Event Photography Tips: Putting It All Together to Maximize Your Coverage!

I hope you find these event photography tips helpful. They are based on over 10 years of professional experience as a leading event photographer in Los Angeles. These event photography tips and tricks have mostly been developed through practice and developing habits, but I also spend a great deal of time working on my craft. I am always trying to improve my event photography and I hope these help you do the same!

My Conclusions on how to Maximize Your Event Photography Coverage.

Connecting the dots, you can see how all of these tips are used in unison: By staying present, reading the room, and following the energy, I am able to gravitate toward areas of an event in which lots of action is going to happen. By reading people’s eyes, I am able to predict who is about to smile and pre visualize my shot as I move into position, all while pre selecting my autofocus point before the camera hits my eye. By shooting with two eyes open, I am able to time my shot and already know where my next shot is going to be… then I repeat. I spend a lot of time thinking about how I can improve my event photography. It is important to me to always stay engaged with my craft and never settle. This has allowed me to constantly improve at event photography and I hope my tips help you on your own journey.

Event Photography Tip #1 Pre Select Your Focal Point.

When capturing a moment as an event photographer, rather than waiting for the viewfinder to reach your eye, consider where the point of focus will be in your composition and use your controller to set it. With practice this becomes intuitive. Keep in mind, that with evolving technology, this tip may become less or even irrelevant. Sony's eye AF, is a good example of technology that may replace the skill of pre-selecting your autofocus point. Also, as I am currently experimenting with new cameras, I want to mention that the delay in which the viewfinder activates in mirrorless cameras has been a challenge for me, in some cases preventing me from pre-selecting my focus point before looking through the viewfinder.

Event Photography Tip #2 Photograph With Both Eyes.

While one eye frames the shot, use your other eye to monitor the action. This technique improves your timing and you’re able to monitor the space while still framing a potential image. When covering an event, the goal should be to both get as much coverage as possible, but also to make sure each image is a quality one.

Event Photography Tip #3 Read the Room. Follow the Energy.

This is not hocus-pocus. Do not overthink it. Whether at an event or anywhere for that matter, there is always energy. There are plenty of auditory cues that give away where the energy is but there may be things that give it away that you are not even conscious of.

Event Photography Tip #4. Predict Smiles.

Have you learned to follow the energy? Good. Now it's time to predict a smile. watch the eyes and anticipate the pause- that is when you should be making your photograph. Of all my tips, I think your ability to implement this one may largely come down to personality traits. Not everyone will have as easy of a time predicting a smile. I do think that with practice, anyone can improve, but this is a skill highly determined by one's empathy.

Event Photography Tip #5. Time Your Shot Ahead of the Peak of Action.

You have a delay. Your motor skills have a delay. Your camera has a delay. Because of this, it is essential that you time your shot right before the peak of action. This is a tricky one. Of course shooting a burst of shots with a camera with a high FPS would help, but if your goal is to improve on your skills as an event photographer, it’s well worth it to practice this.

Links to see more of my work and throw me your support:

Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/mikmilman

Instagram | @retrograding https://www.instagram.com/retrograding/

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/mikmilman/

Los Angeles Event Photographers Tips on Being a Second Photographer

Getting Started as a Second Photographer

The first challenge for anyone looking to become a professional photographer is developing a portfolio. As I discuss in my complete event photography guide, you need a photography portfolio to get work but you need work to build a photography portfolio.

You do not need to work for free in order to build a portfolio. Rather, my advice is to build your portfolio around the things you are already doing in your life. An event can be just about anything including: street fairs, festivals, music events, birthday parties, etc. But although this will help you build a portfolio, second shooting has its own benefits.

