For Photographers

People always ask me about photography and I'm happy to share what I know.  If you have a question about a photo you see here (EFIX, location, etc.) or about photography in general, send me a message below or email me at MelissaTakesAPicture@gmail.com.  Or if you have a tip of your own to share, I'd love to hear it.  Thanks for stopping by.  

My Gear (Sorry this is so long.  I know you're busy.)

If you're a fellow photographer, you may wonder what I shoot because when I go to your site and peruse your images, I wonder what you shoot!  I am a Canon shooter.  I don't have any kind of Nikon prejudice; I think they make great cameras, too.  When I was looking to upgrade from a point-and-shoot camera (which was a Canon PowerShot S3 IS), my camera guru recommended Canon to me, as not surprisingly, he is a Canon shooter.  

For camera bodies:
Canon 5D Mark II - Primary body
     w/Canon Battery Grip BG-E6
     Four Canon LP-E6 Batteries
Canon 5D Classic - Back-up body
     Four  Canon BP-511A Batteries
Canon T1i/500D - Great consumer-level DSLR that doesn't get used and needs a good home.  See "For Sale" below.     
     w/Canon Battery Grip BG-E5
     Two Canon LP-E5 Batteries

As far as glass, I love my L-series prime lenses over my zooms, even though my zooms are L-series, too, so they're no slouches.  Now be warned, you're about to learn that I'm a self-confessed gearhead.  My idea of fun is talking about photography gear.  Really.  It's so pathetic, I know.

These are the six primes in my arsenal, which all have lens hoods and UV filters, though I don't use UV filters all the time to cut down on chromatic aberration:The first three are considered the Canon "Holy Trinity" of prime lenses to get a photographer through any situation.  They are by far my three favorite, along with the macro.  I actually have seven primes, as I inadvertently acquired another 50mm f/1.8 when I purchased my 5D classic in February 2011, though I most likely will sell the lens soon (see "For Sale" below).  As noted above, I have both the 85mm f/ 1.2L and the 85mm f/1.8.  I'm hanging on to the f/1.8 for now even though I have the f/1.2L, as the 85 f/1.2L is the dream lens, but I like to use the f/1.8 as a walk-around at times and the f/1.2L does better inside for portrait sessions since it is so incredibly slow to focus and the depth of field is razor thin.  

The zooms in my collection are:
Zoom fans really love the 16-35mm f/2.8L to have as their "trinity" along with the two other zooms I have listed above, but I don't imagine that I'll get it, as I don't really use my 24-70mm much at all and it's kind of an expensive toy to have sitting around unused, though I use it on rare occasion.  I couldn't imagine having two expensive toys sitting around getting such little use.  I bought the 24-70mm before discovering my love of primes, and since on rare occasion I'm glad to have it, I am holding on to it for now.  I have two other kit zoom lenses, which which are listed for sale below as a bundle with the T1i/500D.  The only other lens I may add one day is a fisheye or ultra-wide angle.  I imagine I'd use the fisheye for an occasional fun shot, and while I wouldn't mind having it, I really don't need it.  

I also use:

My gear list also includes:

And for software on a 15" MacBook Pro, I use:
I had the MacBook Pro made by the Apple elves, and it was upgraded to maximum RAM and hard drive storage, which is really needed with Photoshop, and with the 5D Mark II producing such huge files, I don't think I could work with less.  

I'm sure there are some other odds and ends, but that sure is a lot of gear.  I purchased most of it from Adorama, though a few things have come from B&H.  I wouldn't buy from anywhere else except these two places.  I've had zero problems with either, only good experiences, and everything ships fast, fast, fast.  They really are the two industry leaders.  Adorama also does prints and gear rental as well, along with a whole lot of photography education via Adorama Learning Center, which I love.  I have a little crush on the man who hosts their videos, Mark Wallace.  And I hear he lives in Phoenix, which I wish I didn't know, as that makes him within stalking distance...  Just kidding!

Yep, self-admitted gear head.  

I briefly considered moving up to the 50mm f/1.2L this year, but I'm not going to do it -- probably not ever.  While I know lots and lots of people with the 50mm lenses never take this focal length off their camera, it has never rocked my world.  Ever.  Not once.  Odd, isn't it, when it is so overwhelmingly popular?  It doesn't matter, crop or full frame, I have tried to love it but I don't.  I first had the f/1.8 and sold it, and now have the f/1.4 but I just don't love it, so I can't imagine lusting after the 50mm f/1.2L.  To its fans, sorry!  The 50mm f/1.2L has a hit-or-miss reputation to boot, so I'll pass on that one.  And now I have yet another copy of the 50mm f/1.8 because it was included with the body when I bought the used 5D Classic.  I just can't get away from the 50mm!

So if you're new to photography you may ask why I love primes over zooms.  After all, zooms are more flexible, right?  And typically cheaper than primes, too.  So you get lots more bang for your buck out of a zoom.  Well, even though you get more flexibility as far as focal length and a cheaper price, I love the razor sharpness of primes.  You won't get that sharpness out of a zoom, even a super-sharp copy that's been micro-calibrated to the camera, IMHO.  And low-light capabilities.  I don't know about other manufacturers, but as far as Canon goes, the widest aperture you're going to get out of a zoom is f/2.8.  Which means they let in less light at their widest ap, possibly making me lower my shutter speed and/or raise my ISO to get the shot, both of which I don't want to do if I don't have to.  

If you're new, you may ask why I don't want to do that, raise my ISO or lower my shutter speed.  Having a lower shutter speed can influence the sharpness of an image, as it catches the action when the subject makes the slightest move.  And a high ISO can leave you with digital noise, though I worry less about that these days with both the superb ISO handling of the Canon 5D Mark II, along with the noiseware available in both Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3.  For those who do know what I'm talking about, until recently, I didn't use any other noiseware or plug-ins, just what is in PS and LR, but I tried the free trial version of Portraiture and actually liked it (so sorry to the purists) and I ended up buying the Portraiture and Noiseware bundle.  The Noiseware has more options for use compared to what is available in LR and ACR, but doesn't seem all that different from Noiseware in the final outcome of the image, just in ease of use.  But the Portraiture is great, especially when processing boudoir shots.  And yes, I do boudoir shots but no, I don't post them here.  Sorry.

For packaging images for clients, I use:
  • Presentation Boxes in 5 x 7, 8 x 10 and 11 x 14, all 1", from H-BPhoto.com in Titanium
  • Silver tissue folds, also from H-BPhoto.com, sized for the presentation boxes
  • Customized 7/8" ribbon in black with silver lettering that reads, "Melissa Haun Photography" from Ribbon Warehouse
  • Labels from moo.com to use to seal the tissue folds.  They look like this:

www.adorama.com/alc/
  • And my business cards are from WHCC.com, though I will probably have the next batch printed locally, as I've seen cards printed from a printer here that I really liked.  The actual cards have my cell number on them, too.

SOLD!

Note:  this gear is no longer for sale; it was sold on April 30 to the lovely Heather.  I know she will use it to create wonderful works of art.  I'm looking forward to seeing more work from her!


I recently purchased a Canon 5D Classic as a back-up camera, so both of my cameras are full frame rather than having one crop sensor and one full frame.  I still have the crop-sensor camera that I should probably sell, though I will hate to part with it, along with some extras:
The camera was purchased on October 24, 2009 and used until May 2010 when I upgraded cameras.  It has approximately 5,000 actuations.  I am the original owner and it was purchased new by me.  All of the lenses and accessories were purchased new by me and I am the original owner of everything except for the 50mm f/1.8 lens, which came on the 5D Classic that I purchased used from a reputable photographer and is in good shape and came with the original box, and the lens hood for the 55-250mm lens, which was in brand-new condition and looked unused at the time of purchase.  I take very good care of my gear and everything is in excellent condition and comes in the original boxes.  If you're interested, contact me via this site or use the contact form below.   UPDATE 05/02/2011:  EVERYTHING HAS BEEN SOLD.  

I also have a copy of Photoshop Elements 8 for Mac that can be added with the bundle, though it is one generation old, as Photoshop Elements 9 was recently released.  

    Contact me here or email me here.