Download Archives

Download: Wish list

After a nearly completed, intense week (jobs for Elle Decor, the Guardian Weekend Magazine, Smart Money, Men's Journal, and the University of Minnesota) to put a shiny bow on and end 2007, I wanted to take a break and download my picks for Christmas presents while there is still time to shop and ship. Honestly, I don't want anything for Jesus' b-day this year but a big glass of wine and dinner with family (don't we all have enough shit?!), but here are a few of the things I've had my eye on to round out the expense account. (That's the kind of jerk I am, I don't want anything because I already bought it all for myself!)

Big ticket items:

Canon 50mm f/1.2 L lens - $1249
For someone you really, really love - one of Canon's newest ultra-fast prime L lenses, the 50/1.2 is a slick portrait lens that has been producing gallons of drool in just about every early adopter review I've read. And for a limited time (until Jan. 14th), Canon is offering an instant $100 rebate on the lens.

Epson Pro 3800 printer- $1175
More than likely that Epson 2200 of your loved one's is getting pretty long in the tooth. Replace it here with its new big brother which sports a 17" width maximum and much improved set of K3 inks, including 3 separate blacks.

Ooma VoIP hub - $399
I wrote about this very cool phone device a while back: basically you buy the hub and then "own your dial tone" forever, without paying any monthly service fee. If you are interested you better act quickly because the price jumps up $200 beginning next year.

Hot Light/Half-Made Worlds by Alex Webb - $???
If you want a gift that will really make a documentary photography lover's heart skip a beat, then buy them a copy of this incredible Alex Webb book, now rare and pretty expensive. Better yet would be an archival print (16x24) of the cover image, which was selling for $2900 at the AIPAD art fair in Miami this month.

Mid range gifts:

Altec Lansing FX6021 speaker system - $170
That shiny new Mac (or, sigh, PC) could use some sweet new speakers and this set from Altec Lansing is on top of the (now very large) pile. It also doesn't hurt that they look pretty cool and have a remote (for what use I'm not sure).

Nooka Zup Zot 38 watch - $135
Designed by Matthew Waldman as an expression of a different way to display time that closer matched our linear experience of it, Nooka watches are made in metal and rubber and will at the very least start an interesting conversation.

"In Rainbows" disc box - £40
This limited edition collection of the newest Radiohead album has got just about everything: the new album on CD & 2x heavyweight LP, a bonus CD with new songs, photographs and artwork, the liner notes, and more artwork, all in a beautiful slip case cover. Perfect for the Radiohead fanatic in your family... and as it happens, my personal copy just arrived today. Ah yeah!

Common Sense by Martin Parr - $40
I was turned on to this collection of Parr's incredible and odd work also at the AIPAD show (his big prints topped out at $10,000 in sparkling white glossy frames). According to the gallery and me as well, this is the best collected printing of his wide-ranging work. (Pay special attention to a crazily perfect pairing of giant dildos and rough cut sashimi).

My America by Christopher Morris - $30
One of my favorite photo book releases of the past 2 years, Chris Morris' delivers an incredible insider's view of the Republican culture of our nation as led by #43. Every time I look at this superb work I think about how hard it is to really see clearly while in the middle of recording history and delivering for clients.

Bargain gifts:

JimiX wallet - $16
The compact, colorful, and recycled wallet is back with a slightly enhanced version that allows for more cash to be carried in a money clip affixed to the side.

The Bourne Ultimatum - $14
Easily the most kick-ass action/thriller in recent memory was just released in time for the holidays.

20x200 gift certificate - $20
Lastly but not leastly, Jen Beckman's 20x200 project has gift certificates available for the holidays that allows you to give the gift of art to that special someone. Each print comes in multiple sizes/editions, starting at $20 for a 8.5x11 by her emerging artists and photographers.

A very happy and safe holidays to you all from JLPFL!

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Reimbursed, Vol. 1

Over the last 12 months I've been doing a lot more traveling and eating out, and in the process have begun to create a pretty solid food map of my hometown. About 90% of the thanks is due to various expense accounts, but after a celebratory dinner last night with the girlfriend at a newish restaurant near us in Miami Shores I've decided to create a new feature that records my food finds. Feel free to add to the conversation with your own opinions.

