A digital camera is no good without power so the very first thing you should have are spare batteries.  This camera takes the Sony NP-FZ100 rechargeable battery.  I make sure to have at least 3 batteries for camera.  One is in the camera being used, one on charge and one charged and ready to go.  By the time you use up one battery, you could have several batteries charged.

Now, in order to charge all of those batteries, I recommend a second charger.  You may want one for travel and one for home/studio or just always have 2 on hand to charge 2 batteries at once for those very busy days.  If you are burning up batteries that quick, however, I recommend more batteries!!  The Sony BC-QZ1 is the standard charger that comes with your A7RIII.

One more thing of importance, now that you have dual card slots would be SD cards.  You really don't need super-fast cards for this camera and I find that the SanDisk Extreme Pro 64GB SDXC UHS-I memory cards work great.  I just don't like filling up large 128GB card.  I like to use no bigger than 64GB SD cards so I lose risking less if something were to go wrong, of course.

If you do video work, or just want to protect your investment.  It is a great idea to buy a cage for your Sony A7RIII.  I have the full camera cage made by SmallRig and it fits perfectly, offering lots of 1/4"-20 holes for attachments and handles.

If you are like me, I love to do timelapse videos.  A a former Nikon Professional I enjoyed the settings that came with all of my Nikon camera bodies for timelapse.  This is one thing where I think Sony continues to drop the ball and have certainly heard our complaints.  Sony always wanted us to pay for an app which I find ridiculous, and with the Sony A9 and the A7RIII, this is no longer an option.  But alas, there is still a way to handle this with the use of a very reasonably priced intervalometer for around $24 through Amazon.

For traveling I absolutely love my Sirui ET-2204 Tripod.  It is lightweight, has an arca-swiss ballhead and folds up to fit in my small carry-on luggage.  It is a very solid tripod and I highly recommend it.

That is pretty much it for now.  I will be adding more recommendations for this camera in the near future.  Stay tuned and

     She still remembers standing outside as the steam from their breaths floated like little clouds as they made small talk. They ignored the obvious. As they shared a final kiss, tears streamed down her face as his blue eyes welled up. He turned away and gave her one final look and let his head drop. She went inside to the warmth of their home to watch him as he made his way down the small dirt road. As he turned a corner and disappeared, she closed her eyes and felt the pain. The pain of the unknown.

Shot with the Sony A7RII

A7R04894-EditSony A7RII

Improvements to the Sony A7R3 include a larger battery life that lasts longer, dual SD card slots for professional redundancy, improved autofocus and eye-tracking autofocus, a sensor that now has 5 axis in-body image stabilization (IBIS), faster processing times, the ability to shoot 10 frames per second in RAW and great 4K video in Super 35mm mode along with a few others.

I tried the camera out at my studio in south Florida.  Please check out the video below and subscribe to my channel.  Thank you!

We always want to travel as light as possible.  Recently, I attended a wedding just outside of Kaunas, Lithuania and while I was that far away I decided to take a quick half-day trip into Poland.  The only camera I traveled with was my Sony A7RII and two lenses, the 85mm 1.4 GMaster and the Carl Zeiss 35mm 2.8, both full frame of course.  I think the pictures came out rather well if I may say so myself but a few things to think about....

DSC03671 First off, I made a mistake.  Unfortunately I don't have a 24-70 lens for my Sony like I do my with my full Nikon collection and that made a difference.  Although I am in love with my 85mm 1.4 prime, the versatility of a 24-70 lens can't be beat.  The widest lens I had was a 35mm which caused me to miss a few opportunities when i couldn't back up far enough.  Something I need to change up a bit.

DSC03692-Edit I love the Sony cameras for traveling as they are generally light depending on what lens you have.  Many of the G-Master primes are actually quite heavy due to their outstanding build quality but the smaller mirrorless body helps to cut down on all that bulk.  If you compare it to a typical DSLR, whether full frame or not, the Sony body is generally smaller.

DSC03832 Instead of bringing a full size tripod I took advantage of Sony's great low light performance and in body image stabilization (IBIS) to shoot more comfortably at lower shutter speeds.  I did, however bring a smaller "mini" tripod that fit right inside my small camera bag which allowed me to do long shutter speed shots like the one above.  One thing is for sure, I was certainly happy with the quality of the photos and higher ISO, low light capability of my Sony A7RII.

DSC03963 Back to my problem, however I really wish I had a wide angle lens with me such as the Sony 16-35mm f4 for more versatility.  A wide and fast prime still eludes the Sony E-mount full frame cameras as of the writing of this blog post.  Nevertheless, 16mm is not too bad even though you are sacrificing a full stop from the 2.8 G Master series of cameras.

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If there was one thing that I wish was better with my A7RII, it's the autofocus in lower light.  Unlike Canon's dual pixel autofocus, Sony has some ground to make up.  I understand that this is an inherent problem with all mirrorless cameras and the new Sony A9 has made great improvements but Canon still has the edge with this one.  I am not sure many can compete with Canon's 1DX Mark II when it comes time for autofocus.

DSC03898 In addition to taking photographs, I did some video work with my easy to travel DJI Mavic Pro.  You can see the video embedded below along with a link to look at all of the photos that I have edited so far from this eastern European trip.  Thank you for stopping by and happy shooting!

To see the Lithuania and Poland gallery, click here.

To watch the video, click on this link.

The initial feeling you get when you first connect with someone can be addicting.  The butterflies, the curiosity, the happiness all wrapped up into one experience.

The First Connection

The Introduction

After we connect comes the relationship building phase.  You now become a couple and often sacrifice some of your individuality.  You love sharing experiences together and start documenting your lives as one.

The New Life Begins

The Honeymoon

Like many relationships, there are rough patches.  There can be mistrust, infidelity, or even abuse.  These are the times that change us or our perspective on life, love and relationships.

Confronting

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At times relationships move to another level, whether trying to fix something that is broke or spicing it up, change is often necessary.

Eroticism

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Spice

Spice

Relationships nearing the end of their journey are exhausting both mentally and physically.  It takes a lot of work and sometimes that is just not enough.

The Realization

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In the end, the test of love will be tried.  Nothing is more joyful or painful than the feeling of love.  

Love Conquers All

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I hope that you enjoyed this little journey.  May you find peace and happiness in your lives.  

Model:  Ana Thomas  IG @the_lovely_ana

Model:  Dan Brown IG @danieltimothybrown

Makeup:  Lacey Wimble courtesy of Cosmix School of Makeup Artistry www.CosmixInc.com

Photography:  Yours truly IG @JeffRemas

I do a lot of headshots for various people.  Actors, actresses, models, attorneys, business owners, CEO's, etc., you name it.  It's important to know what a headshot is for.  The purpose of a headshot is to essentially let people know what you look like.  It personalized the experience of the person looking at it.  Casting directors need to know what you look like to evaluate if you are a fit for the part and of course clients and your business peers like to know who they are talking to.  It is essentially a professional picture of what you look like.  What is is not is a feel good, glamour shot.

Professionals should not have selfies on any part of their advertising media where a headshot should be.  Do you want to hire an accountant that looks professional and appears to be confident and approachable or do you want to hire an accountant who took a selfie in their car at a high angle and then used an app to smooth out their skin?  One is professional and one is a "feel good" shot.  Business is about being realistic and a selfie that makes you look you look 10 years younger and 20 pounds lighter because you nailed the perfect angle isn't going to make a good case for you when you show up and you look nothing like your unofficial selfie picture.  A casting director will throw you out of their office and the first impression of a client or peer will be that you are false advertising.  A professional headshot represents the real you in the present.

That leads me to the next part of this subject.  How far do we go when editing a professional headshot?  That is a great question and I will tell you where I draw the line.  For one, I remove anything on the person's face that is temporary such as a blemish, scratch, sore or red spot.  If there is a scar, it stays there because when people meet you they will see it.  I do on occasion have to fix hair when it it out of place or fly aways when they are a distraction.  I like to remove a little yellow from the teeth if necessary and will smooth out some discoloration of the skin for those who were just in the sun.  Basically, I keep it real so that what you see is what you get.  I use my lighting technique to brighten the eyes and create nice catchlights so I don't have to in post production.  Those getting headshots need to have a clear understanding of the difference between a headshot and a glamour shot and photographers need to know in advance the purpose and use of the headshot.

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The author, Jeff Remas in "selfie mode"

If you are a photographer, make sure that you communicate to your client where you draw the line with editing a headshot.  If you are a client, make sure you know the difference between a headshot and a glamour shot.  If you want to have a false sense of what you look like then a selfie or glamour shot is for you.  If you want a realistic representation of what you look like in order to make a good impression, then a professional headshot is certainly the way to go.

There is a clear difference between our perception of ourselves and the reality of what we look like.  What we look like in the mirror is not quite what others see when they look at us.  We see a direct image of left and right and when we look at others, the image if flipped.  Take a look in the mirror then take a selfie and you will see the difference.  Let's keep professional headshots professional and glamour shots and selfies for when we need to feel good about ourself.

Happy Shooting..........Jeff

Most photographers, myself included love shooting outside when it is overcast and cloudy.  Why, you ask?  Well, clouds are nature's softbox.  There are no harsh shadows and no sun to try to overpower.  You can often still use a reflector or pop a little bit of light onto the subject with strobes.  With clouds, you are not having a fight with the sun.  The sun, however, has many benefits once you learn how to work with it and not against it.

In the photo above it was partly cloudy out and during a period of overcast I adjusted my camera settings to shoot at F2.8 with my 70-200 at 200mm with a shutter speed of 250 and ISO 100.  That set up my background and I planned on popping just a bit of flash from my Broncolor Siros as fill flash and add some catchlights in her eyes.  Just as I was set up and ready, the sun started coming out.  Normally at this point I start from scratch but in this case I decided to take advantage and make the photo more two dimensional.  I intentionally had her facing away from the sun just in case the sun did come out.  What this did was create some highlights in her hair which adds interest to the photo.  It did light up the background a bit much but as you can see in this photo, there is no doubt that she is first and foremost the primary subject.  This sprinkling of sunshine ended up giving the photograph more realism and really makes it pop.  If you look at the histogram for this photo you will see that I was on the cusp of overexposure.  The subject and her white top have all of the detail still intact.  In the end, I'm glad that I did not change my settings in an attempt to overpower the sun.  The sun really brings life to this picture.  Next time you are on a shoot, work with the sun and don't try to fight it.  You just may like the results.  

Keep clicking away,

Jeff

UnderTheSea

If there is one thing that is a niche in the photography community, it's underwater photography.  I have been taking photos and video underwater for years with relatively cheap gear whenever I went scuba diving.  I took the photos and video just for fun and could never bring myself to taking my professional gear underwater.  For some reason, I never really gave it any serious thought.  All of that changed.

Sometimes the obvious is right under our nose which is often the best hiding space.  It finally dawned on me.  Hey, I'm a scuba diving instructor with years of experience diving and I am a professional photographer with years of experience, especially in the commercial industry.  Why not combine the two?  Well, that's exactly what I did.  Already having experience taking photos underwater was a big bonus because I was already aware of many of the pitfalls and little nuances. As an experienced diver, I had the steadiness and comfort level to deal with many different conditions.  It really came down to getting accustom to using my professional gear underwater and communicating with models.  I could not wait to work on those two items.

