Single-Serving Photo

I’m preparing to depart for Death Valley National Park in California for three days of shooting; my first serious photography trip ever, actually. If I can, I’d like to offer a few words of advice for anyone considering taking a serious photography trip, and possibly even for those who do.

1. Make a list. This is very important. Make a list of everything you will need on your trip, from cameras and batteries to accessories and your toothbrush. It may seem unnecessary if you don’t have a lot of things to bring, but trust me on this: even the pros make lists. Don’t get caught without an important bit of equipment! If you do, however, add it to the list so you won’t forget it next time!
2. There is no such thing as too much gear. I hear some of you out there saying, “Why would I want to bring this old lens with me,” or “I’m not going to need a super-telephoto to shoot vast canyons or mountain ranges.” Never underestimate what you will find a use for. Even your old lenses can become serviceable stand-ins for your cutting-edge ones in a pinch.
3. You can’t actually have too many batteries. Similar to the previous advice, never get caught without a power source. I’m taking seven Canon batteries with me, my friend is taking eight; we both would bring more if we had them (and if they weren’t $50 each!)
4. If you’re planning to do night photography, it will be very helpful to have a flashlight with a red lens cover, or a red LED flashlight, or something similar. Once you’ve become acclimated to the dark, you don’t want to lose it when you swap out lenses (unless you can swap out lenses by touch…)
5. Scout out the location beforehand. There are tons of online resources about Death Valley regarding the availability of different roads, what’s going on with the three gas stations within the park, numerous maps and guides, the advice of other photographers, and so on. Wherever it is you’re going, make sure you’re well informed!
6. It will help to have an itinerary. On any trip, you will not have unlimited time, so the most effective way to make use of it is to plan every shooting location and time and figure out how long it will take to get from place to place so that not a moment is put to waste. You will probably want to plan your shooting locations around sunrise and sunset times, as well. Refer to sites such as The Old Farmer’s Almanac to find times for any city.
7. Last but not least, have fun. Even if you’re on assignment, or building a stock portfolio, never lose sight of the enjoyment of being in a cool place with your camera around your neck. A sense of whimsy can inform your artistic vision; never forget that!

That’s all I have for now. After my return, I will share with you what went right and what went wrong and hopefully offer more useful advice. Keep shooting!

As many of you are aware, I do have a “day job,” which is the only reason I can afford to take photographs at all. Sometimes I am called upon to flex my photographic muscle at the office, but only occasionally.

I brought my brand new Canon EOS-5D in for a little candid photo session to pad some of our marketing stuff and wound up with a few semi-interesting shots that I want to share.

I was shooting with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4, which is a very mid-range, somewhat inexpensive lens (taking the f-stop into consideration, a very inexpensive lens). What you will probably (read: should) notice is the pronounced vignette in the images. When I bought the lens, I was using the EOS-10D, which has an APS-size sensor (1.6x multiplier), which is to say that the outer edges of the frame are cropped. In that situation, the vignette is much less pronounced because the camera literally can’t see most of it.

With the 5D, however, the full frame is visible and the vignette is obvious. Now, the 50mm f/1.4 is not an “L” series lens, so I knew the quality would be less than perfect, but I didn’t know what it’s shortcomings would be. When I saw these results, I actually became excited because the vignette added atmosphere to otherwise hum-drum images. A bit of tweaking in Photoshop and…

Notice the great depth of field you can get with an aperture as wide as f/1.4. If you want to experiment with this kind of thing, the most economical Canon lens is the EF 50mm f/1.8, which retails for less than $100. The build quality isn’t too hot, though, and it feels somewhat flimsy. You can step up to the EF 50mm f/1.4 for less than $300, which is still pretty decent, and if you want to go the whole way, you can pick up the brand new EF 50mm f/1.2L, which is available for a cold-sweat-inducing $1,300. Notice, though, that it’s an “L.”

In another article I may talk about the real differences between Canon’s “L” lenses and non-“L” lenses; you definitely don’t have to break the bank to do some nice artwork. For now I hope you’ve enjoyed this installment!

Welcome to the New and Improved Single-Serving Photo! This is my first real article post since I rolled out this whole new design, and I’m really happy to welcome you all who may be reading it!

Lately, I’ve been reading an awful lot on the subject of photography, both in “dead tree” format as well as digital. I want to take this opportunity as I welcome everyone to what I hope will grow to be yet another useful resource in the field to call out to some of the people, sites, and other sources that have kept me going and inspired me during the transition.

The first source of great photographic information that I want to recommend is ShutterBug magazine. They review new equipment, talk about workflow issues, software, techniques, locations, and everything else you’d want to learn about as an aspiring photographer as well as a professional. What sets ShutterBug apart from its peers on the photography newsstand (e.g. Popular Photography) is the matter-of-fact, somewhat gritty, down-to-Earth writing you will find in it. Every article, with few exceptions, is written by a real, dyed in the wool, professional photographer. That is to say, someone who makes their living making pictures. I find that the articles are sometimes lacking in “spit and polish” when it comes to the raw grammar and sentence structure, but that is because these people are not writers, they are photographers.

It’s somewhat endearing and confidence-inspiring to be reading the actual words of someone who has hands-on experience with the subject at hand, and whose words haven’t been mingled around in an editor’s overzealous grammar checker. The other perk of reading so many different opinions and thoughts is just that; a variety of viewpoints. You can find articles written by very pedantic, purist photogs who couldn’t bear to ever use off-brand equipment, as well as reviews written by Average Joe Photog making a few sacrifices here and there to save a buck or two. Both are valuable opinions to anyone interested in the field.

Bottom line: ShutterBug delivers interesting and useful content each month for the reasonable price of about $2 an issue, plus you always seem to get about 14 of the latest B&H and Adorama catalogs somewhere in the middle. Call it a bonus, if you want.

Getting into the digital world, there are a few sites that I find consistently useful and interesting information on, and those are Strobist, Rob Galbraith DPI, Still Life With, and DIY Photography (Photocritic). Go ahead and click those links and get addicted, if you wish, or read on to hear why I think they’re worth your time.

Strobist follows the experiences and advice of a journalism photographer by the name of David who wishes to share the joy of low-cost, portable flash use with everyone. Aside from being an accomplished photographer, he is also good at explaining things fluently, which is an important skill for any blogger to have, and especially important for a blogger concerned with such technical topics as light metering (that wasn’t a jab; I mean that). You will always find great information, inspiration, and links to other interesting resources on Strobist, which is why I read it and I think you should, too.

Rob Galbraith DPI (Digital Photography Insights, not Dots Per Inch) is a blog I just started reading very recently. Rob is a Canadian photojournalist based out of Calgary who brings information about photography technique as well as equipment and software to the fore on his “Digital Photography Insights” page. With the support of co-editor Mike Sturk and staff writer Eamon Hickey, DPI has no trouble presenting new and exciting content continuously.

Still Life With, as you have already guessed, is concerned primarily with photographing things on tables that don’t move. Specifically, we’re talking about food. Now, for those of you who have any experience in photographing still lives or doing any tabletop product photography, you know how difficult it can be. Still Life With takes it to the next level with techniques and advice for making your tabletop still lives look both crisp and inviting as well as completely delicious. This is a blog you can definitely dig into (pun intended) as an amateur, and doesn’t expect you to break your bank account with tons of high-end, flashy equipment (pun also intended). It will also (probably) make you hungry. Don’t read this one on an empty stomach.

DIY Photography (Photocritic) is the blog of Haje Jan Kamps, a Dutch photography freelancer in the publishing business who has proven himself capable of populating his site with a continuous stream of new content. There you will find photography-related news, reviews, tutorials, advice, and more; it’s basically a catch-all of content, and I have found it to be a dependable source. Photocritic may not be the best resource for the glamorous professional, but if you are a glamorous professional photographer and you are reading this blog, please let me know!