Pointless vanity project of the former Tabascokid

The other day, the lovely people at AFP Paris sent me through my new toy, the Nikon D3s.  To those who aren’t as obsessed with keeping up to date with all things new, the D3s is essentially a D3 with the small amount of concerns that photographers had ironed out plus a few very attractive new features.  It replaces the D3 in the shops with a retail of virtually the same price.  If you’re looking for a comparison of every contour, button and digital input on the camera, there are plenty of sites out there that are more than happy to put all but the most avid technophile to sleep.  Here, I just want to share my “hands-on” thoughts after a few days of using Nikon’s baby.  Anyway, enough waffle.

Here’s the lowdown on the features that interest me;

• Noise at higher ISO settings has been improved, resulting in usable images even up to the frankly ridiculous 102,400ISO
• 720p video (1280 x 720 @ 24 fps) is now included on a Nikon pro body for the first time
• Auto sensor cleaning has been introduced
• The buffer is now extended as standard, rather than as an optional feature, allowing up to 48 RAW/130 jpeg images to be captured in one burst
• A “Quiet” mode has been added for discreet shooting in sensitive conditions.

First off the bat, it’s fractionally lighter than the D3 but aside from that, it seems virtually the same.  All of the buttons are in their usual place, aside from the introduction of the info and LiveView buttons on the back.  The first allows instant access to a screen displaying the cameras current setup with each parameter adjustable without having to access the main menu.  The second sees access to the LiveView feature move from the fiddly dial on the top left of the body to a single button.  On the D3, I found that I rarely used this feature but as the D3s comes with video, fast access to this area is now vital.

With noise being the rival camera company’s very own current Cold War, it takes some getting used to when working to consider that I can now safely shoot at 3200ISO without fear of grubby looking pictures.  When I first got it out of the box, I instantly fired a few frames at 12,800 and slowly lowered it with no glaringly obvious difference in the quality from 3200 down to 200ISO.  I used to start the day with my cameras defaulted to 400ISO and with the D3, that went up to 800ISO.  It seems to have reached the point where a news photographer could safely leave the camera on 1600ISO as a starting point.  Bloggers and websites with far more time (and inclination) have some stunning examples of just how good this is, even against rival company’s latest models.

Both of the images of Gordon Brown on this page were shot at 5000 ISO during his monthly press conference in number 10.  I’ve applied no noise-removal software or sharpened the images in any way.  The first was shot on a 300mm, hand-held.  Here’s a link to a full-size version which is well worth seeing, just for the fact that even at 5000 ISO, you can still see the fine hairs on the end of his nose (not a nice thought but worth a look).

Video is something that I’ve only been tickling up to now, having volunteered to take part in AFP’s trials with webclips and embedded media.  The videos that I’ve shot were captured on a D90 with a godawful 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 VR kit lens.  The problems were many and considerate.  Firstly, the D90 has the most unbelievable rolling shutter effect (also known as “wobblevision”) whereby when you pan the camera on a horizontal plane while filming, all vertical objects suddenly turn to jelly and bend away from the direction you’re turning.  Secondly, as I already carry a significant amount of kit on a daily basis including two D3 bodies, four lenses, a laptop and various other gubbins, having to then carry a D90 body and lens on the off-chance that I may find something to video became a real chore.  Compared to the D3, the D90’s images just weren’t up to scratch so I couldn’t just ditch one of the big boys either.  Thirdly, as previously hinted at, the choice of lenses was very limited in that as I’m on foot, I don’t have the space to carry any significant form of support (tripod/monopod) so it’s vital that I have a lens with VR (vibration reduction).  Unfortunately, the current range of f2.8 high-end Nikon lenses for everyday work don’t have it.  If I want a mid-range lens with VR, I end up having to go for something like the lens mentioned before.  The options at the mid focal range are also all DX chips so using them on a full frame camera is a bit of a travesty in my book. Yuck.  It has been replaced now with a VRII version that has a range of tweaks but I doubt anyone will be replacing this one in the near future.  Surely this is an area that both Nikon and Canon need to work on now that they both are aiming at getting photographers to move towards video.

