www.JohnMichaelHarris.com

[MikeHarris7]

Here's my portfolio site:

www.JohnMichaelHarris.com

A lot of people tell me that you really need to specialize in one area in the photography business. That does make a lot of sense but I have customers coming to me from several different areas. Hard to turn down money.

Also, I like the presentation of minimal, tasteful flash but it's not the best thing in the world for SEO.

[motleypixel]

Thanks for posting this Mike...you have a nice gallery.

-Roy

[DigitalScape]

Very nice portfolio Mike.  The architecture photography is one area that I would like to explore/develop a capability.  When it is done correctly (like your's) the images are stunning.  However I suspect that doing it correctly is not as easy as it looks.

[MikeHarris7]

Thanks John - there a few tricks to Architectural photography but they're not hard to learn. You have to correct for lens and perspective distortion. A tilt/shift lens is ideal for this, although I don't currently have one. I do those corrections in post with PT Lens currently. Also, blown out windows are bad. I put a touch of hdr into my architectural  work although I try to keep it as natural as possible.

[DigitalScape]

I figured a T/S lens would be a choice lens.  How does the PTLens compare with the Photoshop Lens Distortion correction capability?  Does PTLens work on 16-bit PSD files, or only TIFF?

[MikeHarris7]

I don't use photoshop so I couldn't tell ya. (I use Gimp) PT Lens is available as a PS plugin I believe as well as a stand alone program. PT Lens also corrects for lens distortions - it has a list of cameras and lenses that you select for a default correction. Works great on my 20mm Nikkor (not the greatest lens). Not sure what file formats it supports. I usually do distortion correction late in my workflow so I've only used it with jpgs.

[motleypixel]

20mm Nikkor (not the greatest lens).

You know what you need Mike

[MikeHarris7]

Yeah I know - 14-24mm would be awesome, certainly better than the 20mm. Heh, I think you want me to get it just so you can borrow it.

[motleypixel]

Honestly I need to vent on my last few days of researching bodies...from what I've read, you don't know (actually I'm sure you do) how lucky you are to own the D700. 

Here's what I've deduced in very short summary over the past 7 days:

I would have the following gear if money wasn't an object:

1.  D700 and that Nikkor 14-24 2.8 for landscape/architecture/car shows/etc.
2.  Canon 40D with the 100mm 2.8 macro (would love to try the new L version) and the MP-E 65mm 1-5X macro lens (non focusing lens btw)...then the Canon 300mm f/2.8L for nature/indoor sports
3.  Of course if money really wasn't an object I would limit the 40D to macro and birding only and get the 5D MkII with the 24-70 2.8L and 70-200 2.8L IS for fashion/portraits

Couple of things I've concluded:

1.  never consider any of the HD video capabilities of these bodies...tons of horrible reviews
2.  The 50D is too noisy for clean macros...yep that's right my 8.2mp 30D at 100ISO 1:1 no crop was cleaner than the 50D
3.  The 7D has has a few minor perks over the 50D (best one being weather sealing) but the noise for macro would still be unacceptable and the current AF issues are hard to swallow for another $800 over the 50D.

Dude...here I have a broken 30D and I can trade up with Canon for $775 a refurb 50D but I don't want it (I think...still spinning every which direction on decisions right now).

I really want a little of both, the light and dark side

-Roy

[MikeHarris7]

Weird that the 7D and 50D are noisier. Nikon's starting to trickle down their high ISO performance to some of their less expensive bodies such as the D5000. I've even thought about getting one of those as a backup body.

[DigitalScape]

I had read and seen similar results (noise related) for the 50D, but thought that the 7D was back on track (mental note to check into this if buying a new body soon).  Personally I like the 5DII performance (not the price).

[motleypixel]

I did read the 7D is better with regard to noise vs. the 50D.  If they would knock $500 off the retail of the 5D MkII w/o video I would consider.

-Roy

[MikeHarris7]

Hey all - I just added a Live Music section to my website. I love shooting live music, although its not a profitable venture. There's zero $$$ in it, but its fun. I'm wanting to shoot SXSW here in Austin and I'm using this section of my site as part of a promotion to land a press pass. Got one last year.

[motleypixel]

Mike, is you site password protected now?

[MikeHarris7]

No its not. Should be the same as always.