Unfortunately, several of these places are actually just too expensive for me to feel OK expensing a dinner for 2 (me and an assistant, etc. - maybe its just me?) on most of my editorial jobs... but lawyers, doctors, lobbyists, etc., who may be reading this and are tired of another fucking steakhouse, have at it! In Miami there are a lot of great restaurants, but most of them do seem to fall into the expensive to über-expensive range, with the mid-range places being squeezed out by the insane amount of chain restaurants which pop up in each new strip mall and sub-division.

Reimbursed meals | Miami, FL

Notes: Miami's development boom has brought a wave of new restaurants over the last 5 years, mostly located either in South Beach (Collins Ave. south of 30th St.) or on the Biscayne Blvd./Brickell corridor. A lot of the new places are in that vague New American/French/Asian fusion/seafood-y genre that blends together everything from traditional bistro standards to spicy takes on Peruvian ceviche... a good example of the Miami scene is Michelle Bernstein's newest shop Michy's (6927 Biscayne Blvd.) which could just as easily be at home in one of the boutique hotels along Ocean Drive.

Miami has its specialties which are widely available and not worth trying to find the best of in my opinion (because there are so many good places). So, if you are looking for great seafood while in South Florida, its a no-brainer... drive towards the water and buy whatever was caught that day locally. Same with Cuban food. If you see a sign that says "Cuban food" stop there and get some ropa vieja... it'll probably be great.

8 1/2 - $$$ - 821 Washington Ave. / South Beach
One of the few hotel restaurants in Miami Beach that I really, really like and have been back to multiple times for lunch and dinner. The very strong menu describes itself as global and features seasonal ingredients and a nice mix of culinary influences (Middle Eastern/Asian/Pan-American/French). I'd recommend diving into one of their tasting menus (you can also create your own), but the 7-course menu (with paired wine flights) will easily put you on your ass (portions way too large for that many courses). Their wine pairings and list could be a little stronger and deeper and they should lose the flat screen TV above the bar, but otherwise it’s a perfect small place that is a safe walk-in bet. For the money, it’s one of the better choices in Miami Beach.
8.5/10

Cacao - $$$$ - 141 Giralda Ave. / Coral Gables
Probably one of the 2 or 3 best upscale Latin/South American restaurants in Miami (which is saying something) with food that is not only exceptional but also very creative in conception and presentation. The tasting menu (which comes in 5 or 7 courses) was good, but not as impressive or well matched as some of the flavors of their individual entrees and very deep wine list heavy on South America. Cacao is very expensive, but on some nights it’s food is some of the best to be had in Miami. (A lot of the reviews I read praise the decor, etc., of the restaurant... it's nice, but not really nice, or that important to the experience.)
9/10

Capital Grille - $$$$ - 444 Brickell Ave. / Downtown
If you want a giant, dry-aged, perfectly seared steak and want to eat it while surrounded by the asshats who still consider that steaks are the beginning and end of American fine dining, then you can’t beat Capital Grille, which now has dozens of locations around the country. You already know what each of them looks like… the giant open room, the dark wood, the mounted animals and stuffed suits, the annoying over-sized menus with 12 different cuts of steak on them in 34 serving sizes, the old-school wine list (which is surprisingly not as marked up as I expected, unlike Tampa’s famous Burn’s, which is reportedly crazily jacked), and the a la carte side dishes. And about once a year, I want exactly that, and it’s always there to please with very solid service.
6/10

Duo - $$$ - 1421 S Miami Ave. / Downtown
Simply put, Duo is the best restaurant in Miami in my opinion. A diverse and fresh menu which balances French/Italian/New American/Latin influences with superb technique and respect paid to clean flavors, which is matched by one of the most incredible wine lists I’ve seen (not because its huge (which it is) but because it’s filled with wonderful small vineyards producing amazing wines. In talking with our waiter (who could have been more attentive actually), the really sad part is that apparently Duo is never really that busy (partly because the downtown/Brickell area is still very much a 9-5 type of area). Miami needs to wake up and support this very special place that is worthy of a long trip and large bill.
10/10

Les Halles - $$ - 2415 Ponce De Leon Blvd. / Coral Gables
If you love French bistro food (and I do) then this place will not disappoint the tongue or surprise the wallet, as one of the satellite locations of the venerable Bourdain franchise. The Miami version of L.H. feels a little toned down to me, and I was upset to find out that they no longer serve a charcuterie plate because (so says our waiter) there was not enough demand (fucking tourists). If, however, you don’t truly like the whole animal approach (guts and hooves, baby!) and hear “French” and can’t think past duck confit and seared foie gras with some pomme frites, then you probably should go elsewhere. Regardless, a better non-chain option in a way easier to get-to and park-in neighborhood is Charcuterie.
6/10

