We now are very comfortable taking pictures in scenes requiring 6,400 or even 12,800 iso and every new generation is improving even more regarding this important topic, specially if you are a photojournalist depending of the environment light conditions.

Since the new Canon 5Dm2 that we have very versatile photo cameras capable of doing a decent job in filming as well. For instance, the 2010 season finale of the tv series House was completely filmed with Mark II cameras.

A few days ago, Vincent Laforet, the same photographer that first shocked the world showing the potential 5Dm2 pro video features with the movie “Reverie”, went even further, posting an amazing frame grab captured with a RED Epic M digital cinema camera. Yes, you read it rightly, with this new camera you are able to film a subject in action, and later on to grab the frame you want and transform it in a still image with the quality needed for print purposes. That’s revolutionary.

However, there are much simpler things that not any of these beasts are capable of doing. That is, in a easily and friendly way, to take the amazing material you collect to your audience right away.

Yesterday I went to Atlantic City for a fight event, and lent my Nikon 3dS to Dan Rod, one of GRACIEMAG photographers. I was not working at all, but since I was backstage with my friend Igor Gracie (who, by the way, won his tough match with a neat guillotine choke at 4m12s mark), I took some pictures here and there with my iPhone and tweeted them.

Then one thought that was bugging me for a while came back to my mind: it’s a shame that you need to set up a crazy turn around if you want to do the same with your professional equipment*. My humble questions for Nikon, Canon, Sony etc:

1) Why professional cameras are not 3G capable, like the Amazon Kindle or the Apple iPad (just to mention two devices that have it and are not phones)?

2) Why they don’t use the back screen of these pro cameras kind a like a smartphone, not only being touch screen but mainly having apps that could easily integrate your content with the Social Media like your blog, Facebook or Twitter?

Imagine being ringside taking pictures at the UFC main event, then select a few imagines within a Flickr app that would adjust size and format and post them in a gallery instantly.

I guess Nikon is needing a Steve Jobs to keep up.

*I know you can already attach an Wi-Fi adapter to your pro camera, turn your smartphone into a hotspot, re-size your pictures (how painful is it?) and then send them from your camera to your phone to use an app to share the material with your social network; however I am not talking about a turn-around but simple native capabilities that would make every professional life easier. Every feature I mentioned above is already reachable, technologically. What pro cameras brand seems not to have is good engineers and designers to make it real.

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is planting a new tree.

Lawns all over are greenish,

some of them

carefully treated as an actress hair,

some of them rebelled long,

waiting to be mowed.

A charming mama steals my smile,

as she passes with its ducklings,

seven hairy little ones,

still looking for their feathers.

Gear slows to six,

As the uphill Takolusa Drive approaches.

“River Deep Mountain High” yells on

the playlist, pushing the pace.

Sweat pours,

to remind us we are alive.

Big landscape’s trucks pass

everywhere,

their trace being

sometimes, only the tiny flags

indicating pesticide use.

Pollen is over the asphalt,

however trees above are

already flowerless,

a silent emerald tunnel

covering my head,

as excitement takes

the gear to eight.

The elder girl slows down

her scooter,

taking care of her four siblings,

the redhead appearing

to be the wildest.

It’s when the slides,

swings and sandboxes,

are the fullest,

and, when, I realize

– the Cure gently singing

“Just Like Heaven” –,

Spring is the season

Life likes the most.

The followers of my blog know it. I got my own iPad the day Apple launched it, last April.

What people don’t know is that GRACIEMAG creative director, Victor Gruzman, received his in Brazil, in the very next day, being probably one of the first people in the country to have the iPad, if not the first one.

I sent him one because my intention was to have both of us thinking in a solution to make GRACIEMAG issues available for this sensational device, sooner than later.

A few months later (in the end of June), we hired a company based in Texas, US and with branches in India to develop our app.

The project wasn’t the easiest I have participated, I have to tell. But making a long story short, in December we finally submitted it to Apple for approval. Silently, the GRACIEMAG app for the iPad became available in the App Store in the Christmas Day.

Since we are still running some tests and we are obsessed with perfectionism, we haven’t publicized it yet, but even without any official announcement, over 3,000 people downloaded the app only in the last month.

I reckon it will take a couple of days before we make it public still, but, in the beginning of December, I kind of promised via twitter that I would unveil it here first when I wrote:

“Huge announcement to make in a week or so; can’t tell what yet but Jiu-Jitsu fans will love it.”

So now I invited you guys to get to know our app here. And tell me what you think.

And below is a scene peaked from our premier session:

Kids playing on Julia's playground.

“And so I concluded: every change is fecund. Every change is fecund.

“And there is an extreme change in the human being lives that is the change from life to death, that I also consider it fecund.

“I don’t know what will come later, but I have a suspicion. It is that who dies changes, and who changes, improves.

“And I have noticed — because several friends of mine have died — I have noticed that every single one of them got better after dying.

“I am not willing death, but nor I am considering it the end of the world. It can be a beginning of another world because life is exactly to change!”

Armando Nogueira (* 1927 – † 2010)

A classic Andy floats Jeffreys Bay, in 2008; photo by ASP

It was a little bit past five in the afternoon yesterday when I was hit with the devastating news that three-time world champion, surfing legend Andy Irons, 32-years old, had died.

I usually handle death well, even when it happens with my relatives or friends, which wasn’t the case — although I have a few friends who knew and liked Andy, I was introduced to him just once, and it was a quick contact.

For some reason, however, this time I went down right away. Perhaps just because it was shocking; perhaps because I was following closely his struggling to get back to the top — and we all have sympathy with dramatic comebacks; or, more probably, because everyone selfishly misses when will no longer be allowed to witness a genius at work.

Despite of the whole sense of tragedy that such a loss always brings, I won’t be mistaken to state that Andy’s life was short though.

He has lived as much as you and I and every living being in our reality always does: Andy Irons has lived exactly his lifetime.