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Take & Talk Pics

Take & Talk Pics is a photography based podcast and blog where the host, Rob Krueger, shares information every Monday, interviews a new working professional photographer each Wednesday and Friday. This full blown photography podcast and blog is full of amazing content 3 days a week. Photo World, the listening community, can expect a fresh new show every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Rob will use Take & Talk Pics as a better way of learning photography and more importantly the business of photography. He asks nearly identical questions to every photographer being interviewed each Wednesday and Friday. The great thing about this continuity is; Photo World will know exactly what to expect from Take & Talk Pics but the answers are constantly changing from one professional to the next. Rob believes this is the best way to learn. It begins to become an educational habit. Aside from the weekly interviews, Rob has the Monday Message. This began in June 2015 and continues today. Whether Rob is recalling a quote, suggesting a book, speaking about his own experiences, or just getting Photo World motivated to CRUSH their photography business; He delivers a unique perspective on a range of topics to keep us interested in all the aspects of photography and running a small business.
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Nov 16, 2016

David & Luke Edmonson

© Edmonson Photography

David and Luke Edmonson have been called the “Master Photographers to Master Photographers” and with good reason.

With over 50 combined years in the industry, the indelible impact the Edmonson’s leave with clients, students and peers around the world is remarkable. No doubt, their signature style is unmistakable. But it’s their “Iron-Sharpens-Iron” philosophy that has fueled their art and professional success.

A relentless pursuit of excellence through competition. Selfless mentorship. A hands-on benevolence with their passionate charities.

 Simply put, the “Edmonson Way” means that giving is a both a privilege and a path to self-improvement; for themselves and those they encounter.

With dozen of awards as Master Photographers, Diamond Awards, Photographers of the Year and numerous other designations, 2015 was the year the Edmonson’s made photography history. David was honored as recipient of the WPPI Lifetime Achievement Award. This father-son duo also became the first-ever family members inducted into the Camera Craftsman of America, one of the oldest, most prestigious groups in the world dedicated to advancing the profession of photography as an art form. Also in 2015, Luke was named one of the groundbreaking founders of the WPPI Photographer Certification program, the first of its kind in the industry.

The Edmonson’s are sought-after speakers and educators locally, nationally and abroad, teaching workshops to the up and coming aspiring photographer, to share their talent and know-how to help others hone their craft.  They also serve as print judges at various international print competitions.

It’s often said that Art Imitates Life. If you’ve ever seen the work of David and Luke Edmonson, this is clearly true:

“Profound with dimensionality, ingrained with emotion and compelling in their beauty."

This is the Edmonson Way.

w: edmonsonweddings.com

art1095.com

Happy Shooting!

david-luke-edmonson-sample-works

David:

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Luke:

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Nov 2, 2016

Light Painting with Harold Ross

harold_ross_head_shotHarold Ross (b 1956), is an American fine-art photographer who lives and works in southern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Since 1979, Harold has been creating distinctive work in the studio as well as in the night landscape. For 27 years, he has specialized in light painting, a technique involving "painting" the light over a long time exposure. Harold actually refers to his process as “sculpting with light”. He also teaches workshops in his methods and regularly gives lectures on his work.

Born into a military family in 1956, Harold grew up in New Mexico and Germany. His parents were adventurous, and took the family on outings almost every weekend... hiking in the desert, horseback riding and camping in the mountains, exploring castles and old gardens in Germany and camping in Italy. These outings, of course, left many lasting impressions.

He earned a B.F.A from Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), after which he produced fine art and taught photography at the college level for several years.

His large scale color work has been exhibited, published and collected in the U.S. and internationally. Publications include Photo China Magazine, the Italian magazine Progresso Fotografico and the Ukrainian magazine Ukraine Photographer, among others. Here at home, his work has been featured in LensWork #93 and #121, The New York Times LENS blog, and Professional Photographer Magazine, and others.

In 2011, Harold was invited to participate in an exhibition of landscape photography in Inner Mongolia, China along with 10 other American and 20 Chinese photographers. He was also chosen as one of four photographers to exhibit in the inaugural FRESH 2011, at Klompching Gallery in Brooklyn, New York.

