Get Uncomfortable, It's The Best Place To Be As An Artist

Here's a story of getting uncomfortable, the best place to be as an artist. 

Everyday you have the choice to be content with things simply happening to you, or choosing to make things happen. The latter tends to make me happier even when it definitely isn't as easy. In June 2017, storms were simply everywhere across Texas, into Oklahoma, and south into Mexico, and finding a location to shoot astrophotography and wide angle night sky photos with a new moon were blocked by cloud cover. I was checking every weather and astronomical forecast to see if anything would clear up and a tiny place in the panhandle of Texas was clear; Caprock Canyons State Park. I had been to Caprock Canyons before and was not excited one bit.

Caprock Canyons is a beautiful area with large outcroppings of rock and very dark skies, but it has some things that make it kind of tough to shoot for a nightscape image. It has quite a bit of traffic with campgrounds fairly close to some of the best rock formations. Everyone (and I mean everyone) has their flashlights on, cars are driving in and out into the early hours of the morning, and you have, usually, a few people light painting areas of the park. As a photographer that shoots a ton of night landscapes it's everything I try to avoid.... and then there are the snakes.

A WHOLE LOT OF SNAKES! Tons, mountains, a plethora of snakes. Can't-walk-three-feet-without-seeing-a-snake amount of snakes. It's like my nightmares have come to life, but there is absolutely nowhere else to go (Death Valley National Park by means of Las Vegas flights are really expensive if you want to leave the same night you book), so embraced the fear and I headed out on a 5 hour drive to Caprock Canyons!

I knew that I wanted to shoot an arched Milky Way image and would have to figure out a composition, hike in, set up, and be ready to shoot within about 90 minutes of arriving. Oh, and set up 2 time-lapse rigs quickly as well so no pressure. Spoiler, the time lapses didn't happen. I scouted the South Prong and hill side areas quickly, took a pretty good guess at where two images would eventually line up well and the timeline for both, and threw my cameras and equipment into my folding wagon and started walking into the snake infestation that is the Caprock Canyon trails.

I'm at about 30 minutes before sunset and the surrounding landscape has already blocked the rays of the sun and the trail I am moving down keeps getting lower and lower, and I haven't exactly checked the trail maps, but after walking about 15 minutes and dropping down into a ditch about 25-30 feet in elevation below where the trail head was I am finally starting to walk up a hill. I can just start to see the composition I want, but the height on the trail is too low, but there is a hill to my right though that adds another 10-15 feet. The ideal height for the image I am thinking of creating. This perfectly placed hill is full of cactus, and what look like gopher holes. They are very, very definitely not gopher holes. I cry a little on the inside and very carefully make my way up the hill with my bag and tripod and leave the wagon on the trail just within eyesight. I refuse to travel the 20 or so feet for anything in that wagon. The "gopher holes” have kept me from attempting any time lapses for the night.

Throughout the next 3 hours, I operate within about a 4 foot circle around my tripod and keep a sustained watch around my tripod checking with my red headlamp light for any movement or new "sticks" that have moved closer to me. I took this composition with 3 different lenses to maximize my chances of putting this large of a panoramic together. The final image is 3 rows of imaging high and in total came to 136 total images all with about 60 percent overlap. I was worried that either the sky would not stitch or the foreground due to two things: I wanted this to be shot with a 50mm lens on a full frame because the detail would be awesome, but going this large is a pain with so many images for the scene. Secondly, those people driving into the canyon and flashing their lights on and off in their camps are randomly lighting up the canyon rocks everywhere. To convince the viewer of a scene you need consistency in the light direction and intensity. If this is not correct a plausible image will have lighting issues and loses much if not all of its impact. I wanted to create the foreground with the moon acting as a main light and illuminating the rock face, and adding dimension and a ratio with the ambient starlight. I had to reshoot several foreground areas a few times, and as this is happening the moon is getting lower and less intense. I finally took enough equally exposed images for the foreground that I felt I could raise or lower the exposure a few tenths of a stop and not lose the believability of the image. Finally, the moon set behind the ridge.

