The Keyplays

What 's In My Dream Photography Kit ?

2020-04-18T10:54:00.000-05:00

Almost all the top online influencers that I follow has a "what's in my camera bag" post.
I on the other hand is doing it differently. So far I haven't seen a "what's in my dream bag".
Here I write to you what's in my dream photography kit. I currently have 90% of my photography kit
completed, and that is the kit that has been enabling me to craft excellent photos. It is said that gear
isn't the main factor that causes someone to produce creativity. However, for me, it is the factor that
determines the efficiency of my photography workflow. The kit I am to build is versatile and efficient
for the type of workflow, I desire to develop. In my dream photography kit there are the following:

2 Camera bodies
3 Lenses
1 HSS strobe
2 HSS Speedlight
Wireless trigger
2 Bowens mount softboxes
3 Light stands
Reflector.

Camera Bodies

Now to get more specific with what I desire in my dream photography kit starting with the camera
bodies. My dream camera has been for the longest while the Sony A7iii.

The Sony a7iii was a game-changer upon its release in 2018. It is still performing today at a standard that other camera manufacturers are still working on making a viable competitor. I've had the privilege to use one to get a sense of how it feels in my hands, and what it's like. Believe me, people, I've cherished the experience all thanks to a friend. The autofocus was alien fast, and the photos I shot with it blew me away. The camera's dynamic range sent chills down my spine, and the images had so much detail and information. A recommended watch is "Sony A7iii - 2 years later- Still the leader?" by Ditch Auto on YouTube.

The next camera body is Sony, and it's the Sony A6600. The Sony a6600 to me is like a shrunken version of the Sony a7iii with a slightly improved autofocus capability namely, eye autofocus for video.

The Sony a6600 is an APSC mirrorless camera versus the larger Sony A7iii being a Full Frame mirrorless camera. Though the Sony A7iii is apart of a revolutionary series of cameras that features a compact design, I believe the a6600 is a valuable addition for demanding traveling situations when traveling as light as possible, and to maintain an unnoticeable status in public areas comes into play. Both camera bodies have the same color science, same image quality, same megapixel count except the fact that the Sony A7iii has a better dynamic range and superior low light performance. They both match well together and if they were to be used on a project, they would complement each other well. For a detailed comparison between both cameras and their specs I recommend visiting the following link to Imaging Resource website.

Camera Lenses

The gear within any photography kit that holds its value longer than any camera body is are camera
lenses. Camera lenses depreciate slower than a camera body. If you spend some time and check the
cost of some quality lenses made even 10 years ago compared to the price of a camera body made in
the same period, then you would understand what I am saying. The thing about the Sony ecosystem is
that from their top professional cameras to their entry-level cameras, there is 1 lens mount that they
use, and that is the E mount.

The Full Frame and APSC lenses are mounted on the same E mount that has been a factor to which lured me to choosing my upgrade path to being in the direction of Sony. Two lens focal lengths that I think about for portrait photography are the 70mm - 200mm f2.8, the 50mm f1.8, and there is a 3rd but is specific for shooting events and that is the 24mm - 70mm f2.8. Those are the 3 lenses to cover all I need for portrait photography and event photography.

Lighting Gear

There is one main light I see myself using. It is the most portable strobe I've ever seen and encountered. I love its compact design and its power output of 200 watts. I'm yet to use one myself but I have seen it in action up close and personal. HSS (High-Speed Sync), which is the ability of a strobe or Speedlight to sync the flash speed with a camera's high shutter speed usually beyond 1/250 for most cameras, and its most common application is for outdoors for shooting against the sun to overpower the sun. The strobe I'm talking about is the Godox AD200. The other additions to the lighting kit are 2 Godox v860ii speedlights along with the Godox Xpro wireless trigger. The selling point for Godox light systems is the way they communicate with each other and how easy it to use with multiple camera systems. So that trigger can be used for a variety of lights from Godox.

We get the best out of our light gear when we use light modifiers. Light modifiers help us to control the character and shape of a light source. I have a 47-inch Godox octagon softbox that I thought was what I needed but it was too large for outdoor portrait sessions especially the fact that it's rare for me to have an assistant on my portrait sessions. Traveling with it isn't the most pleasant, especially when I have to take a taxi. My experience with it has lead me to conclude that the ideal softbox sizes would be a 26inch and a 32inch Godox Octagon Softbox with Bowens mounts.

Well there you have it, now you know what is in my dream photography kit. I have identified what I
want, set my goals, and next is the work and discipline to achieve it. If you haven't yet built your dream kit or if you have your dream kit now, feel free to comment below and tell me what your dream kit is.

