I have about 70 people who visit my website on a daily basis – yet very few contact me. Am I selling myself poorly? Am I too expensive? Am I not offering the right services? Do you want prints, albums, disks, or more – I want to know!

Comparing a 20x30 inch print and a 4x6 inch print in a frame

The large Moab print is a metallic softop – this is one type of print that is not available through my SmugMug website – however – I can order it for you! I have two of these and love them!

Technically this is not my first Polaroid camera, however, the other camera is so old it doesn’t have any film available. So the 420 will be perfect. I can see myself snapping a few photographs with the camera during portrait, engagements, or even weddings. In the mean time it will be fun to just play around with and learn how it work.

My Polaroid 420 Automatic Land Camera

Reading the manual for the camera was entertaining – the camera was produced sometime in the early 1970s. I was also surprised that the camera came with a manual – I think my digital cameras have the manual laying around somewhere I know I have read them at least once. Everything else I want to know I just Google it.

Wednesday we were able to attend a seminar with Jerry Ghionis and Sandy Puc – both are seasoned veterans in wedding photography and portrait photography. If you think I am expensive as a photographer you will need to check these folks out. But they, like me, are worth it.

Sandy Puc taught marketing and boudoir photography. The marketing information was invaluable and I will be working on how to apply that to my own wedding photography business.

Jerry Ghionis teaches the seminar the importance of posing

My personal favorite topic of the night was posing. Jerry demonstrated a number of techniques on how to make brides, grooms and groups of people look their best. There are things that apply to tall grooms with short brides (or vice versa) and how to make a plus size bride or groom look their absolute best. I will be reviewing my notes and working on mastering these techniques for sure.

Jerry demonstrates with audience participants how to pose groups of people

Jerry Ghionis demonstrates how to pose a groom with a plus size bride

I really enjoyed listening to their experience – they had so much insight and knowledge. I hope I will be in their position with hard work and creativity.

Sandy Puc focused on marketing and boudoir photography

For my photography my goal is going to become “Wow” over “Safe.” More on that at a later date.

There was also a trade show where I was able to check out products and gear from Bay Photo, Finao albums, B&H Photo and other companies. I have some great ideas – mmmmm. Secrets!

I was able to work with husband and wife Bryce and Emily. Emily is due with their first child in April! It was fun working with them and good thing it was a practice session – I was trying a few new lighting setups and some new gear. I want to be ready for the “real thing” and I don’t want to be fiddling with knobs, dials, and levers when it really counts.

Emily & Bryce are my models for this practice photo shoot

Emily & Bryce are my models for this practice photo shoot

Spring is here – although I haven’t seen much green buds or trees blooming yet. I have spotted some red breasted robins. Well, that means the only green are evergreen trees and it also means snow on the mountains.

Snow covered mountains act as a perfect backdrop for Emily & Bryce

Another shot of the couple and the mountains

After Emily & Bryce left I photographed Mimi (real name Janey). She is another photographer and it is always fun to put a photographer in front of the lens. She was a natural – although most photographers squirm and feel uneasy.

I really had a fun time turning this photograph into black and white. I am playing with some new software or at least the latest version of the software. It’s main goal is to turn photographs into black and white. I have a number of photoshop actions I can use to do the same thing but the photographs can look the same – and I want to be more unique in my photography.

Another photograph plays the role of model

Last photograph is really fun. I have a light directly behind Mimi that is being a rim light. I have a softbox to camera right and everything just makes Mimi look fantabulous! Photography is all about light – and masters of photography are masters of light.

Mimi (real name Janey) looks fantabulous with rim lighting and a softbox to camera right

I love it when several goals can be accomplished at the same time. I just finished reading the Speedliter’s Handbook – which is a photography book all about using small flashes to create photographs. And I read most the book about 80% while exercising at the gym on the elliptical or the stairmaster or other cardio machines.

The book begins as a primer on the basics of photograph and then goes through everything one would need to know to create photographs with small Canon flashes. It even covers the batteries that people should use.

I never took a photography class in school or in college. Everything I have learned is from other photographers, lots of books, and online trainings. This Handbook definitely felt like it was a book you would read in a high school or college class. It has the theory, the charts, the terminology that goes behind the click of the shutter. I would recommend it to other photographers – especially if they photograph with Canon cameras and speedlites.

At almost 400 pages it did take a few visits to make it to the gym but it was worth it both on the learning and the fitness.

I can’t wait to use some of this knowledge in my photography. I will be practicing a lot before my next wedding and/or portrait session. Woo hoo!

And the leather albums are available in 8″, 10″ and 12″

Someone commented that our generation is at risk of losing all their photographs. Everyone keeps them digitally and they are one computer failure away from loosing all their family memories. That is why it is important to have a physical wedding album that will last a lifetime and more.

