Recording Gear

Tascam 38

Otari MX5050B-II

Tascam M520

Roland VS-880EX

(All photos found on the web... thanks to whoever photographed these images!)

Over the years, I've owned a variety of music recording equipment.

Since posting a link to some of the songs I've recorded in the past, I've gotten inquiries about what gear I've used. Well, before digital was invented, the old analogue open reel recorders were the only way to go. But with limited resources available, I have always been only able to purchase eight track gear. No, that's not the same as the old "8-track tape" equipment found in cars in the 60's! It just means eight individual recording tracks.

Open reel recorders ranged from mono "full-track" recorders all the way up to 48 track recorders. When I learned to work in studio recording with Gary Hedden from Hedden West Studios in the 70's, I learned on an old 16-track Ampex recorder and mixed on an old Sphere console. When I bought gear, I purchased a Tascam 38 eight track recorder, an Otari MX-5050B-II two track recorder and a Tascam M520 twenty input, eight bus mixer.

Today, I have a Roland VS-880EX digital workstation which is also 8 tracks. I had a Yamaha 16 track workstation for a short time, but sold it due to lack of time to work with it. I think if I were to buy another piece of recording gear today, it would be a 24 track recorder / workstation or perhaps I'd move to recording on the computer. While I do have Cubase (a 24 track digital recording software) for my computer, I've yet to use it. I prefer to work with workstations as I'm more familiar with something I can get my hands on. But I do see that computer recording is probably the way to go to save some space on my desktop!

My First "Good" Guitar

The very first guitar I owned was a cheap electric that was purchased from a store called Korvettes in Morton Grove, IL. My dad and I went there to find one so I could learn to play guitar. I believe it cost $59.95. It was similar to a Gibson ES-335 but it played awful. It had a very high action making it almost impossible to play anything past the 3rd or 4th fret.

One day, my dad went to a music store near where he worked and was planning on picking up a Fender Rhodes Suitcase 73 keyboard for my brother. While he was there, someone came into the store and asked if the store would buy back the guitar he had purchased from them, but the store was not interested. So my dad asked him what it was... a 1969 Fender Telecaster Thinline. My dad didn't know much about guitars, but he remembered me telling him that Gibson and Fender made some of the best guitars.

My dad asked the man how much he wanted for the guitar and case and he said, $175.00. My dad did not have that much cash on him, so he told the man that if he would go with him back to his company, he'd get the cash. The man agreed.

When I got home from school (I was about 10 years old), my dad told me he had something for me on the sofa. I couldn't believe it when I saw that rectangular Fender case laying on the sofa! When I opened it up, there was the Fender Telecaster Thinline! I was the luckiest kid around!

My dad was always good to me. And he always encouraged me and my brother and sister to practice and do well with our instruments.

As for that first guitar, I sold it for $59.95... yes, the same price we paid for it. And years later, we traded my Fender Telecaster Thinline guitar for a shiny new Gibson Les Paul Deluxe guitar. I've always regretted trading that Fender Telecaster. (I also traded the Gibson Les Paul Deluxe many years later too and regretted that as well.) Maybe one day, I'd like to get one of the re-issued copies of this guitar. I'd like to get one of the Gibson Les Paul Deluxe as well.

I found the photo above on the internet, but can't recall from which site I found it. While it's not the exact guitar I had, it looks exactly like it. One day...

Why I Post What I Do On My "Photography" Blog

Well, it seems that some of the content on my blog has some people scratching their heads. "Why does he post about that on his blog?"

Some topics are just not that politically correct if you are out to get business. Really, posting about "Holding The Date" can turn off potential clients. Sure can! But then others will also see that I speak my mind and I don't pull any punches... even if that means I could lose some potential clients as well. That's ok.

The thing is, sometimes you need to say what needs to be said. Would you rather work with someone who's afraid to address issues on the day of your wedding because it's not the popular thing to say? Or would you rather work with someone who's going to tell you exactly what needs to be done to get the wedding moving in the right direction?

You see, there are two ways to look at every issue. I just choose to look at it the way I think is right. And you may choose the other way. That's ok. Do what you think is right.

For me, I post about a LOT of different things... guitars, forensic work, computers, photography... yeah, there's a lot on here. But I don't see my blog as just a photography blog. It's a place for me to share things about me. I share about things that interest me and hope that they also interest you. And I share things that could affect you as well. Right or wrong, it's definitely not your average photography blog... because it's not just about photography!

Many people know that I'm also a moderator of The Acoustic Guitar Forum, one of the largest, if not the largest acoustic guitar on-line forums in the world. I've been a member for years there. And I have a lot of friends on there as well. So when you read about posts about guitars, you know it's for them... and for you... if you have an interest in music and guitars! It's not just about photography. Although, I might take a nice photo of a guitar and post it! That's the photography portion!

So you see, this blog is multi-purposed. While it does allow my wedding and portrait clients a way to see new work from me, it also serves as my own way to communicate to more than just wedding clients. Still, I hope and trust the content you read here is entertaining and educational at the same time!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you will become a regular visitor!

Will You Hold My Date Open? - An explanation for photographers and bridal couples

Before you read the following, please know that this is not a rant on my part. It's just basic education for both photographers and bridal couples since many people check my blog for this kind of advice. You most likely won't see something like this on other photographers blogs as it's considered "not good business." But I'm a 19 year veteran of weddings. People expect me to be good at what I do and to be honest about all aspects of wedding photography. I hope you will read this in that light.


