Zim-Zam Border Crossing

The following is a guest post from my good friend, Amy Hennen. She and her husband recently returned from a three week trip to southern Africa. I've asked them both to share some of their experiences in a series of blog posts.



One of the things that made me the most nervous when contemplating our trip to Southern Africa was the border crossing at Victoria Falls between Zimbabwe and Zambia. The two countries (especially Zimbabwe) are not known for their stability or lack of corruption. I worried we would try to cross the border in either direction and be told we couldn’t without a steep bribe. However, I really wanted to see the falls from both sides so giving up on it was out of the question.

Doing some research before we left meant that we were as prepared as we could have been. We chose to walk across the border; driving is a bad idea if you want to keep costs down, due to the taxes on cars crossing the border.

We got a double entry visa for $45 at the Victoria Falls airport in Zimbabwe, which made it easier and cheaper to leave Zimbabwe and come back. The single entry visa is $30 and you can also get it at the airport, but it’s not clear if you can leave Zimbabwe and come back while the visa is valid.

If we wanted a multi-entry visa for $60 it would have been necessary to get it from the consulate before leaving for Africa. When we got to Zambia, we bought a “day pass” visa at the border in Zambia for $20.

One of the most surprising parts to me was how professional and orderly everything was a both border checkpoints. The people working in customs and immigration were cordial and direct. When there wasn’t a crowd in the immigration office, they were downright friendly.

Apart from the customs and immigration the actual border crossing was remarkable. It’s a walk in the hot African sun of at least 1km once you leave the Zimbabwean border post until you get to the bridge over the Zambezi River. It’s a no man’s land that is dry and desolate. It’s nothing like the lush landscapes of the national parks on the other sides of the borders. When we were there, we saw people actually making tar over a coal fire to repair the road. There are also huge trucks that are constantly zooming by because foot traffic, vehicles, and trains share the limited amount of space.

Another option, which we did not choose, is to leave Zimbabwe, but stay in the no man’s land between the two border posts. You can go through the Zimbabwean border post to the zip line / bungee jump / restaurant spot on the opposite side of the bridge without going through the Zambian border. If you do that, you won’t need to “re-enter” Zimbabwe on the way back, but you need to tell the officials that’s what you’re planning to do because you do not want them to put an exit stamp on your passport.

Once you get to the Zambian border, ignore people who want to “help” you get through immigration; you don’t need the assistance. It’s also best not to get too close to the baboons that hang out at the Zambian border post; you won’t need their assistance either. Once past the gate, the Victoria Falls park is only another .5km on the left; you don’t need to take a taxi, though the drivers can be pushy.

I was glad we researched it ahead of time. We did see one couple who hadn’t prepared for this and didn’t understand that the double entry visa they had did not mean it was good at both borders. They likely wound up “burning” one of their entries when they decided to go back and try again the next day.

Most of all, I was glad we did it. The falls look totally different from the two perspectives the countries offer. Zimbabwe views are close, straight on, and you can feel the mist from the falls. Zambia looks down the falls, so it’s a different perspective. From the Zambia side we hiked down to the Zambezi River and we walked on top of the falls because it was the low season. Viewing the falls from both sides is an absolute must!




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FotoWeekDC

Just a quick post to remind everyone that FotoWeekDC starts this weekend. If you live in the Baltimore/DC area, you owe it to yourself to head down and check out some of the great lectures and exhibitions. It's also great to be around other people who love photography. We see plenty of photo-enthusiasm online, but physically being there takes it to a whole new level. I hope you can make it.

Real Notes from Rome

My original Notes from Rome article wasn't terribly informative about Rome itself, so this is a do-over. I tried to think of questions we had before the trip, and the answers we discovered along the way, so I've opted for a Q&A format. I hope you find it useful.



Where did you stay?

In a studio apartment rental that I found on Roman Reference. I had a €102.91 down payment and then had to pay the balance of €534.06 in cash on arrival.

May is a popular time to visit Rome, so I booked the apartment near the end of February.

We called the key-holder when we arrived at the FCO train terminal to arrange a time. He was right out front waiting for us when arrived at the front door.

Does FCO have easily accessible payphones?

Yes, at the gates, airport terminal, and train terminal. I ended up using my iPhone4 though. It took a moment to connect to the TIM network, but otherwise worked just fine. I think the one-minute call to the key-holder cost a couple bucks, probably due to initial registration fees and such.

How did you get to your apartment?

Our apartment was located just south of Piazza del Popolo on Via del Corso. We took the Leonardo Express from FCO to Termini, then took the metro A line west to Flaminio station.

Just a heads-up, the Leonardo Express drops you on the far end of Termini Station from the metro lines. It was probably just under 1/2 mile of walking. Just keep following the signs and you'll make it.

Also, the Leonardo Express ticket machines only speak Italian, and appeared to only accept chip-and-pin credit cards. If you buy your tickets from the person at the kiosk, you have to pay cash.

And don't forget to validate your Leonardo Express ticket before you board. There are little validation machines that look like parking meters near the beginning of the platform.

Where did you eat?

We usually ate dinner in the back streets along Via del Corso. If you eat along the main drags, you're going to pay a lot more. Stick to the little places along the alleys and you'll find great food at reasonable prices.

If you keep your eyes open, there are little grocery stores available as well. We found one along Via della Fontanella di Borgese, walking west from Via del Corso. I think there was another one on Via Antonio Canova. Just keep an eye out. They both accepted American Express.



How did you pay for things?

The amount of cash required in Rome caught me a little off guard. I'm used to paying for everything with a credit card, for the points and the protection. Pretty much all the restaurants accepted credit cards, but a lot of the tourist attractions required cash. There were plenty of ATM's around though.

If you use your credit card in an ATM, remember that it counts as a cash advance, and starts accruing interest immediately. Use your normal ATM card if you can.

How was the water?

We drank the water without any ill effects. However, water pressure is low. The shower in our apartment came out as a trickle. According the owner, all of Rome suffers from low water pressure. At least the water was hot.

Was noise a problem at night?

Even though our apartment was in one of the busier parts of Rome, we didn't have any problems with noise. Our little balcony was on the third floor overlooking a small courtyard. Very serene really.



How did you get around?

There was quite a bit of walking, but since we were near Flaminio station, we opted to get the CIS unlimited weekly ticket for €16 each. It actually worked really well. The bus system is also really useful, albeit confusing. We were able to find a bus map on the wall just inside Flaminio station. As a starting point, pay attention to the bus numbers you see in your area when you arrive. The busses are totally safe too. We even saw small school children riding the bus alone. Believe me, your feet will thank you for using any kind of transit, even if you end up going the long way around.



How much did it cost to rent bicycles?

We only used bicycles on the Appia Antica. It cost about €22 for two bikes for about four hours. They had to be the most rickety bikes I've ever ridden on, but when you hit those cobblestones, you'll understand why. They were otherwise very comfortable bikes with a convenient step-through design. The ride was an amazing experience, with tons of great stopping points; well worth the cost. Traffic was almost non-existent. Remeber to bring your passport along, as you have to leave it with the rental shop while you have the bikes.



What did you do for lunch?

On our first day, we went to one of the grocery stores (see above) and picked up cheese, crackers, canned chicken, bananas, and some other snacks. Each day we brought a portion along in our backpack and found a shady bench to relax and enjoy. It really hit the spot.

As a side note, pay attention to the label on the canned chicken. We made the mistake of buying "pollo in geletina" (chicken in jello). It was edible, but definitely less than ideal.

How did you get into The Vatican?

The huge line in front of the Vatican is for St. Peter's Basillica. The Vatican Museum entrance (and line) is on the north side of Vatican City. We got to the museum at about 1pm and didn't have to wait in line at all.

Also, the tour guides in front of the basilica are extremely persistent in trying to get your attention. At first we tried simply ignoring them, but that didn't work at all. If they start trying to offer you a tour, just say, "we're fine," and they'll quickly move on to the next person. They are actually offering legitamate tours (and quick access) for about €40 each, so if you are interested, by all means, talk to them.

I do wish I'd had a my 17-40/4 lens to capture some of the amazing painted ceilings and walls in the museum though.



And the Colosseum?

Buy your tickets for the Colosseum at the entrance to Palatine Hill just south of the Arch of Constantine. The line is much, much shorter.



How did you get back to the airport?

