A ton of questions have hit my email the past few weeks and I haven't been able to get to them all.  Here are a few of them:

Do you use any filters on your lenses?

Nope. Why put a $50 piece of glass in front of your $1,200 piece of glass?  I always, however, shoot with the lens hood on. That will protect the front of your lens from scratches.  I've never scratched a lens.  Ever.  Maybe once every few years when I feel like taking some landscapes I'll use a polarizer, but that's it.

How much should I charge for digital image files for portrait sessions?

Once the client has the files your print/album order goes to $0.  So the question is, how much do you want to make on an average portrait sale? Whatever that amount is, that's what you should charge for a DVD with high-rez images.  Hint: If photography is your full time job, anything less than $1,000 for the disk and your family is hovering around the poverty level.  

What album companies do you work with?

My favorite album company is Visionart.  Nearly all of my portrait clients order one.  For weddings, my business is a split between Visionart and Finao (for couples who prefer a more hefty, traditional album).

How do you focus?

I focus using the * button on the back of my camera.  Using the center focus point only, I simply focus on the eyes and recompose.

What actions do you use?

Just about every image gets Kevin Kubota's "Magic Sharp" run on it for sharpening. Other than that, I hardly use any actions at all.  I guess I'm going through a phase where I simply prefer natural color.  When I do use actions, I use Kubota actions or Totally Rad Actions 2.

What do you think of Aperture?

No opinion, I've never tried it.

Where can I find qualified portrait clients?  The only ones I get seem to have a budget limit of $100!

Filling your calendar with qualified portrait clients (i.e. clients ready, willing and able to spend >$1,000 on a session) is surprisingly easy.  I've developed a simple marketing program that will fill your calendar without spending a cent on advertising or direct mail.  Sorry, this is something I can't just give away, you'll have to attend one of my workshops (live or over the phone) for it.