How I Got Started as a Second Shooter

When I first moved back to Los Angeles and decided to make my passion my profession, I was faced with the common dilemma of not having the portfolio I needed to start doing professional work while needing to do professional work in order to build that portfolio. Most of my time during and after college was spent making fine art photography. I was confident in my knowledge of photography, but knew better than to be presumptuous and assume that it would 100% equip me for professional work. In fact I was already teaching photography, so I knew my stuff. When I decided to pursue professional work, the photography market was not as over saturated as it is today. I knew wedding photography was an easy field to get into, so I decided to pursue it. I knew that the best way to learn was by doing and I wanted to learn the trade from someone with experience. But to even second shoot, I knew I needed a portfolio. So what did I do? I shot a wedding for just about free. No joke, I think I charged about $180 just to cover my rentals- I didn’t even have all the gear I needed yet!  But that one wedding I essentially shot for free landed me a second shooting job with the largest wedding studio in Los Angeles at the time. It was my big break in what was quite honestly a very difficult time for anyone: It was 2008 in the height of the great recession.

How Did I Make that Happen?

I’ll be the first to admit I am not a very organized person. But I was serious about pursuing a career as a photographer. So what I did, was make an excel sheet of every wedding photographer In Los Angeles that I could find. In it, I included the name of the studio, the name of the contact person, their contact info, and any notes I had on them. I then proceeded to email each of them and follow up with a phone call. Sadly, very few called me back and pretty much none of them were looking to even hire an assistant. However, a couple of them referred me to the studio that  had the largest segment of the market at the time. So I gave them a call thinking that they would of course blow me off. Strikingly, the next day I got a call! I set an interview, showed up in a suit, shared my limited wedding portfolio, and was hired on the spot! I remember them telling me something like, “well, we have like 100 people interested in a job with us, but you seem good to us.” Not only did they bring me on on the spot, but it was as a second shooter, not an assistant!

How to Be a Good Second Shooter

First off, it needs to be said that what it takes to be a good second shooter will largely depend on the needs of the primary photographer. This is something that should be discussed between the two of you. Additionally, through the experience of working together, you will naturally figure out what their needs and expectation. Hopefully in time, the two of you will work cohesively with little direction. When I first started out second shooting weddings in Los Angeles, I mostly worked with one person. After a while I just knew what he wanted from me: the perspectives he wanted covered, the types of shots he needed, etc. We were in sync and I didn’t need any direction. So although needs will vary, the following information should be universal.

Remember That You Represent The Primary Photographer

When second shooting you are representing the studio of the primary photographer. Be sure to carry their business card and conduct yourself in a professional manner. In just about no circumstance should you ever share your own card. Even if you are giving someone your card for something unrelated to photography, I recommend just steering clear of it all together. It is best to just avoid any confusion.

What is a Second Photographer’s Job?

In the early days of digital photography, cameras were only equipped with one memory card. This of course put the primary photographer at a lot of risk of losing a day of work. In part, as a second photographer shooting weddings, my job was essentially to have a backup of the day. This was also a bit of a hold over from the film days in which you could lose an entire roll from user error to a mistake at the lab.

What Should a Second Photographer Focus On

What a second shooter should focus on will depend entirely on the needs of the primary photographer. This can also vary case by case. Lets talk about some examples:

Wedding Photography

At a wedding a second photographer’s job is often to capture alternate perspectives that a primary photographer just can’t. No matter how fast you can run, you can not be in two places at once and there are some specific examples in which you will need to be. One such example is during a first kiss. When I started out as a second photographer shooting weddings in Los Angeles, during the first kiss, I was always instructed to get over the shoulder shots of the groom, while the main photographer focussed on shots of the bride. Afterward, I was freed up to do more creative stuff.

During the cocktail hour, I was always instructed (eventually it didn’t need to be said) to photograph groups of people (crowd work), while the primary photographer photographed the reception room and detail shots.

When the primary photographer is shooting formals, a common task given to a second photographer can be to shoot candids of individuals in formal groups. These are often shot at a 45 degree angle from them, NOT over the shoulder of the main photographer. You should never be shooting over the shoulder of the main wedding photographer. This can cause confusion over which camera to look at and why would their client need multiples of the same shot only slightly inferior?