We had a morning flight out of FCO, so we opted to avoid the trains and caught an early (early) cab that was waiting in Piazza del Popolo. Surprisingly, the cab driver was the only Roman we encountered who didn't speak any English at all. However, we were able to overcome the language barrier and get to the airport in record time for just under €50. In hindsight, it would have been helpful to know that the Alitalia flights to CDG are out of Terminal 1.

After a brief series of unintelligable exchanges with driver, he eventually stopped in front of Terminal 1 and simply asked, "A qui?" (here?). I figured we could walk to any other part of the airport if we had to, so I replied, "Si si," and gave him the full 50 to include a little tip, and got out. Surprisingly, he actually tried to give me change, to which I gestured no thanks and said, "Prego," which appears to mean all-things-good.

Conclusions?

Go to Rome, but don't over plan it. Have a key objective for each day, but leave time to explore. Rome will not disappoint.

Delta, you idiot

I'm going to try to keep this one short. On the way back from Rome last Wednesday, Delta flew us back from CDG to PHL on a 757. A seven-fifty-seven! It might as well have been a 737. I have to say, it was one of the most cramped, uncomfortable flights I've ever been on. You could tell the flight attendants didn't like it either. Serving eight hours worth of food and snacks to all those passengers on a narrow body jet must have been painful.

Delta, I'm sure your accountants thought this was a good idea, but single aisle airplanes have no business crossing the Atlantic. Your passengers don't appreciate it and your employees don't appreciate it. Stick to wide body, two aisle jets like the 767, 777, and eventually the 787. Meanwhile, try moving your accountants' offices to the coach section of a decommissioned 757, then see what bright ideas they start coming up with.

Euro Woes

We're doing a vacation rental apartment for our upcoming trip to Rome. This means we have to pay the balance of the rental to the owner in cash, on arrival. Since I like to know I have a place to stay when I arrive, I wanted to have the cash ready and waiting before departure.

#1

My first attempt to get euros was with Wells Fargo. It sounded simple enough; go online, buy euros at a decent exchange rate, and have them shipped to me.

Well the first transaction failed due to "technical difficulties." Ok, I can deal with that. I tried again a couple hours later and got the same error. I called the phone number listed on the website (1-800-626-9430) and gave the guy my info. Little did I know he was just entering it into the website as well. Obviously, the response was, "Uh, I'm getting the same error." Thanks buddy. He said that perhaps my credit card was blocking the transaction.

Fair enough, so I called my credit card company. The lady who answered said there were not one, but three transactions listed for the full amount I was attempting to get. She assured me I would only be charged for one of the transactions at most.

Needless to say, I was getting fairly frustrated at this point, so I called Wells Fargo back and explained the situation. "Have you moved recently?" the woman asked. "Yes, about a week ago," I answered. "Bingo!" she responded, "We would never ship to a new address like that." I asked if I could just tell my credit card to approve the transaction, but she said that was not how it worked. I asked her how long I needed to be at this address before the transaction could proceed. Her response? Six months! Not terribly useful. So much for Wells Fargo.

#2

Attempt number two was with Travelex. Their rates were basically the same as Wells Fargo (1.56 dollars/euro), and I discovered they actually had a physical location in my area. Great, I could just walk up and get my money.

I walked up to the counter the next day only to discover that their in-person rates were 1.68 dollars/euro. For a small amount of cash, this wouldn't make a huge difference, but we're talking about several hundred euros here, so it adds up. On the plus side they said I could order the euros online at 1.56, then pick them up the next day at the counter. "Great, I'll do that."

Or so I thought. The online transaction gave me a transaction ID, but it stated that the transaction failed. Again, I called the number listed on the Travelex website (1-877-414-6359) and gave them the transaction ID. The only answer I got was that, "some of my information could not be verified." I told the guy straight out that I had recently moved. He didn't say that was the problem, just that some of the information could not be verified. Ok, strike two.

#3

Third time's the charm. I just walked up to the Travelex counter earlier today, gave them my credit card, and lo and behold, they gave me euros. On top of that, the rates had dropped slightly to 1.66, so I didn't have to bend over quite as far as I originally thought.

I guess the moral of the story is, if you're going to buy foreign currency online, make sure you do it before you move. Furthermore, if I had purchased a camera of the same cost, I certainly would not have gotten the virtual third degree.

I'd also like to point out Steven Frischling's excellent article on the topic of foreign currency exchange, from which I based this little adventure.

