Yet another what camera to buy thread

[Rwsphotos]

As I said Weddings are not an on the whim type thing. I walk out of the house with more in lenses than your budget amount. Then there are the two bodies that I carry one being a D90 which will preform just fine for weddings provided your wife knows her camera as well as it looks like on your Fb page. Then there is the three hit shoe flashes and tripod and long long list of other accessories. As Tired iron said weddings are one of the few shooting events that are taken seriously and can not be reshot. Personally I would spend the money on flashes and some of the other essentials first than put the money aside and upgrade your body.

 

[pixmedic]

For that $1000 budget, i would get a used sb600, used 50mm 1.8, softbox diffuser, used third party 17-50 f/2.8, extra batteries and memory cards, and a good tripod if you dont already have one. For weddings, those things will do you far better than just a new body.

 

[Fox_Racing_Guy]

I see you are in Uhrichsville ( I'm right up the street in Midvale) another option might be renting equipment. If you can drive to Kent there is a place called Campus Camera Authorized Professional Photography Dealer – Campus Camera & Imaging – Kent, Ohio They sell used stuff plus offer rentals. I have a pair of Flashpoint 320's I might be willing to lend out, they were given to me as a gift and I never use them Flashpoint FP320MPWK Portrait Wedding Monolight Kit FP320MPWK I shoot Motocross exclusively and have little use for studio strobes.

 

[MLeeK]

I never said we were pro's that had all the accessories to go with it. My wife saw a decent camera and wanted to get it and try out some photography. She started by doing family and friends and it came to the point that alot of people started to inquiry about pictures. I came here because i don't know anything about a camera. Like i said we bought this one on a whim, not clue about the lens or anything. As for pictures she uses a facebook site. http://www.facebook.com/DayAfterTomorrowPhotography

Not saying she's the best or anything near, but she's definitely improved from the first few sessions.

Is there a reason why you are sharing her facebook page here? Serious question... not snark. I promise

 

[fjrabon]

Given your budget, I'd probably go used D90 and pair that with a used 50mm f/1.8 Nikkor AF. Then I'd also put a used 35mm f/1.8 AF-S on the D3000 and use it for less formal shots and groups. Finally buy a third party speedlight and some cowboy studios pocket wizards, a cheap speedlight softbox and a monopod. Depending on how good of deals you can find this setup on, that would put you right at $1000, maybe slightly over. But given your wife's talents from her facebook page, would likely make a world of difference. She has done pretty well given her equipment, and even this very basic setup would open up whole different worlds for her

Basically work it like this: Single portraits have the The D90, the 50mm and have an assistant hold the speedlight with the softbox attached to a monopod, have the speedlight above their head at about 45 degrees. Group portraits, swap out the 50mm for the 35mm same camera and speedlight stofbox, but have the softbox straight behind you or only very slightly off centered.

For the ceremony candids, have the 50mm attached to the D90 (since it has an internal focus motor, which I don't believe the D3000 does). Have the 35mm attached to the D3000. (also have the 18-55mm with you in the bag as a backup, but leave it there unless you really need it). Use the D90/50mm for clower up on the face captures, and use the D3000/35mm combo for the more 'capturing the whole event' type photos

The D90 will allow you much better low light shots and much greater control over your camera. THe 50mm f/1.8 will drastically improve your formal portraits (50mm on a crop frame such as the D90 is a good portrait length, I prefer 60mm on a crop, but 50mm is close enough and offers more options, the only really good 60mm low f stop I know of off the top of my head is the Tamron 60mm f/2 macro/portait hybrid, which is a fantastic lens, but is hard to find used). The 35mm will allow you to take wider shots with less available light, if you can't use flash for the shot (many ceremonies don't allow flash).

 

[Rwsphotos]

Post a few pics you shot for clients and it will give us a better idea of what you need. It's hard to give equipment advice not knowing your photographic skill level.

Mleek... Pixmedic asked for examples to help guide the op in the right direction. Guess he figured her Facebook link was better. :-s

 

[KmH]

I wonder if she has valid, properly executed model releases from all the people in those photos that likely require a model release be on file for use advertising/promoting - Day After Tomorrow Photography?

Her Facebook page is promoting her photography business, which is much different from a legal perspective, than just posting the photos to a personal website.

If you haven't already, you might consider spending at least part of the $1000 on things that ensure you and your wife don't wind up in court losing your shirts. Things like business liability insurance, sound legal and accounting advice for the production of actionable paperwork, making sure the business is legal in your town and state, paying the applicable Ohio sales and use taxes, etc. http://www.ohiosbdc.org/DocumentMaster.aspx?doc=2462

Welcome to the Ohio Department of Taxation

 

[imagemaker46]

Booming business doesn't buy as much as it used to anymore.

 

[MLeeK]

At $50 a session she's losing her ass and doesn't even know it. Of course, if you're not legal and paying insurance, sales tax and all overhead? she's probably thinking she's doing great!
It COSTS me in cold hard cash more than $50 for me to shoot with my point and shoot camera, let alone any professional gear.

 

[orljustin]

Your 'clients' are getting what they paid for. Those examples on that page are pretty bad. No sense of lighting or any skill demonstrating lighting. And composition is merely average. Typical eye level wide angle snaps.

 

[imagemaker46]

This is just another typical "I can be a photographer" story where buying the absolute basic gear is all that was thought required to do the job. Looking for an upgrade with a $1000 to go towards making the business better. It's not a business, it's a hobbist trying to make enough money to justify calling herself a professional photographer. To be fair if this person had a real understanding of photography, with skills and experience, the gear wouldn't be so much of an issue, however this is not the case. I have to wonder what "booming business" really means in the context of bottom line income.

 

[imagemaker46]

I had to be fair and looked at the facebook business, went though quite a few of the photos and aside from some real basic photographic mistakes, I stick by what I said in my previous post.

 

[MLeeK]

I wonder if she has valid, properly executed model releases from all the people in those photos that likely require a model release be on file for use advertising/promoting - Day After Tomorrow Photography?

Her Facebook page is promoting her photography business, which is much different from a legal perspective, than just posting the photos to a personal website.

If you haven't already, you might consider spending at least part of the $1000 on things that ensure you and your wife don't wind up in court losing your shirts. Things like business liability insurance, sound legal and accounting advice for the production of actionable paperwork, making sure the business is legal in your town and state, paying the applicable Ohio sales and use taxes, etc. http://www.ohiosbdc.org/DocumentMaster.aspx?doc=2462

Welcome to the Ohio Department of Taxation

HOLY CRAP Ohio makes things complicated just to start! On the flip side that document is awesome help!

 

[orljustin]

This is just another typical "I can be a photographer" story where buying the absolute basic gear is all that was thought required to do the job. Looking for an upgrade with a $1000 to go towards making the business better. It's not a business, it's a hobbist trying to make enough money to justify calling herself a professional photographer. To be fair if this person had a real understanding of photography, with skills and experience, the gear wouldn't be so much of an issue, however this is not the case. I have to wonder what "booming business" really means in the context of bottom line income.

Booming = almost more free 'clients' than they can handle.