How to justify buying Mini TTL

Flash being held by the subject's Dad who
graciously helped out after the flash foot
snapped off...

I've been thinking about buying the new PocketWizard TTL remotes for my flashes.  Every other week I will go online and read the reviews again, eventually deciding to wait because they're a little pricey and I have perfectly good Cybersync remotes.  Then something happened yesterday to force my hand (at least that's what I keep telling myself.)

I was shooting a Bar Mitzvah boy on Clearwater Beach.  Normally, my assistant Jodi is along on these sessions but she had a pile of homework so I went solo.  Instead of using a shoot-thru umbrella, I decided to use a Lumiquest III mini-softbox.  The umbrella would just be too dangerous on a semi-windy beach without Jodi there to hold it.  The softbox wouldn't be a problem.

I was wrong about that.

Clearwater beach wedding album - Shephard's

Christa and Mike's wedding album is at the printers.  The wedding was at Shephard's Resort on Clearwater Beach.  It was a great wedding, really fun group of people from Boston and New York.  I remarked several times that I would prefer it if I could just pack away the gear and party!

There were some challenges.  This being Florida in the summer it was very hot of course so by the time I was shooting formals everyone was covered in a shiny layer of perspiration.  There were a lot of distractions in the background but nothing that a little photoshop couldn't fix.  Everyone was a great sport and it was an awesome party (complete with a rowsing rendition of "Sweet Caroline".... BAH, BAH, BAAAHHH!)

New Photography Class

The next series of Booray's Better Pictures Class starts on Sunday, August 29th at 1PM.  There are four classes in all and they will be held every Sunday at the same time for four weeks.  Cost is $35 per class.

The only requirement is a DSLR camera.

Classes will cover composition, aperture, shutter speed, ISO and "tricks of the trade."  Classes are geared toward people who have nice cameras but little knowledge of the fundamentals of photography.  Special emphasis is placed on photographing children.

From a former student:

I have taken many beginner photography courses over the years at USF, St Pete College, and Dunedin Fine Arts Center, to name a few. It was not until I took Booray's Beginner Class that it all clicked! He has such a "real" way of teaching that is so easy to understand!! I have recommended his classes to many people I know as it was some of the best money I've ever spent! I wait with anticipation for more Booray knowledge!!

Class size is limited to just six students so register soon!  Contact booray@boorayperry.com.

Shutter speed and motion explained

My friend and fellow photographer William Porter in Dallas recently wrote a great post about shutter speed and motion.  In my classes I teach beginners about "freezing motion" with shutter speed and how blur can actually be beneficial in some cases.  William does a great job of explaining just how many different things you can achieve by using the right shutter speed to convey motion.  It's worth a read (http://blog.william-porter.net/2010/08/18/horses-in-motion/)

Image copyright William Porter

Clearwater Beach Wedding - Bonnie and Chuck

I just finished sending Bonnie and Chuck's wedding album to the printer.  Fantastic wedding and great images for the album.  We had a hard time deciding on which "beach" images to put in the album because we got so mant great candidates that day.

Bonnie was very involved in the album creation despite being in the middle of a move.  I tried a few new things on this album that really turned out nice: the blurred background, full page shot of the couple at the altar and the sepia toned backgrounds on some of the party pages.

One of the way's that I measure the quality of an album design (besides customer satisfaction) is whether or not I would want a copy for myself, to show prospective clients as an example of my work.  So far, every album I've done this year has been a candidate for "sample status."  I want another sample to add to the two I show now but I'm having a hard time deciding which one to print!

Click "Read more" to see the entire album.  (Clearwater Beach Wedding Photography pictures at http://www.boorayperry.com/)

New Phone Photo Back!

We added a new product to our line this week.  It's a photo skin that's custom made to fit your phone.

This example is actually my personal phone, the new HTC 4G (the geek in me is still drooling...).  This skin covers the back but if I had a phone with room on the front, there would be a skin there too.

http://www.boorayperry.com/

Photoshop CS5 HDR Wedding Image

I started taking HDR (High Dynamic Range) images about a year ago.  At first it was just because I thought it looked cool but then it became more of a tool for taking pictures that otherwise would be impossible.  There are times when you just can't get the look you want with flash or natural light (and times when you're not allowed to use flash) and having HDR at your disposal can really make the difference.  Here in Tampa Bay we are so often faced with incredibly bright sunlight that having HDR can really save an image.

I made the switch to Photoshop CS5 a couple of months ago and I've been impressed overall.  One of the things they did was to make the HDR a little better, although I'm comparing it to CS3 so it may be the same as it was before for you CS4 users.

Tampa Bay Senior Portraits

It's that time again!

School's about to start and it's time for Senior Pictures.  Not only is it time for the Seniors to get their sessions booked, it's also time for the Juniors to sign on and become Senior Models for Booray Perry Photography. (Click here for more details)

The Senior Model Program is open to incoming Juniors, male and female.  We accept applicants from all schools.  If you are accepted into the program you receive a free session and 100 "411" cards with your pictures and our studio info.  Then all you have to do is pass them out to your friends!  Every card that comes back with a session earns you $50 credit toward your own senior pictures and products.

The sooner you sign up the better your chances of being selected since we limit the number of models per school.

Wedding Album from Sand Pearl Resort, Clearwater

Chelsea and Ofir's wedding album arrived today.  I would love to take all the credit for the album but Chelsea was very involved in the design.  We worked well together!

This wedding was one of the few that I have photographed where the bride and groom agreed to see each other before the ceremony.  This extra time without all the distractions of friends and family allowed us to really produce a lot of stunning images.  We ended up adding three extra pages to the album!

I've been asked to feature this wedding in a magazine.  I don't want to jinx it so I'll wait to release the details...  :)

Photographer Spotlight: Hampton Roads wedding photographer John Cachero

If you happen to know anyone getting married in Hampton Roads, Va., be sure and meet with wedding photographer John Cachero.  Hampton Roads is Norfolk, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.  I was born there.  :)

John's a great photographer, very natural in his look and feel.  One of the things that I like about his work is that he seems to be able to move seemlessly between different styles, which can be tricky.  There are a lot of photographers who stick to just one style and I always admire the ones who can move from off-camera flash to bounce to natural light smoothly.  I think it opens up a lot more options for you when you are trying to create something special.  I've often said that the word that best describes my style is "improvisational" and I think that John is a kindred spirit.

So, if you're planning a wedding in the greater Hampton Roads area of Virginia (Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, etc.), you should contact John Cachero Photography.

Here's a few samples of his work: