Cindy and Blake liked their engagement pics. I like them. I thought Heather and I did a good job setting up poses and nailing the technical aspects of the photography. In hindsight, we did so with very little equipment compared to most photographers. I have a single flash, the kit lens, the lowest end DSLR sold by Nikon, a cheap VR Zoom lens, and now a stand and some umbrellas with cheap ebay radio triggers.

Now they want us, and I mean Heather and I, to shoot their wedding. Not to air the personal dealings amongst family here on the website, but I have to share my own personal thoughts. People shouldn’t photograph weddings for their family. I’ll list a reason. If you shoot for other people you get to shoot, post process, deliver and pick out some of the best ones for your portfolio. In a normal situation you don’t have to analyze those pics again after they’ve been shot and delivered to the client. If you shoot for family, the wedding album they make out of your photos and the digital prints you deliver them will be there every time you visit. I’ll be a better photographer in 2 years than I am now. Knowing those limitation I have about a month to prepare and work harder in a single day than I will work in any other time in my life… because it’s family.

Because of this I have to go all out. There’s equipment I need to get shots to create those moments in time that will be remembered by Cindy, Blake, their children, their grandchildren, and since she’s family, probably my children, grandchildren, etc…

To put this in perspective, just my post processing style has changed at least 5 times since I bought that little camera 5 months ago. I’ve only recently begun to start framing shots outside of the subject-center snapshot style that everyone who pics up a camera does.

So here’s what’s happening. I’m going to document what I’m doing to prepare for the most important shoot I’ll probably ever do.

Immediately after I agreed to shoot their wedding I ordered another ebay trigger and receiver, along with 3 more receivers. This gives me 2 transmitters and 5 receivers. Yes that gives me an extra transmitter and 2 receivers but with those little eBay pieces of comparative junk you can’t be too secure in your need to have backups. I had to order them now because the shipping from hong kong will probably take about 3 weeks. The alternative costs 180 bucks a pop. I’m not there yet.

I e-mailed Shig immediately to see what equipment I could borrow from him. He’s got at least a lens that will really help, and if he’s not shooting that weekend he’ll be able to spare a few more items: Wide angle zoom, flash, and the 50mm 1.4 prime. Awesome.

Today I reserved rental equipment. The 60 mm 2.8 af-s Micro, Sigma 10-20 HSM wide angle zoom, and an extra battery for the d50 which I’ll be borrowing from my father in order to have a second camera and backup at the Wedding.

After our credit card payment goes through I’ll be sending another one in, cause BH is getting a decent sized order. 2 impact stands, 2 more umbrellas, 2 sunpak 383s, and a Tamron 28-75 2.8.

Finally comes study time. I need to learn from people who do this for a living. Not just wedding photographers, but wedding photographers who capture the feelings and emotion in such an event. Heather will be my idea person and shoot director during the wedding, so together we’ll be taking long hard looks at two photographers I think are really amazing.

Ed Pingol

JWLphotography

Both photographers capture the fun that a wedding day should be, but also seem to exhibit a calm harmony in one of the greatest days in peoples lives.

Tags: camera gear,photography,wedding,wedding photography
Categories: BJ, BJ's Life
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I went to Jo Ellen’s reception and took some photos for them. Normally I would just leave them in the gallery but everyone who reads our blog knows who she is anyway. Here are some highlights and a hibiscus picture just for Adrian.

Portraits were taken with sb-600 and shoot through umbrella at camera left. Hibiscus pic was taken with Spencer hand holding the shoot through and flash high camera right.

Post processing was done in Adobe Lightroom, D2X Mode 2 color for all pics, then ran through noise ninja in PS CS3 and then sharpened with softlight high pass and converted to sRGB.

Tags: Photo Highlights,photography,reception
Categories: BJ, Photo Highlights
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Sure, Phoebe’s birthday is coming up and Sophia’s birthday just passed, but my birthday will be here soon as well. If I were a child and I still sully expected to get things for my birthday I would ask for:

• Nikon sb-600 flash
• Impact Light Stand
• Light Bracket
• Optical White Umbrella
• Radio flash trigger
• Gaffers Tape
• Clamp

That’s pretty much a single light support system for an off camera lighting setup. I’ll eventually want 4 total of all of the above, except I’ll only need receivers for each additional light. Also after I have at least one flash like the sb-600 that works in ttl mode on my camera I can get the cheaper vivitar 285hv. The vivitars would eventually get replaced by other nikon flashes like the sb-600 or sb-800 though. Oh and I suppose I’ll need a backdrop so I can do some portraiture on the go.

Also you have to throw in a color gel swatchbook with every order. But you also need enough of the basics for color correction as seen here. Also some ball bungies would be nice.

A nice off camera TTL cord would be nice but they’re horribly overpriced. A new camera body can fire them in TTL mode off camera anyway.

Tripod stuff:

• Silk 700 Tripod Legs
• Bogen 488RC2 Ball Head

I suppose I’d need a bag for all or some of this stuff, but a generic canvas bag would do for the lights. A new camera bag is a few lenses off before I’ll need an upgrade. Speaking of lenses I’ve changed my list up a bit. I keep reading too many things about Tamrons having focusing issues so for now my order of lenses will be.

• Sigma 18-50 2.8 HSM
• Tamron 28-75 2.8, Has to be the one with the built in motor.
• Sigma 10-20mm HSM
• Nikon 70-300mm AF-S VR
• Sigma 30mm 1.4 HSM
• Nikon 60mm Micro-Nikkor
• Heck even the Bigma (Sigma 50-500mm HSM) would be great

Any other lenses need a body upgrade for my lowly d40. By the time I’m up for it I’m sure the Nikon d300 will be at a more realistic price.

I know this is insanely boring stuff, but I’m doing it more, to keep track of my upgrade list. It’ll take me years and years to really acquire all this stuff, but if my daughter’s keep getting more beautiful, I’ll have to keep taking more pictures.

Tags: camera,gear whore,photography
Categories: BJ, Entertainment
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