Some things in life just stand the test of time. An old Rolex. Men’s white dress shirts. Coke. etc. Designs that just don’t really need to be improved upon.

Today, people look more and more for automation. They want a flash to think for them. Over time, I have learned that is good to keep things simple with less moving parts. I love ttl, or “Through the lens” flash, but those $550 flash units are complex. For example, I was shooting a wedding last week. Lighting was poor indoors so I was forced to use my Nikon SB-900 speed light. Well, it was great until this expensive marvel of design decided to just shut down on me. It beeped in the middle of an important shot and then said “I’m done.” Too hot. It needed a rest. Lovely.

Enter the Vivitar 285-HV. This beast was released in the mid-1970s. The re-release is 99% the same, but uses < 6 volts to avoid frying the hotshoe. I love this damn flash and I have a couple of them. Unlike the $550 SB-900 prima donna, this tank does nothing but throw light…and does it well. There is absolutely no automation. No motor. No ttl. Nothing. No internal thermostat to shut down in the middle of a shoot. It gets hot, it fires. It will fire until the batteries are drained, and then fire some more. It is big. It is ugly. If Charlton Heston carried a flash, he would have carried a 285-HV.

I typically use this flash off camera triggered wirelessly, but it will do the job mounted as well. I usually put this unit on a stand with a pocket wizard, maybe 1/4 power, and it fires all night. I can get some wonderful dance floor shots without spending more than $89.00. If it breaks, just buy another. Buy 5 for the price of 1 fancy speed light. It is a workhorse though and I have not had any problems with it so far. It is also pretty powerful and recycle times are pretty impressive with Powerex 2700 mAh batteries.

I will still use my SB-900 mounted on camera, only because it saves me time. During a wedding I rely on speed and it is more important to not miss a "moment." If speed is not a factor, this $89.00 flash will light a scene just fine. Some people are fearful of manual flash. But, it is critical to learn. If I did not understand lighting then I would have had a really tough time when my other unit shut down. Yes, you can buy more back-ups, but my answer to that is "Really?" Learn essentials of lighting and you will be a much better 'Tog. (and save a lot of money)

I admit, this is certainly an acquired taste. I am sure there will be some that will look at this first photo and think that I can’t take a picture. What is this guy doing with a camera? LOL. Who knows, maybe they’re correct and I should stick to my day job. However, photography is “Art.”

Every halfway decent photographer that charges money can take a properly exposed photo. That is not hard. What is hard is to create an image that actually provokes some level of emotion. I found a little strip of sun amidst a dark forest and underexposed this shot. This let the main subject be the sun. The 2 little girls are part of the scene, but not portrayed in a typical fashion. Does it work? For me it does. There is a dark moody quality to this otherwise average picture.

I try to do this with my wedding and family shots. I will never book as many weddings as the average ‘tog that shoots every Saturday and Sunday. That is not my goal. I want to create an eclectic mix of artistic images that provoke some sort of mood.

Here is another.

Just be different. -Chris

This is probably my favorite photograph. That is a big statement since I have terabytes of photos saved. Why is this photo so great? Well, because it just happened. Maybe it is not technically amazing (whatever that means). I do not even remember the camera settings. These are my 2 children. The lighting was just perfect. Sun was setting. They were having fun. I think it says a lot. Big sister leading the way for her younger sibling. Love. A precious moment. It is great because I was there. I was able to capture a moment that means something. I will always look back and remember this day. That is what makes it a great photograph. It took me a long time to figure that out.

Nothing much to add to my blog in awhile. Too busy being a dad! Shots like this in a super dark room make me appreciate technology and the freedom to shoot with ease at ISO 4000 or greater. My little gal playing the violin. So proud!

My little one dressed as “Brave.” I love fall.

