Canon 7D Mark II

2018 Underwater Series

Posted by Snob on August 15, 2018

Posted in: Art, canon 5D mark III, Canon 7D Mark II, Fashion, models. Tagged: canon 5d mark III, Canon 7D Mark II, Dicapac WP-S10, flash photography, photo shoot, Photography, pool, strobe, underwater, water. Leave a comment

Teaser shot from Dinah’s first time under water

About once a year, I organize an underwater photo shoot to bring together some of the awesome creative passionate people in my world. It is an honor to share in such energy and creative collaboration.

Our first shoot was on Saturday July 28th and went from about 5pm-11pm. We did a smaller shoot this past Friday August 10th, to re-shoot some of the scenes we couldn’t quite get right on the first go around.

We had a great team this year. I would like to extend special thanks and gratitude to the entire 2018 team.

Nick (model) – Nick is a professional associate of mine and Sgt. with the US Army reserve. We focused on US Army themed shots featuring some great concepts I’m very excited about and look forward to sharing with you later this fall.
Dinah (model) – Dinah is a globetrotting, Ducati Monster riding, passionate, creative girl originally from Turkey. She has a great sense of style, fashion and serious work ethic.
Charis (model) – Charis is an awesome model, beautiful person, and cool spirit. I have had the pleasure of collaborating with her on several creative shoots. This was definitely not her first under water shoot.
April (model & production) – April has a background in video and media production. Her sense of humor and great energy is infectious. She instrumental in helping the production go as smooth as possible. She was my hands, eyes and ears above while I was underwater.
Sophie (makeup artist) – Sophie is a very creative soul with lots of awesome work in CosPlay and costume design. She brought a great energy to the project and I look forward to working with her on future projects.
Jason and Chrissy (hosts) – These two have been good friends for as long as I can remember. On our last shoot this weekend, we convinced Chrissy to put on her old wedding dress and go for a swim. What ensued was some unexpected magic I look forward to sharing with you.

For me one of the biggest rewards for all the hard work, time and effort that goes into these projects is the chance to give some amazing people an experience they have never had before. I love sharing the magic. Here are a few behind the scenes shots.

The Big Solar Eclipse of 2017

Posted by Snob on September 3, 2017

Posted in: Astrophotography, Camera, Canon 7D Mark II, Events, Nature. Tagged: 2017 Partial Solar Eclipse, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM, Canon Extender EF 2X III, Moon, Star, Sun. Leave a comment

2017 Solar Eclipse start

2017 Solar Eclipse peak

Well as the saying goes, “better late than never”. I did make some kind of effort to capture the solar eclipse a few weeks ago. There was a lot of hype about this eclipse here in the US particularly because it presented an opportunity to many across the country to witness a full solar eclipse. I wasn’t however as motivated or hyped-up as some. I just didn’t think it was worth the hassle this time around considering my work schedule and the travel to an obscure location and deal with the gridlock and traffic jam. This especially considering that there are anywhere from 2 to 5 solar eclipses around the world each year. I simply do not think it is as rare (or special) an occasion as it is made out to be. I would sooner chase the eclipse at a destination that offers interesting and exciting possibilities for photography.

Canon 7D mark II + EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM + EF Extender 2x III

Nonetheless, I did at least take out my gear for the occasion. The view from Sacramento was of a partial eclipse as we were not in the line of the full shadow. I used my Canon 7D Mark II and Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II super telephoto lens. I also used the EF 2X Extender III, albeit begrudgingly. I say this because it softens an otherwise perfect lens but I had no choice given that for solar observation you really need 600mm at a bare minimum. Of course I did not forget to use a solar filter. Originally designed for my telescope, it fits perfectly on my canon lens. I would have liked to setup my Computerized German Equatorial Mount for tracking, time lapse and also use my 1000mm telescope. However I really had more pressing things to get to that morning. So I threw my kit in the truck and headed into my morning commute. I managed to step out of my office a couple times throughout the eclipse to capture a few key shots. Here they are.

Did you capture the eclipse? Did you view it?

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Los Angeles Skyline from Hollywood Hills

Posted by Snob on June 5, 2017

Posted in: Architecture, Canon 7D Mark II, Cityscapes, Landscape, Los Angeles, Travel. Tagged: california, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS II USM, citylights, Cityscape, hollywood, Los Angeles, night lights, skyline. Leave a comment

City of Angels from Hollywood Hills

Last weekend I took a quick trip down to LA for the weekend to vacation with family for the Memorial Day weekend. It was a nice escape. My brother picked out a villa in the Hollywood Hills for us to stay. One of the nice things about this particular home was the unobstructed view of the Downtown LA Skyline. Perched at the top of the hill, with three levels and a rooftop terrace, it was only too easy. After everyone had finally retired for the night, I grabbed my camera and stepped out into the cool evening breeze. The LA smog was a bit of a challenge but nothing too challenging. I have captured the city from various other vantage points you can read more about here.

I traveled light for this trip. I brought just my go-to-in-a-pinch camera, the Canon 7D Mark II and Canon EF-S 17-55mm. Fortunately my brother also has the same setup but he also brought his Canon EF 100-400mm L II lens. Without it, this shot wouldn’t have been possible. This panoramic was taken at 400mm. The hills are quite far from Downtown LA.

This is a rough draft of the panorama. I’m undecided if this shot should make it to limited edition print. If it does, it will require some editing. Do you have any favorite angles on the city to share? Thanks for stopping by.

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Plane Spotting @SMF – SouthWest N7738A – Canon 5DsR + EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM + EF 2x Extender III

When I was a little boy, we lived practically across the street from a military base and international airport. My big brother Christopher and I would race up the hill as soon as we heard the faintest sound of an airplane. We would sometimes grab our Dad’s binoculars to get a closer look at the action. As I grew up I eventually forgot about aircraft spotting. My brother never stopped however. He routinely spends an afternoon at the end of any runway that has a view and access.

He recently visited and since he’s caught the photography bug from me he suggested we go aircraft spotting so I can give him some tips on how to photograph airplanes. Little did I know I would catch the plane spotting bug all over again. This was only a few days ago and now today I spent my sunset at Sacramento International Airport (SMF) on the lookout for special airplanes – the ones with unique livery, colors and paint jobs. Both occasions have been great opportunities for me to test my gear and add yet another dimension to my photography experience.

The shot at the top is a panorama taken with the Canon 5DsR and EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM with EF 2x Extender III. That a shot this sharp and detailed could be taken handheld at 600mm is a testament to the effectiveness of the camera system. The original image is about 20x more detailed. You can read the fine print on the rear door. This is one of those ideal conditions where the Extender III works at it’s best. It did however soften the incredible sharpness of the EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens ever so slightly.

Yes, I am well aware that the 5DsR is not really designed for this kind of action. However these are the kind of challenges I like to give myself. Yes it is possible to photograph action with the 5DsR – by carefully framing and tracking your subject, paying very keen attention and holding a steady hand. The 5DsR’s fast and effective AF system and accurate metering system more than compensate for it’s slower shutter speed. You just can’t “spray and pray” that you got your shot. You have to focus a little more. I also used the Canon 7D Mark II today. It was just too easy as this is exactly the kind of photography it was designed for.

I also rented the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens from Photo Source for the second day. I noticed that the fixed focal length of the 300mm was not well suited for this type of photography. My 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II was just not long enough for half the scenarios. I have to say the 100-400mm was nothing short of perfect. I simply forgot, stopped thinking about my lens configuration and focused more on my shots. I am tempted to add this lens to my kit.

This was fun and relaxing!

Los Angeles after sunset via Baldwin Park

There is no greater collection of madness, crazy beauty, love, broken hearts, passions, aspirations, shattered dreams and angels with broken wings. Every time I photograph this city I feel like I am drowning in raw poetry of everything it is to be human. Los Angeles! What would the world be without you? Never stop dreaming…

Los Angeles sunset via Baldwin Park

Not long ago I took a quick trip down to Los Angeles to visit friends and family. Of course I had to plan a photo excursion while down there. I have photographed Los Angeles before and posted about that exploit here: Los Angeles Sunset – Griffith Observatory and here: Los Angeles after sunset.

The Baldwin Hills stairs

This is one of the views I have been hunting for a while now. I did a fair amount of research and realized that it has not been photographed that much. Why? Well, I sure did find out. Shooting from this location is a two-man job. Your first challenge is that the park closes at sunset, so while this view is accessible by car, you must leave before sunset, park on the street (limited, 2 hour parking) at the base of the hill, then haul yourself and your gear up what seems like an eternity of stairs, all the way to the top (see photo to the right), over 400 feet high. This is not for the faint of heart. If you have any heart or health conditions, do not attempt this!

Once at the top and you have caught your breath, you will be taken by the view, from Santa Monica and the Pacific all the way to Downtown Los Angeles. However your next big challenge will be the wind (and maybe a few snakes). You will never be able to get a clean shot no matter the time of day.

7D Mark II on HDR time lapse duty

The wind was a big problem so I immediately set out to find a solution, a compromise position that offered a buffer from the constant wind. I settled in for the sunset. It was about 5pm. I setup the 7D Mark II to capture an HDR time lapse of the sunset. With that going, I started setting up the 5DsR and EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II for detailed panorama captures. The haze over the city is a very big problem and requires considerable editing and post processing. The two panoramas above are actually crops from a single 50 megapixel image wide shot at 70mm.

I stayed through sunset, was finally packed up and heading down the stairs by 10pm. Going down the stairs was just as painful if not more than going up. I honestly did not think I had it in me when I started before sunset, but I had come too far to turn around. My camera kit alone weights over 30lbs. I suppose I just discovered new limits of my endurance…LOL.

I hope you enjoyed this view too. I will post the final shots as soon as I get around to processing and editing them. They will most definitely make it to limited edition print. Next time you see a good clean shot of a view, hopefully you can pause and think how much effort it took that photographer to get that shot.

Thanks for stopping by.

Reader Comments: 6D vs 7D Mark II

Posted by Snob on May 9, 2016

Posted in: Camera, Canon 7D Mark II, Reader Comments, Reviews. Tagged: Canon 6D, Canon 7D Mark II, comparison, opinion., Reader Comments, review. Leave a comment

I just got this email from a reader asking for some thoughts on camera gear and her kit in general so i thought I’d share my thoughts with other readers.

I ran across your article on Canon 5D Mark III vs 7D. I’ve had 6D’s in the past and loved them but thought I’d try out the 7D Mark II because I was missing some of the action in sequence. I haven’t learned the camera yet for action and found myself missing the 6D for low light and landscape. I guess I’m just looking for encouragement that the 7D Mark II will handle the landscape shots just fine with the right lens. I have the following lenses:

EF 85mm f/1.8

EF 200mm f/2.8L II

EF 100mm f/2.8L macro

I doubt I will ever be able to afford the newest 100-400mm which I understand is the best with the 7D Mark II so I was thinking of trading it out for a 6D to
use with the lenses I have and save up for a nice wide angle for it. Decisions, decisions! I’ve had a 400 before, I’ve had the 70-200, I’ve had the Sigma 150-600mm, all were just too heavy and not convenient. I’ve had two 6D’s at one time and that was nice to shoot with a zoom on one and wide angle or macro on the other. I just got to the point where I felt I needed more.

Maybe the ideal set up for a poor gal is to have the 7D Mark II with a 6D but with that, I do not have the proper lens for action for the 7D. I guess what I’m hoping you can confirm is that the 7D Mark II can do it all….?

Thanks
Kim

Canon 7D Mark II + EF 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

Hi Kim:

Thanks for taking the time to write. First off I have to preface everything by saying the best camera is the one you already have. However with that said, it sounds to me like you are running up against the many shortcomings and compromises of the Canon 6D camera system.

The short version of this post is I would never consider owning a 6D body. I would pick the 7D Mark II over the 6D any day. The 6D is such a crippled and compromised camera system, it doesn’t make much sense to me except in very limited and specific scenarios such as landscape and still life. Of course if all I had was a 6D, I’m sure I would eventually get my shot no doubt, but it would probably be a frustrating experience. The 6D sprung from a perceived need for a “cheap and watered-down” full frame alternative to the 5D Mark III. This premise was already a red flag in my opinion. The 5D Mark III already made some compromises from the flagship 1Dx. I have found myself in situations before where I just dropped the 5D Mark III and picked up the 7D Mark II.

I think to better understand what choice is right for you, it is important to understand the Canon pro lineup. There are two flagship camera systems. One full frame and one APS-C crop sensor flagship body. These are the 1Dx Mark II and the 7D Mark II respectively. Both cameras make zero compromises. Everything else is a compromise. Both of these bodies, pack an abundance of speed, processing power, capacity and all the latest features available. For this reason, I will always pick the 7D Mark II since I don’t have the 1Dx Mark II.

