This coming summer is going to be the first in a long time that I am mot going to be going to camp for the summer. It is kind of bittersweet to think about. I know that I will miss camp but I think that it will be nice to have a real summer off and be able to spend time with my wife, my family, her family, our new house, and just relax a little.

As part of the plans for this summer, we have a couple trips planned including time in Israel, Hawaii, Moab, and probably various other camping excursions.  Of course on all of these adventures I will have my cameras with me but I am hoping to be able to do most of the traveling without taking my laptop all over the place.  Why? Well, for most of what I need to be able to do on a daily basis i can do on my iPad, and it is a lot smaller and easier to travel with.  However, the iPad is limited in what it can do with photos, and all things considered, it can’t store all the photos that I will take over the summer.  Of course the other big issue is the fact that I shoot exclusively in RAW, which means huge files and not the best editing software for iPad.  So, how do I travel and take home all the images?

I have been looking into various solutions to solve the storage and organizational products and software. In my searching I came across the various offerings from Sanho. Currently the device that has my interest piqued is the Sanho HyperDrive Colorspace UDMA2. I read about it on another photo blog and decided to check it out.  It is basically a housing for a 2.5″ hard drive that has various card readers built in.  Since the iPad can’t directly work with a CF card reader (not enough power) having a way to download CF cards on the go is a must.  The Colorspace UDMA2 can also connect to the iPad via wireless networking.  The drive can even create it’s own wifi network for sharing with tablets and computers.  For faster transfers it can be connected via USB to a computer.  The Colorspace UDMA2 comes either without a drive, or in various drive sizes.  If you are tech savvy and don’t mind dissembling the device and installing your own drive, you can save lots of cash over buying it with a drive pre-installed.

Of the other options from Sanho are two versions of the iUSBport.  The basic version of the iUSBport is relatively inexpensive and can share just about any USB storage device via wifi.  As with the Colorspace UDMA2, it can either connect to an existing network or create it’s own.  This device can power a CF card reader and thus would allow for download of CF cards to an iPad.  However if I wanted the security of backing up photos to a hard drive I would have to download the card to the iPad, then connect a hard drive to the iUSBport and copy the images back to the drive.  On the go, that is probably less than ideal, but since I own all the needed hardware (HDD, card reader & iPad) all I would have to do is buy the iUSBport.  It supports connections via FTP or it has an app for your tablet or smartphone.  I suppose I could also use it to download a card and then I could upload that card to my Copy account where I have plenty of storage for a trip or two.

The second version of the iUSBport is the iUSBportCAMERA. It has all the functionality of it’s predecessor AND it can connect to your camera and allows for wireless tethered shooting.  You can control focus, and other camera settings, trigger the shutter release, and view the images you take, as you take them.  I have been looking for a way to shoot tethered to my iPad!  The iUSBportCAMERA is the most expensive option.

Of course on the other hand, I could just travel with my laptop, but I don’t want to be “that guy” who sits in front of the computer on vacation. I am certainly not going to do any major editing on vacation, maybe just some posts to Facebook and such.  Being able to download memory cards and back them up quickly so that I can go on shooting is the goal. Being able to get images on to my iPad will be useful and allow me to back up to cloud storage as well.

As I move through the process, get a device and create a workflow, I’ll be sure to post my thoughts!

Some magicians never reveal their secrets, but for the impressive scene shift that we execute in Pioneer Theatre Company’s production of Clybourne Park, we decided to show it off.  So, as both a technician and the staff photographer I kind of had my hands in the whole process and now have a cool time-laps video to share.

For those who don’t know the show, Clybourne Park, by Bruce Norris, was written as a response/”sequel” to Lorraine Hansburry’s classic: A Raisin in the Sun.  Clybourne Park picks up the story in 1959 in the home that the Younger family is purchasing. Actually only moments after the ending of A Raisin in the Sun.  The first act of the play deals with the family moving out of the house and the community reaction to the fact that a black family will be moving in.

In the second act, we skip forward to 2009. The neighborhood has become primarily black and a white family is moving in.  They plan to demolish the house and build a new one since the cost is almost the same as renovation.  They run into issues with the community when their designs call for a house that is 15 feet taller than the old house.  Let’s just say that things go downhill from there.

So, in the scene shift from Act I to Act II we have a house that has to age 50 years.  It goes from clean and new to run down, vandalized, and falling apart.  If you go to see the show you won’t see the shift as it happens behind a curtain (for theatrical effect), but we are bringing it to the light so that people understand what goes into it.  The scene shift takes a static box set, and in 12 minutes, the crew manages to age it 50 years.  Through some tricks of film and photography we are able to compress that down even more, into a 2 minute video clip.

I set the video to three different pieces of music, if you want to see the others, they are on my website. I would love to know which one people prefer!

Enjoy the theatre magic!

Playing with Fire – Where’s the spinner?

 P  laying with Fire is going to be a new series of photography experiments that I just got the idea for.  I was cruising the internets just kind of following links and suggestions on sites like YouTube when I stumbled across the concept of steel wool photography.  It isn’t really a new concept, more like a fresh take on long-exposure light painting.  Most people do long-exposure light painting with flashlights and laser pointers, some people even use flashes or speedlights on manual and control them by hand.  Steel wool photography on the other hand, appeals to some of the baser human instincts like playing with fire.

Have you ever watched a dancer at a Hawaiian luau twirling flaming torches? This is kinda similar to that except substitute the flaming torch for a wire whisk filled with steel wool.  Anyone who has taken a basic outdoors course probably knows that steel wool burns really well.  It can be used in a pinch to start a fire when you are camping. It also has this cool tendency to throw around lots of sparks when you pack it into a wire whisk tied to a string and swing it around.  Light painting with fire! Who could ask for anything more?

Steel wool Photography attempt #1

So, I ran out to the hardware store to pick up the tools required for the project.  It is a simple list: wire whisk, rope, steel wool. I would have liked to find a different location, but I couldn’t think of one where I wouldn’t call a lot of attention to myself right away, therefore, the fornt yard it was. I set up the camera, choosing to shoot this with my full frame fisheye, I thought it would give a good effect.  There is a lot of light pollution in Salt Lake City, so I ended up at ISO100 with an exposure of 30-seconds at f22.  I played around a little, but this seemed to be the best.  Since it was just me, I set the camera to self timer which game me time to trip the release, light the steel wool and get in frame.

The rest was just pure fun, set the camera and swing around some fire!  The hard icy crust on the snow gave nice reflections and a great surface for bouncing sparks.  The first few attempts I made standing still and swinging, then I got the idea to walk through the frame.  The last two shots with me walking through the frame are cool because you can’t see me!

Playing with Fire – attempt #2

On my second or third attempt I learned a really important lesson: either wear gloves or change your grip!  Why? Well, I managed to give my self a good blister after swinging the rope in my hand for 30 seconds.  I also rubbed part of one of my fingers raw. Lesson learned, gloves worn for the rest of the shots.  Nothing a little Neosporin and Band-aids can’t fix up! Other things to keep in mind: wear long sleeves and a hat or hoodie!

I also got some very interesting ideas for ways to continue this experiment and create some fun shots.  I am thinking of locations to visit and possibly some flash techniques that could add some interest.

Listen, this is a fun technique and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes painting with light, but it is not for the faint of heart.  This i real fire that we are playing with here and it can be dangerous.  Make sure you take appropriate precautions if you attempt this, don’t do it in a dry field during a drought! Pay attention to where you a flinging sparks and make sure they get put out and don’t start any fires, it doesn’t take much.  Think about your location and timing, after a rain storm things are less likely to catch fire, in a concrete tunnel or the middle of a parking lot is better than a dry field or yard.  Be smart about it, get permission and supervision if you are younger, and don’t hurt yourself!  Most importantly, have fun!

Note: Clicking on any of the photos will take you to my gallery at icewolfphotography.com.  If you just want to look at the photos follow the link below:

Playing with Fire – by: Alex Weisman

Playing with Fire – Attempt #6

As we near opening for our next show at the theatre I usually find myself with more free time, though I think that this time around my time will be taken up by getting ready for my honeymoon.  This mainly will involve cleaning the apartment and packing.  I am really looking forward to this trip.  It is the first real vacation that Ruth and I will be taking alone together.  It Should be really fun and I am sure it will feel like it was too short.

We also basically just got back from our trip to Disneyland with Ruth’s family.  That was a lot of fun, and it has been quite a while since I have been to Disney.  Ruth and I flew out and met the family there to spend outs first day at Knott’s Berry Farm.  Smaller than Disney with big rides, but also way bigger lines.  We stood in some pretty long lines to ride the rides.  We actually took to calculating how many people the rides could move in the amount of time we waited in line.  We actually waited around 3 hours for one roller coaster that was about a 20-second ride.

