Welcome to September! Summer certainly got out of here in a hurry, didn’t it?

Photo Fabulousness ——

A sure sign that summer is winding down is when the CNE comes to Toronto; it wraps up Sept. 6, so get out there and shoot while you still have time!

The Orbiter — By ZensLens from the Vistek Photo and Video Pool on Flickr

Bloggy Goodness ——

Flavorwire.com is a blog whose focus is on cultural news and critique.  Here, you’ll find all sorts of inspiration, reviews, links and opinions on every type of media. Last week featured some amazing images showing NYC going from day to night in a single frame with Stephen Wilkes‘ Day to Night Series.

Video Virtuosity ——

24 hours of Neon by Philip Bloom takes us from day to night and back again in a single video. If you’re curious how this was done, Bloom provides a  detailed commentary on his website.

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Meet Philip Bloom

In Philip’s words: ” For the past 20 years I have been following my passion as a career and it has taken me around the world to places I have felt privileged to have seen. I have filmed, directed and edited short films, documentaries and much more from Clapham to Cambodia and in 2005 I was short listed for a BAFTA craft award for my series of short films for Sky News If I were Prime Minister.”

I consider myself as one of the new breed of cinematographers. Over the past 3 years I have embraced the 35mm film adaptor market, shooting on HD video but making it look close to 35mm film. I also have recently embraced the video DSLR cameras, in particular the Canon 5d Mk2 and the Canon 7d. Please visit my DSLR films section to see just how beautiful they look. I have used these DSLRs on all sorts of projects including recently some work for Lucasfilm.

Philip will be presenting the following workshops:

From Stills to Video

Friday, June 17 | 10am – 1pm
Cost: $75

In this half-day workshop, Philip Bloom will teach photographers with little to no video shooting knowledge how to harness the power of still cameras in video mode.
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From Video Cameras to HD-DSLRs

Friday, June 17 | 2 – 5pm
Cost: $75

In this half-day workshop Philip will share his extensive knowledge of all the things you should and should not do to maximize your results with HD-DSLRs.
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Harnessing the Power of HD-DSLRs

Saturday, June 18 | 10am – 5m
Cost: $299

This full-day, intermediate workshop is designed to take your HD-DSLR shooting skills to the next level. In this intimate session, Philip Bloom will guide you through a number of topics, providing hands-on advice throughout.
Read more & Register

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Phililp Bloom’s limited Canadian engagement has officially sold out! All dates & locations have been sold to capacity… but for those of you who missed out: stay tuned… a little birdie has mentioned something about Mr. Bloom returning for ProFusion 2011.

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Those of you in the GTA who want to see Philip Bloom during his limited engagement had best not dally! Both Calgary dates as well as his Ottawa date are completely sold out. And, as of this post, only 8 seats remain for the Toronto date.

Reserve your spot NOW!

Thursday, Nov. 4, 2010 @10am | Vistek Toronto

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Zacuto’s Optical Viewfinders are large loupes that mount to the back of your HDSLR’s LCD, effectively letting you use your LCD as a viewfinder – a handy tool, indeed! And, with 3 versions available giving you correct form factor for video (the Pro 3x, Pro 2.5x and Jr.), you’ll have no problem finding the right one to suit.

Check out Philip Bloom’s review of the Z-Finder: Zacuto’s new DSLR Optical Viewfinder which allows DSLR cameras to have the correct form factor for video. “At the moment,” Bloom says, “there is nothing that comes close to this, it is absolutely essential for video on the 5dmkll. I couldn’t shoot handheld without it that’s for sure.” [source]

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Those of you in the GTA keen to see Philip Bloom during his limited engagement in Canada are in luck! He’s added a Toronto date to the roster – November 4, to be exact – so make sure you get your ticket now while they’re still available.

As it stands, the Nov. 2 date in Calgary has already sold out, the Nov. 3 date only has a few seats left, and Ottawa’s Nov. 5 date has room for only 5 more bodies!

Register NOW while you still can!

Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2010 @10am | Vistek Calgary
Thursday, Nov. 4, 2010 @10am | Vistek Toronto
Friday, Nov. 5, 2010 @10am | Vistek Ottawa

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This November, noted ProFusion 2010 Keynote Speaker Philip Bloom will be appearing, live & in person, at Vistek Calgary & Vistek Ottawa.

Vistek is honoured to welcome the world’s foremost authority on video DSLR technology and technique. Philip Bloom – acclaimed filmmaker, Director of Photography and Director – will be in Calgary for two days & Ottawa for one, to conduct his wildly popular interactive hands-on workshops. If you’re interested in video, this is a rare opportunity to get a close-up look at one of the industry’s most brilliant innovators in the field of HD-DSLRs.

Bloom’s workshops at ProFusion 2010 – the country’s largest video tradeshow – were sold out. Three months after the show and people are still talking about them.

So what are you waiting for? Now’s your chance to check it out for yourself!

Register today:

Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010 @ 10am | Vistek Calgary

Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2010 @10am | Vistek Calgary

Friday, Nov. 5, 2010 @10am | Vistek Ottawa

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Marketnews was there — were you? Check out what Gordon Brockhouse had to say about our inaugural event:

The weather in the Greater Toronto Area on the last weekend of spring was gorgeous, but that didn’t keep local videographers from heading indoors to take in the ProFusion 2010 Pro Video Expo. The two-day event was held at the Toronto Congress Centre on June 18 and 19, and produced by Toronto-based Vistek Ltd. After the show, Vistek President Ron Silverstein told Marketnews that over 2,000 people attended the event.

Sliverstein said the idea for a pro video show had been germinating at Vistek over the past couple of years, after VP Kevin Parker and other members of the management team attended NAB conventions in the U.S. “We thought it would be good for these manufacturers to talk to our customers,” Sliverstein said, “but there is no venue for this.” Six months ago, Vistek began early preparatory work on the project, and intensive work began about four months ago.

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Philip Bloom’s Saturday Seminar has SOLD OUT!

So, if you’re planning to get in on the excitement, be sure to book NOW for the Friday From Stills to Video or the From Video Cameras to HD-DSLRs seminars. Word has it, though, those tickets are also selling like hotcakes.

Avoid disappointment – get your tickets now!

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