I think my goal will be to attempt to get a flash and bracket used so I can afford that lens.
Matt
I think that's a good idea. Program flashes make life easy, but the great thing about digital is that you can instantly tell if your exposure is correct and fix it. Hopefully, you'll also have time to practice to get it right. So while practice and tweaking can make up for a non-superflash, if you don't have a 1.8 lens, there are just shots you CAN'T get, no matter how much tweaking you do.
I think that's a good idea. Program flashes make life easy, but the great thing about digital is that you can instantly tell if your exposure is correct and fix it. Hopefully, you'll also have time to practice to get it right. So while practice and tweaking can make up for a non-superflash, if you don't have a 1.8 lens, there are just shots you CAN'T get, no matter how much tweaking you do.
My old k1000 had a 135mm 1.8 that I miss dearly. I bought it for shooting at Grateful Dead shows. I never got within 1000 of the stage, but I got nice scenery shots! That and a couple rolls of 1600 ektachrome and I was rockin!
Thanks Chris for the tips on the remote and batts. I'll track them down. I was already planing on ebay knockoff stuff... If I can beat $20 shipped for the remote and $40 for a couple batts I'm all over it!
WOOO hooo!!!! I grossed $689 on my audio gear after pp fee's!!!! (still have to pay to ship though). I was hoping to clear $600. I was a little worried because a national retailer put this unit on sale for about $500 last Christmas. I paid close to 1K 3 years ago, but it is mint and they go new on ebay in the 900 range so he made out good too. I sold it for 710 shipped BIN
So anyways, I think this means I get a 50mm/1.8! Seems such a puny little lense to get excited about, but whatchgonna do.
Well, I'm expecting the xt today. I'm very excited to get it in my hands and start shooting. I have been scrounging ebay for a deal on a 50mm, a bracket, and a dedicated flash. I have even been hitting the 35mm adds looking to see if I can't pick up a used lens with a bonus 35mm body for a backup. Crazy actually, in most cases I could buy just a body and a new 50mm and be cheaper than what the body + glass combo sells for. OH well, I'll let the other buyers be the suckers!
As my camera arives today, I will be packing up to go to FL for an unexpectyed trip to see my mother. At 65 she has recently been diagnosed with esophogial cancer and as of Monday, they found it has gotten to her lymph nodes. She starts Chemo + Radiation on Monday, and I deceided that now was the best time to take my 7 yr old daughter to see her "Mimama". MY mother is a fighter and if anyone can kick this it is she. Her chances of survival are about 20% and she is quite weak from the effects of the growing tumor on her throut that has prevented her from eating solid foods for the past month.
So armed with a new camera I will attempt to archive what may possibly be the last time that our family is together, but certainly the best health my mother will have for a long time. I will see what I can come up with for sample shots for you kind folks to critique. Not too much that will be relative to my wedding project, but maybe some nice landscapes and general family things. I really would like to walk away with some memorable shots of my mother and daughter, and my mother with mine and her other 7 grandkids, but I have to be careful not to be obvious about that. My mom is bound and determined to kick this and no negativity or dooms-day talk is allowed! I will attempt a more PJ style.
As a side note, this new budding passion of mine has really been a nice distraction for me. In addition to my mother's cancer, my father had coroded artery surgery last week to clear a major blockage. He is out of the woods now for the most part. This has been a crazy year for me... 7 funerals including both my paternal Uncles, and close frinds of mine, coworkers blah blah blah. 3 car acidents including last Friday's rearending, and a pitiful year financially due to the bottom falling out of the new home market in my area resulting in about 25% of the income I have averaged over the last 13 years. Just murpheys law I guess! So I'm happy to find this place and be able to get lost a little bit.
Sorry to dump, just felt like writing it down.
So sorry to hear of your mother's condition. I do hope the very best for her and she is in my thoughts.
My mother was diagnosed years ago with a tongue cancer that was also lymphatic. The local doctors were going to do a minimal surgery that would give another couple of years. A doctor at Mayo Brothers clinic decided that a more extensive surgery was needed and he did the more comprehensive surgery about 12-13 years ago, and she was declared "cancer free" some time ago.
Of course, now she has advanced Alzheimer's disease, but her spirit is still winning.
Never give up and never accept or give in. Your mother will borrow some of her will from those around her.
Hang in there!
BTW, just use the new camera and the reunion as an excuse for lots of pictures. I'm betting that your mother will be very understanding.
Sorry to hear all that. I understand...just did a funeral this weekend for my grandmother. It is beatable however, I have a couple of relatives & some friends who are all survivors.
