Zoom Effects

Michael Burks at Buddy Guy's Legends

You can tell I had a great time last Saturday taking photos of Michael Burks and his band. Why else would I post so many pictures of it here? LOL

This "Zoom" technique is quite simple. Take a long exposure shot at your zoom's longest focal length and then as you click the shutter, turn the zoom on your Zoom Lens towards your widest focal length and voila! Instant "cool" picture!

Try it yourself! Be sure to click on the image to get a closer look.

The Importance of Blogging

Recently, I received an email from my aunt who told me that she keeps up on what's happening in my life by reading my blog. Well, that's really cool!

I try to keep my blog interesting by posting about things like photography techniques, past forensic cases and other things that I think my audience would be interested in reading. But sometimes I do go a little deeper and give some insights on how I think. Kind of like this post! :)

Some photographers simply keep their blogs professional and only post about recent weddings or photo assignments they have done. That's ok. But I think a blog should be a little more than that. If a blog's audience is only intended for potential clients and clients, then perhaps that is the right thing to do. But for me, I have people from all over the world checking this out every week. Obviously, these people will never be my clients... they live too far away! But with my StatCounter, I can tell where people are in the world, how often they come to visit and how long they stay on-line. And with this information, I know that many people around the world come here often!

So, to keep it interesting to them, I post a little of everything... professional interests, personal interests, and the obscure as well.

If you read my blog often, I'm glad you are here. And for the new people who check my blog out, please bookmark it and come back again. I enjoy keeping up my blog and it does take a little effort to try to keep it fresh, especially during the "off season" when weddings aren't happening during the winter months. So for those of you who have stayed with me for so long, I give you my thanks!

One More Time...

I thought I'd post another image from this past Saturday's event at Buddy Guy's Legends.

This image was taken from the side of the stage and shows Michael Burk's band. I thought this was an interesting image as it shows the audience as well as the band. Be sure to click on the image to see a larger version. Again, this image was taken on the Fuji S5 Pro camera and shot in RAW format.

Enjoy!

Opening Act - L.V. Banks & His Swinging Blues Band

L.V. Banks & His Swinging Blues Band performed at Buddy Guy's Legends just before Michael Burks last Saturday. Another excellent performer!

This image was shot in JPG rather than RAW on the Fuji S5 Pro. This was taken with a Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 lens set at f 3.2. Shutter speed on the camera was 1/30 second and the ISO was 3200.

The Fuji S5 pro seems to do just as well in JPG as in RAW. Be sure to click on the image to get a closer look.

Michael Burks at Buddy Guy's Legends - Images taken at ISO 3200!

Saturday night, my good friends Jim and Alicia invited me to go with them to see their friend, Alligator Records' recording artist, Michael Burks perform at Buddy Guy's Legends club. I jumped at the chance to go since I had not seen Jim and Alicia since last June's guitar get-together (see the June 2006 archives on my blog) and also I figured it would give me a chance to try out my new Fuji S5 pro camera in an ambient light situation.

I set the Fuji in manual and shutter priority modes and set my shutter to 1/30 sec. with an aperture of f 2.8 on my Nikon 70-200mm f 2.8 VR lens. The camera was set at ISO 3200... the highest ISO setting available for high sensitivity shooting on the Fuji S5. Dynamic Range on the camera was set at 400%. Neat Image noise reduction was applied to the first image in the photos above but not to the other two.

Wow! I'm impressed. Although ISO 3200 gave some noise, it's a lot lower than I thought it would be. The full-resolution files look great! These images on the blog of course have been downsized for web viewing, but if you click on each image, you'll see that the images hold up quite well.

As for Saturday's performance by Michael Burks, well all I can say is that he has a new fan in me! Wow! He was absolutely incredible! His band is ultra tight and the sound was fantastic! I'm impressed with the versatility of this performer. As I was not familiar with him until Saturday, I did not know what to expect. But Michael's performances of his own material was riveting and when he broke into covers of songs like Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe" and a medley of Carlos Santana tunes which included "Oye Coma Va" and "Black Magic Woman," I was blown away. Inventive and fast is all I can say... this guy can play the guitar and sing!

Alligator Record's president was on hand that evening and since Jim and Alicia knows Michael and the band, we were given VIP seating in the area reserved for the performers. It was cool to hang out with the band and not have to stand to watch. The place was packed and that's how it should be for this performer. But even with VIP seating, I was all over the place taking shots... just like I do for a wedding!

If you ever get a chance to see Michael Burks perform, do it. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Thanks to Jim and Alicia for another great evening!

To see more images, CLICK HERE.

Flying Off Into The Sunset

Image Courtesy of Gina Formella

While vacationing in Florida, Gina Formella, one of my brides from 2005 photographed this incredible image of a flock of birds flying off into the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean.

Gina is an avid photographer and besides having been one of my clients from the 2005 wedding season, she has also taken one of my photography workshops as well. You can read the testimonial that she wrote for me on my website at http://www.russlowe.com/ regarding her wedding and also her experience of taking one of my workshops.

After her wedding, Gina kept in contact with me and we have exchanged numerous emails about photography. I’m always happy to be contacted by my clients both present and past and it is especially fun when they share a love of photography as well.

Gina has learned well and is applying the things she’s learned in her photography. It’s such a joy to see your students do well and I’m very proud of her. Looking at this photo, you can see how good she is getting at her craft!

Gina used a Nikon D70s camera which set the shutter speed at 1/500 sec to stop the action and a Tamron 17-50mm f 2.8 lens set at 48mm with an aperture of f11. The smaller aperture gives a good depth of field and sharpness. The combination of a fast shutter speed and smaller aperture was enough to keep the sun from being too bright and helped create a nice orange glow. Be sure to click on the image to get a closer look at the birds.

Go Gina!

Fuji S5 Pro Camera has arrived

The Fujifilm S5 Pro 12.3 MP digital camera has finally arrived! I was among the first in the USA to receive this camera and it's great!

The camera is built on the Nikon D200 body with the firmware and image sensor from Fuji. Fuji is well known for its excellent image sensor's ability for great colors, high sensitivity and wide dynamic range. What this means is that the camera will be able to work in very low light and very bright light. This is critical for wedding photography work since photos are taken often in dark churches without flash and in bright sunlight. Not many cameras have this ability with low digital noise. But the new S5 does. And because the body is actually a Nikon body, all of my great Nikon lenses can be used on this Fuji camera.

Last year, I shot weddings with both the Fuji S3 Pro camera and two Nikon D200 cameras. What happened to the S4? Rumor has it that Fuji skipped the designation of the F4 camera because the Japanese word for FOUR sounds like the word for "death" and that's something they did not want to have associated with their cameras!

Well this new Fuji S5 is identical to the Nikon D200 in virtually all aspects of operation since it's really the identical body. Fuji buys the body from Nikon. But the image sensor is where it's all at. The camera has already shown that it can handle just about any situation I can give it. The noise levels from the camera at ISO 1600 is probably as low as what I can notice on ISO 400 on a D200. And, this camera can even go to ISO 3200! Although noiser than ISO 1600, it's still very acceptable if I'm required to use it.

