Not My Idea

Always Give The Client What They Ask For

I pride myself on originality. I avoid replicating images that other people have taken. There are exceptions in my portfolio - I have stood beside hoards of other photographers while talking photos of the Golden Gate Bridge at dusk, for instance. - But most of the time, I am looking to make my own unique composition, an image that no one else has thought of let alone taken. This is my creed as a photographer.

That said, when working with clients, we have to do our best to give them what they ask for. When a wedding couple takes the time to put together a Pinterest collection of the photos that they want for their wedding, you'd have to be a lazy bum or a selfish idiot to ignore that request.

Bouquet On The Ground

These clients brought a fascinating image to my attention. It was a photo of the bride's bouquet on the grass with the bride and groom embracing in the background in a soft blur. 

I practiced the shot ahead of time to make sure that my setting would be correct. When you're photographing a wedding, you don't have time to work out the technical details of complicated shots. You have to keep moving and shooting continuously.

On the day of the wedding, despite the rapid fire pace and a long shot list to fulfill, I managed to set this one up and squeeze it off in about a minute, lights included. It pays to be prepared.

The composition is very similar to the shot that they showed me on Pinterest. Do I feel badly about that? No. It's what the client wanted, and I delivered it along with nearly a thousand high-quality images from the day. This is one of the shots that they wanted, and today they have it in their wedding album.

To the person who came up with this idea, thank you! It's a beautiful composition. Please consider my rendering a flattering compliment and realize that you made another young couple very happy when I turned your idea into a reality for them.

Until next time, be prepared, and always give the client what they ask for.


Camera: Nikon D810
Lenses:  AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 G

Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.


Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved

The Camera Doesn't Make The Picture

Confessions Of A Gear Head

I love camera gear. 

I love to use cameras and lenses. I love to experiment with them. I love to hold them in my hands. 

I browse rumor sites every week in search of information about upcoming gear. I'm curious about the features the next generation will offer.

It's fun to think about gear. It's free and harmless pastime (as long as you don't reach for your wallet). Unfortunately, it's also a waste of time. 

(Does that sound harsh, especially coming from a self-proclaimed gear head?) 

Here is the basic premise of my argument: Cameras and lenses don't make pictures; photographers do. Gear makes the process possible, but it doesn't deliver the final result. 

A good camera can improve the quality of the final image in critical ways, but it has to be operated by someone with skill and taste. Machines don't make photographs, and you don't need an expensive camera to take good pictures.

Occupy Wall Street - Zuccotti Park - New York (2011)

Browse a photo-sharing website. Pick ten or twelve extraordinary images at random. It's tempting to think that the finest gear was used to create those images, but that isn't always the case.

I'll bet that some of those shots were taken with modest gear.

If you'd like to take this sampling experiment further, do a search on expensive, top-tier cameras. Don't be surprised if you find some uninteresting and underwhelming photos in that batch. 

The gear doesn't make the picture.

Full disclosure: I do own some nice camera gear, but if I took even my best camera and lens outside, dialed in random settings, and pointed them in random directions, I wouldn't come back with many keepers. 


Good photographs require three inputs from the photographer.

1. Time and Energy

You have to be out there taking pictures, scouting for settings and subjects, experimenting with light and composition. You can't build a portfolio sitting on your couch dreaming about which lens to buy.

2. Vision

What are you going to shoot? What light will you choose? How will you place your subject in the frame? What do you want the viewer to experience when they look at your image?

3. Technique

You're out there. You've selected your subject, the setting and the light. Now you need to execute. How can you get the most out of your gear while you have this opportunity?

It's all about you, my friends. It's all about you. No go out and shoot something.


Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lenses:  Canon ES 24-105mm f/4L IS

Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.


Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved

Bubblegum Factory

Things To Do With A Camera When Your Wife Isn't Looking

Bubblegum Factory

Just don't get caught! And if you do, it wasn't my idea. ;-)


Camera: Nikon D810
Lens:     Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G ED

Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.


Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved

Street Vendor At Sunset

Better Late Than Never

It's been several years since I took this photo, but I remember the evening well. The weather was warm (August), and I remember thinking that I had arrived too late. The light was fading rapidly. Conditions might have been better fifteen or twenty minutes earlier.

Shooting from the other side of 34th Street, I used a 70-200mm telephoto lens to isolate the subject. I composed the shot and then waited through two cycles of the traffic lights for the street to be free of vehicles. When the break in the traffic came, I made fourteen exposures rapid succession as pedestrians walked into and out of the frame.

Street Vendor At Dusk

Thinking back, I couldn't remember if I had used a tripod for this shot. Normally, I wouldn't in these conditions. The sidewalk was crowded, and I didn't the guy in the food card to think that I was being a nuisance. But when I look at the composition, it seems nicely balanced. I thought that perhaps I had set the camera on a tripod and composed the shot methodically.

I checked, and sure enough, no tripods were used (or injured) during the making of this photograph. Minor variations from frame to frame indicated that I had been shooting handheld. With a tripod, every shot in a series will be framed uniformly.

Out of the fourteen exposures, I chose this one primarily because of the man's gesture. We see him raising his hand expressively as he speaks with a customer. This small detail adds life and dimension to the image.

Gestures are difficult to capture because they are difficult to predict. Sometimes, you can tune into the flow of a conversation and predict when things might happen - a hug, a laugh, etc. In this case, I was dealing with a silhouetted figure from across a wide and busy street. I couldn't hear the conversation, and I could see his shape only from the back. 

What was the secret to capturing this gesture? Well, there was some luck. He did it when I was there in position and ready to shoot. It was just a matter of observing the frame and acting when things happened (or when people got out of the way). When I saw the man's hand go up, I didn't hesitate.

Fortune smiles on us when we're ready, but it won't happen unless you're out there in position with a camera in your hand, observing your surroundings closely.

(This image is featured in my Summer In New York collection.)


Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lenses:  Canon ES 70-200mm f/4L IS

Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.


Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved

London Eye At Sunset

Changeable Skies

The English refer to their weather as changeable. True to this description, the weather offers a variety of lighting possibilities for photography. A gray, rainy morning can give way to dramatic combinations of sun and clouds in the afternoon. 

London Eye At Sunset

I took this photo some years ago during one of the most impressive bursts of color that I have ever seen in the skies over London. It's not as dreary a place as you may have been led to believe!

I always enjoy traveling in the UK. I'm quite keen on returning to London for more photographic adventures under changeable skies.


Camera: Nikon D700
Lenses:  AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 G

Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.


Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved

The Gorgeous Light Of Summer

A Fleeting Season

Summer, our most welcome friend, you come to late and you leave us all too quickly!

We look forward to your long days of bounteous clear light. Why do you have to take them back and hoard them for another dark and bitter winter.

Red Fire Escape With Planters - New York City

Oh, Summer, please do hurry back for another extended visit! We so enjoy your company!


Camera: Nikon D810
Lenses:  Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 G

Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.


Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved

The Wedding Dress

The Primary Accessory

Brides-to-be invest more time, effort, and stress in the search for the right wedding dress than on any other component of their wedding day preparations. 

When she stands up in front of her family, friends, officiant, and her future husband, she's going to want to make an impression. The dress plays a big role in that impression.

The hanging dress photo is very important. It should be as unique as the dress itself. It should capture the personality the bride along with the unique vibe of the venue. You'll probably have only a minute or two to make it all come together.

The dress pictured above is from a wedding with a distinctive country theme. The rough wood contrasts with the silky material and fine details of the dress while reinforcing the feel of being in a country setting. Side lighting from a large, open door highlights the textures in the dress's decorative elements.

Bottom line, if you can capture a sharp and uniquely meaningful photo of the dress, the bride will treasure it forever. 


Camera: Nikon D810
Lenses:  AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 G

Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.


Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved