Last blog we discussed thinking about lighting, so we get the most out of our tools and natural light. Today it is about using natural light in a tough enviorment, flying low in a helicopter. I was given the opportunity to work on a documentary with Storyville Films in NYC. The documentary is The Brown Difference / Brown 250. The story is about Brown University celebrating its 250th year. My job was to fly with Birds Eye View Helicopters and film scripted landscapes in Rhode Island from the South shore up through Narragansett Bay, then over the city of Providence,…

The first thing all videographers should learn is, we are just filming light. Yes, there is the subject, but without proper light we will fail in our job. With lots of studio shoots coming up, I have been expanding my lighting kit. I will review the new lights after I have used them a bit more. For now, let’s think about capturing the light. Here are a few basics that are important to study, learn, and practice. Understand the different types of light. We can simplify to hard light and soft light. We need both in some shoots and only…

Its that time of year in New England when all the pleasure boats are being hauled, except the ones going south, or in water live aboard. Each year we see the boat yards buzzing with activity. Boat owners are there on weekends removing gear, and yard workers are working overtime. The boat yard staff keeps the wheels rolling in the marine industry. When my boat was hauled this month there was always a helping hand. First the rig comes out with a crane operator and with rigger on deck. Then the guys who put your boat into the travel lift…

A few weeks ago I went with my wife Carol to pick up her Snipe at Sail Newport where she did some training. Wow, have things changed. You might say, no kidding, where have you been? Well, I am very blessed with my situation. I have my SUP at home and walk to the water, my windsurfing is from a park 5 min away, and our boats are on moorings at the end of the street, so I do not need to go to Sail Newport like I did when I lived in Newport. But I have to say the…

Hard to believe it has been 21 years since I designed my first production kayak. The Hop on Top 16’ hit the market at the perfect time. In the 1990s there was huge growth in the kayak industry, and the big boys were stuck in their marketing team ruts. This opened the door for me to come out with a boat for the people. Sure sit inside kayaks are what the Eskimo used and what the so call “pure British” type boats push for rough conditions. Well I was not and am still not convinced that sit inside kayaks are…

Well the secret is out, I have purchased my next shorthanded boat. The process started before I sold the Express 27 in May. The plan was to be sailing the new boat by late June and not miss a couple of the major races, and our trek to Maine. Well patience was needed to buy the boat so the plans had to adapt to the new schedule. Early June I went to EYC in Toronto and met the owner (Malcolm Little) whose Archambault 31 was not for sale. The deal was to take his boat for a sail so I…

  Summer, a time when we go to the beach, have cookouts, play in the sand, and enjoy maybe a few cold ones. Wait, the beach, I don’t think so, for me it is on the water not watching it. So with no boat this year, I was not doing my singlehanded trek to Maine with my buddy John. Knowing that my wife who also was not traveling, grabbed hold of the schedule, and set up a fantastic month for us. Thank you Carol First we sailed to Maine from Woods Hole with her parents on their great cruising boat…

How I started using MultiSurf the 3D modeling software for yacht design. I graduated from Yacht Design Institute program, on the Maine Maritime campus in the late 1980’s, when most naval architects were still designing on drawing boards. At school we were doing the same thing. But in 1986 we had a guest lecturer Dr. John Letcher showed us how he designed and used his FL2b hull fairing software. At that point Dr. Letcher opened our eyes to the future for 3D modeling. Dr. Letcher was a captivating speaker, and knew more about math then the rest of the room…