Jenifer Selwa Photography

I used to collect $150 for deposit and the remainder due after the wedding, but now I collect 50% to reserve date and the other 50% within one week of wedding. Haven't had any problems since I went to the 50/50 setup.

I am looking for an in-between all-purpose zoom for my Elan 7. I

currently have the 17-40/4L and a 70-200/4L, and a 50mm/1.8. Optical

performance is important, but so is the faster aperture, since I'm

shooting two F4 zooms already. If it came down to optical quality

and a fast focus, I'd probably lose the extra 1/2 stop. Opinions?

I hjave two Britek monolights (100w each; don't need more for what I do) mounted onto two light stands with 48 inch umbrellas. I also have a backdrop setup with a variety of muslin backdrops and Savage seamless paper rolls. Ttoal cost: about $500, maybe a little less. The best part is that the entire setup collapses into a long bag about the size of a bag for skis and fits in my car. I can take it anywhere.<div></div>

Wish I had more than a 200mm and a 1.4x converter on the 10D, but it wasn't too bad.<div></div>

Part time to fund camera equipment - I average 4-6 per year by word of mouth. I would much rather be doing landscapes and nature full time but that doesn't give me extra money! Not yet, anyhow...Besides, the weddings I do shoot are usually for someone I know and the variety makes it fun.

I used North American Proshots for a year and was not happy with the prints I was getting. Had to send whole weddings back for redos three times due to off-centered cutting by their machine. At $36/roll it wasn't worth the headache.

Definitely CF media. I looked at a G3 and have not ruled it out. Fast lens a must - would prefer wide angle but could live without it. Zoom would be nice, but would rather have quality than zoom. Aa's are ok, but if I stay with Canon, the BP-511 would be preferable since I already have five of them. :)

 

Same specs for film camera - fast, GOOD, lens that accurately exposes slides and negative film, wide angle preferred, zoom nice but *not* necessary.

Help! I'm looking to buy a small digicam to take on our cruise in

four weeks. Coming from a 10D/DRebel, I know it's not going to have

the smoothness of the larger sensor. I would like to buy something

with GOOD glass and have some manual override. I'd like to keep it

around $350-400.

 

I'm also not opposed to looking at a small, (doesn't have to be

pocketable, but smaller than my Elan 7) older film camera, if it

means getting better quality. Don't know if I can afford an older

Leica or Contax in that budget or not...? I've looked at the T4, GR-

1, Epic, and others as options.

 

Anyone have any experience with the Leica Z2X?

 

I also see that the new Canon G6 has a larger sensor than the

traditional digicam. Anyone have any experience with this in regards

to lower noise levels?

I've been shooting a Sunpak 555 handle flash with my DRebel with excellent results. It's a matter of trial and error for digital, because you have to shoot in manual mode for best results, and tweaking the F-stop and shutter speed and knowing your histograms and not blowing highlights are important. A wedding is not the place to be tweaking settings, though. You really need to know what your camera is capable of before shooting a wedding digitally, not to mention the post processing involved of 400-500 images in Photoshop, and then still having to get images printed. Film is more convenient (you hand it off to the lab and let them color correct) and it has more margin for error on overexposure because of the latitude. You can get a Sunpak 555 off eB*y used for around $100 - and it has far more power than the 550ex. Get a Wein Safe Sync for the hotshoe to prevent overvoltage - they're about $40. And a good Stroboframe bracket will also cost around $100-125. The bracket is probably the most essential piece of equipment to help remove shadows from behind a person's head and give more flattering light results. Also, if I were you - I would shoot film for ceremony and formals, and supplement with digital for candids. Fuji NPH 400 exposed at ISO 320 will give you wonderful results. Don't take the film to a local drugstore for processing - find a good pro lab near you and have them developed there. Good film processing makes a HUGE difference.

I have printed 12x18 with the DRebel and been extremely pleased with the results. Can't hurt to try!

How is the optical performance wide open of the 28/1.8? I own the 28/2.8 now and am selling it for the one or two stop faster prime. I didn't realize that was a USM lens...I LOVE USM...

I am tossing between one of the two Canon primes to purchase. I just

purchased a 10D with a 17-40, have the 50/1.8, and will be getting a

70-200/4. I want to keep the wider prime primarily for travel

photography where weight and unobtrusive is an issue - street and

general landscape photography for the Caribbean. However, I also

want to have the capacity for low light stuff, like being able to

use it on some of the underwater sub tours or inside the cruise ship

with no flash. My gut is telling me to go with the 24mm, but with

the extra two stops on the 35/2 over the 17-40, which is better

optical performance wide open?

I love adorable little flower girls...and this ring bearer was a ham! What a poser during formals!<div></div>

I'm also insured through State Farm for $8K - just accidently dunked my DRebel body and zoom lens in the stream shooting fall color (tripod on unstable riverbank). Called State Farm, they are sending me a check within 24 hours of the replacement value of body and lens for within $100 of what I paid for it. That's what I call SERVICE.

