Choosing Memory Cards – Photography 101

The answer to this question really is a simple one. What type of memory cards does your camera take? That really is going to dictate what type of memory card that you are going to get. Whether that is CF or whether that is SD, it doesn’t really matter. They both serve the same purpose. Now depending on the limits of your camera in terms of FPS (frames per second) in conjunction with the style of photography that you are shooting, you may want to consider the speed of your memory card.

How to Make Your Kissing Photos Look Amazing

One of the things that is on every bride’s mind before they take their photos, is how do I make sure that I look good? I want to look my best, but what is the right way to do so? How do I pose? How do I kiss? A lot of this comes down to your photographer’s direction, but the more you know, the better you can respond to that direction right?

Kissing is intimate. Kissing is passionate.

There is nothing like the feeling of holding the one you love in your arms and giving yourself emotionally to them through your kiss. Kissing, even when seen in passing by people is often a quick occurrence and there are very few times where you will actually see that moment captured to be seen again and again. Your engagement and wedding photos are one such occasion. There is nothing like capturing the raw emotion that you feel in the months leading up to and the moments of your wedding.  

Lens Focal Length | Photography 101 Santa Clarita

There are several factors that make up a lens. We have been learning about the aperture, zooms vs. primes, etc. However one of the basic principles that comes to mind when choosing a lens is the focal length of that lens. Is it the lens for you given what you are shooting?

How Google Works | A Guide to Effective SEO

So for all of you business professionals out there who are looking more and more at how vital a website is to your business, this post is for you. Yes, even you wedding photographers can benefit from this knowledge! One of the most important things that you can do for your business is to establish an online presence. The first step to climbing that monstrous road, is to understand just what it is that makes search engines (in more specific terms, Google, as they are the most used search engine online currently) work. So here we go!

Photography 101 – Lenses

The Ultimate Debate – Zoom or Prime?

Back when I first started my photography business, one of the things that I started to do (and still do) is look at the work of other photographers. Sometimes, there is no greater inspiration when you are feeling completely uninspired as artists than to find your inspiration in others. One of the things that I found myself noticing more and more, and desiring more and more for my photography was certain degrees of depth of field. I LOVE it. I can’t seem to get enough! And there are photographers that utilize this tool so well and organically, it inspires me like no other.  

Selecting a Venue | Santa Clarita Wedding Tips

During this process of planning your perfect day, there are so many things that you need to consider. What kind of flowers are you going to get? Who do you want as your photographer? How about your efficient? Have you picked your bridal party out yet? The best advice anyone has ever given me was to take everything one step at a time. The first and foremost thing should and always will be, locking down your venue.  

Choosing the Right Photographer | Santa Clarita Wedding Tips

We are in a dilemma these days in that there a so many options of everything! When you go out to eat for example you have to figure out the style of food that you want and then you have to figure out the restaurant that you want to eat at and then you have to decide on a meal. As a people in general, we have gotten very good at making decisions with just about everything.  

iOS 7 - Advancing Photography for the Consumer

Holy Cow! Every year phone technology gets better. The apps, the call capabilities. Apple really struck one heck of a movement when it comes to really putting a lot of tools in the palm, literally the PALM of your hand! This has meant a lot of interesting things for industry professional. There are even "Photoshop" like apps that allow you to edit your photos and really create some compelling editing on the phone!

I was recently out with some friends who posed the question, "do you ever think that wedding photographers will become obsolete?" I really thought about it for a second and there are some great points to pay attention to here. You have a camera on your iPhone that can take 8MP photos and for most people who are posting just to their Facebook or creating a smaller than 8x10 print, that is more than enough! I remember the days when the camera I used for weddings and headshots as a young professional Santa Clarita photographer was 8MP! On top of that, these photo editing applications make things extremely easy to edit photos! CRAZY!

I looked at my friends dead in the eye and said I honestly see where you are going with this, however I don’t believe that wedding photographers will ever be replaced. Why? Think about all that you are paying for. It takes more than a good camera to take a good photo and those skills are something that you will never be able to learn in a day. It takes years of experience to really hone the skills necessary to be able to adjust your camera settings just by looking at a scene in a split second. Or to see the light in a scene and know just how to reposition your subject to get that right lighting, and framing, and composition. Knowledge is really what is missed out on.

So in an ever changing world where technology is becoming easier and easier to use, photographers appear to be less and less needed, but the truth is, the experience that you receive from a true professional completely outweighs the benefits of a nice phone. And THAT experience is the exact same reason that you hire a Santa Clarita photographer for your wedding, and your anniversary, and your maternity photos, and your family photos, and your life events, because life is worth more than just a simple phone photo. Life memories are worth capturing in their BEST light. So let's Shed Light....

Sorry... I just had to say it... My verbal jargon was on a roll!!! Cheers!

Which Lens Which Lens? | Photography Tips

So how is everyone’s summer going? Photographing a lot? GREAT! My wife, brother, and brother’s girlfriend recently went up to Lake Tahoe for a short vacation. It was so nice to get out of town. But not long enough! There are so many Lake Tahoe photography opportunities to capture that it was a shame we had to head back home for work.

This week, I thought that we would dive into a little camera lens selection. You will hear a lot of critics that say your equipment is only as good as your glass. This is true… sort of. Let me explain. If you have done any research on camera bodies, you might have thought at some point, wow, this Canon T2i looks like it has the same sensor and processor as the Canon 7D! And its half the price! While that is true, from a camera body perspective, you are forgoing the custom features when you go with a consumer level camera. What that statement really means though is that if you were to have the settings the same on both cameras, and you put the same lens on both, you will get the same image. However, the lens that you put on the camera plays a huge part.

If you have ever shopped for a Canon L series lens, you can be assured that your jaw will drop at some of the prices. Canon’s lenses are top of the line. They don’t get much better, but you can be assured that you are going to pay for it! That being said, there are several awesome options for 3rd party manufacturers that make some awesome lenses for a fraction of the cost. Sigma is definitely one of the leaders in my opinion for 3rd party manufacturers.

So what’s in your wallet? Or in this case your camera bag? I am a huge fan of fast lenses, that is, lenses with wide open apertures. I also get annoyed when my aperture auto adjusts itself when I zoom. So I am definitely an advocate of fixed aperture lenses. For what to buy, you need to look at what you shoot. As a Santa Clarita wedding photographer, you really need a wide variety of lenses. You definitely want to get a long zoom lens such as a 70-200mm lens for those intimate close-ups. I would also have a short zoom, such as a 24-70mm. And no matter what you shoot, EVERYONE can benefit from a trust ‘ol 50mm lens. It is a great all around lens for your kit.

If you have lens questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

iPhone Headshots! | How To Take Stellar Photos On An iPhone

Taking a Good Photo on a Budget

Let me preface this by letting you know that this article is geared towards business professionals. I happen to work with lawyers and attorneys and is astonishes me how little attention they give their professional headshot. One thing I always tell them is that if you are going to take a photo yourself, at least take a good one!

So you do realize that a good photo can be the difference between actually booking a client and not booking that client right? I figure that we should start there because this simple truth is the basis and foundation for this article.