Waiting to start a star and sky imaging session is always fun because you can just enjoy the constellations and the shooting stars. It's incredible when you think that the majority of Americans have never seen the Milky Way, yet it's over their heads for most of the year. There's just too much light pollution from the cities where they live. Everyone should take a trip out to a beautiful national park and just look up during a summer night. Seeing that ribbon of stars that make up the Milky Way has made me fall in love with photography even more, and it's incredible every time I see the glow of the sky shining down amidst a scene.

I dug into my bag and started shooting with several different lenses, again to cover my bases in case stitching with the 50mm lens failed. Thankfully, the 50mm with the 60 percent overlap did the trick and the only issue was the amount of images. I photographed quickly as the sky is constantly moving and within an hour, this composition had already changed. When the sky imaging was finished I was only thinking about two things: this nightscape is going to look awesome! But, mostly I was thinking; I'm about to get bit by a snake climbing down this hill. After slipping some and falling once I made it down to my wagon and started heading back up the trail with my equipment while walking with incredible intention and attention to every detail on the ground in front of me. For the first time in Caprock Canyons I didn't see a single snake.

I was able to capture another series of images for a different panorama image in the early morning hours and finally drove home. I would not have come to Caprock Canyons State Park and created Star Bridge To Caprock if the weather wasn't terrible everywhere else. I wouldn't have been in the panhandle of Texas if every previous new moon weekend was just abhorrent for star imaging with rain and cloud cover. I wouldn't have gone out to Caprock Canyons if plane tickets were a little cheaper. I wouldn't be so excited about how this image turned out if I had said, “screw it” and stayed home.

I'm know I’m happiest and I grow the most when I get outside my comfort zone. I think every artist should get a little uncomfortable and be okay stretching themselves. I completely believe you will grow as a person and as an artist if you do, and you just might experience something extraordinary in the process.

- Star Bridge to Caprock

Time-lapse Workshops and The Solar Eclipse

This is going to be incredibly quick BUT it's a big deal. This August's Solar Eclipse will be transversing across Grand Teton National Park!!! O. M. G. It is going to be spectacular and you'll have one of my favorite/ the most amazing landscapes to capture at the exact same time. I will be with Ron Risman, one of the best time lapse photographers in the USA co-instructing for a week while students from around the world will work with us to capture one of the most amazing things anyone will ever see in their entire lives. Where are you going to be? With us for an entire week of hands on learning? Photographing with friends somewhere else? Either way, go somewhere you can see this eclipse because the best time is always right now... definitely not in a few years. 

Here's the info:

Join myself and award winning cinematographer Ron Risman for a 5-Day, 6-Night Grand Teton Photography & Dark-Sky Timelapse Workshop from August 18-24! This workshop takes place during a new moon (amazing dark skies) and we'll be there to capture the TOTAL Solar Eclipse on August 21st. This is the first total solar eclipse in the continental U.S. since 1978, and there's no better place to view it than the area around Jackson, WY.

Checkout using this special discount code "JTB200" and save $200 on registration for the workshop. 
http://www.TimelapseGrandTeton.com

Only Natural Lighting in US National Parks

The National Parks have set expectations on no additive light/ low level lighting/ light painting for night photography and this has always been a rule in every national park, but it was consistently overlooked by many photographers creating night time imagery. Respecting the very places we love to visit, love to create art of, and decreasing the impact we have on these areas matters more to me than having dramatic lighting or interest from publishers or gaining future clients whom want to re-create that kind of art they've seen in these area. As such, I've decided that every future workshop in any national park will be geared towards natural lighting only set ups. Simply, it's the best thing for every person wanting to enjoy the incredible night skies in our National Parks if there is no additional light pollution. It's for the good of the wildlife that we are conserving with The National Parks. Lastly, lighting can be compensated for with technique and timing which when educated on will lead enthusiasts and professionals alike to be a better photographer and artist.

One Light On Everest

On January 1st, 2017 the journey begins.

How Much Does The Think Tank Photo Airport Security V2.0 Hold?

Ever wonder if that new bag will hold all your gear? If you have a bit of G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), then that may be one of your biggest concerns. Let's see what can fit into the Think Tank Airport Security V2.0, shall we?

The Think Tank Airport Security V2.0

I've used this bag through a multitude of airports and on trips throughout the USA the past few years. It's also my go to storage bag because I know where everything is and can quickly grab what I need, or take out what I don't, and go. So how much really fits into this bag? Lets find out. 

