Sao Paulo, Brazil Airport Scanner Image - Jan Smith 2011
As a photographer and somebody working in radiated environments (Chernobyl), the issue of airport scanners intrigues me. Are they safe? Can you really see somebody naked? Is the person in the back room secretly checking us out, or laughing at us?
iPhone 4, Kremlin by Jan Smith
Lomo is yet one of the hundreds of iPhone camera applications available for download from Apple. I’m sure the meaning of “Lomo” is lost to most digital photographers, particularly those who never picked-up an analog camera, or who mostly shoot from their iPhone. In order to grant a fair review of this application it’s important to understand what LOMO is and what this application is trying to emulate. Continue reading
iPhone 4, Zocalo, Mexico City, by Jan Smith
Lo-mob is one of the hundreds of applications available for iPhones that make your digital pictures look vintage. It costs $1.99 and offers 38 filters you can apply to pictures in your existing photo library or to new images you take with your phone. The filters are broken down by film and camera type. They include Poloraid (Instamatic) types; 35mm Film Experimentation (you can see the sprockets) as well as a variety of “vintage” looks lifted from plastic cameras, film emulsions and old or faded film. Continue reading
I’m still on the hunt for the ideal camera bag, but in the meantime, while browsing the bag section in B&H in New York I came across a camera strap system that makes sense. Black Rapid. It made me think of the infamous Blackwater contractor at first, and then, when I noticed it was a sling I thought of Black Diamond climbing gear.
So much for brand association, but my initial impressions where reinforced because the straps are actually chest harnesses that allow you to keep the camera at your side as if it were a gun in a holster. A very good and well thought-out system actually.
The camera is kept secure through a locking pin that screws into the tripod screwmount of the camera. Reaching the camera is easy, and the harness strap extends far enough to permit total mobility, as if the camera were on a leash.
The set-up keeps your hands free, but the camera remains securely attached to you. More than risk of falling, I like the idea of adding a layer of dissuasion from theft. Furthermore, the weight is well distributed, and you can even have one camera at each side. It even has convenient pockets on the strap for cel phones, memory cards, etc. this helps avoid carrying a bag and looking even more like a target for thieves. In colder months you can wear a long jacket over the straps, and this helps hide your equipment even more. (This works well for my slim Leicas but with my fatter Nikons I do look a little heavy in the hips!) This set-up still allows you to reach the camera from under your jacket when needed without too much fuss.
Of course this works best in winter months…Still looking for a replacement to my black plastic grocery bag when I’m under the the sun.
