New, Improved, and better tasting blog...

Unless today is the first time you are visiting Weekly Photo Tips you can't help but notice things look different, real different.

While you were sleeping I applied a "new skin" to the blog and think it looks pretty good.

Though the blog was looking rather dated (much like me) the big reason for the change was not aesthetic, the change was made so we could add new things, new resources to the blog. The basic layout is the same, blog posts are on the left side of the screen and cool resources, links, and other bits of information are on the right side of the screen, on the right is where you will see most of the changes.

At the very top you will find a survey where 3 to 4 times a month you will get to participate by answering (mostly) photography related survey questions. This week we are asking how you feel about the new design, so please, take just a moment and let us know.

There is also a new section that will show screen shots (with links) to our YouTube channel and one of my favorite new whiz bang and do-dads is a "Popular Posts" section.

You will also find many of the old "standards" there as well, including a ton of links to other photography resources, and most importantly the list of all the many products we have reviewed over the years.

So take a look around and see what's new, what's different, and what you recognize.

Your help would be greatly appreciated in two ways:

1. I think we need a graphic at the top of the blog, and though I am a photographer, I am NOT a graphic designer, so please email me with your thoughts, suggestions, and ideas (or if you ARE a graphic designer).

2. As you browse though the many resources on the right, if you should find a broken link please let us know.

The only thing I am not all that fond of is the text links that are part of almost every one of our posts are not as easily recognizable as they were on the old blog, so until we can improve that make sure you look just a little closer.

Oh ya, I was kidding about the better tasting thing... I licked my screen and it tastes exactly the same.

;)

Memorial Day...

Remember the day I borrowed your brand new car and I wrecked it?
I thought you'd kill me, but you didn't.

And remember the time I dragged you to the beach, and you said it would rain, and it did?
I thought you'd say, "I told you so." But you didn't.

Do you remember the time I flirted with all the guys to make you jealous, and you were?
I thought you'd leave me, but you didn't.

Do you remember the time I spilled a chocolate shake all over your car rug?
I thought you'd get so angry, but you didn't.

And remember the time I forgot to tell you the dance was formal and you showed up in jeans?
I thought you'd go forever, but you didn't.

Yes, there were lots of things you didn't do,
But you put up with me, you loved me, and you protected me.

There were lots of things I wanted to make up to you when you got back from Vietnam.

But you didn't.

~anonymous

RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY??

There are a few things brides dread on their wedding day and rain is definitely one of them.

Most pray for sun allowing for beautiful images outdoors with their new hubby, family and close friends. And if they’re planning for an outdoor ceremony and reception their prayers for a sunny day are even greater. Unfortunately when it comes to weather, there’s no guarantee.

With all the rain we’ve seen over the past few weeks it got us to thinking... Is rain on your wedding day really such a bad thing? Of course it never hurts to have a Plan B, such as a tent or alternate indoor venue when your Plan A is an open air outdoor space in case the clouds appear, but when it comes to your pictures rain can make for some fun and really unique photos if you’re willing.

Chicago based photographer Kenny Kim had this to say about photographing couples in the rain -

There is an old saying "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." At every wedding, there is going to be a surprise waiting us around the corner. Regardless of what that surprise might be, we as wedding photographers try to make the best of all the situations. Inevitably, we are going to have days where Mother Nature will try to hinder the day. Instead of being discouraged by the situation, I think of it as an opportunity to get creative with photos. A wedding day is not about the weather but it is a celebration of a couple's commitment to spend the rest of their lives together. Capturing their emotion is more important than having nice weather. When humans lose one of their senses, the other senses heighten. As a photographer, when we are faced with limited options, our creativity gets heightened and often times we tend to see things that we did not notice before. Some of my favorite photos from weddings have come from days when it rained.

So why not go with it? Don’t let the rain ruin your wedding day! Find some fun rain boots, colorful umbrellas, and show the rain who’s boss. And last but not least, remember the Italian saying “Sposa bagnata, sposa fortunata” which literally translates to “Wet Bride, Lucky Bride”. Traditionally, if it rains on your wedding day you will have a very fortunate marriage. The rain symbolizes abundance and good luck which will spill over onto the new family.

Photo Credits: Braedon Photography

Memorial Day sales? Really?!...

I'm not sure why but getting emails from retailors all this week touting their Memorial Day sales has irked me.

Not the emails themselves, but the day on which they are hoping to capitalize.

