New M8 Ninja Found- Look OUT This Ones a Shooter!

[Sailor Ted]

I've been watching this guy for awhile. He was a die-hard R-D1 shooter who recently made the switch to the M8. He's been experimenting like mad and most recently he appears to be shooting with Hard contrast, Hard sharpness, High saturation and high ISO. Needless to say these shots are something to behold- not to everyone’s taste but spend a half hour reviewing his work (started in NYNY now in Hong Kong) and you'll begin to see what a creative instrument we have in the M8.

Cheers!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/captainvideo/page3/

[Richard Marks]

Ted theres some pretty scary vignetting on the wide shots
I'm in no doubt about the M8's potential.
Richard

[jaapv]

Thanks for the tip, Ted Interesting work. I think that vignetting is deliberate btw.

[Richard Marks]

Hi Jaap
There are some great pics I agree, but unconvinced about how intenional the vignetting is! It certainly looks very realistic anyhow!

[zuikologist]

I really like these but would have expected them from a DSLR. Is that RF snobbery!

[Sailor Ted]

Hi Jaap
There are some great pics I agree, but unconvinced about how intenional the vignetting is! It certainly looks very realistic anyhow!

Richard,
I agree however the vignetting can be corrected for post process or with coded lenses. I use vignetting in my shots often for creative effect. This guy is a master at molding his work around the tool he's using. When he first started with the M8 his work was stilted compared to his R-D1 images however now they are evolving into something else- see his black and white work and read his account of the M8's resolution and what that enables him to do. Take a look at much of his work with the M8 and read his explanations in his comments to others and the picture of a modern day digital RF master emerges. He is not trying to do what was done in analogue photography with a digital camera- he is creating a style that's unique to DRF photography around the strengths of the M8!

Ted

[jaapv]

I really like these but would have expected them from a DSLR. Is that RF snobbery!
Ah Chris - it is the other way around. The tool is subordinate to the result. The only interesting connection to the M8 is that it (too?) is suitable for the job.

[Didier]

...he's been experimenting like mad and most recently he appears to be shooting with Hard contrast, Hard sharpness, High saturation and high ISO....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/captainvideo/page3/He must also have had the hard-vignet setting on...
Didier

[iml]

Some quite nice stuff there.

Ian

[Ben Z]

This guy is a master at molding his work around the tool he's using.

Definitely not one of my abilities (or desires). I prefer a camera that lets me mold my work around the subject matter ;)

[Sailor Ted]

Definitely not one of my abilities (or desires). I prefer a camera that lets me mold my work around the subject matter ;)

I have one word for you Ben- clay.

[Sparrow]

Do M8 Ninjas still wear black?


Sorry couldn’t resist any longer
:angel:

[maddoc]

Some really cool stuff !! And a little different view of Japan ... :cool:

Thanks for the link !

Cheers,

gabor

[Ben Z]

I have one word for you Ben- clay.

I'd have kept the quote intact from "The Graduate"...plastics can be molded too:D

[Ben Z]

or try this... What is clay but dirt mixed with with water- MUD! :D

Clay is a very specific kind of mud that can be molded into something useful, though obviously some people can't tell the difference between throwing clay and slinging mud :D

[ampguy]

Ted, that's some interesting stuff. Do you know if those images are straight out of the M8, or high-contrasted in pp?

[back alley]

don't you 2 get tired of this back and forth bickering?

joe

[Keith]

don't you 2 get tired of this back and forth bickering?

joe

You know Joe ... I don't think they do. We sure are though! :p

[Sailor Ted]

ampuy,
I have it on good authority that captainvideo uses Aperture for his shots and starts from Velvia presets in that application. I think the moral of the story is experiment, experiment, and experiment- find out what the unique characteristics and strengths of the tool of your choice and run with them. The digital medium is not film and as such must be expressed in it's own way.

Cheers,
Ted

[Sailor Ted]

Yes I am tired of it too- this thread was started as a means to share exciting developments in digital photography and I am wrong to engage any further down that other road- responses deleated and future responses muted.

My apologies.

[giulioz]

Thanks for the link, great stuff! Finally something different than dogs in the garden or kids reading on the couch...

Giulio

[Leica Geek]

I really like the work.

[ampguy]

Thanks Ted.

ampuy,
I have it on good authority that captainvideo uses Aperture for his shots and starts from Velvia presets in that application. I think the moral of the story is experiment, experiment, and experiment- find out what the unique characteristics and strengths of the tool of your choice and run with them. The digital medium is not film and as such must be expressed in it's own way.

Cheers,
Ted

[Trius]

Interesting work, but IMO it has nothing to do with the M8. Any camera (film or digital) could do the same when combined with some post. This is about the photographer, not the camera. Oh wait, that's the point...

Not casting aspersions on the M8. I admire this guy's vision and execution. So that he can do it with an M8 is a tribute to the M8 ... as his tool.

[steamer]

Interesting work, but IMO it has nothing to do with the M8.

That was my thought exactly, the guy has a great eye and his photos are consistently good no matter what camera he is using.

[Sailor Ted]

True true- captainvideo could use a camera phone and create an iconic image. In fact take a look at the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima in WWII with Ira Hayes and crew fresh from battle- the image was iconic not the camera and perhaps not even the photographer. Now take a closer look at captainvideos work with different cameras- all have a common thread and yet all have their own unique characteristics. Among these are the images shot with the M8 and these images possess detail, clarity, and color unique from his other images made on other cameras and hence these images stand out.

There is no Holy Grail of cameras but the M8 comes darn close- to quote one M8 photographer I know; are you listening buddy? : )

PS. Rather then repost my last post on "is the M8 a rugged camera" this post should be taken in context with the points I made there. Thanks.

[steamer]

I honestly didn't feel like the M8 stuff stood out, but looks like you are enjoying yours and putting it to good use and that's the bottom line in most any endeavor, yeah?

[sleepyhead]

I think captainvideo should edit down his 1500 images to the best 150, then it'll be more worth a look, IMHO.

[AusDLK]

>I think captainvideo should edit down his 1500 images to the best 150, then
>it'll be more worth a look, IMHO.

Totally. More is not better.

Too many variations on the same theme risks exhausing the viewer often before they even see the best stuff.

[Cliche Warning]

Less is more. It definitely applies in this case.

[Sailor Ted]

Well for me, a student of the M8 and any photog who’s putting it to good use, I find his blog and others an invaluable lesson in what's possible and a daily inspiration for my own work. Flicker is not a top 150 repository it's a casual place to share your evolving work and to test new ideas, exchange comments about images, gear, subject matter, etc. before handing it off to more critical and or commercial venues. Actually Flickr has an answer to this question regarding quantity vs. so called quality- it's called "sets" and anyone can create as many sets as they wish and put any number of photographs based on any critera they wish- including a top 150, 15, pictures of you dogs, etc.

As to capatainvideo, he could no doubt support an opening in lower Manhattan of this I'm sure.

[Grober]

Love to see the 21mm Elmarit work posted here. Got my M8 back from Solms last week and should get my newly coded 21mm Elmarit back from Leica later this week. I can't wait to marry the two and shoot.

-g

[TJV]

Two words: Daido Moriyama

[aizan]

is moriyama shooting an m8 now?

[furcafe]

IIRC he's using a Ricoh GR-D. I think he used the film version earlier.

is moriyama shooting an m8 now?