Where should I buy photo gear?

As more and more camera stores close with the onslaught of web-based photo distributors, I often hear the question "Where should I buy my photo gear Sean?".

There are mix of places I've used over my career, from local Bay Area stores (Northern California) like South Bay's Keeble & Shuchat, San Francisco locations like Calumet (based in Chicago with an e-store as well) or Pro Camera, and East Bay stores such as the Looking Glass and Sarber's, open since 1961- and then Reed's in Walnut Creek (the closest to my home) that closed in '07 after 50 years in business.

Then when I'm on the road and need quick gear or rental equipment, I use Samy's Cameras in Los Angeles CA (a few locations and where the pros go) or Glazer’s Camera Supply in Seattle WA (around since 1935).

Where to go online? Besides B&H Photo and Calumet, I love working with the people at Hunt's Photo & Video- an east coast-based store (online, as well as physical locations in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Maine).

Hunt's rocks- not only have they been around since 1889 (that's right, 120 years), they are personable, don't try to sell you gear you don't want or need, and I've had direct connection with the owner (Gary) for years.

I also feel if we, as photographers, don't support companies like Hunt's, we'll end up falling into the mix of large companies with horrible customer service reps that know nothing about gear and only want to "make their numbers" in sales. You know these companies - the ones that transfer you six times to different departments, screw up your bill or order, and waste your time for an hour and what could have been a 5 minute call (rhymes with ShmAy-Tee-&-Tee). Where's the invention that will allow me to grab someone's neck through phone lines? A fiber-optic vulcan grip of sorts.

I have certain criteria when I use these stores, and if they don't follow them, I don't get them my business:

- Reps that are awake, alert, happy and helpful

- Good competitive prices (but I'll pay a few bucks more for prompt service and accurate details from knowledgeable reps)

- My gear arrives on time, or they follow up with me on my order

- Mistakes happen, just admit it (instead of trying to cover it with a bunch of baloney)

- Don't try to sell me something I don't need (no, that $300 camera strap made of Carbon-fiber isn't necessary dude)

- Help me when I'm in a jam (don't place a 10 grand hold on my card for rental gear, when 5 grand will do the job and save me some space to use the card on my job)

There ya go- now go out and spend, spend, spend. Just kidding. But if you do, and don't get the treatment you expect, let 'em you'll take your business elsewhere, tell 'em I sent you, and go somewhere else if they don't get it.

Happy shooting....I mean shopping. :)

What's in a digital camera name?

Okay, I have to address this - can't keep quiet anymore- need to blow a stack- alright, maybe just vent a tiny little bit on a completely useless photo topic that's filling my mental database.

As a pro photographer knee-deep in gear, I must say it is impossible to keep up with camera names these days. I've included photos here of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Nikon D5000, FujiFilm FinePix s8000fd, Sony's Cybershot DSC-T2 (sah-weet Lime color by the way Sony, and cool sleek look), and the Olympus Evolt E-410. What's in a digital camera name? Confusion I say! Name insanity. Insane in the name brain.

When are camera manufacturers going to make it easier to understand their line of camera systems? "Hey, that's a nice camera ya got, what's the model?" "Oh it's the Casio 54-XYZ-Mark 8 DMC-Fx 9000. You should look it up and get one". "Ya gotta notepad I could jot that down on?".

I get the "D" part - The 5D, the D300, etc. I assume it's for "digital" (although you'd think as film fades, so would the "F" and "D" designation- plus, Nikon, from what I can remember, is the only company that uses the "F" in the name - Nikon F100, F3, and my original 35mm camera, the FE - just to give some examples). But even I, the PhotoGuru expert that I am, can't think quickly when I see DMC - does it mean Digital Media Camera? One camera made by Fuji, puts "F" and "D" into the name- that can't mean film and digital (although that would be jammin' huh?).

Even the file names I see every day in my computers, which start with DSC, elude me right off the back. Again, I assume it stands for Digital Still Camera, but who knows...and who cares. It took me two weeks before I realized that my point-and-shoot digital image files, which start with "PANA_" stood for Panasonic. I know, I'm slow. But ya have to give it to me - there's panorama, Pana Illinois, the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists....okay, bad example.

Today, with cameras coming out every month and a mix of manufacturers from Canon to Sony, Fuji to Nikon, Panasonic to Olympus, Casio to GoPro, who can keep up with the medley of letters and numbers? Why not just describe the product in the name? Where am I goin' with this? I'll expand on my thoughts. Get ready to get your brain on.

Canon has the EOS 5D Mark II- tight camera too - 21 megapixel, full frame image sensor packed into a well-made system. I assume EOS means "Electronic Operating System", could refer to the Greek Goddess of Dawn- I could be wrong, I have no idea, I'm not Googlin' it! But the name?? There's a five in there, then a two, and Mark and an Eos - does the Mark II mean it's the next versions of the Mark systems? And what is the Mark system anyway? Does 5D mean it's the best in their line or the lower amateur model? I personally know it's one of their top cameras, but there's one high that's the 1D (what will happen when they make a better one than that?) and below the 5D is the 50D - so you'd think the numbers are getting higher as the quality and price goes down. But then below the 50D is the 40D. Ugh squared.

