Thursday, June 11, 2015
Something Old, Something New
In the land of Nikon, we are blessed with the option of using old classic Nikon lenses with our shiny new DSLRs. For grins I decided to put my first Nikon lens (a manual-focus 50mm/1.8 AIS lens purchased new in 1983) with my newest body (a D800E). This is one of the resulting images.
Using one of these lenses just feels different. These old lenses are all-metal, and focusing is very smooth. When you use one, you definitely feel you are using a finely crafted tool. The manual focusing also makes you slow down some, because there is no way you can focus as quickly as an autofocus lens.
It is hard to believe that this simple lens was my go-to wedding lens (and just about everything else I shot) for 17 years. Now I depend on a quick autofocus wunder-zoom, but it is nice to break out this classic now and again.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
2015 PIIN Celebration Banquet
The 2015 Celebration Banquet for the Pennsylvania Interfaith Impact Network (PIIN) was held Sunday, May 3, at the Westin Convention Center Hotel. This is my third year photographing the event. PIIN is an alliance of religious groups, organized labor, and others engaged in social activism. When you watch the local news, and you see clergy being arrested outside UPMC during a protest, or protests for a living wage, you're seeing PIIN in action.
Photos from the event can be found HERE.
Photos from the event can be found HERE.
Monday, June 1, 2015
Olivia's Bat Mitzvah
Olivia's Bat Mitzvah was my second one for 2015, and was also at my "home base" of Temple Sinai in Squirrel Hill. One of the hardest things to photograph during the service is to get people actually looking up, instead of looking down at what they are reading. Olivia made it easy for me. She would notice me at the back of the sanctuary, and she made it a point to look at the camera and smile, making for the perfect "Kodak Moment".
We lucked out in that this was the nicest weekend of the year to that point. Plenty of sunshine, and a high temperature in the low 70s. Because I can do formal and family photos quickly when I have to, we had enough time after the photos in the sanctuary to head to the rose garden behind Temple Sinai to shoot some great stuff. There weren't any roses yet, but the sunshine, combined with the dark walls in the background, made for some wonderful shots.
Olivia didn't want your typical Bat Mitzvah party, so instead of the usual locations, her family rented out the BRGR restaurant in East Liberty. The kids were upstairs on the top balcony, while the adults were underneath in the main restaurant area. Entertainment was provided by Vincient the Magician, who provided amazing performances that wowed both the adults and the kids.
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