Living in a Van down by...Old Walker Chapel Rd

Canon T2i, Tokina AT-X 12-24mm @ 20mm, 1/125s @ f/16, ISO 100

Saturday Morning Excursion at Smith Lake

Operation Kayak-Cam 2.0 :: Getting Elevated

I recently installed a homemade camera mount in my kayak simply by running a bolt through the foredeck and threading my Slik SBH-100DQ Ball Head onto the bolt. That set-up was much improved over the pedestrian methods we were using to film while paddling before that, and provided some decent video on a fishing trip.

So after that moderate success, I was determined to create an elevated mount that would provide not only a better perspective (one that more closely resembled what the paddler was seeing at eye-level), but also one that could include the paddler in the video. 

After doing a little research, I discovered that others had rigged contraptions similar to what I had in mind. Thus I set out to the hardware store in search of parts. And in order to do what I've done, here's what you'll need: 

• Toilet flange, 3"
• Reducing Coupler, 3" to 2" (either PVC or rubber - I tried both)
• 2" PVC Pipe, 2-ft in length
• Coupler, 2" to 2"
• Cap or Plug, 2"
• 1/4" Bolts (4), 1 1/4" long
• 1/4" Washers (4)
• 1/4" Nuts or Wingnuts (4)
• 1/4" Bolt (1), 1" long

Installing the flange on the aft deck of the kayak was really the hardest part. After determining the best placement of the flange, and marking where the holes would go [remember the old proverb: measure twice, drill/cut once], I then had to get up the courage to drill four holes in my boat. Upon drilling the holes, I re-placed the flange and ran the bolts through the holes, installing the washers and nuts within the hull.

Showing: 3" Flange attached to Kayak

 Piecing together the rest was done easily enough, from bottom to top: flange + reducing coupler + 2ft-pipe + coupler + plug. I then drilled a hole through the plug/cap and installed the 1/4" bolt (1" long) through that hole, to which the ballhead attaches. You may need another nut or washer between the cap and tripod head to make sure it gets snug before rounding out.

Showing: Flange, Reducing Coupler, Pipe, and Coupler

Showing: Top of Pipe, Coupler, Cap, and Tripod Head

After getting everything pieced and fastened together, it was time test this newest fabrication. A friend and I carried the kayak down to a local pond for a trial run. Mostly we were interested to know which would be better the rubber reducing coupler or the PVC version.

As you may have noticed, the rubber mount allowed for a little more sway while paddling. Pros: Any impact that mount or camera must absorb upon flipping will be reduced because of the give. Cons: Experiencing some vertigo and nausea while watching videos. An important note to add here is that I tethered the camera to the boat so that in the unfortunate event that disaster struck, the camera would likely be salvaged.

Completed Project, Awaiting Test Run

To my disappointment, the focal length of my Flip UltraHD Video Camera is roughly the equivalent of 35mm in film formats, which isn't very wide. Presently, it allows only glimpses of the paddle, and nothing of the boat or paddler. The easiest solution to this is to used a camera with a wider focal length. I have a Panasonic DMC-LX3 with good video capabilities, but currently water resistant housing I built for it has fallen into disrepair.

The Elevated Mount in Action

My "I Was Bored" Photo of the Day

Would anyone like to hazard a guess as to what you're looking at?

The Last First Day

For all of us 3L's, today was the last first day of law school (or God willing, any school) for the rest of our careers. Here's looking up from Lucille's basement.

Lucille Beeson Law Library, Cumberland School of Law, Samford University

Inspiration from a Fellow Birmingham Photographer

Cary Norton has built the Legotron, a 4x5 camera made of Legos:

The Garage in Birmingham's South Side

The Garage was built in the 1920s for some of Birmingham's wealthier residents who needed a place to park their vehicles. That use eventually tailed off, and the stalls have since been used as both storage and later as garages for nearby apartment dwellers.

The Garage was then abandoned for some time, until it was purchased by Fritz Woehle. Fritz now operates the Garage Cafe out of the structure, in addition to storing his many antiques and broken statuary there. None of the items bear price tags, but most all may or may not be purchased from Fritz at his whim.

