Ryan Llora Photography

GGS LCD Covers

2010-06-17T10:54:00.001-07:00

If you're tired of that annoying little plastic cover on your LCD, you just might wanna try out.

This is the GGS LCD Screen Protector for the D700, and you can get these relatively cheap on amazon. These are class covers that replace the plastic ones supplied by Nikon, and in my opinion, give a better view of the LCD.

I bought these for my D300 and had no issues over the two years I've had it, so with the D700 it's only natural for me to do the same mod. They make these for most brands and cameras, so it shouldn't be a problem finding these. My purchase was shipped from China, so give it a week or so for delivery.

Packaging

This was literally a 3-minute install. Clean, remove adhesive backing, and stick!

Clean clean clean

Since the cover is solid, you don't have to worry about leaving bubbles on the screen. Just align to the contours of the camera, and voila!

Success!

Make sure you clean the screen thoroughly, though. The last thing you want is to have dust particles trapped between the cover and the LCD! I also installed the top LCD cover, which might not be necessary but nice to have that extra layer of protection, especially if you're using quick-release straps.

Proving grounds

2010-06-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

I cannot express how excited I was to be a last minute fill-in photographer for a House of Blues party this past Friday, since it would be my first nightlife session with the D700. After all the tests I ran in the preceding week, and knowing that they would have concert lighting in full effect, I knew that I had the opportunity to take my portfolio to the next level.

Adding to my eager anticipation was the fact that I ordered a Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX fisheye (non-DG) lens from ebay on Tuesday night, and saw that it would be delivered that same Friday. After picking up the package and just a few minutes of testing it, I had to take a quick nap before heading off to the HoB.

I arrived, picked up my media pass, unpacked my gear, and felt like a kid in a candy store with all that delicious lighting (lol):

This was one of the most enjoyable events I've done to date. This was exactly the lighting I needed to hit on point, and the D700 exceeded all expectations. The concert lighting made it so fun to shoot, but there were times when I had to jump into unknown territory and turn up the ISO to 6400:

This room *looks* 100x brighter than it really was.

This camera, these lenses.. simply magic. Not only did the images require minimal editing, but I've been able to blow through all the images with my ever-evolving workflow (picked out 280+ out of 900; always shoot multiples when working with people!), have them in gallery form, and create a new events page on my site within 24 hours. Much thanks to Justin Marx of SD House Nation for the media pass, and to the people of 4thedj.net for throwing an amazing party! You can check out all the hotness here, including the full gallery and a short video of the event (and lighting conditions):

http://ryanllora.com/events

Saturday was a nice, relaxing day off. Went for a night stroll on the docks to test the new toys and get a better feel of the fisheye distortion. I'm sure one of these days I'll head out to downtown and take urban night shots with long exposures, but this was good for now. These two were handheld, ISO800 & 1600 respectively, and I believe 1/4th and 1/8th of a second. You can get away with that shutter speed with a wide-angle and rifle shooting techniques (hold breath, elbows in, & lean against something if available):

Let's just say this just might be my new favorite lens. There's a bit of CA at the edges, as expected when pulling light from 180°, but that's a non-issue as most .NEF converters take less than a second to fix.

And finally, a quick shoot at the beach to top off the weekend before heading out to the sports bar. No sun? No problem :) I like to think it adds a different feel than your typical sun-blasted beach.

Whew, what a great weekend! Good times with great people in amazing places.

Movin' on up!

2010-06-08T11:55:00.001-07:00

If you're on my facebook friends list, you may have noticed that I've been uploading random test shots of my latest acquisition, the amazing D700! I finally made the jump two years after it's release, and, after the price came down to a reasonable ~$2k, I decided to pull the trigger.

But this wasn't an all-cash deal, mind you! Knowing I'd have to give up my single DX lens in the process, I decided to look for a trade on craigslist seeking someone who wanted the extra reach of the D300, and throw in the lens while we're at it. After all was said and done, I traded my D300, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 lens (amazing DX wide angle, I highly recommend it!), and $400 in cash for the D700. I was definitely thinking about the 14-24mm the seller offered, but I believe I'll be going for the fisheye first for events. As much as the Tokina was an amazing wide angle, I think I'll have more fun with the Sigma 15mm fishie :)

I've been a giddy little schoolgirl ever since I received the camera.. I've been going through the menus, upgrading the firmware (Version 1.02 as of June 7th, 2010), and seriously this thing is amazing. I've been working in the DX format since I started my photography journey, and even looking through the viewfinder is like a breath of fresh air. The 50mm f/1.4D that I thought I'd be selling due to soft focus issues on the D300 and D2Hs is such a rock solid performer on FX. The D700's focus is better than my D2Hs (which focuses better in low light than the D300 FYI), which is super sharp and on point, and the bokeh is definitely more pleasing than all the DX cameras I've ever owned (D70, D200, D2Hs, D300). It's so good and so fun to shoot with that I've had to force myself to test with the best lens I've ever used, the 24-70mm f/2.8.

ISO level of this image? It's over FIVE THOUSAAAAAAAAND!

Even with the countless reviews online about the D700, there's just something so validating about running your own tests with new goodies. Lab tests don't replicate real world situations, so while it's good from a subjective point of view to learn noise and camera characteristics, each photographer has their own bias that really tests whether the camera, or any other piece of equipment for that matter, can be used to improve their shooting style. Honestly, if I was doing strictly studio work at ISO200, I'd still have the D300..

The biggest jump improvement for me is obviously the noise. Wedding, nightlife, and event photographers know that high iso performance is crucial to creating great images in difficult, low light situations, and this is the best I've ever used, without having to drop $5k on the D3s. In all the events I've seen and attended, I doubt I'd even need to go up to ISO6400; I can shoot at 3200 max and still pull off reasonably clean shots, but this will definitely be tested on Wednesday as I'll be shooting a rooftop performance in Pacific Beach at night. With the above photo showing performance at ISO 5000, that would definitely be my limit.. maybe 6400 just for kicks :) I mostly worked at ISO1600 on the D300 and slooooooow shutter speeds (and crazy holding techniques to get a steady shot), so this gives me much more leeway in capturing cleaner, more vibrant event images.

One of the side benefits of the D700 is the viewfinder. Aside from lenses looking substantially different due to the wider field of view, I can *finally* use my DK-17m 1.2x magnifying eyepiece again! It's been sitting mostly unused on my D2Hs since it's my backup (still is, btw), but now I can start using it regularly again. I originally bought the DK-19 eyecup to piggy back as well, but it fell off one night in downtown San Diego :(

This little nifty thing provides a nice little bump up in magnification for the viewfinder, and while the difference is small, it's definitely noticeable as you can see focal points much better. It does add a little bulk to the viewfinder, but it was the first 'mod' I did to the camera and love it! But.. I did lose the rubber O ring though, and I have to get used to it again as I've hit my eye when trying to look through the viewfinder lol.

Oh.. and for some reason, Adobe Camera Raw 6.1 has been doing a much better job than Capture NX2 in working with my NEFs, I may have to look into Lightroom for my batch edits since CNX2 doesn't automatically get rid of hot pixels :(

If you're contemplating a jump and waiting for the right moment, it's best to invest in glass first, so you don't get hit with thousands of dollars worth of lens upgrades. I saved up for the 24-70mm on ebay (with 8% bing cash back, which is expiring on July 31st FYI!), and sold my 17-55mm for the same price I bought it for. The only DX lens I had left was the Tokina, which was luckily accepted in my trade.

I'm now set to go full on with full frame, but I will still be evaluating my D2Hs as a backup for wedding gigs (which goes for $500-$750 on ebay last I checked). Many people overlook this camera, but I figure that I could take those fleeting, candid shots with the D2Hs and 85mm f/1.8 at ISO1600 (which is comparable to the D300). I don't need 12mp for a backup that will most likely be used for pj and detail shots, so why bog down my storage?

We'll see how things work out with this setup for my next wedding gig this month, stay tuned! Also, this post kinda helped justify my move.

