Test Shots + Answers to Your Photography Questions

 

I am finally working on getting my portfolio together, which means I have been doing a lot of test shoots as of late. I shot these photos of Lo last weekend, and I am really digging the mass amount of greenery. She is wearing one of my vintage 50s pin-up bathing suits I scored at an estate sale for under $2, a vintage hat I picked up one day while thrifting, and some random African beads used as as necklaces.

I shoot with a Nikon D60. If you are interested in that model, know that it has now been replaced with a newer model: Nikon D5000 

The Nikon D5000 will run about $600 [comes w/18-55 lens] - HOWEVER; if you can find a vendor that carries Refurbished camera's, you can get a Nikon D60 [with the 18-55 lens] for about $200-$250 - Whenever you are purchasing a refurb, always source from a reputable vendor. Samy's Camera is one of my favorites www.samys.com 

As far as lenses are concerned, I love to shoot with prime lenses [lenses that don't have zoom capability] because I find that they are much clearer. Here are some of my favorites!


Nikon 50mm 1.8 [$124.95]- This is hands down one of my favorite lenses to use for food photography, and portraiture shots. It's perfect for low-light conditions, and produces photos that are crystal clear. 
One note about this lens is that it will NOT auto-focus on the following Nikon models: D40, D40x, D60 and D5000, which means you will need to focus manually. 

Big Bucks? You can get the Nikon 50mm 1.4 [$439.95] instead, which has the capability to auto-focus on all Nikon DSLR models. This is also much faster in comparison to the 1.8 model which can be crucial if you are shooting a moving subject. The creamy bokeh [out of focus/blurred distorted area] that this model produces is also a selling point.

Nikon 85mm 1.8 [$432.97]- One of my favorite lenses to use for in-studio shoots, as well as close range shots on location. The clarity that this lens produces is unbelievable, and the bokeh [out of focus/blurred distorted area] is nice as well if you're in to that kind of thing.

I also love to visit photographer's websites for inspiration; here are some of my favorites at the moment:

www.3680photography.com - Met this photographer at the Bilal concert, and I was hooked on his work after seeing one photo.

Kwesi Abbensetts - I absolutely love the grittiness of his work! I have been a fan for some time now!