With all that in mind, the D3s has arrived with a new algorithm in the video processor, dramatically cutting the jelly effect plus, as it’s all in one camera now, I can ditch the D90.  My back will be so pleased..  While I will still have the same issue regarding a lack of decent wide and mid-range Nikon glass with VR technology, the fact that it shoots high quality video while remaining an excellent stills camera will make up for it.  While its clear that the quality of the Nikon isn’t up to that of Canon’s latest range including the stunning 5dmk2 and the new 1dmk4, the file output of the D3s is perfect for what I aim to use it for; high quality video files for use on the web that could also be used for broadcast if the situation arose.  Knowing that there are many out there who are light-years beyond me in knowledge and ability with video production from SLRs, I’d feel a fraud to spout my thoughts on the pros and cons of aspects of the capability of this unit apart from to say that this is a massive leap forward for me in what I have access to.  AFP worldwide have bought the D3s for their photographers with this in mind so clearly there’s a lot of belief in Nikon’s choice NOT to go for full HD.

As a quick aside, after a quick search for hints and tips, it seems  that the D3s has full manual control in video mode, but it is not documented in the manuals. To get true manual control over the ISO, shutter speed and aperture while in video mode, press the OK button while in LiveView. A light meter will appear on the screen and the camera switches to whatever mode that you currently have the camera set on in stills camera mode (ie aperture priority, shutter priority, manual).  This means that if you’re in manual when you go into video mode, by pressing the OK button, you can adjust all of the settings while in video mode. Obviously for webclips, this may be overkill but for those who are interested, it’s a great option that for some reason Nikon have decided to keep hidden. Also, if you push the info button, you can shift through the different display modes including a virtual horizon, a live histogram and grid lines.

My main gripe with the D3 was always the lack of sensor cleaning facility.  With a full frame chip, it sucks in the dust at every lens change leaving globs of dust and dirt in every frame.  When I spoke to Nikon about this, I was told that when they were designing the camera, they had believed that the pro photographer would rather have a 100% viewfinder without sensor cleaning over a 98% viewfinder with.  Nope.  You kinda got that one wrong, chaps.  Thankfully, they saw the light and now the digital brillo pad comes out every time I turn my camera off.  Huzzah!  Now I can go and cover the “Wind-machine and household dust” conference at ExCel with impunity!

(D3s with 14-24mm. Full-size version of the above image with no noise-reduction software or sharpening here.)

For most photographers, the idea of filling a 130-frame buffer will just sound insane but as I shoot RAW .NEF files, it’s great to have the added headroom.  Like before, as soon as you turn on features like highlight recovery/vignette control/Long exposure noise reduction etc, that buffer drops significantly but still remains an improvement over the previous incarnation.  On a slightly different note, as always with new cameras, those of us who shoot in RAW should be aware that Adobe have only released their Raw update patch for Photoshop CS4.  Anyone who could be stupid enough to NOT be able to afford to buy the latest version every time it comes out (like 98% of the world) will find that they can’t edit their files.  I shot my first job with it, only to find that I couldn’t access the files when I came to edit them.  Thankfully, Adobe does provide an option with the DNG software, allowing you to convert the files to the supposed “industry standard” digital negative DNG format which will then be friendly to older versions of Photoshop.  Obviously, if you use the Nikon proprietary software, you’ll be fine but I can never face it.  Every time I’ve looked at either the Canon or Nikon bundled packages, they seem clunky, slow and poorly designed.  In a way, I’d rather this as it at least shows that when you buy the camera, you’re paying for camera R&D rather than their software developers costs!

It’s also good to see the return of the “Quiet” mode to my available tools.  With my previous life as a Canon user, I always loved the rather well hidden sneaky shutter feature that allowed you to shoot a single frame and as long as you held your finger on the shutter release button, the mirror would stay up.  This allows you to wait for a convenient burst of applause or music before you let go.  As I say, I loved it on the Canons and now I love it on the Nikon.  Well observed, Nikon peeps.

