San Diego Photographer

When spending a good amount of money on the equipment for photography, it is just as important to take care of and store your equipment correctly. The extra price for an exceptionally padded bag is truly worth it compared to the cost of repairing a lens or camera body damaged by banging it on the ground or hitting something up against it without the proper protection.

Now when it comes to storing all of your camera equipment, it is really up to you whether you prefer a backpack, sling bag, or duffel bag to carry your camera, lenses, flashes, and any stands, umbrellas or reflectors. However, we will be recommending an ideal traveling bag for all of you who travel and don’t want to lug around all of your equipment all of the time.

Our camera travel bag recommendation is the Tamrac Velocity Series Bags, which are optimal for traveling because of their masterful organization, padding, size, and easy accessibility. 
This series of bags are very practical and organized expertly to hold all of the equipment you need in a compact and easily reachable way. The specific Tamrac Velocity Bag we are recommending is the 7x, but the other versions are just as worthwhile only adding or taking away slightly more room for a larger or smaller lens. However, the 7x is the mid-range and holds what we think is everything you will need in the lightest and smallest way. The 7x comes in two different colors (Black & Brown/Tan) and truly looks like a sling bag that could have anything in it. This idea of a universal looking bag is important because when traveling it does not bring a lot of attention to the fact that there is obviously expensive equipment in it. Honestly, a personal traveling tip is to be very careful with showing off your equipment especially in other countries because many locals target tourists to attempt to steal these expensive things. This Tamrac Velocity bag holds your equipment close to your body and disguises it as just another traveling bag.

The bag itself is padded professionally and is very light in weight only weighing 1 lb. 9 oz. This is a solid frame without the added weight that combined with your camera and lens can become very heavy. The Velocity 7x sling bag is unique and ultra-functional and can be carried like a backpack, but swings around to the front for quick access to your SLR with a 6" lens attached and a couple additional lenses. The inside of this bag has a divided compartment that holds your camera with its lens attached facing out for easy access and protected by foam padded dividers. In the front pocket of the bag there are organizer compartments that could hold cell phones, batteries, or other photography accessories. There are pockets inside the top that stores filters and lens caps. Altogether, the bag can hold two smaller lenses, a camera with the 6 inch lens and a flash with all of these accessories at hand. Something that is used in this bag, but it often overlooked is having the zipper of the bag open away from the body for convenient and quick access to all of the equipment. The sling strap is firmly padded, evenly distributing the weight of your camera and allowing quick maneuvering to bring equipment to the front of the body. For those traveling and doing extreme activities like hiking, rock climbing, or other active sports, the Velocity series bag has an optional waist belt that can be wrapped around your waist for that extra support.

Overall, when traveling it is good to have a specific bag where you don’t have to carry all of your equipment around, but it is protected and compact. Whether you choose this Tamrac bag or not, it is important to have enough room for your camera body with a lens, an extra lens, small accessories, and a flash (or second lens). Your traveling bag should be comfortable to carry and have easy accessibility for times when you need to catch a moment quickly.

Enjoy this stellar traveling bag for your camera and accessories for exceptional protection and at an amazing price too! Happy and safe travels photographers in training!

Find it on Amazon.com

By: Lauren Lopez
San Diego Photographer

This week we have decided to tell you about the amazing ability and range of the 50mm lens!

The 50mm lens is called a "normal" lens because of the way it renders perspective that closely matches that of the human eye. Therefore, these images made with a 50mm lens have a natural look and create a clear and crisp picture. The 50mm lens is also referred to as standard, because when this lens is used it can make the viewer of your photos feel like they were actually there in the moment you capture.

 The 50mm lens is a must in a photographers array of lenses creating such a genuine perspective that really takes your photography to the next level. Because it delivers this natural, unforced perspective, it is used a lot in headshots and portraits, especially for weddings when that special moment needs to be captured as honestly as possible. Its high speed makes it very vital when shooting with available light.

With this great speed of the 50 mm lens, it gives your camera the ability to gather light quickly. The lowest aperture of the 50mm is usually f/1.8 compared to f/3.5 that is the typical maximum for the kit lens. This is a huge difference in creating fast shutter speeds, which creates an amazing depth of field. This extra speed gives one the ability to shoot candid pictures in dim lighting without using on-camera flash as your light source and can truly gather any light offered to create an attractively lit photo. This lighting can be anything from the natural light of the sun to a single candle lit in a room. That is why a 50mm lens can be used to shoot in low-light. Even if it isn’t your primary lens, your 50mm should be your backup as it can do almost anything you need to create amazing pictures.

With a 50mm, your pictures will look more professional using available-light techniques. This gives you the ability to create those beautiful portraits with backgrounds slightly out of focus behind the subject. This look is artistically pleasing to the eye and really brings that pop to your focus in the picture. This lens truly is amazing when it comes to taking photos of people, especially candids because of its speed to capture a moment in time.

Because this lens doesn’t have such an extreme zoom, it has a greater compactness and lighter weight than the other lens.  A 50mm prime lens is smaller and usually lighter than the other lenses. Therefore, it does not add too much weight to your bag when traveling and is easy to take along with you wherever you go. 

When using a typical kit zoom lens, you, as the photographer, will stand in one place and compose your work from usually a stationary distance from your subject. When using a 50mm lens you will learn that to get the most amazing pictures you must either get closer to your subject or move your subject closer to you. By having this interactive way of shooting, it is up to you to eliminate distracting background, or include more detail and gives you the control to capture the best angle and photo possible. 

Time and time again, when asked what their favorite lens is, the passionate photographer will answer with their 50mm lens at the top of the list. This lens comes in breathtaking range of speeds, focusing options, and prices. With this range in pricing, you can usually get the 50mm relatively cheap compared to a lot of the other lenses. And it is sure to become one of the sharpest and most useful lenses you own for your camera. So in choosing which 50mm lens, there is really only one option that is adaptable to your camera. We have included the links to the Canon 50mm 1.8 and the Nikon 50mm 1.8G & D. The main difference between the Nikon G and Nikon D 50mm lens is that the 50mm F1.8G has an internal focusing motor, therefore making it compatible with all Nikon DSLR cameras - whereas the F1.8D lens only works on Nikon cameras with a focusing motor built into the body. Therefore, the type of lens you choose depends on whether the auto focus is built in the body or needs to be on the lens itself.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 - Find it here on Amazon.com

Nikon 50mm f/1.8 D- Find it here on Amazon.com

Nikon 50mm 1.8 G- Find it here on Amazon.com

By: Lauren Lopez
San Diego Photographer

We have decided to start the new album called Show Us Where You Go! [A place to share your traveling photos and experiences] just in time for your upcoming holiday travels.

We, here at the Right Light Photography, believe traveling is a very important part of life. Traveling takes us out of the box we all live in and gives us an opportunity to escape to a new place that can invoke a new sense of imagination and creativity. A new place can have different traditions, weather, architecture, or activities, which all can lead to amazing and new photos. A trip could be something like what most consider traveling to be, like an amazing trip that sends you all around the world and opens your mind to an incredible sense of diversity and life. But, mostly traveling is about just getting away from the routine of life. This could be anywhere from that 18 hour plane ride to a 20 minute car ride up the coast.

Here in San Diego, there are so many local places that don’t break the bank, but change your atmosphere and are amazing for taking photos. Some examples include heading over the bridge to Coronado or going in-land for a change in weather and tasty pies in Julian. San Diego is an incredibly central place to travel from being the dock to countless cruises, the border of Mexico, 2 hours from Los Angeles, and more.

We want to start this new album called, Show Us Where You Go! to have a place to post beautiful pictures of your travels and share them with everyone. Not only will it give all of us in the photography community a second-hand reference to some amazing new places, but it will give you the opportunity to share your photo, have it critiqued, and truly enjoy!

There are two ways to share your experience, you can go through our easy submit form by clicking HERE or  you can post a LINK on the Facebook wall, either to a picture or photo album (via facebook, flickr, etc.) and add a quick comment about where you went and one thing you loved about it. This can be anything from a certain type of food you enjoyed to a cool new activity you tried.

This is a way to share your photos to other photographers and travelers and have them truly be absorbed for everything they have to offer. Photography is more than just a beautiful picture, it is a memory. It is a certain angle. It is a specific lens. It is a time of day. By sharing your traveling photos, you are sharing a memory and experience you had with others that can truly appreciate it.

So, next time you take a day trip, holiday family trips or travel to another country, don’t forget to share your photos and one of the fondest memories you had to be enjoyed by all of us that make up the photography community of the Right Light Photography.

Get out there Photographers In Training!!! And keep an eye on our blog where we will be adding examples of our traveling experiences, photos and more!

By: Lauren Lopez
San Diego Photographer

Building a photography community has brought the need to acknowledge photographers in their early stages of photography as a business who show exceptional work. Therefore, we are starting the ‘Photographer of the Month’ chosen by the Right Light Photography giving the spotlight to those in our photography community that deserve acknowledgement for their contribution, photography style, and business. Once a month, we will be sharing a BIO, interview, and everything that is special about our chosen photographer! So, keep your eyes open for our monthly photographer of the month and help me introduce our first… 

Photographer of the Month: 
Kendra Stoner
Born in Wyoming, Kendra grew up in a creative family, which started her love for the arts. She remembers her dad and her going out with his film camera to the pastures. They would find “these old run down shacks where people had moved west and deserted them” and would take pictures of them together as they wandered. As Kendra grew up, she formed a love for all types of dance, which brought her even closer to the arts and is part of the reason she believes she has such a good understanding of bodies and shapes in her current photography. While in Wyoming, she met her husband who was a marine and fell in love. When he was stationed in San Diego in 2007, Kendra moved gladly with her husband and packed up all of her creativity and brought it with her too. She found a need to express her creativity when she came here and re-found her love of photography. Now, having been married for five years and in San Diego for four, she still is very close to her family and that brings her the true passion she has for shooting family portraits and capturing those loving moments. 
  
Type of photography: Military home-comings, family portraits, baby photos

View her entire portfolio here

Website: www.kreativekapturesphoto.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kreativekaptures
E-mail: Kendra@kreativekapturesphoto.com
Phone Number: 1(307) 421-8182
 

An Interview to Learn a little more about Kendra Stoner:

Being such a success and enthusiast AND having such a creative background, the first thing we wanted to know was how Kendra got started up in the photography she does now. She explained how about three years ago, a friend asked if she would do her a huge favor and take photos of her husband’s military home-coming. Fully equipped with Kendra’s favorite point and shoot camera, she did this favor for her friend that sparked a passion. She continued taking pictures and found this was everything she wanted to do! She decided that she wanted to start taking it seriously and her husband saw the love she had for photography and bought her the Canon 60-D she uses today. He told her, if she was going to take it seriously he wanted her to do it right and that is when she became a member of the PIT Program. With the program, she worked with Jason Kirby to mold and improve her photography and her honest amazing business, Kreative Kaptures Photo.   

In her field of photography, she focuses on family portraits, military home-coming and baby/newborn photography. As explained in her bio, she always was close with her family, which makes family portraits one of her favorites. She exclaims, “I could shoot family portraits all day!” We asked what she loved about this photography she did and with true love she responded simply, “Capturing emotion.” She explained how in the homecomings she has the chance to see and capture so much raw emotion and affection and she loved shooting so many candids of such beautiful memories.

As a photographer, there is one of the most important questions that just needed to be asked: Are you a Canon or Nikon? And in typical fashion of a true enthusiast, Kendra simply said, “I love my Canon 60-D”. With photography, there are so many pieces of equipment, we inquired what her favorite piece was and she was quick to reply that her 50mm 1.4 lense was her everything, giving her great depth of field and always producing fantastic photos.

To end this lovely peek into Kendra Stoner, we wanted to know what the future held for her. As she leaned back in her chair and thought with a smile, she described a life where she would continue doing the job she had now full-time. She wanted to still be involved in the photography world and wanted her company to develop more and be a household name in capturing these memories. All she wanted was to be able to continue capturing and sharing memories with people.

Overall, Kendra showed an extreme love and passion for what she does and a promising future in photography. This is why we are happy to name her our first- Photographer of the Month! Congratulation’s Kendra! 

By: Lauren Lopez
San Diego Photographer

Tokina 11-16mm

The Tokina 11-16mm is the best ultrawide zoom lens available for Nikon and Canon cameras and comes at an incredible price (25% less than comparable Nikon and Canon wide angle lenses)! This is a prime reason why we chose Tokina out of all the other brands. Tokina holds its product to a high standard in quality and provides great pricing. This Tokina 11-16mm also is universal being able to be used on both Canon and Nikon cameras; therefore, it is a great investment for any photographer. Considered one of the world’s fastest and sharpest ultrawide lens for small format digital cameras, this lens is very well made and produces sharp beautiful photos.

This lens weighs 1.2 pounds, which is slightly larger than the comparable Nikon and Canon lenses, but has a semi-pro construction that gives it quality and feels sturdier than some of the “plastic” feeling alternatives. But the weight seems to fly away when you are out taking pictures of a landscape or any photo outdoor and this lens produces amazing real world image sharpness.

The aperture of this lens ranges from f2.8 to f22, which gives great speed and range when shooting. With an f2.8 aperture, it catches every moment with ease.  It includes a 9 blade aperture diaphragm that makes out of focus elements appear natural and sharpens the corners of your photos. The Tokina 11-16mm is an overall great lens, but has some restrictions. This lens’ autofocus is not supported by the D40, D60, D3000, and D5000. Unfortunately, if you have one of the previously mentioned we do not recommend buying this lens because it will only restrict you from using it in all modes only allowing manual. For the other types of cameras though, this lens is ideal and has great diversity.

This lens holds a 77mm filter thread, which does mean that it is a slightly pricier lens when it comes to maintenance and replacing the filter. However, in becoming serious about photography a good wide angle lens is necessary and produces a product that can’t be done without one. When shooting with this Tokina 11-16mm wide angle lens, it is idyllic for shooting landscape, architecture, automobiles, events, and much more. This lens is great in low light and works to stop action and produce a sharp and clear photo. Overall, this lens gives an interesting distorted look to photos that is the best in its field.

With 5 stars on Amazon.com and countless raving reviews, the Tokina 11-16mm wide angle lens is an AMAZING deal in pricing and quality.

Find it on Amazon.com

By: Lauren Lopez
San Diego Photography

Equipment Recommendations: Canon 430 EXII & Nikon SB-700

Nikon SB-700

Description: The Nikon SB-700 is a superb high performance medium size portable flash. We recommend this flash because it has incredible capabilities to make your flash photography simple, accurate, and gives you the ability to be creative with your shots. It can be used to its fullest abilities with all Nikon DSLR cameras that are compatible with Nikon Creative Lighting system, but can still be used functionally with other Nikon cameras also. This flash is easy to use and instead of having to charge it, it is easily powered by 4- AA batteries or NiMH rechargeable batteries, which is so helpful when traveling. Just by carrying some AA batteries in your camera bag you will always have your flash ready to use.

This Flash has a recycle time of 3 seconds, which is important when taking pictures of a person or portrait. The recycle time is the speed in which you can take the next shot, so when taking a portrait or headshot it is important to be able to take pictures quickly with the improvements of flash to catch that natural smile or look!

It also has flash tube overheating protection, which prevents overheating by increasing flash recycle times when it detects heat build-up. This will protect your flash from being ruined by overheating.