Lost & Found Saloon - $ - 185 N.W. 36th St. / Wynwood
Glory of glories, Judy and I’s favorite neighborhood (during our loft days) lunch spot is now finally open for dinner! This small Southwestern themed spot has great and incredibly inexpensive food with friendly service. The best time to stop by is during the festive monthly 2nd Saturday art gallery walks. Try the soups and forget the salads (which are a downer). Fingers crossed that the restaurant is able to survive Wynwood’s tremendous growth and construction and reach its potential.
7/10

Michy's - $$$ - 6927 Biscayne Blvd. / Miami
This is one of those tough calls. On the one hand here is a restaurant and a chef who is inventive and has a dramatic personal vision for food and the dining experience, and in a new up-and-coming location on Biscayne that will certainly help the neighborhood mature (which I really appreciate since we live very close now). On the other hand, the experience of going to Michy’s (which love it or hate it is nearly always packed) is un-even, pretentious, and awkward. The menu takes too long to digest and the portions are so small that it takes a lot of very expensive plates to get a full meal in. But buried within the average service and tables of loud Miamians (this place attracts a certain crowd who should have stayed in New York/Jersey), are some truly wonderful flavors and technique (especially the ceviche). If you are a true foodie you should give Michy’s a chance, even though I warned you.
6/10

North 110 - $$$ - 11052 Biscayne Blvd. / Miami Shores
Nah. That’s my full opinion. Nah. This is a place for people who like to spend too much money on average food in a strangely decorated interior (which ranges from dim to dark). The menu gets its only spark from the appetizers (especially the crab cake), but falls completely flat in the main courses which remind me of a Sunday afternoon at a Country Club (they have all of the right options, but none of them are quite right or quite what you want, and so you settle on braised short ribs, which are also not nearly good enough for $31). The prices are high and also strangely broad (entrees range from $17-45ish… why?). Maybe this is just a case of one restaurant trying to be too many things to too many people, and failing at most of them; though I’m sure that there are a lot of senior citizens who love this place (its yours!). Great service though, which is way too fucking rare in South Florida.
4/10

San Loco - $ - 235 14th St. / South Beach
It’s 3 a.m. and you are drunk, very hungry, and somewhere in South Beach... what do you do? You go to San Loco and get yourself some great fucking tacos, that’s what! This 24-hour joint has wonderful fresh Mexican fare even though the steady stream of tourists keeps the prices slightly higher than they should be. Make sure you stop at the ATM before you go; they only take cash.
7.5/10

Shoji Sushi - $$$ - 100 Collins Ave. / South Beach
Even though there are problems with the service (a problem all around South Florida), this is my favorite sushi place in Miami (which unfortunately is tucked away in SoFi – which is the stupid new name for the area of South Beach that is south of 5th St). The sushi is great, smart, and well executed, the sashimi is incredible and fresh, and the ceviche (you have no doubt noticed that it’s a very popular staple of the Miami scene, thank God) is somehow even better. It’s expensive and very popular, so it’s rare that we get down there for dinner, but if you go very late or early it’s worth the trip. I suggest just going for broke and getting a triple combo of sushi, sashimi, and ceviche – you will be very happy.
8/10

Sushi Samba Dromo - $$$ - 600 Lincoln Rd. / South Beach
The girlfriend and I keep meaning to branch out and go other places when we find ourselves on Lincoln Road (a pedestrian shopping area in the thick of South Beach), but again and again we gravitate towards Sushi Samba, even though it’s a chain, because its just really, really yummy, fresh food. The tag line of the restaurant, which offers some ridiculously great people-watching when you get one of their dozens of outside tables, is Japanese/Brazilian/Peruvian fusion cooking, and the menu has a ton of different types of things to try (many of which are overpriced but delicious). The big must tries is the ceviches, calamari appetizer, tiraditos, and the moqueca mista (which they sometimes combine with a whole roasted snapper for a special).
7/10

