Metal Eye Photography

Snapshots of my life through a metal eye..

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New Nikon Speedlight!

Nikon just released a killer new Speedlight. The SB-5000! 

 A few quick details about the SB-5000: 

It's the new flag ship Speedlight, so this trumps the SB-910. It is more powerful with a further effective range.  

Its smaller and lighter than the previous models.  

The SB-5000 has a built in internal cooling system, Nikon is guarantees 100 continuous shots! 

It's now radio controlled vs infrared. Which means your camera does not need direct line of sight with its reciever any longer. You will need to pick up the WR-A10 adaptor for this to work if your not using the D5 (also new!) or D500.

I WANT ONE! 

Check out the full Nikon SB-5000 details page at the link below :  

http://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/flashes/sb-5000-af-speedlight.html?cid=EML:Ecomm:1616:AnnounEmail:SB5000:CTA:Other

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To flash or not to flash?

Many amateur photographers use flash on EVERY photo they take. Just assuming flash makes it better. I was one of them. The truth is, using flash can rob pics of natural color. Especially on skin tones.

While I am aware that most modern digital cameras have made great improvements to keep natural skin tones, there is still no comparison. As a photographer my goal is to preserve the natural colors that I see with my eyes. 

As as a rule of thumb I won't use flash unless absolutely necessary. Or unless I'm in a studio setting where high detail and controlled lighting is key. In that setting I am using soft boxes and diffusers over my flash strobes to soften the light.

My point? Shoot with no flash if possible. That will produce the most natural look. Especially when photographing people.  

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Wedding: What lens should I use?

When I booked my first official PAYING wedding gig the first question I asked myself was "what lens should I be using???". This was a destination wedding in Jamaica W.I.

Luckily I good friend of mine and experienced wedding photographer (Andres Velenzuela) was able to give me guidance. I'll share his advice with you. Please note this is our opinion only, there is no right answer. At the end of the day use what suites you.

Andres advised that I bring 3 lens. 

1. A wide angle for group shots

2. A high quality zoom

3. A sharp prime lens (fixed zoom) 

Those 3 lens equated to ;

35mm f/1.8 Nikkor 

70-200mm f/2.8 Nikkor 

85mm f/1.4mm Nikkor  

For the most part I used the 70-200mm lens. This allowed me to move around while remaining out of sight. 

The 35mm 1.8 is a fast lens so this allowed me to get some great shots that night.  

Over all the combination of those 3 lens provided me with all the coverage I needed for the weekend. I couldn't have been happier with my setup. 

Oh! I was shooting with a Nikon D7000 with a Nikon SP800 speed flash and diffuser. 

Chevk out out my portfolio to see some of the shots from this wedding. That would be the Heidi & David Rosario wedding. 

Please leave any questions or comments you may have! 

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Nikon vs Canon

Many budding photographers ask, "what camera should I get?". Let me be as clear as possible - It doesn't matter.

What matters is your skill and understanding of photography. I once used an iPhone to shoot a wedding... (It was last min). I used a simple Sony pocket camera to do my first engagement shoot. The couple LOVED the photos. They even had one blown up and on display at their wedding. That photo (last I heard) is now on their bedroom wall.

My point? Focus on learning to master the tools you have. Develop your eye and learn the basic principles of good photography (lighting, composition, creativity etc.). After you have some basic knowledge under your belt, you will gravitate towards the camera that's right for you. (With some guidance of course) Fundamentally, learning who you are as a photographer will dictate what camera(s) are right for you.

Personal disclosure: I shoot with a Nikon D7000 and my trusty iPhone 5(until the iPhone 6 is released). I would love to own a Lieca.  

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New LandRover #LRClimbing #photojournal #instagood #instagram #instacanvas #instacnvs #iphonesia #iphoneasia #iphoneography #picoftheday #gny #nyc #igdaily #photooftheday #instagramhub #instacool #gf_daily #igers #igersoftheday #igersfollow #primeshots #nycphoto #contestgramoftheday (at The Meatpacking District)

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Second shot of the Chrome Lambo #cars #chrome #photojournal #instagood #instagram #instacanvas #instacnvs #iphonesia #iphoneasia #iphoneography #picoftheday #gny #nyc #igdaily #photooftheday #instagramhub #instacool #gf_daily #igers #igersoftheday #igersfollow #primeshots #nycphoto #contestgramoftheday (at The Meatpacking District)

