It was an absolute beautiful day for the 2012 Zilker Park Kite Festival in Austin, Texas and thousands showed up to fly a kite, at the nation’s oldest kite festival!. HerronStock.com photographer, Dan Herron files this report.
Zilker Park Kite Festival 2012 by Dan Herron
Photographers and videographers all around the world, nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of Canon 5D Mark III danced in their heads. Well finally after more than a two-year wait since the 5D Mark II was released, Canon finally revealed the highly-anticipated EOS 5D Mark III DSLR camera.
New Canon EOS 5D Mark III
OK, lets get down to business, the new Canon 5D Mark III delivers in the still photo category with a brand-new image sensor makes it the highest-resolution DSLR that Canon’s ever made to capture photos up to 22.3 megapixels.
Film Making
So what about film making? The most notable improvements are the camera can record video in numerous HD formats: 1080p (at 24, 25 or 30 frames per second) and 720p (60 or 50 fps). It also includes more video compression formats that Canon says will help speed up post-production work. The new full-frame image sensor is also said to reduce moiré — the annoying “blending” you sometimes see when you shoot patterns like multiple parallel lines.
Video features have also been improved, with better noise reduction, new compressions, and longer recording times of up to almost 30 minutes, with automatic file-splitting across 4GB files. Unlike the both the 5D Mark II and the 1D X, the 5D Mark III sports dual Compact Flash Type I/UDMA and SD/SDHC/SDXC card slots. To help capture longer-form video, the camera can capture footage continuously for about a half-hour, automatically splitting it across multiple 4GB files. Dual CompactFlash/SD card slots help ensure you don’t run out of room on your cards anytime soon.
Audio
We were hopping for XLR inputs, but I suppose Canon doesn’t want add this as it would compete with their video line. The best options for capturing capturing crystal clear audio is to use external recorders and sync the audio in Final Cut Pro using software plugins such as Singular Software’s Dualeyes.
There’s also a new built-in headphone jack and manual audio level control with 64 levels that can be adjusted during movie recording.
One of my favorite companies, Digital Juice offers several solutions for capturing crystal clear audio.
Zoom – H4n and Singular Dualeyes (post syncing software)
The H4n Handy Recorder offers incredibly sensitive onboard mics and 4-channel recording capabilities, the H4N makes it possible for media and filmmakers to record “high definition” audio at 24-bit/48kHz with booms, handheld’s or lavalieres while gathering atmospheric audio with the onboard mics. But users can choose up to 24-bit/96-kHz linear PCM WAV files for audio resolution that surpasses DVD quality. The H4n uses compact SD or high-capacity SDHC memory cards of up to 32GB for over 15 hours of recording time at 24-bit/96kHz. Or, using MP3 format at 128 kpbs, get over 550 hours of recording time on one card!
See all the Digital Juice DSLR products and accessories here:
DigitalJuice.com DLSR Accessories
Although this puts wannabe film makers in a conundrum, of spending $3-$4K on a DSLR or buying a video camera, I say go the way of the 5D M3 which offers more flexibility. Most importantly, the options of interchangeable Canon lenses and PL lenses.
I will be attending SXSW next week and hope to see a Canon booth and get my hands on this camera for a “hands on test.”
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Price: $3500 (body)
Sensor: 22.3-megapixel, full-frame (36.0mm x 24.0mm) CMOS
Processor: Digic 5+
Max ISO: 25,600 (standard), 102,400 (expanded)
Max Image Size: 5,784 x 3,856
Video: 1080p (24/25/30 fps), 720p (24/25/30/50/60 fps)
Display: 1.04-million dot, 3.2-inch LCD
Canon USA Website Specs
B&H Photo Specs
B&H Purchase and in-stock notification
Austin Mac Works Austin, Texas Apple sales and service with new downtown Austin location!
Over 1,000 sample images of the mighty Canon 5D Mark II visit my Austin, Texas Photo Gallery at: HerronStock.com
Happy Shooting!
Dan Herron
I attended an awesome seminar today, the “Light It. Shoot It. Retouch It. LIVE!” by KelbyTraining.com with Photoshop User’s Scott Kelby, a very nice guy I might add.
We learned a bunch of different lighting set-ups and looks for portrait and product shoots as well as latest portrait retouching techniques.
The sessions included in-depth portrait setups and techniques for a wide variety of styles including the following:
Here’s some photos I took. I apologize for the quality which is not very good because I was sitting in the middle and didn’t want to piss off Scott by using my flash. They used three professional models during the seminar which was cool as well as Scott had his Mac Book tethered to his camera for live results on the big screen projectors.
Editor Photoshop User Magazine & NAPP President Scott Kelby & Austin's Dan Herron of www.herronstock.com
Another positive, we learned of some new gear and tips and tricks.
I’ve been a member of NAPP (Photoshop User Magazine) for five or six years now and if you’re a photographer or want to learn how to master Photoshop to the best of your ability it doesn’t get any better than this.
Happy Shooting!
Dan Herron
Russell Lewis of the www.thegoodlifeinaustintexas.com and I got together Sunday evening to shoot the Austin Skyline at the majestic highrise 360 Condos in downtown Austin, Texas.
I prefer to shoot partly-cloudy skies, but it was clear. However, I did get some nice photos of the skyline with the phenomenon known as the “Violet Crown.” In the late 1800s, Austin also became known as the City of the ”Violet Crown” for the wintertime violet glow of color across the hills just after sunset which occurs over the downtown skyline as well.
Here’s a little video I edited in iMovie because it’s quick and easy.
Happy shooting!
Dan Herron
I have the distinct pleasure of being featured with the cover photo on the new 2012 AT&T Austin, Texas Phone Book. This is my second AT&T Phone Book cover photo. The previous cover was published in 1997 of car light trails streaking down the Congress Ave. Bridge with the skyline and Texas State Capitol in the background. See the image here.
2012 Austin AT&T Phone Book Cover Photo by Dan Herron
I shot this photo in 1996, six years ago, by strapping my camera to the dashboard of my car and shooting long exposures while I drove up and down Congress Ave.
I love experimenting with this type of photography and it’s been six years since I last tried it. Last year I bought a new contraption that straps the camera to the hood of your car, the LOWRIDER and the LOWRIDER MINI with mounting kit from Digital Juice.
Coincidentally, a customer just purchased this same stock photo on the phone book cover today from Herron Stock, titled: Downtown Building lights leave trails and streaks on Congress Avenue heading to the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas, USA.jpg. I wonder if she saw it on the phone book cover? I suppose I’ll send her a note and ask her.
Sorry, I don’t have the settings for this photo because this was shot with a Canon 50D, I think, long before we had raw photo files and exif data.
Happy Shooting,
Dan Herron
Happy New Year and Thanks for a great 2011. I wish everyone a successful and even more prosperous year to come in 2012.
Here’s a few photos I shot on New Years Eve 2012 in downtown Austin, Texas.
Austin New Year's Eve 2012 Fireworks on Ladybird Lake
Here’s the Austin skyline with fireworks I shot from Ladybird Lake aka Town Lake.
The settings of this photos are:
Camera: Canon 5D Mark II
Shutter Speed 6.0 sec.
F-stop F/5.6
ISO 100
Lens 24-70mm
Tens of thousands of people packed downtown Austin for 2012 New Year's celebrations on 6th Street in Austin, Texas
6th Street was packed to the gills! This is the busiest I’ve seen it, over capacity, maybe 30,000 people. Patrons kept bumping into my tripod so that really pissed me off. I shot a ton of images and filled one 16GB card. I will post these new year’s eve images on herronstock.com as soon and I can get some time to process them.
The settings of this photos are:
Camera: Canon 5D Mark II
Shutter Speed 2.0 sec.
F-stop F/4
ISO 100
Lens 24-70mm
Happy shooting!
Dan Herron
Covering a protest is an exciting event because you never know when the teargas will start flowing or when the demonstrators will come under attack and skulls start cracking; however, peaceful means are the best outcome with law abiding citizens utilizing their right to peacefully assemble.
Occupy Austin protests march down the Congress Avenue Bridge to Wells Fargo Bank Riverside location
An Austin Police Officer (APD) attempts to halt an Occupy Austin protestor marching to the Wells Fargo Bank Riverside location on November 5, 2011 in Austin, Texas
Looking for Scoops
Go talk to organization officials for tips on timing and location and schedule flow of events.
Shooting Tips
The settings of this photos are:
Camera: Canon 5D Mark II
Settings: Full AUTOMATIC!
Lens 24-70mm
Happy shooting!
Dan
Occupy Austin protests place signs on Wells Fargo windows at a South Austin location on Bank Transfer Day
Austin Police Department (APD) discuss the protest with Occupy Austin Leadership
Here’s a photo of the Halloween revelry I shot last night on 6th Street from the balcony window at Club 312.
Colorful floats accompany a Marching Band as they parade through 6th Street Entertainment District on Halloween in downtown Austin
6th Street was quite a busy mecca with thousands parading through the streets.
In this shot, I wanted to showcase a combination of clear view of the costumes with the blurred action of the moving crowed = time exposure.
The settings of this photo are:
Camera: Canon 5D Mark II
Setting: Manual
ISO: 100
Shutter Speed: 2 seconds
F-Stop: 4.5
Aperature 2.8
Lens 70-200mm
Focal Lengh: 70mm
So Last year I got some really fantastic images shooting wide so this year I wanted to go in close and get some new images to keep it fresh. Keep in mind to shoot time exposures you’ll need a cable release. I shoot some many time exposures I got through half a dozen cable releases per year so I just buy a dozen at a time on ebay to keep stocked up.
Happy shooting!
Dan
Howdy all,
This is Dan Herron. I just launched this blog and posted my first blog on Halloween. Speaking of Halloween, I will be on 6th Street this evening shooting the event which is always an enormous amount of fun capturing all the ghost and goblins around. Also, I’d like to get around to shoot some new territory like the Warehouse, Red River and 2nd Street District.
Dan Herron Photo Retouching in Photoshop on a Mac Pro, Apple Computer
My goal in setting up the herronstockblog is to share my passion of photography in particular, shooting locations in my beloved hometown of Austin, Texas. Also, three times weekly, I will to post a new or recent photo I took from the HerronStock.com photo archives and explain exactly how I shot it and where, provide camera settings and what was going through my head when I took it. This will provide the opportunity to dissect photos and the process used and find out if this was the best means of executing said photo(s).
I’m very excited to share my love of photography with everyone and hope you will bookmark my blog and share it with your friends and family.
Sincerely,
Dan Herron
Professional Photographer, HerronStock.com, Austin, Texas