Event Photography

As a Los Angeles event photographer, there are times I hire second photographers. However, unlike at a wedding, their job is typically to cover what I am unable to. This can be due to multiple conferences happening at once and that sort of thing.

Large jobs can also call for a second photographer just to add extra coverage. Typically this is the case for events larger than 400 people.

Miscellaneous Tips on Second Shooting

When it comes to usage rights, be sure to have that discussion with the photographer you’re working for. Usually it is understood that you are in part second shooting for experience and to build a portfolio, but do not assume anything!

Always carry the business card of the photographer you’re working with and never give out your own. Even if it is for something unrelated to photography, you do not want any misunderstandings. You represent the main shooter, side dealing is not ok.

This may seem harmless, but it’s not a good idea to show the client the back of your camera to see an image. For all you know, for whatever reason, the main photographer might decide not to deliver that image to the client. This will lead to difficult questions from the client. They may even begin to wonder how many other images they chose not to share and open a whole can of worms. I know it is hard to say no to someone asking to see an image, but there are many polite and reasonable tactics you can use to avoid it.

Conclusions on Being a Second Photographer

I really hope the video at the top of this article as well as this write up gives you an idea of why you should second shoot, but gives you some general advice on how to go about doing so.

For me, second shooting at weddings in Los Angeles was an invaluable learning experience on top of being a great way to build a portfolio. I strongly encourage all beginner photographers to do so!

Los Angeles Event Photographers Review Canon 135mm f2 L.

Event photographers,

In this review I talk about one of my favorite lenses, the Canon 135mm f2 L. I have repeatedly recommended that people start with their “bread and butter” lenses, prior to purchasing something like this, and I stand by that. But when you’re ready to have some fun and open up some “creative” opportunities, this is an excellent choice.

Unfortunately, when I purchased this lens, I didn’t really have all of my “bread and butter” lenses / focal lengths covered. But also, I never really had a mentor advising me on what purchases to make. If there was someone on Youtube giving advice like I do, I certainly couldn’t find one.

I purchased my 135mm on what was a somewhat uncharacteristic whim. I saw it at a trade show in which no tax was being applied, and I decided to just go for it. I more or less spent about $1000- a lot less than most professional level L lenses by Canon, I suppose in part due to it being a prime lens and its age (its relatively old, having come out in 1996).

Why Do I Use This Lens for Event Photography?

In order to talk about when I use this lens, I think it is important to first talk about what sets this lens apart from other lenses.

First off, this lens does something no other lens in Canon’s lineup can do at 135mm (namely, the 70-200 in all its variants), and that is that it can shoot at f2. I have found that the one stop difference between f2 and f2.8 makes a significant impact in what I am able to achieve as a photographer, both practically and artistically.

Being able to open my aperture up to f2, can mean an additional 30 minutes or so of shooting with available light as the sun goes down. It can mean the difference between relying on strobes or not in a dimly lit event, or it can mean the difference between having acceptable noise in my image due to not having to raise my ISO an additional stop.

Going beyond the practical aspects of using this lens, there is just something unique about the shallow depth of field created by the combination of a 135mm focal length and an f2 aperture. I am the first person to say shallow depth of field is overrated, not the end all be all to photography, and actually not the best artistic choice when it comes to personal work like street photography; but when it comes to professional work, shooting with such a shallow depth of field not only achieves specific goals, but has an air of quality and professionalism to the results. Also, in the end of the day, having something visually unique about your work can make you stand out. It could mean the difference between getting hired or not.

When it comes to the quality of this lens, well, its considered a bit of a legend. When it was released, there wasn’t really a comparable Nikon version. It was known to be one of Canon’s sharpest, if not sharpest, lenses and was even reasonably priced- relative to many of their other L lenses.

