Recent Purchase

So recently I decided to buy a Canon 50mm usm lens. It was a long standing debate for myself to whether or not to buy the USM or the L series lens. After sort of not being 100% with the purchase, it came in the mail yesterday and I have to say all my worries went away after using it for a little while. I am not saying that this lens beats the L series in any way, it is pretty darn close...and for me pretty darn close does not validate the extra 1,000 dollar price tag of the L series glass. If Canon would bring the L lens down to about 500-700 dollars maybe it would be a different story but the L 50mm is just too expensive for the little bit of improvement you get.

Why did you buy a 50mm? Don't you have a 24-105 L lens? Good questions (invisible person) yes I do have a 24-105 but I purchased the 50 because for one it is a prime making it much faster than a zoom lens, and the other reason is the low light capability. At 1.4 the 50mm is perfect and since I just got off a gig where it was truly almost pitch black I need a lens that can respond quick and stand up to the lack of light coming into the lens. Pair this 50 with my 85mm that I already have and I now own two prime lenses that will pair nicely when I am at a gig with harsh lighting.

What is your set up at most photo gigs? Well in an ideal situation I like to have two cameras, one being my 5D Mark III and the other either a T3I/T2I or a 60D. I like this combo the best because I get full frame photos and the APS-C photos. Also in an ideal situation I pair my 24-105 L lens with a Tokina 11-16 wide lens that a friend of mine lets me borrow for gigs. This way I can get a wide range with my 24-105 (pretty much covers all my bases for different looks from a zoom) and then I will go super wide with the 11-16 and just get awesome big wide shots. Now for low light my new set up is going to be the 50mm on my 5D and the 85mm on the T3I. Finally if I can't get the 11-16 then I will pair my 85mm or 50mm with the 24-105.

Just giving some insight today, hope this helps.

Random Movie Fact: In the 1984 film Starman, the only John Carpenter film to have an Academy Award nomination (Jeff Bridges, Best Actor).

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Last night...and today

So yesterday definetly took a number out on me but was a lot of fun. I had two photography gigs, one sort of last minute and the other I was booked for a while in advance. The first was promotional pictures for a DJ which were taken at my friends studio. The DJ brought in his gear and a few different outfits so it was cool to do those photos, a good experience. After that I had to head back home and gear up (literally) for the next event which was a birthday party at The Great Blacks in Wax Museum in Baltimore City. I ran a two camera system for this event, my 5D Mark III with my 24-105 f4 L lens, and the other my parents T3I camera with an 85 usm lens. It was a familiar area of the city and parking was a breeze so the trip wasn't too bad and when I arrived around 8:30pm I had plenty of time to get prepared. It was a cool party with good music, people, and food so what more can you ask for?

I will say the one thing that bugged me had nothing to do with the people, it had a lot to do with my camera. Once the party started the lighting was dim, I mean as dim as it gets, it felt like a degree away from pitch black. I accounted for this by having a flash on both my cameras, however with the 24-105 the biggest issue was focusing...Since it was so dark the lens had nothing to grab focus to and the flash I was using is an older one that probably has been eclipsed several times over by newer flashes. I think in the future I will look for something that can provide continuous light for me to focus from and then flash, or hopefully the recent purchase of a 50mm usm lens will do the trick because that 85mm was just way too tight in on people to get really great photos from. I love the 85 lens but I saw last night that it just does not work in a tight room. I still got some great photos though, just rambling about lenses.

Random Movie Fact: In the 1997 film The Game, David Fincher claimed in an interview in UK film magazine Empire, that there is a can of haggis in every scene of the movie. This was done as a joke, because "Haggis" is the nickname of cinematographer Harris Savides.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

What a Waste

Well today was pretty much a wasted day to say the least. I pretty much spent all day trying to figure out good times for outdoor photography and what makes a good image vs. a bad image. I was also studying the different types of filters for good outdoor photography. I figured out polarizing filters are great for outdoor work but also the magic hours are when you need to shoot outside. At least 2 hours after sunrise or 2 hours before sunset are the best times, noon is the worst. I understand that a lot better now and I am going to invest in a Hoya Polarizing filter which is all well in good but being in Baltimore there are no stores to be able to get said things. Also on B and H Photo today online ordering wasn't starting until 6pm so I won't be able to get my filter until Tuesday at the earliest. I have a shoot that I have to do Monday in DC and I am pretty screwed right now. I am trying to borrow one so we will see. I wish that school would have been more informative about filters and shooting times and all that good stuff. I am glad I know now but I have to go to work until 8pm so I wasn't really able to get anything done. Tomorrow working 8am to 3pm so no luck there either. Trying to make time and get good rest is an impossible task to say the least.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess