25 Years Of The Apple Mac

The Apple Mac’s been with us for 25 years now; doesn’t time fly?!

CNET have a photos of the Mac through the years; it brought back many memories!

ThinkTank Photo – Shape Shifter – Review

Is it wrong to love a bag? Well, I do! Think Tank Photo’s Shape Shifter is the biggest revolution in camera back packs in the 19 years that I’ve been a news photographer.


What makes this bag so revolutionary is quite simply that it can shape shift. It has an ingenious zip that expands the bag, turning it from a slim line laptop bag (3” deep) to a full professional size DSLR outfit carrying back pack. The camera section uses very clever neoprene pouches with draw strings, which are sewn into the bag and lie flat when not in use. When in use, I managed to comfortably fit two Canon 1D MkIII bodies, a 70-200mm f2.8L IS, a 16-35mm f2.8L and a 580 EXII flash. By putting the flash into the main front external pocket, I can even fit a 24-70mm f2.8L lens too.


The bag’s design came about because of the need to carry a full working camera outfit, laptop and associated accessories in one bag. In the past this whole kit would fit into the LowePro Computrekker. The main problem however was the LowePro was very bulky and once you had arrived on assignment and taken out your cameras, the bag still remained huge and heavy. This resulted in knocking into people or objects when moving about. With the Shape Shifter, once you get to your assignment, you simply get your camera gear and then compress the compartment shut.


The rest of the bag is also extremely well designed and superbly made. The zippers are top quality as is the workmanship. I’ve been using this bag for almost a month now and it still looks brand new.


The laptop sits in the back compartment in a separate padded area which is large enough to take an Apple MacBook Pro 17” laptop. Moving to the front, there are three separate zipped pockets. The top one lends itself perfectly to carrying external mobile hard drives, card readers, 3G modems and other bits. The lower area has two other pockets which are  larger and will swallow laptop chargers, blank DVDs, notebooks, a flashgun or two and spare batteries.


Moving back to the main camera compartment, the inner lid area also has a couple of pockets and a larger zipped pocket. In one of the pockets I’ve put a Think Tank Photo Cable Management 10 which is a transparent organizer and carries my essential computer accessories and spare cables. In the other I’ve put the supplied seam-sealed rain cover. It has to be said that the bag can handle short showers, but for heavy and prolonged rain, I’d definitely recommend using the cover.


One of the most important things in any back pack is how comfortable it is to carry when fully laden. I’m pleased to report that its by far the most comfortable back pack I’ve ever used. The back is very well padded and has channels to allow air to circulate and increases comfort. The shoulder straps are well padded and shaped and there is a chest strap. They also have neoprene pockets on them to carry mobile phones or memory card wallets. To top this off, there are a couple of D-rings, and fabric loops which allow you to attach the company’s camera support straps. This is a neat idea as it spreads the weight of the camera on both shoulders, relieves neck ache and still keeps the camera in a ready position. Also supplied is a waist strap which can be removed and replaced with an optional modular speed belt, allowing you to carry pouches.  Talking of which, you should check out the Skins pouches which also fold flat and have a silent closure mode on the velcro flaps. Lastly, the bag is designed to carry a monopod or a tripod.


I can’t recommend this bag highly enough; its superbly designed and very well made. Anyone who needs to carry a professional camera outfit and laptop around all day will definitely benefit by adding this to their kit.


For more information on the bag, visit ThinkTank Photo . To purchase the bag in the UK, visit Snapper Stuff.


This article originally appeared in the British Journal of Photography, December 17, 2008.

Muse Tops 10,000

The story of a young woman new to London and the solitude of her surroundings

In its first five days, the short film Muse has topped 10,000 views.

I’d just like to pass on my gratitude to all who have seen it and also to those who have been kind enough to pass on their views and compliments.
A big thank you also goes out to the main character without whom this project would not have happened and also to Enrico Blatti and the Blue Chamber Orchestra for the beautiful soundtrack.

New BeachTek DXA-5D XLR Adapter-Exclusive


Here’s a photograph of a prototype of BeachTek’s new adapter, specifically designed for the Canon 5D MkII. It allows you to use XLR microphones on the 5D MkII. The release is planned for April and should be under $400.00.

