Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Race

I had the tremendous privilege to photograph a traditional Hawaiian outrigger canoe race on the island of Maui from one of the escort boats.  We left Kahului Harbor and followed along the canoes along the North coast until we reached the finish line at Black Rock on Ka’anapali Beach.  One of the racing boats ended up being one person short, so they invited me to swim over,  jump in and give it a go. We’ve been watching these types of canoes from the beach in front of our condo for years and always wanted to give it a try so I put down my cameras and without hesitation leaped into the water.  I paddled for what felt like about an hour.  It was beautiful.  Although we were a great distance from the shore, we paddled over shallow reefs and deep, blue water.  After I ran out of energy and my hands were sore from the paddle, I ditched and got back into the escort boat where we helped tow a few of the teams, got a visit from a few lively bottlenose dolphins and finished up the race with a blessing on Ka’anapali beach.  A great way to end our trip!  Now I’m back in Portland, gleefully working on several different assignments.  Aloha!

Swimming to my adoptive team

into the boat!

So much fun!

bottlenose dolphin in front of our boat

Kahuna to deliver the blessing

blessing of the canoes and acknowledging the traditions of sailing on Ka'anapali Beach

Vendor Client Relationship

This is very funny.

Canon 5D Mark II Repair – DOH!!

As is evidenced in previous posts, I was having trouble with my 5D Mark II on an assignment: the camera was giving me an “error 70″ message and shutting down.  I sent the camera in to Canon’s Factory Service Center and they quickly replaced the main board and “other electrical adjustments, inspections and cleanings were carried out.”  The return paperwork included the following note, “The service on your equipment has been completed.  As part of Canon’s commitment to its customers, you can be assured that your equipment has been returned to Factory Specifications.”

Ah, so I was resting assured.  I shot a few photos with it, but didn’t really test it rigorously until today as I’ve been on vacation Lo, the images the camera is producing are suddenly now full of banding and heavy pixilating.    YIKES!!!  So off it goes to the repair shop again.  The camera was producing very smooth, beautiful files at even the highest iso’s until it shut down with the error 70 message, so I’m a bit mystified by this new problem.  I’ve compared the RAW files I shot this morning to files that were shot before I sent the camera in.  I also looked at photos taken under the same conditions with the same lens with my Canon 5D and the 5D photos are lovely.  (Before I started blogging, I had a similar problem with the first 5D I purchased.  It had all kinds of electrical difficulties, so I had it repaired and sold it.  I then owned two 5D’s and loved them both.  I bought the 5D Mark II because of the 21.1 MP CMOS sensor and gigantic native file size, and of course the video action is irresistible.)

Because I always think that the best solution is often the most simple, I double and triple checked the camera settings before concluding that the camera is having more problems.  It may be that I got a lemon, it certainly happens.  I just hope they fix the camera, or give me a new one, before my assignments coming up this next month.

To all of you Canon 5D Mark II lovers, beware!  Keep a close eye on your camera body… it may betray you…

Shoot of The Paia Inn for The New York Times

I had the great pleasure to shoot the Paia Inn on Maui for the New York Times and the article appears in today’s online edition in the “Check In, Check Out” segment of the Travel section.  You can check out the article here.  The hotel is fabulous and the private entrance to the beach has a wonderful, secluded feeling.  Paia Bay is beautiful and the town is marvelous.

Mix Magazine Cover Story

One of many fun and interesting stories I got to shoot last year was for the Oregonian’s Mix Magazine, which has turned up on this month’s cover.  Yippee! The story is about a Nocino making party.  It was an absolute blast to photograph, (and also to partake in the festivities!).  The food was magnificent, the people were so wonderful to work with:  it was a marvelous afternoon of fun and learning. The story was photo edited by Mike Davis and written by foodie extraordinaire Martha Holmberg.  Thank you Mike and Martha!!!  (All shot with the Canon 5D)

May 2009 Cover Photo of Mix Magazine

Maui Vog Sunset

Last night was one of a series of glorious sunsets here on the leeward side of Maui.  We’ve taken to our normal habit of having a glass of wine and toasting to the end of another incredible day.  Last night, because of some light vog, we had a particularly colorful sunset.  Here are some photos of the beautiful evening.  Aloha!

