Time Shutter

A year ago, I had a fun freelance gig. I got paid to run all over San Francisco doing what I love to do - shooting pictures.

My assignment - to shoot over 250 buildings throughout San Francisco. I was given an iPhone with geo-tags on it and trekked to each location to shoot a high resolution photo with a DSLR. I had to as closely as I could, replicate a historic photo or postcard from 100 years ago which in itself was a challenge due to the changing landscape of urban sprawl.

The end result of all of this is a new app called Time Shutter which just recently garnered a top app recognition from the San Francisco Chronicle.

This geo-coded app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod lets you compare the San Francisco of 100 years ago to today, a handy tool whether you're a native or a tourist.

Time Shutter displays old images of key locations like Lotta's Fountain, Mission Delores or Chinatown and transitions to modern photos taken from the same angle. If you're visiting that spot, you can shoot your own photo to share on social media. It also has a historical map and notes so you learn a little bit of the history of the area.

The free app comes with 146 images, and a $1.99 version has 100 more. A New York City version is scheduled for release next month and other cities are planned.

http://www.timeshutter.com/

Pete Souza, the President's Photographer

Pete Souza

A few months back, PBS aired a fascinating documentary on Chief Official White House Photographer Pete Souza and his unique relationship with President Obama.

The hour long show is now available for viewing on the PBS website.

http://video.pbs.org/video/1672209202

Check it out and for more of Souza's images, check out his Flickr site of President Barack Obama's first year in office :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/sets/72157623126418563/

President Obama shoots with Souza's Canon 5D Mark II

An Evening with Mark & Cathy Pemberton

Many thanks to those of you who attended the Becoming Focused presentation by Mark and Cathy Pemberton last night at Camera West in Walnut Creek. It was one chair shy of a standing room only crowd and everyone had a great time seeing some amazing images by the Pembertons.

My personal favorite of the evening was this sweet image :

© Mark and Cathy Pemberton

Thanks Mark and Cathy for sharing your inspiring work with us!

Free Falling Nikon

Adventure photographer Lucas Gilman gives us a behind the scenes look at the filming of the first successful kayak descent of Oregon's Abiqua Falls. Pro kayaker Jesse Coombs made the 100 foot drop as Gilman and his crew documented it with a variety of Nikon digitals, including the Nikon D7000, Nikon D3S, Nikon D3X, and even a Nikon Coolpix P7000.

The images above are frame grabs from the video by Lucas Gilman.

Gilman mounted the Coolpix P7000 in an underwater housing for a unique look behind Coombs as he makes the 100 foot drop.

Check out the video here : http://youtu.be/66GIShXATts

Don't Miss This!

Join us this Wednesday, April 20 at Camera West in Walnut Creek. This free event is filling up fast so call us to reserve your seat. 

(925) 935-1424

Monterey Seminar

Long days with chilly sunrises and windy sunsets but the picture perfect Monterey Peninsula made it all worthwhile for the Camera West seminar participants last week.

Above, Dennis Sasaki photographs the setting sun near Pacific Grove, Saturday. Earlier in the evening, over a fabulous dinner in Carmel, Leica representative Tom Brichta shared his Leica S2 photos with Dianne Tanaka and Anna Marie Maagdeberg. Below, Camera West's Leicameister Hal Kam helps Anna Marie set up her Leica M9.

A great time was had by all, but if you missed this one, there will be others.

Check back on this blog and the Camera West Events Calendar for upcoming activities and workshops.

(Photos are frame grabs from a video shot with a Canon 7D)

Rock-n-Roll with the Leica M9

Gary Copeland, a Leica M9 shooter and good customer of Camera West,  specializes in shooting the contemporary music scene. Gary recently returned from the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas where he shot live performances of various bands. Check out his first-person account of his work on the Leica Camera Blog.

For a look at more of Gary's work : http://www.kinofistpix.com/Site/Home.html

Photos © Gary Copeland