He Shoots. He Projects?! – Nikon CoolPix S1000pj
Do you like being able to show off your photos immediately to your friends? Are you a creative professional who needs to go from inspiration to presentation seamlessly? Nikon might be able to help.
The new Nikon Coolpix s1000pj is both a camera and a projector! That’s right you can show off your photos (and video) instantly with this new Compact Digital Camera – the projected image size ranges from 5” to 40”! Not only does it function as a camera and projector, but it also comes packed with the features you’ve come to expect from Nikon.
Here’s a breakdown of some key features within the camera:
- 12.1 Megapixels
- 5x Wide-angle Zoom-Nikkor Glass Lens
- World’s first camera with an ultra-small, built-in projector
- 5-way VR Image Stabilization System
- Incredible, Bright 2.7-inch High Resolution LCD
- Scene Auto Selector
- Nikon’s Smart Portrait System
- Quick Retouch
- 16 Scene Modes
- Record movies
- Macro shooting
You can even purchase a projector stand and remote control for easy viewing.
I won’t be abandoning my D90 for this little ditty anytime soon, but this is yet another example of Nikon’s forward thinking in design and innovation. A special thanks to @Tracydesigns for tweeting about it!
Monster Jam Summer Heat “…Be There!”
What weighs 5-tons, has four 5’6” tires, an ethanol fueled 1500 horsepower engine, and has wrestling aggression and showmanship? MONSTER JAM! Monster Jam Summer Heat rolled into the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida, and Shoot Miami was there for the ride.
The day started off with the camera club meeting in front of the arena. I guess the ticket takers were a little intimidated by the size of the lenses carried by some of our members, because at first they were reluctant to let us in. After a little finagling by the group’s organizer we were allowed access – sans tripods.
The pit party was fun. This is where spectators are admitted onto the show floor prior to the event to see these behemoth machines up close and personal. Fans get the chance to meet their favorite drivers and take pictures with them in front of the trucks. Driver George Balhan even set up a black leather couch in front of his truck, An Escalade, for fans to meet him. For our crew it allotted the chance to document every conceivable angle of an MTRA monster truck – I’ll admit to climbing under El Toro Loco for some shooting.
Post party, the arena floor was cleared and set up for the show allowing some down time for lunch and people watching. At 2 p.m. the main event started with national anthem and a salute to our armed forces. The first competition was the sky wheelie contest, which was won by Gunslinger (middle left photo at the top of this article); then An Escalade defeated Madusa in the race category. In the donut competition George Balhan put on a good show, holding his steering wheel outside of the spinning truck during competition, but Grave Digger pulled away with the win. Grave Digger piloted by Randy Brown proved triumphant again in the Freestyle round.
Between monster truck competitions there was a highflying motocross show with riders performing mid-air stunts like the Superman, Cordova, and Christ (center photo). To help anticipate the arrival of the stunt bikes, the arena was introduced to two robotic vehicles, Gallactron and Reptar, “from outer space.” The skit was corny, but there were pyrotechnics involved and the kids seemed to like it – and the show really is for the kids, right?
It was a fun day. There were a lot of photos taken, and we got a great show. The only thing missing was a truck flipping over or loosing pieces, and the old radio and TV ads saying “Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! ….Be There!”
Social Butterflies – Free Sundays at Fairchild Gardens
The Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, Florida is “one of the world’s preeminent botanic gardens, with extensive collections of rare tropical plants…” The 83-acre garden has been accredited by the American Association of Museums since 1981, and now you get to experience it for free. Yes, FREE admission on Sundays for the month of August!
Almost 70 photographers from Shoot Miami descended on the historic gardens this morning. It was my first time visiting the gardens, and the mix of horticulture was quite striking – exhibits range from rainforest to arid, there is a sunken garden, butterfly garden, and even works by Chihuly are spread throughout many areas of the site.
After a few hours of wandering on our own, or in small groups, everyone met back at the Garden Café for some much needed rehydration and shade while we discussed our findings and different camera techniques. Overall it was a great day – hot, but fun.
Shooting Miami Through a Pint of Guiness
Last night was my first venture to a Shoot Miami Meetup. Anytime you get a group of people together who are passionate about one topic, good discussions are sure to follow. In attendance were people hailing from a wide variety of camera platforms – Nikon, Canon, Sony, etc – and photographic experience levels.
The upstairs room of John Martin’s Irish Pub in the Gables was filled with photographic portfolios from the members. Some of these photographs yielded stories of photographing gators from a few feet away, painting with light, and macro (or micro, depending on platform) shooting techniques referencing a variety of subject matters.
The gathering was informative and helpful. ZiZi, the group leader, is heading up the Photo Walk along Lincoln Road on the 18th of July – I’ll be leading the South Beach walk around the same time. They have a Fourth of July outing planned for Miami Beach, as well as a meetup for the Miami – Homestead Speedway FARA Race in early August.
I look forward to doing more with this group in the future. The seem very low-key and willing to share ideas and techniques.
Photo Walk’n – Part 2
There’s less than a month to go until Scott Kelby’s Second Annual Worldwide Photo Walk! As I mentioned in a previous post, I will be doing the South Beach walk on Miami Beach July 18th.
The anticipation builds each day that we get closer to the event. According to the website there are now “over 17,000 people signed up for over 1,000 walks around the world…” To add to the excitement Nikon and X-Rite recently signed up as sponsors. Being a Nikon guy, this is great news – they’re giving away a D700 and 24-200mm lens as one of the prizes.
For the second annual walk, Towner Jones Photography created a special T-shirt. Not only is it special because it’s branded to the event, but $5 from every order goes to the Springs of Hope Kenya Orphanage.
I hope you all join a walk in your area; this is going to be a great event!
