lee_richards2

May 22, 2010

Why didn't you try the rice trick? You should have. It was very good advice.

May 18, 2010

Get one of the 70-300's and take it to the zoo. These are great fun, fit your budget and fill a gap in your current lens inventory. You have 11-50 covered very nicely but could have fun with a little on the long end.

For a few decades I did not have VR and, though it is amazing to us to think of it now, actually shot some fun pictures with a 70-300. In fact (I had the G version last) liked that range quite a bit. It is light and easy to carry. I looked at your nice photos from your Alaska trip and they tell me that you would enjoy the reach at 300 mm for your nature shots. My vote is for the 70-300.

May 17, 2010

I disagree that the flash is going to stop motion blur in this case. The OP mentioned the hot spots that the stage lighting was causing. Under these hot lights the flash is not going to do the trick. Hand holding at 1/30th is a recipe for a disaster under these circumstances. The OP as much as admitted this. Then we have students walking briskly across a brightly lit stage........right?

Why tell us what kind of camera? Well beause it will determine the max ISO we can recommend and the difference between crop sensor and full frame effects the speed at which we can expect to hand-hold the camera. (Yes I am aware of that some say it makes no difference.) I would not shoot a 50 mm lens at 1/50th with a 10D but I might with a 5D. I would not shoot at ISO 1600 with the same 10D but would not hesitate to do so with the 5DMark II.

I have shot a bunch of graduations and other similar events. Newspaper folks do it all of the time. If he keeps his speeds up he will have better luck with stopping motion and reducing camera shake. Sharper pictures. Blasting hot-spots with more flash will not get rid of the hot-spot. It will just make it brighter. It is easer to deal with hot-spots in composition and post production.

May 16, 2010

Just a couple of questions before we tackle the problem. I see you are using fairly fast lenses. Were you shooting them wide open much of the time?

What camera did you use?

Were you using a tripod? I sincerely hope so.

For graduation pictures inside you seem to have a very limited lens selection. You are fine for the full stage shots but for the individual students you really need the 70-200 F2.8 (vr) or such so you can isolate them during the presentation of diplomas. You will get much more appealing shots of the individual students that way. Assuming you are not on the stage with them you would be shooting 'up' pretty dramatically at around 80 mm using the 50. So I have to ask if you were using the 50 and then cropping like mad to get your closeups?

You mention a 50th at F2.8. Even with a flash this is a pretty low number. Most would say that the minimum speed you should use at 50mm with the crop factor (assuming you are using a crop sensor) is a 70th of a second and I would be much happier over 125th. You are really flirting with motion blur as your subjects are moving and adding camera shake into the equasion. I would be willing to bet that this is the answer to your blur problem.

Other people's flash should not be a problem except for the very rarest of occasions. If you can answer the questions and post a picutre or two we should be able to help more.

May 10, 2010

Rob Domaschuk had a good take on it. I am for leaving the B&G thinking I am the coolest and nicest photographer ever and refer me to a friend. I would also offer to do the "formals" that the bride "knows" will be to difficult for the amateur because they don't have the equipment.

Another thought is that this amateur may be a bang-up photographer. The B&G may get some pretty fabulous pictures. I did a wedding recently for a friend who asked me if another friend could take some pictures too. I would normally say no but this was a friend so...whatever. I saw the pictures that this amateur took and they were wonderful. In fact, I asked him to second for me in the future. This may have been his second wedding but he had all the bases covered and did a great job.

There is a subtle distinction that must wedding photographers, at least starting out, forget. What we do for art is take wonderful and thoughful wedding pictures. What we do for a living is SELL wedding photography. We may not think of ourselves as salespeople but we are. Whether we are presenting a great portfolio or discussing the options we are selling. If we fail to convey the value of our service to the customer they will not buy or they will buy from someone else. You got an objection and you need to know how to handle it. This is a sales technique. If you don't know how to show value in your service sufficiently well to excite the customer they will in all likliehood not buy. I can't tell you why people buy but I can tell you why they don't buy: Either they are not aware of their problem or opportunity or they are not sufficiently excited by it.

My salesmanship gets me more gigs than my ability to take pictures does. Pure and simple.

May 2, 2010

People, I'm a female. Talk about getting the wrong impression...I did offer her complete privacy, no qualms on that.