On occasion, photographers will have a request from a potential client they've met asking if the photographer will hold their date open while they go off to think about whether to book him/her. Or sometimes, the photographer will get that same request while the bridal couple takes their time to check out other photographers.

For me, my answer has always been, "The first person who signs a contract with me and secures the date with the required retainer, gets me for that date." This is the policy of many other professional photographers as well.

Sometimes the photographer may get an upset bride who will say, "That's not fair. We talked to you first and yet you booked someone else after us." Think about that...

What is really being said is this... "Hey, we don't want to commit to you. But we'd like for you to commit to us. While we are thinking about it, can you put your business on hold? Should someone want our date, can you call and let us know and give us first crack at it? We may not be able to come in right away when you call, but hold that date for us. Don't meet with the other person because we just might want to book you." Then, perhaps a week later (way after the fact that the other bride has gone off to find someone else who is definitely available on her wedding date) the first couple calls or emails back, "We've decided to go with someone else. Thanks."

Where does this leave the photographer? Well, basically the photographer is out of luck... from both parties who were considering that date.

Sounds fair, right?

This hasn't happened to me in a long time. Probably because I won't let it. But I recently read a thread on one of the photography forums I frequent about this very thing. I can't help but wonder why it's ok for the photographer to take the chance of losing business for someone who can't make up their mind or wants to just prolong committing to him. How is that right?

My advice to all brides has always been, "If you find someone you like to photograph your wedding, book him on the spot." I tell that to everyone. Now that may mean they won't book me but will book someone else instead. That's ok. I'd rather they work with someone they feel most comfortable with... and that could be because of price issues or because of personality issues. Or perhaps it's style issues. Whatever. But to ask someone to hold a date without a commitment so you can think about it is just not right.

On the other hand, many couples can't make a decision on the spot and that's ok too. If they need time to think about it, or to check out other photographers, that's ok. Just don't ask if the photographer will hold your date for you. That's the part that's not right. And don't assume that because you were first to meet with the photographer, that the date will be automatically held until you make up your mind. That's not right either.

Luckily for me, nobody has said this to me in a long, long time. But you know what my response will be if it is asked. The answer is "NO." But I do hope you'll come back anyway and can understand my position on this issue.

Harsh? Perhaps, if you don't understand why it has to be that way. All photographers who are doing this for a living are running a business for their livelihoods. Where you would not want to mess up your own livelihood, please don't ask to mess up the photographer's.

That's my two cents.

New Business Card Design

I was up late last night and decided to design a new business card. While the old "Horse and Carriage" card has gotten a lot of mileage for me, I felt it was time to make a change.

This card features my clients from last year, Michele and Tyler. While Michele was concerned that she would not look good in photos, I found that far from the case. She was a beautiful bride and she worked hard with me to make sure we got good photos.

I'm always happy when brides are willing to work a little to get the right shots. The more time we spend together taking photos of the bride and groom, the more choices you have for your album.

This new card design has a little more contemporary feel to it and that's good. I like the dynamics of the photo, don't you? Read Michele's nice testimonial on my webpage at www.russlowe.com

How Much Time To Allocate For An Appointment

Many brides ask me, "How long will our appointment take?"

Well, that all depends. If you don't like what you see and hear at our appointment, we could be finished in about 1/2 hour. But if you like what you see and hear, plan on perhaps 2 hours or even 2.5 hours! While that seems like a long time, often people I meet tell me they can't believe how the time flew by as we talked about their wedding and looked at albums.

In addition to that, signing a contract agreement takes time as well. By signing a contract, you lock in the date so that other brides coming in can't take the date away. How often does that happen? A lot more times than you might think! Certain dates are very popular and really, there are a limited amount of Saturdays available in any given "wedding season." So everyone is trying to find the right vendors quickly and lock in their dates.

My advice is this... if you find someone you like... book them immediately. It's always sad to tell someone whom I have met with earlier in the week that their wedding date had already been booked by another couple who came in after them with the same wedding date, but they signed a contract locking it in.

Oh, one more thing... be sure to leave enough room between your appointments with vendors. Lately, I've been meeting with potential clients who have had to leave our appointment early just to make it on time for their next appointment. While it may seem productive to schedule several appointments in one day, it's hard to cover everything necessary to tell you about your wedding photography if we are rushed to finish. What usually happens is that some things you really need to know about weddings is missed and forgotten. That's not good for you or for the photography! Please plan accordingly. You need at least 2 hours plus drive time from appointment to appointment.

More Songs Uploaded

I decided to upload a couple more songs for you to hear. Check them out at www.russlowe.com/music

Recorded Songs By Me

While many of my blog readers have seen a LOT of info about guitars and musicians here, most have not heard me play anything! So I decided to upload a few songs I recorded in the past. I haven't recorded anything in a while though... still, I sound pretty much the same anyway. I usually just lead worship at church and play guitar there.

If you go to www.russlowe.com/music, you'll get to hear an oldie but goodie entitled, "How Long." This is a song I used to play all the time back in the 70's... but I re-recorded this version around 2003. This is a slightly extended version of the old song by the group "Ace."

One of the other songs is an instrumental named, "Lights Out San Francisco." The arrangement is totally not by me... it's by guitarists Craig Chaquico along with Peter White. But I decided I wanted to find out how I'd sound doing it.

