Like I said in my Facebook post from Tuesday, I HIGHLY recommend investing in a nicer lens instead of buying your DSLR with the kit lens that comes with it. Lenses will stay with you even when you change bodies, so they are a great investment!
From my smartphone to my compact camera to my DSLR, here is an all encompassing look at what I shoot with! (with photo samples obviously) I know DSLRs aren't for everyone because they're so big, so I wanted to share this in case anyone was wondering what else is a good option. For your amusement, here is a photo Nadine took of me creeping behind a tree with my camera...
From smallest to largest, here is everything I've used/use! I can't believe that this January marks 3 years that I've been a photographer! I feel so blessed to have so many people who believe in me and my work. Since this is also my last year at USC and my last year as the USC Photography Club President, I thought that I'd make some resolutions both in photography and personally. One of my main resolutions is to blog 1-2 times a week in order to give back to everyone who has supported me! I hope that blogging about my sessions and giving tips and tricks can encourage more people to explore the wonderful world of photography. Learning about photography has changed my life in so many ways, and I hope to share my love of it with anyone who is interested! Check my blog every Tuesday (and some Thursdays) at 8pm to follow my photography adventures, and to learn more about photography! :) What are your New Years resolutions? Drop them in the comments! ---- Never Miss An Update! 1. Join the Mailing List - Subscribe to my mailing list to the right (I won't email you spam!) 2. Get Notifications on Facebook - Like T.Wu Photography
- Click "Get Notifications" under the "Like" button 3. Follow on Instagram -I'll be posting whenever I write a new blog post! 4. Where else can you find me? -Tumblr -YouTube -Google+ In honor of the upcoming holidays, here is my compilation of affordable nerdy photographer gifts that you could get for your photographer friends or friends who want to improve their smartphone photography game. Happy holidays everyone!
During weddings, photographers are often left with limited options when it comes to shooting details. I recently challenged myself to do a detail shot in my small apartment at USC. I wanted to blog about my thought process in choosing the location for the shot. I hope it helps anyone trying to figure out where to shoot little details without much effort. The subject in the photo was my anniversary present to James. Here is a wider shot showing what I had to work with. I wanted to do my best to isolate the subject from the living room. I chose the lower level of the table in order to block out the distractions of the background, which included the kitchen and unappealing trash can. The wood is also a much nicer option than the carpet. I was lucky enough that the placement of my subject happened to be facing the light source I wanted to use (the light coming in from the screen door). Had it not been facing in this direction, I would have moved the table over. Since I am a natural light photographer, it is important to leverage the outside light. Here is the finalized product! I shot it using my 50mm 1.4, a beautiful lens for detail shots. My settings are in the caption. As bright as the light seemed like it was coming from outside, it was a pretty cloudy day, so I had to bring up my ISO and slow my shutter speed. I could have also brought the table closer to the screen door, but that wasn't an option given my focal length since I was already laying down by the door. The reason the OT (oolong tea) and BT (black tea) label aren't in focus is that my aperture is very wide (2.0), and they aren't on the same plane. Everything would be in focus if I had put them on a straight line next to each other. However, I wanted to create some depth to the photo and bring the attention to the Happy Anniversary.
For those of you who are curious about what the gift was, inside the canister are more test tubes, and they are all filled with different kinds of tea from Teavana! I was hoping to combine two of James' favorite things: tea and science. I hope these tips helped anyone who was curious. Happy Monday! Anonymous asked on my Tumblr: This was my response: That’s a good question and I completely understand. In this day and age, many people own DSLRs that produce nice photos.
The difference between a professional photographer and amateur photographer has to do with skill level and business. In terms of skills, a professional knows how to use their camera manually and skillfully to produce high quality photos. They also have invested in the time it takes to educate themselves in photography, equipment suitable to what they shoot, and creating a business. One of the things that distinguishes a photographer is being able to run a business. Many people can take nice photos and many people do it for fun. The difference being that professionals are spending time and money to develop a business that deals with paying customers. Running a business is difficult. There are so many things involved like financing, marketing, managing, etc. Professional photography goes beyond taking photos— it’s about providing customers with a quality experience and building your business. I hope that makes sense and if you’re still unsure or curious about something, feel free to follow up. *NOTE this is speaking more towards portrait and wedding photography It was an interesting question that I didn't expect to get, but it made me think about my business a little differently. Feel free to comment your opinions on what makes a professional a professional. Because everything is better with a photo, here is Lucky wishing you a Happy Wednesday! |