I'm impressed with this camera. Even shot in JPG rather than RAW (formats of digital capture) the images are near perfect! This means my post production time to manipulate an image after photographing it will be reduced. I have found that the colors are almost spot on and need very little or no corrections right out of the camera. Exposure seems perfect too because the meter is very accurate.

This is going to be a fun year for weddings!

My First Crime Scene

It's been a while since the last "Forensics" post, so I thought I'd tell you all about the first crime scene I ever went out on.

I was working at the San Diego Police Department's Crime Lab and we got assigned to check out the scene of a recent rape in the Pacific Beach area. There had been a string of these rapes occuring and this was the latest victim.

I went out with one of our Sex Crimes detectives and one of the Evidence Technicians from our field services unit. I wasn't sure what to expect since I was so "green" at all of this. But I do know I was very excited to go out on my first crime scene.

Well, the victim was still there when we arrived. That was something I was a little surprised about. I knew I was not allowed to say anything to her as it was the job of the detective to do so. She was sitting in her living room with one of the female officers called to the scene.

While the detective was interviewing her, I worked with the evidence technician collecting evidence from the crime scene. We collected bedsheets and other objects from her room and also dusted the window area (the point of entry) and other items for fingerprints.

As we were working, one of the local TV news crews pulled up and started taping. As this was my first crime scene, I made sure to turn on my videotape recorder when I got home to record whatever broadcast about the incident I could find. It was interesting to see myself walking around the crime scene on TV.

Since I was only interning at the time, I still had classes to take at school when I wasn't working at the police department. I was one of only two students lucky enough to land an internship with the San Diego Police Department. We were both recommended for the jobs by the head of our school's Administration of Justice department. The other intern was assigned to the latent print unit. But I was lucky and got assigned to the evidence technician's unit. Because of that, I got to go on all the call outs while the other student was delegated to stay at the lab comparing fingerprints. Yeah, I had a much "cooler" job! At least in my opinion.

Any way, the next day, a bunch of my classmates came up to me to tell me they had seen me on TV. Everyone got a big kick out of it because it was so interesting to see one of us on TV. Well, after many crime scenes over the course of the year, I could be seen walking around crime scenes on TV or hanging around discussing strategy with the detectives. Yeah, I was the "celebrity" of our school... at least for our Adminstration of Justice department.

I still have a tape of the broadcasts of various crime scenes I worked. I made sure I turned on the VCR whenever I was out or I had my wife do it so I could watch the broadcast later. It's been a while since I've seen that tape, so perhaps I'll pull it out soon to watch it and get a good laugh. It is kind of funny to see me walking around these crime scenes.

As for the series of rapes in Pacific Beach, we eventually caught the guy. He had a habit of watching the women he intended to rape and then waiting for the cover of the night before breaking into their homes to rape them. In this particular case, the victim left her window open because it was a hot night. That's how he got in.

Lesson learned? NEVER leave your window open at night... especially if you live on the first floor of a building.

About a year and a half later, I graduated at the top of my class with Associates Degrees in both Evidence Technology and in Pre-Law / Court Management and worked for the Chula Vista Police Department and then subsequently was hired by the San Diego District Attorney's Office. (My Bachelor's degree is in Electronics Engineering... totally unrelated to crime scene work, but helpful in my job cleaning up audio evidence for court. More on that for another post...)

The interesting part was that the detective I had worked with on this particular case eventually retired from SDPD and was hired by the DA's office and he became one of our DA Investigators. It seems that many of the detectives became DA investigators after leaving the police department. So we got to work many more cases together at the DA's office. But I'll never forget my first case with him! Nobody ever forgets their first case.

Is It Film Or Is It Digital?

This is a page from one of my sample albums. Was this shot on film?

Actually, these are individual images that were shot digitally and then combined into "fake" filmstrips. Just goes to show you that not everything you see is what you think it is! Be sure to click on the image to see a larger version.

This is just a different way to show the wedding processional.

To see more cool album images, you'll have to check out my actual sample albums... make an appointment with me today to discuss your wedding!

Heroes - Are You Watching?

I don't watch a lot of television... at least not like some people. I can't say that when I was younger though. I used to watch a lot of television. But today, there's just too much to do and so I pick only certain shows to watch.

Among these is the NBC show, "Heroes." What an amazing show!

Are you watching? What do you think?

If you have missed a recent episode, you can see it on-line if you go to www.nbc.com and click on the Heroes link.

My family's favorite character on the show is Hiro, the Japanese guy who can stop time and teleport himself. I think this is one of the first times that a main character of a show actually does most of his dialogue in a language other than English. From an interview I saw of him, he said that he translates all of the dialogue himself. The writers of the show give him his lines in English and he translates it to Japanese. He is so funny on the show! My daughter says, "He's awesome!"

Which character do you like best? Which Hero's ability do you think is the best?

Personally, I like Hiro's character, but I like Peter Petrelli's ability because like the villian Syler, he can gather new powers everytime he is in contact with another Hero. But Claire's ability to regenerate after being mortally wounded is kind of cool too!

Among the other shows I watch is "Crossing Jordan." My family got hooked on watching this show because it was something to do on a Sunday night. Now they are moving it to Wednesdays, so we'll see if we can still keep watching. I love watching this show because I'm amazed at what they show on it. Not too long ago, it would be impossible to see something like an autopsy on network TV. Obviously, it's faked, but the amount of detail they show on this show is simply amazing. Because I've been to many real autopsies in the past, none of the things they show on TV really shock me, but it's still interesting to see it on TV.

I don't watch the autopsies on the show like most people. Sure, I say, "Look at that!" when I see some gruesome shots of the bodies they show. But what I really do that irritates my family is that I'll say, "Look... the body's breathing!" That's just the funniest thing to me! The bodies on the autopsy table are often seen breathing! Of course they take very shallow breaths, but if you look close, you can see it.

My wife says I take all the fun out of the show when I point that out. But come on... how can you not laugh when you see that?! :)

People ask me all the time if I watch CSI or one of its spin-offs. Actually, I don't. I have seen a couple of episodes lately, but I'm not a regular viewer. Although the show does try to keep real by doing some of the same things that I recall doing when I worked in a crime lab, but some of the things are just unbelievable. Because of that, I can't watch without saying, "That's fake... that can't be done." Takes all the fun out of the show for me and for anyone around me.

Of course, shows like Heroes is fake too. But at least I know that going into the show...

What are you watching?

"Uncle Bob's Shooting My Wedding"

Although I have not run across this in a while, I have heard from other photographers who have said that they lost potential clients because the bride found a relative or a friend to photograph their wedding.

I've posted about this topic before on my blog, but I thought it would be worth mentioning it again to any new visitors to this blog.

Here are the benefits for having "Uncle Bob" photograph your wedding:

1. It's a lot cheaper. You may even get Uncle Bob to do it for free.
2. You know your photographer. That is always helpful.
3. Everyone at the wedding knows Uncle Bob.
4. Uncle Bob just bought a digital camera so he's anxious to shoot your wedding.
5. Uncle Bob will give you the digital files of the wedding so you can make lots of reprints for a low cost.
5. Uncle Bob's been taking photos for many years. He's got to be pretty good by now.

