I met AVBG Alex. Also pics of Lee Priest.

[lovemonkey]

I have my own standards so why do you use yours to judge me? You said anyone can take these photos. Well, that is crap because tourists seldom have tripods and when you see one it is light and flimsy. I used a gimbal head with mine that night. When I shoot landscapes I want all the detail on foliage I can get and that means I need megapixels. A Hblad with 65Mpx would do the job but now that is expensive.

A kit costing $25000 in Australia is not that big a deal. The 500mm last year was A$10,000. Our dollar is up so the price has come down. The 5DII cost about $1000 less than when it was released last year.

You are proving my statement about professionals. I was at a camera club and those guys wouldn't give anyone much time or advice. I dislike all that photography competition stuff so I don't go any more. I do it for my own enjoyment and sharing some with my friends and family.

So you're saying that your photos are all tech and zero artistry?  

Even if one would cut 25k aus dollars in half so you get 12,5k usd that is still a shit ton of money. You can get a fully professional kit for that sum, except maybe for some of the bigger 400mm/f2,8 telephoto lenses if you intend to shoot sports or wildlife.

What exactly do you need megapixels for? To zoom in 300% on your screen at home or to do your photography justice? Just admit that you get a bigger kick out of acquiring equipment rather than taking photos.

[noworries]

hey keith,

what part of maui would you move to if you had the choice? the wife wants to move there.

Kihei by far.  The other side is more local and very laid back.  The Kihei side and coast is more tourists and trendy.  I like that.  Then on weekends or whenever take a trip to the other side and then upcountry then to Hana.  The other side Wailuku and that coast is much more scenic and laid back.  The upcountry area is just spectacular. It is just to slow there for me.  But, if that is what yuo like then that would be perfect.

[pellius]

Awesome pix,Vince. I use to think there was nothing to photography. I just figure you just point and shoot and the quality of the pictures just depends on the camera. That was until I met a pro. Like so many things I didn't understand or appreciate I got to see a glimpse of how much there is to it and the difference between someone who knows what they're doing and someone who doesn't. It's kind of like the first time I saw a Jiu-Jitsu match. Didn't look like much to me. Just a couple of guys wrestling and trying to make the other guy give up. It's only after I started to train and study in it that I realized how much there is to it and how much more I appreciate watching top tier athletes. It became a thing of beauty to me.

I'm no where near your level and can't really appreciate all that there is to it as I'm still a novice but some of those shots are really awe inspiring.

[Vince B]

If you have a DSLR and shoot all sorts of subjects then eventually you will want an assortment of good lenses that help you capture things better. Most people want wide angle lenses for things like sunsets and landscapes. Those lenses are also needed to shoot in corners of rooms. A good solution is to have a wide angle zoom. Nikon make the best with the 14-24 while Canon has the 16-35 which is quite good. Then you need to cover the standard angles and Canon have a handy 24-105 that also has image stabilization. In Nikkor lenses it is called vibration reduction. After that we find telephoto lenses and the popular range is 70-200mm. Both companies have released new 2.8 models that cost around $2500. You can buy a 5DII body for the price of one of these lenses. Those who shoot flowers will need a macro lens. After that there are super-telephoto and specialty lenses. These are the most expensive lenses in the range. A 800mm lens cost over $11000. There is even a Canon 1200mm lens that cost $100000 if you can find one. You can also buy tilt-shift lenses if you want to correct perspective distortions while shooting buildings, for example.

Accessories are helpful and the 5DII has no flash so you need one of those. The best one cost about $500. Then you need filters to protect lenses and reduce or change the light from scenes. Some add GPS devices to add locations to image files. A remote cable is needed if you have a telephoto lens.

As well as lenses you need a good backpack if you are trekking and want to carry a lot of lenses. Memory cards are also required and a couple of 32Gb cards are what many have who shoot all day. If you shoot RAW you will need more memory. When you get home you need a fast computer to process your photos and do things such as stitching big panoramas. I have done a few with over 100 photos. I use my 500mm lens for some panoramas and one had 95 photos with that lens. The file was enormous and really taxed the computer. Then you need software such as PhotoShop and Lightroom and they are not cheap. So it all adds up. Those in remote countries like Australia pay extra for equipment and especially if the dollar is worth less than the American dollar.

You can't buy much photography equipment for $12500 if you need a long super-telephoto lens.