This Nikon flash has precision i-TTL flash control. This means it supplies precise flash exposure and great fill-flash performance. This is very helpful when you are set with a challenging lighting situation with different sources of lighting that create shadows and holes in the photo. This can be from a dimly lit room to a picture outside at sunset.

Overall the flash comes out to around 360 grams, which is a little less than a pound and is a very good weight to carry around. This compact medium sized flash gives you all of the ability of the larger flash with a light structure that can be carried with you at all times so you won’t miss out on upgrading your photos with a great flash.

This flash head contains a bounce card, which some of the previous models did not. The Bounce card is very important because it is used to instantly add catchlights in people’s eyes. Catchlight is that glimmer in that person’s eyes that truly pops. This is really important and beneficial when taking headshots or portraits and brings your photos up to the next level. This flash head can also tilt down 7 degrees or up to 90 degrees with click stops at -7, 0, 45, 60, 75, and 90 degrees. The flash head also rotates horizontally 180 degrees to the left and right with click stops at 0, 30, 60, 75, 90, 120, 150, 180 degrees. All of this range of movement truly gives you the ability to work creatively with the light and gives you the freedom to move lighting according to your surrounding and already present light sources.

This flash has both an on-camera master and wireless commander setting. This gives you the ability to use the strobe directly on your camera, which keeps it steady with the movement of you hand. Or, you can use it as a Commander or Remote setting that can be set around the focus and truly become an alternate source of lighting from different angles. Commander setting works in conjunction with your camera’s flash and with remote it can be controlled by your camera or another Speedlight. This allows there to be light and flash working together making the focus of your piece stand out from the background.

The SB-700 is a key piece in becoming a stellar photographer giving you great power and depth of field control. We recommend this specific flash for all of the reasons above and because it also is a great deal coming not only with the flash, but all of the accessories!

Find it here at Amazon.com

Canon 430 EX II 

Description: The Canon 430 EX ii is a great flash recommendation for Canon because it brings a high level of versatility and capabilities to your flash photography. This flash provides a powerful flash in a compact and durable body. This flash is compatible with all Canon EOS cameras and the Powershot G series of cameras. This covers the most popular and best cameras made by Canon and gives you the range to use it on an array of the Canon cameras and not just one.

It is a convenient flash taking 4- AA batteries as well as the option of NiMH rechargeable batteries. Both are very convenient to always have with you in your camera bag. Many people choose to carry around AA batteries, but like using NiMH batteries because they are more cost efficient and better for the environment. This flash also gives you a battery power indicator, which some do not and this can help you always be prepared with batteries so you don’t miss out on using your flash. 

The Canon 430 EXii has a great range for recycle times from 1-3.7 seconds, which makes for quick recovery and is very helpful when wanting to take a sequence of pictures quickly. This is very helpful in taking pictures of people for headshots because sometimes it takes only seconds to catch that natural pose or look. This specific flash prides itself on having a near silent flash recycle, which decreases the distraction of a flash recovering sound and makes for smooth and natural shooting time.

This flash can be used in E-TTL II, E-TTL, TTL & Manual Modes. It proudly supports E-TTL II, which is Canon’s latest “Evaluative Through the Lens” auto exposure technology. When used, this mode takes into consideration the subject of your shots distance and other information and will automatically modify the flash power. In certain distances and light, the full power of the flash is not always necessary. The E-TTL II takes all the factors and modifies the flash resulting in an accurate and optimal flash exposure regardless of the reflecting in the shot, the subject size, or the composition of the shot. This is great for beginning flash users and photographers that like to shoot high contrast or reflective subjects. This type of flash mode makes sure that you catch every color and detail with great even lighting.

The Canon 430 EXii is 330 grams which is slightly over half a pound. Compared to a lot of flashes this is very lightweight, but is built for strength. It was made to be easy to attach or detach with a one-touch quick-lock mechanism and was built with a metal foot for added durability. In wanting to keep this flash very light so to make it easy to carry around with you, Canon wanted to make sure that it was still made with extremely precise and pronounced quality.

