Think you can’t make a movie?

So, you think you can’t make a movie because you have no money, no equipment, and no training…  Game over, right?  Try telling that to Andre Rettedal from Norway.

Mitch over at Planet 5D found this great story of a young man who dreamed of movies… In spite of not having what you think is necessary to break into the business, he had all he needed: Motivation.

With only his script and £3000 in his pocket, he left home for London.  He found a small team, and in 6 days he had his film!  But the amazing part of this story is that he sold his film at the Cannes Film Festival!

Andre Rettedal - Filmmaker © Denton Distribution

Click the picture to read a bit more about Andre’s story, and then try to come up with an excuse as to why you can’t get out and tell your story!

Subtle Slider Action…

..with a subtle point.  I think there is another message in this video by [MTS]FILMS, but I am not exactly sure what it is…  Take a few moments and watch the video on Vimeo:

Actually, the narrator makes a very good point: Who cares what equipment and skills you may or may not have…  Just get out there and shoot!  (I need to take his advice!)

How far would you go to take a picture?

How far would you go to take a picture?  Would you climb a mountain?  Disguise your camera for public candids?  How about trespassing?  And if you do decide to trespass, what are your comfort limits?  How about trespassing into an operational rocket engine manufacturing plant?

Photographer Lana Sator did just that at a plant just outside Moscow.  In the process, she captured some amazing images!  (She also got the attention of government officials who are demanding that she take the images down…)

Rocket Engine Manufacturing Plant ©Lana Sator 2011

Luckily for us, Lana is refusing to take the images down, much to the ire of the government officials.  Click the image above to check out Lana’s site in Russian.  No need to worry, you can easily understand it through her photos… 🙂

So next time you go out to take some pictures, stop and think: Just how far would you go to take that perfect picture…?

Happy New Year

As it has been nearly 6 months since I last updated my blog, I made a resolution to keep my blogs current by updating them at least once per week.  I have been spending too much time in front of the TV or computer in non-constructive or non-creative ways for too long.  So, I decided to challenge myself to see if I can make a change for the positive this year!

I ran across this encouraging video through Twitter earlier today…  Since it is less than two minutes, give it a watch and see if you can take anything away from it.

I think the important part of this is to stop and think, as well as to start doing!

Here’s to a fresh new start to a brand new year!

Finally Edited: New Orleans!

So, nearly two and  a half months after we took the vacation, I finally got the photos edited and posted to my website.  It seems that about a quarter of the images I shot turned out to be ‘web-worthy’…  Not to say the others were bad shots, but rather the selection I posted were what I enjoyed the most!

Click photo for gallery

We had a great time taking the vacation, and I had a lot of fun taking a lot of pictures.  There are still a few things I have left to play around with, such as some video and timelapse work, which I will get posted once I am happy with the result.  But all the stills are up and ready for everyone to enjoy!

Please feel free to comment and critique things…  I am still learning both photography itself, as well as Aperture 3.  Suggestions are always helpful!  Thank you for visiting my blog

Five Mistakes Lazy Photographers Make

Five Mistakes Lazy Photographers Make.  Scott Bourne is one of my favorite photographers…  Not just for his imagery, but also because he offers up insight, suggestions and instruction on how to further your photography.  Here’s a quick blurb by Scott that is simple, to the point, and will help you become a better photographer.  Thanks Scott!

Different perspective on night time timelapse…

I Stumbleuponed this interesting perspective on stellar timelapse photography.  Most keep the Earth stationary and let the stars rotate, but this one flips that: Let the Earth rotate and keep the stars stationary!

This unique timelapse is entertaining to watch, but I also feel that it offers an interesting glimpse into man’s desire to understand the cosmos….

Lensbaby Control Freak…

So I took the Lensbaby Control Freak with Double Glass Optic out for a spin the other night.  Not too many pictures came out, but since Sydney was in ultra-spaz mode, it isn’t the fault of the lens.

Click picture for gallery

Once the dog finally ran out of steam, I was able to snap the above image.  I can definitely see that once I get familiar shooting with the Control Freak, it is going to be one of my favorite lenses…  I already have many ideas for both still and video shots.  I need a system to start keeping my ideas tracked…  Hmmm…  iPad perhaps?

More New Orleans photos…

So I have had a productive start to the Memorial Day weekend!  I was able to finish off another day of post processing photos taken during our trip to New Orleans.  I only have a few more days to edit, then I will have all the main photos up.

Click photo to visit gallery

The vacation was much needed after a long winter, as well as celebrating my rehabilitation after the accident last August.  It was the first time I was able to get out and take some pictures in quite a while.  I also had to realize some new limitations as I was unable to move the way I used to, so some angles were just unobtainable.

The trip was a success as Stacey and I had a great time, the sun and warmth did wonders for spirit (and leg!), but also really got us thinking about leaving Alaska at some point, sooner than later…

7D test Timelapse…

So I broke out the intervalometer and the 7D on the drive home a few days back, and tried my first timelapse video using the Canon…

Click the pic for timelapse awesomeness!

I realize it needs a b it of work, but I learned a lot with this first test.  I can see neutral density filters will come in handy, especially on bright and sunny days. I still need to play around a bit with shutter speed, ISO, and F-Stop, as well as post production…  But that is the reason why we play around and try new things!  I have an idea on what to try tomorrow…  🙂