Reader Question - Photography Gear

I recently received this email from a reader and I thought a few of you may have a similar question so I decided to post the response. I'm always happy to answer questions from readers so keep them coming! 

Good Evening,

My name is Kristine and after watching Tales By Light you have inspired my to advance my skills in photography. If you don't mind me asking, a had noticed that you use a Canon EOS camera. What type to you usually use (not the underwater fish lens)? Wanted to know if you could give me some feed back in regards to what camera preference you would use? I usually take landscape, portrait and some action shots. Not too interested in the video mode, more for the camera. Your advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,

Kristine,

Thanks so much for reaching out. I'm glad you saw my recommendation and enjoyed the show. I'm actually a Sony shooter. For years I was a Nikon shooter but about 3 years ago I switched to Sony due to the size and image quality. My current camera bag is filled with prime lenses (lenses that don't zoom). I find that the image quality and size/weight combo is hard to beat. It can be a pain to always swap lenses but my opinion it is worth it. I currently own a 18mm f2.8 Zeiss, 35mm f2.0 Zeiss, 55mm 1.8 Sony/Zeiss, 85mm f1.8 Zeiss and a 135mm f2.0 lens. If you are looking for an all purpose lens most of the manufacturers make a 24-105 f4.0 which is a good all around lens. There are other options with more range but I feel that they are too slow (aperture) for what I like to shoot. I hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions.

North Avenue Drone Flight

I still get butterflies when I fire up my DJI Phantom. It may be because I like to fly in locations where the drone is at danger and may result in a expensive piece of machinery in a lake or ocean. Either way, what fun is it to fly if you aren't going to go to cool locations? This Saturday was no exception. A windy overcast sunrise and I've got this badboy way out over the water. I've been to the location a lot of times but I'm still trying to capture the image I have in my head. The footage is fun to watch so enjoy. 

Chicago Botanic Gardens

The Chicago Botanic Garden is a hidden gem on the north side of the city. It's a 385 acre plant sanctuary that is brimming with life all year round. The garden is a favorite place of mine that I like to visit yearly. Each visit is very different and I like to explore a different part of the park. They have everything from vegetable gardens to bonsai trees. I love how they plant the vegetation in patterns so that it's as much an art installation as it is a botanic garden. 

On my recent trip they had a bonsai exhibit on display that was very interesting. I've dabbled in the art of bonsai growing in my past so I was very impressed seeing all the mature bonsai trees. The park is worth a visit at least once a year just to relax and stroll through the park. They also have a photography society that meets once a month to explore the garden. 

http://www.chicagobotanic.org/photography/garden_photo_society

Tales by Light - A Photography Show

This weekend has been rough. I managed to get infected by a cold that has wrecked my head and made it really difficult for me to sleep. So I found myself awake at 2 am on Saturday making my way to the living room so I could sit up and try to breath again. As I flipped through Netfilx I came across an intriguing show title "Tales by Light". I read the description and it was indeed a show about professional photographers. And an Netflix original too! The Netflix shows are almost all top notch. So I decided to watch an episode. It was good. not just about the story behind the photos but some technical detail too.

I always love to hear about the shot but also the stuff you never find in book or online. Some of the photographers talked about how they visualized a shot for a year until they found the right time or place to make their vision a reality. Another talked about how he's been to a location 38 times. And yet another said that sometimes they try to get a shot time and time again and it just doesn't pan out. It could be for various reasons but that's what makes this profession so much fun. 

I love shooting. And I shoot 100% for me and if people like what I do they can buy my work. But I don't believe that most of the general public realize how difficult it is to get some of these shots or how many times you have to visit a location to capture what you have envisioned. Sure there are those shots that you take on a whim that end up being great but even those are normally the result of lots of behind the scenes planning. I'll give you an example, I've been to the John Hancock Observatory at least 12 times to try to capture a storm striking the Willis Tower and the Trump tower. I literally have no usable images from any of these trips. Either the storm missed us or the rain was too intense to see anything or the lightning never hit anything. But I'll keep going and I'll keep trying. Eventually I'll get it. Now not all of my images are this trying but most of my photos have been meticulously planned out and have taken many attempts to get something worth showing the world. I don't say any of this to make people feel differently about the images you see online and in person but next time you see something you really like appreciate that the image you are looking at could have taken someone years of planning an preparation to capture. 

Bill and Lauren's Chicago Engagement

When I got the call from my friend Bill telling me that he "might need my photography skills for something". I knew something was up. Bill and Lauren were dating for quite a while and I had the suspicious feeling where our conversation would go. 

During our lunch he laid out this extravagant plan which involved a borrowed yacht and a twisting and turning story to keep Lauren off the scent. I could tell he was nervous but super excited as well. We agreed that the plan was solid and he let me know the date for the magical event.

When I arrived at the boat it was just me, Bill and the captain. We figured out the layout of the boat and the most effective way for me to capture the ride without looking too suspicious. Lauren was lead to believe that we were using the boat only as a shuttle to an event. "Isn't it going to be odd that it's just me and the two of you" I asked Bill. Bill shot back "she has no idea". So I went with it. 

When Lauren got there I realized that she really didn't know what was about to happen. She was more concerned with the "event" they were going too and didn't notice too much about me. I had the GoPro set suction cupped to the top of the boat and as we took off I excused myself to the hull of the boat. 

As I headed down there Bill and Lauren headed out to the deck to sit down and enjoy the sunset and the water view. I quickly got my camera gear ready and headed back by the captain. I was glad to see that they were sitting on the deck looking out and no one was paying attention to me. I was able to get a bunch of great shots heading out of the boat slip and shots as we headed toward the lake. 

Once we got near the lake the captain turned the ship around right as the water gun was being fired and Bill got down on one knee. It was a sight to be seen. The Chicago skyline, the water gun and the sunset behind the couple. It all came together beautifully into an incredible moment. 

After she put on the ring I captured a few more candid moments of the two celebrating together. The captain then hit the throttle and we zipped off to a restaurant on the river where Bill and Lauren's family was waiting to celebrate with them. 

It was a truly incredible day and an incredible shoot with an incredible couple. I hope my images help them remember it for years to come.