Moose News Blog

Where’s the color…everything is all white!

Just had a friend from LA come up and at looking at our front yard, wondered if we every get tired of all the white. Well, she was right, the snow is white and as winter progresses, there is more and more of it. Other than the green of the trees and the orange-red of sunrise and sunset and the blue sky, everything is pretty much blanketed in white. But you can find color.

As I moved my son’s truck this morning, I noticed the ice crystals on the outside of the windshield. Looking through them up towards the trees and sky, all sorts of color was repeated through the prisms of the crystals. It was a lovely 12 degrees as I photographed the inside of the windshiled. It was a real strugle to prevent the inside of the windshield from fogging up from my breath. Using the RRS TP-243 and BH-40 head, I was able to get low enough to have the film plane pretty much parellel with the windshield for maximum DOF. It was a great hour of shooting.

Photo captured by D200, 105VR on Lexar digital film, finished in CS3

The big storm that literally blew through the Sierra left some incredible photo opps. Mt Williamson was looking mighty fine.

Regretably, the wind was so fierce that all the wabbit tracks were blown clean off the snow.

Many, and I mean many, have emailed me asking what’s up with all the B&W photos recently. I’ve always loved B&W photography but until recent developments such at the Epson 3800 and 7800 and B&W conversion in Photoshop, B&W was downright painful. With amazing paper like Epson’s UltraSmooth Fine Art and the ease of B&W conversion in CS3, why wouldn’t someone enjoy the amazing old art of B&W photography.

Photo captured by D200, 17-55AF on Lexar digital film, finished in CS3

Holy Cow, how could this be? Improve on the 1348?

I just received the new Gitzo 3540XLS with the new G-lock and it’s a beaut! It blows away my old, trusty 1348. How?

First is the new G-lock system. With a simple 1/4 turn, you tighten or loosen the leg lock to extend or contract the leg. You can’t over tighten it, it can’t get jammed on you. It is schweet! Because of G-lock technology, the legs have 20% greater rigidity which translates into smaller, lighter tripod that can hold more weight. I tested the 3540XLS by going out on our 2nd story deck, setting it up in the wind with the 200-400VR mounted on it (using the BH-55 head). Rock solid, sharp as tack images! I instantly took it out in the snow to see how stable it would be in that unstable ground. It’s a rock and upon close inspection, didn’t find any snow up in the joints of the 3540. This is a killer all around tripod!

There’s an added benefit to the new G-lock system I should point out. I always have traveled with the leg locks unlocked. It makes it very fast to just hold the tripod, extend the legs and be set up. To facilitate this, it means you put the tripod away with the legs unlocked. Prior to the G-lock system you would have to losen the locks in a certain order so the locked leg could be used to unlock the other. While not a biggie except perhaps to me, the G-lock system with its much improved lock makes unlocking and locking legs much faster, no leg order required or second hand even is needed. This all translates into faster set up and quicker response to the subject. One less variable in getting the shot. That in itself makes the capitol to upgrade more than worth twice the price!

I can’t wait until the 5540 arrives. It will be the dedicated tripod for the 600mm. The G-lock line comes with a traveling case and two leg nut drivers. Nicely done Gitzo!

Another Storm is on the horizon, is it enough to betray my arch nemesis?

Photo captured by D200, 28f1.4 on Lexar digital film, finished in CS3