Shooting Portraits on Location Webinar /  by SARA TANNER

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The Manfrotto School of Xcellence presents Bill's Shooting Portraits on Location Webinar on January 26 at 2 p.m. (EST). Webinar attendees will listen to Bill discuss his shooting style, lighting and how he goes about shooting the personalities he photographs.  Bill will show many of his famous portraits, a number of them of sports celebrities.  Lighting for stills and video simultaneously is becoming constantly more and more important.  Bill will discuss how he goes about this challenge to make images seen regularly by millions of readers and viewers.

Registration for the Webinar is now open. Learn more about the Webinar and register for free online at http://manfrottoschoolofxcellence.com/2012/01/09/shooting-portraits-on-location-with-bill-frakes/

From NOLA to Florida /  by Bill Frakes

I spent last night on the sidelines photographing the rematch between LSU and Alabama for Sports Illustrated. That's six straight BCS National Championships for the SEC. The photos are online now at SI.com, SI Snapshot and on the SI Big Ticket App. In the morning, I was on a plane from New Orleans to Florida.

And this afternoon, I'm on set directing the incredibly talented Florida-based recording artist Alea. Laura's directing the photography.

It certainly is a great start to the week!

Istanbul and Its Many Faces /  by Bill Frakes

Testing the Nikon D4 took us half way around the globe to Istanbul for the making of our documentary, "Istanbul and Its Many Faces" shot exclusively with the D4. I've worked in more than 130 countries, but this was my first chance to photograph this beautiful and mysterious city. In this documentary, we sought to capture the people and places that make Istanbul the metropolis it is.  It's an ancient city with modern rhythms.  It has been inhabited for more than 5,000 years, hosting empires such as the Ottomans and Byzantines. Today it is where east meets west, physically and socially--European flare with Eastern tradition.

To truly test the camera, I wanted to use the D4 as a journalist - to see how it responded to real world situations. We used the cameras 18 hours a day for 10 days straight.  We used it as a still camera, a video camera, an audio recorder and an intervalometer. The thing that stood out most to me about the camera was its ease of use.  I've held a lot of cameras in my career and none have felt as comfortable in my hand or worked as intuitively as the D4. I didn't have to worry about the technical - the Nikon engineers had done that for me.

Instead I could focus on the creative. The camera specifications speak for themselves, and what the camera can do is impressive, but how it feels when you're actually using it is what is ultimately important.  The D4 allowed me to capture Istanbul in ways I couldn't have done before.  This camera lets me to see the world with fresh eyes, and that, to me, is exciting.

Imagery Using the D4 /  by SARA TANNER

The D4 is here. You can see it on the Nikon Web site. The photographers who worked on the launch are posting their imagery.

Corey Rich used the D4 for his film "Why".

Joe McNally has some of his photographs with his always fun commentary on his blog.

Our short documentary, Istanbul and Its Many Faces, shot exclusively with the D4 will available soon. The trailer for the film is available online now.

Nikon will be exhibiting the D4 at the 2012 International CES, Tuesday, January 10 through Friday, January 13 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Nikon D4 is Here! /  by Bill Frakes

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Keeping a secret is hard, especially when it's a really good secret. Nikon asked me to do some of the image creation for the launch of their new flagship the Nikon D4.

With 16.2 megapixels in a newly designed FX-format image sensor, the D4 handles all lighting conditions seamlessly. The ISO sensitivity range is from 100 to 12800 at normal settings, expandable to ISO 50 equivalent or ISO 204800 equivalent.

The camera has three image area options for Full HD video expanding the possibilities.  That's what these guys do, they allow us to have the ability to see things in new ways.  Exciting ways.  They provide the technology to unleash your imagination.

But for me, the best thing Nikon did with the D4, is what they have always done.  They have built a camera that I can depend on to do what I need it to do, seamlessly, every time I push the button.

It gives me more options, more functions, faster response time, better everything, and best of all,  tt always works.

This is my life, and I need partners I can depend on.   These guys are always there.

Learn more about the new Nikon D4 in the brochure available online now. We will be posting a review of the camera, with examples in the next few days.

Also check out Joe McNally's blog for some more great shots of the Nikon D4 in use. More coming soon...

SI SportsKid of the Year /  by SARA TANNER

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The end of November brought us back to Florida for the SI SportsKid of the Year cover shoot for Sports Illustrated Kids. Noah Flegel is only 14 years old and has both World Wakeboard Association’s World and National Championship titles. Very impressive for a kid who isn't in high school yet. This is the first time a wakeboarder has won the SportsKid of the Year award. We can't wait to see what he does next!