Check out the songs and let me know what you think! And yes, that's me playing and singing everything you hear on the recordings.

Another Computer Crash!

Not too long ago, I had a major computer crash which cost me over a week of work trying to get my computer back up and running. I had a corrupted data drive at that time which needed recovery work done. Luckily, I was able to do that myself with the help of data recovery software. But it ate up a lot of my time back then.

Being paranoid, I went out and bought a software called Second Copy which copies the files I want backed up on a consistent and automatic basis. Just before the crash this time (actually, my computer would not display anything on the desktop except the picture I used as a wallpaper on the screen) I had done the last backup earlier in the morning.

This time's computer problem made me lose perhaps 150 emails which I did not get a chance to move to the data drive and resided only on the C: drive of my computer. After trying everything from running "Last Known Good" and "Safe Modes" upon startup, I determined that it was hopeless to get the computer up and running. I even got several "blue screen" notices while trying to fix the computer. Blue Screens are known as the kiss of death in computers. The only thing left to do was to wipe the drive (reformat it) and to reinstall the operating system and all the programs.

So anyone who had sent me an email in the past few days, I'm sorry, but it's gone. However, the multiple thousands of other emails I have received over the years still remain safe as it was backed up on my data drive. All of my critical data and work is also safe. All that I lost with the crash this time around was time, some emails and some email addresses, plus my appointment calendar. Most of the calendar was backed up on my Dell handheld computer, however.

To get the computer working and to load all the programs back took one LONG day of effort. That's actually not too bad considering how long it took to fix the last crash! In fact, this crash helped me to clean up the computer by eliminating some programs I no longer use and also the re-installation actually helped speed up the computer as well.

If you want to be safe on your computer, store your data on an external hard drive and only use your internal C: drive to load your operating system and program files. If you ever have a crash like mine, you'll be able to get yourself back up and running in a faster time and you won't have to worry about lost data. You could even backup the C: drive completely too to get a faster recovery time... but I prefer to reload the programs as needed and to eliminate those I don't use anymore. Somehow a clean install always seems to speed up the processing time of the computer... at least for me.

Happy Chinese New Year!

"Gung Hay Fat Choy!" - This is the traditional Chinese greeting wishing congratulations and to have a prosperous and good year. Be sure to say this to every Chinese person you meet today!

This lunar New Year is the year of the Ox. You would be born in the year of the Ox if your birthday was in 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997 or 2009. But remember, each year, the actual date in a lunar year changes, so the change of the year doesn't always fall on January 26 as it does today.

Why not go to your favorite Chinese Restaurant today and celebrate the New Year?

Metallic Print Option for Leather Albums

I wish I could show how much different Metallic Prints look compared to standard prints on a blog, but I can't. The unique qualities of this print option has to be seen firsthand to be appreciated.

This year, my leather albums have a couple of new options... metallic prints for the albums and also Photo Covers.

It's not really that expensive to have your entire album printed on Metallic paper, so consider this option if you are looking at getting a wedding album. Each image takes on a special "sheen" that really grabs attention compared to a standard print.

Call for an appointment to see the new albums and album options!

A Little Creativity

With a little bit of Photoshop magic... I can create some fun images like this. If you want some of your images worked on... let me know! Cost is very minimal, but the fun factor is huge! Click on each image to see a larger size.

Nikon D3 with 70-200mm f2.8 VR lens

I'm often asked what I use to capture most of my images from afar.

Well, here it is... I use a Nikon D3 camera body with a Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens. The combination is great for low light, distance shots. Sometimes I'll add on a Nikon SB-800 flash to it as well, but most often it's just as you see it here.

The camera and lens weigh about 6 lbs without the flash. It's not a lightweight by any means. But this combination allows me to capture great images from a distance in relatively low light. I'd say during the actual wedding ceremony, I use this combo the most. Often I am not allowed to get too close during the ceremony and very rarely am I allowed to use a flash. So it's not unusual for you to see me in the back of the church sanctuary shooting with this.

Heavy, but effective!

Happy Birthday... to me and my daughter!

My daughter and I share the same birthday... January 15. People always say, "Really? That's amazing!" But if you think about it, there's a 1 in 365 chance of that happening, so really it's not THAT amazing. Hey, we share the same birthday as Martin Luther King too... how amazing is that? :)

Now I won't tell you how old each of us are, but let's say this... both of these birthdays have major significance in the scheme of life. I'll let you try to figure that out...

School has been cancelled for her today because of the extreme cold temperature here in the Chicago area, so she's thrilled about that. But she has to study for final exams... bummer!

We'll go out later for dinner, but not much else is planned. I've got work to do and she's got studying to do. That's how we plan to spend our birthdays today.

Planet Groove at Blues Bar - Mount Prospect IL

Yesterday, my friends Harpist Jennifer Keller and her husband Chris invited me to join them to see Planet Groove play at Blues Bar in Mount Prospect, IL.

This seven piece band is appropriately named because they were always in the groove! Tight is the first thing that comes to mind. These guys have been playing together for a long time and you can tell. Everything from the rhythm to the horn section, it was right on the money.

I had never been to Blues Bar before although I've passed by it often. So when Jennifer emailed me a link to the band's website, I found out that they were playing nearby so we decided that it would be good to see the band play. A friend of hers is one of the saxophone players in the band and so it was fate that we would all connect.

