I Love NO!
No... There's a word we don't hear enough. Yeah right. Some times it feels like the only answer people know how to give. It can be upsetting hearing No over and over but maybe there is another way to look at it. In this episode I break down the word No and unfold a few ideas on how to handle hearing it. It isn't something we really ever get used to but most of us still seem to have a lot of trouble dealing with moving past No. In my personal life I have had a tough time moving past many NO's. However, I haven't really had much of an issue letting "No" go when it came to my work environments. Between the ages of 15-19 I had a dozen or so part time jobs. Two or Three at any given time to keep me overwhelmingly busy, though I had more opportunity than most learn and grow for all the No's in my life. On a personal note, I do find great value in looking back over the No's but I never spent much time indulging the idea of sadness or fear because of it. No is motivation.
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2015 © Take&TalkPics
Whats In My Bag part 15
The last couple weeks were all about speedlights or at least the two I have in my bag for just about every job I go to. With this portable lighting any time I want I need the best way to power them. First off I don't know if the batteries I choose to use are the best choice but I know they have worked really well for me. Secondly you may find something that works better for you and your lights. If that is the case I would love to know what you use for your setup.
For me I go to the Eneloop
AA and AAA batteries. They can withstand up to 2000+ charges and
the hold their charge much longer than most other batteries. When
they first came out they were developed by Sanyo however they were
missing from shelves for a year or so after Panasonic bought them
out and redeveloped them. It was a good thing too... when I first
found out about the eneloop batteries they were $70 for 4 AA's and
a charger. The price has come way down since then.
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2015 © Take&TalkPics
What is HDR
It seems like every time we go to capture an image we have to choose between the highlights and the shadows. Traditionally with film you would expose for the shadows and then develop for the highlights. With Digital we must expose for the highlights and bring up the shadows. The problem is images are limited by the extreme ends and they don't match what we had seen at the time of capture. This is where High Dynamic Range (HDR) comes in. HDR is a technique to create an image with details from the deep shadows through the bright highlights. True HDR is a set of multiple captures of the same scene at different exposures and using software to composite elements from each image and overlaying separate elements to create one photograph containing highly detailed information from 0-255 in all shadows and all highlights as long as that information was available from any of the original images. There are many HDR-like photos being made from singular RAW files where the highlights are brought down, the shadows are pushed up, and the whites and blacks move similar directions. I find those types of "HDR" images are not true to the form of the multi photo HDR's. I have two images here one is from a single RAW file (the fake HDR-like edit) and then another made up from 11 RAW images at varying exposures. Can you tell which HDR is which?
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2015 © Take&TalkPics
Perfect Picture Every Time
- Henri Cartier Bresson
Hey Photo World so toady's Monday Message is about creating a Perfect Picture Every Time. Now we could argue the idea of perfect forever. 1, I don't have the time and 2, I don't like confrontation so let's skip past this part of the discussion. Today's episode is more so an introduction for a free PDF I am giving away. If you haven't subscribed then brows my site and the popup will appear and then you have the chance to get this free PDF as a thank you for joining the Take & Talk Pics community. I don't send many emails but when I do you always have the option to unsubscribe if you would like. This is more of a theoretical discussion on a very hot topic and that is how do we know if a photograph we create is good or not, let alone perfect. There are many ideas about correct exposure and even more about proper composition, but we also have that "X" Factor (for lack of a better term) where you just like or dislike something and you can't quite place why.
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2015 © Take&TalkPics
Whats In My Bag Part 14
On to the big guns. Well... as far as speedlights go this is a big gun. The Nikon SB-900 AF Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash is a power house of light in a compact system. A speedlight is a large flash unit that can be attached to the hot shoe of the camera or be used wirelessly. The biggest speedlight in my bag also has one of the biggest setbacks for a speedlight. The SB-900 has a tendency to overheat when used at high power for multiple shots and/or the zoom is at its widest of 17mm. Zoom that bad boy to 200mm and dial down the power and you have no overheat problem. I have a love hate relationship with this particular flash unit because it has a lot of power and then falls short for some shots needing a bit more; then it is too powerful for other shots where I wish I could bring it down to 1/256 power rather than the still awesomely low 1/128 power option. In the end though I do like the flash a whole lot.
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2015 © Take&TalkPics
Side Projects
Photo World how often do you bring your camera with you? On your daily commute do you leave time for each drive in case you stumble across a perfect picture waiting to be captured? How many times do you have an idea for a shot or even see a great scene and don't take the time to capture it? Annoying questions I know the answer to, because I have the same answers.
How often do I bring my camera: Sometimes - Almost Never
On my daily commute do I leave additional time: Rarely
Do I take the time to capture it: Once in a blue moon
If you are the type of person that always brings a camera with you then great! There are 171 other great episodes to listen to. If you are the type of person that wants their photography business to start or wants their current business to improve than listen up. This episode is for you; it is all about the side projects. Hopefully motivating you to never leave your camera at home again!
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2015 © Take&TalkPics
Silence to Success
Photo World I almost feel stupid making an episode like this. From Silence to Success... What kind of joke is that? I suggest to you that being quiet will help you success (I stand behind that logic) and I spend 10 minutes or so talking on a podcast you regularly listen too. It seems as though I have no idea what I'm talking about here. Photo World, basically I want to ingrain this idea of quiet. You lean when you listen, you even lean by accident when you hear, and so many of us have more to say than we know what to do with. Just listen and see what I mean.
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2015 © Take&TalkPics
Whats In My Bag Part 13
Finally the lenses and cameras are all accounted for and there really is more to talk about in my bag. Before I dive into this I need to go off on a small tangent and say Happy Tax Day! Okay "happy" feels out of place but it is important to remember that even the smallest of photography businesses need to think about their taxes. I have two small tips: do them on time and be 100% honest about everything. People try to cut corners and it is not worth it just like that one episode talked about. So back to the bag... Flash, Speedlight, Flashgun, Strobe, whatever you call it we are talking about the same idea; artificial lighting. We can shape it, direct it, modify it, and use it in just about any capacity under any shooting condition, maybe not the light I am talking about today but lighting in general. Today's featured gear is the Nikon SB-600 AF Speedlight. It's a helpful accessory but I have a few things to say about it. Listen to today's episode for the real thoughts.
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2015 © Take&TalkPics
Inverse-Square Law
I don't want to get crazy technical and then lose half of my audience because this one episode feels more like a math class than a photography podcast. So I will keep this simple. However far your subject is to your light source that is your base, if you double the distance between your light source and subject you end up with one quarter the amount of light power reaching the subject. There are a couple reasons why the distance between your subject and light source would change and more often than not it is to adjust the softness (or hardness) of the light. When we talk about hard or soft light we are really talking about how sharp or blurred the shadows are. The closer your light to a subject the softer the shadows and vice versa, the farther your light to your subject the harder the shadows. Yes distance is playing a role in the softness or sharpness of the shadows but more so it is the size of the light source from the relative perspective of the subject itself. Listen to the episode I think it is more easily explained than writing it all out here.
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2015 © Take&TalkPics
Whats In My Bag part 12
For the dozenth episode with Whats In My Bag I want to go over my last and final lens in my bag. The AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G Nikon lens, is a beautiful prime lens with that familiar focal length to match the way we see. 50mm on a Full Frame camera is the same perspective as the human eye without the peripherals. Some of you may have a cropped sensor and a 35mm lens to closely match this effect. If you want more info on sensor sizes check out my episode on that over subject over here. I will say the f1.4 + a FX sensor you get a crazy shallow Depth of Field and really bring out the subjects from the background. I love the soft backgrounds you get with such a huge aperture like f/1.4 or even larger like f/1.2, although the price difference between those may not be worth the jump. This is one of 2 prime lenses I have and I seem to forget to use it very often. With wedding photography I find zoom lenses to be more forgiving for the job.
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2015 © Take&TalkPics
Monday Message - Ask The Question
Hey Photo World, what is on your mind? We all have questions but how often do you hold back from asking? There is a common fear that comes with appearing to be uninformed. It happens so often that we miss out of a step forward because we hold ourselves back. Today's episode is a camera buying experience that took a major turn because I asked a question. It kills me when my students have nothing to say in class and then one approaches me after our class meeting to ask a question. Sure it is great for them to seek out the answer but there are many times when another student makes a mistake that would have been corrected from that question being brought up during our class time. It is not the fault of either student but the fear of asking for information surrounded by others who may pass judgement. When I was in school I never asked anything. I didn't want to look stupid being the 1 who asked the question. By the time I got to ISU I could care less and I made so few mistakes because I had the guts to ask. Listen to this one no matter who you are, we all deal with this problem.
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2015 © Take&TalkPics
Whats In My Bag part 11
Nikon has been on a role for the past 4-5 years. It seem like they are able to out do the last camera by a 75% increase of awesomeness over the previous. I have to say the fourth and final camera in my bag is a beast and an amazing addition to my setup. The Nikon D810 is a mind blowing 36 megapixels of clean 12,800 ISO with a solid weather sealed build hosting a comfortable fit that makes you feel at home. The ISO isn't as clean as the Nikon D4, D4s, or D5 but you have more than double the resolution of the D4 and D4s sitting at 16 megapixels. I know the vertical grip was great on the D4 I had (frown face) so I made sure to make up that problem with adding the grip to this D810. As a bonus with the vertical grip you can squeeze a few more frames per second out of it. I grew a custom to the 11 frames per second on the Nikon D4 but the D810 hovers around 4.5-5fps... that grip pushes you to almost 8fps. I can live with that; especially as a wedding photographer. I tendt to under shoot most other wedding photographers anyway. What could I really do with 8fps anyway.
I LOVE THIS CAMERA!- I feel like this is the camera to help me get over the loss of my Nikon D4
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2016 © Take&TalkPics
Whats In My Bag part 10
First off know your purchase. Be sure about the gear being gray market or USA and research what that means for you. The prices will be dramatically different but that doesn’t mean one is better than the other, it is something to think about. That being said I am blown away by the Nikon D750. It is by far the best camera for the price on the market today. Yes someday soon it will be replaced and beaten but this camera has so much packed into it and a reasonable price to justify it. I am a pro photographer who wanted to have a solid second body in the bag and this one is my second for if I am ever in a bind. However the D750 makes an appearance at just about every job I do because I love this thing. I have been working my way into the video world and the D750 is an outstanding camera for video. The clarity of the image is beautiful and the colors render to what is true. I can co on about this camera and share samples all day long but I would say if you are interested in this camera listen to Take & Talk Pics episode 166 (April 9, 2016) for a full review of this camera. I have had it for only two weeks now and I am not missing my old cameras at all. If you are pro I would look at the D810 but you can easily run a pro level business with the D750. – TakeAndTalkPics.com photography blog/podcast
I LOVE THIS CAMERA! - VALUE! VALUE! VALUE!
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2016 © Take&TalkPics
Whats In My Bag part 9
For today's equipment to discuss I have to offer a small warning: I may sound braggy because I am head over heels obsessed with the camera I have to talk about. I'm talking about my baby, my pride and joy, the Nikon D4. She is a perfect balance between beautiful and ferocious. This camera could hold up clean at 12,800 ISO and not miss a beat with those 11 frames per second in full 14 bit uncompressed RAW. Yeah there is no flash to have pop up but when you hold this beast you shouldn't even consider a pop up flash anyway. The D4 is rated for 400,000 shots and I hardly made a dent so far. On the one hand I would love to retire this camera when it is time and see it on a shelf greeting me as I enter my office but there is a lot of value ($) left in her and I can use that for future gear. Okay enough nonsense... listen to the episode for a real chat about this amazing camera.
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Whats In My Bag part 8
I'm finally moving on to the next section of my bag. THE CAMERAS! I still have some glass to go over but that is for another day. This first camera is not a pro level body but it serves it's purpose well. I originally purchased the camera to sell off an old Nikon D70s and have this new one as a backup to my Nikon D300 (also gone). I am talking about my Nikon D7000. I found myself mostly using it for the video function. Although, the video quality is nothing to write home about compared to the video capabilities of today's DSLRs. The D7000 is a cropped sensor camera (DX) with 16.2 megapixels. I wasn't opposed the the camera when I purchased it and it was perfect for what I needed at the time and the price was about $1200. That may seem like a lot of money for some but as a pro this camera was more than fair for what you got. I especially like the dual memory card slots. Great for shooting RAWs on one and backup JPEGs on the other.
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Eli Temchin
Today’s featured guest is Eli Temchin
Eli, is a fine art photographer who reached out to me for a free coaching call back on the 29th of January. Since that time Eli and I have done a segment of coaching for his business. I can fill you in on the experience but it would be better from Eli himself.
Artist Statement
My name is Eli Temchin. Welcome into the way I see the world. Nowadays, it seems like people are walking around in a haze. Or, glued to a smart phone and not paying attention to what's around them. What is all around you, no matter where you are? BEAUTY. What is beauty? Technically, beauty is the quality present in a thing or person: shape, color, sound, etc that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So, behold. Here are a few images from everyday that show beauty in every way. “The more often we see things around us – even the beautiful and wonderful things – the more they become invisible to us. That is why we often take for granted the beauty of this world: the flowers, the trees, the birds, the clouds – even those we love. Because we things so often, we see them less and less.” - Joseph B. Wirthlin
Beauty isn't always what you see, but sometimes it's what you don't see. It's the scene within the scene that I look for. It's the depth of an image and the inner beauty that I challenge you to see.
SHOWINGS AND AWARDS
Multiple First Friday Showings in the Crossroads Arts District. Various galleries in Kansas City, MO.
E-Review: The Permanence of Change: Eli Temchin. Written by Steve Brisendine March 12th, 2011.
Writer’s Journal Magazine: 3rd Place Photography Contest winner. May/June 2005 issue.
w: 
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Rob Krueger
Today’s featured guest is Rob Krueger
He's a business coach, educator, speaker, blogger, photographer, and host to better understanding your business - Rob Krueger with the Take & Talk Pics photography podcast! That’s right Photo World it is time to learn more about the man behind the mic and hear a bit about his photographic journey. I’m Colleen Miniuk-Sperry and I will be interviewing your favorite entrepreneur Rob Krueger.
Rob Krueger is an award winning luxury and concierge wedding photographer who services Chicago to Orlando, New York to LA, and major cities throughout the world. His passion for photography can be heard first hand on this three day a week Podcast called Take & Talk Pics. Rob found a second calling within photography to educate others. He does this through the podcast, teaching photography at College of DuPage, and speaking nationally on the subject. He conducts workshops on many areas of photography but his favorite are his live wedding workshops.
I felt a bit out of place being on the other side of the questions this time around but I am so thankful Colleen Miniuk-Sperry suggested this. I had a blast and she was so awesome!
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1 Year of Take And Talk Pics
If I attempt to put into words everything I am feeling from 1 year of hosting Take & Talk Pics I would go on for hours describing my level of gratitude toward this blessing I have been given. This show has, and continues, to change my life every day. I urge you to listen to this brief episode. Also know that I am specifically Thanking each and every one of you! Photo World without you none of this would have been possible.
Josh Rossi, Colleen Miniuk-Sperry, Gavin John, Chad Griffith, Kareem Black, Perry Hagopian, Nancy Green, Guy Tal, Jack Graham, Ibarionex Perello, Tony Sweet, Kathleen Clemons, Lewis Kemper, Paul Audia, Bryan Peterson, Levi Sim, Chris Smith, Nick Page, Kevin Kuster, Juan Pons, Mike Boening, Jamie MacDonald, Angie McMonigal, Mike Moats, Skip Cohen, Jared Polin, Jim Harmer, Abby Grace, Natalie Probst, Lee Morris, Cris Duncan, Berit Bizjak, Dan Frievalt, Liz Banfield, Carl Caylor, John-Paul (JP) Teutonico, Michael Mowbray, Kenny Pang, Sherry Hagerman, Brian Morrison, and Andreea Radutoiu.
These are just a few names from an otherwise enormous list of amazing photographers I have interviewed and have given you a glimpse into their photography story. I wish I could thank each of you Photo World 1 on 1. If you give me a chance by signing up for the free coaching call, let me 30 minutes of free advice and guidance act as a small thanks for your support of this photography podcast.
This is a short episode today but a reminder of the abundant value throughout the Take & Talk Pics blog and podcast. The evolution over the past year is nothing short of inspiring and I expect to continue this consistent free value for a long time.
Thank you all for your continued support of this show!