I don't use the tele lenses as much as I do wide angle, which has made my decision to go to the 17-40. The 24mm with digital has made me drool for something wider than that since last year. I use the tele lens primarily when the weather is bad and I want to shoot waves hitting the end of a pier in a storm, or at weddings when in the back of the church (tripoded). I suspect the zoom would be nicer at weddings, anyhow...

I currently own and have been very pleased with a Canon 200/2.8 Mark

I prime lens, but am thinking about switching to the 70-200/4, which

I can do with putting a little money with it. The biggest reason I'm

thinking of switching is because my DRebel and Sigma 24-135 just

went swimming this morning after my Bogen fell off the riverbank I

was shooting on (ARGH! ! Thank goodness for insurance!), and I am

looking to replace it with the 10D and a 17-40L. I also own a 28mm

and 50mm prime (Canon). However, I would also like a more reasonable

zoom for my Elan 7 than the 17-40, but don't want to sacrifice image

quality. I don't have gobs of money to spend, but something

reasonable priced (no more Sigma lenses!). Suggestions welcome!

Lighthouses and nature are my love of photography. Weddings and people are fun, too, but nothing gets me worked up like a gorgeous fall day!<div></div>

If your current equipment works well for you, add to it with some generic, not-brand specific! I shot with a Minolta X-370 for a number of years before it gave out on me. The worst mistake I made was not buying a flash bracket at that point in time. You can get your K-1000 onto a flash bracket (ie. Stroboframe) and a standard sync or dedicated cord and will definitely help with the technical aspects of exposure (getting rid of the shadows around someone's head for example). If you decide to upgrade later, the flash bracket would work for your new system. Also, learning to bounce your flash (as I am doing now) and trying different things with diffusers can give you some different, perhaps better, results, too. All of that can still be done with the K-1000. Just my 2 cents. :)

Peter, I shot with a N90s and an SB-26 on a flash bracket (HIGHLY recommend you get one) for almost five years and never had a bit of trouble. Just make sure you read the manual or buy the Magic lantern Guide for the SB-28 so you can learn how to dial in fill flash exposures and cut down it's power where needed. You can never shoot too much film at a wedding. Best wishes!<div></div>

If one had to choose between these two lenses, what would you choose

and why? Quality? Size? Filter capability? Pros and cons?

Bob, was that taken with the Zenitar? It's cheap enough that I've tossed around picking up that lens for fun. How much of the edges do you lose in the fisheye conversion?

John, thanks for your response. My 200 is the 2.8L prime but for general landscape and street shooting I am trying to find something relatively light, which I think is pointing me towards another prime. Neil, the 17-40L is at the top of my list but it depends on how much junk I can sell on eB*y to raise enough $$. :) Let me be a bit more specific: I am looking for an ultrawide for the DRebel. I sold the kit lens that came with it and just never replaced it.

I am going to be taking a cruise for the first time to the Carribean

in December. I have been thinking about getting a wide angle lens

for some time, and now I know I want it for this upcoming trip. My

current arsenal is a DRebel body and Elan 7 body, Canon 28mm, 50mm,

and 200mm primes, 1.4x converter, and a Sigma 24-135 zoom. I've

thought about the Sigma 15-30, but also know this lens is pretty

large. I would like to stay relatively small and unobtrusive so that

I can take the DRebel with me and not draw a lot of attention in

ports when I'm shopping, plus carrying the weight. I don't want to

spend more than $400. Quality is also an issue, but a decent mid-

range zoom I would be happy with as well. Zooms are great for

versatility, but if I get better quality and smaller size for the

same price in a prime, that's the route I'd probably go. Thoughts

welcome! Thanks!

I took some images at a wedding last summer for a friend of mine with the Nikon 5700 - one model down from the Nikon 8700. Absolutely horrible. The focus was too slow, the shutter lag outrageous for shooting a wedding event. They move too quickly for a digi-cam. I would highly recommend sticking to a SLR, whether it be digital or film.

Thanks for your responses. Bruce, Jim, and Jean-Baptiste summarized it up pretty good. There are a lot more details about what went into this wedding and other things about this side of my family that I will not go into details here that are also affecting the way I feel (also why I don't have a lot to do with them).

 

Nancy, you said, "Meanwhile you were offended because you were not chosen to do the pictures and you were offended that they did not bypass the person THEY chose and come to YOU. The person who SHOULD be offended by your behavior is your cousin and it sounds like you owe them an apology." Your first statement is correct, however, no apology will be given with the circumstances, again, for reasons I will not go into.

 

I think perhaps I will stay away from anymore of my cousins on this side of my family getting married and attend as the guest. I don't even think I will offer to be the hired photographer. This experience will be summarized as a good lesson learned and I will wait to see the reaction when they pick out their "present" of enlargements that I am giving them.