In conclusion, I’m a happy bunny so far.  My biggest problem since getting it has been slow news days and grey, dull weather that hasn’t been very inspiring to shoot in!  I guess I’ll have to wait for the D4 for cloud-buster technology.

Just a super quick post to wish anyone who follows this stream of waffle a very happy Christmas and best wishes for 2010.  Next year’s going to be a belter, especially for you.  May your f. stops never stop, your public exposure not get you arrested and your shutter never fail..  Enjoy! 

As anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis may know, I generally tend to avoid doing reviews of cameras and equipment partly due to lack of time but mainly due to the abundance of websites available such as dpreview that offer incredibly in-depth, fast and dependable advice on which route to take when buying new gear.

However, I’ve decided to post my thoughts on the new Panasonic Lumix GF-1 camera.  Having previously used a Canon Powershot S70 and a Canon G7, I knew that the time was getting closer when I’d need to upgrade and despite copious research, I was unable to find a pocket-sized camera that’s output didn’t fall to pieces over 400 ISO.  Nikon just seem to be a no-go for some reason when it comes to sureshots and I don’t know anyone that uses one for some reason.  Canon’s S90 looks promising but the new Powershot G11 features the same fiddly body that I’ve never been able to get my head around.  While my Sister and Mother both still use G7 cameras and get great results, I’ve never been able to really “connect” with the design, if that makes sense.  A camera needs to feel invisible in your hands.  If at any point, you’re thinking about what your fingers are doing or where a certain button is, you’ll often see the moment that you hoped to capture pass out of the corner of your eye.

With Olympus releasing the micro 4/3 lens-based EP-1 “Pen” camera in Summer, I was tempted to see what it could do but then I heard about Panasonic’s offering.  After plenty of time spent on camera review sites, I managed to get my hands on one thanks to a colleague who’d been unable to resist.  Two minutes later and I was trying to work out how to justify the cost!  Anyway, on with a bit of technical gubbins;

• 12.1 megapixel Live MOS sensor
• interchangeable micro 4/3 lens system
• HD Movie in “AVCHD Lite” format and Motion Picture P Mode
• LUMIX G 20mm/F1.7 lens as one of the standard options
• 3 frames a second
• built-in dust-removal system
• RAW capture (through Panasonic’s .rw2 format)
• AE lock
• ISO range up to 3200
• built-in pop-up TTL flash
• 3.0″ screen

So that’s the main specs in a very dry format so I guess I should explain all that in real world terms.

With the big camera manufacturers having thankfully realised that more megapixels doesn’t necessarily mean better quality, the GF1 has what I think is an optimal resolution of 12 megapixels.  The 4/3 sensor means that the lens size is half what it would be on a 35mm full-frame camera so the 20mm lens is effectively a 40mm lens in traditional focal terms.  The whole chip size issue is going to be one of those things that takes a long time to be properly scrubbed from the general public’s mind.  With most people believing that the higher the pixel count, the better the camera, manufacturers will continue to try bringing out 16 megapixel phone cameras.  I believe the phrase is, “Never mind the size, look at the quality”..

While the majority of people wanting to buy a new pocket camera will be looking for an all-in-one unit that has an 8-600mm zoom on it, the GF1 uses the micro 4/3 system.  The 4/3 system was announced in 2006 as a joint initiative between a group of companies ranging from consumer manufacturer Sanyo through to legendary optic manufacturer Leica and aimed to create a standardised fitting for lenses so that they could be swapped and changed between bodies, opening up the market for the customer. The micro 4/3 system was a development of this, pioneered by Olympus and Panasonic for their new range of hybrid units.  The downside is that, like an SLR, you’ll find yourself looking to buy more lenses as you get to use the camera more.  The upside is that the quality of the lenses will safely be of a higher quality than that found in a standard zoom sureshot.

