For Photographers
Regular readers to my blog will realise things have been very, very quiet recently, and for this I apologise. I have always tried to be consistent with updating this blog, as I really do enjoy answering your questions and writing inspiring and useful articles, but sometimes, life just gets in the way. I hope to get back into the routine of weekly blog posts soon, so please bear with me.
Although I haven’t had time to blog, I have been taking lots of photos as I get used to and learn how to use my newly acquired Canon 5D MKIII, and learning about the differences from my old Nikon D700 which I had been using day in day out for the last 2 years.
No two cameras are the same, and especially the difference between the Nikon and Canon is like night and day. But in a fast paced environment, like a wedding, or when you are using your camera as a means to run your business, you really, really need to know the camera inside and out. You need to be able to use the camera like an extension of your hand, to change settings without thinking and understand its abilities and limitations without taking a single photo.
It’s for this reason that I have been shooting lots in the last month or so, getting to better understand this new camera. Unfortunately, a lot of the stuff I have been shooting has been pretty mundane, and certainly nothing special. But practice is practice, and the more I shoot, the more I learn about this new Canon. So, I figured I would share with you my first thoughts and experiences of my switch to Canon after a few short weeks.
Thoughts on Physical Differences
I love the grip and ergonomics of the 5D MKII, although there was nothing wrong with the D700.…
I’ll start of by being completely and utterly hypocritical. Camera gear doesn’t really make much of a difference on how good a photographer you are, in same way that a fancy oven doesn’t make you a world class chef. But the right equipment, the right tool for the job, makes doing it day in day out more fun, more comfortable and more consistent.
Completely ignoring my own advice, I recently made the decision to sell off my small collection of Nikon equipment, and switch to the “other” camera manufacturer, Canon. Here’s why….
Before I purchased the Nikon, I did so much research into the entire Nikon system, from flashes to lenses and accessories. This is so important because once you are in a system; you are tied into everything, whether it be good or bad.
The problem was that I was new to photography. I didn’t know what I would be doing, or in which direction I would go. I thought that I would be buying a couple of f2.8 zooms, and doing lots of off-camera strobist work. In both these areas, Nikon excels, so were deciding factors in my decision to buy into Nikon rather than Canon. Canon offered high megapixels and video recording. I didn’t think I would be interested in either.
Fast forward nearly 2 years, and things have really changed. It’s been months since I used a flashgun off camera, I much prefer shooting in natural light or with fill light these days. And I find myself struggling with the limited resolution of the D700 when trying to make 12” high quality wedding albums. Together with the fact that I’m doing more wedding work, a camera with two cards slots and great low light performance is becoming a necessity.
As for lenses, I only have two primes, a 35mm and 85mm, and I have been struggling to find the right combination of Nikon prime lenses to give me the flexibility I need for Weddings in particular.…
1. Be Yourself
Out of all of the photographers in your area, out of all of your competition, it is you that the couple have contacted, it is you that they want to meet and talk to. Therefore, don’t put on a front; don’t pretend to be something you are not. You just have to be yourself, which is why it’s important that your brand and website reflect who you are as well. How you shoot and edit, is all based around your personality and approach, making you and your work unique. So don’t be afraid. Just be unashamedly, and honestly the brilliant you.
2. Be Prepared
Make sure that you can confidently and fully answer any questions or queries the couple will have. Make sure you know your stuff. They care about what you will be doing and saying on the day to make sure you can deliver on what you promise, ie: amazing images. Scour bridal magazines and blogs for articles like “100 things to ask your wedding photographer” and think about how to best answer any question you might get asked. What happens if you are ill on the day? What if it rains? Do you have insurance? You need to know your stuff through and through, so that you can put the clients mind at ease. And make sure that you know every single word in your contract, as you will probably have to go through and explain each section to the clients and what it means. Finally, don’t forget the common sense things like turning up on time, dressing smartly (but not too smart) and bring lots of business cards and sample albums.
3. Be Interested
You’re photographing the happiest day in someone’s life. It’s exciting. It’s amazing. It’s a privilege that the clients have considered you above anyone else, so make sure your behaviour reflects this.…
Everything I know about photography I have learnt from the Internet for free. I have never had any formal training, I never studied it at school, or have a single qualification in anything even remotely artistic or useful.
My photography has got where it has by continuously finding, learning and practicing photography at every single opportunity I can.
My collective photography knowledge and experience; from Photoshop to posing, from light to lenses, has come entirely from other photographers and bloggers who were kind enough to share their own knowledge with the rest of the world. Those guys seriously rock.