The new passion will definitely help. I'm not sure there's very far to go on the 50/1.8--new they're about $70. Shoot lots.
I'm using my Smugmug account to make all the photos more accessible to the family now that I've taken up part of her family historian job. So far it's going over very well.
Really sorry to hear about your Mom, man - that's rough. My GF is upset right now because her uncle is in the hospital (not looking good) and she can't see him 'cuz she's here in Australia and he's back home in NY. It's good that you can go see your mother and take your kids, too. Get that 50mm - nothing better, as you prolly know, than being able to quietly snap away indoors with no flash. With the 1.5 crop on the Rebel, you won't even have to get that close. Good luck,
thanks for the kind words guys. I posted an WTB in the flea market so we'll see if anyone has the goods for me. I had an offer for a 50mm/1.8 but like you say... may as well just buy new. I missed a nice bracket on ebay so it is hopeful on that end, but If I can't save min 20-30% for "as new" gear, I will just purchase new.
I'd have to agree- Proceed with caution- beware the unknown unknowns
I have been photographing weddings and taking portraits for a number of years and I have to tell you not to underestimate the learning curve. To be on the safest side, I like the suggestion that you would offer to take photos, but not as the official photographer. Should they like your work after all is said and done, then agree on having them pay you. Getting used to a new camera, using the lenses, lighting, even with lots of preparation may fall by the wayside when you are shooting in the moment. The day goes by fast. You may lose or botch very important shots and whether they are prepaped or not...they will be heart broken.
Even if you get the shots with few botches, editing and processing is also another learning curve altogether.
As I said, I have good experience and frankly, I'm more than a bit nervous for you. I agree there are some excellent PS cameras out there and you can capture some great moments, but I would disagree on the equipment front. A decent camera body with a min 10 mpix and a battery pack, a 50mm, 70-200mm f 2.8 and a wide angle extra batteries and lots of GBs...that would be my minimum for equipment which would put you out at least 5K.
My final note is this...you can't practice expereince - and that "in the moment" factor will be where your limitations and lack of expereince will be revealed...Take the pressure off yourself...if it's a learning opourtunity treat it as such. Taking it as a paid job upfront wouldn't be fair to either of you...
Just a small point: this is a 3 year old thread, and I think you'll find that mmmatt has done very well for himself, at least if the pictures he's posted since I've been reading dgrin (about 6 months) are any indication!!!
Comments
I think that's a good idea. Program flashes make life easy, but the great thing about digital is that you can instantly tell if your exposure is correct and fix it. Hopefully, you'll also have time to practice to get it right. So while practice and tweaking can make up for a non-superflash, if you don't have a 1.8 lens, there are just shots you CAN'T get, no matter how much tweaking you do.
http://esiggins.smugmug.com
My old k1000 had a 135mm 1.8 that I miss dearly. I bought it for shooting at Grateful Dead shows. I never got within 1000 of the stage, but I got nice scenery shots! That and a couple rolls of 1600 ektachrome and I was rockin!
Thanks Chris for the tips on the remote and batts. I'll track them down. I was already planing on ebay knockoff stuff... If I can beat $20 shipped for the remote and $40 for a couple batts I'm all over it!
Matt
Bodies: Canon 5d mkII, 5d, 40d
Lenses: 24-70 f2.8L, 70-200 f4.0L, 135 f2L, 85 f1.8, 50 1.8, 100 f2.8 macro, Tamron 28-105 f2.8
Flash: 2x 580 exII, Canon ST-E2, 2x Pocket Wizard flexTT5, and some lower end studio strobes
So anyways, I think this means I get a 50mm/1.8! Seems such a puny little lense to get excited about, but whatchgonna do.
Matt
Bodies: Canon 5d mkII, 5d, 40d
Lenses: 24-70 f2.8L, 70-200 f4.0L, 135 f2L, 85 f1.8, 50 1.8, 100 f2.8 macro, Tamron 28-105 f2.8
Flash: 2x 580 exII, Canon ST-E2, 2x Pocket Wizard flexTT5, and some lower end studio strobes
As my camera arives today, I will be packing up to go to FL for an unexpectyed trip to see my mother. At 65 she has recently been diagnosed with esophogial cancer and as of Monday, they found it has gotten to her lymph nodes. She starts Chemo + Radiation on Monday, and I deceided that now was the best time to take my 7 yr old daughter to see her "Mimama". MY mother is a fighter and if anyone can kick this it is she. Her chances of survival are about 20% and she is quite weak from the effects of the growing tumor on her throut that has prevented her from eating solid foods for the past month.
