2012 Booty Bash

My latest video, shot in a really, really dark venue. It's a challenge in itself but in addition, the Sony a65 I used is capped at ISO1600 for video. I wish I had the hacked GH2 with the high ISO and high bitrate.

Now that I have the Sony a57 (capped at ISO3200), I'm looking forward to my next wedding video in early October. I used 3 lenses: Minolta 50f1.7, Sony 35f1.8, Sony 16-50f2.8. Lighting on some clips was with a Lumahawk 144LED.

I couldn't use the soon-to-be legendary (and proprietary) Sony phase detect autofocus because this closes down the aperture to f3.5. I used manual focus and although the focus peaking works really well, the room was so dark I had to pull and push the focus quickly to find out where the focus was. It was a constant battle looking for focus in a fast moving crowd. I used 1980x1080 @60p.

The soundtrack needs to be redubbed as "the highlights are clipped", to use a photo term. Not sure what the proper wording is in the audio world.

Guelph Potters Market at the Goldie Mill

I call her the "turquoise lady"

Works of Art by Mary Philpott from Stratford, ON

 

 

 

 

The 8th annual Potters Market in Guelph is a sure-fire (pun intended) way  to reconnect, if only for a moment, our  primal link with one of the oldest professions in the world. There is nothing quite like drinking wine or beer from a locally-made earthenware goblet, drinking coffee from a substantial mug that invites a caress and a dawdle over the morning breakfast, or enjoying your stew from a dark heavy bowl.  Far from being pedestrian, well-designed and useful pottery are items that act as milestones in one's life, just as dogs, cats, (and children!) in family photos mark moments in our lives. There is the memory of that first glance of that item (as if it had your name on it), the conversation with the artist potter, the exchange of money that, for sure, is not enough compensation for the art and soul that went into the "item", and the first use of it: putting it against the light to admire the colour and design, and cupping it in your hands as if to  feel the fire that smoulders still from within.

Thank you to Jessica Steinhauser (for organizing this event) and to the artists who have come from hundreds of miles around to display their wares.

For those of  you who don't know what I'm talking about, try going to your local community pottery event, pick up a mug, and for a change, sip your tea or coffee from it on a quiet weekend morning over the weekend paper. You will know what I mean, then!

May 28th.