My subjective take on it? This lens has character and not just due to its fast aperture and focal length combination. It’s sharp as hell when you nail focus and It renders color better than maybe any other EF lens I own.

Events I Use This Lens at

Now that I have covered what’s so great and unique about this lens, lets talk about some specific use cases when photographing events in Los Angeles.

As mentioned before, this is a great lens to use in low light. One thing I specifically enjoy doing is shooting with it wide open at a high ISO in order to get enough ambient light to seamlessly balance it with my strobe, which I’m really just using to improve the quality of light on my subject.

I often bring this lens along, even when I have my 70-200mm f2.8 is, because once I get all my safe bread and butter shots of things like a speaker on a stage, I can experiment with more creative stuff. Also, if size and weight is a concern, I will rock this lens on one body while I have something like a 24-70 on another.

I love shooting portraits with this lens and definitely favor it’s size, weight, aperture range, and focal length to my 70-200mm lens.

One of my favorite uses of this lens is shooting available light during blue hour- the period right after golden hour when the sun has set. Blue and magenta tones seemingly dance together, splendidly, which is further enhanced by the Canon 135mm f2 L lens’ unique character and very shallow depth of field. The result has something of an ethereal feel to it.

I love shooting in tight crowds with this lens. I find I can maneuver through them, while actively shooting much easier than I could with a large, heavy lens. It is also great for when you have to shoot over people’s shoulders or through things because it’s so much less obtrusive.

Lastly, I want to mention that I really just love shooting with this lens because I love shooting with prime lenses and not just for the obvious reasons. Yes, prime lenses are sharp and can generally shoot at wider apertures. But I just love the way it forces me to be more engaged with my craft. Having to physically move your body rather than just zoom in or out, is far more engaging and forces you to be more present, and ultimately potentially more creative. You might not agree with me. And believe me, I see the other side of the argument, but in the end of the day I liken shooting in manual and shooting with a prime lens to driving a stick shift car: a modern automatic will go 0-60 a lot faster, but that does not mean it’s as enjoyable.

What I Don’t Like About This Lens

Seriously, almost nothing. My one and only complaint is that it’s not the lighting fast focuser the 70-200 f2.8 IS, is. But that’s not to say it isn’t fast.

Conclusion

I have been using this lens to photograph events in Los Angeles for nearly 10 years. I probably should not have purchased it before buying at least one other essential lens, but hey I have no regrets. Some of my favorite work has been shot with it and it’s seriously a joy to use. Do you need this lens? No, probably not. But if you want to open up your creative possibilities, while having your work stand out, this fits the bill.

This has been a review of the Canon 135mm f2 L lens from the point of view of a working event photographer. If you would like a bit more technical information, I suggest checking Ken Rockwell’s review.

Event Photography Tips on Buying Gear from a Los Angeles Event Photographer

Aspiring event photographers,

Making a full time living as an event photographer is not easy. When I started out as an event photographer in Los Angeles, there wasn’t really a template to follow. That’s why I share as much knowledge as possible via my blog and Youtube channel. My hope is that this sort of content will ease your anxiety and make your journey easier.

I hope you enjoy this video on buying gear for event photography.

Buying Camera Bodies for Event Photography

When you decide to go pro at event photography you are starting a business. You have to remember that camera bodies are depreciating assets and the cost of constantly upgrading them means you are making less money. Additionally, If you are still early in the learning phase, by the time you know the ins and outs of your very expensive camera, it will have depreciated significantly in value and there will be better options out there with more modern technology.

My advice to event photographers just starting out would be to buy last generation’s model of whatever camera you’re interested in, whether new or used. Cameras experience most of their depreciation right away followed by a very large reduction in price once a new version comes out. After that they somewhat level off again. You can save a significant amount of money by buying old models once the new ones come out. Once in a while new camera models significantly improve upon the last model’s tech, but these days a generation old camera is still a very capable camera. I follow an “every other” upgrade cycle which has suited me well. I personally still use a Canon 5d iii as my main camera and its nearly 8 years old! It’s almost hard to believe it has been that long.

