Note: This site is currently "Under construction". I'm migrating to a new version of my site building software. Lots of things are in a state of disrepair as a result (for example, footnote links aren't working). It's all part of the process of building in public. Most things should still be readable though.

Digital Cameras - A Technical Marvel

Today I shot my first completely digital wedding. I'm still shaking my head a little in disbelief. I'm on my second digital camera body, and have been quite pleased with it, but haven't really done much of anything professionally with it till today. I used to shoot weddings with a Hasselblad 500 C/M. That camera is completely mechanical and doesn't even have a battery. I'd use a handheld meter for exposure readings and an external flash that had its own sensor. I didn't have any 220 backs for the camera, just 120 so I would have to reload film every 12 shots. To contrast that with the 5D which has auto-focus that is faster than I could ever be with built in metering that's tied directly into the flash and 4GB memory cards that can hold \~250 shots. I know it's been said before, but offloading a lot of the more mechanical parts of an exposure to the technology really does make it easier to focus on the image. I've know this conceptually for a long time and have had some practical experience with it, but shooting a wedding REALLY made the contrast stand out for me. So, this is the future, huh? I'm liking it. An added bonus: I get to make lots of "Back when I was a young photographer..." comments.