to fall in love with the FILM episodes by the Framed network. Yes, I fully and very proudly admit that I am a full film shooter, so when I heard the FILM by Framed was coming back for a second season I shouted for joy! The amount I learned and felt from the first Season changed me, changed my perception of photography, why I shoot, and what I want to do with this awesome skill. 

The great news it that you don't have to be a film shooter to learn and get a lot out of the FILM episodes. Hosted by the lovely Tanja Lippert, Tia Reagan, and Ryan Muirhead, the first season covers light, personal shooting, pro-bono shooting, the history of photography, commercial shooting, continuous light shooting.... and the list goes on and on. I enjoy it all but I personally love the confession booth where Tia, Tanja, and Ryan tell all, get personal, and get deep. It's nice to know that even big time pro's like those 3 get nervous, get scared, get uncomfortable and often question themselves. I learned a lot from the first season and you will to! All you need is to sign up for a FREE passport from the Framed Network and you are good to go! Sign up and login HERE. Want to participate in the filming of the second season? All you need to now HERE. 

Canon shooters and lovers Eat your Hearts out!!! Canon released the Canon 5D Mark III today!

Here is a list of the specifications. 

1. Sensor: 22.3 MP full frame sensor
2. Sensor Size: 36 x 24mm
3. Native ISO Sensitivity: 100-25,600
4. Boost Low ISO Sensitivity: 50
5. Boost High ISO Sensitivity: 51,200-102,400
6. Image Size: 5760 x 3840
7. Processor: DIGIC 5+
8. Metering System: iFCL metering with 63-zone dual-layer sensor
9. Metering Types: Centre-weighted, Spot, Evaluative, Partial
10. Dust Reduction: Yes
11. Weather Sealing/Protection: Yes
12. Body Build: Full Magnesium Alloy
13. Shutter: Up to 1/8000 and 30 sec exposure
14. Shutter Durability: 150,000 cycles
15. Storage: 1x CF slot and 1x SD slot
16. Viewfinder Type: Optical TTL
17. Viewfinder Coverage: 100%
18. Speed: 6 FPS
19. Built-in Flash: No
20. Additional Exposure Modes: Silent and low vibration
21. Autofocus System: Advanced 61-point high-density reticular AF (up to 41 cross-type points)
22. LCD Screen: 3.2 inch diagonal Clear View LCD II with 1.04 million dots
23. Movie Modes: Full 1080p HD with ISO 100-12,800, expandable to ISO 25,600
24. Movie Exposure Control: Full
25. Movie Output: AVI, H.264/MPEG-4 in MOV Format (Compressed)
26. In-Camera HDR Capability: Yes
27. Live View: Yes
28. Camera Editing: Lots of in-camera editing options with HDR capabilities
29. GPS: No
30. Battery Type: LP-E6
31. Battery Charger: LC-E6
32. USB Standard: 2.0
33. HDMI Port: Yes
34. Mic Port: Yes
35. Wireless: No built-in wireless, optional wireless accessory
36. Physical Dimensions: 152 x 116.4 x 76.4mm
37. Weight: 860g (body only)
38. Price: $3,499

For more detailed information visit here

Nikon lovers and users hide your wallets!  Nikon announced on Monday that they are releasing the D800 which offers a whopping 36.3 megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor,  crazy high (6400) ISO sensitivity, plus ... wait for it... A variety not one or two but a VARIETY of High Definition Video modes!!! This camera is literally blowing my mind! 

Isn't she a beauty?! Similar to the D4 that was announced last month, the D800 uses a 51-point autofocus system that is sensitive down to -2EV.  It also has the new 91,000 pixel 3D color matrix metering and Advanced Scene Recognition System that compares the image in the viewfinder with a database of previously captured images and their exposure settings. The D800 body is identical in size to the D700 but all the rounded corners and curves make it more sleek and sexy like the D4. The resolution on this baby is comparable to that of medium format cameras which are pricey little buggars, with prices starting roughly $10,000 and that's the base price.  At only $3,000 this camera is a steal of a deal!   

If you have been considering learning to shoot film or like me have been wanting to return to shooting in film then there

is no better time then right now.  Eastman Kodak Co, the company that made hand-held cameras possible just filed for

chapter 11 bankruptcy. With Kodak filing they are one of the biggest corporations in the digital world to fail.

Yes the digital world of photography can be blamed for the death of Kodak but what is so ironic is that Kodak invented

digital cameras.  Don't believe me click here

"Kodak plans to continue operating through the restructuring with the help of an 18-month, $950-million credit facility from Citigroup."

So, if you have been waiting for a motivating factor to get into film, here it is.  Let's help Kodak out over the next 18 months as much as possible!

If you are interested in learning how to shoot in film there are countless tutorials, videos, and blog posts out there to help

you get started.  First things first. you need a film camera, I'm going to tell you a little secret.  It doesn't have to be fancy, or

expensive, or stylish looking.  Chances are you can pick up one from your local thrift store for around $20 bucks! So what are

you waiting for!  A great place to start is here a blog from the talented Jnathan Canlas Called Film is Not Dead

Attention Cheeky Fans! We need your help! Congress is trying to pass two bills SOPA

and PIPA.  Millions of Americans already oppose these bills because if passed they will

stunt economic growth in the US and they would dissolve free speach that is found on the internet.

Here is some additional information  PLEASE take 10 seconds and sign this petition to STOP congress!

If you 'like" our page on Facebook then you probably saw last week we posted that we wanted to offer the 

opportunity for a photographer to be spotlighted on our blog.  The response we got was so exciting and

overwhelming in the best way possible! After viewing each website... yes all 100 of them.  We finally

made our decision on who we wanted to spotlight this time.  We decided to pick Sarah Page Photography.  

The first thing that got us excited was the fact that she offered FREE

Christmas portraits to people in her local community!  Another reason we thought she was the perfect candidate

is because her work posses so much passion and talent! She is truly an incredible artist!  Here are a few images

I snagged from her website to share with you!  The first set of photos are from her Children and Familiy Category.

This second set of photos is from her category tilted Portrait and Fashion.  This is always one of my favorites!

After I had the pleasure of exchanging a few emails with Sarah, it became even more obvious what an incredible

individual she is! She is a classically trained painter and has been painting since her mom took her to a Monet Exhibit

when she was 6 or 7. Her work is simply stunning! Here is a post where she was featured at a Photography and

Printmaking Gallery in Portland! They displayed 6 of her images! You can check it out here.  Below is my favorite!

Isn't her work just breath taking?

In her emails she told me about how her DSLR died in August, but friends, fans, and family all rallied around her

and sent her old cameras to help her.  One friend Pam sent her a 1977 Minolta and 3 lenses. Her River series was all

shot with this camera and some generic cheap film from the store.  Her husband Daniel, sounds like one great guy,

helps her lug her equipment on shots, poses for her to set her lighting, and surprised her with the Mustard Livy Bag for

Christmas!  Two thumbs up for Daniel from the Cheeky Team! Sarah and a friend just started a free Art and

Literary Publication called Midnight Muse Issue 1 will launch in 4 days!

If you want to read more about Sarah visit her page here

There are oodles of photography "photo a day challenges" floating around pinterest at the moment.  I've never done one and this one called #Janphotoaday created by @fatmumslim is for January. So I am 6 days behind because I kept draggin my feet.  But, I feel like it's better late than never! So here is the start of my January Photo A Day Challenge!

I will be posting my photos weekly so you can follow along if you would like.  If you are doing a photo challenge what are you most excited about as an artist?  If you haven't ever done one why not?! If you would like more information about this particular photo a day challenge you can visit their site here! Have a great Weekend!

If you have procrastinated getting your family pictures done and now you find your self in the dead of winter wanting photos, instead of limiting your self to either indoor poorly light photos, or giving up on your wardrobe all together, here is my recommendation.  Have fun with your layers!  I love layer.  I couldn't be more thrilled that cardigans are the hot thing right now!  I love how simple but elegant they are.  They can turn any shirt or outfit into something fabulous immediately! ! So if you are planning on taking some family photos anytime soon and it's chilly where you live don't be afraid to ditch your down winter coat and go with layers instead.  

Here are a few of my favorites that I found on pinterest.  If you are looking for more inspiration go to pinterest.com and in the search box type layers. =)

I love the bright red sweater in this one     I love how elegant this white pea coat         Who knew puffy vests were sexy right?

and I love that she has a button up shirt    is, I also love how she combined red           Love her pants and shoes too!           

on underneath with an awesome plush     pants with her mustard yellow scar. 

scarf!

I love the open cardi and open button up       I love her huge scarf, gloves, hat, and           Love the pattern of her pea coat.

on this one!                                                          sweater.  She doesn't even need a coat        Also, love that she has brown pants on

                                                                               to look all bundled up and warm!                   and how she is rocking her cardi.

