Event Memories

     Chances are you have been to a graduation or are going to one soon. Most of these events are held indoors and can be a nightmare for taking pictures. This little list for DSLR's can go for any important indoor event so you might want to make a note of it. There is nothing like getting great pictures of important memories for you family to share for a lifetime!

1. Rent a good lens! LensRental Nothing will make your pictures better then a fast lens!

2. Rent a good flash and practice before the event.

3. Pick you spots to shoot from before the event.

3. Increase your ISO, You can clean up the pictures in post.

4. Don't let your shutter speed drop below 1/80th unless you have amazing steady hands!

5. If camera is hunting for focus in low light, switch to manual focus. It's easier than you think.

6. Once your camera is set, then focus on telling a story with your images.

7. Since your pictures will be better than everyone else's, sell them for money :-)

    Most people don't think about renting a lens but I feel its the best thing you can do for events you really want great pictures from. It is well worth the cost and if you rent it so you have a few days to practice with it you will be happy you did. I would say get a lens that can at least go to 2.8 Aperture  and if it is a zoom lens make sure that aperture is constant through the zoom. The same can be said about flash but to make you pictures look natural with flash takes a bit more work, a fast lens and a little higher ISO will probably be a better bet for you. If you have any more tips you can leave them in the comments. Happy shooting!

Telling A Story

     Often times I hear people talk about what gear they have. It always seems it's the gear that tells the story. Nothing could be further from the truth! Take 10 minutes and watch a great little story that will warm your heart. While watching it I never once thought, what are they shooting this with? You see someone had a passion to share a story, of course they had some skill as well but they were focused on telling the story. This is how great imagery is made! for stills and video. When you are starting out its all about the gear, but if you never get passed that then you have missed the boat. A film shot with a cheap camera but with a great story will trump a great camera and a poor story. Here is a little list to help you succeed in your art. If you are not comfortable with your gear then keep practicing and take a class or two.

1. Learn to work well with people
2. Start with your interest or passion
3. Be social with you and your work
4. Learn to take advice and criticism
5. Read books on directing and acting
6. Worry about lighting before a new camera
7. Ask people besides your family their opinion
8. Love what you do!

    This list is not comprehensive but gives you a good starting point for photo and video. One of my favorite books is Directing Actors   I have found this very helpful in working with people on my stock video shoots.

Save On Your Health!

     One of the most challenging things when going from a 9 to 5 job is losing health benefits. Now before I go any further I want all to know this is not for everyone, but it is working well for me and my family. Theses plans, as with all health plans, don't fit everyone, having worked in healthcare for 15 years I have learned a few things on how the system works, so I hope everyone can benefit from the tips in this post.
     We use Samaritain Ministries another simular one is Medi-Share These are still legal under Obama Care which is good news. I won't go into depth as to how they work as you can click on the link and read that for yourself. I have found them to be as advertised. A couple of points, you don't have a deductible. Anything below $300.00 comes out of your pocket and anything over $300.00 is usually covered 100%. Now and then they have to pro-rate between 80 to 100%. Thats really not a big deal and here is why. If you walk into a hospital and say you don't have insurance there is almost a 50% deduction on the cost of your procedure some places can be even more. Now since this is not quotes "Insurance" that is what you do. Now lets say you have a regular insurance plan with a $1500.00 deductible and you are covered to 80%. You just paid $1500.00 plus you owe the 20% on your whopping bill. Under my old BlueCross plan I had my gallbladder taken out. With the deductible and 20% my bill was a bit over 5k. With Samaritan Ministries I would have paid $300.00 and maybe another $1000.00. So if you take the difference I would have saved $3700.00! My whole family is covered for $350.00 per month which I find is affordable.
      Now what about those meds! yes medicine can cost you a lot of cash. I am a Sam's Club business member which gives you a 40% discount on most meds. I needed antibiotics for a sinus infection so with the discount it cost me $13.00. Now be aware that you have to ask for the discount, it is not automatic! Now for more expensive meds we use GetCanadianDrugs  My child needed Prevacid which for a three month supply was going to cost me $400.00. I ordered a three month supply from the Canadian store for $80.00. I checked the medication when it arrived to be sure it was what they said it was and all was good. This site can cover those expensive meds you may need. There are a lot of other decent discount prescription cards on the market you can use, just Google it. You can check medications with this smartphone app and I highly recommend this app for your general health knowledge! Don't be afraid to ask for discounts! people and especially your doctor will usually want to help you. Look for free health screenings in your area in the news paper and check your local hospital website for them. Of course try to stay healthy. If at all possible Do Not go to the emergency room for minor things! This will cost you a fortune. If it can wait until you can see your family doctor then you need to wait. If you feel your bill is to high then challenge it. Most hospitals will work with you on this matter.
     Be a smart consumer, when getting anything done for health reasons treat it as if you are trying to get the best deal on a car, just try to be a little nicer. I know of people who fly to Costa Rica for dental work and have saved thousands plus got a vacation out of it. I have been to Costa Rica and would not hesitate to do the same! Be smart and don't let health cost take all of your income! One last late tip here, sorry its out of order. While at Sam's I was picking up a med that the doctor said was on their $4.00 list, well it was $22.00. The assistant said a lot of doctors assume if it is a generic med it is automatically on the list. They provide the list at the counter so you can see what the $4 and $10 meds are. She suggested taking this list with you if you go to the doctor or take you children to the doctor. There is a %90 chance they will find something that works from the list. Here is what the list looks like.

