Mark Forrester - Independent digital designer and online entrepreneur

So I’ve blogged/bragged about my mates band The Brothers Streep before, but that was way back in November 2006.

They’ve grown in band members AND groupies since then, but their latest feature on national television here in the UK should hopefully take them one step closer to global domination. (more…)

Last night my wife and I went to see Jon Hopkins at Hall One, Kings Place. Who is Jon Hopkins? What is the significance of Hall One, Kings Place?

Let me break that down for you.

Jon Hopkins according to Wikipedia:

Jon Hopkins is a British musician who writes and performs his own music, melody-led electronica. He was born and brought up in London and started playing the piano when he was five. By the age of twelve he was studying piano at London’s Royal College of Music. He has worked with Coldplay, Imogen Heap, King Creosote, David Holmes, Massive Attack, Chris Coco and Brian Eno, amongst many others.

And what’s so significant about Kings Place, Hall One, again let me leave this up to Wikipedia:

Hall One, the main concert hall is a building within a building – a box that sits on rubber springs to give it complete acoustic separation from the rest of the building.

It is built to the regular shoebox geometry – a double cube – that is considered most successful for small concert halls. Structural columns around the hall are set away from the walls to allow curtains to be drawn between the columns and the walls to modify the acoustic for speech or amplified music.

Combine those two elements and you have a jaw dropping live performance, but combine that electronica with beautiful piano compositions, Davide Rossi, a hugely talented violinist and Leo Abrahams an equally impressive guitarist and you have arrived at audio utopia.

The sort of thing you can expect from Jon Hopkins (recorded at the ICA in London earlier this year). Every beat he produces is mixed live in front of you:

If Jon Hopkins is ever touring your town or city make sure you book tickets! He’ll take you on an emotional rollercoaster through aggressive heavy beats to the most tranquil of melodies.

Want to hear something a little more soothing perhaps, turn it up real loud, sit back and enjoy.

Sound familiar?

There is loads of discussion online about the Canon 5D Mark II vs the new Canon 7d, launched late September here in the UK. The big, noticeable difference that justifies the more expensive 5d is the full frame sensor vs the 7d crop sensor. Not sure about the difference – read this article. Apart from that though it seems the Canon 7d boasts some newer features that’s got 5d owners quite jealous.

Even Hitler…

I’m definitely not going to try promote the 7d as a better camera than the 5d, but seeing I’m not a professional photographer and prefer my wildlife and sports to portrait and landscape photography I don’t necessarily need a full frame sensor.

Why the 7D? It has a dual processor, one specifically dedicated to dealing with noise reduction, an 18 mega pixel CMOS sensor, 100% view finder coverage, captures images at 8 frames per second, and has improved movie capturing facilities shooting beautiful full HD movies with options for 24 fps to create the cinematic feel that I can’t wait to play with. It also has a built-in flash, that the 5D lacks, meaning you need to carry a bulky flash wherever you go, OK for the pros, mission for us more amateur photographers.

I bought the camera with the 18-135 kit lens which compliments my 70-300 IS tele-lens very nicely and beats my old 350D kit lens hands down <puke>. It’s a lens that has a range that is hugely multi-functional and means less time inter-changing lens. Although I’m definitely still planning on getting a 50 or 60mm lens for them close ups.

More photos on Flickr

I’ve already had a play with the camera and the 24p HD video functionality this weekend at a local rugby match between Richmond and Henley, watch the movie on Vimeo in HD. Excuse the newbie no-no’s. Next time I’ll use a tripod.

I’m in love.