If you subscribe to the Maine Media Workshops eNews letter you'll recognize immediately that I'm plagiarizing their latest edition. But I'm sure they won't mind the publicity, and I couldn't help but comment on the new Canon EOS 5D Mark II, a full-frame digital SLR with HD 1080p video capability. Maine Media Workshops is featuring the camera in a workshop with Vincent Laforet, who made the first short film photographed/filmed/videoed with the EOS 5D Mark II - Reverie. While you're at Laforet's website, take a look at his other work including some awesome aerial coverage of Katrina and her aftermath. Laforet's blog is interesting also. (The picture shows Maine Media College students Kevin Carragher and Ashish Dawar testing the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Photo by Shane Hofeldt.)

Back to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. There has been some talk of movement by the news media away from the still camera and toward video cameras. The thinking has been that if you need a still, you can pull it from the video since video resolution has improved so much. The Mark II changes the equation, however, enabling still photographers to take HD quality video when the situation warrants. How this opens up the possibilities for the rest of us is difficult for me to get my mind around. I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500 with video capability. I have used video a few times, but haven't scratched the surface of possibilities. A couple of my experiments are on my YouTube channel. Interestingly, another video I have on YouTube is a slide show of still images. I'm sure we'll see much more "mixed media" mixing stills and video in creative ways.

One of my favorite HDTV programs is Sunrise Earth which features HD video of sunrise scenes around the world. Most of the "footage" of the videos is basically a live still picture with the camera fixed while it captures the scene changing as the sun rises. The scenes are usually purely nature without evidence of man's encroachment. I haven't watched the program lately. It isn't shown as often as it was since HD has moved to more traditional programming.

While I'm sending you around the internet, allow me to send you to my photo website AvidPhotographer.com. I've recently reworked it and made it easier to get to the different web locations for the work I've done. It's likely you came here from there. If so, you're finished. Hit the back arrow.

Maine trip - first day July 4th

The flight to Boston went well. Got to the airport in plenty of time and got to use the new shoe scanner in the Clear line. Sat next to a nice couple from Palm Coast who were going to Boston to visit her mother on her 88th birthday 7/7/07. The baggage pickup took longer than expected since Airtran has just one small carousel in Boston.

Picked up my Avis rental and got out of Boston and onto I-95 without any trouble. Light rain most of the way. I arrived at the Freeport Hampton Inn a little before 8:00, the Moose above was there to greet me.

The girl at the front desk suggested Gritty's for food and beer. The home brewed beer was excellent, the food unremarkable. I asked two guys next to me at the bar when the fireworks started and was told 9:00 or a little later as was the custom. The barmaid gave me 50% off my quesadillas because I said I didn't like them, so I upped her tip. Went back to the motel, got my hat and rain jacket, and headed for town.

A sign directed me to park in the LL Bean corporate parking lot. The fireworks started as I got out of the car. As I walked toward the center of town, I watched the fireworks on the way. I got there about 15 minutes later just as the finale started.

After the fireworks were over, someone suggested ice cream. That sounded good to me so I went to the Ben & Jerry's and got a waffle cone special with double Cherry Garcia. I sat in front of LL Bean's waterfall fountain with a local couple watching the people walk by and the traffic gridlock. After finishing Cherry Garcia, I walked around a little more. It started raining harder, the sidewalks cleared leaving long lines of cars headed home. I walked back to the parking lot in the rain, thankful for the foresight to get my rain jacket.