Happy World Photography Day!

According to WorldPhotoDay: "World Photography Day originates from the invention of the Daguerreotype, a photographic processes developed by Louis Daguerre.  On January 9, 1839, The French Academy of Sciences announced the daguerreotype process. A few months later, on August 19, 1839, the French government announced the invention as a gift 'Free to the World.'"

Canon Rebel T2i, Tamron 70-300 LD Di @ 300mm, 1/200s @ f/5.6, ISO 100

Overly Baked in the Late Summer Sun

Eastern Purple Coneflower :: Canon T2i, Tamron LD Di 70-300 @ 300mm, 1/160 @ f/5.6, ISO 100

Echinacea Purpurea :: Canon T2i, Tamron LD Di 70-300 @ 300mm, 1/160 @ f/5.6, ISO 100

Fishing at the Locust Fork, Again

Matt, Tyler, and I went fishing on Saturday morning. And while this likely isn't our most compelling footage, the production value of the videos is certainly increasing. So here's our most recent outing. Spoiler Alert: Nobody caught anything. We saw loads of fish: carp, gar, bass; but they just weren't biting on this occasion.

Ruffles Have Ridges...As Does Driftwood

...In a Highback Chair

There's a residence as you drive into North Birmingham, that his intrigued me for much of the last two years. Often of a morning, this fellow will be sitting outside in his highback chair, next to the sofa, reading the paper. Sometimes accompanied by a mongrel dog or cat. I have mulled stopping to ask to take his photo more times than I can count. My breakthrough finally came yesterday. As I passed the house on my way in to Birmingham, I decided to stop; but being that I was already past it, I had to turn around and go back. I asked to take his photo, and he complied, apparently without finding to much oddity in the request.

from a Ninoka nk-700

Ninoka nk-700

In the final installment of the thrift store acquisitions, we are brought to the Ninoka nk-700. Despite my lack of familiarity with the camera and my overall lack of excitement about using it, I was pleasantly surprised by the results.

Though I brought it along, I hadn't really planned on using it on this outing. I brought my Canon EOS 3 with me, since it hadn't been off the shelf in several months, but having failed to
check the battery before leaving the house, I didn't learn until attempting to take the first photo that it was DOA.

So that left me with the Ninoka as the only other available camera to use alongside the Vivitar PN2011. Despite its "glass" lens, the photos taken with the camera were generally less sharp than those taken with the Vivitar.




The Ninoka nk-700 is modeled as if it were an SLR. It has a 50mm "glass" lens, as indicated on the lens' nose. Although it only has one shutter speed 1/125s, it offers four aperture selections: f/6-8-11-16. It does not require batteries.

from a Vivitar PN2011

I went down to the Warrior River, Locust Fork with my friend Tyler on Friday morning. My primary objective was to work on some time lapse stuff, but I also had a couple new cameras I had recently picked up at the thrift store, and they needed a trial run. 

In the panorama below, I stitched three photos together from my Vivitar PN2011 while using its "panoramic" mode, so I suppose its a panorama-to-the-fourth-power. If you peep really closely, you can spy my camera on tripod on the far right, set up for its time lapse work. 

The Vivitar PN2011is the less-sought-after brother to the Vivitar Ultra-Wide-and-Slim ("UWAS"), which bears a 22mm lens. The PN2011 has a 28mm lens, with a fixed aperture of f/8, and a single shutter speed of 1/125s. It has a sliding lens cover, which fortunately prevents you from taking a photo when it is in place. Unlike most "toy" cameras of its ilk, the PN2011 has a tripod socket; additionally, it does not require batteries to operate.

The PN2011 is most noted for its "panoramic" mode. When the slide on the back of the camera is pushed to P, a set of inserts descend that crop off the top and bottom portions of the frame, both on the film plane and in the viewfinder. Another perk of the camera is its bright and crisp viewfinder. There is quite a lot of information to be found about folks who have modified their PN2011's to accept filters, have a Bulb mode, and/or take multiple exposures.

