A few months ago, I received a request from an “acquaintance” asking me to shoot her wedding. She liked my work and wanted me to cover her event. Thing is, she is still a student and was short on budget.

No problem I said, I would give her my rock bottom price (1200$). After all, she was a pseudo-friend and the girl was a cutie so the end result would look great and I could boost my portfolio while getting some cash at the same time.

When I gave her my price, she was a little bit shocked, expecting I guess something lower, and tried to negotiate. Since this was already my lowest price, there was no way I would go down so she replied she would think about it.

Of course, she shopped around and realized how good my price was and came back. We both agreed on everything and I booked the date in my calendar. Since she was somewhat of a relative, I did not ask for a deposit and we had a gentleman agreement.

I am sure you can guess what happened next: a few weeks later she sends me an email saying she found someone cheaper so she would not need my services.

I think I was more frustrated about the fact that she contacted me by email than the cancelled contract since it would mean I would have one more weekend with my family & my BBQ.

This was a few weeks ago and yesterday I had some feedback about the ‘replacement’ photographer who ‘undercut’ me. The guy was of course an amateur shooting his first wedding. He acted like an amateur in every single aspect of his job and while we have not seen the end result yet, expectations are low.

While I would love to feel happy about this, I am not. I am a bit sad for this little girl, and then again it is not like I did not try to help her out.

Here are a few things to remember from this story:

Stick to your price

Whatever your price, stick to it. If you open up the door for price negotiation, the bride will feel it and you will end up doing the same job for less. And how do you feel about doing a job for less than what you think it is worth? It will suck and you will think about it the whole time you will be shooting and editing the picture. Which is not the best creative mood setter!

Stay away from cheap people

People who try to negotiate on price will do the same for everything else. End result: not the kind of grand wedding you want to showcase in your portfolio.

Get a deposit

This is the last time I am reserving a date without a cash deposit. Ever! By getting a deposit, you are making it much more expensive for the bride to cancel. Even a 50% refund should be enough to secure the date.

Don’t try to compete with amateurs

Make sure you price your services according to your skills. There will always be someone to undercut you: people who are looking to get experience at the expense of revenue. There is nothing you can do about it. Try instead to compete with people who are more expensive than you and compete on quality, not price.

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Before going into the list of available options, I think it is worth looking at the effect of wide aperture on wide lenses. After all, the goal of this exercise is to find a wide angle lens that will give us some control over DoF. As we all know, a wide aperture allows more light into the camera which allow us to shoot in lower light which is always good. The other result of aperture is too control the depth of field (DoF), which is another familiar concept. The thing you might not be aware of is how hard it is to get a shallow DoF when shooting ultra wide.

For most of us, this is a good thing because it allows us to shoot in low light without having to worry about keeping the subject in focus. But what happen when you need to shoot wide and want a shallow DoF? Lets look at some numbers.

Suppose a subject that is 1m away from the camera and see how much DoF (in cm) we can get with the following aperture 1.4, 1.8, 2, 2.8, 4 and focal length 10, 12, 14, 17, 20 and 24. One meter may seem close but when you are shooting below 24mm, it almost looks like a medium framing.

As you can see, the DoF gets bigger pretty quickly as you increase your field of view (use small mm lenses). If you increased the subject to camera distance, the DoF increases even more (not shown in the chart). The rules of optics haven’t changed for wide lenses, it is just that most people don’t realize how the formula reacts when applied to short focals.

So, how do you get a shallow DoF with a wide angle? Same rules as when shooting a portrait: get the subject close to the camera, the background as far as possible and use a large aperture!

Now that we have a better idea of lens requirements for such a job, lets see what is available.

Canon

16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
The the standard wide angle zoom of many pros. While the first version had some technical issues, this one is pretty close to perfection and insanely sharp.  My only complain would be its price. At over double the price of the 17-40L (see next), you have to wonder if the added stop of light is worth it. This is especially true for video where you dont need all the resolving power this lens has to offer compared to cheaper alternatives. It is also good to know that it uses a 82mm filter so you might have some issues with your ND or circular polarizer. This lens is quite useful once mounted on a Steadicam since its wide aperture allow it to have enough DoF to shoot in low light while maintaining a reasonable depth of field to keep the subject in focus.

EF 17-40mm f/4L

This is my favorite lens because it can zoom to a natural perspective (35-40mm) or truly exaggerated perspective at the wider end . All the things we said about the 16-35L holds true for this lens except its filter size of 77mm and lower cost.

14mm f/2.8L II

This is the widest Canon lens you can get. Ridiculously sharp, its usage is limited but always spectacular. The lens is not a fish eye, in fact straight lines remain quite straight which make it a favorite among landscape photographers.

