We stopped by this cupcake shop and they couldn't resist...

A shot for their album cover...

Tech notes:

1) Canon 5D, 70-200 f/2.8L IS @200mm, ISO 400, f3.5, 1/1000 sec, EC +1/3

2) Canon 5D, 70-200 f/2.8L IS @200mm, ISO 400, f3.2, 1/320 sec, EC +1/3

3) Canon 5D, 70-200 f/2.8L IS @200mm, ISO 500, f3.5, 1/1600 sec, EC +1/3

4) Canon 5D, 70-200 f/2.8L IS @200mm, ISO 500, f5.0, 1/250 sec, EC +1/3

5) Canon 30D, 35mm f/1.4L, ISO 400, f4.5, 1/640 sec, EC 0

6) Canon 30D, 35mm f/1.4L, ISO 400, f7.1, 1/500 sec, EC +1/3

7) Canon 5D, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS @200mm, ISO 500, f3.2, 1/2000 sec, EC +1/3

8) Canon 5D, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS @200mm, ISO 500, f3.5, 1/1000 sec, EC +1/3

9) Canon 30D, 35mm f/1.4L, ISO 400, f3.5, 1/640 sec, EC +2/3

As you can tell, I just loooove my 70-200. It's tack sharp and just makes everything look so great. You'll have to pry this lens off of my cold, dead hands! The 35mm 1.4L is my next favorite lens - incredibly sharp, great color and contrast, and perfect as a moderate wide angle on a full frame body or a normal lens on a crop camera.

Before...

and after...

Before...

after...

And for my guest chairs I selected these cool Herman Miller Eames chairs...

Note to photographers: It's really important to invest your money in the right places if you want your business to thrive. Do you really need that 45mm TS-E, that D3 or that latest set of Photoshop plug-ins? Investments in your sales area and product samples will make you way more money than a fancy new camera or lens ever will.

ETTR means that you are exposing your images higher than what your camera's meter considers "correct" (i.e. you are slightly overexposing your images). This captures the most image data your camera's sensor can record. In practice, that means adjusting your exposure on your subject so that your histogram goes as far to the right of the chart as possible without blowing out (clipping) your subject. Notice that I say "subject", because blowing out the background usually isn't a problem for most portrait situations. Many emerging photographers take pains to avoid blowing out any part of an image, and that's a mistake. Who really cares if that light fixture contains any highlight detail? It's more important that your subject is properly exposed.

Here is an example (from a bandw image) of what I mean by making sure your histogram goes all the way to the right. This is proper exposure:

And here's an example of an underexposed image - the chart falls far short of the right edge:

Yes, the image can be "fixed" by moving the exposure slider to the right in Lightroom or adjusting levels in Photoshop, but when you do so the image quality is degraded and the final results much less pleasing than if the image were properly exposed in the camera. The more you need to move the exposure sliders on the computer, the more muddy (noisy) your image will become.

Here are a few principles to consider first:

(1) DO NOT trust the image in your camera's LCD screen as a judge of proper exposure. Even when shooting raw, the image on your LCD is an in-camera jpeg that has been processed by your camera's computer. If the image is underexposed, the algorithm in the camera's jpeg processing will boost the levels. This may make the image look fine on the LCD screen, while being dramatically underexposed in practice. Only use your camera's histogram to judge exposure.

(2) Think about your metering mode. Over the years I've found that I get my most reliable results using the evaluative metering mode (known as matrix metering for you Nikon users). This averages out the exposure for the entire scene. I'm not saying this is the only way to go - there are many photographers who successfully use the center-weighted or spot metering mode. However, I shoot lots of weddings, corporate events, and small children. In all of these situations, I have to move quickly with not a lot of time to set up shots. Evaluative metering gives me the most margin for error. If you are even slightly off with spot metering (or your camera gets fooled) you could end up with an unusable image.

(3) Know how to use your exposure compensation (EC) dial. When using automatic metering such as aperture-priority, using EC will override the camera's metering. When using manual metering, EC means setting the exposure so the needle is not in the center of the grid, but either left or right depending on your judgement.

Now I'm going to run through my decision making process from some actual shoots (you may recognize some of the images from some recent blot posts). In this image, I'm using aperture-priority mode and Evaluative metering. The camera is a Canon 30D with a 24mm f1.4L lens. ISO 400, f1.8, 1/100 sec, +1.33 EC:

(1) The first thing I do before I shoot is to set my camera's ISO. In this image I used ISO 400. From experience I pretty much know exactly what ISO I need to be at. When shooting indoors, I never go below ISO 400. I usually start at 400 and see what my settings are. Most often I'm shooting at 800 or even 1600. Don't be afraid to boost your ISO. A little noise in an image is okay, but getting a blurry image from motion blur or camera shake is not. With today's cameras, noise at ISO 800 is pretty much a non-issue.

(2) The next thing I do is to set my aperture. In this image I used f1.8. At ISO 400, I needed a fast (wide open) aperture to get an acceptable shutter speed. I also like shooting with large apertures due to the limited depth of field it gives me. It's a look that clients can't get themselves with their point and shoot cameras - or even with their consumer SLR cameras with kit lenses.

(3) Okay, here's the key part - setting the exposure compensation. In this image, you'll notice light coming in from behind and to the left of my subjects. The walls are also white. So the bulk of this scene is much brighter than the subjects themselves. I know that I'm going to need +EC. I moved my EC dial to the right until I was at +1.33 EC. In other words, I overrode my camera's evaluation of the scene by 1 and 1/3 stops. In practice, this means that the aperture setting I selected, the camera reduced its shutter speed from about 1/250 to 1/100. As it turns out, even this wasn't enough. I ended up having to increase the exposure by yet another 1/2 stop in Lightroom, so I really needed about +2 EC. However, a half-stop move in Lightroom produces quite an acceptable image, while a 2 stop correction would definitely have resulted in a muddy image. I could have taken a few test shots to dial-in the exact exposure, but in this fast-moving situation, it was more important that I capture the moment, so setting the camera at +1.33 EC was just a quick estimate that worked out well in practice.

(4) Is any part of this image "blown-out" because I exposed to the right? Yes, the light reflecting off the floor in the bottom left corner of the image is blown out. Do I care about that? Not at all.

Here's another example from a wedding I shot last Saturday. Canon 5D w/24mm f1.4L lens, ISO 1250, f1.6, 1/100 sec, +1.67 EC:

(1) ISO was set to 1250. Despite the bright light coming from the window, this hotel room was very dark - particularly in the direction the bride is facing. I needed at least ISO 1000 or more in order to have a fast enough shutter speed to get a sharp image.

(2) Using aperture priority mode, aperture was set to f1.6. Again, because of the very dark room I needed a fast aperture to get an acceptable shutter speed.

(3) EC was set to +1.67. With the very bright windows behind the bride (and thus greatly affecting the camera's exposure reading) I knew I needed to compensate with adding plenty of positive EC. As in the previous example, I needed to make a half-stop move to the right in Lightroom, so the correct EC would have been +2.33. However, in this fast-moving environment getting it within a half stop was quite acceptable.

(4) Notice that the windows are totally blown out. Not only does this not bother me at all, I actually like it. It wraps the light around my subjects and creates an ethereal look. In my camera's LCD screen, I saw that the windows were blinking black, telling me that they were blown out.

A subject doesn't have to be back-lit to require +EC. In this image, this adorable little girl is being side-lit by a window camera right. She's standing in front of a bright yellow wall, which brightens the overall scene, in turn underexposing my subect, so the image required +1EC to get proper exposure. Canon 30D w/24mm f1.4L lens, ISO 800, f2.0, 1/200 sec, +1EC:

Here is a situation that most photographers wouldn't think to add +EC. It's an outdoor image on an overcast day. You can't get much more even lighting than a very cloudy day, right? There's light coming from all directions, right? Yet even in this situation, the image required +1EC. That's because much of the image is comprised of the sky, which - although cloudy - is still much brighter than the subjects. Remember, any time there is a very bright element in the frame you're subjects are likely to be underexposed without adding +EC. Canon 30D w/24mm f1.4L lens, ISO 100, f7.1, 1/125 sec, +1 EC:

Summary:

When indoors, my default camera setting is +.67 EC. The only time I take my camera into a neutral EC setting is when I'm dealing with a front-lit subject on a bright day, or if I'm shooting with off-camera strobes. Adding +EC moves your exposure to the right (ETTR), which captures the most image data and produces crisp images. You can use +EC regardless of whether you're using aperture priority in combination with the EC dial, or whether you shoot manual and just meter with the needle to the right.

Do I ever use negative EC? Almost never. If I were shooting, say, a groom and his groomsmen with dark skin wearing dark suits in a room with dark walls then -EC would be necessary. I've shot 1,500 frames at some weddings without needing to use -EC even once.

