jennea

Thanks everyone for the responses. Bob, specifically which CB bracket are you using?

Lex, I'll check out the CB Junior before I make a final decision. One more question for

you all, when I go through the CB website and use the "build your bracket" function I

come to a point in which I don't know whether to answer yes or no. The question is,

"Will you be using a flash to camera cord that has an infrared module that attaches to

the hotshoe?" I know I'll be using a flash-to-camera cord that attaches to the hotshoe,

but the infared part throws me off. I'll be using the Canon Off Camera Shoe Cord 2

with the 580EX and 30D. Does this constitute and infrared? Thanks again for the help.

Oh, and Justin, the Quantam Turbo is a battery pack (look it up at bhphotovideo.com)

and no, it doesn't connect to the bracket, it hangs from a strap or attaches to your

belt. From what I understand (and what I learned from the years I assisted a wedding

photog), the bracket keeps the camera and flash at a far enough distance away from

each other so that you eliminate things like red eye. Some people choose to hand hold

their flash above the camera, but most I've run into like to use a bracket. Bounce flash

is nice, but get in a large reception hall or church with high or dark ceilings and you

are out of luck. Hope that helps. J

I'm investing in my photo equipment and moving to digital and I hoped you all would

bless me with your infinite knowledge on a bracket question. I just bought a 30D,

580EX and Quantum Turbo for my basic setup. I'm looking into buying a bracket, and

after much research I've decided to splurge for a Custom Bracket. Here's my question:

Does anyone have experience using the PJ bracket (QRS-35-PJ) for weddings? What do

you think of it? I shoot 85-90 percent PJ-style and thus would like to be able to get in,

out and around the event without a cumbersome, giant bracket in tow. If you have any

other ideas on brackets (staying in the Custom Bracket product line), I'll happily listen.

Thanks in advance for the help. J

Thank you, Mark, for the insight. I am still in a learning stage when it comes to flash. J

I'm about to go digital and have a hopefully quick question for you

all. Is the Sigma 24-70mm 2.8EX lens for Canon compatible with the E-

TTL II ability of the Canon 580EX flash? I'm going to get a 30D very

soon and am figuring out my lens situation (I already have the Sigma

lens). Thanks in advance for your help. J (I apologize for first

posting this to the wrong board. Please forgive me if you have read

this twice.)

Ben, you are absolutely right. I'm just used to interacting with this forum, so I didn't even think to post elsewhere. J

Thank you, Nadine. I'm also planning to get the Canon 100mm 2.8 USM Macro which I'm fairly excited about.

I'm about to go digital (for real this time) and have a hopefully

quick question for you all. Is the Sigma 24-70mm 2.8EX lens for

Canon compatible with the E-TTL II ability of the Canon 580EX flash?

I'm going to get a 30D very soon and am figuring out my lens

situation (I already have the Sigma lens). Thanks in advance for

your help. J

Mario, I'm in a similar position. I'm going to get a 30D and one 580EX (the kit that B&H

sells (580EX Speedlite E-TTL II Shoe Mount Flash with Quantum Turbo Battery, Charger &

Connecting Cable). I shoot mostly PJ, so my thought was to get the CB QRS-35-PJ bracket.

If anyone has thoughts on this one I'd greatly appreciate the comments. What am I

missing? Also, does the Canon off camera shoe cord 2 have E-TTLII compatibility. I'm

guessing so, but before I invest I'd like a confirmation. I greatly appreciate any help

anyone can give me. J

In a capitalistic society, worth is measured by what another is willing to pay. That is what

America was built on. It can be good and it can be bad. For example, NBA players make

millions a year while the average teacher's salary in Arizona is $30,000 a year. Is educating

the youth of today not worth more than entertaining the masses? Apparently not. I'm not

ripping on America and capitalism, in fact I'm proud of our society for the most part, but

every societial system has its downfalls.

All I want to know is why she got the tatoo on her shoulder if she didn't want it to show?

Speaking as a webmaster and photographer--hire a pro. You wouldn't want a friend taking

your wedding photos would you?

Kimberly,

I was looking at your current site (I am a photographer and webmaster by trade) and

noticed that at certain times (most noticeably on your contact page) the font color chosen

made it hard for some of the text to be read easily. In the noted example, your name and

email are white and somewhat blend with the background. This could be problematic if

someone wanted to contact you to photograph their wedding. My solution, stay away from

text on photos. It can rarely be effective.

J

No offense to Jeffrey, but he knows nothing about marketing. As everyone said, stick with

the b/w, no contest. The other in no way sets you apart from the rest of the endless

amount of 'professional' wedding photographers. Good marketing is not about reaching

the masses, but rather about reaching a certain group of targeted people with a product

that they feel they can only get from you. Your b/w will set you apart. The other, okay

maybe my gma would be happy with it, but she's not getting married again, so what does

that tell you?

