The Wandering Photographer

Fun with Reflections

A while back, during a Photowalk in downtown Detroit, I noticed the reflections that were present in almost all of the windows. Sometimes they were a distraction and ruined the image, but other times they were fascinating designs and made great pictures.

Reflection in a window in the Greektown District of Detroit

At first glance this looks to be a confusing hodge podge of colors, buildings and people. After a while, though, it began to grow on me. It seems to represent the lights and glitter of a busy entertainment district. My fellow photographer in the foreground represents our goals for the day.

One building reflected in another along Woodward Ave. Detroit

Further along I came across this tall building reflecting the buildings from across the street. I thought that the similar colors and shapes made a nice composition.

More reflections along Woodward Ave.

Turning around this image showed up in my viewfinder. I thought it was the best of the three. 

Whenever I'm shooting in a urban area I try to keep in mind that the window in the building might hold an image every bit as good s a shot of the building itself. Keep your eyes and your mind open.

© 2011 Tim Marks all rights reserved

Scenes from the 2011 Concert of Colors Nights 1 & 2

 

Below are a few pictures from the first two nights of the 2011 Concert of Colors. Thursday night was a celebration of the African Diaspora at the Charles Wright Museum of African American History. Friday night at the DIA highlighted honkytonk piano and Latin rhythms.

Make sure you come on down and catch the rest of the weekend at the Max Fisher Music Center Saturday and Sunday.

Details at the Concert of Colors website.

Images from Thursday

 

Images from Friday

Saturday and Sunday promise to be even better. Come-on down and experience Detroit at its best.

© 2011 Tim Marks

Detroit's Best Festival: The 2011 Concert of Colors

The Indigo Girls with Alison Brown at the 2006 Concert of Colors

My favorite festival of the Summer is back with more acts and more days. The 19th Annual World Music and Diversity festival, the Concert of Colors, is set to go, starting Thursday July 14th and finishing up on Sunday night July17th. First held in 1994 as a celebration of metro Detroit, its diversity, its music and the music of its people, the Festival's goal is ". . . bringing together metro Detroit’s diverse communities and ethnic groups by presenting musical acts from around the world." (from the COC website).

This year the Concert expands to four days.

Thursday, with doors opening at 6pm, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History hosts a number of acts including African/Hip Hop, Soul, and traditional dance. Over at the Scarab Club the "Woodward Line Poetry" series will present the spoken word and music.

Friday night things move to the Detroit Institute of Arts with Latin Jazz and Blues performances. A screening of the movie "From Britain with Love: Africa United" will be presented. Doors open at 4pm.

 Jazz at the 2006 Festival

Saturday it all begins at 2pm at the Max M. Fisher Music Center. Three stages will be filled with a veriety of music and dance. Acts include; Japanese Drum, Reggae, Irish Folk, Arab Dance, Classical and much more. The evening ends with, what is for me, the highlight of the weekend. Each year Oak Park native Don Was (Was not Was) pulls together a diverse group of Detroit based musicians and puts on the Don Was Detroit All-Star Revue. The performances are truly a tour de force of Detroit culture. This year's ensemble includes Mitch Ryder, Melvin Davis, the Muggs and a whole lot of others.

 Former Funk Brother Dennis Coffey rocks the 2010 COC with Don Was playing bass in the background

 The Final day of the Festival opens at 2pm on Sunday at "The Max". The line-up on Sunday is as eclectic as Saturday's. It includes such local standouts as The Layabouts, and the Hamtramck World Music Ensemble. The highlight of the day should be the great Bettye LaVette. Born in Muskegon and raised in Detroit, Bettye has been belting out R&B hits since 1962. Ms. LaVette has lost none of her charisma, she retains her soul.

 Bettye LaVette performing at the Detroit Festival of the Arts in 2006

 This is a festival not-to-be-missed. The music is great and the ultimate goal of bringing us together, a mish-mash of cultures, city and suburbs, black and white, men and women is important and worthy. We may be different, but WE ARE ALL DETROIT.

The entire festival schedule can be found at the Concert of Colors web site.

