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| In my conversations with other photographers many of them share frustration with not being able to focus as consistently or accurately as they'd like. The biggest thing that has impacted my images in the realm of focus is switching from using the shutter button to control focus to using the back * button to control focus. |
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The idea is to separate the focus function from the shutter function. I love it because when I'm shooting a stationary portrait or some situation where the camera to subject distance is constant, I can lock in the focus (push the * button with the focal point on the spot I want in focus then let go of the button) and shoot away, even re-composing, and the focus will stay dead-on. This has also freed me up from constantly changing my focus points which I used to do because I wasn't confident in the shutter locking the focus. I now leave the center focus point selected and recompose after locking in the focus using the * button on the back of the camera.
In the situation of a moving subject, I also like the back button because it allows me to track the subject and still get consistent focus. For processionals and recessionals I put my center focus point on a point of high contrast -- generally on the man's torso at the point where his jacket meets his shirt: |
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The reason I put it there rather than on an eye is that with moving subjects it can be difficult to keep the focus point on a small area. If I focused on his eye, there's a good chance the focus box will overlap his head and the background and I could end up with plenty of beautiful shots with the background pristinely focused and my subject blurry. So it's better to pick a spot like a torso that has more surface area. Also, my camera is generally equidistant from the torso and the eye (they're on the same plane equidistant from the camera) so even if I'm shooting with a wide open aperture (the above shot was taken at f1.2) I will get the eye in focus. With my camera in Al Servo mode (always leave it there) I can just hold the * button down and keep shooting constantly and the focus will track the subject. It's a beautiful thing!
If you want to try back-button focusing here are the settings for the Canon 5D Mark II:
1. Under C.FN IV: Operation/Others set #1 to "3:AE lock/Metering + AF start" and #2 to "1:Enable"
2. Turn your AF setting to AI Servo. Leave it there from now on and never take it off.
For a Canon 5D:
1. Go to custom function 4 and set it to setting 1. (setting 0 is default)
2. Turn your AF setting to AI Servo. Leave it there from now on and never take it off.
For Nikon users (courtesy of Simply Knot Photography):
1. Go into your custom settings menu
2. Select A (autofocus)
3. Select A5 (AF Activation)
4. Choose AF-ON only
5. Use "AF-ON" button on the back of your camera to focus
When I first switched to back button focus it took me a little getting used to but I feel so much more confident in my focus being dead-on with this system. |
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I'm so excited! I just got my new Kelly Moore Bag in the mail! I've been a loyal Shootsac user for years but I thought it was time to give another bag a try. The Shootsac is great in so many ways -- it's light weight and I love how it curves around your body so it feels snug. But it also has limited room and because of the elastic-y material it's made out of sometimes it likes to spit it's contents out. I lost a client's sunglasses on one shoot and felt SO bad. That made me nervous about CF cards. You also have to be very careful which pocket you put your long lens in the Shootsac. One time I had it in the middle pocket and the whole thing flipped over resulting in this fiasco.
So when I saw this new bag that solves many of the above issues PLUS is super stylin' I thought I'd give it a try. It's a little larger than the Shootsac and has 4 interior upright slots for gear (enough to use on for my water bottle!). You can put your 70-200mm inside with room to spare. So it's pretty deep. It's sturdy and stands upright empty or full. And the POCKETS. So many for everything from your cell phone, business cards, CF cards, keys and wallet. It even has a zipper pocket in the back for papers or a small book: |
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| Check out the website here if you're interested in seeing more and all the cool colors they have to offer! Can't wait to get out and give it a try at my next shoot! |
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I was half way to the workshop when I realized !DOH! I forgot my camera. So I stole this image off of Justin & Mary's website.
Yesterday I attended the Spread the Love Workshop put on by Justin & Mary Marantz -- two very talented photographers & small business owners from Connecticut. I've known these two for a couple years mostly just through social media and seeing each other briefly at conferences. At Pictage PartnerCon in November their talk overlapped with mine so I wasn't able to hear them speak. So I was excited to spend 5 hours with them yesterday. They did an amazing job and I came away with pages of notes and ideas.
One of the very best things you can do when you come home from a workshop or conference where you took in gobs of information is to go through your notes and write down a list of specific goals or action points that you want to implement. If you don't do this you will have the best intentions to eventually read through your notes again but the craziness of life will take over and you won't actually end up making any changes.
So here's my list of goals after the Spread the Love Workshop:
1. Finish listening to The E-Myth Revisited on audio tape. (For some reason I got part way through & quit and the CDs are still in my car's glove box.)
2. Write out my ideal client profile.
3. Read Lovemarks: the Future Beyond Brands
4. Think through & implement client experience gifts: New client gift, after booking gift, date night kit, wedding gift & 1st Christmas gift.
5. Improve gift packaging: boxes, custom boutique bags, logo embosser & custom tissue paper
6. Bring my personality out even more on my website/blog. List stuff I love & 5 things that define me.
7. Give each vendor I work with a packet of postcards for their use with my favorite photo of their work on it.
8. Start a blog comment contest program for all my engagement shoots & weddings.
9. Think through using a contact form on my website to gather more initial client info.
10. Develop a spreadsheet to forecast which months $ is coming in so I know where the gaps might be.
11. Give a certain book to a certain friend (details not included here because it's top secret.)
12. Figure out if I want to do another 101 in 1001 goals list or another goal writing format.
13. Purchase and play with Totally Rad Actions
That's it! Justin & Mary said that only 4% of Americans write down their goals. And people who write down their goals make 9 times more money over the course of their lifetimes than those who don't. I'm guessing that's because people who write down their goals actually accomplish 9 times as much over the course of their lives than those who don't. And the money is just a side effect of productivity.
The Spread the Love Tour is continuing up the West Coast right now and will also be in UT, CO, KS, Chicago & Maine before the Spring is done. If you'd like to sign up you can do so here!
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Yesterday I participated in Bridal Bootcamp 2010 at the Arizona Biltmore. This was an event for couples who are planning their weddings to come and learn from the experts in each vendor category and to glean ideas that will take their weddings to the next level. The Bootcamp was an absolute hit and I had so much fun mingling with brides, consultants and other vendors throughout the day.
Bridal Bootcamp was organized by the fabulous Victoria Canada of Victoria Canada Weddings and Events and her and her team of course rocked it. Check out the super-cute bags they handed out to all of the attendees! Destiny's Bride, Mr. Formal and Twirl all brought in some bridal fashion for the attendees to drool over and there were lots of great door prizes. Phoenix Bride & Groom Magazine was also a big sponsor of the event. |
| The Biltmore supplied yummy and gorgeous food: |
| There was a whole room dedicated to table settings and floral arrangements. I loved this one by Table Tops, Etc: |
| The attendees where put in small groups and cycled around to each vendor where they heard a short 18 minute presentation that included tips within the area of that vendor's expertise. Here's Rene from Celebrations in Paper sharing tips about paper products: |
| Andrea with Sedona Cake Couture who has appeared numerous times on the Food Network was on hand for cake tasting and with tips for designing your perfect wedding cake. |
| Corinna Cooke talked about and demonstrated make-up techniques to help brides look their best: |
| Keri from Twirl gave tips for utilizing your bridal party to its fullest: |
| And here's a shot Stuart from Eyes 2 See caught of me giving my presentation on 5 tips for spicing up your engagement shoot: |
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Each year this family braves the freezing January New Hampshire temperatures to do a family shoot with me while I'm in town. I love the unique look the winter backdrops give to the images -- I certainly don't get the chance to shoot in the snow very often! They are really good sports because it's seriously cold.
Shooting family portraits is always a challenge. There are just SO MANY things to juggle. Trying to keep young ones happy and parents calm while also being creative is tough for me at times. This is when a solid background in the technical aspects of photography really comes into play. I don't remember consciously thinking about my camera settings once. There were just too many other things going on. I generally feel like I'm not sure how the shoot went at the end but I'm always pleasantly surprised later when I look at the images. If I get photos that capture each person looking natural and that show the connections between them I feel like a success.
This family has a wealth of cuteness going on. Madeline is 11, Marshall is 4 and Grace is 6: |
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| Shannon and Maddie have such a special mother/daughter relationship going on and I love these: |
| It makes me happy when parents love on their kids during the shoot: |
| And yay! One photo from my entire trip with me in it just to prove I was here. Thanks Andy! |
| I'm heading home today and I can't believe how fast the time flew while I was here! Wish I could pack everybody up and take them home with me. Such great memories! |
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