All packed and ready to go.

Doesn't look like too much is in there, huh? I use some unique packing methods to squeeze every last bit of space out of this bag. It actually has 3 gripped bodies, 4 flashes, 2 triggers, 8 "L" lenses (2 white telephotos), a 1.4x teleconverter, 32 AA batteries, 11 Canon batteries, and a few other extras in my kit. 

What's hiding under those flashes?

Pulling everything out makes it very obvious this bag is filled to the max! The best part is that there is still room for movement and shifting so if the bag is dropped or handled roughly, the contents should still be ok without any damage. 

Everything pulled out from the internal storage of the Think Tank Airport V2.0.

Think Tank is really a great company and their products center on the pro working photographer who needs the best to protect his/her professional level kit. It also fits those who have a lot of glass and lenses that they want to travel with. Think Tank also just released an update to this bag, the Think Tank Airport V3.0 and I'm sure they've refined this classic to be even better!

Astrophotography Tips #2

This one is short and sweet! If you want to shoot images of the Milky Way, you need to go when the time is right. For the norther hemisphere this is between March and October. Additionally, you want the darkest sky you can and a big light source that can mess with that is a city or the moon. You want to be at least 100 miles from any major city, especially one that is south of you (in the northern hemisphere), and shoot on a new moon or within 5 days of a new moon. You can also see if the moon in the area you want to shoot is rising or setting during the time you are shooting but if you aim for a new moon, this will help the most. Shooting the Milky Way isn't hard if you do the work before and figure out the best times to shoot!

What's In My Bag?

First off: Click HERE

What's in the bag!? I actually have several bags so you will never see me carry every lens and piece of gear I own at once, but I'll show you the lenses, cameras, and tripod I use.

Tripod: 3 Legged Thing - Dave 

I honestly love this tripod. They are a mid-cost brand that's an incredible value when priced against the competition. I've been belligerently terrible to this tripod and it just keeps going along like I've never dropped, kicked, smashed, or accidentally thrown it about. Works perfect and the head can hold more than 20 lbs., easy. It also is a 4 section tripod so I get the height and the compact package all in one. Oh, and it turns into a monopod, too. 

Camera Bodies: Canon 5D Mark III, 6D, 7D Mark II

I'm a Canon guy (honestly not because of their bodies) and I use some of Canon's higher end equipment. Currently, I'm using the 5D Mark III as my main full frame body. The AF is great and it's built like a tank which matters to me. I'm pretty hard on my gear not because I don't care about it but because I drop stuff. I'm a klutz and I prefer my tools being able to take me having an accident or three. I also go to places that aren't the best for cameras where salt spray and sand may effect lesser cameras. I use the Canon 6D for most of my astrophotography work. I really love this baby brother of the 5D3. It is better than the 5D3 at high ISO and is lighter which is always a plus when traveling. The center AF point is better than the 5D3. Lastly, I also own the 7D Mark II. It's an incredible camera and has the AF of the top of the line 1DX at a fraction of the cost. The 7D2 is a crop sensor camera that produces some great images and Canon made the sensor a good stop better than the previous generation. I love this camera for shooting wildlife with it's 1.6x crop, and it's pretty darn good for astrophotography. The thing people don't realize about the camera is it's really good for video and the face recognition auto AF is really, really good!! Okay, maybe I like the bodies.

Lenses: Canon Zooms EF 8-15 f/4L, EF 24-105 f/4L IS, EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS II, EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II, EF 1.4x III Teleconverter

What can I say about Canon glass. It's amazing and is still within the average person's reach price wise compared to other top of the line lenses. The 8-15L is a great fisheye that I can use on a full frame or crop sensor camera. Canon really created a great lens when they developed that optic. It's also weather resistant which matters. The 24-105L is the kit lens that comes with Canon's semi-professional bodies and it's a great piece of glass. Many people give it a bad rap because it's not the best lens there is at any specific thing, but it's really good for a lot of different scenarios. It's not only incredibly sharp when stopped down, but is also a macro lens as well. I've taken some of my favorite landscapes with that lens, and the only people I hear ever fault it are those who want a f/2.8 or faster lens for every piece of glass they own. When I'm traveling, a 2.8 zoom is an anvil in a bag and isn't needed, because I'll take a better tool for the job and still be lighter with the extra lens. The other people just need a f/2.8 because they feel all warm and fuzzy inside when they pick it up even if the best way to shoot your subject is at f/8... not wide open all the time. Speaking of fast zooms, the Canon 70-200L IS II is a fantastically sharp lens that weighs enough to give me a workout every time I use it. If I didn't shoot weddings and portraits, I probably would get rid of it though. The compression is great and the lens is Canon's sharpest zoom but other lenses do better except in fast paced, low light environments where you need to get closer to your subject but aren't allowed to. I believe in having the best tool for the job, especially if you're getting paid for it, and it's the best tool for very specific scenarios. The 100-400L IS II is the new kid on the block and I love the lens. It's my favorite zoom and I actually hated my previous telephoto because I never used it. I use this lens as much as I can now and the compression and sharpness is nearly prime level. If I add the 1.4x III and the 7D2, you have a hand holdable telephoto lens that has an equivalent focal length of 896mm AND still has auto focus! For a wildlife photographer that doesn't have 10k for a 400 or 600 prime, it's the best bang for the buck and won't break your back carrying it. All of Canon's zooms listed here are sealed and weather resistant with a front filter attached. If you don't like filters, we can't be friends. I'm kidding... kinda. I have filters on the front of most of my lenses because I'm usually shooting in rain, sand, salt, or booze filled areas and it keeps that stuff out of my lens. (A weather sealed lens isn't officially weather resistant until the filter is on and mounted on the camera.) Filters also make me not care about lens caps. I just drop the glass back into my bag and if I need to clean the lens I wipe the filter off on whatever and keep shooting. When I want to sell the lens, I still get top dollar because everyone is crazy about scratches on the front element, even if it doesn't effect the image quality. I do purchase top level filters from Hoya, because they are incredibly tough and scratch resistant and I see zero image compromises when using them. 

Lenses: Canon Primes EF 24 f/1.4L II, EF 50 f/1.2L, EF 85 f/1.2L II

The reason why I chose the Canon system in the first place was because of their glass. 1.2 optics make my inner fan boy geek out, and these lenses let me shoot the majority of some of the most amazing and stressful jobs I have; weddings. The 24L II is the lens that is always on my 2nd camera. It sits and waits for the perfect moment and then it strikes to create amazing images. I use the lens to establish the scene for a wedding album or to give more awe and excitement while showcasing the subject in the scene. I love grandiose chapels where the architecture adds to the couple during their vows. The other great thing about a 24mm lens is that you can crop a little and it's now a 35mm lens. People complain about distortion with the width of the lens so just keep people in the center of the frame. Also, what if you want to maximize your DOF with a group portrait in a tight area? The 24L II to the rescue, put them in the middle and even at f/2 most eyes will be tack sharp. The 50L is probably the most underrated lens behind the 24-105L. It's because of two things: people have an issue with the focus of the lens which I've never seen. These same people usually don't understand aperture and the relationship with Depth Of Field that it has and expect f/1.2 to be tack sharp because it's an L series lens. What this person doesn't understand is the point in the image where the focus is sharp is so small that they can't find it. Focus on an eyelash wide open and that is the only part of the subjects body that's sharp... and its only 3 eyelashes. This lens can create the most ethereal images and is the lens I could shoot nearly an entire wedding with. It sits right in that perfect spot where it's not wide but not telephoto and doesn't distort people or faces much. It feels just right in so many scenarios and you can shoot the darkest receptions with it if need be. Lastly, the cannon ball, aka the 85L II is for many a dream lens. It has the reputation of being the premier portrait lens that has auto focus, and that reputation is well earned. You just can't get the same look in images that you can with the 85L II. People turn 3D on your monitor and in print with this lens. Backgrounds melt away and people simply pop with the separation the lens can create. It can be slow to focus, but that depends on who you are shooting and with what camera. The reason I bought a 5D3 was because of this lens. I wanted to get sharp focus away from the center of the frame and when shooting at a wide aperture, you need accurate AF points. Focus and recompose just won't work with this lens unless it's stopped down, and what's the fun in that? Really, if you want a certain look, shooting wide open or close to it will help create that dreamy portrait with the 85L II.

