FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What kind of gear do you use?
Cameras and Lenses
I use Canon Professional Gear only. I have top of the line Full Frame Cameras and Canon’s finest “L” Series lenses. In Canon’s most high-end cameras, you will find two memory card slots. These are there for redundancy. Which means one word for you as the client. Safety. When I am shooting, the camera is writing two copies of the image simultaneously to separate cards at all times. This means that if one card gets an error for some reason, we will still have a copy on the backup card. And in the event that my camera goes bad during a shoot or event, I have a backup camera with me at all times. Allowing your session, wedding or event to be shot any other way is simply a recipe for disaster. If you want peace of mind in knowing that your images and memories are being captured properly and safely, then please do not get “Uncle Joe who owns a nice camera from Best Buy or Walmart” to take your photos. Don’t get me wrong, We all love Uncle Joe with the nice camera. However, Uncle Joe has not invested years of training into this craft. Professional photographers spend a lifetime studying the craft and pushing forward.
Lighting Equipment
I use multiple strobes/flashes/modifiers in different situations. My current product of choice is the Phottix Mitros+ and Phottix Odin Radio Trigger System. This allows me to remotely control lights from my camera so I accommodate for any lighting changes or needs. If we need a dance floor spotlight, then these are easy to pop up on a light stand to achieve an amazing look. My favorite modifiers are the FStoppers Flash Disc and any medium softbox. And also, let’s not forget the old trusty 5-in-1 reflector. They work beautifully for what I need and haven’t disappointed me yet.
Computers, Software, and Display Calibration
I am an Apple Computer user. I use a dual 27 Inch display setup that is fully color-calibrated to ensure that “what you see is what you get”. Many people often wonder why their pictures look so great on their computer, but then look terrible on another device or when printed at a place like Walmart or Costco. This is because of calibration. People often don’t realize that when they are looking at a particular color on their own screen, it may actually not be accurate. For example, Apple Monitors tend to be on the blue side. So that rich white color you think you are looking at may actually be a very light blue. For most people, this is not a problem when watching a movie or surfing the web. However, when color correcting and editing photographs, starting off on this wrong foot can only lead you down a path of bad color decisions and despair.–haha. In all seriousness, it is a very important step in making sure that photographs are color accurate and consistent. Calibration in combination with soft proofing for printer profiles ensures that “what you see is what you get”.
I am an Adobe Creative Cloud member and use the most up-to-date version of Lightroom and Photoshop. These are the industry standard and ensure consistency throughout the workflow and also allow me to collaborate with other professionals without any boundaries often created by mismatched file types etc.
Image Backup and Safety
I use a RAID system for my image workflow. Additionally, at all times I have 4 copies of everything. 2 on-site, 1 off-site, and 1 in cloud backup. This also does not include the web gallery that will be provided to you as well which also serves as an online backup. So that is 5 copies total of everything at all times. You can have peace of mind in knowing that I take image backup and safety very seriously.
RAW Format or JPG?
RAW of course. Always. Period.
Speaking of RAW files, are you willing to provide them to clients?
Only in certain cases will I agree to provide a RAW file to a client. It will be done a per image basis and there will be a fee or licensing agreement drawn up for the usage rights to the image.
Miscellaneous Equipment
Apple iPad Pro – nothing like having a huge digital portfolio always on hand when you need it. Not to mention the huge benefits it offers with editing quickly on the go and shooting tethered with the CamRanger.
CamRanger – Two words. Macro Shots. An amazing device that allows me to control the camera remotely and essentially see what the camera sees. Learn more here: http://camranger.com/
Zoom H4N – Because who doesn’t need an ultra hi-fidelity audio recorder in the backpack for whatever comes up?
