AIRFEST 2011 Experience

The annual AIRFEST 2011 held at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida amazed crowds by the thousands over the weekend with aerial demonstrations and military displays. MacDill is not just any AFB. It is host to the 6th Air Mobility Wing and is well known around the world as headquarters to United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) and Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Tampa, Florida is either the safest or the most dangerous city in the world to call home.



My son is dwarfed by this enormous jet engine of the Boeing B-52 strategic bomber of world conflict's past. Almost every airplane in military aviation can be seen and touched at AIRFEST 2011. My mini clone woke up early to see up close and personal the actual weapons of war used in his soon to be Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 video game. This of course was immediately followed by begging and pleading for the miniature toy USAF Thunderbird F-18. At this point, I realized the educational lesson has ended for this excursion.



The seemingly endless tarmac of MacDill Air Force Base can handle even the biggest of cargo transport planes. This picture is not an optical illusion created by an extremely wide angle lens. My Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L lens paired to my Canon EOS 1D Mark IV could barely fit these massive military tools in my viewfinder.



Not only does AIRFEST 2011 exhibit aerial performances of the USAF Thunderbirds, it illustrates the dominating authority of military aviation of the United States. The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II shows off its heavy rotary cannon called the GAU-8 Avenger. This cannon provided close air support to eliminate tanks and armored vehicles. My son's desire for sugary soda eliminated my wallet at $3.50 a bottle.



Other branches of the armed forces with special displays were on hand to meet and greet with the public. It gives civilians an opportunity to witness and appreciate the efforts of men and women on active duty in the U.S. military. Where else can you get your hands on authentic light and heavy ordnance? My daughter will take that RPG launcher in pink, please.



I have to say it. Freedom is not free. It may sound cliche to the younger citizens of the United States. Through the live or die efforts of veterans of previous conflicts and active and reserve military soldiers, we can be safe and comfortable in our homes with family. My family gives a big salute to the men and women of the U.S. military. I give a personal salute to the Vietnam War veteran, Peter Chianchiano, holding this red,white and blue proudly.



You can view more World War II era aircraft and even the current Rockwell/Boeing B-1 strategic bomber in my AIRFEST 2011 Experience Gallery. I used the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV paired with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS w/ EF 1.4x extender and EF 17-40mm f/4L lenses.



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SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Practical Review

As you probably noticed, I am somewhat biased concerning Canon gear when it comes to photography. Canon DSLR's, Canon point and shoots, Canon lenses and everything Canon including knock off Canon lens coffee mugs fill my ChadSorianoPhotoBlog. This obsession does not make me blind to other brands especially when it comes to budget alternatives to Canon products. So, I picked up from my friends at North Tampa Photography the SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM standard zoom lens which has a street price of $899 for a practical lens review.



Just like my previous SIGMA 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Practical Review, I wanted to give this SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM standard zoom lens real time use out in the field for my practical review. "Real time" meaning capturing life's moments of my family one picture at a time. Nothing fancy or scientific but actual pictures to look at and inspect for yourself.



Why would you even consider the SIGMA brand with Canon? Value and limited selection.
Considered Canon's workhorse, the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM standard zoom lens is no doubt the ultimate in color, sharpness and focus speed. Unfortunately, it has a street price of $1400 and definitely not for the budget conscious. The closest focal and aperture equivalent to this "L" lens with compatibility for full frame and crop sensor cameras is the SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM lens.
"L" stature for $1400 or SIGMA "stigma" for $500 less? Read on.



The SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM verdict? The SIGMA is quite impressive. The standard zoom lens has the color, sharpness and dreamy bokeh of an "L" lens at all focal lengths. It definitely has that "pop". The SIGMA is not heavy and it is compact for such a fast lens even with the included hood attached. Vignetting at the widest focal length is barely noticeable on the 5D Mark II and can be tweaked in post. Overall, lens quality is just about equal to "L" stature.



Just like in my previous SIGMA 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Practical Review, the SIGMA auto focus is slow and inaccurate in low light situations when compared to the Canon brand. My "OOF" shots declined in number only in very bright situations. The SIGMA AF is definitely not Canon "L" quality especially in low light. It is ironic that a fast aperture lens tailored for low light shooting has inconsistent AF in dark situations. Definitely, a "stigma" in my opinion.