These are all great reasons to let Uncle Bob photograph your wedding! But here's the drawbacks for having Uncle Bob do it and reasons to hire a professional photographer:

1. While it is true that getting something for free is cheaper than paying for it, there's a reason professional photographers get paid to photograph weddings. Style, experience and reliability.
2. Getting to know your photographer is easy. Just hire someone personable. A good wedding photographer always wants to meet his clients and get to know them. Avoid those who will not meet with you.
3. Sometimes you get more respect when you don't know someone. Will everyone take Uncle Bob seriously on the day of the wedding and will they cooperate with him?
4. Many wedding photographers will have the digital files available to you as well. Not all do, but many offer this now. So you can always make more reprints later.
5. Although Uncle Bob has been doing photography for a long time, how many weddings has he actually photographed? Was he the main photographer or just taking some snapshots at some weddings?
6. Professional wedding photographers go through lots of training and many have photographed hundreds of weddings. They know what to expect, what to prepare for and how to get the shot. They have top of the line photo gear able to get images with great sharpness, color and contrast. They know how to pose people, get stylistic photojournalistic shots and how to work with a variety of people.
7. Unlike other types of photography, in wedding photography there's often only once chance to capture the right image. There's no second chance to take a photo. An experienced wedding photographer can often anticipate when this moment happens and capture the shot easily.

Don't take a gamble on your wedding day. Hire a professional.

Roundtable Discussions - Another Huge Success

Last night, we held another "Roundtable Discussions" session at my office and it was a attended by eight local wedding photographers.

For nearly four hours we talked about a variety of topics only taking one break. Then, as we headed out into the parking lot to go home, several of the photographers were seen still hanging around "talking shop" in the cold!

We take our work very serious. It's great to see the enthusiasm in this group of photographers. And equally, it's nice to know that even with great looking sample albums (we all brought samples of our work to share with the group) we all still wanted to know how we can improve our services to our clients.

If you are a professional wedding photographer and would like to join in on one of these sessions, let me know. If you are a new photographer or would like to be a pro one day, perhaps taking one of my photography workshops could help you.

Thanks to all photographers who attended last night!

Photography Business Workshop - March 14, 2007 - 7 PM to 10 PM

Photo by Andy Schneider

Recently, I was asked when I would be holding some additional training workshops for photographers. Well, I only hold training classes when I have enough people interested in attending and I limit these classes to a maximum of five people.

Currently, there are a couple of people who are interested in some training in how to get started in the photography business. If you fall into this category and would like some ideas on how to start your business, what to consider to build your business and sales techniques as it relates to the photography business, please contact me no later than March 10.

You can email me at photos@russlowe.com or call me at 847-840-4082 if you would like some general information, cost information or to register for this training workshop.

This class will be best suited for the beginning professional photographer just getting into the photography business. Remember this is a group session for up to five people, so contact me soon if you would like to receive this training.

Update: As of 2/21/07, 9:30 AM - Two people have confirmed attendance for this workshop. Three more spots are still available if you would like to join us!

10x15 Vertical Albums

15x20 View

This is an image from one of my new 10x15 Deluxe Leather Albums. I like this panorama spread because it shows both color and B&W images together and it also shows the flexibility of the larger album format.


When the album is opened to a panorama spread like this, the total composite print is actually 20" wide by 15" high. That is one HUGE print! Consider that a large 16x20 print is generally made to be a wall print. This print is only one inch shorter in height, but just as wide! And it's inside a wedding album!


The "split" of where the album folds in half is just 1/2 inch to the left of the bride's left elbow. So part of the big image is actually on the left side of the album page where the remainder of the image is on the entire right side of the page. That adds some visual interest to the layout as well. By the way, the gap between the two halves of the print is only 1/16 inch... so it really looks good.


To see my sample albums in person, be sure to call and make an appointment with me! I'd be happy to show them to you!

Round Two... Roundtable Discussions This Wednesday

Well the second round of "Roundtable Discusssions" is happening this coming Wednesday. This time nine other wedding photographers will be coming to my office to talk about our businesses, get tips on photography and to share about their work with their clients.

I'm glad that so many other wedding professionals are taking an interest in improving what they offer to their clients. It just goes to show that this is truly a service-oriented industry.

Check out the January 26 post on my blog about the first Roundtable Discussion session.

Why Consider The Deluxe Leather Albums?

Deluxe Leather Album 10x10 sized

with optional Slipcase

Deluxe Leather Album with 5x5 Cameo Cover Print

Panorama Print - 10x20

Panorama 10x20 View

Several clients have asked me why they should consider the "Deluxe" Leather Flushmount Album option that I offer over the standard flush-style album. Here's what's available on those deluxe albums that you don't get on the standard album...

For a 10x10 sized wedding album, the largest print available on the standard flush-style album is 10x10 inches whereas the Deluxe Leather album can accomodate a panorama print as large as 10x20 inches. If you were to order the 10x15 sized Deluxe Leather wedding album, the largest print it can show is a 15x20 print. That is one HUGE print! You can see a sample of a Panorama Print above. I've inserted a smaller image on the left side of the image to add interest. A standard 10x10 print would only show the bridge and none of the view of the Golf Course you see to the left of the bridge.

The Deluxe Leather albums also offer Spray Protected prints. This means that the prints themselves are smudge-proof and protected against potential accidents should someone spill something onto the page.

Page edge gilding is available on the Deluxe Leather album whereas the standard album only comes in black. The gilding can be silver or gold. What is gilding? Think of the silver or gold edged pages you see on many Bibles... that's gilding.

Page corners are rounded and do not have borders. The lack of borders means the prints go right up to the edge of the page. Essentially, the print becomes the page since it is glued "flush" to the page itself.

The Standard albums are preset at 12, 16 or 20 page albums only. The Deluxe Leather Albums can be ordered with as little as 6 pages to as much as 45 pages in size.

The Deluxe Leather albums can be ordered with or without a 5x5 inch cover cameo print. This is not an option with the standard albums.

Custom leather wrapped slip cases are available as an option.

Lastly, the Deluxe Leather albums can be ordered in a variety of leather types and colors. Standard leather, glove leather, napa leather (suede) or "distressed" leather are all available. And, your choice of a variety of colors are available as well. The standard album is only available in Ivory or Black. By the way, the images above are of my sample album in Glove Leather Black. Where my company's name is located is where the Bride and Groom's name and wedding date is typically placed.

More Snow Sculptures!

www.snowvisions.com

Well the competition drew a lot of people to Randhurst Mall in Mount Prospect, IL. As promised, here are some images of three of my favorites. Be sure to click on each image to get a closer look.

To see all of the sculptures, click here and go to the gallery called "Snow Sculptures."

I did not stay for the awards ceremony, but www.snowvisions.com

has posted the winners here: http://www.snowvisions.com/html/2007_entries.html

These sculptures are really nicely done. They will continue to be on display until they melt, so be sure to check them out in person!