Talula - $$$ - 210 23rd St. / South Beach
Rounding out volume one of this little guide to some of Miami’s best offerings is another of my girlfriend and I’s favorite spots on the north side of South Beach. Talula’s has somehow managed to stay pretty local and their food (New American/Latin influences) is just a couple of steps short of perfect. This is a great place to bring visiting family for an upscale dinner that inventive and smart without also being pretentious. The portions are generous, especially so in the tasting menus which when matched with optional wine pairings becomes close to illegal. (My dad and I were served no less than 9 wine flights during a 7-course tasting menu, and each flight was more than 5 oz., which is truly ridiculous. We should have received t-shirts.) Don’t miss the tamale appetizer and the venison special (when available).
8.5/10

So that’s a small glimpse, unfortunately skewed towards the upscale end of the spectrum. There are many other places that I’ve neglected to mention or that we just haven’t gotten to yet. A few places that I’m eager to try soon are: Nemo, Bond Street, David Bouley Evolution, and Ola.

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Download: Making it work

Things have been quiet on the blog and in my new year through the first week, though not as dead as my previous post on my usual January slump forecasted (or probably should have cursed me with), thank god. Outside of being lazy, hanging out with friends and family, and ignoring new apartment house chores, I've mostly been trying to blaze a trail through yet another endless list of to-dos under the exciting category of "things that should have been done last year!"

This morning I finished captioning the final batch of a large December shoot that was such a low priority for my client that they told me flat out, moments after hiring me and suggesting a handsome fee, that there was almost no chance they would ever use the images for anything. Their real mistake, however, was later replying that they didn't need to receive the final images until "January sometime," which gave me a perfect reason to join in the spirit of making it an even lower priority during a busy month. A medium-sized FedEx box sealed and dropped off later, I'm on to the next item, which is, now lets see here, "enter contests ASAP." Fuck me! No way am not doing that tonight!

But because I also really didn't want to organize our new closets, or hang shelves in the garage (sorry the girlfriend!), I decided to take a look at my more vague long-term list of things to get fixed on a rainy day that are annoying but not pressing. On top of that list was trying to get my fancy Treo cell phone back into working order, which I was prepared to spend an entire sarcastic blog post talking about. Luckily for you, and me, I became very, very bored talking about looking around the web for the solution I needed. And after a couple of hours I solved my problem, and was so jazzed that I even went on to solve yet another Treo issue that I've been meaning to finally gather up all of my nerd power on.

And so instead of the inane chatter that could have been (similar to that Little Train that Could), here instead I offer the answers to my particular Treo problems - they might even work for you, if you are a moron like me and bought this giant thing for an insane amount of money (no, no, Mom, I actually got a sizeable discount!).

Problem 1: Treo 700P (Sprint) will not fully sync with Mac OS X

Solution: The Missing Sync for Palm OS

Skinny: Ever since upgrading from my Treo 650 (which met a sudden and untimely end in about a million pieces on the sidewalk in front of my post office), I've been unable to sync my new phone with my Address Book and iCal applications (OS 10.4). Palm/HotSync and Mac/iSync have never worked well together I've learned, but it wasn't working at all for me, and I had to resort to entering numbers manually that I needed to have on my phone. After going through several forums, I saw a variety of posts about Missing Sync, which is a 3rd party Sync conduit manager that replaces HotSync and overrides iSync (I think). Though the software costs $20 (there is a 2-week free trial), it immediately fixed what ailed my phone, and not only do I have all of my names, calendars, and digits back on my phone, its greatly expanded what will transfer over to my Treo from the Address Book categories. (Without being too nerdy here, HotSync has never allowed you to transfer over certain categories of data, such as mailing addresses, birthday, or the extra notes that I like to add to the bottom of an Address Book entry.)

Problem 2: Using a Treo 700p as a Bluetooth modem

Solution: Dial-up networking tutorial (& hack)

Skinny: Being able to wirelessly use my Treo as a way to go online (and transmit photos on deadline) with my laptop while traveling was one of the big reasons that I wanted to buy the damn phone in the first place. Even so, after months of trolling online and trying different configurations I was never able to get a consistent connection that was 1/3 as fast as the Pony Express with either my 650 or new 700p. Tonight I finally found a tutorial that made sense to me and I was able to easily follow. The giant added bonus of Trevor's guide is that it included an easy to install hack that bypasses Sprint's ability to tell the difference between when you are surfing the web from your phone, or from your laptop using you phone, which in turn saves the user $40/month (which is how much Sprint's business connection service is apparently). I did some checking up and this hack seems to work and be legit, but I'll be sure to come back and revise this post if I'm stuck with the $40 this month after testing it out.