This flash also contains a tilt and swivel head that can be moves up from 0-90 degrees (5 settings), left from 0 to 180 degrees (7 settings), and right 0 to 90 degrees (4 settings). This results in a very maneuverable head that is capable of a large range of angles for bouncing flash illumination. By having this range, you are given the flexibility to use that bounce flash technique to have more natural, shadowless, and red-eye free shots. 

The Canon 430 EXii has the master setting that mounts directly to the camera and can be angles, whichever you way you prefer. It also has the wireless TTL “slave” flash that can honestly serve as an affordable way to add studio lighting surrounding the focus of your shot. This is useful when shooting headshots or portraits in non-ideal lighting, even at night. 

Overall, we recommend this flash for Canon users because it has a very lightweight and durable. This flash has capabilities to turn poorly lighted decent pictures into flawless “wow” photos. 

Find it here at Amazon.com

Most all DSLR cameras come with a built in flash, but this flash is permanently faced directly at your focus and can cause them to be washed out and have red eye. Having a separate flash seems like just an extra for photography, but it truly takes your photos to an incredible level and also gives you the ability to take amazing pictures no matter the time of day or lighting available. The Right Light Photography and San Diego Photography Classes (also an option in Vancouver and Dallas) offer a Flash Photography Class [Taking place as soon as October 29th] that can get you more comfortable and teach you amazing techniques using your flash.

Check out the schedule and how to sign up at http://www.sandiegophotographyclass.com/

By: Lauren Lopez
San Diego Photographer 

With a mission statement that reads: ARTS is dedicated to healing, inspiring, and empowering youth facing life challenges by providing innovative arts-based programs, education, and employment opportunities, there is something truly special about this non-profit organization.

A Reason to Survive, also known as ARTS, was first imagined by artist Matt D’Arrigo in 1992 while his mother and sister both were battling cancer. Being able to paint and dive into music became a sanctuary for him and gave him “A Reason to Survive” the emotional times that he faced. After the death of his mother, he noticed how the arts had truly helped him during one of the most difficult times in his life and he aspired to give that same opportunity to kids facing their own personal crisis. In 2001, he founded ARTS with the philosophy that the arts can help heal and change lives. Starting with just an outreach program at Ronald McDonald, ARTS grew and spread to 15 sites by 2006!

A Reason to Survive is now a successful San Diego based organization that believes that the visual, performing, and literary arts can literally transform the lives of anyone, but especially those of kids. They believe in the therapeutic powers of the art and use all art forms as a vehicle to create positive, long-lasting change in children and youth facing major life challenges. This not only gives them a reason to survive, but also a reason to thrive.  This non-profit organization does not have a certain skill level required; it accepts anyone who seeks to find a place to go to express themselves. Currently, in San Diego, they have a 7,000 sq. foot center with rooms of all arts, including ceramics, mixed media, music, painting, and more!

Through their 3 core programs, ARTS annually serves 5,000 San Diego youth ages 3-22 from more than 42 partner organizations that include hospitals, foster care agencies, residential treatment facilities, homeless and domestic violence shelters, schools and other social service agencies.  The ARTS also serves children in the general community who are facing their own personal struggles. These children are referred to us by doctors, therapists, counselors, and social workers.  The ARTS is made up of a team of passionate and dedicated staff, volunteers, partners, donors, vendors, and kids all working towards a common goal: To give kids A Reason To Survive through the arts!

Here at the Right Light Photography, we feel it is vital to find something that is important to you and give back. A Reason to Survive is important to us for many reasons. Personally, I, Lauren Lopez, have been through the battle of cancer with my grandparents and by expressing myself through writing and photography, I found a unique peace. In photography, I not only was able to look back on memories, but I was able to capture the personality and love of my family throughout the hard times. It is through the difficult times that we don’t know what to do and to find a place where you are given the opportunity to seek refuge through painting, music, and other art is priceless.

