The Smoking Camera

Pin Up Glamour Girl Photo Shoot - 17 Models.

2011-07-23T20:57:00.007-10:00

Every third Friday Design U in Honolulu brings together make-up artists, hair stylists, models and artistic designers to showcase their creative skills. In July, the theme was Pinup Girls. I was fortunate to photograph 17 models just before their fashion show. I had about five to ten minutes for each model. I used my Hasselblad h4d-40 and 80mm lens along with my profoto beauty dish and lastolite hilite for a backdrop. Just enough time to get a couple of headshots and full body shots. Everyone did a great job. Just wish I had more time to take a few more photos of these pin up girls. For more pinup photos visit my Pin Up Gallery.

Fuji x100 and Street Photography in New York City

2011-06-16T09:39:00.008-10:00

Had an opportunity to use the Fuji x100 during a trip to New York. Specifically, I was interested to see how it performed as a street photography camera.

Over the course of a week I traversed Manhattan with this little camera around my neck. I shot aperture priority at higher than normal iso - usually 1600 or 3200. This allowed me to shoot at either higher shutter speed to ensure sharpness or higher aperture to get greater depth of field. Depending on the background lighting I would compensate using the handy dial on top of the camera.

Perhaps the most important issue is focusing. I quickly learned the camera could not easily focus on moving objects. Therefore I pre-focused to a certain distance (usually 3 to 10 feet) then took photos when my subject matter was in focus.

Overall, the Fuji x100 made for a wonderful street photography camera. Look forward to my next trip to New York.

Here are a few photos below. More photos at my Fuji x100 Gallery.

Fuji x100 - The Little Camera That Could: Fun Photo Shoot and Flash

2011-05-26T14:22:00.017-10:00

Had an opportunity to photograph Kelsey Campbell, a lovely and talented model in Hawaii, using the Fuji x100.

For off-camera flash I used an sb-800 connected via a Nikon sc-17 cord. Only manual settings are available for the off-camera flash. The camera easily achieved high speed sync speeds up to 1/1000 sec. On a couple of occasions, I used the built-in flash for fill at 1/1000 sec. Really wish Fuji would allow ttl flash compensation beyond -2/3. The purpose of the shoot was to review and test the capabilities of the x100 during a photo shoot under variable lighting conditions.

Except for some difficult focusing issues shooting into an extremely bright sun, the camera worked very well. FYI, the photo above did not use flash. Please enjoy a few photographs from the shoot. And thanks to Kelsey for her superb modeling.

Built in Flash 1/1000 sec.

Off Camera Flash 1/1000 sec.

No Flash.

Off Camera Flash 1/1000 sec.

Fuji x100 - The Little Camera That Could

2011-05-19T15:49:00.007-10:00

After shooting with the Fuji x100 for a couple of weeks, here are the features I particularly enjoy:

Excellent image quality in good daylight.
Surprisingly clean images in low light (iso 1600 and 3200).
Excellent jpegs straight OOC.
Nice shallow depth of field in a wide-angle lens.
A built-in ND filter to allow shooting at f/2 in bright light.
Flash sync speed up to 1/4000 sec. (manual states 1/2000).
Option of OVF or EVF or LCD monitor viewing (I use all three).
Silent mode.
Macro mode.
Great looks.
Compact size makes it my go-to camera whenever I walk out the door.

Of course there are many things that can be improved, but I try to utilize the strengths and capabilities of my photographic equipment.

However, there is one small feature I really miss - and that is blinking blown highlights in the playback mode.

There are many cameras that can easily exceed each capability or feature of the x100.

But, it is impossible to find the combination of the above features in any other package, let alone one as small and compact as the Fuji x100 or as I like to call it - The Little Camera That Could.

Photo of the Week: Indian Wedding on Northshore Oahu in Hawaii

2011-03-14T10:39:00.004-10:00

I had an opportunity to use my Hasselblad H4d-40 at an outdoor Indian theme wedding ceremony in Hawaii. By definition, an Indian wedding is quite colorful and the Hasselblad produced some of the most richly colorful wedding images I have ever taken. The handheld shot above was taken with an HC 150mm lens at f/3.2, 1/320 sec and iso 400.

I can't say enough about Mira Savara (the wedding planner) and her incredible work. She is by far the best Indian theme wedding planner in Hawaii. In the future, I hope to photograph more Indian weddings in Hawaii. For a few more sample wedding images, please visit my Hawaii Wedding Photography website.

Candid Photograph at Hawaii Wedding

2011-03-05T08:01:00.008-10:00

The bride is the most important subject at any wedding. However, there are always photo opportunities if you look for them. During this Hawaii wedding, I noticed the little flower girl and ring bearer enjoying a moment away from adult supervision, so I took a photograph during their playfulness. My advice at weddings: always look for those candid photography opportunities of the bride and elsewhere. A few more Hawaii wedding photographs at my new Hawaii Wedding Photography website. Enjoy.

An Impromptu Wedding Photograph - Photo of the Week

2010-09-27T15:17:00.005-10:00

Normally, I photograph weddings in Hawaii (Maui, Oahu, Honolulu, Waikiki). However, last month I photographed a wedding in the San Francisco Bay area. After the wedding ceremony and just prior to the wedding reception we were awaiting the bride and groom entrance. Suddenly the wind picked up and and bride's veil began flying an all directions. I quickly asked the couple to move against a wall and took this photograph. This has become one of my favorite wedding photographs. As a wedding photographer, sometimes you just have to be ready for the unexpected. For a few more Hawaii wedding photographs, please visit my new Hawaii Wedding Photography gallery.

