As I mentioned in my previous post it's a good idea to stop down the aperture on a telephoto so you get more depth of field to capture a story. This is where the wide angle lens excels. Essentially you can capture everything in the scene but the photographer!

Labels: Equipment, Techniques

I'm considering upgrading my telephoto lens to the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens because this focal range is extremely important. At the moment I use a Canon 80-200mm f/2.8 L lens but I would welcome the quicker focusing and another 10mm on the wide end.

Shooting with this lens has several advantages. Firstly it helps isolate your main subject from the background by using a shallow depth of field to blur the background. There are lots of opportunities for this kind of image and creating dreamy bokeh in the background is a nice look to create.

Using a telephoto lens also allows the wedding photographer to go unnoticed because you can stand far away from your subject. This helps keep them at ease as no one can not be self conscious with a bulky DLSR pointing at them.

Having a wide aperture is incredibly important in low light conditions and makes a wedding photographer's job easier. However, there are advantages of using a medium aperture such as f/5.6 - f/8. This is why:

The added depth of field allows you to put more than one subject in focus. This is important when trying to tell a story - as this often involves more than one person. if one of them is blurred it often doesn't work quite as well. Stopping down to this aperture obviously depends on the amount of available light - but keep it in mind! The small depth of field look is great - but don't think every shot has to be like this.

This is why having Image Stabilisation would be an advantage and is one of my reasons for thinking about an upgrade.

Don't forget that many candid photos are about a story and so you must control that depth of field to get everything of importance in. This is a big consideration when shooting with a telephoto lens as your subjects can be a few feet apart. If you don't get them all in focus you won't be telling the whole story.

However when the whole story is simply the expression on someone's face this is a great lens to use.

Labels: Equipment, Techniques

One great tip I have learned is never to forget about the other guests at the wedding. The whole event, especially the ceremony is focused on the bride and groom and one can sometimes forget about keeping a careful eye on the other wedding guests for photographic opportunities. Trying to capture your top ten shots leaves a lot of time to find other subjects that the bride and groom with thank you for. The parents, grandparents and friends sitting in the first few rows make excellent shots especially if they are showing any emotion.

One favourite idea of mine is to shoot behind the parents with them in focus and the newlyweds in the background out of focus. It is even better if you manage to get the parents interacting - looking at each other, hugging or holding hands. This is one great way to make sure your ceremony work stands out when there is so much competition. I can't stress how important this point is: Rather than trying to do something too different the ceremony is a great opportunity to capture peoples expressions. The guests tend to be so engaged in the ceremony that they will often ignore the photographer. A long telephoto with a wide aperture will be your lens of choice and will ensure you are not a distraction.

I use a Canon 80-200mm f/2.8 L lens for this kind of work. It means you can capture some beautiful candid portraits of people when they are at an emotional peak. Positioning yourself is important but standing on either wide out of the way is usually your best bet.

Your clients will appreciate that you managed to capture every smile and tear and will love to see people laughing as well as crying.

Your work during the ceremony will not be judged on how different it is but by how much emotion you managed to capture.

Labels: Techniques

For any wedding the highlight is always the ceremony. Months, if not years go in to the preparation of this event and when it happens it goes past quickly! As photographers I imagine most of us wish that it would take longer than it actually does so we can get more shots and take our time. The once saving grace is that most weddings follow a set procedure which tends not to vary. Obviously each religion has its own traditions but an experienced wedding photographer knows this procedure and can situate themselves in the right place to capture the most important events.

This predictability is a goof thing as it allows the photographer to get to the right spot and choose the right lens in time to capture a predictable moment. As soon as you take each shot you need to move on and situate yourself in the next place in preparation for the next shot. To some wedding guests it may seem as though the photographer is randomly walking around but there is nothing random about standing in a certain place at a certain time to get the best shot.

These are my 'must have' shots for the ceremony. Obviously the list will grow for some but for me these are the essentials that you have an obligation to capture.

• Father leading bride up the aisle
• Father giving bride to groom
• Bride looking at groom
• Groom looking at bride
• Close up of the vicar/pastor
• A shot of anyone doing a reading, prayer, singing or playing
• A wide agle shot showing the entire ceremony
• Ring exchange
• The kiss
• Bride and groom walking down the aisle

Obviously you can add more and more - here are a few suggestions:

• Candid portraits of the wedding party members showing emotion
• Shots of people coming and going down the aisle
• Shots of the parents showing emotion or anything of note
• Wide shots from distance of the ceremony
• Wide shots from each corner during ceremony

Obviously the list can go on and on but try to memorize it so that your focus is on capturing the moment rather than ticking off shots from the list. These moments pass quickly and they are easy to miss if you aren't paying attention. I think it is an obligation to the couple to get these top ten images and as a professional you should make each click count! Once you have these shots feel free to shoot at will and be creative! You can even have fun with the formals...

I recently went to a friends wedding and saw the photographer using indirect flash outdoors for the group shots. I didn't want to correct him at the time - but unless you have something to reflect this light off it is a complete waste of your time and battery power. Any light that you emit that is not aimed at the subject is a waste.

This is definitely true for bouncing your flash where the light would have to be reflected from the nearest planet before it can return to your subject. Don't forget that modifiers such as the Gary Fong Light Sphere and Omnibounce will also be prone to this problem. I used to use these outside with the idea that the light will be softer and more diffused but this really isn't the case. The light certainly looks less intense but only because most of it is being wasted. You can easily create the same effect by dialing in -2 or -3 flash exposure compensation. I have heard some people say that the light modifiers add softness because they are larger in diameter than the flash head. If you are using a two foot soft box then this would be the case - but the difference between this and a 3 or 5 inch wide flash head is too small to be worth the trouble. Don't forget that a diffuser will aim light in the wrong direction - wasting your valuable batteries. The trade off of getting a slightly softer look compared to the amount of battery power wasted simply isn't worth it.

