Entry 03: What About T.E.A.M. T.E.N. Tops & Tees™?

As I said, I worked (and still do) my A series PowerShot cameras. The Canon PowerShot S5 IS and the EOS Rebel XS DSLR, those are different stories. Talk about babying a camera. I need to talk to my therapist about this (as soon as I get one). On the subject of getting one, my plan was for my “babies” to earn me enough $$ to buy an EF 50mm f/2.5 compact macro lens. That’s cheap but an EF 50mm f/1.8 II is even cheaper, though not really a macro lens. I really want a true macro lens though. I think the EF 50mm f/2.5 compact macro lens will do what I need to do so it’s probably going to be that one when the time arrives. But now I think I will invest in a PowerShot S95 instead. I need to have that “camera in my pocket” thing going on and that S95 has a lot of DSLR like features for a “point a shoot” camera. I don’t see Apple or Research In Motion (BlackBerry) having a camera like this on a “mobile device” anytime soon so I think this is it. I know my PowerShot A540 is still able to do the job but S95 is a bad motor scooter for sure. Dude, the thing can f stop to 2 and has 3200 ISO setting. It can even shoot in RAW format. This is a point a shoot camera – wow. My A540 will just have to join my A60 in retirement. Ok, let us look at some photographs – I don’t have the money for any of that other stuff right now:

This is my girl Adrienne. She is great and I’m sure she’ll be a fantastic model if she decides that’s what she’s going to do in life. She (like several other women) helped me out with my t-shirt business by doing TFCD work for me so I could get pictures of my shirts for the web page (the page is gone now – only the myspace page remains). In these next two shots, I like comparing how I did the studio lights. Here we have low light coming from the camera’s right and bright light coming from the left. If Adrienne is the center then the low light is at 135 degrees and the bright light is at 270 degrees, if that helps.

File Name: Adrienne Cap Sleeve Baby Doll Tee 1.JPG; Camera: Canon PowerShot S5 IS; Shooting Date: 6/21/2008; Shooting Mode: Portrait; My Colors Mode: Off; Shutter Speed: 1/15; Aperture: 2.7; Light Metering: Evaluative; ISO Speed: 80(Auto); Lens: 6.0 - 72.0 mm; Focal Length: 7.5 mm; IS Mode: On; Flash: Off; White Balance: Auto; AF Mode: Continuous AF; Drive Mode: Continuous shooting

Yep, I designed the print too. Actually drew it first with pencil then scanned it then… Ok, this is a photography blog. This shot has the lights basically at 135 and 225 degrees off of Adrienne. Mind you, I did this stuff back before I had a photography class – just thought it would look cool.
File Name: Adrienne Cap Sleeve Baby Doll Tee 2.JPG; Camera: Canon PowerShot A540; Shooting Date: 6/21/2008; Shooting Mode: Kids&Pets; My Colors Mode: Off; Shutter Speed: 1/60; Aperture: 3.2; Light Metering: Evaluative; ISO Speed: Auto; Lens: 5.8 - 23.2 mm; Focal Length: 7.9 mm; Flash: Off; White Balance: Auto; AF Mode: Single AF; Drive Mode: Continuous shooting

Another helper from back then (2008), Breezy did the same deal – TFCD shoot. I’d say TFP/CD but no prints were given so… This first shot is with the light just coming from one side. I love this stuff – looks real cool to me. She’s wearing the mainstay of T.E.A.M. T.E.N. Tops & Tees™, the basic cat cap sleeve tee. You can tell I liked doing the t-shirt thing. I shot this with my A540. I’ll have to dig up some I shot with the S5 IS. I used both of the cameras on these 2008 shoots for Team Ten. I could have done better work had I been knowledgeable regarding the affects of the ISO, shutter speed and aperture. Powerful stuff to say the least but I’m preaching to the choir here.
File Name: Breezy Cap Sleeve Tee white 1.JPG; Camera: Canon PowerShot A540; Shooting Date: 6/21/2008; Shooting Mode: Kids&Pets; My Colors Mode: Off; Shutter Speed: 1/60; Aperture: 3.5; Light Metering: Evaluative; ISO Speed: Auto; Lens: 5.8 - 23.2 mm; Focal Length: 9.8 mm; Flash: Off; White Balance: Auto; AF Mode: Single AF; Drive Mode: Continuous shooting

