Thursday, 30 July 2009

Depth of field calculator

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

For further photography-related information check out my tips for photographers.

A nice little widget for calculating depth of field from Canon. I know there are plenty of these around but I thought this one was particularly well done.

My website: Kent wedding photographers

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Tuesday, 28 July 2009

Wedding Quotes

The information I require to provide you with a quote for your wedding is:

1. Your planned wedding date.

2. All locations that I'll be required to attend (eg bride's home, ceremony venue, reception venue, other photoshoot locations) and, ideally, with postcodes.

3. The number of hours coverage that you require (most couples opt for 4-5 hours coverage).

If you're not sure, then give me an indication of the time of the ceremony and when food is due to be served. I can then give you a few options depending on the events you want covered.

With a well-designed itinerary 4-5 hours coverage allows the majority of the wedding repertoire to be covered (cake cuts and first dances are easily mocked-up) and gives between 300-500 finished images with usage copyright on DVD. If you look through the wedding galleries you'll see the number of hours that I attended and the number of images provided for each wedding.

What will you receive?

1. All your photos will be tweaked to perfection by me using state-of-the-art digital processing software. Each hour of photography requires 3 hours of my time at the computer in post-processing.
2. I will burn DVDs with two sets of files for you. One high res (about 3Mb per picture) for printing - these print beautifully at A2 (16.5 x 23.4 inches) - and one low res (about 170Kb per picture) for viewing on your computer or e-mailing to friends.
3. I'll also burn you a presentation DVD which will allow you to show your photos using a normal DVD player (handy for showing off your photos to friends and family without computers).
4. You will receive your DVDs within 1-2 weeks.
5. I'll post a selection of your photos online asap (generally within 4 days) and convert this selection to black & white. I spend a lot of time on these treatments - check out the quality of my B&W shots on the website.
6. Most importantly I pass usage copyright of all the shots to you. This means that you can source your own prints and album and provide friends and family with copies of your photos. In fact, you can do whatever you like with them - you don't need my permission and you don't need to pay me anything more.

I look forward to hearing from you.

All the best,

David

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Minimum focusing distances

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

For further photography-related information check out my tips for photographers.

Part II of Stephen's question today (in italics). My responses are in plain text.

My brother and I were trying to take a photo of a passion flower in the garden, he with his Nikon D3 with 24-70mm f/2.8 and me with my Canon 5D MkII. Now I had perhaps argued incorrectly that I could get a sharper shot with my 85mm f/1.2 L II than he could with his zoom but his shots were better and I'm prepared to be corrected on the technical reasons as to why.

Lots of factors affect sharpness. The 85mm counts against you since you'll need a faster shutter speed to counter camera shake (at least 1/focal length). Also the minimum focusing distance of the 85mm lens is 0.95m which means the flower will occupy a smaller amount of the sensor compared to the 24mm lens which can focus much closer to the subject (the Canon version of this lens can be focused only 38cm from a subject). When you expand it to be the same size in both shots your image quality will suffer (though as you point out, the 5D Mark II is higher resolution than the D3 so this complicates matters). For a given aperture your image will have lower depth of field at 85mm compared to 24mm because of increased magnification.

See my blog post on factors affecting depth of field.

I wanted to get the whole flower in focus therefore I figured I needed a DOF of 40mm, so by using the handy iPhone App 'Simple DOF' I dialled in 85mm lens, 1.5m focus distance and then increased the f/stop until it told me I had a DOF of about 40mm. Sounds straightforward to me but in practise the shots were disappointing.

You may know that the DOF is 40mm but you need to know exactly where to focus. DOF extends in front of, and behind, the focal point but it changes with focal length! Also the DOF calculation is only a guide. You've not given yourself any margin for error.

My brother then questioned why I was using my 85mm stopped down to f/2, when I could have just used another of my lenses at f/2.8 and perhaps got the same shot.

I would have the lens stopped down to at least f/8 for a shot like this (to ensure sufficient depth of field and good sharpness) and had the camera on a tripod for real image crispness. f/8 - 11 is the sweet aperture range for most lenses (above this the image deteriorates due to diffraction).

So, a quick visit to my local camera store and they suggested some interesting explanations to me:

1) "perhaps your 85mm lens is back-focusing, as most Canon lenses do, you should calibrate it using the micro-focus adjustment procedure." - One to investigate perhaps.


Microadjustment is worth doing with the 5D Mk II (since resolution is so high and the differences are visible) but is unlikely to be responsible in this situation.

2) "when using a shallow DOF at such a close focus distance the diameter of focus is very small, what you should have done was stop down to f/8 at least." - This one really surprised me, I have always thought about the settings required to get the DOF (i.e. 40mm in example above) but never thought that I needed to think about how the diameter of the focus area is affected.

I assume they're referring to the fact that the DOF will be shallow at wide apertures - see earlier.

3) "why did you use your 85mm lens when the minimum focusing point of your other lenses is shorter, therefore making it easier to get the shot?" - this one annoyed me after spending near £2k for a prime lens I thought I'd use it as I had expected it to be sharper.

I agree! The 85mm f/1.2 L lens is probably the best portrait lens in the world (and a favourite of mine, along with the 35mm f/1.4 L) and it's therefore designed for taking shots of head-sized objects! If I were doing the flower shot I'd have reached for my 100mm f/2.8 macro lens first of all, followed by my 24-70mm f/2.8 L (which can serve as a substitute for a macro lens since its minimum focusing distance is only 38cm).

Hope this helps.

All the best,

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Monday, 27 July 2009

On aperture

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

For further photography-related information check out my tips for photographers.

Part 1 of a question from Stephen today.

Hi David,

I'm a regular reader of your blog - which is fantastic BTW - and had a discussion over the weekend on various photographic matters. I thought you would be the perfect person to enlighten me and perhaps a blog post might come of it?

Firstly lets take the subject of lens aperture. If you take a 24-70mm f/2.8 L lens and set it to 70mm at f/8, would that be the same size aperture, and therefore capture the same amount of light as a 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM set at 70mm at f/8? Now when I thought about it I did wonder whether manufacturers had a 'standard' aperture size to conform to thereby making any lens set at f/8 equal?

Thanks in anticipation,

Stephen

Hi Stephen,

Thanks for the feedback.

Aperture is a unitless measure (rather than a size) - it's the focal length of the lens divided by the diameter of the diaphragm. It correlates with light-gathering ability.

As you change the focal length on your zoom lens, the diaphragm has to change to maintain a constant aperture. Not all lenses do this equally well though - L-series Canon lenses vary by only 1/3 of a stop over the focal length range which is pretty good.

f/8 at 70mm on both 24-70 lens and 70-200mm lenses means they will have the same diaphragm diameter. They won't be letting in precisely the same amount of light however. It will be close but lenses vary in their ability to transmit light - it depends upon the number of elements within the lens, the albedos of the materials used and probably lots of other factors too.

Yours,

David

My website: Kent wedding photographers

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Saturday, 25 July 2009

Weddings at Canterbury Registry Office

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

For further photography-related information check out my tips for photographers.

A selection of photographs from Erina and Paul's wedding at Canterbury Registry Office (yes, I know it ought to be Register Office but it's such a common error it's worth using both!) and The Marine, Whitstable, in May 2008 - see their wedding gallery. I was starting to get a bit more adept at using flash at this point - no more harsh shadows behind subjects.









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Weddings at the Abode, Canterbury

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

For further photography-related information check out my tips for photographers.

A selection of Victoria and Sean's wedding photos shot at the Abode, Canterbury in December 2007.










My website: Kent wedding photographers

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Friday, 24 July 2009

Weddings in Deal

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

For further photography-related information check out my tips for photographers.

Back to the archives today. Laura and Paul's wedding at St George's Church, Deal in September 2007. My second outing with my Canon EOS 5D and the first time I dared to shoot at ISO 3200!









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Thursday, 23 July 2009

Weddings at Lynsted and Norton

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

For further photography-related information check out my tips for photographers.

A selection of photos from my first wedding shot with a Canon EOS 5D back in August 2007. Lorraine and Sean got married at St Peter and St Paul's Church in Lynsted, near Sittingbourne, with the reception at Norton Village Hall, near Faversham.











My website: Kent wedding photographers

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Wednesday, 22 July 2009

Weddings at The Kent International Hotel, Ramsgate

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

For further photography-related information check out my tips for photographers.

A selection from September 2005. Margaret and Ron's wedding at Ramsgate Register Office and The Kent International Hotel, Ramsgate.




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Weddings at The Margate Winter Gardens

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

For further photography-related information check out my tips for photographers.

A further offering from the archives - September 2006 on this occasion. Felicity and Chris' wedding at the Church of St Mildred in Canterbury followed by the Margate Winter Gardens.





My website: Kent wedding photographers

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Weddings at The Fayreness Hotel, Broadstairs

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

For further photography-related information check out my tips for photographers.

Another wedding from the archives. Jenny and Dan got married at Ramsgate Register Office and The Fayreness Hotel in Broadstairs in September 2005.






My website: Kent wedding photographers

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Weddings at Ramsgate Register Office

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

For further photography-related information check out my tips for photographers.

A very small selection of shots from my first paying wedding for Jo and Cliff back in June 2005. Shot on 35mm with a Canon EOS 5 and Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 and Canon 70-200 f/4 L lenses. I was so nervous I dreamt about wedding photography for the whole week before the event!







My website: Kent wedding photographers

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Tuesday, 21 July 2009

Weddings at Willesborough Windmill

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

For further photography-related information check out my tips for photographers.

One from the archives here. A lovely couple called Helen and Dan photographed at Willesborough Windmill near Ashford in June 2006. Shot on 35mm film with my Canon EOS 5 and then digitised! Thank goodness I don't have to do that anymore.




My website: Kent wedding photographers

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Wedding at Canterbury Register Office

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

For further photography-related information check out my tips for photographers.

A selection of photos from Sarah and Anthony's wedding on Saturday at Canterbury Register Office and Elham Village Hall - see their wedding gallery.




















My website: Kent wedding photographers

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Monday, 20 July 2009

Wedding photography in Elham

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

For further photography-related information check out my tips for photographers.


Sarah and Anthony's wedding gallery, shot at Canterbury Registry Office and Elham Village Hall, is now online.

My website: Kent wedding photographers

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Sunday, 19 July 2009

Wedding in Canterbury and Elham

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

For further photography-related information check out my tips for photographers.


I had the pleasure of photographing Sarah and Anthony's wedding yesterday at Canterbury Registry Office and Elham Village Hall. Their wedding gallery will be appearing shortly.

My website: Kent wedding photographers

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Saturday, 18 July 2009

Weddings at the Hythe Imperial

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

For further photography-related information check out my tips for photographers.


I'm currently publishing some old wedding galleries online. Check out Donna and Paul's wedding shot at St John's Church, Folkestone and The Hythe Imperial in November 2007 - their wedding gallery.

My website: Kent wedding photographers

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Wednesday, 15 July 2009

Wedding photography in Ashford

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

For further photography-related information check out my tips for photographers.

A small selection of photos from Emily and Alan's wedding, photographed in Ashford on Saturday - see their online wedding gallery.

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Tuesday, 14 July 2009

Wedding photographers in Ashford

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

For further photography-related information check out my tips for photographers.


Emily and Alan's wedding gallery, photographed at Christ Church Ashford and Aldington Village Hall, is now online.

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Monday, 13 July 2009

Weddings in Ashford

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

For further photography-related information check out my tips for photographers.


I had the pleasure of photographing Emily and Alan's wedding at Christ Church, Ashford and Aldington Village Hall on Saturday. There were a very entertaining couple!

Their wedding gallery will be appearing shortly.

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Thursday, 9 July 2009

A pigeon pair!

My website: Kent Wedding Photographers

For further photography-related information check out my compendium of tips.


All is calm in the Fenwick household so far. Emily has been most welcoming to her new brother Oliver - let's hope it continues for another 20 years!

Just been chatting to one of the neighbours who, upon learning that we have a boy and a girl, said, "Lucky you, a pigeon pair!" I've just Googled the phrase and discovered that people used to believe that pigeons laid two eggs which always hatched to give male and female chicks. How quaint!

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

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Tuesday, 7 July 2009

Wedding photography Bromley

My website: Kent Wedding Photographers

For further photography-related information check out my compendium of tips.

A selection of photos from Emma and Matt's wedding, photographed at The Garden Room, Bromley Civic Centre, and Bromley Football Club on Saturday. See their full wedding gallery.



This is what happens when you photograph a short Scouser!





There was only limited shade in the garden and some big groups to photograph...


...so we had to do them in direct sunlight. Not ideal but sometimes unavoidable. I underexposed by one stop to avoid burning out highlights and then boosted fill light in post-production to reduce shadows.




Back into shade and the caress of soft light!







The light in the reception room was challenging. People's heads were lit but their bodies were in deep shadow. I used a lot of negative exposure compensation to avoid huge over-exposure.









My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

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Monday, 6 July 2009

Wedding photographers in Bromley

My website: Kent Wedding Photographers

For further photography-related information check out my compendium of tips.


Emma and Matt's wedding gallery, photographed in The Garden Room, Bromley Civic Centre, and Bromley Football Club, is now online.

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Sunday, 5 July 2009

Weddings in Bromley

My website: Kent Wedding Photographers

For further photography-related information check out my compendium of tips.


I had the pleasure of photographing Emma and Matt's wedding yesterday in The Garden Room at Bromley Civic Centre followed by the reception at Bromley Football Club. It was a really hot day - don't forget to take plenty of water with you shooting weddings under these conditions!

Their wedding gallery will be appearing shortly.

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

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Friday, 3 July 2009

Oliver James Fenwick has arrived!

My website: Wedding Photographers in Kent

For further photography-related information check out my compendium of tips.

Oliver James Fenwick was born yesterday (Thursday 2nd July 2009) at 19:20 weighing 7lbs and 4ozs (3.3 kg). It was a dash to the hospital in an ambulance - from first minor twinge to birth was just 90 minutes. Second babies don't waste any time exiting!










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Thursday, 2 July 2009

Medway Wedding Photographer

My website: Kent Wedding Photographer

For further photography-related information check out my compendium of tips.

A selection of Kathy and Lee's wedding photographs shot last Saturday at Holy Trinity Church, Twydall and Gillingham Golf Club - see their full wedding gallery.



A really impressive looking church which, alas, is due to be demolished since the upkeep is so costly. The first two images are high dynamic range (HDR), taken handheld.



Ambient exposure -2 stops, flash exposure compensation +1 stop.





No close-up photography was allowed in the church so I sat at the back and used my 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS lens.







The first time I've encountered rain at a wedding in 2009! Not bad going.



Fortunately it was nice and light inside - no difficulties with the group shots.





My website: Kent Wedding Photographer

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Wednesday, 1 July 2009

A summary of my online presence