I'm ready to be in Rome.

Lens Selection Anecdote

My friend Pat recently came to me for some lens selection advice, so I thought I would do the right thing and pass it along here. He'd just purchased a new Canon 60D, but he did the smart thing and bought it body-only. His brother had recently purchased a Nikon D3100, and he was disappointed with the kit lenses that came with the camera. I had also advised him against the kit lenses since there are so many great lenses out there that are better suited to particular tasks. In Pat's case, he wanted a good low-light lens, a good portrait lens, and a good travel lens, all for about $1200.

He'd already ordered the 24-105/4L IS and the 50/1.8. While I'm definitely a fan of both of these lenses, but I had to explain that the 24-105 simply wouldn't be wide enough for travel photography with the 60D's cropped sensor. Also, being an f/4, it's not the greatest portrait lens. His counter argument was that he could just get a wide prime later for travel. While this was true, it would also have all kinds of drawbacks:

• You're traveling, so it's essential to keep things light and simple; don't take two lenses when one will do.
• Two lenses at the wide end will usually result in many lens changes when traveling. This means you're going to hold up your tour group and/or miss the shot.
• Every lens change when you're out and about just gets more dust on you sensor.

Luckily he'd ordered the lenses from B&H, so the return policy for the 24-105 wasn't a concern. Now we just had to figure out which lenses he did need. The new EF-S 17-55/2.8 was tempting, but it just didn't seem like it would be quite long enough, plus it would have blown his budget if he still wanted to get a portrait lens. After a bit of discussion, he ended up going with the EF-S 18-200/3.5-5.6. Even though I'm generally not a fan of lenses with variable apertures, I think this was a good choice. My Nikon friends seem to get decent shots out of their equivalent DX 18-200 lenses, so Canon should at least be able to match that (don't worry, I have a soft spot for Nikon as well).

With the travel lens decided, we now had to figure out a portrait lens. This was actually an easier choice, since Canon has always had many great USM primes to choose from. Back in college I used to drool over the 100/2 prime. This would have been a bit on the long end for his cropped sensor though, so I ended up recommending the 85/1.8. It should compliment the 50/1.8 nicely for outdoor vs. indoor portraits.

So in the end, Pat will have a great Canon travel and portrait kit started with a 60D, 18-200/3.5-5.6, 50/1.8, and 85/1.8. I'm looking forward to his pictures.

Xpanomics

So I just wanted to make a short post about the economics of shooting various types of film with the Xpan. The film prices here were pulled from B&H on 12/14/2010, and the processing and scanning prices were pulled from North Coast Photographic Services (NCPS). It assumes about $0.50 of shipping for getting the film from B&H and then shipping it to NCPS, then shipping the processed film back. It also assumes you get 21 panoramic shots out of a roll of 36.

Film	Roll	Ship	Proc	Scan	Total	Per Pano (21)	Per Std (36)
Fuji Provia 400X	$9.89	$0.50	$8.25	$5.49	$24.13	$1.15	$0.67
Fuji Astia 100F	$7.55	$0.50	$8.25	$5.49	$21.79	$1.04	$0.61
Fuji Velvia 50	$6.95	$0.50	$8.25	$5.49	$21.19	$1.01	$0.59
Kodak E100VS	$6.99	$0.50	$8.25	$5.49	$21.23	$1.01	$0.59
Fuji Pro 400H	$6.89	$0.50	$5.50	$5.49	$18.38	$0.88	$0.51
Ilford XP2 Super 400	$5.64	$0.50	$5.50	$5.49	$17.13	$0.82	$0.48
Kodak BW400CN	$5.25	$0.50	$5.50	$5.49	$16.74	$0.80	$0.47
Ilford FP4 Plus 125	$5.09	$0.50	$5.50	$5.49	$16.58	$0.79	$0.46
Kodak 400TX (Tri-X)	$3.45	$0.50	$5.50	$5.49	$14.94	$0.71	$0.42

So we can clearly see that the venerable Tri-X is the most economical to shoot, but obviously it may not give the desired results or grain. I was a bit surprised to see that Provia came out to be most expensive. $10 per roll is way too much; not sure why it's that high.