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It will come as no surprise to you that I don't care if you are a woman or not. I am with Mikael that it is unwise to say the least to make photographs of a personal nature without an escort. I will very occasionally photograph a woman alone. I will never photograph a woman or a man in an intimate way without an escort or MUI. It is imprudent to say the least. The fact that you are a woman photographing a woman offers you some little protection but very little. I seriously doubt that a court will rely on your knowledge of "how a woman thinks" to decide in your favor.

This is a forum read by lots of folks. New and old. I don't really care what you do or how you rationalize your preferred way of shooting; the best advice you or any of us could offer a new photographer in this area is to NEVER shoot nudes or glamour shots alone and be careful of other times. It just takes one crazy to ruin your life. So let me correct you.....there has never been a problem in the past.

Let me ask you. I am a man. Your sister is going to shoot some boudoir shots for her husband. Do you advise her to shoot with me alone? Or as I said, should she make damned sure that she trusts me first. And for the record, a cup of coffee at Starbucks is not going to cut it. Please realize one more thing. You do have a big advantage in one area. When they husband shouts "YOU TOOK YOUR CLOTHES OFF IN FRONT OF WHO?" the wife can say...but it was another woman. If it were a man posing for you do you see how the wife might just be a teency bit suspicious?

Congratulations on working this out.

May 2, 2010

I agree with ed. And - this borders on creepy. You are not going to like this post.

You said "she is somewhat of a high profile person (something in the music industry, I can't remember)". Even if she is not a high profile person boudior pictures are something intimate and personal. I can completely understand she doesn't want you showing them to anyone under any circumstances. To be blunt, I am surprised she did not run away and find someone who would offer her complete privacy.

You said your standard contract offers an opt-out of commercial purposes except for:

That I still had the rights to use the images for display in a more controlled private nature like in my home studio or sample products, etc.

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Dude? Are you kidding? Do you know how that sounds. "I am going to take personal pictures of you, perhaps nude or implied nude, designed to turn on your husband and then only show them to people in my home or maybe make some sample products out of them. " That is seriously creepy. And the statement hardly limits their use at all. She is right to refuse that. So then you very magnanimously agreed that you would not show her deeply personal pictures to anyone. How kind of you. (eyeroll)

So fearing a GWC (guy with camera) I looked at your website. On your FAQ page there was the question "Can I bring someone with me?" Your answer was: "I recommend against it......." Suit yourself but my advice to any model or client with whom I have worked is - 'don't ever go to a shoot alone unless you are absolutely certain of the photographer.' Do you understand why I tell them this? I NEVER tell a model they can not bring someone. I might tell them that that someone should stay out of the way and is not the director, but they can come. There is no valid reason not to allow an escort. If your client is intimidated by them the escort can wait just outside the camera room but that is all. You don't offer a MUA which is bad marketing at best. Do you not want them around?

I am sorry if I have offended you. I did not intend to. You must admit that there are way too many guys with cameras who are in the "boudior" business these days. I looked at your pictures and it looks like you really have some skills so I am NOT accusing you of being a dirty old/young man. I will tell you that you might think about what you are doing and be more sensitive to your clients. You could be giving the wrong impression.

Finally a direct answer to your question. You should have set a price and give her what she wants. What is done with the pictures is completely her decision. How much they cost is yours.

May 2, 2010

Your site looks very nice. I would recommend some minor things.

I think your personal photos are a bit off-putting for some people particularly for the MOB and older clients. At least have one picture that shows that you can drop the "gangsta" look and clean up nice. Get a suit or jacket and tie for formal weddings. Otherwise you can be a distraction.

The music is appalling. Light romantic instrumental or classical or none. And a prominent button to turn it off.

As one other poster mentioned, spell and grammar check.

I'm not sure I get the blog. It seems to be a collection of pictures mostly of one wedding. They are nice but you would know better than I the purpose. I would loose the album pics on the blog.

April 18, 2010

Sarcasm noted.

None of us were trying to be unkind to you. Just the opposite. You can decide not to do it and you will loose the experience. And I can tell you it is not an experience you will find easy to come by. You ignored the most important part of the advice that virtually all of us gave you. SPEAK TO THE PRO YOURSELF. FIND OUT WHO IT IS and call him. If you will do that you MAY just learn a great deal.

If you want to be a wedding photographer (and on the other forum you said you did) then you have to work for it a bit. This is a good opportunity providing that the Pro is really a pro, that he is good at what he does, and that you pay attention to every aspect of the event particularly what the pro is doing and why. Positioning, lighting, posing, planning...all of it.