Video capability in cameras is one of the current dividers among professional photographers with some drawn to it and enjoying expanding their knowledge while others find it a threat on the original concept of photography that could see the skill diluted.  I fall into the former camp, having been shooting video on my Nikon D90 for a few months now so the inclusion of video on the GF1 is a bonus.  The ease that you can switch between stills and video is seamless and I’ve found myself splitting my shooting 50/50 since getting it.  The quality is exceedingly good for something of this size and combined with the 20mm f1.7 lens, strong focal effects can easily be achieved.  Obviously, a camera of this size is not going to be a match for a dedicated video camera but for video notes, webclips and breaking news, I think it’s perfectly acceptable.  On the downside, the bizarre video format (AVCHD) may leave you scratching your head as you try to work out what the hell a .mts file is and how to play one.  The answer comes in VLC for playback and Handbrake for conversion on a mac.  Not using my pc to edit, I can’t say how good the supplied software is if you’re in the Windows clan.

As I’ve just mentioned, I opted for the 20mm f1.7 lens with my camera and I have to say that it is truly exceptional.  For those not up to scratch on lens issues, the lower the f number, the more light can be allowed through the lens, making it perfect for darker conditions or for getting the effect of a shallow depth of field.  For more details, check this site out.  For a start, getting such a fast lens as an f1.7 on a pocket camera is a rarity but by combining it with a good sensor, the results have been astounding.  Shooting in manual focus has really given me a spark for shooting again and I’m pulling it out of my bag as I walk between jobs, just to shoot anything that I see.  The only downside to the 20mm is that all vibration reduction is in-lens rather than in-camera and it is one of the lenses in the range that doesn’t include it.  This is fine for stills but for video, it can prove a little frustrating.  The other option in the pre-packaged kits is a 14-45mm lens that does feature stabilisation.  If you are planning on doing a lot of video, this could be a wiser choice but for stills, go 20mm!

The dust removal is such a vital thing for any camera with interchangeable lenses (do you hear me, Nikon D3!?) so it’s reassuring to see that Panasonic didn’t scrimp on this necessary feature.

I’ve been shooting on RAW exclusively now for around four months so it’s been a pleasure to be able to continue this with my “off-duty” camera too.  The only downside being that the exclusive .rw2 format used by Panasonic is incompatible with any version of Photoshop before CS4.  As the software that comes with the camera for Mac is laughable, I’m currently editing them using the new beta of Lightroom, available here.

In the second paragraph, I wrote of needing to connect to the camera in a natural way so it’s good to see that I can assign the AE lock button on the rear to act in the same way as I have my Nikon system set up.

On previous pocket cameras, the images have crumbled and died if I dared to go up to 400 ISO so to be able to shoot confidently at 400, get good results at 800 and even get usable (in an emergency) shots at 1600 is unheard of.  The shot below of a colleague in Downing Street is straight out of the camera aside from a bit of resizing and touch of sharpening for web and was taken at 800ISO.  Against a full frame D3, there is obviously a quality dip but for a pocket-sized sureshot, I’m pretty chuffed.

The main difference that sets this ahead of the Olympus EP-1 is the inclusion of the neatest little pop-up flash in existence.  Now I know that a grown man shouldn’t be impressed by the mechanism of a flash but you’ll just have to forgive me.  If you own one of these, you’ll know what I’m talking about.  As I try to avoid flash where possible, I’ve only had a few opportunities to use it but the output on these occasions was smooth and full with no overblown highlights.

A camera can be very easily shot down by a poor screen.  When Canon released the 1Dmk3, if the screen was compared to the Nikon D3, it felt as though you were looking through Vaseline.  Well maybe not quite that bad but you were never truly positive that the frame was sharp from the display on the rear.  (Canon have now solved this issue since their 5dmk2 screen)  Thankfully, the GF1 screen is another strong point with 460,000 pixels and a full 100% representation of the frame.

As is the way with every good toy, Panasonic have created a whole batch of ways to get more money out of the GF-1 user including the digital optical viewfinder that slots onto the hotshoe (and has received mixed reviews), a whole range of lenses, custom designed cases and remote triggers. Ahh, to have spare funds.