I have used the 6D and it was definitely out of place in the Canon pro lineup. I found it very limiting. The 7D has the fastest most effective Auto Focus of the canon lineup. It is on par with the 1Dx Mark II. The 7D Mark II is blazing fast, has a brutally accurate and intelligent AF system, precise metering, and powerful dual DIGIC6 processor pixel pump. There is nothing you cannot shoot with the 7D Mark II. Nothing. This is not the case with any of the other full frame bodies (except for the 1D series).

There is far more to an effective camera system than a the sensor size and low light capability. Current APS-C sensor technology has caught up with and surpassed all professional requirements. When it comes to low light capabilities, the 7D Mark II puts out a respectable performance with usable shots as high as ISO-1600. Yes maybe the 6D puts out usable shots at ISO-3200 but here’s my problem both are too noisy for me anyway. So we are talking about ISO performance advantage where it really does not matter. The high ISO argument is really a moot point these days. I rarely shoot my 5D Mark III above ISO-1600, because I just can’t stand the noise however low it may be. Also more important than low light capability is the fact that at higher the ISO, dynamic range is decreased dramatically, regardless of whether it is a full frame or crop sensor.

As for low light performance, the 7D Mark II packs an unexpected capability. If you just crank up your ISO to 6400 or as high as you need to achieve a shutter speed 1/10th of a second or faster, then use in-camera HDR bracketing at full burst mode of 10 frames per second, the resulting HDR composition cancels out a lot of the noise. I ran into this while shooting an extremely low light wedding reception in which my 5D Mark III just could not acquire focus or keep a fast enough shutter. The 7D Mark II saved the day. It seems counter intuitive, but it does in fact work in real world practice.

Finally as far as landscape photography is concerned, all you need is the right lens for the 7D Mark II. I swear by the Canon EF 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM lens. It is tack sharp and lightning fast. It has also dropped in price since I bought mine. You can find one for well under $1000. I’ve seen people selling theirs for a little as $500. This lens is so good, there has been no need to revise it. It is perhaps the most underappreciated lens in the Canon lens lineup. This should be the first lens any 7D kit should have. Here are some examples of what you can expect as far as landscape photography with this 7D Mark II combination:

Did someone say you can’t do landscape photography with a 7D Mark II?? They are just lazy. Have them call me. I could go on-and-on. As for shooting action shots, I haven’t yet posted about that but if you take a look at my Instagram [@bryanallo] you will find numerous examples of what the 7D Mark II is capable of.

I hope this helps. Keep me posted on your photography journey.

Thanks Kim and all the best.

Astrophotography: Mercury Transit

Posted by Snob on May 9, 2016

Posted in: Astrophotography, Canon 7D Mark II, Events, Nature. Tagged: Astronomy, astrophotography, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 2x Extender III, canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS II, Mercury, Planet, Solar System, Space, Sun, Transit. Leave a comment

Mercury Transit of the Sun – May 9, 2016

Can you spot Mercury? In case you missed it there is still about an hour left in today’s celestial event. Today Mercury transits the Sun. The next time this occurs will be in 2019. I did consider setting up the telescope and camera for some close-up shots and even doing a time lapse, however the transit started before sunrise here on the West Coast in California so by the time the sun cleared the horizon, the transit was well under way. Hopefully I’ll have better luck next time in 2019.

None-the-less I had to at least get a few shots for my archives. For this shot I used the Canon 7D Mark II + EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens with the EF 2x Extender III for an effective focal length of 400mm. I also stacked one 10-stop filter and two ND4 neutral density filters in front of my lens and I could still barely look at the sun at f/13. Please always exercise the utmost caution when observing the sun. A split second mistake could lead to instant blindness!

For more information on this event you can check out this NASA Page.

Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe

Posted by Snob on September 8, 2015

Posted in: Canon 7D Mark II, Landscape, Nature, Travel. Tagged: Canon 7D Mark II, canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM, Emerald Bay, hiking, Lake Tahoe, Lake Tahoe Panoramic, panoramic. Leave a comment

Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe Panoramic – Canon 7D Mark II + EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe Panoramic – Canon 7D Mark II + EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

Happy Labor Day! I just noticed I have not posted in over a month. I haven’t been gone, just busy. August was a busy month. All my spare time went into photographic endeavors and creative projects. Now that I have some time, I intend to catch up.

