Photolog

My random life, infront of the lens.

Gear check.

My gear.

Alright, the number one question I receive is "what do you shoot with". Now normally this is easily answered with "Canon". Lately though I have been getting more serious inquiries as to what gear typically gets used. This is nothing super special and personally I do not have the super high end stuff... Yet... 

Going left to right. The first image is the bag I have recently began to use a little more. I enjoy having a couple lenses with me at all times, and since acquiring my 70-200 it's hard to have that on the camera, this bag allows that. This is an Amazon bag that was found for $10 online and could not be passed up. I have been looking into a camera backpack for a while and this was the winner due to the price. As you can see with the second picture a few things get crammed into there.  Not pictured is my iPhone 5 that literally is a life saver and took the photos you see here. Not the greatest due to the lighting, but did the job. 

Canon 50D with strap; yes i still like the strap, and spare battery and charger. Canon 70-200 F2.8 NON-IS, Canon 28-135 F3.5-5.6 IS, Canon 50 prime F1.8, Sigma 17-35 F2.8-4, Rokinon 8mm Fisheye all manual, Yongnuo YN-468 ii speedlite, Cowboy Studio wireless triggers for the speedlite, spare CF cards, a knock off cable release/intervolometer, GoPro hero2, small cleaning kit with lens pen, Square credit card reader, and shoe strings and zip ties. 

Basically this covers a little bit of everything so I can be ready for almost anything. Of course when going on a shoot I will not be carrying this exact set up, but you never know on a day to day basis what you might see, or need. Yes those are shoe strings, they tend to get used a lot when I need to stick the speedlites in a weird spot or hold branches, or other things out of the way for a little bit. They have saved my shots plenty of times and will always be in close reach. 

the 4th photo is the other stuff  may be used depending on what I need. Lowepro 150 shoulder bag, this thing is my day pack/travel life saver. My iPad fits nicely and I can carry a couple lenses and a speedlite. This is usually what I carry when I know what will be needed or for a daily bag. For traveling it works perfect as well as my personal bag, I DO NOT check my camera, ever. Too many horror stories of gear getting stolen. Included in this shot is my old manual lenses. these were some of my first purchases and helped me learn how to operate my camera and understand the basics. They are both M42 lenses with EOS adapters. 28mm F2.5 Vivitar and a 70-210 F3.5 MACRO Soligor. The Sigma 70-300 F4-5.6 is my cheap telephoto that gets used rarely, it also has a MACRO setting that will get used for some off the wall stuff that gets shot. Cokin ND and polarizer filters and adapter ring for landscapes (ND and grad ND filters not pictured). Another Yongnuo speedlite, this is the yn-560 manual. Some shoot through and reflective umbrellas and a couple tripods. 

Finally my daily bag for random other stuff is my Timbuk2 bondage laptop bag. This little bag is an amazing example of efficiency and awesomeness. Macbook Pro mid 2009 for editing and emails/internet/Facebook machine/time waster. Bose MIE2i ear buds, and my iPad. This was included in the photo, but it usually goes everywhere with me. Also included is my back up 500GB hard drive and card reader with cables. Wallet... yes my TGT wallet is included as i have used my ID and some tape to use as a makeshift bounce card for my flash or help as an optical slave with the on camera flash. 

So there you have it, nothing super special or crazy. These tools are what get used to create the images you see, and like on a daily basis. I plan on doing more gear related stuff as i get new toys. If there is something specific you would like me to single out and review or explain, please email me or leave a comment below. 

Jon

Photo Walk.

Recently I joined a local Facebook group called VISION|HEIRS on a photo walk in Downtown Sioux Falls, SD. It was Bitter cold, windy, and the most fun i have had in a while. We didn't stay outside too long as the feeling in my toes was lost rather quickly. 

The adventure moved indoors to a local bar called Lucky's. They used to be known as the pool hall and now there are only a few tables left over. After a beer, some bar food, and a major amount of photo geeking i managed to snag a few photos. This was one of my favorites of the night.

Awesome night, new friends, and more knowledge. We need to do this again soon. 