Non-Canon Lenses: Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX II, Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 IF ED UMC, Rokinon 24mm f/1.4 AS UMC, Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 AS UMC

I'll keep this short and sweet, I love Rokinon lenses. Okay, done... Maybe I'll expand a little bit on the Rokinons and the Tokina. First off the Tokina lens is awesome for astro images with the 7D Mark II and with the built in intervalometer, this is my go to set up for creating time-lapses. The Tokina 11-16 is also a constant f/2.8 and is super sharp, I may add. The Rokinon lenses are better than any of my Canon lenses when it comes to coma. Coma is when a pin point of light doesn't look like a pin point. It usually elongates and this gets worse as you go towards the corners of the image. The 14, 24, and 35mm Rokinon primes have this very well controlled due to an aspherical element included in their construction. What this means is that you get a really sharp, better than L series performing lens, for a fraction of the cost. Pay less money and get a really sharp and better looking image, H-E double hockey sticks YA! The only down side is that they are full manual lenses so that's why they are great for night photography but not so good for events and weddings. Specifically, the Rokinon 24mm f/1.4 is my favorite of the three. I can create single images that are really clean because of the wider aperture, I can still get a really wide image using a panorama technique that you create in post, and it's in that perfect spot for a landscape lens. I really like Rokinon lenses for regular daytime landscapes as well. They are seriously sharp!

Flashes: Canon 600EX-RT Speedlite, Canon ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter

I have four of the 600s and two transmitters. I always have redundancy for big jobs... and weddings are pretty big. They are really easy to set up and help me get light on my subjects quickly all while being able to take a drop or two or three. Did I mention I'm a klutz and I drop things. They live up to the quality that Canon produces and I've had zero problems with them. 

Extras: Lee Filter System

I have a large assortment of Lee Filters from their Little Stopper and Big Stopper all the way through several Hard and Soft Graduated Neutral Density Filters, regular ND filters and their 105mm Landscape Polarizer. If you want quality filters, smooth water, and long exposures pick up the Lee system. It's pretty darn good. 

How do I hold this stuff: Black Rapid Strap Sport, Double Black Rapid Strap

Black Rapid makes some good things that hold cameras. They are way better than the strap that came with your camera. Give them a shot if you're sick of having a perpetual neck ache.

That's it! I'll be doing a post about what bags I use to hold all this stuff soon. If you want to learn about gear, photography, landscapes, astrophotography, and photographer education just subscribe below. If you got through everything, thanks for reading!!

The Rules of Astrophotography #1

"Smokey, this is not 'Nam, this is bowling. There are rules." - The Big Lebowski

One quick tip about shooting astrophotography images like the one above is to use the rule of 500, which I will explain. Shooting wide angle astronomical images is exciting and fun and there are a multitude of ways to create an image with the Milky Way and stars, but one of the very first steps is learning what settings will work.

First off, the earth is rotating pretty darn fast. As you know, if you try to use a long shutter for something that is moving across the field of view, it will streak. The earth is moving but from our perspective, we see the sky move across our field of view. Well, how do we keep the stars from looking like streaks and more like pin points of light? You need keep your shutter open long enough to let light in to your sensor, but short enough that this movement is minimized. This is the rule of 500: 500/your lens in mm. For a crop sensor camera, this will be 500/(mm *crop factor). This will give you the length of time your shutter can be open without noticeable star trails or movement in your sky. This number should always be rounded conservatively as well. An example would be 500/24mm = 20.83 seconds which would be rounded conservatively to 20 seconds. Another example for a crop sensor camera would be 500/ (14mm * 1.6 crop factor) = 22.32 which would be rounded conservatively to 22 seconds.

This rule is just an easy way to make sure that you get the max benefits of using a longer shutter speed and getting sharp star points at the same time. There is always another thought process or way of doing things and I personally use the rule of 500 (and not the rule of 600) because I print my images and prefer them to be large pieces of art work. If you are looking for more light and don't think you will print ever then the rule of 600 may work for you. Rule of 600 is same as 500 in the arithmetic.

Next week I will be going through my checklist of what I look for before I head out to shoot the Milky Way. If you have a question, please add a comment and I'll try to answer it. Also, sign up for the newsletter to stay up to date on my posts and tours! I give tips every week on astrophotography, lighting, posing, education, and why traveling is the best thing you can do for your photography ( and for yourself ).