Practice ETTR and I guarantee you'll get crisper, cleaner images!

Ceremony: Church of Saint Thomas the Apostle

Reception: Walker Art Center

Florist: Flora Bella

Caterer: Wolfgang Puck Catering

Band: Pop Luxe

Planner: Geri Wolf

Now turn your computer speakers up loud, and click below to view the slideshow.

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Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that Brenna's dad is my new idol - check out his bathroom!

(image courtesy of iStockphoto)

I'm going to start this entry by posting my favorite image of the day - this one's going on my website:

In a nice regional touch, the party favors were these umbrellas - thankfully we didn't need them.

I loved Brenna's dress - simple and elegant.

When Brenna told me she was doing her own hair and makeup, I was skeptical - but of course it turned out great!

Getting the dress on unleashed the floodgates from her friend and mom.

Brenna's dad cleared a field from the woods, then built this pagoda for his little girl's wedding. He even installed a small propane heater (under the white cover) in case it was chilly. Is that a father's love?

A big hug for baby brother.

The house is practically a wildlife sanctuary. There were bird feeders everywhere.

The food was without a doubt the best I've had at a wedding in a long, long time. My good friend Lesa Welcker of Lulabean custom cakes and cookies designed this gorgeous carrot cake. It was so moist it practically melted in my mouth...

The mind-boggling Japanese food was catered by Hiroshi Egashira. His restaurant, Hiroshis, is in Seattle. I plan on taking MaryBeth there soon!

John's peanut gallery (his musician buddies from Boston).

Brenna's girls.

We ended the day with a 5 minute mini-fashion shoot.

Check back here in a week or so for the slideshow!

(1) less rain in the winter and

(2) have more brides do bridal shoots!

It seems like in the south almost every bride does a bridal shoot while in Seattle almost none do! And why not? You've paid a lot of money for that dress, spent a lot of time on the fittings, and you only get to wear it for one day? It's also a great opportunity to try out your makeup and dress to make sure it really fits.

Anyway, so I set up my own bridal shoot with the lovely Yulia. Makeup and hair were done by the fabulously talented Dawn Tunnell.

Here are the first few from the session - more to come:

Tech (all shots taken with a Canon 5D):

(1) 24mm f1.4L, ISO 160, f9, 1/200 sec, 580exII w/60" umbrella, full power

(2) 85mm f1.8, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/500 sec, no strobe or reflector

(3) 85mm f1.8, ISO 160, f7.1, 1/200 sec, 580exII w/60" umbrella, full power

(4) 85mm f1.8, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/250 sec, no strobe or reflector

I sat down with Michelle Engvall, one of Seattle's top wedding planners, and asked her for her view on weddings and wedding planning.

LK: How did you get into event planning?

ME: Event planning found me! Ever since I was a kid I've been the one in the family to organize birthday parties, holidays and play dates. I went on to plan corporate events for Expedia.com and Microsoft, but weddings have always been my passion.

LK: What's the best thing about being an event planner?

ME: I truly love my job! Being a part of the most important day in my clients' lives is an honor. I enjoy getting to know them and often times building lasting friendships. When the wedding day arrives the emotion of seeing their family and friends and the love of the couple makes every amount of work worth it and so much more.

LK: What are some common misconceptions about hiring a planner?

ME: In years past hiring a planner was viewed as a luxury for the wealthy, but today a planner is more of a necessity for any wedding size or budget. Even the most organized bride needs a planner at her wedding so she can breathe and know that everything is being taken care of.

Another misconception is that hiring a planner is a large additional expense. It's not. Having a planner from the beginning can actually save most couples money. Planners not only can offer discounts with select vendors but are experts at budget management and pairing you with the highest quality vendors without breaking the bank.

Lastly, a planner saves time by tracking all the details and is a mediator between you and your vendors. You only take part in what you want, like tasting the cake, listening to bands or perusing through photographers' albums. Hiring a planner won't take away any of the fun!

LK: What are some of the biggest mistakes you've seen couples make when planning a wedding?

ME: Communication! From the beginning set realistic goals for your wedding and make sure you both agree on the overall vision. Just as important is the big budget conversation. Tense situations surrounding the budget can be alleviated up front by talking openly to family and each other about where the money will come from, what the budget is and how they can make their dollars spread across the different vendors. Lastly, don't get caught up in too many details and forget what your wedding represents - a long and happy marriage together!

