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Question:
I want to purchase a graduated filter, but I find with all of the choices available it's extremely confusing. What do you use and recommend?
Answer:
I am assuming that you are referring to split neutral density filters, I use Tiffen filters http://www.tiffen.com/ . They are available in 1, 2 and 3 stops - but they call them - ND 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 (just to confuse people). I have the ND 0.3 (1 stop) and ND 0.6 (2 stop) in the COKIN PXL TYPE. These are longer (rectangular shaped) filters than the standard square filter. The advantage of these filters is that you can use them even if the horizon line is near the top or bottom of the picture. You are more limited with the smaller square filter.
Another brand that is very good are the Singh-Ray Filters http://singh-ray.com/ . Daryl Benson uses this brand of filters; they have soft edged, hard edged and any other combination that you could dream of. That's to say that Singh-Ray's variety of split ND's is much greater. You can order directly from them and the delivery is MUCH quicker than ordering a Tiffen. I think my Tiffen's took 3 to 4 months to arrive, ordered through the Focus Centre. I don't think the Tiffen distributor in Canada stocks them, well at least they didn't 6 years ago. You could always order them from B&H Photo http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ in New York, they may keep them in stock.
Be warned these filters are not cheap, but they are very good. If you want to get a Singh-Ray filter and need advice on which one to get, just ask me. If I were to get only one of the Tiffen filters, it would be the ND 0.6 (2 stop) grad filter in the COKIN PXL.
Question:
I did end up buying a Nikon 801, and when I inquired about a cable release, found out that they were about $100. This for a cable with a contact switch at one end. Do you know of any more cost-effective, after-market solutions?
Answer:
Nikon makes an adapter (#MR-3) to convert the electronic release to a mechanical release (it looks like a small button, with threads on one end). It is not as expense as the electronic one, but it is still pricey. There are third party makers of the same adapter that are less in price. With these you still need to buy a mechanical cable release.
Question:
I'm a professional nature photographer heading up Maine to shoot puffins in mid-June. I have read all the postings on the photo.net pages but still have a couple of questions I hoped you could answer.
Is it true that a 600 f/4 is too big to bring? I have a 600, 400 f/4, and a 300 2.8 (manual) along w/ a 80-200. I don't want to bring the 600 if it won't even fit through the hole in the blind. Would the 400 be a better compromise? I guess I should go ahead and buy that 500 S wave I've been looking at.
Also, if I spot meter the puffin's breasts w/ my F-5 and open up a spot, will that really pop the image? If I should be lucky enough to have a sunny day, should I shoot at sunny f/16 or use the sunny f/22 method?
Let me know your thoughts on these questions if you have an opportunity. Thanks in advance.
Answer:
There are a couple of openings that your 600mm will fit through but most of the openings will be too small. I can't remember the exact position of the larger openings, but I think that they are at the two ends of each blind. There are four blinds in total in two locations, at each location the two blinds are beside each other. So effectively when you are in one blind there is only one opening that you can use your 600mm.
You will probably be sharing the blind with two or three other people; it tends to get crowded. The blinds are ~ 4ft x 8ft in size with a wooden floor, if someone is walking around in the blind - everything moves. It is impossible and impractical to use a tripod, either use a monopod or rest the rim of the lens on the windowsill.
As for exposure, I normally use the sunny F16 rule, if you use F22 you will lose all the detail in the black feathers, even at F16 you're pushing the limit for the blacks. The rocks that the puffins land on are light in colour, and can be really distracting. Are you going in the morning or afternoon? (They only do one trip per day, but it depends on the tides when they leave.) The light in the morning is MUCH better.
I have been there when the Puffins are so close that you couldn't even focus on them with a 300mm F2.8, without using an extension tube. I have also been there when even with a 500mm the puffins looked like little specks, that was when I went too early in the season and the eggs hadn't hatched yet, so there was no reason for the adults to bring food back to the nest. (That was around June 10th - Now I go nearer the end of June, which generally seems to be a good time.
Good Luck! If you have any more questions, I'll be glad to help out.
Question:
This is a simple question from an untrained hobbyist. When producing a
quality look in wedding photography is there a special kind of film that is
used or recommended or does the look come from (of course the talent of the
photographer) and the finishing? I was asked to photograph my friends
wedding (HELP!! Why me??) and I am wondering if I need to buy special film to
get better results? I take good pictures of my kids, I guess that is my
portfolio! But I am not even close to anything professional, just a mom who
likes good pictures of her kids! Any help you could offer on the subject
would be appreciated! Thank you!
Answer:
It really depends on what your friends expect from your photographs of their wedding. What I mean is; will they be happy just having "snapshots" that are properly exposed and well composed? Or will they be picky and think that you should be able to produce pictures that are comparable to those of a wedding studio - which would charge $5000.00 and more?