See you at the Festival.

© Tim Marks 2011

Quick Review: Olympus E-PL2 Micro Four-Thirds System Camera and Lenses

William McKinley Memorial and grave site. Canton, Ohio

Note: I know there has been a year long gap in posts on my blog. It was unfortunately unavoidable. But, I'm back and I'll make a sincere attempt to post at least three stories a month in the future. Thanks for all the support.

Introduction of the Four-Thirds camera system allowed Olympus and Panasonic to create high quality interchangeable lens camera systems that are much smaller and much lighter than traditional Full Frame and APS-C DSLRs. The Micro Four-Thirds cameras reduce the size and weight even further, with no loss of image quality. The smaller sensor in the M-Four-Thirds cameras results in a so called lens "crop factor" of 2X, as apposed to 1.5X with my D300 (ASP-C camera). Therefore the 14-42mm kit lens delivers an angle of view equivelent to a 28mm-84mm lens on a 35mm camera.

 The desire to cut weight, and save my poor back, led me to explore the Micro 4/3rds system and I ended up going with the Olympus PEN E-PL2 and the 14-42mm kit lens. The PEN delivers 12 mega-pixel images of a quality indistinguishable to me from my D300, The body weighs only 12-7/8 oz. and the lens add only 5-1/2 oz., My D300 body alone weighs in at 29 oz. (almost 2lbs). As you can see below the Olympus is much smaller than a DSLR.

Olympus PEN E-PL2 with 14-42mm lens sitting next to a Canon EOS 30D with 18-200mm lens

To Round out the kit I added a Panasonic Lumix 20mm f1.7 pancake lens (3-1/2 oz.), yep the Panasonic uses the same Micro Four-Thirds lens mount, and an Oly 40-150mm (6.7oz.) for a complete package weight of only 28-1/2 oz. (1-3/4 lbs). Thats right the whole kits weighs less than the D300 body alone! I carry it all in an unpadded Duluthpack #100 Double Shell Bag That brings the weight of the entire package, incuding bag, to less than 4lbs.

So, how well does the PEN system work for me? So far very nicely. I was able to take system with me on a trip to Mid-Ohio and used it exclusively. I also to it with me on a visit to Belle Isle Park in the City of Detroit. Despite some limitations I was quite happy with the results.

The image at the top of the page is a shot of the William McKinley gravesite in Canton, Ohio. Shot with the 14-42mm lens set at 21mm and an ISO 0f 200 I was qute happy with the results.Image quality is excelent up to 400 ISO and quite nice at 800. Anything above gets awfully noisy but can be used in a pinch. Below is a photo inside the Canton Stark Museum and a small 100% blowup to show the noise. The photo was shot with the 14-42mm lens at 800 ISO as you can see the noisy is noticable but for my purposes acceptable, especially for online presentation.

Interior shot at the McKinley Presidential Museum in Canton, Ohio

!00% example of noise at 800 ISO

The visit to Belle Isle yield some very nice images as well. These pictures were taken with the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 at 200 ISO.

 Downtown Skyline including the General Motors Headquarters (Renaissance Center)

 Belle Isle Casino (not the gambling kind)

So what is the bottom line? This camera won't replace my D300, but I think I'll be finding myself carrying the Oly more and more often. There are a number of pros and cons. The thing I miss the most from my DSLR is a viewfinder. There is an add-on available but it is way overpriced at $200+. Despite the price I will probably eventually buy one.

Pros

• Extremely light weight
• Extremely high image quality, especially at 200 & 400 ISO
• 12 mega-pixels are more than enough.
• Small package fits in a small bag for a very easy day of carrying

Cons

• Noise at 800 is acceptable, at 1600 not so good
• Viewfinder is high cost extra
• Not a lot of lenses available yet
• Build quality is good but not at a pro level

My recommendation is that if you want a lightweight system camera for short trips or long days walking aroung the city take a close look at the Micro Four-Thirds system. It is reasonably priced and the number of lenses and accessories for it is growing.