The Adventures of Japanese Infrared Space Man: Photo of the Week

2010-04-12T12:44:00.004-10:00

For over a year I have wanted to incorporate infrared photography with a photo shoot. Infrared photos are so other worldly and so magical they require much more than a typical model. Fortunately, I met Caleb Shinobi, a talented artist from Hawaii. He was born to be my infrared spaceman. My plan is to do multiple photoshoots - each being an episode. For each shoot I will use a special Nikon D200 - converted to capture enhanced infrared color. To make each episode work I hope to utilize the artistic and photographic talents of Kaveh Kardan - whom I consider one of the finest photographers in Hawaii - and of course Caleb who I consider one of the most creative artists in Hawaii. Hope you enjoy the image and stay tuned for more episodes of The Adventures of Japanese Infrared Space Man.

Shakti Dance Movement Photo Shoot - Photo of the Week

2010-03-15T10:33:00.004-10:00

Used an abandoned church overgrown by vegetation as a backdrop to photograph Shakti Dance Movement. In this photo I used an Sb-900 in an Ezybox Softbox to the right and a bare Sb-800 to the left. All fired remotely with an Su-800 Commander unit on my D3s. Used the 24-70mm on a tripod. On other shots I needed four flashes to light up the jungle. Tough lighting, mosquitoes and a little rain conspired against us, but we managed a few nice images. This one was converted to B&W to give it a Holga look. For more from this shoot visit my gallery at The Smoking Camera. Enjoy.

DeRose Method Pose by Marcelo in Hawaii: Photo of the Week

2010-03-10T09:54:00.005-10:00

Marcelo is a DeRose Method instructor based in New York. At the conclusion of a three day event we went out for a photo shoot near the beach. He performed a number of incredible poses and I was fortunate to capture a few images. I used a Nikon D3s and fired an Sb-900 on the right and an Sb-800 on the left using my Su-800 Commander. Nikon's CLS and high speed sync worked great. This shot is at 1/2500 sec, f/9, iso 200 using my 24-70mm lens. I under compensated my camera settings by 2 stops and over compensated my Sb-900 by two stops and Sb-800 by one stop. For more images visit my Marcelo in Hawaii gallery.

Venice Carnival Mask 2010 - Photo of the Week

2010-02-14T19:07:00.002-10:00

Before sunrise, the Masks prepare to be photographed at St. Marks Square during the 2010 Venice Carnival. For this particular shot, the Mask sat on the ground in her colorful Asian gown. Unfortunately, my tripod just didn't get low enough so I placed my camera on the ground and used my passport to tilt the camera into the right angle. Shot my 85/1.4d wide open to get the depth of field I wanted and overexposed about a stop to capture the background light. One of my favorite shots from this annual festival. For more photos of carnival please visit my Venice Carnival Mask 2010 gallery. Ciao.

Photo of the Week - Maui Sunset Beach Wedding Photo

2010-01-28T23:18:00.004-10:00

Had an opportunity to shoot a sunset wedding in Maui. Nothing quite like sunset photography at the beach. Used my Nikon D3s, 85/1.4, Sb-900 flash and Su-800 Commander to get this sunset shot at Makena Beach. The couple from New York, were very cool and very fun to photograph. Wish all my wedding shots could be during sunset at a Maui beach. For more Hawaii wedding photos visit my Hawaii Wedding Photography gallery. Enjoy.

Blue Butterfly Body Painting Poster - Photo of the Week

2009-12-08T10:11:00.005-10:00

A very talented body painter, Chad Morisato, asked me to photograph his body painting models in preparation for a book and possibly a poster. How could I resist. In this shot I set up several SB-800 flashes in Ezybox softboxes, fired with an SU-800 commander on my D700 and 24-70mm lens. The model, Monique was placed in front of a backdrop also painted by Chad. We had about 15 minutes to shoot. After a bit of photoshopping to fill in the background, this is the result. Hope you enjoy this image.

Turning Day into Night for a Photo Shoot - Photo of the Week

2009-11-16T06:38:00.003-10:00

I was shooting Steve and Madeline in a back alley of Honolulu at about noon. Although it was cloudy, there was still plenty of light, in fact too much light. So I dialed down my exposure compensation by three full stops and cranked up an Sb-800 and Sb-900 by the same three full stops using an SU-800 commander on my Nikon. I placed one of the flashes to the far right and had a friend stand on a window ledge just to the right as well. Created a dark, moody alley in the middle of the day. For more photos of Steve and Madeline, visit their Gallery on my Website.

New York Village Halloween Parade - Photo of the Week

2009-11-01T03:47:00.003-10:00

The annual New York City Village Halloween Parade presented plenty of photographic opportunities. More photographs to come, but this is a sample of the costumes worn by New York Halloween revelers on this rainy October day. More Halloween Parade photos at my NYC Halloween Gallery.

Kane Black Tie Fashion Show at Honolulu Design Center - Photo of the Week

2009-10-27T05:53:00.004-10:00

I was invited to the Kane Magazine Fashion Show at the Honolulu Design Center. Didn't want to use a bare SB-900 flash. In addition, the ceilings were high and black in color and there were spotlights here and there on the runway. In other words, a hodgepodge of light conditions. So, I used a Lumiquest 80-20 Flash Diffuser with the white insert. Essentially, this raised the flash above the camera and scattered the light a bit more than usual. I used TTL and dialed down the flash compensation by about 2 f-stops. This caused the flash to be more of a fill than overwhelming the models. Seems to have worked OK, since one of the sponsors (Pull-in Hawaii the high tech underwear company) offered me clothes if I needed any in an upcoming shoot.

