The New Addition to the Camera Bag: Canon EOS 5DMarkIII

I've been toying with the idea for a while of upgrading my 5DMarkII, but kept making excuses.  My camera works fine, it's not time yet, it's a big investment, and so on.  But, as I'm about to enter the 4th wedding season with my camera and have shot WELL over 150,000 images with it, I no longer consider it trust worthy.  So I decided to purchase Canon's much-imporved version of it's 5D series: the Canon EOS 5DMarkIII.

I have to be honest, I hate change.  So looking at all the wear on my camera and thinking of all the places I've shot with it (the furthest being New Orleans), made me a little sad to think of retiring this trusty friend.  Well, that was until I took a few test images around my office with the MarkIII.  The difference in focusing is shocking.  I shot an object with the same settings, same lens on both cameras and the 5DMarkII was definitely soft compared to the 5DMarkIII, which has tack sharp focus. That in and of itself was worth the upgrade.  After seeing these early results, I happily put my old camera in the bag to be used as a back up to my back up.

All of the buttons have been changed around on the MarkIII, making it a little challenging to get used to, but I'm sure it will quickly be second nature to me.  I will be able to provide more feedback once I start using it, but I am excited to take advantage of the low light capabilities and bump up the ISO if necessary.  Also, and this is such a small detail, but I love how you can lock in your mode dial to M (or any other mode, but it should be M!) and it won't get accidentally bumped without you realizing it.  Kaila and Aaron can vouch for this, we've taken many a first shots on B and quickly changed it back :)

Can't wait to start using it in the coming weeks and especially for the start of the 2014 season!

Paired with it's perfect companion the 50mm 1.2

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The Time I Second Shot | Lancaster, PA Wedding Photographer

If you ask most wedding photographers how they started out, they will tell you they started second shooting or assisting another photographer.  I didn't start out that way.  I was fortunate enough to be given an amazing opportunity with a special couple who trusted me to be their wedding photographer.  From there, I was blessed with several more amazing couples who also put all their trust in me.  Would it have been easier if I were able to work with an experienced wedding photographer first?  Sure.  But I believe that the way I learned and the experience I gained has brought me to where I am today.  That being said, I also didn't work with a second photographer until 2012.  Today it's standard to see two photographers shooting a wedding. I quickly learned how invaluable a second photographer is to telling the complete story of the day.  They are able to see other angles, things going on around the couple, and shoot details of the day in an efficient manner.  I will never shoot another wedding alone - second shooters are key to creating a great wedding day.

So.  When Caroline of Carrie Logan Photography asked me to second shoot for an upcoming wedding of hers, I was excited/flustered/nervous/unsure.  But mainly excited.  She was photographing a rather elaborate wedding and was hoping to have another professional wedding photographer shoot along side of her for the day.  I was so honored she asked me and couldn't wait to second shoot with her.  Olivia and Zack's wedding at Lancaster Trust was nothing short of amazing!  Check out Caroline's full blog post here.  

I think second shooting for Caroline really put into perspective what an important role this is.  Not only is the second shooter responsible for groom getting ready shots, but constantly looking for unique, interesting, story-telling angles.  It's really a fun challenge to work off another photographer's ideas and poses.  I enjoyed the experience and getting to work from another perspective for a day!

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Product | Engagement Album/Guest Book

It's no secret that I LOVE shooting engagement sessions.  Not only is it a good reason to spend a couple hours snuggling with your love, but my brides and grooms get comfortable with me and me with them...we are like one big happy family by the end of it all.  And this works out great for the wedding day - you'll hardly even notice the cameras :)  So after all the snuggling, it's important to display your photos with pride.  And what better way than an engagement album/guest book for your wedding.  This multitasks as a keepsake album of this exciting time in your relationship, plus your guests can write little notes of well-wishes.  The best part is that you can pull out the album any time and read over all the fun messages and relive your wedding day all over again!

The same album company we use for our leather wedding albums also makes high-quality linen books.  So you are getting the same hand-made goodness and amazing printing on Fuji Crystal Archival paper.  These books lay flat and do not have a seam in the middle (meaning they can be printed across the entire spread).  I just updated my sample album and am loving the beautiful colors and cover engraving.

When designing the album, plenty of white space is available for your guests to write on.

There are 13 beautiful colors to choose from so you can truly create a unique book.

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