Happy Shooting!

w: haroldrossfineart.com

Blog: hharoldrossfineart.wordpress.com

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harold-ross

 

Oct 19, 2016

Make Changes

Make Change - Episode 250Photo World if you are learning and growing then you are changing. Often it can be difficult to make change and go along with them but it is a necessary practice to improve from where you are.

So here we are on the 250th episode on Take & Talk Pics! I have been so blessed to do this podcast and bring this content to you Photo World. However, I have been learning, growing, and yes, changing.

I have been finding there are so many things I have planned for my work and businesses and I need to make a few adjustments right here on the podcast and blog.

First, the show is going to be on a bit of a break. I can't bring myself to stop because I am far too passionate about what this show means to me and what I want to continue contributing to you Photo World.

So being somewhat on the back burner you can expect 2 episodes a month. Once every other week. Ideally these would be interviews with photographers from around the world, but I know there will be a few here and there where I need to share solo from time to time.

As I make changes, I would like consistency, and a space where Photo World can continue to learn from me. So I will maintain a weekly blog post right here on Take & Talk Pics.

Happy Shooting!

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Oct 17, 2016

Nikon Active D-Lighting

active-d-lightingPhoto World this episode is more proof that you need to know your gear to fully understand the potential you bring to every shoot. Knowing your gear is good but knowing when, where, and how to use the tools effectively is the real test of a pro photographer versus a hobbyist. The Active D-Lighting setting for Nikon cameras is another great example of why it can be important to fully understand your camera.

Active D-Lighting is really Active Dynamic Lighting... Dynamic being richer with tonality. Like HDR isn't High Definition Resolution HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. Active D-Lighting isn't nearly the tonal range of HDR but it is a step in that direction. Active D-Lighting is also a Nikon specific option. Canon has ALO or Auto Lighting Optimizer, but ALO is only a fraction of the influence as Active D-Lighting ends up being.

There are many reasons to use Active D-Lighting but understanding more about how it works will clear up much of the confusion. Active D-Lighting offers the photographer the option to under expose to crush the highlights so they remain intact in the final image. The Active D-Lighting opens the otherwise underexposed shadows in camera and embedded into the RAW file. This allows for more details in the shadows than usual.

With selective settings from Low all the way to Extra High, Active D-Lighting is an awesome tool to be used in making better pictures. However, listen to the episode to hear why I like Canon RAW files more than my own Nikon RAW images. Hint: it has to do with Active D-Lighting.

When you take the time to investigate the inter workings of your gear you have the freedom to raise the bar on your images and continue stepping in the right direction, not only for your images, but you and your business overall.

Happy Shooting!

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Oct 14, 2016

Dust Mapping

dirtysensorPhoto World we work so hard to have beautiful, clean, well made photographs. We did this back in the film days too, but there was a battle going on against dust and scratches. We still see issues today when it comes to dust.

They make air blowers, sensor brushes, lens cleaner fluids, micro fiber cloths, lens tissue, sensor gels, or you can send your equipment out for professional cleaning... There are a lot of options today to ensure that we don't have one spec of dust in an image where we don't want it. However, most of these tools/devices/options are horrible and cause more damage than help solve problems. Often it is user error but I say why take the risk!

Now there are many things you can do that are low risk and may clear up those dust spots but every so often there is a spot we can't seem to shake. I give a couple cleaning examples I do but my favorite and most trusted is send it out to a pro who will also assume responsibility.

Photo World, if you really can't get the job done or can't get the right person to do it for you, you may want to consider Dust Mapping. This in camera software driven process will save you hours of editing.

Happy Shooting!

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Oct 12, 2016

Time-lapse Photography

Photo World I needed a break from all the business talk because at the end of the day my addiction to photography needs some attention as well as my passion for building businesses. Time-lapse Photography is a bit of its own practice. In fact it began mostly by accident and has slowly evolved into spectacular motion pictures.

untitledTime-lapse Photography is more simplified than it used to be with the advent of digital. In short it's a series of images being complied into video, for a quick view of an extended time. Hence Time-lapse.

