I wish I knew how many times people asked what lenses or camera body I use, obviously thinking that the more expensive something is, the better the results. Although it's true that more expensive lenses and bodies will provide higher quality images, the most limiting factor is the photographer. I can say, without a doubt, that I would be able to create the same image with a 35mm f/1.8G (a $200ish lens) that I would with a 35mm f/1.4G (a $1600 lens). If I can't make a good photo with a $200 lens, I'm not going to be able to with a $1600 lens, all of a sudden. Really, the equipment a photographer uses should be the least of someone's concern when they're looking for a photographer. The thing someone should be looking for when trying to find a photographer is quality work.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Post 47
For some reason, someone somewhere determined that the equipment a photographer uses is what makes the photo, and the photographer just presses a button.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Post 46: Why should I hire a photographer?
With big, expensive cameras being so accessible, is there really a need to hire a photographer anymore? Why should anyone have to pay someone when their uncle Fred, or their friend Bob has a big camera?
There are so many reasons why someone should hire a professional photographer, I'm not even sure where to begin. I think it would be easiest if this post looked at why someone should hire a wedding photographer, and why someone should hire a photographer for headshots. Anyone who is looking to hire a photographer probably falls into one of those two categories; you're either looking for a photographer to document a special event or occasion, or you need photos to try to sell something.
Fred or Bob may have an expensive camera, but having the right equipment doesn't mean they'll provide the same results as a professional. Cameras are only tools. Thinking someone will provide amazing photos because they have an expensive camera is like thinking purchasing the most expensive golf clubs will make you the next Arnold Palmer. Having expensive equipment doesn't tell the person using it when to press the shutter button, or where to focus, or what settings to use. Generally, a good, professional photographer will be able to provide similar results regardless of the camera used. The same goes for someone who isn't a good photographer. Their results will look the same if they use a cheap camera, or an expensive one; bad.
I'm sure some of you out there are aware that Fred or Bob won't provide the same results as a professional photographer, but you're probably going to go with them anyway. There are two reasons for this; either you're paying Fred or Bob nothing, or you're paying them much less than you would pay a professional. Like with pretty much everything else in life, you get what you pay for. Fred or Bob's photos may be okay, or good enough, but if the event is special enough to you, spend the money to get quality photographs that you'll want to look at and show off to your friends and family. There's no point in having photos taken if you don't want to look at them because they're nothing special. And a lot of times, special life events, like weddings, or certain birthday parties, only happen once, and there isn't going to be another opportunity to get those photos. Paying a professional who knows what they're doing means there's a smaller chance of key moments being missed.
The next reason why someone would hire a professional photographer, is because they're trying to sell something. In a lot of cases, what you're trying to sell may be yourself.
Almost every person who is just starting their career has some type of social networking profile, which means it only requires an interviewer to type the name of a person into Google to find information on them. Yes, most social networking sites allow the user to make their profile private, or gives the user the ability to hide certain information from people, but one thing that usually isn't hidden is their profile photo. The explanation of why someone who wants to appear professional should hire someone to take professional headshots of them is easy. If you and one other person apply for the same job, the employer looks at both candidates on a social networking site, both candidates have identical resumes, but one candidate has a profile photo that's just meh, and one has a profile photo that they had taken professionally, who do you think is going to be hired? Probably the one who looks more professional. We're told to not judge a book by its cover, but it happens all of the time. People are more likely to go with the product that looks more appealing, or is portrayed better. When someone goes into a job interview, they're trying to sell themselves to the interviewer and having a professional headshot either online or somewhere in your resume can only help.
There are so many reasons why someone should hire a professional photographer, I'm not even sure where to begin. I think it would be easiest if this post looked at why someone should hire a wedding photographer, and why someone should hire a photographer for headshots. Anyone who is looking to hire a photographer probably falls into one of those two categories; you're either looking for a photographer to document a special event or occasion, or you need photos to try to sell something.
Fred or Bob may have an expensive camera, but having the right equipment doesn't mean they'll provide the same results as a professional. Cameras are only tools. Thinking someone will provide amazing photos because they have an expensive camera is like thinking purchasing the most expensive golf clubs will make you the next Arnold Palmer. Having expensive equipment doesn't tell the person using it when to press the shutter button, or where to focus, or what settings to use. Generally, a good, professional photographer will be able to provide similar results regardless of the camera used. The same goes for someone who isn't a good photographer. Their results will look the same if they use a cheap camera, or an expensive one; bad.
I'm sure some of you out there are aware that Fred or Bob won't provide the same results as a professional photographer, but you're probably going to go with them anyway. There are two reasons for this; either you're paying Fred or Bob nothing, or you're paying them much less than you would pay a professional. Like with pretty much everything else in life, you get what you pay for. Fred or Bob's photos may be okay, or good enough, but if the event is special enough to you, spend the money to get quality photographs that you'll want to look at and show off to your friends and family. There's no point in having photos taken if you don't want to look at them because they're nothing special. And a lot of times, special life events, like weddings, or certain birthday parties, only happen once, and there isn't going to be another opportunity to get those photos. Paying a professional who knows what they're doing means there's a smaller chance of key moments being missed.
The next reason why someone would hire a professional photographer, is because they're trying to sell something. In a lot of cases, what you're trying to sell may be yourself.
