Christmas Eve Head Shots

On Christmas Eve I set up some lights and a new Botero collapsible background that I bought from B&H to take some pictures of Braxton and Ainsley. This was a four light set up using all 580ex ii's:

-Main light in 28" softbox at 7 o'clock
-Rim lights with Honl grids at 10 and 2 o'clock
-Background light at 12 o'clock behind the subject

Here are my two favorites:

Last Minute Gift Ideas For The Photographer On Your List

I thought I'd put together a little "Wish List" for any photographers you may have on your list. I should have done this a few weeks ago, but I'm just now getting to it. Obviously it is hard to buy for us because most of the things we "need" cost a small fortune, but all of the items on this list cost less than $200 and are a sure bet to make any photographer happy on Christmas morning.

1. Hoodman Hood Loupe 3.0

If the photographer on your list ever takes pictures outside, the Hoodman Hood Loupe 3.0 is a must-have! It allows them to see the LCD screen on the back of their camera without getting all that glare from the sun. It comes with a small case and neck strap so they can wear it all day if needed.

2. B+W UV Filters

Photographers SHOULD have a UV filter on the end of every lens they own. It helps protect the lens from UV haze, scratches, and dust. I have one on every lens and never take them off. B+W filters are some of the best you can buy. The quality is incredible! You can get cheaper filters, but in this case, you definitely get what you pay for. Lenses are different sizes so you'll have to ask what size filters they need, but if you get secretly get to their gear, just take the lens cap off of their lens and look on the back side of the cap. It will have a number on it such as 77mm.

3. Powerex Rechargeable Batteries & Charger

If the photographer on your list ever uses portable hot-shoe flashes, they NEED rechargeable batteries or they will spend a lot of money fast! Powerex batteries are my choice and they work great! Bob Davis and Joe McNally also swear by them. Their flash probably takes 4 batteries so go ahead and get them at least 8 along with the charger. They'll be thrilled that they can stop buying all those AA batteries!

4. Black Rapid RS-4 Camera Strap

These straps are awesome! It allows you to carry your camera to your side instead of hanging on your neck all day. There are videos on their website to show you how to use it. I used to never use a strap until I got the Black Rapid one.

5. SanDisk Extreme 8GB Compact Flash Memory Cards

Every photographer can always use extra memory cards and these SanDisk Extreme cards are "EXTREMELY" fast! With download speeds of 60MB's per second, the photographer on your list will be thanking you every time they dump pictures to their computer.

6. Tenba Messenger Camera Bag

I love Tenba bags, and this messenger bag is THE bag for light travel! It's light weight yet very protective. It will fit 1-2 camera bodies, 3-5 lenses, a flash, and accessories. It comes in three colors; black, olive, and burnt orange. Personally, I'm loving that burnt orange. Hook 'em Horns!

7. Totally Rad Actions

Nearly all photographers that use Photoshop use actions. Actions are quick ways to make really cool effects in Photoshop. The Totally Rad Actions by Doug Boutwell are some of the best and most usable available. You can't go wrong with either set!

8. Within The Frame by David duChemin

This is definitely one of my favorite photography books I've ever read! It has caused me to rethink so many things. Even though David might be labeled as a "travel photographer", every photographer on the planet would benefit from reading this book.

9. WhiBal G6 Pocket White Balance Gray Card

Proper color balance is a huge deal for photographers. The WhiBal products are great for taking care of your white balance needs. I especially love the pocket version. It's the size of a credit card so it fits in your pocket. All you have to do is have your model hold the card and then in post processing, the card becomes your white balance target.

Blanchard Family

Each year I get to take portraits for the Blanchard, Jones, and Gray families. We always have a fun time, and it's neat to see the kids keep getting older. Here are some from this year's shoot:

Heather & Stephen's Engagement Session

Heather and Stephen are getting married on June 5th, 2010. We did their engagement session in downtown Orlando starting at Lake Eola park and ending up at the Grand Bohemian Hotel. We had a ton of fun and finished the night with dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.

Heather & Stephen, thanks so much for allowing me to be a part of your most special day! I can't wait until June!

Gracie & Lauren

This afternoon I did some portraits for two very pretty and very funny little girls. We had a lot of fun and even got the dogs into the action! Here are some of my favorites with a few notes for you photographers out there. As always, you can click any of the pictures for a bigger version.




These first two were taken on the side of their house in front of their white backyard fence. No strobes! We were on the shady side of the house and had perfect soft light... throw in the white fence and it almost looks like we did these in the studio.






These were taken at a different angle to use the grass as the background. Still no strobes. The last picture shows you that I had pulled them far enough away from the fence to give plenty of separation from my background.




These last two were shot in a different location across the street. I did set up one strobe and an umbrella to camera right. The dogs did great!

Nolan's 2 Year Pictures

I did some portraits for Nolan, Jenn, and Eric on Saturday. Nolan is so much fun and even though he didn't really want his picture taken, we got some great shots! He has the biggest blue eyes!

It's been a while...

Sorry for the absence from the blog! It's been a busy month, but I will hopefully get back to posting on a regular basis.

A couple of weeks ago I did some family portraits in Wildwood, FL. The May's are a fun family, and we had a really good time. Here are some of my favorites from the day: