SOOC - more Canon 5D play

If any of you didn't know, I am a perfectionist.

It's kind of a weakness, but I try to play it as a strength. In my photography, I insist on perfection. I will not even show a photo to a client unless it is perfect to me.

I will share this experience as to why I am a perfectionist...

A while back, maybe 2, 3? years ago back, I shot some photos for a family. I did really close up shots of each of the children and the mommy loved them. There were two photo choices for mommy of each child. One of the two choices of the beautiful blonde daughter was out of focus. I missed focus on her eyes - the most important place for focus to be - and it fell on the collar of her shirt. But because that was a better of the two, I had to include it - her smile was just so sweet. Then...it came time for mommy to order prints. She wanted 11x14s of those cute faces. So what happens when she chose the best sweet smile of her daughter when you enlarge it to an 11x14? Yes, you guessed it. I couldn't do it, I just couldn't give it to her. "Yes but..." I said, "Do you see? Her eyes are out of focus. In the other one they are in focus. I know she is smiling better in this one, but do you really want her eyes out of focus? I wouldn't if I were you." Yes, I'm totally serious, I talked her out of it. And she ended up getting the 11x14 in the other one and felt badly that I stunk as a photographer. After that I decided, I don't show clients un-perfect pictures. If I mess it up, I will be the only one who knows, and I will be grounded from peanut M&Ms for a month - which is really rather motivating.

So I have spent many hours, many years trying to perfect my images SOOC (Straight out of Camera). That means exposure has to be perfect. And editing will not take hours, or even more than a few minutes. THAT is so important to me as a photographer. THAT is what makes me ME - and that is what you get when you hire me - Your eyes will always be in focus - promise.

I have owned several cameras in my photographic lifespan - each one impressing me more as I upgrade. But I must say that the Canon 5D Mark II is just blowing me away and I just have to show you.

These were taken on the 24th of July - and I give my word that the only editing done on these were to resize for the web - pinky swear. Check out the wrinkles, check out the fabric, check out the color! Are you in awe like me? I know, it doesn't take much.





And just so you know, I have probably close to 1000 photos on the digital darkroom floor because I just plain got it wrong. Photos no one has ever seen. I may play a perfectionist on TV, but really, I am nowhere near perfect. Maybe I will make it into a coffee table book and call it, "The Un-Perfect ones" You think?