So here I used the “other” lights and I used the lights on both side. I have two different sets of studio lights and this is the better set. Why? Because they will wirelessly remote flash with my PowerShot S5 IS is why. Real cool. I have to see if they will do that for the Rebel XS too. But I’m shooting with the A540 here and that yellowing look is real cool looking. No I mean cool as in the color wheel in “cool colors” versus warm colors kind of cool. Though that yellow leaning tint would be warm, wouldn’t it? Yeah. I really like the affects of this shot. I have to work on that method when I get the opportunity again.
File Name: Breezy Cap Sleeve Tee white 2.JPG; Camera: Canon PowerShot A540; Shooting Date: 6/21/2008; Shooting Mode: Kids&Pets; My Colors Mode: Off; Shutter Speed: 1/80; Aperture: 3.5; Light Metering: Evaluative; ISO Speed: Auto; Lens: 5.8 - 23.2 mm; Focal Length: 9.8 mm; Flash: Off; White Balance: Auto; AF Mode: Single AF; Drive Mode: Continuous shooting

Here I’m using a shot of Breezy I “photoshopped” for use on the site to place hold tops that I didn’t have a photo for yet. But I actually did the work in PowerPoint because, at the time, I didn’t have Adobe PhotoShop. I’m a veteran on PowerPoint. I’m getting real good with Photoshop though (took a class at the college too).
File Name: Breezy Cap Sleeve Tee white Altered.jpg; Camera: Canon PowerShot S5 IS; Shooting Date: 6/21/2008; Shooting Mode: Portrait; My Colors Mode: Off; Shutter Speed: 1/1600; Aperture: 4.5; Light Metering: Evaluative; ISO Speed: 80(Auto); Lens: 6.0 - 72.0 mm; Focal Length: 11.1 mm; Flash: Off; White Balance: Auto; AF Mode: Continuous AF; Drive Mode: Continuous shooting

My girl Lexy is top notch. In 2007, the way I got photograph help was sending the tops to women who would get their pictures taken in them and send me the photos back. Of course, they got to keep the tops too. Lexy was one of the first to do that for me. I later learned about copy writes and decided that was not the best way to get photos. I also learned that it was the easiest way to give shirts away and not get any photos at all. Lexy did get me the photos though. In 2008 she also agreed to let me shoot here for the same TFCD deal too. Oh, in all of these TFCD shoots, the women kept the tops they wore. And in this shot I used the S5 IS with the wireless flash. I love it.
File Name: Lexy Classic Rib Tee 1.JPG; Camera: Canon PowerShot S5 IS; Shooting Date: 5/10/2008; Shooting Mode: Sports; My Colors Mode: Off; Shutter Speed: 1/400; Aperture: 2.7; Light Metering: Evaluative; ISO Speed: 400(Auto); Lens: 6.0 - 72.0 mm; Focal Length: 7.2 mm; Flash: Off; White Balance: Auto; AF Mode: Continuous AF; Drive Mode: Continuous shooting

Here, with the PowerShot S5 IS and using the other lights, I just caught her laughing. Great model. They all were. Lexy really helped out. I’d love to work with her again but I won’t be back to Texas for photography work for a while. Ok, I can’t help it – that’s a bad ‘made you look’ kind of print isn’t it? Yep, did that one too only it’s a photograph (the flower that is). I’ll show you more of all the “Ladies of T.E.A.M. T.E.N. Tops & Tees™” next time. No, they weren’t known as that, I just stuck that label on them right now.
File Name: Lexy Classic Rib Tee 2.JPG; Camera: Canon PowerShot S5 IS; Shooting Date: 5/10/2008; Shooting Mode: Sports; My Colors Mode: Off; Shutter Speed: 1/200; Aperture: 2.7; Light Metering: Evaluative; ISO Speed: 400(Auto); Lens: 6.0 - 72.0 mm; Focal Length: 7.2 mm; Flash: Off; White Balance: Auto; AF Mode: Continuous AF; Drive Mode: Continuous shooting

And only because I don’t want anyone to think I’m not using my Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS camera, here is a crazy shot with me just playing around with setting. Obviously I did this “hand held” so the shakes are part of it. Shutter speed at 30 seconds – no IS will hold up to that. Still, this is cool shot. You tell me what you see.
File Name: Light Test_001.JPG; Camera: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS; Shooting Date: 8/17/2010; Shooting Mode: Shutter-Priority AE; Shutter: 30; Aperture: 13.0; Metering Mode: Evaluative; ISO Speed: 1600; Lens: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS; Focal Length: 28.0 mm; Flash: Off; White Balance Mode: Auto; AF Mode: One-Shot AF; Picture Style: Standard; Drive Mode: Single shooting

Entry 02: More on the Past

Ok, the past. I began my Canon experience with the A60. Did I mention that I’m a bit hard-headed about reading the manual? You too? I speak from experience – read it. I’ll get back to that later. So I got my first Canon, the PowerShot A60, in December of 2003. I didn’t get my second PowerShot, the A540, until August 2007. Something happened after Christmas 2006 and my A60 just wasn’t doing the do (it probably had something to do with me starting a t-shirt business). And I don’t remember exactly what the issue was but later I got the A540. I still have the A60 but haven’t used that camera since then. Now, I took a lot of pictures with that A60 (is there really a fundament difference between “pictures” and “photographs”?) and I have them all – isn’t digital great. But, man, I have eclipsed that with my A540. I have worked those two A series PowerShot cameras to the bone. I have never cut those things any slack. I take care of them but I “work ‘em” like the machines that they are.

I use to try stuff that wouldn’t try with film because it’s digital. Who cares, shoot away! Well, I use to be like that before I took Photography I. I’m a lot more focused on getting the shot now more than ever. The shot – not shots. Even with “drive by” photography.

But this is a photography blog so I should put up some photography nerd info. Besides, I like knowing this stuff too. Ok, in no particular order, here are some shots I like:

This shot is of my grandma and my youngest sitting on the swing having one of their discussions. I took this photo when I had begun my photography class so I was really into the black and white stuff. This is in Keller, TX.
File Name: Baby and Grandma_025.JPG; Camera: Canon PowerShot S5 IS; Shooting Date/Time: 9/26/2009 6:43:29 PM; Shooting Mode: Manual; My Colors Mode: Black & White; Tv (Shutter Speed): 1/30; Av (Aperture Value): 3.5; Light Metering: Evaluative; ISO Speed: 200; Lens: 6.0 - 72.0 mm; Focal Length: 16.8 mm; IS Mode: On; Flash: Off; Aspect ratio is 3x4.

Here again my youngest, the aspiring model (or at least she was on this day). This was a studio shot with a light set up behind the paper back drop. I used to other studio lights with reflectors on both sides of her and no flash on the camera. I love this picture but I think I should have used my Speedlite 430EX (yep, got one of them too) flash on this shot. I think it would have come out a lot better. I have also noticed something about myself; outside of “studio” shots, I tend to take my focal length to the max or minimum. Hmm… The real crime was not checking the ISO Speed. Obviously, it should have been 200 or 400.
File Name: Baby's Next Shoot_006.JPG; Camera: Canon PowerShot S5 IS; Shooting Date/Time: 12/30/2009 5:37:46 PM; Shooting Mode: Aperture-Priority AE; My Colors Mode: Vivid; Tv (Shutter Speed): 0.3; Av (Aperture Value): 8.0; Light Metering: Center Weighted Avg.; ISO Speed: 80; Lens: 6.0 - 72.0 mm; Focal Length: 9.3 mm; IS Mode: On; Flash: Off; Aspect ratio is 3x4.

