It’ been a while since I last posted here.
Too busy to maintain blogs (http://nomadphotography.com.au/blog) and website (http://www.nomadmodels.com.au) but also with wedding album design and photo shoots, I barely had time to do anything else.
Anyway, time to get back to the keyboard for some typing and posting.

To start with, I’ll have a bit of an insight regarding gears as I have been shooting with some new toys for the last couple months now.
In the bag I have:
- Canon 5D Mark II
- Canon 7D
- Canon 1D Mark IV

While the first two cameras are not the hottest cameras at the moment, I confess that I haven’t touched my 7D since I had the Canon 1D Mark IV.
I can shoot a whole wedding with this camera and the Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8 L.
When I can see the reason why Canon maintains its x1.3 crop sensor I tend to use less and less the full frame of my Canon 5D Mark IIs (I have two of them)

Having the Nikon D700 and the exciting Nikon D3s, I found in the new release Nikkor 16-35 f/4 VR an exciting piece of glass but I didn’t feel the need to buy it.
Why did Nikon build this lens? Is it to compete with teh Canon 16-35 f/2.8 L II or is it just to have one?

As mentioned above, putting the 16-35 f/2.8 L II on my Canon 5D Mark II body and the 24-70 f/2.8 L on the Canon 1D Mark IV, I have virtually no gap in my focal range from 16mm to 94mm FF equivalent.
Not that Nikon doesn’t have a crop sensor in its range of D-SLR but because they have the excellent 14-24 f/2.8 to complement the 24-70 f/2.8 and the 70-200 f/2.8.
Having these 3 awesome lenses with my two Nikon bodies, there is no need for me to buy that Nikkor 16-35 even if it has VR. Note also that at this focal range and on full frame bodies, you almost never need VR anyway.

below are a few images from recent shoots with the above discussed cameras.

Related posts:

• New Firmware for Canon 5D Mark II
• NASA Orders D3s Digital SLR Cameras and Interchangeable Lenses from Nikon
• Nikon D3s Hands on Teaser
• Canon 7D and Canon TS-E 24 mm f/3.5 L II
• Landscape with the Canon 7D

It has been such a busy time that I haven’t got time to post on this journal.

I will come back here soon with loads of review and announcements.

On the menu there will be the on-the-field reviews of the Nikon D3s and the Canon 1D Mark IV in real wedding situation.

I will talk about my one month experience with the Apple iPad and also what it changed in my way of traveling light on assignment.

In the meant time, check out these few images taken at an expo at the Alliance Francaise in Canberra.

Back soon.

Check out more mega size images here: http://nomadphotography.com.au/blog/2010/05/les-filles-de-lalliance/

Related posts:

• TTD. Trash The Dress. Lite Version

As a partner with the Aliance Francaise Canberra (www.afcanberra.com.au) Nomad Photography (www.nomadphotography.com.au) has covered the event.

Check out the photo taken at ISO 12800 here: http://nomadphotography.com.au/blog/2010/03/french-film-festival-2010/

Related posts:

• Rock ‘n Roll … of Corse. Guitarist and founder of The Police in Canberra
• Nikon D3s Hands on Teaser

Just launched: http://www.nomadmodels.com.au/

The “Leica Oskar Barnack Award” competition is open to all professional photographers. To take part, participants must send in a series of photographs (minimum 10 up to a maximum of 12 images, only one series per participant) taken in 2009 or long-term projects containing at least one photo from 2009.

Find out more at this link: http://www.leica-oskar-barnack-award.com/#/en/home

From a recent wedding I shot overseas (New Caledonia).

Two days after the Ceremony and Reception, I dragged the couple out for a lite session of TTD.

The location was actually the groom’s resort between mountains and rivers. Awesome spot.

Related posts:

• Expo @ L’Alliance

As the end of the year approaches, most influential websites start posting their galleries of POY: Photography Of the Year.