You have already learned your first lesson. Question: If you were the pro in this situation, what would you do? I am going to shoot your gig and give the B&G the shots for free. Would you let me? Would your contract prohibit it? Or. Would you take charge, control the event, teach me what you know and make sure I do not negatively impact your relationship with the B&G?

Some of us really paid attention to what you asked. On the other forum you said:

The situation is i am a learner, to sharpen my skill i put an add on the web, i asked people to give me a chance to see, shoot and learn. In return i'll burn all the images in cd and give it to them for Free, so thats the deal. I'm not the prime shooter, i never meet the Pro shooter before, yes he is a Professional and he is getting paid. For me, its like doing a "stage" and learning things. They will provide me the meal so i'm happy with that and they hopefully get some Bonus shots.

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I' am the second shooter. What about $50 per hour?

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So we called you on it. You said free then you appear to have wanted $50.00 an hour? Eh?

There are those here who do not like me because I am too blunt. We could have sugar-coated everything for you and given you nifty ideas about what lens to rent and you could very well have run into an embarrassing and discouraging experience. You may not care but the B&G do not need any sturm und drang on their wedding day because two photographers are in a snit. And even if the pro ignored you, you would not have learned nearly as much as you would if the pro gave you pointers. Right?

So here is the deal. As Nadine (a skilled professional in a very competitive market) said, "talk to the pro.......". You stand everything to gain and noting to loose if you can work out an amicable arrangement with him. He might even invite you to more weddings as a second shooter and if he is is good, you will get an education that would be very valuable indeed.

If you are not willing to do that you can just fold your tent and go home. The only person whose income and future that will effect is yours.

April 17, 2010

I posted a long response in the previous thread and am not sure if you have seen it. Now I find out that you advertised for this gig. I have to tell you that I agree with those here who are calling this a potential train wreck.

As a bare minimum I would think that you should PERSONALLY call the first shooter and be completely honest. Tell him/her what you did and ask them what you can be permitted to do. Offer to give all of the shots to the first shooter if that is what it takes.

Since it has not been mentioned I would call the B & G and be completely candid with them. Get the name and phone number of the "pro". This B&G are playing fast and loose with thier photographs. It is entirely possible that the first shooter may not have any more experience than you do, no contract and a bargain basement price. That would change everything. It is easy to call oneself a pro these days.

William W quoted you:

"The situation is i am a learner, to sharpen my skill i put an add on the web, i asked people to give me a chance to see, shoot and learn. In return i'll burn all the images in cd and give it to them for Free, so thats the deal. I'm not the prime shooter, i never meet the Pro shooter before, yes he is a Professional and he is getting paid.

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The first thing to learn is that, if you want to be a professional, you will never burn all the images in cd and give it to them. A professional gives them good images, properly prepared. As for your learning experience, you will not learn much unless you take responsibility for every image you give them and make sure it is the best you can do. You will want to work up every image you give them in PS and make it print ready. Again. Not because the B & G have any right to expect this but because you have to learn how to do it. (My sense is that you would take a paid gig now if you can get one.) While you are doing all of this PS work look at the EXIF data on each picture. Learn how if you don't know how. Understand how you made each picture especially if you 'accidently' leave your camera in 'P' mode. Some day you may get an "all photo CD" gig but not while you are learning. And doing your portfolio shots later does not count.

The bottom line is that you HAVE to meet with the prime shooter and be prepared to step aside if he/she complains. If I showed up to a wedding, and in violation of my contract the B & G had hired a second shooter I would take you aside and explain how the cow ate the cabbage and ask you to go away. If you refused I would go to the B & G and explain to them the issue. If they backed you I would pack up and go home leaving you to shoot the whole thing. (Yes my contract does allow for that action.) You don't want that.

How about doing us a favor. WHEN you call the professional tomorrow or Monday at the very latest, how about letting us know what happened with the pro. If you do not intend to do that you might consider this. If you want to be a professional the time to start acting like one is NOW. You need to learn to respect what professionals do and extend professional courtesy to the primary shooter. Then we will give you a boatload of tips.

April 17, 2010

So much name calling...

Do not rent a lens. You are the second shooter and there to learn. The pro, as the primary shooter, has the responsibility to get the critical shots and will have a backup camera if he/she is worth their salt. For your learning experience you are equipped well enough. If you are to do this for a living in the future you will need a major equipment overhaul but not now.

