Boeing 787 Dreamliner

As Boeing's 787 Dreamliner makes its world debut tour, Washington Dulles International Airport was naturally one of its stops as the large airport serving the Washington, DC metropolitan area will naturally see quite a few of these brand new birds as they take to the skies.  In person, the 787 seems smaller than expected from pictures, however the interior is extremely roomy and comfortable.  It has that "new-plane-smell" and is oozing with technological goodies and creature comforts.  The new seagull-like wing design is most notable on this new aircraft, but can only be fully appreciated in person - it's quite magnificent! You can view the entire set of photos here on my Flickr.

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And my awesome buddy James Dingell who joined me on the 787 took this great photo of me; check out all of his aviation and automotive photography on his Flickr, here!

NASA SCA & Space Shuttles Discovery and Enterprise

Working at Washington Dulles International Airport and getting to know the people there for seven years has its benefits... especially when something big and historic flies in.  Not only was I lucky enough to be present for all of NASA's operations at Dulles involving Space Shuttles Discovery and Enterprise along with the 747 SCA (Shuttle Carrier Aircraft), but I was specifically chosen by airport management to be the official event photographer. Dulles held its first "Fifty for 50th" drawing, which brought 50 lucky civilians onto the threshold of the runway during the SCA and Discovery's flyovers and touchdown.  Some of the people pictured are these participants.

Furthermore, during my coverage of the events, my photography caught the eyes of NASA's SCA Pilots and Flight Engineers as well as some NASA Staff Photographers, all of whom have become fans of my work.  This resulted not only in continued correspondence and meeting in person with NASA crew-members (along with receiving some awesome, rare transport mission memorabilia), but also the invitation to visit NASA's operations in New York at John F. Kennedy International Airport, where I met with more of the SCA crew-members onboard the SCA itself, and was invited to also stay for Enterprise's demating.  Due to other photography obligations the next day in Washington, DC, I unfortunately couldn't stay in New York to see the demating, which they were preparing for during my visit.

All of this took place in a whirlwind of a month's time, and here, finally, is a sampler of the resulting photos.

The entire set of photography of my NASA coverage (485 photos), from start to finish, can be seen on my Flickr by clicking here.

Some images are available for print purchase on my website here.

UPDATE (January, 2013):

This is one of my autographed prints of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft departing Dulles for JFK with Space Shuttle Enterprise. I shot this photograph on April 27th, 2012. The Space Shuttle Ground Crew signed 9 prints (17x22) of my photograph aboard the SCA at JFK in New York on May 12th, 2012.

Upon returning to Washington, I gave away several copies to some close friends, and individuals who helped make my involvement with the Space Shuttle transport possible. I'll be grateful my entire life for being able to partake in this historical event.

This is my framed copy; I gave my Dad an identical one this past Christmas. During the events, I met most of the crewmembers - they were nice enough to also give me an areal photo of the SCA with Space Shuttle Discovery flying above the Washington Monument, signed by the Discovery transport Flight Crew, as well as a Mission Patch that flew on that mission - I have not had these framed yet.

My print seen here is a 17x22, in a 30x24 frame. It reads:

Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
with
Space Shuttle Enterprise

SCA Ground Crew
LeRoy Marsh     Eugene Smith     David Lanmon

Arvid Knutson     Robert Hackaday     Rick Brewer

Canon EOS Elan 7 / 7E: Replacing A Broken Film Door Latch

Plastic is a wonderful invention with many benefits including lower weight and production costs, but often there is also a tradeoff in durability.  The Canon EOS Elan 7 / 7e was one of Canon's last 35mm film cameras, and is also regarded as on of the best due to its simplicity married to modern EOS technologies.

The Canon EOS Elan 7 is constructed of a mix of metal and plastic, but one of the most important parts of this otherwise magnificent film camera features a design flaw, making it easily broken:  The film door latch is constructed of cheap plastic which will snap off if slamming the film door shut too violently, causing the door to not be able to lock.

Today you'll learn how to easily replace the door latch for under $20, in less than 15 minutes.  This is much cheaper and easier than an out-of-warranty Canon repair.  This is the 2nd time I broke this part; the first time, Canon had my camera for 14 days and charged $120 for replacing this part.  This isn't the only guide out there, but I thought the pictures in others were hard to distinguish.

Supplies:  Replacement Door Latch (found online below), small jewelers philips head screwdriver, and a bit of time.

1) First, you need to get the replacement part.  Make sure this is the part that is broken - you should be able to see the sheared plastic inside the door latch on the camera body (NOT on the film door itself).  If you're unsure, you can still proceed with this guide and very easily check the latch mechanism.

Here are several vendors I found selling the part.  I got mine off of eBay, and ordered 2 in case I break it again.

