On advice of a colleague pro photographer I had my camera’s cleaned by Chipclean, a Dutch company run by a former Philips chip-division specialist. I’ve been cleaning my own camera’s for years but have never totally happy with the results. I managed to get everything clean up to f13 level but never really, properly clean.

Especially in underwater (macro) photography that f13 bar is problematic so I figured it was time to have it done properly and at €45 per camera (bulk, normally it’s €55) really money well spent. So, in go my old 5D2 (dirty as hell), 5D3 (acceptable) and my 1Dx (surprisingly dirty).

Posted here is my 1Dx, before and after… how is that for a result. No way on earth you are able to get it clean yourself that good. Photo is at f22 and exaggerated by auto-levelling, in normal view there’s not a spot to be seen, except for the hot pixel that I have to have mapped out next month.

Some good advice also came with this spring-cleaning; these are good things to know!
- First, most dirt is actually from you lens caps! They get a little scraping every time you put them on or off. So , besides those, one thing to keep really clean is the (metal) lens mount!
- Secondly, don’t clean it unless you know what you’re doing. Any indoor place is basically one huge dust nest. Mostly you’ll be just moving dust around which will rapidly gather back onto your chip. If you are going to it yourselves anyway: don’t use compressed air cans and don’t use wet cleaning solutions.
- Finally: do NOT use dust rockets, especially indoors!!!!! They are the worst and will only blow a huge amount of dust into all corners of your camera.

My advice, don’t save your money and look for a company that can get you results like these (you actually get warranty on the cleaning!!!!). I’ll be doing this twice a year at least, I’m dirty!

Mont Blanc, meaning “White Mountain”, is the highest mountain in the Alps and the European Union. It rises 4,810 m (15,781 ft) above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence. It is also sometimes known as La Dame blanche, the “White Lady”.

Dutch Ski- and Snowoardtest
Client: Wintersport Magazine
Les Arcs, France

Images from the 2013 edition of Snowjam, the Belgium Open Ski and Snowboard Championships.
April 7-14 – Les Deux Alpes, France.

Client: Snowjam
© 2013 www.rudgr.com

March 22-24, 2013
Downtown Miami. USA

Client: Ultra Music Festival
© 2013 www.rudgr.com

Oh yes!

Rage classy Miami!

Shermanology & Afrojack

Carl Cox

Tiësto

Ultra Music Festival from above

Kryoman & Laidback Luke

Refreshing

Death by EDM

Ultra Smile

Ultra at night

David Guetta fireworks

David Guetta

Flag!

Backstage spaghetti

Markus Schulz power!

Ceiling dancer

Steve Aoki chaos

Snoop Dogg

Pretty Lights, performing appropriately

USA partypeople rule!

Confetti madness

And the full 101-gallery:

March 15-17, 2013
Downtown Miami. USA

Client: Ultra Music Festival
© 2013 www.rudgr.com

Images from the 2013 edition Sensation “Source Of Light” Belgium.

March 9th, 2013
Ethias Arena, Hasselt. Belgium

Client: ID&T Belgium
© 2013 www.rudgr.com

Mr. White

Dance boy!

Dance girls!

Space walk

Sensation party time

Tunnel to the Source Of Light

Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano

Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano

Lights & hands!

Frozen in time

So much love to give

Massiveness

Yves V shows some love!

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Images from the 2013 edition of ENERGY Amsterdam
March 2nd, 2013
Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam. Netherlands

Client: ID&T
© 2012 www.rudgr.com

Shermanology

Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano

Martin Solveig

Dancing!

Martin Solveig

Ziggo Dome

MC Gee

ENERGY!

Ecstasy!

PLUR

Otto Knows

Laser puzzle

When the beat drops

Arty

A 360-degree panoramic view over Rotterdam, taken from the northern pylon of the Willemsbrug. Rottedam South and centre can been seen clearly. The Erasmusbrug is in the far back with the Oude Haven almost in the middle.

© 2008 www.rudgr.com.
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