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2015 © Take&TalkPic
Cutting Corners
- Thank you Simpsons for existing. You have all the answers to every question.
First of all I don't have the perfect formula to success nor is it my place to define success for you Photo World. We really all have to do the best we can with our own knowledge and resources. Those resources can be financial or not like personal relationships and calling upon our network. This podcast is designed to be a free resource to with as you please. After all I'm just one Chicago Wedding Photographer doing the best I can with my many failures to help shape my future.
This problem comes up with our 2 most valuable assets when running a small business. It leaves us to really have to think about our approach or it causes us to make quick and unhelpful decisions.
We have so much to think about in this business: Education, Gear, Branding, Web presence, Marketing, Customer relationships.
Even more detailed things like: Emails and phone calls, Balancing our time, How do we delegate the finances between what we earn and what the business has? Do we need to incorporate? How and when do we add our photography to our taxes?
We are often faced with a few possibilities when it comes to running a business or even improving our skills, and we have to decide to do what is right and more expensive or time consuming or cut a few corners and save a buck and save an hour here or there. It is hard to look ahead and see true cost in both time and money based on a shortcut “now”. It could cost more of our precious resources later. Furthermore, that difference could be greater than what we would have originally needed to invest and put in the right time or money in the first place.
Embrace failure and let those lessons propel you to a more sophisticated approach at the next fork in the road.
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2015 © Take&TalkPic
Whats In My Bag
Today's episode is two fold: 1) it is the introduction to the first prime lens in my bag that I have discussed and 2) it is a specialty lens. If I were to give this particular lens one more main point, it would be that this was the first pro glass lens I ever purchased. I am talking about the Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens. Now, this lens would be considered a prime lens due to the fact that is has one fixed focal length or 105mm. The Nikon 105mm is also a true macro lens: being that it has a 1:1 reproduction ration. That would be like removing the sensor of your camera and picking a small flower from the ground. You could lay that flower on the sensor and that is the actual appearance you can get at a 1:1 reproduction ration. In this episode I go over Depth of Field and more so the 3 way you can affect it. Using a macro lens will almost always infringe upon two of the three factors for Depth of Field.
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2015 © Take&TalkPic
White Balance
Auto, Cloudy, Shade, Tungsten, Florescent, Daylight, Flash, Underwater, Custom, and Kalvin; these are the main White Balance options you will find in most DSLR’s today. Photography is a wonderful tool but cameras are only able to operate based on algorithms and numeric values. Unlike our eyes and brain function, a camera is an unbiased interpretation to light color and how it is reflected off a given surface. Before I go off into the depths of mathematics I don’t understand or mislead those of you reading this. Know these few things about white balance: White balance is a color corrective setting with the goal of making sure white stays white, greens look green, and blues are true blues. The human eye is advanced and couple this with the brain you have a complexly engineered ability to compensate for distorted colors within a given scene. White balance is mostly designed as a corrective tool to untangle the cameras unbiased view of color temperature on the Kalvin scale. A typical mid-level or pro DSLR can run from about 2500K to 10000K. My Olympus can go as low as 2000K and as high as 14000K. What if you want to emphasis certain colors in an image? Using cloudy can warm up a scene. Using daylight or flash white balance can cool it down. I am a big proponent of getting it right in camera but sometimes we end up with happy accidents. Say you are photographing a landscape and you were to change up the white balance to see how it looks rather than holding off until the post production… you may just be surprised at what stands out to you once the colors shift. This could inspire you to recompose and begin making a whole new image. That you can’t do when you are in post.
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2015 © Take&TalkPic
“Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” We have heard that one before. It may have been a co-worker, a family member, a friend, or even today on this podcast, but we hear that and often do little with it. There is a lot to be said about how people perceive you vs. what they know about you. I come from an upbringing that teaches to not pass judgement. However, and sadly, we all seem to do so. That should be an indicator that we are also being judged. It isn’t a good thing most of the time but it exists, and we should prepare to succeed because of it rather than wallow in our fear that others opinions will affect us negatively. This is where we have all of the control. Our appearance is a major reflection on our personalities and act as an indicator of our knowledge and ability as well. I would love to live in a world where this didn’t matter but I know when I have students show up in a hoodie and sweat pants I am not expecting much from them today and sure enough I spot them drifting off or hiding their phone trying to text the whole class. Carelessness is a lifestyle and we tend to have a snow ball effect from that.