• eBay 1

• eBay 2

• thefotogeeks.com

Here you see the broken part along with the replacement part:

2) Like any electronics project, start by removing the batteries.  We need to remove 7 screws from the camera and strip off some of the body to access the part.  Order doesn't really matter for this, but let's start with the two screws on the side to remove the latch assembly cover panel, and 1 for the body.  Below, you'll see that I've already removed the broken latch.

3) Next get the two screws on the bottom of the camera body.

4) Finally, remove the 2 screws from the front of the camera body, and keep these separate: they are slightly longer than the other screws.

5) The front face should easily come off.  Remove the face, and then detatch the broken latch being careful not to ruin the spring's shape.

6) Install the new latch by hooking the spring first, then placing the latch back on the sliding track.  It should "snap" into place, but will only be held in by friction and the spring holding it in place.  The triangle arrow on the latch should point down, and the metal fingers should be in contact with a small electrical plate on the circuit board; this tells the camera if which position the latch is in, and likewise if the film door is locked or not.

7) Now, replace the latch cover panel and the two screws holding it in position to ensure the new latch doesn't fall out.  Note the panel has a notch at the top that matches a notch in the camera body.

8 ) Reinstall the faceplate, and tighten the two long screws on the front, two screws on the bottom, and one screw on the side.  You should now have a fully operational film door - now get out there and shoot!

2020 Update

Hello all, just dropping in to provide some updates to this article, as it has been one of the most popular pages on my website since I first published this guide in 2012.

I routinely receive messages from fellow EOS film camera owners either thanking me for this guide, or searching for the OEM replacement parts, which were still available when I wrote this, but have long dried up in availability.

Sometimes 3rd party replacement parts pop up on sites like eBay, but these listing frequently disapear or sell out, making the parts hard to come by. Here is a listing for a 3rd party repair kit currently available as of this writing (I have no experience with this 3rd party part, kit, or seller, so cannot comment on its quality) - note it does not have the metal contact “fingers” which would need to be transplanted to restore proper full function:

2x Hook Back Lock Door Inside Buckle+Tools for Canon EOS 30 33 ELAN 7 7E ZVMB101 sold by ewwt-cnd

Several years ago I suggested that the part could easily be fabricated and built stronger with the rise of 3D printing, and simply transplant the metal contact “fingers” from the broken OEM part to a replacement. That’s exactly what several people have since done; CAD models of the part are now available for download from several sources (I’m linking two that were posted to my site’s comment section here - if there are others, please feel free to comment them below). This is not my work, nor do I have experience with these parts, but the comments with others’ experiences seem very good:

CANON Eos 50e Door Latch by iscand

Canon EOS 30 / 50 / Elan II / Elan 7 film door latch by OndrejP_SK

CANON Eos Elan II, Elan IIe Door Latch by bitterbot

This is great if you have access to a 3D printer, but what if you don’t? In the old days you could just tape your film door shut and be done with it. With the ELAN, you still can, however depending on how / which part of your latch broke, this may require extra steps.

I’ve now created a video that demonstrates correct function of a fully-operational (non-broken) ELAN 7 latch, but also shown how film may be loaded if the latch mechanism isn’t allowing the camera to recognize that the door is closed - this case scenario applies to some, but not all door latch failures. You can then simply tape the door shut and continue using your camera - it’s imperfect, but it’s better than nothing if you’re in a pinch.

This video demonstrates the function of a fully-functioning film door on an ELAN 7, and shows a method to continue using your camera if the camera is otherwise unable to slide the film door latch and advance film or hold the door in place on its own, now that OEM parts are no longer available, and not everyone has access to 3D printed parts that have been developed by owners. Some steps may or may not be needed depending on the damage to your latch; this video is for demonstration and example purposes, and will not apply to all cases. Some people's cameras will still slide the film latch and advance film upon closing the film door, without need for manually sliding the latch as seen in this video - use what tips and ideas apply to your own case. For more about the Lubitel 2 medium format lens that makes a cameo in this video, read my article about my retrofit project that was featured in Fstoppers and PetaPixel.

I do still monitor the comments on this page, and am happy to have helped so many of you around the World. I hope this video provides you with a bit more help in diagnosing problems and presenting ideas for solutions when other options have failed.

Happy shooting and great exposures to all of you!

Common Considerations to Have For Engagement (and Portrait) Sessions

Though this guide focuses on engagement sessions, many of the same considerations apply to all types of environmental portrait sessions, such as for individuals, couples, and families shot on-location (rather than in-studio). 

Stay tuned for another guide about

considerations for non-engagement portraits for individuals or families interested in environmental or studio portraits.  Contact me at

david@jdbphoto.com

for suggestions about these types of shoots in the meantime.

  This guide is currently a fluid document which I may periodically update.

