26° & Snowing In Riverwoods, I'll Bet You Thought It Was Spring!

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Ryerson Conservation Area - Riverwoods, Illinois
Creek: Canon EOS-5D, 28~105/3.5~4.5 Canon EF Ultrasonic lens, ISO 100
Trees & Flag: Canon EOS-5D, 70~200/2.8 Canon Zoom Lens EF L Ultrasonic, ISO 100

The Real Problem With AIG

Everyone's already aware of the problems at AIG, American International Group, the world's largest insurance company. Everyone knows that their Financial Products company's credit default swaps have nearly brought the world economy to ruin. We all know about the ridiculous practice of paying bonuses to their employees even though the company is technically bankrupt. We all know that even though the US Government (that's you and me, folks) now owns an 80% stake in AIG they continue to operate several subsidiaries out of Bermuda to avoid paying U S taxes. The absurdity of AIG is well documented. Now for something you don't know.....

I have a colleague in New York City, an industrial photographer, Steve Mallon, who is also President of ASMP's New York Chapter. Just as the economy was grinding to a halt, 155 Americans faced yet another difficulty: the airplane in which they were riding was about to crash-land in the Hudson River. Have you heard about this one? I think you have.

What's the crash of US Airways flight 1549 got to do with Steve Mallon? What's the crash of US Airways flight 1549 got to do with AIG? What connects the dots? I'm glad you asked.

In the aftermath of the US Airways crash, Steve Mallon was hired by Weeks Marine, the crane company hired to lift the Airbus from the Hudson River, to photograph the recovery of the jet. Pretty cool assignment, eh? Don't you wish you'd been offered that job? When I first heard about it, I wished I'd been offered that shoot. Steve was pleased to get that job. Too bad nobody will ever see the bulk of his pictures.

Even though he had unlimited access... from land, from the river, inside the aircraft's cabin, anywhere, everywhere he wanted to go; Steve had the full cooperation of his client, the NYPD, the Coast Guard, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and US Airways.

The absurdities began about a week after the images went up on Steve's web site. He got a note from the NTSB asking him to remove them. He complied. Two weeks later the NTSB reversed course and allowed him to use the pictures on his web site again. He posted them again.

AIG, insuring US Airways, in a letter from their attorneys is claiming that Steve has no rights to his pictures, and that the pictures absolutely cannot be released to anyone, ever, not even news organizations for news purposes. AIG, through its attorneys, seeks total suppression of Stephen Mallon's photographs, indefinitely.

Why is AIG trying to keep a lid on Steve's pictures of the airplane's salvage? Everyone knows about the crash... it's been reported all over the world. I've seen it on televison no less than 100 times myself. What's the problem?

Well, there's a lawsuit brewing and Steve's images, if widely circulated, will damage one side or the other. But the public is losing its ability to witness something remarkable and to a layman it doesn't make much sense. The US Airways crash was an example of a flight crew doing everything right. Not one life was lost, the pilot and crew performed brilliantly... they're national heroes! It's difficult to envision a better outcome given the situation and if you had to be on an airplane going down, wouldn't you want it to be a US Airways flight piloted by Chesley Sullenberger? I sure would!

I've followed this story from day one. It was a flock of geese that caused the crash. No report of mechanical failure, the crew are heroes, no passengers were seriously injured. So why the cover up?

Stephen Mallon is sitting on 5000 great images. This wasn't a Work made for Hire and his client gave him a green light to publish the images in non-commercial venues (his website, for instance). In fact, according to the few who've seen all of them, the best of the take represent a fabulous documentary of the airplane's salvage. The pictures you see here have already been published elsewhere. Take a good look at them now because it's very likely that you'll see no more. Why? AIG is covering its ass.

New Coke Left A Better Taste In My Mouth! CPS Anyone?

Generally speaking I try to keep my children out of this but, trust me, today it's germane. Last May, my son qualified for an Illinois driving permit. It scared me to death that I'd have to teach my 15 year-old to drive. I'd taught my little brother to drive when he was 16 and that first driving lesson..... well, let's just say that it's forever etched in my mind. So I wasn't really relishing the opportunity to have to teach a 15 year-old. Just by the way, Dave turned out to be a great driver and Aron is ready to take his road test pending his 16th birthday.

So, Aron's driving, I can't believe it. It was sometime in the spring of 1994, I think it was April, that he first began to walk. That was pretty scary too. I remember coaxing him to let go of the coffee table and take the few steps toward me across the living room that would constitute his first solo. You should have seen the look on his face!

I quickly realized that his new-found mobility meant that I had to be a lot faster as a photographer. Add to that the fact that he wasn't very good at taking direction. I needed to adopt something new: auto-focus lenses.

I was a twenty-year Nikon user and they had this whizbang new auto-focus camera called the N90-S. I was ready to buy one and a couple of new auto-focus lenses to go with it. I was telling my friend Joe Berger about the plan and he said he thought I should take a serious look at Canon, first, because Berger thought Canon's auto-focus was faster than Nikon's and suggested I call them and borrow one for a test. I did a little digging around and came up with the phone number for Canon Professional Services (CPS), roughly akin to Nikon Professional Services (NPS) of which I'd been a member for years. I called both.

Nikon knew me pretty well already, so borrowing the N90-S and some lenses was easy. Canon didn't know me at all, and I was doubtful that I could get the loan, but after I explained what I wanted they sent me an EOS-A2 camera and three lenses to test against the comparable Nikon. I took everything out with me on a shoot and used them interchangeably, then looked at the results with a 16x loupe and..... Berger was right! Canon beat Nikon hands-down for lens quality, on focusing speed, on ease of use, Canon beat Nikon on features for the price. It's 15 years later and I'm still not used to mounting lenses in the other direction, but I'll get over it eventually.

Oh, I joined CPS immediately upon buying my Canons. You know, I had to replace everything when I made the switch. I don't want to tell you how much money I dropped at Ken Hansen's that first month, it still makes me want to vomit when I think about it (I'll get over that eventually, too), but suffice to say it was as sizable a chunk of change as it was a leap of faith.

Over time I've purchased an EOS-1 camera, two EOS-1N cameras, an EOS-A2, eleven EF lenses from 15mm to 300mm... mostly L series, a Rebel for the wife, then a couple of Sure-Shots. I was Canon all the way. And if I wanted sharper, more saturated color, all I had to do was buy different film, it cost the same six bucks. Then came digital. Then came the disappointment.

I love my EOS digital cameras. I use two EOS-5D bodies, constantly upgraded from several previous EOS digital cameras. I'd even buy a couple of EOS-1Ds Mark III cameras.... if they weren't eight grand a pop! Why not? Because digital is still evolving and I can get 21 megapixels from the 5D which is less than half the cost of the 1Ds, that's why. I'm also slightly miffed by the fact that every time they improve the resolution of the cameras I have to go out and buy new cameras to remain competitive, and they do that every 18 months. I've bought more new cameras (and flash cards, and bigger flash cards, computers, and faster computers, hard drives, more hard drives, even more hard drives, software, newer software) in the last five years than I did in the previous ten years. It's insane!!

Well, that's not the disappointment. I love my EOS digital cameras. I have so much more control with digital than I ever had with film. No, I'm not disappointed by the cameras. I'm disappointed by the company. Canon, in its infinite wisdom, has decided that to retain the CPS member benefits that I currently enjoy for free I need to upgrade all of my cameras and lenses to the latest, most expensive, models and pay a membership fee of a couple of hundred dollars. Why? The EOS-5D series cameras are not professional models, therefore I'm obviously not a professional. Really? I don't spend enough money on Canon already? Are they nuts?

The economy sucks, nobody's working as much as they were this time last year and what, we're all supposed to upgrade? Again??

The economy sucks, we're not working as much or making as much money as we were this time last year, and now Canon wants us to pay hundreds of dollars to remain members of their professional camera club, they want even more money? In this economy? Are they nuts?

Did I mention that I can remain a CPS member for free? Yes, I can, but I can't get the member benefits I've previously enjoyed, for that I have to fork-over another $300. For free I only get a worthless membership card. I'm not feeling the love here, Canon.

Let's see... why did I switch to Canon in the first place? Oh yeah, great products and superb support. Why do amateurs buy Canon? Because pros like me with the white lenses (their trademark) everywhere give Canon a big PR boost. Consumers pick Canon's point
and shoots because of the halo surrounding the professionals and their Canons. In one ill-timed, and otherwise bad move, Canon is tossing this marketing power out the window. This may be the biggest marketing gaffe since Coca-Cola introduced new Coke.

In the meantime, do you want to know where Canon can stick its free CPS membership? I'll tell you.

Monday C-Number Portrait

Michael Nolan
35 Years as a L#
USM Logistics
Chicago
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Above: Canon EOS-5D, 70~200/2.8 Canon Zoom Lens EF L Ultrasonic, ISO 100

Today's C-Number Portrait

Melvin Haywood
30 Years as a C#
John Hope College Preparatory School
Chicago
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Above: Canon EOS-5D, 70~200/2.8 Canon Zoom Lens EF L Ultrasonic, ISO 100

Another C-Number Portrait (and there are even more)

A Sage Smith
27 Years as a C#
Bluhm Legal Clinic
Northwestern University School of Law
Chicago
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Above: Canon EOS-5D, 70~200/2.8 Canon Zoom Lens EF L Ultrasonic, ISO 100