While in Ohio, I had the opportunity to take some senior photos for Rachel, whom I've known since she was a baby! This was the first time I've done a senior session for someone I've known that long. As you can see, she found some great places around town and at a nearby farm where we could take some pictures.
Amanda - Harrisburg senior
One thing I liked about shooting with Amanda was that she wanted to include an item from her family's photography heritage in her session. One of her images includes both a jacket and a lens that belonged to her grandfather during his time in the military.
Not an album, and not a wall portrait
I've been offering these image folios for a few months now, and I really like them. They're a nice compromise between an album and a wall portrait. They can be made with a fabric, leather, or printed cover. When you place your next order, be sure to check out our cover swatches so you can see the variety of designs available.
Gabbi - Harrisburg senior
Although Gabbi is attending school outside of the Harrisburg area this year, she came back for her senior portrait session. She is a photographer herself, and was a pleasure to work with.
The Peck family - Perry County portrait
The Pecks invited me to their farm to capture a portrait during a family gathering. One feature of the farm is a great old barn. They were a great family to work with, and the barn provided a perfect backdrop for their portrait.
Alex - Central Dauphin senior
Alex is a local senior who limited his session to the studio, yet brought enough ideas that there was a lot of variety in his portraits. Shown here are the composites I put together for his image folio.
A flash-free Christmas morning
You'll do your loved ones and your photos a favor if you can avoid the use of flash on Christmas morning. Using flash will drown out your Christmas tree lights and flatten the faces of your subjects, so whether you're using a point-and-shoot camera or an SLR, keep that strobe from firing.If you're using a point-and-shoot camera, look for the button with the little lightning bolt arrow and press it until a slash appears over the flash icon in your display. If you're using an SLR, your camera probably won't raise the flash on its own unless you have it set to full auto. You don't have to set the camera to manual to avoid full auto; even setting it to P (program) mode will give you control over the flash.What if, like in the room where I took the photos below, there isn't enough light to hold the camera steady enough to get a clear photo? Steady the camera on a tripod, end table, or the arm of a sofa and you can shoot long exposures without camera shake. Those of you using "fast 50" prime lenses probably won't have that problem, though, and you'll enjoy a shallow depth of focus in your pictures (where your subject is in focus but the background is blurred).The photos below were shot at ISO 400 and f/2.8 aperture. In the first, the flash did not fire and the speed was 1/6 second. In the second, the flash did fire and the speed was 1/60 second. I performed no post-production on the images.A reminder: When you're taking pictures of your kids, remember to get the camera down to their eye level. That perspective makes for a more appealing photo.Lastly, have a Merry Christmas!
Brienne - Camp Hill senior
Brienne is a senior from Camp Hill who was a pleasure to work with. There were a lot of great photos from her session; these are my five favorites.
Sam - Mechanicsburg senior
I've known Sam for a few years, and it was a pleasure to work with him on his senior portrait. We had a good time chatting, and he can do an extreme eyebrow raise the likes I've not seen before.
Don't be held captive!
When it's time to choose your senior portrait photographer, you may feel pressured to use whomever your school recommends. Or you may end up at a studio that shoots with the same sets as everyone else, resulting in senior pictures that look like everyone else's!At Long Shots Photography, we offer on-location shoots in addition to studio shoots. That means you choose the location, or we can help you choose from a number of unique spots that will help make your photos stand out. We still have a few senior sessions available this summer. Give us a call before we're completely booked!
Legacy!
The Studio had another great show last month, and I had the opportunity to take photos at the dress rehearsals. Studio families can view and purchase their favorites at a reduced rate.I also recently completed the DVD of the show, and we're doing something new with it this year. This Saturday, we'll be having a premier viewing of the DVD at Midtown Cinema! This will also provide you with an opportunity to take home your DVD (which includes both performances) early if you ordered in advance. Order your tickets now, and we'll see you this weekend. Also, feel free to contact me if you've not yet ordered your DVD.
Happy Memorial Day!
Since it's been awhile since I posted, I thought I'd share some of my photos from this spring.
Another great Studio shoot
Thank you to the Studio dancers and families who helped us have another successful spring photo session. We had to expand to an extra night this year, but with your cooperation we stayed on schedule.
Galleries are divided by which evening your dancer has class: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. If your child's class was combined with another, you may find her pictures on the other evening's gallery. A few of the galleries that combined students from several classes (e.g., the cover shot and Peter and the Wolf) are found in the Monday gallery.
We're offering packages this year. Those options can be found by clicking "Buy" next to your photo choice, then selecting "Package from this Pro".
I'm grateful for your assistance and hope you enjoy your photographs.
More from the Myers shoot
A couple more photos from the recent shoot I'd like to share:
On location with a great fireplace...
Not to mention a great family. I had the pleasure of photographing the Myers family at their home. Their fireplace served as a great background for their portraits, and I was pleased with the results.
Fast 50 - more on prime lenses
In last week's post on choosing an SLR, I recommended that you pair your new camera with a 50mm prime lens. A prime lens can be differentiated from a zoom lens in that its focal length is not variable. If you have a 90mm prime lens, all of your shots will be taken at 90mm; if you have an 18-200mm lens, you can shoot at 18mm (wide angle), 200mm (telephoto), and anywhere in between.
Why would you want a prime lens when it so severely limits your versatility? For one, good image quality is much more affordable in a prime lens. It's difficult to make a lens that has good image quality (IQ) across a wide range of focal lengths, and that's reflected in the price. Along with that, a prime lens is typically the easiest way to gain the ability to shoot fast. A Nikon D3S will allow you to shoot at ISO 102,400 (you read that right!), but it won't throw the background behind your subject out of focus like a 50mm f/1.8 lens on a Rebel XSi.How can you overcome the limitations introduced by a prime lens? Often, you can do it on foot. If you want to zoom in, take a few steps forward; to zoom out, step back (but watch where you're going!). Your mileage may vary. If you're in tight quarters, you won't be able to photograph a group; conversely, if you're trying to shoot a deer on a hill, you won't get much detail.[note]It's more difficult to make a lens that has good image quality (IQ) across a wide range of focal lengths[/note]Note that on most SLRs (with a 1.6x crop factor), the 50mm acts like an 80mm lens, which is more of a telephoto. For that reason, it's especially good for taking pictures of children (active or not) without requiring a flash.Shortly after I wrote Saturday's post, Phototuts+ put up a great series of images taken with what they call "Nifty Fifty" lenses. I've included several in this post as well. Enjoy!For more on prime lenses, check out this article at PhotographyTalk.
Which SLR camera should I buy?
If you've decided that an SLR is the thing for you, you're still in good shape. You really can't go wrong getting an SLR right now; they're all a good buy and packed with features. I generally recommend Nikons or Canons as they're the most widely-used; that means there are more accessories and used lenses available. That said, you'll find plenty of recommendations for Olympus, Sony, Sigma, Pentax, and the other brands.
Which model should you buy? I generally recommend the least expensive. Right now, that means the Canon Rebel XSi or the Nikon D3000. (The Canon link is for body only; the Nikon link includes a "kit lens" that I would recommend replacing.)
You can spend more money on a camera, but your lens investment is far more important. Cameras are replaced every few years, but people hold onto their lenses. And the quality of your images has more to do with the lens than with the camera. I recommend the 50mm f/1.8 for Canon users. For Nikon users, there's a 35mm f/1.8 available (see the comments from Matt Speicher below for more information about Nikon lenses). Fast prime (fixed focal length) lenses like these are great for a few reasons.
- they're inexpensive
- they're very fast, allowing you to shoot indoors without a flash
- they're small and light, making the camera more portable
- their image quality is superior to almost any other lens under $500 and many lenses under $1000
- the single focal length eliminates a decision from every shot you take (zooming is not an option)
[note]You can spend more money on a camera, but your lens investment is far more important.[/note]
Zoom lenses like the Canon 28-200 are nice in terms of their range, but there are trade-offs.
- they cost more
- they're heavier
- image quality is not as good
- they are slower, which will require flash in more situations (image stabilization (aka vibration reduction) helps, but still doesn't bridge the gap)
That said, at some point you'll want to buy a zoom lens. That's when friends with SLRs come in handy so you can borrow their lenses and try them out. I use pro lenses for portrait shoots, but my "walking around" lens is the Tamron 28-300. They make a Nikon version, too. The image quality is not as good as that offered by the 50mm f/1.8, but it's very versatile (if a bit slow).
Eventually, you may want to pick up a macro lens for close-up photography, or a wide-angle lens (which was used in the photo above) for a different perspective. I'd avoid getting wrapped up in the hardware, though; there are a lot of good pictures waiting to be taken with your new SLR and 50mm lens. I just created two galleries in which all of the photos were taken with a 50mm lens. I enjoyed taking the photos and, though at first I thought not having my zoom lens along would be a problem, I was very happy with the results.
Which camera should I buy? (2010 version)
(There is a newer answer to this question.)I'm often asked that question, and I have a short answer. The Canon G11. It gets good reviews (at a site where you can trust the reviewers), it has great optics, it takes video, it shoots RAW, and it allows the user creative control but can still function effectively on full auto. And you get all that in a portable unit that doesn't require any accessories.
While I consider the G11 a sweet spot when it comes to price, performance, and portability, I understand that there are numerous other factors that go into choosing a camera. The G11 gives us a place to start, but it may not be the right choice. There are many great cameras available for less than $400, if price is an issue. There are also many point-and-shoot cameras that are smaller.On the other hand, maybe the delay when you press the shutter release on your point-and-shoot has resulted in too many lost shots. Or perhaps you're looking to take even more creative control of your photos. In that case, it may be time to consider a digital SLR.
Happy New Year!
My thanks to you for your business in 2009. I hope you had an excellent holiday season, and that you enjoy a fabulous new year!
2009 Holiday Cards
I wanted to share some of my favorite holiday card designs from this year. These are the covers for the cards; some are two-sided and others are folding cards. All of these and more are available (including the designs here).
