Panorama Sweep Explained with Fuji X-E1

I've had a few requests to explain the difference between vertical and horizontal panorama sweep, as well as the difference between sweep and panning in this mode. I posted this picture inside my review of the Fuji X-E1 but I thought I would re-post again for the benefit of those who didn't read my review. Click on the image to make it bigger and see the difference between the different styles...

Well Dressed People Stand Out of a Crowd

Ok, I guess I kinda cheated by colour-isolating this well dressed older gentleman, but I was just trying to make my point even clearer. This dapper grandpa really stood out of the crowd while waiting for his bus on Hastings Street.

I'll give him 100 points for his suit, 20 points for his sweater, 40 for his slim wallet, another 50 for his hat and shades, and a bonus 100 points for his cool, calm countenance and dignified posture...minus 20 for his shoes and another minus 50 for his roller-bag.  Overall, 240 points. That's a solid 220 points above everyone else around him put together!!

This only proves you don't have to be rich or young to dress well in public. You just have to care enough and take the time to put yourself together. That's it. Thank you sir!!

Animals and Public Trust: Mounted Police

I was walking through Chinatown looking for anything interesting to shoot and what did I see?  I saw horses. Yes, the mounted police were hanging out in an alley just off of Main and Hastings, the heart of the DTES. This is in fact the poorest neighborhood in Canada, and probably the most crime-ridden. At first, I thought the police were questioning a suspect in the alley, but as I walked closer, I realized that they were conversing...about horses!!

As I took pictures, at least a dozen people, residents of this poor area, who usually shy away from the police, were actually approaching them willingly and interacting with the boys in blue (and their trusty horses). They were no longer the symbol of the heavy hand of the law. They are immediately transformed into cool guys with horses!

I spoke with Constable Conrad Van Dyk of the VPD Mounted Unit and he agreed how the horses added a dimension to their presence that is immediate and profound. He said when the police patrol this neighborhood on horseback, they automatically become the star attraction. People who would normally never approach them come up and strike up a conversation. It's a rare site to see animals in this neighborhood, and even rarer to see horses!!

Nikola the Street Painter from Yugoslavia

Nikola is from Yugoslavia. He studied art all over Europe, including France and Germany. He's travelled the world making a living as a street artist. In today's modern, fast-paced world, can someone still make enough to live on doing art on the street? As I dropped in some money into his hat, I noticed it was filled with $1 and $2 coins. Not bad...

The last few years he's spent his time in Canada. He's in Toronto and Ottawa in the summers, and makes his way out West during the winter months. He's made his temporary home base at the corner of Howe and Robson, underneath the covered entrance to the old Sears building (the soon to be Nordstrom) where he can draw on the sidewalk with no fear of the Vancouver rain to wash away his work prematurely.

An Accordionist, His Dog and a Little Boy

As a street photographer, I appreciate street artists. They are often colourful individuals, they're stationary (easier to get a few good shots), and if you contribute financially to their performance, they don't mind you taking pictures of them. This performer was an accordionist, a rarity in the world of buskers. I wanted to get a nice environmental shot with people passing by, so I backed up a bit. At the same time, a mother decided to send her young son to put money into the busker's old broken case. I noticed the dog acting very anxious, probably due to the anxiety of the little kid, not understanding the instructions of his mother of where to put the money...and that's when it happened!!

Canon G1X, The Street and the Cool Guy

I notice many photographers trying to be street-style photographers, but are neglecting one of the most useful traits of a street shooter: discretion. We don't have to be invisible, like a paparazzi stealing images across the street, or like a sniper-photographer trying to shoot a polar bear and her cubs. However, it's good to blend in. 

Rockstar Comes Out of Shadow into Light

I hate it when the sun is too bright! Everyone thinks photographers love the sun, but many of us don't. Why? It usually means shadows!! When I use to shoot weddings, I always told the wedding couple that a cloudy day is better than a sunny day, since the lighting is more even and nobody squints in the pictures.  That's why we often use flash even during the day, to even out lighting and avoid shadows, especially underneath the eyes and chin.  But when doing street photography, I never use flash on unsuspecting people, so I have to make due with whatever the lighting is for the day. For street photography, the best type of lighting is a nice, even, cloudy day!!

Review: Canon G1X and Color Accent Mode

I had the Canon G1X for a week to review, but I only had 2 real days of shooting. We were getting low angle sun and lots of shadows caused by tall downtown buildings. I waited around until late afternoon to get more even lighting in the shadows, but the lighting was dark and gray and boring. That's when I decided to use Canon's wonderful color accent mode.

Most manufacturers have pre-programmed colors (red, blue, green, orange, yellow, etc.). Canon allows you to capture whatever color you see, with the ability to increase or decrease color sensitivity.  My favorite is grabbing Coca-Cola red with +5 sensitivity, which picks up almost all reds, oranges, yellows and most skin tones, but everything else becomes monochromatic. 

Preview: Canon G1X as Street Camera?

The Canon G1X is an unusual camera. It doesn't really fit into any category. Too big to be a point and shoot, but not versatile enough to be compared to most interchangeable lens system camera. What the G1X has is a huge 1.5" CMOS sensor, outperforming the micro 4/3 system cameras, and just slightly behind APS-C equipped cameras in terms of image quality. The lens is a modest 28-112mm F2.8-5.8, but it's better than most kit lenses on entry level interchangeable lens cameras. The autofocus is a bit better than most point and shoots, but not up to the level of most newer micro 4/3 and DSLR cameras.  The build quality is outstanding. It's a tank! The dials and buttons are super solid, built like an Canon L series lens or a single digit series Canon DSLR body . 

Jack White-esque Busker in Open G-flat

I couldn't help but notice the explosive sounds echoing off the tightly packed buildings as I got off my bus. This noise was rhythmic in bluesy fashion, but with a raw rage that is definitely descriptive of Jack White's guitar playing. With a block of wood and  his foot stomping as his percussion section, Brett was all business as he one-man-jammed along Granville Street in Vancouver.