Aquisha's Head Shot Session Reel | Leighton DaCosta, Charleston Head Shot Photographer

Head Shot Session with Fayetteville, NC Model, Aquisha Gross. Filmed in Charleston, South Carolina

A few weeks ago, I highlighted a recent session with Aquisha. Here is the follow up to that session. 

LD

#TBT Tiffany and Mario's Session | Jacksonville Portrait Photographer

Tiffany & Mario looking lovely and regal as ever. 

On a warm November morning in Jacksonville, FL; I had the pleasure of meeting with Tiffany and Mario and capturing 

Random Question About Coffee

I harken back to my Navy days, when coffee was not just a dark, bold, and hot beverage to keep you awake while standing the watch, but at times, it seemed the only method of hydration.

Sooo, bear with me as I ask, do you wash your primary coffee mug at work?

Why or why not?

LD

(Answered):Essential Questions You Need to Ask Your Wedding Photographer 1/5 | Brides

I came across this recent article in BRIDES Magazine and wanted to give some perspective and answers to the "questions" being asked. Are they really important to choosing a wedding photographer? In a nutshell, yes and no.

I will be fair, but understand that while it is the intent (I believe) of Brides Magazine to help future brides and grooms make great choices when it comes to finding photographers, as well as mine, many of the questions SHOULD already be answered by visiting most photographer's websites and seeing their work as far as style/editing goes. Questions like, "What kind of equipment are you using?" are akin to asking what is the brand of stove that your favorite restaurant uses to prepare your meal. If they said GE instead of Viking, would that stop you from going there? 

I do feel a bride and groom should CHOOSE their photographer, rather than "ending up" with one. (i.e. lowest price, only available, etc) These images will hopefully become family heirlooms that will be passed down for generations. So trust me, I understand the importance of getting it right! So without further hesitation, here are my answers and opinions on this year's Bride's Magazine Questionnaire. 

1. What's your shooting style?

   • Opinion: If this question is being asked, have we taken the time to view the photographer's website to see their wedding photos? If we have, is the shooting style all over the place, consistent, or evolving? Even for an evolving style, elements of composition and perspective should be consistent. Brides' feels that a great wedding photographer should be able to all/many different styles of shooting. The reality is that many photographers choose to be specialist in a particular style/look. Similar to a doctor who only works on hearts, or a pilot who flies a a particular platform of airplane.
      
   • Statement: I would like to think of my style as an evolving hybrid of reportage (photo journalistic/in the moment) and fine art portraiture. Continuously looking for the moments that will be cherished far into the future.
      

2. What technology will you use to shoot my wedding?

   • Opinion: This is a very valid question if digital delivery and/or speed of delivery is important to you. If the final product is the most important, then the question lends more towards a time where Digital cameras did not produce the quality of images that film cameras did comparably. Today, it is almost impossible to tell whether or not a wedding was shot with a Full Frame or Crop Sensor, and whether it was Nikon or Canon. As a matter of fact, there are many weddings that are shot with cameras that cost as much as Mercedes Benz, or some that are as small as a box of "thank you" cards. Of all the questions in this section that I think are important, the one that I would consider to be of great value is the one that asks how does a photographer handle images in low light. THIS might be where the technology comes into play as well as the skill of the photographer. 
     
     Statement: I use professional grade equipment from many different manufacturers around the world. This equipment has proven tried and true from Aruba to Afghanistan. I am always more than willing to discuss what is needed for your wedding. As far as low light, between the use of available light, artificial light, light shaping tools, and camera settings/limitations, I am able to not only expose for a low light situation, but will also maintain the correct colors as well. 
      
3. To be continued.....

Client Update | Leighton DaCosta. Photographer

Hello to all of my great clients! 

Just wanted to give a quick word and update about what is going here at LDPhotography. 

1. Changes.
   • We are currently moving to a new client management and portal system over the upcoming months. You shouldn't see too much difference on the front end, but the back end should get REALLY nice! What brought about this change? Well a few months back, our current system erroneously started sending out invoices to clients. This was not a good look, especially to our commercial clients. I am happy to say, that we have finally found a new system which will not only be easier to use, but will also run on your smart phones as well. 
2. on the move.
   • I am currently on project in Charleston, SC. During this time, I will be frequenting Atlanta, Charlotte, and Jacksonville, with occasional stops to South Florida. Be sure to inquire. I am currently accepting bookings as far out as Fall/Winter 2017. 
3. Fine Art.
   • The studio is currently moving more and more to fine art and commercial offerings. I can't wait to talk to you and show you what that might mean for you! 

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

LD

What I learned about photographing fireworks | Leighton DaCosta, Charleston Photographer

Charleston Harbor July 4, 2016.
This is a 17 frame HDR Merge done in Adobe Lightroom.

I do not normally photograph fireworks, because I would rather just sit, watch, and enjoy them. This year for the Fourth of July, I was fortunate enough to have a great vantage point to watch the fireworks over most of the Charleston area. The one I came to watch, was the big one over the U.S.S. YORKTOWN, a retired, World War II Aircraft Carrier from the US Navy.

The fireworks were absolutely beautiful and I wanted to share a couple of things I learned that night for those wanting to do fireworks photography. 

Straight out of camera Shot of the fireworks over Charleston Harbor

Known Knowns

• Slow Shutter Speeds. When Photographing moving luminous objects, to give a sense of motion, you are going to want to use a slow shutter speed to better capture the trailing light. I know many who photograph around 1-5 second exposures. Because of the distance, and the width of the lens I was using that night, I was between 15-25 seconds in exposure time. 

• TRIPOD!!! Bring a tripod to give you the best stability when doing long exposures. Not only will it keep your camera stable, but it will allow you to take several images with identical frames that makes post production easier. 

• Mirror Up. While I had already planned on using the live view function on my Nikon D810, I knew that I was only going to use it for precision focusing. In my experience, when using long exposures over 15 seconds, the mirror slap in a DSLR can cause enough vibrations to cause motion blur in distant luminous objects like stars and fireworks. For ideal stillness, photograph using a laptop and a tether cable, so you do not have to touch the camera at all. 

Known UNKNOWNS

• Lens Selection. When I first thought about about shooting the fireworks, I really wanted a wide perspective, so had all intent on using the Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 manual focus lens. I absolutely LOVE that lens. Something told me though,  to bring my Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 lens; and it might have served me better to have brought my 70-200mm f/2.8 lens as well. due to the distance that I was photographing from. For future shoots, I plan on bringing something really wide, and something really tight, in addition to my intended lenses for an additional perspective.  

Straight out of camera shot; you may not know when something may go off causing a little more light than expected. 

UNKNOWN UNKNOWNS

• Wind and Weather. Wind and weather will play a part in which way your streams actually fall and how long the smoke stays around. With digital photography, you can do some immediate correction, but with film photography not as easy. I would advise carrying a simple point and shoot with manual functionality that can slow the shutter down enough to let you know what the wind and smoke are doing. 
• Ambient/City Light. When photographing fireworks in the distance, you will have a disadvantage of having bright city lights in the background as well, which will compete with your fireworks. Consider adjusting your f/stop to reduce the highlights of the lights.
  
  While there is much more that goes into capturing fireworks, these are just a few things that I took into consideration and wanted to share with you. I had a lot of fun and can't wait to do this again!

LD