What Equipment Do I Need To Shoot The Milky Way?

There are a bunch of things that go into shooting the Milky Way from the location, to the weather, the time of year, the equipment, and just plain luck. What equipment do you need to shoot the Milky Way? Honestly, just about any modern DSLR will work really darn well. Being able to capture images at 3200 ISO is a minimum for me and is easily achieved with today's DSLRs The second piece of equipment you want to have is a lens that has an aperture of f/2.8 or faster and 35mm (or on a crop camera  24mm) or wider. Some photographers swear by wide zoom lenses but I really enjoy primes for most of my work. I'll add why in a moment. Lastly, having a great tripod is the last piece of the puzzle you will need. You want a sturdy tripod that you can depend on. Some people may look at the price of some mid level tripods with an uneasy eye, but it's worth the investment.

The equipment I use isn't the most top of the line. It's very reasonably priced and is actually better than more expensive cameras and glass. Crazy, right!? I'm personally a Canon guy. My current setup is a Canon 6D. I own a 5D Mark III but the high ISO capabilities are not as good as the 6D. I've taken this camera everywhere and have been absolutely terrible to it, and it just keeps plugging away. It's a great piece of kit and performs flawlessly for night time shooting. If you are looking at purchasing a capable camera that won't break the bank, you can't go wrong with a Canon 6D.

Glass... oh, the glorious red rings of Canon lenses. I stick with Canon because of their glass. It's the most important part of a camera system for me. I think it's top notch while providing very consistent and sharp results. My kit is filled with Canon red rings from 8mm all the way to 400mm, but I don't use Canon glass for astrophotography if I can help it. Wanna know why? Because it isn't the best option. Period. I use Canon’s top end glass and love the performance of the lenses for most of my imaging needs, but for astrophotography it just is a poor performer. The reason why: coma. Coma is when pin points of light ( like from stars ) flare or look elongated usually looking like bird wings in the corner of the image. This issue is prominent in some of the most expensive glass, ironically, and even though I love my Canon primes including the 24L II, it just isn’t the best for this type of photography.

Rokinon to the rescue!!! In the USA, Rokinon is the leading company offering Samyang Optics under the Rokinon brand and they are achieving great success creating incredibly sharp optics with very well built lenses at amazing prices. Specifically, I use the Rokinon 14mm f/2.8, Rokinon 24mm f/1.4, and Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 for Milky Way and night photography. These lenses have very little coma wide open and are usually a third of the price or even less of their respective Canon L lens counterparts. They also have a faster aperture than the wide angle zooms and cost less. That’s a ton of value for not a ton of money. Did I mention that these Rokinon lenses are fantastically sharp! I exclusively use Rokinon for my astrophotography and couldn’t be happier. Give them a look, you won’t be disappointed.

Lastly, what tripod do I use? Well, there is a small British company that is making a name for itself by going above and beyond in their customer support and creating top of the line equipment without the crazy expensive pricing of some other brands, and they have a cool name. 3 Legged Thing! I use the Dave ( all 3 Legged Thing tripods are named after famous musicians ) and it’s been beat up but still works like the day I got it. Oh, and it’s actually pretty light for being aluminum. They make carbon fiber tripods which are incredibly strong but I opted for aluminum because the weight savings wasn’t much different and I tend to drop/ step on/ trip over everything I own. If aluminum should dent, it still works. Carbon fiber while strong is more rigid and will just break rather than dent. For my adventuring with only one tripod, that matters way more than weight.

What about timers and star trackers and the newest cameras and more expensive lenses and crazy tripods with really expensive … blah blah blahhh? Honestly, they are probably great. They might give you better ISO performance or a sharper image or a more stable mounting for long exposures… but I know my gear works. It's a bit cheaper than the most expensive stuff, and if the worse happens, it’s even more replaceable. The best equipment doesn’t yield the best results, it’s the person behind the lens making the decisions that will create the best outcome and image. Don’t get caught up on buying gear ( which can be fun ) and forgetting that knowledge, education, and PRACTICE  goes further than anything you can buy. Speaking of education and practice, check out my upcoming 2016 workshops HERE.