Memorial Day is an American "holiday" that is meant to be a day of remembrance for those who have paid the ultimate price, given the last full measure for their country. A sacrifice for you, and for me.

But sadly, it seems like it has become just another commercialized weekend, a marker for the beginning of summer, a day off from work, a weekend to get a good deal on a car.

It's a day to remember Joseph Brady who died on Omaha beach in France during World War II, Robert Dechene who was killed in Vietnam, Tristan Southworth who recently lost his life in Afghanistan, along with tens of thousand of other women and men who have "gone on ahead".

Too many communities have canceled their parades, too many graves are left unattended.

And the "funny" thing is I have received 2 more "sale" emails while writing this post.

I hope if your town has a parade you will go, or if someone you went to school with lost their life, stop by their resting place. They gave so much, maybe we can give them just a little.

Okay, move back, I will now get off my soapbox.

The best f-stop to shoot for any lens...

By "best" I mean the the lowest aperture that will give you the sharpest focus on the area you have selected on your subject, the "sweet spot".

The other day I was listening to an interview with Nicole Young (aka "Nicolesy") and... wait, before I get into that let me say a few things about Nicole.

First, I LOVE HER, whenever I find a new interview with her I listen to it, I follow her blog, and I check out her iStock portfolio. She is one of those photographers that is on my "lunch list".

You don't have a lunch list? It's a list of those photographers that would be fun to break bread with, to pick their brain about photography and talk about experiences and ideas.

The reason I am such a big fan is simple, I think she is an outstanding photographer AND she shares like no one else I know. She shares her lighting setups, what gear she uses, and how she does her post processing. A great example is her post about "adding steam" to a shot.


Okay, back the the interview. Nicole was being interviewed at the Typical Shutterbug Podcast when the subject turned to image sharpness and it was suggested that to get the best sharpness you should use an f-stop 2 stops higher than the lowest f-stop for that lens (so a 2.8 lens would give you a better sharpness at 5.6).

Just to be clear (so there is no misunderstanding), yes the area of sharpness (or in focus) becomes larger as the f-stop increases, but what we are talking about here is that the same area that was in focus at 2.8 will be significantly sharper at 5.6.

Then Nicole shared a post in which she did a test shoot using a 2.8 lens, she shot it at 2.8, 4, and 5.6 and the results were an eye opener for me (you can see the post here, and the hi-res test shot here).

She also did a post about lens compression and depth of field that nicely demonstrated those very same results.

Some pretty cool stuff.

So today I am going to break out the camera and play around with this, if you do as well please share your results with us on our Flickr page.

Small in size and price, but HUGE in functionality...

I was looking forward to getting the Frio coldshoe adapter as I've heard so many good things about it from others (including from David Hobby over at Strobist) and because I shoot Speedlight's pretty much exclusively I figured it would be a pretty handy accessory to have in my "bag-o-light".

And even though I was expecting something good, I was still pleasantly surprised just how good they were the moment I pulled them out of the box.

It may be small and made of plastic but as soon as the Frio hits your hand you know it's not just some cheap "do-hicky", it has substance. To ensure a secure fit and longer more durable life the connecting thread is all metal construction.

The Frio is the ONLY hotshoe adapter with a dual-locking mechanism so you can be secure in the knowledge that whatever you attach to it is staying in place. And it's pretty darn universal too, not only will it hold you flash, it will hold an LED panel, a microphone, a monitor, and almost anything else that has a hotshoe mount.

Not only is it designed to live a long life (under normal conditions) it's also designed to break, yes... to break, let me explain: if exposed to extreme shock because something hit your lightstand (or your lightstand hit something) the Frio is designed to break away before the shoe of whatever you have mounted breaks. This little feature could easily save you big bucks in repairs (or replacing) whatever was mounted on your Frio. Ingenious.

My only disappointment? I only got 3.

;)

You get all this for under $14, and shipping won't cost you a penny either, it's free free free.

Below is a quickie Frio demonstration video, for those of you who receive our posts via email can return to the blog to to watch it or head directly over to our YouTube channel to give it a gander.

"Guys, I can't find my dad...."

My daughter was having a bit of fun with yesterdays prediction of the "coming of the end".

She took my clothes, laid them out on the lawn, and posted the picture on Facebook proclaiming I was "one of the missing".

The girl has a good sense of humor (and is cute as a button too).