Have gotten a few inquiries about Canon SLRs and 50d in particular, from those considering or who have recently purchased one. So I decided to share a few of my thoughts on this amazing machine with everyone.

1.) Practice your photog skills to perfection with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM prime which all the greats use, and produces beautiful out-of-focus backgrounds due to its shallow depth-of-field. Most kit zoom lenses can make you lazy and usually is quite slow (unless you pay a lot of extra money for a faster zoom) and often produce images of sub-par quality, especially in low light. An excellent quality zoom for the 50d that won’t break the bank is the Tamron AF 17-50mm F/2.8 SP XR Di II VC.

2.) Use Auto ISO – because it works extremely well on the 50d and it’s one less thing you need to worry about in 80% of shooting situations. However, to produce the cleanest (noise free) images make sure you are shooting at ISO 800 or less. Unless you like that really grainy, gritty look for artistic effect, then shoot at 1600 or higher, but focusing can be difficult in low light so you might need to manual focus, itself a fine art.

3.) Perhaps the main reason anybody buys a 50d instead of the EOS Rebel T2i its speed. Your 50d comes with a whopping 6.3 frames per second, twice as fast as the T2i, which is quite nice for action shots, kids or anything on the move that is important to get right so don’t be afraid to occassionaly set this puppy on multi-exposure setting and take a bunch of captures in short burst. But don’t overuse this, because you will end up wasting a lot of disk space and spending a lot of time asking whether this or that image is best.

4.) One of the biggest mistakes amateur photographers make is producing under exposed images. So commit to learning Manual mode, Aperture priority, Shutter priority, EV compensation or all of the above. Getting images properly exposed in the camera makes for editing, sharing and printing your photos a lot more enjoyable. This also means avoiding extreme lighting conditions, or extreme variations in lighting E.g. where there is extremely bright and really dark areas in your viewfinder.

5.) To really take advantage of the 50d, you need to learn about RAW image capture and how to fine tune RAW conversions in your favorite photo editing software such as Adobe Lightroom (my favorite) or Photoshop Elements, which is also a good choice. Shooting in RAW produces the largest files for which to base a master file for printing, and is an excellent capture mode for landscapes or formal portraits. RAW capture will give you about 2 stops protection in either over or under exposure, which you compensate for in RAW conversion process. The 50d also allows you to capture a RAW+Jpeg so you can save the RAW as a permanent archive, and get straight to the Jpeg to share online with friends, and if you practiced all of the above and use follow your creative vision, you will capture Jpeg images that are excellent prints up to 16×20.

6.) Keep the camera in “Evaluative metering” mode. It makes the best use of pre-defined exposure settings that are programmed into your camera in most shooting situations. Explore other exposure modes at your risk; there are some scenes (like black tux and white wedding dress) that are better suited to center-weighted or spot exposures, but unless you are planning on becoming a pro, the Evaluative metering mode is your best bet.

7.) There are many different preset picture styles that come with the 50d, such as standard, portait, Landscape, neutral, faithful and monochrome. If you are shooting RAW, none of these settings really matter, but if you are shooting RAW+Jpeg or Jpeg mode, then select a shooting mode to suit your taste. I prefer the Neutral or Faithful mode as it renders colors closest to reality. I then set to adjust saturation, hue, constrast, etc… in Lightroom in post-edit session.

8.) If you get into shooting with a Canon Speedlight, you are in for a real treat because the 50d has a great Auto-Mode and a very fast 1/8000th of second sync speed. For most non-pro photographers, using Flash can be hit or miss because it’s so easy to misuse. For example, it’s nice to use a flash when taking pictures of people in sunlight because it prevents eye sockets from going dark. And balancing flash with natural light takes practice, but once you get the hang of it will dramatically improve your photography. If you want to use your Speedlight and take professional looking pictures, buy a Lightsphere Collapsible by Gary Fong.

So I hope you didn’t expect “50 Tips for shooting with Your New 50D” because nobody would every read, let alone remember 50 great tips. These 8 tips are practical as they are challenging, and you will likely spend many months (and hopefully years) ahead practising and improving the same basics over and over. There are never really any advanced moves or secrets to taking great pictures, but basic moves executed with vision and foresight.

On a final note, you probably know that I have been a very happy 40d and 50d owner until one day this past Spring I decided it was getting too much of a chore to take out all my equipment and lug around for casual and social shooting situations. Thus the humor in my friend Bryan Dormaier’s question at a 15 year reunion “Where are your lenses and shit?” I laughed so loud, I was nearly in stitches! So Bryan, FYI… I don’t carry them anymore since I traded down for a Canon S90, which is by far easier to carry around and is easier to grab casual photos which are perfect for what I want to do with them. On the downside, as great they can be, smaller cameras are much easier to steal, be treated like a plastic toy or drop into a toilet by your 2 year old.

All the products I mentioned can be found in the Photography section of My Favorite Things.

Good luck shooting, and I will look forward to seeing your photos online!

Over the past 1 1/2 years I have had the great pleasure of writing a column on website management for Rangefinder Magazine, a popular periodical worldwide for the professional photographer.  Lately I have not been able to contribute at the same pace which I started writing my column, but nonetheless the new articles will come.  My latest article in the November Issue just appeared, and though the editors missed the emphasis on website performance in the title, this article is all about high performance websites.  Why do I need one?  How do I get one?  Who else is doing it?  All important questions to be asking yourself about now as you head into a new year of business in photography. 

Another item of interest that the editors missed (My notes, which were supposed to be printed but weren’t) is the fact that my colleague Gabriel Paez was a key contribute to this month’s articles, providing the technical reviews of the websites showcased in the article.  I owe much of the credit to Gabe.  He was the Flash developer for Coffeehouse Photography website, and is a truly talented professional in this area.  Thanks, Gabe!

So here’s the link if you are interested in reading it.  Post your comments on my Facebook Wall, or shoot me an email.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

http://www.stevetout.com/articles/high-performance-websites-reviews.php

Thanks for all the kind feedback about the latest Rangefinder article on securing your images for online portolios and online proofing. 

Frequently in interviews and computer science classes the rhetorical question gets asked, “Would Windows be so successful if it was more secure from the start?”  I think that’s a great question, one deserving more contemplation rather than declaring abolsutely whether it’s true or not.  If Windows was more secure, would it have been user friendly enough for adoption by the masses?  (UAC annoyances anyone?)  Of course now that Windows is on practically every desk and lap in the world, there is a bit more to worry about if we don’t address the security issues.

Now, I wonder if there are any parallels to the way photographers share their images online.  What is there to be afraid of?  Are you afraid of the embarassment that others will poke fun that your work isn’t relevant or compelling?  Are you afraid that someone might get away without paying for a couple hacked up 5×7 prints?  Are you afraid that your clients will get mad if their images are passed around online without their permission? 

Well then, start by addressing all your fears one by one instead of going the opposite extreme and locking them down tight.  Stop using gaudy borders and don’t watermark your images to death.  Take away all of the distracting elements and let a person focus on the quality and crafstmanship of your photography.  Go to a couple workshops to improve your digital imaging or photographic skills and get yourself inspired!  Make sure your clients know in advance that you own the copyright to your images (of them) and that you may at your own discretion use the work in a public forum for portfolio and publicity of your photography business.  Restrictions in usage rights due to model release and negotations for privacy should be an exception rather than the rule if you are to keep your business moving forward.  Because if you can’t show your work, you can’t sell your services as a photographer.

So lighten up on your heavy handed use of watermarks and JavaScript to lock down your images. Really spend the time to think about how you can turn your strategy upside down by creating business oportunities through the way your images are displayed and shared online. 

Here’s a little somthing for all my photographer friends and Profitable Website Management fans out there.  I took a couple months break from my regular column for Rangefinder Mag. but I’m back, and this time I have combined two subjects near and dear to me, a smashup if you will.  Web security, web management and photography websites.  So in my June column I dive into some issues facing pretty much every working photographer today who takes their business online.

Here’s the link for ya.  (It links to the Rangefinder article, so you can trust where the PDF link comes from.)

http://www.stevetout.com/articles/web-security-for-photographers.php

Special thanks to contributing photographers who graciously allowed me to use beautiful images from their portfolio.  Kenny Kim, The Photographers, Cheryl Savan and Corey Hilz. 

Also, stay tuned, as I am currently collaborating with an Sr. Flash Developer with guru status on the Top 5 performance grading criteria for Flash Websites for photographers, and with evaluations of some of the top vendors specializing in websites for photographers.  You’ll have to wait for further details.

I hope you enjoy.  Please feel free to leave your comments on the article here in my blog, or you can share your horror stories with me at HowSecureAmI@stevetout.com. 

Hey Everyone,

Heads up…. Yet another article just appeared on the Rangefinder Website a couple days ago.  This time I share my thoughts on the Top 3 Priorities for website updates for 2009.  You may not get the print copy before WPPI so I wanted to make sure you had a chance to read it before this weekend.  If you are like me you are super busy and have a lot on your plate, so to simplify things I reduce your website management to 3 essential ingredients.  If you can do these three things well you will be ahead of the pack, and your results will speak for themselves. 

So here is a link to the article.  Please do me a favor and add this link to your favorite social bookmarks and let all your friends know about if (if you dig it)

http://www.stevetout.com/articles/update-your-website.php

Also just want to give props to Grant and Deb, their awesome website and allowing me to share their work with everyone who reads my column.  If you want to explore their site further, visit them at http://www.grantdeb.com 

It’s not too late to nominate your favorite photography website for one of my upcoming articles on Best Of Photography Websites, Spring 2009 Edition.  Send your nomination to bestof@stevetout.com or post your info here.

Have a great time at WPPI this year everyone!!!

Cheers!

Do you or someone you know have really sweet photography website?  I’m working on another feature article that will appear in Rangefinder Magazine this spring to showcase the Best Photography Website on the planet, along with two honorable mentions (selected and personally reviewed by me!)

Rules: 

1. Must be a professional photography website.  (No vendors, forums or dog groomers allowed)
2. Must be submitted by Feb16th to be considered
3. Must have permission to interview the website owner (via email)
4. Must provide full name and contact info of the Website owner

That’s it!  Yes, you may nominate your own site (although it’s way cooler if someone does this part for you) so don’t be bashful.

Post your submission here in my blog comments or email your submission to bestof@stevetout.com – Please tell me all the reasons why the Website is cool along with your post.

You will have to read Rangefinder Magazine this spring to find out who the winner is.  If you are interested, you can look at the Fall 2008 Best Of article that ran way back in September to get an idea of what you are in for.

I can hardly wait to review all your submissions, so keep the nominations coming!

Thanks!

One of my all-time favorite wedding & portrait photographers, Marcus Bell, just announced his new blog.  Is it a coincidence that I recently wrote an article on blogging awhile back, and now Marcus has a new blog that’s off the hook?  I know it’s probably been in the works for awhile, and its wishful thinking that someone of Marcus’s caliber (one of Austrailia’s top 3 photographers) would be reading my articles.

I don’t know about you, but I especially enjoyed looking at all his personal favorite photos, and also a ton of free e-seminars that Marcus gave, and there are links to them on his blog. 

I’m working on a writing project right now that talks about how accessible top notch information is today for those wishing to go pro, and at such an unprecedented rate.  The line between information “haves” and “have nots” is disappearing…  Creativity, imagination, ambition and suave personal skills are the key ingredients to reaching remarkable levels of success in the photography industry, and that is what will separate the wannabes from the diehards.  It’s the diehards that can bring us average joe to tears with the single click of the shutter, and that’s who I want to shoot my family’s portraits.

Anyways, Marcus has amazing images, and is a photographer’s photographer.  He wrote an amazing book a little over a year ago, and now has a blog that takes his personal work for photogaphers to the next level. I hope you check these out and use them to get inspired and work hard at being great.

Molly climbed into a chair in our bedroom this morning all by herself, and refused to get out of it.  She stayed there for almost 30 minutes being as cute as she could be.  With the natural light from a nearby window like a giant white box, and with Molly wearing a cute little outfit that Grandma bought for her birthday it quickly dawned on me that this was a great photo moment.

Downloaded to my computer and had a real quick adjustment in Lightroom with very little changes required because the exposure (Manual, f/2.2 at 1/60th and 800iso) was perfect.  Uploaded to my Website using Lightroom’s Web Module.

2008 Senior, Joss, is a sweet young lady who loves marine biology, and she doesn’t know it but is an absolute delight to take pictures of.  This is the first senior shoot that we have done at Coffeehouse, and we couldn’t have a better, more patient model.  We got outside and started shooting away when no sooner the sun came out to warm our skin and made the fall colors in Poulsbo, Washington pop with brilliance.  We started on Courtnee’s property under an apple tree, and ended the shoot at Brownsville Marina. The day was so perfect that I had to open the top on my Z4… pout. pout.

You can view her PicturesPro.com Photocart here or her IntoTheDarkRoom.com slideshow here. 

Let us know what you think! 

Greetings, photographer friends –

This post includes samples of my own work, a special offer and awesome ideas to inspire and inform you all about the brave new world of blogging for pro photographers.  First of all, this is a blog post to share the work from a recent wedding.  While I could have spent hours developing the software to provide the same great services, thanks to Into The Darkroom’s Slide Show Max, it couldn’t have been easier to set up and share my favorite images with the bride and groom and their guests.

The folks over at Into The Dark Room have created a new offering to help pro photographers easily and affordably get hooked up with a custom blog for their website.  Their new product, HyperLyte, comes with Twitter integration, a Flash Header, and tons of room for large images. An add-on for HyperLyte, BlogShow (which is currently in Beta) helps you show off large photos without abusing your customer’s poor scroll bar. BlogShow (Beta) oozes efficiency providing more interactivity and less wasted bandwith.   Contact anyone on the ITDR sales team and ask about the HyperLyte special offer for readers of my column.

 To make this blog post even more valuable, here is an online preview of my upcoming Rangefinder column on blogging applications.  If you are considering ways to jump start your blogging strategy or just get a different perspectives on an existing one, I think you will enjoy reading my October column.  As always, I love hearing from you and if you would like, do share your comments on the article here in this blog post (which means click to comment below)

http://www.stevetout.com/articles/blogging-applications-for-photographers.php

Happy blogging!