On Monday I need to say goodbye to a new fiend: the Canon 5D Mark III. I had the pleasure to be able to borrow and test drive this camera for two weekends in a row thanks to my Canon CPS membership.
The camera was as great as I expected it to be. In advance I knew the camera would be fantastic in low light photography. Since I do quite a bit of theatre and nighttime photojournalism, the high ISO performance is phenomenal. I left Aperture priority mode in the default auto ISO and never saw any grainy photos. Focusing was also fast in low light situations.
What also surprised me was the mode “silent” drive shooting mode. It slows down the shutter to only 3 fps that allows it to operate much more quieter than other cameras. It shares this feature with its older sibling, the EOS-1DX.
I was able to photograph a wide variety of assignments. I first started off with some publicity photos for a theater group, then a 40th wedding anniversary in a dark restaurant followed my some engagement photos outside.
So I’ll have a tough decision for what my next camera will be. Either this or perhaps the 6D. The 6D is not yet available for loan via CPS. I will definitely want to test drive the 6D and see how it compares to the 5D Mark III.
For some time now I’ve wanted to try taking some portraits of local firefighters. I didn’t want these to be formal photographs. I wanted them to be gritty – show the true meaning and depth it takes in volunteering to be a firefighter.
Its hard to create a photograph that represents the love a mother has for a son, who just returned home from military service and just cut the yellow ribbon off the tree in front of their house. This photo comes close.
I had the pleasure to take some Christmas portraits of Vince and his cousin recently. He looks so handsome doesn’t he! Those eye look right thru you. He was great although I don’t see modeling in his future!
Its not really as hard as you think once you get into it and think about it. The hard part is practicing it and managing the “stress” that occurs during the “shoot” since they only last a few minutes (5-10 minutes generally unless you’re fortunate).
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Dabour Photography 