Below is my Duluthpack bag with body, three lenses and ThinkTank Peewee Pixel Pocket Rocket. Lots of room in the front pockets for phone, wallrt, etc. Since the bag is not padded I have the lenses in neoprene pouches.

Come back later in the month for some more adventures in photography.

© 2011 Tim Marks

2010 Detroit Concert of Colors Recap

Well this year's Concert of Colors is over and a great time was had by all. The Concert of Colors is the annual Detroit diversity festival that brings together music and people from all over the metro area and the world. This year's show included the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, an All-Star Latin band from Southwest Detroit, The Detroit All-Star revue put together by producer and Oak Park native Don Was, and Kenge Kenge presenting music and Dance from Kenya.

Chelsea Tipton II conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at the Detroit Institute of Ats on the first night of the Concert

 

The DSO also performed on Sunday afternoon on the Main Stage in Orchestra Hall. Orchestra hall is the DSO's home.

 

Tien-Huicani from Veracruz Mexico performed traditional Mexican folk music Friday night.

 

Kenyan Performers Kenge Kenge brought a piece of Africa to the show.

 

Local native son Don Was put together a show highlighting Music and performers from Detroit's musical past and present.

 

House band for the Detroit Pistons, the Sun Messengers have been entertaining Detroiters with home grown R&B for 30 years.

 

The dapper Andre Williams knocked the crowd out with a rendition of his 1957 hit "Bacon Fat".

 

One of the greatest guitarist to come out of Detroit, former member of the famous Funk Brothers, Dennis Coffey wowed the crowd with his magic fingers. (Notice Don Was in the background on bass)

 

The Southwest Detroit Latin Super Session brought music and dance from south of the border to the concert.

 

Sunday night ended with an inspiring and inspirational 90 minutes by gospel legend Mavis Staples.

Every year the Concert of Colors outdoes itself bringing the world to Detroit for three short days. There is no better way to celebrate the wonderful diversity of the Detroit area. And no better way to see a wide variety of music and dance.

Later on this year you can check out video of the performances of the Don Was Detroit All-Star Revue (including earlier year's shows) on his web site, The Wasmapolitan Cavalcade of Recorded Music.

Looking forward to next year.

© 2010 Tim Marks all rights reserved

Camera Bag Review: Think Tank Retrospective 20

"Camera Bags, I've had a few. But then again too few to mention." Apologies to Paul Anka

If you are anything like me you have a pile of, way too many, camera bags in your closet. we are always looking for the perfect bag/backpack to haul around our ever growing collection of lenses, bodies and accessories. Unfortunately for us, but to the joy of the bag makers, there is no perfect bag for all purposes.

I use an old Lowepro Nature Trekker backpack for hauling my equipment while on a plane or in the car and I often use the Think Tank Modular Component Belt System when I am on a hike or elsewhere in the field. Neither of these work for me at events or just walking around town on a shoot. Until recently I relied on my trusty Domke F2 Original shoulder bag for just those occasions. Being an old design the domke has issues with today's larger camera bodies and lenses, it is certainly usable however.

Enter the Retrospective 20 by Think Tank Photo.

This is the shoulder bag I've been waiting for. It doesn't look like a camera bag, more like an oversize messenger bag. The strap and shoulder pad are the most comfortable of all the shoulder bags I've owned over almost 30 years of photography. And it looks really sophisticated.

The Bag has plenty of storage space for all the equipment most people will need for any assignment, or a day of shooting on vacation. A pro body with 80-200mm f/2.8 or 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 attached fits nicely in the center compartment. Compartments on the side will hold lenses and or a flash with no problem. The front exterior pocket will allow you to carry a second body without lens.

As you can see above it is no problem fitting 2 - 3 extra lenses and a flash unit inside the main compartment. This configuration is how I usually carry the bag. I have the camera hanging from my R-Strap. Without the camera and third lens inside it is easy to carry the bag all day. My first outing was a 2 hour photowalk in a local garden and the bag never felt heavy thanks to the wonderfully designed strap.  Because the padding is minimal (much like the Domke), the bag conforms nicely to your body making it even easier on your back and shoulder. The minimal padding is sufficient to protect your equipment while limiting weight and bulk.