It’s like an abstract art piece. I shot this 4 times but this is the one I like the best – the first of four. Again, no flash. I used the DSLR for this because I just love the aperture settings. The DSLR gives me the range I can’t get from my PowerShots – even the S5 IS. But this is a real cool photograph, I love it.
File Name: Back Yard Shots_001.JPG; Camera: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS; Shooting Date/Time: 7/20/2010 4:00:35 PM; Shooting Mode: Program AE; Tv(Shutter Speed): 1/250; Av(Aperture Value): 10.0; Metering Mode: Evaluative Metering; ISO Speed: 200; Lens: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS; Focal Length: 18.0 mm; Flash: Off; Aspect ratio is 4x6.

This shot and the next one are simply comparison shots. Look at this one then the next. I shot this one with the EF-S18-55mm lens and the next photo with the EF75-300mm lens. It’s interesting. I know, you could learn all this and more in a class or book but doing it is really an eye opener. Shutter speed and focal length are key differences.
File Name: Back Yard Shots_011.JPG; Camera: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS; Shooting Date/Time: 7/20/2010 4:03:56 PM; Shooting Mode: Aperture-Priority AE; Tv(Shutter Speed): 1/80; Av(Aperture Value): 5.6; Metering Mode: Evaluative Metering; ISO Speed: 200; Lens: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS; Focal Length: 55.0 mm; Flash: Off; Aspect ratio is 4x6.

And I had to use my tripod for this shot because my EF75-300mm is not “image stabilized”. Of course that changes things too like the obvious – the angle. The real test would be duplicating the conditions completely (like tripod on both shots and focal length as close to the same as possible). I’ll do that the next time but the pictures are still cool. I like the first one best.
File Name: Back Yard Shots_027.JPG; Camera: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS; Shooting Date/Time: 7/20/2010 4:13:11 PM; Shooting Mode: Aperture-Priority AE; Tv(Shutter Speed): 1/320; Av(Aperture Value): 5.6; Metering Mode: Evaluative Metering; ISO Speed: 800; Lens: EF75-300mm f/4-5.6; Focal Length: 300.0 mm; Flash: Off; Aspect ratio is 4x6.

This is an old one from the early days with my PowerShot A60. I just thought it said something about being a soldier. That’s my platoon leader walking up to the lead vehicle in our convoy that was heading back down to Kuwait from Baghdad. But that photo could fit many imaginative thoughts. It brings back memories.
File Name: Iraq, The Offical End 0159.JPG; Camera: Canon PowerShot A60; Shooting Date/Time: 1/22/2004 1:52:39 PM; Shooting Mode: Fast Shutter; Tv (Shutter Speed): 1/1000; Av (Aperture Value): 4.8; Light Metering: Evaluative; ISO Speed: Auto; Lens: 5.4 - 16.2 mm; Focal Length: 16.2 mm; Flash: Off; Aspect ratio is 3x4.

This shot is not with a Canon camera. It’s my phone. I was just capturing a creative moment – a meeting of “three pigs” regarding our Helium Project. It’s a long story and it’s not done yet.
File Name: IMG00046-20100308-2146.jpg; Camera: BlackBerry 9000; Shooting Date/Time: 3/8/2010 9:46:20 PM; Flash: Off; Aspect ratio is 3x4.

And another shot with my phone – the old phone. Here is Pirate #2 trying to look at me through the camera.
File Name: 06-01-08_1846.jpg; Camera: RAZRV3xx; Shooting Date/Time: 6/1/2008 6:46:11 PM; Flash: Off; Aspect ratio is 3x4.

Ok, back to my Canons. Here behind my TEAM TEN Tops & Tees booth (the last both I did) at last year’s Bedford Blues and BBQ Festival. A really cool event. And the chairs – I just saw some artistry in the shot. I like it.
File Name: Bedford Blues and BBQ Fest_078.JPG; Camera: Canon PowerShot A540; Shooting Date/Time: 9/6/2009 1:37:44 PM; Shooting Mode: Foliage; My Colors Mode: Off; Tv (Shutter Speed): 1/100; Av (Aperture Value): 4.0; Light Metering: Evaluative; ISO Speed: Auto; Lens: 5.8 - 23.2 mm; Focal Length: 5.8 mm; Flash: Off; Aspect ratio is 3x4.