It will feature phantom power for the microphone, has level meters and a headphone jack for monitoring audio.

Muse – What The Critics Are Saying

“Muse” has been online for a couple of days now. Here are a handful of the comments collected from emails and posts on various forums. Many thanks for all who took the time to write. If you haven’t seen it yet, its on full 1080HD at SmugMug.



“SO GLAD I’ve just stumbled on your fantastic piece Edmond. The sheer quality of the shots is fantastic and got the ol’ creative juices going nicely here. 
I’m sure that as well as enjoying your project, you’ve helped a fair few people out there decide that this is the way to go for upping the quality of their work/play in the video field. Myself included.
So. Apart from the obvious care you’ve taken with the quality of your shots, can I just compliment you on your framing and sensitive storytelling. You have the eye of a poet sir.”

“Stunning. You raised the bar!”

“Wow wow wow wow….. Stunning!!! “

“It is a piece of art ! Being this your first try I can foresee truly greatness within the projects ahead. I have always thought of working together with you one day, now I feel it is becoming more of a dream. Brilliant work !”

“I am completely blown away by the movie.  I love the sheer quality, the crisp night time lights, I adored the music, though it feels more Paris than London to me (and none the worse for that) and I am totally amazed by what you have put together….”

“I like the way it captured a serene solitude with an underlying hint of loneliness.”

“Stunningly beautiful, Edmond. Beyond the obvious capabilities of HD technology you transcend with quiet and effective patience. You allow your interiors, exteriors and your subject to speak and reveal”

“I can feel her loneliness, sadness….Thank you for sharing! Excellent work!”

“My heart leaps when I watch this over and over..”

“Spectacular work! Can you believe this is Edmond’s first video? Knowing his photography I’m not surprised, congratulations!”

“Nicely done! So many of those shots would have been simply impossible to execute with standard issue video equipment, and I suspect many of those shots—which I assume were available light—would have have required major artificial lighting efforts, even with digital film equipment.”

“Very nice. You really showed off the capability of the camera and your story was very piognent.”

“The best 5D2 video I’ve seen. Better than Laforet.”

“Hi, I really think this is a beautiful film and nice story, glad you chose a latinamerican poet and the tango is beautiful!  Great first video, can’t imagine what you will be doing in the future.”

“the short film kind of reminds me of one of the scenes from Kieszlowski’s Dekalog…”

“What a fine piece of work! Things I liked best:  The relaxed pace, the peaceful feeling.  Very good use of the short depth of field.  The blurred parts never felt wrong. This camera takes us into a look and feel, with ambient light photography, that has only been seen in high budget productions before.  You picked up on that and really ran with it.”

“Simply beautiful, great piece of art! Also good to see what 5D can do… amazing!”

“It’s a very nice film. I like the minimalist approach.”

“Nice work Edmond, the photography was beautiful. Another string to your bow!”

“Edmond, I hate you, you’re making me consider leaving all sensible and rational thinking behind and go straight out and buy a 5D mkII ! Nice work mate, nice work…”

“I loved the relaxed, peaceful pace. Masterful use of the depth of field and ambient lighting the camera and optics provide.”

“A thought-provoking and atmospheric piece – a pleasure to watch. Look forward to seeing what’s next.”

“Congratulations. I loved this short film and found it better than others I have seen, including LaForet. That was an excellent short movie. It captured the essence of the human condition that we are ultimately alone with our possessions that outlast us and the soundtrack was so evocative of a hidden sensuousness and longing. I loved the way you thought through the storyline and each individual segment, focusing on the key subject in each scene”.

“The film had a soft, paced feeling that was comfortable and contented, yet there was a tension whether the connection would really take place.  A nicely thought out short film.  The 5D’s ability to provide such sharp and rich images was evident.”

“Beautiful Night Exteriors. IMHO better than reverie.”

“that is a fantastic piece of work! Very impressed. The colour and clarity are superb and you should be on the big screen!”

The Mexican Suitcase

I’ve just come across an excellent link with the story of the “Mexican Suitcase” which contained Robert Capa and Gerda Taro’s lost negatives. Its been superbly put together and well worth a look.