iPhone 5s video first impressions

My phone upgrade was due, so I splurged on the iPhone 5s, upgrading from the 4S. While I have enjoyed the 4s' camera as a carry-around, it hasn't been useful for much else. I suspect the same will be true with the 5s, as I am just used to having so much control with a DSLR. Of course, the slow-mo video is a fun touch that may actually find its way into some fun music videos or other projects. Of course, the new GoPro Hero 3+ would be a better choice so maybe not.All of this is basic hand-held footage, put together in iMovie. Simple and quick. The 120fps slow-mo footage from the camera does look nice. Footage from the football game you can really see the image break up at times due to the bright lights against black sky etc. Also, the autofocus is not up to dedicated camera standards.

The footage...


Coming next, a trip to the carnival with a two-year-old and the phone... fun times.

Monday Photo Roundup - Jan. 28

It has been an interesting month weather-wise.  That has created a few problems for outdoor photo assignments, but also some opportunities like these trees in a pasture, filled with fog.  How often do you see something, find a place to stop and just shoot it?

I would love to get some acreage to turn into a photo destination with a variety of scenery, nature, sets, props and walls.  For nature photographers, there is the Texas Photo Ranch...

Abandoned places make intriguing photos.  This photographer has gone into the 'exclusion zone' around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor site and made some great images.  Would you risk the radiation exposure to make photos that, while beautiful, are most interesting because of the risky location?

Most interesting to me are photos from the abandoned town of Pripyat, where most of the Chernobyl workforce lived.

A friend of mine tossed a rock at a lazy lion once but missed and didn't get much reaction.  These folks must have had some pretty flexible safari guides to let them do this...


Very nicely done colorization of historic B&W photos.  Makes the lighting look even better as well.  Study the lighting for great portrait light.

And, for all of you out there who are "waiting for a sign"... are these the signs you are looking for?

One more thing ... Time-Lapse

See this ... artsy time-lapse shots created for the Conan O'Brien show..


Then some great how-to from the guy who made them..


An option for controlling your camera for time-lapse is the Trigger-Trap app and cable.  It is cheaper than the camera controllers from Canon or Nikon, with a lot more features for triggering your camera with sound, motion detection, WiFi etc.