Use the money you save to start building your lens collection. Remember lenses make images more so than cameras. Additionally, unlike cameras, lenses hardly depreciate in value.

Which Professional Lenses You Should Buy First for Event Photography

Your first goal should be to cover all necessary focal lengths. This can be done with two lenses. The first lens you should buy is a 24-70mm lens. This lens will give you a somewhat wide to somewhat zoomed in field of view. Most events could be shot entirely with this lens. It’s great for candids, portraits, group shots, detail shots, and even somewhat wide establishing shots.

The second lens I recommend buying is a 70-200mm. These focal lengths are essential for a lot of different types of event photography from varying sports, conferences and anytime you need more reach with your lens.

Please note that when shooting with those lenses on a cropped frame camera body, those focal lengths will have the field of view of a 36-105 and 105-300 and may not be as suitable if you need a very wide field of view.

Once you have your main focal lengths covered with a 24-70mm and 70-200mm lens, the next lens I recommend getting would be on the wide end. I personally use a 17-40mm f4 lens when I need to get wider than 24mm. Canon also makes a superior 16-35mm lens, but for how I use a wide lens, its just not necessary. I am typically photographing larger groups or wide “establishing shots” which require a deeper depth of filed than f2.8 would offer to properly get everyone or most things in focus. When making lens choices, remember that you're building a photography business and therefore it is helpful to think of purchases as business expenses in which cost vs benefit should be weighed. I estimate that my 17-40mm lens is on my camera less than 5% of the time at most. It is still a necessary lens for what I do, but not worth upgrading. I used to have a fisheye lens. Take a guess how often I used that and why I sold it.

Buying Memory Cards

You can save money by not buying memory cards with larger storage capacities. Two 32 gig cards for example typically cost far less than one 64 gig card. But be sure to buy quality memory cards with fast read / write speeds. Do the research and make sure to buy the fastest memory cards recommended for your camera by it’s manufacturer. This will make a difference. Buying higher specced cards than what’s recommended may not make a difference. It would be like putting premium gas in a car not designed for it. I also recommend buying fast cards for their upload speeds. This will shorten your editing process.

Buying a Flash

When I started as a photographer there was no viable alternative to a Canon branded flash. It was essentially a two horse race then, with Nikon as Canon’s only competition. But since then, off brand manufacturers have closed the gap in the quality of their flashes for a fraction of the cost. Canon’s latest flagship flash the 600EX II-RT goes for $579 at full price. Meanwhile the Yongnuo YN600 RT-II comes in at $121. It’s essentially a Canon clone (It’s even named similarly. Don’t ask me how that’s legal), and costs less than a fourth the price.

Personally, I own two Canon flashes, but would not have a problem with purchasing a third party flash as another backup at some point.

How a Los Angeles Event Photographer Uses Composition to Enhance His Candids

Tips on Composition to Enhance Your Candids

Into

Composition can amplify what you feel about the subject matter or invoke a reaction all on its own. Today I’m going to share with you 5 tips on composition to enhance your candids. These are all tips I use as a candid event photographer in Los Angeles as well as in my street photography.

#1 Use a Dutch Angle.

The dutch angle, also known as a dutch tilt, canted angle, or oblique angle is when the horizontal or vertical lines of an image are tilted. In cinema, it is often used to convey anxiety, tension, or things gone awry, but incorporating a dutch angle into your candid photography you can give the viewer a sense that it was captured in the spur of the moment.

The Dutch angle is an effective tool for enhancing the candid feel of a moment, but should be used sparingly. Especially in a collection of images in which its strength lies in it being an outlier, not a norm

---

Fun Fact:

The Dutch angle coinage does not refer to holland. It is fact a reference to early German, or rather “Deutch” expressionist filmmakers.

---

#2 Shoot Through things to Frame Your Subject 

When it comes to photographic composition, framing is most often used to draw your eye in toward your subject. But when shooting through things it has the added effect of conveying a shot was made in the spur of the moment or that the photographer was somewhat removed from the moment like a fly on the wall. From my point of view, this has become an increasingly popular technique used by event photographers. I have also begun to see this more commonly used by photojournalists: Think of photographs of campaign rallies in which the photographer shoots through a crowd of people and political signs to get a photograph of a politician on stage.

#3 Use a Tilt Shot to Shoot from Extreme High and Low Angles.

Shooting from high or low angles not only offer varied perspectives but also convey different meaning. 

Images made from below convey importance, prominence, power. Try shooting from below when photographing a powerful politician, a local hero, or anyone you want to portray as strong, etc. Personally, I often choose to photograph the downtrodden and disenfranchised this way as a way of dignifying them.

Images made from above tend to evoke opposite feelings about a subject than shooting from below. Shooting from above can convey a sense of powerlessness, weakness, etc. You can use this technique to highlight the downtrodden or perhaps even as a way to visually dis-empower someone whom has plenty of it. The choice is yours. As my lab instructor in college used to tell me, “you’re the artist.”

Carefully consider how you use these angles. Yes, they can be used to just offer something different, but when used effectively they can amplify the feelings already conveyed in the subject matter.

Sometimes I’ll sit on my skateboard in busy places and go unnoticed. I especially enjoy photographing candid moments that look like they could have been posed. 

#4 Don’t Be so Clinical with Your Composition.   

Rules of composition are excellent tools for creating visual interest and drawing viewers draw your subject matter. But sometimes when several rules of composition are utilized at once, your composition can feel a bit too on the nose. This feels clinical and has the potential to feel contrived or lifeless- not candid.

I recommend experimenting with shooting a bit looser. Try adhering to fewer rules, or make sure the rules you do follow are less obvious.

You can argue that well balanced visual elements underpin the foundation of a strong composition. For example, in a composition using the rule of thirds, the subject matter occupying one third of the frame is balanced out by the two thirds of less important real estate.

Balanced elements should not be confused with symmetry: if, for example,  you have an object of a specific size on one side of the frame you mustn’t have one on the other.  We are not looking for equally sized objects or like colors to achieve balance. Rather, we are looking at the overall visual weight of things. Certain colors and shades will draw your eye in different ways. Something small but of more importance such as a person can be balanced out by something much larger but less important.

I admit the idea of visual weight can sound a bit murky. 

But Try this:

One way to see how things are visually weighed is to defocus your eyes. See where your eye is drawn without the distraction of textures and subject matter.

#5 Be Unconventional. Break the Rules.

There are traditional ways to frame formal portraits whether candid or not. These traditions are in part formed by adhering to specific rules of composition such as the rule of thirds. But beyond rules of composition, we are used to a visual language developed by over a century of image making.  

Experiment with breaking these norms. Try unusual cropping or usage of rules. Instead of having leading lines lead toward your subject, have them lead away. Subjects tend to look inward in a frame. Try having them look outside the frame and see how it makes you feel. 

If you are looking for an example of how to effectively break rules, one of my favorite examples is Mr Robot. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

---

Thank you all for your support, I truly hope this helps you on your photographic journey. And as always I look forward to your comments below! 

Event Photography Tips and Tricks (6 Shot Types)

Below is a List of your Main Shot Types when Shooting an Event

As an event Photographer in Los Angeles, I use all of these shot types in my work.

Establishing shots:

You do not need many of these. A few wide shots are essential to give a sense of place and establish scale at an event. I will typically shoot these at 17mm with my 17-40mm lens. I try to get a shot from several different perspectives. Shots like these can be each corner of a banquet hall, a wide shot of a crowd from

Close Candids:

These are the shots that really capture the emotional high points of an event. They can be shot in a variety of ways, but usually with a telephoto lens and a shallow depth of field in order to focus the viewers reaction on the emotion of the shot.