YOU MUST, MUST, MUST, no excuses, MUST meet with the hired photographer. Most importantly you need to know if you are violating his contract. If he is a real pro and not a CL bargain-basement type the B&G probably are violating his contract. You asked about charging. Some professional wedding photographers charge per event and turn the pictures over to the B&G. Some charge by the hour and do the same. Some photographers charge by selling prints/books to the B&G. If you are working along side one of these guys/gals you present a real problem. He/she has to compete with your free pictures to make a living. In that case you will be very unwelcome with the primary.

There is another possibility you have to keep in mind. The B&G seem to be a bit cavelier about the photography allowing you to shoot after they have hired a pro. You can't assume that the "professional" they hired has much to offer you by way of training. He/she may be a newby like yourself or one of the BestBuy D60 CL types. Here is how to tell. First check out the pro's website and be familiar with thier work. If no website or if poor work is shown that changes everything. When you meet with the primary shooter (and you MUST, MUST......) be prepared to be told exactly what you can and can't do. If the pro is a good one and is willing to teach you check your ego at the door and do what they tell you to do. But always remember they are the primary shooter and absolutely in charge. Meet before the ceremony. Not on the same day. Before. If the pro says you are violating his/her contract or compains about your presence take that straight to the B&G. They have to hammer it out with the pro. You should be prepared to bow out gracefully.

The pro should give you assignments. They should give you a shot list. If they don't give you any direction and tell you to just 'go for it' ignore them completely because there is about a 90% chance they are not someone from whom to learn. Just stay out of their way. Be sensitive to the B&G. They don't need two shooters lining the rail at the altar for example. If you are going solo like this then get every wedding book you can find and make a shot list. You probably won't be doing the posed shots but you can make a list of what to shoot in the ceremony and reception. Go to the venue and look at the light. Ask how it is to be lit during the event. If you are allowed to and are using a flash get your lighting on your shot card. Take your time and think about it. You will not be bouncing much off of a 30 foot wooden ceiling for example. Nor is it a good idea to bounce off of the red wall turning your bride's dress pink.

Finally meet with the officient and the B&G and get thier detailed instructions. (Again, if you didn't get them from the pro.) Don't break the rules. Your blue suit (navy I assume) will be fine. You can slip the 50 into your pocket. If you insist on renting the 70-200 because of the coolness factor or just because you want to try it out, rent another D90 to put it on. Do not even think of renting and using a camera that you have never used before. And trying it out the day before doesn't count. Besides. You may be able to rent a D3 and all the lethal accessories but that will not teach you much. You should learn to use what you will be using in the future. Charge your batteries and have plenty of spares. Clean everything. Do a two button reset on your camera and reset all your menu items. Shoot raw + Jpeg and download as soon as you get home. Burn a CD that same evening as an archive copy.

Finally. Your game-face is a smile. Keep your movements spare and unobtrusive. Be as invisible as you can be. Call everyone sir and ma'am. Compliment people frequently. Do not look harried or worried. Be the very picture of calm. If someone asks you to take their picture oblige and tell them they can get a copy from the B & G. Don't do any private deals on the spot. Be impecably groomed and freshly repristinated as Buckley would say. (No 5 o'clock shadow, showered right before you go and appropriate black shoes freshly shined.) This is your uniform. Feel free to express yourself sartorially someplace else. (Get used to this. It will be how you work in the future. If you want to cultivate a goth look become a mechanic.)

Do not relax but do have fun. Think about every shot and look past and around your subject. Do not get target fixation and grow trees from the bride's head. When everything is in the can, and if your agreement with the first shooter allows, work up EVERY SHOT you give the B&G in PS. They should only see your best work. Two reasons. They deserve them. And most importantly you need the practice doing it. Better to only give them 50 good pictures than to give them 700 assorted snapshots that they have to sort through looking for the gold.

Welcome to the trade. I hope this is the beginning of a long and prosperous career for you.

April 17, 2010

This is a marvelous picture and a tribute to every working newspaper photographer in the country. Every year wonderful photographs are never considered because they are not submitted for publication.

This photographer (Mary Chind) has worked her way up from a small town paper to a medium market daily and represents the thousands of photographers doing great work for the people of their cities and towns all over the country. Good for her.

April 16, 2010

I have to say this one more time. We seem to have named every lens made in the US. Some of us just trying to add noodles to the soup.

For 1369.00 delivered (and he has a $1500.00 budget and old camera) he can buy a brand new D90, an 18-105 vr lens and a 70-300 AFS VR lens! All new with a waranty. All from Adorama; a highly reputable dealer.