I spent last weekend around the Lake Tahoe area. One of my favorite spots to visit is Emerald Bay. I traveled light this time as I drove my roadster. I packed just my 7D Marl II and EF-S 17-55mm, a great all around, extremely versatile workhorse camera system. The weather was perfect that weekend, apart from the overall windy conditions which disturbed the surface of the lake, causing more waves than usual. This got in the way of those sublime sunset shots.

Non-the-less I was still able to get some amazing shots while hiking Emerald Bay. Have you visited Lake Tahoe?? What’s your favorite spot?

Emerald Bay

Always remember to look back while hiking

Emerald Bay

The hike down into the Emerald Bay

Down by the bay

Las Vegas Sunset Panorama via the LINQ High Roller – Canon 7D Mark II + EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

Las Vegas Sunset Panorama via the LINQ High Roller – Canon 7D Mark II + EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

If you’ve ever been to Las Vegas, you must already be familiar with how over-the-top everything is. At this point I’ve been to Las Vegas more times than I can count but I still often find myself laughing in disbelief every time I walk the strip – thinking to myself “No way! They actually built this! They really did!”. Much of the Las Vegas strip is the stuff dreams and fantasies are made of. Often times it is a blatant copy of the world’s landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, New York skyline, the Seattle Needle or a modern interpretation of the Egyptian Pyramids you can actually stay in, air conditioned!

One of the latest additions is called the Las Vegas High Roller. It reminds me of the London Eye. It is definitely larger than it seams. As you get closer you begin to really appreciate it’s size and scale. Like most of the Las Vegas strip, an engineering marvel. I timed my visit right at sunset. This is the best time to visit the High Roller, however I’m pretty sure the views would be quite spectacular at all times of day. The wheel takes about 30 minutes to go full circle. It never stops, and moves just slow enough for you to jump into the pod from the platform. It’s a bit of a thrill in itself, then the breathtaking views completely take over.

I wanted to catch magic hour just as we peaked at the top of the wheel. The wheel moved just slow enough to where I was able to quickly setup my shots in rapid succession. I used the 7D Mark II for most of my key shots because it was just fast enough to capture 4-5 HDR bracket panoramic shots in rapid succession to where parallax was almost a non-issue. What a camera system. The 5D Mark III was too slow and was used for just single ultra wide angle shots. This is one of those times I really wished I had the 1Dx. None-the-less I got plenty of great, very detailed shots to work with. Below are some highlights to share the experience with you. Above are two of my favorite shots. They still need much more editing if they are to make it to limited edition print. We’ll see if I can get them up to snuff.

Walking to the High Roller

Yes I was actually there…LOL

Waiting to hop aboard

About to jump in

We’re on!

The Vegas tram

I love sunset colors

Here it comes!

Mr Smith, my personal security detail on this trip. What happens when you give your DSLR to a random stranger? They fumble the shot.

Photo shoot with Theresa

Posted by Snob on July 7, 2015

Posted in: Art, canon 5D mark III, Canon 7D Mark II, models, studio. Tagged: art, canon 24-105mm f/4 L, canon 430EX, canon 5d mark III, canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS II, Canon 7D Mark II, canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM, exotic, fashion, girl, model, photo shoot, tattoo, Tattoos, Theresa Manchester. Leave a comment

Theresa Manchester – Canon 5D Mark III + EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM

This past weekend welcomed another addition to my ongoing Tattoo Series – Curators of Art. For this photo shoot I had the pleasure of working with model and world traveler Theresa Manchester. She was a great subject to work with. Aside from a her beauty and considerable collection of body art, she came with quite a bit of experience in front of the camera. She also spends some of her spare time behind the camera. This all made for a great productive session as I was able to quickly and easily communicate and direct her throughout the shoot while she shared her many exploits around the world – some in places I have been myself. It was great to work with you Theresa. I certainly hope we get to collaborate again someday.

For this shoot I kept it fairly simple and spartan as I typically do. I used the the Canon 5D Mark III. I started off with the EF 24-105mm f/4L but quickly switched to the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II once we got into the rhythm of things. For lighting, I used two Canon 430EX speedlites in manual mode with Photix high speed sync RF triggers. I shot full manual the whole time for precise control of the camera, lighting and desired effect. The location was my private home studio. Key shots will make it into my limited edition collection prints from my Tattoo Series. Few will ever be published, however I felt I should at least share one (above). Below are a few behind the scenes shots. For BTS coverage I used the Canon 7D Mark II and EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM on a tripod. I used the built-in intervalometer to trigger the camera periodically throughout most of the shoot.