"L" is for Luxury...or something.

I've had the opportunity to shoot with the Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS USM for the past week, and it has made me fall in love with my [camera] body all over again. You can hear all the hype about the lens, read the reviews and do the research on "L" glass in general; but nothing compares to shooting with it. The fact about Photography, or any craft, is that you can continually get better at it, for as long as you do it. There will always be Photographers that boast about the images that can be created with minimal equipment, but to face reality, you need the tools to do the job. For an extreme example, imagine shooting a football game with only an 18-55mm kit lens. Sure it can be done, sure you can get some awesome pictures, but you will be very limited in your output.
The photo above was taken from the first series of images I captured with the 70-200. It was taken at full telephoto with auto-focus, and as you can see the image is very sharp. If I knew she was going to land there, I would have just focused on the line. But this just gives you an idea of how fast this lens is [also note minimal to 0 aberration].
As a Photographer, you should always want to do your best work. After some shoots, clients ask me if this was my best, I think to myself "no, my next shoot will be my best."
It may not show immediately from project to project, but over all you should progressively get better each time you shoot. And at some point, that will mean getting the right tools.

Canon 550D Sample Footage

Today Canon officially announced the release of the Rebel T2i aka the 550D. Later in the afternoon they released this sample footage!



Specs at DPReview

TE - The Weatherproof Canon 7D

Photo By Ole Jorgen Liodden

It's official, the Canon 7D has won me over and will be the next cam in my arsenal. And after seeing the great work of long time film maker Philip Bloom and Photographer Vincent Laforet, I had to get hands on. This cam will greatly compliment the 50D, and being that I recently started shooting weddings, a second cam is essential. Yes it would be nice to have the full frame of the 5D MKii, but at the current price points, the 7D is perfect for my workload. Plus it allows me to take full advantage of my 580exii.

Something I have been researching lately is weatherproofing. Everyone is a little touchy when it comes to their pricey equipment being exposed to the elements, but as new equipment rolls out this becomes less of an issue. Even Canon's latest flash units come weather sealed. In the case of the 7D I saw the most extreme. Actually, this seems like a vision out of a nightmare. Photographer Ole Jorgen Liodden went on an expedition to Antarctica last year and had his bare 7D with him. I've never had more than 10 drops of rain on any of my equipment, but needless to say, a rainy day is looking like no reason to cancel a gig. Ole reports no issues with the 7D after the shoot. Personally, I recommend a rain cover, umbrella, or simple plastic covering when applicable. Also as a note, when shooting in the elements be sure that all of your gear is protected, not just your camera body!