I was having a bite with a friend the other day and we were talking about equipment. Get two photographers together and usually the first thing they will talk about is gear.
Now Jim has been a shooter for many years and has recently ventured out on his own. He's got good gear, but wanted to know what he should get next. Don't we all want to know that. Well, in my magnanimous way, I quoted my one of my favorite authors, Zig Ziglar, who was fond of saying, "Everyone is entitled to my opinion." We laughed, but it got me thinking about my camera bag and what I have in it and why.
I have been doing this full time for over 22 years. I have things in my bag that help me to do my job better. I have things in my bag that help me do things easier. And I have things in there that do both. My way is not the only way. It is just the way I do things. And, I like the results I get. Do you have to get the stuff I have or use it the way I do? Of course not. But take a look and think about your situation.
Fast Nikon Glass
I admit that I am a Nikon Lens snob. I only use Nikon lenses. I have many friends who own OEM lenses and they all admit that they are "pretty good." When someone says, "they focus fast enough for me," that seems like faint praise. Nikon lenses focus faster than OEM lenses. And most lens tests I see show the Nikon lens to be sharper than the others. That's why I use only Nikon lenses. I had a friend recently tell me he was buying this particular OEM lens to use until he could afford the Nikon lens. He will pay more (even if he sells the first lens) because he has bought twice. I say just buy once and save money. But, that's just me.
I pretty much have all F2.8 lenses (except my 50mm F1.8 and my 300mm F4). As I told someone recently, the point of a 2.8 lens is not necessarily to shoot at F2.8, but rather at F4. You cannot do that with a zoom lens that goes from F4.5-5.6. Oh, you could shoot at F5.6, but that requires more flash power. It also makes your background darker unless you lower your shutter speed which could introduce camera- or subject-motion.
The fast glass also allows you to shoot in much lower light. For a wedding photographer, especially one doing a more candid, photojournalistic style, this is a big plus. Did I mention VR (vibration reduction)? My 70-200mm has VR and I can effectively hand-hold that big mutha at a 1/60th. My 300mm F4 is not VR and I need to be at 1/350 or higher to get a sharp image.
Side note Rule of thumb time. The slowest shutter speed to use hand-held is 1/focal length. So that would be 1/300 for the 300mm lens. And it is effective focal length, so using a DX camera, take into consideration the crop factor. That 300mm lens on a DX camera would effectively be a 450mm lens. So your shutter speed should be 1/450 or faster to get a majority of your images sharp.
My lenses are:
10.5 F2.8 Fish eye (the only DX lens I have)
50mm F1.8
14-24mm F2.8
24-70mm F2.8
70-200mm F2.8
300mm F4
I really loved my 18-200mm F3.5-5.6 but it was a DX lens that turned my beautiful D3 camera into a 5 mega pixel camera. I sold it because I didn't want to make the image size sacrifice. The FX sensor can be a curse and a blessing!
Professional Grade Camera - the Nikon D3
Did I mention the D3 camera? The best camera IMHO on the market right now. It cost an arm and a leg, but I will not be replacing it for a few years. The high ISO capability makes it ideal for wedding photography where I need to make images in dark churches and receptions. With the D3 I can photograph at ISO 1600 and not even have to use noise reduction. I can use ISO and 3200 and 6400 and just add the noise reduction in Lightroom 2 to clean them up. I love it.
Another benefit of the D3 is that it is a very comfortable camera in you hand. It just feels good. It is a very heavy camera, but it feels so good in your hand that you don't notice it. It is Nikon's Professional series, so it is built like a tank (hence the weight). It is dust and moisture sealed like no body's business, so it shrugs off bad environments.
Using the D3 and the fast Nikon Glass with the new "smart" SB900 flashes allows me to use flash techniques that other combinations of gear just can't. I can bounce the light from the on-camera flash to the side to create a direction of light and get a good exposure at F4, 1/60, at ISO 1600. I cannot do that with an 18-200 on a D300.
Those are two of the main elements in my camera bag. Next time I will delve into the accessories I have in there.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
The Groom was nice ...
Yeah, sorry, another post without an image. Just me rambling about something I think is valuable to the journeyman wedding photographer.
Saturday's wedding was wonderful. I got to work with an old colleague (well, I'm old and she's still young - I think we started working together when she was still in the womb). It was her wedding and I invited myself along as assistant/second banana. Not a place I find very comfortable. So, in a sense, I was working on stretching my comfort zone.
The bride was fantastic and looked like she modeled (or had in the past). And the groom was nice, too. But he had no patience for the photographers or getting his photos done. By the time we got to the reception all he wanted to do was see his friends and party. We still had pretty much all of his family photos to take, but he was too busy.
