Top Canadian Photographer and Photo Coach Michael Willems shares his secrets, with a new post every day.
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Monthly Archives: November 2009
Al's Not Home
Canon cameras have several ways of deciding where to focus (these have to do with the focus spots), and two ways of deciding how to focus. You call the latter “focus modes”, and there are two: “One Shot” and “AI … Continue reading
Spending vs investing
People often ask me “what should I buy?” Interesting question, and one that occupies all of us. To answer it, keep in mind that cameras will last for no longer than as little as seven years. Even Chuck Westfall of … Continue reading
Posted in Learning
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Let there be light.
Please. Light. I dream that one day the newspaper will send me to shoot something where there is actual light. Tonight, two shoots where no flash was allowed (or possible). I started with a recital. Church. Not possible to move … Continue reading
Stage
When you shoot someone on a stage, it’s all dark and stuff, right, so you need to go to, like, 3200 ISO? Dude! Well, yes and no. It can be dark, but usually that is not the real problem. The … Continue reading
Great workshop today
Today I attended a workshop for wedding and portrait pros with the excellent duo of Toronto-based Storey Wilkins and Melbourne-based David Williams. I always find these very inspiring, even moving; and I invariably come away energized and with a few … Continue reading
Posted in Learning
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Foreground-background
In portraits that tell a story, it is often good to add a background person. The background person can -no, should- be blurred out; an almost ghostly appearance whose presence adds storyline but also adds questions and interest. Like in … Continue reading
Posted in Learning
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Another 7D review
Scott Bourne also reviewed the 7D: here [link] So it is noisy but otherwise good. I agree, but the noise is not a big issue unless you shoot high ISO. And the Lightroom RC makes it a bit better. My … Continue reading
Event shoot
The other day I shot an event. So that meant dark light, high walls, hard to bounce. “Crisp” means “bright pixels”, so you will sacrifice some crispness when it is dark. Still – I never point my flash at subjects … Continue reading
Sad day
Today is my friend Andrew “Wedge” James’s funeral. He died the other day, at the age of just 51, of cancer. Poor Wedge. At the bottom here (the long-haired guy in the background is me): Since I cannot be in … Continue reading
Eye
Portraits? Then use a 50mm f/1.8 lens (affordable, fast, sharp) and shoot in Aperture (A/Av) mode with it wide open (preferably by window light). Look at this recent available-light shot of a student: This gets you the dual advantages of … Continue reading