Whenever I think of horns in a band, the first group that I think of is the rock group Chicago. So when Planet Groove broke into a series of Chicago tunes, I was thrilled! I'd seen the group Chicago play several times and they have been one of my all time favorite bands, so hearing Planet Groove cover material from them was really exciting!

And what about Blues Bar? Well, it was hopping! I had always thought that Mount Prospect closed down in the evening, but I was wrong! Everyone goes to Blues Bar! While Planet Groove didn't start playing until 9:30 PM, that didn't stop the clientele at Blues Bar. They kept coming in well past the hour.

Decorated with an authentic police car from the movie The Blues Brothers starring John Belushi and Dan Akroyd, this place was made for music. Blue neon lights carried on the theme of the Blues. Even after a significant amount of snowfall earlier in the day, it didn't stop the patrons from coming out to see Planet Groove. Oh and they have a HUGE monitor along the wall of the bar so patrons upstairs can see all the action going on downstairs.

Check out both Planet Groove and Blues Bar if you get the chance. You won't be disappointed! Be sure to click on each image to see a larger version.

How Honest Are You - Part II

On November 30, 2008, I wrote a post asking, "How Honest Are You?" Well today, I got a chance to see how honest I was.

I had lunch today with my brother at KFC. Yes, we like that greasy, messy chicken every now and then. Definitely not something you want to eat too often though... but it's ok every now and then.

Anyway, as I went up to pay, I gave the cashier $10.00 from which he was supposed to give me $4.00 plus some change. Well as he counted out the single $1.00 bills, I thought I noticed that one of the bills was a $10.00 bill. He handed me the money and I took a closer look. Sure enough, besides the coins, I was given four bills... 3 singles and 1 ten. Hmm... I was right.

So I immediately pointed out to the cashier than instead of four dollars, I had gotten thirteen dollars instead. While he seemed totally confused, I just told him that instead of four $1.00 bills, I got three $1.00 bills and one $10.00 bill. It didn't matter. He didn't get it. Another worker came over and tried to explain it to him in Spanish, but I still don't think he understood. Whatever... I just told him to give me a $1.00 bill and I'd return to him the $10.00 bill. He did that. Still, I don't think he quite understood why.

What would you have done?

I had two chances to keep that $10.00 bill. The first time would have been to pocket the money and say nothing. The second time would have been to give up trying to explain to the cashier that he had made a mistake and then just pocket the money. I did neither because it would have been wrong to do either.

Some people might say, "Boy, are you stupid! If you kept the money, you would have made $3.00 plus some change and had gotten a free lunch out of it too!" But others might see what I did as the right thing to do. How honest are you?

Flashed by the Paparazzi

Sunday's bride was wiping her dress since something got spilled on it. But as I saw her doing that, I noticed a woman in front of her trying to take a photo of her... so I raised my camera to try to capture the woman taking the photo.

Little did I know that I would be clicking the shutter release at the exact same time that her flash would go off on her point and shoot camera!

The result is spectacular! Nice "star" pattern from her flash and the backlight helped rim-light the bride and the person helping her. Cool! Then a moment later, another woman decided she wanted a shot as well. While not as spectacular as the first image, the creative way she is holding the camera makes it interesting.

Sand Ceremony

Often, in place of a Unity Candle, a "Unity Sand Ceremony" is done at weddings. It symbolizes a blending of the family and often children are invited to participate as well since they are part of this union too.

I was lucky yesterday in that the minister allowed me FULL ACCESS to the ceremony as we had discussed this beforehand. He realized how dark it was at the Naper Settlement Chapel and allowed me to go anywhere I wanted and to use a flash as needed. Great! That solved a huge problem of lighting in that church as it is one of the darkest churches I've ever had to photograph in before. I've been to the Naper Settlement Church in the past, so I knew what to expect and was ready to shoot the entire ceremony with just the ambient light there. But I'm so happy when the minister allows me to do whatever was needed. That's called working together!

Besides, the minister said we had worked together in the past since he recognized me! I've shot a LOT of weddings in the past and I just can't remember all the ministers I've worked with... but it sure is nice to be recognized by them!

Pre-Ceremony Photos

Often before photographing the wedding, I'm with the bride taking photos of her getting ready. Whenever I tell potential clients that, I can just imagine what they are thinking... "OK, so when I'm getting dressed, this guy is in the room with me???"

Well, yes... and no. I'm there when you are getting things put together, but I'm not in there when you are dressing! Often the best photos of the day are taken before the wedding. Close up details of your dress, shoes, hair, etc. are often shot at that time.

But sometimes, there's a shot just waiting to be taken, and that was what we had yesterday. Roxann was already dressed and ready for me when I got to her room at the Herrington Inn in Geneva. There right in front of us was this huge bed with drapes all around it (not quite a full canopy)... so I asked her, "Is this the room that you are staying in after the wedding?" She replied, "Yes." So how could I resist not taking these shots? "Can you pose for me on the bed?" I asked. And this is what she did for me. She was a good sport about it too! Great shot, don't you think?

Mariachi Monterrey

Yes! A Mariachi band! I wrote about how much I loved Mariachi bands back on Dec 18, 2005 (see the archives) and I was happy to see one at yesterday's wedding.

When my clients Roxann and Horatio came to see me last year to book their wedding for Jan 4, 2009, the first thing I asked them was, "Is there going to be a Mariachi band?" Roxann says, "Most likely."

I told them the story of how I started out in my wedding photography career shooting weddings in San Diego. It seemed no matter what kind of wedding I had in San Diego, I had a good chance of seeing a Mariachi band at the wedding. It didn't matter if the wedding was not a Mexican wedding... hey, it's San Diego for crying out loud!

So I'd become accustomed to seeing the guys at the reception. Then I moved back to the Chicago area and poof! No more Mariachi bands! I missed them.

These guys were just as good as any other Mariachi band I'd encountered in the past. There were 8 guys (one is hidden behind the violinist) and wow were they loud! What I'm most amazed at is that the singers can really "belt out" the lyrics! They don't need mics... they just sing as loud as they can and believe me... it is LOUD!

After they were finished (they played for 2 solid hours), one of the guys came up to me to ask if I could send them some photos! I was happy to do that and asked that he send me an email with their address. When I got home from the wedding, I was surprised to see the email so quickly!

If you need a Mariachi band, contact Mariachi Monterrey at 773-370-4656 and ask for Rene. "Se Habla Espanol"... of course!

Taylor T5

Photo courtesy of Craig Bonett

The "Liberty Tree" T5

Photo courtesy of Raul Blacksten

Doyle Dykes playing a "Koa" T5

A couple of years ago, Taylor guitars introduced the T5 "hybrid" guitar. At first, I didn't know what to make of it... was it an electric guitar, or a thin-bodied acoustic? The guitar had the ability to create a variety of tones ranging from a Telecaster twang to an amplified acoustic guitar. That's quite a feat!

I had considered getting just one guitar to bring with me as I played at church that could handle both acoustic tones and also electric tones. But based on what our congregation liked in worship music, I decided to buy as good of an acoustic guitar as possible. Ultimately, I ended up with a Taylor GS with Maple sides and a Sitka Spruce top. But while the T5 did not end up as my choice for guitars, I have to say, those who have chosen it do seem to get a lot of "mileage" from it.

Doyle Dykes plays one on his recent CD entitled "Bridging The Gap." While he chose to use the guitar for it's electric sounds, I've heard him play the T5 in "acoustic" mode as well. The T5 does an amazing job of simulating the sound of an acoustic, which allows guitarists to easily switch from one sound to the other without switching guitars!

Check out a T5 if you want to get a guitar with lots of versatility. To read more about the amazing Taylor T5, click here. To see the full range of Taylor electric guitars, click here.

Another Minolta Meter

Image taken in manual mode at 1/60 sec, f 2.8, ISO 3200

Back on October 27, 2008, I wrote about one of the only original items of photography equipment that I still use for my wedding work today... a Minolta Autometer IIIf light meter. It was having some problems recently but if I bumped it around, it would work.

Well, it appeared that I could not trust it any longer as the problem seemed to happen more often. So I decided I needed to finally replace it. I was lucky enough to find a fellow wedding photographer who was selling her used Minolta Autometer Vf meter because she rarely used it and so I snatched it up! Minolta is no longer in business, but these meters have been very accurate and have served well for years.

The new meter arrived today, just in time for my next wedding on January 4. After allowing it to warm up from being out in the cold from shipment, I gave it a quick test... works fine! I decided to pull out my old Minolta meter to see how close my old 1990 meter was to the new one. The accuracy was within 0.1 f stops of the new one! Amazing!

Now if the old meter wasn't having intermittent problems, I'd still rely on it. But it's now time to retire it. But I'm happy to report that yet another Minolta meter will take it's place. I wonder if this one will last 18 years as well?

New Year's Resolution

Do you make New Year's Resolutions?

Because we often put together unrealistic expectations, most resolutions are destined to fail. One of the most common personal resolutions has got to be "Lose Weight." While it might be something that can be done initally, most people fail after some time and go back to their old habits.

What are my resolutions? Well, every year, I promise myself that I'll lose weight. Like everyone who resolves to do this, I never keep this promise. So this year, I'll just give it the "old college try" and see where it goes. If it happens, great. If not, oh well.

What else would I like to resolve? Well, I don't think I want to resolve anything personally. But I will try to make certain things happen for my business in 2009 including:

Book more weddings by giving clients more options
Book more events to round out my wedding schedule
Concentrate on building my portrait and commercial photography business
Network more with my professional photography friends
Try not to spend so much money on new gear (that's really hard!)

What are you resolving to do for 2009?

Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone a very Happy (and safe) New Year!!

To Flash or Not To Flash - Part Two

I took two photographs of a room at the Alhambra Palace... one has a flash and the other doesn't. Which do you prefer?

The image without the flash actually looks very close to what it really looked like in the room with the dim ambient lighting in there. But the image with the flash shows sharper details. So which is better? Which is more correct?

If you take a photograph of just the room (without any people in there), the image without the flash gives the truest representation of what your eye actually sees in that room. It's a very warm light in that room and while the image is definitely darker, it's a true representation. But the flash does fill in a lot of details that may be lost with just an ambient light image.

If you add people to the room, a "no flash" photo of them will make their skin very reddish-orange. Not flattering at all. Plus, they would be just as dark as the room. So pulling out the flash would yield nice photos of the people, but it would also make the room brighter as well.

What's the best solution?

The answer would be fill-flash set to match the light intensity of the room. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to do this and so I don't have an image to show you. But essentially, what you would get would be people lit to give natural skin tones, but the background would remain the same as you see in the "no flash" room. Yes, this is advance photography and requires a good working knowledge of how to use your camera in "manual mode." No "auto mode" or "program mode" for this kind of photography!