Let me solve this. Let's make a name system based on the year, the camera's quality, and it's details. How 'bout....blblblblblb....that's a blogger drum roll......blblblblblbbblblb....are ya ready? The:

Canon 2009 P21

Olympus 2008 A12

Sony 2007 N8

Wait. Don't judge. Let's me explain.

First the name of the company. Easy-peasy.

Then the year it was made (tough titties camera companies, if car companies can do it, so can you- plus, yer makin' new cameras so often, it's not going to hurt any on the marketing side).

Then if it's a camera for a Pro (P), an amateur (A), or a Novice (N). Three easy levels - everyone would get it over time.

Then the Megapixel (I know I know, megapixel isn't everything so many say, but ya gotta pick one feature and I'm picking it! Describe the rest in the top features section).

If camera manufacturers wants to add some pizzazz (nice 70s bedazzled term huh), then they can put in the "Rebel" name or the "Cybershot" or the "FinePix" in front of that. But that's it! Year - Who it's for - Feature....done dealio.

Canon Rebel 2009 A12 (a 12 megapixel for the amateur market- did you get it fast?)

Fuji FinePix 2007 P15 (a 15 megapixel for the pro, made in 2007- pretty easy huh?)

Sony Cybershot 2010 N20 (that's next year's model, a 20 megapixel point-and-shoot for the Novice - sweet name if I do say so myself)

Whaddaya think Sony? Come on Canon. Nikon, well Nikon never listens to anything I say anyway. Cool system huh? If "yes all mighty PhotoGuru, you've done it again!", then that's all I need. If "Mr. PG, you are out-choh-mind!" then come up with a better system.

But I like mine...thought of it in 5 minutes...yes, I graduated college. Will it be implemented? Who knows if anyone will read this and react. Maybe technology is just moving too fast. Besides, my head hurts now (and maybe your too). I'm out - it's Sunday, I've got the flu, allergies, and I'm hungry. Off to watch Quantum of Solace on the 47".

yours truly,

Sean "TGP P-40M II" Arbabi

(that's "TPG" for The PhotoGuru, "P" for Photographer, 40 being my age, and M for Male, and II for two eyes...duh)

Want to become a pro photographer?

I want to have a career as a professional photographer.

I hear this from so many people whether through email, at live lectures and events, or from my students at various workshops. But I must admit, in all, it's a very tough competitive industry where the money is even harder to come by than it was 20 years ago-not to mention the oversaturation of the stock licensing market - can something be oversaturated? Is that an oxymoron? Can't find it in my dictionary. I digress.

Back to the industry, from 1991 (when I graduated college) to today, the changes have been dramatic, some positive, some negative (I remember when my stock agency contract went from 7 pages to 27 pages in a matter of 6 years). As always, you must have so much more than a good portfolio to make it- and no one or company will do it for you- you have to do it all yourself. It ain't easy, and sacrifices, luck, hearing "no" over and over, as well as risk are all part of the game. But more importantly, you need to be professional- and that means learning business (more an that later).

In 1995, I used the first digital SLR Nikon put out, the E2s, and could see the changes coming down the pike (there I am at the Eco-Challenge adventure race in '95 using the camera above the Colorado River). And although some say digital has been a big positive to the industry (exact copies of image files instead of poor-quality dupes, fixing mistakes post-capture, and the famous cloning tool to add that third eye to your friend's head), I would say that it too has it's pros and cons - one of which being the fact that you have to buy new gear all the time, new software, and new computers- it's an expense, not an investment everyone.

Plus, I carry more gear than ever these days in the post 9/11 hell that is airport travel - ugh- someone buy me a new shoulder and a couple of knees please - and a whiffle-ball bat to beat on the seven TSA agents when they decide to test every roll of film - all 150 rolls at midnight (true story in Las Vegas in 2004 after catchin' six other flights where they didn't do this).

I was asked recently what it is to be a professional photographer. If it was someone who made over 50% of their income from photography, or just someone who gets published from time to time. As a full-time commercial travel photographer for 19 years, I'd say a pro photographer is someone who not only makes a living from photography, but one who charges appropriate fees, is technically sound with their equipment and craft, respectful and professional with his/her subjects, and one who uses proper business practices. That, to me, is what this job is about.