Check out:

Time. The Year In Picture 2009 : http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1946595_2010901,00.html

Dever Post: The Year In Photos: http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/

Life: Pictures Of The Year: http://www.life.com/image/ugc1023122/in-gallery/37802

I’m sure you’ll “enjoy” these images as much as I did.

Best wishes for you and your families.

Once again Nomad Photography (www.nomadphotography.com.au) has been asked to do the bridal shoot to fearure in the next Your Local Wedding Guide Magazine.

The Guide is a annually publication for the State of ACT (Australian Capital Territory). We are thrilled to combine our photography artistry with the local talents (makeup artists, hair stylists, wedding gown designers …) to promote the Wedding Industry in Canberra.

The shoot was meant to be a studio set up shoot and took place at the Hotel Realm, in Barton. Canberra.

I was a bit surprised about the request as the hotel has some fantastic backdrops and setting up a boring plain background is quite a waste. Anyway, I packed all my studio gears and for some reason recharged the batteries for a few flash guns (3 Canon 580 EX III) and some spare batteries.

As predicted, we decided to use the hotel as our background and shot in various areas during the shoot.

I use a lot of off camera flash on my modeling and on location shoots, but for a bridal magazine. It was a real challenge because we need the glamour and the chic that only some heavy gears can provide.

Well, I’d say that new cameras nowadays offer high ISO capabilities and in this particular situation, I didn’t hesitate to go all the way up to ISO 2000 sometimes.

The results are just awesome as the level of noise is really low.

So, what did I pack for the shoot ?

As mentioned, in my bag I had 3 Canon 580 EX I flash guns and

- 2 Canon 5D Mark II

- Canon 7D

I used a variation of L series lenses: 16-35 f/2.8 L II (very useful for full length on balcony and hallway), 24-105 f/4 L IS, 70-200 f/2.8 L IS, 85 f/1.2 L II and the TS-E 24mm f/3.5 (I didn’t use this lens though)

Here are a few behind the scene images captured by Vincent.

Feel free to throw away your comments and questions. I’ll be more than happy to answer them all.

Scroll downa nd be patient as there are about 30 images to load

Two lights set up

Directing model

Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 70-200 f/2.8 L IS USM

Off camera flashes triggered by ST-E2 and RadioPopper

Canon 580 EX II and RadioPopper on mounting kit

Test shot with one light on the model

Light stand high above model

I had to climb on the wall to adjust the output level

Exposure reading with a Seikonic 758 DR

Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 70-200 f/2.8 L IS USM

Gear checking between two gowns

A good position is required for a long day shoot

Directing model

Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 70-200 f/2.8 L IS USM on tripod and cable release RS 80N3

Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 70-200 f/2.8 L IS USM. Live view in action

Directing model

Let me know what you think.

Click on the thumbnails to open original size.

Photo by Thierry

Photo by Thierry

Related posts:

• Canon 7D for Wedding
• Landscape with the Canon 7D

I have used numerous Canon and Nikon cameras for wedding and always carried “bulk” bodies with attached accessories, especially battery packs on my Canon 5D Mark IIs and Nikon D700 bodies.

When I got my Canon 7D,m the first next thing I was planning to buy was the vertical grip but after playing abit with it, I found that the redesign of the body (a bit Nikon like IMO) gives the Canon 7D a perfect handling and there was no need for a vertical grip.

I like the compactness of the camera and also its light weight. As the maximum fps is achieved without the need of additional battery pack (as per the Nikon D300s) the is no real need for the vertical grip and also because the battery can handle more than a wedding, in my style of shooting of course.

Anyway, here are a few images taken with the Canon 7D and a selection of Canon lenses (EF-S 10-22, 24-105 f/4L, 85 f/1.4 L II)

In term of field of view, I personally prefer my EF-S 10-22 to my 16-35 f/2.8 L II. It’s just me

I added a lot of grain in this picture. For some reason, I just like grain …

I added lots of vignette here to get the videographer out of the frame.

He was just all over the place.

Amazing blue eyed bridesmaid

Related posts:

• Canon 7D Good Enough for Weddings?
• Landscape with the Canon 7D