It’s often human nature for people to blame the equipment instead of chalking it up to operator error, LOL! Especially when at a beginner or novice level, before the knowledge of the focusing system / process really gets embedded. First thing, if you understand the focusing system and how it works, you can test your equipment to eliminate that as the culprit. Get a hold of a focus test chart online and test it that way…..try it with all your lenses and note results or variances. Now then, here are the factors that usually cause out of focus images, back focusing, etc.

- Too slow of a shutter speed….whether shooting on an auto mode of sorts and the camera selects too low of a shutter speed, or you select it yourself. This is one reason I like manual mode. Control. Most people can hand hold 1/30 sec to 1/125 sec…..even many seasoned pros cannot go slower than that without a tripod or monopod. I have had a mixed result with 1/30 personally with a still subject…..depends on how long of a lens, my own level of fatigue, and the motion of the subject. Camera shake comes from the photographer…..but blur can come from that or the subject moving too fast for that shutter speed. It’s one thing if motion blue is the premise of the photo….but when it looks accidental it’s not a good thing, or a successful attempt at impressionism. For standard portraiture, I usually use 1/160 of a sec or faster to be safe….also depending are whether strobes or flash guns are used, shutter sync speed will have a limit of 1/200 or 1/250 in most cases.

-Also improper use of auto focus. Usually when the focus ends up sharp on the wrong part of the photo….it’s from not selecting the focus point properly. In standard AF mode, the camera searches for the nearest object and usually locks focus on it. If it locks it in the right spot….follow the red dots, you’ll know if you take the time to pay attention rather than shoot 189 miles a second LOL! You can achieve the best bokeh this way if shooting shallow depth of field. I usually use a center point focus, making one focus point that you adjust to fit the focal point of your subject. Manual focus is also good to use in some cases…..even then you can have problems if your biopter which is adjustable by turning the little knob at your viewfinder, is out of adjustment. It’s the same procedure as adjusting binoculars, when it’s clear it’s in focus….taaaadaaaa! So when this is correct, say you are photographing a wedding party of 2 rows, and you lock your focus point on the bride, in front, between her eyes…..that’s where the sharpest focus should be. If the focus is on someone in the back, that’s backfocusing. Whether you moved after locking your focus point or there is a fault with the lens or body. Unlikely it’s the latter.

-I’ll close with this….also moving after you lock your focus point, or the subject moving after you lock your focus point will cause the focus to land on the wrong part of the image. For moving subjects, panning or AI servo is a better choice than one shot focus. All things to consider if having consistent issues. Always backtrack and think about your steps before blaming equipment and giving vendors your money.

A couple weeks or so ago, I received an email from my website inquiring about being my assistant on different photography jobs. Normally I respond to them one way or the other, and help them if I can, and try to get an idea of where they are trying to go with their photography, etc. I do believe in karma, and appreciate it when people take time to help me, so I try not to deny at least hearing someone out and trying to help them. With that as a preface, I did not respond to this email. The person who sent it used no punctuation, did not differentiate capital or lower case letters, did not use paragraph breaks, had bad spelling and grammar…..just atrocious and unprofessional in every way. Just one long nonsense run on sentence. I thought it might be better not to respond because it would have sounded rude if I had, LOL!

Earlier this week she wrote me back asking why I never responded…..same writing structure.  LOL! My only response was, I’m sorry for not responding, but I must decline your request to be an assistant for me. First impression makes a big difference, in the future I recommend that you make an effort to be more articulate when doing business. I wish you luck however. She wrote back and asked what I meant…..I should have cut my losses right there, but I said, you write like a 6 year old! Was all I could think of! That’s when I got called a hater, haha! I don’t consider myself a grammar or spelling police, but do expect some effort from people to be intelligent when doing business. I can overlook a few spelling errors, if the person is trying, but the way that email was written, just shows she did not care and was lazy.

