Elgato Video Capture Solves the FireWire-USB Dilemma

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Tom (Admin)

I’ve got stacks of 8mm and “Hi8” video recordings going all the way back to 1990 when I bought my first camcorder to capture all the adventures my young wife and I were about to undertake.  Locked somewhere in those plastic cases holding spool after spool of magnetic tape were memories of a 23-year-old Army Lieutenant and his wife’s travels all over Europe, baby’s first birthdays and first steps, baby meets baby sister for the first time, promotions through the ranks, visits to grandparents and amusement parks, and countless hours of footage gathered in places like Bosnia, Korea, and in the final years of 8mm, Afghanistan.  The last 8mm camera I bought still grinds and whirrs through those tapes if I plug it straight into the wall…but rewinding is such a pain and seems so…archaic.  I needed a way to put all of that footage in digital form so we could actually browse through it from time to time.  Plus there’s no telling when that camera is going to give its final whirr…the clock was ticking.

I had started the process once of transferring the footage to disc.  I had to use a firewire connection, and when that computer was replaced, I had to buy a mini-card that slipped into the side of the computer.  But I haven’t seen a computer with a 4-pin firewire input for some time.  So I started looking for a way to convert the camera’s firewire output to a USB input, even ordered a couple.  Nothing worked.  According to my internet research, the problem seems to be the way the data is transmitted through the respective media – packets through USB versus a steady stream with firewire.  Even the hubs with multiple firewire inputs and outputs, and USB inputs and outputs, don’t work – the USB in- and outputs don’t intersect with the firewire in- and outputs.  Some people have apparently had luck with these solutions, but nothing worked for me.

Then I decided to drop 75 bucks on an Elgato Video Capture device…and it works like a charm!  It comes with its own no-frills software that worked (on Win7) out of the box without a bunch of 20-step tweaks of files you’re not supposed to mess with.  And it doesn’t use firewire, but instead ordinary red/white/yellow Philips jacks – the kind you would use to connect your camcorder to your TV.  Which plug into the USB port.

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They also don’t skimp on accessories – they include a connector cable with Philips jacks at both ends, and a SCART adapter.  This means that you can also record content from your television, or connect to a DVD recorder instead of a computer, without having to drive somewhere to pick up another 6-dollar cable.  The only downside is that the video resolution of the end product is not the highest – I get 640 x 480 mp4 files – but the original video was not exactly HD to begin with.  But it’s simple, easy to use – and it works.  But don’t throw away those original tapes; you’ll want to store them someplace safe, just in case.

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One-Way Ticket to Mars: Now Accepting Applications

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Tom (Admin)

(Updated on Apr 23, 2013 – see bottom of post)

The organization “Mars One” has just released its eligibility requirements to become an astronaut in their 2023 Mars mission.  And the good news is, if you’re over 18 and reasonably intelligent, you probably qualify, and it’s going to be free!

– wait, what???  Why was I not told about this?!?

No, really.

The not-for-profit Dutch organization, or “Stichting” announced last May that they plan to establish a colony on Mars in 2023.  Later this year, candidates will be selected, placed on 4-person teams, and undergo 8 years of training.  Meanwhile, missions will be undertaken to start shipping equipment to Mars and preparing it for human habitation.  Then in 2023, we, the citizens of Earth will have a role in choosing which 4-person team gets to go first.  A second crew will follow two years later, with equipment runs continuing in between.  And so on.

How will it all be financed?  Well, the whole thing is going to be a 24/7/365 streaming broadcast.  Yup.  Like the guy says in the video, “This is going to be much bigger than Big Brother.”

So you’re game?  An upper age limit has not yet been established, but for now,   “It is not necessary to have military training nor experience in flying aircraft nor even a science degree. It is most important that each applicant be intelligent, in good mental and physical health, and be willing to dedicate eight years to training and learning before making the journey to his or her new home on Mars.”  And of course the seven month space flight.  One-way.

Oh yeah, there is that one wrinkle – that last part.  If you go, you’re never coming back.  You will star in a 24/7 reality show on Mars for the rest of your life!  Find out more about the application process here.  And while you consider whether to apply, you can also vote for your favorite Mars One banner.

Update, 23 April 2013:

Incorrectly, this post suggested Mars One was taking applications when it was originally published.  However, as of 23 April 2013, applications are being accepted for the program.  See the excerpt below:

We are pleased to announce that yesterday at 12.00 pm EDT Mars One has opened the door to the Astronaut Selection Program.
In last few days we opened the application website to a small group of potential applicants and asked them to be the first ones to submit their applications. Their contribution was really helpful to improve the application platform.

