Breaking News: Canon Repaired My Flash! Part 3

I back got my 580EX II today from the Canon repair center, all fresh and fixed! Turns out the flash PCB (or flash printed circuit board) needed to be replaced, a service that cost me $150. I blogged a few weeks ago about how stressful it was to have my one and only flash die a few days before my first wedding assignment.

In spite of the expense, I think I still came out good considering how much a new flash cost would have cost me right before the wedding. Now I have two!

I had tried connecting a Quantum Turbo 2X2 battery pack to my flash to give it more and faster recycle times. But something happened when I connected to the two devices: the flash pilot light button flickered rapidly and then died out. I couldn't get the flash to work from that point on. I still don't know if the battery pack caused the malfunction or if that flash already had one foot in the grave. I'm starting to think the flash was faulty since my friends at Denver Pro Photo said Quantum gave the battery pack a clean bill of health and the store sold it a few days later.

Here's proof that getting those service warranty agreements are a good thing. I routinely get those things whenever I buy photo equipment now, but I didn't a year ago when I first started buying items. And I didn't get one for my flash. If I would have, the service would have been covered under the program for free! And to make matters worse, I have no idea where the receipt is for the flash, so I had no way of proving to Canon that the flash was still under warranty.

All kinds of cuss words! But I'm happy to have a new flash so I can start experimenting with triggering multiple strobes.

Breaking News: Great Rebates for Top Brand Cameras

Now's the time to upgrade your equipment. Top brand manufacturers, including Canon and Hasselblad, are offering nice rebates on bodies, kits and lenses.


From now till June 19, Canon is offering up to $300 in instant rebates . I just used my rebate to snag a coveted EOS 5D from Dell! I already had a customer credit account with Dell which was free and in the clear. Not only do I get a one-year warrantee from Canon, since Dell is a certified Canon product distributor, but I got a deal on a two-year accident plan from Dell on top of that for three years of consecutive protection. A second, backup camera is a must-have during shoots in case your equipment malfunctions. The Rebel XTi has served me well, and I will continue to use it, especially when I shoot my wedding on May 31. I also have to give a big shout out of thanks to fellow photog Tiffany Trott for getting the word out about these great rebates!


If you are really ready to take your photography to the ultimate level, then get your hands on a new high-end Hasselblad H3DII DSLR camera. Between now and June 30, 2008, you can receive up to $5000 off the price of the H3DII when trading in your old 35mm digital system.

Get the Jone Done: Using My Studio Lights on Location and Battery Woes

Thank goodness Jason brought his studio lights to the wedding expo earlier this month! As I continue editing those photos, I was nearly distraught to see that hardly any of my shots of the actual fashion show were too my liking. As the light source in the high-ceiling, windowed space changed from afternoon sunlight to evening dark, it became increasingly difficult to adjust my exposures.

By the time the models were on the runway, I had to use full flash to have enough light. Because my flash was on my camera hot shoe, I have those annoying shadows. Hopefully my new Stroboframe Quick Flip flash bracket will help. The shadows should be all but eliminated now that I can mount my flash atop the camera.



Honestly, I think the only good shots I got out of the expo was when Jason and I took the models aside and set up a portrait area with his hot lights. Only then did we have adequate light to really be able to bring out the details in the exquisite wedding gowns showcased during the event. From now on, I think I need to get used to lugging my own lights to sets too. I think natural light is always great when you have access to it, but there is definitely a craft and an art form to learning how to use hot lights effectively as well.

I think my Alien Bees will be my best bet for on location lighting. I've seen other photographers set up a shooting area with just one powerful strobe. I will invest in an Alien Bee Vagabond II Portable Power System. If power lines aren't available for my AB1600s, I can use the Vagabond battery powering unit, which offers faster recycle times.




I also purchased a Quantum Turbo 2x2 Battery Power for Digital Cameras and Flash. I can't tell you how tired I am of having rechargeable batteries drain out during a shoot, not to mention how much I must have spent on buying batteries! It had gotten to where I was buying a new pack every time I went to the grocery store because I was always anxious about running out of juice during a shoot.

