In case you haven’t checked it out, the website’s got a new look. Clean and simple and dominated by commercial work. I will be happy to still take on a few weddings so don’t hesitate to ask!  http://www.armindefiesta.com

My favorite lens lately is the Canon 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Autofocus Lens, or it’s newer incarnation, the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens.  If you have a few extra hundred bucks it’s well worth getting the IS (Image Stabilization) version for those macro shots requiring a slow shutter speed. Now its purpose as the name indicates is to shoot macro shots, or create images up close with vivid detail. Well it doesn’t have to stop there. With a long focal length of 100mm, don’t forget this can be an incredible portrait lens as well. Not to mention the lens is not heavy and can easily be carried in my Think Tank Photo Modular rig.

For this shot I used the original Canon 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Autofocus Lens. However I have used the newer IS version, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens, thanks to CPS and I highly recommend that one as well. But as the saying goes, it’s not just the gear, it’s the photographer that makes the shot!

The Canon 7D is one of the coolest digital SLRs I’ve had my hands on. Thanks to Canon Professional Services I had the opportunity to shoot a destination wedding with it. Take a look at the wedding gallery in my blog post of Jessica & Ara’s destination wedding in Costa Rica. I shot all those images with both a Canon 5D Mark II and the Canon 7D.

Now take a closer look at the photos, can you really tell the difference between what might’ve been shot with the 5D Mark II versus the 7D? If you thought “no”, that’s my point. The image quality is quite excellent for a prosumer SLR. Okay, enough suspense. I had my Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens attached to the 7D the entire day at the wedding. So basically, the photos that have that telephoto compression quality were shot with the 7D. I’ll save you some trouble and share a few sample images in the gallery below…

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In short, the camera is user friendly and performs up to the standards a professional like me expects from Canon.  While this is primarily marketed to the high end consumer or semi-pro photographer, I would never hesitate to use this as a second body, back-up or even a primary. It has many professional features that wins a spot in my gear bag. The AF feature set alone is awesome. I know there are camera dads like me, or parents in general, that can probably afford a higher end SLR. If you want something that’s a step up from the Canon T3i or Canon 60D, the 7D is the answer. You will be the envy of your neighbors! And for the semi-pros out there, this is the SLR to get today.

My favorite features:

• 1080 HD video
• 5 auto focus modes, 19 point AF… an awesome feature set
• Dust & weather resistant
• 8fps Burst Mode
• Wireless Speedlite EX Control
• Ergonomic design

Price for a Canon 7D at B&H Photo is around $1600. But through July 30, 2011, B&H has some great Canon deals going on! Click on the hyperlinks here or on the banner to the right of this blog post.

Check out the video about the 7D from B&H Photo.

I’m excited to see Jessica and Ararat’s destination wedding featured in the destination wedding blog TRAVEL TO I DO!  Visit the link to see what they have to say!

http://traveltoido.com/2011/real-destination-wedding-costa-rica-2/

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Just thinking about 2010 reminds me how time goes by so fast. With all the challenges, all the wins and losses, I can’t help but feel excited for what 2011 has in store. I know it’s cliche, but that’s probably because it’s true and many can relate to those words. I was browsing through my website homepage photos and decided to make a quick slideshow of some of my favorite photos from 2010, plus a few favorites from the past. I want to thank all my wonderful and amazing clients from this year and years past! C’mon 2011, I’m ready for ya!

Jessica and Ara’s wedding at the Hotel Riu Guanacaste in Costa Rica was an amazing event to photograph. Jess was a strikingly beautiful bride in her Peter Langner gown and the weather could not have been better for the ceremony. And the available light at sunset was quite favorable for my style of photography, it was just awesome!

A little bit about Costa Rica. One word comes to my mind – LUSH. The land is full of agricultural wonders and life, ranking #1 the Happy Planet Index. The people seem to be some of the friendliest I’ve ever met. Their coffee is also quite good I must say, it had a very rich and bold flavor that I enjoyed. For those who love numbers, Costa Rica’s prime industries today are ecotourism, pharmaceuticals, and software development. For example, the Intel microprocessor facility in Costa Rica is responsible for 20% of the country’s exports. Costa Rica is also the most visited country in the Central American region, making tourism a billion dollar industry.

For lighting my photos on the beach and portraits I used the Lastolite Triflash bracket which can hold up to three Speedlites. This gives me the flexibility I need for more power under sunny conditions or when shooting through light modifiers like a large softbox or umbrella. Check these out at B&H Photo or my Gear List at B&H Photo.

Enough words, let’s take a look at some Costa Rica destination wedding photos! My associate Noah Hayes and I captured a lot of great storytelling moments. From volleyball in the pool to good times over Baked Alaska to the music at the Pura Vida bar on the night before the wedding, everyone was having a great time! Enjoy a few of my personal favorites from Jess and Ara’s destination wedding in beautiful Costa Rica…

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Click HERE to view their Engagement Photos in Georgetown.

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Jessica and Ararat’s wedding will be at a beach resort this weekend in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.  I look forward to photographing their wedding and sharing some photos soon afterwards. We had a great time walking around parts of Georgetown. My relaxed and candid style brought out some fun moments from this couple, including a stroll through a gas station where Ararat first told Jess he loved her.  And a scene that I set up in which Jess is pulling a reluctant Ararat in her direction. Their expressions are priceless =)

These two were a pleasure to photograph. Jessica’s striking beauty is a clear indication that she’ll no doubt be an amazing and beautiful bride. In the meantime, enjoy some pre-wedding engagement photos that we took in Georgetown.

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UPDATE: Click HERE to enjoy some of their Costa Rica destination wedding photos!

