Category Archives: Photography

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My mom reads my blog…

Thursday | April 3rd | 2008 – 11:58 am

Well, I was going to title it “Shameless Self-Promotion” but that would be redundant, no?

So instead I’ll justify this horribly shameless post by letting you all know my mom reads my blog. And we all like to show off for our mothers, right? To prove that they did JUST FINE raising us lovely old ladies.

Anyhoodle: I received a copy of the book the other day. What book? This one:

And why would this be a good thing? Oh I dunno…

OHHH - that’s RIGHT! That’s one of my portraits. Hmmm….

Oh yeah - and that one on the right is mine also. Awesome! And this one on the left:

All kidding aside, this is such a great honor for me. To have my photography appear in a nationally-published book is really very exciting. I have several images in the book, and I’m in AMAZING company: Allison Tyler-Jones, Jeff and Julia Woods, Melanie Sikma, Kim Heffington, Marianne Drenthe, Laura Cottrill, Stacy Wasmuth, etc.

If you’re looking for a good how-to photography book, I do highly recommend this one. I don’t get any kickbacks or royalties for saying that - it’s just a really nice book. TONS of big color images and thorough how-tos in easily-digestible chunks of information.

By Lisa | Also posted in Atlanta Children's Photographer, Atlanta Newborn Photographer, Miscellaneous | Comments (14)

Photography Q&A Part II

Wednesday | March 12th | 2008 – 11:41 am

The second most popular question I’m asked is what lens should I buy?

And - again - my response isn’t cut and dry - it’s a discussion question. And even professional photographers ask each other this question, trust me. Good glass is an investment, and you want to make sure you’re making the right investment.

My answer to this question is always another question: “What do you want to use it for? What and where do you plan to shoot?” There is no perfect lens - that will work best in every possible situation. We all have our favorites, but there isn’t ONE best lens.

Let me first explain a little about lenses:

When you look at lenses, there’s always a number after it - 1.2, 1.4, 1.8, 2.8, 3.5, 4.0 and so forth. This is the widest maximum aperture number (also known as f-stops). And the smaller the number, the “faster” the lens. And by “fast,” it means the lens (at its’ widest) will let in a lot of light and allow you a fast shutter speed. So a “fast” lens.

In case I sound like Charlie Brown’s schoolteacher, I’ll explain a little about aperture. I always demonstrate aperture to friends this way:

1. Look across the room and open your eyes REALLY wide. First off, they might hurt because opening your eyes wide lets in a lot of light. But you also notice that you can maybe see things clearly that are right in front of you - but the stuff on the far wall? Not so much. This is the equivalent of a WIDE aperture, or a low number (I know, mentally you think it should be the opposite, right?). A lens with a wide aperture lets in a lot of light and gives you a very shallow Depth-of-Field. Meaning what’s close to you is in focus, and everything else isn’t. You’ve noticed how many of my shots have subjects nice and clear, with the background all blurry (we call that bokeh)? Wide apertures = low aperture numbers.

2. Now squint your eyes and look. Comfy eyes because there’s not a lot of light getting in, right? And you can probably see everything between here and the wall. This is the equivalent of a stopped-down aperture, or a high number (5.6, f11, etc.). I only use high apertures if I’m shooting a big group.

Make sense?

Faster lenses = more glass = wider apertures = $$$$. Do you need fast lenses? That depends. Which brings us back to the original question.

  • If you plan to shoot inside where it’s dark: Yes. If you don’t want to invest a lot of money, I recommend a 50mm 1.8 lens. They’re relatively cheap (around $100) because they’re typically made of plastic. But if you don’t plan to put your lens thru the ringer, it’s a great lens to start with.
  • If you plan to shoot outside: No. You’ll have plenty of light and don’t need a really fast lens.
  • If you want portrait-like shots: Maybe. To get great bokeh (blurred background and shallow dof), you need to either use a wide aperture - OR - if you have a zoom lens, you can back up pretty far from your subject and zoom in on them.
  • If you have trouble with shutter shake? Yes. Faster shutter speeds will help with this.

Should you buy a camera with a kit lens? That depends. It seems like most kit lenses used to start at 5.6, which (to me) makes them useless. Slow, can’t use them indoors, long depth-of-field. Blech. But it seems the camera manufacturers are getting a little better. I still feel the best thing is to buy a camera body only and add lenses.

I have several lenses, and I’ve invested in each one for specific purposes. I will say that I’m a fan of prime (non-zoom) lenses. Which means I have to move, because my lens doesn’t. I just find them to be sharper and faster to focus. Others prefer zooms. Again, personal preference.

Here is my kit:

  • 50mm 1.2. VERY fast prime (non-zoom) 50mm lens that I use for newborn and indoor sessions. Do I shoot at 1.2? No. Could I have gotten by with the 1.4? Probably.
  • 24-70 2.8. Fast wide-angle zoom lens. I use this lens for wide-angle indoor shots (parents on the bed with their baby, nurseries, etc.). If there WAS such a thing as an all-around perfect lens, this might be it. But it’s heavy. If you put it on a Digital Rebel, it’s going to be a bit lopsided and shutter-shake is a possibility. My 5D + grip is heavy enough to offset it. Quite a few photographers only use this lens.
  • 135 2.0. Fast prime (non-zoom) portrait lens. This is the lens I use exclusively outdoors and it is by far my favorite lens of all those I own.
  • 100mm 2.8 macro. Fast prime (non-zoom) macro lens. Macro lenses let you focus from a close distance, making this lens perfect for baby eyelashes and feet and noses. Which is what I bought it for.

When I shot Nikon, my kit included the 50mm 1.4 (which I still have) and the 17-55 2.8

So. What lens should you get? I honestly can’t answer that without knowing what you want to shoot, and where. If you’re considering a lens, I can recommend a great review site: www.fredmiranda.com. Click on reviews, look for the lens you’re considering and away you go.

I hope this was helpful!

By Lisa | Comments (2)

Photography Q&A

Tuesday | March 11th | 2008 – 11:57 am

I get lots of photography questions, and I’m going to try to answer them as I have the time. I hope it’s helpful!

By far, the most common question I’m asked is what camera I use - or what camera you should get.

Answer: I shoot with a Canon 5D, and what you should get depends on a few things.

I’m stepping onto my soapbox for a sec - bear with me.

The most important thing to understand is that a camera is simply a tool. You could put the cheapest point-and-shoot (or POS) in a fantastic photographer’s hands - and they’ll still create art with it. Likewise, you could put the most expensive camera on the market in the hands of someone who doesn’t know how to use it and…well…there might not be art. LOL If you have a tool that is overwhelming to you, it does you no good. So don’t buy more camera than you need.

I honestly don’t think there’s a camera on the market today that doesn’t do a fantastic job. The technology is just that advanced, truly. There are no bad cameras.

But if you want to take better images - learn your tool. Learn it’s ins and outs. And I’ll post some tips here as we go along.

As for me, I shot exclusively Minolta film for years. When I went digital, I went with Nikon. And shot Nikon from 2003-2007. Mid-2007, I decided my tool wasn’t doing the best job I needed it to, as I wanted better high-ISO capability in low light situations. So I made a complete kit change over to Canon.

Late last year, Nikon upped the ante with new models (d300 and d3) that also handle high ISOs, but I’ve already made the switch and feel no need to go back. My current equipment is doing the job, so there’s no need to change. My tool is working for me.

Do you need a Canon 5D? Probably not. I shoot an average of 1000 frames a week. So I need a workhorse camera that can handle lots of clicks. And it’s a camera meant to be shot manually. It’s a tool I’ve “become one” with, and I’m very happy.

So what camera should you get, if you’re looking to move into the digital slr world? My advice is to go to Best Buy or Costco or your favorite camera shop and hold all the models. What one feels GOOD to you? Again - a camera is only a tool. And if you pick up a tool and it doesn’t feel right? It’s not the right one. You also need to consider your photography level. Do you like to shoot automatic? Then find a camera that has some preset modes (sports, portrait, etc.) - those will set your aperture and shutter speed for you. If you shoot manual, definitely just go with the one that feels best.

And don’t buy more camera than you NEED. With the more expensive cameras, you’re paying for bells and whistles that you might not ever use. And that’s just a waste of money. Get one that will do what you need it to do. And when you’ve “become one” with it, you can upgrade - there’s always an upgraded model (or 5) coming out!

Any questions?

By Lisa | Comments (0)