Canon 50mm f/1.2L Lens Review: a Hands On Practical Review
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Canon 50mm f/1.2L Lens Review: a Hands On Practical Review

I love 50mm lenses, mostly for their versatile and natural focal length. Whether you are shooting portraits, smaller details, lifestyle, or just looking for a good every day lens, you really can’t beat the focal length of a 50mm. I recently had the opportunity to rent a Canon 50mm f/1.2L lens from our friends over…

How to Nail White Balance Every Time: Discovering the ExpoDisc
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How to Nail White Balance Every Time: Discovering the ExpoDisc

Wish you could nail white balance consistently? Now you can. I’m going to be honest with you. When it comes to White Balance, I have always been one to shoot in Auto White Balance (AWB) mode and “fix it later.” “It’s such a quick, easy fix in post-processing,” I told myself. Until it wasn’t. I’ve…

Nikon D5 Review: Is it really worth the cost?
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Nikon D5 Review: Is it really worth the cost?

Interested in the Nikon D5? Here is an all-inclusive Nikon D5 Review! I recently rented the Nikon D5 from LensProtoGo to spend a few days with the camera for two different photo shoots I had scheduled.  It was fun to really put it to the test and see how the camera performs. Now, of course, at a…

Tips to Avoid a Corrupt Memory Card
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Tips to Avoid a Corrupt Memory Card

I’m in quite a few Facebook photography groups and it seems every single day someone has a memory card fail. It’s scary when this happens but we all have to deal with at some point. I recently had one fail on me! While there is no guarantee you won’t have one fail, here are a…

Cole’s Clique Elite Member June Spotlight

Cole’s Clique Elite Member June Spotlight

I am telling you, every day  it’s a party in the Cole’s Clique Elite Private Facebook group.  But don’t get me wrong, it’s not only fun and games, we’re serious about improving our photography and for many like Leslie & Jessica – boosting their photography business too. None of this comes easy.  You have to…

Best Portrait Lens on a Budget: 5 ways the 85mm f1.8 Delivers!
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Best Portrait Lens on a Budget: 5 ways the 85mm f1.8 Delivers!

Are you looking for the best portrait lens on a budget? If you are making your way into the photography industry, chances are you are looking to get killer photos of your clients while building your business on a budget. And who can blame you? We want our clients to look their best and we don’t…

23 Random Facts About Cole from Cole’s Classroom

23 Random Facts About Cole from Cole’s Classroom

One way or another you’ve stumbled upon Cole’s Classroom, and THANK YOU for being here!  It might have been from Facebook, or YouTube or Google or perhaps a friend of yours told you about Cole’s Classroom – at any rate, you’ve likely seen my face or read my words but do you really know me?…

Should I Upgrade My Camera?
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Should I Upgrade My Camera?

Today’s question is – how the heck do you know if it is time to upgrade your camera.  To make the most of this post, I’d encourage you to jot down your answers to the below questions, it will help you map out your thoughts easily that way. By the time you are done reading…

Nikon 85 1.8G Lens Review – Your Best Bang for Buck?
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Nikon 85 1.8G Lens Review – Your Best Bang for Buck?

While it’s no secret I love prime lenses and favor them over zooms I wanted to write a mini review of one of the Nikon prime lenses that Nicole and I use a ton… It’s the Nikon 85 1.8G lens.  If you’ve done any research at all on this lens you’ll notice right away it…

The #1 Thing You’re Missing: Confidence in Your Photography
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The #1 Thing You’re Missing: Confidence in Your Photography

The #1 Thing You’re Missing How much should I charge? Am I priced right? Do you think I am too expensive? These are all questions that I read on a daily basis within various photography groups on Facebook, and I am darn sure those questions go far beyond Facebook too. Photography these days seems like…

Nikon D750 – Nikon’s Most Valuable Full Frame?
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Nikon D750 – Nikon’s Most Valuable Full Frame?

Technology is amazing.  It really is.  The thing is with technology is the ones who are the late adopters typically get the better “deal”.  So from a cost standpoint in particular, those that have the patience to wait are often rewarded. I believe that is exactly what is happening again with the newest group of…

Nikon 16-35 f/4 Lens Review!
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Nikon 16-35 f/4 Lens Review!

When you need to go wide, you need to go wide! While I managed to photograph over 47 weddings with only 3 prime lenses (the 28, 50 and 85) I decided that I want to add a couple lenses to our collection that would add versatility to our clients’ wedding photos. In addition to adding…

How Much Should You Charge for Your Photography?
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How Much Should You Charge for Your Photography?

Note: This is an excerpt from the 19 page photography pricing guide – “Pricing Yourself for Success“. Without a doubt the hardest piece of the pricing puzzle is knowing how much you should charge for your photography.   There is plenty of information on the web that makes it seem very formulaic and with some simple…

Why the New Nikon 35 1.8G FX Lens is a Game Changer!
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Why the New Nikon 35 1.8G FX Lens is a Game Changer!

Why the New Nikon 35 1.8G FX Lens is a Game Changer! (Above Photo Tech details: D800 + 50mm at f/1.8, edited with “Soft Creamy Color – Warmer” preset) For the vast majority of today’s photographers who’s first DSLRs are entry level “crop sensor” cameras (like the Nikon D3200 or a Canon Rebel), the decision…