Take & Talk Pics

Side Projects Photo World how often do you bring your camera with you? On your daily commute do you  leave time for each drive in case you stumble across a perfect picture waiting to be captured? How many times do you have an idea for a shot or even see a great scene and don't take the time to capture it? Annoying questions I know the answer to, because I have the same answers. How often do I bring my camera: Sometimes - Almost Never On my daily commute do I leave additional time: Rarely Do I take the time to capture it: Once in a blue moon If you are the type of person that always brings a camera with you then great! There are 171 other great episodes to listen to. If you are the type of person that wants their photography business to start or wants their current business to improve than listen up. This episode is for you; it is all about the side projects. Hopefully motivating you to never leave your camera at home again! Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the

Silence to Success Photo World I almost feel stupid making an episode like this. From Silence to Success... What kind of joke is that? I suggest to you that being quiet will help you success (I stand behind that logic) and I spend 10 minutes or so talking on a podcast you regularly listen too. It seems as though I have no idea what I'm talking about here. Photo World, basically I want to ingrain this idea of quiet. You lean when you listen, you even lean by accident when you hear, and so many of us have more to say than we know what to do with. Just listen and see what I mean. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here! 2015 © Take&TalkPics

Whats In My Bag Part 13 Finally the lenses and cameras are all accounted for and there really is more to talk about in my bag. Before I dive into this I need to go off on a small tangent and say Happy Tax Day! Okay "happy" feels out of place but it is important to remember that even the smallest of photography businesses need to think about their taxes. I have two small tips: do them on time and be 100% honest about everything. People try to cut corners and it is not worth it just like that one episode talked about. So back to the bag... Flash, Speedlight, Flashgun, Strobe, whatever you call it we are talking about the same idea; artificial lighting. We can shape it, direct it, modify it, and use it in just about any capacity under any shooting condition, maybe not the light I am talking about today but lighting in general. Today's featured gear is the Nikon SB-600 AF Speedlight. It's a helpful accessory but I have a few things to say about it. Listen to today's episode for the real thoughts. Happy Shooting!

Inverse-Square Law I don't want to get crazy technical and then lose half of my audience because this one episode feels more like a math class than a photography podcast. So I will keep this simple. However far your subject is to your light source that is your base, if you double the distance between your light source and subject you end up with one quarter the amount of light power reaching the subject. There are a couple reasons why the distance between your subject and light source would change and more often than not it is to adjust the softness (or hardness) of the light. When we talk about hard or soft light we are really talking about how sharp or blurred the shadows are. The closer your light to a subject the softer the shadows and vice versa, the farther your light to your subject the harder the shadows. Yes distance is playing a role in the softness or sharpness of the shadows but more so it is the size of the light source from the relative perspective of the subject itself. Listen to the episode I

Whats In My Bag part 12 For the dozenth episode with Whats In My Bag I want to go over my last and final lens in my bag. The AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G Nikon lens, is a beautiful prime lens with that familiar focal length to match the way we see. 50mm on a Full Frame camera is the same perspective as the human eye without the peripherals. Some of you may have a cropped sensor and a 35mm lens to closely match this effect. If you want more info on sensor sizes check out my episode on that over subject over here. I will say the f1.4 + a FX sensor you get a crazy shallow Depth of Field and really bring out the subjects from the background. I love the soft backgrounds you get with such a huge aperture like f/1.4 or even larger like f/1.2, although the price difference between those may not be worth the jump. This is one of 2 prime lenses I have and I seem to forget to use it very often. With wedding photography I find zoom lenses to be more forgiving for the job. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call

Monday Message - Ask The Question Hey Photo World, what is on your mind? We all have questions but how often do you hold back from asking? There is a common fear that comes with appearing to be uninformed. It happens so often that we miss out of a step forward because we hold ourselves back. Today's episode is a camera buying experience that took a major turn because I asked a question. It kills me when my students have nothing to say in class and then one approaches me after our class meeting to ask a question. Sure it is great for them to seek out the answer but there are many times when another student makes a mistake that would have been corrected from that question being brought up during our class time. It is not the fault of either student but the fear of asking for information surrounded by others who may pass judgement. When I was in school I never asked anything. I didn't want to look stupid being the 1 who asked the question. By the time I got to ISU I could care less and I made so few mistakes bec