Now the real trick is to not think about how much each shot is costing you, causing you to hesitate as The Moment passes. This is especially true of street shooting. I'm curious to hear what others do to mitigate the recurring costs of shooting film. Developing and scanning yourself seem like the obvious choices, but the time and tedium (not to mention chemicals) have their own costs associated with them.

I prefer to think of the cost in terms of something to pass the time. I could pay $20 and go to an amusement park, or eat at a semi-nice restaurant... or I could shoot a roll of Pro 400H for less. For me the reward is often being there, and the pictures come afterward.

If this post bored your completely, then check out how Steve Kamb is going to travel the world for $418.

Seven Forty Seven

This is really more of a reminder to myself for future reference. When flying United to/from Narita (NRT), connect through Chicago (ORD), not LAX. Generally I'm not a fan of delay-prone ORD, but ORD to NRT gets you on a 747. LAX to NRT only gets you on a 777.

The route from LAX to NRT is entirely over water; it doesn't even come close to Alaska or Hawaii. The two engines on the 777 are impressive, but there are only two of them, and the Pacific Ocean is a monster body of water.

The route from ORD to NRT goes up over Alaska and northeast Russia. It's a barren world of ice, but it's something. Besides, you've got the 747's four engines to carry you over it all. This route also gives you some amazing views below if you get stuck in a window seat.

Docking Bay

This picture has nothing to do with anything. It's not even recent. I just felt like posting it along with a few interesting, unrelated links:

Probably the most beautiful bicycle I've ever seen (and a cool photo project) at #BikeNYC.

Slow motion video of the 5D shutter. Look at the way the mirror bounces at the end. It's no wonder mirror lock-up reduces vibration.

I'm looking forward to the Fuji X100. I hope it lives up to expectations.

This makes me want a Fuji GA645, though when I held a Fuji 6x9 at B&H a while back, it really did feel cheap. It's tough to argue with results though.

Valid code quality measurement, reposted from Chris Gooley a while back.

Flight Control is probably the best game I've ever played on the iPod. $1 addiction.

Macro in Patapsco

Ok, back to actual photography. Today I took my 5D and 50/1.8 to Patapsco Valley State Park in Elkridge, Maryland. I was somewhat confined to a particular part of the park though, so I decided to take my extension tube (EF25II) and explore my little corner of the park in macro. As always, God is in the details, and if you're shooting macro, the world is suddenly a whole lot larger.

I was shooting everything handheld today, which is somewhat tricky for macro photography. A couple things that helped though:

• Use AI Focus or Continuous focus mode. With such a shallow depth-of-field (millimeters), you and the subject will inevitably sway towards and away from each other. AI/Continuous focus can help compensate for the constantly changing distance between you and the subject.
• Switch to manual focus when auto-focus fails you (it will at times), or as a starting point before you turn on auto-focus.
• Shoot subjects that are in direct sunlight, with shade in the background. The sunlight/shade contrast will help your subject stand out from the background. The direct sunlight will also give you the high shutter speed you need to compensate for all the little movements that can occur in the macro world.
• Don't be afraid to shoot without looking through the viewfinder. Good macro subjects are sometimes high, low, or in tight spaces. Aim the camera as best you can and give it your best shot. If your camera has a Live View feature, then definitely use it.

Here's my top five for the day. There's a little more detail in the flickr comments for each photo, so click on the image if you want to know more.











Happy shooting, one and all, large or small.

Early Morning Do

Do get up about 45 minutes before sunrise.
Do go to a spot you've been meaning to explore for a while.
Do take your favorite camera(s).
Do shoot, shoot, shoot.
Do stop for a few minutes to breath in the air and take in the location.
Do shoot as you leave.
Do leave slowly.
Do return.

In my case, I'd been meaning to go to a spot behind the Sam's Club in Port Covington, just south of downtown Baltimore. After exploring it further on Google Earth, I realized it was actually an old, over grown dock with some great views of the harbor; stuff the tourists would never, ever take pictures of, even though they'd readily go into the Sam's Club. Heck, they might even buy a new camera at the Sam's and never notice that some cool pictures were right around back.

Anyway, my main mission was to finish off the final roll of film from Shenandoah. As you'd expect, that didn't take long. Of course I had to take a few pictures of the Xpan setup with my 5D. I took my film to the post office once they opened. Just $1.95 to mail two rolls from Maryland to California... not bad. Hopefully they will be back in the next week or so. In the meantime, enjoy these shots from my 5D with the 50/1.8.