Snow Sculpting Competition

Randhurst Shoppping Center

Mount Prospect, IL

www.snowvisions.com

I was driving by and saw this snow competition in progress so I pulled over and shot these quick images. It is happening at the Randhurst Mall on the corner of Rand Road and Elmhurst Road in Mount Prospect, IL.

The competition is happening now and you can vote for your favorite sculptures on Saturday, February 10.

If you are in the area, be sure to watch these teams put together these huge snow sculptures! You can see in the middle image that many teams are out there making their sculptures. The image on the bottom is one of the sculptures that seemed to be closer to completion than the others, so I've included it here.

I'll go back later this weekend and photograph the final sculptures and post it here on Monday.These artists really must be dedicated to pull this off in such cold weather. Go to Mount Prospect and see the action for yourself! Be sure to click on each image to get a closer look at the work in progress.

Compact, but Heavy

This is the camera rig I used at weddings a couple of years ago. Although the camera has changed and the lens is different as well, today's camera rig is basically the same as this one.

The camera and lens above is the Nikon D100 and Nikon 28-70mm f2.8 lens. Last year I switched to the Nikon D200 and the Nikon 17-55mm f2.8 DX lens. The D200 is a lot more heavy than the old D100, but the 17-55mm lens is lighter than the 28-70mm lens. Essentially, the camera combinations are still heavier than I'd like.

This coming year, I'll continue with the D200 but will also add the Fuji S5 pro camera. The S5 is essentially the D200 body with Fuji's image sensor built-in. It should be quite an impressive camera. The image quality should be amazing in low light.

I use a Newton camera bracket with my Nikon SB-800 flash. It's a very compact flash bracket and allows me to keep the flash directly above for both horizontal and vertical shots. It weighs a mere 8 ounces.

I also use a Gary Fong Lightsphere "Cloud" as a flash diffuser. This device makes the flash a lot less "harsh" by diffusing the light. I've used many different diffusers over the years but I like this one the best. It's one of the more expensive diffusers on the market and many complain that it loses a lot of light since the flash faces straight up to the ceiling. But used correctly, it's very effective.

At times, I've been known to carry three cameras at one time, and I usually wear a waistbelt system full of lenses and other accessories as well. Someone once said I looked like a Ninja since I often dress in all black at weddings. It seems that black is the preferred color for wedding photographers. It helps us blend into the background easier...

Will This Camera Ever Be Used Again?

Hasselblad 500CM / Zeiss 50mm Lens

This was THE wedding camera / studio camera for a long time. Now I wonder if it will ever be used again. I still have this camera and a couple of lenses and film backs in my equipment inventory.

Digital has taken over to the point where film is really only used in certain commercial applications. But today's weddings are all going digital. Clients expect it today.

So will the Hasselblad go to the wayside altogether?

Hasselblad introduced a 31 Megapixel camera recently. So although the company is still around doing amazing things, even they have gone digital.

Anyone want a good deal on a 500CM? :)

Superbowl XLI

Ok, we are all sad here in Chicago...

What started out looking like we were going to dominate the game right from the kickoff, turned out to be a disappointment in the end with the Bears losing to the Colts by 12 points with a score of 29 to 17.

In a historic 92 yards run for a touchdown straight from the kickoff by rookie Devin Hester, we were ready for an exciting game. But eventually things didn't pan out for the Bears. The rain didn't help either.

Even with HDTV, the visuals of the game was awful. The rain spots on the camera lenses just made for an overall blurry picture throughout the game. I had to wonder to myself how many "new TV" owners who went out to purchase large screens just for the game were thinking to themselves that HDTV just didn't look as good as they had hoped!

Our largescreen TV was purchased well before the Superbowl because our old set had finally stopped working. So ours was a purchase out of necessity. But I had heard that TV's were flying off the retailer's shelves because of this game. It seemed that everyone was looking for a good excuse to buy a new set!

We like to watch TV with only backlighting behind our speakers. It adds a little drama to the visuals. But not even special lighting effects could help us enjoy the game when we were losing in the rain!

Bears fans have waited a long time to get to the Superbowl. Not since the win in 1985 did we get to the big game. It's nice to know we are still the NFC champions even with this loss at the Superbowl, but it just doesn't feel the same as being the Superbowl champions.

There's always next year.

How many times have we heard that before?

Bouquet Tosses Really Work!

Last year, I shot the wedding of Sarah’s friend Julie. Sarah was Julie’s Maid of Honor.

At the bouquet toss, Sarah was the lucky person to catch the bouquet. Tradition has it that the person who catches the bouquet will be the next to get married. Well, keeping with the tradition, Sarah got engaged and is getting married this July!

I am especially pleased to photograph Sarah’s wedding because she is such a wonderful person. She helped her friend Julie find her wedding vendors because she lived in the Chicago area but Julie did not. So Sarah did all the research, conducted all of the interviews with the various wedding vendors and narrowed down the choices for Julie. Then Julie came into town and interviewed the best of the best. In the end, I was booked as Julie’s wedding photographer. After the wedding, Sarah and Julie’s mom worked with me to design Julie’s wedding album because Julie was not around to work on it because she lived out of state.

I guess it should be no real surprise that Sarah called to book me for her wedding. After all, she actually did all the work in looking for a photographer about a year in advance to even being engaged! Not many people can claim that! Thanks Sarah!

I've Got An Easy Job

"Wedding Photography is the easiest job!"

Really?

Many people think that my job is relatively easy. After all, I go to a party every Saturday and get to eat all that great banquet food. I only spend about 8 hours of time really working (photographing the wedding) and then I don’t do any photography work during the week. I get to stay home all day long and watch TV or go on the internet. I get paid a lot of money for the time I really spend working.

Want to read what I REALLY do all week long?

1. Answer emails and phone calls from brides and grooms inquiring about my services
2. Consultations with potential clients to line up business for next year (2 hours per potential client on average plus up to 1.5 hours for drive time and prep time)
3. Spend 1-2 hours with the bride & groom photographing their engagement session
4. Photoshop the images from the engagement session, have images printed and then delivered
5. Spend about 10-12 hours with the bride & groom at the wedding
6. Drive an average of 1.5 to 2 hours to and from each wedding
7. Stand on my feet all day at the wedding only getting to sit down on average for 30 minutes to eat dinner
8. Dinner is often very similar at every wedding and sometimes I am provided only with a sandwich and a glass of water for dinner to last me all day long.
9. Carry up to three cameras and a belt system of lenses all day long
10. Work under pressure knowing you have only one chance to capture each moment with your camera.
11. After the wedding, safeguard the images from the wedding by backing up the data on the computer and on DVD media before going to bed
12. Spend up to 30 hours on average Photoshopping 1000 or more images individually on the computer
13. Create a DVD slideshow for those clients who have paid for one
14. Deliver the prints and image files to the client
15. Work with clients on album design and layouts or design an album on Photoshop for a flushmount album
16. Assemble actual photos in albums if it is a matted album
17. Deliver albums to clients
18. Do weekly maintenance check on all equipment before going on the next wedding
19. Maintain continuing education on wedding photography by reading industry journals and consulting with other wedding photographers on wedding forums
20. Do standard office duties to maintain a healthy business

So you see, easily, I can spend many hours on each wedding I photograph. Still think it’s an easy job?

