Hi Tamara! I bought my DSLR over a year ago and thanks to you I am finally getting out of Auto mode!

I have a Canon Rebel EOS t1i. It came with the EFS 18-55mm lens and I also bought a EFS 18-200mm lens. I really like the post you did on aperture and have been experimenting using both lenses. I really love photos with a clear, crisp subject surrounded by lots of bokeh. However, my f/stop number doesn't go lower than 3.5-ish. Should I consider buying yet another lens or do you have any other tips for achieving crisp subject / tons of bokeh?

Thank you!!

Yay Georgina! I hope you’re having fun!

The 18-200mm is a killer all-in-one lens for travel and other general merriment, so I definitely back that purchase above your kit lens. It’s incredibly flexible. 

Two things I can think of, and only one requires shopping:

If your aperture won’t go as low as you like, you can try to trick it by reconfiguring the depth of field by creating a bigger gap between the subject and the background just by moving them towards you a bit. 

For crispness on a moving, living and breathing subject, make sure your focus locks on the most important part (usually, the eyes). Try a faster shutter speed but flick on every light if you have to to balance exposure. Cannot stress the importance of light enough on this.

You’ll have to go into manual mode completely and play around with it for what works in your home, etc. as shutter priority and aperture priority aren’t going to compensate for the speed and/or bokeh you want; the camera will just go for the obvious. For example, in Av mode, the camera could opt for a shutter speed lower than 1/100 which is going to cause blur unless the baby is sleeping. Even then, you can’t be shaky and as steady as we all think we are… Maybe pop the camera on a table top or stack of books if pulling out a tripod seems over the top for this! 

Av • 1/30 @ f/3.5, ISO 400

Av • 1/30 @ f/3.5, ISO 400 w/ another lamp turned on and auto focus locked.

Manual • 1/250 @ f/3.5, ISO 400. But Jimmy Fallon was on Sesame Street.

As for the second option — the one that involves shopping — I’m smitten with the potential in a 50mm for babies and kids and Canon’s 1.8 lens doesn’t get much better for about $140 CAD. You *can* go up to the 1.4 ($480 CAD) but really, it’s not necessary for what we’re gabbing about here on this blog. I use the 1.8 for my business and have nothing but positive things to say, so for that price… Here are some examples. 

Manual • 1/125 @ f/2.8, ISO 400. Everything that is on the same plane is in focus, and everything behind is blurry. Even because her head was tilted, one eye is out of focus, one isn’t. 

Av • 1/100 @ f/2, ISO 400. Again, with the shirt closest to the lens, it’s more in focus. Even with her head being ever so slightly forward, it’s now entering the bokeh zone. 

Maybe consider the 50mm as your next camera-related purchase but in the meantime, have fun with 3.5. Charlotte’s too darling to not take a gazillion pictures of everyday so talk about a great excuse! Hope that helps!

Hi! I am wondering about SB flashes for canon? What would you suggest?

It depends on what you’re using it for. Kid-related? 430EXII or 270EX, depending on your preference of flexibility, I would say. 

Personally, I have both the 580 EX II and the 430 EX II but had the 430 first and have always loved it. I only purchased the 580 to have flash running off-camera for a traveling studio set-up as the 430 will not act as a master. 

In keeping with the subject matter of kids, the 430 is a-okay in my opinion. I rarely use it straight on (only if I need it to fill out dark shadows on faces caused by harsh midday sun during an outdoor shoot) and typically bounce it straight up and off the ceiling for a nice, even cast. The flexibility to bounce it side to side or behind me is also nice to experiment with.

The 270 EX is a good deal financially for what it is, and much less conspicuous and cumbersome. I’ve yet to try it personally, however, so I can only speak to what colleagues have told me. With this flash, you can still swivel it up for a nice bounce effect, but that’s the only direction. 

Hope that helps!

Hi, I have a Nikon D5000 with a SB-400 flash unit. When I use a program mode (S) or (A) I find that the flash doesn't fire bright enough to provide enough light for the picture and ends up dark. What could I be doing wrong? (BTW this is in regards to pics I take on aubiewear.tumblr.com however most of those are on manual with natural light. When I have to use flash I don't like the pics.

Sweatin’… I’m going to try to help as a Canon user, but I’m on my own since my Nikon-wielding colleague is enjoying an extended long weekend. 

My first thought was that most flash shots tend to wash out the subject with harsh, glaring light and keep the rest of the room or environment dark, grainy and underexposed. When I use a flash, I have it bounced or am using a modifier 99.9% of the time.

With the SB-400, your option of bouncing is to go straight up at 90 degrees and use the ceiling as the perfect soft box, casting an even light and exposure. This is my favourite and most consistent direction to bounce a flash.

If you’ve tried this and I’m way off the mark on why your photos are coming out dark, maybe try clicking this thread here. The general consensus over yonder seems to be that switching off TTL mode and into manual will boost the flash’s power. I’m at a high hurdle, however, in how to advise the step by step on doing that without a Nikon in my hand to see the menus. I do know, however, it’ll be done in your menu and not on the flash itself. 

Hopefully this helps some!

hi tamara! i currently take all my photos with my phone. eek. i've captured some precious moments with few pixels and worse lighting. i've been saving for a new camera & think i have decided upon the canon rebel t1i. what camera do you use? do you know anything about the t1i?

Honestly? I can’t say enough good about Canon’s Rebel T1i. You’d think I was an investor, or something. 

First, yay for the captured moments at all and in the first place. The number of times I’ve been gobsmacked by a development and *not* gone to grab the camera is shameful… Just make sure you’ve backed them up!

But onto the rest…

I use Canon’s 7D purely for business reasons, and even then colleagues are surprised — even a little put out — that I didn’t shell out for a Mark II, etc. Don’t get me wrong; I respect the distance camera bodies deliver, but my frugal nature smart shopping also has me thinking about good lens library as well. What can I say… I love accessories. I needed the higher megapixel count because I have clients ordering 40x40 gallery wrapped canvases and sharpness at that size is imperative. 

When photography was just a hobby, I invested foolishly into Canon’s 20D while my sis-in-law bought the Rebel. I was always envious that she garnered similar enough bang for fewer bucks, and it was much *much* lighter to physically carry around. Very important for mamas to consider. My point is this: more expensive equipment doth not a good photo make. 

In the end, you need to consider your uses. Even pitting the T2i against the T1i, I still feel strongly the T1i continues to deliver.

Yes, the T2i has 18 megapixels vs. T1i’s 15.

Yes the T2i has one f/stop higher of an ISO with 6,400 vs. T1i’s 3,200.

The odds of you ever feeling these differences for recreational use, however, are nil. 

Snapsort pegs the T2i as a winner, but if you look closely and click HERE for the results, you’ll see the values of technological difference are not large enough to warrant the price jump. 

My advice, long story short (sorry ‘bout that. I’m a talker.) is:

Scoop the T1i up on a deal with a kit zoom lens, put the difference eventually towards Canon’s EF 50mm f/1.8 II (I use this lens a lot) for around $130 (CAD) and the rest in your pocket. Hope this helps!