06-26-2016, 08:24 AM
Friday I went to a light manufacturer. Not a company that does light manufacturing, but actually makes lights. They run on batteries. They run on 220. I need them.
But they were a little unclear on the leaving on Monday, would really like a price post-haste concept. They did give me a quote at the end of the day, but for some reason it was more expensive than if I had bought all the same items in a kit. Still waiting for answer to that conundrum.
And that was it for Friday. Lots of wandering the house. Lots of emails to Hungary. Lots of reading about Hungary in World War 2.
Saturday felt like a real film day. I got up at the crack of dawn to grab Haggis and head for the city.
Our first stop was at the old Pannonia Club, where Piller taught, on the corner of Polk and Turk. To make things interesting, I was going to fly the drone around the building. Couldn't find any rules against it but I'm sure they are there. I found a place kitty corner to the former California Hall, former German Hall, current Art Institute Building. Yes, the Federal Building was right behind me. What could go wrong? The club was on the top floor under the eaves. Haggis also talked fondly about a Rathskeller restaurant in the basement.
For a change, nothing did. Traffic was light around us. There wasn't much pedestrian traffic. We did have to wait for about twenty minutes for light to hit the building. When it did, it was really nice. I flew all over. The club was on the top floor under the eaves. Haggis also talked fondly about a Rathskeller restaurant in the basement. The only really way to shoot that floor was either from the roof opposite (The Embassy Hotel, which had a lot of signs for trains to White Chapel around the bottom) or use the drone.
Turned the drone and got some shots of City Hall, which looked nice in the rising sun. The only thing that would have made it better is if the blinds over the windows to that floor had been raised and I could have peeked in with the camera to see what the old club looked like now.
While I did have the drone in the air, four cop cars and four ambulances drove by. They never slowed. Haggis was a little worried that we would get caught up the preparation for the Gay Pride Parade. They were already blocking off streets around us. But, again, no problem.
I did shoot some regular video from the DSLR on the sticks. Shot about five shots before I realized something was wrong with framing. At some point, I must have turned automatic ISO on and changed the cropping to DX format from full format. What does that all mean? It means I had to go and reshoot all my original shots. Didn't take long.
Our next stop was Fort Point to do the Golden Gate Bridge. It was spectacular. Clear blue skies. Surfers riding the waves just off the point. Ships drifting under the bridge. Good times.
Except for the jogger who stopped and asked if we were flying a drone. I said yes. He said you know you are in a National Park and can't fly drones in a National Park, right? I did know. Damn. My rejoinder was that yes, we were in a National Park, the drone, which was probably a half mile away from us over the water, was not in the National Park. He said good luck.
Well, this conversation spooked the Haggis and he called for an end to the drone flight. I reluctantly brought the drone back. But I think I got some good stuff.
We took the DSLR all the way to the point to film the surfers and container ships going under the bridge. I don't think I got any good surfer footage because the surfers kept missing the waves. Stupid surfers.
We stopped in the Marina on Pierce street to film Piller's San Francisco home. There wasn't any parking so Doug waited in the car in a semi-legal spot while I filmed.
It was a bit awkward filming the house since the drapes on the house were wide open. I kept waiting for the current occupants to look out the window and wonder what that strange man was doing taking pictures of their house?
I also had my first near catastrophe of the day. I was crossing the street to set up a new shot. I was leaving the camera and video recorder attached to the tripod as I moved such a short distance. I had just put the sticks down when the video recorder came loose from the hot shoe. I made a quick grab for it as it plummeted to the ground. I nabbed it before there was any damage.
Naturally my sudden lunge caused the tripod and camera to start to fall away from me in the opposite direction. With the video recorder in one hand, I managed to grab the camera before it could become just so many broken pieces on the ground. Cat like reflexes, I tell you.
When I told the story to Haggis, he remarked I really need a helper. I can already see the Queen jumping up and down in agreement.
Our final stop was the Holy Cross cemetery in Colma to see Piller's grave. Haggis was a little impressed when I set up the slider to do some dolly shots near the stone. I also flew the drone over the cemetery since our area was deserted. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a straight track right over the stone.Just enough wind to be a problem. Or the spirits weren't happy with the noise.
I probably flew too many sorties, because eventually Haggis said "It's just a rock, Greg" Okay. Carried away. Moving on
We finished our morning with second breakfast at Auntie Em's. No sign of Toto.