Like any photo shoot, it takes a lot of planning, except with underwater photography, it takes just a bit more.  Location, model ability, lighting, assistants, weather, etc.  It's just that now, I have a lot more planning and gear checking to do with the underwater equipment.  One small leak could cause thousands of dollars in damage in an instant.  A checklist is a must.  There is no room for complacency.  Just like all shoots, model and staff safety is of the utmost importance.  After all, this is suppose to be a fun style of shooting.  The results, however are really exciting.

She's Waiting

What I found out was that you need more assistance than you do on a regular shoot.  The model must be qualified in advance and be able to open his/her eyes in both fresh and salt water.  Swimming ability and the comfort level of the model can make or break shoot.  There is a lot to think of with outfit color, type of fabric, model hair color, lipstick, makeup, hair length, water clarity and so on and so on.  I am sure you would agree that the results are definitely worth all the work that must be put in.  It may be fun for the model and photographer but there is one more major benefit enjoyed by someone else.

Clothing companies, designers and even retail establishments can really stand out if they do an underwater shoot rather than the same old boring studio sat and this is a much larger production.  The clothing company involved will certainly have some great marketing material to make them stand out from their competition.  Maybe you should think about doing the same.

Death Awaits

Let's all start by taking a good look at our profile pictures that we use on social media and business websites.  Do you like yours?  What does your portrait or headshot say about you?  Are you projecting the image to others that you see in yourself?  Is your portrait or headshot boring or unprofessional? Lots of questions to answer, aren't there?

Success isn't just a word, it's what we need to project to others.  In today's internet driven society along with social media, the first impression potential customers/clients get of you is your online picture.  We all want to impress our customers and let them know just how good we are at what we do but sometimes we fall a little short with the one item that can help us.  Our picture.  Our profile picture, corporate headshot, and executive portrait can speak volumes for us and really set the tone for how we are perceived.  Maybe it's time to invest in professional photography and stop putting it on the back-burner.

The photograph for this post was taken in an office building near a window and was shot along with a series of other pictures in less than an hour.  I think you will agree that the results are very professional.  

Visit www.JeffRemas.com to book your portrait in the south Florida, Boca Raton area.  I am available to travel to your location wherever you live in the world. 

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I love to capture the emotions of weddings.

Although weddings are not my specialty, I still shoot them on a case by case basis.  Luckily for me I have a great team that I bring to a wedding to help capture the emotion.  That helps me to relax and enjoy the flow of the wedding.  I always resisted doing weddings because, hey, "I'm a commercial photographer, not a wedding photographer" I always said to myself.  What I found out was that each time I photographed a wedding, I loved it.  There is just something magical about capturing a part of family history.

There are so many emotions going on during a wedding and we try to capture as many as possible.  Yes, we have a shot list of portraits and others items but in between those shots there is a lot going on that really helps to document the beautiful day.  I like to be unnoticed and capture people when they aren't looking.  I love getting those shots when people are interacting with others and simply just being themselves.  One thing I am guilty of is getting caught in some of these moments.  More than a few times I find myself with tears in my eyes.  I guess I just love seeing people happy and living life.

I will continue to accept wedding jobs because I love them, not because I have to do them.  I am always honored and feel blessed to be chosen to capture these moments in time and document this special day.  Here is a little slideshow video with music chosen by the bride and groom for their first dance.  I think it speaks volumes.  Watching it on a large screen in HD is the way to go.  Take a look.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54PwWezK-Cc

As each hour and day, week, month passes, we get older.  This, of course, is a fact of living life.  When we are younger, we just want to be older and once we get there, we wish we were younger again.  As time passes and we age, our experiences become more relevant.  The word 'mortality' that seemed to be hidden from our vocabulary as a teenager and in our twenties starts to show up in our minds and on our lips as we get older.  This shift in the realization of mortality causes us to reflect on our lives.  We want to relive moments from our youth, and share them with family and friends.  Photographs help us to do just that.