There are several ways to make a time-lapse video but the easiest is the automated feature found in most DSLRs and Mirrorless systems. However, the highest quality is making the final video by way of capturing each image individually and edit to your liking. Much more time consuming but the results are stunning.

Time-lapse - episode 247Let's run some numbers:

1 picture every second for 1 minute straight would offer you 60 images to be used as 2 seconds of video at 30 frames per second.

10 minutes of time-lapse for 1 second of video when you shoot at an interval of 6 seconds between shots.

Say you want 30 seconds of video and you are shooting at an interval of 1 shot every minute… That would be a 15 hour long shoot to have a frame rate of 30 frames per second.

Time-lapse is an investment but the results can be stunning.

Check more from Edward Muybridge.

Happy Shooting!

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Oct 10, 2016

Savings Plan

savings-plan-epsidoe-246Photo World when you run your own business it doesn't matter when it comes up or in what aspect the conversation takes place... most of us, when we start out, do not like to talk money. That could be one of the worst offsets to a secure savings plan for a infant business.

When I sit down with clients I have absolutely no fear to talk about how the money works. This confidence emerged after six years in business as a professional. Six years living in fear of that one five letter word. One thing we all want more of, feel we have too little, and can't seem to stretch far enough. Money.

There are literally dozens of episodes I could do in highlight money's role in a small business. I tango with several of the topics involved from taxes, to loss, paying your bills, and having a savings plan.

Regardless of your photographic genre or even your business for that matter... We must step back and look at the year as a whole before we begin understanding our fiance. This episode may just be the key.

Happy Shooting!

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Oct 7, 2016

Why Should You Blog

why-should-you-blogPhoto World as you can tell by the title I am going to totally sell you on the idea of why should you blog. Okay, not really but I am going to talk about the purpose and operations behind how a blog works. The true conversation is about good business practice, showcasing your talent, and hoe to obtain a free or cheap marketing funnel.

It is a lot of information to be crammed in a 10 minute episode but when it comes to blogging it's pretty simple. There are many reasons why you should blog. However, and I know this first hand, there are countless reasons to give up on a blog. It isn't as exciting because the investment of time is greater than most people are willing to give and results are not as instant as most would like.

That being said... Blogging is a long term investment but the payoff can be amazing. Listen to the example story of a friend of mine I share in today's episode. She went from doing pictures as a hobby to a six figure business in only one year.

Happy Shooting!

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Oct 5, 2016

Build Your List

build-your-email-listThat's right Photo World, you need to build your list. That is your email list. Think of the countless emails you receive that are of little to no value for you, but there is one email every so often that keep you as a subscriber to that list.

Now, you don't have to bombard people with nonsensical emails day in and day out. However you may find a use for the list over time. Some will tell you to make a few lists that fit into categories like most likely to buy, least likely, and somewhere in the middle.

My view is collect all emails and compile a list of possible for sales. At the very least if you build your list you could always come back to it when the time is right. In this episode I discuss when the right time might be to use your list.

Anyone and everyone is a candidate to be considered. If you are able to acquire an email at any point then you are a step closer to a possible "yes" for your product or service. You have to consider any contact or inquiry is the halfway point to a "Yes". In other words gaining someone's email address is a "maybe" to buying your product or service.

You never know what you will do in the future so build your list in the present!

Happy Shooting!

Oct 3, 2016

All Work and No Play

We often feel like there's too much to do. To many things on our plate and we can't catch up; so much, that it seems our business, our career, our supposed passion is all work and no play. Just like anything else in life there is a time and place for everything. It's my belief that all work and no play should be observed from time to time. However, it's draining on the mind and the body to live life this way.

 
all-work-no-playWhat is "play"? Well that could be up for debate but the way I view it is: something of interest to you, worth the investment, and worth the time, but shifts your focus away from your work. The average person is asleep for 33% of their life time. The average person is working for nearly 56% of their time during a 45 year span, but averaging another 33% of their time thought their life time. That leaves a life time average of 34% of your life time is glued by the other 66% of occupied time. All to have not much more than 1/3 their lives at play. This doesn't account for being sick, making improvements around the house, the time spent traveling or commuting to your job, attending special events for others, and a plethora of other things. So what time do you really have at play in your life? Shouldn't we work that much harder to open up the gap between work and play?
 
In this episode I share a story of how all work and no play can kick start a career. In short I took a $40,000 loan and went debt free in 1 day. Just like an overnight success it didn't really happen overnight, but I was able to take care of that loan with just a bit of time and a lot of hard work.

Happy Shooting!

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Sep 30, 2016

Giving Back

Photo World I offer a free coaching call. Scroll to the bottom of this page if you are interested. One thing I do for every call is get to know you and your business. Following the call I give a thank you gift for having done the call. I don't want to share everything, but highlight 1 point on the gift.

giving-backGiving back to your community. In the episode I read word for word how I view this point and what I include in this gift. In short I have found giving back to your community does many things and it is different for each of us. It can be for a feel goof feeling, maybe to help out for a cause you believe in, or just to show that you are motivated to be a part of your community.

Whatever the reason giving back is a beautiful thing. Take it one step further and incorporate your skill, talent, and passion for photography and creatively look for ways to overlap your photography work with community service. Perhaps you could do photos for a local animal shelter so they have quality images.

Happy Shooting!

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Sep 28, 2016

Cost of Doing Business

Costs BenefitsPhoto World there is an old saying: It takes money to make money. That saying is so true and truer still when it comes to marketing. Marketing is one of the costs of doing business, in fact, it is the largest cost of doing business. In today's episode I break down three marketing strategies I have tried over the past few years. Admittedly, over one dozen attempts at marketing have taken place for Rob Krueger Photography and most have failed miserably. A few have been successful and have become the new standard for all future marketing.

Photo World you have everything to risk when you start marketing your business. It can be costly... at first. Hopefully, those trial and error tests of marketing will open up the opportunity your business needs. One marketing avenue I had used was Google ads. My experience wasn't typical but I confidently feel it is a valuable option for most photography businesses.

I have had my own ups and downs when it comes to marketing and today I only discuss the idea of paid marketing. a brief mention to word of mouth as well as social media marketing is worth remembering. The fact that we have a free (social media) option for marketing our businesses is brilliant. On the one hand that is part of the reason the market feels saturated at times. However, saturated markets is a myth.

Happy Shooting!

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Sep 26, 2016

Rule of Thirds Pricing

Photo World, making up what you do with your pricing is hard enough. I spent years, with trial and error, figuring out an efficient way to make life easier when it comes to talking money. I have created a rule of thirds pricing...

  1. Have a set pricing for your customers
  2. Define who your customer is and how you would charge them
  3. Give appropriate breaks to the right people

I have broken my customer base into 3 main categories, hence the rule of thirds. One has three sub categories within it. You'll have to listen to get the who scoop.

rule-of-thirds-pricingIf you have been having trouble determining your pricing for new customers, family, friends, referrals, or repeat clients maybe this episode will help you. I know when you’re starting out it seems more important to just book the work or sell the art just for the sake of doing so. Newer photographers often make the mistake of taking what they can get and breaking their own pricing rules. These simple rules I have laid out will help guide you to a more successful pricing structure and a good path to improving your own pricing model in the future.

Happy Shooting!

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Sep 23, 2016

People Person

people-personThere is no rule in business that says you must be a people person but I like to lean on logic when I question these types of things. In a truly logical sense, in every career or job, in every industry, there are people involved. Either you are getting something done/created for other people or you are having work done for you. Your business really revolves around the idea that someone is on the other end of just about everything your do. With that, being a people person could just be the most important skill you develop for your business. I will say when I got started as a photographer people were the one subject I never wanted to deal with. However, I had a benefit most don't get; I was able to watch a pro photographer in action. Not just a pro photographer but one who was already in business for 20 years when I started working for him, one who was an excellent people person, and one who genuinely knew how to interact with others. I learned how to be a people person.

Happy Shooting!

