Jason Scott Photography: January 2013
Jason Scott Photography
Sarasota Wedding Photographer - Siesta Key Beach Portraits


Monday, January 21, 2013

Jason Talks Gear - Canon 5D Mark III

This is part of a series of blog entries written by Jason about the more technical side of Jason Scott Photography. 

Equipment update: We purchased a Canon 5D mark III camera body!
  
I used the original Canon 5D for several years. It was an outstanding camera and produced spectacular photos, but the 5D had been around a long time and was starting to show its age.  So, at the end of 2012, I sent my last 5D to the farm and upgraded to the 5D mark III.

But let me back up... In early 2012, I sold one of my two 5D cameras and I purchased two 5D mark II cameras from B&H photo. I was excited about having more modern cameras.  The 5D II has 21 megapixels compared to the 12.8 of the 5D.  The 5D II also shoots video and has a vibrating filter that shakes dust off the CCD.

For the most part though, the 5D mark II has been a disappointment.  All those extra megapixels haven’t necessarily translated into significantly better photos.  At most print sizes, I can’t tell any difference.  Only on huge prints (24x36’’ and larger) does the mark II stand out against the original. (The photos still look great, just not much different than what we were producing before with the 5D!)

Like the original 5D, the 5D mark II has a less than perfect auto focus system.  The mark II does a poor job tracking moving subjects and has a slow frame rate. So, it works great for weddings and posed formals and family portraits, but is not a great choice for photos of moving kids or pets.

Since the 5D mark II was so disappointing, I was VERY skeptical when I heard about the Canon 5D mark III.  On paper the mark III looks very similar to the mark II, but it costs over $1,000 more.  With high apprehension, I ordered a mark III and put it up next to my mark II.   

The 5D mark III vs 5D mark II

The 5D mark III is better – much much better.  Here’s why:

The 5D mark III not only has a 61 point auto focus system compared the to 9 points on the mark II, but the auto focus is MUCH more accurate, especially when you are tracking moving subjects using the “predictive AI Servo” auto focus mode.  This superior auto focus, combined with a higher frame rate (6fps), produces a much higher number of usable photographs.

The 5D mark III is able to capture great photos of running kids and dogs.  Up until now, I have been using the 1D mark III (the 1D NOT the 5D) for any fast moving subjects, but the 1D mark III only has 10 megapixels and as more and more families lean towards ordering candid beach portraits vs posed in large sizes for their walls, it is tempting to offer the impressive 22.3 megapixels of the 5D mark III.  

So far,  all of my testing on the 5D mark III has gone very well. Here are some photos from our day trip to celebrate our niece's birthday at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa.  I shot everything on the 70-200 f/2.8 L IS.  The camera had no problem tracking a running two year old through moving water fountains and did a great job with the animals as well.  I’m fully confident that we can use it for action shots/candids during beach portrait sessions

     

     

The 5D mark III also has better high ISO performance than the mark II.  This upgrade will be very useful when working in dimly lit areas, like a church. This camera is going to take the place of the 1D as Allyson's primary camera at the end of the aisle during weddings. We'll also be using it for wide angle, fisheye, and macro shots. 

Conclusion

Although I was skeptical at first, the 5D mark III has turned out to be a great purchase and I'm excited about adding it to our gear list. We have some beach portraits and weddings coming up where we'll be able to put it to work. 





To find out more about the professional gear we use when we photograph Sarasota Weddings and Siesta Key Beach Portraits, click here.

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Friday, January 4, 2013

Frequently Asked Questions - How Can I Create Save the Dates, Invitations, or Thank You Cards from my Engagement Photos or Wedding Photos?

The Holidays are over, but there are still lots of great ways to use cards in your day to day life, especially if you are planning a wedding! Save the Date cards created from your beach portraits or engagement photos, stylish invitations with your photos incorporated, and thank you cards featuring your wedding photos are all wonderful ways to share your photos with your friends and family. 

We have three great ways you can create cards using your photos!

1. Create Save the Dates or Thank You cards directly through our website.

Here are some instructions. Please let us know if you need help!


2. Create Save the Dates, Invitations, or Thank You cards through our Wedding Paper Divas storefront.

Wedding Paper Divas prides itself on offering exclusive designs from the industry's top designers, better than boutique-style service and innovative online tools to make your wedding stationery shopping experience as easy as can be. We think you'll love their selection and quality!

Here are some instructions on how to use your photos from our site through Wedding Paper Divas.  (It says Tiny Prints, but the process is the same.) Please let us know if you have any questions!


3. Purchase a digital download of the photos you want to use on your cards 

You can then upload your photos to any site or store of your choosing to create cards through other vendors such as Shutterfly.

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Here's how to purchase a digital download. Let us know if you need help!

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Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Sarasota Engagement Photos - Kara and Chris

We kicked of 2013 with an engagement session with Kara and Chris at Bay Front Park in downtown Sarasota. They had some really fun ideas for this session and we all had a great time!

Here are some of our favorite photos from their session:

Kara and Chris at Bay Front Park, January 2013     

Kara and Chris at Bay Front Park, January 2013

Kara and Chris at Bay Front Park, January 2013



Kara and Chris at Bay Front Park, January 2013     Kara and Chris at Bay Front Park, January 2013

Kara and Chris at Bay Front Park, January 2013

Kara and Chris at Bay Front Park, January 2013







Kara and Chris at Bay Front Park, January 2013

View their full gallery here. Recently engaged? An engagement session at a local park or beach is a great way to get to know us. Then, check out our Sarasota Wedding Photography Collections and contact us today to book your 2013 wedding!

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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Siesta Key Beach Portraits - Ryan Family

We watched the last sunset of 2012 with the Ryan Family. They (19 of them!) were gathered at Siesta Dunes for an 80th birthday celebration. They were all a lot of fun! It was a bright, clear night with a gorgeous sunset. 

Here are some of our favorite photos from their session:

Ryan Family on Siesta Key, December 2012

Ryan Family on Siesta Key, December 2012

Ryan Family on Siesta Key, December 2012

Ryan Family on Siesta Key, December 2012

Ryan Family on Siesta Key, December 2012

Ryan Family on Siesta Key, December 2012

Ryan Family on Siesta Key, December 2012

Ryan Family on Siesta Key, December 2012

Ryan Family on Siesta Key, December 2012

Ryan Family on Siesta Key, December 2012

Ryan Family on Siesta Key, December 2012

Family Beach Portraits on Siesta Key, Longboat Key, Englewood Beach, or Venice Beach by Jason Scott Photography

Ryan Family on Siesta Key, December 2012

View their full gallery here. Do you have a large family get together planned in the Sarasota area? Check out our Siesta Key Beach Portrait Package to find out how you can capture memories like these for your family!  Contact us today to book your family beach portrait session!

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