Almost every person who is just starting their career has some type of social networking profile, which means it only requires an interviewer to type the name of a person into Google to find information on them. Yes, most social networking sites allow the user to make their profile private, or gives the user the ability to hide certain information from people, but one thing that usually isn't hidden is their profile photo. The explanation of why someone who wants to appear professional should hire someone to take professional headshots of them is easy. If you and one other person apply for the same job, the employer looks at both candidates on a social networking site, both candidates have identical resumes, but one candidate has a profile photo that's just meh, and one has a profile photo that they had taken professionally, who do you think is going to be hired? Probably the one who looks more professional. We're told to not judge a book by its cover, but it happens all of the time. People are more likely to go with the product that looks more appealing, or is portrayed better. When someone goes into a job interview, they're trying to sell themselves to the interviewer and having a professional headshot either online or somewhere in your resume can only help.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
How To: Photograph Fireworks
I probably should have written this post before the 4th of July, but I didn't think about it until as I was photographing the fireworks here in Whitewater.
As I was watching the fireworks with Devan, there was another person with a dSLR behind me. After the woman voiced her frustrations with her new dSLR and her inability to capture the explosions, her mother, I'm assuming, tried helping by telling her daughter when to press the shutter button. As the firework went up into the sky, I would hear "now" followed by the shutter flapping, only to hear more frustration voiced by the woman with the camera.
The technique the woman was using is the exact opposite of what you should do.
For someone who doesn't know much about photography, it would probably seem obvious that photographing fireworks is all about timing. After all, the best part only last for a few seconds, and it can be difficult to predict where and when the firework will go off. However, photographing fireworks is actually one of the easiest things to do, if you have the right equipment.
The first, and most important piece of advice I can give, is to, under no circumstances, use any type of flash. Your camera is going to assume the flash needs to be fired, because everything around it is pitch black. The problem with this is that the flash is only effective to a few yards, if that. Another problem that might happen, is your camera might underexpose, due to the camera thinking the flash will be compensating for the lack of light.
So how do I photograph fireworks?
Generally, I've found that using an f-stop of 22, an ISO of 100, and a shutter speed of 30 seconds works most of the time. Using an f-stop like f/22 lets me get the shutter speed slow enough that it stays open for 30 seconds, capturing any firework that goes off during that time. This not only exposes the fireworks well, but makes it possible to capture multiple explosions in a single frame. This technique also makes it possible for the photographer to press the shutter button, and then watch the fireworks until the shutter closes again. Then, the photographer simply releases the shutter again, and watches the fireworks for another 30 seconds. I don't know about you, but this sounds much easier than trying to time your shots perfectly, and this technique also produces more interesting images.
It is important to note that a tripod is a necessity for this technique. Before, when I was too poor to afford a quality tripod, I would try to set my camera up on sturdy objects. This would work sometimes, but with fireworks, you generally have to aim up towards the sky. Also, having a tripod makes it that much easier to compose before hand, and a sturdy tripod promises less camera shake and blurry photos than a rock would.
This technique also stresses why manual modes trump auto modes. The majority of the time, cameras can only make guesses as to what the user wants. With a general understanding of photography, the results will almost always be better if the photographer is adjusting the settings.
As I was watching the fireworks with Devan, there was another person with a dSLR behind me. After the woman voiced her frustrations with her new dSLR and her inability to capture the explosions, her mother, I'm assuming, tried helping by telling her daughter when to press the shutter button. As the firework went up into the sky, I would hear "now" followed by the shutter flapping, only to hear more frustration voiced by the woman with the camera.
The technique the woman was using is the exact opposite of what you should do.
For someone who doesn't know much about photography, it would probably seem obvious that photographing fireworks is all about timing. After all, the best part only last for a few seconds, and it can be difficult to predict where and when the firework will go off. However, photographing fireworks is actually one of the easiest things to do, if you have the right equipment.
The first, and most important piece of advice I can give, is to, under no circumstances, use any type of flash. Your camera is going to assume the flash needs to be fired, because everything around it is pitch black. The problem with this is that the flash is only effective to a few yards, if that. Another problem that might happen, is your camera might underexpose, due to the camera thinking the flash will be compensating for the lack of light.
So how do I photograph fireworks?
Generally, I've found that using an f-stop of 22, an ISO of 100, and a shutter speed of 30 seconds works most of the time. Using an f-stop like f/22 lets me get the shutter speed slow enough that it stays open for 30 seconds, capturing any firework that goes off during that time. This not only exposes the fireworks well, but makes it possible to capture multiple explosions in a single frame. This technique also makes it possible for the photographer to press the shutter button, and then watch the fireworks until the shutter closes again. Then, the photographer simply releases the shutter again, and watches the fireworks for another 30 seconds. I don't know about you, but this sounds much easier than trying to time your shots perfectly, and this technique also produces more interesting images.
It is important to note that a tripod is a necessity for this technique. Before, when I was too poor to afford a quality tripod, I would try to set my camera up on sturdy objects. This would work sometimes, but with fireworks, you generally have to aim up towards the sky. Also, having a tripod makes it that much easier to compose before hand, and a sturdy tripod promises less camera shake and blurry photos than a rock would.
This technique also stresses why manual modes trump auto modes. The majority of the time, cameras can only make guesses as to what the user wants. With a general understanding of photography, the results will almost always be better if the photographer is adjusting the settings.
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