do not continue to be billed to your credit card.

They've also said: "SAA is greatly concerned about the status of outstanding royalties due to photographers from DRR's Marketplace stock portal, as well as the manner in which this closure has been handled, giving loyal customers no reasonable advance warning or support. We will continue to monitor the situation and try to assist in any way we can on behalf of photographers."

I hope that DRR will do a respectable job of tidying up their obligations to photographers.

Update: signs point to DRR doing a horrendous job tidying up. I'm so disappointed. 24 hours for photographers to get their images down? Hellllloooo? Server trouble, bandwidth, missing payments? Make a freaking announcment or two, would ya? It's no wonder that the company that acquired them for the parsing our of their assets is called Diablo Management... The devil is at it again.

Nikon D90 + Canon 5D + RED: Converging Technologies

As the earliest photographer to get his hands on the Nikon D90, I confess that a recent post on Engadget caught my attention. It called for feedback on the D90.

(Another reason I love Engadget: they know that the manufactures are listening - and this got me excited).

Regarding the D90, I'm of the humble opinion that this camera has very broad appeal. Not because of any brand loyalty or because I shot the campaign, or for any other reason really. (I'm a D3 user.) I'm talking simply conceptually here on the D90... So, for that matter, these ideas obviously apply to the the new Canon 5D --or any other dSLR that does or will soon shoot video -- as well. Why do I think they have broad appeal? My personal experience tells me they do. When I look around, I'm watching advanced amateurs take photos, then shoot video and then shoot some more photos with the same device, and that is just plain cool. Dare I say it fits your "modern media/gadget lifestyle"? Sure I just barfed in my mouth when I wrote that, but we've honestly got to address this point: we're ready for these devices in a prosumer, or even professional level. Hell, the iPod serves up audio (music, books, etc), photos, and videos in one device, so what's wrong with...[click the 'continue reading' link below ...]
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...a single device that captures the same multitude of stuff?

FWIW, I don't think these specific lines of cameras that capture stills, video, and audio were meant to "replace" anything just yet, no more than your 6 megapixel point and shoot + video camera was 2 years ago. The manufacturers are smarter than that. I know for certain that the D90 is intended primarily to have broad appeal, and I surmise that it's secondary function is to begin reshaping how we think about pictures. I imagine the same for Canon's angle. Consider this: aren't these camera types really just a rally cry to address the booming dDSLR market and then they simply add value with video because it was easy to do so and because the consumers have said (through their buying habits, point and shoots, ipods, and other devices that unite previously disparate functions...) that they usually like such added values? Honestly I think these new iterations of cameras are game changers - perhaps not in their current incarnations, but certainly they are conceptually.

The D90 and it's peer cameras have helped bring the general public to light on what cutting edge professional image makers have known for a good while: still cameras and video cameras are converging. Make no mistake. Video cams like the RED camera are able to extract 10mp still images - a respectable size image for printing. And my Nikon D3 still camera shoots 12mp images at 8-10 frames per second - approaching the speed of video. Catch my drift? This is pro quality stuff that's converging...

I typically resist predictions, but in this case I'm gonna overstate the simple fact that one day not far from here the two camera types will be indistinguishable, save perhaps their "primary" functions at the highest end of the spectrum (video or stills, respectively). They'll all be just something like "cameras" or "capture devices"--or as the RED camera peeps are calling it, a DSMC (digital still & motion camera)--and we'll all know that they can record whatever is going on in front of their lens. And I think that's pretty cool.

Thus, for now, I think giving feedback to the manufactures of these devices is the best thing the market can do - one of the reasons I'm a fan of the Engadget post. Let's give it to them constructively. Resist posting only claims about what certain cameras are or aren't, can or can't, will or won't do, and start focusing on what you want in a camera. For it's when manufacturers get THAT kind of feedback, that we all win.

Chase Jarvis TECH: High Speed Photography

Step 1 (The Premise): If you like photography, cameras, flashes, strobe lighting, computers, knives, Photoshop, or fast action, read on.