Roundtable Discussions A Success

Last night eight other photographers and I met at my office to discuss our wedding photography businesses.

For over three hours we talked about everything from how to design albums, what equipment to use, how to market our services and how to service our clients. It was an informative evening and I think everyone left feeling like they had learned something new from the others.

It is refreshing to see such enthusiasm among those who work in this industry. Not only do we want to succeed in business, but we genuinely have an interest to do it better each and every time we go out to photograph a wedding.

So if you are a new bride or groom, take comfort knowing that there are vendors out there that really care to do a good job for you.

My thanks to everyone who participated last night. Hopefully we can do it again soon!

Flush-Mount "Photoshopped" Albums

This is a page from one of my sample albums.

Flush-mount albums are becoming really popular. Rather than the standard "matted" albums where typical 4x6 photos are mounted inside the album page under a mat, these albums have 10"x10" prints mounted directly to the page. The prints can have several images "Photoshopped" in various positions as you see above. This type of album gives a lot of artistic freedom for the designer.

Each album I make in this style is unique. No two albums are ever exactly alike.

If you are interested in this style of album, be sure to let me know!

Black Lungs

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.org

I forgot to mention on yesterday's posting about Body Worlds 2 that there was a display of a healthy lung, a smoker's lung and a coal miner's lung. The worst of them all in my opinion was the coal miner's lung. It was literally BLACK. The smoker's lung was almost just as black. The healthy lung (from a non-smoker, non-coal miner) was totally clear of black tar and had a normal fleshtone-like color to it.

I had seen lungs from smoker's before at autopsies. But I have not had a chance to see coal miner's lungs before. These workers have such a hazardous job! In just several months of working in a coal mine, their lungs can look as black as a smoker's lung who had been smoking for years! So the next time you use any products that are based on coal products, think about what the workers had to go through to get that product in your hands. Did you know that toothpaste has coal in it? Why do you think the brand Colgate is named that?

I think everyone knows smoking is hazardous to a person's health. What surprises me is that many people continue to smoke even after seeing what a smoker's lung looks like. If you think you would like to start smoking, please go to the Body Worlds 2 exhibit first. If you see what your lungs can look like after years of smoking, perhaps you would think twice before doing it. The scary thing is that second-hand smoke can cause just as much damage to lungs.

Body Worlds 2

Soccer Player

Image "borrowed" from The Museum of Science and Industry's website

When the original Body Worlds exhibit was at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago a couple of years ago, I didn't go see it. I've regretted missing it, but I had the chance to see the new Body Worlds 2 exhibit today. (Photography was prohibited at the exhibit so I have borrowed an image from the MSI website for you to see instead.)

WOW! You MUST go see this exhibit!

20 "Plastinates" are on exhibit along with hundreds of "body parts." A plastinate is a preserved "real" human body. Yes, these are not plastic molds of human bodies, but rather they are the actual human bodies themselves. Through a process which replaces bodily fluids and fats with plastic, the human body is preserved in a way I have never seen before!

Now I have been to numerous autopsies in the past while working in law enforcement, so I was not expecting to be "grossed out" by these exhibits. But what surprised me was that nobody attending the exhibits seemed grossed out either! Rather, everyone I saw at the exhibit was totally fascinated by what they were seeing!

You will learn a lot about the human body by going to this exhibit. I took the audio tour (an extra four dollars, but well worth it) which gave more information than just reading the little cards placed next to each exhibit.

The plastinates are posed in many unique ways which really makes the exhibits look like a work of art. The inventor of the plastinates process has been criticized in the past for turning a medical exhibit into an art exhibit, but so what?! It is really impressive.

Go see Body Worlds 2 at the Museum of Science and Industry. I promise it will amaze you! If you can't go to the Museum, then go see the new James Bond film, "Casino Royale" because in one scene, you'll see some plastinates there as well.

Selective Focus

I like this image of a sign on the window of the door of a "old time" dentist's office because it says so much with just one word in focus and nothing else in focus.

The dentist's chair which is out of focus helps set the mood, but it's not the main focal point.

The use of selective focus or shallow depth of field can be very powerful. Just goes to show you that choosing the right place to focus can make or break a photo.

I photographed this image at the Museum of Science and Industry.

Wedding Business - Roundtable Discussions

Next Thursday at my office, I am hosting a "Roundtable Discussion" session with nine other wedding photographers from the Chicago area. We will be discussing the top questions that each of them have about the wedding industry, cameras, photography techniques, etc.

It's important to us to keep abreast of not only the latest trends in photography equipment and photography techniques, but to also keep on top of the game when it comes to running a successful wedding photography business.

Quarterly, many of us meet for a social get-together, but we don't often get a chance to get in some serious discussions on issues that we face while working in the wedding industry. So next week will be the beginning of a series of discussions we will have to do that.

It is exciting to see that many other professional photographers besides myself, take their businesses so seriously. Even though you could say that we are all competitors, we still work with each other and help each other to succeed in our businesses. How many industries do you know do that?! Often competitors don't even talk to one another, let alone share information with each other that can help the other person. Not so in this industry. Many of us know each other and help each other too! It's a great feeling to know you can count on other photographers to help out if you need the help.

Many of my potential clients ask me what would happen if I were ever to be sick enough so that I could not photograph their wedding. Well, I can tell you, that any of these other photographers would jump at the chance to help me out if I needed it and they were available. And I'd do the same for them too. Networking is the key to success in this business and I'm proud to say I network with some of the best photographers out there.

Pets

This little guy belongs to the daughter of one of my friends from church. She's had him for a while now and lets him fly around the house if he wants. But surprisingly, he usually stays around his cage even if you let him out. Take him too far away from his cage and he'll fly back to it! Here you see him getting ready for a drive...

I don't own any birds, but it's fun to see other people's pets. I've always thought it would be cool to have an iguana though...

Over the years, I've had the following pets while growing up:

cats (only for a few days)
fish
hampsters
mice
chameleon
newts
turtles
chickens (yes, you read that right...)
dogs

Celebrity Look-A-Likes At Weddings

Recently, one of my new clients showed me a photograph of her future brother-in-law. After looking more closely at the photo, I said, "He looks like Bernie Mac!" Apparently everyone who has seen him has said the same thing!

At a wedding I photographed in 2006, I had a guest who looked just like Eddie Murphy! Several guests made the connection as well.

I've seen so many different "look-a-likes" over the years. But the one guy who I'd say takes the cake is the guy who looked just like Santa Claus! Yes, he had a white moustache and beard and was wearing red too! I'd post a picture, but I don't want to offend in case he didn't think it was funny...

I plan to keep my eyes open for other look-a-likes this wedding season. If I can get their permission, I'll post some in the future!

Bridal Apples

Take a closer look at the image above.

The mother of the bride told me not to miss photographing the Taffy Apples above. She had purchased them just for the occassion. I don't think I've ever seen a "Bride and Groom" taffy apple before. As this was from a fall wedding, it was appropriate. All the guests had regular Taffy Apples.

I see something new at every wedding it seems!

One Year Ago Today...

I've been asked at many of my meetings with potential clients how I got involved in CSI work. Well, check out my post from a year ago by going through my archived section. Check out January 4, 2006 to see how I got interested in working in forensic science.

I was reading some of the past entries on my blog and thought to myself that many of my newest clients may not have read some of the information contained in the archived posts. Please check these posts as well as the new posts. Many of the topics over the past year apply to your weddings today! Of course the posts about forensic science and music have nothing to do with your wedding, but I guarantee it's still interesting reading!

;)

Folding Kodak Brownie Camera

This is the oldest camera I own. It's a Kodak Vest Pocket Autographic Number 2 folding Brownie camera and it was manufactured between 1915 and 1926. The manual shutter and aperture still works. Of course, try to find some Kodak A-127 film for it! Impossible! The lens is in great shape as well.

It's fun collecting these old cameras. Can't really use them, but it's nice to own a little bit of camera history. To see more of these cameras, see my post from December 22, 2005.

Do You Shoot It Or Not?

When is it appropriate to photograph something and when is it not?

At weddings, I encounter many strange things... people fainting, falling on the dance floor, potential fights breaking out, you name it.

Is it appropriate to photograph these events?

As a photojournalist, everything gets photographed. It doesn't matter if it's frowned upon or not. But do you want that at your wedding?

My training in documentary photography has taught me to shoot first and ask questions later. Often you only have one chance to photograph something and if you don't do it, it's no longer available to be done. That's great for crime scenes. But what about weddings? There are times when it may not be appropriate.

For instance, I was at a wedding where the father of the bride had a little too much to drink and he took a nasty spill on the dance floor and hit his head on the floor. The impact was so loud that even with the DJ's music blaring and with my earplugs in place, I could hear his head "pop" as it hit the floor. Everyone rushed to his aid and he was in MAJOR pain. I opted not to photograph the fall. Why? I had a flash on my camera and I thought that flashing away while he was in pain was not appropriate. It was a judgement call.

At another wedding, I photographed a bridesmaid fainting during the ceremony. As this was an outside wedding, I did not use a flash and felt that my continued coverage did not detract from the event as it was unfolding. I still got a few concerned looks from the guests though. Later, the bride and groom told me that they were hoping I had captured that in photographs as it was part of the day. Again, a judgement call.

During one wedding reception, while getting ready to take off the garter on the bride, a chair was brought out for the bride to sit on while the groom took off the garter from her leg. After it was done, the bride got up and the DJ moved the chair. Well, the bride didn't know that and proceeded to sit down again. Well, down she went. I caught it all with my camera. Everyone had a good laugh about it and again, it was appropriate to photograph it.

The decision as to when to shoot or not to shoot is an individual one. I will shoot unless inappropriate. But you can let me know if you want everything shot whether inappropriate or not. It's your decision. Many of my clients know my background in forensic photography and tell me to shoot away. Some others tell me to make my own decision on what to shoot and what not to shoot.

Some people think wedding photography should only show the joy of the event. Others think it should show the event as it is... even if some events spoil the joy. What do you think is right? Be sure to let me know your choice before your wedding day!

Happy New Year!

Better late than never!

Totally forgot to say "Happy New Year" to all my blog viewers!!

I'll post more things tomorrow!

Russ

The Most Stressful Part of Weddings

Recently while reading some comments on one of the wedding forums I frequent, I was "surprised" to learn that many other fellow photographers find the drive to the wedding location the most stressful part of the wedding! I say "surprised" because I think so too!

During the wedding and the reception, I'm in control most of the time. I know what to do, what to expect and how to handle myself and my cameras. But the drive getting to the ceremony or the reception is totally dependent on other things beyond my control. Traffic problems, closed roads, limo drivers going the wrong way while I'm following the limo... it all adds up to lost time and sometimes even getting lost! I've had many limo drivers leave me behind a red light even after I had told them not to do that! I wonder if they do it on purpose sometimes!

That's why I invested in a GPS system for my car. It takes some of the stress out of getting lost. Often I find that alternative routes must be taken because traffic is not cooperating and when it's dark outside, you can't really rely on looking at a map. That GPS unit has saved me at several weddings last year.

I recall in the early years of photographing weddings that the ceremony itself was also a point of stress for me. Lighting conditions in churches can often be rather poor and unless you really know how to use your camera, you can count on poorly exposed images or images with a lot of camera shake going on. Luckily today, I've photographed so many weddings that this isn't really a problem for me any more.

Yes, traveling is the most stressful part of weddings for me and a lot of other photographers. Are you surprised?

Working Meez

Here I am working hard...

Question is... do I look like this shooting weddings or crime scenes? I especially like the one handed shooting style though! The fancy footwork takes practice!

Meez.com

This is me. Or should I say Meez...

Too bad I'm not playing a Taylor guitar here. Looks more like a Martin guitar. It's a little weird in that the guitar looks like it's "cracking open" right below the pickguard every now and then. I bet a Taylor guitar wouldn't do that! lol

I'm a sucker when it comes to making stuff like this on-line. Try making one of yourself at www.meez.com.

My daughter made one of herself...

2006 In Review

At weddings (especially wedding receptions) I often get to photograph people doing some rather unusual things. Take for example this balancing act. At a recent wedding reception, this young lady was determined to balance this spoon on her nose. I'm not sure if she ever succeeded or not since I didn't hang around long enough to find out (I had other photos to take...)

2006 was kind of like this for me as well... trying to keep things in balance.

A lot went on for me in 2006. My photography business continued to mature and I am very comfortable shooting strictly in digital. The last few years has seen huge growth in digital capture and the industry has embraced the new technology nicely. Clients no longer ask if I can shoot some images in film anymore. They have accepted that digital is the way to go.

Other things remained the same for 2006 as well. I remained the top referred wedding photographer for the Chicago area on Respond.com (a referral service) and I saw consistent referrals coming to me from past clients. This year, I even booked a client who was referred to me from someone who was not a past client but simply because that person had heard about me from someone else. So "thank you" to whoever has been passing my name around! I don't know who you are, but I appreciate the kind words you have been saying about me to people you meet!

In 2006, I also purchased and sold a LOT of guitars in search of the right guitar to use for both performing and for recording. Ultimately, I ended up keeping a Taylor GS and a Taylor DDSM (Doyle Dykes Signature Model.) The GS will be used at church weekly and the DDSM will be used for special performances.

2006 was also the year in which I attended my 30th year reunion with my high school friends. I think that was the highlight of the year for me. I had wondered for many years what became of the people I went to school with and I was very happy to find out that many of them did very well for themselves over the years! In our graduating class, we had everything from dentists, doctors, attorneys, accountants, musicians, actors, gymnasts and even photographers!

What's in store for me in 2007? Stay tuned!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

Russ

Floor Sander

Recently we removed the carpet in our living room / dining room and contracted a company to refinish the hardwood floor underneath. There was a section of the entranceway that was covered with a vinyl flooring that was glued directly over the hardwood floor. This extended from the entrance all the way to the kitchen.

Since our house was not new when we purchased it, one of the original owners must have had this done many years ago. The carpet covered over the rest of the floor so having the vinyl section made sense then... but it did not make sense if we were going to just use the hardwood floor by itself.

I wondered how the contractors would remove the glued-on vinyl floor and after they tried to peel it off (that didn't work well) they finally decided they would just SAND it off! The machine they used is the sanding machine they normally use just to sand the hardwood. In literally two strokes (one forward pass and then a reverse pass) that old vinyl floor was history! I could not believe how quickly that vinyl floor was removed!

These photos were taken with a Fuji F10 point & shoot camera with its built-in flash.

I suppose "The Karate Kid" would have loved to use this machine after Mr. Miyagi told him to "Sand The Floor!" And a Buffer would work great for "Wax On, Wax Off" too!

lol

"The Boardroom"

"The Boardroom"

Russell Lowe Photography

1901 N. Roselle Road, Ste. 800

Schaumburg, IL 60195

When I meet clients, I have a couple of rooms I like to use at my office. But "The Boardroom" is my favorite. Usually, only the bride and groom come to see me, but I can accomodate others as well if they come too. Sometimes a bride will bring her bridesmaids or her parents. No matter. I have room!

I use this room to hold photography workshops as well. The "wedge-shaped" table always grabs attention!

Is There Value In Older Cameras?

Nikon D100 / Nikon 28-70mm f 2.8

The latest and greatest cameras seem to be the desired items to have. I know I usually get the latest gear to use for my business.

But there is still value in the older digital cameras as well. On the used market, you can pick up some incredible deals on cameras that are only a couple of years old. Still plenty of life left in those cameras too if you buy the right ones!

For instance, last year I sold two Nikon D100 cameras on the used market. I had purchased them for around $1500 each (camera body only) and vertical grips for around $200 each and sold them for $650 each including the vertical grips. Not a bad deal last year for the purchasers.

So why did I recently buy another used D100? Because at $325, it beats any point and shoot camera out there for the price! I'll add a vertical grip to it which I can get on eBay for around $80... and that's for a new one too! Granted, I need to add a lens to the camera which will ultimately raise the price of the camera, but I already have a bunch of lenses.

Nikon's latest camera, the D40 comes in around $599 for a new one (without a vertical grip but includes a zoom lens) so the D100 on the used market has to come in well under that price in order to sell. At a selling price of $325 for a camera that is built extremely well, I think that's an incredible deal.

My advice? If you are looking for a DSLR camera but want to save some money, check out the deals on used cameras. There are lots of great cameras out there for incredible prices!

Holiday Displays

Last week while driving in Arlington Heights, my daughter and I noticed a park with lots of holiday lights. We said to each other that we would come back the following week to take some time exposure shots of the displays. The next day, one of my past clients emailed to ask me to share some instructions on taking photos of her mom's holiday lights on her home. Coincidence?

So tonight, my daughter and I braved the slight mist of rain and went out and took a couple of shots.

As we were walking back to our car, I noticed the sign above the parking lot and decided to photograph that as well. I decided to leave the color balance as is because it gives a different "feel" to the image.

These images were taken with a time exposure setting between 1/4 second to 1 second shutter speeds with an aperture of f 4.0. ISO was set to 400. The camera was a Fuji S3 Pro and the lens was a Nikon 12-24mm f 4.0 DX. I did not use a flash and the camera was mounted on a tripod.

Shootings In The Workplace

On Friday, there was a shooting in the workplace at a law office in downtown Chicago. Four people were killed (including the gunman) and one was injured. My "cousin-in-law" Dan had worked for this law firm in the past and knew some of the people who were killed.

This shooting reminds me of two cases I had worked on in the past when I was working at The San Diego District Attorney's Office. One involved a man who went to the workplace of his girlfriend and started shooting. The other was a case in which a gunman went into the emergency room of one of the San Diego hospitals and started shooting.

The worst case I can recall seeing in photos was the McDonald's Massacre in 1984 in San Ysidro California in which lone gunman James Huberty open fire on the patrons of a McDonalds after leaving a note for his wife that he was going to go "Hunting For Humans." He killed 21 people and injured another 20 before the police killed him. This was the worst mass murders I have ever seen in photos. My supervisor at the San Diego Police Department was an evidence technician at the time and he helped work the crime scene. This was a few years before I worked there. He had the photos from the crime scene and also the autopsy photos and so he shared that with me. It was unbelievable. I recall driving to that area while I was working for the DA's office and the site was pointed out to me by one of the DA investigators. The actual McDonalds building is no longer there as it was torn down.

It is unfortunate that our society has so many disturbed people who do things like these shootings. Because of all the things I have witnessed firsthand and from photos I've seen while working in law enforcement, I suppose I'm a little more cautious than many people when it comes to looking out for crime or danger. Often my own family thinks I'm too cautious and I know they get tired of hearing me tell them to be more careful wherever they go. But I think until you have experienced something yourself, it's hard to understand why some people are a little more "paranoid" about things than others.

All I have to say is be careful out there. We live in difficult times and it's always better to be on the side of caution than to overlook safety. It's been said that most people will be affected or connected someway with a crime over their lifetime. I know I've personally had a few already and of course hundreds as well because I had worked in law enforcement. I'll write more about these in the coming weeks on my blog. Stay tuned.

Do You Really Need A Professional Wedding Photographer?

Recently, I met a woman who had gotten married a couple of years ago and she told me that she did not hire a professional wedding photographer but rather had some family friends shoot her wedding. As this was her second marriage, she just did not feel compelled to hire a professional.

She told me that after she got the photos back from everyone who took photos at her wedding, she noticed that there wasn't a single photo of her and her new husband together in the shots! Apparently everyone was taking photos of individuals at the wedding but nobody thought about taking a picture of the bride and groom together.

I suppose saving a few dollars is always on everyone's mind. But to save a few dollars and miss something as obvious as photographing the bride and groom together is unthinkable! Is this important in wedding photography? I'd say it is...

Today with the advent of low-priced digital cameras, I see a LOT of people taking photos at weddings. At some weddings I even see people who use cameras as nice as my cameras, although nobody seems to use the terrific lenses I use which often costs as much as the camera itself... sometimes more!

So why do you need a pro to shoot your wedding photos if you have access to so many amateur photographers who can shoot your wedding for free or perhaps at a low cost?

It's been often said that it's not the camera that makes the picture, but the photographer's vision that makes the picture. This is so true! The camera is just the tool that captures the image, but it's the vision of the photographer that composes the shot, determines the proper exposure to get the right effect, and the photographer's knowledge of what to shoot and when to shoot it that makes for a nice coverage of the day.