Whats In My Bag part 11 Nikon has been on a role for the past 4-5 years. It seem like they are able to out do the last camera by a 75% increase of awesomeness over the previous. I have to say the fourth and final camera in my bag is a beast and an amazing addition to my setup. The Nikon D810 is a mind blowing 36 megapixels of clean 12,800 ISO with a solid weather sealed build hosting a comfortable fit that makes you feel at home. The ISO isn't as clean as the Nikon D4, D4s, or D5 but you have more than double the resolution of the D4 and D4s sitting at 16 megapixels. I know the vertical grip was great on the D4 I had (frown face) so I made sure to make up that problem with adding the grip to this D810. As a bonus with the vertical grip you can squeeze a few more frames per second out of it. I grew a custom to the 11 frames per second on the Nikon D4 but the D810 hovers around 4.5-5fps... that grip pushes you to almost 8fps. I can live with that; especially as a wedding photographer. I tendt to under shoot mos

Whats In My Bag part 10 First off know your purchase. Be sure about the gear being gray market or USA and research what that means for you. The prices will be dramatically different but that doesn’t mean one is better than the other, it is something to think about. That being said I am blown away by the Nikon D750. It is by far the best camera for the price on the market today. Yes someday soon it will be replaced and beaten but this camera has so much packed into it and a reasonable price to justify it. I am a pro photographer who wanted to have a solid second body in the bag and this one is my second for if I am ever in a bind. However the D750 makes an appearance at just about every job I do because I love this thing. I have been working my way into the video world and the D750 is an outstanding camera for video. The clarity of the image is beautiful and the colors render to what is true. I can co on about this camera and share samples all day long but I would say if you are interested in this camera liste

Whats In My Bag part 9 For today's equipment to discuss I have to offer a small warning: I may sound braggy because I am head over heels obsessed with the camera I have to talk about. I'm talking about my baby, my pride and joy, the Nikon D4. She is a perfect balance between beautiful and ferocious. This camera could hold up clean at 12,800 ISO and not miss a beat with those 11 frames per second in full 14 bit uncompressed RAW. Yeah there is no flash to have pop up but when you hold this beast you shouldn't even consider a pop up flash anyway. The D4 is rated for 400,000 shots and I hardly made a dent so far. On the one hand I would love to retire this camera when it is time and see it on a shelf greeting me as I enter my office but there is a lot of value ($) left in her and I can use that for future gear. Okay enough nonsense... listen to the episode for a real chat about this amazing camera. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here! 2016 © Ta

Whats In My Bag part 8 I'm finally moving on to the next section of my bag. THE CAMERAS! I still have some glass to go over but that is for another day. This first camera is not a pro level body but it serves it's purpose well. I originally purchased the camera to sell off an old Nikon D70s and have this new one as a backup to my Nikon D300 (also gone). I am talking about my Nikon D7000. I found myself mostly using it for the video function. Although, the video quality is nothing to write home about compared to the video capabilities of today's DSLRs. The D7000 is a cropped sensor camera (DX) with 16.2 megapixels. I wasn't opposed the the camera when I purchased it and it was perfect for what I needed at the time and the price was about $1200. That may seem like a lot of money for some but as a pro this camera was more than fair for what you got. I especially like the dual memory card slots. Great for shooting RAWs on one and backup JPEGs on the other. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with

