Amber Dawn Photography

Friday, February 15, 2013

What's in the bag?

Happy Friday All!

Let's start with "the bag" itself. This is one of my bags. I use this one the most.... probably because of the color. I just adore it. I'll be the first to admit that I have a problem when it comes to collecting camera bags (AND pets.....but that's an entirely different post, lol.) Anyhow, this is my gorgeous 'Lyric' bag from Epiphanie. Is is totally corny that that little camera charm is what sold me on this bag? See, I have a problem.

The lovely plum Lyric doesn't live alone. I also have 'Charlotte' in chevron. Charlotte and I are new friends. If it's metallic AND has a chevron pattern, you could probably sell it to me. It doesn't even matter what 'it' is really.

Completing the bag lineup is my '2 Sues' in mustard from Kelly Moore. You'll notice a pattern with my bags. They hold a LOT, which is good for a gal like me. Not only do I have an obsession with bags.... I'm also plagued with an assortment of sunglasses, lip glosses, etc etc etc.

So, when it comes to bags, I say go big or go home.

I randomly get questions about my gear and my preferences as far as camera equipment is concerned. So let's clear that up right off the bat. I'm a Canon girl all the way- bodies, lenses, flashes, etc. I'm not saying that Nikon or Sony or any other brand is inferior by any means. Canon is just my personal preference. Not to get off track, but I want to briefly touch on something else for a second. My friend and fellow photographer, Kaylon K, and I just had a conversation last night about equipment and image quality. I don't care if you're shooting with your iPhone or a no name point and shoot, the image is what it is because of YOU. It amazes me that people throw a ton of money away on "professional" equipment because they think it makes their photographs "better." For example, my friend Mike P. takes the most amazing photos......... with his phone! Your eye and artistic vision plays a huge role in how your photos turn out! Don't rely solely on your equipment. That being said, take the time to learn what you do have. Outgrow it and THEN move up! There's just no point in buying $2200.00 lens if you're going to continue to shoot in auto mode. You aren't growing. You aren't learning. You're expecting the camera to do the work for you. Your equipment doesn't define you. Own your images and make them what YOU want them to be. Turn that dial to 'M' and get to work. :-)

Sorry, let me get back on track.

I have three camera bodies right now, two digital, and one film. The film camera I kept because of sentimental reasons (it sparked my love of photography) and because it still works perfectly! It challenges me. You can really gauge your skill level when you go back to shooting with film. There's no "Oops, that's underexposed, let me delete that and try again." You nail it or you don't and I love that! So here's the body lineup:

Canon Rebel G - I put some serious miles on this body. In fact, up until about 5 years ago, I strictly shot film.
Canon 50D- Got my toes wet with digital photography with this (and I do love this camera) but I quickly decided that full frame was the way to go for me, so the 50D is primarily used as a backup.
Canon 5D Mark II- This is my full frame, mac daddy, main squeeze. Love love love.

Lenses: Again, I'm a Canon gal. I've tried Tamron and Sigma and other Canon compatible lenses, but for me, they don't float my boat. For the longest time, my portrait sessions were done with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4. I bought it and thought I had found my forever favorite in the world of lenses. It's a GREAT way to get used to shooting with a prime lens, but then I discovered L glass. So to all of you who share my problem (champagne taste, beer budget), I too cringed when I saw the price tag on these fabulous creatures. Needless to say, that 1.4 stayed with me for quite some time and I shot many many many photo sessions with it! It brought in the money I needed to fund what would become my most expensive addiction to date, the L series. Here's what's in the bag and some samples of work I've done with each lens.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L - Don't get me wrong, this lens is awesome and I know several photographers who say it is their "go to" lens.. But, of my short list of lenses, this one sees the least amount of action. For me, the zoom isn't adequate to shoot weddings, and the aperture isn't adequate (for my preference) for portrait sessions. It takes great photos, it just isn't MY preference.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L - Hands down, the cream of the crop. Well, at least the crop of lenses that I own! I rarely take this off of my camera. Dreamy images, awesome colors, amazing bokeh, tack sharp focus. This lens makes me want to switch to all primes. 100% amazing.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro - I bought this intending to use it for newborn shoots. Turns out, that isn't my niche. However, I love macro images of all sorts of things, not just itty bitty humans. Gorgeous images! I think I'll keep it.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II {Telephoto zoom lens - Ahhh, the holy grail of zoom lenses. Sharp sharp sharp. Love this lens! Beautiful colors... oh my, and did I mention it is SUPER sharp? . ;-)

iPhone 4S: This beast is so small it fits in my pocket. Turn the flash on, turn the flash off, go Instagram crazy if you want! Just making a point here.

I guess I'll wrap this up with the the rest of the goodies in my bag. The rest of this stuff is just fluff, so I will do a quick rundown.

Flashes: Well, I have one: the Canon Speedlite 430 EXII ...and I try to use it as little as possible. I'm a lover of natural light, so this little guy makes his appearance strictly at wedding receptions- indoor wedding receptions.