The Retrospective has plenty of storage space for accessories. There is a zippered exterior pocket on the rear of the bag that will hold paper work and notes. Some folk even put an i-Pad in this pocket but I would worry about the lack of protection. The inside back panel also has a similar zippered pocket. the end pockets are very tight but will hold a camera manual without problem. There is also attachments for Think Tank modular components on each end.

the front side of the bag comes equipped with an interior and an exterior pocket. The interior pocket is perfect for small notebooks, a memory card pouch, a cell phone, and assorted pens, pencils, and tools. All of the pockets (except the zippered ones) and the main flap have hook & loop closures. Because the closures can be awfully noisy, each can be locked into a position out of the way to allow silent access to all equipment. This is very important when shooting concerts, weddings or similar events.

Here is a common load for me when shooting form this bag, though I will often substitute the 80-200 f/2.8 for the 70-300 zoom. The bag certainly will hold much more but my 57 year old back will not :)

Bottom Line: If you want a bag that is great for events such as concerts, art fairs, photowalks, farmer's markets, or just walking around town, the Retrospective line from Think Tank Photo is hard to beat.

© 2010 Tim Marks all rights reserved

18th Annual Detroit Concert of Colors July 16-18 2010

The exciting and fun Detroit diversity festival, The Concert of Colors, returns to for its eighteenth year. Presented by the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), the Arab American National Museum, New Detroit, The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) and, new this year, the Detroit institute of Arts (DIA), the concert is intended to bring all of the cultures in metro Detroit together for a weekend of music, dance and fun.

 The festivities will start at 4:00pm on Friday, July 16^th at the DIA with a performance by the Detroit Symphony (a second DSO Performance will happen at 5:30) followed by the Mexican folk group Tien-Huicani at 7:00. Events Friday evening at the DIA will also include Free admission to the exhibit Through African Eyes: The European in African Art 1500-Present and a screening of a 1931 Spanish language version of the film Dracula.

 On Saturday the music continues down the street at the Max Fisher Music Center (The Max), home to the acoustically and architecturally exquisite Orchestra Hall. Performances on Saturday include traditional Irish folk, Reggae, and African and Jazz/Funk, all leading up to the Don Was Detroit All-Star Review.

 For the third consecutive year Don Was has put together an eclectic group of Detroit based musicians to entertain the festival goers. Each artist or group performs a piece and at the end, the ensemble comes out for a rousing finale. In past years the review has included funk, soul, country hip hop classic rock and punk. This year the line-up presents fifteen acts including Jimmy Ruffin, Gary Quackenbush, Kim Weston and Marshall Crenshaw. The Review is the highlight of the weekend for me. You can see video of the 2008 and 2009 review performers at the Don’s Wasmapolitan Cavalcade of Recorded Music.  

 On Sunday the festival continues with the DSO, conducted by Tito Munoz, highlighting soloist Simon Shaheen performing Shaheen’s composition Concerto #1 for Oud and Orchestra. Known for his expertise at Arabic and Western classical music, Shaheen will be a special treat for the Detroit audiences.

 Following a day of diverse music and talent (Asian, Electronic, Steel Guitar and storytelling included), the festival ends with two shows in Orchestra Hall. At 6:15 the Southwest Detroit Latin Super Session will entertain with a varied repertoire from south of the border, followed by the incomparable R&B and Gospel sound of Mavis Staples at 8:30.

 The Concert of Colors is a chance to meet new folk, listen to great music and have a fabulous time. For more information you can check out the festival web site or Dominique's informative article at the Midwest Guest Blog.

© 2010 Tim Marks All Rights Reserved

An Evening Cruise on Narragansett Bay

During a 2008 visit to Newport, RI, we decided to take a sunset cruise on Narragansett Bay. It was a perfect way to see the city from a different perspective. It was also a chance to get some awesome pictures of the Rhode Island coast.

Not wanting to carry my heavy DSLR with me I carried my Nikon CoolPix 8800 "Superzoom" compact Digital Camera.

While waiting for cruise time we sat in a dockside tavern and had dinner.

As we left the dock we passed hundreds of private yachts. Not all of them were as large and opulent as this one. I think you could buy the entire city for the price of this "boat."

Another yacht, though this one is locally owned and dates back to the Gilded Age. It was used to travel between Newport and Manhattan, NYC.

This is the Lime Rock Light. Built in 1854, it is now privately owned and serves as the Ida Lewis Yacht Club.

The Coastline is dotted with old mansions dating back to Victorian New England. This one, built in 1874 for explorer Alexander Agassiz, is now the renowned Castle Hill Inn.

One of the more colorful sailing vessels to be found on the bay.

Castle Hill Light marks the entrance of Narragansett Bay. It is on the grounds of the Castle Hill Inn Resort, however the resort graciously allows access to the public. This light is one of the most picturesque, and most photographed, lights on the East coast.

Heading back to port we passed by the Pell/Newport Bridge (named for Senator Claiborne Pell) and the Rose island Light. Built in 1870 the light is accessible by ferry during the summer months.

Back at the dock we settled into the dockside pub to watch the end of the sunset. As far as I'm concerned, a leisurely evening cruise is a great way to see Newport from a different perspective, and there is no finer way to end the evening than sitting on the dock enjoying a snack and beverage.

© 2010 Tim Marks all right reserved

Walking Bilbao II

Last week I posted some photos from a walking tour of Bilbao in the Basque Country of Northern Spain. Today I thought I would post a few more.

While walking in the old sector we came across this wedding party. Since they were posing for pictures anyway I thought I'd snap one of my own.

Windows and doorways, especially in old cities, make for fascinating subjects. The rich detail and workmanship is always worth photographing.

Leaving the old sector we came upon this scene. This is the Universidad de Duesto a Jesuit institution of higher learning founded in 1886. The Jesuits wanted to bring a center of learning to the Basque Country, home of their founder, Ignatius of Loyola.

Finally, after all of the old buildings, we come to the river and the spectacular Frank Gehry designed Guggenheim Museum. This museum of modern art has helped to revitalize this post-industrial city. It draws visitors from around the world. 

Bilbao is a city of wonderful contrast. Old and new as well as industrial and artsy. All-in-all this is a city worthy of a visit.

Next, more images from the Basque Country of Spain and France.

© 2010 Tim Marks all rights reserved

Walking around Bilbao

Bilbao, in the Basque region of Spain, is a major seaport and industrial city located on an estuary leading to the Bay of Biscay. Most recently steel and iron making have been the major economic engine for Bilbao. The steel industry in Bilbao, like in the US and the rest of Europe, has fallen on hard times.

Fortunately Bilbao has been able to re-invent itself as a tourist destination. Opened in 1997, the Guggenheim Museum has helped transform the economy and save this wonderful old city. See my earlier post about the Guggenheim here.

In 2005 we had the opportunity to visit the Basque Country of Spain and our journey began in Bilbao. We were able to take a walking tour of the city  before setting out on the rest of our tour of the country side. Over the next couple of posts I'll be offering some views of the city taken during that walking tour.

As you cross the river, leaving new Bilbao behind, and enter the "Old City" you view the old market place building and this beautiful old church. The Church of St. Anton was build about 1366 and is an appropriate welcome to the old section of town.

The neo-baroque, Joaquin Rucoba designed opera house, el Teatro Arriaga, was built in 1890 and is an important part of the culture of Bilbao. The unusual flag flying in front of the building is the banner of the Basque Autonomous Region. The flag is the symbol of Basque nationalism and many of the people consider themselves Basque rather than Spanish.

When we arrived at the town square it was time for lunch. The Basque Country, like the rest of Spain, is full of Tapas bars. In the Basque country however the small plate fare are called Pintxos. Wonderful bite-size morsels often made with aged/cured ham, cheese or seafood. Just what the doctor ordered after a morning of walking and photography.

Come back next week for some more views of this great old city.

© 2010 Tim Marks all rights reserved