The Best Photo Editing App

2020-04-08T19:53:00.000-05:00

I have always enjoyed photo editing, whether it be portraits, landscape, abstract, events, etc. You name it, I love photo editing. I've worked as a Professional Photo Editor.

All I have learnt from my professional training when using an online photo editor, photo editing software for PC or a photo editing app for mobile, I have applied it because all the photo editing principles still apply.

All the mentioned platforms I use to edit photos, I use with just 1 photo editing app. I consider it to be the best photo editing app that I have ever used and it is none other than Adobe Lightroom.

I am the type of photographer that loves to push my camera gear to get the best possible results. If you read last week's blog post "Which camera do I use in 2020" then you'd already know I bring satisfaction to my clients with an 11- year-old camera. I shoot my images as flat as possible and RAW 70% of the times depending on the delivery time but I try to get the most dynamic range I can get from my camera. So I bring seeming lifeless photos to life.

Take a look at these photos to understand what I mean:

Whether the photos were shot using my phone or pro camera, I use Adobe Lightroom to edit them. Adobe Lightroom's interface is easy to use, and the seamless integration between the creative cloud apps on my phone, PC and even ones accessible via the web are the reasons I am hooked on using Adobe Lightroom to edit, especially on my phone.

The PC user experience and features are the same on the mobile version, with the same versatility the PC version possesses.

The mobile version, of course, has its interface designed a little differently to ensure maximum satisfaction for mobile users. Is Adobe Lightroom really the best photo editing software? I can only speak from my experience. I believe it is the best free photo editing software and it is also the best-paid photo editing software. The mobile version gives users a 30-day free trial with access to its advanced features after installing and creating an adobe account. These features include the ability to edit RAW images and the selective brush tool, but the free version will take away those advanced features.

I conclude, If you need the best photo editing app to casually edit on your smart phone for personal or social media and if you need the best photo editing software to professionally edit photos then you've already found it.

until next time, keep up with me on:

Youtube, Instagram, and Twitter

Which Camera Do I Use In 2020 ?

2020-04-01T12:06:00.000-05:00

Which Camera Do I Use In 2020?

2020, the year of innovation. It's the year that the creative industry is finally seeing the fulfilment of our heart's desires from camera manufacturers. They are finally presenting the answer to our creative frustration after years of taking notes and making improvements. It just seems that in the year 2020, cameras have become close to perfect. So what camera am I using in 2020?

Brace yourselves. I have been shooting with an 11-year-old camera (yes, 11-year-old).

It has 1 card slot (CF not even SD card), no autofocus in video, no NFC, no WIFI (screams), no touch screen(tears) and specifically to be noted by other canon camera users, no dual pixel autofocus (explosion). With a camera of that age, I produce portraits such as the following:

Check out my business page (www.instagram.com/keyplayproductions) for more photos from the same camera.

A majority of my audience already knows the camera I shoot with, but if you are new to the world of Keyplay, I'll just cut the suspense. I shoot with a Canon 7D MK I.

The camera isn't bad but it's not my ideal camera either. If you're wondering how I easily craft the above photos without the above-listed features and conveniences, the simple answer is that I don't. I have to jump through hoops to craft great photos.

I hate the uncomfortable process it takes to craft images, but there's nothing I love more than photography. Initially, I gave more attention to getting the camera settings right vs making sure my talent/client is 100%; However, I have learnt and it has helped me to be a better photographer. It is not impossible to craft good images with my camera, it actually gets the job done and very well at that.

Of course, it's not as easy or effortless to work with when compared to newer cameras like my absolute dream camera, the Sony a7iii but I get the job done.

So what am I saying? I've come to understand both opinions of "gear doesn't matter" and "gear matters" due to my experience with different cameras. I have used new cameras with features I can't even count, and older cameras, that makes me question how they even sold them.

It's all about understanding whatever gear you have and being able to craft the image you want to see. My name is Sean Rose and you don't need the best camera in 2020 because I use an 11-year-old camera to put smiles on my client's faces.

until next time, keep up with me on:

Youtube, Instagram, and Twitter

The New Frontier

2020-03-18T13:23:00.000-05:00

I never knew I would have started this at the time I am now. To be honest, this thought has been around for a very long time but has finally manifested into "The Keyplays". Similar to football having a game map that they call keyplays that's how I look at decisions I have made, for my creative career, I see them as keyplays. The keyplays I will be sharing is to impart knowledge that will help you grow and learn within the creative industry based on things I have learnt as a Digital Creator. I have experience and knowledge in the following disciplines Photography, Filmmaking, Content Creation and Digital Marketing.

Keep up with me on Youtube, Intsagram, Twitter