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Chrome on chrome on chrome!! #photojournal #instagood #instagram #instacanvas #instacnvs #iphonesia #iphoneasia #iphoneography #picoftheday #gny #nyc #igdaily #photooftheday #instagramhub #instacool #gf_daily #igers #igersoftheday #igersfollow #primeshots #nycphoto #contestgramoftheday #lambo @black_list @motor_head_ (at The Meatpacking District)

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Pick a bike, any bike, as long as you pay up!..#photojournal #instagood #instagram #instacanvas #instacnvs #iphonesia #iphoneasia #iphoneography #picoftheday #gny #nyc #igdaily #photooftheday #instagramhub #instacool #gf_daily #igers #igersoftheday #igersfollow #primeshots #nycphoto #contestgramoftheday #bike (at Dos Caminos)

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Recess. Oh to be you again. To run, jump and do cart wheels just because...#photojournal #instagood #instagram #instacanvas #instacnvs #iphonesia #iphoneasia #iphoneography #picoftheday #gny #nyc #igdaily #photooftheday #instagramhub #instacool #gf_daily #igers #igersoftheday #igersfollow #primeshots #nycphoto #contestgramoftheday #school #kids #park #fun (at 14th Street Park)

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Old school #photojournal #instagood #instagram #instacanvas #instacnvs #iphonesia #iphoneasia #iphoneography #picoftheday #gny #nyc #igdaily #photooftheday #instagramhub #instacool #gf_daily #igers #igersoftheday #igersfollow #primeshots #nycphoto #contestgramoftheday #truck #jeep (at 11th Street Cafe)

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Our last Riverdale Sunset... Farewell NYC. #photojournal #instagood #instagram #instacanvas #instacnvs #iphonesia #iphoneasia #iphoneography #picoftheday #gny #nyc #igdaily #photooftheday #instagramhub #instacool #gf_daily #igers #igersoftheday #igersfollow #primeshots #nycphoto #contestgramoftheday #clouds #sky #east #sunset (at Winston Churchill)

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Classic #truck #chevy #photojournal #instagood #instagram #instacanvas #instacnvs #iphonesia #iphoneasia #iphoneography #picoftheday #gny #nyc #igdaily #photooftheday #instagramhub #instacool #gf_daily #igers #igersoftheday #igersfollow #primeshots #nycphoto #contestgramoftheday (at 65 n 6th st)

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The finishing bites of my first Five Guys Burger.... #amazing! #igndaily #photojournal #roadtrip #burger #cheeseburger #five (at Five Guys)

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My face graffiti'd done by @thegrassynoel hit him up on Instagram to get yours done! Also on Instagram check out #grassygram to see the other portraits! #art #graffiti #portrait #face #teeth #head #color #bold #pop #glasses #cool #igndaily #instagood #gny #instacnvs #instacanvas #instacool #photooftheday #iphoneasia #iphoneart #contestgramoftheday (at Bus Stop (Johnson & Kappock))

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Traffic a'la Grunge. #photojournal #instagood #instagram #instacanvas #instacnvs #iphonesia #iphoneasia #iphoneography #picoftheday #gny #nyc #igdaily #photooftheday #instagramhub #instacool #gf_daily #igers #igersoftheday #igersfollow #primeshots #nycphoto #contestgramoftheday #queens #bridge #eastriver (at Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge)

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Saturday morning still rushing to work. #retail life... #photojournal #instagood #instagram #instacanvas #instacnvs #iphonesia #iphoneasia #iphoneography #picoftheday #gny #nyc #igdaily #photooftheday #instagramhub #instacool #gf_daily #igers #igersoftheday #igersfollow #primeshots #nycphoto #contestgramoftheday #subway #mta #blur (at MTA Subway - 96th St (1/2/3))

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Down to the steel chariots, off to battle the day. #photojournal #instagood #instagram #instacanvas #instacnvs #iphonesia #iphoneasia #iphoneography #picoftheday #gny #nyc #igdaily #photooftheday #instagramhub #instacool #gf_daily #igers #igersoftheday #igersfollow #primeshots #nycphoto #contestgramoftheday #trains #mta #subway (at MTA Subway - 96th St (1/2/3))