Aisha of Greece at a Hawaii Sunset: Photo of the Wee

2009-10-11T07:45:00.002-10:00

I had the pleasure of meeting Aisha, a beautiful belly dancer from Athens, Greece. She was visiting Hawaii during a workshop and performance tour. Just before she returned home, we had an opportunity to do a quick photo shoot. She wanted an image that captured the Hawaii feel. I found a location near the ocean with a nice backdrop of palm trees. We arrived just before sunset and began shooting. Aisha is not only a great dancer, she could easily be a model. I used an Sb-800 and Sb-900 flash with amber gel to add a touch of color. From her position, it was a matter of placing her arms in just the right spot to avoid covering the palm trees and she held that position perfectly until we got the shot. Such a pleasure to work with someone as professional as Aisha. For more images of our shoot visit the Aisha gallery. Enjoy.

Sunset Strobist Photo of Emma - Photo of the Week

2009-10-02T11:04:00.004-10:00

A couple of weeks ago I did a sunrise photo shoot at the beach. Yesterday, I tried a sunset photo shoot at Kakaako Waterfront in Honolulu. Here is an image of Emma, a young aspiring model. I used an Sb-900, Sb-800 to the left and an Sb-800 to the right. I used my Su-800 commander flash unit and everything was on TTL. Instead of a CTO gel, I used an amber gel to add just a touch of color to Emma. If you enjoy this image, you can see a few more at Emma's Sunset gallery or all my photographs at The Smoking Camera. Enjoy.

First Big Waves of the Season at Pipeline in Northshore Oahu - Photo of the Week

2009-09-26T07:52:00.006-10:00

An early major swell hit the Hawaiian Islands this weekend and I went out to photography surfing action at Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu. I used my venerable 300mm and a 1.7x teleconverter to get me 500mm of reach. Conditions were ideal. This was the first time I saw a paddleboarder surfing Pipeline. He took several waves and rode them beautifully. The photo of the week is the paddleboarder riding a big wave at the infamous Banzai Pipeline. For more surfing photos from the day visit my September 25, 2009 gallery. For more surf photos of Pipeline Surfing Oahu visit my North shore Surf gallery. Enjoy the surfing action.

Strobist Photo Shoot at Lanikai Beach Sunrise - Photo of the Week

2009-09-18T12:27:00.004-10:00

Armed with a Nikon D700, 24-70mm lens, Sb-900 and Sb-800 flashes and the SU-800 Commander I went to the beach this morning to photograph Kalae Kaina at sunrise using strobist concepts from photographer Joe McNally. Kalae is a very lovely belly dancer who performs with the Shakti Dance Movement here in Hawaii. For this shot I used a Sb-900 to the left at -1.0 flash compensation and an Sb-800 to the right at -3.0 flash compensation. The flashes had a tungsten gel to warm the image. I used matrix metering and aperture priority with a -1.0 exposure compensation to darken the rapidly brightening sky. Nikon's CLS worked extremely well. We had to stop the photoshoot a bit quickly when we noticed man-o-war jellyfish in the water and along the shore. For more photos of Kalae visit my Lanikai Sunrise Gallery. For more of my photos visit my photo website The Smoking Camera. Enjoy

Okinawan Festival at Kapiolani Park in Honolulu, Hawaii - Photo of the Week

2009-09-06T22:02:00.005-10:00

I attended the 27th Annual Okinawan Festival at Kapiolani Park in Honolulu, Hawaii on September 5, 2009. I used an Sb-900 flash throughout the performances. Normally, I do not use a flash, but on this occasion I decided to give it a try. The flash worked extremely well throughout the day. I dialed the flash compensation down 2 to 3 stops when the performers were in the shade. In the sun I dialed the compensation down about one stop. Only when I was shooting in the sun for a few minutes, did the Sb-900 shut down because of overheating. After a few minutes, I resumed shooting and had no problems the rest of the day. If you are interested in more photos from the Okinawan Festival visit my Okinawan Gallery. For more of my photos from other Hawaii events and festivals, visit The Smoking Camera photo website. Enjoy.

Body Painting on First Friday at LGW in Honolulu, Hawaii - Photo of the Week

2009-09-05T09:28:00.003-10:00

Every first friday of the month, LGW in Chinatown near downtown Honolulu, displays a body painting exhibition by the talented Chad Morisato. Normally, a couple of lights are available to light up the evening show, but on this evening one of the lights went out. Fortunately, I had my Sb-900, Su-800, lightstand and umbrella in the car. I set up my Su-800 as the commander and the Sb-900 as a remote. I used TTL instead of manual. Everything worked perfectly using a D700 and 24-70mm lens. Here's a shot of one of the audience members who decided to get painted on a whim. For more body painting photos visit my First Friday Body Painting gallery and for more of my photos visit The Smoking Camera. Enjoy.

The Greek Festival at McCoy Pavilion at Ala Moana Park in Honolulu - Photo of the Week

2009-08-31T13:09:00.003-10:00

The 29th annual Greek Festival at McCoy Pavilion at Ala Moana Park in Honolulu, Hawaii was held on August 29 and 30, 2009. What a fun event. Lively dancing, great food and beverages, fantastic music by Fotia (a San Francisco based group) and did I mention the dancing. Normally I would use my fast 50mm or 85mm once the sun went down, but I needed something wider to capture the atmosphere of the festivities. For this shot I used a 14-24mm lens wide open, iso cranked up to 3200 and I held the camera and lens above my head and aimed downward as the dancers went by. The shot above is a lucky capture using this less than precise shooting method. To see more fun images visit my Greek Festival Gallery and of course to see more of my photographs please visit The Smoking Camera photo website. Opa!

