Welcome! I'm so glad you're here. My passion is to create timeless heirlooms—not just photographs. I believe in telling your unique story through the beautiful dance of light and shadow, documenting authentic connections, and capturing fleeting moments that you'll cherish for a lifetime.
Minolta 58mm f/1.4 Rokkor-PF MC Mount Manual Focus Lens
This afternoon, my peekapoo Daisy was wandering around the garden—nose to the ground, chasing after frogs, and exploring every corner like it was brand new.
While she was busy on her little adventure, I was having one of my own. I pulled out my old Minolta 58mm f/1.4 Rokkor-PF manual lens—a piece of glass that’s probably older than me. Pairing it with my camera always feels like stepping back in time.
I also brought along my new handheld fog machine, which added an extra layer of mood and atmosphere to the shots.
What I love about this Rokkor lens is that it isn’t clinically sharp like modern glass. And honestly—that’s what makes it so special. It has those soft, imperfect, film-era qualities that give images character and soul. Every frame feels like a memory rather than just a picture.
The classic checkerboard lighting - the 'light-dark' technique
This lighting technique is often credited to Irving Penn, the famous 1950s photographer working for Vogue magazine
amongst other places. I don't know for sure if he invented it, but he definitely used it a lot. The basic idea is to create a pattern of light-dark-light-dark. It's a relatively easy technique to pull off, though it can get quite elaborate with black flags and targeted lights. In the end, it always creates a beautiful lighting effect that's pleasing to anyone who sees it, even if they don't know the technique's name. I use it occasionally, and when it works out, I am usually quite please with the result.
With everyone using phone cameras at events, do you still need a professional photographer?
The ubiquity of high-quality phone cameras means guests effectively document events for free. Why pay to the pro photographer? The sheer volume of photos and videos captured by attendees now thoroughly covers the basic record of who was there and what happened.
However, I see this shift isn't a threat; it's a significant opportunity for professional photographers. Should not be a threat. Documenting and protocol is boring anyway, I can gladly leave it to the willing guests. I truly believe that our value lies precisely in an artistic approach. While guests capture snapshots at will, we should create a curated collection of images that truly reflects the emotions and essence of an event. We transform moments into memories through our skill and creativity, and that's not something that random guest with a phone necessarily can or will do.
Lifeless eyes
A common problem with natural light portraits is "lifeless" eyes (or sometimes they call it "dead eyes") due to a lack of catchlights. For a long time, I avoided flash, even considering it a bit vulgar—likely because I had seen so many bad examples. But over time, I discovered that flash is a fantastic tool for this and other problems, as long as you use it well.
But what if you don't have a flash? Most people don't!
While casually shooting this picture of my girls, I didn't have my flash with me. So, I grabbed a magazine from a table, opened it to a white page, and used it as a reflector. When held close enough, it works perfectly. A newspaper or anything white or neutral in color would work just as well. What it does is throw light back onto your subject's face. This keeps their face from being a dark silhouette, or prevents the background from being overexposed if you were to adjust your camera's exposure for faces.
Nowadays, I almost always carry one of my small pocket flashes, but that time, I simply forgot it. It can happen. But dont let this stop you! :)