Werner in Laekey, TX

DEER CORN

I stopped to eat at this Alice's Restaurant in Baird, TX a few weeks ago. It was a cute little Mexican joint,  recommended by my brother Bo, who found it on Google maps.  I got the enchilada special plate.

Jeff Nitzberg vs. The World

Margot Sawyer

Last Thursday I shot 3 interviews for the Austin Museum of Art. For the first interview, we drove over to Elgin, TX to see Margot Sawyer, she was in an amazing brick building in downtown Elgin that she has converted into her studio/home. Margot was a very lovely host, and after the interview took us out to a great lunch at the Morelia Mexican cafe. I had the veggie enchiladas.

Cesar Martinez

Next, we traveled back to Austin and up to Laguna Gloria. Cesar Martinez drove up to meet us from San Antonio, where he lives and works. He is one of the pioneers of the Chicano movement. I thought this interview was going to be easy, but as soon as we started our sound guy, Napoleon Mitchell, informed me that we'd have to move because the air conditioner unit was unbearably loud. Naturally, I was pissed because I really liked his frame. However, we found another room in the museum that had way better sound and we started all over.

Charles Mary Kubricht

We rescheduled our last interview for later in the day because we really wanted to shoot Charles Mary Kubricht outside where we knew she'd be more comfortable. We really lucked out on her shoot for a lot of reasons. We were racing the light because I opted to not bring a light kit,we were shooting directly into the sun with no fill or reflector at all. So, I waited until the sun was just about to set before starting to roll. Then, the cicada came out, then it was rush hour on the water with boats coming in from every direction. But, I think the noises only helped to make Kubricht feel even more at ease during her interview, and we ended up getting just enough before it was completely dark and mosquitoes ate us.

The new secret weapon, straight from Russia.

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Jupiter 9 Lens Test from benjimandrew media partners on Vimeo.

photo by Jeff Nitzberg

Flea Market Lens Test #2

Here's the 50mm 1.8 SMC Takumar...

1/500 sec, f1.8, 160 iso

1/120 sec, f1.8, 360 iso

Flea Market Lens Test #1

I found a bag of old pentax lenses at a flea market outside San Antonio last weekend. They looked real dirty, but I figured what the hell, they're cheap so I'll get em. Ended up getting 3 35mm f2.8s, 1 55mm 1.7, a 55mm 1.8, and a 85-205mm 3.8. So far, I've used the telephoto at a Q&A the other night, and it seemed to work great. The others I may have to clean up a bit, but probably will be quite handy. This first test is with one of the 35s, a Fujinon W f2.8. Price: $10.00

I took this at f4 ,1/100 sec, iso 640, using a Canon 5D Mark II. I'm pretty happy with this lens. Super duper sharp.

Austin Studios from benjimandrew media partners on Vimeo.

Produced by Ben Selden Powell
Directed by Andrew Alden Miller I
Motion Graphics by Eric Manche
Music and Sound Design by Matt Bryan
Camera by Ben Selden Powell and Andrew Alden Miller I
Additional Camera by John Mace
Location Sound by Ben Selden Powell and Napoleon Mitchell

Thanks to Bob Hudgins, Richard Linklater, Catherine Parrington, Bryan Poyser, Agnes Varnum, Rebecca Campbell, Martin Parrington, Kirsten McMurray, Jeremy Newman, Lt. Rodney Woods, Walter Glass, Jeb Kendrick, Jeff Nitzberg, The Austin Film Society, the Texas Film Commission, Detour Filmproduction, and Stuck On On.

Make Watch Love Film Party 2010