Eli Temchin Today’s featured guest is Eli Temchin Eli, is a fine art photographer who reached out to me for a free coaching call back on the 29th of January. Since that time Eli and I have done a segment of coaching for his business. I can fill you in on the experience but it would be better from Eli himself. Artist Statement My name is Eli Temchin. Welcome into the way I see the world. Nowadays, it seems like people are walking around in a haze. Or, glued to a smart phone and not paying attention to what's around them. What is all around you, no matter where you are? BEAUTY. What is beauty? Technically, beauty is the quality present in a thing or person: shape, color, sound, etc that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So, behold. Here are a few images from everyday that show beauty in every way. “The more often we see things around us – even the beautiful and wonderful things – the more they become invisible to us. That is why we often take for gran

Rob Krueger Today’s featured guest is Rob Krueger He's a business coach, educator, speaker, blogger, photographer, and host to better understanding your business - Rob Krueger with the Take & Talk Pics photography podcast! That’s right Photo World it is time to learn more about the man behind the mic and hear a bit about his photographic journey. I’m Colleen Miniuk-Sperry and I will be interviewing your favorite entrepreneur Rob Krueger. Rob Krueger is an award winning luxury and concierge wedding photographer who services Chicago to Orlando, New York to LA, and major cities throughout the world. His passion for photography can be heard first hand on this three day a week Podcast called Take & Talk Pics. Rob found a second calling within photography to educate others. He does this through the podcast, teaching photography at College of DuPage, and speaking nationally on the subject. He conducts workshops on many areas of photography but his favorite are his live wedding workshops. I felt a bit out of

1 Year of Take And Talk Pics If I attempt to put into words everything I am feeling from 1 year of hosting Take & Talk Pics I would go on for hours describing my level of gratitude toward this blessing I have been given. This show has, and continues, to change my life every day. I urge you to listen to this brief episode. Also know that I am specifically Thanking each and every one of you! Photo World without you none of this would have been possible. Josh Rossi, Colleen Miniuk-Sperry, Gavin John, Chad Griffith, Kareem Black, Perry Hagopian, Nancy Green, Guy Tal, Jack Graham, Ibarionex Perello, Tony Sweet, Kathleen Clemons, Lewis Kemper, Paul Audia, Bryan Peterson, Levi Sim, Chris Smith, Nick Page, Kevin Kuster, Juan Pons, Mike Boening, Jamie MacDonald, Angie McMonigal, Mike Moats, Skip Cohen, Jared Polin, Jim Harmer, Abby Grace, Natalie Probst, Lee Morris, Cris Duncan, Berit Bizjak, Dan Frievalt, Liz Banfield, Carl Caylor, John-Paul (JP) Teutonico, Michael Mowbray, Kenny Pang, Sherry Hagerman, Brian Morr

Cutting Corners Thank you Simpsons for existing. You have all the answers to every question. First of all I don't have the perfect formula to success nor is it my place to define success for you Photo World. We really all have to do the best we can with our own knowledge and resources. Those resources can be financial or not like personal relationships and calling upon our network. This podcast is designed to be a free resource to with as you please. After all I'm just one Chicago Wedding Photographer doing the best I can with my many failures to help shape my future. This problem comes up with our 2 most valuable assets when running a small business. It leaves us to really have to think about our approach or it causes us to make quick and unhelpful decisions. We have so much to think about in this business: Education, Gear, Branding, Web presence, Marketing, Customer relationships. Even more detailed things like: Emails and phone calls, Balancing our time, How do we delegate the finances between what we

Whats In My Bag Today's episode is two fold: 1) it is the introduction to the first prime lens in my bag that I have discussed and 2) it is a specialty lens. If I were to give this particular lens one more main point, it would be that this was the first pro glass lens I ever purchased. I am talking about the Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens. Now, this lens would be considered a prime lens due to the fact that is has one fixed focal length or 105mm. The Nikon 105mm is also a true macro lens: being that it has a 1:1 reproduction ration. That would be like removing the sensor of your camera and picking a small flower from the ground. You could lay that flower on the sensor and that is the actual appearance you can get at a 1:1 reproduction ration. In this episode I go over Depth of Field and more so the 3 way you can affect it. Using a macro lens will almost always infringe upon two of the three factors for Depth of Field. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up f

