I went out and bought a backpack a while back, one that looks just like a backpack, it even has regular pockets and pouches and zippers like a backpack. The important part is this backpack LOOKS just like a normal ol' backpack... but it's not. It's a camera bag. If you turn this backpack over you'll see that it a has this top secret little compartment for my camera. It's a camera bag. Yep, every single day, almost every where I go, I pack my DSLR around. I've gotten very very good at hiding it so it doesn't look like I have it. Bags, coats, my girlfriend's purses (haha), they all are have had my camera hidden in them. Some friends have asked why I go to such efforts to hid my camera? Well because I don't wanna look like a photo-nerd! (Na, really I'm just paranoid and if my camera got stolen my life would practically be over.) 

Summer nights. Yep. That's pretty much all I have to say for tonight. I miss warm evening going out shooting around sunset. I miss the warm clear summer nights when I head up the canyons and can see millions of stars. I miss the fairs and festiveness around the holidays. It rained this afternoon (in January I know!), and I love rain... summer rain anyway... and that rain made me miss summer. Hopefully it comes soon-ish. Some green trees and flowers on the hillsides would be nice.

Here is some from last summer;

I've been going through editing my images from a wedding last week, boy I have a lot of images to get through! I'm really quite new to the wedding photography business (having done less than ten weddings in the past year), and being quite new I learn loads each time I go. My hope is that I will continue to learn loads at each one for as long as I am able to shoot them. I've learned a few things while shooting them and thought I'd share for any of you aspiring wedding photographers out there. Remember, I'm new too, this is just my two cents on the learning curve I'm having.

Tip 1: Slow Down! My first wedding I shot thousands and thousands of images. If anything happened I'd just hold down the shutter button and fire away! I filled up four 32gb SD cards during the day. First, you don't NEED that many images, nor does anybody WANT that many (even the bride!). Second, you're just wasting more time later to go through and edit out the THOUSANDS of bad ones. Third and most important: you're better than that! Slow down, THINK, frame, light, walk around, change the angle you're viewing form. Ya know, be a photographer, not Uncle Joe with a high speed DSLR. Each wedding I've shot I've slowed more and more and shot less images and been much happier with them. Calm down, you'll get all the images you need, take your camera off burst mode. Now.

Tip 2: Communicate: I recently was at a wedding and I knew the bride very well before the wedding day rolled around. I'd shot engagements, bridals and been in contact with her (and the groom, of course) over months of time. This has a lot of advantages: the couple is more comfortable with you and will relax in front of the camera;  you have a better relationship on the wedding day so they trust you when you give them directions, but most of all, you know what THEY expect and want. This day sure as heck ain't about you, it really isn't even about the images -though they are very important. This day is about the couple, make sure you what they need of you. Back to this wedding I was at, they had hired a videographer to shoot the day as well.  I showed up to the reception an hour early to shoot with the couple (which is quite common for me), and the videographer wasn't there. They asked me if I had spoken and knew is (s)he was coming. I unfortunately hadn't, so we began shooting with the bride slightly flustered the videographer wasn't there. Over an hour later the videographer walks in after the reception had started and just starts shooting. Nobody said anything to him/her but they immediate family was not very happy with the lack of communication and knowledge on the behalf of the videographer. Talk with them, know where you need to be, WHEN you need to be there and what they expect at each location they have hired you for.

Tip 3: Be sociable. One of my favorite things about wedding photography is the people you meet. I love portrait photography because you meet so many people, but at a wedding you meet LOADS of them! Each person there is great to talk to. Work the crowds and family members and get to know their names so you can get better images of them. Know the parents and family and make sure you include them in lots of the images.

Tip 4: Details, Details Details. Girls, you already do this and can stop reading. Guys, girls want this. The cake, the shoes, the cookies, the bows and ribbons, the lace on her dress, the flowers, the presents, the lights, the hair, the ties and tuxes, the table cloths, the dress, the sign in booklet, the chair backings, and centerpieces and drinks and bar and car decorations, food, dressing room, pictures, yard, inside, outside, under and around. Get everything. They bought or rented all those cutesy little thing to put EVERYWHERE. Capture it all. I don't know why they do it, but just save it for them.

Yep, in my VAST experience in wedding photography, that's my top 4 things for you (with little things inside). Maybe I should give tips on light painting next time, I'm a lot better at that.

Well the image from today is one of those little things at a wedding, well... it's a big little thing from last week.

Alright, Cache Valley is terrible! I can't stand haze and inversion right now, it makes for some not so pretty skies and pictures. Well today I decided to drive up the canyon and then hike until I lost the haze for some photos. I wanted to attempted some into the sun HDR images, similar to those of +Trey Ratcliff... Well they're not nearly as amazing as his (mostly because I decided to do some scouting today and hiked light-no tripod). Anyway, it's the first time I've really attempted some realistic HDR landscapes. I really need to go back and out and see if I can get some more. Hopefully later this week, there will be some more images in the processing.



On a side note: I went out after dark to try out my new Surefire tactical flashlight with some light painting near a construction zone. Only to be stopped by Mr. Officer, he claims I can't stand on the highway and shoot photos with a REALLY bright flashlight. We'll try it again tomorrow.

Well Blogs sure are an interesting thing. I seem to be very bad and making them, and yet very good and reading tons of other blogs. Usually I read blogs because I find them inspiring, or the are very informative (and they always are related to photography). I do seem to learn a lot from blogs I follow. Anyway, I've decided I am going to start blogging daily (yes, I know ambitious huh?). I feel like I've been given a lot from the social media savvy photographers out there and it's my time to give back as little or as much as I can. So I'm going to post a picture a day, for... ever? I'm not setting a time limit on this project, but I hope it continues for a long time. The picture may not have been taken that day, or even that week. But each day I will post a picture and an explanation/story/technical/feeling/anything I feel best describes that image. Shall we begin the journey?




We'll go back a few weeks for my first image. This is one shoot I really enjoyed the outcome of. B was such a blast to shoot with! (Has anyone else notice how photographers will always post portraits and then list the persons name as only the first letter of their name? I just did it, yep, first time ever. Sorry B.) Anyway, I really like this image because for me it has been an image I've gone back to over and over again to look at, it inspires me.

Lately I've been having this issue of trying to use more gear. I (subconsciously) feel that if I walk up to a client with bags of gear hanging off me, that they will take me more seriously- hey, maybe they do. Also, I've watched the greats like Joe McNally and Scott Kelby and they use 4 flashes, 2 cameras, tethered shooting and 2 assistants to make great images. Being a intermediate beginner, I suddenly think I can use loads of gear all at once and produce the same quality. But on this day my thought process went something like this.

"It's cold. Nope, don't wanna set up a second light stand, make it work."

So I went with ONE light. I don't do that much anymore, and I really should. I simplified because the conditions told me to, and boy, I should simplify more often. I recently watch a video on simplifying and it was awesome. If you think it's weird, watch it again, you probably will find it less so and get more out of it. But it's got a great message to it, so stop reading and learn from a pro for 5 minutes.



Ok, noq back to me. Anyway! I love this image, I really am proud of it. B was great to work with, she was real patient and even laid in the snow for another awesome image. But what I learned is to simplify. Slow down and keep it easy. Life or photography, it applies.

Well, join me on my journey of photography and life (and hopefully I'll become a better writer along the way as well!)

Mike Johnson