Tales of Wonder and Woe: UWOL #6

[David Gemmell]

Just bought a new campervan for some family get aways recently and we're all heading off for the first trip this weekend to a nice riverside caravan park.

My plan is to take my fly fishing rod and fish towards the campervan, where my wife, or any of my three boys, can put the high beam of my car on to illuminate the area of the river I will be fishing.

Hopefully, the fish are jumping and I am also hoping there are platypus around (and it is light enough to capture them). The last time I fished this spot it was wonderful, in terms of nature subjects however, that was twenty years ago, so who knows what it is like now.

So fingers crossed that I can capture the "evening rise".

If this plan doesn't work, I suppose I could submit 2 or 3 minutes of darkness - with some narration explaining what you can't see. Then again, my boys tell me they would love to show you how to cook the perfect marshmallow over the fire. Not exactly what i had in mind - so let's hope the car lights over the river works to some degree.

No matter what, I will certainly be submitting something!

[Mat Thompson]

Markus : Who do you dive with when you go shooting and what time of night do you dive night dives. I've never dived at night yet but its something I hope to try out when I can get some clear water.

Bruce : Very jealous....I not shot a second yet !

Per : Looking forward to hearing about your results!!

David : Platypus are just one of animals that are truely awe inspiring, such a mish mash of evolution. Do you often see echidna another crazy Aussie creature? I would be stoked to see some footage of those fellas.

[Brian McKay]

David I love the fishing idea so much that with your permission I'm going to steal it and do the same thing. My only modification is that I'll use a boat. See the attached picture that was taken yesterday afternoon. I wonder if I will catch anything.

Brian

[Meryem Ersoz]

hi markus, it's fine with me if you incorporate the logo for a uwol film, you can drag it off the website, but if you want a better version, you'll need to e-mail mat....

glad to see you people rallying! UWOL knows no defeat.

of course, i have not shot a thing yet myself, but i have plans, many many plans....

[Meryem Ersoz]

i'm feeling so guilty, i am going to have to lob a cream puff theme for the next UWOL in february.

DJ, who is sitting at the desk next to me editing her entry that she shot at 4 am this morning has suggested that i make the next theme DAY.

heh. good one.

[Meryem Ersoz]

have to correct myself...the groovy opening shot of the rain that i mentioned previously was shot by grant sherman for "argent"--check it out, if you're strapped for ideas and stuck in the rain, it is quite pretty....

i'll be quiet now and let someone else talk for a bit...

[David Gemmell]

Hi Brian,
Yes, go for it. I would love to see your shot of some 20 pound atlantic salmon jumping out the water with the ski doo lights illuminating the water drops (my wife tells me I'm a bit of a dreamer).
It was a shame to read your other plan didn't come off - so good luck with the new one.

[Steven Gotz]

I went looking for some Creative Commons Christmas music and was quite pleased with what I found. Some Jingle Bells to go with Christmas lights works for me. I will be using Natalie Brown's version, but there are some more available that you might find interesting.

If anyone else is looking for Christmas music look here:

http://www.hermann-uwe.de/blog/10-10...hristmas-songs

[David Gemmell]

Hi Mat,

Yes, Platypus are something different.

The echidna is quite common and relatively easy to locate - so I will keep this as another option. The problem with them is they dig into the ground as soon as they are spotted, with only their spikes visible. Not particularly interesting footage however, I may have to resort to this sort of material (thanks for the idea).

Hope your plans are working out.

[Markus Nord]

Originally Posted by Mat Thompson

Markus : Who do you dive with when you go shooting and what time of night do you dive night dives. I've never dived at night yet but its something I hope to try out when I can get some clear water.

I always go diving with my best friend. He is a Dive Master (like me) so I'm in good hands. The Sun sets at 4:30 pm now so we'll go down at 5:30 pm. The Water is getting clearer every day now, I guess the temp is about 7 centigrade so the thing I’m looking for should be out now. We’ll use two Xenon lights, the blueish lights on modern car. It’s 35W and got a colour temp at 5600 K and on them I got a 90 degree Lumedyle reflector. It will be bight, nearly daylight, but you’ll see that it is night.



David : PLATYPUS! I LOVE THEM… me wildlife video from Australia (that I shot I April this year) are nearly finished. I’m getting the VO recorded next week and the music are produced this mouth. I guess that the DVD will be at sale to Christmas this year. In the film I got some really nice platypus shots, a small one crawling around on a riverbed (at that time that was so little water around, just watch Davids film from UC4).
David, you could make a “hunt” video for Platypus… give your boys a flashlight each and go looking for platypus, that you got the light source in a “natural way” in the video. And if you spot one, hopefully you get the on tape, id not, too bad, but you still got a video about Platypus.

Markus Nord

[Burak Erginer]

Well actually, such a theme and being a beginner in UWOL don't go very well together..Anyway I have been planning something and hope I can manage that. Since filming is an issue of capturing light on the media and the nights are dark out here :) it seems it will be a bit challenging.
I filmed a trial version and am content with the results but it is really difficult to work with creatures of night...but there is still some hope...

[Per Johan Naesje]

Well, I was out downtown to capture something, most of all to do some sample test of what is possible to get into the camcorder without any other light than what is ambient.
Hmmm... to capture small species who is hiding in the shades you need some kind of a extra light source. If you are lucky you may get some footage of them in skyline in front of the city lights.

Below is some samples shoot last night from the City of Oslo. This is framegrabs from the original footage shoot at 1080/50i with the Canon XLH1. Aperture wide open and shutter speed at 1/50. Gain vary between +6 and +12. I've used the special setting LOWLT12 as described in my previous thread #75.
It's amazing to view how less noise it is even in +12 gain. I will recommend this setting to everyone who will shoot at night with the XLH1.

Pictures from top left:
- overview of the City of Oslo
- next three is Akershus Fortress
- bottom left, City Hall of Oslo
- bottom right, beautiful dock building

[Geir Inge]

Very nice pictures from Oslo, PJ.
I can see by the weather forecast it's gonna be nice weather at your place this weekend, lucky you.
I will try out my idea this weekend, but I'm trying hard to find a plan b without our cat involved :)
It's a terrible weather at Sunnmore, but there may be better conditions next week and colder. Can't say I like thinking about step into the sea at this time of year. I only got a wet suit, brrrr.
I will be in Oslo (meeting) Friday and Saturday next week.
Have you tried to shoot something at Akerselva (river in Oslo)?

Geir Inge

[Trond Saetre]

Originally Posted by Geir Inge

It's a terrible weather at Sunnmore, but there may be better conditions next week and colder. Can't say I like thinking about step into the sea at this time of year. I only got a wet suit, brrrr.
I will be in Oslo (meeting) Friday and Saturday next week.
Have you tried to shoot something at Akerselva (river in Oslo)?
Geir Inge

I hear you about the weather. We are expecting a storm here in a few hours.
And I'm off to work this evening. Bringing my videocamera of course, hoping to get some good shots too.

I'll be in Oslo next weekend too. (From nov 16, to nov 20)
Maybe you, Per and I could meet if the time permits?

[Geir Inge]

Would have been nice with a Norwegian uwol meeting in Oslo, Trond.
Maybe Friday evening would do?