The VIVITAR PN2011 Focus Free / Panoramic Camera can be purchased from Amazon.

Acquisitions from a Thrift Store

The other day I stopped at the America's Thrift Store in Gardendale, which I do on occasion to scope out its meager-to-nonexistent camera stock. They've never had anything in which anyone would have any modicum of interest in ever owning again. But I go anyway. This time I shuffled through an array of Polaroids in varying stages of disrepair, only to com upon three little gems, each for $1.48.

Minolta Hi-Matic AF, c. 1979

I was most excited about acquiring the Minolta Hi-Matic AF. Being released in 1979, this camera was Minolta's first auto-focus camera. It has a Minolta Rokkor 38mm f/2.8 lens, which is purported to be very nice. The ASA dial goes from 25-400. The Hi-Matic AF is mostly plastic but feels solid enough, has a pop-up flash, and takes AA batteries.

Unfortunately, this is the camera I was to be most disappointed by. After putting the batteries in, I discovered that something appears to be wrong with the shutter mechanism. The shutter button will not depress, and the winding lever will not move. I was able to use the self-timer lever to fire the shutter a couple of times, then re-cock it, but even that function has since ceased. I may soon dissect to see if there are any visible problems, but barring any unlikely resolution, it will likely gather dust in the camera closet as the landmark relic that it is.

Vivitar PN2011 "Panoramic" Camera

In descending order of my general excitement, we are brought to the Vivitar PN2011. This is the less-sought-after brother to the Vivitar Ultra-Wide-and-Slim ("UWAS"), which bears a 22mm lens. The PN2011 has a 28mm lens, with a fixed aperture of f/8, and a single shutter speed of 1/125s. It has a sliding lens cover, which fortunately prevents you from taking a photo when it is in place. Unlike most "toy" cameras of its ilk, the PN2011 has a tripod socket; additionally, it does not require batteries to operate.

The PN2011 is most noted for its "panoramic" mode. When the slide on the back of the camera is pushed to P, a set of inserts descend that crop off the top and bottom portions of the frame, both on the film plane and in the viewfinder. Another perk of the camera is its bright and crisp viewfinder. There is quite a lot of information to be found about folks who have modified their PN2011's to accept filters, have a Bulb mode, and/or take multiple exposures.

The first photos from the PN2011 can be found here.

Ninoka nk-700

My final acquisition is the least well-known of the three, a Ninoka nk-700. This rangefinder is modeled as if it were an SLR. It has a 50mm "glass" lens, as indicated on the lens' nose. Although it only has one shutter speed 1/125s, it offers four aperture selections: f/6-8-11-16. The nk-700 does not require batteries.

Upon getting mine home, I realized that the rewind spool was partially broken, and will not take up the film like it should. This requires me to use a dark bag to retrieve the film after finishing a role, thus only one role can be used in the field per trip in this camera. That's a limiting factor that will likely cause this camera to sit on the shelf.

_____________________________________________________________

Over the next couple days I'll post the results of my first outing with the Vivitar and Ninoka.

Time Lapse :: Locust Fork (Sneak Preview)

I am working on a larger time lapse project pertaining to the Locust Fork of the Warrior River. And you are privy to but a small part of that collaboration. So here's some footage that was taken today while Tyler and I were hiking at the Locust Fork down by Hwy 160, today.

Time Lapse :: Locust Fork at Hwy 160 from Jeremy Richter on Vimeo.

Partly Cloudy on the Warrior

The photo I posted on Sunday of Buckshort Bridge reminded me of another photo I had previously taken at the Warrior River. This one was taken during the fall of 2010, during a hike. I really like this photo because of the clouds; I really feel like they make this shot.

Buckshort

In 2009, two friends and I canoed 16.5miles from Warrior down to Buckshort Bridge, but the only photo of the bridge I had to show for it was a kind-of shoddy one taken with a disposable waterproof camera. So when we went paddling there again on Saturday, I was determined to take a photo in which I could have more pride. So armed with my trusty Panasonic LX3, this was my best effort.