Chicago Wedding Photographer : Daniel Gin

Baby Photography : Hudson + Family

2011-02-08T23:56:00.002-06:00

I have to be honest, I really don't advertise that I do family and baby photography. While weddings are my mainstay, I do genuinely enjoy photographing babies and their parents. As a parent myself, I know that baby photos hold unrivaled sentimental value. So when one of my wedding couples calls me up for photos of their new arrival, I'm extra excited. My family photo sessions have the the same casual, lifestyle approach that I take with my engagement photos.

Baby Photos : Adams Sangamon Park in Chicago's West Loop

Renaissance Blackstone Chicago wedding : Vicky + Ed

2011-02-07T21:24:00.003-06:00

When I say that everyone's wedding is unique, Vicky and Ed's wedding certainly lived up to it. An early morning start, three Bride's dresses, two ceremonies, and a whole lot 'a fun and games. Chinese weddings are steeped in traditions like door games at the Bride's house, a tea ceremony for family elders, and multiple wedding dresses.

Check out some of the highlights from Vicky and Ed's big day with their ceremony and reception at the historic Renaissance Blackstone Hotel in downtown Chicago.

Bride's Getting Ready : Bolingbrook, IL
Couple's Reveal : South Water Street Park
Photo Shoot : Grant Park South
Wedding and Tea Ceremony : Renaissance Blackstone Hotel
Reception : Renaissance Blackstone Hotel

Chicago Wedding Photography Video Promo

2010-11-23T23:24:00.002-06:00

As a wedding photographer, I get the privilege of peaking into the lives of my clients. It's a special day and without a doubt, a stressful one for most. Couples are looking for their wedding photography to look more natural and organic rather than uncomfortable and overly posed. Being able to form a rapport with my couples is the key to getting them to be more comfortable in front of the camera and that really allows me to open up and get the most out of the capturing the moments from their big day.

One of our hottest offerings are our photo fusion videos. They combine cinematic wedding videography and still photography in short form video to really tell the story of your wedding day.

Looking for a Chicago wedding photographer or cinematic wedding film? Contact today us via phone or email to schedule your consultation.

Hands On : Nikon D7000

2010-10-22T01:28:00.001-05:00

In the past several years there have been a few digital SLR cameras that have been real game changers for me and in each instance, allowed me to push the photography envelope even further. While I had been shooting film for years, digital was an unexplored territory for me. It was the Nikon D70s that was my gateway into the digital SLR world; it wasn't particularly stunning and was more or less useless above ISO 400 but nonetheless, I was hooked. In December of 2007, after being on a long waiting list at my favorite camera store, the Nikon D3 was mine. I didn't have to just learn a new, more complex, camera but I also had to learn a new of shooting in low light. Previously unimaginable, I was able to get usable shots at ISO 3200 and even 6400! It completely blew my mind and forever changed me as a wedding photographer. About a year after the release of the Nikon D3, I became enamored with the silky smooth video that was being captured from HD digital SLR cameras. The Canon 5D Mark II lead the pack with its full frame sensor and 1080p video capture. Suffice it to say, it was my next game-changing acquisition.

Fast forward to Fall, 2010... Nikon [finally] announces that they're releasing a HD digital SLR that records in 1080p and is to offer stellar low light performance. Enter the Nikon D7000.

This isn't going to be some drawn out review of all of the features of the new camera. Nor will it be full of photos of the camera and detail of the menu system. You can head over to dpreview for all that technical stuff. I've only had the camera for a couple of days and have not yet had a chance to run it through every single field test imaginable yet. As a wedding photographer, you can rest assured that it will be used to shoot everything from dimly lit churches to fast motion in bright daylight. For now though, I'm sticking to what I've found out so far.

Ergonomics : As this is ultimately a prosumer camera, it's a lot lighter and smaller than my D3. When mounting my 70-200mm f/2.8 on it, the camera body feels somewhat anemic in comparison. Hopefully it will begin to feel more natural once I get a battery grip on it. I have to say that I'm really liking that the toggle for video live view is right next to where my right thumb rests on the back of the camera. Looks like they took a page out of the Canon 7D book on this.

User Interface : Being a long time Nikon shooter, most aspects of the user interface, from the command dial to the GUI, seems familiar enough to navigate through without needing to refer to the manual. Speaking of which, I still haven't opened the manual yet. It does have some elements that are borrowed from some of Nikon's consumer cameras that took me a little getting used to. One in particular is the toggle for selecting between continuous and single AF servo modes. On every other Nikon digital SLR I have, it's a 3 position switch that's in the front of the camera body. The D7000 has a 2 position switch with a button on it that must be depressed while using the rear sub-command dial to change between continuous and single modes. Maybe I should pat my head and rub my belly at the same time too...

Speed : The three aspects of speed that I'm most concerned with are: write speed, CH shooting speed, and AF lock speed. The D7000 scores good marks in all three categories. I use class 6 SDHC cards that the D7000 seems to have no problem writing to. Seems to slow down a little bit when writing to two cards at the same time but this should not be surprising. Nikon claims 6FPS while shooting in CH mode; this sounds about right. While there have been many occasions where the 11FPS on my D3 has come in handy; I think 6FPS is more than sufficient on this camera. Getting the AF to lock quickly was not an issue when shooting stills. The continuous 3D AF tracking in video mode however seemed to be a bit lacking. Okay, it was a lot lacking... While it's a step in the right direction, I really hope that the contrast detection-based AF algorithms will get make some major strides as the next generation of Nikon pro bodies come out soon.

Video : Finally... 1080p recording comes to Nikon. I'm super excited about this and look forward to throwing just about every lens I have at this camera to see how it performs. A couple of major observations so far though:

Only 24p is available at 1080 resolution. I prefer shooting at 30p so I have a few extra frames in case I need to drop the speed a little.
Continuous AF is not quite mature enough to trust using.
Glad Nikon dropped motion JPEG for the codec. h.264 is now widely recognized and just performs better than motion JPEG in my opinion.
Up to 20 minutes of straight recording time is class leading. My 5DII stops around 10-12 minutes. I haven't tried running video for long periods of time yet so I'm not sure how prone the CMOS sensor is to overheating. Another thing about a CMOS sensor, it does suffer from the "Jello effect" so remember not to pan too quickly.
With an APS-C sized sensor, it is worth noting the sensor

High ISO Performance : It's not a D3. For some comparisons, I took a series of shots with one of my D3 bodies and compared it to a set of shots of a similar setup by the D7000. For stills, I feel comfortable pushing the D7000 to about ISO 1250. If I had to, I'd probably push the video to ISO 3200 if I absolutely had to. Overall, it's great for a prosumer camera but I don't plan on replacing my D3 bodies with this.

Here are a couple of side by side comparisons in Lightroom of similarly shot images:

Check out my photo gallery of D7000 sample photos and videos. I hope to get some wedding footage with it in the next couple of weeks.

E-Session : Cat + Ryan

2010-07-05T14:13:00.000-05:00

It's been quite a while since I've updated my photography blog and I thought I'd start off with an awesome engagement photo session with Cat and Ryan in the West Loop.

wedding : Jessica + Brad

2010-03-10T23:45:00.001-06:00

What an awesome way to kick off the 2010 wedding season! Jess and Brad had a beautiful day complete with dreamy blue skies and warm weather (well, warm for January in Chicago). Brad really wowed Jess with his bride's gift early on in the day. En route to Union Station in Joliet for location shots, the limo bus got caught by raised bridge. Not skipping a beat, we ran outside to snap a few shots of the couple before the bridge started to lower. The evening's festivities kicked into high gear after dinner with the Pete Fleming Orchestra and Boothshoot photo booth.

Ceremony : First Presbyterian Church
Reception : Arrowhead Golf Club
2nd Photo Location : Joliet Union Station
Photography : Daniel Gin Photography
Videography : Modern Image
Band : Pete Fleming Orchestra
Photo Booth : Boothshoot Photo Booths

Review : HyperDrive Album Portable Photo Storage Device

2010-03-06T21:27:00.000-06:00

Without a doubt, one of the biggest challenges that wedding and event photographers face is backing up their images when out in the field. It can be a tall order to make sure that thousands of images are backed up and available redundantly in the event that something catastrophic were to happen to the original memory cards. Being a worry wort about my images, I've been using Sanho's COLORSPACE O portable photo storage device for the past couple of years with a high degree of success. It's really portable, has a substantial amount of storage, the battery life is fantastic, and it's fast. Compared to some of the other devices out there (Wolverine, Epson P-series, etc.), the COLORSPACE O was superior in just about every way. I didn't think that Sanho could top the HyperDrive O but I was wrong. They announced their newest model, the HyperDrive Album, in late February and I knew I had to get one..

First off, it's larger than the models leading up it. With a new 4.8" LCD, it's noticeably larger than the HyperDrive O that I have. The screen is brilliant though; the display is crisp and clear. I purchased the standalone unit and outfitted it with a Seagate 250GB 2.5" SATA drive that I had laying around. (Yes, I have a stack of hard drives just laying around.)

Size aside, the other really noticeable difference over the previous models is the performance. I averaged downloads between 10-14MBPS with the COLORSPACE O on my UDMA compact flash cards. When using the HyperDrive Album I saw downloads yielded a staggering 18-27MBPS; nearly double the speed!

The HyperDrive Album can be charged either by the included AC adapter or USB/5Vcar adapter; which is super convenient. Long term battery life has yet to be determined as I haven't ran a full field test of the HyperDrive Album yet; but my preliminary estimates put it to at least 100GB of backups. One noteworthy item about the HyperDrive Album that is also different from previous models; the battery is no longer user-serviceable/replaceable. After talking to Sanho support, I found out that it can only be replaced by the manufacturer. Bearing that in mind, it may be worthwhile for some to purchase the extended warranty.

