ExpoDisc Test

Getting the correct while balance can sometimes be a challenge, especially in mixed lighting conditions, and when flash is not being used.
Being partially color blind does not help either.
I decided to get the ExpoDisc neutral filter to help here.
Here you can see tests of the various white balance settings I tested with.  The top picture was taken with the white balance setting set to "Auto".

The second picture was taken with the white balance set to "Tungsten" since the primary light source was a ceiling fan with an incadescent light source.



The final picture was taken with the white balance set to custom and
                                                       using the ExpoDisc to set the custom white balance.

From these results it's clear that the ExpoDisc gives the most accurate white balance setting

Gairloch Gardens

One of my favourite places to shoot is Gairloch Gardens in Oakville.  The place is incredible, beautiful foliage and landscaping.  An extremely well kept and romantic venue.  Perfect for the park formals.  I've only been there once but I am very much looking forward to going back there whenever I can.  It is also a very relaxing place for the couples as well.  Parking is ample and free, traffic to and from there is also nice and not nearly as congested as getting in and out of Toronto.  If you are seeking a venue for either engagement pictures or wedding pictures, Gairloch Gardens should definitely be on your short list.

My Favourite Time of the Year

Every season has it's good and bad points, and there are some parts of every season that I love and that I don't.  Fall, or Autumn if you are so inclined, has to be my overall favourite time of the year.  Why ?  Well, I'm glad you asked - for me, Fall will always mean the start of the something new (yes Fall, not spring for me).  I guess this is because I always equate Fall with the start of the new school year.  An exciting time for me, new beginnings, new hope, and new dreams.

Freak out and Flip-it

For a few years now I've been searching for the perfect go-to light modifier for my speedlite.  I've test drove a few, definitely not an exhaustive list, but enough to get a feel for what I wanted from it.  If I can, I will always choose to use my flash off-camera and shot through a soft box, umbrella, or bounced.  Even on camera, bouncing my flash with a piece of black foam attached to it with a hair tie gives me my best results.  So for the < 5% of the time when there is no where to bounce and I am forced to use my flash on camera, the one modifier that seems to work for me is the Demb Flip-It.  It is still not my preferred way of using flash and I still feel that there is too much direct light hitting the subject leaving the lighting in the final image flat, but I guess you could say it is the lesser of all the flash modifier evils.

Nothing Ventured ...

The first wedding I shot was a dismal failure and horrible disaster ... to me anyways, the bride and groom, on the other hand, loved the pictures. Well, at least that's what they told me.

They knew I had never shot a wedding solo before and that I had only shot as a second shooter / assistant twice before. It was either me, or guest snapshots. In the end, I learned a tremendous amount about wedding photography and I came out with deep respect and admiration for those wedding photographer's that love and care for their craft enough to put their heart into something so incredibly stressful and unforgiving.

It all started with a disposable camera many years ago ... and the result of many bad pictures taken. This set of badly exposed, horribly composed, quickly disposed of pics was the fuel that lit the fire of determination in me. The goal - take a good picture. A picture that would make people stop, grab their attention, make them think, make them feel, stay with them, change their lives in a positive way. Have I reached that goal ? Probably not, but the journey getting there is so much fun !