Sony A7x lounge

David Arbogast wrote in post #18344730
Well crap. I need to sell my MC 11...didn't know they slashed the price.

wallstreetoneil wrote in post #18344515
One of the main reasons, besides bounced flash, that most wedding photogs have hot-shoe mounted flashes, is for help with focus acquisition in dark places. Even with my goto in the dark setup (1DXii with a 35Lii) I will have a hotshoe mounted Canon 600EX-rt, in Master Mode, with the flash in the bounced position and the flash turned OFF from firing (if desired) so that I can get superior and faster and basically bullet proof in the dark focus confirmation with the infrared focus assist beam from the flash. It is not a light setup, in fact it couldn't be heavier, but it will never not acquire focus quickly.

My kit, boiled down to its basics, is the following:

1) two cameras
2) two hotshoe mounted flashes all the time (just because I setup my straps and utility belt to make it work so no needed changes are required)
3) two belt hook clipped on battery packs for these flashes
4) a spare flash on my belt
5) 24-70 F2.8 is the work horse on the main camera
6) depending on the location, my Canon 70-200 F2.8 or Tamron 85 1.8 VC is the lens on the 2nd camera most of the time
7) 35 1.4 is my goto dark indoor setup on the main camera (usually shot at F1.6 or F2 for DoF control)
8) when the 35 goes on the main camera, I put the 24-70 on the backup

I sort of have it as my main rule and practice, to never take the 24-70 off the main camera so that I always have the ability to capture anything that may happen (all those extra shots that you just take of all the other stuff can be taken with that camera). I will also setup this camera with three different Program modes that I use (C1 = no flash Auto ISO with EC being the way I adjust ISO, C2 = no flash with NO Auto ISO and ISO being changed directly, C3 = Flash Setup with the ability to change ISO to bypass the Camera's ISO 400 default (this is important)).

In many ways, a wedding photog is like a field surgeon - you just have to get the job done. With that as the mindset for the 80% of the time, (i.e. main camera 24-70), you need to also remember to deliberately search out the other 20% - to try and add something special (but don't get 100% caught up on this and blow the 80% and screw up the timing of everything - weddings have a time schedule that needs to be kept but are often not exactly on schedule) - and that is why having that 2nd camera, with different lens mounted, and then another goto lens, on hand for quick access, is the key to the 20% - sometimes that is the 35F1.4, sometimes it is the 100 macro, sometimes it is the 85 shoot at 1.4, sometimes it is the 70-200 at 200mm, and cropped, of people watching the wedding, etc).

You should be able to completely screw up the 20%, and while it won't be your best day, the job will get done professionally with good execution on the 80%.

My other piece of advice is to have a contingency plan. Lets say the day of the wedding someone steals your gear, your car breaks down, you have a family emergency, etc - what will you do? Do you have a friend you can call in the case of an emergency - it is better to have thought about this, it may not work out, but at least you will have some kind of plan. For my own wedding, I had the backup plan of setting up my Sony A7Rii (in silent mode) with a Metabones IV with a Canon 24-70 F2.8 II set at Auto ISO, SS 1/125, F3.2 (i.e. point and shoot) and I have a great brother-in-law who likes to do stuff and is crazy personable, and I informed both him and the paid photog that he would never be in the main photog's way (ever) but he had this camera all day, with 2 batteries, and took 1500 pictures - and he did a great job - as a backup to disaster, I had coverage of my own wedding - and you know what, the main photog showed up 1hr late because he had car problems - and the bride was not happy - but, in that hour, my brother-in-law was out taking lots of family guest pictures and they turned out great (and this was the types of photos that the paid photog didn't have enough of to make that 20% other stuff his best effort - but of course he nailed the 80% so when added together I was happy.

TRhoads wrote in post #18344697
I found myself looking at Canon 100-400s today...

digital_AM wrote in post #18344807
^ Gene, I meant to comment on your dad's grill. You did a great job with the restoration. I bet the steak tasted great too.

vinmunoz wrote in post #18345045
That's it I'm a TTL guy now. I can't believe how stupid I am. Been practicing TTL to prepare myself for a wedding.

Here's a couple of TTL shots I tested yesterday. Both FEC -1 Both Auto ISO. Both Direct Flash.

The first was shot at 2.6 feet away and the second was at 16feet

The speedlight magically adjust exposure. no more blown out shots i get when i use manual mode in speedlight. With my gary fong collapsable lightsphere diffuser maybe i will keep the FEC at 0. and look the camera went ISO200 only.

P.S.: I love that Gemini PA Speaker, it's 2000Watts and bluetooth capable. it has mic output and has separate volume knobs. I do karaoke using my iphone and youtube. haha And I got that for only $179 from guitarcenter. It sounds good.

Worldwide Production of Mirrorless Cameras - Year Over Year (YOY) is up 44.1%
Worldwide Production of DSLR Cameras - YOY is down 4.7%

Looking at shipments...
Worldwide Shipment of Mirrorless Cameras - YOY is up 45%
Worldwide Shipment of DSLR Cameras - YOY is down 8.3%

Breaking down shipments by region...

Shipment of Mirrorless to Japan - YOY is up 36%
Shipment of DSLR to Japan - YOY is down 9.3%
Shipment of Mirrorless to Europe - YOY is up 44.9%
Shipment of DSLR to Europe - YOY is down 15.8%
Shipment of Mirrorless to Americas - YOY is up 78.1%
Shipment of DSLR to Americas - YOY is down 11.7%
Shipment of Mirrorless to Asia - YOY is up 39.1%
Shipment of DSLR to Asia - YOY is down .9%

Again, worldwide shipments of Mirrorless are up 45%. The ONLY region with shipment growth above the worldwide average is the Americas which has increased 78.1%. Total interchangeable lens camera shipments to the Americas = 535,114
Total DSLR shipments to the Americas = 409,823 which means DSLR represent 76.6% of the market
Total mirrorless shipments to the Americas = 125,291 which means mirrorless represent 23.4% of the market.

Worldwide, mirrorless accounts for 36.4% of all shipments however in the US, it's only 23.4% of the market. But again (as I've illustrated above), the MOST growth, YOY, is coming from the Americas which means that, compared with last year, the growth in the "Americas" market for mirrorless is driving mirrorless adoption worldwide - at least compared to the average adoption rate across the planet.

*note - shipments to "other areas" show a larger percent increase YOY for both DSLR and mirrorless, but the volume is so low that it only represents 2% of the entire ILC market.

TRhoads wrote in post #18345094
Another from Bowling Ball Beach. Patience paid off, waiting for just the right swirls to work through the boulders.
IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/Tds8​ek Bowling Ball Beach Studies-No2 by Travis Rhoads, on Flickr

davidfarina wrote in post #18345241
The composition and the tones are spot on travis. Fantastic job!