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Sep 21, 2016

Network Time

network-timePhoto World it is time to get back to business. Admittedly, the show has been struggling these past few weeks and the content has suffered. However, you still mean a great deal to me and I want you to know there are many great things to come. That being said it is time to get back in gear... it is time to talk business.

If you recall I had a few episodes focused on the startup of a photography business and how to go about doing that. This is a continuation of that track. When I started I would say my greatest failure was never networking in my industry. I always thought networking was about talking yourself up and trying to impress those around you with your successes. I know now that is a horrible way to network. If you don't believe me, try it. Talk yourself up to everyone around you and then star to listen for everyone talking about you. Not in a good way but talking about how annoyed they are with you. Or look at it from the other side. Think of those people who always have to one up you. Not a fan right?

Happy Shooting!

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Sep 19, 2016

Talk Yourself Up

talk-yourself-upSometimes you need to talk yourself up. Photo World, the way we handle our internal reactions will often determine our external reality. I have spoken about mindset and maintaining professionalism in the past but what about those times when it seems like nothing is going your way? What about when you are feeling a creative block? How about times when rejection clouds your mood? There are plenty of things to think about when something doesn’t go our way. However, it is difficult to maintain a positive attitude. Start with a slight hesitation and replay this thought: When and if you are ever feeling down, do not listen to yourself; but instead, talk to yourself.

This isn’t some trick to get yourself feeling better or some roundabout way to talk yourself up. This is a simple statement to remind you of a better approach to improving your thought process. Next episode I will go over a few ways to rethink rejection and how to find the positive moment.

Photo World can you think of a time when you needed to talk yourself up? Share your story in the comments section below. We all learn from our own experiences but we can learn even more when we hear it from others. It helps to know we are not alone in all of this nor are we the only ones going through a rough time. Share to help talk one another up and not just ourselves. 

Happy Shooting!

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Sep 16, 2016

What They Did

what-they-didI want to wrap up my thoughts from the last episode… I talks about starting out and there have been a few dedicated episodes with that same idea in mind, but it is really leading us to today’s topic. I had heard, and I don’t know if this is his quote, businessman Dave Ramsey  mention to one of h callers; “When you want to be thinner you talk to thin people, ask them what they did. When you want to be rich you talk to rich people, ask them what they did.” That ignited the exact same principal in me when concerning photography. When you want to be a more successful photographer you talk to successful photographers, ask them what they did. Directly asking someone who they became successful is not really the best strategy, but there are ways of learning the steps those, whose work you admire, did what they did to accomplish for where they are at now.

As a good start you should begin with who do you surround yourself with? What are they like? Do you wish you were in the same position they are in? If you are wanting what those around you have then you may be in the right crowd. If you would never want what those around you have, stop having those individuals around you. Remove yourself from instability and immerse yourself in opportunity. Opportunity is nothing more than being prepared and keeping a look out for it. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. So it helps to know who they are, but more importantly, what they did. Choose your friends wisely.

Happy Shooting!

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Sep 14, 2016

Rocky Start

a-rocky-startPhoto World there are always so many things that come across my desk (screen) and I find once in a while, I see things that strike a chord with me. Recently, a story was shared withe me about another "photographer" who borrowed a few pictures to supplement their own portfolio in hopes to sell to new clients. They had said, once they were caught, that they would remove those borrowed images when they built a stronger portfolio. Photo World, if you were ever wondering how to get started in this industry there are hundreds of ways to do it. Some are better than others, but there are an oblivious few that should never be used.

On the other end of the spectrum, as a professional, I don't know if there is much I can do if and when I ever come across this situation with my images. Would I be mad, upset, or vengeful? Maybe all three, maybe none at all. This episode isn't meant to be some sort of anti-theft device and I do steer away from the topic a bit but just another one of those things where it has been brought to my attention.

Happy Shooting!