So I hope that helps someone out. Do please make sure that you backup your Treo before attempting either fix, just in case. Now its time to try to be enthusiastic about closet reorganization!

**For those of you who are also Apple nerds and are currently glued to your computer(s) for the MacWorld Expo announcement of the new iPhone, I'd like to state for the record that I feel like a total jackass going on and on about my Treo the night before this insanely rad new product was unveiled. Thanks Steve!**

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Download: Travel gear

I'm home to Miami at last, but it ended up being the "long road home" after I missed my connecting flight in St. Maarten on Saturday (delays, massive incompetence on the part of WinAir) and was forced to stay overnight. And after I finished editing the almost 1400 images from the assignment, I thought I might pass the time by watching college football and writing a list for myself of my travel gear, especially considering my recent lapse. For the record, thank god, I didn't even manage to drain my only battery half-way while shooting in St. Barths. (By the way, the battery that was DOA is an official Canon battery, the extra battery that worked perfectly and held a great charge is an off brand I bought at B&H at around the same time as the camera).

TRAVEL GEAR CHECKLIST:

Lowepro CompuTrekker Plus AW backpack
This thing is a total beast and I hate that its so huge. But if you need to carry a bunch of shit, and want to do it with the least amount of extra baggage possible, then its your bag. That being said, I only ever use this bag if I'm also going to be bringing a laptop with me. If I don't need/want a laptop, then I'll use a smaller (2 SLR sized) bag that has roughly the same stuff in it.

Equipment I put in the backpack...

Canon 1Ds Mark II with the following: - Canon 20/2.8 lens (w/ lens shade) - Canon 28/1.8 lens - Canon 50/1.4 lens - Canon 100/2 lens - Canon 580 EX speed light (w/ 12 rechargeable AA batteries) - Canon ST-E2 remote transmitter (w/ extra battery) - Canon off camera shoe cord - Canon NP-E3 batteries (x2)

- CF cards (x4 in hard case, +1 in bag pocket, 18 Gbs total)
- VisibleDust sensor cleaning brush set
- HyperDrive "dump" drive (w/ USB cable, 100 Gbs)
- Micro fiber lens cleaning clothes (x3 - I tend to lose/destroy them)
- Magenta/green flash gels (I never use these)
- Small roll of gaffer tape, media credentials lanyard
- Moleskine notebook, pens/sharpies (x3), printed assignment notes
- Stack of business cards (I have a stack in every bag I own, just in case)
- Travel wallet w/ passport, credit cards, cash, travel papers, extra pen

- Treo cell phone (w/ extra battery & charger)
- Garmin Nüvi 360 GPS (w/ windshield attachment & car charger)
- Apple G4 laptop (in Incase sleeve, w/ keyboard protector & extra battery)
- G4 power brick w/ extender cord
- Apple power converter (this trip I brought the "central europe" adapter)
- SanDisk FW 800 card reader (w/ cord)
- Ethernet cord, DVD-Rs (x2) in jewel case

- Book to read
- Nintendo DS (I've finally broken down and decided to buy one)
- iPod shuffle (w/ headphones)

Extra cameras:
The other thing that is great about the CompuTrekker is that it works for me when I'm shooting multiple formats on a job, or even if I'm just packing an extra camera for myself. And I really try to always bring an additional camera to shoot pics that are just for me. Sometimes I shoot a bunch, while in transit, or when I first wake up in the morning... whatever strikes me. Sometimes I don't even touch the extra camera because there is no time or I don't feel like it. This camera is usually a different format than what my client has asked for... if I'm shooting 35mm digital, then I may bring my Holga, which is what I did on this trip.

Holga 120F
Mamiya 7 II (w/ 80/4 and 50/4.5 lenses)
Konica Hexar RF (w/ 28/2.8 and 50/2 lenses)

- film for each of these... 120/220/35, chrome/neg/bw

Extra bag stuff...
If the assignment requires me to be gone for a few days then I'm obviously going to have to pack an extra bag w/ clothes, toiletries, etc. Depending on the job, like I mentioned before, I may also add a few other items to my clothes bag that are fine to be checked at the airport.

Domke F-3X shoulder bag
This is an extra bag for jobs where I don't want to "work out of" the huge backpack, and want a small bag to navigate crowds or be a little less conspicuous.

Lowepro beltpack bag (no idea which one - I think they stopped making it)
I always bring this bag if I'm going to be running around or doing active shooting at sporting or political events. I've added several other pouches onto the normal bag.