Candid Interactions:

Similar to close candids, candid interactions but provide context to the moment you are highlighting. In other words you can see the person or persons the subject is interacting with. You will typically want to stop down your aperture a bit for these to allow each of your subjects to be in focus.

Posed Photos:

Sometimes you will shoot posed portraits of an individual, but most of the time posed portraits are of groups of two or more. These are simple to do. Anytime you see a small group conversing, approach them with a smile and simply ask, “hey can I get a shot of you guys?” These should be shot at narrow enough apertures to capture everyone in focus. F2.8 or lower can work depending on distance, focal length, and how similarly distanced they are to you, but a rule of thumb I use is to shoot at f4 or higher to capture groups of three or more. I usually do not feel the need to go any higher unless the group is somewhat staggered in distance from me.

Portraits:

These can be a professional headshot or something more artistic. Once in a while, you may be asked to shoot one of a notable speaker or such. But usually, I’m shooting these for myself. It gives me an opportunity to work more intimately with someone, get creative in a different way than I spend most of my time shooting, and a fun way to build a portfolio.

Detail Shots:

There are many ways to shoot detail shots. I have shot these with a 24-70mm lens, 70-200mm lens, 50mm vintage lenses, 135mm lens and more. These shots will compliment your wider establishing shots to tell a story. Details matter at an event; Organizers put in a lot of work to produce an event of any size with many details to show for it. When photographing an event put on to showcase a product, the product should be your focus. That said, be sure to get shots of attendees interacting with the product. You should always discuss what your client is looking for, but this will most likely be it. Although a photographer’s job is in part to capture details, their focus should typically be on capturing defining moments. These moments tell a story and evoke a feeling regardless of the type of event. Every photograph delivered should be about something. It can be about an emotion, someone’s reaction, or an interaction between people, but there should be meaning behind each image. These highlights offer a window into what it was like to be there. Always shoot with intention and never raise your camera to your eye just to snap a shot. Event organizers and marketers do not need thousands of lousy images, they need photographs they can actually use. At private events people want emotion filled images that bring them back to a moment. Capturing the height of an expression can be a ringing reminder of exactly how they felt in that moment.

I have been a professional event photographer and photography instructor in Los Angeles for over 10 years. Click on the button below to see my event photography work.

Anscomark M Film Camera. First Impressions.

Anscomark M Film Camera

The Anscomark M is the sturdiest camera I have ever held. "Built like a tank," is one of the most overused expressions when it comes to cameras, but it really does apply here; We are talking WWI era tank to be clear ;) This camera is feature-full from built in selenium light meter, threaded cable release hidden below the shutter button, to it's interchangeable lenses. Unfortunately it can be very hard to find lenses for this camera if you can even find the camera at all. I am looking forward to shooting with this camera and I'm very excited to share my results with you all!

My First Impressions

I picked this camera up just because of how strange it appeared. I knew very little about it and to be honest when I find a new camera I’ve never heard about, I prefer to experience it before doing my research. That’s not to say I do not research it at all: I just do enough research to know what I’m getting into.

The first thing that stood out is the Anscomark m’s styling: It is unlike any camera I have ever seen. This camera resembled a 1960’s classic American car more than any other camera.

When it comes to it’s build quality, there’s something very unique here too… rather than having the feel of a well engineered watch like a Leica M 3, the Anscomark M feels more like an industrial toaster or classic car. It feels substantial and heavy. It has hard lines and edges, not something you’d typically see in something you would be handling often.

That’s it for now, but I’m really excited to start using the camera and sharing my thoughts.

I have been a professional event photographer for 10 years while teaching photography at the same time. Follow the links below to see my work. Instagram | @retrograding https://www.instagram.com/retrograding/ Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/mikmilman/ www.mikmilman.com Instagram | @retrograding https://www.instagram.com/retrograding/ Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/mikmilman/ www.mikmilman.com