Now it’s your turn. You can submit your application at http://apply.mars-one.com. This isRound 1 of the selection procedure which will close on 31st August 2013.

You can apply in one of the eleven most commonly used languages on the internet: English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Mandarin, Japanese, Indonesian, Korean, Arabic.

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The Right Music for a Video. But Not Quite.

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Tom (Admin)

Sometimes finding exactly the right ‘feel’ music for a video is the most fun part of video editing, and other times I dread it.  Because I already know that it’s going to be impossible to find music that won’t be too depressing, won’t be too happy, too distracting, irritating – in short, that won’t even be noticed that much, but makes the video just a bit better.

In this case, I had a bunch of close-up footage of chameleons – really colorful ones, close up – and other small, furry, slimy or scaly creatures – and just wanted to highlight the animals.  Not that there was any background dialogue or noise in the footage.  But the imagery was the point.

After hours and hours of listening to options, considering what I might be able to produce on my own, and weighing the option of no music at all, this is what I came up with.  It would be great if a lot of people read this blog and sent suggestions for different/better music…but for now I’m stuck with “almost right.”

Enjoy the chameleons!

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2013 “Wildlife Photographer of the Year” Competition Kicks off Today

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Tom (Admin)

In its 49th year, the venerated “Wildlife Photographer of the Year” competition is accepting entries from today (January 7) until February 25th. Competition will be stiff, with the number of entries expected to be near 50,000, but who knows? You can enter in one of 18 categories, including three for photographers under age 17.

Even if you don’t win, your photo could be selected as a finalist and become a part of the (UK) Natural History Museum‘s traveling exhibition, which means your photos could be seen and admired by as many as 3 million people.

To get an idea of the competition you might face, you can browse last year’s top entries at the NHM.  To find out more about how to enter, visit the competition website.

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Attenborough’s “Africa” Features Namibia – Prepare to be Amazed! (updated)

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Tom (Admin)

If you have access to BBC One (or live in the UK, where you can stream it from their website), you’ll want to check out the six-part series on Africa that began airing Wednesdays starting January 2nd.  The first episode, somewhat broadly titled “Kalahari” features wildlife from Namibia, from tiny wasps and spiders to giraffes and rhinos.  Though it admittedly detracts from viewing enjoyment, my wife and I spent the whole show wondering in slack-jawed amazement, “How in the world did they film that?”

Part of what makes the show so enjoyable to watch is that, rather than simply providing interesting facts and imagery about the different and sometimes strange life forms that inhabit this southwestern corner of Africa, the show’s producers weave the footage into a series of stories.  The footage is probably a series of snippets taken over months, as the animals shown are portrayed in a wide variety of angles – close-ups, overhead shots and otherwise – that would have been impossible to gather at the same time, even if the filmmakers had anticipated the action so meticulously narrated by the 89-year-old Attenborough.  Yet the stories are seamless and quite amazing – including a drongo bird that repeatedly tricks a colony of meerkats; a group of just-born ostrich chicks in search of life-giving water; and a couple of sequences involving giraffes and rhinoceroses.  Huffington Post highlighted the “fighting giraffes” – which I’ve seen before, but in this case, the giraffes go far beyond a couple of bumps and nudges.  And a special night camera documenting rhinoceroses captures behavior through images and sound that has never been seen before, as far as I know.  (No, they don’t run into the production crew’s campfire and stomp it out).  Even Attenborough, who has been in the business for 60 years, admits having seen things he’s never seen before during the four-year production of the series.

If you don’t have BBC One, you’ll probably need to wait until the series has run its course before it’s available on iTunes or elsewhere.  The teaser is only available in the UK for now.  Update:  If you’re in the U.S., you should be able to view episode 1, which aired January 8, at this link.  Learn more in this article from the Giraffe Foundation.

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Namibia’s “N/a’ankuse” Needs a Filmmaker

Posted on January 5, 2013 by Tom (Admin)

The N/a’an ku se charity lodge, wildlife-sanctuary-and-a-whole-bunch-of-other-stuff is looking for a filmmaker.  It’s not a high-paying job, but it’s a good cause and a great opportunity to hang out in Namibia and take pictures of cool stuff.

The organization occupies a large piece of land just east of Namibia’s capital Windhoek, where a number of different kinds of wildlife roam free, and carnivores that have run into conflict with humans are being rehabilitated (where possible) for return to the wild.  They have one of Namibia’s only populations of wild dogs.  They also maintain a clinic and a preschool, as well as providing employment and other support, for many of Namibia’s San people, its most impoverished and vulnerable ethnic group.  Oh and they’ve got a lodge and vacation getaway packages too, where you can just hang out on the grounds and possibly stay in the same cabin where Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie stayed in when they came to Namibia and established the Jolie-Pitt Foundation at N/a’ankuse.  So what would you do?  In exchange for three months’ room and board, you’d get to hang around and film stuff, and put together promotional videos, equipment provided.