Lanikai Point at Sunset Using Three Off-Camera Flashes - Photo of the Week

2009-08-27T20:11:00.004-10:00

I have decided it is time to get serious about flash photography. After spending a few days reading everything I could about flash photography, I decided to go out today and spread my flashy wings. I set up one flash to my left, one to my right and pointed them at Lanikai Point. I then set up a third flash to fire off at whatever looked interesting on the path or on the road. I won't show you my first shot which pretty much looks like a naked snowman caught in a snowstorm. Everything was on manual and I kept adjusting each flash and the camera settings until I was happy with the results. I had to keep adjusting as the sky darkened quicker than I expected. Finally, I heard a motorcycle riding by and I took this shot as it passed by. Voila! My first decent flash shot at night. This could get addicting. If you are interested in more of my photography visit my website at The Smoking Camera. Enjoy.

Malia Delapenia and Belly Dancers in Paradise - Photo of the Week

2009-08-23T08:27:00.003-10:00

I was invited to photograph a bellydance performance at the Ala Moana Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. The bellydancing was performed by the Belly Dancers in Paradise. This talented group is led by Malia Delapenia also known as Malia in Hawaii. The bellydancing was spectacular. At one point, Malia and Ashlee jumped in tandem and I quickly pressed the shutter. It wasn't until later I realized I had caught them in midair. Funny, how at a bellydancing performance I am most excited about capturing an image of two bellydancers jumping. For the entire belly dance performance, please visit my Belly Dance Gallery on my website. Enjoy.

A Little Background to My Photography and My Current Photographic Setup

2009-08-03T21:55:00.011-10:00

Thought I would share a little of my photography background and current setup.

Many many years ago I bought my first 35mm camera - an Olympus OM-2 with a 50mm lens. I primarily shot landscapes in the Western U.S. - California and Washington. However, as a poor college student, I couldn't afford very much film or the cost of developing, so my photography skills languished.

Fast forward to my son in high school. I bought him a Nikon N80 35mm film camera for a photography class. He loved it and quickly became a bit of a photo nut. Over the next few years, he acquired a Nikon F5, a medium format Rolleiflex, a Lomo and others. He finally went digital with the Nikon D70.

In 2006, I decided to re-enter the photographic world and bought a Nikon D200. Currently, I own three Nikon's: a D700, D300 and a D200 modified for infrared photography. My go to lens lineup includes the following: a Nikon 10.5mm fisheye, Nikon 14-24mm, Nikon 24-70, Nikon 85mm f/1.4D, Nikon 180mm f/2.8D and a Nikon 300mm f/4 AFS. I also use Nikon 1.4x and 1.7x teleconverters for surfing photography. I recently added a Sigma 50mm f/1.4 for low light photography. My flash lineup includes Nikon's SB-900 and SB-800.

Regarding processing, I admit to being a neophyte and I try to keep it very very simple and fast. I use Aperture 2.0 for 95% of my needs. I use Photoshop CS3 primarily for panorama and infrared photography.

For surfing photography, I use my D300 to get the extra reach of the DX sensor. I generally use my 300mm f/4 with the tc-17ed teleconverter to get me to 500mm. Works well at Pipeline in the Northshore. If the waves are too large, I drop down to the tc-14ed converter to get down to 420mm.

For low light conditions without flash, I use my D700 and either the magical 85mm f/1.4 or the Sigma 50mm f/1.4. Depending on lighting, I have no problem using iso up to 3200 and on occasion, I will push iso up to 6400. The results have been surprisingly good. Can't say enough about the D700 and it's full frame FX sensor.

For event photography I enjoy using the Nikon 24-70mm and either the 180mm f/2.8 or the 85mm f/1.4. Just depends on how close I am to the action.

For landscapes and panoramas, I use the Nikon 14-24mm or Nikon 24-70mm on a lightweight gitzo tripod.

For whale watching, I use my D300 and a 70-300VR which is perfect to capture humpback whale tails and breaching during bright, sunny days.

I may add more details to this particular blog segment in the future, but in the meantime, thanks for taking the time to visit this blog and my photo website - The Smoking Camera.

Tribal Fusion Belly Dancing at the Loft in Honolulu, Hawaii - Photo of the Week

2009-07-27T21:41:00.007-10:00

I had the pleasure of photographing a Taqasim or Tribal Fusion Belly Dance performance featuring Kalae Kaina and the Shakti Dance Movement, Willow Chang and Michael Azure at The Loft in Honolulu, Hawaii on July 26, 2009. As always, I try to avoid using flash during performances, which forced me to put away my Nikon 24-70mm and instead use my Sigma 50mm f/1.4 and Nikon 85mm f/1.4. And in this case, the lighting was so poor I bumped iso between 3200 and 6400 in order to freeze the action. The photo above (of Kalae) is at iso 5000 f/1.4 and a speed of 1/200. Not too noisy given the settings. For more belly dance photos visit the Belly Dancing Gallery at my photo website. Enjoy.

Willow Chang Dances at Bollywood Nights at Pipeline Cafe - Photo (Slideshow) of the Week

2009-07-19T14:57:00.017-10:00

Willow Chang has danced beautifully at Bollywood Nights at Pipeline Cafe in Honolulu, Hawaii. I have been fortunate to photograph her performances. I hope this slideshow gives you a sense of her incredible beauty and talent. However, beware, because many of these images were shot at iso 3200 under very difficult lighting conditions. If you would like to see larger images of her performances, please visit my website - The Smoking Camera and specifically, visit Willow's Bollywood Gallery.

Korean Festival at Kapiolani Park in Honolulu, Hawaii - Photo of the Week

2009-07-13T11:00:00.004-10:00

The 8th Annual Korean Festival was held at Kapiolani Park in Honolulu, Hawaii on July 11, 2009. Very colorful dance performances by Chum Sa Rang, the Christ Mehodist Church Dance Team, the Sun Class Dance and the Halla Huhm Dance Group. And of course no Korean Festival would be complete without Taekwondo demonstrations and a Kimchi eating contest. Often I use prime lenses to get the best quality image, but on this day I used a Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 to give me zoom and speed flexibility. This classic lens worked well. For more photos visit my Korean Festival Gallery or my photo website - The Smoking Camera. Enjoy.

