Engagement photos

I just took some engagement photos of Erin and Michael at the University of Tampa in Tampa, Florida.

UT for everyone that is familiar with it. Michael, I found out, plays for the Marlins and went to school here. I like what everyone likes about UT and that is the architecture. Rain or shine you can always take photos because of the huge porch. The lighting is perfect because the overhang forces light to come from a low angle and not overhead. Great directional light.

When photographing couples I try to do poses that look real. I think of how a couple would hang out enjoying an afternoon together. Whether they are standing or sitting I like couples facing each other. Body language is important. When couples face each other it says a lot to someone looking at the photo. First it says they agree with each other and they are one. In contrast, have you seen photos where couples are standing back to back? That type of pose might be cute but what does that say about their relationship?

I also like the heads to just touch a little to show closeness.

Second, facing each other means you belong to each other. We wanted to go out on the field and do a few fun shots but there was a game. Oh well, we might stop hear on the day of the wedding. On the field with a tux!

Of course I had to get at least one photo with the Fisheye lens. The 15mm lens on the full frame 5D is just awesome! As a small image on this blog it might not look like much but enlarged this is great with detail everywhere. Depth of Field ? I focused on them but the minarets are tack sharp too.

What's been happening!

Just got back from B and H in New York City, September 14. I gave 2 presentations to a packed room. Below is a video I took of some of the attendees waiting to get in.



The folks at B and H were very gracious and allowed me to sell the Instructional DVD's that Ken Cherry and I produced.



Our Tampa seminar was also a real success. We ran out of DVD's! Some people drove 3 hours one way to be there. That really is very humbling so I strive to make sure it was worth it for them.

I have to say that I always seem to get the most attentive audience no matter where I lecture.

When we first decided to do seminars, or one day classes, the first fear I had was, what if people fall asleep during my presentation? Our seminars are 5 hours and if you have attended one you know we go over because of the interest.

I read somewhere; If the student falls asleep it is time to wake up the teacher. I try very hard to give precise information but in a fun and interesting format. Anything that keeps the energy level high.
This Thursday, September 24 I will be on Studio 10. A Tampa Bay TV show at 10AM. talking about pet photography. If you miss it you can go to their website after 4 and watch it on your computer. It's things like this that really make me love computers!
Monday, October 5 I will be a guest speaker at Photo Arts Group of Charlotte County.

October 18 is the Boca Raton Seminar. If you are signed up for our Newsletter all this will be in greater detail plus at the end of the week I'll send out the article on Better Pet Photography Made Easy.
This is an exciting time! So go out and take some great photographs!
Manny

Using the telephoto lens to capture wildlife

How many times have you looked at those National Geographic photos and wished that you could get some great photos of wild and untamed creatures?



Capturing wild and exotic animals usually means traveling to an exotic place like the Arctic or Africa and the like.

Not so! If there is a zoo near you the possibilities are endless. In one place and one day you will be able to photograph animals that normally inhabit different continents. Think of the time and money you will save!

I decided to take my camera and the 70 to 200mm Zoom lens and go to the Lowery Park Zoo in Tampa, Florida. It is about 45 minutes from where I live.


There are only two things you have to overcome. First, the distance between you and the animal you are trying to photograph. Second, the fence that is going to ruin your shot and let everybody know that you really didn't go to the Congo to photograph that Panther. Don't you just hate it when someone whips out their zoo photos to tell you about all the cool animals they saw, and all you can see is a fence.


Let's start with the distance. Your zoom lens set at 200 will bring your subject fairly close to very close depending on the size of the animals' habitat. That leaves us with that annoying fence.

Just do what I do. Jump over it. NO! DO NOT JUMP OVER THE FENCE. Even the most huggable and cutest looking animal will tear your face off and eat you alive. A wild animal is dangerous at all times even if it looks bored stiff and yawning.




So how do we get rid of the fence? Luckily the lens set at 200mm has "shallow" Depth of Field. This means that the only thing in focus is your point of focus and not much else.

(If you are not 100% sure of Depth of Field and how it works I will give you a precise definition and explanation of it in my next newsletter. Please sign up for it if you are not on it yet. I have heard a lot of explanations but this will be the one and only explanation for Depth of Field that will put you in the know.)



Get as close as you can to the fence but still at a safe distance. In other words, close but not close enough that the animal on the other side could stick it's arm or paw and grab you. For example I got close to this fence but there is a lower wood fence not visible to prevent people from putting themselves up against it. Safety first.

Next, put your cameras' auto setting on AV (Aperture Priority). Manually set the lens at the widest opening. Your camera will choose the appropriate shutter speed. Now when you focus the lens on your subject the fence magically disappears. Why? By focusing your lens on something far away only the point of focus is sharp. The fence which is close to you is so out of focus that the light is bent and goes around it. It is almost invisible. If you look closely at the very first photo in this article the fence is visible only as faint diamond pattern.

The bird wanted to disembowel me and peck at my face as soon as it saw me. So I kept a little distance between me and the fence in case it decided to charge.

I don't know about you but I like my organs where they are. Although some will say my face could use a little improvement I have become used to it. Which brings me top this last photo. This is a Rainbow Lori. At the Lowery Park Zoo you can buy this stuff they like to eat and go in the enclosure with them. They are very friendly and will not eat you. They will eat the food you bring them out of your hand. Bring the kids.
Tell your friends you just got back from the rainforest and you got these cool photos to show them.