The N/a’an ku se website provides the details on the job listing but it’s a bit tricky to find.  I’ve pasted a copy of the job description below:

Film maker:

Overall responsibility To photograph, film and edit a suite of short videos for the promotion of the N/a’an ku sê Foundation and its projects. This ranges from corporate promotions of our accommodations to short thank messages for our major donors and documenting animal releases and activities at our school and clinic.

Key areas of responsibility:

  • Film and edit promotional videos of our sanctuary, lodge and satellite sites.
  • Create an end of year thank you video for our sponsors – with support from Digital Marketing Manager.
  • Take footage of relevant interest around the Sanctuary – these include the animals, the Clever Cubs (school children), our satellite sites, patients and activities at the Lifeline Clinic and the Volunteers.
  • Take photograph stills of animals, volunteers, school children, our satellite sites and patients and activities at the lifeline clinic.
  • Maintain and update the photo and video library with consistent labeling.
  • Maintain Computer and Filming equipment.
  • Work with the Digital Marketing Manager on the upload and management of Films on Youtube and Facebook
  • Consults with: Head of Fundraising, Marketing and Media, Fundraising Manager, Sanctuary Directors, Financial Manager Qualifications/Experience
  • Relevant experience of photography, video editing and shooting.
  • Experience of Final Cut Studio (FCP 7.0, Motion, DVD studio Pro etc) Equipment Provided
  • Macbook Pro 5.3 2.66Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo 4GB RAM Running Snow Leopard.
  • 4 x external HD (3x USB, 1 x Firewire 800)
  • 1 x Panasonic HDC-HS100 Camera
  • 1 x Canon HG20 Camera
  • 2 x Tripods (although not in perfect condition)

Term of employment The role is a three month voluntary placement: food and accommodation provided throughout. Start Date: ASAP

To apply, please send your CV and cover letter as well as a link to a sample of your work to elana@naakuse.com.

Last time we visited N/a’ankuse I made a few videos – check ’em out:

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Destination Namibia: How do you Market a Country?

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Tom (Admin)

I remember talking to one of Namibia’s tourism officials shortly after they had returned from the 2011 Adventure Travel World Summit in Chiapas, Mexico, and he was pretty excited about Namibia’s prospects in hosting the 2013 summit, knowing it would be the first time the event would be hosted in Africa.  At the time, he specifically mentioned a short marketing video which had been shown as a part of Namibia’s presentation.  Having lived in Namibia now for 18 months, I can only agree that video is the best way to present the adventure tourism wonderland that Namibia represents.  I was excited to get my hands on a copy of the video produced by the Ministry of Tourism and the World Wildlife Federation, in order to evaluate for myself how well Namibia had managed to convey its message to the outside world.

Unfortunately, I didn’t receive a copy of the video and gradually forgot about it, but just stumbled across it the other day on YouTube.  It’s an impressive video, especially when you consider it doesn’t appear from the credits that they went out and hired a big-time international film company, but rather gathered local footage from Namibian media companies, travel companies, photographers, and others.

Possibly depending on how far you’re coming from, Namibia is extremely accessible to tourists and is a photographer’s dream.  It’s also very affordable, as Namibia has opted to build an inclusive tourist industry that doesn’t only cater to the very rich.  And for the time being, it’s still somewhat underappreciated – which means you won’t be surrounded by other cars while you’re watching wildlife, as you might in other “game park” destination countries.

Watching the video it became clear to me that there’s no way we’re going to be able to see everything that needs to be seen before it’s time to leave Namibia.

Find out more about the 2013 Adventure Travel World Summit and/or register for the event.

Posted in Namibia, Wildlife and Nature | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Tired of Shelling Out Ten Grand to Sing “Happy Birthday”?

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Tom (Admin)

What’s that? You’re not paying Time Warner, the copyright holder, for the rights to sing “Happy Birthday to You” in a public place? You could be opening yourself up to a lawsuit!

That’s apparently what they charge. It’s probably just enough to earn a coupla million a year, but not quite enough to prompt a challenge of the copyright claims that, as far as I can tell, appear pretty week.

