The Phase One IQ180 Takes On Race Cars at Laguna Seca Speedway!!

Fred “Frosty” Knoop on the Corkscrew in a Lister Special.  Fred Knoop brings a lot of history to the beginnings of Laguna Seca.  ©2012 Ken Doo Photography

 

Last week I was invited by a client and friend, Rick and Cydette Knoop, to accompany them to the racetrack at Laguna Seca.  I have been doing the medium format digital copywork and giclee fine art reproductions on canvas for Cydette Knoop for her series on famous racetracks.  Her husband, Rick Knoop, is a professional race car driver.  So when they asked if I’d like to see them exercise the cars, I just couldn’t turn down that special opportunity.  This was not an event open to the public and was one of the few times where the cars are allowed to run basically open muffler without sound restrictions.  Consequently, these high horse-powered cars were running fast.  And so I brought along a Canon 1Ds Mark III with a 300mm f/2.8 IS and what the hell, let’s see if the Phase One IQ180 can capture a race car.  So I took along my Phase 645DF and Phase One IQ180 outfitted with a 150mm f/2.8 D series lens.  I know, I know—that Don Libby guy is gonna be chiding me all week long about selling my Mamiya 300mm AF.  But even yet, the 300mm would have been a bit short in focal length.  The 150mm would have to do.  After viewing some of the incredible cars in the garage, we headed out to the famous Corkscrew, the setting for Cydette’s first oil painting in her racetrack series, Heart and Soul.

Rick Knoop heads down the Corkscrew in the Knoop Mann Lister Special. ©2012 Ken Doo Photography.

 The above image was taken with the Phase 645DF and IQ180.  Surprisingly, the camera system was able to stop the action.  I set the AF switch on the 645DF to continuous focusing.  I set custom function CF19 AF to speed.  It was bright outside so ISO was set at 50, which still set the shutter at 1/1000th.  I shot the image at f/2.8 (hey, no guts no glory, right?).  A faster shutter might have yielded a sharper image on this fast moving subject.  So what does eighty megapixels on a full-framed 645 sensor yield?  Take a look at the crop below.

Fred Knoop on the Corkscrew; cropped image from above. ©2012 Ken Doo Photography

 Not bad. This is not to say the Phase 645DF and IQ180 is a suitable choice for fast moving sports and race cars.  Hardly.  But it does go to show how flexible and capable this camera system is.  I didn’t even try to use the faster capabilities of the IQ180′s Sensor Plus feature, albeit at lower resolution but still on a full-framed 645 sensor.  Hell with that.  I just wanted to see if the Phase 645DF and Phase One IQ180 could be coaxed into photographing race cars.  And with a much too short focal length, I knew I would need the full eighty megapixels to crop.  Okay, so the Phase 645DF and Phase One IQ180 was able to photograph race cars going through their paces at Laguna Seca, but it’s still not my first choice for fast action.  Images here on the track were much easier to capture with the Canon 1Ds Mark III paired with a 300mm f/2.8 IS great white.  But this exercise was to answer one of those what-ifs.  So kudos to Phase One for an extremely flexible camera system.  The 645DF with D series lenses and IQ180 is able to focus quickly, and although slow compared to flagship DSLR offerings, it certainly is faster than some current DSLRs such as Canon’s 5D Mark II.  I’m impressed.  I look forward to seeing further improvements and refinements with Phase One’s rumored new camera body.

More Race cars on the Corkscrew. ©2012 Ken Doo

The original Lister. ©2012 Ken Doo Photography

Rick and Fred Knoop, father and son. ©2012 Ken Doo Photography

Rick Knoop in the Lister Special. ©2012 Ken Doo Photography

You can see more race cars at Laguna Seca from last weekends festivities on my website, www.kendoophotography.com  Go to the commercial side of the website.  From the top menu bar, select Commercial Client Area.  Enter the password:  knoop   There is a mixture of images taken with both the Canon 1Ds Mark III and the Phase One IQ180.  Obviously where the IQ180 really shines is in the studio or on location for landscape and portrait work.  For wall portraits and large prints, the quality of the Phase One IQ180 is unsurpassed.

For more information, contact me at my boutique portrait photography studio in Carmel, CA or call (831) 626-1844. ken

Ready for Valentines Day Romance 2012

Phase One 645DF, IQ180, Schneider 110mm LS.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner—are you ready?  Just in time for 2010, the Scarlet Letter Series, a luscious romantic glamour portrait book, offers new custom covers and sizes.   The Scarlet Letter Series Portrait Session is not limited to glamour or fashion, and often tasteful artistic B&W imagery is the call for the day.  My boutique portrait studio in Carmel will soon be adding another wide format fine art printer, and the current fine art printer will be converted to a very special B&W piezography printer.  A B&W wet darkroom print is the last remaining enclave that for the most part remains specialized and somewhat protected from the digital movement.  I know it’s blasphemy to some, but with a seven carbon-based pigmented piezophgraphy inkset combined with a separate gloss overcoating process, my studio intends to offer the finest in B&W portraiture and fine art reproduction.  More on this later!  Also new in studio is a wire-binder system, ideal for making calendars.  For more information on Scarlet Letter Series Portrait Sessions, make-up artists and stylists, or romantic clothing and lingerie, contact me at my boutique portrait studio in Carmel or call (831) 626-1844.  ken

Happy Holidays from Ken Doo Photography in Carmel!

Home for the Holidays. ©2011 Ken Doo

Happy holidays!  I know that many of you expect a humorous holiday greeting from Duffy, my bull terrier.  Sadly, Duffy passed this last summer from kidney failure.  He is sorely missed around the studio!  2011 has marked an extremely busy year, and I’m looking forward to a busy and exciting new year.  I am already working on new collections for portrait, wedding, and commercial clients.  New custom backdrops are being hand-painted and added to an already extensive collection of fine art backdrops in studio.  New framing options are available as are new exceptionally high quality portrait substrates.  On the event photography front, the studio will probably (sadly) be retiring its venerable Kodak ML500 printer.  The recent demise of Kodak Professional meant no longer being able to acquire media for the ML500.  There is no comparable printer to the Kodak ML500, and its replacement will require the acquisition of several event dye sublimation printers, most likely the DNP DS80.

Steve Rease. ©2011 Ken Doo Photography. Phase 645DF and IQ180; Phase 150mm D, ISO 50, f/5.6 @ 1/100. B&W converted by Capture One Pro 6.

 I am really excited about new offerings for portraiture both in studio and on location, just simply unavailable anywhere else!  : )  February 2012 will be floater frame February—with 50% off all floater frames with the purchase of a fine art canvas gallery wrapped and stretched wall portrait.  Portrait sessions need only be scheduled before the end of February to qualify.  Graphistudio Wedding Book options from  have expanded with new cover and media selections.  For more information, contact me at my boutique portrait studio in Carmel or call (831) 626-1844.   Best wishes for the new year!  ken

 

Artist Cydette Knoop Releases New Race Track Painting Series

Heart and Soul. ©2011 Cydette Knoop. Fine art copywork and reproduction by Ken Doo; Phase IQ180, Phase 150mm D.

Laguna Beach, California artist Cydette Knoop is releasing a series of new paintings based on famous race tracks throughout the world.  I recently met Cydette Knoop and her husband, Rick Knoop, a professional race car driver, here in Carmel, where I was able to view Cydette’s first release in this series, Heart and Soul, based on the famous Corkscrew at Laguna Seca.  Cydette is a very talented artist with a wide body of work.  Her studio is located in Laguna Beach.  You can see more of her work at her website, www.cydettestudio.com.  Cydette and Rick approached me to do the copywork on Heart and Soul and produce giclee canvas fine art reproductions for this series—Cydette apparently having sold Heart and Soul barely before the oils had time to set!  I photographed the original 36″ x 48″ oil painting at my boutique portrait studio in Carmel, CA using a Phase One 645DF medium format camera and Phase One IQ180 medium format digital back.  I knew that the IQ180 would provide ample resolution and the quality digital output that would meet Cydette’s requirements.

24×32 Canvas placed inside custom floater frame for effect (not mounted)

 I processed the image with C1 Pro 6 to output a 16 bit color TIFF into Adobe Photoshop CS5, where I prepared a 24×32 mirrored gallery wrap.  I chose to use Breathing Color’s Lyve canvas, an exceptional archival canvas.  Photographic fine art and canvas prints are produced on a pigmented printer with custom icc color profiles generated by me in studio.  Each canvas print is HVLP sprayed for protection prior to stretching on bars.  Cydette plans on offering her paintings with an optional custom hardwood floater frame which adds a nice finished touch.  In the images shown, the canvas has not been mounted but simply placed into the floater frame for effect.  Canvas paintings can be easily removed from the floater frame and displayed as is.

Close-up view of floater frame. The image wrap remains visible. The custom wood floater frame is available in different finishes and is a popular option for canvas portraits.

For more information on Cydette Knoop’s popular paintings, contact the artist at her gallery in Laguna Beach at (949) 715-7946 or at her studio website, www.cydettestudio.com .  For more information on high resolution medium format digital photography, copywork and fine art reproduction, contact me at my boutique portrait photography studio in Carmel or at (831) 626-1844.

Jon Hill Candidate for Monterey Peninsula Unified School District Board

Jon Hill, Candidate for MPUSD Board 2011. ©2011 Ken Doo. Phase 645DF, Phase IQ180, Schneider 55mm LS

It’s no secret that I’m very proud of our schools in Carmel.  I’m very fortunate that both of my sons attend schools in Carmel.  It’s also no secret that school districts in neighboring communities are faltering.  Many of the difficult issues facing the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District existed well before the current state of the economic recession.  Quite frankly, outside of parental involvement, MPUSD needs a new pair of eyes and hands, and to that end, Jon Hill’s candidacy for MPUSD Board is like a gift to the Monterey Peninsula.

Earlier this summer, Jon Hill asked me photograph him to provide images for his campaign.  After settling on a location, I chose to use the Phase One 645DF and the Phase IQ180 medium format digital back.  I knew that this combination would give Jon the most flexibility with the highest quality digital files available.  It also gave me the chance to use the new Schneider 55mm leaf shutter lens.  While working with him, I could tell that Jon Hill is an extremely intelligent, affable, and passionate about the quality of education.  In working on the graphic design layout of his brochure, I asked Jon to provide me with some of his background.  He sent me his resume, which I’ve attached here as a downloadable pdf file. Jonathan Hill-Resume  Take a look and you’ll see some of the reasons why I describe Jon Hill as a gift to Monterey Penisula Schools.  To those who reside in the Monterey Peninsula School District, I encourage you to support Jon Hill’s candidacy for school board.  For more information, visit Jon Hill Campaign to Reclaim MPUSD Board 2011.

Figuration New Portraits by Charlie Craddock at M42 Gallery Oct 15-Nov 30 2011

Figuration New Portraits by Charlie Craddock at M42 Studio/Gallery in Carmel Valley

M42 Studio/Gallery presents Figuration New Portraits by Charlie Craddock, exhibited October 15 through November 20, 2011.  The gallery is located at 16 B Carmel Valley Road (near Rustica Cafe and the Wild Goose Cafe!), Carmel Valley Village, California.  An opening reception for the artist will be held on Saturday, October 22, 2011 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.   You won’t see a fine art giclee canvas edition at this exhibition (maybe next time on fine art papers!), only Charlie’s originals, but you will see Figuration quotes printed by me for Charlie Craddock on Breathing Color’s 300MS Fine Art Decor paper.  For more information, contact M42 Studio/Gallery at 831-659-0242.   www.charliecraddock.com 

Monterey County Artist’s Studio Tour September 24 + 25, 2011

Gallery wrapped images stretched on Bamboo and other fine art papers are some of the things on display during the Artist's Studio Tour at Ken Doo Photography in Carmel this weekend.

The Monterey County Artist’s Studio Tour will be held on September 24 + 25, 2011, from 12:00PM until 5:00 PM on each day.  Artists throughout Monterey County participating in the tour open their studios to the public giving them a glimpse at the artist’s work and workplace.  An opening reception kicking off the event will be held on Friday, September 23, 2011 at the Pacific Grove Art Center on Lighthouse Avenue from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.  The public is welcome to preview artwork on display by various artists as well as enjoy refreshments , raffles and prizes.  This year I plan on showing a few unique pieces of my landscape photography, which I have chosen to print on Bamboo fine art paper and then stretching it over bars, similar to stretched canvas.  I will also be showing several large panoramic images with incredible detail, some approaching eight feet in length, photographed by me with high resolution medium format digital cameras.  Come by and visit my boutique photography studio in Carmel, see some of my landscape photography, and enjoy a glass of wine, coffee, and cheesecake (hey, I like cheesecake.).   You can see more of my landscape photography at www.houseoflandscapes.com  .  ken

CHS Boys Water Polo Teams Sweep Salinas

CHS Frosh WaterPolo. ©2011 Ken Doo Photography. 1DsMark III, Canon 300mm L f/2.8 IS

The Carmel High School Boys Water Polo Teams swept Salinas yesterday.  The Frosh team won their game against Salinas 13-5.  The Carmel JV Boys beat the Salinas JV 17-4.

Alon goes for goal. ©2011 Ken Doo Photography. Canon 1DsMark III, Canon 300mm L f/2.

CHS Boys Varsity Water Polo beat Salinas 15-6. 

Varsity player Trey Coppinger goes for goal. ©2011 Ken Doo Photography. Canon 1DsMark III, Canon 300mm L f/2.8 IS

With the expansion of games in the new league, many of the varsity games are later in the evening, often not starting until 7:30 P.M.  Even with one of Canon’s most revered great whites, the 300mm f/2.8 L IS, a fixed f/2.8 lens, less available light has made capture of the fast moving game action much more difficult.  The current Canon flagship 1Ds Mark III is a workhorse, but where is the Canon 1Ds Mark IV?   Another vicitm of the tsunami in Japan perhaps.  I’m finding myself photographing these late games at much higher speeds than normal for quality captures. 

You can see more images from the games against Salinas (and previous games) at www.kendoophotography.instaproofs.com   As a reminder, make sure to select “studio pick-up” as a delivery option to save on shipping/handling fees, unless you really do want purchased images sent by mail.  You can also designate your image favorites for each game, which will save your selections for viewing on subsequent visits.  Prints may be purchased online or by calling me at my boutique portrait photography studio in Carmel at (831) 626-1844.  Contact me for larger print sizes or posters with the CHS Water Polo logo.  ken

Carmel High School Water Polo at Santa Cruz!

The Colonel. ©2011 Ken Doo Photography

The Carmel High School boys Water Polo Team travelled to Santa Cruz yesterday, with three games against Santa Cruz.  The Varsity team beat Santa Cruz 13-9; JV bested Santa Cruz 12-8; Frosh lost 13-5.  More game photos are available for viewing and purchase at www.kendoophotography.instaproofs.com  Proceeds help support CHS Water Polo.  For more information, contact me at my boutique portrait photography studio in Carmel at (831) 626-1844.    Come see the Carmel Water PoloTeams play against Aptos High School, Thursday, September 8, 2011 at Carmel High School.   Frosh 5:30; JV 6:30; Varsity 7:30.  ken

 

Carmel High School Water Polo Defeats Monterey in Season Opener

CHS senior Sam Stoffers. ©2011 Ken Doo Photography. Canon 1DsMkIII, Canon 300mm f/2.8 IS

Both the JV and Varsity Carmel High School Water Polo Teams defeated Monterey yesterday in their season opener.  This season marks the third year that I have been photographing water polo games for CHS.  Although I am primarily a professional portrait photographer, I enjoy photographing sports.  I don’t use the big medium format digital cameras here!  The equipment I use was originally purchased for photographing wildlife, and to many teenage boys playing water polo is not far off the mark.

CHS Goalie Ben Price. ©2011 Ken Doo Photography.

Although CHS Water Polo won the TCAL championships last year, this year presents new challenges.  Although CHS is a relatively small school, its water polo team competes against much larger schools.  This year, the league was restructured, making it even larger and more competitive yet.  CHS Water Polo will be defending its title against larger schools that swim and play polo year round.  You can get more information on the CHS Water Polo teams and game schedule on their website at http://www.carmelwaterpolo.blogspot.com/  I look forward to photographing many exciting games this year!  See you at the pool!

You can purchase and view more images from the CHS v. Monterey water polo game at http://www.kendoophotography.instaproofs.com

Contact me at my boutique portrait photography studio in Carmel for questions.  (831) 626-1844  Ken