Enjoy, and don't forget to do your do's!

Reproportion

Photojournalists, cover your ears (or eyes, in this case). This does not apply to you.

One of the interesting properties of landscapes is that they can usually be stretched horizontally without anyone noticing. Hills become more gentle, rocks become flatter, but there's nothing particularly odd about that, so most people never question it. Why do we care? Because this can be very useful for creating a panoramic image from a relatively square one.

Not only can the image be stretched, but it can be selectively stretched. Here's an example with a single image of Chelsea:





The top image is the original, full frame of the photo. Chelsea clearly wouldn't appreciate it if I'd simply widened the whole image (and her figure along with it). Instead I widened only the areas to the left and right of her by doing the following:

• Resize the canvas (not the image) to the desired width.


• Select the landscape to the left of her with the Marquee tool.


• Edit -> Transform -> Scale...


• Stretch the selected area to the left until it fills the left side of the canvas and press Enter.


• Now do the same for the landscape to the right of her.

What I find amazing about this is that widened areas of the image blend right into the unaffected areas. It's a neat trick that can be selectively applied around people, trees, or any figure of known proportion. Give it a try!

Zap

Ken Rockwell pointed out a simple way to get cool pictures of lightning with a point-and-shoot. With tonight's storms rolling through Baltimore, I thought I'd give it a try. I used my little Canon SD800 to get this shot about an hour ago.



The building that's second from left is the Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) building. I guess they know some secret about lightning, because it seems to rarely strike their building... Hmm.

Anyway, I set the camera in manual with ISO 80, tungsten white balance, and continuous shooting mode. The camera automatically selected a shutter speed of 1 second. I then propped the camera up on the window sill and held down until I got something cool. It really does work, so give it a try.

Also, I'm kind of excited about the S90. Let's hope its as good as everyone says.

The Essential Notepad

I was reading the Lonely Planet Guide to Travel Writing today, and it reminded me of something I've been doing since at least 2006... carrying a notepad and pen. I know what you're thinking, "Haven't you ever heard of a PDA?" Of course, but an electronic gadget is often more trouble than it's worth for quick notes. I can keep the notepad in my back pocket for an entire year, sitting on it day after day, without fear of breaking it. A notepad doesn't need batteries or a connection to the Internet cloud. It doesn't need to boot up. It doesn't crash. It's also got convenient history and messaging functions; turn back a page or pass a note.

Obviously, the other essential item is a pen. I prefer the Zebra F-301 blue or black pens. They look sharp, handle well, and haven't failed me yet. The pen lives in my the left pocket (I'm left handed) of my jeans, clipped to the top, near the back. It stays put surprisingly well too, ready for the quick draw. My Swiss Army Knife also has a pen, but it's small and awkward, so it's strictly a backup. As a side note though, I heard Swiss Army officers were originally issued knives to sharpen their quills for record keeping.

And as you can tell from my blog, I've got a ways to go on my travel writing...

Hold the laptop

Next time you take a photography trip, leave the laptop behind. You don't need it. Go get yourself a Think Tank Pixel Pocket Rocket, pop in ten compact flash cards, and go. Take tons of pictures, relax in the evening, and save the post-processing for when you get home.

Ten CF cards at 4 gigabytes each gives you 40 gigabytes. I shoot at about 10 gigabytes per week with a 5D in raw. Even if you're twice as trigger-happy as me, that still gives you two weeks of shooting, sans laptop.

Ken Rockwell pointed out that shooting film actually forces you to save the post-processing (or any kind of processing, for that matter) until you get home. There's no reason this can't be true for digital as well.

This is especially true on international trips. It's just another juicy target for thieves and customs. The price is not just in dollars either; imagine the amount of personal data that's on your laptop. If you really feel the need to stay connected and browse the web, go get yourself an iPod Touch.

There's also the weight savings. For the weight of a laptop, you could carry another lens or two. Better yet, you could just save those extra pounds and be more mobile.

"The things you own end up owning you." Choose wisely.

As as side note, there may be hope for the 1D Mark II after all...

What's in a Camera

I just wanted to post this photo to show that composition and timing matters more than the camera. I took this photo with a little Canon SD800 in the Outer Banks last May. "f/8 and be there," as they say.