Jon

Lucky's Bar in downtown Sioux Falls, SD. 

dad went too far.

Come on Dad... Hurry up and take the picture...

Playing with some toys, with my son. That is how this started. About 10 mins into playing I go this idea. With a very sour look on my son's face, the shot was set up.  

so this was created using my 70-200 F2.8 and two speedlites. One on the ground behind and to the right of the ring, with a plastic bounce diffuser. The second on a tripod, with a 43" shoot through umbrella in front and to the right, pointing down at about a 45 degree angle. . Both speedlites were set to 1/64th power and 35mm zoom. Shutter speed was 1/100th at 70mm F8.0. Hand held as close to the floor as i could get. 

My son has since lost all interest in letting me play with his toys... 

Jon

trying out my new lens.

So my son had his first wrestling tournament, I felt this was a great time to try out my recently acquired 70-200 F2.8.  

Beyond the haze.

This shot was due to our weather in South Dakota being, well, less than normal. Almost the middle of January, and we have rain, and fog. I drive by this location a lot, and have always wanted to try to shoot something here. The problem is behind the tree is not the best back drop for a photo. This time I was on my way to pick up my son for his first wrestling tournament. As I turned the corner I knew I couldn't pass this shot up again. I parked the car and jogged down to the corner in the rain and mud. The fog, and mist totally wiped out the background and the road next to it.  3 shots later and it was done. Simple shot with the set up I have been waiting for. Black and white is not my normal "style" per se, but this image would not be the same in color. Lets just hope I did it justice. 

Let me know what you think.

Jon

a face only a father can love.

Yep, he is mine...

My son is my number one model. Granted I am lucky to get more than 4 photos before he gets all A.D.D. on me, but I make due. This shot is right before that moment. Playing with my new lens trying to get used to it. I nailed this shot, and then we went back to watching our Gator Boys marathon.

Jon

NEW TO ME.

Facebook turned out to be more than just a time killer last night. While trolling around one of the photography groups that I am a member of, I saw a post by Scott Meyer. He was looking to sell his 70-200 F2.8 non IS lens, so he can upgrade to the new 70-200 IS ii. I jumped on the offer as fast as possible. 

Not only did I receive a lens I have been wanting since I started photography, I learned a lot as well. Scott is very talented, and was super helpful. Scott is also a cycling enthusiast  so instantly we were on common ground and trading stories and memories about old BMX bikes and shop talk. 

Scott and his wife, Wendy are a team of wedding photographers that work together to produce some amazing memories that you can always keep, and cherish forever. Take a peek at their work. 

Jon

First Fridays.

Vishnu Bunny Tatto and piercing Third Eye Gallery First Friday Show

The first Friday of every month Vishnu Bunny Tattoo hold a fun event at their Third Eye Gallery. They have different themes each month, or featured artists. This months was a photography show, so of course i had to go. The artist on display were all very good, and have amazing talents. 

If you happen to be available for the next show, please stop on down and support your local artists and business owners. Vishnu Bunny Tattoo supplies some adult beverages, food, and a fun atmosphere that you just cant get elsewhere. They support the local community, please go support them. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VishnuBunnyTattoo

Website: https://www.vishnubunnytattoo.com

Jon

52/52... the end

well, my 52 week project has come to an end. one year, 52 photos, and some amazing improvements in my photography. Every comment and critique was appreciated. 

Happy new year, and thank you all. 

New years eve fireworks at Great Bear in Sioux Falls, SD

51/52...

ice drop

there are very few things that i enjoy about winter. one of them is the beauty and randomness that it produces. no matter how many times you see ice, snow, or frost it is never the same. constant change and transition is something that makes for beauty in the smallest things.

in this shot i used my 50mm f1.8 to shoot a very large icicle coming off our roof. i had the aperture maxed out to get the fastest shutter i could to freeze the drop as it fell. i took plenty of shots of this and loved the macro style of this shot.