You can wait till at least 2030, when the song enters the public domain. You can ignore the copyright restrictions, and risk the full wrath of the law. Or you can join in Free Music Archive’s contest to produce a “Creative Commons” alternative.  If your song is chosen as a winner, Free Music Archive promises to market the crap out of your song, in an effort to supplant the copyrighted song from its dominant position.  Until then, you’ll either have to shell out ten grand or be content with one of the options in the video below.

Find out more about the contest, rules, and history of the “other” birthday song at FreeMusicArchive dot org.

Happy Birthday Alternatives in Film and Television from Free Music Archive on Vimeo.

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Flickr Makes its Move

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Tom (Admin)

Over the last month, there’s been some interesting maneuvering going on in the photo-sharing community. Specifically, once-dominant Flickr, which had been stagnating in comparison to its made-for-smartphone rival, Instagram, has made a couple of moves likely to put it back into a dominant position in its genre.

First was the release of Flickr’s new app, which on its own was not that big a deal.  After all, the availability of Flickr’s API has meant there have been dozens of decent apps out there for some time.  But as it turns out, this one is a really good app, and it’s already been updated at least once, suggesting it will keep getting better.  What does it do?  Well, it takes what up to now would have required 3 or 4 separate apps and bundles it all into a single, well-organized and structured application that seems to cover all the bases in terms of what you’d want a photo sharing app to do.  It lets you snap a picture, and then deftly walks you through a series of options.  First, you can apply all of the basic editing options.  Most free photo editing programs always seem to be missing one of the key tools but this app seems to cover it all.  Then it offers you a nice collection of filters a-la Instagram, an interface to input all of the metatdata you’d normally expect, PLUS Flickr-relevant options – you can immediately drop it into sets, groups, etc.  You can also connect the app to your Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and email, so that when you click “upload” – the next step – it automatically goes to those at the same time.

In addition, you can take all the aforementioned effects, filters and other tools. and apply them to any photos you already have on your device.  And the interface looks great.  I admit I had a little trouble making everything work – for example, I couldn’t figure out how to access previously-taken photos – but as my daughter pointed out, these apps are designed for people who have grown up with iphones – it took her 10 seconds to figure it out.  Once I got that, the rest was easy and intuitive.

But the interesting thing about this app is the timing of its release.  Right as Flickr came out with its app, all of the fuss over Instagram’s change in terms of service hit the news.  And I’m sure Flickr was suddenly besieged by new users who were seeking something that is “just like Instagram, but not Instagram.”  Which is what this app seems to have turned Flickr into.  I’d love to see the users of both services on a graph over the last six weeks.

Then someone over at Flickr had a stroke of genius, and they decided to send us all emails giving us three months of “pro” access to our Flickr accounts, so that all the new users (and some of us older ones) can get used to unlimited uploads, downloads, and viewing of our entire photo library. [One of the “free” Flickr’s more irritating restrictions is the fact that you can only see your last 200 photos – pro users get access to all of them.]

I expect there is a huge migration ongoing as we speak.

I actually think what Instagram is doing is pretty clever – after all, they’re storing all their users’ photos for free, they ought to get something out of it.  And Instagram users themselves are sifting through the giant photo database, ensuring the best ones rise to the top, where Instagram can simply skim them for sale to marketers willing to pay big bucks.  Where I think they missed the boat is in not finding a way to share revenue with the photographers.  If you could make 5 or 10 percent on every photo Instagram sold on your behalf, it wouldn’t take long for users to actively start working toward contributing photos they could cash in on.  Now that’s a “win-win”.  And I don’t think Instagram is out there to screw everyone and steal their photos – most likely very few users would be affected.  Just like Facebook has not really exercised all of the options it has available with regard to the vast data we have been offering them over the years.  But the fact remains they could if they wanted – and I think more and more users are waking up to that fact.

If you do decide to delete your Instagram account and come over to Flickr, here’s an article on Wired that tells you how to shut it down properly.  You’ll probably want to do it before Jan 16, when the new TOS take effect.  Because afterward I suspect the photos you think you’ve deleted will actually still be sitting on a backup server somewhere.  Oh, and look me up – I’m TAZMPictures.  Although I still prefer Photoshop.com.

Ghost Town

 

(Uploaded using Flickr 2.0)

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Sunsets: the impact of cropping and zooming

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Tom (Admin)

I never tire of these Windhoek sunsets during the “rainy season”. But I’m always amazed by how much of a difference cropping and zooming make on sunset photography. These are three photos taken in succession of the same sunset, with the same camera settings (OK, roughly), but zoomed.  The point is, when you’re photographing a sunset, don’t necessarily always focus on getting the widest shot possible – sometimes you can get really cool effects by zooming in on parts of the horizon (or clouds).  It’s also interesting seeing what the automatic settings on some cameras will do.  Experiment!

