White Balance Blog

I saw this on DSLR News Shooter earlier; it’s a great look at one pro news shooter’s ugly but functional camera rig (the “Ghetto-fabulous” or “FrankenCam”). I mean, look what he makes with it!

The thing that made me want to re-blog it was the look at Haiti’s fascinating, mysterious and beautiful “tap-taps”, or city buses. In many third-world countries, colorful buses are the norm (Pakistan and Uganda stand out for me), but I think Haiti’s take the cake. Some fascinating insights from Planet Money’s Adam Davidson, also.

Posted by Allan White in Craft, Gear, Travel | *

I went for a quick hike the other day. Powell Butte is one of my favorite places to walk and mountain bike – it’s near my in-law’s house in Gresham, Oregon. It used to be an apple orchard, the remains of which are at the top of the open fields on the hill. The edges of the park are ringed with dense old-growth (I think) forest.

I love the light there near the end of the day. Usually you can see many Cascade peaks from that spot; it was cloudy to the East, so I focused on the light and trees.

Read Full Entry

While trying to keep up with all the news of the NAB event in Vegas (big for video & film professionals), I came across this beautiful, haunting video montage from post-earthquake Haiti.

This video did more to move me than any news coverage did: it just shows life as it is now. Simple, no unnecessary heartstrings being tugged. Honest filmmaking and journalism.

Read Full Entry

With all the hubbub over the fantastic design of the iPad, here’s a look backward when tech seemed simple – or perhaps, it’s more complex than we remember. This ad/documentary shows the glorious inner workings and manufacturing process of the Polaroid camera. Did you ever have one when you were younger? I’ve only used one a few times, but treasure the few polaprints I have.

Read Full Entry