Step 2 (The Concept): I know you've seen still photographs of arrows piercing apples, exploding water balloons, and bullets tearing through roses. If you've ever wanted to know how we photographers freeze this crazy-fast action, you'll want to watch this 3-minute video on high speed photography.

Step 3 (The Background): A short while ago, our superstar friends at Superfad concepted, developed, and shot an amazing broadcast campaign for the Kung Fu HD network. Very cool stuff. In concert, they graciously invited us on board to shoot still images that attempted to mimic their live action work. Although the task was a steep one, we managed quite well and tricked some people into giving us a 2008 International Photography Award for the effects. You may have see the results in an earlier video we put out called Chase Jarvis RAW: Kung Fu (Featuring Superfad). Today's video is in many ways a followup to that piece. We got so many technical questions about how we were able to freeze the action of so many fast-moving objects for our still pictures, that we thought it would be prudent to spin out a little Chase Jarvis TECH vid to show you how we pulled it together.

This is certainly beyond Strobist's Lighting 101, but I'm hoping we're able to answer most of your initial high speed photography questions with this video. Feel free to post your "aha!" moments or further questions in the comments section below. This is a cool technique that, if you can nail it, will give you lots of freedom to play around creatively.

For further details about equipment, a broader explanation than the video offers, a list of other TECH videos, and a list of credits, click the 'continue reading' link below ...
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Considering the video above, here's a few key reminders and some details. Remember, the four keys:

1. Keep the ambient light low. This allows you to open the shutter for the duration of the event, plus some buffer before and after the event, without allowing ambient light to bleed onto your sensor or film.

2. It's not the shutter that's freezing the action, it's the strobe. When your shutter is open, it's all about letting the strobe stop the action with that pop of light. Strobes can fire really quickly - in many cases up to a 1/8000 or faster - which does a great job of stopping high speed events...much better than your shutter.

3. Use a special trigger or a manually tripped pocket wizard to capture the event. In the case of me with the water balloon, I was quick enough to open the shutter with a plunger, wait for Cody to slash the balloon, and then trip the handheld pocket wizard during the event, and then close the shutter with the plunger. If you want to capture faster action, you'll need to use a special trigger to trip the strobes...something like a sound trigger or a laser trigger that is hopefully available at your local rental shop. You open the shutter with a plunger, let the event happen and let the trigger pop the strobes, then you close the shutter.

4. Higher speed flashes (shorter flash duration) will give you a better result. If you have a slower flash cranked up to high power, the flash duration time will be slower. On the contrary, if you have a faster flash cranked to a lower output (say 1/16 power), you'll have a faster pop- exactly what you need to have those strobes pop for a really short interval. THAT gives you the best result. Of course you still have to manage a great exposure, which is why digital cameras are awesome. You can just fire the camera a bunch of times and dial in your exposure. In the case of my task in this video we used our favorites: two Profoto 7A packs, each with their own head and set on a low output, to create a very fast flash...in this case 1/8000 of a second. You can create similar results with all kinds of lights, but you'll want to pay attention to the specs.

If we haven't lost you, right on. Go give it a try yourself. And if you have questions, do ask. Signs say there are enough smart photographers in our community here that we'll have some great answers chiming in from the audience (encouraged); and what doesn't get answered by the community, I'll certainly follow up as best I can.
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For additional TECH-Y sort of vids, check out:
[Chase Jarvis TECH: Photo Shoot in 180 Seconds]
[Chase Jarvis TECH: Packing Photography Gear]
[Chase Jarvis TECH: POV Photography]
[Chase Jarvis TECH: Pimped Photography Laptop Case]

Credits on the original Kung Fu motion piece by Superfad from which these stills were derived: Will Hyde (Superfad Founder, CD); Dade Orgeron (Concept + Director); Rob Sanborn (Exec Prod); Stephen McGehee (DOP); David Viau and Luke Allen (Designers); Phiphat "P" Pinyosophon (Sim Artist); Ryan Haug (Editor); Nate Barr (Producer). And of course the Kung Fu Master: Paul Gutierrez. Thanks all!

