Picture Stories by Stephen Alvarez

Always carry a camera- 3rd and 30th, New York City

I've said it before and I'll say it again, a photographer should alway have a camera, any camera. My point and shoot of choice is the Canon G10. I know there is a G11 now, that should work better in this situation, but there is a limit to what I can spend. Yes sadly I have to buy my own cameras...

The camera you have in your hand (phd, camera phone, whatever) is always better than the camera that you left back at the apartment because it was too heavy.

The compact camera I'd really be interested in trying is the Panasonic GF1. Maybe Panasonic will give one up for Ira and I to test.

-Stephen Alvarez

Halloween Carnival, Sewanee TN

Deep South talk, oct 1 at 7pm

Here is a short video I put together for my upcoming Deep South talk at University of the South. I am going to show lots of beautiful photographs of caves in the Southeast, and I thought to be fair I should also show what my assistants and I go through to get the pictures. Sometimes video just gets the message across better.

The talk is free and open to the public October 1 at 7pm in Blackman Auditorium.

Feel free to share the video on Vimeo (here) or YouTube (here).

-Stephen Alvarez

ps the video is all shot on my Canon G10 point and shoot. 

Canon announces the G11

It seems like Canon listened to pro users when it designed the G11 (announced here). It has a lower pixel sensor than the G10. 10 megapixels vs almost 15 on the G10. But that should give us a less noisy image.

It is available in September.

anyone want to buy my G10?

-Stephen Alvarez

A good point and shoot

shot with my canon G10

Every photographer needs a good point and shoot. Why? Why would you choose to carry a pocket camera when you already own a 20 or 25 megapixel Canon/Nikon/Sony? Why compromise the quality?

Boulevared Saint-Denis, Paris

I've promised several people a post about workflow, but after 4 days of Peace Love and Photography till 4 am I need a little sleep first. A frame from Paris last week shot on the G-10.

-Stephen Alvarez

Washington, DC

Leaving Paris

April and I are getting on the plane today to go home. It is so hard leaving Paris, how can a photographer not love a city with such glorious light? But it has been a long trip. I've been away for almost 8 weeks and it is time to get back. I miss my children, miss my friends. 

Last night we had dinner with Jean-Francois Leroy. It was a wonderful last night with a man who has dedicated his life to a deep love of photography.

But home now and on to Look 3.

-Stephen Alvarez

Bike Ride

Gotta love the canon G10 . Its so small I can shoot and ride at the same time.

-Stephen Alvarez

Sadie, Sewanee Tennessee

A quick shot from my morning walk yesterday. Beautiful morning.

-Stephen Alvarez

Waterfall cave, Sewanee Tennessee

Earth from Below, Sub Solomon Cave Flood from Stephen Alvarez on Vimeo.

A couple of notes about the video. It is shot entirely on a Canon G10 (buy the camera here, read my review of it here)  point and shoot by my assistant Luke Padgett. Luke had been shooting with the G 10 when we went into Sub Solomon to shoot this picture. I'd asked him to put together a short video go along with my review of the Polarion PF 40 searchlight we were using to light the cave. As you can see he got a little carried away. It does, however, highlight the appalling things I did to the light in the few months I had it.

Read the full review on the next page