This is the start of an astrophotography series that I’m creating about what, how, when, where, and why I shoot what I do. If you have any questions, post a comment and I’ll try to answer it. I’ll be doing an astrophotography specific blog post every other week so sign up below to get the latest information and education. Thanks for reading!

Shooting Events and Getting Great Light!

First off, I really enjoy photographing events/ receptions/ concerts because they're fun and it's different every time. The people are dressed or are acting in a unique way and that affects the mood of the scene and the images will have a completely different "feel" every time I'm working. It's great to do that kind of shooting and I honestly love it. 

Canon 5D Mark III, 85mm f/1.2L II USM, ƒ/2.0, 1/125, ISO400

Now, I've posted some of my work on social media from paying clients to showcase what I do (because I have to pay rent/ vet visits for my pup/ afford food for me and my pup/ etc. to try and draw in future clients), and I got a great, positive reaction and a ton of questions. Most of them were, "What equipment did you use?", "What were your settings?", or "Did you have an assistant?" The honest answer is that I can give you everything I did about each shot and it wouldn't work for you. I have to adjust my settings and my light for each shot. It's fast paced and you need to think on your feet every second. The other big tip is that light reacts the same, generally, no matter what you do with it. So if you have an issue, just work around it and do it quick because you're missing moments if you taking too long. 

First off, setting your ambient for the lighting in the event. I balance two things with this, the length of the shutter speed is the inverse of the length of the lens as a minimum and that people are moving at all times. Posed images are great because you can really slow down your shutter if you need to with the inverse of the lens length being your slowest shutter. Some people will drag a shutter and use flash to stop motion and I think that rear curtain sync is fun and useful for very artsy photos and when feeding on the emotional attachment of the image, but for grin and grab moments, I need sharp eyes and that won't happen as well with that method.

I'm a big proponent of bouncing flash in a fast paced setting. Off camera flash just isn't practical in event photography because you will be by yourself in a very big crowd and you need to get a sellable image every minute or so. Also, on camera flash produces flat images which look like your cell phone took them and then why am I there? They don't sell well (which is a BIG deal) and changing the direction of where the light is coming from is incredibly easy in an interior area. 

What I'm always looking for is an area behind me at 45 degrees and above me at about 45 degrees that can bounce light onto a subject. I will error a bit and be a little lower than higher to avoid shadows caused by the brow of peoples foreheads. (I see this all the time with people not taking care where they bounce and just aiming at the ceiling.) If you want to imagine someone looking straight into the camera and they had horns coming out... that is the direction you want light coming from. If you're just trying to get the most pleasing light as possible quickly, I find this trick to work pretty well most of the time. 

A couple other things, I use TTL when shooting an event. Yep, no manual for me. There's a bunch of lights changing the ambience and people moving and every time you turn to take an image the wall or object to bounce off will be closer or further away. TTL was made for this and it's great. I spot meter my subject because I want the eyes and face to be the in the best possible light. I also pay attention to the eyes or sets of eyes in the photo. Are they on the same plane/ what focal length am I shooting/ do I have enough latitude to get the group all in focus or will I need to bump the aperture? 

That's my process how I run through an event when shooting. If you enjoyed this read, let me know below with a comment or sign up for my mailer when new posts are up! Also, keep up with my photography on my Facebook page (the "f" featured below.)

Canon 6D, 85mm f/1.2L II USM, f/1.8, 1/100, ISO400

Canon 5D Mark III, 85mm f/1.2L II USM, ƒ/2.0, 1/125, ISO400

Canon 6D, 24mm f/1.4L II USM, ƒ/2.0, 1/125, ISO400

Canon 7D Mark II and 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II

The're here, they're here!! 

I received the new Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II just yesterday and the Canon 7D Mark II today, and after some quick shots with both together, I am incredibly excited for the possibilities that this combination offers. The camera and lens combo is quite simply fantastic!

I currently have been shooting with a Canon 6D and 60D and I have rarely ever felt as if I needed more than what these cameras provide. With the release of the 7D Mark II, I got to thinking about upgrading my crop sensor camera, but was on the fence because I didn't think I needed anything the 7D II offered that was different from my 60D. Then the 100-400L II was announced... and here we are today with both in my possession.

So what really closed the deal on the 7D II that isn't available on my 60D? The ability to center focus at f/8 max aperture... and the new autofocus system. 