I replaced the batteries four times in my flash during the wedding expo, and each time it was annoying and threw me off my game. The Quantum Turbo should give me enough power to shoot more than 500 flashes. But I also like knowing I can power my camera with it too if I need it, although I don't seem be having the same problem with my camera. The Canon BG-ED3 Battery Grip keeps me shooting for days before I need to recharge the two Canon NB-2LH batteries that fit snugly inside.

Breaking News: Foto3 Conference and Contest

The annual foto3 conference and trade show will be accepting entries for its photography competition from April 1 through May 1. The contest is open to all photographers. Prize winners and honorable mentions will be exhibited during the Foto3 Conference being held the first week of June, 2008, in Fort Collins, CO. Download the entry form here.

There are two categories, Student and Master Photographer, with one Grand Prize and several division prizes: Overall Grand Prize: $2,500 Yee haw, that would definitely help me pay off some of the equipment gone into debt for! Good luck everyone! If you enter something, feel free to post up your images here and tell us about it. I may have a little sumthin' sumthin' I plan to enter as well! ;)

Student Competition
First Prize: $1,000
Second Prize Black & White: $500
Second Prize Color: $500
10 Honorable Mention Awards

Master Photographer Competition
First Prize: $1,500 (PLUS a Workshop session)
Second Prize Black & White: $750
Second Prize Color: $750
10 Honorable Mention Awards

Please note any technical details you care to share with the judges with each image submitted. Selected images will be published in an upcoming issue of View Camera and other magazines. See submission requirements here.

Entry Fees

$35 for three images (additional images may be submitted at $10 per image).

Students may enter three images for $15 ($5 each per additional image). Copy of student I.D. required with entry.

In all instances, the fees must include return postage or other prepaid return shipping for all entries (e.g., a FedEx label with your account number or credit card number). Any entry that does not include the necessary return shipping labels or postage will not be judged and will be destroyed on receipt.

The annual Foto3 conference and trade show is based on a simple concept: photographers dedicated to the art and craft of photography. Bringing together the ideas and resources of two conferences that had been held separately by View Camera and Calumet, Foto3 provides a venue for photographers to display their work, share experiences and advance their skills.

Sponsors at Foto3 2008 will include industry leaders such as Canon, HP, Fujifilm, Epson, Ilford, Adobe and Calumet Photographic. Events will range from informative seminars and hands-on workshops to a variety of special exhibitions. Learn traditional darkroom workflow or digital color management, ambient portrait lighting or painting with light, plus many more creative, technical and business techniques. And Foto3 will host its first photography competition, open to all photographers in all formats. Register for the conference here.

Get the Goods: Why I'm Not Upgrading to Rebel XSi

Pre-orders for the new Canon EOS Rebel XSi have already swamped my email. While I think it's a great looking camera, I won't be upgrading from Rebel XTi. Calumet Enews announced today it's offering preorders for "the new Rebel XSi, an irresistible upgrade for owners of older Rebel cameras and those looking to make the jump to a digital SLR."

"Previously only available in higher-end bodies, Canon's EOS Rebel XSi introduces Live View to the EOS Rebel series. You'll be able to compose and fine-focus on-screen with up to 5x magnification. Canon has updated Live View by adding a live, contrast-based AF mode that operates similar to a point-and-shoot, letting you autofocus without interrupting the display. Of course, this wouldn't mean a thing without the latest image-processing technology. With the new DIGIC III processor, 3.5 frames-per-second bursts, 12.2 megapixels, SD card compatibility and 14-bit conversion, the Rebel XSi packs exceptional speed and image detail into its lightweight body."