But they were a little unclear on the leaving on Monday, would really like a price post-haste concept. They did give me a quote at the end of the day, but for some reason it was more expensive than if I had bought all the same items in a kit. Still waiting for answer to that conundrum.
And that was it for Friday. Lots of wandering the house. Lots of emails to Hungary. Lots of reading about Hungary in World War 2.
Saturday felt like a real film day. I got up at the crack of dawn to grab Haggis and head for the city.
Our first stop was at the old Pannonia Club, where Piller taught, on the corner of Polk and Turk. To make things interesting, I was going to fly the drone around the building. Couldn't find any rules against it but I'm sure they are there. I found a place kitty corner to the former California Hall, former German Hall, current Art Institute Building. Yes, the Federal Building was right behind me. What could go wrong? The club was on the top floor under the eaves. Haggis also talked fondly about a Rathskeller restaurant in the basement.
For a change, nothing did. Traffic was light around us. There wasn't much pedestrian traffic. We did have to wait for about twenty minutes for light to hit the building. When it did, it was really nice. I flew all over. The club was on the top floor under the eaves. Haggis also talked fondly about a Rathskeller restaurant in the basement. The only really way to shoot that floor was either from the roof opposite (The Embassy Hotel, which had a lot of signs for trains to White Chapel around the bottom) or use the drone.
Turned the drone and got some shots of City Hall, which looked nice in the rising sun. The only thing that would have made it better is if the blinds over the windows to that floor had been raised and I could have peeked in with the camera to see what the old club looked like now.
While I did have the drone in the air, four cop cars and four ambulances drove by. They never slowed. Haggis was a little worried that we would get caught up the preparation for the Gay Pride Parade. They were already blocking off streets around us. But, again, no problem.
I did shoot some regular video from the DSLR on the sticks. Shot about five shots before I realized something was wrong with framing. At some point, I must have turned automatic ISO on and changed the cropping to DX format from full format. What does that all mean? It means I had to go and reshoot all my original shots. Didn't take long.
Our next stop was Fort Point to do the Golden Gate Bridge. It was spectacular. Clear blue skies. Surfers riding the waves just off the point. Ships drifting under the bridge. Good times.
Except for the jogger who stopped and asked if we were flying a drone. I said yes. He said you know you are in a National Park and can't fly drones in a National Park, right? I did know. Damn. My rejoinder was that yes, we were in a National Park, the drone, which was probably a half mile away from us over the water, was not in the National Park. He said good luck.
Well, this conversation spooked the Haggis and he called for an end to the drone flight. I reluctantly brought the drone back. But I think I got some good stuff.
We took the DSLR all the way to the point to film the surfers and container ships going under the bridge. I don't think I got any good surfer footage because the surfers kept missing the waves. Stupid surfers.
We stopped in the Marina on Pierce street to film Piller's San Francisco home. There wasn't any parking so Doug waited in the car in a semi-legal spot while I filmed.
It was a bit awkward filming the house since the drapes on the house were wide open. I kept waiting for the current occupants to look out the window and wonder what that strange man was doing taking pictures of their house?
I also had my first near catastrophe of the day. I was crossing the street to set up a new shot. I was leaving the camera and video recorder attached to the tripod as I moved such a short distance. I had just put the sticks down when the video recorder came loose from the hot shoe. I made a quick grab for it as it plummeted to the ground. I nabbed it before there was any damage.
Naturally my sudden lunge caused the tripod and camera to start to fall away from me in the opposite direction. With the video recorder in one hand, I managed to grab the camera before it could become just so many broken pieces on the ground. Cat like reflexes, I tell you.
When I told the story to Haggis, he remarked I really need a helper. I can already see the Queen jumping up and down in agreement.
Our final stop was the Holy Cross cemetery in Colma to see Piller's grave. Haggis was a little impressed when I set up the slider to do some dolly shots near the stone. I also flew the drone over the cemetery since our area was deserted. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a straight track right over the stone.Just enough wind to be a problem. Or the spirits weren't happy with the noise.
I probably flew too many sorties, because eventually Haggis said "It's just a rock, Greg" Okay. Carried away. Moving on
We finished our morning with second breakfast at Auntie Em's. No sign of Toto.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm