FAQ: Photographers

What kind of equipment do you shoot with?

I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark II and have a 40D for backup.  Lenses I shoot with - 50mm 1.2, 85mm 1.8, 16-35mm 2.8, 24-70mm 2.8, 135 2.0.  I also have two pocket wizards and a 580ex flash.  I carry it all in a shootsac with the cameras around my neck.

Do you bring back-up gear to shoots?

Absolutely!  Getting back-up gear (or even borrowing from a friend to have on hand) is essential.  I'm working towards getting even more back-up gear just in case!  Back-up batteries (I have more than I could ever use) for my camera and flash are just as important.

Carrying all that gear is exhausting.  Do you ever set it down in a safe place at weddings?

I will never set my gear down during a wedding ceremony or reception.  I will also never leave it in the car.  I've heard too many horror stories about gear getting stolen even if it's hidden out of view at a reception.  More and more I hear stories about camera gear getting stolen out of cars.  Often if you are out taking pictures, you'll be followed after you get in your car.  If you stop the car even for a few minutes to pick up another memory card or pick up your kids, it's enough time for a thief to grab the gear and run.  At the very least, get insurance and never leave memory cards that haven't been copied unattended.

I'm a poor college student, can you recommend a good cheap lens?

If you're a Canon user, I'd recommend the 50mm 1.4.  However, you get what you pay for and cheap lenses are never going to compare to the ones that cost over $1000.

Did you go to school to become a photographer?

I went to Brigham Young University and got a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography, but I know many incredible photographers that didn't go to school at all.

What photo-editing software do you use?

I use Lightroom for all batch-processing and Photoshop for fine-tune editing.  Everything that gets blogged or printed has been through both programs.

Do you use actions?

I use Totally Rad Actions pretty exclusively (in addition to some minor ones by me).  I've tried some others, but just go back to the TRA sets.

Do you allow random blog-stalkers to come to shoots/weddings with you?

Absolutely!  One of the ways that I learned best was by assisting other photographers, and if someone would like to come assist at a wedding or to a newborn or other shoot I'd gladly take the help .

Do you have an intern?

Nope, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't love one!