My equipment

One of the things you guys noted that I should blog about is the technical aspect of photography! I’ll first start off with my equipment. You’ll notice that it’s a smaller system than most people, and it’s because I am still in the middle of building up and upgrading my equipment. I want to get another D700 body, and then I want to really really invest in lenses because they matter more than the body. For the time being I’ve been borrowing and renting advanced equipment until I can afford them. For those of you interested in getting into photography, I only have one piece of advice when it comes to what equipment to buy: Learn how to take good photos first, and buy what you can afford and trade up later. You can buy the most expensive cameras in the world but if you don’t understand the basics of lighting, the relationship between aperture and shutter speed, how to focus and compose, the camera is not going to make a big difference for you.

Full frame system (what I like carrying around with me the most and use in most of my gigs):

Nikon D700 camera
Nikon 50mm f/1.8 D lens (my default lens, as it’s a natural perspective for capturing photojournalistic moments)
Nikon 85mm f/1.8 D lens (my portrait lens)

Backup system

Nikon D80 camera
Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens (a SOLID lens for anyone using a Nikon cropped sensor camera)
Nikon 18 – 200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR  DX lens (mostly for really zoomed in or wider shots)
Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX lens (I rarely use this one, it was a kit lens and it really only qualifies for family vacation photos at best)

My dream list right now:

1 more Nikon D700 body (not interested in D3 – too heavy)
2 Nikon SB-900 flashes (I’m getting one of them very soon)
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 lens
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 lens
Nikon 50mm f/1.4 lens
a Canon G8 or Panasonic LX3 for macro shots

Before or After? | Boston Wedding Photography

You’ll notice that the majority of my brides during this upcoming wedding season have opted to do their portraits before the wedding ceremony, some even opting for something called a First Look, which is when the groom sees his bride in her beautiful dress for the first time, a very tender and emotional moment.

I am biased towards doing photos before, but I’ll try to weigh both sides. When planning your day, remember to allocate time towards what you value. For some, it is photography, for others, it is spending more time with their friends at the reception, for others, it may be a very long and lavish, tradition-filled ceremony.

Photos before the ceremony:
Pros:
- You can allocate more time – usually up to 2 hours – which is especially helpful if you have a large wedding party or you want to travel farther for your photos
- Your hair and makeup will be just finished and perfect
- Help chase away those pre-ceremony jitters by spending quality time with each other
- You can then see your guests at cocktail hour – which is usually a much better way to see them than during a formal reception where you may be confined to your table for most of the night
Cons:
- If you wish to do family photos, they may not all be present by this time
- Seeing bride before wedding? I hope it doesn’t bring bad luck!
- You might also be rushed if your hair and makeup runs over

Photos after the ceremony:
Pros:
- You’ll be all happy and relaxed from having finished the ceremony. It shows in a beautiful glow on your face!
- You can include family members as well if they’re around
- If you have a particularly long cocktail hour, this gives you something to do while your guests relax and explore the area
Cons:
- Time! You may not have planned enough time between the ceremony and the reception, and these photos will end up rushed, you can’t travel as far
- You may need makeup/hair touch-ups
- If your wedding is low on resources, members of your bridal party may be needed to help set up parts of the reception
- You may not be able to spend as much time seeing your guests at cocktail hour

For all my clients, I understand that sometimes it’s best to plan your wedding without someone giving you advice every which way. However, if requested, I’m always happy to help review your schedule, make sure you are not rushing too many things, and make sure you have planned enough buffer time in between to allow for any delays during the day.

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Contests and Freebies | Boston Wedding and Lifestyle Photography

Some of you might be asking – why does Shang keep pubbing her Facebook fan page? Well, other than this blog, it’s the best way for me to have an all-in-one place to update everyone on what’s up with my photography – with an RSS feed to this blog, select photo albums with recent work (plus links to the larger galleries hosted on shangchenphoto.com), and an opportunity for you to stay in touch! By and large, I really like how the Facebook fan platform can be integrated across multiple applications and still remain relevant for the purposes of my photography.

Obviously, I want to be able to show my appreciation to you awesome people! So from now on*, I will be giving out freebies to people who remain a fan of Shang Chen Photography!

1. Quarterly photoshoot drawing – Every 3 months on 3/15, 6/15, 9/15, and 12/15, I will hold a random drawing. One lucky fan from the Shang Chen Photography Facebook fan page gets a free hour of photoshoot that they can keep for themselves or give away to a friend! This free hour can be applied to the following types of photoshoots: Weddings, engagements, and lifestyle sessions. The following gigs will not be eligible: School group performances, non-profit events, and artist / model / promotional photoshoots where photo licensing charges apply. The free hour will have an expiration date of 2 years. Winners will not be re-entered into the drawing. Photoshoot is subject to location restrictions and photographer availability.

2. Bi-Monthly print credit drawing – Every 2 months on 2/15, 4/15, 6/15.. A lucky commenter will receive a print credit of either 2 5×7, or 1 8×10 print, applicable to a previous or future photoshoot, to photo(s) of your choice! The prints will come from a professional lab, printed on professional quality paper (Kodak Supra Endura) using a lasting no-fingerprint lustre finish. Print credit expires in 1 year. Winners will not be re-entered into the drawing until 1 year has passed since last win. I can only ship prints to U.S. mailing addresses.

3. Treats for referrals! If you’ve been a past client and a future gig I receive is through you (they have to name you as the referral), you will receive a treat! The treat is usually print credit.

* Fine print:
Rules subject to change at any time, terms and conditions of all prizes will be clarified in the prize announcement email sent to the recipient. Photoshoot credit subject to photographer availability – booking should be done at least 2 months in advance of desired photoshoot date to ensure maximum availability, 6 months in advance for weddings. Facebook fans must allow messaging so that I can contact them.

New 85mm Lens!

I bought my new 85mm f/1.8D lens from Adorama and it arrived lightning fast – in 2 days! This lens – coupled with the 1.5x magnification from the sensor on my camera, zooms in really close and crops in close, which is great for portraits that focus on the face, and would give better bokeh than my kit 18-135mm lens. The first 3 photos were taken with my 30mm The box..

The lens and hood…

The UV filter

Testing the camera in some of the worst conditions… in my apartment, awful lighting… but wonderfully compliant model boyfriend :D Very first photo ever with the lens…

Using a 60-watt bedroom lamp as lighting for a “school portrait”

I can’t wait to shoot with it!