akurod

OLD School

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

settings

Aperture f/4.5 ISO 100 Shutter 1/40 Focal Length 24/1

upload_date

Mar, 2017

Views

926

Likes

+306

Awards

Top Shot Award 21

Peer Choice Award

Featured

Staff Favorite

Peer Award

+167

Superb Composition

+30

Top Choice

+15

Absolute Masterpiece

+15

Outstanding Creativity

Superior Skill

Virtuoso

Magnificent Capture

All Star

Emotions

Impressed

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 2

Top 20 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Behind The Lens

Location

You know, I was asked to go on a cattle run and document the process. I never thought that I would be filming and photographing this type of work. I was in West Texas on the 3rd larges Ranch. The owner had such a great vibe and really enjoys photography that he allowed me to just do what I do. This wagon called, "Frances." is a chuck-wagon that supplies food for the cowboys out in the field. (Yes, its a real working wagon!) With Betsy & Anne pulling her. It was one of my funnest time doing what I love to do. We had over 4000 head of cattle.

Time

We had to travel about 36miles and set up with 23 Cowboys & Horses. I was able to take this one around 6:36 in the morning. Whats funny is cowboys where a little scared, they have never been around a camera as I told them the same, that I've never been around this type of culture environment.

Lighting

You know it started out very cloudy, and slowly the sun bloomed. The natural lighting is what really helped create the vibe. I always carry some 180 LEDs, 90 Daylight/90 Tungsten on camera lights that I use, but never had to pull those out.

Equipment

That day I had a RED EPIC MX Cinema Camera, 2 Canon 5D Mark II, a set of Zeiss ZE SLR with a Canon EF Zoom lens, and a 3DR Drone using a GoProHERO4. I used the Canon 5D Mark II hand held with a Canon EF 24-105mm L 2.8 lens. (I love this lens)

Inspiration

This was my first cattle run and everything was NEW and I felt I was back in time... WILD WILD WEST TIME! I’ve been running around hopping on trailers, horses, and trucks. I ran up to the Ranch Chuck Wagon (yes, a real wagon) and started packing my gear in the back wasting no time in herding the rest of the cattle (we had to move fast because of the cows following us) and ask the cowboy for that 1 moment of capturing OLD SCHOOL. He had a look like, what? This thing! By lunch time we all became great friends with laughter about while I was laying on the ground with 1 leg up behind a tumbleweed shacking it and making bird sounds. At the end of the day over 4000 cows showed up. It was really cool how they (cowboys) do what they do. Its funny the cowboys said the same thing about myself.

Editing

The digital age has come along way... As a Cinematographer (DOP) digital was a secondary thing and nobody wanted to jump the wagon or take the risk that it would evolve or fadeaway. It seemed foreign and film was rolling it in. Now its the flow of our tomorrows... Being a documentary filmmaker I capture everything RAW with different codex using different software to edit with. My post with a ISO @ 125 and a ND filter (Texas Sun can be brutal) I was able to get more of the visual details of what I was seeing and in photoshop I took my exposure up and offset to make the wagon feel old school and pulled some saturation for the overall vision. With Curves I increased the contrast and adjusted my output&input, in Levels I made my midtones brighter, and color balance my highlights are up with a final touch of vibrance added. As a video editor I'm use to color correction in much the some way.

In my camera bag

Doing documentary work my gear bag is a hand full from a RED EPIC MX Cinema Camera, to 2 Canon 5D Mark II, and 2 Canon 7Ds and sometimes a set of Zeiss ZE SLR: 18, 28, 35, 50, 85, 135mm and Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye, 24-70, 24-105, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM. All my gear is in pelican cases.

Feedback

I’m always in the moment and always keeping a open mind to what environment you are shooting in and be that environment, moment, and vibe. As a free spirited person I always ask before I go out in the field to guide me in that moment that will help me share my stories and express to my clients a vibe they may carry for ever. You know the beauty of my work Cinematographer/Photographer is Viewing life in a way that only some can connect and being a eye in the face of life...

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akurod

akurod

OLD School

Behind The Lens

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