I'm upgrading from my D7000 to full frame. The camera I really want is the D810, but I can buy the D750 body (which is really a very nice camera) plus a $1200.00 lens for less than what the D810 body alone sells for. Now the question to me is .... are the few features that the 810 offers really worth the extra $$? After all, as the old saying goes..... invest in glass and not bodies...right?
During the decision process before upgrading to my D7000 from my D40x, I was looking at the Canon 7D and the 5D Mark II. I really wanted the 5D, but that was a huge amount of money for me. Not getting the 5D, left me wishing I had went the full frame option ever since my last upgrade. So was saving the money then actually worth it in the long run....probably not. So...here I am again in the same situation.
So with this new purchase, either option gives me what I really want...Full Frame. That is the point of this upgrade...so why do I have such a dilemma on my hands? It certainly isn't the 36MP that the 810 offers. I actually prefer the 24MP the 750 offers. But...there are three things the 810 offers in my mind, I feel are worth the difference.
1) No AA filter over the sensor. I know...in side by side comparisons, you really have to get to the pixel level to tell any difference here...and not always then. Just the knowledge that the sensor is in some way distorting the image will always be in the back of my mind.
2) Shutter speed up to 1/8000 second. The 810 offers this. The 750 tops out at 1/4000 sec. Really not sure what Nikon was thinking here. That is one full stop.
3) Native ISO down to 64. That's actually a pretty big deal. (for me anyways)
and of course a few other things that are nice about the 810 over the 750, but are more of a personal preference over function.
So this time, I'm going in the opposite direction from my previous buying decision. I'm spending the money on the body....and will add glass over time when I can afford it.
Of course, I'll be heartbroken when the D900 is released....but right now...I thinking this is the route I need to take.
Fuji Finepix Z70 firmware question
I'm on my 2nd camera of this model, both bought used. Today I was trying to take some pics and the thing started bouncing around different menus without input from me. I replaced the battery on principle and it gave me a message "Firmware Update: Battery Should Be Fully Charged" The next message said something about "Update Failed". I can't replicate the problem but am afraid it will appear again at a bad time; ie any time I'm trying to take pics. I haven't been to Fuji's website yet. I'm afraid the camera is no longer supported. Is there some kind of internal timer that gives the update message? Does anybody have any experience with this, or advice about what I should do? I am hesitant to connect my camera to my computer to the internet for the obvious reason. My camera, desktop computer, and phone are discrete devices and never connected more than 2 at a time. I never connect my camera through my computer to the internet and don't want to.
Both the age of the film and the storage conditions you describe will almost certainly result in degraded quality. Most film from disposable cameras is also underexposed as well. The process used to develop the film will be the same regardless of who processes it, the key is to find a lab that uses "good" chemistry. Your local drugstore likely does not receive enough film each day to keep their chemistry healthy. Your best bet (in my opinion) is to "send it out" to a large wholesale or professional lab where they still run control tests and the pool of film they receive maintains their chemistry. Most likely the resulting film will produce prints with a magenta/blue color shift. Depending on the severity, some of that can be corrected in the scanning/printing process.
Both the age of the film and the storage conditions you describe will almost certainly result in degraded quality. Most film from disposable cameras is also underexposed as well. The process used to develop the film will be the same regardless of who processes it, the key is to find a lab that uses "good" chemistry. Your local drugstore likely does not receive enough film each day to keep their chemistry healthy. Your best bet (in my opinion) is to "send it out" to a large wholesale or professional lab where they still run control tests and the pool of film they receive maintains their chemistry. Most likely the resulting film will produce prints with a magenta/blue color shift. Depending on the severity, some of that can be corrected in the scanning/printing process.
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HELP unbootable Mac Pro with crazy Fan!
I recently upgraded my Mac Pro with 24 GB RAM and have filled each bay with 1TB drives. Everything was working great and then all of a sudden it won't boot, had never heard the fan at all prior to this and now it's very loud. There were no warning signs, poor performance or error messages. I tried a different graphics card and discovered I had the latest and had to put the original back in. A tiny piece of plastic that held the prongs in place broke off. I was surprised it still worked in spite of that missing piece of plastic.
Would anyone know if it's a software or hardware problem? Is the problem on my computer or Apple Display? There is no Mac repair near me and I will have to mail it to the nearest one in Makati I suppose. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
The heat sensor to the Processor tend to go out on the earlier mac pros that will prevent it from booting and that is why your fan will speed up and get louder. Also the heat sensor to the ram will do the same thing, you may have broken one off with the plastic piece you are talking about pull all your ram out and try adding two gig at a time to see if one is bad and don't use the one that is broken. it's worth looking at.
You obviously know more about the hardware than I do. What you say makes sense and I will try your recommendations. Is the heat sensor to the Processor a replaceable item? Or is it part of the motherboard? The piece of plastic that broke off is connected to the graphics card on the motherboard and is nowhere near the RAM storage area.
I came across an application that regulates the Fan called SMC FanControl. app I put it on my iMac and hoped it might help the MacPro too should I ever get it operational again.
I've always found tons of stuff online relating to booting issues on a Mac. One thing you can try is to remove the most recent drive you installed. You didn't say, but the machine will default to another drive if it has another hard drive with an OS on it suitable for booting. You can also try starting up holding down the option key, and choices might appear if the board and ROM is good and it spots a boot alternative. I wouldn't worry about the tiny piece of plastic. As long as the card stays in place to maintain the electrical connections, you will be OK.
Would anyone know if it's a software or hardware problem? Is the problem on my computer or Apple Display? There is no Mac repair near me and I will have to mail it to the nearest one in Makati I suppose. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
The heat sensor to the Processor tend to go out on the earlier mac pros that will prevent it from booting and that is why your fan will speed up and get louder. Also the heat sensor to the ram will do the same thing, you may have broken one off with the plastic piece you are talking about pull all your ram out and try adding two gig at a time to see if one is bad and don't use the one that is broken. it's worth looking at.
You obviously know more about the hardware than I do. What you say makes sense and I will try your recommendations. Is the heat sensor to the Processor a replaceable item? Or is it part of the motherboard? The piece of plastic that broke off is connected to the graphics card on the motherboard and is nowhere near the RAM storage area.
I came across an application that regulates the Fan called SMC FanControl. app I put it on my iMac and hoped it might help the MacPro too should I ever get it operational again.
I've always found tons of stuff online relating to booting issues on a Mac. One thing you can try is to remove the most recent drive you installed. You didn't say, but the machine will default to another drive if it has another hard drive with an OS on it suitable for booting. You can also try starting up holding down the option key, and choices might appear if the board and ROM is good and it spots a boot alternative. I wouldn't worry about the tiny piece of plastic. As long as the card stays in place to maintain the electrical connections, you will be OK.
Seeking inspiration for a event party menu
DH and I along with SIL and her BF will be hosting an anniversary party for my MIL and FIL (wow, that was a lot of abbreviating!). It's their 40th anniversary and we'll be serving appetizers, dinner and dessert to approximately 40-50 guests. I'm looking for some inspiration for a dinner that is not terribly complicated but will look impressive for the guests. For some reason, when I think of feeding a crowd, I can only think of lasagna and while I make great lasagna, I don't feel excited about serving it for this occasion.
So, we had considered recreating the meal that was served at their wedding reception. My FIL's father catered their reception and after talking with them last night, apparently neither of them looked back fondly on that meal and I don't think a re-do would be well received. They did love their cake and I plan to make a copy of the wedding cake for dessert.
So, I'm looking for your best ideas. We can work with: 5 burner stove with oven, 2 propane grills, charcoal grill, smoker, electric roaster oven, 2 propane burners (the type used for turkey frying) crockpots and two neighbors kitchens. We have plenty of people to help with preparation. We'd like something not-too-casual since it will be an evening event and while it will be in our backyard, we are planning to rent the big round tables with real linens and lots of elegant lighting, etc.
It sounded like the back in the day meal was a mishmash of stuff set up as a buffet. I know there was roast beef, some kind of meatballs, potato salad, mashed potatoes and, "some other stuff". I wouldn't rule out something like roast beef and I don't think they'd mind that either. I just don't think going for a total re-do of that meal would wow them.
Not too casual to me means the kind of meal one might get in a nicer restaurant. I'm not looking to do cold cut trays or a spaghetti feed or a huge pot of chili kind of dinner.
We haven't made a decision yet about plating or buffet. We're still looking for ideas to throw around.
We really don't have any kind of food restrictions for this event (whew!!!). No need to avoid any kind of meat, wheat, etc. I guess the only real exception would be that DH and I are not big fans of fish (we eat shrimp, crab, lobster but not stuff with fins) so while the guests would probably love that, we wouldn't get much pleasure from preparing it.
So, we had considered recreating the meal that was served at their wedding reception. My FIL's father catered their reception and after talking with them last night, apparently neither of them looked back fondly on that meal and I don't think a re-do would be well received. They did love their cake and I plan to make a copy of the wedding cake for dessert.
So, I'm looking for your best ideas. We can work with: 5 burner stove with oven, 2 propane grills, charcoal grill, smoker, electric roaster oven, 2 propane burners (the type used for turkey frying) crockpots and two neighbors kitchens. We have plenty of people to help with preparation. We'd like something not-too-casual since it will be an evening event and while it will be in our backyard, we are planning to rent the big round tables with real linens and lots of elegant lighting, etc.
It sounded like the back in the day meal was a mishmash of stuff set up as a buffet. I know there was roast beef, some kind of meatballs, potato salad, mashed potatoes and, "some other stuff". I wouldn't rule out something like roast beef and I don't think they'd mind that either. I just don't think going for a total re-do of that meal would wow them.
Not too casual to me means the kind of meal one might get in a nicer restaurant. I'm not looking to do cold cut trays or a spaghetti feed or a huge pot of chili kind of dinner.
We haven't made a decision yet about plating or buffet. We're still looking for ideas to throw around.
We really don't have any kind of food restrictions for this event (whew!!!). No need to avoid any kind of meat, wheat, etc. I guess the only real exception would be that DH and I are not big fans of fish (we eat shrimp, crab, lobster but not stuff with fins) so while the guests would probably love that, we wouldn't get much pleasure from preparing it.
Newbie Advice on a DSLR camera
So I'm trying to jump into the photography/DSLR world and was hoping you guys would have some suggestions or advice on what camera to start with. I've had a regular canon point and shoot for years now. I'm now debating between the Nikon D3200 and Nikon D7100. Is it better to start off with the D3200 and upgrade in the future if necessary?
I'm most likely gonna be photographing more landscapes, scenery, outdoors, travel photography etc. Of course, I'll also be using the camera for everyday photography as well.
Any recommendations for lenses? I was thinking to just start off with 18-55mm and 55-200mm which I'm assuming are the kit lenses you mentioned?
Be sure to budget for lenses
The kit lenses can produce passable images, but you will get far more mileage with quality lenses, which cost quite a bit more. I often recommend to new photographers this: buy a used body, and upgrade later as your skills start to surpass what the camera can offer. Or when the body starts to fail, which it will eventually. Use as much of your budget as you can for a good lens or two. Exactly what lens? That depends on what you'd like to shoot.
The body, if functioning properly, could easily be used. It will, however, be well served by a good lens that fits your needs. I bought a D3200 a year ago and love the simplicity, versatility and the price. But I don't love the Kit lens. Actually, the D3200 is now upgraded to a D3300 retail. It have a few more bells and whistles, more focus points, etc. But I am working towards some better glass.
I'm most likely gonna be photographing more landscapes, scenery, outdoors, travel photography etc. Of course, I'll also be using the camera for everyday photography as well.
Any recommendations for lenses? I was thinking to just start off with 18-55mm and 55-200mm which I'm assuming are the kit lenses you mentioned?
Be sure to budget for lenses
The kit lenses can produce passable images, but you will get far more mileage with quality lenses, which cost quite a bit more. I often recommend to new photographers this: buy a used body, and upgrade later as your skills start to surpass what the camera can offer. Or when the body starts to fail, which it will eventually. Use as much of your budget as you can for a good lens or two. Exactly what lens? That depends on what you'd like to shoot.
The body, if functioning properly, could easily be used. It will, however, be well served by a good lens that fits your needs. I bought a D3200 a year ago and love the simplicity, versatility and the price. But I don't love the Kit lens. Actually, the D3200 is now upgraded to a D3300 retail. It have a few more bells and whistles, more focus points, etc. But I am working towards some better glass.
Wedding Photography: Overpowering the Sun
One situation where this has come up in the past while I was doing a wedding is when the bride and groom come out of the Church and are just stepping into the sun light. There is no controlling where the sun will fall on their face and if it is a harsh sun it can blow out (be really bright almost to the point of white) an area of the subjects face while keeping the other areas properly exposed. The camera is limited in its metering ability and struggles with very light/dark area contrasts. If you try to properly exposed the blown out area the other areas will become too dark and lose detail. Either way you lose detail in either the blown out area or the too dark areas.
One thing you can do is properly expose the blown out part (making the other areas dark) and use a speedlight to expose the dark area and bring back out the details. On camera flashes will not be powerful enough to do this especially considering you might not be able to get right up close to the subject. Additionally, I believe the D3200 is menu driven and this can be slow to work with when shooting in rapidly changing environments. While your outside waiting for the couple to exit set your camera on center weighted metering (as opposed to matrix metering) and use a small focus area. When the couple comes out you can focus/meter on the blown out area and the camera will adjust for that area only. Then you can quickly re-frame the shot and snap away.
With a little bit of practice this is very easy and will allow you to work with varying blown out areas (dress, hair, skin, etc.) very quickly. When using this technique you will usually be outside with strong sun light and already be using a high F-stop but make sure not to go to low on the F-stop as you want a large depth of field area. Sometimes when you focus/meter on an area it might not be their face. You want to make sure that the face is in proper focus and a shallow depth of field will make this very difficult. Everyone wants soft backgrounds but proper exposure is way more important.
One thing you can do is properly expose the blown out part (making the other areas dark) and use a speedlight to expose the dark area and bring back out the details. On camera flashes will not be powerful enough to do this especially considering you might not be able to get right up close to the subject. Additionally, I believe the D3200 is menu driven and this can be slow to work with when shooting in rapidly changing environments. While your outside waiting for the couple to exit set your camera on center weighted metering (as opposed to matrix metering) and use a small focus area. When the couple comes out you can focus/meter on the blown out area and the camera will adjust for that area only. Then you can quickly re-frame the shot and snap away.
With a little bit of practice this is very easy and will allow you to work with varying blown out areas (dress, hair, skin, etc.) very quickly. When using this technique you will usually be outside with strong sun light and already be using a high F-stop but make sure not to go to low on the F-stop as you want a large depth of field area. Sometimes when you focus/meter on an area it might not be their face. You want to make sure that the face is in proper focus and a shallow depth of field will make this very difficult. Everyone wants soft backgrounds but proper exposure is way more important.
Pentax Lens Recommendations?
I currently have a Pentax K20 - and the only lens I currently have (2nd hand) is a Tamron 18-200mm. I haven't been all that impressed with it's focus (or often lack of focus). Because it's the only digital I've used, I don't really have much to compare to aside from other photographers works.
I'd like to focus on more close range work - portraits mostly, but also birds and wildlife so I will likely need a variety of lenses including a decent telephoto.
What recommendations do you have to help me get started on the right path? Not looking to make the switch to Canon or Nikon. There must be lenses available for Pentax that will give me the results I'm hoping to achieve!
Let's see. You have different needs - most wildlife will not let you get very close for the "close range work" unless you have a remote system that triggers when its motion sensor is tripped. That said...
The 50-135mm f2.8 is nice and fast. The focus can be a little soft at the extreme end, but not to the point where it bugs me. Con? AF motor is a titch slower than I'd like for action shots, but that might be PEBKAC - I don't do a lot of action photography in general. Paid about $1000 USD, but the price has gone up since.
Sigma 18-55mm f2.8: it's a very nice wide lens - definitely a big step up from the kit lens. Fast, AF is pretty good. I like this for landscapes and some portraits. I don't remember what I paid...around $600 or so? It's my go-to lens when I want to capture that vast, sweeping landscape.
The plastic 50mm f1.4 lens: I really like it. Fast as hell and it's a good, solid portrait lens. $400-ish?
I also have the 43mm f1.9, and I use this when I shoot portraits in small spaces. Definitely a good portrait lens.
The 35mm f2.4 is also recommended, but I've not tried it myself, but it might be a good starter portrait lens - about $200. Don't let the low price deter you; it's due to its plastic body and lack of manual aperture control (you set it via camera dials).
On my wish list is the 300mm f4 ($1400) or new 560mm f5.6 ($7000) AND the new 2x teleconverter ($600-$700) for wildlife photography. I have a crappy 30yo Solignor that works out to be about 460mm on my K5, and I just adore having that big of a zoom. But the IQ is horrible; I'm keeping my eye out for inexpensive alternatives while I save up.
If you'd like thorough, in-depth reviews of these lens or any other pentax lens, hit Pentaxforums.com. Great resource for when you're shopping, and the community is growing.
I'd like to focus on more close range work - portraits mostly, but also birds and wildlife so I will likely need a variety of lenses including a decent telephoto.
What recommendations do you have to help me get started on the right path? Not looking to make the switch to Canon or Nikon. There must be lenses available for Pentax that will give me the results I'm hoping to achieve!
Let's see. You have different needs - most wildlife will not let you get very close for the "close range work" unless you have a remote system that triggers when its motion sensor is tripped. That said...
The 50-135mm f2.8 is nice and fast. The focus can be a little soft at the extreme end, but not to the point where it bugs me. Con? AF motor is a titch slower than I'd like for action shots, but that might be PEBKAC - I don't do a lot of action photography in general. Paid about $1000 USD, but the price has gone up since.
Sigma 18-55mm f2.8: it's a very nice wide lens - definitely a big step up from the kit lens. Fast, AF is pretty good. I like this for landscapes and some portraits. I don't remember what I paid...around $600 or so? It's my go-to lens when I want to capture that vast, sweeping landscape.
The plastic 50mm f1.4 lens: I really like it. Fast as hell and it's a good, solid portrait lens. $400-ish?
I also have the 43mm f1.9, and I use this when I shoot portraits in small spaces. Definitely a good portrait lens.
The 35mm f2.4 is also recommended, but I've not tried it myself, but it might be a good starter portrait lens - about $200. Don't let the low price deter you; it's due to its plastic body and lack of manual aperture control (you set it via camera dials).
On my wish list is the 300mm f4 ($1400) or new 560mm f5.6 ($7000) AND the new 2x teleconverter ($600-$700) for wildlife photography. I have a crappy 30yo Solignor that works out to be about 460mm on my K5, and I just adore having that big of a zoom. But the IQ is horrible; I'm keeping my eye out for inexpensive alternatives while I save up.
If you'd like thorough, in-depth reviews of these lens or any other pentax lens, hit Pentaxforums.com. Great resource for when you're shopping, and the community is growing.
Is the DSLR fad over?
Of course camera manufacturers appreciate that convenience matters to consumers. Convenience has driven the consumer market for decades and everyone knew it. All of the periods of boom in the industry coincided with advancements in convenience.
The digital revolution is all about expedience. It's the people who are just seeing it now who are behind the curve. An old friend who is a Canon sales rep predicted the decline of the point-and-shoot digital market caused by phones about a decade ago. I doubt he was the first. Roughly 70 million interchangeable lens cameras were sold globally over the last 5 years. I'm sure I'm not making any unwarranted assumptions in stating that working professionals are only a small proportion of those buyers - the BLS estimates 136,000 professional photographers in the US. Worldwide, maybe it's a million or two?
I'm sure all of us know quite a few amateur SLR owners. Most of them bought the camera because they wanted better quality and were told what equipment could provide it and was within their budget, but were never willing to learn how to use the camera to get that quality. Instead, they quickly tired of carrying around a larger camera that when used on auto-mode produces photos that are only slightly better than what the better mobile phones are producing these days.
A very large proportion of the SLR owners I know almost never use them any more. Since after an initial period of enthusiasm with the new device, they now mostly sit shelves, these buyers probably won't be returning to push those sales numbers back up in the future. These are the people I'm referring to as following a fad.
Obviously, not the professionals. They buy what they need for their job, and will continue to do so. Nor for a fairly sizable number of hobbyists like myself, willing to make at least some extra effort and investment in pursuit of quality rather than settling for convenience.
The digital revolution is all about expedience. It's the people who are just seeing it now who are behind the curve. An old friend who is a Canon sales rep predicted the decline of the point-and-shoot digital market caused by phones about a decade ago. I doubt he was the first. Roughly 70 million interchangeable lens cameras were sold globally over the last 5 years. I'm sure I'm not making any unwarranted assumptions in stating that working professionals are only a small proportion of those buyers - the BLS estimates 136,000 professional photographers in the US. Worldwide, maybe it's a million or two?
I'm sure all of us know quite a few amateur SLR owners. Most of them bought the camera because they wanted better quality and were told what equipment could provide it and was within their budget, but were never willing to learn how to use the camera to get that quality. Instead, they quickly tired of carrying around a larger camera that when used on auto-mode produces photos that are only slightly better than what the better mobile phones are producing these days.
A very large proportion of the SLR owners I know almost never use them any more. Since after an initial period of enthusiasm with the new device, they now mostly sit shelves, these buyers probably won't be returning to push those sales numbers back up in the future. These are the people I'm referring to as following a fad.
Obviously, not the professionals. They buy what they need for their job, and will continue to do so. Nor for a fairly sizable number of hobbyists like myself, willing to make at least some extra effort and investment in pursuit of quality rather than settling for convenience.
Event Photography Tips for Newbies
Before shooting Manila events with an SLR, there's more to than just bringing your camera there and clicking away. I'm assuming you know how to change the ISO on the camera, but you are having difficulty deciding what ISO to choose?
There are three factors that determine exposure; shutter speed, aperture and ISO. These are referred to as the exposure triangle. Each one has a different effect on your final image and you need to visualize what you are trying to accomplish and then make your exposure choices based on those decisions. Here is an excellent book that will teach you almost everything you need to know about the exposure triangle, I recommend it highly.
http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Photographs-Digital-Updated/dp/0817463003/
Basically this is the deal with ISO. The ISO is essentially the sensitivity of your camera's sensor to light. At the lowest setting (usually 100) there will generally be the least amount of noise. The higher the setting, the worse the noise. The reasons you want to use a high ISO is when the light is low, and you need to keep the shutter speed fast to avoid blurring images. Since noisy is preferable to blurry, this is a trade-off you will sometimes accept. Reasons to use a low ISO, when you want the cleanest image possible and shutter speed is not necessarily an issue...like bright sunny days in Philippines or when shooting on a tripod. As you use your camera during the event, you will learn at what point ISO noise becomes an issue. As technology has progressed, we can push cameras much farther now than in the past. There are just too many scenarios to list here, but this gives you an idea what kind of things to take in consideration. Trust me, get the book and read it.
Next, the 75-300 is heavy? Hardly, it's actually quite a lightweight to carry around during the event. As far as stabilization, none of the Canon bodies have it. Stabilization is built into the lenses on Canon equipment, not the body...so I'm not sure what you're referring to there.
As far as editing, I don't think flickr has that capability...picasa does, you may want to try that one...it's tied in with Google+ nowadays.
There are three factors that determine exposure; shutter speed, aperture and ISO. These are referred to as the exposure triangle. Each one has a different effect on your final image and you need to visualize what you are trying to accomplish and then make your exposure choices based on those decisions. Here is an excellent book that will teach you almost everything you need to know about the exposure triangle, I recommend it highly.
http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Photographs-Digital-Updated/dp/0817463003/
Basically this is the deal with ISO. The ISO is essentially the sensitivity of your camera's sensor to light. At the lowest setting (usually 100) there will generally be the least amount of noise. The higher the setting, the worse the noise. The reasons you want to use a high ISO is when the light is low, and you need to keep the shutter speed fast to avoid blurring images. Since noisy is preferable to blurry, this is a trade-off you will sometimes accept. Reasons to use a low ISO, when you want the cleanest image possible and shutter speed is not necessarily an issue...like bright sunny days in Philippines or when shooting on a tripod. As you use your camera during the event, you will learn at what point ISO noise becomes an issue. As technology has progressed, we can push cameras much farther now than in the past. There are just too many scenarios to list here, but this gives you an idea what kind of things to take in consideration. Trust me, get the book and read it.
Next, the 75-300 is heavy? Hardly, it's actually quite a lightweight to carry around during the event. As far as stabilization, none of the Canon bodies have it. Stabilization is built into the lenses on Canon equipment, not the body...so I'm not sure what you're referring to there.
As far as editing, I don't think flickr has that capability...picasa does, you may want to try that one...it's tied in with Google+ nowadays.
Mac Pro intro of new models coming?
I understand Apple has about a 3 year cycle for introducing "new & improved" for proven good products. As I see it, a three year cycle is a little too long; probably more like six months. But the thing is, you should not expect that what you buy now will be obsolete or dead or unsupported in three years. That's not what will happen.
Apple has typically upgraded the tech about every six months in their current models; the processors get a little faster (not really much of an issue, any more); they have more cores and more pipelines and more ram and they're moving from mechanical drives with moving parts that eventually wear out and break down and are heavy to solid state drives with no moving parts and don't get so hot and graphics processors with more memory and better heat dissipation and different and faster connectors and brighter and higher resolute displays and it's never going to stop. These things will always be in evolutionary mode.
You get something now or whenever and know that it will be surpassed in six months in some way. Also know that, with prudent care and maintenance, it will have a lifespan of at least five years and probably much longer and will still be working as it did when new with little degradation. And yes, there will also be a new and improved model coming right around the corner. But that's what you want, isn't it?
You say, you're 'tired of Windows'. That's the OS that was the primary motivator that made me buy a Mac; a 17" MacBook Pro in 2006 with Intel Core Duo processor and Apple Mac OS X 10.4.x, the first OS X version. It now runs OS X 10.6.8, the last OS X version the Core Duo can handle. But the Core Duo was replaced after about six months with Core2 Duo, along with all new, upgraded hardware to match the processor and to optimize its speed and performance. And it's been that way at every step. I hope it never changes.
All the other PCs offer about the same kinds of upgraded hardware but what they can't offer is the proprietary OS belonging to Apple. You either accept it or you stay with the same old Windows OS and all the problems that accompany it. That's all I have to say about that.
Apple has typically upgraded the tech about every six months in their current models; the processors get a little faster (not really much of an issue, any more); they have more cores and more pipelines and more ram and they're moving from mechanical drives with moving parts that eventually wear out and break down and are heavy to solid state drives with no moving parts and don't get so hot and graphics processors with more memory and better heat dissipation and different and faster connectors and brighter and higher resolute displays and it's never going to stop. These things will always be in evolutionary mode.
You get something now or whenever and know that it will be surpassed in six months in some way. Also know that, with prudent care and maintenance, it will have a lifespan of at least five years and probably much longer and will still be working as it did when new with little degradation. And yes, there will also be a new and improved model coming right around the corner. But that's what you want, isn't it?
You say, you're 'tired of Windows'. That's the OS that was the primary motivator that made me buy a Mac; a 17" MacBook Pro in 2006 with Intel Core Duo processor and Apple Mac OS X 10.4.x, the first OS X version. It now runs OS X 10.6.8, the last OS X version the Core Duo can handle. But the Core Duo was replaced after about six months with Core2 Duo, along with all new, upgraded hardware to match the processor and to optimize its speed and performance. And it's been that way at every step. I hope it never changes.
All the other PCs offer about the same kinds of upgraded hardware but what they can't offer is the proprietary OS belonging to Apple. You either accept it or you stay with the same old Windows OS and all the problems that accompany it. That's all I have to say about that.
What's up with Photobucket?
Wow, Photobucket sent me an email saying my free 10GB was almost used up and I need to upgrade to the paid version.
So I went into my library and deleted over half my old images. Was 613, now 357 images. Two days later they say I've exceeded my 10GB and stopped displaying images I've posted. All is says is this:
It's like pay us for free advertising. You advertize for them for free by linking to your photos, in return you get a free account, but you provide too much advertizing so you need to pay them so they can account for all the traffic you bring in. Makes complete sense to me....
I wonder if I can set up a new photobucket account using a different email address or will I need to learn to use flickr or another service.
It's like pay us for free advertising. You advertize for them for free by linking to your photos, in return you get a free account, but you provide too much advertizing so you need to pay them so they can account for all the traffic you bring in. Makes complete sense to me....
I wonder if I can set up a new photobucket account using a different email address or will I need to learn to use flickr or another service.
Advice on Carribean themed social hour?
For next month's wedding, the client is requesting to make the social hour Caribbean themed. Would that be weird switching themes and then going back to the original theme for the reception? Even if we emphasized the honeymoon being in the Caribbean? Other ideas we thought about is making a Caribbean themed bridal shower or rehearsal dinner, etc. if the social hour did not work.
Maybe switching back and forth will just undermine both themes, and they are so different--elegant roses theme, playful caribbean theme--too jarring. I am not a fan of brides planning their showers since it is a party for them, thrown by other people, not their event. However, the caribbean theme would be fine for the shower and/or rehearsal dinner.
It's easy to sink into a mixed-up muddle -- a formal ceremony, a casual Caribbean social hour, and then back to a formal reception? Unless there was an overriding style that could be incorporated into all three segments, I think the Caribbean jaunt in the middle of two formal settings would be a little too jarring.
It looks like the photographer left room
It looks like the photographer left room for the groom on the left side of the photo. If he'd shot it as a vertical, he wouldn't have had to cut off part of her head and arm. At the very least, I think he should have put her in the left third of the frame rather than the right.
The effect consists mainly in exposing for her face, which is in open shade, overexposing the background and using shallow depth of field. This style can be shot in an actual outdoor location or in front of a painted drop in the studio, although this was pretty clearly shot outdoor.
The style is consistent with the pose, and except for the composition, it's a pretty nice example of that style. I don't particularly like that style, but then I almost never worked that market.
If I were working the wedding/portrait market, I would want to have some of this style, along with some of the more traditional approaches, in my portfolio. Hopefully all of it well composed.
A varied portfolio shows the possibilities to the client and lets her/him choose the style.
I have to confess, I don't know what you mean by "the pp," so I just responded to what I saw. I don't think that asking more than one question a day offends anyone.
I am with you on the top of the head and the arm at the bottom of the photo. Bad move. As one poster notes, she spent a lot of time and effort on the hair so a photographer should take note. Also, cropping body parts has rules. Partial appendages are not usually a good idea. This one falls into that category.
Ah the rule of thirds. Not centering a subject and how to do it right. This rule is one that can be rethought. Typically, when the subject includes movement, like a car or plane, there should always be space in front of that object to let the mind perceive forward movement. But not always. A plane may be towards the leading edge of the photo if you wish to show a particularly spectacular contrail, lets say.
When I first looked at this photo the idea that popped into my head is that she id focused on the bouquet, not for what lies ahead, but for where she came from or what brought her to this time and place. So really, its a matter of what you want to portrait. That part of this photo was to me, interesting.
As for the tone, colors, exposure, etc. I am not a good critic. But I agree that could be what the bride wants. So as many of us know, a happy bride is a good thing.
The effect consists mainly in exposing for her face, which is in open shade, overexposing the background and using shallow depth of field. This style can be shot in an actual outdoor location or in front of a painted drop in the studio, although this was pretty clearly shot outdoor.
The style is consistent with the pose, and except for the composition, it's a pretty nice example of that style. I don't particularly like that style, but then I almost never worked that market.
If I were working the wedding/portrait market, I would want to have some of this style, along with some of the more traditional approaches, in my portfolio. Hopefully all of it well composed.
A varied portfolio shows the possibilities to the client and lets her/him choose the style.
I have to confess, I don't know what you mean by "the pp," so I just responded to what I saw. I don't think that asking more than one question a day offends anyone.
I am with you on the top of the head and the arm at the bottom of the photo. Bad move. As one poster notes, she spent a lot of time and effort on the hair so a photographer should take note. Also, cropping body parts has rules. Partial appendages are not usually a good idea. This one falls into that category.
Ah the rule of thirds. Not centering a subject and how to do it right. This rule is one that can be rethought. Typically, when the subject includes movement, like a car or plane, there should always be space in front of that object to let the mind perceive forward movement. But not always. A plane may be towards the leading edge of the photo if you wish to show a particularly spectacular contrail, lets say.
When I first looked at this photo the idea that popped into my head is that she id focused on the bouquet, not for what lies ahead, but for where she came from or what brought her to this time and place. So really, its a matter of what you want to portrait. That part of this photo was to me, interesting.
As for the tone, colors, exposure, etc. I am not a good critic. But I agree that could be what the bride wants. So as many of us know, a happy bride is a good thing.
Need ideas for ground cover plant on a slope for event venue
Our wedding event venue is in a rural area and the drive way is a good block and a half long. Both sides slope terribly down making it nearly impossible to mow, one side slopes straight into a barbed-wire fence. It is a pain to mow the long and sloped area every couple of weeks, not to mention dangerous. I wanted to plant a English Ivy along both sides along the whole drive which would look great to me, but I read that horses can get sick and even die from eating ivy which is a pain since the shortest distance of the slope drops down to my neighbors horse pasture right next to the most used area for the animals. Is this true that Ivy can kill them and if so what would be another litle-no maintenance ground cover that would be safe for the animals, not take over the countryside and still kill all the grass/weeds growing along these slopes?
English ivy is toxic to horses should they choose to graze in it, but they rarely do due to its very bitter taste (meaning also if they're starved for food elsewhere too, otherwise they steer clear of it). Also, any intake of it would have to be in very large quantities to spark a physical reaction (foaming mouth, enlarged pupils/eyes) and is rarely, if ever, fatal in any event. Ivy would be PERFECT for your slope the in event venue although it does creep, including climbing up fences and trees, so is not maintenance free and needs to be sheered back a few times each summer where not wanted. It also has the advantage of being a very dense cover such that unsightly tall weeds are a lot less likely to peek out and grow through, thus not requiring more than the initial mulch-job when first planted and establishing itself.
Another choice - which is NOT toxic to horses or any other pets for that matter - would be crepe myrtle (which also has a lovely little blue flower in spring) but it is nowhere near as dense a cover, takes longer to 'fill in' and thus you WILL see unsightly weeds peek through unless you double up on plants and jam them in to get as thick and protective cover as possible. Another idea, but MUCH more expensive initially, is the vast array (and colors from deep green to medium green to blue-green)is creeping juniper. Another good choice is Euonymous Fortunei, which is also great for erosion control, is evergreen and dense, with inconspicuous flowers. You haven't said whether you are dealing with full sun, part shade of full shade, so choices should be made in consideration of same (for instance lily-of-the-valley works too, has great fragrant flowers, but burns out in full sun, needs part shade.
English ivy is toxic to horses should they choose to graze in it, but they rarely do due to its very bitter taste (meaning also if they're starved for food elsewhere too, otherwise they steer clear of it). Also, any intake of it would have to be in very large quantities to spark a physical reaction (foaming mouth, enlarged pupils/eyes) and is rarely, if ever, fatal in any event. Ivy would be PERFECT for your slope the in event venue although it does creep, including climbing up fences and trees, so is not maintenance free and needs to be sheered back a few times each summer where not wanted. It also has the advantage of being a very dense cover such that unsightly tall weeds are a lot less likely to peek out and grow through, thus not requiring more than the initial mulch-job when first planted and establishing itself.
Another choice - which is NOT toxic to horses or any other pets for that matter - would be crepe myrtle (which also has a lovely little blue flower in spring) but it is nowhere near as dense a cover, takes longer to 'fill in' and thus you WILL see unsightly weeds peek through unless you double up on plants and jam them in to get as thick and protective cover as possible. Another idea, but MUCH more expensive initially, is the vast array (and colors from deep green to medium green to blue-green)is creeping juniper. Another good choice is Euonymous Fortunei, which is also great for erosion control, is evergreen and dense, with inconspicuous flowers. You haven't said whether you are dealing with full sun, part shade of full shade, so choices should be made in consideration of same (for instance lily-of-the-valley works too, has great fragrant flowers, but burns out in full sun, needs part shade.
What's More Important Digital Zoom or Megapixels?
I'm looking into upgrading my Digital Camera. I'm wondering what is more Important the zoom or the megapixels? For example a camera with 20.1 mp w/10x digital zoom VS a camera with 16 mp w/20x Digital zoom?
The most important element is training your vision, learning the functions of the basic camera settings and how they affect an image, and other basics such as how to hold the camera steady when making an image. With rare exception, digital zoom is fairly useless. Very quickly into the "zoom" range, the image begins to degrade.
Depending on the particular sensors being compared, the differences between 16 and 20 megapixels will be minimal and trivial. Other features such as the quality of the lens, the controls the camera provides, how the camera handles for you, etc., are at least, and likely more important than the features you asked about.
Also increasing megapixels means more information is recorded providing sharper pictures. Digital zoom is really nothing more than increasing the size of the image shown and cropping to fit. You can get the same effect at the printing stage, but either way it will result in a loss of quality.
The most important element is training your vision, learning the functions of the basic camera settings and how they affect an image, and other basics such as how to hold the camera steady when making an image. With rare exception, digital zoom is fairly useless. Very quickly into the "zoom" range, the image begins to degrade.
Depending on the particular sensors being compared, the differences between 16 and 20 megapixels will be minimal and trivial. Other features such as the quality of the lens, the controls the camera provides, how the camera handles for you, etc., are at least, and likely more important than the features you asked about.
Also increasing megapixels means more information is recorded providing sharper pictures. Digital zoom is really nothing more than increasing the size of the image shown and cropping to fit. You can get the same effect at the printing stage, but either way it will result in a loss of quality.
But if I had to choose, then megapixels. Digital zoom is absolutely useless. You can crop and enlarge photos on your computer and achieve the same result.
However, the megapixel number can be nearly as useless. Some cheap cameras use lower megapixel sensors and use digital black magic to increase the number of megapixels by interpolating extra information.
I'm guessing a camera that advertises 20.1mp and 10x digital zoom or 16mp with 20x digital zoom is pretty much a piece of crap and the company depends on marketing ploys like these to unwitting people to buy them.
Advance preparation for traveling to events in a different city
A little advance prep can save precious travel time. Check where, how much and how to catch the basic transport you'll need on arrival and leaving. Know how much a taxi, train, bus, etc. should cost from airport to destination to avoid rip-off's and ensure you've got enough local currency and directions.
Photograph your ID, passport, travel or airline docs and suitcase contents. Save to Cloud if possible and your camera and phone. Helps in case of theft or loss.
Pack laundry dryer sheets, great for static cling, refresh clothes and keep in dirty clothes bag to cover any scent. A Shower cap or extra plastic bag cover germy hotel remote controls nicely.
When sightseeing, don't attempt to see every museum. It's better to limit yourself to the best of what a place has to offer. This way you don't get jaded and tired of it all. It's best to limit yourself to one art museum, one monument, one palace, one church, and one historical site or museum per place visited. However, you can visit several neighborhoods within a place.
Also, when visiting museums, don't attempt to see everything there. Instead focus on what is best or most unique in what they have to offer.
Photograph your ID, passport, travel or airline docs and suitcase contents. Save to Cloud if possible and your camera and phone. Helps in case of theft or loss.
Pack laundry dryer sheets, great for static cling, refresh clothes and keep in dirty clothes bag to cover any scent. A Shower cap or extra plastic bag cover germy hotel remote controls nicely.
When sightseeing, don't attempt to see every museum. It's better to limit yourself to the best of what a place has to offer. This way you don't get jaded and tired of it all. It's best to limit yourself to one art museum, one monument, one palace, one church, and one historical site or museum per place visited. However, you can visit several neighborhoods within a place.
Also, when visiting museums, don't attempt to see everything there. Instead focus on what is best or most unique in what they have to offer.
Using reflected light to judge proper exposure
It is at best a guess. Sure, you might get close, but it's still a guess. You might even get lucky and nail it, but it was still a guess...a lucky guess.
Modern cameras have all kind of crutches to try and help. There are "spot" metering modes, highlight blowout views on the EVF, average metering, matrix metering, but in the end, all the camera and photographer are doing is guessing at the setting for best exposure.
I can't say for sure, but I'm assuming the people that contracted me to provide pictures of this event would have preferred it that I did not guess. So I showed up the night before for dress rehearsal and took a few measurements. I now knew that at f2.8 (the widest my lens can go) and 1/125 shutter (the slowest I dare shoot to freeze motion), I needed to set the ISO to 1600. Done.
I could have brought a grey card and took a reflective reading off that, but why? I already measured the light that would be falling on the stage. Sure, it changes from scene to scene, but in this case, if it was darker on the stage, I wanted the image to be darker. I wanted the cameras to see exactly what my eye was seeing. The last thing I wanted was an in-camera meter brightening, darkening or heaven forbid averaging the exposure. What a nightmare that would have been.
If you'd care to, click on the image I posted and surf through all the shots from that performance. You will see that 90% are ISO1600, f2.8 and 1/125 shutter. A few are 1/250 when all the stage lights came on. There was no need for an in-camera meter to be constantly making adjustments depending on where I was pointing the lens and how much reflected light happened to hit the sensor at that moment.
If I didn't have the opportunity to get on stage and directly measure the light, my second choice would have been to spot meter off Cinderella's white-white dress and go 4 stops down from there leaving her dress in zone 9.
The point is once I have this measurement, the only stupid thing I could do would be not to turn off my camera's meter for the rest of the evening.
I guess the reason I harp on incident light is that it seems to be a forgotten path to perfect exposure in this day and age of modern, "do everything for you" cameras. No one has to educate or advocate for in-camera reflective metering.
A meter works the same for digital or film. The problem is an in camera meter takes a reading of reflected light but, not all surfaces will reflect the same amount of light. Even worse are the meter modes that use part or all of the scene and the camera guesses what you're metering for.
In camera meter can be just as accurate if you use a grey card or other known surface to meter off of, palm of your hand for example. It's easier to use a hand held meter though and I most often carry mine.
The biggest problem lies in people not understanding how to meter with what they are using. In camera or hand held meter will both be just as accurate if the person operating it knows what they are doing.
There is an entire generation of shooters (maybe two generations) that don't have a clue how to calculate an exposure and think the only way is to set their camera on auto "something" and shoot away, making adjustments on the fly from a 2" LCD screen.
I was one of them until I saw the light.
Modern cameras have all kind of crutches to try and help. There are "spot" metering modes, highlight blowout views on the EVF, average metering, matrix metering, but in the end, all the camera and photographer are doing is guessing at the setting for best exposure.
I can't say for sure, but I'm assuming the people that contracted me to provide pictures of this event would have preferred it that I did not guess. So I showed up the night before for dress rehearsal and took a few measurements. I now knew that at f2.8 (the widest my lens can go) and 1/125 shutter (the slowest I dare shoot to freeze motion), I needed to set the ISO to 1600. Done.
I could have brought a grey card and took a reflective reading off that, but why? I already measured the light that would be falling on the stage. Sure, it changes from scene to scene, but in this case, if it was darker on the stage, I wanted the image to be darker. I wanted the cameras to see exactly what my eye was seeing. The last thing I wanted was an in-camera meter brightening, darkening or heaven forbid averaging the exposure. What a nightmare that would have been.
If you'd care to, click on the image I posted and surf through all the shots from that performance. You will see that 90% are ISO1600, f2.8 and 1/125 shutter. A few are 1/250 when all the stage lights came on. There was no need for an in-camera meter to be constantly making adjustments depending on where I was pointing the lens and how much reflected light happened to hit the sensor at that moment.
If I didn't have the opportunity to get on stage and directly measure the light, my second choice would have been to spot meter off Cinderella's white-white dress and go 4 stops down from there leaving her dress in zone 9.
The point is once I have this measurement, the only stupid thing I could do would be not to turn off my camera's meter for the rest of the evening.
I guess the reason I harp on incident light is that it seems to be a forgotten path to perfect exposure in this day and age of modern, "do everything for you" cameras. No one has to educate or advocate for in-camera reflective metering.
A meter works the same for digital or film. The problem is an in camera meter takes a reading of reflected light but, not all surfaces will reflect the same amount of light. Even worse are the meter modes that use part or all of the scene and the camera guesses what you're metering for.
In camera meter can be just as accurate if you use a grey card or other known surface to meter off of, palm of your hand for example. It's easier to use a hand held meter though and I most often carry mine.
The biggest problem lies in people not understanding how to meter with what they are using. In camera or hand held meter will both be just as accurate if the person operating it knows what they are doing.
There is an entire generation of shooters (maybe two generations) that don't have a clue how to calculate an exposure and think the only way is to set their camera on auto "something" and shoot away, making adjustments on the fly from a 2" LCD screen.
I was one of them until I saw the light.
Wedding Costs
Having been fortunate enough to be a guest at numerous weddings over the years I've witnessed quite a variation in the ceremonies and receptions from one couple to another. The ceremonies have ranged from a minister speaking briefly while standing within a few yards of abandoned chicken shacks to a priest celebrating a formal Mass held in a cathedral.
The differences between the least and most elaborate wedding receptions are notable.
"Couple A" held their reception at a simple log cabin style community center. There was no alcohol served. The meal, for no more than 40 guests, consisted solely of baked chicken and garden salad that was prepared in the community center's basement along with a modest wedding cake that was made by the bride's mother. The entertainment was a a few cassette tapes played on a boom box provided by one of the guests.
"Couple B" held their reception at an elaborate function hall. There was an open bar during the entire event. The meal, for over 200 guests, consisted of appetizers including an incredible buffet of fresh fruits and cheeses, plus your choice of entree and a slice from the huge bakery produced wedding cake. There was a live band to provide musical entertainment.
I feel that most couples really wish to provide a highly enjoyable event for themselves and their guests and are willing to bite the bullet in terms of the costs. Hopefully as the couple ages they will be able to look back and share the fond memories and not be regretting the money they spent. However it does makes good financial sense to reduce spending for insignificant extras since traditionally the bride's parents shoulder much of the costs.
For the majority of couples it takes at least a moderate effort to be able to save enough funds for things that are essential and not put themselves deeply into debt from their wedding at the very start of their marriage. Perhaps there is a reason that some couples decide to avoid all the planning and costs involved and just "shack-up" together!
The differences between the least and most elaborate wedding receptions are notable.
"Couple A" held their reception at a simple log cabin style community center. There was no alcohol served. The meal, for no more than 40 guests, consisted solely of baked chicken and garden salad that was prepared in the community center's basement along with a modest wedding cake that was made by the bride's mother. The entertainment was a a few cassette tapes played on a boom box provided by one of the guests.
"Couple B" held their reception at an elaborate function hall. There was an open bar during the entire event. The meal, for over 200 guests, consisted of appetizers including an incredible buffet of fresh fruits and cheeses, plus your choice of entree and a slice from the huge bakery produced wedding cake. There was a live band to provide musical entertainment.
I feel that most couples really wish to provide a highly enjoyable event for themselves and their guests and are willing to bite the bullet in terms of the costs. Hopefully as the couple ages they will be able to look back and share the fond memories and not be regretting the money they spent. However it does makes good financial sense to reduce spending for insignificant extras since traditionally the bride's parents shoulder much of the costs.
For the majority of couples it takes at least a moderate effort to be able to save enough funds for things that are essential and not put themselves deeply into debt from their wedding at the very start of their marriage. Perhaps there is a reason that some couples decide to avoid all the planning and costs involved and just "shack-up" together!
I've seen many youtube videos shot on DSLR's that look incredible
At an amateur level I've been told DSLR's do better than most consumer video cameras. The guy at the store said I need to spend at least $1,500 on a video camera if I want it to do a better job than a DSLR. I just shoot some basic YouTube videos, and I do very basic editing with Adobe Premiere Elements. I figured it would just be better to buy a DSLR.
I bought a couple of different cheap consumer grade video cameras for about $300 (Sony & Canon). I hated both and returned them. Couldn't even turn off the auto focus feature.
DSLR's with video capability, such as the T3i-T4i-T5i, and the 60D or 70D put out stunning video- video that looks like high end cinema. I know much of this is due to the skill of the photographer in shooting & in post processing, but nonetheless, they look incredible. You would need professional lighting especially if you plan to produce the videos indoors. If it were me, I would look for a standalone prosumer-grade video camera to purchase.
The limitations I hear about tend to be with regard to certain shooting limitations, like with some DSLR's, you can only shoot 30 minutes or so at a time, and that the ergonomics aren't as nice, and some can heat up when shooting for prolonged periods.
But, if you shoot short youtube videos, they can look unbelievable. Shooting a feature length film can be challenging, but can also come out great if you know what you're doing.
The problem with autofocus on moving subjects has been addressed with the new focus system on the 70D- it can focus quietly and quickly on moving subjects with very good accuracy. Check out some videos for examples- just go to youtube and look up 70D video- I've seen some that look amazing. I'm starting to think my next camera will be a 70D for this reason. Unless they come out with something better that's in a price range I can pay.
But, it all depends on what kind of video you want to shoot. many youtube videos could just be shot with an iPhone. It all depends on the subject matter, and the aesthetics you are going for.
I've had my Nikon D70 for almost a decade. Still does fine, except I want video as well. Saw the sale sign at a local camera shop. The salesman claimed the D7100 is right for me as it's mid-level (since I'm migrating from a D70, I shouldn't step in the beginner SLR). I wanted a Nikon since I already had Nikon lenses, but was told my old lenses are crap and need to be upgraded. So if I have to get new lenses, I don't have to stay with Nikon.
I take lots of pics for selling stuff on the net. I usually take 50 pictures of each item. I really like the newer camera's with HDMI output so I can instantly see the results on a monitor. I also make some basic YouTube videos and hence want video functionality. Some outdoor photography while hiking.
He showed me the D7100 w/18-105mm lens for $1,400. It's priced similarly all over the net (it's the authorized Nikon price). Before buying this, thought I'd ask the experts. I haven't followed camera technology since I bought my D70, so I'm lost. What would you buy for $1,500 (camera and one quality lens)? Nikon, Olympus, Sony, Canon, etc? If you know of a really good deal somewhere, it's ok if it exceeds $1,500, but not by much.
Photography-wise, if you want quality results, get quality lens. That's where you'll see the most improvement. I'm not saying that you shouldn't upgrade the body or that it's unimportant - certainly it does factor in, but rather, it's less critical to getting quality awe-inspiring shots. If that makes sense?
I bought a couple of different cheap consumer grade video cameras for about $300 (Sony & Canon). I hated both and returned them. Couldn't even turn off the auto focus feature.
DSLR's with video capability, such as the T3i-T4i-T5i, and the 60D or 70D put out stunning video- video that looks like high end cinema. I know much of this is due to the skill of the photographer in shooting & in post processing, but nonetheless, they look incredible. You would need professional lighting especially if you plan to produce the videos indoors. If it were me, I would look for a standalone prosumer-grade video camera to purchase.
The limitations I hear about tend to be with regard to certain shooting limitations, like with some DSLR's, you can only shoot 30 minutes or so at a time, and that the ergonomics aren't as nice, and some can heat up when shooting for prolonged periods.
But, if you shoot short youtube videos, they can look unbelievable. Shooting a feature length film can be challenging, but can also come out great if you know what you're doing.
The problem with autofocus on moving subjects has been addressed with the new focus system on the 70D- it can focus quietly and quickly on moving subjects with very good accuracy. Check out some videos for examples- just go to youtube and look up 70D video- I've seen some that look amazing. I'm starting to think my next camera will be a 70D for this reason. Unless they come out with something better that's in a price range I can pay.
But, it all depends on what kind of video you want to shoot. many youtube videos could just be shot with an iPhone. It all depends on the subject matter, and the aesthetics you are going for.
I've had my Nikon D70 for almost a decade. Still does fine, except I want video as well. Saw the sale sign at a local camera shop. The salesman claimed the D7100 is right for me as it's mid-level (since I'm migrating from a D70, I shouldn't step in the beginner SLR). I wanted a Nikon since I already had Nikon lenses, but was told my old lenses are crap and need to be upgraded. So if I have to get new lenses, I don't have to stay with Nikon.
I take lots of pics for selling stuff on the net. I usually take 50 pictures of each item. I really like the newer camera's with HDMI output so I can instantly see the results on a monitor. I also make some basic YouTube videos and hence want video functionality. Some outdoor photography while hiking.
He showed me the D7100 w/18-105mm lens for $1,400. It's priced similarly all over the net (it's the authorized Nikon price). Before buying this, thought I'd ask the experts. I haven't followed camera technology since I bought my D70, so I'm lost. What would you buy for $1,500 (camera and one quality lens)? Nikon, Olympus, Sony, Canon, etc? If you know of a really good deal somewhere, it's ok if it exceeds $1,500, but not by much.
Photography-wise, if you want quality results, get quality lens. That's where you'll see the most improvement. I'm not saying that you shouldn't upgrade the body or that it's unimportant - certainly it does factor in, but rather, it's less critical to getting quality awe-inspiring shots. If that makes sense?
Batteries die and memory cards run out inevitably right in the middle of a scene. Many DSLRs and mirrorless cameras have to be removed from a tripod before batteries can be replaced. If filming a commercial where I can say "cut" when my batteries run out, fine. But if you're filming live action...get a video camera.
BONE THUGS N HARMONY - LIVE IN MANILA
BONE THUGS N HARMONY - LIVE IN MANILA
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PERFORMING ALL THEIR HIT SINGLES
-CROSSROADS
-NOTORIOUS THUGS
-1ST OF THE MONTH
-THUGGISH RUGGISH
-DAYS OF OUR LIVES
& MANY MORE
ALSO PERFORMING
BIG SLOAN OF MO THUGS
ABRA
URBAN MUSIC AWARDS 2014 & BENEFIT CONCERT
11 JUNE 2014 WEDNESDAY 8:00PM
MALL OF ASIA ARENA
PORTION OF PROFITS FROM THE EVENT SHALL BE DONATED BY LADDER HOUSE TO HELP WITH THE REBUILDING OF THE CITIES THAT WERE AFFECTED BY THE RECENT TYPHOON
PROMO: EPLUS 10%
EPLUS MEMBERS GETS 10% DISCOUNT UPON PRESENTATION OF THEIR EPLUS CARDS. NO LIMIT ON TICKET PURCHASE. PROMO UNTIL JUNE 11, 2014.
ONLINE PROMO CODE: EPLUS10
LADDERHOUSE AND WAVE 89.1
PRESENT
BONE THUGS N HARMONY
LIVE IN MANILA
-OVER 40 MILLION RECORDS SOLD WORLDWIDE
-GRAMMY AWARD WINNING HIP-HOP GROUP
PERFORMING ALL THEIR HIT SINGLES
-CROSSROADS
-NOTORIOUS THUGS
-1ST OF THE MONTH
-THUGGISH RUGGISH
-DAYS OF OUR LIVES
& MANY MORE
ALSO PERFORMING
BIG SLOAN OF MO THUGS
ABRA
URBAN MUSIC AWARDS 2014 & BENEFIT CONCERT
11 JUNE 2014 WEDNESDAY 8:00PM
MALL OF ASIA ARENA
PORTION OF PROFITS FROM THE EVENT SHALL BE DONATED BY LADDER HOUSE TO HELP WITH THE REBUILDING OF THE CITIES THAT WERE AFFECTED BY THE RECENT TYPHOON
PROMO: EPLUS 10%
EPLUS MEMBERS GETS 10% DISCOUNT UPON PRESENTATION OF THEIR EPLUS CARDS. NO LIMIT ON TICKET PURCHASE. PROMO UNTIL JUNE 11, 2014.
ONLINE PROMO CODE: EPLUS10
PROMO: LOWER BOX EPLUS 15%
EPLUS MEMBERS GETS 15% DISCOUNT UPON PRESENTATION OF THEIR EPLUS CARDS. NO LIMIT ON TICKET PURCHASE. PROMO UNTIL JUNE 11, 2014.
ONLINE PROMO CODE: EPLUS15
TeamManila x Itchyworms Launch
TeamManila x Itchyworms Launch
Date: June 12, 2004 4pm
Location: SM City Manila
Arroceros cor. Concepcion & San Marcelino sts., Ermita, Manila
Come out and meet the band for free!
Date: June 12, 2004 4pm
Location: SM City Manila
Arroceros cor. Concepcion & San Marcelino sts., Ermita, Manila
Come out and meet the band for free!
Taylor Swift - The Red Tour - Manila The Philippines - Presented By Cornetto
Taylor Swift - The Red Tour - Manila The Philippines - Presented By Cornetto
Date: Friday, June 6, 2014 8:00pm
Location: Mall of Asia Arena
Taylor Swift - RED Tour Asia Dates
~ May 30th - Presented By Cornetto - Mercedes Benz Arena - Shanghai - China - SOLD OUT ! -
~ June 1st - Presented By Cornetto - Satima Super Arena - Tokyo - Japan - Sold Out !! -
~ June 4th -Presented By Cornetto - Meis Ancol Jakarta International Staduim -Indonesia. - Sold Out -
~ June 6th - Presented By Cornetto - Mall of Asia Complex _ Manila The Phillippines - Sold Out -
~ June 9th - Presented By Cornetto - Impact Area - Bangkok Thailand. - Sold Out ! -
~ June 11 - Presented By Cornetto - Putra Indoor stadium - Kuala Lumpur Malaysia - Sold Out ! -
~ Final Show - June 12th -Presented By Cornetto - Singapore Indoor Stadium - Singapore - SOLD OUT !
~ Congrats Asia on Achieving the #REDtour
Hope Its Us Next!!
~ Please Taylor Scott #REDtourDublin
The most well rounded lens for Canon
I'd suggest a Canon 28~135mm lens till you learn more . It's not expensive and can do a fairly good job. That lens is a "kit" lens that Canon sells along with their cameras. Sort of a package deal. A lens is something you will keep forever, But as you do more shooting, you will have more specific needs, and will want to purchase a lens that is of higher quality to meet specific types of shots. I would suggest a Canon 24~105mm F4. I use this lens as my walk around, as it meets most of my requirements. Working photographers have lots of lenses. I use this lens for head shots, weddings, & many special events. But It won't do for sports and concerts.
When shooting portraits; distance from the subject, long focal length, and large apertures, will contribute to the bokeh effects. Head and shoulder shots are easier to get more bokeh than full body shots. I use Canon 24~105 F4 lens and get excellent results. Putting aside the issue of bokeh, I use that lens in my studio for corporate head shot work & it is very versatile for weddings too. When shooting panoramic scenes: Distance determines what is in focus. I had the 24~70mm F2.8 and sold it right after doing one wedding. It was way too heavy and I needed the extra zoom, since sometimes I am not able to get close. For me the Canon EF-24~105mm F4 is a good all around lens. For those tight spots where I cannot get back far enough, I bought a wide angle lens EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM to fit my 7D. It is tucked in my bag for those special occasions. Again, I repeat myself, there is a lens for different shots, for instance, shooting sports. For that I need my long zoom Canon EF-70~200mm F4. ( couldn't afford the 300mm) .
When shooting portraits; distance from the subject, long focal length, and large apertures, will contribute to the bokeh effects. Head and shoulder shots are easier to get more bokeh than full body shots. I use Canon 24~105 F4 lens and get excellent results. Putting aside the issue of bokeh, I use that lens in my studio for corporate head shot work & it is very versatile for weddings too. When shooting panoramic scenes: Distance determines what is in focus. I had the 24~70mm F2.8 and sold it right after doing one wedding. It was way too heavy and I needed the extra zoom, since sometimes I am not able to get close. For me the Canon EF-24~105mm F4 is a good all around lens. For those tight spots where I cannot get back far enough, I bought a wide angle lens EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM to fit my 7D. It is tucked in my bag for those special occasions. Again, I repeat myself, there is a lens for different shots, for instance, shooting sports. For that I need my long zoom Canon EF-70~200mm F4. ( couldn't afford the 300mm) .
Hurrikane in Manila Dance Workshop
Date and Time: Wednesday, June 4 at 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: Brewing Point Dance Studio
56 T.M. Kalaw St., Tierra Pura Homes, Tandang Sora 1116 Quezon City, Philippines
In partnership with Allstars Dance School and BP Dance Studio, we bring you HURRIKANE IN MANILA. As one of the best lockers known in the dance community worldwide, we give you this chance to learn from the best.
Better not miss this opportunity!
Workshop fee rates:
P400.00 for walk-in registration
P350.00 for online registration
How to register and reserve slots:
1) Comment on the event page with your name and the studio you'll be attending
ex. James Eric Wong, ADS South
BP Dance Studio Reservation:
1. Neil Russell Bilon
2. Vin Castaneda
3. Santillana Jan Recz
4. Eyang Recoter
5. John Ray Castillo
6. Tank Canky Bautista
7. Jomo Tan
8. John Paul Javier Fausto
9. Patrick De Jesus
10. Yrwin Ty
11. Judge Soriano
12. Jemie Grace Calonge
13. Toni Enriquez
14. Joshua De Jesus
15. Rhys Gabriel Ferrer
16. Angelo MeGusta Noel Singson
17. Jemie Grace Calonge
18. Luigi Bagos
19. Gian Coronel
20. Miguel "Casado
21. Donao Amoranto
22. Aeimhard Cunan
23. Nico Mantorino
24. Yani Talam
25. Jay Torres
26. Ramo Bais
27. Jeffrey Manreal
28. Kathleen Kaye Bermas
29. Vika Enoza
30. Steph Yao
31. Praxe Villanueva
32. Alex Gutierez
33. Ejay Lim
34. Manuel Dupaya
35. Viriato Dupaya
36. Jeremy Vidal
37. Gabby Dario
38. Eva Pasagui
39. Luke Lasam
All Stars Dance School Studio Reservation:
1. Raffy Gonzales
2. Apple May Amarado
3. Jay Hilvano
4. Jarrett Cross Pinto
5. Vergil Andrew Bermudo
6. Yani Talam
7. Zyro Santos
8. Daniel Mendoza
9. Lucksley Maravillas
10. Jamil Al Aboodi
11. lucksley maravilla
12. Erica-Marie Carangalan
13. Jordan Price
What are you waiting for? Sign up and stretch your mind, body and funky souul!
Which of these would be best for lens cleaning?
I found a few lots of items for cleaning my camera & lenses.
I was hoping these would be appropriate, and of reasonable quality. I am new to photography, so was hoping for some insight.
Are the giotto "rockets" good for lens & camera body blowing? Are the "lens pens" offered here of any use, and are they a good value?
Is the cleaning solution/wipes/swabs offered here suitable, and a good value? I was considering some Zeiss pre moistened wipes-
Please note- these are different sellers I have no connection to, and these are not affiliate links. I just did a search by price, and am trying to discern what would be good to use, and since money is tight right now, trying to find a good value.
Start with the most non-destructive ones first. It doesn't say what kind of dirt you have on your lenses -- or what kind of lenses you have, but here's general information.
Start with a gentle blower -- the one you squeeze the bulb -- and see if that dislodges dirt.
After that, if you have surface grime, get a soft cloth and see if you can as gently as possible remove any surface grime. Trick is to make sure that your cloth is as clean as possible. A cotton tee-shirt that has been washed a hundred times is perfect for cleaning glass. No elbow grease!
But if you're wondering how to clean L-Series glass, or get out internal dust, I'm the wrong guy to ask.
I just don't want to see a photo of, "I was trying to clean off a smudge from my EF 85mm F1.2 and I ended getting a scratch. I used some buffing powder to try to clean it and I think I made it worse."
If you have some sources for better items or better prices, please share.
I was hoping these would be appropriate, and of reasonable quality. I am new to photography, so was hoping for some insight.
Are the giotto "rockets" good for lens & camera body blowing? Are the "lens pens" offered here of any use, and are they a good value?
Is the cleaning solution/wipes/swabs offered here suitable, and a good value? I was considering some Zeiss pre moistened wipes-
Please note- these are different sellers I have no connection to, and these are not affiliate links. I just did a search by price, and am trying to discern what would be good to use, and since money is tight right now, trying to find a good value.
Start with the most non-destructive ones first. It doesn't say what kind of dirt you have on your lenses -- or what kind of lenses you have, but here's general information.
Start with a gentle blower -- the one you squeeze the bulb -- and see if that dislodges dirt.
After that, if you have surface grime, get a soft cloth and see if you can as gently as possible remove any surface grime. Trick is to make sure that your cloth is as clean as possible. A cotton tee-shirt that has been washed a hundred times is perfect for cleaning glass. No elbow grease!
But if you're wondering how to clean L-Series glass, or get out internal dust, I'm the wrong guy to ask.
I just don't want to see a photo of, "I was trying to clean off a smudge from my EF 85mm F1.2 and I ended getting a scratch. I used some buffing powder to try to clean it and I think I made it worse."
If you have some sources for better items or better prices, please share.
Superstar K6 Manila Philippines Audition Call
Superstar K is Korea's no.1 televised reality-singing competition series that has produced the most singers in Korea.
This year, the season six is expanding the global auditions and visiting Manila, Philippines to discover more talents in the world.
Auditions are open to all ages of solo artists and vocal groups. All auditions are open from 11am to 7pm.
Superstar K6 is opening an audition in Manila to discover a superstar singer in Philippines! Auditions are open to all ages and ethnicities as long as you have lover for K-pop and can sing Korean songs!
Date & Time: June 21st 11am
Location: SM Cinema Centerstage, SM Mall of Asia
Location: SM Cinema Centerstage, SM Mall of Asia
Larong Pambibo: "Race for the Future!"
As the new school year starts, the Ang Lingkod ng Panginoon (ALNP) - Makati Branch once again opens its Bata Ikaw ang Bukas Outreach (BIBO) Program to share our time and resources in the spirit of God’s love. It’s partnered with Sun for All Children who has been tirelessly giving educational and financial support to a select group of Grade School, High School and College students who live in Baseco Port Area and Tondo Manila.
We would like to invite you to an upcoming annual BIBO activity, entitled “Larong PamBIBO”, Race for the Future, which will be held on May 31, 2014; 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM. Forty-eight (48) students under Sun for All Children shall be participating in exciting learning games and events and will be given school supplies package.
Should you wish to join or donate, please feel free to contact: JR Cantos (0998- 9721108) or Kitin Padua (0928-5056214).
Thinking of becoming an event organizer?
Q: I have been looking into a couple different career paths over the last few weeks and have been asking for advice or guidance from professionals in each category. One of my top choices at this point is a wedding planner or a general event planner. I am sure there are a couple professional planners in this forum and I would love to get some guidance from you. I have helped plan and catered a couple events and enjoyed it all very much. I am currently 25 and have a couple connections to people who are in industries related to weddings. Should I look into just trying to start on my own or look for an established planner to work for/with? I am in a small area so I know its not going to be in high demand in my immediate area, is that going to pose a big issue? Thank you in advance for any guidance!
I might suggest you either work for some planners or even just try to get a job in any major hotels that have conference rooms and book events, just to start building any related experience to planning. You have a Hyatt and few higher end places, try to get a job there and work you way up to that. Just one thought about how to approach it. I just took a peek and google Rochester hotels to get a feel for what's there.
Another thing to consider is that helping plan an event is also very different than doing it for a living, working with clients you do not know. (I assume the ones you helped with you knew the people, right?).
Also, if your area is going to be low demand, yes, that will definitely be a big issue. How would you propose to make a living doing it? How ritzy and upscale is your area to begin with, meaning what does the average wedding cost around there?
I might also get to know all the vendors in the area, learn who all the florists are, catering companies, wedding photographers, people that rent out tables and chairs, etc., etc.
Are you currently married? Have you been to any local Bridal expos? Google rochester, NY, bridal expo And start going to them, learn all you can about the resources, that will one, not only give you connections which is what you want to do, start to develop networks (even if you work for a hotel or someone else, your personal connections come into pay) and also give you a better sense of demand.
If you love planning, you should get out there and do it. Just be sure to consider how much you would really make if you do it on your own. ie, how many clients paying how much would you need to make ends meet (and don't forget to set aside oh, maybe ballpark 30% for taxes).
I might suggest you either work for some planners or even just try to get a job in any major hotels that have conference rooms and book events, just to start building any related experience to planning. You have a Hyatt and few higher end places, try to get a job there and work you way up to that. Just one thought about how to approach it. I just took a peek and google Rochester hotels to get a feel for what's there.
Another thing to consider is that helping plan an event is also very different than doing it for a living, working with clients you do not know. (I assume the ones you helped with you knew the people, right?).
Also, if your area is going to be low demand, yes, that will definitely be a big issue. How would you propose to make a living doing it? How ritzy and upscale is your area to begin with, meaning what does the average wedding cost around there?
I might also get to know all the vendors in the area, learn who all the florists are, catering companies, wedding photographers, people that rent out tables and chairs, etc., etc.
Are you currently married? Have you been to any local Bridal expos? Google rochester, NY, bridal expo And start going to them, learn all you can about the resources, that will one, not only give you connections which is what you want to do, start to develop networks (even if you work for a hotel or someone else, your personal connections come into pay) and also give you a better sense of demand.
If you love planning, you should get out there and do it. Just be sure to consider how much you would really make if you do it on your own. ie, how many clients paying how much would you need to make ends meet (and don't forget to set aside oh, maybe ballpark 30% for taxes).
Technology has been good to video
Because I've been in this business a long time, (I'm a videographer in the Triangle/Triad in NC) I appreciate the benefits of technology in my field. When I was a kid, my father gave me a used Super 8 Kodak camera. It took cartridges that gave 3 minutes of filming time for about $10 for buying and developing the film(and that was in 1970's dollars). It had a 3x optical zoom and had pretty bad sound. If you wanted to shoot indoors, you needed special Tungsten film and a lot of light. Editing involved cutting the film and taping the ends together with tape!
Today of course we have cameras that record to memory cards in HD. In terms of cost/min, well it might be $0 if you're only using the memory in the camera. Even compared to a few years ago when you were shooting SD to tape, the images are spectacular. Wider zoom ranges, better wireless mics and digital recorders, lower light capability are all improving not to mention the editing capabilities we have now with computers.
Video gives you picture AND sound and recreates the moment.
Remember when VHS camcorders came out? People marveled at the ability to record 2 hours of video even if you couldn't recognize your fiancee in the pasty picture when you zoomed out to a wide shot. We've gone from 240 lines of horizontal resolution to 1920!
I think my point is that today you get so much more from motion picture reproduction in terms of quality and recreating the moment, yet video tends to be the first thing cut from a wedding budget.
I see the value in video as being the best it's ever been yet, the percentage of people who get a wedding video is about the same as it was when VHS camcorders came out.
So I'm curious about why you think professional video isn't used more. Iphones and andriods? Too expensive? People don't appreciate the value? I'm all wet, everybody gets a video?
What do you think?
Today of course we have cameras that record to memory cards in HD. In terms of cost/min, well it might be $0 if you're only using the memory in the camera. Even compared to a few years ago when you were shooting SD to tape, the images are spectacular. Wider zoom ranges, better wireless mics and digital recorders, lower light capability are all improving not to mention the editing capabilities we have now with computers.
Video gives you picture AND sound and recreates the moment.
Remember when VHS camcorders came out? People marveled at the ability to record 2 hours of video even if you couldn't recognize your fiancee in the pasty picture when you zoomed out to a wide shot. We've gone from 240 lines of horizontal resolution to 1920!
I think my point is that today you get so much more from motion picture reproduction in terms of quality and recreating the moment, yet video tends to be the first thing cut from a wedding budget.
I see the value in video as being the best it's ever been yet, the percentage of people who get a wedding video is about the same as it was when VHS camcorders came out.
So I'm curious about why you think professional video isn't used more. Iphones and andriods? Too expensive? People don't appreciate the value? I'm all wet, everybody gets a video?
What do you think?
Wedding planners can be a huge benefit
Yes, I'm a planner, and a bridal store owner. As I said before, the economy is dictating many a bride's budget. If you don't want to hire a planner...don't. I'm sure your wedding will be beautiful. There are alot of crafty people on here, and they can point you in the right direction. If you're organized, and don't stress over it, I'm sure you'll enjoy your big day.
However, there ARE benefits having a planner.
We can get huge discounts from other vendors. We have people we work with on a regular, and they will give discounts that a bride alone wouldn't be able to get. The vendors want us to bring them our brides.
We know how weddings work. You're paying for our experience, and we have lots of it. Probably working in the very venue you're using. So we know the best way to set up the event, who to call if there's a problem, and yes, we can get a beautiful replacement wedding cake on short notice. We know how to get dirt of your wedding gown because the photographer wanted you to lean against the tree. And we always have bottles of water on hand for the dehydrated partiers that are having a bit of problem from the night before.
Some brides can do it all, other's are petrified to do so. The very thought of it scares them. That's where we come in.
If you don't want to be called...we don't. Some brides want to ok every decision, but don't want to do the leg work. Other's just want to show up and have it be beautiful.
It really is disheartening to see others bash the work we do. Weddings are hard work, and to pull them off seamlessly takes alot of effort. Some are easier than others, it all depends on what is most important for the bride and her vision for her wedding.
We charge for our services, and no, we aren't cheap. But it does take a crew to organize and set up most weddings in the time frame allowed. We have employees to pay, and they work hard for our brides.
However, there ARE benefits having a planner.
We can get huge discounts from other vendors. We have people we work with on a regular, and they will give discounts that a bride alone wouldn't be able to get. The vendors want us to bring them our brides.
We know how weddings work. You're paying for our experience, and we have lots of it. Probably working in the very venue you're using. So we know the best way to set up the event, who to call if there's a problem, and yes, we can get a beautiful replacement wedding cake on short notice. We know how to get dirt of your wedding gown because the photographer wanted you to lean against the tree. And we always have bottles of water on hand for the dehydrated partiers that are having a bit of problem from the night before.
Some brides can do it all, other's are petrified to do so. The very thought of it scares them. That's where we come in.
If you don't want to be called...we don't. Some brides want to ok every decision, but don't want to do the leg work. Other's just want to show up and have it be beautiful.
It really is disheartening to see others bash the work we do. Weddings are hard work, and to pull them off seamlessly takes alot of effort. Some are easier than others, it all depends on what is most important for the bride and her vision for her wedding.
We charge for our services, and no, we aren't cheap. But it does take a crew to organize and set up most weddings in the time frame allowed. We have employees to pay, and they work hard for our brides.
Some advice on lighting for event photography
It's been awhile since I synchronized flash with ambient light manually, but I seem to remember that the shutter speed controls the exposure for the ambient light. The key to event photography lighting is balancing the subject lighting with background lighting. If you use a large aperture and slower shutter speed the subject will be well lit and background will have more detail.
Chose a higher ISO, I used 400 to shoot inside churches. Avoid direct flash and use a defuser. For my set up, I used a Nikon D80 with an SB800 flash, I mounted my flash on a stroboframe bracket so the flash is always above the lens, this minimizes flash shadows. You can set the camera to ttl. I always get good results shooting about F4 30th. Without seeing the shots it is hard to advise you but I hope this helps. While I've found flash metering to be bit more reliable and a convenience if your subject is always changing distance from your lights, you need to at least meter ambient and set a manual exposure if you want usable results. Also I would try lengthening my shutter speed a stop to increase the background exposure.
Photo Printer Technology Lags Camera Ability
I recently purchased a new Nikon to replace my aged Nikon D70 that is having problems, mirror hangs up. The image quality from my new Nikon when viewed on my computer monitor is just amazing. What I find very disappointing is print quality from my all in one Kodak printer and all of my friend's printers which I have tried including a wide paper printer with eight inks. I would like recommendations for a printer, preferably affordable or used that will give me the print quality that I am looking for. I have never thought that photo printers have kept up with advancing digital camera technology.
From my own experience and for my own standards, I've found the Epson R2400 (at this point mine is probably 8 years old but still going relatively strong) to be excellent. To be honest, I've found that the all-in-one's aren't the right tool for someone who wants high-end results, and even worse, oftentimes "affordable" and "high-end quality" are somewhat mutually exclusive.
Something else to keep in mind: the monitor is a transmissive light medium, and printers/paper are reflective. There is a quality present in the monitor which simply won't translate to paper no matter what printer you use. Also, there are some sharpness qualities which render different with pixels than with pigment, so you may have to adjust sharpness settings on a paper by paper, and printer by printer, basis.
I am also saving my pennies to purchase the Nikon DF which will take all of the old Nikon lenses as well as the new. Imagine all of the old great Nikon lenses out there at reasonable cost including some I have had for decades.
Simple photography tips to capture moments during an event
Here's some simple tips from me, I'm sure you've come across some of these:
1. Composure, composure, composure. Learn the rule of thirds.
2. Don't rely on zoom too much. When you think you've got a good shot, walk five steps closer.
3. Try to shoot with the sun at your back. If the sun (or another light source) is behind your subject, try turning on the flash. Most flashes are automatic, so sometimes you have to trick it. Do this by aiming the camera's sensor in the viewfinder at the dark or shaded spot in your photo, push the shutter button halfway down and hold it while re-composing your shot. Be careful when doing this as your camera's auto-focus will also re-focus itself on the shadow. It takes some practice.
4. Start learning about setting your camera's ISO setting.
5. Then start working on shutter speed settings.
6. Then start learning about the f-stop.
Practice with #s 4, 5 and 6 inside your event with minimal lighting.
Another thing you can do to accelerate your learning is to join a local camera club. I've been one for a little over a year now and the things I have learned in the last year compared to the years previously are huge. Our group usually has a monthly topic or theme which can vary greatly from month to month, making you get out there to try new things or techniques. Our group is compose of new-bees, skilled amateurs, Pro's, and retired enthusiast. Our group also tries to have a monthly activity (photo-walk) were we'll pick a location or event and meet up to go shoot. Membership fee's to camera clubs are usually super cheap. Usually much cheaper then taking a class or going to school. My group is only P1000 a year. Clubs are a great place to learn and also to gauge your own work.
H&M is selling its first wedding gown for only $99
H&M will be releasing their first ever wedding gown which retails for only $99. When I first heard about it I wasn't sure what to expect but after seeing the picture it looks very simple but sweet and I was pleasantly surprised. Imagine finding it on the sale rack for 50% off, what a deal!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/06/hm-wedding-dress_n_4914145.html
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