Byron Rode Photography

Here are a few questions that I get asked often when I do shoots or by other photographers or people interested in photography.

How long have you been shooting photos?
Since I was 8 or 9. But professionally since 2004.

What equipment do you use?
I have always used Nikon professionally, starting with a Nikon D50. I now use a Nikon D300 and mainly shoot with my AF Nikkor 50mm f1.8, but also have a AF Nikkor 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 as well as a Sigma 24-70mm f3.5-5.6. I also use my wife’s Nikon D60 as a second body when shooting weddings. If the need arises for a lens that I do not have, then I will hire. I used to own a Nikon SB-800 Speedlight, but because I prefer to use natural light I recently sold that to a friend and budding photographer, Nick and will use the onboard flash if necessary. As with hiring lenses, if the need for lighting is there I will hire equipment for the shoot.

For post-processing, I use a Apple MacBook Pro and Adobe Photoshop CS3 using Camera Raw to process all my photographs. For storage I have a 500GB external drive as well as two 120GB drives which I use to keep backups of all my pictures, as well as DVD backups that are stored in different locations around my house.

Canon versus Nikon?
This is one I get often, and its one that is pretty open ended. I use Nikon because it was the first SLR I ever used and it worked for me. In my opinion, on the lower end there is no real difference between the two brands and on the higher end side, it all really depends on what your style of photography and what your needs are. I also believe stand with my opinion that Nikon bodies are stronger. At the end of the day however it comes down to what works for you personally. My usual recommendation is to head out to a camera shop and try both. Go with the one that feels most comfortable for you. If you are going to shoot often it needs to be comfortable.

Have you studied photography?
No. Well not entirely. I have studied other photographers and their work as well as just trying new things and learning what I can from different magazines and websites. I am completely self-taught and do not have a degree or diploma in photography. I have also relied on critique and comments from fellow photographers to learn better. From the technical side, I learnt from experience.

Whats your favourite style?
I can’t honestly say I have one specific favourite style. I love shooting music and bands, food, architecture, weddings, portfolios and I am busy working on my editorial portfolio. I do prefer to work with bands and musicians, but will shoot most things if it is appealing or can teach me a thing or two.

What is your booking rate?
It all depends on the shoot and the requirements of said shoot. I do have an hourly rate, as well as half-day and full day rates. For more on my rates please contact me or use the booking form above.

Will you shoot my wedding?
If you had asked me this a year or two ago, I would have probably said no. My first thought with weddings was that the pressure was not worth the time spent behind the camera. However in the last year I was asked by a few friends to shoot their weddings and since then I have found a new found passion for it. So yes, I will shoot your wedding but bear in mind one thing. I am not a very square and upright portfolio photographer, and my style of wedding photography is different to many. However if you are wanting something that is a little different and more spontaneous, then I will be glad to assist. Please check my portfolio for some of my wedding photographs.

Who is your favourite photographer?
This is not an easy one to answer as the question is extremely open-ended and it really depends on the style of photography, but if I had to give you names I would definitely say that I have always loved Robert Mapplethorpe’s Black and White work as well as my mentor and best friend, Marcus Maschwitz. One of my other favourites, especially for his style, is definitely David LaChappelle.

What inspires you?
Again this is a pretty open-ended question. I mainly draw inspiration from the people that are around me, the bands that I am shooting, or from images I see in books and magazines. I also tend to browse many portfolios to get inspiration and a desire to learn from others. Some days my inspiration is just the desire to pick up my camera and shoot whatever I can.

What post-processing do you do?
I am not a very big fan of post-processing but I do have some specific editing that I do after each shoot, like adjusting curves and balance to compensate for any over-exposure or saturation settings. Call it a bit of digital darkroom work. And like with most photographers, these methods are what I have been using for years. I have however set my camera up to work the way I want it to, and have a custom setup running the colour profiles and sharpening, and mostly will just resize the images and convert to Black and White or Sepia. For weddings I tend to play around a bit with a more romantic feel, giving a slight blur or washing out the colours a bit.