Photographs are very powerful.  We've all heard phrases like "A picture paints a thousand words."  I believe that is very true.  The pictures that we take are chronicling  not just our lives, but the times that we lived in.  Photographs invoke emotion.  Ask any parent that looks back on a photograph of a grown up child, taken when they were very young.  The power and emotional connection of a photograph becomes even more evident when it is of someone that is no longer with us.  Those that have lost important people in their lives understand the emotional value of a photograph.  As convenient as the digital world is for photography, it can be devastating too.

Let's face it, camera phones, computers, iPads and digital cameras don't last forever.  They get dropped, lost, wet, damaged, or just stop working.  I am more than confident that most of us have access to thousands of photographs on our devices but few of us have access to a printed version of our memories.  How many of you reading this has an experience losing pictures on your digital device?  I can certainly say that I have.  In the day and age of society having the ability to take a large amount of photographs, we are not printing nearly as many as we should to hold on to and put away in a safe place.  As the years go by and we upgrade devices, replace broken computers and more, the chances of those photographs not only being there but not being corrupted are a little slim.  We need to start printing our photographs, cherishing them and keeping them for use in the future so that we have something tangible when we or our future generations are writing history.  It's time to stop procrastinating and start printing your pictures.  Don't take for granted that the photos on your electronic devices available today, will be there tomorrow........

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I like to say that a photograph is freezing a moment in time that will never be repeated.  They capture memories to look back on for reflection.  After losing my mother to cancer a few years ago I realized how blessed I was that she kept a lot of photographs over her lifetime, capturing moments that allowed me to relive my time with her and give me new insight to her life.  I am so very thankful that she took the time to create such a large collection of memories on film.  This, of course gave me new perspective on what I do, especially on the rare occasion I agree to photograph an event.

Recently I photographed a wedding for an acquaintance that I know through a mutual friend.  It was a small wedding, very beautiful and quaint.  I was organizing the shot list that the bride wanted, making sure to get all of the 'must-have' photos and ensuring that I had pictures of the venue, set-up, tables, etc.  You know, the usual.  Part of taking wedding photos is capturing both staged and candid moments.  I really don't like people posing for pictures and every time I picked up my camera and someone saw me, they changed their behavior.  I have to be stealthy to eliminate this problem, except for the shot below and one of the main reasons for this blog.

Somehow I got wind that the father of the groom, who was recently widowed, drove all the way from Maine to south Florida by himself at the ripe, young age of 83.  For whatever reason, it really made an impression on me.  I knew that he had a story to tell.  I knew that from looking into his eyes.  I decided that I was going to take his picture both candidly (if I could pull it off) and staged, one on one with him talking to the camera with his eyes.  Although this was a wedding about the bride and groom, my favorite shot is all about someone else, the father of the groom.  I am more than confident that in years to come, this photograph will be reflected on with a smile.  Yes, photographs are important.  Capture the moment and cherish it.

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If there is one part of my job that I absolutely love as a professional, commercial photographer, it's interacting with people.  People are very interesting to me.  Where they are from, what they do for a living, their ethnic background, hobbies, the list just goes on and on.  Having this interest forces me to ask a lot of questions to find out who the person in front of my camera is.  That is one important factor for getting the perfect headshot.

When someone comes to me for a headshot, first and foremost I need to know why they need a headshot.  Is it for modeling, acting, corporate use, social media, a dating site, business cards, brochures, a press release, or just for personal use?  Each reason serves a different purpose.  We certainly don't want to do a sexy modeling pose for a corporate headshot.  Knowing what the purpose is helps us to hone in on what part of the person's personality we need to capture.

Actor Headshot

The headshot above captures confidence and his eyes really engage you, making it a more personal experience.  We want the person to look confident AND approachable at the same time.  In this instance we have a very clean background that makes for a very professional headshot that is usable on a variety of mediums from print to the web.

Whenever I am doing headshots I want it to be a one on one, more intimate experience where we get to know each other and I get to learn about you.  This is very important because I am trying to capture the real you, your personality and showcase it in a way that speaks to others in a positive way.  You will never hear me asking you to smile, hopefully that will happen naturally as we connect and just have fun.