24mm f/1.4 L USM II

While 24mm should not be considered super wide angle, this lens deserves mention as it is in a class of its own. It is the widest aperture wide angle you can get (from any brand), which make it the best choice for low light shooting, while performing incredibly well for both stills and video. Of all the lenses we are listing above, it is the only one truly able to shoot wide and have a shallow DoF.

Sigma

12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG IF HSM

This is the widest Canon mount zoom lens you can get. While the aperture is too small for shallow depth of field (you hit the hyperfocal very quickly at 12mm) or low light shooting, it is an excellent lens for everything else.

20mm f/1.8 EX DG

I already talked about this lens on the best third party lenses article. It is wide and ridiculously fast. Looking at the chart above, we can see that it the only lens with the Canon 24L to be able to really get a shallow depth of field and achieve subject isolation. And want to know the best part? It is almost four time cheaper than the Canon lens! I would never rule this lens over the 24L for stills but, for video, it is sharp enough to get the job done. Of course the lens has some technical issues, like not being super sharp when wide open, but that is not such a problem when doing video since you are working at a much lower resolution.

Nikon

14-24mm f/2.8G ED

If there ever was a reason to switch to Nikon, this lens would be it. It is nothing short of extraordinary. Of course, it is priced to match its performance. Still, in my opinion, it is worth it! I have never used this lens on my 5D (only on a D3) but since there are no aperture control directly on the lens, I suppose the aperture will stay at f2.8 if you plug it on a 5D with an adapter which is what we want anyways.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a low light/wide aperture wide angle, there isn’t much choice: go with the Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX DG it will get the job done. If it is not wide enough for you, you will have to look at the zoom alternatives we have outlined above but understand that none of these will allow subject isolation like the Sigma does.

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The clip was shot on two days. Originally, it was all planed to be done in a single afternoon (and end with a sunset shot) but a series of incidents (read: traffic) slowed us down and delayed everything so we had to split the shoot.

Pro Tip: Plan your itinerary ahead of time, map it in Google Map and make sure everyone has a copy. Park the car as close as you can to the location. Walking from one location to the next is a big time sink. Even more so when you have to carry tripods, sliders, bags, props, etc… Try to travel with as few cars as possible to reduce time spent finding a parking spot.

The crew was: Robert as the main shooter/director, me getting the wide shots and details, Christina to carry stuff and use the reflector and Florin as a photographer.

Pro tip: have the smallest crew you can manage and make sure everyone know his role. The less you are, the easier it is to manage and the faster you can move and make decisions.

We shot over 24 gigs of content. This was wayyyy too much. We over shot every scene using multiple angles. We did not have a storyboard, only a general idea of where we were going in terms of style and photography. Next time, we will be more prepared and only take 2-3 takes for each scene. While it is nice to have coverage, too much clips will slow down the edit (dont forget you will have to review every clip!). Once you know you have your shot, move to the next one.

Pro tip: to be more efficient, when you shoot with the 24-70 have the second camera work on the wide shots. Then, when you shoot the details have both 5D shooting different details. This technique saves time and ensure better coverage of the subject.

Pro tip: use a view finder (read about them here). In the super bright day we had last Sunday, the viewfinder was mandatory to review my clips.For this, even a Hoodman
can do the job.

The incredible lighting we have in the clip comes mostly from the use of a reflector. These things are not just useful for photographers!

Speaking of equipment, try to carry as few pieces of gear as possible. After a long day of walking around, your back will thank you. Also, switching lens outside is not a great idea (I had to do it 4 times!) so try to do it only went required (plan your shots ahead!).

Pro tip: this is where zooms have a huge advantage over primes. In bright day light like we had for this shot we dont need wide aperture and the resolution of the 5D does not require super high quality lenses either. That is why I am tempted to recommend lenses with large zoom range. You just have to assess if the lost in image quality is worth the time you save. For me not, but maybe for you it does. Think about it!

You might have noticed we did not use any ultra wide aperture lenses for shoot it. The wider we had was 2.8 and even then if was often closed to 3.5 or f4. This is a big paradigm shift for a photographer. Things might have been different if we were shooting in low light, then again most engagement stuff is shot during the day and you can always crank the ISO (we were between ISO 100-160) if needed.

On the other hand, shooting in bright day light will push the shutter speed up. For close up and slow scenes, this is not an issue. But if you plan to have your subject run around or be in front of fountains, waterfalls, flags, etc… You better use ND filters to pull back the shutter speed in the 1/50 – 1/125 range.