White Balance Auto, Cloudy, Shade, Tungsten, Florescent, Daylight, Flash, Underwater, Custom, and Kalvin; these are the main White Balance options you will find in most DSLR’s today. Photography is a wonderful tool but cameras are only able to operate based on algorithms and numeric values. Unlike our eyes and brain function, a camera is an unbiased interpretation to light color and how it is reflected off a given surface. Before I go off into the depths of mathematics I don’t understand or mislead those of you reading this. Know these few things about white balance: White balance is a color corrective setting with the goal of making sure white stays white, greens look green, and blues are true blues. The human eye is advanced and couple this with the brain you have a complexly engineered ability to compensate for distorted colors within a given scene. White balance is mostly designed as a corrective tool to untangle the cameras unbiased view of color temperature on the Kalvin scale. A typical mid-level or pr

“Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” We have heard that one before. It may have been a co-worker, a family member, a friend, or even today on this podcast, but we hear that and often do little with it. There is a lot to be said about how people perceive you vs. what they know about you. I come from an upbringing that teaches to not pass judgement. However, and sadly, we all seem to do so. That should be an indicator that we are also being judged. It isn’t a good thing most of the time but it exists, and we should prepare to succeed because of it rather than wallow in our fear that others opinions will affect us negatively. This is where we have all of the control. Our appearance is a major reflection on our personalities and act as an indicator of our knowledge and ability as well. I would love to live in a world where this didn’t matter but I know when I have students show up in a hoodie and sweat pants I am not expecting much from them today and sure enough I spot them drifting off or hiding

Whats In My Bag Last week I went over my Backup/travel lens... the 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR II and this week's What"s In My Bag episode is about the final zoom lens in my bag but it is also the newest lens added to my kit. Lastly, this lens is replacing that 18-200mm. The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR Lens. I really dive into why this lens is being added to my bag and a few reasons why it is replacing the 18-200mm. I rate this lens at 5 stars for the value. The price for what you get and the many functions it can be used for are amazing. I don't consider it a pro level lens but more so a transition lens. For those of you who are ready for the heavy glass and want the faster lenses, take a look at what you are able to invest for new gear and consider the difference in cost when you are searching.  If you are on a tight budget but you are ready for a leap ahead in your lens quality something like this 24-120mm f/4 is perfect. Check out how Vibration Reduction really works! Happy Shooting! Get your FREE bus

Metering Modes Today’s Photo Talk is about metering modes. Specifically the light meter in your camera. I touch upon the different modes you probably have in your camera and the function of them. Listen carefully because this one is tough to grasp at first. I don’t believe I fully understood how metering worked during the first couple years of my own photography. I understood the idea and the process but not why the meter does what it does and how to outsmart the meter with an in-depth understanding of its function. In short I like to use the phrase “your camera meter is lying to you.” Basically your meter wants everything to be a perfect middle gray, or neutral gray. In film we referred to that tone as 18% gray. In digital we can see this as 128R, 128G, and 128B (128 RGB) dead center on each color channel but lacking all saturation. I speak quickly on this because it is second nature for me now but it wasn’t always that way. I also talk about the zone system developed by Ansel Adams and Fred Archer. A bit co

Profit Margin There are countless resources out there on the topic of profit margin. Just search Google and be instantly overwhelmed with 1 million great ideas to increase your profit margin. If I had to break it down into three parts I could easily do so. I am the kind of person that often only uses logic in many aspects of my life and when it comes to your profit margin I don’t change one bit. There are a lot of thing to think about within each of my three main points but definitely worth a quick read. At the very least worth a listen, maybe even twice. Look at your current profit margins What do you make from each job What do you pay out for each job What is it to pay yourself for each portion of every job Things you must have to do the job well Things you may be spending more than you need on Account for waste See the gross profit margin And prepare for change Cut costs Anywhere and everywhere you can cut cost, Do It! Save $5 a month on your internet service provider Eliminate your land line and go c