Great Pics! What camera do you use?

As a photographer, that is one comment I hear pretty much every time I display my pictures. Lately, it seems that question is getting asked about 4 or more times a day. So, for those curious, I'll list the gear I use.

Main camera body:
Canon 5D. Yup, that is right. I'm using an older digital body. The main reason that I continue to use this camera is because it gives me everything I need. I could go out an buy the newer Canon 1D series, or switch to Nikon, but I've given up chasing megapixels or the latest body release. I find that good technique far outweighs having the latest camera.

Backup camera body:
Canon 20D. I bought this body back in 2005, and it served as my main camera for a couple years. It has done an exceptional job, and in fact some of my gallery images were taken with this camera. It has since been surpassed with the 30D, 40D, and the new 50D from Canon, but I don't intend to upgrade.

Lenses:
Canon 24-70 2.8L
Canon 85 1.2L
Canon 70-200 F4L

Lenses are where you will see a great return on your investment. I have chosen to go with only the L lenses because they are the best. Differences between camera bodies isn't normally that significant, but differences between good and great lenses are huge!

Studio strobes:
Hensel Integra Pro Plus. I love Hensel strobes. They give off such a beautiful light. They are not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but are well worth every penny. They are extremely consistent with power output, and color temperature. I also think they give a beautiful enhancement to most skin colors. Had I not gone with Hensel, I probably would have chosen Elinchrom, or Profoto, and been just as happy.

Light modifiers:
I primarily use softboxes instead of umbrellas. I like having the ability to control the light better, and I think the light is more flattering for portraits as well. I use both Hensel and Photoflex softboxes. I plan on picking up some octoboxes as well, and maybe I'll try out the Chimera.

When I'm not using softboxes, I will use a standard 7" or 5" reflector with grids, various snoots, and such, but it is strictly dependent upon the look I want.

Studio Muslin:
Silverlake. I've got probably 8 or 9 Silverlake muslin backdrops. I love these drops for fine art portraits. One day, I'll break down and get a Maheu to add to the inventory.


Well, there you have it. That is a list of the main gear I use. I'm not going to bother to list out everything, as there is just too much stuff (light stands, white balance cards, etc).

Now that I've listed the gear I use, I'll tell you the most important thing: Use the right equipment to support your vision. The image isn't made by the camera, it is made by the photographer. The camera can't pose the subject, direct the lights, and take the picture. The photographer has to do that. The camera only captures the image that the photographer has already created within the scene. Stunning pictures aren't because of the equipment, and that is the reason why I giving a passing yawn to announcement of new cameras being released. I could use Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji, or nearly any other manufacturer, and get pretty much the same results. The key is being able to understand how your camera sees the scene you have created, and use the controls on the camera so that it can take the picture you already see in your mind. It is similar to giving credit to the shoes an Olympic runner wears when setting a world record, and not understanding that it is the skill and effort on the runners part to achieve their goal. The equipment just supports them.

New Slideshow

One thing I really wish I could change about my website is the viewing size, and the ability to run some of the galleries as a slide show. Since I've already started updating the website using the new templates, I'll go with what I have (for now). To solve the slideshow problem, I'll post links to an external hosting site, that you can use to view the slideshows.

The first one can be found here (there is a little suprise for you at the end):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12693910@N04/show/

Back in the Saddle again

Literally, and figuratively. Ok, it's a bad pun, but it sums up my feelings after re-opening the studio, and it also coincides with the first shoot I've done since the construction began in earnest. It also sparked me to take on more work than just portraiture. I'm now going to add motorsports, and commercial efforts to my product offerings.


Here are some samples (click for full size, and choose "all sizes"):






























Enjoy the pics, buddy. I had a great time.

Up and running

Well, it has been a long time coming, but I'm extremely happy to announce that we are back to accepting clients again. It has been a rough several weeks with the upgrades happening to the studio and office spaces, and it has taken far longer than I could have imaged. In the end, I trust all the hardship will prove worthwhile. The upgraded mahogany flooring is awesome to see, and if just opens the studio space up with a warm feeling. The office flooring is done, but there is yet some cabinetry and furniture work to complete, but we can at least use the space for post production work.

To show my enthusiasm for the new changes and to the re-opening of the studio, I will be announcing some specials. These will run for a limited time, but will be a great way for anyone to get some fantastic photography. I will make the official announcements by the end of the week.

Thank you all for your patience. I look forward to seeing all my old clients again, and welcome new ones to the family.

Studio re-opening delayed

Well, I was fully expecting to re-open the studio this week, but unfortunately that isn't going to happen. After a great deal of problems with the new flooring, we are left with a workspace that is simply not useable. Sadly, it seems that I am not really getting any attention from Empire Today, who was contracted to perform the install, and I'm going to have to file a complaint with the Registrar of Contractors. A huge section of the floor is bare concrete as Empire did not have all of the wood on hand (nor did they tell me before they began demolition). The part they did install, used inferior glue so the planks are not staying in place. The office space itself is packed with materials and other items so that I cannot set up any editing equipment for any shoots not performed at the studio.

I sincerely apologize to all for this. I hope to get this remedied in the near future, and appreciate your patience and understanding.

Almost finished

Well, I've almost got all the website updates completed. It is with mixed emotions that I published the new price list. I know that the prices have gone up, and on some items they have gone up significantly. Unfortunately, it couldn't be helped. As a small business, we can't afford to absorb all the cost increases from our suppliers, and some of it has to be passed on. I've done my best to make sure we are staying competitive in the marketplace, and I'm sure that my customers know the value of the items coming from this studio.

Please come visit the new website, and tell me what you think: briandownerphotography.com

To compliment the website, I'm upgrading the studio facilities as well. In a couple weeks, I expect to have some gorgeous hardwood floors installed, and shortly thereafter I'm going to upgrade the office furnishings as well. I think the office could use some sprucing up with some new flooring, some built-in's and new furniture. I haven't decided if I'm going to install a flat panel in the office for viewing, or if I should stick to online viewing, or printed proofs. Oh well, I've got time.

While the studio upgrades are going into place, I won't be taking any in studio clients. I'll still be available for some on site work. When the studio reopens, I think it will be a great time for me to launch some promotions. First thing I want to do is to get the portfolio updated. I'm thinking of some special offers for clients who are interested lending me their images for advertising. I'm also going to be launching a referral program, as well as a few other items. Stay tuned....

Upgrades complete

Well, after a little bit of effort, I finally have all the upgrade pieces in place. I figured it was a good enough time to clean out the system and start fresh, so I made double sure I had all my files and images backed up and then I went the extra step of re-installing Windows XP and put SP3 on the machine. After restoring all my files, it looks like all is well. I did make one mistake and when I backed up my music files, I backed up their licenses as well thinking I could restore them. Unfortunately, I upgraded to Windows Media Player 11, which will not allow you to restore a license. Looking through all the whitepapers, and even from the download providers, it appears that the only backup solution for WMV, MP3 and other files protected with DRM is that you have to burn them to CD which completely removes the DRM protection entirely. Seems a bit odd, but I only lost a few files that I hadn't already burned to CD anyway. Not a huge loss.

So, it looks like I'm back in form to continue the Website upgrades. First on the list is to upgrade the price lists and contact information. I think this weekend should be a good time to tackle those items.