And the winner of Expressive Photography is...

Crystal said...

What is your fav lense for taking portraits? Love the pics of gman, he is getting so big!

November 7, 2010 8:42 PM

And now, the answers to your photography questions :)

Lori was asking about aperature settings and wanted to know how to make her subject really pop.

She's referring to depth of field. A shallow DOF creates an image much like this:

Where the subject is really in focus and set apart from the background. While there are a couple of ways to achieve this sort of image, a great deal will depend on your camera (or for DSLR users, the lens). The first and easiest thing to do is simply move closer to your subject. Really close. Experiment with moving close physically while messing around a bit with the zoom on your camera to see if you can achieve shallow depth of field. (Play with different backgrounds as well.)

For DSLR camera users (and higher end point-and-shoot models), the key is the APERTURE setting on your camera. [This is sometimes referred to as the f-stop. On DSLR cameras this number is tied directly to the type of lens you are using.] The most important thing to remember is the LOWER your f-number, the more shallow your depth of field (i.e. the more your subject will pop). Lighting can greatly affect this effect as well - the key is to experiment, experiment, and experiment some more!

Is there a way to take decent photos on a windy day?

Wind can be a huge pain, especially when your subjects have long hair. I simply try to to get it working for my subject as best I can (i.e. with the wind coming from the side or in front of them, just how I like my light).

What kind of camera do you use?

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

What program do you use to edit your photos?

Corel Paint Shop Pro

Do you use a flash or natural light when shooting indoors?

I only use natural light unless it's dark outside and there is very little available lighting indoors. When I use a flash, it's an external flash unit. (I'd say 99.9% of the images on my blog been taken WITHOUT FLASH.)

My question is regarding lenses. I am looking for a good 'everyday' lens for my Canon camera that would work for most general situations. I love your photography and would love to know what lenses you love.

My primary lens at the moment is the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8. It's pretty heavy for an everyday lens, for that I tend to lean towards my Canon EF 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS. I also love the Canon EF 50mm 1.4 USM. These are my main lenses.

What is your favorite lens for taking portraits?

My favorite portrait lens has to be the Canon EF 50mm 1.4 USM.

Thanks for taking part in the prize drawing and for all of the great questions! The key to taking better pictures is practice. Getting to know your camera. And getting to know the light.

Happy Snapping!