In this example above we have a corporate executive who is just a fun person to be around, is very positive yet exudes confidence and approachability.  From a technical standpoint, notice there is no glare in in glasses.  During the shoot we did not get to this point immediately.  I had to gain his trust and develop a rapport with him first.  Much of the headshot experience has to do with interacting with the client. 

Not every shot has to be on white, nor should it be on some crazy pattern that is distracting.  Black can often be a great choice.  In the case above with this beautiful young woman, she is wearing black but that's OK, the focus in on her face and hair.  This is more of an actress type shot and captures not just her personality but emphasizes her good looks.  We have to place people in positions that enhance their best features and minimize the not so good ones.

A professional headshot is much more than just putting someone in front of a camera an snapping a picture.  Anyone can do that.  It takes a professional with a good personality that really knows how to connect with their client.  You can buy all of the best gear in the world and take horrible pictures.  The chemistry and interaction with the client far outweighs the technical ability of the equipment.  I want to know who my clients are, what makes them tick, what they love to do and really try to push the envelope to bring out the best in them.  After all, my work is not just for them, it's my reputation on the line and I want to make sure that I exceed their expectations.

Stay tuned for some future blogging about preparation for the headshot experience.

Jeff

First things first, I needed a background for my composite.  I was feeling a bit dark so I figured I would use a picture that I took at the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Florida.  It has an eerie, dungeon like feel to it and would be perfect.  Here is a look at my background pic: Flagler Museum, Palm Beach FloridaGreat background for dungeon, older type photos.

Next I had to take a selfie with my Nikon D800.  I used a stand to focus on in manual and took several shots of myself in various positions holding my head and with my arms in front of me.  Using Photoshop I was able to combine the 3 photographs needed into one final picture.  What do you think of this photo?  I wonder if anyone can decipher exactly what the message is with this cool, yet creepy composite photo.

You see, there is always something that you can do if you really want to.  I took a bad night and turned it into a nice little project that has gotten really good reviews.  I hope you enjoyed this composite.  Here it is!

Two Heads Are Better Than One?Utilizing photoshop to create a really coo composite photograph.

I am available for one on one Lightroom and Photoshop training if you are local to me.  Have a great day!!Jeff

As soon as we checked into the resort, I was already checking the condition of my camera gear.  My trusty Nikon D600 full frame camera had two fresh batteries and the lenses were clean and ready to go.  I even brought my SB910 flash.  Of course this trip was not all about photography.  After all, I was here to get married.  This was going to be tricky.  How was I suppose to balance the photo opportunities of a lifetime and not get in trouble with the future Mrs. Remas?  That fine line would be tested.

For the next 7 days I took just under 400 photos on my camera and a few dozen on my iPhone.  To me it seems like I really scaled back.  The next time I go to Maui, I will make photography my priority.  The amount of scenic shots are countless and I would recommend a photography themed trip to anyone.  By the way, I did get married, hired a wedding photographer ( how weird was that being on the other side of the lens)

Anyway, please enjoy a sampling of some of my Maui photographic journey.

     While walking down Duval Street with my Nikon D600 and travel lens Nikon 28-300 (very light yet versatile) I came across what looked like Captain Jack Sparrow  himself.  Actually, it is character actor Nick Doetsch who looks remarkably similar to Johnny Depp as the crusty pirate.  I stopped, chatted (gave him a tip of course) and took some photos.  I was so excited about what a great impersonator he was that after a few blocks of walking, I walked back to take some more pics.  I think I have some ideas for the pics.

     What I did was take on of the photos and make a movie poster like image from it using Lightroom 4 and Photoshop CS6.  I hope you like the image that I created.  Here is a look:

     Send me an email and let me know what you think.  Nick certainly has the persona down pat in person.  Enjoy!