Take & Talk Pics

Whats In My Bag part 5 First of all I need to apologize (I think) for the almost annoying excitement in my voice. I was just kicking but that day and getting way more work than usual done and I sound goofy from all the energy pumping through my veins. Part 5 of the What's In My Bag sequence was supposed to wrap up my zoom lenses until I just recently made a new purchase. We'll get there next week though. For now I wanted to go over my AF-S DX Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II, try saying that 3 times fast... Even once is hard enough. I break down the focal length range on this bad boy and address that f3.5-5.6 deal. I know many of you are seeing that same kind of f-stop listed for lenses you own or may want to own, but you must hear this episode before you make any new lens purchase. Lastly, I touch upon the DX or crop factor proprietary feature of this lens. If you want to know more about sensor size and how that works you can always listen to episode 146 Sensor Size. nikonusa.com Happy Shooting! Get you

Correct Aperture  Is there really such a thing as Correct Aperture? It all depends. When I first got the inspiration to make this an episode I was browsing through my news feed on facebook and I saw a post from a wedding photographer asking why her image still seems to be out of focus even though she made sure have a faster shutter speed and as low of an ISO as she could allow. Listen as I dissect the exposure and things to think about when it comes to Aperture. I wanted to take it a few steps further and touch upon Depth of Field and well as finding the Aperture Sweet Spot. Yes, every lens has an Aperture Sweet Spot. It is the f-stop in each lens that gives the most clear sharpness within the focal plane. One lens will differ from another and I can tell you it isn't the most closed down you can go. It seems like the large f number, and therefore greater depth of field, closed down Aperture would be the most sharp but that just isn't the case. Tune in and find out why. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business

The Customer is Always Wrong Photo World how many times have you heard "The Customer is Always Right"? As a customer of many goods and services, I can tell you I have not always been right or at least I wasn't treated like I was right. My guess is half the time I was probably wrong. Often we get stuck on the thought that we are right because we are stubborn or we just don't want to admit to being wrong. With that said, think about the other side. If you are right then the business or other person you're interacting with is wrong. So as photographers and small business owners we will deal with this transaction many times throughout our careers. I know I have felt like, and said in private, that a Customer is Wrong, but that doesn't solve anything for them or me. It took me years to let go over my own personal problems and start saying: Where did this go wrong What can I do/should do to make this right What can I learn from this Photo World if you get so stuck on communication being the problem and it turns i

#HeyPhotoWorld Photo World what’s a great quote or mantra you live by for your photography and business? Quotes: "It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste." Henry Ford "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." Henry Ford "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it." Steve Jobs "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!" Audrey Hepburn What sparked your interest in photography enough to pursue it as a career? Photo World think of a time where you had learned the hard way? (a learning or failure moment) What would you consider the most important practice to your photography? (What piece from your workflow is most important?) Photo World, admit, ev

Lightroom or Photoshop The 2 most popular photo editing software's and so many choices to make. First of all should you choose to use Lightroom, Photoshop, or both? I know photographers who only use Photoshop Elements or they are purest"s and do minor touch-ups with Picasa or none at all. Some days I feel like photo editing had ruined photography and other days I couldn't be happier that I had that there to assist my vision. Both Lightroom and Photoshop have more features than most of us photographers will ever use. I am in my 7th year in business and I know I have about 10% of Photoshop covered. Giver or take 5%. This isn't because I am not good with the software it's just that enormous of a program. Lightroom takes a few try's to get used to. On the one hand it feels like the RAW editor from Photoshop on steroids. On the other hand it has workflow that feels foreign at first. For example the need to import rather than just open, the fact that you can close the program and open later as if you never left, or

Keep On Keeping On I had the honor of attending the 6th Annual March Forth awards dinner. This was my first year in attendance and it was an amazing night. Photo World I go through life day by day and I try to do my best in business, in my relationships with family and friends, and make the right decisions in Every situation I am in. Am I a model citizen for all of you? Most likely no... I'm just a normal guy. However I find myself taking so much for granted. There are so many others out there who have it worse than I do and I still find it so easy to complain about the areas of my life that make me unhappy. My guess is you could easily say the same thing or close to it. This post nor this episode are about how we should feel bad for passing by the rest of the world while we deal with all that goes on in our own lives... No this episode is a reminder that we can do something about it. The keynote speaker for this years March Forth awards dinner was, twin brother of Ashton Kutcher, Michael Kutcher. His story w

Whats In My Bag part 4 - episode 147 Photo World I would like to continue this week's "what's in my bag" segment with the wide end of the Nikon Holly Trinity of lenses. The AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm F2.8G ED lens is the finishing touch to the three part 14-24mm, 24-70mm, and 70-200mm f2.8 zoom lenses. There are no rules stating that every photographer must have these three lenses or even a zoom lens at all. In fact I know several photographers who are strictly prime lens (set focal length) photographers. I love Primes but for the majority of my photography it is important to have a range of focal lengths to work with and this Ultra-Wide 14-24mm is no exception to that desired range. Now the bulb of enormous glass projecting from the front of this lens is somewhat intimidating and looks as though you only get crazy fish-eye images from it. However that is not the case. This lens is a solid 114 degree angel of view at 14mm on an Full Frame (FX-Nikon) camera. I have a lot to say about this tack sharp beautiful lens bu

Sensor Size There  are so many question that come up when it comes to sensor size and I could write on the subject for 10,000 words or more. It would be informative, overwhelming, and boring for the most part. Take a listen to this 20 minute episode on Sensor Sizes from FX and EF to DX and EF-S. Nikon and Canon DSLRs are the main subjects of my talk but at the very least you will be acquainted with the difference between larger and/or smaller sensors. Larger Sensor Smaller Sensor Higher Resolution Lower Resolution Better Low Light Performance Poorer Low Light Performance Better Dynamic Range Poorer Dynamic Range Shallower Depth of Field Longer Depth of Field Less Diffraction More Diffraction Reduction in Crop Factor Increased Crop Factor   Diffraction: When you use a small aperture, light reaching the edges of the image sensor can only get there after passing through the small aperture and then spreading out. That spreading of light causes the light rays to hit ad

Kitchen Remodeling Why in the world would I ever need to mention Kitchen Remodeling on a photography and business podcast? Photo World if you have been listening for a while you know I find inspiration in the strangest of places; if you are new to Take & Talk Pics then you will soon see my mind doesn't operate on the same wavelengths as most people. I don't always look for a silver lining but I almost always look out for something to learn. This time around I learned by snapping a pic on my phone of a simple Kitchen Remodeling project that was needed. It was time to update the old kitchen from 1970 and bring it up to 2016. I don't have a picture of it as finished because like our businesses these things take time and hard work. The time is being spent and the work is getting done. I sound like a broken recordwhen I say do the work but the truth is that's all anyone really needs to know when it comes to wanting something more in their own business or even in life. Get out there Photo World and remodel your

Whats In My Bag part 3 When I ask other photographers what is their go to lens and they bring up the divine 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom lens my heart sings in compliance. I LOVE this lens. Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Sony, Pentax, Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina (f4) all* make a 70-200mm f/2.8. Tokina makes an f4 version but still there are many options out there for the photographer looking for an amazing focal length to add to their arsenal. The Nikon AF-S Nikkor70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II is my photo gear pride and joy and I almost never go to a job without it. In fact you can often find me at a job with only this lens. Sadly I do not use this lens the most, that credit goes to my trusty Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens.  One aesthetic detail about the 70-200mm that I love is the IF or Internal Focusing system. When you zoom the lens or focus the lens groups of glass within the barrel move forward and aft while the front element stays fixed and therefore you have no risk of dust building up on the, would-be, extended portion o

JPEG vs RAW JPEG (Joint Photographic Expert Group) is the most common way of storing and transmitting photos. A JPEG is 1/8 the storage space of a RAW image counterpart – This was the best I could find in much research but in my own experience I find the JPEGs are 1/3 or ½ the disk space. Represented numbers – the average is found within an 8x8 pixel space, AVERAGE+3cos(x)-10sin(x) will give the numeric ingurgitation with the formula of only 3 values in lieu of the original 8x8 pixel average. The end points on this may shift in an alternate numeric value and is solved by variable difference and its meeting of the next grouping. Mentions: 3 and -10 come from Greg Thatcher Fourier theory. Randell Heyman To understand the mathematical formula it doesn’t take more than a High School level Trigonometry class. Luckily Photo World we don’t need to know why this works but more so how it works and I will break this down in a very simplified way. RAW doesn’t stand for anything! Yay for simple photographers not needed t

“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” Martin Luther King Jr. I created an entire episode based on this quote. I was (still am) inspired by the profoundness of these words and the obvious approach to taking on the unknown. I do need to correct myself though… This quote is from Dr. King; however, modified from Napoleon Hill’s quote: “If you cannot do great things, you can do small things in a great way.” Napoleon Hill is one of my favorite writers and I do want to give credit to his words because they hold just as true in this episode. However I chose to highlight the quote of Martin Luther King Jr. “I” is all the more personal and it feels individualized and private. Running our businesses or even building a business, while we may have others involved or strong support systems, is a very personal matter. No one else would offer the care and attention we do to our own businesses. Take a step back and look at the big picture. Now spend the next 10 minutes listening to this episode

Whats In My Bag part 2 On this continuation on what's in my bag I talk about one lens that I seem to use more than the rest. It isn't my favorite lens that I own but it does see the majority of my subjects. I shoot on Full Frame or FX cameras most of the time and having the Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens with the wide 24mm to grab an entire room for an event or the 70mm to be a bit more reach than my own standard field of view so I can hang back but still catch more intimate moments during a wedding; this lens has it all... Or at least, has most of what I need/want in a lens. Prime lenses are choice for sharpness but this zoom is beautiful! I can use it at f/2.8 without fear that the image will be tac sharp and the sweet spot aperture (listen to the episode *wink*) is out of this world. I can tell you investing in your glass is one of the most important purchases you will make for your kit of gear and this zoom lens range is a must have for any photographer. I have other lenses I prefer to use when I have

Do It With Passion My own journey as an educator and photographer has been a wonderful experience this far and I truly can’t wait for what is to come next. I do my best to be on the lookout for opportunity and inspiration and every once in a while something shows up and it seems to be from out of nowhere. Just like any good story, it starts out like any ordinary day. I was getting lunch and this particular lunch was the horrible choice of fast food. Not that Taco Bell is a horrible choice, no sir… It is annoyingly good for a quick bite on the fly. However this time was a bit different. Without any way to plan it I was confronted with inspiration and a reminder to continuously seek out my passion. How does lunch a Taco Bell remind me to seek out my passions you ask? Well just hit play and listen up. This 5 min episode (almost 7 and ½ min because of the intro and ending) has a fun encounter with an unlikely suspect to give such profound advice.   Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Si

Pursuit of Happiness "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." - Declaration of Independence Yes, this familiar line comes from the Declaration of Independence, but those last three words are the main ones on my mind. I have battled happiness just like anyone else. Sometimes we become overwhelmed with our families, work, finances, and other things. I myself have been so overwhelmed it almost felt like I couldn’t bounce back, but I always try to remember that tomorrow is another day. Things follow us or carry over, we may have continuous reminders with something that is bothering us, but if we do the best we can with each day and really try tomorrow and the next day, then eventually there will be a turning point. What I suggest, or rather, remind Photo World to do is remember those perfectly written three words:  “Pursuit of Happiness”. Our li