Which of the suggestions above give him more capability than that? He will vastly increase his low light performance. Vastly increase his resolution. Gain a screen he can actually see. Gain video. Gain 40 autofucus points. Gain half again in frame rate. Gain live view which for macro is a nice thing. Gain the ability to add and use non AFS lenses for the future and wind up with a back-up camera. And much more.

And he is not supposed to do this so he can get two sigma or two tamron lenses?

April 15, 2010

I'm wth Mr Hamm,

Right now you can get a new D90 with the 18-105vr and 70-300 Vr for $1369.00 delivered. As opposed to hanging more stuff on your D40 this seems like a great option. You will have a great backup camera and a more-or-less state of the art primary camera.

April 13, 2010

I am on Shun's side. As a working PJ who does weddings as well I am going to recommend the D-300. Cameta and Adorama have them as demo's with a warranty for under $1200.00 delivered. (I doubt you will find a really good D2Xs for less than that without rolling the ebay dice.) The extra couple of high ISO performance is huge for PJ and especially for wedding work. The camera is built very well (I think just as well as the D2 series for all intent and purpose) and is lighter to carry. If you want to look cool or have a vertical button get an aftermarket grip for it;)

Lex makes a good point about the resolution issue when he points to the D2H. When I shoot assignments for the paper where resolution is going to be about crayon-on-napkin I frequently use my old D2H. It is my favorite camera. One feature it has that I miss on the D300 is the voice memo function. There is nothing easier than taking the picture and putting the names and cut-line information on the frame with the pic. The D2X has this too. The small 4MP sensor makes workflow a breeze. I have shot full page magazine photos with it without any problem. And they are pretty cheap these days. I would only rule it out because as a wedding camera it is not so hot.

I use the D3 most of all but then it is very expensive and I really do not think I could justify the expense over the D300 if pressed to do so unless the business is easily paying for it. There are much better ways to spend the difference IMO.

The bottom line for me is that, as nice as the D2X is, it is obsolete compared to the D300/s. I got my D300 before the D3. The D300 really made some assignments much easier. It was a great camera for weddings and being able to bump the ISO a bunch without trashing the picture quality gave me creative options that I did not have before and have come to rely on. The D300 is a marvelous camera and far from obsolete. It is tough as a tank and very fast. I think you will really like it.

April 9, 2010

Matt asked you what you were using now and you did not answer. I looked at your portfolio and web site and see you are doing nice work. You are doing weddings and portraits as you say in your bio. In a November thread you said:

At the moment I got a D300 as a main camera and a fisheye, 17-55mm f2.8, 50mm f1.8 and 70-200mm f2.8. I think I will go for the D700 and make my D300 as a backup (or secondary camera as I always shoot with two camears) as I am not too satisfied with the noise level at high ISO's.

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I assume nothing has changed. You were asking about an 85 f1.4 but your acquiring that would change very little. So let me ask you: Are you still dissatisfied with the D300 noise level? Is this showing in your pictures? Do you feel that you would be a more effective wedding photographer (for portraits the ISO is a non-issue) with the D700?

Any way you cut it you need a wide lens for the D700 to take advantage of all of its advantages. You don't have that now. In the previous thread you said you would use the 17-55 on the D300 but that is hardly a good solution. You would have the 50 f1.8 as the widest lens available for the D700. It is a great lens but certainly not very wide.

So the real question is whether or not you should buy a D700 AND a wide lens to go on it. If money is no object then why not? But I assume that for you, as it is for most of us, the money IS an issue. So OK. Here is my answer. If you are not going to buy a wide lens to go on the D700at the same time don't buy it OR the new thingazoid until you can. You would find it too limiting. You could choke down the D700 but what is the good in that? 5MP could be enough but it is a poor solution.

So are you prepared, or have you already purchased, an FX wide lens to use on the D700?

April 8, 2010

Is wedding photography really any different, no it's not. I pick a programmer based on his past performance and references, just as a client picks a photographer.

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And that past performance is as an artist. That is very different from what a programmer does. If you were a wedding photographer you would know that. The fact that you don't is proof of the special talents a good photographer brings to any project.

When I hire a programmer to create a program to accomplish a specific task...

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And you know what that task is in advance. Not so with a wedding photographer. It is my job to bring my vision to the process: My ideas about color and light, my ideas about composition, my notion of posing, mood and expression. My asthetic in In other words pretty much the opposite of what a contract programmer does.

Is wedding photography really any different, no it's not.