Free Concert at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park - Photo of the Week

2009-07-01T07:40:00.009-10:00

While visiting Chicago, I was fortunate to see a free concert at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. As the sun set and sky turned ever so dark, I used my 10.5mm fisheye wide open to get a shot of the Pavilion and the Chicago skyline in the background. Simply a beautiful setting and a greet concert as well. For more images of Chicago, please visit my photo website - The Smoking Camera. Enjoy.

The Smoking Camera Portfolio Slideshow - Photos of the Week

2009-06-26T09:39:00.010-10:00

This photo of the week is actually a test to see if it is possible to embed a flash-based slideshow into my photo blog. I have selected my Portfolio Gallery from my photo website - The Smoking Camera as the test gallery. The size limitations on this blog require a small scale slideshow. Your feedback is appreciated. Click PLAY and enjoy.

John Hancock Center in Downtown Chicago - Photo of the Week

2009-06-24T13:42:00.002-10:00

What do you do when your widest lens is 24mm and it is not wide enough to photograph the sixth tallest building in the world? You borrow your son's 16-85mm lens. As most know, Chicago is famous for its architecture. After the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, the city was rebuilt with amazing beauty and style. Chicago architecture has been influenced by many styles and in turn has influenced architecture throughout the world. While in Chicago I took a couple of architecture tours and was able to photograph a number of landmarks including the 100 story John Hancock Center above. The 16-85mm was the perfect lens for the job. To see more Chicago architecture as well as the Cubs, the Bean , Crown Fountain, Millennium Park and more, visit the Chicago Gallery at my photo website - The Smoking Camera.

Samantha as an Angel at the PUJA Dance Concert in Hawaii - Photo of the Week

2009-06-15T22:52:00.006-10:00

Samantha performs as an Angel at the 2009 PUJA Gods and Monsters Dance Concert at the Paliku Theater in Kaneohe, Hawaii. This two day dance event presented by Willow Chang and Passport Productions was simply outstanding. The Nikon 85mm f/1.4 lens was my primary lens. Please visit the PUJA June 6 and PUJA June 7 galleries for more images of this artistic event.

Anasma at PUJA Gods and Monsters Dance Concert in Hawaii - Photo of the Week

2009-06-09T06:46:00.011-10:00

On June 6 and 7, 2009, Willow Chang and Passport Productions presented the annual PUJA Gods and Monsters Dance Concert at Paliku Theater in Hawaii. This event included artists from around the world including talented performances by local Hawaii artists. Simply a great, entertaining dance festival. The photo of the week is of beautiful and talented Anasama from France. She was the perfect little devil. I used an 85mm f/1.4 lens wide open at iso 1000. The key to the photography was the the simple fact this was the second day of performances. Thus, I knew the dance routines and camera settings from day one. Consequently I was able to position myself in the proper location and I was able to modify my camera settings based on day one. For more photos of this colorful dance event visit my June 6 Galler y and June 7 Gallery at The Smoking Camera website. Enjoy.

Meissoun at the Puja Dance Festival Pre-Party in Honolulu, Hawaii - Photo of the Week

2009-05-31T22:10:00.007-10:00

The PUJA Dance Festival Pre-Party was held on May 29, 2009 at the Living Room in Honolulu, Hawaii. Incredible dance performances by Anasma, Willow Chang, George Garcia, Samba Axe and Meissoun from Switzerland. I used a 24-70 lens with an SB-900 flash to take this photo of Meissoun. Recently, I have begun using manual settings for my night time event photography for consistent exposed images. The SB-900 worked wonderfully and captured this image of Meissoun performing a beautiful dance. Please visit my PUJA Gallery for more images of the many wonderful dance performances. Enjoy.

The Floating Lanterns Festival at Ala Moana Beach Park in Honolulu, Hawaii - Photo of the Week

2009-05-25T23:14:00.005-10:00

The Lanterns Floating Festival is held annually on Memorial Day (May 25, 2009) at Ala Moana Beach Park in Honolulu, Hawaii. This event is an emotional and photographic highlight. The festival commemorates loved ones who have past away by placing a candle inside a floating lantern. Very moving. Photographically, this event consistently produces incredibly beautiful images as the lanterns are placed in the water at sunset. This year, the lanterns stayed close to the shore so I was able to photograph the lanterns as the sunset turned to evening. Here is a link to my 2009 Floating Lanterns Gallery. If you go to my photo website, The Smoking Camera, you will find galleries from 2007 and 2008. Enjoy.

The Samba Axe Brazilian Dancers Perform in Honolulu Hawaii - Photo of the Week

2009-05-15T16:45:00.005-10:00

Another day, another fun event in Hawaii. I was invited to the Laughing Track Theater near downtown Honolulu to photograph the Samba Axe dancers. The dancers performed as part of a Cinema Cabaret venue. Small stage, decent lighting, lots of fast movement. To freeze the high speed dancing I used a 24-70mm lens wide open at f/2.8 and cranked the iso up to 3200. This produced a fast enough shutter speed (1/400th of a sec) to freeze the action and capture the samba tassels in mid air. You can see more pictures of the Samba dancers in my new Samba Gallery on my photography website The Smoking Camera. Gotta go, another fun event this evening.

