2010 in Review

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I’m very pleased to announce that 2010 was the biggest year yet for Nick Bumgardner Photography. My business grew exponentially in 2010 and I have to thank my clients, friends, and family for that growth.  

In 2010 I added several photographers to the list that I assist including Mark Seliger, Wolf Hoffman, Dean Dixon, Kristina Krug, BauDu Design, Matthew Welsh, and Ryan Beyni to name a few. I worked on some absolutely incredible projects with the photographers mentioned above. Photographs from shoots with the above photographers have appeared all over the national media. I was able to be a part of those shoots and help to assist the photographers and in some cases design the lighting for the shoot or do production work.    

I also expanded my services to include digital tech. I became proficient with Capture One and also with the new Light Room 3 software. I was able to provide real time tech help to photographers on set. This helps to ease the stress on the photographer during the shoot and can also ease the worries of the client on set. When the client can see the photos in real time pop up on the monitor it allows them to have a better feel for the shoot.  

I also maintained great working relationships with the photographers that I have assisted since before 2010.  

I greatly expanded my portfolio this year both through testing with models and on some amazing shoots that I did for clients. I added a number of clients to my roster this year including ABC and Vanderbilt University.

This year also saw several new introductions to my equipment line up. I purchased a Really Right Stuff BH-55 tripod head, Elinchrome ElOcta box, two California Sun Bounce 4x8 reflectors, a Razzle 4x5 camera, and a new Mac Book Pro. The equipment that I purchased this year helped to smooth out my workflow and give my clients more and better options.

I also gained a lot of business savvy. I read tons of business books in 2010 including: Freakonomics, Getting Things Done, The Go-Getter, QBQ The Question Behind the Question, Strengths Finder 2.0, The Tipping Point, and ZAG. I have placed reviews of several of these books on this blog. I will be reviewing the remaining books on this list on this blog later this year.  

2010 was such a great success, I can only hope that 2011 will be just as good. 

Review: Canon 1D MK III

Tweet I purchased my Canon 1D Mark III in November of 2007.  At the time the camera was hard to find and I ended up ordering mine for the people over at 17th Street Photo.  I have provided a link to the left that will allow you to purchase the camera though Amazon.  I am an Amazon affiliate and purchasing though the links provided helps me to run my blog.  At the time in 2007 there was a lot of debate about wither or not the camera focused properly.  To read about the saga for the Canon 1D Mark III focus issues visit Rob Galbraith's website.  Rob also has a much more in depth review on his website that maybe helpful to some people trying to make up their mind about this camera here is the link to Rob's review of the camera.  

In the three years that I have owned my Canon 1D Mark III I have professionally covered: high school and college basketball, high school and college football, high school soccer, high school swimming, NASCAR, IRL, head shots, public relations events, concerts, dances, commercial shoots, etc.  You get the picture I have used this camera in a number of demanding environments for three years.  In that time I have had no issues with the camera.  The camera has performed fine in temperatures above 100f and below 0f.  The camera has been used in the wind and in the rain, and dusty environments.  The camera has even been dropped on several occasions.

The camera has an excellent focus system that has 19 user selectable points that focuses with amazing speed and accuracy.  The one week spot in the cameras focus system is when it is tracking an object that is coming toward the camera and the object changes speed.  Having said that it is an issue that if you know it exist you can work around.

The camera is very well constructed.  Like I have said mine has lasted 3 years in some extreme conditions and has stood up well to everything that it has seen.  My camera has well over 100k exposure taken with it.

High ISO performance with the 1DMKIII is phenomenal.  The camera is usable in a photojournalism setting up to its max ISO of 6,400.

If I were to purchase a camera again in 2007 it would be this camera.  Today I would not recommend purchasing a new 1DMKIII.  I would recommend either buying a used one or if you insist on buying new I would go for a Canon 1D MKIV or Canon 5D MKII depending on user need.  The 1D MKIV really does improve on the focus of the 1DMKIII.  Also the extra MP of the MKIV and extra high iso resolution are welcomed editions to the camera.

Gear Reviws

Tweet I'm about to start a series of gear reviews.  These reviews will be based on my personal experience with the equipment both as a photo assistant and as a photographer.  I will only review equipment that I have personally used.  I do not receive compensation from any of the companies that produce the products that I will be reviewing.  I am an amazon.com associate so if you purchase the equipment from on of my links or click though I do get a small amount of compensation that helps me keep my blog running.

Let me know what gear you would like to see me review.

The first three reviews will be on the Canon 1DMKIII, Elinchrom Ranger RX AS Speed, and the Pelican 1510.

Evernote Review

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I couple of weeks ago I wrote a review of David Allen's Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity.  As a companion and implementation tool I use Evernote available for free at www.evernote.com.

Evernote is a digital, take everywhere, filing cabinet. I use Evernote multiple times a day across multiple platforms.  Evernote is available for Mac, PC, iPad, iPod, iPhone, and Android.  Evernote allows you as it says on their website to capture an idea, access it everywhere, and find it fast.  Evernote allows you to synch your info in its cloud and it allows you to access it from any computer over the internet, your desktop, and other mobil solutions.

Evernote allows the user to have a giant well organized filing cabinet with out any mess.  You do not have to worry about sending the files from one computer to another that has already been done the software will sync itself.  Evernote allows you to create text notes, web clips, pdf, snapshots, and audio clips.  Evernote allows you to create a virtual treasure trove of information ok.... so what about organization?

Evernote allows an amazing amount of organization with a simple layout.  Evernote gives you three basic tools for organization: tags, notes, and notebooks.  In my Evernote system I have nested tags that help me get everything organized.

Evernote allows the user to create web clips which is really handy when you are without internet say on a long flight.  I will often clip a webpage that I want to read but do not have time to and put it in a tag on Evernote of To Be Read and then it will sync with all of my computers when they are connected to the web.  Later when I am without a internet connection I have that saved webpage ready in my Evernote on my laptop.

I have been using Evernote for about six months and I can say that it has helped me to be come more efficient.  It has helped me to remember more things.  It is a great program and is very useful.  Photographers this is a great project management tool.  If you do a quick web search you can find a ton of resources about how to implement a solid Evernote system.

Camping Trip

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Featured on Pizzazzerie.com

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A couple of weeks back I photographed a birthday party for one of my wife's co-workers. It was a great childrens birthday with a lot of cool DIY decorations. Any 5 year old would be jealous of this birthday party. Here is a link to the photos http://www.pizzazzerie.com/parties/childrens-parties/alice-in-wonderland-tea-party/

Really Right Stuff BH-55 Review

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For my birthday I ordered a Really Right Stuff BH-55 Ball Head (you can order yours at www.reallyrightstuff.com) . I have had the ball head for a little over a month now. I can safley say that it is the best ball head that I have ever used.

Fit and Finish:

The fit and finish of the BH-55 is absolutely stunning. The BH-55 is made with very high quality parts. The BH-55 has a nice heft to it when you hold it in you hand. Despite being mass manufactured the BH-55 is artfully crafted. All of the knobs have a nice drag to them and an excellent feel. The quick release is well made and has a smooth and quick operation.

Use:

The BH-55 ball head shines above all others in usage. It makes using a tripod a dream. Before using the BH-55 I did not like using tripods. The main reason for my dislike of tripods was that the ball heads that I have used in the past sagged and were hard to operate. The BH-55 has absolutely no sag even with my heaviest combo of a Canon 1DMKIII and Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS. The thing that makes the BH-55 shine is that it allows you to have a set tension on the ball that allows for a nice drag. You can move the camera around with the drag set properly and then release the camera and it will not sag or droop. It also is an extremely smooth ball because of the size.

Recommendation:

I would recommend this ball head to anyone that can afford the price. The price is hefty, but this ball head is worth every penny. I will primarily be using this ball head in the studio. If you need a travel ball head I would look to one of the other Really Right Stuff designs that is smaller and lighter.