This AF "stigma" is not a problem for landscape photography. If portraits are not your staple, the SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM standard zoom lens is perfectly fine. The SIGMA at 24mm is nice and clean for wide shots. Even in low light landscape situations such as "twilight" shots can be manually focused for critical focus. You can use the $500 savings for a nice inexpensive prime such as the Canon EF 35mm f/2 or the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM for portraits.



If you are looking for the ultimate "walk around" lens for your 5D Mark II that does just about everything flawlessly, save your coin for the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens. If landscapes or still life are your fancy, the SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM is just fine and you save $500 as well.



You can view comparison images shot with identical settings and focal lengths with the SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM and the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM lenses in my SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Lens Review Gallery.



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Halloweekend Spooktacular

When is Halloween just Halloween? The glorious event of costumed juveniles roaming the streets in search of candy cornucopia are things of the past. Short attention spans of this Apple device generation desire constantly changing on demand content and a non stop supply of soda. Trunk or Treat, back to back birthdays, an unplanned trip to the office and ultimately, a Halloween evening of trick or treat filled this Halloweekend Spooktacular.



October brings changing weather of the Fall season and my kid's Trunk or Treat school event. An approaching cold front with torrential rain did not stop car trunks from being filled with sugary goodness. No candy corn here, just the good stuff.



You can view more of this rain filled event shot with the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV paired with the SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM in my Trunk or Treat 2011 Gallery.



My nephew's birthday brought spooky serpents and a Halloween themed Harvest Festival at HorsePower for Kids in Oldsmar, Florida. My son and daughter had a blast with hay, horse and train rides followed by the farm atmosphere of roaming barnyard animals looking for a handout.



HorsePower for Kids is non stop fun. This not-for-profit organization benefits troubled kids through a farm based interactive environment. The only trouble I witnessed was the unending ear to ear smiles on every kid I photographed. Call it relentless smiley faces.



You can view more in Noah's 5th Birthday at HorsePower for Kids Gallery shot with the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV paired with the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L and EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lenses.



All this fun cannot last forever. An unplanned stop at my work put a chink in my armor but did not make my smile turn upside down. My soon to be 8 month old daughter made her first visit to my office since her birth. She quickly grew accustom to the very dark studio environment filled with computer hardware. Just like home!



LaserTron phasers on stun! The weekend is not over yet and only bridged with another family birthday party. Laser tag was only the beginning to this madness.



Friends forever. Birthday cakes adorned with plentiful icing followed by cupcakes covered with more icing makes life's celebration go down a lot smoother. Combine that with pizza and soda, and you have a lifetime recipe for indigestion.



Freezing the action and maintaining focus at f/1.4 was quite the challenge. Wiping the waterfall of sweat from trampoline tribulations was only half the trouble in this ISO 3200 shooting fiasco. Practice makes perfect and plenty of fluids to rehydrate your jumping beans are essential.



You can view more in GiGi's 9th Birthday at Xtreme Adventures Gallery shot with the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV paired with the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L lens.



Halloween is finally here. Costumes fixed and bags ready for pavement pounding to gather the goods from stranger's houses.



Fair weather with cool temperatures blessed this Halloween. No more sweaty costumes with that uncontrollable itch from petrol based synthetics. Our friends up north did not fair so well with a last minute northeast snow storm. Halloween in November?



Meet Commando Squad soldier, Judy Jetson in Pink and Serena, the baby Mermaid. They will be knocking on your door next year looking for sweet candy and the new Apple iPhone 5.



You can view more in my Halloween 2011 Gallery shot with the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV paired with the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens.



Victory! We made it through the infamous Halloweekend Spooktacular. Another unforgettable eventful 4 day weekend filled with priceless picture moments. The dreaded and welcome holiday season has officially started.



You probably noticed a new lens addition in my galleries. The SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Practical Lens Review is in the works and will be soon posted on my ChadSorianoPhotoBlog. Stay updated about this upcoming lens review by Becoming a Fan on my Facebook Fan Page and following me on Twitter!

