Canon!!!! I love it. Here's the list (click on individual gear to find blog posts with more info): 
 
- Canon 5D Mark II -- great color comes out of this camera and it has a full sensor so your wide lens is WIDE :) 
- Canon 5D for backup 
- 70-200mm 2.8 IS lens -- awesome for spying on people and shooting without them knowing you're there :). 
- 50mm 1.2 lens -- great for so many things and very sharp 
- 24mm 1.4 lens -- used for scene setting and dance shots 
- 15mm 2.8 fish eye -- used sparingly but has a distortion effect that is fun sometimes 
- Two 580EX speedlites 
- Two Lumedyne Tinycycler battery packs to keep the speedlites recycling quickly 
- Three pocket wizards (1 is for back-up) for off-camera flash work 
- Light Stand with umbrella bracket and cold shoe 
- 60" convertible umbrella (for occasional group photos in a church) 
- Batteries galore 
- 48 GB worth of compact flash cards in 8 GB forms 
- Mac Book Pro 17" laptop for showing slideshows at the reception 
 
That's everything I carry with me to weddings. If you'd like to view or purchase any of these items click here. 
 
I also have a 27" iMac. Apple rocks!!

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I like to shoot right around 15 weddings per year. One to two per month seems to be the perfect amount. Although, it never spreads itself out like that. The Arizona wedding seasons are Spring and Fall because of the weather, so I try not to shoot too much here in the summer. I love to travel and shoot elsewhere during the summer though!!

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I like to work with a consistent team and am pretty much set, but sometimes need a fill-in. Feel free to let me know if you're available and I'll keep your info on file.  
 
If you want to make your 2nd shooting services available to other photographers in the Phoenix area, click here and add your info to the list!

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Brock & Dave of Infinet Design designed and programmed my wedding website & blog. This team is rare in that they do what they say they're going to do when they say they're going to do it. I've had some tough experiences in this area. Definitely find a solid, reliable, hard-working and talented designer. Even if you have to pay big bucks--it will save you tons of time and frustration in the end.

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Pictage! They add so much to my business. Not only do they provide my online proofing, but they are my lab, they connect me to a ton of other photographers and do a lot of marketing for me. They work hard to take care of their photographers. Click here to read more about how I use Pictage.

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I use Photojunction software (NOW COMPLETELY FREE SOFTWARE!!) and over time I have created my own templates that I pull from to create each unique album. This works great for me and is very efficient. If you haven't had a chance to see some of the results, click here to view a number of our most recent designs. 
 
The exciting news is that I offer my template collections for sale so that other photographers can benefit from them as well! I have an entire website dedicated to my album design templates so click on the link to find out more! 
 
In addition, I've started an Album Design Service called Align Album Design that provides fast, affordable and clean album designs for pro photographers. Check out the service here to see if it is right for you!

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It's true--I love getting together with other photographers, and talking about anything and everything. When I started my business, another photographer --David Jay--helped me out a ton. He was very generous and answered so many questions for me. He started an online forum called Open Source Photo where photographers can get online and ask questions and share. It's an awesome community that has helped me out a ton as well. I've just learned along the way that the more you give, the more you get back. Networking with other photographers is actually one of the best things you can do for your business. That way, we're not in this small business thing alone. We have others to go to when we are in need. And if I'm booked on a certain date, I want to be able to direct that bride to a photographer who I believe in and trust. 
 
I lead a local network of photographers, most of whom use Pictage, that meets monthly in Phoenix to talk about our businesses and photography. It's called the Phoenix PUG. Click here if you'd like to find out info about when and where our next meeting is--you're welcome to attend. It's totally free and you don't need to be a Pictage user to attend. I definitely recommend that you get involved in the photography community! And if you don't have a PUG near you, call up a local photographer and take him or her to lunch. It's fun!

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Yes, I do use a few actions in post-processing. I've experimented with many throughout the years, but currently use variations of Kevin Kubota's.

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I took photography classes in high school and college, but didn't get my degree in photography. I went to Azusa Pacific University and majored in philosophy and Christian Ministries, with a minor in math. I guess I thought of art as just a hobby at the time and didn't want to touch a business class with a ten-foot pole. But after college, I realized that I had to do something creative for a living in order to feel fulfilled and God directed me toward photography. It's the perfect job and I've learned so much about both photography and business along the way!

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8 years!

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Yes. It's located in Phoenix, Arizona in my home. I don't do any shooting here, but it's a great place to work everyday and meet with clients.

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Yes. Sara is my full-time office manager. She is so on top of things and makes my life so much easier!

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Yes. I always bring a 2nd photographer AND a third assistant to help us with our equipment and download files in preparation for the slideshow at the reception. It's a team effort!

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Yes! I have three associate photographers who shoot weddings for my business. Click here to find out more about each of them and to see some of their work!

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First of all, Canon and Nikon are the two best brands for professional cameras. I prefer Canon, but I know there are many great photographers out there who use Nikon. Basically, you need to choose one and stick with it. It's costly to change all your equipment over down the line. The Canon Rebel is a good start-up camera for anyone taking photography classes and wanting to start out with a good SLR in the $600 price range.  
 
You might think that putting all your money into your camera and getting the best one you can afford is the way to go. But it's important to remember that lenses can be just as expensive as your camera, if not more. And lenses are actually a better investment over time than your camera body. Cameras are like computers--they get updated so quickly that as soon as you buy one, the new model is out and yours is outdated. But good lenses will last you a life-time. So I always recommend that people put the bulk of their money into purchasing good lenses rather than into a top-of-the-line camera. Look for a variety of lenses with a low f-stop. Oftentimes, the lenses that come with the body in a "camera kit" aren't great quality, so look into buying the body and lenses separately. The Canon 50mm 1.4 lens is a great lens for the money!

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The issue of finding good music to use to feature our photos is a tough one for many professional photographers. Because of copyright laws, we can be fined crazy amounts of money for using artists' songs without permission. But most artists don't have time for little people like us. They're selling the rights for their songs for thousands and millions to people making major motion pictures and the like. So we end up stuck in a tough spot. Some photographers chose to break the law and take their chances on not being caught. This is tempting, but I also know, as a fellow artist, that musicians deserve to be compensated and recognized for their art.  
 
I've gotten a number of emails with questions about music. For my client slideshows, most of the songs I use are from Triple Scoop Music -- a great source for royalty free music for photographers. Jennifer, Roy and Ali are seeking to bridge the gap between musicians and photographers to benefit both groups. They've got a great thing going!  
 
The song on the home page of my website is from a great up-and-coming artist from Nashville, who was gracious enough to allow me to use his stuff: 
 
I Will Always Love You -- Don Hejny 
 
Hope that helps many of you out! I'm continually on the search for great music, so let me know if you find any other great sources!

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