We both used different shoulder rigs. I was using a modified Zacuto Tactical Shooter (more on this soon) while Robert was using a Cavision shoulder rig. Both gave great results. The advantage of the Zacuto rig was that it was light and easy to fold so I could carry it in my bag contrary to the other rig who required someone to hold it. Also, my rig was equipped with the Z-finder which speed up my focusing dramatically.

Finally, I think the best advice I can give you is to plan ahead. The more you plan, the easier it will be on shooting day.

Anyone with more questions?

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It might not be that noticeable at lower resolution, but when viewed full screen in HD, it is very annoying. At least to me…

While it is sometimes impossible to get out of the reflection (like in this case), a good way to minimize its effect is to be dressed in black. Of course, this never crossed my mind Sunday morning when I pick my shirt for the day! The weather was great and I was thinking about perfecting my tan…

At least I learned my lesson. Anyone has funny accidents/errors to share?

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Since people rarely explain what they would consider “best”, I assume they are talking about the best shutter speed to achieve a filmic look.

This brings us to the question “what makes a film look like film compared to tv or Canon 5d standard clips” ? Contrary to the general belief, it is not the number of frames per second but the duration of each exposure that creates the look.

In a 24fps clip, each frame is exposed 1/48 of a second and for the next 1/48 of a second, nothing is captured on the film. The 1/48 sec exposure is the key. At this speed moving objects generate just enough blur to make the image pleasing. If you made a 24fps clip using a shutter speed of 1/2000sec, the clip would look much less fluid, you would get the harsh style used in Saving Private Ryan or Crank 2.

The ratio of the shutter duration vs shutter obscuration is often called shutter angle, referring to the angle used to create the opening in the rotating camera disk. Since I am getting technical here, you better look this up on wikipedia, they have a very nice animation to explain it. You can also read Stu talking about the importance of 24fps in The DV Rebel’s Guide.

So, getting back to our original question:

what is the best shutter speed for video on the Canon 5d Mark II ?

If you have been following the explanation, your answer should be 1/50sec (closest setting to 1/48)!

The last step is to convert the 30fps clip to 24fps which is very easy to do for any FCP user as demonstrated in this screen cast from Philip Bloom.

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Using tools in new ways is an essential skill for the photographer who wants to develop his creativity. In this post, I am going to do a quick exploration of the link between focal length and perspective.

To better appreciate the differences between wide and long lenses, it is important to understand two key principles:

• The focal length of a lens determines the field of view. This number, expressed as an angle, determines the amount of information that is available in the viewfinder / sensor.
• Sensor/negative size is constant. This means that if you get more information in the frame (using a wider lens), all of these elements will take less space on the sensor to make them fit.

Knowing that, if you take two shots of a subject at different lens range (let say 24mm and 70mm) and you want the subject to be the same size in both picture, you will have to be closer to the subject when using the short lens.

Now lets put this into practice! The shot bellow is done using a 24-70f2.8L at its shortest focal length (efl 24mm). Notice how much of the background is visible and the distance between the two pots.

Now lets zoom in (efl 70mm) and move away from the subject so the orange pot stays the same size in the frame. We quickly notice a few things have changed. The subject has a more regular shape, we see a smaller portion of the background and the green pot is now much bigger and closer to the subject.

This effect is called perspective compression. It is why it is better to use a long lens to do a portrait than a wide angle: the features of the model seem flatter (very important for the nose!).

If you can’t change significantly the subject to camera distance (as in landscape photography) using a long lens will create a similar effect. Since a small part of the subject will be in the frame, and an even smaller part of the background, it will give the impression that the two elements are closer than they really are. But this is only going to be an impression since they will have both been enlarged by the same proportion.  (the above paragraph was edited post publishing for clarity)

That being said, it can be interesting to use a wide angle to do a portrait when you have an interesting background and you want to do a trompe l’oeuil, as in this picture (of me).

You have to look at the size of the door in the background to appreciate the effect a wide angle can produce!

So next time you go shooting, bring both a super short and long lens (or a zoom) and experiment by taking the same shot but at opposite focal length!

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Notice, in the clip bellow, how the water looks different according to the shutter speed. While on the left it looks like ‘normal’ water, on the right it looks like something else. It is because each frame in the sequence on the left has some blur while those on the right are super sharp. While the blurry frames are blending nicely with each others at 30fps, the ones without blurs looks very harsh.

As you can see, the difference in the shutter speed is only noticeable when comparing the extremes, so as long as you keep the shutter under 1/250, anything moving slower than the water in this clip should look natural.

Note: The constant exposure was created by increasing the ISO. Notice how, even at high ISO, the image quality is very usable. The rightmost section was shot at ISO 6400.

