Updated 05-06-09
Thank you for taking a look into my world and thinking enough of my work by checking out the FAQ. I’m often asked some of these basic questions in email correspondence and unfortunately due to client & life commitments cannot always answer each person individually. I hope this photographer FAQ helps some of you.
I am so happy that I have found my life’s calling. I know in my heart that my work comes from personal inspiration and believe that photographers that hold true to themselves will prosper in an overpopulated industry rife with a million changes & advancements!
What camera system do you shoot with? I shoot with Canon, a Mark 1DSII. I flirted briefly with Nikon (D3) but I have so much invested in L glass and frankly missed the AWB that Canon offers up in its’ camera line.
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Up until December of 2007 I was primarily shooting with 2-Canon 5D camera bodies. My primary 5D has the battery grip on it, which I have found to be a tremendous help to my wrists when balancing heavier lenses (like all my lenses have become since I migrated to all L glass series lenses where available). The grip has been a lifesaver for vertical shooting with that 5D body. Very much worth it! Must buy for the 5D shooter.
In December 2007 I switched to the Nikon D3 based upon weatherproofing, price point, full frame and magnesium housing. I believe in being a well informed consumer and I’m glad I tried the Nikon system, unfortunately it was not love. I missed "L". I did like the Nikon but something was missing for me. Some shots with the D3:
What are your favorite lenses for child/family sessions? in my camera bag I carry a back up camera (my old 5D that has been with me since almost the beginning, trusty little thing!) and the following lenses: the 24-70 (my new / old favorite, I have recently fallen back in love with it), the 70-200 2.8/L IS, the 50/1.2L, the 85/1.2L and the 135L/2.0 to sessions so that I have a nice arsenal of glass to choose from during shoots.
Do you POSE your clients? Yes & no. It is completely age dependent. For children older than 5 I find they actually are comforted by guidance from me as the photographer. So in fact I do a fair amount of posing for this age group. For the younger set…ANYTHING goes. How’s that for evasive question answering? LOL.
What are your top post processing tips? KNOW your camera. KNOW your photo editing software! Get good images SOOC (straight out of camera) and do the rest later.
Altho actions can be fun they are not the end all be all. Currently I use CS3. Before diving into purchasing a million actions I highly suggest knowing basics. BASICS like curve adjustments, layers and layer masking. Know all those tools in the tool bar, they are wonderful once you get down & dirty with them. For the more beginning Photoshopper I highly suggest any of Scott Kelby’s Photoshop books (buy one that coordinates with your version of Photoshop).
Do you have tips for shooting? Ah, a trick question! Everybody’s shooting style is so different. Because a person’s take on the world, the whole of their life experiences affects their style I recommend knowing your equipment. I realize this is not a shooting style tip per se but a valuable tip nonetheless. This is often overlooked by many new photographers who become very excited with their new purchase and soon begin charging for session work before they know their tools. The sooner you know the in’s and out’s of your equipment the better you will be and only then will you be able to apply your life vision to the image art. Re: your camera, now, in your more newbie stage is so important. Knowing its’ capabilities, understanding how aperture affects depth of field before diving in to any of the texts cited in this article is the most important part of becoming a photographer. A great place to learn general photography information is a forum called Betterphoto. For those more familiar with their camera I recommend Bryan Peterson’s Understanding Exposure. However I stress that all beginning photographers truly take things a bite at a time and try not to do too many things at once. A big imperative, again, is to know your camera. I recommmend taking it into a dark room and practicing. This is to familiarize yourself with your camera controls so well you can, well, play in the dark and know what buttons/controls you are using! 😉
Do you use any pre-sets/actions? I have found it best though to create my own look from some of these actions. Just like buying an action isn’t going to make me a better photographer so goes using an action out of the box will not make me a better Photoshopper. Many actions that I *do* use are my own and most are painstaking as a process to achieve a look that I like. I’m currently in the process of making some of my more frequently used steps into sellable actions that could be of use for the photographer who is looking to enhance their vision of the world. Do I have actions from others? Yes indeed. Do I use them often? Not so much.
What are some of your favorites actions? Simple ones that save me steps, the whole point of actions is that anyway. I prefer to look at each individual photo as a painting and as painter’s do, I use the appropriate tool for the job. Sometimes part of the painting is part of an action but most times it’s my eye, layering and using PS to my best capabilities. Actions are great if you can tweak them. I find too many are not easily tweakable.
Are you going to host any more workshops in the future? In 2010 I will likely be hosting more of my See the Light Photography Workshop. I also do 1:1 mentorships on a case by case basis. I love teaching, I love the rush of knowing that I am helping others further their path in photography and in business. I only mentor people in business though. If you need a generalized workshop there are many options, Popular Photography Magazine’s Digital Days Photo , the coordinator of this workshop has done a ton of them around the country, I don’t hesitate to recommend it.
Thanks for stopping in to the FAQ page. You may now return to your regularly scheduled program. 🙂
I’m adding some interesting reads here every once in awhile, if you have a suggestion please feel free to email me for inclusion:
HOW TO BECOME A PRO – Ken Rockwell’s insightful article about becoming a Pro Photographer