Jon

scarred land....

burnt tree

this was shot on a short vacation to the Black Hills of South Dakota. i took a trip out there with my girlfriend for the 4th of July in 2012. this was out by Jewel Cave.

i shot SO MANY photos out there and i am just now finally getting around to taking a peek at some. pretty sure i over shot. this was back when i was on my HDR kick and everything was bracketed. this is not and HDR shot, just a single exposure.

shot at F22 1/8th of a second ISO 250 using my Sigma 17-35mm lens.

49/52...

this week i am using an image from a recent et i shot for a local tattoo parlor.

the media guy for Vishnu Bunny Tattoo sent out a Facebook post asking for some help with an upcoming shoot. they are working on monthly shoots that showcase the talents of their artists. in this case i was teamed up with another local artist named Arianna. she is a clothing designer in Sioux Falls, SD. she does some amazing work and is super creative.

unfortunately the original shoot we had planned fell through due to a winter storm that occurred. so this shoot was %100 on the fly and made in the moment. we moved a few thing around in her home workspace, and she wore a set of lingerie that she had recently created. i had to rely on 2 speedlite flashes and one shoot thru umbrella to get this set done. lucky for me she was into the idea that i presented and we were able to get it done fairly quickly, with no hassle.

please check out the Vishnu Bunny website at http://vishnubunnytattoo.com and if you are in town, stop by for a visit. they are also a local art gallery that showcases talent from Sioux Falls and the surrounding area. they art changes monthly and usually has a certain theme or featured artist.

here is a link to the full set on their website: http://vishnubunnytattoo.com/?page_id=695

Jon

first snowfall... part 4

falls pano

now for my final post on the first snowfall at Falls Park in Sioux Falls, SD.

the whole shebang.... this is a panorama of the whole park, with our city's skyline in the background.

Jon

@thejonseaton - twitter @jonseaton - instagram

first snowfall... part 3

falls winter 4

this is the waterfall in the background of the previous post. nothing exciting happened during the capture of this image. it was a pretty straight forward shot. i wish i had a good story to go along with the shot, but i don't. it was just pretty.

Jon

@thejonseaton - twitter @jonseaton - instagram

first snowfall... part 2

falls winter 2

here is my second shot from my snow day at Falls Park in Sioux Falls, SD. this one is a little more mellow. this one is using the same Cokin filter system that i used in the first shot and i had to get a little wet for this one... not by choice.

as i was setting up for this shot i realized a low angle would be the most dramatic, and i would be able to capture the waterfall in the background as well. unfortunately i was in a bit of a hurry, you see it was friggin cold outside! being next to the water falls when it was only about 25 degrees out really made it hard to stay too long. as i was setting up this shot i stood up to move around and get warm and my foot slipped. i almost went butt first into that stream you see rushing by. in the process i managed to bump my tripod and watched in horror as it slid off the rock it was so precariously sitting on. both hands in the water and not being faster than the effects of gravity i watched my camera slide back and land. i was lucky enough to watch it land with the handle of the tripod pointing down and my camera about 2 inches above the rocks and water. so lucky.

i took a few more minuets and set the shot back up and made sure to pay attention to every movement i did. i managed to get a couple decent shots and moved to the next image i wanted to capture.

i have included the non cropped version and one for the Facebook cover photo.if you enjoy the image feel free to use the cover photo provided. please leve comments and share the posts as well if you wish.

falls winter 3

Facebook cover photo:

falls winter 2 cover

Jon

@thejonseaton - twitter @jonseaton - instagram

first snowfall....

falls winter

this week i plan on sharing some photos that were shot on Sunday morning. we were getting our first real snowfall of the season and i decided to take a walk around our famous Falls Park in Sioux Falls, SD. i recently purchased a Cokin filter kit, and was extremely impressed with how easy it is to use.

all of these shots are with my Sigma 17-35mm and the Cokin filter kit. i was using the ND filters 8 and 4 to get some long exposure shots of the water. as you can see there is only a light snowfall. it gives a beautiful clean look to the shots.

i will also include a shot that is cropped, and can be used for a Facebook cover photo. if you enjoy the shot you are more than welcome to use the cover photo.

falls winter cover

jon

@thejonseaton - twitter @jonseaton - instagram