Filipino Festival and Santacruzan at Kapiolani Park, Honolulu, Hawaii - Photo of the Week

2009-05-09T19:39:00.008-10:00

The 17th Annual Filipino Parade, Festival and Santacruzan was held on May 9, 2009 at Kapiolani Park in Honolulu, Hawaii. Lots of participants, lots of sun and lots of photographs. The midday sun is terrible for photos, because of the harsh shadows, but the late afternoon sun is perfect for natural backlighting. I used my 180/2.8 and overexposed by a full f-stop to capture this beautiful Santacruzan winner. For more pictures of this Filipino fiesta visit my Filipino Festival Gallery. For more photos of festivals throughout Hawaii, visit The Smoking Camera photographic website.

2009 Cinco de Mayo Street Festival on Nuuanu Ave in Honolulu, Hawaii - Photo of the Week

2009-05-06T00:36:00.010-10:00

One of the advantages of living in Hawaii is the incredible cultural diversity which results in a great number of festivals and events. Cinco de Mayo is a good example. This year the Cinco de Mayo Street Festival was held in Honolulu on Nuuanu Avenue near Chinatown. There was lots of music, dancing, food and beverages. Oh, and I also took a few pictures. As usual, I used my trusty 85/1.4 and added the 180/2.8 and 35/2 to my bag. For simplicity and to lighten the load I only used the on-camera flash. Even under the toughest of light conditions I was able to capture a number of decent photographs. The photo above is an example. If you are interested in viewing more photographs, visit my Cinco de Mayo gallery at The Smoking Camera photography website. Adios.

Hula at the 17th Annual I Love Kailua Town Party 2009 - Photo of the Week

2009-04-26T22:48:00.006-10:00

What do you do when shooting an event at midday when harsh shadows may ruin your pictures? This was the scenario I encountered earlier today at the 17th Annual I Love Kailua Town Party. This fun event is held each year in beautiful Kailua on the Windward side of Oahu. The festivities run from 11AM to 4PM and without shade, the sun can cause harsh shadows. Instead of shooting with a flash or shooting with the sun to my back, I decided to shoot into the sun. In this way, the faces of my subjects were in shade with minimal shadows. To compensate, I overexposed by about 2/3 of a stop to make certain the face was properly exposed. I suppose I could have used spot metering, but I may try that next time. Please visit my I Love Kailua Town Party gallery to see the many performers, dancers, artists and people who attended. Thanks for visiting.

Willow Chang Dances at Bollywood Nights at Pipeline Cafe in Honolulu - Photo of the Week

2009-04-18T05:48:00.017-10:00

Last night I had the opportunity to photograph Bollywood Nights at the Pipeline Cafe in Honolulu, Hawaii. This event, coordinated by my delightful friend, Mira Savara, was a great success. There was music, dancing, food and entertainment. The highlight of the evening was the dance performance by Willow Chang. I used a 24-70mm lens wide open and boosted iso all the way to 3200 to capture her beautiful dancing. I took a few photographs from in front of and from behind the stage. I was pleased with the results. For more photos of Willow Chang and Bollywood Nights visit my Bollywood Nights gallery at The Smoking Camera. To learn more about this talented performer, please visit her website WillowChang.com.

Emma's First Photo Shoot - Outdoor Portrait and Headshots - Photo of the Week

2009-04-06T16:10:00.009-10:00

A friend at work asked if I could do some headshots of her daughter - an aspiring teenage model. I agreed even though portrait and headshot work is not my typical photographic style. I used an 85mm f/1.4 and 180mm f/2.8 lens along with a flash and reflector. We went to a botanical garden and found a variety of backgrounds. In this particular image, I found a concrete wall and had her face the wind. I waited for some cloud cover to minimize the harsh shadows and photographed for only a few minutes until the bright sun reappeared. I was pleased with the results as were my friend and teenage daughter. If you are interested, you can see more images of Emma on my website. Enjoy.

Humpback Whale Breach in Maui, Hawaii - Photo of the Week

2009-03-14T23:20:00.005-10:00

For the past three years I have flown to Maui to photograph Humpback Whales. And for three years I have been unable to photograph a breach - until yesterday, Friday the 13th. I was able to photograph this beautiful breach using my 70-300VR lens on a Nikon D300. I cannot emphasize how difficult it is to capture this type of image and I was fortunate to be at the right place at the right time. Basically, you have to stand on the edge of the boat, camera in position and all settings ready to fire. You must be attentive and ready for the entire 2 hour excursion. The only early indicator of a breach are the oohs and aahs of the passengers on the boat. Truly an experience. Hope you enjoy this photo.

Yellow Blue and Green Masks at Venice Carnival - Photo of the Week

2009-03-11T19:13:00.010-10:00

I have not posted on my photography blog recently because I have been busy sorting through thousands of images from the 2009 Venice Carnival. So many images, so little time. However, here is another photograph from Carnival. This was taken early one morning at the water's edge near St. Marks Square or San Marco Piazza. This photo was taken with an 85/1.4 Nikon lens over the heads of about a dozen other photographers trying to get the same shot. I like this one because of the color impact and the partial image of a gondola in the lower left corner which helps identify the location. For more photos of Venice Carnival, visit my photo website - The Smoking Camera. Enjoy.

Carnival Mask in Venice Italy - Photo of the Week

2009-02-18T12:43:00.014-10:00

I am fortunate to be in Venice, Italy for the 2009 Carnival Festival. I am even more fortunate to have met several Italian and French photographers, most notably Silvano Candeo - perhaps the premier photographer of the annual Carnival. He is a master at photographing the Masks in authentic Venetian locations. The Masks are people, primarily from France and Germany, who dress in beautiful attire for the event. It is a not a hobby, it is their passion. With the assistance of Silvano, I was invited to special locations where the Masks are available to photographers. The photo above was taken on the small island of Burano, about a 40-minute boat ride from Venice. I used a 14-24mm lens, wide open. The Mask, named Florine, was posing beautifully and I took several photographs. It wasn't until later when I saw this photo on my computer screen that it jumped out as very special. I hope you agree. If you want to see more photos of the beautiful festival visit my Carnival Gallery. Special thanks to Silvano, Monica, Alessia, Marina, Bianca, Christian and John for their generosity.

