I woke up to the news of a firmware update, enabling a bunch of new features on my camera. Most notably, a log mode. Log mode essentially strips out a lot of artificially added contrast and color in order to preserve highlight details and increase the overall dynamic range in the image. I got to immediately put it to use on some interview footage today, and it performed admirably! 

A few things I've discovered about shooting in LOG:

1. It's not the easiest path. Without an external monitor with LUT overlays it becomes tough to understand where your image could wind up in post. Proper exposure is critical, as over/under exposed + desaturated color is a recipe for an ugly final product. 
    
2. It takes time. There's no quick and dirty when you've pre-committed to coloring each and every scene.
    
3. It plays nice. The footage becomes easier to blend with different cameras as they can all be graded to match.
    
4. It needs bits. Low bitrate video doesn't take color correction very well, so pay attention to your codec.

As there are hundreds of articles about color correction, I want to talk instead about firmware and support. I have reached a point as a consumer that I'm skeptical about anything that relies on connecting to your iPhone. The most profitable company in the world stops supporting their products after just 5 years, and there are pieces of production gear that can last seemingly forever. We used to joke that the C-stands and Mole fresnels they rented us in school were used to shoot SPARTACUS. I'm hesitant to believe small hardware manufacturers are up to the herculean task of performing regular security updates until the end of time. What could go wrong, right?

A few years ago I documented a crosswalk painting public art installation in my neighborhood designed by the very talented Aaron Perezette. His wife Sharon contacted me to help document a large scale sculpture installation at the newly opened Midtown Park. This afforded me the chance for one truly sweat-inducing (not fond of heights) crane shot.

I love the playful nature of Sharon Engelstein's work, so I tried to make this as fun as possible.

I can't remember the last time there was an eclipse in Houston. There's a faint memory from 1st grade of wearing a welding helmet outside, but I was too disoriented to even find the sun through the ultra dark glass. Monday didn't give Houstonians totality, but it was a sight to see none the less. My instagram today feed was full of pictures of homemade eclipse viewers fashioned from cereal boxes and tin foil, and ND filters stacked thicker and darker than a lens cap. To be honest, I wasn't even sure when it was supposed to happen. I was right in front of the library when it felt like someone pulled mini blinds over the sun. Unequipped to shoot the sun itself I tried to grab some portraits of people gazing upward in wonder, which at 1pm in August is a pretty rare sight around here.