That being said, I've had my eye on the world of film lately, especially rangefinders. In particular, I was drooling over the Leica M4P and M6, thanks mostly to the recent rants of Ken Rockwell. I was especially interested in the light weight, high build quality, and excellent optics that the Leicas had to offer.

Luckily I took a deep breath before buying anything. I realized a few things:

1. There are other high quality options that cost less and offer more features.
   
2. I needed to think about the kinds of pictures I really want to take with film (as opposed to digital), and where I was planning to take those pictures.
3. The Leica is just the main example Ken Rockwell is using for his fanatic crusade against the Nikon D3X. Leicas are still expensive (and obviously give a very healthy kick-back for referred sales).
   

Eventually I decided that I wanted to focus on landscapes when it came to film. Leica's reputation for street photography is alluring, but the idea of taking pictures of strangers on the street doesn't seem right, plus it's too experimental for anything but digital. I also don't have any upcoming trips where electricity and batteries will be scarce, which is another situation where the Leica would excel.

Inspiration! After reading many posts on photo.net, and looking at many rangefinder photos on flickr, I came across the Hasselblad Xpan. A film camera that can be switched into true panoramic mode, perfect for landscapes. On top of that, the optics are excellent, and the build quality is very high. I was particularly moved by Mathew Joseph's work, and his love for this camera; I believe the quote was, "Lost for words..."

My Xpan should be here next week. I'm anticipating a bit of a learning curve due to the panoramic format and the reintroduction of film in my work. Hopefully I can get comfortable with it this spring in time for my cross-country road trip this summer. I'm really looking forward to some panoramic Fuji Velvia.

In other news, I've been working on a way to get a lomographic look from the 5D in-camera (no Photoshop). I thought about buying an LC-A+, but I have trouble justifying the recurring costs of film for experimental snapshots. Anyway, I think I'm almost there with the 5D. I'll be sure to post my findings once I refine the idea a bit.

Links

• More Lomograhy
• More Xpan

Fifty

I've recently rediscovered the simple joys of shooting with the Canon 50/1.8 II (thrifty fifty). In a world full of huge, image-stabilized zooms, I'd forgotten how small, light, and fast the 50 was. Slap that sucker on the 5D, and suddenly you've got a surprisingly small, light, full-frame, natural perspective camera for street photography. I even took it with me to a blues bar last weekend, and my mostly sober friend didn't even notice that I was "packing heat" until we were about to leave.

One of the features I like about the 5D is its support for Picture Styles. For street photography, put it in Monochrome, bump up the sharpness, and you can come away with some pretty interesting street scenes. The Monochrome Picture Style also supports electronic filters in yellow, orange, red, and green. You can apply these filters without carrying any addition equipment. If you shoot in raw, like me, you can apply these filters in Digital Photo Professional. If you shoot in color, you can apply similar filters in Photoshop using Channel Mixer adjustment layers.

The 50 is also a great way to focus on composition. Even an experienced photographer can use a refresher in composition. One of the things I remember reading in Annie Leibovitz At Work, was that she could only afford a 50mm lens when she started shooting in the Bay Area in the 60's. Many of her classmates had 35mm lenses, which were looser and allowed them to put more in the frame. She said that the 50 forced her to focus on composition to get the shot. I think she was on to something.

Last Friday the weather here in Baltimore was bearable (about 50 degrees, heh), so I came home early to do some street photography. I was walking along West Pratt Street when I came across this spot next to Camden Pub. I've walked by it more times than I can remember, but I'd just never noticed it before. Generally I steer clear of power lines and telephone poles, but for some reason it just worked this time. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mode without the 50 in hand...

Transporting framed prints

I'm in the process of moving into a new apartment in downtown Baltimore. As with most photographers, I had some framed prints hanging on my walls. Moving them from one place to another can be easier said than done though. I think I've found a cheap and easy way to do it though. I'm using some three-sided cardboard science fair stand-ups I had been using as cheap reflectors. Just lay the frame face-down on the large center portion of the board, then close the flaps and start taping. The trick is to pinch the top and bottom parts of the board together as you're taping, resulting in a nice, snug fit on all sides. I haven't tried any drop tests yet, but I imagine the board would take the brunt of the damage.

Of course, this will also work for unframed prints that you don't want to roll up.