The Year of the Ox, Chinese New Years Parade - Photo of the Week

2009-01-29T23:00:00.005-10:00

The annual Chinese New Year Parade was held in Chinatown in Honolulu. The 2009 parade marked the Year of the Ox and festivities were exciting and colorful. I used three lenses for the event: a 24-70mm, 85mm and 180mm lens. This particular photo was taken at the end of the parade when lighting was quite poor. This is usually when the the 85 shines and I was able to photograph this young girl dressed as a dragon as the night approached.

Japan Festival in Honululu - Photo of the Week

2009-01-15T06:43:00.008-10:00

Every year in January, the Japanese Cultural Center in Honolulu, holds the Ohana Festival. The festival includes food, entertainment and traditional dancing. I enjoy photographing the talented groups and individuals. I particularly enjoy photographing the young children as they do a great job both in costume and dance. From a technical standpoint, it is difficult to shoot these events as they are under a canopy and the background is usually a building or wall or window or something quite unappealing. My simple solution is to shoot with a fast lens, wide open to decrease the depth of field and, if possible, frame the shot so the background consists of appealing, colorful out of focus participants. Hope you enjoy the photo.

Barack Obama Golfing in Hawaii - Photo of the Week

2008-12-29T23:27:00.006-10:00

I am fortunate to live near a golf course, even more fortunate to learn our President-Elect, Barack Obama, was playing on the course. I took my 300mm lens, 80-200mm lens and our copy of the Rolling Stone Magazine featuring Barack Obama on the cover. We waited with a crowd for him to arrive at the 18th hole. As we waited, the sky was overcast, the sun was going down and I was afraid there would be insufficient light. Mr. Obama arrived, joked with the crowd, teed off and came over to shake a few hands. My wife was able to get his autograph on the cover of our Rolling Stone Magazine. Pretty cool. I followed him along the 18th hole and took a few more photos. You can see more photographs at my photo website: TheSmokingCamera.com.

Notre Dame Wins Hawaii Bowl - Photo of the Week

2008-12-25T07:37:00.007-10:00

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated the University of Hawaii Warriors at the 2008 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve. Normally, Hawaii games are in the evening and the lighting is poor. However, this game began at 3PM and lighting was great. I used my 300mm lens and photographed before and during the game. I was fortunate to find a seat on the first row behind the end zone. Not as good as being on the sideline, but not bad. Here is my favorite shot from the game. The Notre Dame receiver made an outstanding catch. Many more photos of the football game on my website www.thesmokingcamera.com. Enjoy.

Machu Picchu through a Fisheye Lens - Photo of the Week

2008-12-19T09:45:00.010-10:00

Recently, a website asked to submit your best photograph. I thought long and hard and chose this particular photo of Machu Picchu. It was taken early morning, in November of 2007, just after the fog and clouds cleared. It was a magical moment. I had been using a Sigma 10-20mm lens, but decided to try the Nikon 10.5mm fisheye. I stepped back to include the terraces and took this shot. I was afraid the main area of Machu Picchu would be too distant in the photo, but to my surprise this was not the case. Actually, the terrace foreground and the the deep Rio Urubama ravine to the left provide a unique perspective. I have rarely seen a Machu Picchu photo from this position. I hope to go back someday and try a panorama shot but for now this is the one. Hope you enjoy the photo as much as I.

*** Update *** On February 4, 2009, this photograph of Machu Picchu won first place in the Digital Photography Review Website for the best wide angle lens shot. The contest had about 500 entries from photographers around the world. Thanks for the vote!

Surfers at Pipeline, Northshore Oahu, Hawaii - Photo of the Week

2008-12-02T23:04:00.009-10:00

In December, 2008, the first big waves and surf hit the North Shore of Oahu, thereby providing me the fun opportunity to photograph surfers at Pipeline. Here is one of many photographs taken during the day. The waves were so large I had to drop a size in my teleconverter in order to capture the entire scene. For more photos, including some great surf sequences visit my photo website at thesmokingcamera.com.

Hawaii Flower (Lily of the Nile) - Photo of the Week

2008-11-29T11:41:00.009-10:00

I rarely shoot flowers and even less rarely shoot manual focus, however, I had an opportunity to try an older 75-150mm f3.5 Nikon Series E lens. This lens from the early 1980s, with great optics and excellent bokeh, is a bargain at about $100 or so on the used market. Unfortunately, I had much difficulty with the manual focus and after several attempts I gave up. Later when viewing the photos on my computer I was fortunate to get the focus reasonably well on a couple of shots. Here is an example. By the way, this is my wife's favorite photo. Hope you enjoy.

Night Panorama of Cloud Gate (the Bean), Millennium Park in Chicago - Photo of the Week

2008-11-23T11:22:00.001-10:00

Recently, I visited Chicago and had an opportunity to photograph the Cloud Gate (aka the Bean) in Millennium Park. Unfortunately it was cold and rainy, however, for just a moment the rain stopped allowing me to take this panorama photograph. The wet ground actually added to the ambiance by reflecting the city lights. I also took several panoramic photographs from under the Bean which can be viewed at my photographic website www.thesmokingcamera.com.