Battery Grips: Canon BG-E6 & Canon BG-E2N . These are a MUST have. If you don't have one, go get one. You'll never look back. I need one of these for my iPhone.

Reflectors: I use the Neewer 5 in 1. It's inexpensive AND effective, which I love. On top of that, reflectors are just a lot of fun to play around with!

Here are a couple of images where reflectors were used:

A little silver........

A little gold.......

So that sums up what I tote around in my assortment of bags!
And remember, you are not defined by the equipment in your bag! Take what you have available and get out there and create something beautiful!

That's a wrap folks.

xoxo,
Amber

Friday, September 21, 2012

Ten things.

There have been tons of these 'ten things' posts recently and to be quite honest, they entertain me. I really don't get tired of reading them. In one of the posts I read today, this gal 'Laura G' admitted to never having tried anything at Starbucks. That's just criminal. She also mentioned being an extremely picker eater (her and I would have a very difficult time having dinner anywhere because I am the WORST). So thanks Laura, here I am, jumping on the bandwagon. Now everyone will know just how peculiar I am.

My friends know me fairly well, so not all of these things will come as a surprise to them. But, to my fellow photographer friends and to those of you who aren't that familiar with my quirkiness, here goes.....

1. If it's crunchy and it waters ( i.e. watermelon, celery, lettuce, etc.), I will NOT eat it. Correction: I CANNOT eat it. It grosses me out to the point where the hair on my arm literally stands up. It makes my skin hurt to think about it.

2. My favorite television show of all time is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I absolutely love it. Go ahead, laugh it up. Are you done? OK. The odd part of that is that I never actually watched it when it was on the air. I saw it a few years after the last season ended. Not only do I own it, I've watched the entire series multiple times. "Trekky is to Star Trek what "_______" is to Buffy. Whatever that blank is, it's me.

3. My bestie Kelly and I have a running list of random words that we find disgusting. I can be in the middle of dinner and hear a word like "tender" and text it over to her with no explanation at all. She just knows. This has been going on for SO long that I've lost track.

4. Watching sports on television for me is the equivalent of my husband having to attend a scrapbooking party. I hate sports talk, sports teams, sports trivia, and the word "sports". I'm a poor....*cringe* SPORT about it.

5. I'm allergic to four things:
* Lobster. Other shellfish are fine, lobster is the devil...with hives.
* Aspartame. This is the main ingredient in most artificial sweeteners. Random, I know.
* Tide. Well, maybe not Tide itself, but something IN Tide hates me and my skin.
* Camping. (including, but not limited to tents, campers, RVs, or just a plain 'ole sleeping bag)

6. I love Sculpey. Sculpey is polymer clay. You shape it, bake it, then glaze it, and voila! You have a masterpiece! My masterpieces are tiny little cuisines...like sushi for example. If only I'd had this skill back in my Barbie Dream House days.... This work of art already has a home with a friend of mine, but if you'd like a tiny meal of your own, inbox me with your request. I'd be happy to create it for you!

7. I love all of my pets, but I'm borderline obsessed with my dog, Daphne. She is half American Bulldog, half Pit Bull Terrier, and 100% in the dark about the fact that she isn't a human. No, really. She has facial expressions, she watches TV, she high-fives, she likes to be covered up when she's resting on the couch, she wears a seat belt in the car, she has her own Facebook page! You can send your friend request to Daphne here: https://www.facebook.com/daphne.oconnor.7 . I could go on and on here... OBSESSED.
How could I not be? Look at that face!

8. My inner dork longs to own a Delorean one day. Not just any Delorean though, the exact replica of the one Doc Brown owned in Back to the Future - complete with flux capacitor. I envision parking at the grocery store, Huey Lewis and the News blaring on the radio, both doors raising up as smoke rolls out from under the car.... sigh.... I have that on DVD too....the trilogy...special edition. OK, moving on.

9. Every car I've owned has been black. I don't have a reasonable explanation for wanting to own something that is destined to look dirty all the time. I'm just physically unable to force myself to purchase any other color. My next car will be black....unless it's a Delorean.

10. My iPod is home to the most eclectic mix of music on the planet. Guaranteed, there is something for everyone on that device. I tend to prefer older music over the newer generic stuff. Most of my collection is pre-2000. Some of my favorites: Willie Nelson, Michael Jackson, Pearl Jam, George Strait, Otis Redding, Gavin DeGraw, Gladys Knight, Etta James, Amos Lee, Johnny Cash, and pretty much everything from the 80s. The only exceptions to my taste in music is hard rap and heavy metal- it's just noise. As a side note, I might be the only person on the planet that doesn't love the Dave Matthews Band. Truth be told, I don't even like them. Don't judge me.

So there you have it, ten things you didn't need to know. I'm headed to Starbucks now. Have a great day everyone!

Monday, September 17, 2012

Personal } My Anniversary

On September 9th, my husband and I celebrated our one year anniversary. We took an overnight trip up to Charlottesville, VA, just an hour or so from home, and went winery hopping. While it wasn't the sunny beaches in Mexico where we were married, it was still very charming. There isn't a square inch of Charlottesville's rolling hills that isn't completely gorgeous.