• The OSS on both lenses were ok, not as good as Canon’s IS, but still pretty useful.
• For the 35mm lens I used a variable ND filter by Neewer. Variable ND filters allow you to control the exposure while keeping the f-stop constant. For example, you can have that beautiful blurry background (aka bokeh) at a low f-stop like f/1.8 during the day while twisting the variable ND filter to darken the scene. Overall, this ND filter was ok but it did get dark in the corners.
• Walking with a 35mm lens produced a bit of rolling shutter especially in 4k, but when shot in HD, there’s barely any rolling shutter at all.
• The clear image zoom on the 16–50mm was great with no loss of quality. Very, VERY useful feature especially when you need the extra reach like at a wedding.

For the most part I thought that both lenses performed pretty well. Certainly not at the level of a Canon L series lens, but it did the job. That being said, you should probably know that there is a bit of chromatic aberration with both lenses which can be really frustrating when color grading.

Overall I felt the 35mm was a better performer with superior results while the 16–50mm worked really great and clear with the zoom. The best part about the 16–50mm is the size. Extremely compact which makes it PERFECT for travel.

Check out the video to take a look at the results for yourself:

As much I hate to admit it, once in a while I have some seriously ‘DOH’ moments. Unfortunately when you’re a videographer or photographer, those moments can end up costing you a pretty penny, especially if you haven’t done your due diligence in protecting your gear. One such moment happened to me when I was out with my family and was carrying both my Canon 6D (which I use for photography) and my Sony A6300 (which I use for video). I was using the Sony camera and after I was done I put it away in my shoulder bag but must have packed it on top of the Canon and somehow, to my horror, it cracked the LCD glass of my Canon 6D. It was pretty bad.

After having a little freak out, I realized that knowing me, I had probably put a screen protector on it at some point. And the good news is that I did. Phew! So I got online and quickly ordered myself some tempered glass.

What even is tempered glass? It just sounds like angry glass!

Anyways, after a short wait my ‘angry’ glass arrived and I got about to the business of prying off the screen protector and replacing it. When I pulled off the protector it had cracked all the way across but to my relief the LCD glass had escaped completely unscathed!

So here’s how to remove and replace a screen protector on your DSLR LCD:

1. Make sure your camera is switched off…incase it explodes.
2. Remove the original screen protector. I used a small pocket knife to slowly pry off the screen protector from the LCD screen, and once I got a bit of space I peeled the rest of it off slowly with my fingers.
3. Clean any remnants from the old screen protector from your LCD screen — a microfiber cloth worked great for this.
4. Use the alcohol swab included in the packet to further clean the LCD screen.
5. Slowly and carefully place the new screen protector.

I hope this helps anyone else who may have had one of those “DOH” moments. And don’t forget to keep your gear protected as best as you can, a small investment can save you a lot if the worst happens.

I recently realized that I have now been shooting weddings for almost ten years! It wasn’t something that I had ever thought that I would do but somehow I fell into it and discovered that I actually kinda liked it. It hasn’t ever really been my first passion or even my second but it’s taken me to some pretty cool places, I’ve met some great clients and I can’t deny, it’s been pretty awesome being a part of such a significant moment for so many couples.

Weddings aren’t for everyone, but if you are an aspiring film maker or photographer it can be a great way to fund your long-term ambitions whilst getting to do what you love most — being behind the camera. It’s a great opportunity to fine tune your skills whilst learning how to work with clients.

So I know that there are a bunch of tutorials and blogs and courses you can take to learn how to shoot weddings that go into all the details on lighting and technicality and how to get the best shots. But after having a good, long think about the things that have really stood out to me during my years in weddings, I want to add some maybe less obvious but arguably just as important tips to the list of things things to remember:

1. Charge all your batteries the night before the wedding.
2. Don’t forget your gear (But if you do, don’t panic, just improvise. It will work out).
3. Secure your gear at the venue to avoid anything being stolen.
4. Make a gameplan for the ceremony with your second shooter/team.
5. HAVE FUN!!!! If you have fun, so will the bride and groom and you’ll get the best shots.

If you wanna see me in action at a wedding going over these tips in more detail, check out the video below:

And here’s a list of the gear that I use…

ThinkTank Photo Airport Essentials Backpack

Canon 6D

Canon 5D Mark III

Canon 70–200mm Lens

Canon 16–35mm Lens

Sigma 35mm 1.4 ART Lens

Gisteq LED light (bi-color)

Canon 580 EX II Speedlight

Zoom H1 Audio Recorder

Zoom H6 Audio Recorder

Rode SmartLav+

D-Focus Cage a6300 model

Rode SC3 3.5mm TRRS to TRS Adaptor

Pelican Case 1510

Pelican Case Organizer Pouch

Glidecam HD 1000

MeFOTO Backpacker Tripod

Manfrotto Reverse Stand

Holdfast Gear Money Maker

So last year I tried to start a production company and it failed, it failed miserably, and for the longest time I just felt like I was a failure. But it’s been a year and at some point I just had to stop feeling that way because life moves on, and you just have to move on with it. So here I am, round two of starting my business and that’s where the blogging comes along. I will be documenting the entire process of starting a business, running a business, and at the same time providing tutorials, product reviews, tips and tricks in film-making, photography and all aspects of storytelling. My hope is to build a community of people that just want to tell great stories. And yes, my end goal is still to build a production company that creates original content, but the mission of this business is to raise up strong storytellers.

What my typical day looks like:

(4am) Typically after I finish my morning routine (coffee, walking the dogs, more coffee, devotional time, lots of coffee, stretches, all the coffee) I try to get a little work done by planning ahead.

(8am) So yes, I do work a full time job. And when I’m at work, I’m at work, so I have to wait until lunch to do any business stuff. The thing about doing a business while working a full time job is that you have to honor your full time job.

(Midday) So now I’m on lunch, and this is when I get to work on my own stuff and is often an opportunity for me to catch up with clients. Sometimes you have to talk to the client so that they understand your reasoning for your videos and for your edits. Sometimes the client won’t agree with me and sometimes I won’t agree with them but we generally come to an agreement and that’s all about collaboration.

(5:30pm) Now I’m home which is an awesome time for me because it’s family time!

(10pm) Well I thought today went pretty well, got a lot of work done and had a lot of fun and I’m just finishing up with some work tonight.

The cool thing about doing this first blog is that I’ve learnt a huge lesson and that’s to just start. Whatever your passion is, whether it is film or photography or graphic design, writing, dancing or fashion, whatever it is, you just have to start.

Alright, I’m tired and I’ve got to go to bed. Just set my alarm for four o clock in the morning — gonna do this all over again. Anyway, thanks for reading, don’t forget to follow and comment below. Peace.