I could have purchased a 5D Mark III and received the benefits of being able to autofocus at f/8 max aperture and full frame, BUT the 1.6x multiplication factor for whatever lens is on the 7D II camera will be incredibly useful shooting wildlife this year in Yellowstone National Park. The 7D II also has the top of the line auto focus system of the Canon 1DX now ( the 1DX retails for $6799 compared to the 7D II's $1799 ).

Though I would love the 5D Mark III, I currently own the full frame 6D, which besides its rudimentary focus system, gives me exceptional photos even when shooting in low light situations. The 5D III also is currently $1000 more than the 7D II and has a slower autofocus system. Lastly, I'll be shooting most wildlife during the day, dawn, and dusk; therefore, I can use a crop sensor camera with negligible image degradation. 

Now how about the 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II? This lens is the answer to my biggest issue when I was in Yellowstone last year, more focal length!!

I had the chance to use a 500mm f/4L IS prime from a fellow photographer when I was in Yellowstone and it changed my perspective of "Just get closer." There are many times where the focal length you need is a lot more than what you can comfortably afford. The longer focal length also allows you to safely photograph some very large (or small) and dangerous wild animals. I always prefer to not be charged by a brown bear if I can help it. 

With this 7D Mark II with a 1.4x III extender and the 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II, I have an equivalent focal length reaching 896mm at f/8!! That's huge when you can't get closer to the wild animals because of the snow drifts that are between you and them, or when getting closer isn't an option because the animal may think you are a threat and come after you. Lastly, I want animals to act natural, and the added space gives you the buffer you may need for normal behaviors to be observed. 

As of right now my 60D is on the sales page. It's been a fantastic companion and helped me capture some of my favorite photos around the country, but I think the 7D II will be a welcome addition to my photography bag. And if you shoot fast moving people or animals, and have never experienced a world class  focusing system and frame rate, you just might be missing out.

How To Not Become A Photographer

I started my businesses more than a year ago, and it's gone slow. More due to my sometimes perpetual worrying than anything else, and that's more or less why I'm putting out this blog post.

So, you have all this drive and energy to do something that you absolutely love, and you immediately realize that being a business was maybe more than you intended in the first place. It's how I've felt and I'm sure a number of new entrepreneurs have felt that pang of fear with taking on work that is mostly just getting the ball rolling. I basically stopped photographing for a time because I had started a businesses. Funny, right? I put all this effort and thought into this and I basically shrink down and nit pick every little thing so nothing I want to do or need to do gets accomplished. It's appalling how my thought process can run amuck when all you need to focus on is the most immediate next step. 

I'm ok with being a slow poke for a few moments, but this just isn't me and I'm making my choices and instituting the drive with the direction I know I need to go. You don't become a photographer to not create, you become a photographer because you see something beautiful and you want to share. That passion for many people, including me, has led me on some of my most worthwhile adventures and I only crave more. You do photography because like life, light is fleeting and you can capture the moment when the people and places you have in front of you are at their most engaging and beautiful. It's like the universe is giving you a split second to understand the wonder without asking the question,

What I'm doing is starting a new adventure with this in mind! I'll be heading through to some of the most amazing placed in the western USA starting in February with Death Valley National Park. I'll be also taking trips to Yellowstone National Park, Tetons National Park, Arches National Park, The Grand Canyon, and Big Bend National Park. With all that running around I'll still be making photos where ever I go and I hope you will lend me your support by coming back to my blog to view some of the photos I take and to here the stories over the next year! See you soon!!

How this started…

How I started in photography: I took a trip. 

It wasn't an excursion for the weekend, and it wasn't a couple days camping with some friends. I decided I was bored with just living. I was bored with working 12 hours a day and missing out on my life. The most precious thing we all have is this life. This thing no other being can experience but us as individuals. From this specific view. And I was MISSING OUT!

So I quit my job, got rid of my apartment in New York, bought a camera, and left.

I traveled for three months. Lived out of my car with a tent and my saxophone and a camera. It was crazy, but I loved every second of it. I stayed on the coasts for most of my journey making headway when I wanted to see The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, and Yosemite National Park. 

I also made some cash playing saxophone in New Orleans.

I did all of this because I know that life is short, and if you aren't living it for today then you are already half dead. Live a life WORTHY of living.