Lori and Matt were married at the Kinney Bungalow in Narragansett, RI. I love this shot. Take a look at my main site for more images.

http://chrisbilodeauphotography.com

Ask any pro why they choose the body they use and one of the first things you will hear is durability. Before I ever shot my first paid gig, I treated my gear like it was fine China. Well, after awhile you realize that the difference between getting a shot and letting one slip away is just “being there.” That means sometimes your gear gets banged up. However, I never expected my Nikon D3 to survive getting driven over by a car! …I cannot say the same for the lens

I was recently shooting a wedding and someone accidentally drove over my gear. They destroyed my 70-200 f/2.8 (what a horrible sound). My D3 was pulled and dragged under the car as the lens was trying to tear off the body. I caught the tail end of the incident, only to watch in horror as I lost over $4,000 worth of camera gear. The lens is now a sad looking paper weight. To my shock and surprise, I picked up the D3 and it still worked. Sure, it is pretty banged up, but it was actually able to limp to the end of the night and allow me to finish the wedding with both camera bodies.

D3 Damage Report:

1. Nasty Road Rash, I mean chunks of Magnesium Alloy are still left on the ground.
2. The F-Mount has slightly torn away from the body on the right (causing slight blur on that side shooting wide unless I compensate with an aperture of around f/7.1)
3. The Shutter Release/on-off system is a little whacked. I can tap it and it turns on. Thankfully, it stays on!
4. The Aperture wheel is a little tighter than before.

Other than that, it can still be used…at least until I have Nikon repair it. I mean, it works, but that is a loose definition.

Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8 Damage Report:

DESTROYED

Overall, this is a testament to Nikon’s professional gear. Any other camera body would probably be in pieces. Sure, it has some serious battle scars. But, it will live to fight another day! Yes, I did lose over $2,000 and I still have to pay Nikon to repair the D3 so it is operating at 100%. But, the important thing was that I was able to finish the wedding. I was paid to do a job and, as a pro, you are expected to complete the shoot. The Bride and Groom deserve nothing less. The D3 allowed me to complete the job. This is why I will remain loyal to Nikon, even more than before.

Thank you Nikon. Thank you for making gear that actually lives up to the expectations people have, and then some.

http://chrisbilodeauphotography.com

-Chris

I love off-camera flash. Here is a little example of a shot that is so easy to get…and packs an “emotional” punch. I am 20 feet away from the speed light on a monopod with SB-900 held by an assistant. I am shooting directly at the light with the couple in the middle. You can actually see the speed light in this photo (top left). It creates a lovely haze. Simple and effective.

Ok, so I have not posted in awhile. Why? Well, I have had little to say. The camera world is quiet since the release of the D4 and D800. The light leak issue of the Canon MK III has been solved with electrical tape (LOL). The weather is nice and I have been shooting. Here is a photo of a lovely couple from a Maternity Shoot I did yesterday. I had a great time and made some new friends.

You can see more photos on my main site. -Chris

Over the years, as I have progressed as a photographer, I see more and more photos posted online that look the same. Why? Because people rely too much on 2 things. Safe light (or open shade) and/or on-camera flash. Below is an example of a photo that is more interesting than it should be. Why, because of the dimension and light. The whole feeling of the photo is changed because I used the harsh window light to make for a more interesting composition.

Here we have a photo of my whacky daughter, obsessed with Dora, and for some reason wearing a diaper on her head. Ok, I know, kind of strange. But, I do have a point.

To get her face properly exposed, I had to over-expose the scene. Now, when I was a rookie to photography, I would have been afraid to leave AUTO mode. I never would have been able to get an image like this. Today, there are 2 ways to achieve this. Aperture Priority or Manual mode. In this case, I was in Aperture Priority at f/2.8. The key is to take the dumb camera meter out of the equation. Why? The meter would read all this light around the subject and speed up the shutter. The result, you would get a decently exposed overall scene with a very dark face. So, by over-exposing by EV +1.7, I certainly blew out the back a bit (I could dodge/burn it back), but I kept the face exposed and maintained the cool looking light falling on the subject. I like it.

Some might say, well, why not make it easy and just use fill-flash. Sure, you can do that. But, you would be left with a flash boring photo of my daughter wearing a diaper on her head. Fill-flash washes out the subject and scene. There is a time and place for it, sure. When I need a “safe” shot then I might use some fill. But, when I am trying to create art, no way.

-Chris