Photography Workshop « Warthan Farms

Feb

Using Sunsets

One of the questions I am asked most in workshops is “How do you get a silhouette with the sunset and it’s a bright color and the you know… well, you know what I’m talking about!”

And I do know what you are talking about because I love these types of shots!

Shooting on manual here is very, very important.

The sky is pretty bright so you will want to have your ISO somewhere around 200-400. I should have used an aperture here of 5.6 or higher (Bonus tip! Higher apertures result in more saturated color – great when shooting skies!). And remember that your shutter speed should be at least twice your focal length for crisp, clear images.

I metered for the sky – meaning, I wanted the sky to be the proper color, bright and clear. I believe I had my meter between 0 and +1.

Then without changing anything, I focused my camera on Avery Ruth and pressed the shutter.

I did very little to this image in post-processing but it’s almost always helpful to boost the contrast and saturation a little especially if you (like me) are shooting in Raw format.

I hope that helps and if you get a shot you love, please share! My email is jennifer@warthanfarms.com.

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Jan

Reagan | newborn

I’ve had several newborn sessions lately and have loved them all – not just the images but being able to hold those tiny, sweet little bundles and smell their little warm heads and capture those first few precious days. They are so fleeting.

Baby Reagan was one of my favorite sessions and it’s because I’ve been lucky enough to capture her story from the beginning. See, I photographed her parent’s engagement, her mother’s bridal session and their wedding. I met Reagan’s mama at a wedding a few years ago and we clicked – she is so sweet and kind and funny. She booked me for her own wedding almost immediately and I am so, so happy she did and so grateful to have been there for all of their big moments.

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Nov

What Kind of Camera Should I Get?

I find this question in my inbox several times a week and it’s also something I discuss in my workshops. Trying to purchase a DSLR is a huge decision and comes with much bigger expenses than purchasing a point-and-shoot. There are so many letters and numbers and oh-my-gosh how many lenses will I need? Never fear! I am here to give you my bossy opinion on what you need!

(I am also going to hook you up with B&H Photo - they’re a really reputable, solid company)

For beginners, I recommend the Rebel series of DSLRs. Rebels have come a loooong way since I owned my first one and you can even shoot HD video on them.

(photo courtesy of B&H)

You might notice that this camera has no lens (oh no!). I am going to be a little bossy here and tell you NOT to buy anything involving the word “kit”. Typically the lenses that come in a kit (typically!) are of poor quality. The kits are attractive and sometimes the only way you can buy a camera in stores but you’ll thank me later for making you take the extra time to buy everything separately. And when your images are blurry and gray you’ll wish you’d listened.

So… lenses. You gotta have something to pop on that brand new camera, right?

(photo courtesy of B&H)

I love this little lens. I own this one! It’s the 50mm 1.8 and it retails for somewhere around $100. It’s sharp, it’s light and it’s amazing for indoors and out. (Those kit lenses? They STINK indoors. Really.)

Want some zoooooooommmmm? Oh yeah!

(photo courtesy of B&H)

The Tamron 28-75 2.8 is versatile, sharp and I wish I’d never sold mine. That’s high praise indeed!

So there’s my opinion on what makes a great starter bag filled with reliable, quality equipment. I’ll even forward it to your husband’s inbox if you want me to!