So I, and this is the part I want you to really listen to, started following him around. Not obnoxiously, but respectfully. When I saw him light up when he saw a friend, I stepped in and motioned for a picture. He was delighted. I told him I would be close by and if he wanted a picture, just turn to me and I would do it. He started turning to me frequently and soon was motioning me to follow him all around the reception area as he actively sought out people. After a while, I saw his brother close by and suggested a photo. He readily agreed. And then we went back to wandering around looking for friends. After about another dozen of these shots, I saw his mother close by and suggested that we do a photo with her. Again, he readily agreed. At that point, I decided to take a chance and suggested that since his dad was close by, why not bring his mother over and do a photo with his mother and father. He agreed and we got that shot. When I suggested a photo of him and his dad, he waved me off, but countered with a group request of him, his father, and two of his uncles. I did it and suggested him and his father again and he agreed.
All throughout this "follow-him-around" time I was building a rapport with him just by being close by and ready to do whatever he wanted. Later in the night I found I could suggest things and he would comply. But all the while, I was close by and would step up any time he turned to me for a photo. I became his "personal photographer" and I was there for him. I had his best interest in mind and showed it by taking whatever he wanted. When it came time at the end of the night to photography the couple's good-bye shot, my friend, the lead photographer, sent me to find the groom and get him to come out for the shot we had planned. All the rapport I had built earlier really came in handy as he complied. Even when I grabbed his coat, he put it on without a word.
The moral of this story, kids, is to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Simply showing a willingness to do whatever he wanted. Showing a willingness to follow him around and do what he wanted to do, helped to establish a relationship between us that allowed me to do my job and get him the images that he will want at some point in the future. Image not having a photo with your mother at your wedding. Inconceivable!!!
A side note to all this is being prepared. I was prepared for each shot. I was changing settings (ISO & color balance) as we moved from the outside to the inside or vice versa. I was in position to simply raise my camera, fire, and be done. Just a few seconds, and I was back out of the way. In short, I was ready. Being fast is very helpful and people really appreciate not having to spend a lot of time posed and waiting while the photographer fumbles with his equipment. You can usually do a test shot before they are ready, just so you are ready.
Saturday's wedding was wonderful. I got to work with an old colleague (well, I'm old and she's still young - I think we started working together when she was still in the womb). It was her wedding and I invited myself along as assistant/second banana. Not a place I find very comfortable. So, in a sense, I was working on stretching my comfort zone.
The bride was fantastic and looked like she modeled (or had in the past). And the groom was nice, too. But he had no patience for the photographers or getting his photos done. By the time we got to the reception all he wanted to do was see his friends and party. We still had pretty much all of his family photos to take, but he was too busy.
So I, and this is the part I want you to really listen to, started following him around. Not obnoxiously, but respectfully. When I saw him light up when he saw a friend, I stepped in and motioned for a picture. He was delighted. I told him I would be close by and if he wanted a picture, just turn to me and I would do it. He started turning to me frequently and soon was motioning me to follow him all around the reception area as he actively sought out people. After a while, I saw his brother close by and suggested a photo. He readily agreed. And then we went back to wandering around looking for friends. After about another dozen of these shots, I saw his mother close by and suggested that we do a photo with her. Again, he readily agreed. At that point, I decided to take a chance and suggested that since his dad was close by, why not bring his mother over and do a photo with his mother and father. He agreed and we got that shot. When I suggested a photo of him and his dad, he waved me off, but countered with a group request of him, his father, and two of his uncles. I did it and suggested him and his father again and he agreed.
All throughout this "follow-him-around" time I was building a rapport with him just by being close by and ready to do whatever he wanted. Later in the night I found I could suggest things and he would comply. But all the while, I was close by and would step up any time he turned to me for a photo. I became his "personal photographer" and I was there for him. I had his best interest in mind and showed it by taking whatever he wanted. When it came time at the end of the night to photography the couple's good-bye shot, my friend, the lead photographer, sent me to find the groom and get him to come out for the shot we had planned. All the rapport I had built earlier really came in handy as he complied. Even when I grabbed his coat, he put it on without a word.
The moral of this story, kids, is to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Simply showing a willingness to do whatever he wanted. Showing a willingness to follow him around and do what he wanted to do, helped to establish a relationship between us that allowed me to do my job and get him the images that he will want at some point in the future. Image not having a photo with your mother at your wedding. Inconceivable!!!
A side note to all this is being prepared. I was prepared for each shot. I was changing settings (ISO & color balance) as we moved from the outside to the inside or vice versa. I was in position to simply raise my camera, fire, and be done. Just a few seconds, and I was back out of the way. In short, I was ready. Being fast is very helpful and people really appreciate not having to spend a lot of time posed and waiting while the photographer fumbles with his equipment. You can usually do a test shot before they are ready, just so you are ready.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Mental (and verbal) Review
Saturday I was shooting a wedding and we did all the photos ahead of time. It is a great way to go, because you get everything done before the ceremony, so there is not rushing through the process because the church lady is gonna kick you out or they have to get to the reception right away.
It can be very confusing because while everyone is there, they frequently are not "right there" when you need them. This makes for a disjointed flow to the shoot and you really have to be on top of you shot list, either mental or written.
Saturday, I found myself doing something that I guess I do all the time. But for some reason, I took note of it this time. When we were about to wrap up the shooting, I went to the bride and groom and verbally reviewed my shot list with them. It went something like this.
"Ok, let's think now. Sally, we did you by yourself, you with your mom, you with your dad, you with your mom and dad, and you with your mom, dad, and brother (I knew in advance there were no grandparents). We did you with each of your attendants, and then a group of the bridesmaids with you. Oh, wait we skipped that, so we have to do that yet.
"Then we did Bill by himself, Bill with his mom, him with his dad, him with his mom and dad, and then we added in his sister to the group. We did him with each of the guys, then the group of the guys with him, Right? OK
"Alright, we did the two of you with your folks, his folks, your family, his family, and the entire wedding party. And we did a bunch of shots of you together at the beginning.
"So, we still need to do you with all the girls, oh and Bill with Sandy (his cousin who was the flower girl). Is there anything else? Great let's get 'er done!"
That simple, quick review revealed that I had missed a group shot (because someone was missing at the point where I would have normally done the group) and that the flower girl was related to the groom (which I did not know). And I got the chance to ask if there were any other photos she (and the groom) wanted.
Knowing your shot list inside and out and being able to quickly and easily communicate it is essential. This is the shot list I have used for over two decades, and is still the bare minimum you need. It has an easy flow and can be verbalized quickly and checked off with the couple.
It can be very confusing because while everyone is there, they frequently are not "right there" when you need them. This makes for a disjointed flow to the shoot and you really have to be on top of you shot list, either mental or written.
Saturday, I found myself doing something that I guess I do all the time. But for some reason, I took note of it this time. When we were about to wrap up the shooting, I went to the bride and groom and verbally reviewed my shot list with them. It went something like this.
"Ok, let's think now. Sally, we did you by yourself, you with your mom, you with your dad, you with your mom and dad, and you with your mom, dad, and brother (I knew in advance there were no grandparents). We did you with each of your attendants, and then a group of the bridesmaids with you. Oh, wait we skipped that, so we have to do that yet.
"Then we did Bill by himself, Bill with his mom, him with his dad, him with his mom and dad, and then we added in his sister to the group. We did him with each of the guys, then the group of the guys with him, Right? OK
"Alright, we did the two of you with your folks, his folks, your family, his family, and the entire wedding party. And we did a bunch of shots of you together at the beginning.
"So, we still need to do you with all the girls, oh and Bill with Sandy (his cousin who was the flower girl). Is there anything else? Great let's get 'er done!"
That simple, quick review revealed that I had missed a group shot (because someone was missing at the point where I would have normally done the group) and that the flower girl was related to the groom (which I did not know). And I got the chance to ask if there were any other photos she (and the groom) wanted.
Knowing your shot list inside and out and being able to quickly and easily communicate it is essential. This is the shot list I have used for over two decades, and is still the bare minimum you need. It has an easy flow and can be verbalized quickly and checked off with the couple.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Practice Practice Practice
I was talking to a friend a few days ago and we were discussing lighting and flash and technique. He mentioned that he had given up on the Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS) because when he tried it at a wedding it never seemed to work. Then he said that he had gone to using the manual flash settings because he knew that about "that far away" gave him just what he needed.
What he was doing was using his experience, gained over time, to know that at a specific distance, a specific power setting would give him a predictable result. How did he know that? By doing it over and over again until he could remember and repeat it. Now he is on automatic.
You can do that with the CLS system, too. You just need to practice. Do it at home. As I mentioned yesterday, do it on your time, at your home, with your kid, cat, or spouse. But do it. With digital, it costs nothing. You gain the experience that you can take to the next wedding or portrait assignment.
And it works with other things besides the CLS system. Work on using your on-camera light to bounce off surfaces. Try it at home and get a feel for it so when you are on a job you can go to it with confidence.
All these techniques are like tools in your tool box. You could use a hammer (on-camera blast flash) on everything and get the job done. Or you could pull out a screwdriver (bouncing flash to one side) and fix a situation. Or grab a power saw (off-camera TTL-CLS outside) for a different scenario. Arm yourself with the tools of the trade and the tricks of the trade will come.
What he was doing was using his experience, gained over time, to know that at a specific distance, a specific power setting would give him a predictable result. How did he know that? By doing it over and over again until he could remember and repeat it. Now he is on automatic.
You can do that with the CLS system, too. You just need to practice. Do it at home. As I mentioned yesterday, do it on your time, at your home, with your kid, cat, or spouse. But do it. With digital, it costs nothing. You gain the experience that you can take to the next wedding or portrait assignment.
And it works with other things besides the CLS system. Work on using your on-camera light to bounce off surfaces. Try it at home and get a feel for it so when you are on a job you can go to it with confidence.
All these techniques are like tools in your tool box. You could use a hammer (on-camera blast flash) on everything and get the job done. Or you could pull out a screwdriver (bouncing flash to one side) and fix a situation. Or grab a power saw (off-camera TTL-CLS outside) for a different scenario. Arm yourself with the tools of the trade and the tricks of the trade will come.
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