I promise to take a photo like this in the future to show you!

Pre-designed Albums Vs. Client "Designed"

A "pre-designed" album is an album in which the photographer picks the photos for you and designs the album layout as well. A "client-designed" album is one in which the client chooses the photos and the album layout is designed by the photographer. Which is better?

I can tell you that most clients who opt to pick out their own photos to include in their albums take a LOT LONGER than they thought it would take. During my consultation with my clients, I will tell them that if they pick out the photos for the album, it will take months before I will hear from them with their photo selections. Often, these brides will say, "Don't worry. I'll pick out the photos quickly because I want to get my album back as soon as possible!" I usually just smile and say, "No you won't." That usually gets their attention.

While everyone really does want to get their albums as soon as possible, often they find it very difficult to select which photos to go in the album. Why? Well, it's not impossible to get between 1000 to 1500 images from me at any given wedding. From that, I usually ask people to pick out somewhere between 40 to 60 images to put into the album which tells the story of the day. It's a lot harder than you might think.

This past year, virtually all of my brides have been late in picking out their photos. And a couple of the brides who opted for me to do a pre-design even had to wait a little because of the backlog created by clients who backed up the production cycle. Yeah, it's been a real challenge this year for albums!

If picking out the photos is so difficult, what are the advantages of letting the photographer do it? Well, consider that an album layout needs to tell a story and make sense from page to page. Most often that means the images must be selected so that they compliment each other on the page and also on the adjacent page. Often, it must also be in chronological order as well. Plus, some images may need to be larger than others to make the design look good.

When the photographer picks the images, he has the ability to mix and match as needed to get a nice looking design. But when he is stuck with whatever photos the client has chosen for him to use, some images may not make sense in telling the story, or perhaps that image cannot be used on the same page as another image so that creates a big "blank spot" in the design! There are lots of page designs that fall short because of wrong photo choices.

When I do my initial consultations with clients, I often show both pre-designed albums and also albums made where the clients chose the photos. I want my clients to see the difference. Although the photographer (that's me) still makes the designs, it's usually quite evident to people that the pre-designed albums look just a little better. Why? Well, you'll notice that there is less wasted space in the design and the 'flow' from picture to picture and page to page is better as well. That's because if a photo doesn't quite work on a page in the design, I have many other photos to pick from to take its place to make it work! Plus, I'll do custom cropping to fit the images nicely on the page. Often with client choices, I am not allowed to crop as needed.

When you make your first appointment to see me, be sure to ask to see the pre-designed albums vs. the client designed albums. I think you'll agree that pre-designs usually look better. And, with any luck, you'll get your albums back faster as well!

Leather & Acrylic Albums for 2009

A new album option for 2009 clients is Leather & Acrylic albums!

These albums really grab attention and I've ordered an 8x12 demo album made to showcase one of my 2008 weddings. I should be receiving it in about two weeks. When it arrives, I'll take a photo of it and post it on the blog so you can see what one of my weddings looks like in a rectangular format. Other album sizes are also available with the new acrylic cover including 10x15, 11x14, 12x12, 10x10...

When I attended the WPPI convention in Las Vegas in 2008, I saw a bunch of album companies who offered acrylic covers, but none compared to the one I'll be offering my clients. Where other brands of albums seemed to simply put a photo behind the acrylic, my albums look more integrated into the acrylic. It's hard to describe, but when you see it firsthand, you'll know what I mean. Plus, the glove leather black which extends through the spine and about 2 inches into the front of the cover adds a touch of distinction as well.

Like my other leather albums, an optional leather slipcover can be ordered to help protect the album as well. I'll have a sample on hand for my demo album.

While I have ordered my demo album with a standard print surface finish, the new "metalic" paper finish can also be ordered as an option as well for any of the leather and leather/acrylic albums I offer. This surface option is more prone to scratches however, so a protective lacquer is applied to keep scratches to a minimum.

Be sure to make an appointment to see the new album!

Family Portraits

As promised, here are some portraits taken with my new studio gear. What's cool about this session is the "Generations" portrait showing four generations within this family!

While it's always nice to have professional backdrops for portraits, it is even better to use the home itself for a backdrop. With a great fireplace behind the family, how can it be beat with a studio backdrop? It can't! As usual, it took longer to set up and tear down the equipment than it did to get the photos taken. But it pays off when the photos come out as nicely as these did. The studio lighting makes a huge difference in the quality even though the photo is taken at a home.

To Flash, Or Not To Flash

"To flash, or not to flash... that is the question..."

While many photos look fine one way or the other, sometimes having a flash is necessary to get a good exposure and to freeze the action to avoid blur. But there are times when using a flash is not appropriate.

For example, during a wedding ceremony... often the use of flash is distracting. But there are some churches where the lighting is so dark that without a flash, you'd never get a good shot. So do you use a flash in that instance?

I think if it's been cleared with the minister beforehand, the use of flash is ok. Recently at one of my weddings, I had to use a flash during the entire ceremony. Not only that, but I had to get a lot closer than I'm normally allowed to. But I had cleared it with the minister beforehand and he and I both agreed that the flash and my physical positioning was necessary. So in that case, it was fine.

What about at family parties? Is a flash welcomed there?

