Posted by Foto Care Editor | Posted in Foto Care Workshops, Photography Event | Posted on Friday, April 30th, 2010

It is with great pleasure that Foto Care presents a rare opportunity; an event you won’t want to miss.  It is not often that Alpa visits the United States–yet on May 12th we invite you to join us at Foto Care to meet Andre Oldani and Matthias Wagner of Alpa Switzerland where you will witness what is meant when one refers to the unmistakable standards of “Swiss Quality”.  Join us to learn and experience the way in which Alpa serves the world’s top photographers with high performance equipment and accessories that achieve the pinnacle in optical perfection and image quality. RSVP Required. Reserve your place today as space is extremely limited.

For as long as anyone can remember, ALPA has been known to perfectionists of photographic technology as one of the world’s top names. The reputation is now based on six camera models, all engineered to the highest supportable degree of mechanical precision. Their versatility and the reduction to the essentials, attracts all those photographers who wish to leave the world of compromise behind them when they choose their instruments.

“For many photographic tasks, the material that is manufactured for the mass market is sufficient. But then there are a number of applications that need a different basis with a higher precision and improved harmonization between the elements. Wherever the higher demands appear, there is the ALPA territory.” – Andre Oldani

ALPA at Foto Care
May 12th
2PM
RSVP Required / Space is Very Limited

ALPA in their foresight designed a product that defies obsolescence and permits the attainment of optical perfection in a way that most competitors and product owners find elusive. For photographic perfectionists in pursuit of the ultimate in image quality, we invite you to join us for a day of invaluable information as Andre Oldani and Matthias Wagner showcase an array of new products including brand new high performance digital lenses from Schneider and new software tools and accessories from Alpa.

Workshop Highlights:

• Alpa-Performance Upgrade. Learn how to achieve the ultimate in imaging performance with your Alpa through precision optimization of the Alpa interface mount.
• Demonstration on why you want to shim and how to do it properly to achieve the ultimate in image sharpness.
• Discover Alpa Software tools including, Alpa Lens Corrector, that can improve your photography
• See the new Schneider 43mm XL and 28mm XL lenses as well as new Alpa accessories for the first time.

Please call to reserve your place today. Hope to see you there!

The team at Foto Care has put together a slide show of select images from Alpa’s online gallery. We hope you enjoy perusing the work of this very talented group of international photographers and their outstanding images using Alpa cameras and accessories.

Posted by Foto Care Editor | Posted in Foto Care Interviews | Posted on Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

An exclusive Foto Care Interview with Photographer Rinze Van Brug by Robert French.

One of the most diverse young photographers of our time, Rinze Van Brug, the Dutch born Graffiti artist, turned art director, turned photographer fills us in on his personal and professional life, and what he’s been up to.  Rinze, a Foto Care customer for 9 years, has had his work featured in Aventura, Elle Décor, and LX Magazine. And that’s just recently. Prior to this, Rinze held the position of Creative Director at Ogilvy, a leading advertising agency in Amsterdam. This afternoon Rinze and I sit down with his new iPad to look at some of his work.

Fill me in on your childhood. How did you grow up?

I grew up in Holland, on a farm about 2 or so hours outside of Amsterdam. My father was a window display artist, and my mother ran an orphanage where our family, along with 20 or so kids lived. Our home was provided by the government so it was quite big. It had to be really, to fit all those people. It was fun though; you never really got bored especially since our town was a very orthodox based region–primarily very religious farmers. To express myself I started doing Graffiti as much as I could when I was about 10 years old, . Wherever you could think of Graffiti being it was there because of me, wherever you could not think of graffiti being, it was there because of me.  The Arts were so commonplace over in Holland, you would find design in everything. (Rinze points to his iPad) In Holland everything is made like this, design was everywhere.

Where’s this? I point to an image of an unusual office building that looks more like a space ship then a building

ING headquarters in Amsterdam, I’ve been doing a lot of architecture these days. I’ve been doing advertising for them for a long time, I’ve been an art director my whole life. I did work for them, American Express, IBM, MTV. Coming up with commercials and stuff. Then I came here, I couldn’t get a job. That’s when I started doing photography.

When did you come to the New York?

The week before September 11th, I was creative director for Ogilvy in Amsterdam.  I was hired here, then the whole market crashed and I didn’t have a job. So I just bought a little 10D for fun. That’s how I made a living for a while.

So was it more street photography that you started off doing?

Yeah, I was just goofing around, at the same time I started a web design company so I was doing that to make money as well.

How did you break into shooting professionally?

A friend of mine was doing fashion week and asked me to come along. While there, some people stopped me and asked me why I was dressed so bold for a paparazzi. I explained I wasn’t a paparazzi and showed them some of my work. They then put me in touch with a woman who was creative director for 944 Magazine in LA. Its funny, I can relate 70 percent of my work to referrals stemming from a friendship I made while waiting in line at the Dutch Embassy after I had lost my Passport.

How has your work changed in the last year?

Now, it’s simpler and more personal.  Where before I always did coloration and shallow depth of field, now its more straight out of the camera. It just got old.

Where are you drawing your inspiration from these days?

I’m a big movie buff; I watch a ton of them. Beat Street, was a huge one for me. Its funny, I live my whole life in the two dimensional world and by the time I get home I don’t want to read.

Where is your work heading next? Where do you see yourself in the future?