[Vince B]

Hi Pellius. I am proud of my sideshow photo. I haven't seen anyone capture that in the way I have. I posted several photos that were walkaround shots. I can go out and shoot 1000 photos in a day quite easily. One project is capturing the coloured sands of Rainbow Beach in Queensland. Now that is an amazing place. I have spent two whole days walking along that beach taking photos. After 12 hours in the hot sun I can tell you it is taxing in the extreme. I almost couldn't walk both times because by the end of the day my feet were sinking more in the soft sand and it was hard to walk. What happens is the tide comes up and you can't walk on the firmer wet sand. That walk was about 5 miles each way. I can tell you that took a lot out of me but I will do it again because the sand cliffs change after each big storm.

[Vince B]

The Power Surge ride changes every time you shoot it. Even when you think it looks the same it is different. Here is another tourist snap of that ride.

I use the second one for my background on my Android HTC Desire phone. Looks great on the AMOLED screen.

[Vince B]

I love reflections off modern glass walled buildings. I go back if I sense a sunset or interesting sky coming up.

[ManBearPig...]

got any audio clips of you playing the Martin, vincenzo?  I have an 00-15 and i'd like to compare the sounds.

[Vince B]

I sold my Martin. Not smart because it is now worth about $30,000 here in Australia. Brazilian Rosewood has been really expensive to buy and there are restrictions on importing and exporting products containing that wood. Some luthiers charge over $5000 just for Brazilian back and sides as an option.

I have a collection of Lowden guitars. 6 are Brazilian. I prefer the Lowden sound for fingerpicking. I like the beauty of the wood but the sound is the main thing. I also have a Gnatek Aussie classical guitar which sounds good. This is another expensive hobby. Pretty soon some smart guy will point out it isn't necessary to spend over $2000 on a guitar that sounds good.

[lovemonkey]

If you have a DSLR and shoot all sorts of subjects then eventually you will want an assortment of good lenses that help you capture things better. Most people want wide angle lenses for things like sunsets and landscapes. Those lenses are also needed to shoot in corners of rooms. A good solution is to have a wide angle zoom. Nikon make the best with the 14-24 while Canon has the 16-35 which is quite good. Then you need to cover the standard angles and Canon have a handy 24-105 that also has image stabilization. In Nikkor lenses it is called vibration reduction. After that we find telephoto lenses and the popular range is 70-200mm. Both companies have released new 2.8 models that cost around $2500. You can buy a 5DII body for the price of one of these lenses. Those who shoot flowers will need a macro lens. After that there are super-telephoto and specialty lenses. These are the most expensive lenses in the range. A 800mm lens cost over $11000. There is even a Canon 1200mm lens that cost $100000 if you can find one. You can also buy tilt-shift lenses if you want to correct perspective distortions while shooting buildings, for example.

Accessories are helpful and the 5DII has no flash so you need one of those. The best one cost about $500. Then you need filters to protect lenses and reduce or change the light from scenes. Some add GPS devices to add locations to image files. A remote cable is needed if you have a telephoto lens.

As well as lenses you need a good backpack if you are trekking and want to carry a lot of lenses. Memory cards are also required and a couple of 32Gb cards are what many have who shoot all day. If you shoot RAW you will need more memory. When you get home you need a fast computer to process your photos and do things such as stitching big panoramas. I have done a few with over 100 photos. I use my 500mm lens for some panoramas and one had 95 photos with that lens. The file was enormous and really taxed the computer. Then you need software such as PhotoShop and Lightroom and they are not cheap. So it all adds up. Those in remote countries like Australia pay extra for equipment and especially if the dollar is worth less than the American dollar.

You can't buy much photography equipment for $12500 if you need a long super-telephoto lens.

All assortments of lenses? Most people that actually care about taking photos do just fine with a wide angle zoom and a telephoto zoom. TWO lenses that will cover 99,99% of everything you could possibly shoot. If you happen to be a sport/wildlife photographer then a 400+mm/2,8 may be necessary but that's an exception.

Who in the holy blue hell NEEDS 32gb cards? I've honestly never seen anyone coming close to filling up a 8gb card unless you're out shooting 3-4 days in a row and just happens to be able to charge batteries but not being able to download pictures from the card. This just shows that you're more fascinated by numbers than what you actually need. Panoramas end up being cliché almost 100% of the time and it's EXACTLY the kind of stuff people of your kind do. It's the technical process and the equipment that it requires that fascinates you, not the picture itself or let alone art.

