The Sandbox (part 2)

In "The Sandbox" part 1, I was talking about my love for photography and how it keeps me coming back for more, like a child returning to their sandbox. Well, here we go again... I'm returning to my sandbox with another picture of an old truck. It's kind of funny in a way, but for me, these old trucks tell a story of how life was not too long ago. Maybe it was a harder life back then, or one of excitement and adventure, but whatever the case may be, there is a story to be found in these old cars and trucks of yesteryear.

The picture of the old fire truck (above) was taken some time ago at Goldfield Ghost Town, which is near the Superstition Mountains, just East of the Phoenix Valley in Arizona.

The Superstitions are another one of my favorite places to wonder around and explore through photography. I have shot there many times, everything from Landscapes to Family Portraits, and every time is like a new adventure, like a child returning to their sandbox.

Babies-R-Us

Music To My Ears

The Dynamic Duo.. Bernadette and Carlos might not be cape wearing, crime fighting superheroes, but these crusaders are on a mission to spread God's love through their music. Carlos plays the skins and Bernadette sings, tickles the keys and plays guitars.

Along with playing at their church, they are also music directors with Expected End Ministries and don't forget their worship ministry;

Out of the Fire Prophetic Worship Ministry.

This was a fun shoot at the Mesa Arts Center, I even got my wife Annie involved assisting me with holding reflectors. This was a portfolio shoot with the images being used in website, brochures and other advertisement material. Bernadette and Carlos are so happy with their images, they have already asked me to shoot their family portraits later this year.

Stephanie & Randy

01/01/10 With an anniversary this easy to remember, there is no reason why Randy will ever forget his wedding anniversary! HA.
Stephanie and Randy’s wedding was beautiful, very touching and this is one event I will always remember shooting.

2010

Happy New Year… now get back to work!!
That is what I keep telling myself these days. There has been so much going on these last couple of months, I haven’t even had much time to sit down, relax and blog about it… which I find very therapeutic. New for 2010, Amplified Photography has full studio access, great for shooting Corporate Portraits, Head Shots, Portfolio, H.S. Seniors, Babies, Products… the list goes on and on. Preparing for the New Year, I am gearing up for a marketing and advertising campaign which starts with the design of new business cards, advertisement postcards and mailers.

ATLANTIS

Immerse in an amazing waterscape.. Find yourself surrounded by beauty and mystery of a lost civilization.. Go deeper and discover the thrills from above and below.. Paradise has been found..
ATLANTIS Resort, Paradise Island, Bahamas!!

Deena & Justin's beautiful wedding on the beach. Their first walk together as husband and wife!! Congratulations to the honeymooners, Annie and I are very happy for you both!!

The Dig at Atlantis ~ Yes, these tropical fish do indeed actually glow when the light hits them.. how cool is that. The Lord created some amazing places and creatures!

Behind the Lens

Photography location: Tempe Center for the Arts. For this shoot, I had the opportunity to work with local talent, DJ (actor / model) regarding some portfolio work and head-shots. This was a fun shoot, DJ was easy to work with, the weather was beautiful and everything went smoothly. These are the kind of shoots we all strive for as photographers... the nice and easy ones!

Katie & Robert Souza

Expected End Ministries - The photography location for this shoot was in Maricopa, Arizona, at a spooky old abandoned house (which came with) swarms of bees and dangerous sink holes in the yard. This was a fun shoot and one of my favorites, except for being attached by a killer bee, (which I barley escaped with my life..HA). I really enjoyed the opportunity to work again with my friends; Katie & Robert Souza, Expected End Ministries. I am also shooting an upcoming conference event for them later this year in December. For more information on Expected End Ministries, please visit their website by clicking on the link.

Wedding Photography Workshop

I recently participated in a Wedding Photography workshop sponsored by the Arizona Professional Photographers Association (AzPPA). The workshop was held at the beautiful Villa Siena located in Gilbert AZ, and was presented by three AzPPA Master Wedding Photographers. The workshop was a (mock wedding) which included; three different sets of bride & grooms, outdoor wedding ceremony, reception (with food & cake), and personal guidance and instruction from three of Arizona’s best wedding photographers.
It was a wonderful opportunity and experience to be able to photograph three different and unique styles of bride & grooms all at one beautiful and exclusive location… and of course, having three Master Wedding Photographers by your side giving you instruction and guidance is always a big plus!!

I am posting some of (my personal photos) taken during the wedding photography workshop as examples only because the subjects photographed were not actual clients. Please note my disclaimer – The images taken at Villa Siena are test samples only and are not for public use, sale, publication or marketing material of any kind. **All images are strictly copyrighted**

Aperture Priority

How to use aperture priority, AV (for Canon) or A (for Nikon).
Aperture, (AV or A mode) determines whether part of the image (photograph) is sharp and in focus, or if all of the image is sharp. Photographers can choose to have a sharp foreground and background, or they can blur the background by adjusting the diameter of the aperture (which is measured in f-stops).
The aperture controls the amount of light that reaches a digital camera sensor. An aperture acts much like the pupil of an eye, it opens wider as light decreases to let in more available light into the camera’s sensor and it gets smaller when light increases to reduce the amount of light entering the sensor. Aperture and shutter speed are closely related and will effect the exposure of your image. The faster your shutter speed is, the larger the opening of your lens will be and visa versa.

On SLR digital cameras, aperture is indicated by an (f-stop) f-number value. The diameter of an aperture is measured in f-stops. A lower f-stop number opens the aperture and admits more light onto the camera sensor. Higher f-stop numbers make the camera’s aperture smaller so less light hits the sensor. When an aperture is opened up by one f- stop, the amount of light which reaches the sensor is doubled. F-stops are expressed in three different ways: f/8, f-8, 1:8.

Aperture settings can be used creatively to control your depth of field, how much of an image is clear / sharp in front and back of the focus point (main subject). For example, using a wide aperture (small f-stop number) is a desirable technique for many close-up and portrait shots. This will keep the foreground and focus point (subject) in clear / sharp focus and will blur the background of the image. Important Note - When using aperture priority mode, when you change the aperture (F-stop value) the shutter speed is automatically changed to maintain proper exposure.