Since the Alpha convention pic spam is still alive, I spam a few too:

1. The empty stall


2. The 3 Zeiss


3. Shaolin monks with hair!!!


4. 300mm f/2.8 G SSM on NEX


Look at albnok drooling there in the background. LOL

5. Rean Wong in landscape orientation


6. Eva in landscape orientation

kysham : I like the lighting and the concept of the shoot but I keep getting distracted by the model's unruly hair!

Wah! Like that then the model's hair will be standing up like a horn lor.... Wakakakakakaka!

Well, a photographer's role includes many things other than just checking the lighting and clicking the shutter button. Here are some suggestions that you can try out:

-client clothing not match his/her face
You can suggest the kind of clothing and colors before the shoot. Explain to them why you choose the colors. Do NOT TELL them, just suggest. Like if you shoot in a grassy field with green clothes then you're sure to get very boring colours. You can always suggest.

-client very stone/kayu
-client cant smile naturally
-client don even know how to pose / no experience in posing

This is where you need to spend some time getting to know your models. I'm sure you know your friend but do you know his/her partner? Maybe you can sit down with them before the actual shoot and get to know them better. Find out what are their likes and dislikes and also to get them to be more familiar with you. Once they are comfortable in your presence then you will find it easier to suggest poses for them on the day of the shoot itself.

I don't know but maybe you can do something like this:

1. Suggest a theme for the shoot.
Like maybe a 'secondary school boy/girl love story shoot' where they can bring one set of school uniform for the shoot. Or have them re-enact the first time they met each other. Anything. Just throw in some ideas. You need not go with any theme in the end but the idea is to get them involved and excited about the shoot.

I realized that most people's attitude towards a photographer and a photo shoot is : He's the pro in photography. We know nothing. All I know is that the end result better be good because I'm paying for it. So they leave everything to the photographer and act stiff and wooden.

You need to get them involved and excited about it. Once you do that then the shoot becomes their shoot rather than just your shoot and they will be more enthusiastic and more open to suggestions.

Also with a theme in place then you will select your background and places to shoot according to your theme and you will not end up shooting the same angles, hopefully.


2. Do some crazy poses and funny scenes.
Break the ice. The shots are throwaway shots. It's just to get them to be comfortable with you and to get them into the rhythm. Once they laugh at themselves and get a little comfortable, you may find it easier to work with them.

Yup! A photographer's job is tough. You've got to be a good communicator, a good PR person and you've got to be creative as well. Tough juggling and balancing act.

Hope this can help.

p.s. : Just take whatever you think will work for you and improvise. I'm just suggesting so it's not a rule written in rock that you must follow.

* Sigh *

That's the thing. Most people are not professional models. They do not know how to pose but they want to have good results. They have this mindset that the photographer is like a magician and can make them look great no matter what. The worst thing is they tend to be even more stiff when you point a camera at them.

That's why you need to get them involved. Make it like some sort of fun project where everyone can participate and have some fun. While it's fun for them, it's all work for you. Sometimes you really need to do some posing for these models. Their standard pose inventory may be very limited but you've got to instruct them on how to pose while sounding like you are not instructing them.

I've come across people who pose the same way for every thing!

You : Be happy and give me a big smile!
Subject - stand straight like a plank and smile
You : Be playful. Give me a mischievious grin
Subject - stand straight like a plank and smile (the same smile)
You : Be sexy! Be seductive!
Subject - stand straight like a plank and smile (the same smile, again)
You :

I'm exaggerating but you guys get the idea right?

porkchop : For the Alpha convention pics, I did use flash. F58 pointed upwards with bounce card pulled out. Just wanted to fill in and lift some shadows on the face. And don't be afraid to use high ISO to catch some ambient light.

cjlai : Looks more like a volcano eruption to me. Cool photo nonetheless.

Wah! 24MP APS-C sensor! If that's true then it's another first for Sony. Expect to pay between RM 35xx to RM 45xx for the A77 if and when it comes.

If 24MP is now APS-C then the next FF will be 30MP??!!

8tvt : Haha! Fear not. We can just go back to the olden days' practice of carefully choosing what to shoot and not just clicking the shutter blindly.

Last time we afraid will run out of film. Now we afraid will run out of HDD space or RAM to process the RAW files! Hahahahaha!

Gouki : So we're back to being afraid of running out of film lah!! LOL!

Last time is - "Remember to bring a few more rolls of film!"

Near future is - "Remember to bring a few more CF/SD cards!"

You can order the part from the service center but you must give them the part number. Then when it arrives you can change it yourself. I did that for the F42AM's hotshoe. I dunno the part number for the F58 hotshoe. Anyone knows?

rubrubrub : If you are just starting with a prime lens and is on an APS-C body then go get the 50mm f1.8

You can try out with that lens first. It's quite affordable and will let you have a feel of the focal length and how shooting with a prime is like. If you decide that it's not for you then it's quite easy to sell it off too.

I'll suggest you check out the 35mm f1.8 too and see if you like that focal length.

Ya lor... Why? You no like screw driven lens?

Why in the world would NEX need a battery grip for? It was designed to be small and compact is it not? I just don't understand ... If you want bulk, can buy DSLR/DSLT better mah.