For this reason, The Right Light Photography has put together a Benefit for the ARTS that gives the chance for anyone who believes in this program and wants a way to give back to come and learn more. At this Benefit, there will be an introduction and personal words from A Reason to Survive and even a speech from the Right Light’s very own, Jason Kirby. We will be selling raffle tickets for the ARTS that will give everyone the opportunity to not only support a great cause, but be in a drawing to win some great prizes, like art, photography classes, and more! This night is for anyone who supports giving youth in troubled times an opportunity to express themselves and strive in these times with art. This Benefit for the ARTS will take place on October 27 from 6-8pm at The Right Light Photography Studio in Little Italy. Officially RSVP at http://rsvp.sandiegophotographyclass.com/

Come and be a part of this amazing night and learn more about this great cause at http://www.artsurvive.org/

By: Lauren Lopez
San Diego Photographer 

This is our follow up section to our Equipment Recommendations to make it more personalized for our followers' responses/requests.

Ashley Perkins asked: I have the Nikon D3100 and LOVE it! Any special lenses that you would recommend? I need more!!  I have a 2 year old that I spend a lot of money on photos of. I would really like to just be able to take great pictures of him and action shots of him in sports as he gets older. Whatever recommendations you have would be awesome! As well as editing software :) 

My Response: Ashley I would definitely recommend Adobe Lightroom 3 for your editing software. It is simple to navigate and is meant specifically for handling an entire day's worth of shooting efficiently and easily for all levels. You can read reviews and learn more here  As for a lens I would suggest either the Nikon 50mm 1.8G ($219) or the Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 ($690). The reason I recommend the 50mm 1.8G is because of portability and its amazing ability to get those great shallow depth of field shots (blurry background) that make kid shots so wonderful. It is also great for taking indoor shots when there is not a whole lot of light. I suggest the Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 because it is a great action/sports lens that will get you some high quality images that will get the other parents asking you to take pics of the their kids.

Kathryn Villanueva asked: What flash can I get for my Nikon D7000?

My Response: I would definitely have to recommend the Nikon SB-700 ($319). I recommend that anyone's first flash be the same brand as the camera, Nikon flashes for Nikon cameras, Canon Flashes for Canon cameras. People ask me about third party flashes and I always say they are great for off-camera use and much cheaper, but would never suggest them for on top of the camera. The reason is Nikon flashes know how to communicate with the Nikon cameras in TTL (the auto flash mode) and is more accurate, faster recycle times and is you will encounter less headaches. You read more about the Nikon SB-700 and read reviews here.

Have a question yourself? Ask your questions on our Facebook fan page here

San Diego Photographer

Equipment Recommendation: Canon T3 & Nikon D3100

Both of these cameras take into account the new photographer that wants to get started in photography and/or anyone who is on a budget but wants to get the best camera for the lowest price.

Canon EOS Rebel T3 (EOS 1100D)

Description:  Perfect for photographers ready to make the move to digital SLR photography, the EOS Rebel T3 delivers beautiful photos and video, speed, simplicity and fun.

Compact and lightweight, the EOS Rebel is a highly versatile DSLR that’s easy to carry with you while traveling or those long days at the park and allows you to capture any moment in stunning quality. It also uses SD cards, which are cheap and easy to find and can be removed and plugged in directly to your computer to upload pictures almost instantly. [Helpful Hint: Always have more than one SD card so that if you fill one up, you aren’t forced to delete precious pictures from your camera]. Another amazing feature that helps share, critique and enjoy your photos with others is the option to connect the EOS Rebel directly to an HDTV, using the TV remote control to scroll through images and enjoy the high quality, the next time you are at your relative’s house.

An impressive feature that is often not considered is that it has a very efficient energy saving system that uses low amounts of power and results in a longer battery life. This is beneficial in those times when you forget to charge your camera or are traveling and just want to pick up and go. It allows you the wiggle room to not charge your camera after ever use and be assured to get the picture every time.

