I get lotsa e-mails asking me about specific things regarding my business, gear, editing, etc. So, I thought a random FAQ post might be fun. I hope that this helps at least one person in some small way. : ) Happy Thursday y’all!
What gear do you use?
Here’s a fairly good idea of my gear…
- Canon 5D Mark II
- Canon 5D
- Canon 40D
- 70-200L 2.8 IS
- 50mm 1.4
- 17-50mm 2.8
- 100mm 2.8 Macro
- Pocket Wizards TT1 and TT5
- Alien Bee 800
- Gary Fong lightspheres
- 580EX Flash
- 430EX Flash
What is your favorite lens?
- Hands down my 70-200L 2.8 IS
What editing software do you use?
- Light Room for all proofing
- CS3 for all final edits
Do you shoot RAW or Jpeg?
- RAW
What mode do you shoot in?
- Manual
Do you use a lot of actions?
- I wish that I could say yes to justify all of the money that I have spent on actions but the honest answer is no. Overtime I have developed a personal workflow to keep my images consistent in post processing and I pretty much stick to that all of the time.
How do you get that bokeh that I see in your images?
- I shoot wide open pretty much…always. Unless I have multiple subjects in my shot. I search for “layered backgrounds” and shimmering light.
Do you sharpen for web?
- No. I just run a web frame action that I have to resize my images for my Blog and that’s it.
Do you dial in a focal point or allow the camera to choose?
- I always dial in my focal point. I try to stick with the center but sometimes it is impossible and then I choose an alternative focal point.
When do you use flash?
- Hardly ever. Well…let me rephrase that. When shooting outside you would rarely catch me using flash (NOT to say that my way is correct…just MY way). I prefer to search for the best possible natural light conditions. I use flash at all of my evening receptions.
I am excited to share with you my sisters wedding published in this months issue of Jacksonville Magazine! You can also find me quoted in the March issue of PPA’s Professional Photographer Magazine on pages 30 and 31 in regards to my experience at this years Imaging USA. I encourage all professional photographers to attend Imaging USA next year! It is guaranteed to be a learning palooza coupled with valuable networking opportunities and of course some incredibly fun times! I hope to see you there!
awesome as always Dawn :)
Thanks so much for sharing your info! Still saving my DD (Dawn Dollars) in hopes of taking one of your day with Dawn Workshops.
thanks for always being so open and honest!!
Thanks for the info Dawn. I come back to this page often to find references for accessories so that I can fine tune my wish list. In doing my research I like to know what works well for others that I know personally. As always I appreciate you sharing your knowledge with us.