May
28
2010

Two Interviews This Week…

This week I was interviewed and featured on a couple of blogs…

The first one is for Josh Fulmer, creator of the Wander Project. Josh is a stellar journalist who I worked with at Nat Geo Adventure mag… since then he has gone on to work for Men’s Journal and is now a freelance writer. He’s about to kick off a round-the-world journey has launched a great site full of useful information to supplement his trip… He asked me to write and article on how to keep your expensive gear safe when traveling abroad.


Excerpt from the Wander Project:

“Keeping all the gear you left home with is a constant struggle, since there’s rarely a perfect solution to securing your stuff. Mann suggests evaluating each situation and determining the best course of action. “The most important thing is to be smart, active and aware,” he says.  “Opportunity creates thieves, and if you create an opportunity by being careless, someone will capitalize on it.”

Read the rest over on WanderProject.com by clicking here >>

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The second was an article for a blog run by Heber Vega, a stellar photographer that runs a blog featuring different humanitarian fotogs in the community… He gave me 10 questions about what it’s like working for missions groups, what the major struggles are, etc… I gave him 3500 words of response (maybe a little much!) but hopefully some useful stuff in there.


Excerpt from Heber Vega: 10.Qs:

“Most industries within the photo world require the photographers to pitch their services to clients who are aware they have a need… in the world of working with missions organizations you often don’t start by pitching your services, you must start by pitching that they have a need at all and THEN pitch your services!”

Read the rest on Heber Vega’s 10.Q blog >>

By Austin | Posted in Interviews | Comments (0)
May
15
2010

Q&A #1: DSLR Video in the Bush

I’m a guy that seeks information about nearly everything i use or buy. i read extensive tests, i test it myself if i can, i ask others… I compare and contrast it’s advantages over competitors and strategically come to a decision.  and when I say I do this for everything I really mean everything (shoes, socks, underwear, sunglasses, cameras, bags, batteries, chargers.)

As a result, i get emails pretty often asking me questions and advice for all kinds of stuff… sometimes cameras, sometimes travel gear, all sorts of things… anyway, after responding to one of those emails tonight and I read back over it thinking, “wow, this is full of info that other people might enjoy reading!”

So I’m starting a new series of posts… as I get these emails full of questions, I’ll be writing my response just as I would regularly (quick and off the top of my head, unpolished but gets the point across)  and then taking those Q&A’s and posting them here…

In this first post, a friend of a friend asked me a few questions about using DSLRs for video in the bush, and a couple other things… hope you enjoy.


The Question:

“…I’m about to head to Tanzania for a few weeks and would appreciate any advice that you would share.


I’ve gone on a few trips and have always used a HVX200 for a couple of years now.  But this time I am considering taking a Canon DSLR instead of or in addition to the HVX200.  I’ve honestly not captured much video with the Canons but am in awe by the quality of the video and the ease of using 1 device/1 set of batteries/cheap cards etc.  I have been trying to shoot a few projects over the last week to see what it is really like.


Any chance you have had experience relying on Canon DSLR for video on a run/gun trip like this?


Any hints on recharging batteries?  We are scheduled to be in tents for 2 weeks – little to no access to power.  I have access to a sat phone solar charger and was considering purchasing another 10-15watt 12 volt solar panel.  If it ends up being a Canon, I guess I could take a case of AA batteries.


I would very much appreciate any other hints/thoughts.”


My Answer:

HVX 200 used to be the bomb but I’ve seen so many film makers set those things down in exchange for the Canon DSLRs. It just doesn’t hold a candle anymore.


I’ve just returned from a 6 week trip in Ethiopia where I shot a TON of video with 5D Mark II and 7D. We carried 8 batteries and were out in the bush for several days without need a charge (2 shooters almost all the time.)  I’ve also been on a several other trips relying on it for video.  It’s rad.


The only things you need to be careful of is… use a tripod whenever you can. It’s not ergonomically designed to be held steady for video so it can get very shaky if you aren’t careful. Audio is it’s biggest downfall… if you have updated your firmware to the latest, do that now… it will give you new audio controls. If you really want to step up your audio, use something like a H4N Zoom (external audio recorder) that allows you to monitor it (with headphones) as you are recording… something you can’t do with 5DMKII.

 

Lastly, when you’re color grading the footage out of the DSLRs (already in H.264) you’ll find the the range is a bit limited and you’ll see slightly more artifacting than the HVX… but the color out of camera, the depth-of-field and incredible low-light capability far outweigh that issue.


I would say definitely take a power inverter, just a standard one that you can plug into the cigarette lighter in a car to give you a regular AC outlet… and some gaffe tape and rubber bands to hold it in while you are driving on bumpy roads. Almost anywhere you go, you’ll have a car with a cigarette lighter.


I’ve got solar panels but despite multiple lengthy trips into the bush have NEVER used them. They can be so finicky and a pain to use. The best way to use solar is if you have an inverter hooked up to a car battery of some sort so you can charge that during the day and then charge your camera batteries from that car battery during the night.


If you have the battery grip on your 5D or 7D… you can also get the battery tray that slides in (and takes a bunch of AA batteries)… almost anywhere you go you’ll be able to find some of those nearby and you can always bring as many as you want.