     If you have any further tips please leave them in the comments I am not affiliated with any of these sites but if you want to sign up with Samaritan Ministries I would appreciate you letting them know I sent you. I think I get something for that. Please pass this information along to anyone who it may help. I am grateful that other people shared this with me!!

Best Video Plug-in

One of the most useful tools I use almost on a daily basis is Magic Bullet Looks It's not just a set of preset looks, as good as those are. You can do so much more with the tools provided in this software to create your own looks and image effects. Most video editors out there know all about this plug-in so if you are on the fence about the price I say don't hesitate! I can say with comfort this has paid for itself 10 times over in my video work. Now the little secret that most people overlook is on the photo side. This will also work with photos and they make a plug-in for LightRoom and Aperture as well. This software has taken my photos to the next level as well. It has increased my acceptance rate at iStockphoto and the images have sold well. I have not affiliation with this company but strongly feel it is one of the best pieces of software on the market. The image below is from a video clips that got accepted at iStock that would have otherwise been impossible to get accepted without the right tools.

100 Years of Video

Favorite Video/photo App

If you are like me you have a lot of different apps on your smart phone you hardly use. After a few years you seem to stick with certain apps for certain jobs. This app is on iPhone and Android as well, I have found it very useful for my video work. Often when scouting I wish I could see the sun's path especially on a cloudy day. I have found this to be a joy to use and help me plan my shoot for just the right light outdoors. This is critical for photography especially if you are a nature photographer! I was looking for a location to shoot family fishing outdoors and this was just perfect while I was in Florida.

Since the sun is the most powerful light source we have I figured its time for me to learn how to use it! I hope you find this little tool useful. I am not the creator of it and have not connection with them but I like to share what works for me.

Live Free!

Since its Friday today I thought I would share my freedom thoughts. In a prior post I wrote on how shooting stock was a job, but today its about freedom. For almost three years now I have not set my alarm clock. The most valuable commodity to me is time. We all have a limited amount of time to live and sometimes that time is cut short. Some people feel that they need money to be happy but for me its freedom of my time! Now we all need money to live and pay the bills but how much above that do you need? I can take a picnic on a Monday afternoon, go swimming with my boys and live my life around what I feel is important in life. When my job was gone I knew that if I never took the chance to see if I could work for myself that one day I would look back and regret it. I enjoy working with people don't mind having a boss and liked my work BUT they controlled almost all of my time. I have never been happier because now I have full control over what I cherish most. To see and be with my two young boys as they grow up is priceless. Having worked in cancer care only made me realize how short and important time with my family really is. Making a little less money to be with my family is more than worth the price of admission. Having a passion for what I do has also increased the joy in my limited time. I want to challenge you to stop focusing on just getting rich and look at the opportunities around you! Find your niche, passion and joy. Being a full-time stock video producer has been that for me. People may think your crazy, or even get mad at you, but never fear things have a way of working out. I didn't do this on my own, I have a supportive wife, family and friends to help me get to where I am today. Don't let fear control you, if things don't work out the first time keep at it. Live your life free!