This is my sample wedding album. The book is photo printed – meaning the paper is just like a printed photograph and it is bound into a leather album. The two page spreads are thick and durable. You of course want to protect the album like any other photograph. The album even comes with a protective cover. The leather cover is smooth and soft so you store it laying flat and you don’t want to put anything on the book.

I do have a gallery on SmugMug with photographs of the albums – the photographs can be enlarged to see the detail of the albums.

Blue Leather Kiss Wedding Album - 12 inches square

Here are a few detail photographs to show you the construction of the book. I will be bringing these books along to any meeting with future and potential clients so they can hold the book in their hand and see the quality and beauty of the wedding albums.

Interior Cover of the leather album

The pages are seamless – I still try to avoid putting key details in the very center of the photograph but there is no page break to worry about.

Closer view of the interiors binding

Corner edge of the album where the leather is bound and wrapped

Not sure how well you will be able to make out the quality construction of the wedding album but it is a work of art. In choosing the color of the album I try to pick one of the colors that is closest to the official wedding colors. And if there is not one close enough I personally go with black, brown or white.

Close up view of the binding and the pages

Here is an example of the two page spread and the seamlessness – a very cool feature and something the craftsman who make the book have perfected.

The spread of two pages lays flat and is seamless - it is one photographic print

Top of the leather wedding album

Blue leather wedding album inside its protective cover

Here is a photograph with the leather album and the swatch samples. We keep the choices simple in color, cover, and size. You can contact me about pricing questions.

Blue leather album with the sample swatches to show the colors

One of the two page spreads in the 12\

All bundled in the protective cover. The leather is soft so you need to store it flat.

Since 2004 I had been using Nikon cameras, lenses and flashes and this year I have switched to Canon. There were 3 lenses that I really lusted for that Nikon would not or could not make. Canon has a larger selection of lenses and they have a few other advantages that I really was sold on.

These three lenses are the Canon 24mm f/1.4 LII, the Canon 50mm f/1.2 L, and the Canon 85mm f/1.2 LII. The lenses are great for photographing in low light situations such as wedding receptions. But more importantly they help me achieve a look to my photographs that is much more ethereal and artistic. I can have backgrounds melt away and my subjects just pop out of the photograph.

Canon Lenses for my wedding photography

For a while I wanted to use both Nikon and Canon, however, I found that would handicap me when I wanted to switch lenses or switch a flash. I also found that with too much gear you can often be limited by the amount of choices. In practice it could be overwhelming to photograph with 20 different lens options. And I was burdened with maintaining the cost of equipment.

I also had one Nikon lens that was a bit of a lemon and was in the repair shop at least 4 times in the past year. That really can sour the experience of Nikon. It also drives me nuts when photographing a wedding knowing that a lens has been unreliable and could break again at any minute. I can’t have that and neither can the bride and groom who are hoping I will capture the moments of their wedding, engagements and bridals.

So I now photograph exclusively Canon. I just hope Canon comes out with an update to the 5DII – one that has better autofocus.

The Utah Salt Flats are awesome – and this Sunday most of them were covered by water. So I need to find out when they dry out and are perfect for photography. I love this location and there is no extra cost to photograph there for bridals or engagements. We can always stop at Wendover for a quick buffet. Wendover is only 9 miles away from the Salt Flats.

dav.d on the Utah Salt Flats

And the Utah Salt Flats are perfect for me to bring my studio lighting and create some very dramatic photos with some cool lighting setups – and quite often there will be some kind of clouds in the sky to create these amazing backdrops.

I am hoping that the Salt Flats start to dry out in the next few weeks – cause right now most of them are like a giant lake or a puddle.

And I was the person charged with taking the group photograph. And so I created an HDR image here! I think that is a first for Photowalking Utah.

About 70 photographers attended an Ogden, Utah Photowalk

Photowalks are a chance to meet other photographers and talk technique, equipment, and even make new friends. It is also a great chance to scout locations to photograph. And downtown Ogden is really a remarkable location. And the train museum as well. I can see using the location for some engagement photographs and maybe even some bridals. Who wouldn’t think a bride on top of a train would be a cool image. That would rock!

Union Station

And while I was photographing someone photographed me! So here is a picture of me in action.

dav.d

And the temple is a beautiful building with great landscaping – so here are a few of the photographs. I wasn’t able to photograph during sunset because I was photographing the engagements at that time. But with HDR I am able to photograph the temple with the sun in the composition – you can’t do that without HDR.

Newport Beach LDS Temple in HDR

Newport Beach LDS Temple in HDR

Newport Beach LDS Temple in HDR

And of course you really really really need a tripod and cable release.

Newport Beach LDS Temple in HDR

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

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.

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

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

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.