dav.d wedding photography

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New Camera Lens! It’s Like ChristmasTuesday, March 9th, 2010

I have a brand new lens! I love shooting with prime lenses. Prime lenses require me to zoom with my feet a.k.a running back and forth. Their advantage is that they can have wide open apertures and can create some ethereal type photographs where I can control the focus and the blur and get all sorts of artsy.

This lens is a stepping stone to buying a Canon 85 f/1.2 lens. The price difference is huge and I only buy lenses or equipment when I have the cash to pay for it.

Canon 85mm f/1.8 Lens

Canon 85mm f/1.8 Lens

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Judge Brown let’s a “professional photographer” have it!Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

This video has been circulating the interwebs today – and it is worth watching. It goes to show that not all photographers are created equal. When pressed the photographer didn’t know the speed of her lens, she only owns two lenses and an entry level camera.

What impressed me most was the knowledge of photography that Judge Joe Brown has – and I can imagine he loves photography as a hobby – which just rocks! So watch the clip

Every photographer needs to be open and honest about themselves and their skills. And people should definitely realize that you get what you pay for. I hope I don’t sound like I am on a high horse or preachy.

In the digital age anyone with a camera can bill themselves as a photographer and the wedding photography industry can definitely suffer if everyone who has a camera thinks and advertises themselves as a professional.

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Testing my New Camera and LensSaturday, February 27th, 2010

Although this isn’t a wedding photo – my nephew won’t be getting married for a few years at least – this is one of the first photos I took with my Canon 5D Mark II. I have owned the camera and new lens for a week and I do love it a lot. Although I still love my Nikons. There are advantages from both brands of camera and both have their disadvantages.

I really like how Canon renders the color red – Nikon sometimes is weak in that regard. Nikon excels in autofocus, metering, wireless lighting, and zoom lenses. Canon excels in resolution and wide aperture prime lenses. So I will be carrying both cameras around my neck. I can’t wait till my next wedding in California – two weeks – road trip!

Testing my Canon 50mm f/1.2 lens on my nephew

Testing my Canon 50mm f/1.2 lens on my nephew

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A Rabbit Photograph – with my NEW Camera!Friday, February 19th, 2010

I am sorry I haven’t been blogging as much as I should. I have been blogging a lot on my other website and completely ignoring the wedding photography website. Finally, here is a blog worthy post to tug and the heart strings – this is C.J. the rabbit. I am allergic to rabbits (they are my kryptonite and can kill me) however, I am using my brand new camera – the Canon 5D Mark II.

I am primarily a Nikon camera user but I now own a Canon with the stellar Canon 50mm f/1.2 lens. This the first in a few lenses from Canon that I will be purchasing. Nikon doesn’t make anything like them so that is why I now shoot Canon. I am not giving up on Nikon – I am going to use both.

Rabbit in the Snow

Rabbit in the Snow

If you want to see more of my animal photography you can see it at my dav.d photography website.

I can’t wait to use the new camera and lens on a real person. Maybe this weekend I will get the chance. I also can’t wait to use it at my first wedding of the year.

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Last Minute Teaching a Class on Posing Subjects for PhotographsFriday, February 12th, 2010

Every few months Rich Legg, a local Salt Lake stock photographer, teaches a mini clinic on photography. In December he taught a class on low light photography. This month he taught a class on using studio lighting and posing. At the last minute I was asked to step in and share everything I know about posing people for photography. And I think it went really really well.

The mini clinic might have to change its name – there were about 170 people in attendance. Fortunately I have not real fear of public speaking! And after the fact people said that I did a great job and more importantly I was hilarious! Which is always a plus.

And Jeremy Hall took a few photographs of me teaching posing techniques. And the model Ingrid was a great model for the mini clinic. I won’t quit my day job – but teaching photography really is fun.

dav.d teaching posing techniques

dav.d teaching posing techniques

My goal in posing people is to make them look as natural as possible – I don’t want to force a pose. But I will also demonstrate some good techniques and even create the pose myself.

And everyone gets nervous in front of a camera – and 90% of the time I am sure photographers are freaking out behind the camera. They are wondering how to bring the best out of their subject. My approach? Humor and talking to the model. Get them to relax and feel comfortable in front of the lens and that will show in the portraits.

Demonstrate the pose for the model

Demonstrate the pose for the model

And looking at these photos of me – I need to get to the gym more! Spring is almost here – and soon it’ll be bikini season.

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Battle of the 24mm f/1.4 lensesTuesday, February 9th, 2010

Last night Nikon announced a brand new lens – and attempted to throw a wrench in my plans to buy a Canon DSLR. Curse you Nikon!

My primary cameras are Nikon. I have about 10 lenses from Nikon and love them, however, there are a few lenses that Canon has that Nikon didn’t. So I have been saving money and looking forward to a tax return to buy a new Canon 5D Mark II and some fancy Canon glass.

One of these magic lenses is the Canon f/1.4 24mm lens. Nikon did not have an equivalent lens – until last night. But I am still leaning towards the Canon lens – they are on version 2 of their legendary lens while this is pretty much Nikon’s first real version of this 24mm lens.

Nikon vs Canon in the 24mm f/1.4 lenses

Nikon vs Canon in the 24mm f/1.4 lenses

These are prime lenses – they won’t zoom in and out without moving my feet. But because they are prime lenses you get really wide open aperture – which I consider critical to create artistic and almost ethereal photographs.

The Canon lens also costs $1699 and the Nikon is starting out at $2199. And my ultimate plan is to photograph with Nikon zoom lenses and Canon prime lenses.

My plans might change – I won’t be buying the 24mm till at least June – unless I score some serious bankroll.

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There is lust in my heart – for expensive camerasFriday, February 5th, 2010

Hasselblad HD4-40

Hasselblad HD4-40

I just registered for an event at my favorite local photography store, Pictureline. They will be hosting Hasselblad and the new HD4-40 camera. That camera has 40 megapixels!

Now, people will say the number of megapixels don’t matter – that it is the skill of the photographer and the type of lenses you use and other factors. And for the most part megapixels don’t matter – but not all megapixels are created equally. I would prefer a 10 megapixel DSLR camera over a 10 megapixel phone camera or even a point-n-shoot camera.

And medium format cameras have pixels that blow the pixels of DSLRs out of the water. And most every single portrait and wedding photographer shoots with DSLRs. And DSLRs are perfectly capable in photographing a wedding and they are great at photographing in low light situations like wedding receptions and even some wedding ceremonies.

Phase One

Phase One

But in the back of my mind I think it would be so cool to have a medium format digital camera for portraits. Bridal sessions and even engagment sessions where I drag out my big studio lights on location – that would be so cool. Can I do this now with my digital cameras? Yes.

However, the amount of detail that is captured by the Hasselblad or the competition Phase One camera would be jaw dropping. These are the kind of cameras used to photograph models, magazine covers and the high end fashion shoots. So when you see a model’s photograph who has been retouched to within an inch of their life – they were shot with a medium format digital camera.

So I am saving some money for that – well, saving money in general is good. And it is fun to dream of something better but use the tools we have right now.

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Photographing the other photographersWednesday, February 3rd, 2010

I absolutely love to photograph the people with their point and shoot cameras. They may not have the big cameras that I carry but their photographs are just as important. And I don’t mind if people photograph over my shoulder cause I know my version will blow away what they might capture. Just saying.

But I love to focus on the LCD screen of the camera and capture this kind of scene. I think it is artistic, unique, and fun.

Photographing the photographers

Photographing the photographers

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