So for clients, what does all this photogeek talk mean? Cleaner shots, better color tones due to expanded dynamic range, more beautiful isolations with a blurred background (bokeh as we photogs call it), and a happy photographer working with cutting edge technology!

Personally, my favorite scenes are evening urban shots like the one below, but with the upgrade, it'll be much easier to pull off:

But I'm also eager to see how scenes like this would be done with the D700:

Can't wait to get out and start shooting!

[edit: two more real-world samples]

Smile Festival Photos 5/22

2010-06-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

There are quite a few of you asking for pics from the Smile Festival from May 22nd, 2010. I have a few images available below, but I would suggest you send a message to the two profiles, facebook.com/screamevents AND myspace.com/letsscreamloud for the rest. You may also want to try emailing info@iscreamloud.com as well.

Ultimate Shootout 4, Portrait session, and lighting gear list!!

2010-05-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

Oh my, it's time for more eye candy :)

I did a few shoots over the past couple weeks, met a ton of new people, and had an amazing time conceptualizing and putting these all together. The first shoot was done with Aly of AlyCat Photography in La Jolla, CA during the day, and in downtown San Diego during the evening:

Items used for this shoot:

1x Nikon SB800 - $399(?)

1x Universal Umbrella Bracket - $16.25
1x 32" Westcott shoot-through umbrella - $12.95
*Note: You'll need to shove a pencil at the end of the shaft so your umbrella bracket can clamp onto it securely without crushing it!

1x CyberSync 2.4 GHz Radio Remote Transmitter - $59.95

1x CyberSync Battery-powered receiver - $69.95

The second shoot is the fourth "Ultimate Shootout" event I organized here in Southern California. This time around, the event was hosted at Bright Studio (shootinsandiego.com) in downtown San Diego from 8am until 6pm. Good times with good people, working together to make amazing photos. Thanks to everyone for coming out, and if you're interested in joining the group, head on over to TheSCPG.com!

Here's a few of my shots taken from the day, can't wait for US5!!!

The shootout begins!

For US4, everyone pretty much used my lighting setup more than I did, but that's fine with me :) It was such a big hit, so as long as everyone went home with some nicely lit pics, that's all that matters!

I also received several inquiries throughout the day regarding what I had and where to get them. So.. here's what made these shots come to life:

Lighting

1x Alien Bees B800 (Alien Green) - $279.99

1x Foldable Stripbox (10" x 36") - $119.95

1x Foldable Stripbox Grid - $29.99 (further down the page)

1x White Lightning x800 - $389.95

1x 22HOBD-W 22" High Output White Beauty Dish Reflector - $79.99

*Note: The exact version I have is discontinued, and this one reflects more light.

1x 22RGH40 Grid - $69.95 (discontinued, but they have 15 and 30-degree grids available)

1x Alien Bees ABR800 Ringlight - $399.99

Remotes

1x CyberSync 2.4 GHz Radio Remote Transmitter - $59.95

2x CyberSync Receiver (AC powered) for the strobes - $69.95

*Note: I use the battery powered CSRB one for my SB800 & SB28

Lightstands

1x Manfrotto 9.5' Ranker 3-section Zinc Steel Lightstand - $89.95

1x Avenger D600 Mini Boom (Chrome) - $94.90

Counterweights

1x 15lb Sand Bag - Carrying Bag - Black - $16.99 *Used two gallon-sized ziplock bags and filled with sand from the beach

1x Lowepro Mini Trekker AW Backpack - $129.99 *Used as boom counterweight, but I'd suggest getting two sandbags :)

I just realized that all that added up to $1901.50, and that doesn't even include taxes or shipping! To be honest, you *don't* need to spend that much to get the same shots. Just think of it as being more consistent & convenient so you don't have to deal with DIY gadgetry.

Send me a PM on facebook with your budget and I'll help you get the gear you absolutely need to do these shots.