Canon NC-E2 battery charger
Oops.

Extra extra bag stuff...

Finally, when I'm assigned to do a job that requires more lighting I obviously have to bring a whole other big bag, or more, of junk. I know that the lightest, cheapest, and easiest location lighting solution would probably be a combination of hot lights and stands that I could gerry rig into something half-way decent on each gig. But I've chosen to go a different way in terms of my location lighting, and depend on a simple but very capable battery system that is relatively versatile.

Wescott collapsible 6-in-1 52" reflector kit
Whenever possible, and when I have an assistant on the assignment with me as well, I love to use reflectors. They direct/scrim light really well, give a beautiful tone, and are about a million times less hassle to deal with gear wise. I just carry my on the airplane in addition to my camera bag, and its never been any sort of problem.

Portable light kit...
But when reflectors aren't going to do the trick I bring along my battery powered strobes in a big, heavy duty air case made by Versa-Flex. In addition to my air case, I also use a snow board case (a great idea I stole) to check light stands, booms, background stands, and anything else big that I may need on the shoot.

Equipment I put in the Versa-Flex & snow board bag...

- Hensel Porty 1000 w/s power pack (w/ extra battery)
- Porty head (x2, w/ extension cables x2)
- Hensel Porty battery charger
- Hensel wireless transmitter

- Reflectors (x3), barn doors, grids (x3), empty "sand" bags
- Big roll of gaffers tape, clamps (x6), sync cords (6' long, 18' long)
- Light stands (x3), background stand kit (snow board bag)
- Soft boxes (3' rectangular, 7' octobox) (snow board bag)

And last but no where near least, I use a Rock N Roller R-2 Micro cart to haul all of the lighting shit around with -- it folds up pretty small and can also easily be carried on (though people look at you funny).

After all of this shit, its not surprising I'll occasionally forget to pack socks, but I think that my kit keeps things pretty simple. I know a lot of other photographers who shoot similar stuff that bring more. Some probably bring less too. Over time I've just tried to create a toolbox that I feel comfortable with, and know that I can handle most anything I've thrown. There are some things that are impossible with what I have here (serious location lighting, telephoto sports shooting, etc.) but that's also the point. I bring everything that I can't live without, and nothing more.

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Download: gift ideas

At any moment the advertising and marketing firms will start their blitzkrieg of holiday shopping promotions, and as such, and because I've been a very lucky recipient lately of some rad gifts, I thought I'd download some recent gifts and gift ideas that someone may want to check out. Note to mom: I have most of this stuff, so just send cash. And note to the rest of you: John's 27th birthday is Oct. 26th.

Camera shit:

Canon 28/1.8 USM auto focus lens - $400
If you or your special friend shoots Canon, and doesn't have this lens, then buy it for them right now. Its easily the best Canon lens I've ever owned. It's really just perfect; very sharp, very small, very light, and it takes a beating. Do not be tempted to buy a lens hood for this lens, or any lens... they are stupid.

SanDisk Extreme IV 4GB CF card w/ FW reader - $330
I was skeptical too when SanDisk released the new version of these CF cards. I already had 2 of the extreme III series, which are great. But these are SO much faster, and the FireWire 800 reader is SO much better, that now its all I want to use. They make different sizes obviously, but I think that 4GB is the perfect size if you shoot RAW... and you should be shooting RAW, folks.

HyperDrive HD80 portable storage drive - $140
I've already mentioned this little dandy in the blog... my "dump drive"... but its a great gift and it limits any photographer's need for more than a few CF cards (above). I've linked to the "casing only" version... which means that you need to buy a hard drive elsewhere. I promise, this is the way to go -- you can get a better, bigger, and less expensive drives here, and just pop it in. The installation is very very easy, and you'll get more for your money.

Other tech-y shit:

Garmin Nüvi 360 portable GPS navigator - $625
OK, so this is a pretty extravagant gadget gift... but what can I say? I have a great girlfriend. This GPS is sort of a hybrid between the old car dashboard models and the handheld/sports models. Its much quicker (in acquiring satellites), and much more portable. I've just begun using it, and its works incredibly well. Thanks Google Maps... it was fun while it lasted. The wicked feature upgrade that I'm hooked on is that this puppy has bluetooth and a very good speakerphone (for your bluetooth cell), which means you can not only look up the closest Thai joint and get directions, but call them right from the screen with a single touch and confirm they are open.

