Which Camera... the Never-Ending Dilemma (Pt. 1)

For a while now, I've been itching to get a new photo camera... primarily for shooting videos (Blasphemy!).

Why not just get a video camera?
The short answer: DSLRs offer impressive bokeh (background blur) for much cheaper and--so far as I know--actually handle lower light better (despite obvious compromises in video functionality).

For me, it has just been one massive[ly constipated] waiting game.

Throughout 2011 I was waiting for Nikon to introduce their next affordable mid-range prosumer model, which was long rumored to be the D400 (and later the rumored D600). Sadly, that never came to be. Instead, Nikon opted to crap out (no disrespect, really) the monstrous D4 and D800, both far exceeding my puny budget.

Video shot with D4

Promo Video for D800

I started to think,

"ok.. so what are my other options?"

"What about point-and-shoots, they shouldn't be too bad right? Those lil' buggers shoot video in HD now, so why not? My current p&s is in pretty bad need of update either way.."

With more research, I eventually decided the Canon PowerShot S100 might be a good fit.

S100 Video Test #1

S100 Video Test #2

"Aperture f/2.0 on a P&S?? Sexyyyyyy"

Still... because I'm a completely OCD shopper, I haven't bought this bad boy... (tricked ya, didn't I) it's about time for Canon to replace the S100 with a newer model anyways.

In the end... it might take me a long time to figure out what I want. Technology is always going to keep improving by leaps and bounds, so it's hard to say what truly is the best buy.
I'll let you know what I decide, when it happens.

...

In the meantime, here are some interesting or useful things to tide you over.

DSLRs to be ancient history?

List of Canon's Entire PowerShot line!

List of Canon's S/SX line! 

DSLR Camera Body Tiers

For anyone who was ever interested in or is still interested in purchasing a dslr camera, but isn't quite sure which models suit them.. I just found this:

Nikon Camera Body Table (Specs)
Canon Camera Body Table (Specs)

This is as much for my reference as it is for yours--I've never quite understood anything about Canon's organization of tiers, so these pages were helpful for me at the very least. Man.. you never quite know what you can find on wikipedia, hahah.

Also, here's a good diagram for the origins/development of camera bodies from Nikon:

(via: www.bythom.com/lineage.htm)

Anyways, hope this has proved useful for anyone interested in one day purchasing a dslr, or just anyone confused with the differences between the camera models. :)

Master the Art

So... despite having finals coming up, somehow I've managed to fill my schedule with various things to keep my creative drive occupied.

[PHOTOGRAPHY]

Wednesday I had a photoshoot with Alice.. who is selling clothes to raise money to donate towards the Japan relief effort. (Photos are available on her blog) If you're a female living in the St. Louis area, definitely check out the details on her site, and support Japan by purchasing!

Alice by Housing Complex

Today I shot some pictures for the former Suite 4090--made up of friends and housemates Felicia, Diane, Harita, and Katie--all of whom are about to graduate from college. Despite the crappy weather and some tricky lighting situations both outdoors and indoors, I still think we had a decent shoot. Although I'm fairly new to the realm of model subject photography--since I have typically stuck with candids--and especially new to shooting models in groups, I still had a great time shooting for these girls; they have so much energy and personality it is impossible not to have fun watching them interact as they pose for pictures.

Suite 4090 Inside the Danforth University Center

[DANCE]

I am very proud to have actively taken part in the reemergence of the StL Funk/Popping scene. While I started popping two years ago, it was only about a year ago that I actually started meeting and practicing with the bulk of the local poppers. At first our dance sessions would occur once every couple of weeks at random locations on my college campus, with as much as about four people present on any given day. Since then, we've become more organized in finding more members and reserving actual studio space in various areas around St. Louis; today we had a total of around twelve people dancing in the studio--which is very surprising considering how sparse the funk scene has been in St. Louis, previously--ranging from veterans to newbies.

In any case, it was amazing to see so many of the dancers that I look up to gathered in one room and getting down to the music. Interestingly, while these very people have continually provided me with guidance and inspiration, they have also kept me rooted with the realization of how low in skill I am as a dancer. Every time I meet and talk with these dancers, who I consider my mentors, I get a wake-up call--one that, although frustrating, I am very grateful to them for; I would rather live knowing that I am at ground zero working steadily towards improvement than live baselessly believing that I am at any level that can be considered "good". Today's lesson has been to refine my technique, specifically in the styles of waving as well as various funk styles (boogaloo, toyman, scarecrow, etc). I need to bring my tech and my musical ear to an equilibrium before I can truly begin to progress my musical interpretation.

A few years ago I could never have imagined being part of such a family, such a culture.. now I cannot imagine living without all of it. There is no real way for me to express how lucky I feel to have met these people--my interactions with them have molded my identity as a dancer, if not as an individual at large.

~~~

A huge thank you and shout out to those who were there today:
Tony (Boogie IQ), Chris (Samsara), Jeremy (JS1), Christine (Spiral / PixieNyx), Martin (Bibi), Derrick, Becky, Mike, Steve, Josh, Andrew

And, as always, a huge thanks to the people who essentially got me started doing this dance:
Chip (Chippa) & Arthur

...although I doubt any of you will ever read this, lol.