Save the light modifiers for indoor use where they really make a difference and use flash exposure compensation outside.

Labels: Equipment, Techniques

You have to think carefully about how your subjects appear in in your shot and one major consideration is the background. Remember that dark tones in the background help to make your subjects stand out more effectively than white tones. One of the worst backgrounds you can have is the sky because it is almost guarenteed to be brighter than the main subjects!

If you manage to find a good background that works well in your composition make sure that the subjects stand close to it. This will ensure that it is not blurred. You will want an aperture of f/8 to f/16 to provide that long depth of field making your background as sharp as the subjects in your foreground.

Don't forget that the background simply is the background and whilst it should compliment the scene it shouldn't compete for too much attention. If you feel it starts to do this then place your subjects further away from the background so that they are slightly blurred yet recognizable. Some of my worst shots were when I placed them too close to the background of bushes and trees and shot with a wide angle. This created a large depth of field and a busy background.

This is why it is important to make the right lens choice. As I mentioned above if you have a beautiful scene you may want to shoot with a wide angle to get a long depth of field. Using a telephoto will help to cut down on the amount of distraction can be in a busy background.

Depending on whether you even want to include the background at all will help you make the right lens choice. Shooting with a wide aperture for a portrait will give you a shallow depth of field which helps blur it and de-emphasizing it. Smaller apertures create more depth of field making both the foreground and background
sharp and visible.

I guess what I am trying to say is that knowing how to shoot is just as important as knowing where to shoot. Choosing the right background and the right light is key to making your shots the best they can be and takes practise.

I am now on the train from Bristol back to Southampton after having been in Bristol for the weekend trying to find a flat with my girlfriend. Fortunately I was able to see The Wildlife Photographer Of The Year, a free exhibition whilst I was here.

As you might expect it was crowded on a Sunday afternoon but I managed to see every photo in detail, read what equipment was used and a brief synopsis.

The standard was high although most of the way through but I can’t help feel the judges were sometimes generous in their choices. In my mind some snuck in under the radar - it seemed some of the shots that weren’t so good (in my view) were taken with compact cameras or because they were “different” (out of focus/blurred.) In nearly all the cases the blur was unintended but in looking at the photo on the computer the photographers liked the result.

I just couldn’t understand the rational behind some of the judges decisions. It seemed that a small minority of the photos were there because they were ‘different’ - positive discrimination almost - based on the fact that they were blurred or taken with compact cameras.

Is there room for images like these in a prestigious award scheme? I know we must never forget the element of luck in photography. Certainly getting that certain ‘look’ or ‘magical light’ can be a set-up with artificial light, expecting good light in a sunrise or sunset or lastly being in the right place at the right time.

I guess what I am coming to say is that whatever the circumstances the final image along with having the skills to record that makes them a good photographer. Is mastering the technical side of photography important - or is getting a lucky result okay?

A good photo is a good photo - and you have to appreciate that whether it was taken with a disposable or a pro setup - but decisions should be made based on the photo, NOT on the technology behind it.

I was not surprised by the equipment used, the majority being Canon and Nikon DSLRs (consumer right through to pro) but a handful of point and shoots. Certainly there was a stunning image taken with a Coolpix of a snake which really stuck in my mind as being one of the best on display.

One thing I would like to known was the amount of post production the images had. Many seemed to have had a boost in vibrance and contrast at the very least, and whilst 95% of them looked natural there were a few that beggared belief that they were straight out of the camera. Not that this would have changed anything in terms of whether I liked the photo but it would have been interesting to know.

All in all it was a great exhibition and one I would recommend you see if you have the chance.

My name is Albert Palmer and I am a proud owner of the new Canon 5D MKII. My 30D recently broke down and whilst I decided to pay to fix it, it made me realise I needed a backup body.

My options for a main body were the 1Ds MKIII or the original 5D. I purposely wanted to buy a full frame sensor camera. What swung the decision for me was the low light performance and price. For any wedding photographer these are two important considerations!

For the price the 5D was a great buy - but when you look at tests comparing noise levels it is easy to see that there is a clear winner. Whilst I have had concerns about a high megapixel count v's ISO performance I am glad of the resolution this camera offers. The amount of detail is stunning and allows plenty of leeway should you need to crop.

The large screen (in which you actually CAN tell whether an image is sharp), is a nice/non essential feature, a bit like sensor cleaning and perhaps the movie mode.

What I miss is the faster frame per second (fps) of the 30D. Granted I only NEED this on a handful of occasions and I am sure I will manage - but it would be nice and considering the price I don't think it is too much to ask.

I am happy with the purchase and am enjoying learning to master the new resolution as well as the full frame sensor. Luckily for me I tend to add a vignette in post processing so it looks like this may save me work! Apart from the greater field of view the most noticeable other visual impact is vignetting at long focal lengths when using small apertures. This occurs mainly when shooting macro but it is easily adjustable in Lightroom.

Auto ISO is a fantastic feature which allows me to concentrate on composition and not have to worry too much about camera shake or even noise. I'm not sure whether this will work well with flash so I will have to experiment. Surprisingly ISO 3200 is very usable and if I HAD to use ISO 6400 I would. It doesn't look as good (obviously) but with a bit of noise reduction it would be very acceptable.

If you have the money and can justify it I would recommend you buy yourself a 5D MKII. I don't think you will be disappointed unless you need a high frame rate.

One word of warning - the camera outputs 25MB RAW files. If you don't have the infrastructure to support this you may end up having to spend more than the price of the body. Consider faster cards with greater capacity, RAM to quickly process the files in Lightroom/Aperture and space on your computers harddrive. On a 4GB card I get 125 images...

Labels: Equipment