Chase Jarvis FRAMES: Pray for Snow

Had this fun Chase Jarvis FRAMES buried in an earlier post and it was suggested by some smart friends that I give it a unique post url, like all the other vids. It made sense, so here it is. Apologies if you caught it the first time around. In the event you missed it, this vid features 3954 still frames of skiers and snowboarders ripping deep pow and hucking their meat around the slopes. We stitched each frame together and put 'em to a great tune by the ever-flowing Saturday Knights (buy their tunes!) to help ring in winter and celebrate the limited edition coffee table book we just published last week.

And speaking of the book, thanks so much for all your orders via the book's microsite. We've been totally steamrolled by the response. They're going fast - thank you thank you thank you. I'm grateful.

If you live in Seattle or surrounds, consider swinging by the slide show and book signing at the Seattle REI this Friday, Oct 17, at 7pm. Admission is free. I'll show some images, sign some books (avail for $35), there will be eats on hand, a benefit raffle for the Northwest Avalanche center, chances to win season passes from Stevens Pass, and, apparently there's going to be a special guest?? Hmmm. Hope it'll be fun.
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Players of Character

People write in regularly, daily, asking how to "make it" as a photographer.

For one--respectfully--I've never had the vision to be able to jot down my life's work in recipe format in an email. If I could summarize it in a few sentences, I certainly would have done that blog post a long time ago.

For two, I read a great piece today written by a Court Crandall of the Los Angeles agency, Ground Zero, that comes as close to answering the question as I've ever read. And it's also about how to "make it" at damn near anything - photographer, filmmaker, agency guy, whatever. Here's an excerpt:

...[Noah]Clark interviewed to be my assistant a couple weeks before he was scheduled to graduate from the University of Southern California. Unlike the other finalist for the job, an attractive woman the rest of the creative department was imploring me to hire, Noah was more "boy band": spiked hair, fresh face, jeans that were more fancy than a guy needs to own. But there was something about him that reminded me of myself. And it wasn't the hair. He was just so damn eager to be in the business. There was no pretense, no attitude or entitlement. All he wanted to do was work hard, learn and help.

So I hired him, spelling out very clearly that the chances of his growing into an art director position with us were similar to the word at the end of our agency name: "Zero." He nodded along and said he understood. Then he set about completing every task asked of him to the highest standard possible. Between doing all the so-called "grunt" work, Noah grabbed every creative brief he found lying around the office and looked for ways to help out with layouts, taglines, new business presentations, etcetera. He never asked to be promoted. He never bitched about his day-to-day responsibilities or acted like anything was beneath him. Which is why when a junior art director position opened, I decided it was time to do what a guy named Peter Seronick did for me years before: Give him a chance. So I gave the kid who was Ground Zero the opportunity to join our creative department over all the guys and girls who simply wanted to work for Ground Zero. [Click the 'continue reading' link below...]

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In the four years that followed, Noah turned into an award-winning art director who did the kind of work students at VCU and Art Center now point to and say, "Someday." But that wasn't what made him special. The longer you do this job, the more you find that doing good work is the price of entry and it's all the other stuff that separates the folks you really like from the ones you can't live without (my emphasis, cj).

In 15 years of owning Ground Zero, there haven't been many folks who regularly beat me to the office in the morning. Noah was one of them. It should also be noted that he was often the last to leave at night, if he left. I don't say this to glamorize long hours or a sweatshop mentality, but to point out that he typically wasn't burning the midnight oil or the pre-dawn oil to better his portfolio, but to make a presentation look a little better, work on the agency new business materials or polish an ad that was still a little too rough around the edges for his liking. This kind of dedication earned him the moniker "The Cleaner" from Laura Eastman, our head of account services. Like Harvey Keitel in Pulp Fiction, Noah was the guy who fixed things, no matter how screwed up they might have been when someone dumped them in his lap. When another art director left on vacation, Noah picked up the slack. When another team dropped the meat in the dirt, he picked up the pieces...