I agree that if you are just making the leap to DSLRs, the Xsi would be your best bet. But I wouldn't spend the money on it if you already have the XTi. The XTi has been a wonderful camera for me, and I intend to stick with it until I can afford the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III. I would instead suggest investing your money in as much high quality glass (or lenses) you can afford and keep whatever DSLR body you are working with now. I just got a new Canon 16-35 2.8, and Canon EF 70-200mm 2.8 L IS USM and they are FABULOUS when mounted on my XTi body. Check out my galleries for yourself...all of those were shot with either my XTi or my Canon G9.

BREAKING NEWS: Get the Goods

Holy crap! I actually got to stroke a Nikon D3 DSLR last night. Canonians don't get your panties in a bunch. I am still a die-hard Canon fan....but I have to say, that Nikon D3 was fracking amazing, and I can't wait to see what Canon's response will be.

Glenn Asakawa, a wonderful Denver Post photographer, colleague and mentor, is leaving the paper and heading back to his alma mater (The University of Colorado at Boulder) to serve as a University Communications photographer. His loss, both personally and professionally, hit me in the chest, so I had to say my farewells at his going-away party last night. Some of the other photogs were using a Nikon D3 to memorialize the event. The Denver Post photography staff uses Nikons exclusively, which used to be a long point of contention years ago with photographers who felt that Canon was producing a better product. Photog Posties don't feel so bad now since Nikon has stepped up to the plate with some of their own equally great (or dare I say it, better) equipment. So a photog was trying to convince me about why I should switch to Nikons.

The Nikon D3's size alone was impressive and admirable. The 12.1 megapixels won't be ignored either (although I really don't need that much). But what got me was that out-of-this-world 6400 ISO with an additional two stop boost over that topping an amazing 25600 ISO! The lounge was very dark and intimate -- which is great for patrons and terrible for photographers. But that D3 full frame sensor and incredible ISO lit up that lounge as if the photog was shooting in daylight! So many of my shooting situations have been in low-light. I could have truly benefitted from the D3's speed and ultra light sensitivity.

It was enough to make me doubt for a few seconds all the money I've invested in my Canon Rebel XTi and the numerous pieces of high quality glass that cost even more than the camera. But I won't be swayed to Nikon -- yet.

Canon....you betta bring it! And soon.

Mapping the Course

Here are the categories and lists of topics I will tackle throughout the blog to help you (and me, honestly) map out the course for how I became a professional photographer:

1) Get the Goods: buying the necessary equipment
2) Get Connected: attending photography classes and meeting other talented shooters
3) Get Out There: self-promotion, marketing, and networking
4) Get the Job Done: snagging paid assignments

Now granted, I still consider myself to be a newbie with so much more to learn. But there is no denying how quickly I have progressed in less than a year. My friends and colleagues keep saying it -- but it really got driven home when the manager of my local Wolf Camera Store said even he was amazed about how far I've come. (Guess that's the kind of pat on the back get when you know all the staff by first names because you've spent a year's worth of lunch breaks salivating over photo equipment you know damn well you can't afford). Some day this Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III will be mine. (Of course by the time I can afford it, the company would probably would have doled out at least five more intermediate to advanced models).

A great deal of my progress can be attributed to the wonderful resources we have available here in Denver's photographic community. The schools, photography clubs and amazing landscape and cityscape right in my own backyard, so to speak, is a photographic oyster. I mean, if you lived in Colorado, and DIDN'T eventually find your way to the mountains where wildlife and nature abound, you should be shot! But I think the wonder of finding a true passion and having a natural eye is what gives me the drive.

I want this blog to a personal diary as well as a self-help tool with useful topics for photographers new to the craft. I will include "How-Tos" when I've learned and can implement new techniques. I will devour books and review them. And I will test out equipment and software so you can decide if a product is worthy of being bought or being ignored. If you see a "BREAKING NEWS" in the headline....you will know that something really cool just happened. Maybe I just got a great new gig or purchased some coveted equipment. Or maybe I've just been honored with some special award. Keep coming back for updates. And if you have some thoughts, ideas or topics you want me to investigate, hit me up. Sometimes, I will throw in "AN ASIDE" if I have a random thought or want to share some juicy tidbit about something happening in my life, so look for those too.