The HyperDrive Album's image viewer has support for camera RAW files current to the release and is upgradeable via firmware updates. Histogram and EXIF data for stored images can also be displayed in the viewer. It also has a built-in slideshow feature that can come in handy with previewing images to clients.

Pros:

Super fast portable photo storage device
Fantastic display
Hard drive capacities vary and can be changed by user
Backs up compact flash and SD/SDHC cards
Reasonably priced compared to Epson P-series photo storage devices
Convenient USB charging
RAW viewer support
Firmware can be updated

Cons:

Battery is not user replaceable
More expensive than previous HyperDrive COLORSPACE models
No built-in support for other types of memory cards including the up and coming SDXC cards

Its speed alone makes it a worthwhile investment for shooters looking piece of mind when out in the field. I highly recommend it. Someone want to buy my COLORSPACE O now? :)

wedding : Kara and David

2010-02-11T00:15:00.002-06:00

What an honor it was to be selected by this amazing couple who chose to have an international wedding centered here in Chicago. Kara, originally from Chicago, and David, originally from Mexico, currently live in near London in the UK. They chose to bring all of their closest friends and family together here in Chicago in late last year for their wedding celebration. The ceremony and reception took place in the evening at Cité. Situated high atop Lake Point Tower, it treated all of the guests to truly breathtaking 360 degree views of the Chicago's night time skyline.

February 2010 Chicago SmugMug User Group

2010-02-07T01:23:00.000-06:00

This month, the Chicago SMUG is taking a field trip to the Chicago Photography Center! Globe trekker/photographer/instructor, Krystal Meisel, will discuss ethics and copyright as it pertains to photography. Krystal's adventures have taken her from the Artic Circle to the banks of the Tiber River. She's taught at the Museum of contemporary Art, the Museum of Science and Industry, and currently at the Chicago Photography Center.

The Chicago Photography Center is located at 3301 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657 This month's SMUG will start promptly at 7:30 PM and run till about 9:00 PM. See you there!

January 2010 SmugMug User Group

2010-01-12T00:36:00.000-06:00

Get your SmugMug questions answered at this month's SMUG! Nick, our resident SmugMug support hero will be taking your questions, going over some of the latest SmugMug enhancements, and showcasing some of the large print offerings. If you haven't seen some of the larger custom prints that SmugMug offers, be sure not to miss this SMUG!

01/19/2010 @ 7:00PM
1000 W. Monroe
Chicago, IL 606071

wedding : Kristin and John

2009-12-17T00:14:00.003-06:00

This was a real treat of a wedding for us. It really shows when a couple invests in their photo shoot time. Fun couple + diverse city locations = one awesome wedding day

wedding : Alexa + Aaron

2009-12-16T12:30:00.001-06:00

This wedding was a real treat; and I'm not talking about the spread of sweets after the ceremony. A wedding day complete with a 1947 Packard classic car, an elegant dinner, and the bride and groom playing frisbee on the beach. Yeah, that's right... Bride and Groom playing frisbee on the beach on their wedding day. How awesome is that? :)

December 2009 SmugMug User Group

2009-12-09T01:36:00.001-06:00

Join in on our festive evening of holiday fun at December's SMUG. It's potluck style and everyone is encouraged (but not required) to bring a dish or holiday treat to share. Come by and enjoy the food and company of fellow photographers.

12/15/2009 @ 7:00PM
1000 W. Monroe
Chicago, IL 60607

Chicago night shoot

2009-11-08T19:14:00.000-06:00

We had a blast with our night time photo shoot in the West Loop earlier this week. It was great meeting everyone. Can't wait for the next shoot out!

wedding : Lindsey + Jeremy

2009-10-23T07:00:00.001-05:00

I love it when couples have reveals! They're so intimate and really bring out the true emotion of seeing each other for the first time on their wedding day. We had an awesome time shooting around Millennium Park before the ceremony and reception at the River East Arts Center. We also had one of boothshoot XL photo booths on-site for the reception. What a blast! Congratulations, Lindsey and Jeremy and thank you for letting us be part of your special day!

boothshoot photo booths @ The 2009 Chicago Marathon

2009-10-16T07:24:00.000-05:00

I was so stoked when I got the call from a rep from Nike corporate that they were interested in having a couple of photo booths at their huge tent setup at the end of the 2009 Chicago Marathon. Several phone calls and emails later we were a go. Sunday morning rolled around and it was damp, cold, and dark but that didn't keep Greg, Jen, and I down. We setup 2 of our classic sized digital photo booths back to back for Nike at their post-race tent in Grant Park. The booths were customized with 6' tall graphic from Nike. We had a blast at the event and the turnout was great despite the weather. I got a little sick from the cold gyros but that's a story for another day. :)

Nikon D3S announced

2009-10-14T08:15:00.000-05:00

I've been a Nikon shooter for years and as a wedding photographer, rely on Nikon's D3 bodies for getting the shots that I need. Fantastic high ISO performance, a great AF system, and built like a tank pro DSLR bodies. As such, I have been anxiously waiting for their announcement of the newest pro body, the D3S. After finally announcing it late last night, I'm on the fence about whether to pick one up. The biggest draw for me personally was the video on a Nikon body with a full frame sensor. Expecting this to fit the benchmark that Canon has set with their 5D Mark II (of which I have one), I was somewhat disappointed with the specs that Nikon released.

12.1MP - Same as the D3, not unexpected.
Built-in sensor cleaning - Finally! Nikon totally missed the mark on this with the D3.
9fps - (FX) I was expecting a couple more fps given the "S" moniker.
Normal ISO range up to 12800 - Wow, but is really necessary?
EXPEED processing - Same as D3, no updates here.
51 point AF - It works well on the D3, I just wish it covered a larger sensor area.
3" LCD - It's already an awesome display.
Quiet shutter mode - Huh?
D-Movie - Finally, video comes to a Nikon pro body. But wait...

Let's talk about this D-Movie mode a bit as it was the one thing I was looking forward to the most. Motion JPEG-based AVI files; I can live with this. 1280x720 resolution video... What? Only 720p? Where's the 1080p? To be a contender in a world with cameras like the GH1, 5DII, and 7D, 720p on a $5200 camera body seems a bit short of benchmark set by other cameras. Sure, the high ISO performance looks pretty darned good; and 12800 is the new 6400 but when would it truly be practical to use [for a wedding shooter]? Perhaps the biggest WTF of all: 5 minute video clips. That's right kids, Nikon is claiming HD video clips up to 5 minutes in maximum length. Now I'm not sure if this is a file system limitation whereas a 5 minute video clip will take up 4GB and reach the limit on the CF card's file system or if this is what the camera's memory buffer will hold up to. The follow-up question is, how quickly can you start shooting again once the 5 minute limit has been hit? Almost as pressing of a question is whether or not the in-movie AF is as rubbish as the 5DII's?

Confused? Me too. I was really stoked about Nikon's latest foray into the video-capable DSLR world. Now, I'm not so sure. Sound off via email or twitter @danginphoto I'd love to hear your input!

October SmugMug User Group Meeting

2009-10-13T21:43:00.000-05:00

Animoto is an entry point to Fusion photography and promises to turn your photos & videos into pure amazing - and they'll PROVE IT at the next meeting!

Animoto is a web application that, with the click of a button, produces videos using images, video clips and music that a user selects. Utilizing patent-pending Cinematic Artificial Intelligence, Animoto videos have the emotional impact of a movie trailer and the visual energy of a music video. Simply submit photos and videos from your SmugMug gallery (okay, it works from other places too, including your hard drive) and Animoto automatically produces beautifully orchestrated, completely unique video pieces from your media. Free, fast and shockingly easy.

Date:

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Time:

7:00pm - 8:00pm

Location:

1000 W Monroe, Chicago, IL

She said YES!

2009-09-30T23:53:00.000-05:00

When Jacob called me a couple months ago to discuss the an "engagement" shoot; it was a little different from my usual e-sessions. We met at my studio one afternoon after work and he told me all about his plans to pop the question. It was beautiful Sunday afternoon in September at the Chicago Botanic Garden. With violinists Katherine Hughes and Carol Kalvonjian playing in the background he asked one little question that was answered with a resounding "YES!"

e-session : Kim + Mike

2009-09-30T23:16:00.000-05:00

What can I say? I love night shoots! The glow of downtown along the Chicago River is just magical.

NEW photo fusion video

2009-09-11T21:44:00.006-05:00

I'm so stoked to announce that we'll be soon offering photo fusion videos. Paired with awesome photography, our cinematic wedding videos are an awesome way to tell the story of your wedding day!

September SmugMug User Group Meeting

2009-09-09T22:38:00.000-05:00

Chances are that you will experience some form of data loss due to operating system or hard drive crash. Learn how to mitigate your losses and ways to try and protect yourself from catastrophic data loss at this month's Chicago SMUG. With over a dozen years of experience in both IT and photography, Dan has learned how to leverage storage technologies to keep data safe and minimize downtime. He will demonstrate some of the latest in storage devices to keep your images backed up while on the go and in the studio. With specific tools for both PC and Mac users, Dan will show you ways to automate your backups and quickly recover from a hard drive crash.

We'll be looking at products from Drobo, Iomega, and ColorSpace. Come by September's SMUG to learn more about what you can do to protect your data!

Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Daniel Gin Photography
1000 West Monroe
Chicago, IL 60607

e-session : Jessica + Matt

2009-08-25T01:16:00.003-05:00

An awesome lakefront e-session with Jessica, Matt, and Ollie, the super cute puppy!

August SmugMug User Group Meeting

2009-08-11T21:52:00.001-05:00

Jennifer Wiley will be sharing her philosophy on contemporary "story book" album design. She'll also share her tips on working with clients on their custom album design, image selection, and sales techniques. Topping it all off, she'll be sharing her "album design for dummies," fast track tips to putting together killer albums.

Also joining us will be Tara Farmer from Burrell Colour Imaging. She'll be talking about the trends in custom photo albums, album design, up-selling, and offering great advice to wedding, portrait, and event shooters! She'll also talk about about their upcoming EXPO and photographer mentoring program.

Location: Dan Gin's studio @ 1000 W. Monroe, Chicago, IL 60607
Date: Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Time: 7PM - 9PM Central

e-session : Britney + Tommy

2009-07-24T00:11:00.002-05:00

July SmugMug User Group Meeting

2009-07-14T17:00:00.001-05:00

On camera constant lights have been used by videographers for years to illuminate their subjects in dark situations. Many photographers have caught on to using video lights as fill and key lights for nighttime shoots. At this month's Chicago SMUG, we'll be going hands-on with a few different types of video lights including some of the latest in LED light panels. If you've been interested in incorporating portable constant lighting to your repertoire, join us for this illuminating event! Calumet Photographic will have a rep on site with some additional lighting units for you to try out and to answer your photo and video technology questions.

Location: Dan Gin's studio @ 1000 W. Monroe, Chicago, IL 60607
Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Time: 7PM - 9PM Central

Click here for updates and to RSVP.

photo fusion video : Michela & Mark

2009-07-04T10:10:00.006-05:00

The convergence of still photography and videography has recently started to make its way into the wedding scene as well. With big names in the industry like Rob Evans and Curt Apanovich offering photofusion videos to their high-end brides on the coasts, I thought now is a great time to start introducing this awesome concept here in Chicago my clients. This is just a taste of things to on the way!

Sara & Larry : wedding highlights

2009-06-24T14:23:00.004-05:00

Tucked away in downtown Chicago is a real gem, the Union League Club is full of history and charm. It's also one of my favorite places to shoot a wedding. Filled with unique rooms and one-of-a-kind artwork, the Union League Club is just a fantastic venue.

Sara & Larry have such an interesting life story together and their wedding really echoed this. From the family-officated ceremony to the touching waltz that Sara danced with her dad, it just all added up to an extraordinary wedding. We're so glad that we could be part of their special day.

Michela & Mark : wedding highlights

2009-06-23T20:49:00.006-05:00

The rooftop of the Grand Piazza has a really awesome view of the Chicago skyline and it was the perfect setting for Michela and Mark on their wedding day. Rev. Bruce Otto officiated the ceremony which even included some air guitar at the end. Later on in the evening, we ran out for a few minutes to get some awesome night shots. What a awesome time! Congratulations, Michela and Mark!

June Chicago SMUG mtg

2009-06-17T01:31:00.008-05:00

The inclement weather couldn't keep some good photographers down. It was awesome to have everyone by for the 2nd Chicago SmugMug User Group meeting! Thanks to everyone that came! Special thanks to Bob and Dawn Davis for being our guest speakers and Calumet Photographic for being a sponsor! What an awesome couple!

I'm really looking forward to future Chicago SMUGs. 3rd Tuesdays of the month @ 7PM local time.

Megan's senior shots

2009-06-16T01:20:00.000-05:00

Shot in-studio and around downtown Chicago.

June Chicago SMUG

2009-06-11T00:02:00.007-05:00

A SMUG (SmugMug User Group) is a place where you can learn, teach and rub up against other photographers who share your passion. It's also how we can tell you what's happening in our world and discover what's happening in yours. SMUGs are a great way to connect with other professional photographers and add a few weapons to your creative arsenal.

June's SMUG guest speaker is celebrity wedding photography Bob Davis!

Seating is limited so please send your RSVP in early!

Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: Daniel Gin Photography @ 1000 W. Monroe

RSVP via email or facebook.

More on SMUGs on SmugMug's website.

Also sponsoring the June SMUG is Calumet Photographic. They'll have a rep on hand to answer any questions and for some giveaways!

Top 5 Chicago Engagement Photographer

2009-05-29T23:57:00.007-05:00

Dan Gin Photography-This photographer is also highly rated on Yelp.com and his website is www.dangin.com and has been rated 5 stars from everyone who's used services with this photographer.

As found here. Thx, Nafeesah Abdullah, I'll take it. :)

Michela & Mark : e-session

2009-05-20T01:40:00.002-05:00

Chicago Yelp Retro Spring Fling

2009-05-10T17:15:00.003-05:00

@ Catalyst Ranch

Lindsey & Jeremy : e-session

2009-04-13T22:47:00.002-05:00

Rosa & Nathan

2009-04-07T06:31:00.001-05:00

new bridal sampler: Anna

2009-04-05T01:21:00.002-05:00

Recently published on my facebook page!

new photo booth trailer

2009-03-12T13:29:00.001-05:00

We've put together a new video trailer for our boothshoot digital photo booth rental service. Available in the Chicago metro area and most surrounding suburbs.

Cristina & Nathan

2009-03-04T01:44:00.000-06:00

Kristen & Brandon

2009-01-08T22:02:00.005-06:00

What an amazing wedding! A fun couple + 1 vintage car + about 450 guests = 1 memorable wedding!

ceremony: St Mary's Catholic Church, Crown Point, IN
reception: Avalon Manor, Merrillville, IN

The Nikon D3x Review That Didn't Happen...

2008-12-23T20:01:00.007-06:00

Gary, Super UPS delivery guy, dropped off a box of goodies from Calumet today. In it was a new camera... However it was NOT the Nikon D3x that I ordered. Instead it was another D3.

Here's the story: Rick, super Calumet sales rep, calls me last Friday to let me know that my D3x was in. I stop in on Saturday to check it out. A bit to my dismay but not totally surprisingly, the D3x didn't quite end up being the camera I needed. Here's what I thought:

Pros

The D3x is an awesome camera for what it does: Medium format resolution with Nikon lens versatility.
It's auto WB is as superbly accurate as the D3.
The auto ISO is as superbly accurate as the D3.
It's an excellent studio camera.

Cons

Price tag. $8000... Yowch! Although to be honest, I would have paid it anyway.
Ginormous file sizes. The huge (100MB+) NEFs are not for underpowered computers with wimpy video cards.
Shot speed. I'm spoiled by the D3's 9FPS. The D3x is no sports shooter.
High ISO performance. ISO 3200 and 6400 has noticeable image quality degradation from the D3.
Why the hell isn't there a built-in sensor cleaner? For $8k, this thing should have built in scrubbing bubbles!

So what did I do after coming to these conclusions? I ordered another D3. Why? Because it's the camera that does what I need it to do. High FPS, extraordinary high ISO performance, and accurate auto ISO. As a wedding shooter, these are the things that pay the bills. The D3x is in its own rights, another awesome camera and one that I will likely add to my collection sooner or later. Just not right now... It's suited for in-studio, landscape, and commercial work; not for the dynamic wedding or sports work that I do. For now, I'm sticking to the D3.

Nikon's newest pro camera: D3x

2008-12-03T01:58:00.001-06:00

Nikon just had to go and announce their newest professional DSLR camera on Monday, the D3x.

The D3x has more or less the exact same outward appearance and 99% of the same user interface as the D3 that I currently have. There are a few notable differences however:

Regular ISO range: 100-1600 : This represents a lower starting ISO than the D3.
Slower FPS: The D3 had the fastest capture rate of 9FPS, the D3x is down to 5FPS.
Auto ISO can be mapped to a preset button.
New higher D-Lighting mode.
24.5MP FX CMOS sensor: Basically, doubling the resolution from the D3.
~138MB processed RAW files

Is it slower, shot to shot, than the D3? Yes. Will it be the same super low-light performer as the D3? Probably not. Will almost eliminate the need for me to shoot medium format again? Quite possibly! To be able to shoot product work or super high-res portraits with a 35mm camera sized DSLR instead of a slow and clunky medium format camera changes the game for me again, like the D3 did about a year ago. There are a few things I think that Nikon did miss the mark on with this camera though:

No built in sensor-cleaning. Seriously, Nikon? Even the prosumer grade D300 and the D3's little brother, the D700, has a sensor built-in cleaner.
Interchangeable sensor modules. Red is doing it. Nikon should be the one to revolutionize the DSLR camera market and get it out with the D3x before Canon, Sony, Oly, or Pentax does.
EVIL - DSLRs with electronic shutters are going to be the future; why are we still messing with these mechanical shutters when the technology is already there to replace them with longer-life electronic shutters?

Despite the points indicated in my ranting, the D3x looks to be a medium format replacement for me and of course, I had to be on the phone on Monday morning calling my sales guy to order one. The camera and extended warranty came to just under $9k. If you're in the market to get in line for the D3x or any other camera gear, give my guy Rick @ Calumet Photographic a call at 312-440-4920 ext 2298. Tell 'em I sent ya. :)

Updated Wedding Portfolio

2008-11-23T13:28:00.001-06:00

I've finally gotten around to putting updated images in my online portfolio, stop by the website at www.dangin.com to check 'em out!

firmware update for Nikon SB-900 flash units

2008-11-19T13:45:00.003-06:00

Just released today on Nikon's US website, v. 5.0.2
Windows | Mac
It's supposed to address the overexposure issue which occurs when shooting in rapid succession w/ i-TTL. Another supposed fix is related to CLS; which I rarely ever use. Surprisingly, there is no mention of changing the threshold level where the overheating protection kicks on. Many wedding photographers, myself included, have had the SB-900 just stop working in the middle of shooting because the overheating protection unexpectedly kicks in. Needless to say, my Nikon flash count is still (4) SB-800 and only (2) SB-900 units.

new website launch

2008-11-18T10:59:00.000-06:00

The new website was launched last night, check it out at: www.dangin.com
A few updates will be forthcoming throughout the next few days. The smugmug site will be around for a while; there are no immediate plans to change to another print fulfillment company. If you have an existing gallery that you can't access, please drop me a line and let me know.

New Website Coming Soon!

2008-11-17T01:00:00.002-06:00

That's right, folks, a new photography website is in the works and should be up sometime soon. How soon? Soon!
Without a doubt, the primary focus of my photography has and continues to be weddings. That being said, I don't think that the current site really hits home that fact. The plans are to keep existing and upcoming galleries hosted on smugmug for the foreseeable future.

Yelp Halloween Party

2008-11-01T01:48:00.002-05:00

I can't even begin to describe what I saw at the most recent Yelp party. Curious George, X-Men, Austin Powers, some vampires, and what can only be described as quite possibly the most out of work stripper in Chicago... Catch the insanity here. :)

the Darrs

2008-10-29T21:58:00.004-05:00

Today I had the chance to attend a seminar put on by destination wedding photographers Landon and Kristi Darr. I'm not usually one to sign up for wedding photography "seminars" or "classes" but this was different because it wasn't about lighting or posing or any of the usual wedding photography subjects. Instead, the Darrs discussed business and marketing practices; some of which I already employ, some which I knew I should be employing, and some which I was like "Holy crap, why didn't I think of that before?!?" All in all, it was a good time, I'm so glad I went. Landon and Kristi are quite the dynamic duo who are talented, energetic, and really young. :) All I can say, is thanks for putting on a good talk, I learned quite a bit and I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet everyone!

New Wedding Photography Trailer!

2008-10-12T01:17:00.005-05:00

Hot off the press! Check out our new wedding photography trailer!

Roshna & Ed

2008-10-02T03:46:00.006-05:00

WOW! What a day! Multicultural weddings tend to be colorful and so full of life; Roshna and Ed's big day was definitely all that and more. A fantastic couple, a warm fall day in Chicago, and a swingin' good time!

Mo & Jo

2008-09-16T01:07:00.000-05:00

I posted some of the getting ready shots from this wedding a few days ago. Here's some from the rest of the day.

flooding

2008-09-14T22:30:00.000-05:00

We seemed to have gotten the remnants of hurricane Ike up here in Northwest Indiana. There are areas are flooded out all throughout our area. As the rising waters encroached into homes and flooded basements and other living areas, many towns have put evacuation procedures into place. Granted, we didn't get hit anywhere nearly as hard as some of the devastated areas down in the South, but we're still feeling the affects of what happened.

Mo & Jo - getting ready

2008-09-12T01:07:00.005-05:00

What a wonderful couple to work with. Everything turned out so beautifully; the day, the couple, the words exchanged, everything. It was such an honor for me be part of their special day. These are just some of the getting ready shots from the earlier part of the day.

Laura and Gus

2008-09-01T02:01:00.003-05:00

Truly a marriage of two worlds; well, actually more like three... American, Greek, and Japanese. With guests from all around the US and from halfway across the globe, this wedding really was a bringing together of various cultures. Especially memorable was the traditional Japanese dance lessons later in the evening!

Erica & Ricky

2008-08-28T23:32:00.004-05:00

One word that describes this couple's special day is: unforgettable. From the limo ride to the church to touching speech that Erica's dad made at the reception, it was one unforgettable day. Congratulations, you two!

11x14 print special at Adorama

2008-08-27T23:45:00.002-05:00

Good through the end of August, Adorama is offering up a special of $1.99/print for 11x14 prints through their printing service. This is an absolute steal in my book. Take advantage of it before the deal's up!

Gina & Leo

2008-08-22T14:24:00.003-05:00

Having been recently married in Hawaii, this fun couple came back home to Chicago to have their reception. What a fun night it was!

Sarah and Matt

2008-08-04T22:59:00.003-05:00

One of the greatest honors a photographer can have is to have a client recommend you to someone else. In this case I had the honor of photographing Sarah and Matt's wedding; turns out I also shot her sister's wedding. :)

Nikon SB-900 follow-up

2008-08-04T18:44:00.002-05:00

So I had a chance to put some mileage on the new Nikon SB-900 flash units that I got in last week. Over the past few days I've shot a full wedding, some outdoors, and a few product shots with the SB-900. Overall I'd say that it's a welcome addition to my equipment bags. Here are some of the things I've come to realize about it:

Overheating protection | Having blown 3 SB-800 flashes in the past I can see why Nikon incorporated this feature. During heavy outdoor shooting while employing the wide-angle diffuser, I managed to fire off several full power pops before the SB-900 display yielded its temperature warning and refused to fire off another flash until it sufficiently cooled down (which took almost 15 minutes). If this is your only flash, do beware! Good thing I've got 2 SB-900 units and 4 SB-800 flashes. :)
Greater range | Compared to its predecessor, the SB-900 has an improved range of 14-200mm. This was particularly noticeable when shooting a bride that is about to walk down the aisle. The lighting pattern was much tighter than on the SB-800 and hit the mark without as much ancillary illumination. I want the light to be on the bride not the guests sitting next to the aisle.
i-TTL balanced lighting | Works just as well if not a little better on the SB-900 as it did on the SB-800.
Recycle time | I shoot weddings with a Qauntum Turbo battery pack but when I don't need the rapid fire action I rely on the 2500mah NiMh rechargeable batteries. In the field, the SB-900 with 4 batteries seems to recycle as quickly as the SB-800 even with 5th optional battery.
High voltage | Quantum's official stand is that they don't guarantee the SB-900's compatibility with their battery packs with CKE cable however since it seems to fit just fine, I tried using the SB-900 with the CKE cable that I used with my SB-800 units and my Quantum Turbo with seeming success. Disclaimer: I'm not telling anyone to try this; if you do and manage to fry your flash or worse, yourself, don't look at me. :)
Output | As far as actual light output goes, I was hard pressed to find any real difference between full power pops at 50mm from either the SB-900 and SB-800. Look at their GN ratings and you'll see that this is no surprise.

Final thoughts: The new Nikon SB-900 is very capable flash and I'd strongly recommend getting one if you're looking for the latest and greatest flash to use with a professional or high-end prosumer grade Nikon or Fuji body like the D3, D700, D300, D200, or S5, get the SB-800. Otherwise, if you don't feel like there's extra money burning a hole in your pocket and the extra zoom range on a flash unit wouldn't really benefit your shooting, stick with the Nikon SB-800.

unoffical Nikon SB-900 review

2008-07-30T11:38:00.004-05:00

Whenever new equipment arrives, it's always a happier day here at the office. :) Today, Gary delivered the latest wares from Nikon, a pair of their brand new Speedlight SB-900 flash units. While not much more powerful than their previous flagship flash unit, the SB-800, the SB-900 has a greater zoom range (14-200mm) which is up substantially from 17-105mm.

Noticeable differences right off the bat include a revamped menu system, missing optional 5th battery attachment, and a slightly different high voltage receptacle.

Some initial test shots with it have yielded very favorable results. Pleasant skin tones, w-i-d-e-r angles of lighting coverage, and well balanced lighting. Zooming in all the way to 200mm seemed to create nice tight lighting at about 30 feet.

The new SB-900 is somewhat bulbous-looking flash head more closely resembles Canon's 580EX II than the last generation Nikon SB-800. With a short flick of the thumblock, the flash unit locks onto my Nikon D3 with a pretty secure grip. The thumblock is larger and feels better ergonomically than the one from the SB-800. The SB-900 does dock well with my SC-29 flash sync cable. It also has the two contacts that are used for IR AF-assist. Glad to see that Nikon kept that technology around as it can be helpful in really dark lighting situations.

Nikon is releasing a new AA-powered battery pack dubbed the SD-9 for use with the SB-900. My supplier doesn't have it in stock yet so I'll have to reserve my judgment on it for another day. While the high voltage (HV) receptacle looks very similar to the found on the SB-800, there appears to be an additional notch in one of the 3 pronged receptacles. I'm not sure what the relevance of this is notched area is but until I get the okay from Quantum technical support, I will not be using this with my Quantum battery pack. However, I should note that the SB-900 does appear to physically accept the Quantum CKE cable in the HV slot.

I can't wait to put it through the real field test of a wedding this weekend. I'll of course pack my (4) SB-800 flashes just to be on the safe side. :)

Tiffani and Matt

2008-07-28T23:42:00.008-05:00

What an honor it was for me to be part of this very intimate wedding ceremony. Right after the ceremony, we got to run around downtown Chicago and shoot at some really neat locations.

ceremony location: Cancer Survivors Garden, Chicago, IL

Heather and Eric

2008-07-01T23:36:00.003-05:00

ceremony location: St. Joe's Catholic Church, Renssalear, IN
reception location: Andorra Banquets, Schererville, IN

Amy and Andrew

2008-07-01T01:55:00.006-05:00

This is the stuff of fairy tale weddings: a wonderful couple, a beautiful ornate church, a horse-drawn carriage, and a rockin' reception!

ceremony location: Assumption Catholic Church, Chicago, IL
reception location: Holiday Inn Merchadise Mart, Chicago, IL

Nicole and Pedro

2008-06-30T14:18:00.001-05:00

What an adorable couple! We had such a fun time shooting on the greens of the Aboretum Golf Club.

ceremony location: Chicago LDS Temple, Glenview, IL
reception location: Aboretum Golf Club, Buffalo Grove, IL

Sara and Dave

2008-06-30T02:28:00.002-05:00

ceremony location: Flossmoor Community Church, Flossmoor, IL
reception location: Olympia Fields Country Club, Olympia Fields, IL

Krista and Adam

2008-05-25T03:00:00.001-05:00

ceremony location: Concorde Center, Woodstock, IL
reception location: Concorde Center, Woodstock, IL

Karen and Kris

2008-05-20T23:47:00.002-05:00

What a fun couple! Karen and Kris are both marvelous chefs and they topped off their reception with a true delicacy - White Castle sliders!

ceremony location: Renaissance Center, Joliet, IL
reception location: Renaissance Center, Joliet, IL

Aimee and Brian

2008-05-03T00:12:00.003-05:00

With the Northwestern University campus and the Bahai Temple for backdrops, this couple had some of their pictures taken at the Northshore's most sought after photography locations.

ceremony location: Alice Millar Chapel, Evanston, IL
reception location: Cafe la Cave, Des Plaines, IL