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Yes it is. I am surprised you can't see what everone else posting here clearly sees.

This forum is for wedding and event photographers to share ideas and solve problems. It does not help when people who do not understand or have open contempt for what we do offer opinions based upon that contempt or lack of knowledge.

April 7, 2010

Jessica, IMO you made the perfect choice. You got two very good lenses with VR, a great camera and the neat 35mm lens that will let you try out a prime. There is very little you can not shoot with what you have. The best advice I have is to just have fun with your camera. I think the next purchase you should consider, when it is affordable on your grad school budget is an SB-600 flash. Just trust me on that. If you master the use of flash it will take your photography to a whole new level. (You have a flash on camera that is OK but nothing like one you can bounce and such.

Anyway. Welcome to the Nikon club. We are nice but very exclusive. We tolerate those Canon people but secretly we know that...........

April 7, 2010

So much acrimony. It seems to me that it my job to convince the BG that what I am doing is worth the money. That is first. I have not seen the OPs portfolio but I know in mine I have a considerable number of photos and effects that make it easy to show the customer exxactly what value I add to the process. I show them inexpensive prints from unretouched pictures and I show them the same picture after I have worked it up beautifully, professionally printed it and even put it into a frame. That establishes value.

Somebody said:

You are being hired to document the day, not creating art for yourself.

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I disagree completely with the sentiment behind this comment. My expertise is all I have to sell. Uncle Charlie can "document the day" but he can't take photos like I can. I find this comment not only naive but outright rude. Having said that....We are in a retail business. If we don't sell what the customer wants we may loose that customer. So I sell prints AND I offer the disk. Very frequently they buy both. I offer a package of 10 - 8 X 10's along with the disk. I show the B&G some great examples and say "Now you will want some really special photos prepared for the most important people of the day.....Let's see, you will ned one for your mom and dad....and one for the best man........" You get the point. Once I have my list of people who are getting 'special photos' (remember this is in advance) I always finish with...."well there are a ton of people who will want a shot or two but you can get them done at Walmart and save a ton of money." Often my "close" is to get them to allow me to work with them on the 'list' of special photos for them. Once they start naming people who get special prints the deal in done.

Of course there is another way to look at this. Before the 'craigslist' photographer was around people with less money to spend simply did not hire professional photographers. They coundn't afford it. So they got a friend or relative to do it. Many a wedding has been shot with an Argus C3 and pocket full of flash bulbs.

My point is that things have really not changed that much at all. If you want to be a 'high end' wedding professional who can demand top dollar and retain the rights to all of your photos then it is your responsibility to go out and market to the group of people who are customers for that sort of experience. And that is some tough marketing. It ALWAYS has been. Can't we all be honest here? How many of us, who charge a minimum of $2500.00 for a wedding are loosing that business to craigslist? Not many I suspect. Going out and looking for customers is called prospecting. If you are banging off of the craigslist guys and gals you are prospecting where you should not be. Town and Country customers are still wanting their files but they are buying a boatload of product along with it.

For the record; I am happy to give the B&G the files. I give them only the ones I stand behind, that have been propperly prepared and that I want to be my portfolio in the future. Why? Because giving out 'raw' photos is like putting them in your portfolio. The B&G will share them with your potential customers. Check it out. A bunch of my business comes from referrals. I am not going to get as many referrals if the B&G are showing their friends what should hit the cutting room floor.

I am going to take a final shot at the guy who said we are being hired to document a day. I am not. Though my background is photojournalism that is not my approach to doing a wedding. So if the B&G want someone to "document the day" I tell them frankly that I would be a waste of money. And I offer to refer them to a less expensive photographer. I have often said to a client who I knew could afford my rates but is telling me the competition is cheaper: "Look Bill, I don't argue with what my competitors charge...for they must know what their work is worth".

April 6, 2010

Well Ishmael. Feel free not to read this because I am amazed at your lack of understand of the art and craft of photojournalism and am going to tell you about it a bit.

I find it rather laughable... ...Anyone paparazzi shooter could have done this who was there. Pure luck really.

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You have got to be kidding. Both photojournalists were there because they possessed the skill, training and guts to be a photojournalist. And it is not an easy job. Nor one that can be instantly picked up by anyone with a D2H on 8FPS and a flash. We PJs pound out photo after photo that has to be fit for publication. Everytime we pick up an assignment sheet we have to come back with a product that will please not only perhaps a chief photographer with decades of experience but an editor who has been critiquing photographs for decades more.

