Chris Nichols, my good friend and one of the principals at special effects company Chaos, recently posted on his blog about a proof-of-concept project I shot for them in April.  Set in the Old West, this period piece called for some very special treatment on my part.  I was happy to oblige!             The article … Continue reading “BLOG BREAK DOWN”

            You probably haven’t seen nor heard of director Joseph Sargent’s forward-looking 1970 film, Colossus: The Forbin Project (aka, Colossus 1980).  Fifty-six years later, its themes are more relevant than ever!             The April 1969 issue of American Cinematographer thought enough of it to devote an unusually lengthy article to its production, authored by no … Continue reading “PRESCIENT, ONCE AGAIN…”

Coming… Going… And everything in-between.

These images will always hold a special place in my heart.  They’re part of a twelve-exposure series I shot in New York City, from the southwest corner of Broadway and Fulton Street on August 13, 1969 – fifty-seven-years ago yesterday.  The occasion was the tickertape parade up the Canyon of Heroes for the Apollo 11 … Continue reading “A GREAT MEMORY”

            In Friday’s post regarding the standard over\under exposure test, I stated that its execution was self-explanatory.  Judging from a number of responses I received, I was mistaken.             To correct the record, I’m providing a copy of the article that explains the procedure in detail.  It first appeared in the 11th edition of the … Continue reading “TESTING ADDENDUM”

The hard drives I’ve been scrubbing keep revealing all manner of forgotten gems.  The latest is presented below – the standard over-under exposure test that I shot in 2024 for a project meant to take place on an LED volume.  For such a simple exercise, a great deal of important information can be derived from … Continue reading “THE ESTHER TESTS”

As reported earlier, I’ve been scrubbing through forgotten hard drives, and it’s funny how I can’t remember why I thought any of what I’m finding was worthy of preservation.  I keep coming across reams of tests I conducted before, during and sometimes after a variety of productions, and while they were certainly critical when I … Continue reading “THE TESTING NEVER ENDS… APPARENTLY”

         Silents Under the Stars is a summer-long program that screens classic silent films accompanied by a live piano performance in an outdoor setting at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas, CA.  Under the guidance of film-historian extraordinaire and long-time AMPAS vet Randy Habercamp, it provides a magnificent tribute to the many pioneers who paved the … Continue reading “HURRY SUNDOWN”

            Found this one while scrubbing some old hard drives the other day.  Though it was shot sometime during the past couple of years, I have no recollection of what production it might’ve been meant for.  It strikes me as uncharacteristically rushed and haphazard compared to my usual methods; seriously, I have no idea what … Continue reading “TESTING…TESTING…”

Chris Nichols of Chaos at the podium…             On Tuesday I made my way to the Los Angeles Convention Center and took a stroll through Siggraph 2026, an event aptly described by its organizers as “The Premiere Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques.”  Most of what was on display flew straight over … Continue reading “KNOWLEDGE FOR FREE”