Juliet, you have clearly done a wonderful job. The only one that I would remove from the

group is number 9. The bench becomes more of a focal point than the couple and they are

too far off to clearly see. The rest seem quite professional and are beautifully done. J

First off, it's New Year's Eve--that alone should make your prices a tad higher than

normal. Second, you are driving quite a ways and you have an assistant. If you are as

talented as you say you are I'd stick firm and pass on her if she doesn't want to pay. There

will be others.

Stacy, your daughter looks as tired of being in front of the lens as my 2 kids are. It's so

rough having a parent for a photographer.

Stacy,

I have the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 EX Aspherical and use it for a majority of what I shoot. It is such a convenient lens to own and the weight doesn't bother me. I haven't had the luxury of trying the Canon, but for the price I am quite impressed with the Sigma.

Todd, I am in my late 20's so I'm not sure if my opinion counts for anything, but I think the

question you have to ask yourself is whether or not you are ready to fully retire? The

wonderful thing about loving photography is that you can persue it as a job or simply as a

hobby. If you are ready to retire, I say relax and enjoy. Don't stress yourself with trying to

run a business. On the other hand, if you still feel the need to have your hands in

something keep going. I work at a school district and it is interesting the amount of

retirees that come back to work after they 'retire.' I know I have a long way to go, but I

can't wait until the time comes and I can (hopefully) afford to retire and photograph

whatever and whenever I want. My idea of a nice retirement--travel around the world, just

me and my camera. (I know, I think big.) Good luck making your decision.

As someone said above, the first thing you must do is figure out who your target

audience is, what they want in a product, and what they are willing to spend on it. Is it

something you are capable and willing to provide?

 

There are many different target audiences in the wedding photography realm and you

need to first look at which of those audiences fit what you want to provide. Some search

for the cheapest photographer for their money, no matter the quality. To go back to your

makeup analogy, these would be your 'Wet-n-Wild' customers. On the other end of the

spectrum you have your upscale shoppers, the ones who feel that if they spend a fortune

on their wedding photographer, a photographer that appears in all the right

magazines, they must be getting a high end product. Think 'Borghese.'

In between these you have a variety of customer groups, all with specific desires and

amounts they are willing to spend to attain their desires. One photographer is not capable

of attaining all of these audiences, though there will at times be overlap. In addition, in

any of these brackets a photographer can make money if they know how to run a business

and provide a product and price combination that fits their target market. This is why all

of those makeup companies out there still exist, because the market provides a wide

variety of clientele. Photography for profit is not about being the best photographer in the

world--it's about making sure the quality of photograph you provide and the price you

charge fit the audience you seek.

Arizona is quite nice during the winter. Loads of beautiful resorts.

I really enjoy the bride at sunset photo. The warmth of the sunset on her face pulls me

into the photo.

I'm in public relations. One day, hopefully not too far into the future, my husband will get

his career in high gear which will allow me to pursue my love for photography as a solo

gig. If he could only get that first break...

All of the photos in my PN portfolio were taken with only natural light. I do use a hand meter, and though others will balk at the idea of hand metering in this day of modern technology, I find it gives me the quality I want. (I use 35mm film and like the saturation that Portra VC gives me.)

I think one good idea that this post has brought up is the fact that some photographers

out there won't open their mind and be creative with wedding photography. They tend to

stick to the traditional methods (cameras, poses, etc.) that most people want, even when

the bride and groom ask for something different. For example, when I got married a year

and a half ago my husband and I repeatedly told my wedding photographer (who also

happened to be the photographer I assisted prior to getting married, big mistake) that we

wanted primarily photojournalistic coverage. We even broke it down to one photo of us

and his family, one photo of us and my family and the rest PJ coverage. Guess what--come

wedding day we still ended up spending an endless amount of time taking portraits of me,

him, us, etc. Our photog was so into his usual mode that we actually had to finally tell him

we were done and were going to enjoy what was left of our wedding day. As a bride I was

quite disturbed about the service I received. As much as we wedding photographers want

to make sure we give the customer all we have we also must make sure we listen to what

they want and if we can't, or won't, provide them with such we need to refer them to

someone else.

(One note I must add though for newbies is that as a wedding photographer you must

discuss what type of coverage you will provide with your clients prior to stepping outside

the box.) Just my thoughts...

Tim,

I photographed a wedding where the bride's family spoke French (I'm in the US and

unfortunately only speak English). The bride spoke both French and English, though

French was her first language so she had a strong accent. She translated for me and it was

a wonderfully unique experience. By the end of the wedding I felt as if I had known her

parents for years, even though we never actually directly spoke to each other. One thing to

remember (if you are in the US)--family is everything to non-US cultures. Take lots of

photos of the family and be prepared to be treated as if you are part of that family. I'm not

saying that family doesn't mean a lot to Americans, but from my experience living an hour

away from Mexico for the past 15 years, white America doesn't value family as much as

the rest of the world. So just relax and have a good time and shoot everything. You'll do

fine. Good luck!