30/4 Park and Midlife Crisis

What I should be doing is working on a script. Instead, I just go out and shoot street life every weekend. I should find an assistant to handle sound recording. Instead, I use a microphone mounted on the camera. I’m sure I’ll sort it all out – eventually! Anyhow, I’d been shooting in and around the… Read More

First Look: Tiffen ND Filter Kit

In my last test, I hoped to show that the Lumix GH3 is fully capable of producing beautiful skin tones and satisfying bokeh, at least when coupled with the Vario 35-100mm f/2.8 lens. But because they were shot under mixed lighting, the results were perhaps not the final word. One of the reasons for doing… Read More

Sunday Afternoon in the Park

There are always loads of photographers in and around the park, especially on weekends: wedding photographers, amateurs, fashion photographers and television crews. Last weekend, I had the good luck to run into Thanh, a cameraman with VTV, a Vietnamese broadcasting network. I arrived at the park at around three in the afternoon, where they’d been… Read More

Test: RØDE Stereo VideoMic Pro

Most experienced filmmakers will tell you that sound is 50 percent of filmmaking. If the sound is poor, the wisdom goes, your video isn’t going to be watched. I don’t know whether this is borne out in actuality however, because to the best of my knowledge, most videos posted to YouTube by non-professionals are shot… Read More

The Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens

The Saigon Zoo, located just twenty minutes or so from my apartment, is one of the oldest zoos in the world. In addition to the exhibits, there are acres and acres of parkland, where you can get away from the traffic and noise of the city, have a picnic, or eat lunch at one of… Read More