Here are the answers to last week’s Q&A on Facebook!

1. Jackie R.:  Do you mentor aspiring photographers?

Yes. I do workshops, and I also mentor one-on-one.

2. Nina T.:  Hi Christine!  When will you have another workshop in the bay area?  I came across your beautiful works just because the last one!

I will have one again later this year!  Dates will be announced on my website, as well as Facebook.

3. Pansy M.:  Do you like to have a blurry background? Or do you like keeping the image crisp & sharp?

I tend to like a blurry background to create softer photos. My aperture is usually around f2.8 – 4.0, and I rarely set it higher than 5.6.

4. Deirdre G.:  What equipment essentials do you recommend newbie wedding photographers purchase (ie., body, lenses, speedlites, meters, LR or editing presets, etc.)??

2 camera bodies, 24-70mm f 2.8 lens, 580EX Speedlite, Adobe Photoshop & LightRoom, 2 extra camera batteries.

5. Mawiyah J.:  Do you ever use artificial light?

Not often. If the reception at a wedding is too dim, I use my 580EX flash.

6. Christine C.:  Do you ever use Back Button Focusing?  If not, do you have any tips to guarantee such sharp focus especially when there’s a lot of hazy sunlight or movement, for example for a couple laughing or running around?

I do not use back button focusing but I hear great things about it. When I am photographing a moving subject my camera is set to Al Servo, and I use a quick lens like the 50mm f 1.2 or the 70-200mm f 2.8. With movement I usually don’t like the photos to be too sharp and crisp. I think that a little blur showcases the movement and gives it more character.

7. Mel I:  When you work with PS, do you use actions or do you enhance every picture in any way?

I have some presets that I use in LightRoom. It makes the workflow faster, but even with the presets, I go through and tweak every individual photo. If you use presets, I think that fine tuning them is very important!