New Career?

Thanks to the amazing Danyel Duncan, photo student and cage worker who was nice enough to shoot a picture of my madden voyage as a big-time auctioneer at this years annual charity auction, Imagine.  I have to admit it was a bit scary at first, but it turned out to be an absolute gas and an all around enjoyable evening downtown and all for a great cause to boot.

I personally had two pieces sell (whoo-hoo) with 100% of the proceeds going to the Chicago chapter of DIFFA, The Design Industry Fighting For Aids.

Shooting…finally!

For whatever reason lately, paperwork seems to be multiplying when I’m looking away.  As the pile was growing on my desk, I finally got to sneak away yesterday and shoot a picture of Dawn Heitsch of Grow Here, an architecture and design firm focused on growing food in Chicago.

Even if it was just for 30 minutes in the studio,  it was enough to be completely refreshed.  I shot her in two setups, a more formal sitting and this one here.  The scuffed up wall of the studio seemed to fit the image nicely.

Dirk

Zeiss 18mm test

A little while back I bought the amazing new 18mm Zeiss in an EF mount for use on the full frame 5DmkII.  I’ve always loved wide angle lenses and while I was stuffing the piggy bank in the name of the new 14mm mkII Canon when Zeiss announced this lens, which comes in much cheaper then the Canon. It would be a perfect complement to the 25mm Zeiss I've been using for video.  Since getting it a couple months ago I’ve shot it on a couple of jobs but I haven’t really done as detailed of a test as I usually do on a lens.  Attached are some test shots made on the way to the Apple store on a perfect Chicago afternoon. 

The lens does amazing well in a variety of situations as you would expect any lens carrying the Zeiss name. Several have complete tonal ranges, from the brightest of highlights to the deepest dark shadow areas and in each situation it performs swimmingly, even the shots with the sun in the frame.  The only word I can think of is ‘buttery’ which doesn't really describe a darn thing until you see the results on a decent monitor and then you will agree, ‘buttery’ is a perfect word. 

                                    

  

no really....

I think I'm really done with the book this time.  

Again, thanks to all the students that contributed their amazing images to this project, it’s a better book because of it.

front cover image, Ricky Kluge www.rtkphoto.com 

Now go and pre-order…  

Amazon

Borders

:)