Shure E4c earphones - $300
Another pretty ridiculous gift... I wouldn't actually let anyone buy these for me; especially because I've lost a pair, along with 2 iPods this year (Thanks AMEX protection!), but I'll treat myself. These are the best headphones (I'm a bit obsessed about this) that I've ever heard. I've now had 2 pairs of the E2c's, and also the E3g's... and these are the best -- best sound isolating ability, best and purest sound, best bass response, BEST!

Apple iPod shuffle (aluminum) - $80
This is actually a gift that I'm hoping some nice soul is getting me for my birthday. As I stated below... I have a problem w/ the big video iPods. I lose them. But, the new iPod shuffle is clippable right onto your person, and is so friggin' small and cool. Only holds 240* songs, but that's perfect for me.

Edirol R-09 Wave recorder - $400
I've been researching audio recorders to begin to do some multimedia work with my projects, and this unit seems to be the way to go. Some of you may be a bit surprised to even hear me use the word "multimedia" but I'll talk about that sometime soon as well.

Swift Data 200 G5 drive upgrade system - $80
This is extremely tech-y for my standards, but its a very cool way to add storage to your Mac system if you are using a G5. Basically the SD200 is a bracket and controller which allows you to install up to 5 serial ATA hard drives in your G5 at once, greatly increasing your storage space. It sounds pretty overwhelming, but installation was easy, and everything has worked perfectly. I bought my SATA drives here.

Nintendo Brain Age for DS - $20
This is from my Mom who got this for her birthday and is a little crazy about it. I've only played it a couple of times, but its the sort of thing that you could basically devote a few hours a day to... which is to say that if you fly a lot, this may be perfect.

Media, books, shit, etc.

Forgotten War: Democratic Rep. of the Congo - $25
One of my most recent photo book purchases, and one the better I've bought over the last year in both design and content. This is a project by several VII photographers in coordination with MSF. Somewhat incredibly, my favorite images in the book are from Gary Knight. The binding and packaging of this tiny book have an interesting relationship to the tone of the images.

Winterreise by Luc Delahaye - $20

The Mennonites by Larry Towell - $40
These are two of my favorite photo books of all time. Buy them for someone.

Yoga for Dummies - $12
Because such a huge part of being a freelance photographer is schlepping around a ton of gear -- through airports, on assignment, etc. -- I've started to get a little more serious about exercise to keep my back in good shape, and yoga is the answer. Currently I'm way below the "dummy" status, but I'm trying, and its already made a difference.

Good Night, and Good Luck - $15
An incredible indictment of how far broadcast standards and talent have fallen... and a beautifully shot film.

All the King's Men - $10
Forget the new movie adaptation... read the book, which I've always loved and turned to again and again. The opening two dozen pages are mesmerizing. That's how I want to learn to shoot.

Adrift mobiles - $150-300
I'm a long time Alexander Calder fanatic, and if money was no object, and if I had a much bigger apartment with ever taller ceilings, I'd happily write a check for a few million dollars for one of his creations. Until then, Adrift makes beautiful natural wood mobiles that are a lot more affordable and still seem to capture the same spirit of wonder. I want the centric or vessel models.

The Daily Show iTunes multi-pass - $10
And last but not least I'll end on a funny note... since we don't have cable, I have to rely on out of town assignments (hotels) or iTunes for a Jon Stewart fix every now and then. iTunes offers downloads of the show in individually ($1.99), or you can buy a multi-pass for only $10 and get 16 of the newest episodes. And now that iTunes has upped their resolution to 640x480 (slightly less than DVD) its a pretty good deal. Full disclosure: I'm already paying $1.99 per Studio 60 show... damn you Sorkin!

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Download: Maxims

From time to time I'm going to throw some words of wisdom directed at yours truly that I've collected or written down various places to help me remember not to be a schmoe. Here is the first such download, taken straight from the "memos" section of my Treo.

John's assignment maxims

Follow the light
Tight & wide
Ask for more, and more...
...make the subject say no
Fill every hole
What's your sign?
Finish twice

Maybe some explanatory text is in order... since those probably only make sense to me, and also probably won't make sense to me if I see them again in 12 months without Cliff Notes.

