A Zoom Bar Mitzvah during the Covid-19 pandemic

It seems like forever since I packed up my camera gear and photographed an event. It was actually on March 7th that I photographed a Bar Mitzvah, and ever since that the world has been severely disrupted by the Covid-19 virus.

But last week, a client who was supposed to have a Bar Mitzvah at a temple here in the South Bay, called me and asked if I was willing to do some portraits of them (from a distance) before they had their virtual mitzvah over Zoom.

Knowing that we could still get really nice photos of them from a distance of 6 feet or more, I jumped at the chance to do this for them. I even offered to do it for free, since it was not a full day event and it didn't seem right to charge them during this time.

(Canon 1D X Mark III, Canon 70-200mm lens at 200mm, ISO 250, f/4, 1/250 sec, Canon 600EX-RT flash at -1.5)

I pulled up to their house and texted them that I had arrived. I stayed outside and waited for them to come outside. I usually start photographing the Bar Mitzvah boy first, so I followed my normal routine.

I had Ben come out into their front yard and started taking portraits. I was using my Canon 1D X Mark III with the Canon 70-200mm lens and a Canon 600EX-RT flash (powered down to -1.5 in ETTL mode). Luckily, we had overcast skies, so harsh sunlight was not an issue.

(Canon 1D X Mark III, Canon 70-200mm lens at 150mm, ISO 250, f/4, 1/250 sec, Canon 600EX-RT flash at -1.5)

After getting some nice shots of Ben, I asked him to get his brothers for some photos of the three of them. I saw that Ben was about 10 feet in front of his siblings and thought that it would make a fun shot with him in focus and his brothers slightly out of focus in the background.

(Canon 1D X Mark III, Canon 70-200mm lens at 160mm, ISO 160, f/5.6, 1/200 sec, Canon 600EX-RT flash at -1.5)

Then I had the three of them sit on the front step to their house to get this more traditional photo of the three handsome boys.

(Canon 1D X Mark III, Canon 70-200mm lens at 140mm, ISO 160, f/5.6, 1/160 sec, Canon 600EX-RT flash at -1.5)

After I was done with the boys, I had them get mom and dad outside for some family portraits. It was really weird to photograph them while forcing myself to keep a distance. Usually I turn the camera around and show them what I am capturing, but not this time.

(Canon 1D X Mark III, Canon 70-200mm lens at 140mm, ISO 160, f/5.6, 1/250 sec, Canon 600EX-RT flash at -1.5)

Mom had the idea of getting photos of them wearing face masks, which I just loved.

(Canon 1D X Mark III, Canon 70-200mm lens at 145mm, ISO 160, f/5.6, 1/200 sec, Canon 600EX-RT flash at -1.5)

The job of a photographer is to tell a story and nothing tells the story more than this photo.

(Canon 1D X Mark III, Canon 70-200mm lens at 102mm, ISO 160, f/5.6, 1/160 sec, Canon 600EX-RT flash at -1.5)

I love that the family was making the best of a very tough situation. In that spirit, I asked them all to give me that "oh well...we are doing the best we can" look for this portrait (which is one of my favorites).

(Canon 1D X Mark III, Canon 70-200mm lens at 200mm, ISO 160, f/4.5, 1/250 sec, Canon 600EX-RT flash at -1.5)

When I originally drove to their house, I scouted the area to see if there were other good locations for portraits. I really liked this one wall with nice foliage in the background. So, after getting portraits in front of the house, we all walked across the street to get some portraits in this second location.

(Canon 1D X Mark III, Canon 70-200mm lens at 140mm, ISO 160, f/5, 1/200 sec, Canon 600EX-RT flash at -1.5)

I finished taking portraits across the street from their home and we were saying our goodbyes when the family asked if we could do one more photo. They wanted me to capture a photo of them showing the tension that this shelter-in-place is causing in us all. I got this photo of them strangling each other.

When I returned home about 15 minutes later, I quickly retouched 5 or 6 of my favorite images and sent them to the family before they started their Zoom Bar Mitzvah. And then I logged on to watch some of this unique event.

This was definitely not your typical Bar Mitzvah service, but the essence of the service was still there.

(Canon 1D X Mark III, Canon 70-200mm lens at 160mm, ISO 320, f/7.1, 1/200 sec, Canon 600EX-RT flash at -1.5)

I liked this family portrait so much that I printed, matted, and framed it for the family. Later that afternoon I drove back over to their home and gave them this as a gift. I am not sure who benefited from this the most; them for having the photos, or me being able to do what I love to do so much.



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If you are interested in purchasing ANY equipment, please click here to go to B&H Photo, as I get a referral from them if you enter this way. It does not change the cost to you in any way, but it helps me keep this blog up and running.
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The new Netgear Meural Canvas II digital picture frame

We are now on day 32 of the shelter in place in Northern California and this means that we are spending a lot of time indoors right now. As depressing at this can be at times, there are some bright spots as well. About a month ago, I got the new Meural Canvas II to add to my office.

This is a new digital picture frame which I really love. I know...you are probably thinking "There is yet another digital picture frame out there?" There is, and this one is different from most that have come and gone over the years.  I have had at least 3 different digital frames in my home and all of those companies have tried entering the market and then gone under. This one looks like a product that is here to stay.

Here is why:

* The Meural Canvas frame is part of Netgear, which is a really large tech company who knows how to build and support their products. 

* This frame has a great quality display to show off the artwork.

* You have a choice of displaying your own photos (animated GIFs or videos) or using their curated art and photos.

* The frame can be used in portrait or landscape mode.

* The frame has WiFi built in for easy data transfer

* The frame is affordably priced between $399.95 (for the 16 x 24") and $599.95 (for the 19x29")


Display quality

The most important feature of any digital frame is the quality of the display panel. Since the Meural Canvas II was a lot less expensive than my previous frames, I was expecting a lesser quality image on the screen, but that is not the case. Both the smaller and larger frames use a 1080p Matte LCD display optimized for art at 1920x1080, and either can be mounted in portrait or landscape mode. I am using the 19x29" frame in landscape mode to show off my work.  Not only are the photos nice and sharp, but the color accuracy is excellent as well.

Frame options

Both sizes of the Meural Canvas II can be ordered with your choice of a black, white, dark wood, or light wood frame. The wood frames do cost $100 more than the black or white frames, but it is nice to have the higher-end options to match your room.

Content

One of the nice new features of the Meural Canvas II is that Netgear has negotiated deals with many different artists and galleries, so that you can display really beautiful paintings and photos on your frame. They have many different genres, which should appeal to almost anyone. Some of their images are offered at no cost, but many do require a monthly or annual subscription. But as a photographer, I have never chosen any of Netgear's content since I prefer to show my own images on the display.

The process of uploading my own images to the frame was not difficult, but the user interface could use some work. I have found that the managing of playlists was not intuitive, and I never seem to know where to go to select what playlists I want on the screen . The good news is, I see that they have been making changes to the interface and some things appears to be easier to find and manage now.

I have loaded 77 of my favorite images and one video file to the Meural II so far, and I am really happy with the image quality and video frame rate. The frame has the capability to hold 4GB of data, which is more than enough. I am currently only using ten percent of that space with what I have loaded.

Navigation

The frame has a built-in sensor which can recognize when a hand is waved in front of the panel. You can wave your hand left or right, and up and down in front of the frame to show image information or navigate the menus. Even though this is fun to show others, it is much easier to control the frame from the app on my phone or the browser on my computer.

Customizing and options

Setting up and customizing the Meural Canvas II is very easy, with simple online instructions and a straightforward settings panel, both on the app and on a computer browser. It is easy to determine the length of time that you want each image to stay on the screen, how you want the image displayed (to fill the frame or have a letterbox), and many more options.

I also really like the option of using the light sensor in the frame to turn it off when the room is dark, since there is no reason to have the images scrolling through the frame when nobody is there to view them.

Connectivity

My guess is that most people will upload content to their Meural Canvas II using the Meural app or web interface and the frame's built-in WiFi. This is by far the easiest way to get content to the frame. But the frame does also have an SD card slot for those who wish to show images directly from the card. The frame does also have a Micro USB port and an Ethernet port, but I doubt that many people would use these.

Overall opinion

I spend a lot of time traveling the world capturing photos and really appreciate a way to show those to my friends and family. I still print and frame images here at the home office, but love having a large variety of photos scrolling on the Meural Canvas II. This is a welcome addition at the house for sure!


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Subscribe to the Jeff Cable Photography Blog by clicking HERE!
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If you are interested in purchasing ANY equipment, please click here to go to B&H Photo, as I get a referral from them if you enter this way. It does not change the cost to you in any way, but it helps me keep this blog up and running.
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Check out my upcoming photo tours to amazing places around the world. I have photo tours to Africa, Costa Rica, Europe, Asia, India and more. And Canon will loan you any gear you want for FREE for any of my tours.

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The first Zoom get together was an absolute disaster! But now...

Let me start this blog post by apologizing to those 50 people who joined in on the Zoom get together the other day and were subjected to images, text and audio that nobody should be exposed to. I guess I assumed that people are inherently good and that posting a link and password in a public forum would be OK. I guess I was wrong.

With that said, I still feel that most of us have only good intentions, and that it only takes one or two idiots to try and break our beliefs. Well, that is NOT going to happen with me. I am not going to let these trolls stop what could be a great thing.

After I was able to remove the unwanted guests from the zoom session, we ended up having a really great conversation. I am thankful for all those who sat through the mess and soldiered on. Thank you to all of you. We were cut short by all the mayhem, but I am determined to do this again, keeping in mind all the lessons I learned yesterday.

Here is what I will do differently:

* I will not post a password in a public forum.
* I will make sure to turn off screen sharing.
* I will do this by invitation only

I know that this will limit the amount of people who might connect in, especially if they have to contact me first, but I would rather have less people involved and have quality time with those who want it.

