The *NEW* New Studio

A good start.

Our Story So Far

It seems like only eighteen months ago when I finished the new studio in our new townhouse and was cranking out content.  Since then we moved to a new house and we started finishing the basement again.  This time we set aside space for the grandkids to hang out in, and used the rest of the space for a craft area for Carol and a functioning studio for me.  In this case "functioning studio" meant "Lots of open space".  

Below is my first project done in the studio.  I wanted to make a youtube video aimed at beginning photography students who are learning how to use film (*).  Here I walk through how to use the classic Minolta SR-T series cameras:

(*) I know there's a resurgence in interest in film because I read it in Cameracraft magazine. (*)  

(*) Oh, wait, I wrote that article.

Notes On How It Was Done

I had two video lights shining on the white background, and I set the exposure to have it mildly blow out.  Then I had a 3rd light just on me, set to have me exposed properly.  This setup used three cameras: One on me (A7R V), one close-up (A6400), and one overhead for other close-ups (it was an RX-100 VII on a boom).  Between setting up, filming, editing, and tearing down, this short video took me 3 days to make.  

The biggest challenge was how to take video footage through the optical viewfinder, as none of my high-end equipment could do it.  My solution is pictured below: I used an old smartphone and affixed it to the rear of the camera.

"Why did you have to use an old smartphone, Gary?  Why not a new one?" I hear you ask.  Good question.  I tried using my new Galaxy S23 Ultra and my older Galaxy S8; but the viewfinder image I was trying to show wandered all over the frame.  Even with digital image stabilization disabled, these phones had optical image stabilization which couldn't be disabled, and even my software-based video image stabilization tools couldn't help.  My wife's old Galaxy S5 (never get rid of your old smartphones!!) didn't suffer from such advances and, while I wasn't able to control the exposure, it allowed me to show what I needed to show with a steady image. 

Other Studio Shots

The hangout area also serves as a technology museum (as always, click on any image to view larger):

The display cases look more impressive at the beginning of the youtube video. :-)

The Hang-Out room

From left to right: Paymaster check writing machine; my shoe phone that got me into the Guinness Book of World Records back in 1985, and my grandmother's mechanical adding machine, a triumph of arithmetic using gear ratios.  Below is Carol's father's briefcase.

On top of the vintage TV is my first oscilloscope, and a mug commemorating Voyager 2's historic 4-planet flyby mission.  (I used to work on the Voyager project.)

Okay, now I'm really getting off-topic.  We bought an old canoe and are using it as a planter in the front lawn.  We never would have been allowed to do this at the old townhouse.  I wanted to paint "S.S. Minnow" on the side but the grandkids remind me that I shouldn't make so many ancient pop culture references.

Next Time in Cameracraft Magazine

I have a fascinating interview with David Mayhew, a storm chaser whose amazing photos also have a very poetic quality (unlike most others who shoot in this genre).

Help keep Cameracraft's mission of being the best in-print photo magazine available by subscribing to either the print or digital edition!

Until next time,

Yours Truly, Gary Friedman

Me using the Minolta SR-T 101 back when I had hair.

Disclaimer: This blog post was written by a human.  No machine learning tools or generative AI was used in its creation.