So Sunday June 14th will have to go down in the annals of history as the day I first shot sRAW. Mostly because it was the day I first shot with sRAW.
Ever since I upgraded to the new 5D Mark II my computer has been groaning under the weight of the TIFF files it generates. I think if my Mac was standing on a less sturdy table it would be like playing Buckeroo — nervously uploading one last 20MB file before the whole thing collapses and crashes to the ground. So on Sunday I shot on sRAW 1, which generates a file size of 9.9MB and a resolution of 3861×2574 as opposed to the full RAW file which weighs in at 21MB and 5616×3744 (there’s also an sRAW 2, which is 5.2MB and 2784×1856 in case you’re interested).
There was no visible degradation of colour or tonal range whatsoever, but obviously the magnification when going in close on Photoshop you’ll see pixilation earlier than you will with the full RAW files. However that shouldn’t be a problem for professional printers these days, what with their whizzy algorithms and whatnot. I will try and get back to you about that, though.
The only downside with sRAW seems to be file handling software. Aperture 2.2 still seems to think sRAW means ’small mid-grey thumbnail that won’t open.’ but Lightroom 2.3 was fine with it. It’s very possible you can download an update for Aperture, but as I’ve switched allegiances to Lightroom lately like some kind of quizling fifth columnist I’m afraid I wouldn’t know.
The shoot itself was great. I worked with Sara Winter, a young upcoming actress I’ve shot a couple of times before, and her boyfriend James who’s also an actor but this was pretty much his first time in front of a stills camera. This was also my first shoot working with my girlfriend, Sara Vaughan, who, rather luckily happens to be a professional (and amazing) makeup artist. Sara also worked as art director on the shoot — being responsible for the wardrobe choices and having a very useful say in the set-ups as well.
The location was fantastic: Kenwood House in Highgate. Being an East and now South West London denizen I’ve never really explored this area of North London. The nearest I’d got before Sunday was catching a night bus from the soulless, concrete, Southern Fried Chicken-heavy Archway. I had no idea that just up the road lies pretty much where I want to live now.
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.12783
Kenwood House is an amazing spot with rolling fields that look out across London, a lake foregrounded by a vast, sloping, picnic lawn and just basically the ideal setting for a very English shoot.
Sara and I wanted to work with a couple because we’ve got our first wedding coming up next month in Ireland, and felt we needed the experience of shooting a couple. The experience was invaluable. I’m not sure Belfast really goes in for rolling hills much, but it was great to think about mood and composition and bringing out the connection between two people.
More to view at http://www.flickr.com/photos/medicatewithcoffee/
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