Christmas Cards

Changes have been occurring behind the scenes regarding cards. Originally, cards could be created by me, the photographer, but could not be purchased directly by the client. Well, a great new feature this season allowed the client to purchase the cards directly. This was a major improvement. YAY!

Another great feature that is available (although became available after I finished all my card sessions) is the ability for clients to create the cards themselves. Wow! This took all the burden off me and gives the client the freedom to adjust the cards without the need of requesting me to make said changes. I think this is going to be a fantastic feature going forward.

As the holidays pass, I look back at the cards created and one stands out the most. Is this not the cutest card ever?!

Sunset at Shilito - OCF

Went out today to get some sunset shots using my Strobist gear. Went to a local park (Shilito Park) and used a willing model (read: wife). I wasn't sure what to expect of my results, as I was using a couple new techniques - GoBo and gels. But after getting a look at the photos, I'm rather pleased. What do you think?

New Lens!

I was lucky enough to stumble upon a user trying to offload a pristine lens. A user at POTN had his Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L for sale for a great price. I already have a lens that covers this range, but this is an L lens - Canon's top-of-the-line lenses. So I bought it and will be looking to sell my Tamron lens.

New Christmas/Holiday Cards, and Simplified Ordering

There are lots more cards available this season for ordering. I am working on getting them all together in the gallery for your viewing pleasure. Check the blog as I will update this when they are all included in the cards gallery.

Also, an improvement this year is the ability for you, the client, to order cards yourself. Previously, you would have to select the card you like and the photo you like. I would then have to add the photo to the card and order the cards. If you were ordering cards and photos, it would be two separate processes - you order and pay for the photos on the website, and I would order the cards while you reimburse me for that order. Now, after you select the photo and card, I make the card for you and display it in a gallery for your approval. Then, you are able to place and order directly from the website as you would photos.

This is a vast improvement, but I am hoping that by next Christmas clients will be able to select a photo, select a card template and make the card themselves - cutting me out of the ordering process altogether.

Lights have arrived!

I have received my order from Midwest Photo Exchange. The bag and Cactus Receivers are on back-order, but no fear, my CyberSyncs from AlienBees arrived too! This kit is pretty awesome, and I cannot wait to start working with these.

In a sidenote - my new homepage should be http://strobist.blogspot.com/, as that is the Bible for OCF.

Off-camera flash (OCF)

I decided to take a dive into OCF. I ordered a 2-light strobist kit from Midwest Photo Exchange. The kit has everything I need (sort of) for OCF. It has stands, umbrellas, flashes, cases and a host of other items. Also included in the kit is a set of Cactus v4 trigger/receivers, but these are not the triggers/receivers I wanted. Although the v4's are better than previous versions, they are not what I wanted to trust. So, I went ahead and ordered a set from AlienBees. These are more reliable and I can use these with studio strobes in the future.

The flashes that come with the kit are the LumoPro LP120's. They're described as "designed by strobists, for strobists." They are fully manual, no automation here. Now, I'm used to using E-TTL but I've been told time and time again that manual is the way to go. Well, I jumped in with both feet, so I hope they're right. :)

Well, everything should be here Friday, so I hope to get out soon to try some shots. Wish me luck!

Blog is up!

Finally got the blog portion of the site up and running. Took a little bit of time and work, but at least it is finished. I'll try to keep everything updated here, so keep an eye out.