So armed with a new camera I will attempt to archive what may possibly be the last time that our family is together, but certainly the best health my mother will have for a long time. I will see what I can come up with for sample shots for you kind folks to critique. Not too much that will be relative to my wedding project, but maybe some nice landscapes and general family things. I really would like to walk away with some memorable shots of my mother and daughter, and my mother with mine and her other 7 grandkids, but I have to be careful not to be obvious about that. My mom is bound and determined to kick this and no negativity or dooms-day talk is allowed! I will attempt a more PJ style.
As a side note, this new budding passion of mine has really been a nice distraction for me. In addition to my mother's cancer, my father had coroded artery surgery last week to clear a major blockage. He is out of the woods now for the most part. This has been a crazy year for me... 7 funerals including both my paternal Uncles, and close frinds of mine, coworkers blah blah blah. 3 car acidents including last Friday's rearending, and a pitiful year financially due to the bottom falling out of the new home market in my area resulting in about 25% of the income I have averaged over the last 13 years. Just murpheys law I guess! So I'm happy to find this place and be able to get lost a little bit.
Sorry to dump, just felt like writing it down.
Matt
Bodies: Canon 5d mkII, 5d, 40d
Lenses: 24-70 f2.8L, 70-200 f4.0L, 135 f2L, 85 f1.8, 50 1.8, 100 f2.8 macro, Tamron 28-105 f2.8
Flash: 2x 580 exII, Canon ST-E2, 2x Pocket Wizard flexTT5, and some lower end studio strobes
So sorry to hear of your mother's condition. I do hope the very best for her and she is in my thoughts.
My mother was diagnosed years ago with a tongue cancer that was also lymphatic. The local doctors were going to do a minimal surgery that would give another couple of years. A doctor at Mayo Brothers clinic decided that a more extensive surgery was needed and he did the more comprehensive surgery about 12-13 years ago, and she was declared "cancer free" some time ago.
Of course, now she has advanced Alzheimer's disease, but her spirit is still winning.
Never give up and never accept or give in. Your mother will borrow some of her will from those around her.
Hang in there!
BTW, just use the new camera and the reunion as an excuse for lots of pictures. I'm betting that your mother will be very understanding.
Best,
ziggy53
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
The new passion will definitely help. I'm not sure there's very far to go on the 50/1.8--new they're about $70. Shoot lots.
I'm using my Smugmug account to make all the photos more accessible to the family now that I've taken up part of her family historian job. So far it's going over very well.
http://www.chrislaudermilkphoto.com/
Really sorry to hear about your Mom, man - that's rough. My GF is upset right now because her uncle is in the hospital (not looking good) and she can't see him 'cuz she's here in Australia and he's back home in NY. It's good that you can go see your mother and take your kids, too. Get that 50mm - nothing better, as you prolly know, than being able to quietly snap away indoors with no flash. With the 1.5 crop on the Rebel, you won't even have to get that close. Good luck,
Fred.
http://esiggins.smugmug.com
Matt
Bodies: Canon 5d mkII, 5d, 40d
Lenses: 24-70 f2.8L, 70-200 f4.0L, 135 f2L, 85 f1.8, 50 1.8, 100 f2.8 macro, Tamron 28-105 f2.8
Flash: 2x 580 exII, Canon ST-E2, 2x Pocket Wizard flexTT5, and some lower end studio strobes
I have been photographing weddings and taking portraits for a number of years and I have to tell you not to underestimate the learning curve. To be on the safest side, I like the suggestion that you would offer to take photos, but not as the official photographer. Should they like your work after all is said and done, then agree on having them pay you. Getting used to a new camera, using the lenses, lighting, even with lots of preparation may fall by the wayside when you are shooting in the moment. The day goes by fast. You may lose or botch very important shots and whether they are prepaped or not...they will be heart broken.
Even if you get the shots with few botches, editing and processing is also another learning curve altogether.
As I said, I have good experience and frankly, I'm more than a bit nervous for you. I agree there are some excellent PS cameras out there and you can capture some great moments, but I would disagree on the equipment front. A decent camera body with a min 10 mpix and a battery pack, a 50mm, 70-200mm f 2.8 and a wide angle extra batteries and lots of GBs...that would be my minimum for equipment which would put you out at least 5K.
My final note is this...you can't practice expereince - and that "in the moment" factor will be where your limitations and lack of expereince will be revealed...Take the pressure off yourself...if it's a learning opourtunity treat it as such. Taking it as a paid job upfront wouldn't be fair to either of you...
THose are my two cents