My clients are looking forward to their weddings this year, but they are excited about their engagement photo sessions as well! These are fun and relaxed photo shoots that help the couple get comfortable with being photographed and for us to get to know one another better. Most shoots are only an hour or so, but it’s time well spent.

I usually recommend couples to wear comfortable clothing in solid colors. Just be themselves while I provide some direction, but mostly just setting them up for a shot or a moment is all I need. Every couple is nervous before the photo shoot, but after about 10 minutes they realize how fun and easy it really is. I like to keep them moving and smiling, makes for some great photos they can enjoy for a long, long time.

I created a video last year to give couples a sense of how these are done and what to expect.  My friend Natalie joined me just for fun and shot along side of me. Enjoy it!

Some of my clients purchase Signature Guest Books for their guests to sign at the reception.  But there’s more than signing going on because each book is custom designed with space for writing anything they want.  Clients can enjoy reading what their family, friends, and guests wrote after the wedding day is over.

I’m excited to share some great news about my recognition by my awesome clients and WeddingWire. Thanks to all my clients for making this happen!

Here is the announcement from WeddingWire…

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced that Armin DeFiesta has been selected to receive the 2010 Bride’s Choice Award™ for photography.

The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

The ARMIN | photographer brand is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

We are happy to announce that ARMIN is among the very best photographers within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. I would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating me for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding vendors. WeddingWire enables engaged couples to search, compare and book over 100,000 reviewed wedding vendors nationwide, from wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding vendors, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. In addition, WeddingWire has partnered with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO) to provide its network of local vendors and online wedding-planning tools in the Weddings section of www.MarthaStewartWeddings.com. For additional information, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

So what are some tips to bring peace of mind to your wedding photography investment?  One thing would be to choose the best photographer for the job.  Here are some steps to do that…

THE LAST THING YOU SHOULD WORRY ABOUT ON YOUR WEDDING DAY IS THE PHOTOGRAPHER

A wedding can be an important part of ones family history, and the wedding album is a keepsake for generations to enjoy.  With so many photographers to choose from, trusting that responsibility to an experienced, responsible, and professional photographer is even more important today than ever before.  The photos are the real tangible things that preserve your wedding day after all is said and done.  Most wedding planners will agree that if you find a photographer you absolutely want to cover your wedding, do what you can to have them document your wedding day.  It’s about having peace of mind at the beginning, middle, and end of the day!  The last thing I want my clients to worry about is photography.

REFERRALS, REFERRALS, REFERRALS!

There is no denying that wedding photography today is not the same it was 5 or 10 years ago.  More and more couples today are placing higher value and higher expectations on their wedding photographers.  My clients do and so do the clients of several of my colleagues.  For one thing there are more of us (wedding photographers) than ever before, especially in large city-regions like Southern California or the Washington DC and Baltimore regions.  With the influx of photography “businesses” growing exponentially in numbers every year, competition is fierce.  It’s no wonder that engaged couples are becoming more overwhelmed with the number of photographers to choose from and the number of referrals they get from their friends.  There are hundreds, if not thousands of wedding photographers in my DC metro area alone.  I personally have met a good number of them.  There’s still no denying that getting referrals from your friends or your wedding planner is the way to go.

CLOSE THE GAP OF UNCERTAINTY

Nothing beats seeing and loving the work of an actual photographer that shot an actual wedding you attended before you even hire them (I get a lot of my business that way actually).  The reason is that you already have a sense of how they work and what they’re all about.  The gap of uncertainty is always there when a bride-to-be is searching for the right photographer.  But when they have a sense of who the photographer is because they watched them work, it makes things so much easier for everyone, especially the bride.  Or if you happen to have watched their intro video on their website, then that’s another way to close the gap.  Several of my brides were confident in choosing me because of my video alone!

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

Now that you’ve chosen your photographer, it’s time to discuss fees.  This can bring a bride to a stressful point in the wedding planning – among many stressful points – the investment in photography.  And like any smart spender a bride will have to ask herself “why?”  A few months ago Evan Reitmeyer of MyDeejay asked me that same question, “Armin, why is wedding photography is so expensive?” There’s no short answer to this. It’s like asking BMW, “BMW, why are your ‘M’ cars so expensive?” Or asking Apple, “Apple, why are Macs more expensive than some comparable PC’s?”  We could go on all day about brand, value, and customer service. But we don’t have all day, so let me sum it up with some reassuring words like I did for Evan…

“The value of wedding photographs preserves important memories that can span generations. Cliche, but so very true. Those that understand the high value of wedding photography also understand the pressure and responsibility placed on the wedding photographer to document and create these important memories for their client. There’s no “take-two” on the set here folks. Weddings happen in real-time. Selecting the right photographer should be on the top of a bride’s list. Many wedding planners recommend to NOT skimp on your wedding photographer and prepare to invest in the one you really want.

There is more to it than just showing up and taking pictures at a wedding. Wedding photography today has evolved to a higher standard, almost an art form requiring the right equipment and skill set. Not only is it a physically and mentally demanding job on the day-of, but there are behind-the-scenes work going on before and after the wedding day the client does not see. It’s not unlike hiring an attorney to represent you in court. You’re not just paying him/her to show up on your court date right? You’re paying them for their level of expertise, education, the resources they have access to, and the time and labor put into building your case and executing the mission before and after the court date. It’s a professional service business, very similar to a smooth running photography business.”

I deliver a brand of peace of mind to my clients throughout the entire experience.  The last thing I want them to worry about is photography.  The clients I cater too have a high hopes and set high standards for their wedding, the photography is no exception.