So that just leaves my general thoughts and as you’ve very probably guessed, I love this little thing.  While I know that I haven’t covered many aspects of the unit, I can only tell you about what I’ve experienced in daily use.  One issue that I hope Panasonic address with future firmware is the fact that when shooting in “auto ISO” setting on aperture priority, the shutter speed defaults to 1/30th of a second rather than increasing the ISO.  If this was set a little higher to, say, 125th/sec, the “auto ISO” feature would be able to kick in more and the feature would become worthwhile.  This really shouldn’t take too much to remedy so hopefully it will be looked into. Despite this small issue, that fact that the GF-1 is capable of producing images of a level that are easily high enough to be used for my work means that it’s already become a vital bit of my kit.  Bravo, design bods.

With a retail price of £799, I bought mine from Photo Express Lakeland for a bargain £659.  Thanks for the great service and price, guys!

1. If you actually prepare for the bad weather for once and get fully waterproofed up, by the time you arrive at the tube station in central London, you’ll emerge to blistering sunshine.  The same also applies in reverse.
2. You will see the politician that you waited 10 hours outside the House of Commons for on a daily basis as soon as the story that involved him/her has passed.
3. A celebrity on the red carpet that points at an individual camera is incredibly irritating to 46 photographers and very pleasing to 1.
4. The kid who got the blurry picture of the burning building on his 4mm ultra-wide angle camera phone never quite understands that the image isn’t worth a grand.
5. The first casualties of press photography are your lens caps.
6. A standard “Grip and Grin” photo inside Downing Street lasts around 10 seconds. When the press officer tells you “this will be a quick one”, be concerned.
7. The Met Police do actually have rules to follow, regarding the working relationship with photographers.
8. There are only so many times that you can manage to genuinely laugh when a passer-by offers to swap their praktika sureshot for your full-frame DSLR with 300mm f2.8 lens.
9. Nobody wears photographer vests (See also “Wanker jackets“).
10. Your friends and family don’t care about the 15-month project that you’re doing on inner city deprivation but will want to hear all about the 8 seconds that you spent photographing David Beckham at the launch of his new branded Thermos flask.
11. Try to lead by example and make sure you wear deodorant when shooting London Fashion Week. Also, learn to rest when you can.
12. No matter how many times they’ve been shot, the Politico Top Trumps cards given away during party conference season are always a must.
13. Mentioning the name “Paul Delmar” is the press photographers equivalent to the masonic handshake.
14. When you’re slapping your laptop for only connecting at 7kb/s when wiring a job in the countryside, remember that it was only a few years ago when you’d have been high-fiving anyone close to you for getting such blistering speeds.
15. Nothing redresses the balance with PRs better than a full photographer walk-out.
16. The free photo recovery software that you get with your memory cards is no good to you uninstalled, sitting at the bottom of your desk drawer at home when things go wrong.
17. When shooting boxing, don’t assume that you’ll have the first round to get your settings adjusted.
18. When trying to board a plane with a very large camera kit as hand luggage, they may weigh your peli-case, but they won’t weigh your extra-pocketed jacket (but always consider #9).
19. Nail your tight, bright and shite before you paint with light.
20. You never know everything so with this in mind, it’s over to you.  Feel free to add your own golden rules below!

For the previous two lists, see here and here.

