Welcome to Studio B!

As a cursory glance at my long-winded resume will quickly reveal, I've been shooting for a very long time. I've never done anything else, actually; every meal I've enjoyed - and I do enjoy my meals - has been paid for with monies earned from behind a viewfinder. Over the course of my thirty-five year professional career as a photographer and filmmaker I've seen tons of changes in the industry and well, here we go again…

I've seen my still photography clients demand 4x5 sheet film, tolerate medium format, and finally - begrudgingly - accept that most miniature of formats, 35mm film. My television commercial clients generally preferred 35mm motion picture film but gradually came to accept to analogue video capture. For me, each format change required a personal journey of reinvention and a substantial investment in learning but honestly, I wouldn't have had it any other way. Every good thing that has happened to me, every adventure I've enjoyed, every far-flung destination I've visited has been triggered by and ultimately paid for by successfully navigating one of these pivotal technological transitions.

You may notice that I skipped a little thing called digital. Boy, that was a bitter pill to swallow. Back in the Digital Jurassic - the mid-nineties - a lousy 2 megapickle Kodak set us back forty-five thousand bucks. Unlike the dinosaurs, I eventually shrugged off the past and begrudgingly evolved with the changing times. There have certainly been some painful moments along the way but well, here we are. It's the evening hours of 2008 and my nifty new 21 megapickle Canon 5D mark II cand be had for under three grand…

While absolutely amazing, this isn't really Big News. Nope, it's the large-sensor 1080P HD video camera that Canon decided to toss in for free that's the Big News.

I think this changes everything.

By now I suspect that you have already viewed Vincent Laforet's stunning 5D Mark II video sample and perhaps you've also seen my follow-up HD piece, "A Three Act Play." If not, pop over to the Canon Digital Learning Center where you can see them both. Vincent and I are Canon Explorers of Light and are likely to be at the pointy end of the Canon spear these things continue to evolve.

While the potential of HD capture in the DSLR form factor may not immediately resonate with some, this is undoubtedly a tide change of tsunami-like proportions. The ability to capture HD video through our existing DSLR lenses gives us opportunities unimaginable even a few months ago. I'm not sure that everyone understands the implications of this fledgling form-factor but I promise you that they will be far-reaching. As a battle-cared old silverback with more than a little experience in both stills and motion capture I feel like I'm finally seeing the multi-media planets align. My goal with this little online soapbox is to help you figure out how to position yourself on this suddenly level playing field. Everything that has been shot and shared can suddenly be revisited with fresh eyes. Everything that was oh-so-familiar can be new again. What an amazing gift!

How you use this new hybrid technology is, of course, completely up to you. I know a bit about this stuff and I'm here to share and help you find your own unique voice. Stay tuned to Studio B as we tease this thing apart; there's bound to be plenty to learn. We'll look at all aspects of this topic including lighting, capture, audio, post production, and even a few tips on directing talent.

I've been thinking and writing about this topic for a while now but you can catch up with a quick visit to my website, iDC Photography.

Take a peek at my blog and browse some of my image portfolios while you're there..