Another example of this is learning the art of negotiating, and realizing that if you want to do this for a living, you have to go back and forth with clients about contracts, rates, and rights. I recently had a client want to license an image, trying to pay rates half of what we normally charge (rates that really fit into 1989 and not 2009). We respectfully declined when they said they wouldn't pay higher fees than theirs- the excuse was the economy (as if to say my business is not affected by the economy - I love that new argument - "our tight budget" has always been a staple for low rates). The following day the client came back and licensed rights to the image at our quoted rate. If photographers don't learn how to value their image and determine specific fees for their services, they won't survive in the industry.

More to learn more? My Business of Photography workshop isn't scheduled yet for 2009, but does run from time to time, and we hope to have a date in place soon. I also offer personal consultations where I can focus on your goals and interests, as well as discussing specific industry information. I can discuss some aspects of being a pro at other workshops (such as the one coming up in June in Seattle, or Santa Fe in July), although my time during these courses is usually dedicated to the topic at hand. Here's our main workshop page for more info.

SeanArbabi.com/workshops

In all, becoming a pro photographer is possible. Here's to your dreams and ambitions- make 'em happen, it's worth it. Enjoy your week everyone!

Point-&-Shoots in the realm of 15 Megapixels

Recently, I wanted to upgrade my 8 megapixel point-&-shoot, a Sony Cybershot which I loved (it had a large touch screen and was very compact, especially amazing since it originally came out in 2005). But as the PhotoGuru, I needed to keep my street cred, so I began the search.

When I saw Panasonic's Lumix DMC-FX150, 14.7 megapixel compact camera about the same size of my Sony (possibly a tiny bit smaller at 2.12'' x 3.8'' x .98'') my mind said "dope!" and my late 90s lingo said "no you di-ent!". It's almost the size of a business card, just under an inch thick (non-chunky-style), and weighing in just over 5 ounces. Wow.

It wasn't easy to find one in stock, but after searching the web, and making a few calls (with pain-in-the-rear reps tryin' to fake the "in-stock" sales pitch), Amazon.com's third party company provided me with one in stock (even Panasonic currently lists the camera as "backordered").

I'm still getting to know my new little friend, just having it for less than a month, but I'm diggin' the RAW capability (that's right, RAW files, rarely seen in point & shoot cameras today), the massive 14.7 MPs (sure it's packed into a small 1/1.72" CCD image sensor, but what would anyone expect for the great price and compact size?), as well as all of the quick menu options (giving me the ability to change flash option, ISO, as well as other features on the fly).

For some reason, the auto rotate function isn't working, so I have to rotate any vertical shots to review them larger, taking up the entire 2.7" LCD screen (hope to fix that or figure out why), but in general I'm very pleased with this compact beauty - the sleek black body very stylish and functional (I like to roll GQ style).

I also feel the f/2.8 wide-angle Leica mass-produced lens (28mm to 100mm) is of quality, and I dig the new auto-focus tracking feature (focusing for you without touching the shutter button).

The 8 GB SDHC memory card (I picked up after the fact - made by SanDisk) gives me over 300 images on the highest file size (RAW + JPEG, which is what I use on my 35mm DSLR)- more than enough as long as I download every so often (which is best to do anyway since you never want to trust your memory card to store your memories for too long). Plus, with the Lithium-ion rechargeable battery draining down after 330 snaps, I simply recharge the battery while I download the shots (hoping to pick up an extra battery as a backup). The camera even has 50MB of built in memory if you jam up with an extra card- thanks for caring Panasonic.

The Lumix DMC-FX150 also has a nice ISO range from 100 to 6400, with many exposure functions = Manual, Program AE, Movie/ Motion Picutre, Intelligent Auto mode, along with many Scene modes. I always love the Manual exposure mode option, giving me full control of my camera when the meter is fooled. The metering mode options even include Spot metering. Sure, it doesn't offer an HD movie mode as other Lumix compact cameras do, but I wasn't looking for HD in a compact digital camera personally - what am I, movie-boy?

Here are a few shots I captured with the camera this past month:

For more on all the technical specs, click here: Lumix DMC-FX150 tech specs

For more on the camera in general, go here: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX150

I highly recommend it to anyone- sure the digital noise increases with a higher ISO over 100 (mainly due to a small image sensor), but you can't expect everything in such a beautiful small package. All this in a price range around $250. Well played Panasonic, well played- nice idea for my photo life.

Nevada 50

Old West Highway, desolate road, traveled one summer week,

Blue sky days, sagebrush seas, mirages from asphalt heat

Mining towns far apart, dreams of prosperity gone so fast,

Jets thunder over petroglyphs, native hunters present and past

Countless characters with tall tales, life engraved throughout their face,

From Austin, Stagecoach, Middlegate, Cold Springs, & Majors Place

I drive the waves of mountain ranges, ridgelines of Pinõn pine,

The type of scenery to help the thoughts depart a cluttered mind

This desert is often branded as a vast and wasted land,

I see its stark and wild beauty touched by a higher hand

2002 poem by Sean Arbabi while on assignment capturing Nevada's desolate Highway 50