Welcome to the [ b ] school blog. Whether you've been following along since the beginning, or you are new to the class, we are glad you are here. We are hoping to launch our state of the art website in time for the summer school session. We are building a community that will change the way photographers connect on the internet. Whether you are a seasoned pro, or someone just getting into the business, we are dedicated to helping you take your business to the next level.
If you haven't yet done so, be sure to pre-register on the yellow sticky above.
In the mean time, you can find the schedule for upcoming blog posts below:
We are really excited about what we are planning for the [ b ] school, and we think it will eventually become thee place to [ b ] for wedding photographers on the web.
Please feel free to ask questions or leave feedback in the comments, Becker will do his best to respond, just please keep your questions on topic. Thanks!
Hey there everyone. Happy Friday. I just wanted to share the latest promo video from David Jay about his revolutionary Show It Sites service. It's pretty sweet and I think it is going to have a huge impact on how photographers showcase their work online. He also is heading out on a 21 city tour starting this Monday and will probably be in a town near you very soon. I'll be at both the San Diego (Aug 4th) and Los Angeles (Aug 6th) shows just hanging out, so if you are going, please come up and say hello - I may even give you a little sneak peak of the [ b ] school design if you ask nicely!
Hey there class, I have a few more interviews lined up that I'll be bringing you in the coming weeks, but I just thought I'd throw it out there and see who y'all would like to see me interview on the blog and why? Please leave your comments below.
The Very ALT=F Summer Tour '08 is probably coming to a city near you very soon. It kicks on in Dallas in just a couple days. Most of the cites are sold out, but there are a few spots left for an unforgettable experience at a very competitive price for a one day workshop. I recently had lunch with John in Vegas between poker sessions and that guy is the real deal. Check it out!
Also, Image X is coming up in October down in N'awlins. If I didn't have a wedding in the Caribbean that week I would totally be there. They have an impressive line up of speakers and my friends Victor Sizemore and Gene Higa have space available in their sessions. Talk about a one two punch. Vic is the flippin' man when it comes to networking and making the most out of every situation and Gene has probably shot more destination weddings than just about anyone I know. Both of them have killer work and are super personable and I certainly recommend that you go. Check out the trailers below.
Gene is also teaming up with the one and only Jose Villa for a one day workshop in San Francisco on September 22nd. You can find all the details by clicking the banner below and then choosing San Francisco under workshops.
Well, I couldn't wait any longer. My 5D with close to a half million frames in almost 3 years, has become unreliable, so I broke down and stepped up (at the same time) and you are looking at the proud owner of a Canon 1Ds Mark III!
I've been debating for a while about getting a Nikon D3, because by all accounts, it's an awesome camera. But when it came right down to it, I just felt a little more comfortable with the Canon system and the thought of giving up my Canon glass made me a little twitchy... and we don't want that... trust me!
I also was able to rent the Mark III a couple of times from BorrowLenses.com which was very cool because I was able to try before committing to such a big purchase. By the way, if you use the discount code BSB5 at check out, you can take 5% off of your next order just because you are a [ b ] school blog watcher.
I know 22MP is a little overkill for most wedding applications, so I've primarily shot on M1 and M2, but the L setting did come in handy for the 24 person wedding party shot. I've never seen such clarity in my work for a group shot of that size. I also opted for the S model because I didn't want to go back to a cropped sensor. I love me the full frame baby!
Believe it or not, I actually bought the camera through Amazon.com. They have great prices on gear because they pull from a bunch of other camera retailers to find the best price. You can support this blog by purchasing through my aStore if you need any new toys.
So, I think this purchase firmly puts me in the Canon camp (no hissing or booing please) and it's time to part with some of my Nikon gear. I have a gently used D2x that was only used for a couple of months before I switched to Canon. It's in great shape. $1,600.
I also think it's time to give up my baby, my Nikon 300mm f/2.8 AF-S telephoto lens. It's also in excellent condition and is a sweet piece of glass. $2000 (I paid $5,500)
Both items will ship to US addresses only via USPS Priority Mail. The prices include shipping and are not negotiable. If you are interested or have questions, shoot me an email and I'll be in touch.
One of my favorite part of shooting weddings, is the bridal portraits. There's just something about shooting a beautiful young woman on her weddings day. She's dressed up, in a great mood, getting all of the attention, most likely she's had her hair and make up professional done and chances are, not only is she lookin' good, but she's feeling good! It's my job to capitalize on that emotion and excitement and bring out the best in each of my subjects. It's so much more than finding the right light, picking the right lens and working the best angles. I'll have a complete "relaxed portrait" video once the [ b ] school launches, but for now, enjoy this quick and easy to follow tip:
Here's the shot I took:
And here's the behind the scenes shot Keats took of me:
The "tip of the day" is to show the bridesmaids the back of the camera first. I repeat, show the bridesmaids or the bride's mom the back of the camera first.
If you show the bride first, for whatever reason, some women are very critical of themselves and may complain about anything from their hair style, the make up, the way they look, their arm looks fat, yadda yadda yadda...
But once you show the bridesmaids, they are most likely going to rave about how stunning the bride looks and it helps give her some much needed validation from her friends and she will be more likely to love the image. And then show the bride a killer shot, which will only excite her and make her more into the photos, so keep shooting a few more now that she is feeling confident in how she looks and how you shoot. Win-Win Baby!
Extra bonus... this also give you a chance to schmooze with the bridesmaids... or as I like to call them, future clients! Show off the work... work your magic with your sparkling personality and make an impression.
Hey there folks. I am still out in Vegas for the World Series of Poker, but I just wanted to share the good news!
I got word from the [ b ] school website developer and he gave us the okay to let everyone know that the beta version on the site should be open for testing the first week of August... less than a month to go!!!!
I am excited because I feel like a broken record trying to tell y'all how awesome it's going to be... I just want to show you and let the site speak for itself. I am inviting my close photographer friends as well as respected industry professionals to take part in the beta testing.
We will also have a founders program (details announced soon) and for those who would like to purchase a lifetime subscription to the school and they will also be allowed to kick the tires with us (we'll also have the regular pricing information as well).
Lastly, we are going to be inviting a handful of folks who have pre-registered to come and play too (so if you haven't done so... what are you waiting for?)
Due to my hectic summer schedule, and working out the final detail of the site, I am not going to continue with the regularly scheduled blog programing, but I will still be posting a few videos a week and we'll also have some substitute teachers contributing content. (If you have something you'd like to share with the class, drop me a note and I'll let you know how to participate).
This blog went live exactly 6 months ago on January 7th. In that time we've had over a million visits and another couple hundred thousand views through the iTunes podcasts. Thank you all so much for visiting and giving me your attention. I am so very excited for what is to come!!!