If you've gotten this far, then you either have character, want character, or you are one. As such, I strongly recommend you read the full piece here, and get some insight into becoming--or surrounding yourself--with "Players of Character". I honestly can't say enough about how valuable such a trait truly is...

Thanks Lou, via Adweek.

Introducing My First Book: Stevens Pass

For the first time, I’m publishing a book of photographs to share directly with the public, and it is available right now. Titled simply Stevens Pass, this limited-edition coffee table book (only 2500 copies) is a collection of images from Stevens Pass , an homage to one of Washington’s favorite ski destinations and a celebration of the resort’s 70 seasons of operation. I learned to ski at Stevens Pass 30 years ago and have been fortunate to maintain a strong connection with the mountain ever since. Having photographed there for 10 winters, this book is the humble fruit of that labor.

THE BOOK: The 11 X 11 inch hardback coffee table book is 112 pages and sells for $35. Each copy purchased from this site will be signed at no extra charge. You can buy the book here. Signed copies are only available from this site and at one regional book signing event, below. Non-signed books will be available at select Seattle-area outdoor retailers, ski & board shops, and at Seattle's independent book stores.

THE EVENT: To help launch the book, we're hosting a multimedia slide show and book signing event next Friday, October 17th at the Seattle REI at 7pm (Store event link here). Admission is FREE. The show will feature a range of still images from my work, as well as images from the book and some behind the scenes video. Space is limited to 250 guests and it is anticipated that it will fill to capacity, so I recommend that you arrive early. Books will be available for purchase at the event, food and nibblies will be served, and we're also hosting a fundraiser for the Northwest Avalanche Center - with a raffle and auction for season passes and schwag.

For additional information, please visit the micro-site for the book (you can buy it direct there) and the official press release here. This book is a limited-edition publication and sold on a first come, first served basis. Please share this website and related information with your family and friends.

Click the 'continue reading' link below to see a brand new and very special Chase Jarvis FRAMES video after the jump. This one is aimed at showing the huge amount of work and huge numbers of images that go into just a handful of great ski and snowboard images. You'll also get to read what some critics ski and snowboard friends are saying about the book...
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AND SURPRISE, ANOTHER VIDEO: And now, to help me ring in winter and, ahem, to get you pumped up to buy the book, please join me in indulging in this latest video, Chase Jarvis FRAMES: Pray for Snow. It's a collection of 3954 still images shot mostly at Stevens Pass and stitched together in the FRAMES style. Watch this to get pumped up for the forthcoming winter season (it snowed in the Cascades yesterday!) and you'll also see just how many frames it takes to generate a small handful of pro-quality ski and snowboard images. Spread the word.



Dig that track by The Saturday Knights? I can't get enough of them. Buy their songs from iTunes.

"Chase's images have always had that certain intangible quality that set them apart. It takes a photographer who really knows skiing and snowboarding to document it well, and Stevens Pass captures this beautifully... What I also love about this book is that the photos go beyond cliff hucks and deep powder. By including some beautiful scenics, some quiet moments, and images of little tykes learning to ski, Chase has made this book something that everyone can enjoy."
- Chris Jerard Associate Publisher | Freeskier and Snowboard Magazines

"Images and moments from one of Washington's classic ski areas, Chase's photos provide an intimate look at contemporary NW ski and snowboard culture."
- Jeff Galbriath, Publisher, The Ski Journal & frequency: The Snowboarder's Journal

"If a picture really is worth a thousand words than Chase Jarvis' images from Stevens Pass go a long way toward putting us writers out of business."
- Crai S Bower, 2008 Northern Lights Award Winning Writer

For other Chase Jarvis FRAMES videos, check the sidebar to the right. And, depending on your RSS reader, you might need to click here to see the video.