I have told many potential clients I meet that if you want someone to take your wedding photos for $500 or less, I'm sure you can find someone to do it. I have seen ads from a photographer out of town who advertises that he will shoot your wedding photos for free if you pay for his trip and hotel bill to your location. This photographer just wants to see the world, I guess.

I'm bothered by these types of photographers as it seems that their interest in this work is not in the best interest of their clients' needs. Anyone with a camera today can call themselves a "pro" photographer by charging just a few dollars to get a job taking photos. But it's the true professional photographer who spends lots of time learning and honing his/her craft by study and working at many weddings and improving his/her skills and offering better images at each wedding. Besides time investment, the working pro often continues to upgrade his/her equipment too to offer better images as well. It's a constant upgrade path.

I know I do this every year. Sure, my current cameras can continue to do the job. But often something new comes out to make a slight improvement in my images and I will sell last year's gear to buy this year's new models to improve my quality. I do this because I'm looking out for my client's best interest. I want them to have the best available and if that means spending a few dollars (ok, it's usually in the thousands, but who's counting) to get a better quality, I do it.

I attend seminars, read lots of books and magazines and visit countless webpages to learn to do a better job. I practice new techniques all the time too. Now I am going into my 17th year since I started shooting weddings, so why do I really need to do all this extra work? Again, there is always something new to learn that can improve my skills. And I like to put my clients interests first.

So do you really need to hire a professional wedding photographer to photograph your wedding? Only you can decide that. But if your wedding day is important to you, I'd say there's really no other way to go if you want excellent photos to document the day.

Fuji S5 Pro shipping in February

The Fuji cameras are known to have one of the best image sensors around. Many professional wedding and portrait photographers rely on their cameras to get great skin tone color and high dynamic range. I like using the Fuji S3 pro camera for its ability to get great low-noise high ISO shots. This basically means I can get good images in low light conditions.

This new Fuji S5 Pro camera will be my next camera purchase. I am replacing one of my Nikon D200 cameras with this new Fuji. So for 2007, I will be shooting with two Fuji cameras (either an S3 and an S5 or perhaps two S5 cameras if I can sell my S3) and one Nikon camera.

Fuji cameras use Nikon lenses. In fact the new S5 camera is based on the Nikon D200 body. It adds Fuji's terrific image sensor and of its own software control.

So if this new camera is so great, why not just replace the final Nikon D200 with all Fuji S5 Pro cameras? Well, the D200 is actually going to be able to shoot faster than the S5. At least that's what the current specifications state. So there may be times where the D200's speed will come in handy.

The price between the D200 and S5 Pro is not really a factor either. The Fuji is only $200 more in retail price. That's really a major surprise to many photographers. Fuji's cameras are typically more expensive than Nikon's and many of us have been anticipating a higher cost. But Fuji surprised everyone when they announced the retail price of the camera body to be only $1895.

So as great as the photos were in 2006 with the new D200 cameras I shot with this year, 2007 promises to be even better! Every year adds a new dimension to my photography work!

New Sixteen Track Recorder

Yamaha AW4416 Sixteen Track Workstation

Well, it's not really 100% "new" because it's really used... but it's "new" to me!

For years I have been recording on a Roland VS-880EX eight track workstation. Before that, it was a Tascam 38 open reel eight track recorder with a Tascam M520 20-channel mixer. Mixdown was done on an Otari MX-5050BII open reel two track recorder.

Times have changed. Whereas I needed a lot of space to house all the recorders and mixers to do music work, today I can do the same thing and more in just a small space on my desktop!

When I learned how to record music, I worked on an open reel recorder that was sixteen tracks and the tape was 2 inches wide! The recorder was made by Ampex. I was taught by studio owner / engineer Gary Hedden, who owned Hedden West Recording Studios in Schaumburg, IL. Gary has since gone on to become a very well known audio engineer having worked with many famous recording artists including: Michael Jackson, James Taylor, Gloria Estefan, Wynonna, Steve Winwood, Amy Grant, Tommy Sims, Raul Malo, Suzy Bogguss, Don Potter, Phil Keaggy and Chester Thompson. I was one of Gary's first students at his studio.

Today he does acoustical consultations. I was just in contact with him a few weeks ago after sending him an email message when I saw his name mentioned on one of the various guitar websites I frequent. I had not been in contact with Gary since around 1976... thirty years ago! Yes, I was just a teenager when I started learning how to be a recording engineer!! And isn't email and the internet wonderful? I can be in contact with just about anybody via email!

Anyway, this Yamaha recorder is only sixteen tracks. Today, you can get 24 tracks easily. But I decided that this older Yamaha unit will suit my purposes just fine. It cost me a lot less money since it's older and used; plus to me, sixteen tracks is going to be a luxary after having to work with only eight tracks all these years!

Yes, today's gear is all digital. That's the amazing thing about this technology. I can do so much more today than in the past. I recall selling all my old recording gear in San Diego just before moving back to the Chicago area and really being bummed out about it. But looking back, it was the best thing that I could have done. Today, I can do much more and it costs much less!

I hope to do some more recording this winter during my hiatus from weddings. This is going to be fun!

New Blog Name!!!

Check out the new name on my blog!

The Blog Formerly Known As "Russell Lowe Photography" is now called, "Russ Lowe's Photography, Music, Forensics & More."

Why the name change? Well, when I first started this blog, I talked mostly about photography and weddings. But over the year, I started to add more about music, guitars, forensics... really other topics I enjoy besides just photography.

The reaction has been generally favorable in that people seemed to like a variety of topics. And being realistic, during the winter months when the "wedding season" is essentially very slow for those of us in the Midwest USA, I need to post about more things other than just photography and / or weddings to keep this blog going!

So, I decided just using the name "Russell Lowe Photography" on the blog was really just a little too limiting and not really 100% accurate in what is discussed here. The new name really tells more about what this blog is all about.

Don't get me wrong, there will still be plenty of things to read about and to see concerning photography and / or weddings! I have not forgotten my roots! But I just thought it would be best to open up the blog to more things and to let the title describe it more accurately!

Photography Workshop Photo!

Photo by Andy Schneider

This image was taken at one of my recent photography workshops by Andy Schneider of Digital Take Video Production. Andy was among the workshop attendees and he sent this image to me yesterday.

We covered a lot of territory at this workshop which was geared towards photographers who are just starting out in their photography careers with digital SLR cameras. We touched on everything from basic photography concepts through using Photoshop for conversion of images shot in RAW (as opposed to shooting in JPG.)

The workshop was held in one of the conference rooms at my Schaumburg office. Although I can accomodate up to eight students at one time, I kept this particular workshop to only four students so that I could have more time answering specific questions from each student. Even with three solid non-stop hours that evening (nobody wanted to take a break!!!) we only had enough time to touch on some very basic concepts.

Feedback from each attendee indicated that they learned a lot and that they are already incorporating these new found techniques in their own photography work.

I'm glad to offer these workshops and hope to do more in the future. If you are interested in attending a future workshop, let me know. The hardest thing is finding people with similar interests or needs so that everyone can benefit equally.

I have a lot of fun teaching photography and hope to do more!