I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Shantelle and Al's families are full of big personalities, and when they celebrate, they don't do it halfway.

We met them in Rhode Island for prep photos. The guys, as usual, had it easier, but the girls were on schedule and a really fun group to hang out with.

From there we headed to Blissful Meadows in Massachusetts for the ceremony and reception.

Their ceremony was right up my alley - short, personal, and funny. It was also hot, but considering there was an 80% chance of rain forcast, and we had beautiful blue skies, no one complained too much. I especially liked one detail of their wedding: five white roses, for loved ones who had passed away, carried down the aisle by their flower girls. Or, I should say, flower grandmas.

Then there was the reception. The DJ's practically had to herd people back to their tables for dinner, or else everyone would have just kept on dancing. It's a ton of fun when a wedding has so much energy that it literally shakes the building.

Parabéns no seu casamento, Shantelle and Al!

FODSLR Macro Extension Tubes

This is a bit of a product review (unpaid and unsolicited), which is not something I typically do here, but some photo friends of mine have found informal versions of this on Facebook useful. So if you're just here for beautiful wedding photos, feel free to skip it. No hard feelings.

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Still here? Cool. Let me tell you about FODSLR Macro Extension Tubes.

Macro extension tubes turn a regular lens into a macro lens. They are a lot cheaper than a dedicated lens, but also have some small technical trade-offs that I won't go into here. They come in "smart" and "dumb" versions, depending on whether they let your camera talk to the lens (to change your aperture and auto-focus) or not. These FODSLR (a brand name, apparently?) tubes are smart. (Dumb ones are a waste of time and better avoided.)

These are also remarkably cheap. I picked them up on sale for $25 - since the price has gone up and down, but I've never seen it above $40 (half the "list price" of $79.99). $80-$120 is a more common price for this sort of thing.

That said, there are some quality-consistency issues. My first set, two of the tubes would not come apart. A friend who bought these on my recommendation has also found his a bit "sticky". I returned mine (yay free shipping and free returns with Prime!), and the second set they sent are perfect. Take from that what you will.

I like them. A lot.

Of course, these tubes don't work in a vacuum - they're just one tool to add to your toolbox. The nice thing about extension tubes is they have no glass in them, so they are as good as the camera and lens you put them between. (The above photo also benefits from a professional speedlite, the DJ's up-lighting, and whoever lit about a hundred candles on the table.)

That said, these are straightforward to use. I'd recommend using lots of light so you can stop-down your aperture a lot.

Then just play around and have fun!

All Hail Our Machine Overlords

No, this isn't a post about the rise of digital cameras.

I am primarily a wedding, event, and portrait photographer, but once in a while it's fun to step way outside that and do something really different. 

This past week was one such chance. I periodically photograph machines for a family friend's company. They make custom and small batch machines for small manufacturing companies. (This time, many of the machines were for screen printing.) It's an interesting challenge - the machines are very cooperative subjects, so I get to spend a lot of time refining the lighting and set up.

They're also a lot of processing on the back end, since I don't actually own any 10 x 30 foot white backdrops. I take 5-10 photos, moving my backdrop along the back of the machine, and combine them later into one single photo. 

They come out pretty handsome, I'd say.

We've Moved!

This past Friday, my girlfriend and I moved into a new place!

We're still in Vernon, CT, and I will still be working all around New England.

Now just a bit more unpacking to do and things can get back to normal around here...

200

On my birthday this January, I decided to do a photo-a-day project. It's not my first (I actually completed one in 2011) but it seemed like a good way to make some work through the winter doldrums and to experiment with some new things. On August 2nd, I hit 200 days!

Our cat doesn't look sinister at all... I don't know what you mean...

Some, like the above, have been taken while experimenting with my primary work camera, but not many - the 5D is big, heavy, and most importantly, expensive. So I like to leave it where it's safe most of the time.

Instead, I took the approach that the best camera is the one that is always with you, and bought a Canon S110. I've previously owned two S90s (and broke both of them), and love this one as much as I loved those. They're small, light, and extremely capable. Best of all, with a little reshuffling and a wallet downsizing, the S110 fits in my pants pocket. I literally carry it everywhere.

I'm so glad I do, because there are so many photo opportunities that I would miss out on if I had to rely on my cell phone. (It tries, admirably, but it can only do so much...) 

It's been so much fun. I love breaking it out to catch sudden moments (so many sunsets, as well), and it's cheap enough that I am willing to take it places it might get damaged.

Like in a kayak.

It's also been a great motivator to experiment with new things, try out new angles or new techniques that have subsequently made it into my professional work. The project (and the surprisingly good macro system on the S110) prompted me to add a macro tube for my professional gear, which in turn provided a few days worth on photos as I systematically photographed every tiny thing in our apartment. Now I'll be adding shots like the one below to all my future weddings.

But the best part, by far, has been all the photos I love, photos of loved ones or special occasions, that I probably wouldn't have bothered to take if not for the looming daily deadline motivating me to get my camera out and just try it. See what... happens.

You can see all 200 (and counting) in my Flickr gallery. At this point, I doubt it will be a year-long project. Rather, I'm planning just to make it a part of daily life indefinitely.

I recommend it, even if you just use your cell phone. Even if you aren't the best photographer. It's like a quick, daily journal entry that will make you look more carefully at your world.

Kim and Mike Tee Off

It's a testament to the quality of the couple and their friends and family when a wedding goes quickly. It means I'm having tons of fun, things are running smoothly, and everyone's having a good time. 

Kim and Mike's wedding flew by.

Prep was a blast, everyone calm and relaxed. And the full Catholic ceremony that followed was bubbling with barely contained enthusiasm.

So you can imagine what a blast the reception was.

It was my first time at the Connecticut National Golf Club, a surprisingly roomy space in Putnam, CT with a phenomenal staff (Thanks, Jen!) and beautiful grounds. Which you reach by golf cart. Swanky.

It was a fabulous night of dancing, great music, games, and tons and tons of great photos. And maybe the most energetic group of grandparents and great aunts and uncles I've ever seen.

Congratulations, Mike and Kim!

A Rambunctious Renewal of Vows

Last Saturday, I photographed Heather and Rob renewing their vows after 10 years in front of their friends, family, and two adorable kids.

I always love renewals. Partly because they tend to be more laid back and relaxed affairs, which this one definitely was. 

But also because it's great to see people deciding they still want to be together. There are no practical reasons to renew your vows. It doesn't get you a better deal on insurance, or make filing your taxes easier, or get your great aunt to stop pestering you about settling down.

You only do it because you love each other and want to make sure everyone knows. And, I guess, because it's a good excuse to throw a sick party.

Destination: Florida... MA.

I haven't done a ton of destination weddings, but I jump at the chance whenever I get the opportunity. They always turn into fun, extended trips and often produce some of my favorite photos. I've been to Montana, North Carolina, and this past Fourth of July, I went to Florida.

The town in northwest Massachusetts, that is.

I was there to photograph a wedding for a good friend's sister. It was also a chance to give my girlfriend some second shooter experience. (She's previously filmed wedding videos with me, but this was her first run at photos - she knocked it out of the park.)

And, this was my first army wedding! Besides the dapper uniforms, army weddings come with a bunch of great traditions, and it's great to see the bonds between servicemen.

Heather and I were exhausted, but we took advantage of the local sights on Sunday. It took us something like five hours to drive the 30 miles from Florida to Interstate 91. It's an interesting part of Massachusetts that I've never really explored before: The scenic Deerfield River, a handful of Native American-themed tourist traps, Glacial Potholes, and the awesome Bridge of Flowers.

Good way to spend the Fourth, I reckon.