Photography Gallery
Silas Scarborough
This site is comprised of a number of different galleries. In some cases, such as the Orchid Conservatory or the Green Animals Topiary Garden, it was easy to segregate the images but others are segregated simply by the photographic technique used to produce them.
Introduction
Digital Photography
All of the underwater photography was done with a Canon S45 digital camera with 256 MB of memory. I used a Canon WP-DC300 waterproof case and it worked flawlessly. The auto-focus had some difficulty underwater but this may have been due to dust stirred up by the waves. This camera is now of historical interest only and has now been retired but I can report that it gave reliable service for years despite tremendous abuse including surviving dropping it hard enough to split the case.
Because of the good experience with the original digital Canon, I now use a Canon SD1100 IS. The camera is about 1/4 the size of the S45, 32 times as much memory, and twice the resolution at 8 mega-pixels. Plus it was about a third of the price of the original S45. Canon also put a tremendous amount of work into the controls and it's vastly easier to use than the S45. Not bad! (Definitely comparison shop as prices vary wildly from one camera store to another.)
For high-end digital photography, my friends are unanimous in their choice of Canon digital SLR cameras. Without having used one, I can't make a personal recommendation but the quality of the photographs I've seen from them has been superlative.
Traditional Photography
All traditional photographs were shot with a Minolta Maxxum 7000i camera, some with a Sigma 28mm wide-angle and others with a Sigma 80mm-200mm zoom. The macro feature of the Sigma zoom lens was frequently used for flower photography. Other than a haze filter, there was no modification to any photograph at the time that it was exposed. Unfortunately, this camera really doesn't get used anymore as it's too much to carry around but it provided excellent service for many years.
Videography for Internet Streaming
Canon XL2 video cameras are used for the big video applications. The Apple MacBook Pro built-in camera is adequate for guerrilla video ideas and the iPhone can serve to some extent in that role as well.
Ustream Pro is used for streaming to the Internet and I usually use a single Canon XL2 video camera to feed it. For anywhere away from the studio, either a Canon XL2 or the MacBook Pro video camera may be used.
For large-scale concert videography, three Canon XL2 video cameras are used. Two are from static mounts and the third roams for best locations. This is the approach that was taken in shooting the "Dream Big It Just Might Happen" movie.