There are rules of lighting and composition that do not apply to your everyday shooter. Is the picture to be in Black and white or color? That effects lighting and composition. What is the story to be about? Are we reporting, witnessing or illustrating an event or a story? Where is the competition? Where are the other shooters? How can I get a shot that is so much better than the competition that it will command the attention of our audience. Will the shot I am making for the front page move people to pick the paper up off of the stand?

The professional excellence of these two men and their ability to get the shot when the chips were down is WHY they were there. Those two major market papers were not going to hire some bozo with a camera to cover the news. And they were darned sure not going to put some beginner on the news story of the century.

Pulitzers are, as often as not, won by people who have devoted heart and soul into learning their craft. Photojournalism for a daily newspaper is very hard work. And you can't let down for a moment. The danger is not in missing the shot of the century though it can happen. The danger is missing the shot ON EVERY ASSIGNMENT YOU ARE GIVEN, whether that is a little league baseball game, a mans 100th birthday or the collapse of the twin towers. Or the countries first look at the man who killed a President. It is standing for hours in the rain to have a 15 second chance to get a shot of John McCain as he blows through town on the campaign trail. Mess it up and you have to find another front page picture. And you have about an hour to do that. You want to feel pressure. You tell the managing editor that you blew the shot of the congressmans falling out of the limo. You explain why your picture looks flat when the one from the Daily Something just pops of of their front page.

I'm tired now but here is what you do sport. You get in my back-pocket for a week. You see what it is like to do drop dead photography. Here is a good analogy. It is like shooting weddings 12 hours a day. Sometimes it is easy but you can never let down your guard for a moment.

There was an element of chance in winning this pulitzer with regard to WHICH picture was going to get it. But there was no chance in who was standing there with the skill and experience to just be allowed in the room in the first place.

It is offensive to me to have someone who obviously knows little about photojournalism deliberately insulting the profession. And the comments were dead wrong on all counts.

April 4, 2010

I just loved Jim Krupnicks post. I wish it were taped to the box of every 40D and D40 sold today. Those of us fossils who as kids got an Argus C43 to replace our Brownies got an early reminder that we had to think about light. Did we put in Kodachrome 25 or the much faster Kodacolor? We never forgot those lessons but there is a whole generation of photographers who have never had them.

Still. There is a touch of stubbornness in our steadfastly clinging to manual mode. Your camera is very, very smart when it comes to making technically correct exposures. It may be that what you are seeing in the results is the application of more artistic lighting ideas by professionals.

As for changing the lens with the camera on. I do it all of the time. Running up and down the sidelines of a PAC-10 football game can make anyone forgetful. More to the point:

I'm just a hobbyist, just an enthusiastic picture-taker, not a Pro ... I've got some very good quality gear to aid me capturing the quality of image that i ultimately hope to capture, but i don't have Pro knowledge or experience of handling many photographic situations and there always seems to be something lacking in many of my images (landscapes, portraites mostly) .... And now i'm starting to feel quite dejected about my ability and even what photographer potential have i really got? I want to get better but i'm not sure i really know how to ...

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I have to tell you that this comes as no surprise to me. I hear it all of the time. I spoke to a camera club one night along with another professional photographer. I was standing behind the audience while the other professional (a marvelous fashion photographer, somewhat famous and way more skilled that I am) when one of the participants (sporting a 1DS Mark II and some long white thingy) said, "I wish someone could tell me how to make pictures like that guy". It kinda ticked me off. I thought about it for a second and replied something to the effect of. - It's really easy. Here is how he did it. When he was a kid he read every photo magazine he could get his hands on. He spent his allowance on film and stunk up his parent's basement with his darkroom. In high school he photographed for the school paper. In college he was an eager assistant for anyone who would let him help out. He took a BFA in Photography from the University of Arizona and an MFA from I forget where. Then he assisted a pretty good fashion photographer for about 5 years sharing an apartment in NYC with another assistant before he was allowed to shoot some of the less important projects. Finally after about 10 years of that he started getting his own gigs. Now he still reads every photography magazine he can get his hands on. He forces himself to exibit once every year or two just to keep his edge and he attends other exhibitions to learn from them. That is how you do it.- Easy.