The Canon T3 Rebel is a very fast camera with 3 frames per second. This means you will be able to capture the moving shots with speed and won’t ever miss the chance for a beautiful picture. It also has an ISO sensitivity range of 100-6400, which is a wide range that can be manipulated to take amazing pictures in lowlight and outside.

Included is a Kit lense is an EF-S 18-55mm, which gives an amazing range to shoot everything from landscapes to portraits. This lense also features Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer Technology that minimizes the amount of blur when your hand gets a little shaky.

We recommend this camera for beginners because it is user friendly, powerful, and is an exceptional entry-level DSLR at a great price.

Find it here at Amazon.com

Nikon D3100

Description:  A great deal for an exceptional camera that is lightweight, fast, and fun to use. This camera is ideal for beginners with the capabilities to become the camera you use as a pro.

The Nikon D3100 is a very competent and ultra-lightweight DSLR. It is small and light, but doesn't feel it is going to fall apart either. This is very convenient when bringing your camera along to almost anywhere. It won’t make your neck ache after a day at Disneyland and won’t feel like an encyclopedia in your bag. This lightweight structure is always beneficial to travelers and those who want to always have their camera on hand. The D3100 is Nikon's lightest SLR, ever, and probably their smallest, too. It also uses SD cards, which is convenient seeing as SD cards are plentiful and always at a good price. This means you can store all your photos on the card and move them straight to the printer or to upload on your computer with ease.

Nikon D3100 has incredible HD video abilities, which cuts down the bulk and cost of buying a video camera and DSLR camera and carrying them both around. The HD video capabilities are very advanced in their image quality and minimizes outside noise making sure you catch everything said on those fun home videos. The videos are also easy to view and on the preview of this camera you even have the ability to edit the beginning and end of your videos! This gives you the chance to only save what’s important right away and leaves room for more video or photos to be stored as you go.

The Nikon D3100 has an exceptional ISO sensitivity range from 100-3200, which creates less blur in dimly lit setting. The ISO connects with shutter speed and they can both be manipulated so that you can get the best pictures possible no matter how bad the lighting is! It also captures 3 frames per second, which keeps up with those running children or fast moving shots.

The kit lense included is a razor sharp Nikon 18-55mm lense that has the range to take almost anything from incredible headshots to a macro or micro landscape shots. This lense is a necessity in photography! This lense also has a built in image stabilizer that steadies every shot and helps capture the moving moment’s in life in great detail. This is very important when trying to catch a great action shot either at a sports game or on the dance floor of a party!

Overall, a stellar camera with a great range to get every picture you want. A beginner's priced camera with the capabilities to be the camera you use for year to come. Enjoy its lightweight and great quality and do so without breaking the bank! 

Find it here at Amazon.com

By: Lauren Lopez
The San Diego Photographer

Congratulations to The Right Light Photography! 

The Right Light Photography is celebrating its 4 year anniversary today (10.17.2011)! 

Four years ago today, Jason Kirby put his dream and passion of photography on paper and legitimized the company that now brings amazing photos of headshots, corporate events and brings education to aspiring photographers in classes all over San Diego, Dallas, and Vancouver. When thinking of what to call his company Jason came across the Greek translation of Photography meaning to write (graphy) light (photo). With that inspiration of writing light, which translated so well to actual photography that plays with light and writes a story through each shot, he carefully selected The Right Light Photography. The Right Light Photography prides itself on being exceptional in business photo shoots and creating a trust with every client and job. Jason Kirby, most importantly, wanted to create a community of photographers that had an opportunity to take a large range of classes that had a balance of thorough instruction and tons of hands on experience. He always wanted a place to share photos, have a community to critique, and enjoy photography, which is why he ends every class with that simple mantra to: Share. Critique. Enjoy. 

Thanks The Right Light Photography and Jason Kirby for 4 years of amazing photos, incredible classes and a trusted community.




By: Lauren Lopez
San Diego Photographer