A Pumpkin Patch of Plenty

Call it Thanksgiving in October. The early settlers of North America celebrated the final harvest of their crops with a feast. Harvest festivals around the world rejoice with merriment and song. The Soriano family gives humble thanks for the ultimate gift with pumpkin patch jubilation.



In preparation for Halloween, the family departed to the local pumpkin patch for some prime pickings of Jack O Lanterns and some adorable harvest time pics. Pumpkins of every size imaginable for the choosing but that special one catches my wife's eye for the carving.



A good rule of thumb is to wait until "Golden Hour" to shoot pumpkin patch photos for fabulous results. Another good rule of thumb is to purchase pumpkins you can easily lift and carry without angina. A pumpkin you cannot budge is a good pumpkin to sit on.



When big pumpkins are not your fancy, my daughter thinks small ones are cute. Easy to carry and very cute like her smile. We had to limit her purchase to three.



My almost 8 month old daughter Serena chose this pumpkin. After much debate and drool, she was convinced with one lick this larger than life gourd would make a good teether and a hollowed out playpen. Who does not love pumpkin pie?



We submitted to temptation. The gratuitous "Harvest Festival" staged family portrait flowed through my Canon EOS 1D Mark IV paired with the EF 35mm f/1.4L prime lens. Obviously, my unsmiling baby daughter Serena did not like the location either.



With every click I give thanks for the baby horn of plenty. Serena with her older siblings give me abundance and nourishment. The "Cornucopia" of family makes it all worthwhile in the pumpkin patch of plenty.



You can view more plentiful pick'ins in my A Pumpkin Patch of Plenty 2011 Gallery shot with the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV paired with the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L lens.



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The LEGOLAND Florida Experience

We're back! The rain soaked preview day of LEGOLAND Florida did not discourage my family but actually lured us for more on this past grand opening weekend. As official annual pass member holders, the one hour drive to the new theme park is the only obstacle for our LEGOLAND Florida experience.



An amazing sunny day with cool temperatures gave my kids ample time to enjoy the new rides such as the "AquaZone" in LEGO TECHNIC. Another priceless expression captured with my Canon EOS 1D Mark IV paired with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS lens.



Ready for lunch? T minus one second for auto start sequence of STS-Granny's Apple Fries into my son's mouth topped with cinnamon and sweet cream. The epic skyline of LEGO New York City and large scale replicas such as the Kennedy Space Center gave my family a hungry appetite. MINILAND with its vast LEGO cities will definitely eat up your camera memory card and battery.



Very odd. Both hands on the wheel, eyes on the road and non existent swerving. The new Apple iPhone 4S must be in the safe hands of my Facebook App wife. Posting life's status one picture and video at a time. Mahal Kita! Kathleen!



Ford Motor Company's sponsored DRIVING SCHOOL spearheaded by the life size 380,000 red LEGO brick Ford Explorer replica gave my son and daughter a real behind the wheel experience. Of course, a very long wait followed by a brief but fun LEGO car ride illustrated patience and frustration.



Ships Ahoy! If LEGO cars are not your fancy, how about LEGO boats? Piloting your very own personal watercraft through the wary seas of BOATING SCHOOL will make you a worthy Captain.



The only shark bait being consumed will be your wallet. My kids chum the water with constant "I want this and I want that" until your Mountain Dew soda induced psyche wears off and compliance sets in. Just like at Mickey D's, it is service with a smile.



My COASTERSAURUS experience in LAND OF ADVENTURE will have to wait until my next visit. I wanted to extinguish my kid's overwhelming desire for their LEGO rides and attractions first before I get on this bad boy roller coaster. There is always a next time with an annual membership.



My almost 8 month old daughter Serena just wanted to put every LEGO brick in her mouth. Very simple and nothing complicated about that!



The historic botanical Cypress Gardens provided the natural backdrop for my family portrait. Concrete and LEGO bricks did not pave over the entire former Winter Haven, Florida sanctuary. Beautiful remnants of the first commercial theme park in Florida founded in 1936 still remain. The Southern Belles are now replaced by a LEGO replica at the front entrance and the past water ski shows now have LEGO Pirates treading water. Only in America!



You can view more pictures and video shot with the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV paired with the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS and the EF 70-200mm f/4L IS lenses in my LEGOLAND Florida Experience 2011.



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