Even though I've had a blog as part of my website for years, I rarely “blog” in the traditional sense. My normal blog entries are a few short sentences followed by several images I recently captured that I'd like to share with my website visitors. I guess I took the lazy way out and used the old cliché that a picture was worth a thousand words, and therefore, didn't need to type anything to get my message out. Then, there were the “just what should I blog about” questions that kept me from blogging. Certainly, the blog should be about my photography and not what I had to eat for last night's dinner, for example. I could write “how to” stuff when it comes to photography, like maybe, lighting your subject for an outdoor portrait. Or, what lens is best for shooting a bride walking up the aisle with her father. Then I think, for what? There are thousands of “how to” blogs and videos online. Why do I need to write another one? I tell my clients that my blog is what I've done lately. If you want to see “some” of my latest work, just visit my blog. A mom considering my services for her high school daughter’s (or son) senior pictures doesn't really care about what lens I believe is best for capturing a humming bird in flight. So, again, why bother? Well, I guess the answer to that question is, because I have things to say. A little trivial at times but still things. So, here it goes. . .
When asked, I always tell anyone interested in getting into pro photography to have back up gear for everything. I am living proof, or as my wife would say, “the best example of a screw up” of why take backup gear on every job, no matter how small. I couldn't tell you how many times I have dropped lenses, cameras and /or strobe units on hard surfaces while working. I go into each and every assignment knowing I have slippery fingers. “Be careful”, I tell myself. But no matter how cautious I am, it never fails, bang!, something falls and pieces go every where. My last shoot was no different. A fun couple, Katie and Brayden's engagement shoot at their future wedding venue. (see Katie & Brayden's blog entry)
The weather was perfect, except for a slight breeze. Enough breeze that if you failed to properly weigh down a light stand things could go wrong. By the way, there isn't supposed to be a breeze in late June. Around here, in Cincinnati, the wind normally shows up in April and only sticks around for a couple months. However, this late June shoot was a little different. I had my Flashpoint eVOLV AD200 on a light stand and before I could take action the breeze knocked it over, sending the strobe unit crashing into a gravel walkway. The rear displayed cracked, preventing me from reading the display. Because I practice what I preach, I had backup strobe units. That was a Saturday and by the next Tuesday the Flashpoint as in the mail being sent in for repair.
So, if you are that mom looking to retain my services for your child's senior pictures (or what ever job you have in mind). I have backup gear. Yeah, mostly because I have a “dropping things” problem, but at least I'm prepared.
Flashpoint eVOLV AD200 flash