Yesterday, while at our annual family Christmas get together, I did not use a flash. Why? Well, when you take over 400 images throughout the day at a family gathering, eventually, the flash will become irritating to people. So in this case, it's not welcomed. Sure, some shots suffered due to the lack of quality light. But with the proper technique, most came out just fine.

So it's a judgment call. While I don't want to risk taking a bad photograph for something like a wedding, I'll take that chance for a "just for fun" event like a family party.

Merry Christmas!

"Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!"

Bridging The Gap - Doyle Dykes

It's been five years since Doyle Dykes has released a new CD and he's hit a home run with his latest, "Bridging The Gap."

This CD just rocks! You'll be surprised at the variety of music on this CD. He's got everyone helping out on it... his son Caleb Dykes, his brother Aubrey Dykes, and recording artists - Eric Johnson and Phil Keaggy too!

Each time at the last two Doyle concerts I went to, I asked, "Is the CD out yet?" But due to production delays in the CD printing, the answer was, "Not yet." Bummer...

So I figured I'd just have to wait a little while longer. Luckily, Doyle played a couple of the new songs at the concert, so I already had a good idea of what the CD was going to be like. And, Doyle even played me a couple of tracks in his rental vehicle for me to hear as well. A sneak preview! But recently, I called into WGN Radio in Chicago to the Steve and Johnnie show this past Wednesday to congratulate Doyle on the release and I was offered a free copy of the CD by the show's producer! Cool! (Steve and Johnnie are friends of Doyle's and they know me too.)

Easily, this is now my favorite Doyle Dykes CD! I especially like the tracks "All Be Done Dink," "Bridging The Gap," "Red Clay," "One Riot... One Guitar," and "Tennessee Stomp." There are other great tunes on this CD, but these stand out to me.

Pick up your copy of "Bridging The Gap" if you go to see Doyle in concert, or order it from his website. These songs are guaranteed to lift your spirits!

Alhambra Palace - Chicago IL

I photographed an office Christmas Party last night at the lavishly decorated Alhambra Palace in Chicago, IL on Randolph Street. This place is incredible to see!

I spoke with the owner of the restaurant and he told me that it took him 2 years to gather all the things you see at the restaurant and to put the place together! The Alhambra Palace has been open for about 1-1/2 years.

If you want to see some incredible decor from Egypt, Lebannon and Morroco, check out the Alhambra Palace. You really feel like you've been transported to another country when you walk in there!

The party I photographed was a lot of fun too! But since it's an office party, I'll not embarass anyone by putting their photo on the web! Just kidding... everyone was very well behaved and I know they all enjoyed the atmosphere of this restaurant. Be sure to click on each image to get a closer look.

Like... Um... You Know

"Like"

"Um"

"You know"

Which of these do you say most often?

Here's an example... "Like, this is the most impressive photo! It's like, unbelieveable!"

Or how about this, "Um, this is really good. It's, um, not bad!"

And don't forget this one, "Hey, this is the best photo, you know. It's something you should do all the time, you know..."

Habits are hard to break, that's for sure. I know people who constantly use one of these three. My daughter can't stop saying, "Like." I am often found saying, "um" or "you know."

Is it cultural? Generational? Who knows. All I know is, it's irritating. Like, um... you know?

The Herrington - Geneva IL

Over the years, I've shot many weddings at The Herrington in Geneva, IL and each time, they've done a marvelous job in setting up the room.

This is a page spread in one of my client's album. The colors really pop in this one! Purple accent lights were used to match the table settings. Cool! Be sure to click on the image to take a closer look.

Spongebob Squarepants

It seems whenever I go to take photos at the bride's home, I always find something interesting to photograph that has absolutely nothing to do with the wedding. This guy was on the bed. :)

Revision number 2 - Gary Fong's Parker Fly

Original Image by Gary Fong

Gary Fong says that my revision makes his Parker Fly look like a tea kettle! So I've modified it again by rounding off the squared edges of the other side of the upper bout. It's subtle, but perhaps that's all it needs. The other end doesn't stick out as much now, making it look less like a tea kettle! Both ends would require a wood router to round things off and then a new finish job.

Be sure to click on the images to take a closer look. And yes... this is all done in Photoshop!

Gary Fong's Modified Parker Fly Guitar

Original Image by Gary Fong

Famed photographer Gary Fong and I both like playing guitars. But he's not happy with the look of the Parker Fly. So he took the guitar and had it modified by having it professionally cut and finished as seen in the middle photo. Still, he wasn't happy, so now he's considering modifying it again like the photo on the far right.

Personally, I think having a small little "nub" on the upper bout looks better. So I "re-modified" the middle photo to what I thought might look good by rounding out the cut (see the image on the right in the second photograph.) Be sure to click on the images to take a closer look.

What do you think?

John Hersey High School Vs. Schaumburg High School

Mid-air introduction bump!

Another mid-air bump!

Hersey wins the toss!

Hersey drives for a point

I had the opportunity to take a few photos of the basketball game between the varsity teams of John Hersey High School and Schaumburg High School on Saturday, Dec. 6.

Both teams were energized, but the Schaumburg Saxons were doing great that night. They won 74-56 over the Hersey Huskies.

It's nearly impossible to get good color photos in the Hersey gym since the yellow sodium vapor lights along with the yellow floor, yellow walls and yellow bleachers just add up to a photographer's nightmare! A custom white balance is needed along with post production help on the computer.

There is plenty of light in the Hersey gym... just no white light... and that makes it tough. I was about 3/4 from the top of the bleachers shooting with the Nikon D3 and a Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VR lens. Be sure to click on each photo to see a larger version.

Testifying In Criminal Court

As an expert witness, it's often asked of me... "What's it like to testify in court?"

Well I can tell you, it's pretty easy (if you are not the defendant) and not like what you see on TV! You need to be very specific when you answer in court. On TV, I see so often how witnesses add information that they really shouldn't.

For instance, if the question is, "Mr. Lowe... Did you take a photograph of the victim on December 5, 1993 at 123 Main Street in San Diego California?" The answer should either be, "Yes" or "No" or "I don't recall." That's it.

But on TV, this is what I usually hear, "Yes, and it was done with the best camera I have too." Way too much information given!

Or how about this one, "Mr. Lowe, did you dust the gun for fingerprints?" The answer should be either, "Yes, I did" or "No, I did not" or "I don't recall." But on TV, this is what you'll hear, "Yes, I did and I used a special silver colored powder that works better on black surfaces of guns." Again, way too much information.

The tendency is to offer more information, but that's not the proper way to answer in court. As an expert witness, answering the question with only a Yes or No is better. Should the attorney want more information, he'll ask for it.

For example, "Mr. Lowe, did you dust the gun for fingerprints?" Answer... "Yes, I did." Attorney... "And Mr. Lowe, what type of powder did you use?" Answer... "I used a special silver colored powder designed to work better on black surfaces like guns."

Here's another type of answer that is not correct... Question... "Mr. Lowe, what time of the day did you take the photograph of the victim lying in the street?" Wrong answer, "You know, it was dark that day so it was hard to take a good photograph." This answer would most likely be objected to as being "non-responsive" because it never answers the original question! The attorney objecting would most likely motion for the answer to be "stricken from the record." The proper answer should be, "I took that photograph at 4:00 PM" or, "I do not recall."

Is it easy to testify in court? I think so. But you need to listen closely and only answer what is asked. No more, no less. If the attorney is doing his/her job properly, an additional question will be asked if needed to help clarify. Oh, and don't forget to address the judge as "Your Honor." That's always fun! :)

Focus Groups

Last night, I participated in a Focus Group for home improvement products.

I've done these before in the past, but it's probably been over 10 years since I've participated in one. Market researchers conduct focus group sessions to see what the average consumer thinks about a product or an idea. Typically, these are small groups of perhaps 8-10 people who sit around and share their thoughts on what the market researcher is offering for discussion.

Last night's discussion was about faucets and toilets. Yeah, not too interesting, right? Wrong! It was a lot of fun! The group last night consisted of six guys, some who have installed the products before and others who have not. All were home owners who had remodeled a bathroom or was in the process of doing so.

For me, I had remodeled two bathrooms, so I was an old pro at it. And yes, I did the installations. I've installed floors, sinks, countertops, faucets, toilets...

Anyway, a gentleman from a market research company called me and asked if I was available to attend a session and then qualified me on the phone. He wanted to know if I owned my home and if I had installed a toilet and faucet before and if I felt comfortable talking in a group... all the typical stuff you would expect. Surprisingly, I qualified for everything! I've been asked to join other focus groups in the past, but something always disqualified me. But not last night!

I had a lot of fun talking about the products and hearing the other people's experiences with installing the products as well. We also seemed to agree on many things about these products too.

For my participation, I was offered $85 for two hours of my time. Not bad for just talking with a bunch of guys! I've heard of people who have earned up to $200 for participating in focus groups! I've never been offered that before though...

Kaya

One of the hardest things I've ever had to do was to have our dog Kaya euthanized this morning.

Kaya was a maltese dog who has been with our family for nine years. She was a great dog... very loving, never mean nor nasty... just about as nice of a dog as you would ever want for a pet.

In recent months however, she had developed an eye infection and that was painful for her. In addition, she had been having hip problems as well. Then recently, she got sick and refused to eat. She only drank water and that was the only thing sustaining her for an entire week. She shivered all the time this past week, but she refused to be covered with a blanket...

At the vet today we weighed her and found that within a week's time, she had dropped from 16 lbs to 11.6 lbs.

Kaya loved everyone. She always barked happily whenever anyone came to visit and barked sadly when they left as well. She didn't like people leaving... she always wanted them to stay. Other than those times, rarely would she ever bark. We never needed to use a leash on Kaya even if we were outside doing gardening work because she would never wander away farther than to the edge of our property. She'd always come back if we called to her. And, she would never bark at other dogs either. She would just look at them and sometimes hide behind us to protect her!

I was with her at the end. The doctor had a difficult time trying to find a vein that had not collapsed due to her weakened state. Finally after four attempts, he was able to inject her. Within less than a few seconds, she was gone. While I did not think I wanted to be in the room when she was put to sleep, at the last moment, I knew I needed to be there to give her the assurance that I did not abandon her.

After I got home, I could not help but to cry for the loss of our dog. Kaya was my constant companion. Since I am often home working on the images from weddings I have photographed, I saw her more than anyone in our family. I fed her, took her out when she needed to relieve herself and took her to any vet appointments she needed.

This year has been really difficult for me. In one year's time, I lost one uncle, two aunts and now my beloved dog.

Kaya was a great dog and I will never forget her. I love you Kaya...