Whats In My Bag part 1 I see videos from photographers I respect and follow as well as others without a large following and most of them love to put up a What's In My Bag video on YouTube. Frankly those videos do very little for me. It could be that knowing that does little for me personally, I don't have the time to watch a video like that, or just that I know more information on the gear that I find the video lacks learning for me individually. You know me Photo World I try to stay humble and almost obsessively remind my audience that I have one opinion and that doesn't mean it is the "Number 1, Best way to do it!" kind of thing. Same idea applies here today and for the next few Friday's as I go over What's In My Bag. I have my own spin on it, like I do with most things (for proof click here on my ideas on how to evolve in business). This week is Part 1 of I don't know how many, but I'm looking forward to sharing with you what is in my bag and some information on each piece. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE bu

New Photography Gear As I get ready for a new semester of teaching I am preparing myself for the number one most asked question from newer photographers who want to be better image makers: “What piece of gear should I buy next?”I love this question… more so, I love seeing the reaction after hearing my answer. I am not sure where this idea of getting a new camera body equals being a better photographer. If that were the case I would pick up a medium format digital with 80 megapixels and be considered one of the best photographers around. Sure I would have to give up a few things, like my car and my house, but totally worth it to rise to the top… EEEHHHHH! WRONG! It doesn’t work like that and it never will. A camera is a tool and just like the latest drill or car, a camera is only as good as the person operating it. Your driving skills don’t go up because you get an Audi R8. A camera isn’t the first thing I would suggest upgrading. There are always new gadgets to buy that will improve your photography greatly a

Practice Makes Perfect - Monday Message Photo World in today’s episode I speak on the topic of, “practice makes perfect”. We’ve all heard this and it seems simple enough. If you repeatedly work on the same style of selling to possible clients, over time you will find when you say certain things or talk about one aspect of the job, people perk up and lean in for more. On the flip side, you may find how you word something, clients shut down or lean away with disinterest. Understanding this and “PRACTICING” it will allow for how to approach a client and the way you speak to them, and therefore over time that practice makes perfect. One major problem with this narrow way of thinking. Perfect exists in very few places and in even fewer human interactions with anything. The thought is, if you were able to achieve perfect in something, then you are left without any potential for improvement. The fact that humans can climb Mt. Everest doesn’t mean we do not crave new heights or other adventures that could be just as

kelly Alex Jan 28 (7 days ag0)You have a new message! kelly Alex checked out your Storefront and wants to learn more about your services. Message from kelly: Hello This is Kelly Alex , how are you doing ?, I will like to know your availability day in February 14, 2016 just 5 hours service, Also i will need portrait work done after the photography work is done after the event, I will like you to get back to me with your availability day in March its a family Reunion Party,.. I will like you to email back Asap. Do you accept credit card payment ?. Regards,Kelly     Rob Krueger - Jan 29 (8 days ago) to kellyalex Kelly, Thank you for your inquiry. I would like to check the date to be sure I have availability. In the message I was sent I show January 14th 2016 as the event date and in your message you asked about February 14th 2016, and then asking about March but not a specific date. If you could please let me know what day(s) you are in need of photography coverage. Also is this for a wedding, family reunion, or

Ignore The Competition - Eric Dejuan Eric is a commercial photographer based out of Birmingham, Alabama. He specializes in athletic and fitness photography. With 9 years in business Eric has shot for clients such as Yamaha USA, Adobe, B-Metro Magazine, and other. Eric focuses on the relationships he builds and is always motivated to create and improve. Note from Rob: Photo World if I can tell you one great thing from the experience of meeting and getting to know Eric, it would be: You should never stop looking for opportunities. His name was briefly mentioned during a webinar but something caught my ear and I knew I needed to investigate. Eric's name was one of about 10 that came up but for some reason I looked into his photography. It didn't take long for me to see I need to get this guy on my show. There is a refined style in his work and seasoned way of thinking within his bio. Long story short... Eric is my kind of people. Motivated, passionate, emphasizes continued educations and networking, and chasing