1. It’s good practise to get on with all the photographers you come across as it’s guaranteed that you’ll end up stuck on a doorstep for three days with the one you told to piss off.
2. Stand next to the loudest shouter at film premieres. (See also “Ian West“
3. Even if the object that we’ve been sent to shoot is stationary and there’s an hour available for pictures, photographers will instinctively scramble into the room and monster it.
4. If Nikon or Canon brought out a single pocket-sized camera that did everything, we’d still be inclined to carry the whole of Jacobs on our backs most of the time.
5. Playing the age old game of “Where a photographer can and can’t take pictures” with the private security that work in office blocks and company headquarters is the modern equivalent of bear-baiting.  As a vague hint, if you’re on the public pavement and you’re on the outside edge of any studded boundary markers on the ground, snap away.  This may not apply if you’re doing a project on “The security systems of the MI5 building”.
6. Cameras may have been around since 1814 but every year, manufacturers manage to create exciting new ways to make photographers spend their wages.
7. Don’t expect to get eye-contact from the baked bean.
8. There’s only so much you can do with an old painting, a pair of white gloves and an auction house assistant.  See also “For Sale” signs, gas hobs and credit cards.
9. Fashions and trends are just as common in the world of photography as anywhere else.  Lens babies, tilt & shifts and all-prime lens kits anyone?
10. Some photographers are just always in the right place.  These people are known as gits.
11. Freebies make the dullest job a little better.  The only exception being the 128mb USB stick.  I mean, come on..
12. Remember to take advantage of the incredible access that the job gives you.  If you’re somewhere cool, get a picture for yourself.  If you’re shooting someone you like, get a picture with them.  You’ll only regret it if you don’t.
13. The general public has no idea. If you’re stood with a 5d over your shoulder with a 50mm lens on, you will be asked which television channel you’re filming for.
14. The most anticipated jobs are often the biggest let-down for quality images and vice-versa.
15. Never think that you’re a better photographer than anyone else as someone with a sureshot will come along and spank you (photographically speaking).
16. If all else fails, just whack it on f1.4 and make art.
17. Photographers that smoke can make any overdue event happen by simply putting their camera down and lighting a cigarette.
18. Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium is the best stadium.  This has nothing to do with any team preference and everything to do with the free wifi, three course meal before the match, personal editing areas with power points and free mini portions of fish and chips after the game.  If only I didn’t have to shoot football to get in.
19. Legendary stories can be found in the bar during Party conference season, listening to incredible stories of Fleet Street photographer history from one of the old guard.
20. The moment you stop shooting to entertain and satisfy yourself, you might as well go and work in an office.

1. Not much can compare to feeling the first hot rays from the sun as you leave Downing Street on a Summer’s day after an 8 hour stakeout.
2. No matter how sure you are of the job, the longer you wait for it to happen, the more likely you are to feel the need to frantically change your lens at the last moment.
3. The occurrences of Photoshop locking up and causing a system reboot is directly related to how urgently the pictures are needed by your picture desk. See also Laptop battery-life.
4. The habit of saving all of your newspaper cuttings grows less important as you realise that your house is beginning to resemble something from “Life of Grime“.
5. Working London photographers are walking encyclopedias of where the nearest free toilets, wifi or shelter can be found at any time.
6. First three songs, no flash.
7. Every camera is designed to randomly refocus at the moment that the subject looks directly at you for the first time during the critical press conference.
8. Jacobs, not Jessops.
9. If you’re covering a story in a dodgy area of town, the first thing that the ever-so-friendly youth who comes over to chat will ask you is “how much is your gear worth?”  The answer is always “..about £300.  It’s all years old and knackered.  Your phones probably got a better camera”, even if you’re actually holding both of your D3 bodies with a 400mm f2.8 lens on each.
10. The sillhouette is the last bastion of the charlatan. (Edward Mulholland 2004)
11. Anyone accepting a job on any picture desk automatically has their sense of time/distance awareness removed.
12. The photographer’s life is one constant rollercoaster of going from having the photographic Midas touch to feeling like an Amateur Photographer also-ran.  This is rarely a reflection on your actual abilities.  Dem’s da breaks.
13. There’s a very good reason that PR pays so well.
14. 250th/sec, f8, 1/4 power, manually focused to a metre and 45 degrees to the glass.
15. If you decide to pad out your filed images from a job with a few of lesser quality, they’re the ones that’ll be all over the papers the next day with your name in a larger than normal font.
16. Opposite number 10, Downing Street and the road outside the Old Bailey are the coldest places on Earth.
17. However long you’ve been doing it, there’s nothing like seeing a stranger really studying one of your published pictures in the paper.
18. “Only fools rush in” could have been written about digital camera purchasers.  When firmware version 1.2 comes out, they might have managed to get rid of the “freak-out during operation” glitch.
19. No matter how distinctive the person you’re all waiting for is, the collective of photographers will get more and more random with their choices of “possibles” to hose down as time goes on.
20. There’s no point in being a photographer if your camera isn’t ready.

Working within the shining golden towers that is “the media”, it’s quite easy to forget how much influence (or rather ironically “influenza” in Italian) it has over how people feel on a day to day basis.  I see my self as quite toughened to the scaremongering of certain news outlets and can usually laugh it all off but last week’s coverage of our impending H1N1 doom left me feeling edgy.

As usual, there were a number of media sources that kept their heads and reported fact alone with the BBC actually going as far as saying that deaths on a serious scale were highly unlikely and we shouldn’t be too worried.  Two clicks on my remote would take me to Sky where the bluescreen behind the presenter was filled with a giant evil virus, pulsating and threatening to mug you if you change channel.  I happened to catch the moment when California declared a state of emergency so being able to switch between the two stations to see in real-time how they handled it was fascinating.  While Sky broke out the “Breaking News!” ticker and the newsreader declared that California was a virtual disaster zone as the virus hurtled towards golbal pandemic, the BBC pointed out that it was simply a formality to ensure that if medical supplies were needed, the fact that they had officially declared a State emergency would mean the equipment wouldn’t have to go through all the usual bureaucracy.

As was expected, the newspapers were full of images of Mexicans wearing surgical masks in the street and soon photographers were drafted to Heathrow to wait for the walking wounded to stagger from the arrivals corridor, clutching at their throats and coughing up infected blood.  Those dispatched found a rather unhelpful flow of people who weren’t quite as frantic as the picture desks were hoping for.

The panic-mongering media really should be very wary of how they handle these things as we were all told that Avian flu, SARS and BSE would be the death of us all and in the end it hasn’t been.  How many more times can they report medical issues in this style before they it has no effect?  I’m sure some day it will be a serious issue and when it is, who’ll believe the boy who cried wolf?

NB: Having published this blog, I am acutely aware that I have now automatically triggered the countdown until my early death due to a unique superstrain of all three recent scares.  You may think the odds of all three becoming one is as likely as pigs flying but what do you expect from avian swine, eh?

Ah, nothing to worry about.  It was just the final dying gasp of decency in tabloid journalism..

In what is apparently a world first, a British D-list celebrity magazine has just hit the shops with it’s special memorial issue celebrating the life and death of former “Big Brother” contestant Jade Goody.  The cover talks of her “final words” and highlights from her life beneath the years 1981-2009.  The world first in all of this is that she’s not even dead yet. Yup, she might even have read it.

The media coverage of the build-up to her death has had me feeling decidedly grim for the last few weeks with the red-top tabloids leading with “Jade’s Final _____” (fill in the blank) on a daily basis.  While part of me doesn’t blame her for cashing in on the events to raise money for her kids future, I can’t quite understand how people can print and read this stuff without feeling wretched.  It’s voyeurism at the highest level.

While I can grumble and decry the death of journalism all I want, coincidence has decided to play a wonderful hand in the whole affair by marking this very magazine as the key moment when journalism changed for the worse; the issue number is 666.

After months of speculation among the head bods, AFP London moved to the dark side, or more particularly, the black and gold side.  Now armed with Nikon D3 bodies and various lenses, I’ve wandered the streets of London zooming left rather than right and pushing the exposure the wrong way. I mean, who in their right mind thinks that when the meter goes to the right, it’s underexposing?

After trying to get my head around the games console that is the SB900 flash and all the other little bits and pieces that make up the Nikon system, I went to cover a day of protest by the Free Tibet group on the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising.

Star of the day was Palden Gysatso, one of the longest surviving political prisoners having been held in a Chinese torture camp for 33 years.  A film about his life “Fire under the Snow” is available and after meeting him, I think the book of the same name is on my “must read” list.

Anyhow, more from me as I try to get my head around the new toys over the coming days..

I try not to just post links to other people’s work but this one is a very impressive piece of video.  Please watch the whole thing as it’s not what you expect.

www.zarias.com

Bravo, that man.