When it comes to Photography, I think an inquisitive and hard working nature matters far more than innate artistic talent or fancy qualifications.
It’s this hard work and passion to learn that has allowed me go from buying my first DSLR to shooting my first wedding in less than 18 months.
If you have that passion to learn and to grow as a person, you’ll easily find the skills and knowledge you’ll need out there to be successful. And who doesn’t want to be as good as they possibly can be?
I really annoys me when people say “Oh, I wish I had the time to learn photography“. Or play the guitar. Or cross stitch. Or whatever. Time has got nothing to do with it, especially if you stop watching TV and spend that time googling your ass off to find out how to do what you want to do.
You should never have to say the words “I don’t know how?” more than once. All you have todo is find the answer, and practice the solution, so that next time you can say “Yes! I so got this!”
Mistakes are fine. In fact mistakes are a really really good thing!…
When the Fuji X100 was first announced, I was seriously interested. Here was a camera, with the sensibilities, controls and gorgeous looks of a 35mm film rangefinder (like the Contax G2) but with a large, APS-C sized sensor with all the latest digital mod-cons like great high ISO and HD video recording. The Fuji X100 was the most hyped camera in years. It seemed like the perfect companion camera for photographers who wanted something smaller and lighter than a DSLR but didn’t want to sacrifice…anything, really.
Unfortunately a couple of things put me off when the Fuji X100 hit the shelves.
First, it was a unique, one a kind, first generation product. And I avoid buying anything that’s on it’s first run, because you know there will always be issues. Which there were.
Buggy software, slow autofocus and a fatal issue known as SAB (Sticky Aperture Blades) were common complaints from the first bunch of guinea pigs, err I mean lucky users.
Secondly, Fuji were asking for over £1000 for the X100, and the very, very short initial supply meant the street price was a lot higher and verging on ridiculous.
On the other hand, there is so much to like!
A unique first of its kind hybrid viewfinder combining a high tech electric screen with an old school glass optical viewfinder. Fully manual controls, with great to use clickty-clackty dials and switches. A full metal body with a dedicated Fujinon 23mm f2.0 lens. It was a camera made for those photographers who loved film cameras, shooting with primes and street photography. It was a very, very hard camera for me to resist buying.
Until now.
After months of umming and ahhhing, and keeping up to date with the improvements made in several successive firmware updates, together with the more reasonable, reduced price of around £600, I decided it was time to join the X100 club.…
1. Preparation. Preparation. Preparation.
You don’t just turn up and wedding and start shooting. No matter how much talent you have, if you don’t know what is going to happen, and when, then you will miss a lot of important moments of the story. I asked my Bride and Groom so many questions, everything from the schedule of the day, to VIP guest’s names and who the suppliers were. Then I took the time to memorise it all.
With all that information stored in my head, I could direct members of the bridal party by name, and advise guests on what bit was happening next when they asked me. I was like a walking wedding encyclopaedia on the day. And that meant I was in the right place, at the right time to capture the images I wanted.
2. Pack Your Bags
As well as the obvious stuff like cameras and lenses, you’ve got to make sure you over pack with batteries and memory cards. Better to have too many, than not enough. Also remember the other things that you need to keep going. Bottles of water, energy bars and mints etc are little things that will make a big difference on how you feel on the day. And the better you feel, the better you will shoot.
3. Don’t Stop Shooting
Don’t stop to look at what you’ve just taken, or fiddle with camera settings. Don’t put your camera down, or start changing lenses. Spend as little time as possible away from the action. And for capturing the key shots, like the first kiss, don’t hold back, take as many photos as you can, to make sure you have it covered. There’s no way to do it again if you miss it.
4. Expect The Unexpected
The best moments are the ones that you don’t expect, so you need to be ready to capture them at any time.…
1. Patience Is A Virtue
Digital photography is all I have known up till now. And it’s made me impatient. I’m so used to expecting results and also being in control of every aspect of an image, from shooting it, seeing it on the back of the camera, right through to retouching in Photoshop. Shooting film is certainly a different experience! Having to wait a week to get the film developed, by some random person in a lab, made me nervous but also appreciate the work and effort that goes into to each roll of film, and that sometimes it worth the wait.
2. Manual Focus Doesn’t Slow You Down
Beep. Beep. That’s the noise of the autofocus on your camera, and we all rely upon it far to much. Manual focusing, by twisting and turning the lens, makes you slow down, and react to what you see through the viewfinder. Rather than relying on sophisticated technology, it becomes the sole responsibility of the photographer to make sure that image is in focus. And with enough practice, it becomes an extremely useful photography skill to have.