By Austin | Posted in Equipment, Interviews | Comments (3)
May
05
2010

May 2010 Desktop

Sorry this one is late!  Here’s a brand new shot, fresh out of my trip in Ethiopia for the May 2010 desktop. This is shot from the chopper as we passed over the Omo Valley. That’s the Omo River you see there, a fierce river full of wild life (crocs, hippos, enormous fish.) The Omo is a key to the life of many of the tribes that live in these areas such as Mursi. As always, two sizes for regular and higher resolution displays. Enjoy!

05.2010 - 1280x800

05.2010 - 1920x1280

By Austin | Posted in Desktops | Comments (1)
Apr
13
2010

Bunna

Here’s a couple more images from the Alduba area (with the Bunna people.)  They are so rich with tradition and culture it’s amazing to try to take it all in. They are very hospitable, so much that we had many meals a day inside little huts because they insisted to feed us in celebration of the Easter holiday. The following two photographs were shot in the midst of our Easter celebration-meal, when the family of this mother and child invited into their home.

This child hung on the mother the entire time we were in the hut… dependent on her, almost part of her.

Tomorrow (at 5AM) I hop on a bus for an all-day (possibly 12 hours) solo bus ride to Gondar to see Lane Davis. Lane is a stellar photographer in Gondar right now working on a project called To Tell a Story (www.totellastory.org) check it out!

I’ll be documenting this adventure up north and really don’t know what to expect! All I know is the bus was much cheaper than the flight, I’ll be crossing the Nile River in a bus and I speak zero Amharic. I can just hear my Dad… ”Son, why would you do that?”

TK McKamy, who was with me on the trip has started posted some stuff so check it out at http://www.tkmckamy.com/blog!

I don’t expect to have internet til I begin my journey home the 19th! Checking out til the 20th… hope you are all well -

By Austin | Posted in Africa, Ethiopia | Comments (4)
Apr
12
2010

Where to start?!

I can’t believe I have been here in Ethiopia two and a half weeks and have basically posted nothing to my blog. Internet access has been sketch if at all…

I’m sitting down at a little cafe in Addis called the LimeTree and actually have some time to write and post images.

I really don’t know which images/stories to post first… We left Addis the

March 26th we met up with Trent Cox at the airport in Arba Minch and then drove nearly 6 hours on bush roads into Alduba, where he lives with his wife Tabby and family.

The next day we embarked on a 5 day journey around southwest Ethiopia. First we went to Hana which was an all-day journey on muddy trails they call roads…

On the road to Alduba. Roads have improved drastically in the past few years, which has increased tourism and foreign trade.

In Hana, we ate at pretty much the only place in town, and it’s called the Obama Cafe. It was amazing to see the influx of Obama related places/products in these areas… one dude was evening wearing Barack Obama underwear. WHAT?! I have a shot of it but can’t find it at the moment… will post that one later.

Along the road we went through tons of rivers and mud and stuff so I thought it would be cool to mount my new little waterproof Casio to the front of the cruiser… we got some awesome footage with this thing.

The little Casio stood up to the mud and water test. Got some sweet footage.

The main tribe in Hana is Bode. They’re one of several tribes that take stick fighting very seriously… not only for sport but also to settle disputes between men. Our guard, Barkathule, gave me a quick lesson on how to stick fight… it’s incredible how fast he was! TK shot some video but I can’t upload it now.

We did a ton of shooting along the road and TK got some awesome steadicam stuff hanging off the side and on top of our cruiser.

TK hangin off the cruiser for a shot.

We took the chopper into some pretty crazy areas and went in with a vet doctor that was providing medical care for the cattle. These are pastoralist communities and their well-being and livelihood is directly related to their cattle so this a fantastic mission and is a great doorway into these remote tribes.

CVM vet Trent Cox providing medical care for the cattle after landing by chopper in remote area of SW Ethiopia along the Sudanese border.

AK’s are everywhere. Ethiopia is surrounded by war torn countries and conflict zones… many of their weapons have been picked up by traders and sold at very low costs… although the weapons themselves have been distributed at incredibly low costs the cost of each bullet is nearly $1.50 US in some areas.

A couple of Bode boys in Hana. They live at the foot of the mountain range seen in the background.

We happened to stop for a battery change while driving back to Alduba and TK, sitting atop the truck, spotted this dude in the country side.

The Bunna collect termites by lighting fires all over the country side… the termites fly into the flame and burn off their wings and gather one the ground. Then they scoop 'em up at have them for dinner.

Sorry this post is so scatter-brained!! I am hoping to have internet tomorrow but want to make sure I get this updated in case I don’t… thanks for all your prayers! Look for a ton more soon.

By Austin | Posted in Africa, Ethiopia | Comments (4)
Apr
05
2010

Internet!

Wow — it’s been a wild last week and a half! We have been all over southwest Ethiopia and had a really great time! TK and I have remained healthy for the most part and have had a blast hanging out with Trent & Tabby and their family.

Internet/communication has been COMPLETELY down/unavailable…sorry for the lack of updats!

Right now I am writing from a little PC laptop connected on a pretty crazy dial-up connection with a crazy antenna (powered by generator.)

I’ve got tons of image I can’t wait to share but internet is too slow to upload anything…

Will have to look for updates when I get back to Addis on the 11th! Tomorrow we get on the chopper to head to Taposa and a couple of other regions near the Sudanese border. Can’t wait!

Thanks for all your prayers and hope to be updating soon!

- Austin

By Austin | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)