Nikon D700 Tests
Posted by David on January 16th, 2009
We decided to give the Nikon d700 a test drive over the weekend. Pictures first; impressions at the end.
Impressions? I love the new full-frame format that Nikon introduced with the D3 (and now trickles down to its baby brother, the D700).
Full frame sensors have two attributes that matter to me:
- Super shallow depth of field
- Incredibly good low-light / high-ISO performance
There’s just something a little bit more magical about the images – it has a different look than images taken with a cropped sensor. Sort of like how 35mm film looks different than medium format film photos. Something you can’t really put your finger one.
If Fuji gets their act together and produces an S5 successor, I’m buying that. In the meantime, I’ll fawn over this.
Sofia & Karim Wedding
Posted by David on January 14th, 2009
Surprisingly, our first wedding of the year came very (very) early – Sofia and Karim were married on January 3, 2009. According to Karim, it was because that was the first Saturday of the year. It was a very intimate event and they were both great to work with.
In tradition with highlighting our favorite pictures that may otherwise never be seen, here are a few B-side shots from our first wedding of the year.
This is probably a photo only photographers would enjoy. I saw how that one beam of light hit the rose petal and thought it would make a great, quiet photograph.
They had a cake made by a family friend of theirs. I loved how it was simple yet elegant. I also loved that it was chocolate.
Here's an example of a picture that I loved and Neil didn't care much for. Chalk it up to our individual styles. I liked the motion and dynamic of Sofia rushing up the stairs to the ceremony.
And here's a shot that we both agree rocks. Thought we'd put it in just in case you didn't believe it was actually in January.
That’s it. A whole new year is coming up. Lots of weddings, lots of shoots, lots of fun and definitely lots of memories.
Thanks and congratulations to Sofia and Karim – one of the bravest (it was -15°C!) couples we’ve had the privilige to photograph.
Hard on our Gear
Posted by David on January 2nd, 2009
One of the tenants of being a professional photographer is that – as a whole – we’re harder on our equipment than most people. That’s why things cost more for “professional” level gear; they’re built from better materials, using better (usually more complicated) techniques.
We don’t treat our gear with as much care as we should (I’ll leave my lenses uncapped on nearby tables so I can change them faster; Neil will frequently leave his camera on the ground by his feet) all in the name of being ready to get “the shot”.
We also subject them to the same bodily harm as ourselves – climbing trees, fences, inches from the ground in a moving vehicle. Most people wouldn’t dream of doing these things to their cameras but I guess we’re just wired differently.
Also as a professional photographer, you come to rely on various tools to get things done – particular cameras, particular flashes, particular lenses. Photographing weddings differs from regular studio photography both in that you have one chance to capture that defining moment; and, that you have to carry everything with you. Even the back ups.
The cameras that we shoot with are getting harder to come by – it’s a niche market defined almost solely by wedding photographers so Fuji’s not exactly jumping at the chance to make a new one.
So, when we unwrapped one of our replacement cameras for the first time, we wanted to mark the occasion with a ceremonious photograph of the shutter count sitting quietly at zero.
Sorry, little guy, life’s going to be tough from here on out.