Get what I mean? I think that many new photographers think that a professional is just someone who gets paid to photograph. That is true for some. But when you look at the best professional photography (or best amateur photography for that matter) you should realize that there is a considerable skill set that goes along with making those images. Look at what you said...there always seems to be something lacking in many of my images (landscapes, portraites mostly)...Those are two very different things and require very different skill sets. It will take work to master either. So here is what I hope for you:

Remember the pro I just spoke of? His quest to be a great photographer was not a trial though there were trials along the way. It was a joy. So was mine. I hope you can find fun in the journey too. I hope you join a camera club and have a lot of fun learning from others. I hope that instead of buying one of those white lens thingy's you spend the money on seminars and workshops. Check this out. For the price of a 70-200 F2.8 IS you can attend 15-20 one-day workshops taught by some of the best people in their field! Which will make you a better photog; the fancy lens that Eisenstadt could not even dream of, or a dose of the skills that a professional spent a lifetime acquiring just so he can share them with you? I'm going with the skills.

I'm going to let you in on a secret. When I finish shooting a wedding I go through the hundreds of pictures I have taken. If I am lucky I may call my wife in to look at one or two of them. If I am real lucky she may say "that's a good one dear." She has BFA and is a painter so she is hard to please but that is the way it is for pros too. I can't tell you how many times I came back from a newspaper assignment only to look at what I had and said "these are about as average as they can be". I hope I never get so complacent that I think my pictures are all wonderful just because someone paid for them and that I am all-that just because I get to wear that nifty vest.

Why not just decide to have fun with photography? Look for small victories rather than big ones. It will be so rewarding for you when at the end of a seminar on on-camera flash you look at your shots and realize you just took your skills to a whole new level. Some people have 20 years of experience. Most have one year of experience 20 times. Unless you take affirmative steps to improve your skills you will not get a whole lot better. Making great pictures is about learning how to do it. If you find that part fun, and make the effort to get the skills you need, you will be a great photographer in less time than you imagine.

April 3, 2010

If you want a marvelous telephoto for your new camera I highly recommend the 80-200 F2.8. A really nice used one should be in your price range and it is sharp sharp sharp.

April 1, 2010

I thrive on limitations and thought I could pull it off with a 50mm lens.

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WHAT? May I be blunt? Go thrive at your own wedding. Don't you dare turn in poor pictures of someones very special day just because you think it is a lark. You need all the help you can get. You should say no and get them to hire a photog or at least prevail upon a friend who takes the wedding seriously.

May I propose that you rent equipment? If you can't do that borrow some. Don't even think about shooting a wedding without a flash. And don't even think about shooting a wedding without a back-up camera. And while you are renting get a good zoom to use. Even an 18-70 would be better than what you propose to do. They are cheap enough you could probably get one on ebay and resell it after the wedding. If there is a college near you maybe you can get a student with a good camera and lenses to work with you.

Tell me Phineas; do you have the skill to handle the bride in white and the groom in black, outdoors on a sunny day in the afternoon? That is the kind of situation that makes me cringe I can tell you and I am 100% certain that I know how to do it. Fortunately your S3 has pretty good dynamic range. Do you know what that means to you?

You will do it because you really don't think that this is that big a deal. At least for you it isn't. This may only be a 20 person wedding but I bet I can get an Amen from my fellow wedding shooters here when I say that I do not consider a small wedding as any less worthy of 110% effort on my part. You are walking into a minefield. The only difference is that if you step in it someone else gets blown up.

I've said enough. I have a real pointed point of view when I see someone playing fast and loose with a friend's wedding.

I hope you do a wonderful job for the B&G's sake.

March 28, 2010

Just out of curiosity Steven, is there any chance you can find a second shooter with some experience? You don't have time to manage her/him but you could station them at a fail-safe location which should give you piece of mind. It couldn't hurt.

March 28, 2010

While I try not to use flash if I can get away with it, I belive that it is critical for both of you to have good flashes. A minumum of the SB600. I would rather shoot the wedding with a kit lens and good flash than risk an on camera flash (or worse, no flash) and even a 50 mm F1.4.

Your friend has a D200 and a D40. Neither of these is known for its high ISO performance. You may need the flash for the candids (yes and especially if they are outdoors and in full sun) as well as the wedding and almost certainly the reception.

Now look! You are not going to master flash overnight but you had better try. Once you have a new flash in your kit (which you need all of the time anyway) then you can start nattering over which lens. Check this out. You may think the church will be well lighted but on the day, the lights may not all be turned on, it may be cloudy and you could be up a creek.

So unless you have one and your partner has two, your first purchase is a Nikon SB 600/800/900. FIRST.

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Posts posted by lee_richards2