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Underwater Videography: Things I’ve Learned

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Tom (Admin)

If you’ve ever managed to take along a camera snorkeling, you probably had the same reaction I did when you got your finished footage home to the computer:  “It looks nothing like it did when I was actually snorkeling.”  Colors are washed out, everything is a dingy blue, all the fish you saw are nowhere on your footage, everything is shaky…especially if you bought one of those fancy underwater cases for your camera, it can be really frustrating.  In my case I was only using an inexpensive Flip camera with a $30 case…

But if you have a decent video editing program, you can save your footage.  It does take a bit more work than normal.  I found that underwater footage is one of the few times I have to fiddle less with the brightness and contrast, and more with  color saturation, tint and hue.  If you have Adobe Premiere 11 (as I do) it is also helpful if you can adjust the lighting and crank up the “black” slider (click “more”) in addition to a little bit of additional contrast.

Some other things I found are helpful:

– Just like in other subjects, but maybe just a little bit more so, edit mercilessly.  No one wants to see 12 minutes of identical fish and coral – so pick the best of everything and delete the rest.

– You’ll probably find that your footage is a lot more shaky than usual – you’re swimming and waving the camera back and forth to follow fast-moving fish that frequently change direction.  The solution is to slow most of your footage to 60-80 percent of its original speed, and cut whenever the camera changes direction – sweep left or right, not back and forth multiple times.
– Even more than usual, cut on the action.  Bring your clip in when the fish is already in frame, and go to the next before it leaves the frame – shots of the ocean floor are generally boring, and if there’s a lot of coral, the viewer needs help knowing where to look.
– Generally the straight cut is the best transition between shots, but personally I like to use dissolves in underwater videography.  Depending on the music you used, the whole thing can be a bit dreamy, and I think dissolves can be more consistent with this kind of mood.
– And you will definitely need music.   I found some at the Free Music Archive, but you can find other free or inexpensive music at a number of other sites I listed in a post on royalty-free (or nearly) music some time ago.

I’m sure there are a lot of other things to think about…feel free to share.  Here’s my video of some snorkeling off the coast of Madagascar.

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Madagascar on 12.12.12 part II: the Snake

Posted on December 30, 2012 by Tom (Admin)

For my second installment in the “One Day on Earth” project, in which filmmakers around the world are invited to contribute footage which may be used in a feature-length film, I was also in Madagascar’s Andasibe-Mantadia National Park.  Technically, we were in the “Réserve Spéciale d’Analamazaotra,” and we were watching an indri (the largest kind of lemur) that had come down to within about 12 feet of the ground.  Suddenly we heard what sounded like a cross between a shriek, or squeal (which also appeared to startle the indri) and were shortly informed that a tree boa had caught a frog.  Suspended by the last few inches of its tail, the meter-long snake then proceeded to eat a tree frog several times larger than its head.  At first it didn’t seem like the snake would be able to get the frog’s front legs into its mouth, but with a gradual “walking” motion of its jaws, it managed to consume the amphibian – in somewhat grotesque fashion – and eventually made its way back up the tree.

It ended up being an exciting morning, as the pair of indris (they are monogamous and live in pairs or community groups) began their hourly calls while the snake was having a meal, and immediately following, we nearly ran face-first into a foot-long chameleon that was doing his best to imitate a stick.  You can see those in my previous post.  In the meantime, here is the snake:

One Day on Earth – 12.12.12: Snake Eats Frog (Madagascar) from Tom – TAZM Pictures on Vimeo.

 

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Madagascar on 12.12.12 part I: the Lemurs

Posted on December 29, 2012 by Tom (Admin)

If you’ve been following this blog, you’ll know that I have been pretty excited about 12.12.12.  Why?  Because that’s the day the third “One Day on Earth” film is to be recorded in every country around the world.  The first film, recorded on 10.10.10, was in my Christmas stocking this year (you can order yours at the One Day on Earth Store) and it was pretty awesome.  I contributed to the 11.11.11 film, currently in editing, but I heard about the project so late I wasn’t able to plan anything extraordinary.  Although going to the lake with my dog is always extraordinary.  But this year’s filming date, 12.12.12 happened to coincide with a trip to Madagascar, which is a pretty cool destination.  On December 12, we were headed out to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, where about half a dozen lemurs live natively and can be viewed with a little luck.

[Side note:  Madagascar has about 100 different species of lemurs, a great many of them discovered in the last decade.  Like about 70-80% of all life forms on Madagascar, they exist nowhere else on Earth]

Andasibe-Mantadia is particularly known for a couple of special lemurs, the diademed sifaka, which appears to wear a small diadem, or crown upon its head – and the indri indri.  The indri is special not only because it is the largest variety of lemur, but also because of its territorial call.  While staying at the Vakona Forest Lodge, we had been hearing the shrieking calls of the indris echoing through the forest from kilometers away – and I was excited at the prospect of being able to capture its call up close, and brought a condenser mic in case we couldn’t get as close as I hoped.

As it turns out, our luck played out in spades.  Our guide, Mary, led us into the park and almost immediately cut into the forest, where she pointed excitedly up in the trees, where we could see the gold and white fur of a family of sifakas – including a juvenile.  As the lemurs hopped from tree to tree, seemingly unconcerned by our presence, she led us down a steep incline through the trees and vines, and eventually we were nearly eye level with the furry creatures, as they were up in trees that were rooted about 10-12 feet lower than us on the slope.  After we got our fill of pictures and videos, we continued through the park.

A bit later we came upon a group of about 3 indris, but they were way up in the trees.  Still, I got excited when I heard the (roughly hourly) territorial calls begin somewhere distant, and hooked up the microphone just in time to hear our little group get started.  I thought this would be the highlight of our day, but after she showed us a few smaller animals as well as a nocturnal brown lemur (we’re not sure HOW she managed to spot these things) we came upon another group of indris and were told, “Wait, they will come down.”  Sure enough, after about 20 minutes, they ventured within about 10 feet of the ground, when once again the calls began.  It was loud enough to raise goosebumps, which I’ve hopefully captured in the video below.

[Another side note:  immediately preceding this second set of calls there was a bit of excitement as we realized a nearby boa had caught a tree frog several times larger than its head, and was eating it.  But that will come in a separate post!]

This video is the short version.  I’ll post the longer version and explain the difference below.

So for the 12.12.12 project, the idea is to post as much of your best video footage as possible, while at the same time answering (if possible) the suggested theme of this year’s film, “what do you have / what do you need.” So the trick was to try and tell some kind of story, while at the same time not cutting too much of the footage. So it’s a little longer, but if you’re interested you can watch it to see how I tried to answer the project’s question.

One Day on Earth 12.12.12 – Habitat (Madagascar) from Tom – TAZM Pictures on Vimeo.

Posted in Cool Stuff on Vimeo, Madagascar, One Day on Earth, Wildlife and Nature | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

In Namibia, the best light for photos is within 10 minutes of sunrise

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Tom (Admin)

Driving through the Namibian desert just outside the coastal town of Swakopmund at about 0545 can give you a real visual treat. It would have been more spectacular with a bit more of the fog/mist the area is known for, but within 10 or 15 minutes of sunrise (before or after) you can get some awesome photos, especially with a decent camera. In my case, I only had an ipad, but here’s what I managed to capture.


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Preview – Wildlife of Madagascar

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Tom (Admin)

Simply amazing – Andasibe-Mantadia National Park.  Here is a preview of the kinds of things that will be posted in the near future on video.

Though they are wild, these ringtail lemurs are very curious.


This white-ruffed lemur is “just hanging around”

 

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One-Day Cactus Flower

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Tom (Admin)

I’ve heard rumors that many cacti bloom for only one day, but thought this was odd because I have cacti in my garden that will continue to bloom day after day (they open when the sun hits them and close in late afternoon). Below is an example (among succulents and daisies) of a cactus that will open and close for a week or so.

But we’ve had this cactus in our yard that I planted a year and a half ago when it was 10 inches tall, and it has since grown to two feet.  Then in late November (we are southern hemisphere so it’s spring) it suddenly started developing four large buds that eventually grew to be about 6 inches long, including the stalk.  And one evening, they all four burst into bloom.  They stayed open all night and the net day, and by the next evening they were once again closing and then began shrivelling.


So I just wanted to share these photos because it is such a rare treat.  I hate to question mother nature, but it seems odd that a plant would invest so much energy into such large flowers that are open for such a short time.  I suspect there must be some sort of bat or bird which should have pollinated it, given the size of the flower.  But most likely this one never got pollinated.  Why do I say that?  There are somewhere between 1,500 and 1,800 different species of cactus.  And none are native to Africa – so unless the pollinator also came to Namibia, this flower is out of luck.

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Entering Madagascar

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Tom (Admin)

Getting off the plane at Antananarivo, we were greeted by a pleasant, warm humidity…and the occasional raindrop.  As our driver took us into the city however, the rain started for real.  Soon the rain was gushing down in buckets, and the streets of downtown ‘Tana turned into rivers, and I wondered how some of the old French Renaults were not simply getting swept away.  Within an hour, however, things had calmed down, and we were assured this is an afternoon occurrence at most.  Tomorrow we’re off to see the lemurs at Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, and the weather calls for rain again, so we’re packing plenty of ziplocs and raincoats.