3. Fast Shutter Speeds Are Amazing
If like me, you like shooting primarily at f1.8 or f1.4, then you will soon realise that trying to shoot at these wide apertures in daylight can mean there is actually too much light hitting the sensor/film. Modern cameras can get round this by using super fast Shutter speeds, up to 1/8000 of a second. Old film camera can barely reach 1/1000 of a second. So unless you are using iso50 film, you are going to have shoot differently, and so good bye to to those cool over the top bokeh shots.
4. Film Doesn’t Have Look Old or Vintage
I automatically assumed that my film shots would come out…looking like film.…
Fresh from the lab, my very first roll of 35mm film has been developed. And I’m really pleasantly surprised.
Although none of theses shots are particularly interesting, it was just a chance for me to evaluate the Olympus and how I could use it.
It was a really difficult to gauge what the images would look like, especially since I had never shot with film before. I had no point of reference.
I had no idea what the dynamic range, colour or grain would be like. I also didn’t know what the limitations of the Zuiko 50mm f1.8 lens would be. I love to shoot wide open, but I had no idea if this was a good idea with this 40 year old lens.
And finally, I didn’t even know if the camera was working! The light meter, light seals and shutter all seemed to work ok, but I had absolutely no way of knowing until I got the film developed.
Shooting film has been a difficult but equally rewarding and awesome process. I think I’m a true 35mm film convert.
Although, in some ways it is like starting again. I’m having to see, shoot and learn differently to anything else I’ve done before.
Some of my favourites from my first roll are below. (with no editing of any kind)
They were all shot with my Olympus OM-2N with Zuiko 50mm f1.8. I used a roll of Kodak Ektar 100.
The colours and tones are so punchy and vibrant, and not what I expected at all. I’m looking forward to seeing the differences between this roll and the roll of Fuji 400H in my Olympus OM2N right now. And I also have some Fuji Neopan 400 that I’m itching to try out as soon as possible.
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Regular viewers of my work may have picked up the fact that my style of processing has changed over the last few months. I have discovered a real love for a softer, more muted look to my images that in a lot of ways, emulates aged or vintage film.
I absolutely adore this look. I find that my photos are looking more true to life and less artificial in comparison to the clean, bright and contrasty hues of digital processing.
The problem with this approach is that I have never, actually even picked up a film camera, never mind shot with one. How could I possibly emulate the look of film that I really love, without ever having any experience of shooting with it?
So I decided it was time to try film and to buy my first ever 35mm film camera.
After doing some research, I immediately had my heart set on a Nikon FE2, but used prices for these are anywhere between £150 -£250 due to their reliability and popularity. As I wasn’t sure how much I would use a film camera, I decided to go with a fully manual camera, of a similar age, (Mid 1970’s) but wasn’t such a big investment.
Enter my best photography bargain ever, the Olympus OM-2N.
The gorgeous, heavy, all metal, all manual, back to basics SLR is an absolute dream to shoot with. I’m kind of in love with it.
The Olympus OM-2N complete with Zuiko 50mm f1.8, is in mint condition and works perfectly. Every dial and lever feels sturdy and solid. And the best thing is that it only cost £65.00.
Here’s a video of me gushing over the Olympus OM-2N.
What a great looking camera.
I’m about 21 exposures into my first roll of film (Kodak Ektar 100) and I am super excited to see what the images are going look like.…
Just a few short months after making the decision to shoot with only primes lenses, my camera bag looks a whole lot different.
My Nikkor 24-70mm and even my Nikkor 50mm f1.4 have gone to new homes, and have been replaced by the Nikkor 35mm f1.4 G and 85mm f1.4 G.
I kind of want to refer to these as “the twins”. They are almost identical in every way.
The 35mm and 85mm share the same size, weight and excellent solid construction. They are both supremely sharp, colourful, prime lenses with fantastic Bokeh and loads of character.
The great thing about this pair is that complement each other perfectly. The 35mm / 85mm combo has been a favourite of photojournalists and wedding photographers for years.
The Nikon 35mm f1.4 is a great landscape, street photography, group portrait, candid, and general all rounder. Or the other hand the 85mm f1.4 is the sharpest, most beautiful portrait lens I have ever used. It produces wonderful headshots as well as dreamy looking environmental portraits.
It’s like having a 50mm lens, but with option to go wider and also a bit longer for portraits. Both of these lenses together still weigh less than my old Nikon 24-70mm.
I seriously cannot wait to get out and really see what these lenses can do!