It’s best to be humble, and direct, and as professional as possible when approaching anyone for any kind of job or field training…..it does make a difference. I am selective about who is around my customers, especially when shooting events , wedding photography, etc. I am trusting that person with part of my business and reputation, and client base that takes so much time to build…..and putting important tasks in the hands of an ignoramus isn’t a wise thing to do from a business perspective. All good reasons to be selective about assistants. It’s half ability and the other half professional behavior and courtesy.

Just over 2 weeks ago I had the privilege of working with Betty and Aaron, congrats guys! They needed an elegant outdoor location to shoot photos of the bride and groom and wedding party, but were fairly new to the area and weren’t sure exactly what the ideal location would be. I’m not normally involved with venue selection or coordinating, but it’s also good to take an interest in your customers and do what you can to help them. Going the extra mile is definitely good for karma points and loyalty. I remembered shooting a wedding at Cannonsburgh Village in Murfreesboro before and enjoyed the location, and recommended it to them. They were kind enough to grant me a permit to photograph the wedding party and have use of the outside grounds. Really nice quaint place for a wedding or other family event….my earlier post shows some of the architecture, landscape, and all that. Here are a few of how the bride and groom, and wedding party photographed at that venue, hope you enjoy!

It is a concert at the Hard Rock Cafe, downtown Nashville, on Saturday, April 30…..featured acts are The Redding Shift, Heather Williams, and Blackwater James along with The Branded.  For more information on the event and listen to The Branded visit http://www.rockoverbroadway.com and http://www.dreamrow.com It will be a great show, and my friends with Dream Row are promoting it, and handling tickets etc. If you are looking for fun weekend activities and love live music, look no further. Public service announcement brought to you by Jay Farrell Photography

I’m finding that not only the logo, but this card design has been successful for me, and has commanded the attention to my business and work that I was hoping to get from prospective photography clients. I understood for a long time the importance of business cards that stand out, but this cleaner design with the logo and no images has been a new direction for me, that quite frankly has been a positive turning point for my business image…..it has generated some great feedback from clients and most everyone I hand my card to. People really appreciate the clean design and colorful yet subtle logo, the card stock, rounded corners, and UV spot coating. Those things do make a difference.

And when I think about what I am hoping people will do when they receive my card, is to take it a step further and go to my website to view my work…..not a difficult task but that’s asking a lot of people these days, when they are handed SO many business cards and so much is right in front of them with little or no effort. I was out the other night having dinner with a friend, and asked the waitress, early 20′s I’d guess, if she knew anyone who needed a wedding photographer or headshots / other portraits made, and I proceeded to hand her a card. I could tell she had received many, but these stood out to her and she said she’d want to look up my work because the business card caught her attention. Otherwise it would have been easy to forget. That was further affirmation that the value of an experienced designer and paying the extra for quality business cards is far greater than saving money and getting generic ones that make no impact, and end up in the trash. It’s nice to know that my cards have appealed to most everyone I’ve met and given them too, from musicians / rock stars, wedding photography clients, brides, commercial clients, models, etc.

In the wake of recent events, it was a refreshing change to shoot with Ronnie this past week…..this is out 4th time working together I think…..we have always had fun shooting together and worked well together. He has always enjoyed on location shoots as opposed to in studio. This time we met at Stockyard for a drink and then shot on location near there and worked with the golden hour of natural light before portable lighting was used. The nice thing about the pleasing natural light at the beginning or end of day is you have your choice whether you shoot shallow depth of field and raise your shutter speed, or go with narrower f stops and keep your depth of field, and not have to worry either way about sync speed for strobes or flash. That provides a certain freedom when shooting.

When I made his prints, he said this has been his best photoshoot in his career, which was a huge compliment! And I was really hoping in the aftermath of recent events that I’d be able to deliver, oddly enough it felt like I wasn’t alone. Like I had help. Fine, I’ll take it, LOL! It was nice to hear him play guitar and sing while we shot the last look. You can check out his website for song, album, or show information….also information about a new talk show he’s starting this week. http://www.ronniemcdowell.com/

Slowly getting back into it here, been a rough past few days with the sudden loss of my friend Jamie. I went to the visitation Saturday and got to visit with my friend, her uncle James there which made it smoother. I saw a community, families, and a group of friends all come together for what we all knew as a great girl. I really wanted some new dress clothes anyhow, for wedding photography and certain client meetings, but going to this funeral gave me some immediate motivation. I went to Burlington Coat Factory with a recommendation from my neighbor…..it was a little tough finding a matching suit where everything fit perfectly but after spending a bit of time looking, I was able to find a Ralph Lauren sports coat, dress slacks, Florsheim shoes, Julian Alexander dress shirt and tie, all for around $200.00! Really couldn’t beat that deal…..I don’t enjoy shopping and get impatient with that process, but was glad I took the time to sort through everything carefully! They don’t have much help there so you are on your own for the most part, but the prices and value make up for it. I never would have thought of them if my neighbor didn’t tell me, so it all worked out. Definitely worth a look before you spend 3 times that at a mens store.! Here is a candid shot of me shot with my friend’s iPhone.

I rarely post any kind of mainstream media news or politics on this blog, which may be why I am enjoying lots of success with it, and try to keep that negativity off here, but sometimes real life happens. This time it struck full force right in my own circle and close to home.  I met her through a good friend in Bowling Green, KY. who runs a filming and modeling talent agency, and used to run a bait store in earlier years……which is how he met Jamie, who was an at risk neighborhood kid who used to hang around the bait store, and he took under his wing. He met her when she was about 8 years old, and has watched her grow and avoid making many huge mistakes her peers did. She was his adopted niece so to speak.

Well, I first met her about 3 years ago when she came down to Nashville with him, and we all had dinner together and she rode on my motorcycle with me, and we just had a really fun time….I have seen her at a networking event after that and we got to hang out for a while even after the event….She graduated high school which none of her peers did, and worked a job, and was trying to make something of her life…..she was absolutely adorable and always happy and positive, and you couldn’t help but to like her. And she really appreciated the little things in life. I was in NY this past year when her 21st birthday party was, and was very sorry to miss it….told her next time she comes to Nashville or I come to Bowling Green, she gets dinner and drinks etc. at any place of her choice for her birthday and accomplishments I was proud of her for. Her choice would have been Olive Garden on my motorcycle she says.

I get the news last night from my friend that she was murdered. She was pregnant and nearing giving birth, and some sick disgusting slug murdered her to steal her baby…..this is so upsetting I can’t even go into it here, and I warn you if you read this story, it’s graphic and really senseless, not to mention cold blooded. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1377375/Woman-murders-pregnant-friend-kidnaps-baby-bid-pass-own.html?ITO=1490 I am still in total disbelief that this could happen to my friend, and honestly hope that woman who did it gets locked in a slow burning shed as her punishment. Thoughts and prayers for her baby and family are appreciated.

A fund has been set up for the Jamie M. Stice funeral expenses at Service One Credit Union in Bowling Green, Kentucky. 270-796-8500 phone. The family did not have insurance and any donations are appreciated! Thanks for reading. This is a hard pill to swallow…..she was so special and could have done so much with her life, only for it to be cut short by some ruthless killer. Really sad.

I shot a wedding there in 2009 and really enjoyed the quaint feel of the location, it’s a replica 1800′s village……would have especially great appeal in Spring and Fall! It is located in Murfreesboro, link here for more info…. http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/default.aspx?ekmenu=126&id=3020 I recently booked a wedding party photography sessi0n for a really nice young couple getting married, and fairly new to the area….they did not have a ton of cash to spend on a venue, which is definitely understandable…..I thought of Cannonsburgh as one of my favorite places and they were kind enough to grant me a free permit to shoot this wedding party there yesterday in fact. Which isn’t always easy to get with groups of nearly 2 dozen, that can draw attention so we weren’t just going to show up somewhere and hope for the best LOL! The park workers were very helpful and accommodating which was also nice. I am hoping this helps return their good karma, and helps other Nashville or Murfreesboro wedding photographers and planners think of Cannonsburgh for weddings. They have a chapel and other buildings to rent for an indoor event facility as well as access to outside grounds. Here are a few fun images I took while there, some location details…..wedding photos to follow soon, upon delivery.

Lots of things taking shape in the land of Jay Farrell Photography, several projects in the works! So it’s with great excitement I share with you that my photography insurance is now with Zurich, one of the oldest commercial insurance companies out there! Am considering placing policy number on my site for commercial clients and wedding clients / venues where vendors’ liability insurance is needed. Insurance is important especially for wedding photographers, and commercial photographers, for liability, negligence, and the occasional case of consumer fraud protection……not to mention protecting your equipment and gear in case of theft or other job related casualty. The reason I chose them is they are the least intrusive and not all in every aspect of my business (like certain other companies which for now shall remain unnamed LOL) and good protection, reasonable premium…..as well as established name. If any Nashville based photographers want a good local agency referral, please let me know. More cool news to come, soon.

I will be the first to agree that they are the lowest priced strobes that will prove to be reliable. I have used them for nearly 7 years, and have never had to have one repaired or replaced……and at least one of them has taken falls before…..still ticking. I had to have my Vagabond power unit repaired by Paul C. Buff company locally once, and they got it done the same day! But never had a strobe go out on me, after years of studio shooting and location work. They are fairly lightweight and travel very well I must say! Their customer service is local to me, and outstanding, so that is one appeal of doing business with them and using their products, whether using Alien Bees, White Lightning, or the new Einsteins, which I may eventually go for LOL!

The two biggest critical comments I have heard about the AB line, is inconsistent color temperature and exposure, and slower recycle time / flash duration than they would like. It will largely depend on the style of shooting and the work each photographer does as to what product suits their needs……they are a good light for the money especially but aren’t meant to rival Profotos or Broncolor etc. I really don’t shoot gangbuster style, but even when shooting pretty consistently, I personally have not had a problem with slow recycle time. I also seldom shoot at full power because I generally use shallower depth of field, but not always. The only time I ever notice slower recycle time is when shooting at full power, like in full sun to combat the sun, I can still shoot at a moderate pace but I do notice it needs slightly more time. One day that may become an issue but I have no trouble working with it, and it isn’t long enough to break the rhythm of the shoot. Here is a link with flash duration specs to give you an idea. http://www.alienbees.com/specs.html

As far as color temperature, there isn’t some internal meter adjusting color temperature inside the strobe, LOL!!! If rapid fire shooting, and the light doesn’t have enough time to recycle, then because exposure will be under, color temp will change too. That flash tube is standard 5400 kelvin daylight balance. So if your work requires extreme rapidfire shooting, or catalog work, etc. maybe these aren’t the best option for you…..but for normal use I have never had to correct color temperature in post production due to a malfunctioning strobe. Usually in such a case the user is the malfunction. Most of those complaints would come from shooting at full power and rapid firing. Can’t have everything without a fatter budget.

The wedding photography poster I blogged about earlier this week. I originally had mounted to foam core at Hobby Lobby in Rivergate, and it bowed soon after hanging it on the wall. They did not offer a thicker foam core and I didn’t know it would be that high risk of bowing, if I did I wouldn’t have wasted the money on the print and instead would have gone to Dury’s to start with, and have it mounted on gator board. Which I did do after this, with the one on display at Gilda’s formalwear shop now. So I brought the first poster back to Hobby Lobby and showed them the bowing. I was a little irked but I knew they’d do something to make it right.

There wasn’t really a way to straighten it as it would crease….the manager told me they could refund my money for the mounting I paid them to do…..or use a poster frame on the edges of the poster, even exchange, and not have glass. Which sounded like a more attractive deal. That way I wouldn’t lose the use of the print I had paid for, and I had an extra presentation piece for another location. I wanted to stay away from glass front frame, because I wanted the integrity of the print itself to show. It turned out to be a great solution. I am using it in my own client presentation area, and nothing’s lost or wasted. I will definitely keep them in mind for future poster frame work since they cared enough to make it right.