In honor of my brand-spankin’ new camera, today’s lesson is about digital cameras. Ok,not *all* about them - but some handy background information on them.

Back in the fall of 2005, when I got my first dSLR, the Canon EOS 20D, I didn’t know anything about this sensor stuff. I thought they were all the same, and just like SLR cameras. I got my 50mm lens for Christmas 2005, a few weeks later I took a photo class at the junior college (not to learn about photography as much as to get to play in the darkroom and earn the art credit that I needed for a degree), and when shooting with a true SLR camera - you know, using film - I realized that the 50mm lens on that one produced images that were cropped completely different.

It was then that I learned about the crop factor (1:1.3) sensor that is found in the majority of digital SLR cameras out there on the market.

See, there is a sensor at the back of the camera, which acts as your film. Only thing is, it isn’t as large as piece of film, it is a cropped sensor - so you don’t get to use the full frame of what a 35mm frame of film would be. It is as if your camera has a bit of a zoom to it, built in. If you want to take a zoomed photo, this isn’t a bad thing really, and it is something you learn to work around if you’re even aware of it.

(In case you wondered, SLR stands for “Single Lens Reflex” if you wondered - the camera has a mirror, which allows you to see exactly what you’re going to photograph. You push the button, the mirror goes up, the sensor is exposed, the mirror goes down and you have a photograph.)

Canon introduced the 5D back in 2005, and it was among the first full frame sensor cameras to hit the market. (The first at a somewhat reasonable price, as the other Canons that included it were geared towards the $8000 market!) A lens on this camera functions just like a lens on a SLR. Nikon has just announced that they are releasing a full frame sensor camera at last, and it has the pro photographers buzzing. However, I have Canon lenses, and I’ve wanted this camera for a long, long time. With the most recent weddings that I have booked, my financial advisor (aka Mike) and I sat down and analyzed the business end of things and decided that it was time to do it. My 30D will now move to position of backup camera and hold the 10-22mm EF-S wide angle lens that I love, because the only downside to the EF-S system of lenses is that they don’t work on the 5D. (Yes, I knew this when I got the lens.) My 20D will now become my backup backup camera, and Jason can use it more freely without me stressing out about it. Mike could take it with him on business trips. The list goes on.

And, since it often comes up, I don’t think a photographer that is starting out needs a 5D. I don’t think a photographer that has been taking photographs for 20 years necessarily needs a 5D. The Canon Rebel XTi is an AWESOME camera, and one that I highly, highly recommend. The new Canon 40D will also be very great - like the 20D and 30D before it, it has different controls than the XTi, and probably a slightly heavier body and other features I’m not aware of, so if I was just moving into the dSLR market, those are the two cameras I would probably be looking at. I started out with the 20D because I purchased it used and got a very good price on it.

When it came to getting the 5D, we made the decision based on the fact that I need a camera that is great in low light situations like weddings and receptions (the 5D rocks, even in candlelight conditions) and because of the very nature of weddings - a once in a lifetime event. With clients trusting me and investing in me, I must invest in using the very best that I can use to capture those priceless memories for them. Equipment and workshops will continue to be a part of my business plan - it simply makes sense and helps me be the best that I can possibly be.

All that said, I do have to confess - the full frame sensor makes me a little bit giddy. I may have squealed when I opened the box from Amazon today, and nearly hugged the UPS man when he showed up with it.

Cross posted at ChristineTremoulet.com, which got some tweaking today!

Spineybacked Orb Weaver, identified thanks to Elaine and Jeff, with a web across about 5 feet of my backyard. Photographed with the 30D early this morning - before UPS arrived.

Earlier this week, I was invited by the fabulous Katie and Adam to come over and spend time hanging out with them for Ella’s first birthday. Just look at that cutie! How could I resist? I’ve actually wanted to get Ella in front of my lens since this past spring when I first met her - so there was no way I was passing the chance up!

She was happy and bubbly when I first arrived at her house - I always say that people are most comfortable being photographed in their favorite places. However, the light & I weren’t getting along there very well, so I suggested going out to the park. She went into serious Ella mode - but I promise she was all smiles before this!

Last Friday I got to finally meet Mary, also known as Ella’s Happy Buela. Mary & I have exchanged emails for months now, ever since she started listening to the Pointy Sticks podcast. We never got to meet up though until now - and I am so glad we got to meet! She was finishing up Ella’s new birthday dress that she made, and she brought it up to Twisted Yarns so she could ask questions about it. It was such a joy having her join us in the Friday knitting circle! And Ella’s dress was so cute! She wore the dress for part of her birthday, and we got photos of her in it too.

I hope to get to spend more time with Ella in the future - she has such a great spirit and joy!

Years ago, I set up WinAmp to generate a list of what I last listened to that then uploaded itself to my server and displayed on my blog sidebar. It was pretty sweet. Now I almost never listen to music through the computer since I work at home, so there is no point. It amused me this morning though to see that Apple now offers a way to share your iTunes through your blog. Glad to see they are finally noticing what we’ve been doing (or wanting to do) for years!

Squeeee! Jonathan Coulton will be in Houston on September 20th at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck. So awesome of him to come to Houston a week before my birthday as a special treat just for me! (ok, FINE. I know he isn’t coming just for me. But it is a week before my birthday, so I can pretend.)

He’ll be in Austin and Dallas too, along with a long list of other places. Check out the tour dates if you’re interested. While you’re on his site, be sure to listen to the Ikea song and the BEST VERSION EVER of Baby Got Back. Seriously. Even if you hate the song, you must check out his cover of it. It is AWESOME!

So, who wants to go with us???

When I lived in Germany back in 1990-1992, it was expensive to take photographs. I lived about 15 minutes away from the beautiful city of Rothenburg, and I visited it all the time, but I never took a good photo of “The House”. I’ve always regretted not having the photograph that I could see in my mind. I didn’t have it, in part, because buying a roll of film and having it processed ended up costing about $15-20 per roll. For 36 photos.

I’ve had days where - thanks to digital - I shoot 800 photos in a day. 36? Really, really limiting.

So back to “The House”. You see, if you open up almost any guidebook about Germany, you will see this exact house somewhere in the book. Matter of fact, it is actually on the cover of some books. It is a pretty house, with the old inner wall of the city and one of the towers behind it. It is quite charming.

We walked through the gate every day we were in Rothenburg, sometimes twice a day. The center of town is up the hill behind me, and the hostel is on the other side of the gate. Every time we passed The House, I stopped and took photos of it. And I was thankful for the opportunity.

This was taken towards the end of our last night in town. We had just had some delicious ice cream, and we were heading back to the hostel. The light was perfect - exactly the light I had been hoping for, the light I wanted for the photograph that had been in my mind for so long. There were no tourists around at that moment. Just us and The House.

Patience is indeed a virtue, and I may have waited over 15 years to capture this very image, but I would not have had it any other way - at the end of a long wonderful vacation, with Mike & Jason right there by my side.

Wedding planning in Houston? Know someone who is? Pass along an invitation to Two Be Wed’s Open Studio! Wednesday, August 22nd from 6-8pm, come in and check out Two Be Wed in person and get to meet some of Houston’s hottest vendors in a nice, casual setting! (I’ll be there!) 2303 Dunlavy, between Westheimer & West Gray!

While I was at the studio hanging my prints, I took a moment to capture some photos to share so you can see why I’m *so* excited about meeting with my clients there! It is exactly what I was looking for in a meeting space, and it offers so much more to my couples!

They had me at the front door. I just LOVE these!

The lounge is a nice, comfy area for couples to relax and enjoy looking through the extensive library of information that Two Be Wed offers to all of their clients. Browse through books for inspiration ideas for flowers, wedding colors, attire and more!

I am especially excited about this - a viewing area with a great TV and DVD player. I have DVD slideshows in the works to share on the big screen TV!

And last but not least - my photo display!

We need to adjust the lighting some, but the lights were too hot to move at the time that I took these!

Hope you can make the Open Studio - I would *love* to see you there!

My Dad sent me this tonight, and it just amused me too much - I had to share!

9 WORDS WOMEN USE. Men, consider this the “Owner’s Manual” you’ve been looking for.

1. *Fine* : This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

2. *Five Minutes *: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

3. *Nothing :* This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

4. *Go Ahead* : This is a dare, not permission. Don’t Do It!

5. *Loud Sigh* : This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing.)

6. *That’s Okay* : This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That’s okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

7. *Thanks* : A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint… Just say you’re welcome.

8. *Whatever* : Is a women’s way of saying F– YOU!

9. *Don’t worry about it, I got it :* Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking “What’s wrong?” For the woman’s response refer to #3.