I want to mix architectural photography with fashion.  Video will probably be mixed in here in some way. It’s just really hard to convince the clients to go that route. Like right now, I have this location picked out in Holland, it’s actually the town I grew up in. I have all the locations picked out, I have the models picked out, and I’m just waiting on the client at this point.

Now that video is working its way into our market, do you see yourself stepping into the Hybrid Video market in the near future?

Its just that so many people ask me for it. I get it, I understand why people want it, I mean I get work out of it. I just think its something I have to do. I find it very interesting but in order for me to feel I’m doing this right i’m going to have to get a bit more equipment.  I recently purchased an adapted RedRockMicro Rig from you for a commercial for the Moroccan government based off another job i’m going over there for. The Commercials are in a way jump-starting the idea I have with mixing fashion with Architecture. Basically we’re doing a tourism video with fashion models in the foreground.

How did you hear about Foto Care?

I wanted some lights so I went to B&H. They said what’s your budget? I told them, and, judging by there expression, I just left. A friend of mine, Adam Den Haene told me to go to you guys and you hooked me up with these beautiful lights. You are just so much more relaxed than the others. I do all my business with Foto Care.

Currently what equipment are you using to produce your work?

I try to use my Leica M9 as much as possible but lately my Nikon D3S is used much of the time.  I try to pack small. My whole idea is to not have to carry a big load. If I can carry everything in one trip, I get less looks and people tend to be more relaxed. In terms of cameras, in the past I had the Canon 1DS, 1DSII, 1DSIII, but by that point I was already looking more towards Nikon.

Lastly, what equipment would you most like to own but don’t yet have?

Well the latest set up I’m looking at is an ALPA with a 23mm.  I want to use it for my architecture work. It’ll give me a bit more movement then what my other cameras have. Plus it’s so well made, nothing can beat it.

Posted by Foto Care Editor | Posted in Foto Care Workshops | Posted on Saturday, April 24th, 2010

On Wednesday April 28th, join Foto Care and Carl J. Koch of Swiss-based firm Koch Photography as we explore the latest in camera positioning systems that take advantage of the latest electronic innovations.

Foto Care Introduces the First Electronically Controlled
Self-Leveling Camera Head

Wednesday, April 28th
2PM
Foto Care: 41 West 22nd Street

Special Guest
Spend time with Carl J. Koch the inventor of the Acadalus CPS-H1

To RSVP Contact
Don Jakubowski at (212) 741-2990
Or email DonJ@FotoCare.com

Discover the allure of the Acadalus CPS-H1, the first electronically controlled self-leveling camera head as we demonstrate its superb features and functionality:

• At the touch of a button, the CPS-H1 levels the camera within seconds using the input from its digital inclinometer.
• Users can also make precise manual adjustments with the onboard keypad.
• Optical angular sensors measure the direction of the camera and automatically compensate for yaw as the camera position adjusts.
• The device can be powered with either a battery pack or an AC power supply.

“There are many situations which require fast and accurate leveling of the camera, such as in architectural, panoramic or studio situations. Combining electronics with the proven mechanical concepts, we were able to take the cumbersome guesswork out of setting up shots”  –Carl J. Koch, former managing director of Sinar AG and founder of Koch Photography.

Posted by Foto Care Editor | Posted in Photography Event, Uncategorized | Posted on Friday, April 23rd, 2010

Join Bron Imaging Group & Foto Care at the First Annual BIG ED Print Swap Day!
Thursday May 6th at Foto Care
6-9 PM

The print swap is an activity that has a long and celebrated history in college and university photography programs. Swappers bring in 3 to 5 un-mounted prints of a single image and offer them in trade for the work of others. It’s a great way to begin a photography collection, make contacts, network, and get your work out in the community.

Iconic celebrated photographer Markus Klinko has donated a print to be awarded as a door prize.

Photo © Elias Wessel / Lights by Broncolor

Foto Care
43 West 22nd Street
New York, NY  10010
212.741.2990

Posted by Foto Care Editor | Posted in Product Reviews | Posted on Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

Mamiya has partnered with fellow professional photographic industry world leaders Schneider, Phase One and Leaf, to produce the new world-class professional digital camera– the DM56, designed to deliver the highest attainable image quality in most any professional photography situation.

Featuring a 56 megapixel sensor precision-matched with the world’s greatest optics results in exquisitely detailed image files even when harshly cropped.  The large sensor coupled with a lush16 bit/channel color palette, provide exceptional color accuracy and rich high dynamic range photographs in just a single capture. Other digital camera systems simply cannot compare.

Mamiya recognizes that stellar camera performance is of little value without equally powerful software options. That is why Mamiya offers photographers the flexibility of processing files using either of the included software solutions: Capture One™ by Phase One or Leaf Capture™, or you can choose to use Adobe Lightroom™ (not included) allowing the widest variety of professional processing software options available.

For over 50 years, Mamiya has been a name synonymous with excellence and innovation in professional photographic cameras and lenses.  Mamiya’s dedication to the professional market, through reliability and unique design, has made Mamiya the choice of professional photographers throughout the world.

Mamiya continues to be a pioneer by continually improving and refining the finest professional photographic products with state-of-art advancements such as superior apochromatic and digital lens technologies as well as practical, ergonomic camera design and function.

The Mamiya DM56 continue Mamiya’s reputation of perfecting the professional modular camera system for the ultimate in versatility. Mix-and-match components as needed. Perhaps a traditional DM configuration today, then if you wish, use it with a Mamiya RZ or 3rd-party view camera system tomorrow.