Ultimate Shootout 3

2010-03-25T21:20:00.000-07:00

Ahh.. here we go again! Another shootout, another great time with fellow photographers, models, makeup artists, and hairstylists :) I love organizing these events, even though they require a lot of time and effort to pull off. Seeing everyone come together and rock out is something truly spectacular. I wasn't able to shoot as much as I would've liked, but here's some of my best shots of the day:

The SoCal Photography Group seems to be to taking off, so I'm really excited about that :) I do hope I can hold these events in amazingly unique venues, create a fun & creative environment, and of course, work hard towards creating beautiful & lasting images..

Only time will tell how well this goes.. but it's been such an amazing ride so far! I know images don't tell much about the event, so here's a behind-the-scenes look at the Ultimate Shootout 3:

The SoCal Photography Group from normandejesus on Vimeo.

Thanks to all who participated, see you all at the Ultimate Shootout 4!

Shootouts!

2010-02-16T22:28:00.000-08:00

Hey there, long time no post!

So these days, I help organize a photography group here in San Diego called "The SoCal Photography Group." We're all on facebook, so come check us out if you have an account! These events target those who are beginner to advanced in their craft, or even have a simple interest in photography, modeling, make up, or wardrobe styling. We bring everyone together to network and collaborate on various themes, with the purpose of meeting others with similar interests and strengthening our portfolios. It's such a fun event, and definitely gets the creative juices flowing:)

I've also got a facebook fan page up and running, just in case you'd like to be the first to see any new pics I've taken from various projects here.

Here are some of my favorite shots from our second event, "The Ultimate Shootout 2," which took place at J Street Studios in downtown San Diego. Thanks to all who came out, I'm definitely looking forward to the next event and hope to see you there!

Wedding Portraits

2009-10-11T00:22:00.000-07:00

I recently made a trip out to Vegas for a Wedding portrait shoot. It just so happened that it was last *hot* weekend of the summer at 95+ degrees. Fortunately, there was plenty of shade around and I made the best of it. We shot at Lake Las Vegas, which is a very picturesque scene that was perfect for the shoot :)

Riverfront Condominium Rentals

2009-09-30T22:12:00.000-07:00

I recently shot some property photos of the Riverfront Condominiums here in San Diego. It's definitely one of my favorite places to live, and the location in Mission Valley is unbeatable.

Come on by if you're in the area, and tell the staff Ryan sent ya!

La Jolla Group Photoshoot!

2009-09-21T19:42:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday I took part in a group photoshoot at La Jolla, and had the opportunity to work with a LOT of photographers, models, and stylists. It was the perfect day for a shoot, and the beach location is now one of my favorite shooting locations :)

I can't wait to do my next engagement there, but until then, here's what I came out with:

The entire day was such an awesome experience for everyone involved. I've already been given the responsibility of organizing next month's shootout, and I can tell you that it'll be AMAZING:) If you are a photographer, model, or stylist, and would be interested in attending the next event, please send me an email with your contact information and I will send you the details.

Beach Portraits

2009-08-26T00:56:00.000-07:00

Woah, it's been a while since my last post. I've been working on a few projects here and there, but here's one that I can post now. It was a portrait shoot on the beach near the Hotel del Coronado that you can see here. It was a great day to shoot; clear skies, light breeze, and a 4pm shoot time :)

Engagement session at night!

2009-07-23T13:46:00.000-07:00

Here's an engagement set with Josh & Jenn. I originally wanted to do some urban downtown shots, but with the Comic Con in town, there's no way that'll happen with the thousands of people roaming around the streets, lol. I was going for a fashion-inspired, classy and sexy vibe for these shots, so hopefully it came through :)

2009-07-04T01:19:00.000-07:00

Hello world, and Happy 4th of July!

Welcome to my blogspot :) I'll be posting images from events, weddings, engagements, and other various photoshoots I work on here. I've had my website up for a while, and it's only natural that I set myself up a blog.

So welcome, and enjoy!

The first set of images are from a photoshoot I did with Lisa and Tom. I wanted to test out some lighting concepts along with my new Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 :) These were shot in the ever beautiful Balboa Park in San Diego, CA.