Snapshop Peeps: June 2015

I don't live on the beach...
I didn't grow up GOING to the beach...
My experience ON a beach is somewhat limited...

HOWEVER...

I know my camera, I'm always learning and watching the light, and doggone, I WANTED good beach vacation pictures...not just the normal blown out versions of my vaca or the super dark craziness that used to be the norm!!!

Many of you will be heading to the beach this summer...and I know even the thought of taking your beloved camera into the treacherous SANDY SHORE is enough to start you hyperventilating and thinking of creating a lock box for your precious babe...

I've been there...and even though I DID wrap my sweet Missy (that's my camera BTW) with 2 protective layers of towels, AFTER she was already nestled inside the camera back, which was inside the travel backpack in order to make our trek...I DID venture into the realm of some beach photography...

In years past, our family has gone to Florida and St. Joseph, up in Michigan as part of our summer getaways...

First and foremost, it's a good thing to understand the basic settings of your camera...how aperture, shutterspeed and ISO work together...especially on bright, sunshiny days...hopefully you are beginning to get a good handle on those concepts if you've attended a Snapshop...

I wanted to give you a few more helpful hints or suggestions that might take your beach photos just a tad farther this year...and that's what it's all about right? just taking those baby steps to continue to grow and learn and document the life of your family...in your own unique way...

here we go:

1. Find a Nook:
You can look beyond the beach...it doesn't always have to be everything with pail and shovel...Find a little cove, a lighthouse, a grassy knoll...preferably a place that offers a bit of shade for those squinting eyes...but, still lets you document your time spent on the sandy shore.

remember to watch your light...reposition your little ones if you need to, to get the sun spots off their faces and let their sweet cheeks shine through...I think my niece is adorable, don't you???

2. Use a Wide Angle:
I'm notorious for getting in close...I love close ups...I just do...but so often, I will miss part of the "story" if I don't allow myself to back up and see the WHOLE picture...Don't forget to use a wide angle every once in awhile...Now, don't let it be cluttered with unimportant details, but try to think of a movie setting, as it pans while the opening credits are rolling...

3. Go in Close:
This is my thing!!! I love to go in close, look for the special details...If you've been to a Snapshop you've seen the up close shells on the beach or the potato from the garden...These are the fun shots because you can have more control over the light because your body produces the shadow for you, if you put your body between your subject and the sun...

4. Use Reflections and Shadows:
The water and the sand can be helpful to you...use it to be creative...to see footprints or reflections...use the sun to make your fun shadows...

I know this is a crazy example...and not something that is necessarily "frame worthy"...but it's the idea that you can use the light in creative and fun ways...find the reflection in the water in the early morning, let the kids make shadows as the sun starts coming down...

5. Black and White ROCKS!!!

I think sometimes we think because we are on the ocean, or the lake, or the sun is shining brightly, that we need to rely on FULL color...that's not always the case...

look for texture or movement in your pictures so that the B/W will surface the emotion immediately...

sometimes black and white makes it all the more beautiful and tells the "story" in a different way...

6. Go for the Silhouette

You can go for the full blown silhouette by metering to the sky (the brightest part) so that your camera tells you that you have too much light and you need to close up that shutterspeed...it will darken everything else around and get you that silhouette look...

OR you can just go for a partial silhouette...where you get some colors too...

7. Be Creative:
You know that I'm all about not stopping the action...to catch the moments and relationships...BUT...sometimes part of the action, is getting your family in on a fun, creative way to document your trip...something out of the ordinary...

remember to just make it fun!!!

I've had a few of you ask what is in my camera bag and how do I utilize the lenses that I own.

My purchases have been slow and methodical...and not without some mistakes along the way.

However, I've come to love a select few "tools" that I wouldn't want to live without and I'm happy to share my thoughts with you!

First off is my camera bag!

It's a Kelly Moore and I LOVE IT!

Every photographer needs a bag...it's just a must...and this is my "must-have" bag!

I started off with a backpack, which was comfortable and held all my equipment. However, I had to take it off in order to switch lenses. In a middle of a session, that is really cumbersome to do because you have "stop the action" in order to fiddle with the bag.

Then I decided that I'd just sew my own bag...which I did (because I'm nuts!) It worked great for awhile, but it just wasn't sturdy enough and eventually broke down after a few months.

I was on the search for something durable, something my husband wouldn't feel silly carrying every once in awhile and something that would be efficient to use.

That's when I discovered the Kelly Moore bag...

It holds all the lenses that I could possibly need in a session, along with my wallet, glasses, a water bottle, phone, keys, business cards...there is even a place for a tablet or laptop (that I sometimes just put in the reflector if I think I'll need it)

This leads me to my GEAR!

I have a lot of lenses...not exhaustive, mind you...but, I find that there is a specific use for each of them as it pertains to my style and the "job" that I have created.

First off is the SIGMA ART 50/1.4

In the past I have always purchased Nikon...however, Sigma came out with an ART series that just blows Canon & Nikon out of the water with regards to speed and clarity. This lens is the one on my camera probably 75% of the time during sessions or at home with my kids. With my full frame camera, I am able to get most of the shots that I want with this lens. It is versatile and has beautiful bokeh.

USED FOR: family shots, close ups, basically EVERYTHING!

Next on the list is the SIGMA ART 35/1.4

This is typically the next lens I pick up during a family session. It affords me the ability to get a wide angle view to include the setting. It is also a GREAT help when I'm in a tight spot or when I'm standing overtop of little ones (being 5'4", I can only be so far from someone on my tiptoes). My only caution with this one is to be careful when you are super close to a subject as it can cause distortion.

USED FOR: Getting in tight spots with little room, large family shots, including setting or landscapes

NIKON 85/1.4

This one is my baby! It has a special place in my heart because it produces the most beautiful bokeh in the world! I love it! I use it pretty exclusively for portraits. There is something about the 85mm...although the before mentioned lenses all have the same f-stop capabilities, the compression in the 85 just makes for buttery backgrounds that are to die for!

USED FOR: portraits or whenever I want that really creamy background (I just have to watch my depth of field with regards to focus)

NIKON 70-200/2.8

This lens is big and bulky and SUPER HEAVY! However, I couldn't do without it! It use this mostly with my own family...soccer games, or when I just want to sneak up on my kiddos without them knowing that I'm getting them in the action. I use this also for event photography, when I don't have a lot of options of moving in close. The large focal range is amazing and the bokeh and sharpness is wonderful. I will use back button focus on this especially during action shots and I'm always pleased with the results!

NIKON 24-70/2.8

This was the first "BIG" lens that I ever purchased. It has a wide angle and it zooms fairly close at 70. It can be used in lower light situations and it was my workhorse lens for a longggg time before I became a "prime lens girl". This is the lens that I will use to teach my daughters. I don't really carry this one in my bag any longer, as I love to utilize all the different possibilities that the primes offer me. However, it was a great lens starting off and learning the focal ranges at which I typically shot.

NIKON SB600

This flash is old, old, old, but I love it. It does just what I need it to do and has never let me down. I only use it directly when I used to shoot weddings. Now, I use it to bounce light when doing event photography or when I'm indoors in the winter and have little light available to me. I couldn't live without an external flash, as it helps me bring the "natural" back into an image, when I don't have the "natural" light that I need.

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