Ever read Ken Rockwell? I bet you have. In my mind he's an attention craving douche most times but some of his articles speak the truth, the kind of insight that comes from extensive experience in the field.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/notcamera.htm

Some excerpts:

"Cameras don't take pictures, photographers do. Cameras are just another artist's tool.

Why is it that even though everyone knows that Photoshop can be used to take any bad image and turn it into a masterpiece, that even after hours of massaging these images look worse than when one started?

Maybe because it's entirely an artist's eye, patience and skill that makes an image and not his tools. Even Ansel said "The single most important component
of a camera is the twelve inches behind it."

A camera catches your imagination. No imagination, no photo - just crap. The word "image" comes from the word "imagination." It doesn't come come from "lens sharpness" or "noise levels." David LaChapelle's work is all about his imagination, not his camera. Setting up these crazy shots is the hard part. Once set up, any camera could catch them. Give me David LaChapelle's camera and I won't get anything like he does, even if you give me the same star performers. "

"Buying new gear will NOT improve your photography. For decades I thought "if I only had that new lens" that all my photo wants would be satisfied. Nope. I still want that "one more lens," and I've been shooting for over 30 years. There is always one more lens. Get over it. "


And hahahaha this one:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/7.htm

"Rich Amateur: Level 2    back to top

These are amateurs who, by having too much money, buy lots of equipment which can fetter their freedom of expression. They are mostly men, and many are old or retired.

Rich amateurs shoot Leicas, Contaxes, Alpas, Hasselblads and Linhof 4x5s. These are great cameras, but the results are the same as the Zenits, Pentaxes, Bronicas and Tachiharas.

Today they mostly shoot Canon 1Ds-Mk IIIs, 5D Mark IIs or the Nikon D3X.

These are the same idiots who bought the first 2.7 Megapixel digital SLRs designed for newspapers like the Nikon D1 back in 2000 just because they cost $5,000. They gave technically poorer results than the film cameras used by snapshooters. All because it's expensive doesn't make it good.

Bad rich amateurs think fuzzy B/W images of poor people are art. "

You were saying what about Hasselblad...?? hahaha

[The Ugly]

Camera people are creepy.

[lovemonkey]

It's vince's hobby, so why do you care so much?  The person who actually DOES the hobby generally knows a lot more about it than the person who just THINKS they know something about it.  It's like a guy who doesn't lift giving out advice to a Pro BBer on lifting (happens here all the time btw).  Copy and Paste...which is what you're doing...is no substitute for experience...which is what Vince has in that particular hobby.

The same way people would rag on Goodrum if he spends 500$ on protan products for a show, I rag on Basile for thinking that lots of expensive camera equipment=photographer. Hell Basile shouldn't even talk here when you think of all the shit he's been spewing at Goodrum.

Oh I've got experience with cameras, I'm a paid photographer. Not claiming I'm an know-it-all expert, but I do have experience with cameras. I'd consider myself experienced enough to judge Basile for what he is.

Next.

[EL Mariachi]

lovemonkey hatin on a good camera?
whats wrong with you?

[lovemonkey]

lovemonkey hatin on a good camera?
whats wrong with you?

Look at what I wrote just above. Wouldn't you fuck with Goodrum if told us that he spent hundreds of dollars on protan for a show when that's the least of his concerns? What if he genuinely believed that the protan made him an actual bodybuilder? People would rip him a new one.

[dr.chimps]

"Cameras don't take pictures, photographers do. Cameras are just another artist's tool.

Maybe because it's entirely an artist's eye, patience and skill that makes an image and not his tools. Even Ansel said "The single most important component
of a camera is the twelve inches behind it."

"Buying new gear will NOT improve your photography. For decades I thought "if I only had that new lens" that all my photo wants would be satisfied. Nope. I still want that "one more lens," and I've been shooting for over 30 years. There is always one more lens. Get over it. "

These are all great points, and I really the tech/old man angle, but let's not forget that Henri Cartier-Bresson took 000's of pics for every 1 that he decided made the cut.

[lovemonkey]

These are all great points, and I really the tech/old man angle, but let's not forget that Henri Cartier-Bresson took 000's of pics for every 1 that he decided made the cut.

Sure that's a great point. You gotta be very selective and only promote/publish photos that might actually say something to people. The end product is what matters in the "end". If that end product required thousands of other photos being trashed, then so be it.


But remember Basile, it's artistry and not pure chance or technology.

[dr.chimps]

Sure that's a great point. You gotta be very selective and only promote/publish photos that might actually say something to people. The end product is what matters in the "end". If that end product required thousands of other photos being trashed, then so be it.


But remember Basile, it's artistry and not pure chance or technology.

Vince Basile, 2005: 'Self-portrait: Man in dog cage.'       

/who's got the pic? i know you have it. post it up.

[noworries]

The same way people would rag on Goodrum if he spends 500$ on protan products for a show, I rag on Basile for thinking that lots of expensive camera equipment=photographer. Hell Basile shouldn't even talk here when you think of all the shit he's been spewing at Goodrum.

Oh I've got experience with cameras, I'm a paid photographer. Not claiming I'm an know-it-all expert, but I do have experience with cameras. I'd consider myself experienced enough to judge Basile for what he is.

Next.

You must be new here.  People rag on Goodrum cause he deserves everything he gets.  he is constantly lying about something and when called out  he leaves for awhile.  Goodrum is a pretender, a fake and delusional.  Just to fill you in that is why people rag on him.  I have no yet read anything where Basile has said he is an expert.  In fact he has said it was his hobby numerous times.  Maybe like BB is your hobby.  You do it cause you like it but you know you will never make a dime from it.  I know major photographers that could put you in your  place and make you look very foolish.  but, they are secure in themselves and their work that they would have no need to do that.  Your photos you posted are fine but I hope you don't think they are so good everyone likes them.  Remember Basile never asked you for your opinion.  You decided to play Simon Cowell  and pretend you are an expert.  see the photos I posted from my friend.  Everyone one of those are better than the ones you posted.  You know why cause he makes money with them.  And I promise it is ALOT more than you do.  

[lovemonkey]

it's a no brainer that you have to have talent in order to be a photographer...the argument that AMONG the talented, the equipment can set people apart from one another. 

having great equipment alone doesnt make anyonea  photographer...but Vince obviously has talent, and is saying that among the talented, you have to have the right tools to do teh job properly....

But that's just the thing... it doesn't set people apart from one another. The other one just happens to have a more expensive camera rig. People have a real hard time grasping this concept. Any idea how far you can get with a beginner dslr going for under 1k? Heck I've seen 100x more artistic photos than I've ever taken by people who only use their Iphone camera.

The more expensive equipment gets it has all the more to do with how user friendly it is and toughness, features you don't really need unless you're gonna spend A LOT of time with it ie working with it.. Image quality? Lenses have been near optically perfect since the beginning of the 20th century. Some 100+ year old photos have AMAZING sharpness and dynamics. Most 18-55mm beginner kit lenses today are fucking awesome. There is no need to buy the latest most expensive stuff all the time for image quality. If Basile really cared about resolution, dynamics etc he'd shoot film and not digital.

He can get AMAZING(top notch) looking photos with used equipment worth less than 1k usd, why does he have to spend 12,5k usd to get the same thing?

[stuntmovie]

Vince, I really like your work, Thanks for posting it for us to enjoy .

I am one of those guys who know nothing about photography but I always have a camera in my pocket and am always taking it out to shoot pictures of anything I think is interesting.

I have close to 9,000 photos on my hard drive but I'm only impressed by less than 5% of them.

With your pemission, I'd like to throw a few up here and ask for your honest opinion and what I could have done to make it a better shot. And if they look like shit, let me know because I won't be offended in the least.

Ahhh, maybe just a little bit offended.

I shot there with a $99 Kodak digital camera but I can get access to the RED if you think that that will help. Take a look at Red.com for those details.

BTW, I knew herb Ritts and his crew pretty well and he had one person who merely changed his film when he used those old film cameras. He actually told me that he didn't know how to do it properly.

I got tons of photos which I will post on their own site if this offends  ya in any way.

Thanks.

This 1st couple of shots were taken on the Venice Beachwalk up towards the Santa Monica border. I felt like I was intruding so I took the photos quickly and left in a hurry.

[stuntmovie]

I do my best to get the subject to act a bit nutty but in the case of Forrest it was too damn easy. He is a very funny guy!

[stuntmovie]

This lady was a very easy model to work with

[stuntmovie]

Winners are always happy and easy to photograph. Guess who lost?

[stuntmovie]

Fruit bowls are easy to shoot but Church Ghosts are somewhat difficult ....

[stuntmovie]

Still life is always available and good friends always smile for the camera.....