Day 3, 365 images project

Today's image was created with my Canon 40D as my 7D was sent back for some warranty repair. The built-in flash is not operating and when I go to the menu it tells me that an external flash is attached (which there isn't). Fortunatly I have the reliable 40D to fall back on and though it does not have the high ISO that the 7D does (I have grown to be a high ISO shooter) I find the quality to be very accepatable.

I was watching the boys playing and saw the bag of balls that Luke wanted for Christmas sitting there. I thought the colors of the new balls was intriguing and thought to make them my subject. Simple set up tonight, one small soft box, 24 - 70 f2.8 at f8, 1/125 sec.

Day two, 365 images project.

Well so far so good. Here is the second day's image for the 365 day project. I will admit that I went back and reshot this image a little differently then I did two days ago. I just loved the way the flowers looked from behind. This image was shot with the 7D, 24 - 70 f2.8 @ f11, 1/125 sec with studio stobe to the left and reflector to the right. Below are three images I took on Dec. 31st (so technically I have done 3 days in a row, but my project is officially a 2011 gig).

These were also shot with the Canon 7D and 24 - 70 f2.8 lens. The light source were the modeling lamps from my Balcars with a cookie on the back wall. Main exposure was 3.2 seconds at f5.8 with two small 16th power bursts from the main strobe just to bring back a little of the color temperature.

New Year, New Project

Well here it is the end of the first day of 2011. I have not bloged in almost a year and that will change starting today. I will be doing the test of stamina of 1 image a day for the whole year. Thats 365 images, all different and testing me to think as a photographer. In addition I plan to catch up on some old thoughts and images as well as write more then I have in the past. So enjoy todays post and I hope you like the images to follow.

Today's image was one of the Christmas ornaments on our tree. We purchased this one in Hawaii 6 years ago. Lighting was a flash light. Canon 7D, 24 - 70mm f2.8 at f2.8, 1/250 sec at 400 ISO.

Was going to try using my flash, but discovered this evening that both the pop up flash and the hot shoe are not working on the 7D. Guess this means sending it to Canon for some warranty repair as I just got the camera in September.

My post to another bride bloging about photographers.

Hello once again. It seems like I post only when I hear about people who comment about photographers and our industry with out really thinking about what they are saying. Jess Remeay ( www.jessreamy.com) Posted on her blog her thoughts about wedding photographers. A good discussion does follow so it is worth checking her out. Below is my response to her blog that Photographers = Brain Surgeons. Let me know what you think.

Just some quick simple math.

Photogrpaher charging $10,000 per wedding. 30 weddings a year = $300,000. High end photographer = more expenses (staff, advertising, office) average expenses $100,000 yr. Proift $200,000 per year. Time per wedding 35 hrs = 1050 hrs. Tax Bracket 50% (federal, state/prov., city) $100,000 income after taxes Average Hourly wage $95.24.

Photographer charging $2000 per wedding 30 weddings a year = $60,000. Mid range photographer less over head (no staff, less advertising) average expenses $25,000Profit = $35,000 per year. Time per wedding 45 hr (has to do everything themselves) 1350 hrs.Tax bracket 30% + $10,500 $24,500 income after taxes. Average hourly wage = $18.14

Shoot and Scoot Photographer $500 per wedding. 30 weddings a year = $15,000 Average expenses $5,000 Profit = $10,000 Time per wedding 15hrs (few extras just burn and give) = 450 hrs Tax bracket 0% (close to poverty line on income scale) Average hourly wage = $22.22 hr.

I don't think any of these rates = Brain Surgeon hourly wage. Also who do you think will still be in business a few years. Which one is going to give you more service and enthusiasm. Who is going to be fresher on wedding 29 of the year? (Tip to brides hiring Shoot and scoot get married at the start of wedding season). Just some things to think about.

Follow up to reply to Kelly Doody

I have had many e-mails and phone calls in response to my letter to Kelly Doody. I have not heard back to her now after 11 days and so have submited my response to the editors of the Calgary Sun. I hope that they will publish it as I feel that the public does need to hear our side of the story. I will keep you informed of the response.

Response to Kelly Doody in the Calgary Sun

The following is a letter I e-mailed to Kelly Doody of page six in the Calgary Sun. In her coloumn on Thursday, August 6th she commented on photographers ( http://www.calgarysun.com/life/columnists/kelly_doody/2009/08/06/10377251-sun.html ). The following was my response to her.

Dear Kelly

I read your column on wedding tips and would like to make a comment on your suggestions about photographers. Yes I know there are some ‘weekend hobby’ photographers out there who do make quotes that seem outrageous, but most photographers do not fall into this category. With the state of the wedding industry and the way brides and grooms think about photography most photographers are lucky to see a couple thousand dollars from a couple. Before you think that even this is outrageous let me put some things into perspective for you.
First even on a typical simple shoot of 5 to 6 hours on the wedding day the photographer will spend some 20 – 30 hours on the event for the couple. This includes all meetings prior to the day, a possible engagement session, the wedding day, processing of the basic images, production of some sort of proof for the couple, retouching and enhancing images chosen by the couple, album production and prints, etc. Also the expense for photography is more then just a camera. Good equipment, computers, software, storage devices and the like add to the cost of being a photographer.
Education is another matter. Yes there are many self taught photographers who have never taken a course out there. Yet many photographers will have some instruction whether that be from full time studies from place like ACAD or NAIT, part time through continuing education programs, or through workshops or seminars be they locally or travelling abroad to attend. So as you can see there is a lot more to being a wedding photographer than buying a good DSLR camera and getting some business cards made.
Now does all this mean that a photographer who meets the above criteria is a good photographer. By all means, No. But couples do have the opportunity to look at a photographers work and decide if the fee they are quoted is reasonable for what they are seeing. Yes there is a place for students and new photographers trying to get in to the biz, but realize that they may lack experience in areas of posing, lighting and composition. They may be more nervous and less confident in a pressure packed environment and may not have developed all the people skills to deal with the multitude of personalities one encounters at a wedding. With this in mind couples who choose this route must accept this and understand they may not get everything they were looking for. Most students will work hard for the couple but the lack of experience is something that must be kept in mind.
The photographer is really the only person who actually spends the day with the couple and the bridal party. A good photographer not only has to have the artistic, creative and technical ability, they also have to be an entertainer and therapist as well. They have to bring out the joy of the wedding party while dealing with all the jitters and nervousness that comes along with the day. An experienced photographer is able to handle this and helps to make the day run smoothly. Believe me, this is hard work and we it with a smile on our face because most of us enjoy being around people. Many a couple become close friends with their wedding photographer and continue to work with them latter in life. They are inviting the photographer to join them on one of the most special days of their lives and this bond is a special one.
Finally in closing let me remind you that the photographs are the only thing that both the bride and groom have from the wedding day. The bride may have her dress and they both have the rings, but the photographs are the memories of the day. This is the one thing I think most people fail to remember and in this day and age of quick images on cell phones and compact cameras the value of photography is being lost. Unfortunately most people fail to take this into consideration until a disaster strikes. What are the things that most people go searching for when their home is destroyed by fire or other disaster. It is the photographs! These are their memories, their lives and they are precious.
So please don’t begrudge the photographer who is trying to make a living or a nice side income. Choose someone who is compatible with the two of you (remember the groom is just as involved in today’s wedding as is the bride). There are many photographers who are out there in all price ranges. You will get what you pay for so make sure you understand all the details of what’s involved. The photographer is more then someone just recording the event, they are sharing and creating those memories for the couple and their families. So please value what a photographer can bring to this special day

Sincerely, Patrick Kornak

GPS

Picked up the Jobo PhotoGPS unit. It is a nice piece of equipment. Only improvment would to be a way to lock it to the hot shoe (falls off to easily).