AUDUBON PHOTO CONTEST 2011

I haven't done gear photos in a while because well not much has changed. In the last year things have pretty much been the same... The only real changes are the replacement of my 85mm f/1.8 lens with the 85mm f/1.2 MkII and the addition of a LensBaby Composer. So if your curious what I shoot with, this is it...

Canon 5DMkII
Canon 5D
Canon 50D
Canon 20D
Canon Elan 7
Canon 15mm f/2.8 fisheye
Canon 35mm f/1.4L
Canon 50mm f/1.4
Canon 85mm f/1.2L MkII
Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro
Canon 135mm f/2L
Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 MkII
Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS
Lensbaby Composer
Canon 580EX II x 3

Tech Details: If your curious how one takes a photograph of all of one's photo gear the answer is you borrow a friends camera from down the street (a Rebel XT/350D with a Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens).

Lighting provided by one White Lighting X1600 to camera right difused through a large softbox, with another White Lighting X1600 to camera right difused through a beauty dish (hey it was easier than getting out another softbox, it was late and I was really tired). Background is two pieces of black foam core, with a piece of clear plexi on top of the bottom piece of foam core. Triggered by a good ole-fashioned sync cable connected to a Nikon AS-15 on the hot shoe since the RebelXT/350D lacks a PC Sync connector.

A macro of tiny cactus hairs. My new macro lens is a 4x by Lensmate. To start with, the G7 takes awesome macros, it is perhaps its best attribute. You're not supposed to be able to add lenses to the G7 except a couple special Canon lenses, but with an adapter you can add the Lensmate lenses. Because of the design of the G7, you basically have to have it at full extension (6x) in order for the additional lens to work (the adapter clips the field of vision otherwise), so 4x lens times 6x camera = 24x. I mean 24x magnification is way cool, but geez it's hard to get a focus. The field of focus is very very very miniscule. No pain no gain.