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swindy Create the representation of a hurricaine in the sty deee c edcafafe
(Midjourney: Create the representation of a hurricane in the style of Sigmar Polke)

Hello LuLa Family,

It’s been a rough few weeks since Hurricane Helene tore through the South of the United States, and now it looks like we’ve got another storm headed to Florida with Milton. First off, thanks to everyone who reached out—it really meant a lot.

My immediate family’s safe, but it’s been hard on my relatives in Florida and folks back in my hometown of Tampa Bay as they embrace for another one.

If you didn’t see it, Fujifilm stepped up big time, donating $250,000 to the Red Cross, which is a generous move. Thank you Fuji. If anyone’s feeling compelled to help out too, here’s the link: Red Cross.

SONY RXRII

On a lighter note, I’ve been distracting myself with camera gear. A friend of mine is heading out this week to Zion out in Utah and they asked for some camera advice, so I’ve been deep in the specs. The mission was to rent the best travel camera that’s small, great image quality, and SUPER simple to use.

Without trying it, I suggested the Sony RX1R II purely on specs—it’s full-frame, but still small and compact. I really enjoyed the smaller Sony RX100’s for a point and shoot camera and a full frame version sounds great. Perfect for capturing those huge Utah views without being weighed down. It looks simple to use too, which is key—if the setup gets too big, and if it takes away from the experience my friend won’t take pictures. I did read some reviews that the camera goes through batteries quickly so I rented some extras. I do feel a little obligated to give my friends a fast photo tutorial before they go on their way. I’m going to compile a cheat sheet for them to take on the trip which I’ll share with you soon.

As for me, I’ve got a couple of portrait shoots coming up and I’m in the market for a “new-to-me” camera. I’m leaning towards a used Sony A7R IV, I spotted one on Facebook Marketplace for $1,600 – could be a steal or a dud, you never know with those listings.

SONY ARIV

What’s drawing me to this camera:

  • I already own some Sony lenses and adapters, so it’ll fit right into my kit.
  • Sony’s AutoFocus
  • That 61MP sensor is a beast, perfect for capturing all those fine details in portraits or whatever you please.
  • Pixel Shift Multi Shooting allowing for 240.8MP of info with an impressive image size of 19,008 x 12,672-pixels – (that’s probably enough MP’s for me!)
  • The 4K video capability will be a nice bonus for some upcoming video and documentary projects.
  • a used one is under 2,000$ US.

Plus, I’ve been missing having a good platform for my vintage Nikon lenses as I have a Nikon to Sony adapter that’s been hanging around for years.

Thinking about photography is keeping me grounded.

Stay safe, and I’m looking forward to seeing what y’all capture next.


Disclaimer: The header image is not photography but AI Midjourney art inspired by Sigmar Polke (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmar_Polke). Sigmar Polke was a real mad scientist of art – he’d do crazy stuff like develop photos while on LSD or use snail slime in his paintings. Always pushing the envelope. I didn’t feel like showcasing anything to do with destruction or sadness right now, but felt like creating images in Midjourney so this abstract piece felt fitting – a mix of chaos and hope.

Author

  • Swindy

    Jon 'Swindy' Swindall, based in Atlanta, GA, is a seasoned photographer, cinematographer, and skilled drone pilot, known for his dynamic visual storytelling and passion for capturing the world's diverse beauty through his lens. Sr. Editor Click, connect, and create at Luminous Landscape.

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Jon 'Swindy' Swindall, based in Atlanta, GA, is a seasoned photographer, cinematographer, and skilled drone pilot, known for his dynamic visual storytelling and passion for capturing the world's diverse beauty through his lens. Sr. Editor Click, connect, and create at Luminous Landscape.
See all articles by this author

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