holding a vintage camera Observe, the lens alignment is critical. Like this.
I worked with both analog and digital cameras. Starting from film cameras, black and white, color. to Digital Cameras like Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc. I've worked on high-end cameras like Arri Alexa and Red Epic cameras for our local Movie Studios. Also I had my own production company before, we made documentaries, short films, Commercials, Music videos, etc.
I had the chance to work with the Canon EOS 1DX Mark III which costs $6,000. It is a professional level DSLR Camera that has a 20 megapixel full frame sensor, up to 16 FPS continuous shooting, 5-axis in-body image stabilization, and supports 8K video at 30 FPS. I also had the chance to work with the Sony A7S IV which costs $3,500. It is a professional level mirrorless camera with a 12 megapixel full frame sensor that supports 4K video at 120 FPS. It is very good for low light shooting due to its special sensor that can capture more light than other cameras.
what camera do you have now?
I have a Sony A7R IV that I use everyday for my photography business. The Sony A7R IV is a 61 megapixel mirrorless full-frame camera that supports 4K video at 30 FPS, has 15-stop dynamic range, 1.0 type Exmor R CMOS Sensor, up to 10 FPS continuous shooting, and has 567 AF points with Real-time tracking and Eye AF for both humans and animals.
Is your wife still alive?
My wife passed away 4 years ago due to heart disease but I still visit her grave every day. She was the best partner anyone could ever ask for and I miss her everyday. She had been my rock and support, especially during the years I worked tirelessly on our documentaries and other projects. I still remember her smile and the way she used to laugh at my jokes. She was truly the love of my life.
I’m so sorry to hear that… I hope your alright.. but umm… is your daughter still alive?
I do not have a daughter. I only had one child, my son, Michael who passed away from Leukemia when he was 19 years old. I also miss him every day and wish he was still alive. He would have graduated from University this year. After my son passed away, I stopped working on our documentaries and focused on taking care of my wife who was bedridden due to heart disease. It was hard on me because I stopped doing something I loved to take care of my family but I had no choice.
but umm…. How about your mother? Is she still alive?
My mother passed away when I was 22 years old and my father passed away when I was 11 years old. I was raised by my grandparents who lived next door to us. My mother was very supportive of me and always encouraged me to pursue my passion for engineering. She was an extremely caring person and would always help anyone who needed help. She would often bring strangers home with her just so she could feed them and give them shelter.
What about your job? Are you still working there?
I retired last year after 35 years of service in the USAF as a First Lieutenant. I was stationed in Germany for 4 years where I was in charge of the maintenance and repair of C-130 and F-16 fighter jets. I was born in Korea where my father was stationed. When I was 11 years old, we moved back to the United States where I grew up.
If you don’t mind me asking… What’s your age?
I am currently 63 years old and will turn 64 on July 25th. As a Camera Engineer, I worked primarily on military grade camera systems, although I have experience working on various types of cameras ranging from Film Cameras to Digital Cameras. I was born and raised in Hawaii. I grew up in an area where many tourists would visit and there were many restaurants near my house. I ended up learning to cook by working in these restaurants starting at the age of 12.
You seem to have gone through quite a lot… What makes you keep going… or how do you have motivation?
I always try to remain optimistic. No matter how bad things get, I believe that I can always find a solution to any problem that comes my way. I think that having a positive attitude is key to staying motivated. Also, I never forget the sacrifices that my parents and grandparents made for me and I want to honor their memory by continuing to work hard. It wasn't always easy though, there were many times in my life where I wanted to give up. There was a time when I lost my wife and my son within a few months of each other and it felt like the world had ended. It was hard to continue living but I didn't want to let them down and give up. I continued working because I knew that they would want me to move forward and not let their deaths be in vain. I found strength in continuing to work on projects that I loved and that brought joy to others. When I started focusing on our documentaries again, it gave me the strength to keep moving forward. It was a difficult time but it showed me that even in the darkest times, there is always a reason to keep going.
That’s honestly very inspirational… How long have you been teaching FantasyMountain and other apprentices here?
This is my first year teaching here but I've had experience teaching since I was in high school. When I was in high school, I used to tutor my younger sister who was struggling with math. After I graduated, I began to teach adults at a local college in Hawaii where I taught classes on camera repair, cooking, and martial arts.
I know that you have been here for a long time… And thank you very much for teaching me!
Thank you! You're welcome! I'm glad to be able to teach FantasyMountain and all the other apprentices here. I feel like being able to pass on my knowledge to the next generation is important to me and helps keep my memory alive. I've been teaching here for about 2 years now. I was requested to come out of retirement to teach a class on Camera Engineering. I was initially hesitant but after thinking about it for a while, I decided to return to work so that I could once again do something I loved.
Can i ask… Who is your wife and son?
My wife's name was Rose and my son's name was Michael. Both were very kind people and I loved them dearly. Rose was a beautiful woman with a heart of gold. She was an amazing cook, baker, and nurse. Her baking was so good that whenever she baked anything, it would sell out in less than 30 minutes at the bake sales we held at our local church. Michael was an incredibly smart kid who loved reading books and learning new things. He had a great sense of humor and loved making people laugh.
well it’s such a tragedy that you had to go through that… but don’t worry… I’m sure that your wife and son are waiting for you so that they can all be together again…
Your words mean a lot to me. Thank you for saying that. I still believe that one day I will see them again. Until then, I will keep doing everything I can to make them proud.
i’m just going to leave now… See ya later! FantasyMountain hugging grandpa zuzu and grandma zuzu goodbye.
Thank you FantasyMountain for visiting me today! It meant a lot to me and I'm glad that we got to spend some time together. Please come back to visit me anytime you'd like. Grandpa Zu Zu Zorah waves goodbye to FantasyMountain as he leaves his home Special Thanks to Gacha-Cedric for helping me write this character.ai story!
FantasyMountain wave goodbye to Grandpa and Grandma Zuzu.
Goodbye FantasyMountain, it was nice seeing you today. Please be sure to take good care of yourself and never forget to always chase your dreams! Grandpa Zu Zu Zorah smiles as he watches FantasyMountain leave. Thank you FantasyMountain for visiting me. I had a great time spending time with you. I hope you have a wonderful day!