Evolution to Mirrorless

My life with digital cameras started in 2003 when I purchased a Nikon D100 with a nice lens and a 1GB memory card. I still have the manfrotto tripod that I purchased with this camera, although I’ve changed heads a few times. This D100 was a 6.1 megapixel camera and totally state of the art. I used and traveled all over the world with that camera until 2006.

I decided to upgrade and I really wanted a Nikon D2, but that body was just so out of my price range. I made a compromise and got a Fuji S2-Pro (12 megapixel), which had a great sensor and the same megapixels as the D2x. It used the same F-mount Nikon lenses so it wasnt that big of a leap. When I got home from Iraq after using that Fuji for nearly 2 years, Even though the D3 had come out, I picked up a used D2x (12 megapixels) in 2008 that was my main/only camera until 2016.

When I retired from the Army, I decided to get a new camera body. I had a few Nikon lenses and wanted to be able to keep using them. The Nikon D810 was the top pro model and they had the flagship D5 out. I could definitely tell the difference with 36 megapixels. I had an unfortunate accident with my D810 in 2018. It literally fell out of the back of my car with my 70-200 lens on it. I broke the lens hood but the lens, although scuffed up, seemed to be just fine. The camera was not. It was still connected to the lens although the two were in separate hands. I wanted to cry.

I got a used D850 to replace the D810. Holy Cow… this new camera was just amazing! I loved shooting it and amazed at how fast it was and how great the photos were. It was literally the best camera I’d ever used to date. Mirrorless cameras were out but I was still holding on to my DSLRs. I just couldn’t make the leap yet… until…

I started shooting weddings. I had a D850 and a bag full of lenses. I was trying to switch lenses in the middle of ceremonies because I wanted to use different focal lengths. I realized quickly why wedding photographers had two cameras on them. It was so they didnt have to switch lenses. It was at this point I decided to give the mirrorless game a try. I got a Nikon Z7 in order to be able to use my current inventory of premium Nikon lenses.

My shooting style was vastly different between the Z7 and my D850… I was so conflicted. The 850 was just so much faster though. The turning point for me was actually shooting real estate. I had a 24mm tilt shift lens with the adaptor on my Z7 and was scratching my head at how muddy the photos were. I then realized that I was using a 20 year old lens designed for film cameras on a 45 megapixel digital camera. I sold my D850 and all of my F lenses and purchased a second Z7. Now I could use two different lenses on the exact same camera so my shooting style would be exactly the same.

I have some issues though. The autofocus on the Z7 has eye detection which is awesome when it works, but its been slow. I miss some shots at weddings and its been frustrating. It also doesn’t shoot as fast as my D850 and theres only one memory card slot. I’ve taken over a hundred thousand photos with the Z7 and have NEVER had an issue with a memory card.

I now have a Z6 that I use for real estate, and video and my brand new Z9! This is going to quickly become my main camera body for everything! I’m still going to have a z7 on my side and a probably hand a Z7 and Z6 to me second shooter at weddings. I’m excited to use this new camera and I already feel its going to be amazing!

Making of a wedding photographer (part IV, the leap)

I was a chef at Snowbird Mountain Lodge and this offered me my very first wedding. This couple was getting married and didn’t really want/need a photographer and I had absolutely zero experience with weddings. I’d done a few portrait sessions in the past, I’ve done action photos and of course I’ve done still life and macro photos. I figured that I could just combine all of these disciplines into the skills that I needed for a wedding… I was so underprepared.

Weddings turn out to be a nuanced affair where you only have one chance at getting the shot. The stress at the begging for me was intense. I’ve had parachute malfunctions that were less stressful. I was still figuring out where I needed to be in relation to the bride and groom in order to get the expressions on their faces. The couple was extremely patient with me and they loved the photos that I did for them. Looking back, I wish I’d have done a lot of things differently.

The first wedding in the books, I had been talking to a friend who suggested that I approach some wedding venues. I was unsure of my skills but thought I’d try. Jody at Nantahala weddings and Events was very open to me being one of her vendors. I was grateful for the opportunity. She wanted some photos of the facilities including drone photos and hired me to do it. She had a wedding that weekend with about a hundred guests. They had a photography team already, but I was taking photos for the venue. I tried to stay out of their way but was able to talk to them about what I was doing. This unique experience allowed me to get some shots of bride and groom as well as what was happening at the venue. This really opened my eyes to what I needed to be doing at a wedding.

I was ALL IN on being a wedding photographer now and needed to get some bookings.

The making of a wedding photographer (part III)

I had tons of travel photos from around the world and trying to take photos of landscapes -along with motorcycles nd cars. getting the images into the hands of the drivers has been a challenge. There were a lot of times that the photos were used without me getting paid or even photo credit. Lori Killgurl Cannon and Carla Whaley were gracious enough to let me take their pictures.

Sarah Merrill also let me take photos of her and that got me a lot or follows and customers I will be forever in debt to these ladies. to help me get off the ground by letting me take pretty pictures of them. The photos weren’t always perfect and I only had a vague idea of what I was doing with the camera and absolutely no idea how to pose them.

These portrait photography sessions were definitely a learning experience for me and has made me a much better wedding photographer.

Making of a Wedding Photographer (part II)

I had been taking landscapes for years by now and I thought my photos were great. I really tried to keep people out of my photos, but looking back at some of the travel images, without anyone in them, they look odd. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but to me my photos seem to be like a post-apocalyptic scene.

I was retired from the Army now and took some excellent landscapes. I was on the Rescue Squad as an EMT and sitting on top of the mountain for SCCA Hill Climb event. I brought my camera and was taking photos. I was trying to figure out how to get my pictures into the hands of the drivers.

I could have collected email addresses and sent them photos. I didn’t care if I didn’t make money. I just wanted to get my photos to the drivers so they could hopefully enjoy what I did with my camera.

Theres a road here nicknamed “The Tail of the Dragon”. There’s (allegedly) 318 curves in 11 miles and several photography companies that work on the road. I thought it would be a cruel and selfish if theres people who make their living doing this and I’m giving photos away for free. I decided to reach out to one one of these companies, Killboy.com and talk to him about distributing my work.

Darryl (Killkoy) liked what I did and published my work in his online store. I made what his staff photographers made for selling an image and he got a cut for managing the business. I thought it was a win-win!

Making of a Wedding Photographer (part 1)

My interest in photography began in the late 1970’s. There was a project in a Boy Scout Magazine to build a home-made pinhole camera using 110 film. I made my own camera out of a butter box. It took horrible photos and I dont remember ever getting a sharp image, but I was hooked.

I took a photography class at my junior high school where we developed our own film in a dark room. Throughout high school I took photos with a 110 camera, my dad’s 35mm Pentax and disposable 35mm box cameras.

I’ve had cameras on and off throughout my adult years but my real love of photography wasn’t rekindled until until the early 2000s with my purchase of my first digital DSLR. I was in the Army stationed at Fort Lewis, near Seattle, WA. I was also in a position to travel quite a bit and take photos all over the world while I was working for Generals.

My wife, Kirsty is originally from Scotland and still has quite the accent. She enheritied my old cameras as I upgraded and developed her own interest in photography. That’s how we got the business name of “Scotch and Waller”

When I retired from the Army in January of 2016, I moved to the Smoky Mountains of NC. I was taking landscape photos of this beautiful area.

I had no idea how to make money with my photography until one day I was watching a Hill Climb car race and taking photos. I didn’t know how to get my photos into the hands of the racers. I linked up with a local photographer who had a business called Killboy.com and took photos of cars and motorcycles in the area. I worked with him for a couple of seasons on and off.

(to be continued)