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Sep 12, 2016

Manual Mode

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Photo World how could I go through each priority mode and not finally speak on Manual Mode. However, I don’t really do that much here. I should have called this episode Rob Mode because I selfishly only talk about how I shoot and how I couple Manual Mode with my Metering. Although, Manual Mode is really “insert name here” Mode every time. If you think about how we create images, and you will hear me speak to the topic of “Style” here today, we will find it all starts from our own understanding of our gear and how we use it to create our looks. Admittedly, some of the thoughts seem disconnected but I do tie up my point in the end and hopefully give you a rough outline to doing what you love for a living. Ultimately, this is a show to help the “enter your current photographic level here” photographer to gain knowledge and experience to move forward and grow toward the next level of their journey. Whatever that may be.

We will make our way back to the business stuff soon enough. I wanted to break for a few episodes to really break down some areas on the camera in hopes to offer insight or possibility in using those options. Sometimes we get so set in what is comfortable nothing great can happen anymore because the possible is so beyond the realm of comfort.

Happy Shooting!

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Sep 9, 2016

Program Mode

Photo World in my opinion Program mode is the transitional mode between auto and manual. Now if you have played with or made some understanding of how to effectively use the shutter priority and aperture priority modes then you are going to feel very comfortable with the Program Mode. Basically the camera will decide for you what the exposure will be with the exception of ISO. However, just like the other two priority modes you can enable that setting as well.

program-modeProgram mode wants good safe exposure for the situation the camera is presented with. Offering you the cleanest images with everything being considered. Now this is where Program mode is actually kind of cool… you may change the shutter or the aperture depending on a sharpness, depth of filed, freezing or blurring motion, and even creative attributes. No matter what you change or how you decide to do so the camera will automatically come up with the equivalent exposure. This is the main feature to Program mode because it acts as an exposure safety net. There will be limitations because one setting will affect the other, those settings being shutter speed and aperture, but you have a lot of latitude especially when you are unsure.

A tip I had heard about but have never practiced myself, if you typically shoot in manual, put your camera in Program Mode when you pack your camera bag. This way when and if you come across something that needs to be captured at a moment’s notice you can easily open your bag, grab your camera, turn it on, and shoot with safe exposure settings to ensure capturing that photo. Then you may switch over to manual or where ever you would like and shoot like you normally would. I could see that being a good practice for many photographers who actively react when they see a picture worthy scene.

Happy Shooting!

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Sep 7, 2016

Aperture Priority Mode

Aperture Priority Mode_postHey Photo World! I need to clear up one small detail from the last episode on Shutter Priority. I never mentioned that many of you may see is as "Tv" mode or "Time Value". This is the standard for Canon as well as a few other cameras out there. Today I go over the Aperture Priority Mode or as you Canon users will see "Av" or "Aperture Value". Let me cut to the chase because I am going to sound like a broken record if I don't just lay this out there now. These modes or any modes for that matter are useless, unless you try them out and see where they can benefit your photography and work. I still feel Manual it he best way to learn and shoot. You get to a point in your photography where complete control is necessary and extremely beneficial to your image making.

With that said,  Aperture Priority Mode is as restricting as the Shutter Priority Mode. You may engage the option to select your ISO or leave it to the camera, but this is only to get "correct exposure". That is a whole other topic itself.

Happy Shooting!

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Sep 5, 2016

Shutter Priority Mode

Shutter Priority ModePhoto World I am on this “what does every little thing in my camera do and how can it be helpful to me?” kick. I know that’s not really a thing but for me blabbing on like I do it is an important enough discussion to have. Also, it gets my attention because there are so many functions I almost never use and perhaps it is because I don’t know as much as I would like about it. It isn’t 100% of the time but I would say I shoot exclusively in Manual exposure. Today, and the rest of this week, I want to walk through other Priority Modes that most DSLR’s offer and maybe why it would be something worth using or at least trying out. Photo World, that brings me to today’s topic: Shutter Priority Mode. The Shutter Priority is exactly like it sounds… You choose the shutter and the camera will do the rest. This is a great little tool for things like Sports or something where you need the speed for really freezing the image. There is more to say about it so that’s where having a podcast comes in handy – free to listen and I don’t have to write more about it. Next time on Take & Talk Pics I will be going over Aperture Priority Mode.

Happy Shooting!