After Knott’s, we headed to Co Co Ichibanya (aka Co Co’s), a curry house that is starting to make a US presence, coming from Japan.  Co Co’s was the Jones’ favorite curry house in Okinawa, so they will go out of their way to go there when they can.  I don’t have anything to compare to, but it is darn good food!

Then it was on to Disneyland where we had two days in the parks including staying till about 1:45AM on New Years.  Disney is a lot of fun even when it is wall to wall people. It is the place where everyone has fun, and if you take a moment to plan your day, you don’t have to spend forever waiting in lines.  We managed to break the Pinocchio ride, as soon as we got in the car, bells started ringing and lights started flashing and they had to evacuate the ride.  Then the fog rolled in so thick you could barely see 100 feet in front of you.  We couldn’t see the New Years fireworks, but we did managed to get stuck in the crowd.  We got to fight against the press and then this great little old lady helped us jump the ropes when the cast members weren’t looking so we could get out of the crowd.  Good times were had by all.

Sunset lights up Balanced Rock at Arches National Park

Of course the other big thing is my photo gallery opening that was last week.  For the month of January I have a display of Utah Landscape photography up at the JCC here in Salt Lake.  It was very exciting to lay out all the prints and see them big and up on the wall.  I don’t have the space to really look at more than one at a time at home.  The opening reception seemed to go very well, there was a good turn out and I have since received a few emails asking about the images.  If you are in the SLC area you should stop by and see the prints, otherwise you can see the images on my website.

Ok folks, it has been quite the long stint since I last posted here.  Every blogger says it on a regular basis, but life has just been totally crazy.  My last post was in May, before I went to camp, before I got married, and before the current season at the theatre.  It was almost before the summer really started and now winter is starting.  I have been kind of bad about lots of things in the digital world of communication though.  I have been very slow at responding to emails, I have been behind on processing and sorting photos, and apparantly I am behind on getting videos together from the summer to go online.  Then there are the actual things that I havent been doing, like going to the gym.  Great.

So, will this just be a feeble attempt to try to get things moving on the blog again? I have no idea, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

So, if you got through that first paragraph and didn’t have a “wait, what?!” moment, you probably either already knew that I got married this summer, or you just missed that part.  Yes, since August 25 I have been happily married to Ruth and life is pretty good.  The wedding was beautiful, and everything seemd to go smoothly despite being out of the state at camp for the two months leading up to it.  We held the ceremony and reception at the Alta Lodge and we were happy to celebrate with friends and family.  Good times were definately had by all.  The weather was beautiful, the montains were beautiful, and the over atmosphere was great.  With a ceremony that we wrote ourselves, we were married by a mutual friend in one of the most beautiful places I can think of.  Don’t believe me? Here, see for yourself:

Here we are standing under the canopy that was built by Ruth's father, with our friend Warren officiating our wedding.

Working backwards in time from the wedding, the summer at camp was not one of the best.  Maybe that is why I refrained from writing during it.  I don’t know that I will say too much, though there is plenty to say about it.  The camps were under new ownership as of this past summer, and for some that transition was not so easy.  Suffice it to say, I saw some good friends mistreated in a very public manner and it got dragged out for the better part of the summer.  While I managed to spend the summer flying under the radar, there were grumblings about me as well.  Camp can be strange like that, it is just unfortunate and really hard when friends get hurt.

So let’s not dwell on the ugly past.  The theatre season is in full swing so life has been very busy.  Getting Annie up and open was a killer, but now there is a little room to breathe.  So in the mean time I have been prepping a bunch of my photos for my first ever gallery display!  I will be showing photos at the JCC in SLC for the month of January.  This is pretty darn exciting.  I have the prints on order and should get them soon and I am really excited to see them.  I am having all the prints done on metal with float mounts.  The test prints I had made earlier look amazing, it is a really cool finished product.  It would be hard to show what the prints look like in a photo, so any of you who find yourself in the Salt Lake area during January should stop by and see the gallery!

With that, I think that I need to stop staring at this computer screen. I have spent a lot of time in front of it in the past couple days. Besides being warm in bed sound much nicer!