Pre-School Photoshoot

A good friend of ours is starting a new pre-school called "Kids by Design". I had the pleasure to capture the very beautiful facility!

I've known Sandra who is the teacher/owner is exceptionally talented with little children.

Canon EOS 60D “Spyview”

With the dismal Canon offering with the 50d to the mass 2 years ago, it is with great relief finally that Canon has decided to return a salvo towards its competition with the 60D!

Canon X0d prosumer dSLR used to enjoy a respected and “Go-to” status for anyone who wants a dSLR superior to the entry level offerings. But with the last two Canon x0d products namely the 40D and 50D, they were mediocre and allowed Nikon D90 and Sony Alpha to catch up in this segment!

The introduction of Canon EOS 7D further sealed the fate of the 50D to a “lame duck” status. And the depreciation of this model shows.

Enough of the gloomy talk for a new day break is arising for the X0D class dSLR in the Canon EOS stable. Sometime late last week, fuzzy images of the 60D have emerged!

No real facts. But some items can be deduced:

• Articulated LCD Screen! It is in my opinion that when Canon introduced the LiveView with the 40D, I felt that it was a incomplete implementation. Having used Canon Powershot series which has articulated LCD screen, the capability for framing shots is greatly enhanced. So I am glad finally Canon has come to its senses to complete the LiveView feature with this.
• Missing joystick. I will miss this very much-
• Composite body instead of Magnesium. This is so not cool at all. It’s a 60D! Not a Rebel. Come on Canon!
• Slightly smaller. Might be ok for folks with smaller hands. But users with larger lens will lose leverage and ultimately balance.
• A whole lot more modes.
• Same processor as the 7D. Unlikely to be dual processors though. But so will be the price.
• 18MP?I can only guess it will have similar MP count as the 7D which means 18MP.

As per usual Canon release strategy, look for the unveiling at the 2010 Photokina!
Will the 60D regain the prosumer crown? Stay tuned!

The Great 3 Second Impression

On average a person forms a first impression in their mind within

3 seconds of visual contact.

With the current hot real estate market in Metro Vancouver (formerly known as GVRD), sellers seem to think that their houses will magically and instantly sell once the "For Sale" sign goes up. Though this might be true for some, largely it isn't so.
Humans are visual creatures. We are highly acute to the sensory that the eyes perceive. Hence you "see" the multitudes of billboards lining your local highways and billions of dollars spent on advertising. From TV ads to some banner towed by a GoodYear blimp during Superbowl companies strive to entice the public with their products and services.
Driven by internet technology, more and more house shoppers are searching for their future home via the web. Properties with visual impact will get the shoppers attention and in turn drive curiosity to investigate further that will lead to contacting the seller's agent. Put it simply, crappy images of a home will turn off potential buyers. I know this by our own experience while searching for our current home and also experiences of many other shoppers.

Here's an example that one typically come across in MLS or realtylink.org.

This shot is simply taken with likely a point-and-shoot camera using full on auto function. Naturally being indoors, the onboard flash fires.
Sadly the shot is washed out. The interior colour is dulled by the flash. In fact the illumination is so bad, some areas are darkened too.
The shot is grainy and also soft that results into a lazy attempt to capture the family room image. Next property please!








The second photo shows the same interior scene but set-up properly and thoughtfully to highlight the home interior quality.
As you can see, a big difference. Using a combination of flash capability and slower shutter speeds, this shot managed to display the true quality of the home interior.
Interior lights and fireplace were turned to provide a sense of warmth.
Along with careful post-processing, this image not only display the ambiance but also draws the viewer into the cozy family area.
Note the exterior greenery highlights. It is important to incorporate nice exterior views.


Despite having begun shooting events and weddings, for reasons like the above, I have started to provide professional photography to the real estate industry.
In the following posts, I will attempt to provide some simple and effective ways to photograph and deliver stunning visuals for home interiors. So stay tuned.

Better Late than Never

Celebrating 1-Year Anniversary, I've decided to start a blog for Veritas Images. I feel compelled to provide periodical updates on photo projects, my experiences at photoshoots and my thoughts. Oh one more thing, I know my automotive articles were hard to read in my other site. So I'm moving them here as well. No need for bifocals.


And yes! Happy New Year to all!