So...if you are interested in being invited to another zoom get together, please fill out this form:

https://forms.gle/cRa9B2uMphDT6yjM7

I will then email all of you with a link and password.

And don't worry, your email will not be used for anything else.

I hope that this solves the issue and allows us only good things to talk about!

Thanks,

Jeff

I am going to try something new tomorrow - A zoom conference with you

I have done numerous FaceBook Live broadcasts in the last couple of weeks, but I hate that it is so one-sided. You see me, but I can't see you.

So, I am going to try something different. Tomorrow (April 8th) at 2pm PST, I am going to do a Zoom video chat with you. There is a limit of 100 people, so it is first come first serve.

Here are the details:

Topic: Jeff Cable Zoom Get Together
Time: Apr 8, 2020 02:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://bit.ly/3e0VBYN

Meeting ID: 846 545 787
Password: 0d989l

Come and join me tomorrow for an informal chat. I will answer any photography questions that you might have (as long as I have an answer).

I hope to see you all there!

Jeff

Stuck at home? Capture pet photos while sheltering in place

I was walking around the house the other day and felt the need to pick up a camera again. It has been about a month since I have worked and I needed to get my creative juices flowing. We decided that I should capture photos of our dog Cooper doing what he does best. Nothing!

You see, when Cooper is not out for a long walk with us, he is generally lounging around the house. His big activity each day is moving from one chair to another..  It is comical to watch him in his selection process as he moves from chair to couch and back to another chair.

Our 8 1/2 year old labradoodle is looking a little fluffy right now, with our daughter calling him the walking white cloud. But since all the dog trimming places are closed, this is how he will be for a while.

And hey, the job of a photographer is to tell a story through images, and so I set off to do just that.

(Canon 5D Mark IV, 24-70mm lens at 70mm, ISO 800, f/5, 1/60 sec)

I started with Cooper resting on the couch in our living room. He usually rests his head on pillows...

(Canon 5D Mark IV, 50mm lens, ISO 1000, f/2.8, 1/125 sec)

...or he plops his head down on the arm rests.

I started with the Canon 5D Mark IV with a 24-70mm lens and then I switched to the Canon 1D X Mark III with the 70-200mm lens to get in a little closer.

(Canon 1D X Mark III, 70-200mm lens at 200mm, ISO 800, f/2.8, 1/160 sec)

Later I caught him resting on the couch with that "how long is this shelter in place going to last?" look. I got down low on the floor to shoot right into his face, and waited for him to raise his eyebrows, so I could get the light in his eyes.

(Photographer's note: You will notice that in most of the photos you can see catch light in Cooper's eyes. Having that little bit of light in his eye really brings life into the subject. The hard part right now is that the dog groomers are not open and we can barely see his eyes.)

(Canon 1D X Mark III, 70-200mm lens at 200mm, ISO 1600, f/2.8, 1/500 sec)

Believe it or not, once in a while Cooper will decide to lay down in his dog bed. I caught him here hanging out with his favorite tennis ball.

(Canon 1D X Mark III, 70-200mm lens at 88mm, ISO 1600, f/2.8, 1/640 sec)

He does play with dog toys but not nearly as much as playing with his stuffed animals and other household items.

Heck, Cooper even tried doing Yoga with all of us. He was especially good at the downward dog.

(Canon 1D X Mark III, 70-200mm lens at 75mm, ISO 6400, f/2.8, 1/500 sec)

Since we are all running out of things to do here, my daughter decided to throw a plastic water bottle for Cooper to play with. It is his new favorite toy.

(Canon 1D X Mark III, 70-200mm lens at 75mm, ISO 6400, f/2.8, 1/500 sec)

He is like a child, where we get him dog toys, but he prefers the other stuff.

(Canon 1D X Mark III, 70-200mm lens at 102mm, ISO 800, f/4, 1/1600 sec) 

Before the rain started, I got Cooper outside for some action shots.

(Canon 1D X Mark III, 70-200mm lens at 150mm, ISO 400, f/4.5, 1/1000 sec)  

I got Cooper to sit down long enough to get this portrait of him in the backyard. I used the rule of thirds to get shoot him off center.  This particular photo really captures Cooper's personality.

For all of you looking for something to photograph, try capturing photos of your pet to tell the story of who they are.

__________________________________________________________________________
Subscribe to the Jeff Cable Photography Blog by clicking HERE!
__________________________________________________________________________
If you are interested in purchasing ANY equipment, please click here to go to B&H Photo, as I get a referral from them if you enter this way. It does not change the cost to you in any way, but it helps me keep this blog up and running.
__________________________________________________________________________
Check out my upcoming photo tours to amazing places around the world. I have photo tours to Africa, Costa Rica, Europe, Asia, India and more. And Canon will loan you any gear you want for FREE for any of my tours.

__________________________________________________________________________