Photo of me, taken by Elaine

A few weeks ago, Staci posted photos of her new haircut. I was still in Germany at the time, and immediately left her a comment asking who did her hair. She wrote me back right away (she is awesome like that) and sent me all of his contact info. I called him as soon as we got home, booked an appointment, and yesterday was the big day. We took inches off of my hair. It was interesting - he pointed out that I didn’t want a Pob, but rather I wanted a haircut all my own. He listened to what I wanted done with the color and added fine, blended low-lights to my hair. He worked with the shape, the style, and my hair to get to the look that he thought would be best on me. I am still getting used to it - it still feels weird being so much shorter, but I went in wanting a *style* and not just a haircut, and I definitely got what I wanted. I’m quite happy with it.

You know what was really cool about the whole thing? I had told him when we were first doing our consult that I don’t do futzing with my hair. Blowdry, go. So when he finished cutting it, he styled it without the fancy roundbrush that no one can ever do at home. He used his hands only, showed me exactly how much of every product he was using, how to apply it, how to work the hair as I dry it, how to get it 90% dry (where he had me feel the hair so I would know exactly how dry he meant) and how to use the round brush to finish it. I left there knowing that I should be able to do everything he did, and I should be able to have my hair dry in under 10 minutes. This made me add to his tip. Seriously, it was that worth it to me.

I’m going to the Rockstar Photography workshop at the end of October, and Corey McNabb asked for headshots of the attendees. Elaine took this photograph of me last night, after we were out and about at a pre-opening party for her job. I love her fabulous RED wall in her office, and it was the perfect look for this shot - exactly what I wanted!

Thanks again for shooting me, Elaine! It is FANTASTIC!

Taken on our first day of vacation, in Amsterdam. We enjoyed our time in The Holland ™!

I can finally spill the beans, as I’m heading down there today to get everything ready. I was contacted by the Houston location of Two Be Wed back in July to meet with them, and after reviewing my work and the services that I offer, I am pleased to announce that I was selected to partner with them to offer my services to their clientele!

Two Be Wed is a great concept for brides - I wish it had been around when I was planning! What it is is a lovely location on 2303 Dunlavy that brides can visit for all of their planning needs. They personal select a limited number of vendors in each category, and brides can go to Two Be Wed, select which vendors they would like to meet with, and set up all their appointments in one day in one location. (Or however they see fit to work it out.) Two Be Wed offers a library of bridal resources, a nice meeting area, classes for brides & grooms, and a bunch of other services.

As an added perk, I can meet with all of my clients there as needed - so no more lugging everything to coffee shops. Instead I will be hanging prints on the walls today, and I’ll keep albums there to share, CDs of photographs to play on the TVs, and so forth.

I’ve never wanted a studio - I am *not* a studio style photographer. However, I’ve told Mike ever since I attended Elevate in June that a location to meet with brides someday would be ideal. When this opportunity came up, we both knew it was a great fit. I decided to wait until after our vacation to get everything set up - there just wasn’t time before we left. I’m so excited about it! I’ll share more photos later today of the location; they called on Monday and asked me to photograph their new table arrangements that they have on display.

So spread the word to all the Houston area brides you know, and if you are a Houston area (or anywhere else - I do travel!) bride planning a wedding, and you need a wedding photographer - lets meet up at Two Be Wed!

Not just August, but we’re almost at the half-way point into the month! Goodness, where has the time gone? (Ok, being out of town until the 7th probably accounts for a lot of it!) Speaking of vacation, I still have a lot of photos to go through. Well over a thousand, I am sure, although I haven’t counted them yet. I’ll share more of them here once they are ready.

Elaine & I had a delightful meeting yesterday with Mauro & Mariely, one of our November 2007 wedding couples. They will be tying the knot at the end of the month, the day after Thanksgiving. It is neat how the internet works somedays; I updated my contact information at LinkedIn and then went to look for people that I had worked with previously in the web world. Because I updated my previous employer information, and Mauro & I worked together back in 2000 & 2001, he found my profile page - right as they were looking for a wedding photographer! He was one of my favorite graphic designers at work, such a nice guy, and Mariely is just too cute and has a great sense of humor - I know it is going to be such a fun day! I can’t wait! We’re holding out for a little bit cooler weather though for their engagement photographs, since we would melt if we went out right now in this 100+ degree heat. Our lab is speedy fast, so we have such a great turn-around time on prints that it makes it easy to shoot much closer to the wedding day and still have photographs if they want them for various items - signature mats at the reception, custom thank you notes, or whatever they might need.