Follow the light... well, I've already talked about the golden hour, and my passion for waking up early and staying late. But, on assignments, even when you don't have any control over time, there are still moments where you can make decisions juggling content vs. aesthetics... and its important to let aesthetics win some of those times, because often the content is total shit anyway. Also, in a sense, follow the light also means for me not to try so hard to recreate my own light in a place that is against the natural flow of what I've been dealt... even if I have my light kit, or reflectors, its still an easier path to modify or fill in nice light that is already there, than to totally create my own system of light.

Tight & wide... not brain surgery. I like to make it a point of each assignment to show as much context, and as little; either shooting wide and long, or shooting very close and far away. Editors love choice. Seriously, its crack to them... and as a former (reformed?) newspaper photographer, its something that is very easy for me to deliver.

Ask for more... make say no... This is something I've developed over the last couple of years. Basically my thinking is that your subjects, the vast majority of them, want to please you and the magazine you represent. They are flexible, often very very flexible, so why not take advantage of that? If I have a crazy idea, or want to try something, I ask. The only times you'll find me not asking is when I either don't have any time at all (less than 10 minutes total) or if I really don't like my subject and don't want to spend that much time with them. To date, the only people who have said no to me have been Clay Aiken (who said yes to everything but laying on top of the grand piano Fabulous Baker Brothers style) and a couple of athlete ass holes. Being told no is often very useful in another way... it lets you leverage your crazy idea against your not that crazy idea, so that they say NO to your bad idea, but agree to the 2nd idea just because they've already "stifled" your creativity.

Fill every hole... this is a professionalism thing. You've been hired to perform a service for a client. Do just that. Do other stuff also, yeah, if you have the time or energy. But make for damn sure that you have checked off every thing on the "what the client requires" checklist along the way. This is where I don't have any patience for photographers whose ego or "vision" means that they can't get an assignment done in a manner that is publishable by their client.

What's your sign?... I'm a scorpio. But this is about following the signs of your shoot and taking action based on what is happening, or going wrong. I had a shoot recently for a new client, and things kept going wrong. I'd set up this shot, have my flash just so, starting snapping frames, and then... whamo, the flash stops firing. OK. I check the transmitter, I check the flash, still nothing. What can I do? I'm not going to fiddle with the thing for 20 minutes and try and figure out what is up while my subject waits there... so instead, I say, "fuck the flash," and I move on. Same thing goes for almost anything. I don't believe in whatever would cause this or that to happen, but I'm not going to fight some unseen foe on assignment in front of a subject either. I try and take my cues from the situation, and if need be, improvise. Seriously, there are sooooo many ways that you can take each assignment; so many types of styles, lens combinations, environments, lighting set-ups, etc., that there is no reason to just not relax and enjoy the ride... as long as it doesn't interfere with the above-mentioned check list.

Finish twice... lastly, when I'm having a hard time making pictures that I like on a job, pictures that are above and beyond what the client wanted and are really more for my personal satisfaction, no matter what kind of job, I use this technique. I shoot and then finish the shoot, and then start over and finish again. Everyone has a sense of when the shoot is over... its that feeling you have. Well, suppress that feeling. It doesn't have to mean the end. Once I reach the end, I keep going right through and start trying new things, like I was approaching the assignment for the first time. And when I'm through finishing twice, its all over, and I say goodnight.

What these mantras are the most applicable to, in my experience, has been assignments that we all take because we are in business and must pay our rent or mortgage. The other assignments... dream jobs, personal projects, all of that... these may be a little less important to consider, and another set of mantras that are a little more idealized can be used. But when you are shooting something that you would definitely not be shooting unless someone had hired you to do so... that's when I force these little nuggets onto myself.

Lastly, by way of an apology... when I was in college I spent hours each week in a bookstore pouring over the major publications that I hoped someday to be working for, comparing what I thought my ability was against the stuff I found in the pages. I really thought that I knew something about the photographers whose work I was seeing, and when it was bad work, I thought... fuck, it seems like anyone can do this and get assignments! I was wrong. Or not wrong, but I didn't understand that what you see in a magazine sometimes has very little actual representation of the quality of that photographer, or even of their shoot on that assignment. Now years later when I have a very strong shoot and then am totally amazed about how fucking awful the picture is that got into print in the magazine the week after, or 6 months later, I think about those college days and want to say sorry to all of the photographers that I thought ill, just as I hope the kids in college today may learn to give me a little more credit when they see some of the horrible shit that I've mistakenly let my clients get their hands on from otherwise decent takes.

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