FIGHT this! We have the power to change and we also have the power to rise above that which we once were. If any of you follow me on twitter you will see the majority of my tweets contain #success, #perseverance, #business, and #photography. I want that reminder to be there for anyone and everyone who comes across my tweets. In the event someone decides to step up their own game as a result of it I am rising to the occasion by having tweeted that reminder.
No joke, I kind of free versed this writing here. The post hardly reflects the episode but I apparently needed to get a slew of thoughts on paper after having recorded and edited my episode today. The combination of the two makes for an interesting blogcast.
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2015 © Take&TalkPic
Whats In My Bag
Last week I went over my Backup/travel lens... the 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR II and this week's What"s In My Bag episode is about the final zoom lens in my bag but it is also the newest lens added to my kit. Lastly, this lens is replacing that 18-200mm. The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR Lens. I really dive into why this lens is being added to my bag and a few reasons why it is replacing the 18-200mm. I rate this lens at 5 stars for the value. The price for what you get and the many functions it can be used for are amazing. I don't consider it a pro level lens but more so a transition lens. For those of you who are ready for the heavy glass and want the faster lenses, take a look at what you are able to invest for new gear and consider the difference in cost when you are searching. If you are on a tight budget but you are ready for a leap ahead in your lens quality something like this 24-120mm f/4 is perfect.
Check out how Vibration Reduction really works!
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Metering Modes
Today’s Photo Talk is about metering modes. Specifically the light meter in your camera. I touch upon the different modes you probably have in your camera and the function of them. Listen carefully because this one is tough to grasp at first. I don’t believe I fully understood how metering worked during the first couple years of my own photography. I understood the idea and the process but not why the meter does what it does and how to outsmart the meter with an in-depth understanding of its function. In short I like to use the phrase “your camera meter is lying to you.” Basically your meter wants everything to be a perfect middle gray, or neutral gray. In film we referred to that tone as 18% gray. In digital we can see this as 128R, 128G, and 128B (128 RGB) dead center on each color channel but lacking all saturation. I speak quickly on this because it is second nature for me now but it wasn’t always that way. I also talk about the zone system developed by Ansel Adams and Fred Archer. A bit confusing stuff but very helpful to know about. I strongly suggest brushing up on your photo history and learning about the zone system. Furthermore I highlight my go to metering mode. Every photographer has one I just explain why I choose the one I do. Hint: it is based on knowing the zone system in greater detail. The mode I use most often lets me take what the camera suggests (lies), my years of practice, the previsualization to know how a scene works, as well as my gear, and capture near perfect exposure every time. Just I have said on the show before, it is about finding your systems and putting them in place to better your productivity. This is just another system for when I release the shutter. I go in detail on my specific process back in Episode 081 and you can download the free pdf on How To Meter In Ambient Light When You Don’t Know How To Meter.
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Profit Margin
There are countless resources out there on the topic of profit margin. Just search Google and be instantly overwhelmed with 1 million great ideas to increase your profit margin. If I had to break it down into three parts I could easily do so. I am the kind of person that often only uses logic in many aspects of my life and when it comes to your profit margin I don’t change one bit. There are a lot of thing to think about within each of my three main points but definitely worth a quick read. At the very least worth a listen, maybe even twice.
- Look at your current profit margins
- What do you make from each job
- What do you pay out for each job
- What is it to pay yourself for each portion of every job
- Things you must have to do the job well
- Things you may be spending more than you need on
- Account for waste
- See the gross profit margin
- And prepare for change
- Cut costs
- Anywhere and everywhere you can cut cost, Do It!
- Save $5 a month on your internet service provider
- Eliminate your land line and go completely mobile
- Split a product with a fellow photographer
- Drink more water and less soda and beer – ANYTHING!!!
- Raise prices
- Be firm on your price
- If you take a cash discount that can help the sale
- Eliminate any specials/coupons
- Do not fold back to your old pricing to book a gig
Conserve your marketing budget!
Only use what you know works for you
Increase productivity!
You or an employee – make more of an effort to produce more from your time
Reevaluate often!
Happy Shooting!
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