LK: If you weren't a planner, you'd be a...

ME: ...an elementary school teacher. I love kids and am told I have the patient demeanor for the job. Now I just look forward to having my own kids...down the road. I am practicing with my boxer-lab mix Harley that my husband Andrew and I rescued last year!

LK: thanks, Michelle!

My trusty assistant Paige...

Tech notes:

1) 5D w/85mm f1.8 lens, ISO 100, f8, 1/200, large softbox

2) 30D w/50mm f1.4 lens, ISO 100, f8, 1/200, ring flash

3) 30D w/50mm f1.4 lens, ISO 100, f8, 1/200, ring flash

4) 5D w/85mm f1.8 lens, ISO 100, f3.2, 1/640, silver reflector

5) 5D w/70-200 f2.8L IS lens @200mm, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/400 no flash or reflector

6) 5D w/70-200 f2.8L IS lens @95mm, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/1250, silver reflector

7) 5D w/85mm f1.8 lens, ISO 200, f1.8, 1/1600, no flash or reflector

8) 5D w/70-200 f2.8L IS lens @153mm, ISO 200, f2.8, 1/1600, no flash or reflector

9) 5D w/85mm f1.8 lens, ISO 200, f2.2, 1/160, no flash or reflector

Meagan is graduating from U Dub and wanted to document this important time in her life with a studio fashion shoot (although I convinced her to head outdoors for a few quick grab shots).

Congratulations Meagan!

Tech notes: All images taken with Canon 5D and 85mm f1.8 lens. It was nearly dark outside, so off-camera flash was used on every shot (Alien Bee B800 w/60" umbrella). Studio shots were all taken with one light.

Anna's eyes just kill me!

Tech Notes:

- #1, 2, 3, 5, 9: Canon 30D with 24mm f1.4L lens

- #4, 6, 7, 8: Canon 5D with 70-200mm f2.8L IS lens

- no flash or reflector was used on this shoot

Your mission is to do them quickly and professionally. Here's a tried and true setup.

(1) Understand that your goal is not to produce "cool" or "edgy" or "interesting" shots. Your goal is to faithfully record your subject in a flattering and understated manner. That means clean, relatively flat light. Not totally flat - you'll still want shadow and highlights - but flatter than you would a fashion headshot.

(2) Position your subject in front of your background - I prefer to use an unlit white background. I position my subject about 5-6 feet in front of the background, throwing it to a light gray. I still see a lot of business portraits done in front of mottled blue canvas backgrounds - the kind that school photographers use. IMHO this is pretty cheesy - I prefer a plain gray.

(3) Set up your camera as discussed in my prior studio lighting tutorial: manual mode, ISO 100, 1/250 (or whatever your camera's max syc speed is), f8. Take a few test shots and adjust power on your flash until the shape of your histogram goes all the way to the right edge of the graph without clipping highlights.

(4) Set up a key light above and about 45 degrees from your subject and your fill light almost directly in front of your subject. I use a large softbox for the key light and a small/medium umbrella as my fill. Adjust the power on your fill light until the light on the subject is fairly even, yet still shows a defined highlight and shadow side. Joo don neeed to calculate fancy-pants lighting ratios. Just chimp after each shot. If you see your subject losing a shadow side, you know you've got too much power on the fill light. Just dial it back. Here's what it looks like:

(5) Posing your subject: have your subject turn her body slightly away from the key light. Make sure your subject sits up straight and leans slightly forward. This lifts the chin up, creating a more flattering shape and reducing or eliminating double chins. The head should face directly forward towards the camera.

(6) Position your camera about in the middle of the head, maybe even with the nose.

Here's a couple views of the setup. My subject is optomotrist extraordinaire Rachael Caravalho. The shot is for her company website. Her son Logan came along for the ride. As you can see, Rachael is sitting on a stool while I'm sitting on an apple box. The box is lower than the stool, putting me in the exact correct shooting position.

And here's the shot. Quick and clean, done in about 10 minutes:

Tech notes:

(all images taken with a Canon 5D and 85mm f1.8 lens)

#1: ISO 500, f2.5, 1/250 sec, window light - no strobe or reflector

#2: ISO 100, f8, 1/200 sec, single strobe with 10 degree grid spot - no diffuser

#3: ISO 100, f2.2, 1/1600 sec, natural light - no strobe or reflector

#4: ISO 100, f16, 1/200 sec, strobe with 60" umbrella camera left