The view of the island of Lana'i

Our front row seats for the beautiful display

Maui Sunset with Stand Up Paddler

The last throes of the evening

National Geographic Expeditions

I am pleased to announce that I have been asked to be one of a team of experts leading an expedition down the Columbia River Gorge in October.  Join me on one of three excursions this fall down the Columbia River Gorge aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion. I will be among the team of experts, serving as the photo expert, aboard the ship and look forward to joining you for an excursion through the Pacific Northwest.  For more information about the expedition, go to the National Geographic Expeditions Website.  Bon Voyage!

Canon 5D Mark II Error 70 message follow-up

Well hot diggity dog!  Canon repaired my 5D Mark II faster than you can say blog.  The person on the phone at Canon was right – it was an internal component problem.  They replaced the motherboard, cleaned and checked it and shazam!  Right back to me here in Maui.  Go CPS!!!  I’m going to test it out tonight at sunset, but it looks great at first inspection.

And to all the people who I upset about my comment about HD :  my intention was not to p.o. anyone. Never realized that there are so many strong feelings about HD out there!  I am only posting my experience about the things I learned when really picking the video component apart alongside people who are working professionals in the film/video industry.   Like I’ve said before, the camera is fabulous and for the price, a great product.  Happy shooting

Canon 5D Mark II Error 70

Alright, I’ll admit it.  I pre-ordered a Canon 5D Mark II and was one of the first in my hometown of Portland to receive this new beast of a camera.  The absolutely impressive native file size and incredible rendering of colors and textures made me an instant fan.  Plus video!!!  Hooray!!

Sadly, here’s the thing. The video is marginal at best. It’s compressed like crazy.  HD?  Not even close.  It’s perfect if you don’t want to do anything other than produce moving images for the web.  Still lenses breath, so racking focus with your marvelously expensive Canon lenses is going to make the image wonky.  The most irritating thing about the video is the lack of control over iso and f-stop.  Regardless, it’s fun and the fact that you can snap a RAW file while shooting video is a great feature.  And for the price, really, what should I have expected?

I’ve been using it for several assignments, but I’ve also been carrying my other trusty 5D along, just in case.  I like having two cameras anyway, despite the extra weight and attention it usually draws from sidewalk camera enthusiasts.  Monday, the Mark II camera bit the dust.  I was shooting an assignment and the camera suddenly starts randomly giving me an “error 70″ message and asking me to remove the battery.  Plus it starts to underexpose images, which sucks when you’re trying to shoot anything that involves a decisive moment.  After several calls and some useless advise from my hometown camera store which sold me the product, I decided to contact Canon directly, as I am a member of their CPS program.  After explaining the problem on the phone to the tech at Canon, he flatly replied, “Oh. It’s most likely an internal component problem.  You’ll need to send it in for repair.”  So I put that camera on hold and finished off the thankfully short assignment on the 5D.  I am suspicious that this is a first generation camera and that this “internal component” may not be an isolated incident.  The tone of the tech at Canon seemed to indicate that this wasn’t his first call regarding the problem.  But he didn’t elaborate, and I, sadly, didn’t have time to grill him.  So beware all first generation Canon 5D Mark II users:  test the camera like mad before your warranty expires.

“Science | Fiction” Reviewed in the Oregonian

In today’s Oregonian, writer Chas Bowie reviews my show. I really admire his ability to discuss photography without affectation, which was evidenced at the lecture he recently gave at PNCA.  His clear thinking and grasp of art history make him a great contributor to Portland’s aesthetic dialogue.

The review can be read here.