In other news, I am making plans for attending the Rock Star Wedding Photographer workshop at the end of October with Corey McNabb, recognized by the top in the industry as one of the best out there. I first heard about Corey when I roomed with Regina Holder at the Elevate workshop back in June. She & Corey are in the same area and are really close friends. As an added perk, I’m going to shoot a wedding with Regina the day before the workshop begins, which is sure to be a ton of fun! North Carolina in the fall is an amazing place to be, so I can’t wait! Hmmm… guess I need to get knitting so I’m ready for the cooler weather!

But the biggest news? I’m gearing up now for a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT that I’ll have on Wednesday! I may have been off on holiday for awhile there, but things definitely have been going on behind the scenes! Stay tuned for the details!

Cross-posted at Christine Tremoulet, my wedding photography website.

When my Mom was staying with us while there house was being worked on, she commented on how I wasn’t knitting. Crazy - not like there is a shortage of yarn in my house! - but I just didn’t seem to have it in me. But I packed yarn and needles when we went to Germany, and while sitting at the Hofbrauhaus in Munich, watching Mike enjoy his mass of beer, I cast on for my Fruit Loop Socks. I finished the first one on the train on the way to the airport to fly home, after working on it in Salzburg, Berchtesgaden, more in Munich, Wurzburg, Rothenberg, and Havert. I immediately cast on for number two while I was still on the train headed towards Amsterdam. I worked on it for most of the flight home, and off and on the rest of this week.

They will have an afterthought heel inserted once I finish the second sock and decide what colors to use for the heel. I’m using my US 000 needles, Magic Loop style. The yarn is Opal Feelings (wowowo Feeeeeeeeeeeeeelings), color #1701. It is made in Germany, but I purchased it in the US from the Knitting Zone. It is 64 stitches around. Plain Vanilla sock, since the yarn obviously needs no competition.

I should note that I purchased no yarn in Germany, even though I had the opportunity at least 2 times. I considered some sock yarn (the new Kaffe Regia yarn), but decided I could buy the same yarn in the US, and put it back down. The dollar is weak, the euro is strong, and my stash is really too big. Until I make more of a dent in it - and get the new lens I need before my fall wedding season begins - a yarn purchase didn’t make sense. Instead, I’ll have the memories knit into my Fruit Loop sock, and I’m perfectly happy with that.

By the way, I’m slowly adding my stuff over at Ravelry, the best thing for knitters & crocheters since sliced bread. Stash with photos coming soon, if I can face it. I created groups for both Twisted Yarns and PointySticks, so join them if you’re interested.

And I’m listening to all of you. See the lovely, shiny new “PointySticks” category? Yeah, I’ll cross post from my other blogs over here, and tag accordingly. I like having a main site, a home. And obviously, you guys agree. Thank you for all the lovely comments on the thought!

While the blog is all about me (as in writing what I want to write), it is also all about you. I’m back AGAIN to the same debate I always have … keep everything here in one place, or divide it up? I went through this when I set up the Pointy Sticks site, and again when I set up Fresh Photography, and now I’m back there again! Augh!

I’ve got knitting to write about, photos to share, things relating to Houston and Destination wedding photography, prints for sale … oh, the list goes on and on! tumblr is nice because I can pull all the RSS feeds into one place, but it isn’t all *here*. I keep coming back to wanting it all here, I guess. But that leads to the question of if you want it all here.

So, do I keep cross-posting? Or do you prefer to be able to pick & choose which parts of my online presence you follow along with? I know ultimately it is up to me, but I still want the feedback from you. It is all about yooooooouuuuuuu…

I’m finally adding things over at my tumblr account - christine.tumblr.com. I’ve added all of my feeds for all of my blogs, plus Flickr, plus everything else there. An easy way to follow “all of me” in one place. Feel free to follow along.

After having a nice, relaxing, off-line vacation, I’m feeling all bright & sparkly and focused! Which makes me realize just how rushed and frazzled I was feeling before we left!

One of the things I forgot to mention? One of my prints was selected for the 600 sq. mi. photo show that the Houstonist is putting on! It was such an honor to be selected, and I’m so glad that they have the same sense of humor as I do - I submitted my “Mile 0″ photograph, since it is the start of the 600 square miles, after all. I wasn’t sure if they would select it - but they did! Squee!