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So to help you clarify your thoughts on the subject I made a list of the most useful lens, grouped by categories of subject/style. Note: most of these lenses are on the expensive side since they are specialized lenses mostly targeted at pro.

General

If the only thing you want to do is walk around and take pictures, flexibility is key so you definitely need a zoom lens. While some people would argue that the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L is the perfect walking lens, I find it a bit too short and I rather recommend the excellent Canon 24-105L f/4 IS. Indoor or outside, this lens has the reach and width to get great shots.

Suggestions

• 24-70mm f/2.8L
• 24-105L f/4 IS

Portrait

Generally speaking, portraits look best when the background is blurry. While the 50 mm f/1.8 might do a nice job, its short focal range means that you have to be close to the subject which could distract them. This is why lenses such as the 85mm f/1.8 (or 85mm f1.2L) or 135mm f/2L are preferred. While a lot of people suggest a zoom (24-70 or 70-200), I personally think it is better to have a fixed focal length in a controlled environment since since the image quality is better, the lenses cheaper and you can always zoom with your feet.

Suggestions

• 50 mm f/1.8
• 85mm f/1.8
• 85mm f/1.2L
• 135mm f/2L

Wildlife

While the full frame sensor of the 5D might not be suited for wildlife photography because of its shorter reach compared to cropped sensors, its video mode might interest people who want to film the behaviors of animals. Depending of the kind of animal you are expecting to encounter, you can pick either the 300Lf4IS or the 400mm f/5.6L. While the 300mm is good for anything bigger than a dog or not easily scared, the 400mm is the minimum required reach for small birds. Both of these lenses have incredible image quality and focusing speed.

Suggestions

• 400mm f/5.6L

Architecture

When you shoot a building, it is rare that you have a lot of room in front of you to position yourself, generally the farther you can go is on the other side of the street. That is why wide angles are popular among architecture photographers. While the first lens that come to mind for such a task is the 17-40mm f/4L or the more expensive 16-35mm f/2.8L, if you are really into architecture, you have to take a look at the tilt-shift lens, such as the TS-E 24mm f/3.5L or the TS-E 45mm f/2.8. Tilt-shift lenses allow you to do more than just correct the perspective, by shifting the lens you can create a mosaic of pictures that you can later on combine for a perfect panorama. This is why even at 45mm, you can take pictures of buildings right in front of you.

Suggestion

• 17-40mm f/4L
• 16-35mm f/2.8L
• TS-E 24mm f/3.5L
• TS-E 45mm f/2.8

Landscape

When people think about landscape, the first thing that comes to their mind is wide-angle. Well, they are right. Lenses such as the 16-35mm f/2.8L and 17-40mm f/4L are classical landscape lenses. But limiting yourself to a wide angle would be a terrible mistake! Every serious landscape photographer carries in his bad a… 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS lens too! Surprised? You should not be. having a long focal length is the only way to create a perspective compressing effect that looks so cool when shooting mountains, or to take a sunset pictures with the sun taking half of the frame.

Suggestions

• 16-35mm f/2.8L
• 17-40mm f/4L
• 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS

Macro

The line up of macro lenses is not that impressive, only 3 models are available from Canon for the 5D. The 100mm f/2.8 Macro having the most flexibility. While the 180mm f3.5L Macro is incredible to shoot bugs, it has limited uses outside of the macro world. An interesting alternative to macro lenses, if you are shooting still life, is to use a TS-E 90mm f/2.8tilt-shift lens. While the macro effect might not there, this is the preferred lens of food and gem photographers since you can tilt the plane of focus to have the whole picture in focus.

A cheaper alternative is to use extension tubes. While I have never been able to take a good macro shot with these without using a tripod, they offer the best bang for the buck and are easy to carry around.

Suggestions

• 100mm f/2.8 Macro
• 180mm f3.5L Macro
• MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Macro
• TS-E 90mm f/2.8
• Extension Tube Set

Sport

It is hard for me to advice in this category without knowing which sport you want to shoot. The general line of thought is that you need wide aperture and a zoom unless you have complete control over your position relative to the subject. In this regard, the 70-200mm f/2.8L is a great chose for most activities. Dont mind the IS. In sport the action is going on so fast that IS would never help you to stop it down.

Suggestions

• 70-200mm f/2.8L

Wedding

Wedding photography equipment is pretty standardize: 24-70mm f/2.8L and 70-200mm f/2.8L IS. These are the two lenses you will ever need. But if you are interested in weeding photography, you probably already know that.

Suggestions

• 24-70mm f/2.8L
• 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

Conclusion

I hope this article helped you to organize your thoughts about the subject. If I missed an obvious pick, please leave your suggestion in the comments.

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