Questions:

Andrew Block “I’m curious are folks still using Pixoto, 500px, and Flickr or is everyone just having fun on Instagram?”

Ron Lawrence: “I need some advice. I’m beginning to need storage outside of my internal hard drives, but there is no way that I can afford a Drobo. What are some other options.”

Connor’s Segment: It is always a great learning experience to sit and watch other professionals do the thing you do.

I attended a wedding recently for the first time since I started shooting them and it was a great learning experience that served to show me ways to do certain things I had either never considered doing, or had at least stopped doing and forgotten the practice of. An example of this was the outstanding communication between the photographers and the DJ. The DJ even helped to pose the bride for a fake bouquet toss before the real thing to get a better picture.

The experience also showed me some not so happy things that reinforced my beliefs in the way wedding coverage should be done.

In an absolutely gorgeous outdoor setting My fiancee and I arrived to see the primary shooter standing up by the altar. We sat down and I proceeded to watch and grit my teeth through the photographer not taking photos for over a half an hour. We were near the edge of a pond, very nearby the flower girl was playing in the grass next to the pond with her father and brother, an adorable shot. The photographer looked over and didn’t snap a photo. Some parents had their kids go pose with a group of other children right next to the photographer and she still didn’t lift her camera. This just broke my heart because these were all incredible moments that could have been excellent additions to an album or additional prints sold to the friends and family of the couple, but instead they were lost forever.

Long story short, it has become incredibly hard not to direct for the sake of photography on a wedding day. I am glad I was able to be a silent observer of a wedding, and it was a great reminder for me that others will notice the way you work on a wedding day!

Midroll: Brent Rents Lenses: This episode is brought to you by a fella named Brent who rents lenses. His website is BrentRentsLenses.com. Brent is always happy to provide the advice you need when you need it. Use offer code “improve” at checkout for 15% off your first rental.

Laryssa’s Segment:

How far ahead to you prep.

I will typically start thinking of what I need to bring about a week or so in advance.  There are various iphone apps where you can create a packing list.

The most important thing to do is to make sure you have all of the little things.  When we went to St Maarten I had rented a camera and didn’t grab the plate for the tripod from my main camera hence I had to do everything handheld or on something.

More than likely if you forget something it is going to be something small not something big.  A charger, a memory card.  You should make a list of what you need and keep it as a running list until you leave and check things off of the list as you put it in the bag.  

Doodads of the Week!

Jim – Jisen Newborn photography hammock prop 

Laryssa – Rick Sammon’s Creative Visualization for Photographers: Composition, exposure, lighting, learning, experimenting, setting goals, motivation and more

Connor –