Panorama of Red Steps at Times Square in NYC - Photo of the Week

2008-11-19T21:23:00.001-10:00

On a recent trip to New York, I visited Times Square where new bright Red Steps had been installed. This is a great place to meet, talk, snack, visit and people watch. I took several handheld photos at iso 3200 and stitched them together to create this night time panorama. Hope you enjoy the photo.

New York Village Halloween Parade - Photo of the Week

2008-11-01T01:01:00.001-10:00

New York City's Annual Village Halloween Parade is quite the event and I was fortunate to attend and photograph the festivities. For more fun photographs, visit my photo website at The Smoking Camera.

Looking at an Infrared Photo - Photo of the Week

2008-10-22T22:58:00.001-10:00

This infrared photograph was selected by voters as one of the top ten photographs for the Zenfolio homepage. Zenfolio is one of the premier photo-hosting websites currently available and this particular photograph is currently on display. It was taken with a Nikon D200 permanently converted to an enhanced infrared color camera by Lifepixel.

Hula by Miss Hawaii 2008 Nicole Fox - Photo of the Week

2008-10-06T19:13:00.001-10:00

Nicole Fox, recently crowned Miss Hawaii 2008, performs the hula at the Hoolaulea Festival in Waikiki. The stage lighting was sufficient, so I was able to take this night time photograph without flash at a very respectable iso of 800. I used my venerable 85mm wide open at f/1.4. During these types of events, I try to take a variety of angles. I particularly enjoy shots from the side or slightly behind the stage to minimize background clutter. I have over fifty photographs of Nicole performing the hula on my website at www.pbase.com/thesmokingcamera or TheSmokingCamera.com. Thanks for visiting.

Waikiki Shaka Girls - Photo of the Week

2008-09-26T08:47:00.000-10:00

Recently, while walking along Waikiki at sunset, these two young women were photographing each other. I set my 85mm lens wide open to f/1.4, metered for ambient light and popped up my on-camera flash. When the girls saw my camera pointed in their direction they decided to pose with the classic shaka gesture. The combination of a sunset background and flash provided just the right amount of lighting for this spontaneous shot.

Kilauea Volcano - Photo of the Week

2008-09-13T22:25:00.000-10:00

Recently, I visited the Kilauea lava viewing area near the small town of Kalapana on the Big Island of Hawaii. On this particular day, a crew from National Geographic was filming the lava as it flowed into the ocean. This created a unique photo op as the film crew provided perspective and scale to the hot lava explosions. I used a 300mm lens with a 1.7x teleconverter to get this shot. Enjoy.

Humpback Whale Tail - Photo of the Week

2008-09-02T18:47:00.001-10:00

This photo is a composite of nine individual photographs of a humpback whale tail sequence. I used a Nikon D200 and 70-300VR lens. I was fortunate to be at the right place at the right time.

Panorama Photography - Haleakala

2008-09-02T10:26:00.000-10:00

Haleakala Panorama (Full Size Image is 4220 x 13,895 pixels)

With an elevation exceeding 10,000 ft. Haleakala is a dormant volcano dominating the southern half of the island of Maui. This past weekend I spent a day hiking and photographing the colorful and majestic summit area. Needless to say, Haleakala is one of my favorite photographic subjects. A few of my photographs can be viewed at my photo website - www.thesmokingcamera.com.

On this particular day my emphasis was panoramic photography. I took my panorama travel kit which includes a Nikon D300 along with the following Nikon lenses: 10.5mm fisheye,14-24mm, 35mm f/2, 50mm f/1.4 and 80-200mm f/2.8. I also use a Gitzo tripod and Markins M10 ballhead. I carry my equipment in a Thinktank Glass Taxi backpack. I do not use a panoramic head because of size and weight considerations and because my landscape subjects are distant enough to minimize parallax issues.

Prior to shooting the panorama, I meter and take several test shots for exposure settings. Also, I use active d-lighting for maximum dynamic range. I shoot raw, in manual mode, overlap photographs by about 40-50%, and of course, shoot in the vertical direction. Some panoramas require fifty individual photographs. I sometimes will take another set of photographs at a slightly different exposure setting to give me another option later during processing.

For processing I use Aperture 2.0 and Adobe Photoshop CS3 on a Mac Pro Desktop. I select a set of photographs and create a new album within Aperture. To all the photographs in the album, I apply the identical saturation, vibrancy, contrast, definition and sharpening settings. Additionally, I adjust recovery, highlights and shadow to minimize blown highlights and bring out shadow detail. I then export full size jpegs to a new folder on my desktop.

From here I let Photoshop do it's magic. Within Photoshop (under the file tab) I select automate and click photomerge. I then select the folder containing the exported jpegs and allow Photoshop to stitch the photos together while I grab a bite to eat. I save the results as a photoshop (psd) file then convert to a smaller, more manageable sized jpeg. I upload the jpeg to Aperture and crop and straighten as needed.

The final result is a beautifully stitched panorama in excess of 20,000 pixels wide. This can easily produce a quality print over eight feet long.

To give you a sense of detail, the Haleakala Panorama at the top of this page is a cropped and reduced version of an image 4220 x 13,895 pixels. The image below is from the far right hand side of the original panorama - just above the square red logo. You can see a trail - called the Sliding Sands Trail - which leads from the summit area into the crater.

From Right Side of Panorama Above Square Red Logo

For a greater sense of detail, the image below (close to actual size) shows three hikers on the Sliding Sands Trail.

Hikers on the Sliding Sands Trail

Panorama photography has never been easier and more exciting. The ease of digital photography combined with the power of software photo stitching make for a powerful panoramic duo. Hawaii landscapes are no longer confined to typical formats, instead they can be shot and seen in their natural full panoramic glory.

Hope you enjoyed this post and please check the many Hawaii panorama photographs at www.thesmokingcamera.com. Enjoy.