The big difference between what you can produce and what they can produce probably lies in the equipment. They use medium format cameras which gives a much larger negative. More importantly when it comes to the creative filters, that are used quite often by wedding photographers - these filters only work with medium format cameras. The other disadvantage that you have is your flash, wedding photographers use very powerful flashes and lighting equipment.
So in the end it really depends what your friend wants - but I can tell you that you are in a lose/lose situation. If they want you to photograph the wedding, you won't enjoy yourself - it is extremely stressful. Despite what they say before the wedding that will all change during the wedding and after. For some reason, before hand they think everything will come off without a hitch, when getting hitched. (weak attempt at humor) Then come the day of the wedding everyone is rushing around and usually late, when do take the pictures? Think about wedding photographers that you have seen - aren't they normally bossy and trying to organize everything.
If they only want grab shots, then say you would be able to that. Anything more than that and then they should hire a photographer.
Good Luck!
This question took several e-mails
Question:
If you have a minute, can you help with the type of 35mm I should buy. I want to take a course but I do not want to buy a beginner camera. I would like something that will last me many years. Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you
Answer:
This is going to take a couple of e-mails to figure out which camera you should buy.
First I need to know what kind of pictures you want to take (landscape, portraits, family snapshots, nature, holiday travel?)
Secondly, what's your budget for this camera?
REPLY:
I want to take landscape, snapshots, nature, holiday travel (waterfalls, architecture)
My budget is around $600 CDN. dollars.
Thank you so much
Follow up Answer:
The only camera that I can think of that would fit is the Canon Rebel. I don't know which version they are up to now, but it is a good basic camera with a lot of features. An equivalent Nikon would cost twice as much. Don't run out and buy one yet, I will be going to my local camera store this weekend (I rarely go - I get everything delivered) I will take a look at the new cameras and their features and let you know if the Canon is still your best bet.
Second Follow up Answer:
Yesterday I was at the Focus Centre, (in Ottawa). There are two models that would meet your requirements. One is the Canon "Rebel 2000" it comes with a 28 -105 lens and the entire package is $599.00. The other camera is the Canon "Elan 7" it is due out near the end of October and the body will cost around $600.00. The Elan is the better camera with more features and probably better construction.
Question:
Hi Garry. I wrote to you last spring when I first started seriously thinking about pursuing photography as a career. I appreciated your quick reply, and now that I see my original letter and similar ones on your web site, I guess there are others like me trying to figure out how to break into the world of selling photos.
Anyway, I've been doing lots of reading and exploring on the internet since
I wrote you last. I've also edited my slides to the point where I'm ready to send them to an agency. While I was editing them I noticed how my habits have changed - when I started taking photos I would just dash all over the place taking pictures of anything I happened to find. I was wondering if I should include these shots in a submission? Does including the only frame you have of an area imply to the agency that you have taken more than just one shot there? For example, I have a couple handful of decent shots that I took in New Zealand and Australia - I would like to include them, but I don't want to give the agency the impression that I specialize in photos from that area.
Was also curious about why so few photographers use medium format for stock. It would seem to me like medium format would give a person an advantage, something that would make them stand out from the crowd so to speak. I realize stock is mostly a volume business, but wouldn't medium format bring higher prices which would offset the lower volume?
Answer:
Stock agencies today are looking for top quality images - ones that will sell. The high numbers of images in a stock agency is now a thing of the past. Maybe with Royalty Free, a high number of images is still important.
Typically the average AD or graphic designer claim that they always check out 3-4 agencies when searching for images. With the ease of comparison shopping for pictures on the internet and the large number of stock agency catalogues that exist, the competition that you face out there is extremely strong, as it is for every other photographer selling stock today.
As result what stock agencies are now looking for in your portfolio is not the large varied material that they once looked for. Now if you have a few images that will sell in today's market they will be interested in you. So if you only have one knockout image from New Zealand or from where ever and it is going to sell, that's all you need. Most of the stock agencies don't want to see 200 -300 images in a portfolio anymore. Here is a quote from a major stock agency "The photog should send us a dozen low res images and tell us about the kind of work they are doing. This often is the quickest way to determine if it is worth it for either of us to proceed". Here is a link to Masterfile's (agency which represents me) portfolio submission guidelines http://www.masterfile.com/artists/portfolio.html. They do want to see 200 images if you are submitting slides, but I know that you can also submit much fewer that. But they are only looking for 10 images if you e-mail them, in fact that's about all they need in order to determine whether they would be interested in you.
So getting back to directly answering your question about including the only frame of an area, the answer is, Yes - send in only that one shot! They are not looking to see what you have in your files. What they want to know when looking at your portfolio is, what is your technical and artist ability, and more importantly can you produce and create images that will sell.
As for shooting medium format, I don't bother. The clients rarely see the original transparency when choosing an image. They are either on-line, or if they are looking at a transparency, it is usually a 70 mm dupe.
Hope this gives you some insight into stock agencies today.
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