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Sep 2, 2016

Nikon CLS

There are specific sensor receptors to interact with the Creative Lighting System or CLS. The number one complaint is the flash wont fire because of too much sun or there isn’t enough power from the on camera flash. There are so many “reasons” people have for why they think it won’t work and the number one actual problem is user error. Not having the sensor aiming back at the camera or master flash and incorrect or insufficient power from the commander flash are also a big problem for an effective CLS.  If you know your gear and you practice how you plan on using it long before you actually put it to use on the job you have a much better chance at being successful with that gear. This has never been truer than when using CLS. It isn’t a complicated system however it can be a limiting system if you are not fully prepared.

Nikon CLSChoose the Chanel, Choose the Group, You can shoot in TTL or Manual.

The coolest thing about the Creative Lighting System is: wireless wasn't always affordable and this function for off camera flash has been around for a number of years. TTL wireless is only just becoming affordable and I know many of my students starting out are still not able/willing to make the investment for that function, but CLS offers it. Lastly and the best one by far is High Speed Sync (HSS) with off camera lighting, especially in TTL, is still a bit pricey and the cheaper versions seem to have bad reviews across the board, but you guessed it CLS even includes that.

More info on Nikon CLS:

https://support.nikonusa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/9520/~/nikon-creative-lighting-system-(cls)

Happy Shooting!

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Aug 31, 2016

AE-L/AF-L or AF-ON

AE-L/AF-L

AE-L

AF-ON

There are also other, detailed, options for these functions. AE Lock only, AE Lock (Reset on release), AE Lock (Hold) and AF Lock only.

You may have to set a function button for this same option but not have a dedicated AE-L or AF-L button.

AE-L_AF-L or AF-ONAE-L stands for Automatic Exposure Lock or Auto Exposure Lock. AF-L stands for Automatic Focus Lock or Auto Focus Lock. The way this button works is you may compose an image, press the shutter release half way down to catch your focus, then press and hold the AE-L/AF-L, remove your finger from the shutter release, re-compose your image, and then release the shutter to take your picture.

As far as I can tell there is very little use for the AE-L (Auto Exposure Lock). The use of this function suggests you are shooting with an automated exposure mode; Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, or Program modes. Furthermore, this would indicate you are not shooting in Manual. Now I understand the Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, and Program modes, but these are specialty modes that should only be used under the right conditions. If you are like me and shoot in Manual just about all of the time this AE-L/AF-L or AF-ON function serves little to no purpose. In fact, I find it to be a much slower process to use the AE-L/AF-L button.

Happy Shooting!

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Aug 29, 2016

Question Assumptions with Nick Leung

Today’s featured guest is Nick Leung!

Nick is a wedding photographer based out of Seattle Washington for 8 months and then Hong Kong China the remaining 4 months of the year. He was named one of Seattle’s top 25 wedding photographers in 2015. His wedding photography career kicked off on a remote stretch of the Great Wall of China 4 years ago and that inspiring moment keeps Nick driven to continue the double fronted wedding business he runs.

Notes from Rob: Nick and I seemed to be on the same page as far as mindset and our approach to business. I was impressed with his outlook and understanding on both progress and opportunity. I can easily say we both continue to look forward and have a drive to see "what else" when it comes to our photography and our businesses. This will not be the last you see/hear from Nick.

Question Assumptions with Nick Leung - episode 228
Bio:
Nick Leung is a professional wedding photographer based out of Seattle and Hong Kong. After graduating from University of Washington with a Business degree, he worked in corporate finance for 7 years before becoming a full time wedding photographer. His journey during this drastic career change has been both challenging and rewarding. It is the lessons learned from this journey that he wanted to share most with the Photo World.
 
He has only been in wedding photography for 4 years, but have already been voted as Seattle’s top 25 wedding photographers. He considers his love and passion for his work the most important aspect of his career. Recently, he has found a new passion for motivating and empowering other photographers out there to “take the leap” and this interview could not come at a better time for Nick to share his story.

Happy Shooting!

w: nickleungphotography.com

Blog: nickleungphotography.com/blog

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