I love the bokeh effect!  You see it everywhere these days.  One portion of the image is crisp and sharp but the background is all illuminated and blurry. In this picutre notice how the gorgeous Mustard Yellow Livy bag is in focus and the hands, the background and everything else is blurry.

There is something majestic about the blur that adds an extra dimension to photos.  What is the easiest way to go about achieving this desired effect?  It’s all in the aperture or other words Depth of Field. A DSLR is ideal for creating this effect along with some high zoom factor zoom lenses, and a tripod.  If you aren’t familiar enough with your camera to shoot on Manual that’s ok, start with Aperture-Priority Mode to create the bokeh effect.  In order to create the desired DOF use a smaller F-stop number.

If you want to read a killer post on aperture read this post!

If you haven't ever tried editing in Lightroom I would strongly recommend it!  Adobe offers a free month trial that you can download here. A few of my photographer friends have asked me why I prefer to edit in Lightroom.  My answer is simple, I love how fast the work flow is.  You can batch edit a wedding in just under an hour.  Yep you read that correct, with lightroom you can completely edit an entire wedding in less than 60 minutes! I have found that when I edit in photoshop I am always tempted by the tools, actions, brushes and all the other fancy stuff it comes chuck full of.  But in reality all I need to do is slightly adjust my lighting and crop photos if necessary.  I love the idea of shooting all film someday (soon hopefully) so I think the less images are edited the better.  Here is a photo I took last week in a bridal shoot here in Utah at the Capital building.  My bride was brave enough to venture outside with me and endure the 30 degree temps. 

The image on the left is raw.  The image on the right was lightly edited in Lightroom.  I added a little warmth to the picture, adjusted the exposure, and slightly increased the brightness.  Isn't it amazing what lighting can do!  If you are interested in exploring lightroom I would recommend watching a few tutorial videos before you begin.  Give yourself a good hour or so to watch a fair amount of videos and you should be good to go.  Here is one of the first ones I watched that I found to be extremely helpful in getting me started.  I hope you enjoy!

Everyone knows taking pictures in the snow is so much fun!  There is just something magical about that flowing white blanket that just covers up all the dead things and makes them look peaceful.  So- what is the best way to get your photos to turn out white instead of blue or grey?  It's all in the exposure!  Check out these 3 samples to see what exposure can do for your winter wonderland photos! 

Personally I am going through a phase where I am in LOVE with things being blown out.  So I would go with the compensation +2 but that is just my personal opinion.  I am sure many will think the +1 is plenty white.  So if you were lucky and received some new camera goodies this year then get out there and shoot in the snow! 

Dear Utah Snow Gods - please let it snow in Utah soon, my husband is becoming very impatient  to ski and I to shoot! Thank you!

Love The Greens

I have a dear friend and fellow photographer Sharon Johnson, her work is stunning. Her new love is shooting birth stories. This has got to be one of the strangest but coolest trends I have ever seen emerge in the world of photography.  Let's talk pro's and con's of having your delivery captured on rich, textured, gorgeous film.  Pro - when you are in delivery it is very easy to forget the little things, having it all documented makes that impossible.  Con - it is a tad pricy.  But heck, so it having a child so might as well just add it on.  Pro- the images will most likely bring you to tears every single time you look through them.  Con - the images will bring you to tears every time you look at them.  Pro- If you hire a professional, which is a MUST, you do not want your sister's neighbors' cousins' friend to shoot these for free or cheap to build her portfolio.  That will just end up a disaster for everyone.  If you get the privilege of hiring Sharon you will see instantly why she was the perfect fit.  She is professional, talented, personable, and hilarious!  You will love her the second you meet her.

Here are a few sneak peaks of a few of her recent birth stories.  If you don't live in the Northern Utah area, do a little research to find a professional photographer who offers Birth Stories.  You will be sad if you don't.  Trust me!

I have known Sharon for a long time and when I was expecting with my little guy I had a feeling delivery would be tough.  I was dead on, after 27 hours of labor, an epidural that wore off and an almost 9 pound baby that last thing I wanted was a camera in my face. Biggest regret I have about that day.  Why? Because after the baby arrived we had a hard time focusing on anything but him.  I think we have a total of 10 pictures in the hospital and my sweet hubby took them all with his phone.  I was in some new mother euphoric place and for once in my life taking pictures wasn't on my mind.  You can check out more of Sharon's work Here