It does make for nice sunsets though.

Our cab driver after dinner, who claimed to be a member of the national rugby team (he told us Madagascar had recently beaten Namibia in the Africa Cup), asked us if we were Americans, and when we said we were, asked if we spoke Malagasy.  He said “all the Americans speak Malagasy.”  “At the embassy?” I asked.  No – Mormon missionaries!  He likes Americans.

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Still Needed for “One Day on Earth” by 12.12.12

Posted on December 9, 2012 by Tom (Admin)

I’ve blogged before about the exciting worldwide film project to be filmed on 12.12.12 – see One Day on Earth’s website for more details.

As we approach the final few days, please spread the word that the organizers still need a few more countries:

Europe:  Luxembourg, Andorra, Bosnia, Liechtenstein, Macedonia
Africa:  Guinea-Bissau, Djibouti, Liberia, Cote d’Ivorie, Benin
Caribbean:  Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St. Lucia
Americas:  Belize
Central Asia:  Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan
Middle East:  Bahrain
Asia/Pacific:  Nauru, Maldives, North Korea, Timor-Leste

If you know anyone in these countries, let them know we need them!  Tweet away and they will eventually get the word.

The suggested theme for this year is to answer the questions: What do you have? And what do you need?  They’d love to hear your heartfelt words on the subject, but really hope you document brilliant visuals to answer the questions as well.

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The Magic Hour

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Tom (Admin)

Strange things happen to the light in the last minutes before sunset.  And in Windhoek, during the “rainy season” (usually December and January) it’s even more extreme.  Every night, there are a few minutes where everything turns a brilliant yellow as the sun dips near the horizon.  Usually there is a gap in the clouds just above the horizon that results in the clouds going all shades of orange and pink.  And if you’re lucky, it’s raining somewhere in the distance, which will turn a bright orange haze.  It happens every night.  How we suffer here.  And it’s virtually impossible to capture with a camera.

But if you can imagine to be someplace really cool or interesting when that moment comes, the pictures will be amazing.  Best I could do was my dog….

 

 

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Archived historical films: Holland Carries On (post WWII)

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Tom (Admin)

One of the coolest things I have come across on the internet lately is the Prelinger Collection at archive.org (thanks to my daughter for pointing it out).  On this site, you can browse hundreds of thousands of video, imagery and sound files that have been preserved – many for historical reasons – and all in the public domain.  The Prelinger Collection, in particular, holds tens of thousands of videos, mostly produced by government(s) (which is why they are in the public domain) going all the way back to the earliest days of video.  These videos provide a unique insight into history and the views that were common in the 1940s, 50s and 60s, for example.

One of the videos you can see on this site is a Dutch post-WWII propaganda film called “Holland Carries On.”  Now, I’m sure many people would prefer to call this a “public diplomacy” film, in the sense that it’s positive, truthful, not subversive – i.e. it “informs” rather than “persuades” – but it most definitely does attempt to persuade.  For me, this makes the line between “public diplomacy” and “propaganda” rather thin.

The film portrays the hard-working, Dutch (“Hollanders”), who have over the years heroically claimed their country from the sea, built a strong economy, and entered the modern era – with one of those cheerful 1950’s narrator voices and triumphant marching music in the background.  Themes of “sweat, toil and perseverance” are presented with a liberal sprinkling of words like “conquest” – pertaining, of course, to Dutch efforts to bring their country into the modern era.  It attempts to build kinship with Americans – particularly Dutch-Americans – in the hopes that they will carry the message further.  This section ends with a great line:  “No other nation can look at a map and say, ‘This, we made with our own hands.  What other people can farm where their ancestors once fished?'”  Peaceful farm animals follow, bring up deep religious conviction, and “peace-loving people.”

Then, at around the 8 minute mark – WHAM!  The whole tone changes as the Nazis invade and we see everything destroyed.  The film now has its hero and its villain – the perfect setup for an American audience.  You can view the rest on your own:

The Netherlands Information Service, or Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst, was established in 1941, by the Dutch government that had gone into exile in London.  The Service set up shop in New York, and spent the next few years producing films, pamphlets, and other products designed to garner American sympathy for the plight of the Dutch.  After the war, their purpose shifted, presenting arguments in support of retaining their significant holdings in Indonesia.  The Netherlands Information Service is a fascinating example of public diplomacy efforts mobilized in support of national interests, and many of their archives are preserved to this day in places like Holland, Michigan.  You can learn more about the Netherlands Information Service here, or in this master’s thesis which talks about their collaboration with the Knickerbocker Weekly.

This particular video is available on the Prelinger Archives, but on the version that runs there, the audio and video are out of sync.  I have corrected this (and cleaned the file up a little as well) and posted it on YouTube.

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Conservation International: Forests and Carbon in Madagascar

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Tom (Admin)

This is an excellent example of what organizations are doing to protect forests. In Madagascar, forests are especially important, because something close to 80% of Madagascar’s animal life is unique, and highly adapted to very specific areas and niches in Madagascar that may in some cases be limited to a few thousand hectares of forest.

Forests and Carbon in Madagascar from Conservation International on Vimeo.

Think deforestation can’t happen, and isn’t a big deal for a country’s economy? Take the case of Haiti. In 1923, Haiti was 60% forested. By 2006, it was down to 2%. You can almost trace its border with the Dominican Republic on aerial and satellite photos:

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My Last Days: Meet Christopher Aiff

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Tom (Admin)

No words – just watch:

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What are YOUR plans for 12.12.12.?

Posted on November 24, 2012 by Tom (Admin)

On 12.12.12, filmmakers all over the world will be collecting footage for One Day on Earth, the third volume in a three-year project to capture a single day on earth, as experienced all over this amazing planet.  Wouldn’t you like to join us?  Where will YOU be on 12.12.12?

It doesn’t have to be an exotic location – it can be something from your everyday life.  After all, from the perspective of all those people living in “exotic” locations, where YOU live is probably just as exotic!

So sign up at http://www.onedayonearth.org/, charge your camera, and start making plans.  If you plan to film people, be sure and print out sufficient numbers of releases at http://www.onedayonearth.org/page/participate.  Then, happy shooting.

Oh, where will I be?  I’ll be visiting Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, in Madagascar on 12.12.12!

 

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Water & Sky Photography: Fixing the Horizon in “Post”

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Tom (Admin)

This is a pretty basic point, really – but I see the same mistakes made over and over by hobbyist photographers.  In my experience, virtually every photo you take that has a prominent horizon in it will require some correction in “post.”  At a minimum, you will need to straighten the horizon, because it’s hard to hold the camera perfectly straight every time.  Take this one for example:

If you’re not paying attention, it can sometimes be easy to miss the fact that the horizon is slightly tilted.  You may just have the sense that something is “off” but aren’t sure what.  Some programs will only let you rotate in increments of 90 degrees, but hopefully you have one that will let you nudge a photo slightly clockwise or counterclockwise.  Recognize you will lose some of the edge areas in the process.  I use Photoshop Elements, which is usually available for under $100 and does almost all the editing a home user would need.  You can also set up a free account on photoshop.com and use many of the same tools for free on with their online editing options.  The cool thing about photoshop is that a faint white grid pops up when you rotate, allowing you to get the horizon just right.

So now you’ve got a straight horizon – how can we make this even better?  Well, conventional wisdom says that the “rule of thirds” usually applies on horizon shots.  In other words, you want the horizon to cut across the shot at either the 1/3 or the 2/3 line.  Depending on which part of the photo is more interesting.  Additionally, if there is something else in the photo, you could place that at the 1/3 or 2/3 point on the horizontal axis.

In the photo above, the reflections on the river are more interesting than the sky, so according to conventional wisdom, you’d want to have the photo be 2/3 water, 1/3 sky, like this:

Disagree?  In this case, me too.  Sometimes you have to cast conventional wisdom aside and just go with your gut.  In this case, my gut tells me there should be more sky than water, like this:

Agree/disagree?  I’m always happy to hear your thoughts.

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One Day on Earth: The 11/11/11 Trailer is Here!

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Tom (Admin)

“One Day on Earth” is a fascinating project to collate footage from every country in the world into a single full-length film.  In its first iteration, filmmakers worldwide were asked to submit footage taken on October 10, 2010 – or 10.10.10 – which was turned into a film that premiered on Earth Day 2012 (and can be purchased at the One Day on Earth website.

The trailer for the 11.11.11 film was recently released, and volume 2 in the 3-film series looks like it will be a winner:

One Day on Earth: 11.11.11 from One Day on Earth on Vimeo.

If you haven’t already signed up to be a part of volume 3 – filming on 12.12.12 – you should get over to their website and sign up.  Not only are these unique films that you can be a part of, it also results in a unique, global, geotagged video database – which you, as a member, will have access to!

Where will you be on 12.12.12?  We’ll be filming in Madagascar!

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