Forever working my PowerShot A540, here I captured a satisfied TEAM TEN Tops & Tees’ customer wearing her new purchase. I designed the print on the t-shirt too. It’s hard to see the print in this shot but I just wanted to capture the lady wearing the shirt more than advertise the top.
File Name: Bedford Blues and BBQ Fest_079.JPG; Camera: Canon PowerShot A540; Shooting Date/Time: 1/1/1980 12:00:11 AM; Shooting Mode: Foliage; My Colors Mode: Off; Tv (Shutter Speed): 1/800; Av (Aperture Value): 4.0; Light Metering: Evaluative; ISO Speed: Auto; Lens: 5.8 - 23.2 mm; Focal Length: 9.8 mm; Flash: Off; Aspect ratio is 3x4.

Entry 01: The Beginning

I want to say my Canon experience began on May 28, 2010. That’s when my Canon EOS Rebel XS DSLR arrived. I was a happy man that day. I carefully opened the box and laid out the items for examination – like I was still in the Army and my camera was standing inspection. I was tickled pink because I had wanted a DSLR Canon for a long time and finally got it. It was my first step to my ultimate goal of owning a Mark Series Canon and making my livelihood as a full time photographer. I couldn’t wait for the battery to charge so I could start taking photos of anything. And when it was ready, I took photos of anything just to try the camera out. That’s the beauty of digital (and its downfall); you can shoot forever and just delete the garbage (usually most of what you shoot when you shoot that way). Good thing I took a photography class the semester before that taught me to rein in my urge to lock the camera on auto fire and shoot away like I had squad automatic weapon (SAW) and bad guys were coming over the hill. But I stilled fired away (in semi automatic mode) just to “feel” what it was like using a Canon DSLR. Man! I was stoked about this camera. And I still am.

But my Rebel XS was not the beginning of my Canon journey

My Canon journey actually began with my Canon PowerShot A60 back in Dec 2003. I was in Iraq and bought the A60 in the Post Exchange (PX). I had a point and shoot 35mm film camera I had been using for a few years but it broke on me (the environment is a bit harsh) and I needed a new camera. The PX was out of film cameras so I decided to get a digital camera because I took a lot of pictures of everything. The conditions in country were such that Saddam Hussein had just been found and IEDs were getting worse. And I had just been reassigned from one company to another – my old company was due to rotate back to the US. I wasn’t leaving anytime soon.

I spent a lot of time on the road because of my job. I was a platoon sergeant of a mobile telecommunications platoon that was spread out across the country of Iraq in support of various commands. I brought them mail, changed out soldiers, changed out equipment, and managed their logistical needs as best I could due to being so dispersed. Because I had spent a lot of time in country already and had been on an extraordinary amount of convoys, I had the dubious distinction of knowing how to get to many locations (without incident in an incident plagued environment) off the top of my head. I was a perfect “guide”. I also became pretty good at “drive by” photography.
I still do it today.

Drive by photography is just as it sounds – you shoot pictures as you drive. Yes, it’s probably as dangerous as texting and driving but I’m a bit beyond the novice level. No excuses, don’t try this at home (or in your car). It is dangerous and I will probably get a ticket some day for doing it but I have gotten some pretty good photos doing it though. Keep in mind, I began my adventures with drive by photography with a film camera – no looking at a screen to see if you framed it well enough – you just have to get the angles right and hope that you got the shot until your pictures come back from being developed. For the shots that came out well you had to recall what you did to make it work. Along with that, you had a lot of other things to be cognizant of as you drove in the streets of Baghdad or on the highways connecting Iraq’s major cities. Did I mention that bad guys were trying to blow us up all of the time? Well, that’s where my Canon story begins, Iraq in December 2003.

Let me pause here and leave you with one of my favorite shots from my time in Iraq - the best pair of hummers in country at the time.

And one of my favorite Canon Rebel XS DSLR shots - my youngest fixed on Nick Jr.