Nikon D5000

US Nikon D5000 on Amazon.com
UK £519.40 on Amazon.co.uk
UK £529 from Jessops

• 12.9 megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor (effective pixels: 12.3 million)
• 2.7″ tilt and swivel LCD monitor (230,000 dots)
• Movie capture at up to 1280 x 720 (720p) 24 fps with mono sound
• Live View with contrast-detect AF, face detection and subject tracking
• Image sensor cleaning (sensor shake)
• 11 AF points (with 3D tracking)
• IS0 200-3200 range (100-6400 expanded)
• 4 frames per second continuous shooting (buffer: 7 RAW, 25 JPEG fine, 100 JPEG Normal)
• Expeed image processing engine
• Extensive in-camera retouching including raw development and straightening
• Connector for optional GPS unit (fits on hot shoe)
• New battery with increased capacity
• 72 thumbnail and calendar view in playback

Nikon D5000 review on dpreview.com (from July 2009)

Brian Hoff, Ashley Dean Newall, and Robert Anthony are all happy D5000 owners, and this is the camera I might just go for.

Canon EOS 550D

US $799.99 on Amazon.com (body only)
UK £799.99 on Amazon.co.uk (body only)
UK £1099 from Jessops, with 18-135mm lens

• 18 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
• DIGIC 4 processor with ISO 100-6400 (Expansion to 12800)
• Continuous shooting at 3.7fps
• Full HD movie recording with manual control and selectable frame rates
• 7.7cm (3.0”) 3:2 Clear View LCD with 1,040k dots
• iFCL metering System with 63-zone Dual-layer Metering Sensor
• Quick Control screen to change shooting settings
• Exposure compensation +/-5 stops (although viewfinder scale is still +/-2 stops)
• Select maximum value for Auto ISO
• External Microphone socket
• Movie crop function
• Eye-Fi connected functions compatibility

Canon EOS 550D review on dpreview.com (from February 2010)

This is the very latest offering from Canon (released this month?), and as such, I haven’t heard from anyone who actually has one. It costs a bit more than I was thinking of spending, too.

Nikon D90

US Nikon D90 on Amazon.com
UK £755.97 on Amazon.co.uk
UK £799 from Jessops

• 12.9 megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor (effective pixels: 12.3 million)
• 3.0-inch 920,000 pixel (VGA x 3 colors) TFT-LCD (same as D3 and D300)
• Live View with contrast-detect AF, face detection
• Image sensor cleaning (sensor shake)
• Illuminated focus points
• Movie capture at up to 1280 x 720 (720p) 24 fps with mono sound
• IS0 200-3200 range (100-6400 expanded)
• 4.5 frames per second continuous shooting (buffer: 7 RAW, 25 JPEG fine, 100 JPEG Normal)
• Expeed image processing engine
• 3D tracking AF (11 point)
• Short startup time, viewfinder blackout and shutter lag
• Slightly improved viewfinder (96% frame coverage)
• Extensive in-camera retouching including raw development and straightening
• Improved user interface
• New optional compact GPS unit (fits on hot shoe)
• Same battery and vertical grip as D80
• Vignetting control in-camera
• 72 thumbnail and calendar view in playback

Nikon D90 review on dpreview.com (from October 2008)

A step up in price from the previously mentioned D5000, Jin Yang and Lea Alcantara each recommend their D90s.

Canon PowerShot G10

US $600 on Amazon.com
UK £369.99 on Amazon.co.uk

• 14.7 Megapixel CCD sensor
• 5x wide-angle (28mm) optical zoom lens with optical Image Stabilizer
• RAW image recording plus support for Canon Digital Photo Professional
• DIGIC 4 for clear, sharp images, high-speed AF (including Servo AF) and fast response times
• Targets all the main causes of blur with High ISO Auto, optical
• Image Stabilizer, Motion Detection Technology and Auto ISO shift
• Improved Face Detection AF/AE/FE/WB plus Face Select & Track and FaceSelf-Timer
• 3.0” PureColor LCD II (461k dots resolution) with wide viewing angle and optical viewfinder
• i-Contrast boosts brightness and retains detail in dark areas
• Dedicated Exposure Compensation and ISO dials
• 26 shooting modes with manual control and custom settings
• Accessories include tele-converter, Speedlights flashes and waterproof case
• Smooth, 30fps VGA movies

Canon PowerShot G10 review on dpreview.com (from November 2008)

The G10 isn’t actually a single-lens reflex (SLR), but some say it does just as good a job as the budget range.

Simon Manchipp recommends the G10.

Nikon’s website
Canon’s website

Finally, here’s an interesting read on Photocritic, worth keeping in mind for your own camera purchase: Why I don’t need an expensive camera. (Via Duane on Twitter.)

What entry-level digital SLR do you recommend?

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I’ve read a lot about Dubai that paints a sad picture, but Philip Bloom makes it easy to look beyond the dark side and witness the undoubted beauty of the man-made surroundings.

This four-minute timelapse video was filmed in Dubai over five days and five nights, shot using a Canon 7D and a Panasonic GF1. It’s definitely best viewed full-screen.

“I mostly shot aperture priority mode to cope with the light change. Sometimes in manual. You don’t need expensive cameras to do this. The GF1 is a cheap camera and there are even cheaper ones out there like some of the powershot series with built in timelapse. It’s great fun, very boring to shoot but ultimately the most rewarding.”
Philip Bloom

Music is from The Fountain by Clint Mansell.

More info and stills on Bloom’s blog. Via creativeroots.

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Following a trip to Menorca (the slowest-paced Balearic island) here are a few amateur photos showing what to expect when you visit.

The bay of Cala Galdana (above) — the area where I stayed, and the view from my hotel balcony (below). I quickly pieced together a 180 degree panoramic shot from the balcony here.

The cosy streets of the Menorcan capital, Mahon (above) and walking through the old capital, Ciutadella (below).

A little section of Mahon harbour (above) and Naveta des Tudons (below) — the oldest roofed building in Spain at around 3,000 years old. The tourist guide I was reading said you can crawl inside, but the iron bars across the entrance stopped any chance. Bugger.

The latin above is inside Ciutadella’s impressive cathedral, and the ceramic tiles below are seen fronting many Menorcan houses.

Where is it?

Menorca is the easternmost of the Balearic islands shown below. Flights go direct to Mahon from Belfast (just under 3 hours).

I finished reading a couple of books whilst away: Made to Stick, by Chip & Dan Heath, and Buzz, by Emanuel Rosen. The first is ideal for anyone who writes — be it a blog, book, or similar. The authors detail what makes ideas take hold, and what makes them come unstuck. For instance, stats are notoriously difficult to remember, but tell a good story and people won’t forget. The second book is useful for those interested in word of mouth marketing, so if you have a service or product to sell, and you want to get people talking, I’d pick this one up.

Menorca’s a gorgeous place to visit, and with more beaches than neighbours Mallorca and Ibiza combined, it’s a great island to chill on.

As I say in the brief video at the top of this post, please bear with me as I read and respond to the 400+ emails needing attention.

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India is a fascinating country, and the people were very friendly. I’d love to return in the future to see more and meet some fellow blog authors.

Above is the view from my hotel in Mumbai, overlooking the ‘Queen’s necklace’, a long, curved strip of road that resembles a pearl necklace when lit at night.

Panaji (pronounced Panjim) is the capital of the Indian state of Goa. With a population of around 65,000, it’s a picturesque city on the banks of the Mandovi River. In the centre is Church Square, housing the Portuguese Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church (pictured above). This Baroque style building was originally constructed in 1541 and featured in the Holywood blockbuster, The Bourne Supremacy.

The River Princess (above) is a beached tanker that has been rusting just 500 metres off the coast of Candolim, Goa, since the year 2000. Apparently, work is underway to lighten it’s load so that tug boats can remove it.

I must admit, the rusting monster of a boat does make an interesting backdrop for this beach cricket match (above).

On quite a few nights, my girlfriend and I were kept awake by the many howling dogs that live by the beach. Unfortunately, they were just too fast to catch.

Goa is one of Western India’s largest trading ports, and if you cast your eye to the horizon in the above shot, you’ll notice large tankers in the distance. They seem to be forever moored off the coast.

Anjuna market (pictured above) is a lively place where you can pick up spices, clothes, lanterns, chillums and much much more.

“Do you have a ticket for those bananas?”

On the way to Dudhsagar Falls we stopped to feed the monkeys. A lot of them seemed to prefer red onions to bananas, which no doubt did wonders for their mating.

This little boy seemed to be enjoying some fresh coconut that had dropped from a nearby tree.

Have you been to Goa?

I hope you liked this little insight into my Indian excursion. If you have any stories to tell from your time in India, I’d love you to share them.

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The alphabet in light writing, found on Nir Tober’s Flickr page. If light writing is your thing, check out this previous post of mine, with some light writing YouTube videos.

The hairy Futura typeface, found on Behance, courtesy of Reset Blog.

Human crafted typeface, found on Hijack Your Life and courtesy of Brand Flakes for Breakfast.

Type in the sky alphabet, from looking up through the gaps in buildings, found on Slanted and courtesy of Noisy Decent Graphics.

Eine’s East End of London shopfront shutter letters, found on Dave Gorman’s Flickr pages.

Sign language alphabet, created from match books (larger version of the sign language alphabet). Found on C71123, after a lot of “folding, gluing, and holding until dry.”

The Alphabet Photo Gallery by Abba Richman at pbase.com. A four month project with fantastic results.

Inspired by Abba Richman’s collection, prior to this, Thomas Fredriksen created his own alphabet photo collection on pbase.com.

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From time to time I enjoy showcasing the work of others, and here’s a photographer I’ve been meaning to feature for some time now.

Quote from Wikipedia:

Jose Maria Rodriguez Madoz (born 1958), better known as Chema Madoz, is a Spanish photographer, most popular for his black and white surrealist photographs.

Visit the Chema Madoz gallery to view more excellent photos.

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When I first started The Face Behind The Blog Collection, I wasn’t sure if anyone would join in.

Back in May I posted a quick Face Behind The Blog update, giving a little extra interest in the meme. Since then, however, I thought that the idea had slowed and the momentum was gone. That was until Thomas of Technical Blogger sent me a message asking if I was going to update the original list.

I had no idea it was still continuing, so it was a nice surprise to see so many new people coming out from behind their blogs!

Here are just a few of the people who have kept the photography project running since my last update (there are too many others to go in search of them all).

Mihaela Lica at Online Public Relations
Tara at Graphic Design Blog
Doris Chua at Home Office Women
Edward Mills at Evolving Times
Tony D. Clark at Success from the Nest

Chin Nee at De ‘moments
Skipper at My Life Starts At Forty-Two
Seiche at Seiche
Leah at Leah’s Cafe

The Face Behind The Blog showcase

The thought crossed my mind about creating some kind of photo montage of bloggers who have joined in, but that got me thinking back to the 2000 Bloggers project, and I know a lot of people thought it was gaming Technorati through link-farming.

That’s the last thing I want you to think.

Maybe I should just leave it be, without anyone thinking there’s some kind of suspicious undertone to the project. Maybe, if you’re on the original list, you’ve been fed up with the trackbacks you receive from new entries? Or, on the other hand, perhaps you have an idea that could help the idea in it’s quest for a more personable blog world?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Do you want to join in?

If it’s something you think is worthy of participating in, head back to the original Face Behind The Blog post. Your readers might appreciate it.

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Light-drawing and light-writing is getting a fair bit of attention lately. Take these two commercials (below) for Sprint (also seen on Marc Schiller’s blog). Quite creative don’t you think?

They remind me of Toben Seymour’s music video for the song Jubilee by the Willowz (shown below).

I’ve been seeing more and more light-drawing over the past month or so, and you can see some excellent photographs by scrolling down on Lichtfaktor’s MySpace page.

Lichtfaktor gives the following tips on how to draw with light using your camera:

To get the best results you need a tripod.
The exposure should be around 10-30 sec. or longer if needed.
Stay in front of the camera and do your writing.
Set the camera to about iso100, and close your aperture as much as possible. This prevents over-exposure. If there is still too much light you might have to use a nd-filter.

Aaron at milienzo recently published another interesting article drawing attention to Lichtfaktor’s Flickr set.

If you’re liking what you see, there’s a cool urban light-writing hip hop video over at Wooster Collective. For drum and bass fans I’d recommend giving this light writing video a few minutes of your time.

Oh, and have you seen the Drag and Draw project from Philips? Now you can actually encourage your kids to draw on walls! I’m liking the innovation.

I hope you’ve all enjoyed the weekend.

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Chase Jarvis, photographer

Above is an uncut series of still photographs created in five days for personal work and for promoting the 2007 Hasselblad Masters.

According to photographer, Chase Jarvis, only six to 10 of the 2000 images captured will ever be used commercially or for fine art.

I was directed towards this video by CreativeTechs Tips. Thanks for that.

If you enjoyed that vid, you’ll like this behind the scenes clip from one of Chase’s recent shoots, capturing ninjas.

Inside “The Black Box”

I found the above video on Chase Jarvis’ blog, where he adds:

I’m posting this as part of my continuing mission to show what goes on inside “The Black Box” of commercial photography, uncovering what’s behind images you see for everything from Apple to Zillow, Microsoft, Nike, and everything in between.

You might already know that I’m a budding amateur photographer, so I’m extremely impressed by the skills of Chase, and it’s good to see him communicate with others through his blog’s comments.

I’m not the only admirer of Chase Jarvis’ work.

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I’ve been overwhelmed with the response to The Face Behind The Blog, a little photography project that started up three weeks ago.

As a thank you to everyone who’s participating I’m including an extra link to your personal photo collections.

If you’re unfamiliar with what this is, check out the original post or have a peek behind the scenes of the 22 fantastic publishers below:

Gayla at Mom Gadget
Char at Essential Keystrokes
Paul at Reflections
Rob at 2Dolphins
Zep at The In-Sect
Ingo at Stixster
Stevie at Lost In Cyberspace

Becky McCray at Small Biz Survival
Phil Gerbyshak at Make it Great!
Steve Woodruff at StickyFigure
Dave Olson at Live the GREAT life that you desire
Greg at Become a Remote Control SEO
Ariane Benefit at Neat Living Blog
Genesis at the At Home Mom Blog
Armen at iFFECT.NET

It’s not easy / suitable for everyone to publish personal photos online, and I have the utmost repsect for those who are deciding against joining in. For those who are, thank you so much for sharing a little piece of your private lives with your readers. I feel as if I know you all better!

Here’s me out for a game of pool with my girlfriend, Catherine (above). This photo was taken just before we started playing, which is more suitable than showing us fighting when I wouldn’t let Cat win.

Your positive comments on each participant’s blogs / websites are a joy to read. If you’re interested in joining in and adding a personal touch to your online publishing, do let us know so we can share in your past / present experiences.

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