If you’re recently engaged, and beginning to think about engagement photography, you probably have a number of questions about how engagement sessions typically work and how to get the best photos possible out of your session.  This guide is meant to answer a number of those questions and give suggestions on how to prepare for your portrait session. For your convenience, I have underlined key details, and give a short summary at the beginning of each detailed section.

Chapters

The WhatLocation, Location, LocationWhat Not to Wear… and What You ShouldMakeup, Hair, and Nails Props and Extras Get TrashedAfter the SessionHow to Get Started

The What

An engagement session can be anything you want to make it, and should reflect the personality of the couple.

First, what is an engagement session?  On a most basic level, and engagement session, or e-session as some call it, is simply a set of photographs of you and your spouse-to-be.  The photographs themselves can be anything you want to make them, and you absolutely should make them your own – engagement photographs should reflect the personality of you and your fiancé together.  Whether that’s a couple of musicians, city dwellers, or a pair of nature lovers, engagement photos normally aim to capture the couple in their element.  What is that for you?

Location, Location, Location

Choose several locations that are scenic, interesting, and significant to you as a couple, while considering the overall mood you want set through location, time of day, and weather.

There are plenty of scenic locations for engagement photos, and you should choose a few that reflect what makes you a couple, or possibly have a special significance to you and your fiancé.  Good, common locations for shoots are parks, beaches or waterfronts, and old town city streets, but you should never rule out more specific locations, such as a quaint restaurant or pub for foodies, a skating rink for a couple of skaters, or even a movie theatre for two movie lovers.  The locations can really be as bold as your imagination, but I generally suggest choosing one or two common locations such as a park with a waterfront, and only one specialized location like a stable or equestrian center for horse lovers.

Was your first date at a drive-in movie?  First kiss at the county fair?  Get engaged at a vineyard?  These are all good locations you should consider incorporating into your engagement session.

The length of time a shoot will take will largely depend on how many locations, the distance between them, and any special needs a specific location may require me to work with during your shoot (such as specialized lighting requirements, etc).  On average, however, I find that my shoots typically last from 2 – 4 hours including travel time between locations (should that be the case).  I almost always advise that the session is planned around that day’s sunset time; sunset always gives the most dramatic lighting for portraiture, but you shouldn’t think the shoot must end at sundown; dusk and some night photos can also be very dramatic in the right locations.  Don't necessarily feel that the weather must be a constraint to plan around - photos in the rain and snow can also be a fun touch that adds to the uniqueness of your photographs.

What Not to Wear… and What You Should

Choose one or more wardrobes that are casual, coordinated, non-competing, and not overly bold.  Military should consider some formal shots in uniform, but not all.  Couples should wear district but coordinated outfits that reflect their personality.

Typically, my engagement shoots consist of two or three nearby scenic and significant locations.  I normally suggest at least one separate wardrobe for each location, though this may not always be the case.

So you have some ideas about locations, but what about wardrobe?  I normally advise at least one separate wardrobe for each location, but depending on the feel you want your overall engagement photos to reflect you may wish to have only one wardrobe forthe entire shoot.

Sticking with one wardrobe will give your photos the feeling that the collection is a snapshot of one day in your life; after all, this is the truth of a photo-shoot.

Photo sets with multiple wardrobes mix things up a bit, and seems more like a view of several days in your lives, since we typically only wear one set of clothes each day.

Either option can work well with multiple shooting locations.  If you are only shooting in a single identifiable location, I normally suggest also sticking with a single wardrobe; two wardrobes in one location will ruin the photoset’s overall flow.  Just remember that one location (like a park) may have two very different spots (woods and waterfront, etc) which can offer suitable difference in background to allow for flowing wardrobe changes.

The best things to wear are casual clothes you feel comfortable in.  For guys this typically means un-tucked button down or polo shirts and nice jeans; girls normally wear sundresses or a casual shirt and skirt, well-fitting jeans, or slacks.

Don’t forget that shoes are another detail to think about, and should match the rest of your outfit.  As a general rule of thumb, don’t wear or anything with reflective materials, such as sneakers.  Maybe you even have a special pair of cowboy boots you want to sport?

The final touches are of course accessories like jewelry or hats.  Choose these items to match the rest of your outfit.  For jewelry like necklaces and earrings, consider wearing a different set for each wardrobe – even a detail as small as wearing the same earrings in two outfits can stand out in the final pictures.

If you are military, you should definitely consider some formal shots in uniform, but it’s not advisable to have your entire engagement session consist of a formal or military wardrobe.  The aim, again, is to look casual and comfortable.

Some tips on wardrobe coordination; this is a very important consideration in ensuring your photos are natural looking!  Individually, do not choose overly-busy patterns when picking out shirts, dresses, skirts, sweaters, and the like; a larger pattern such as a large spaced plaid is ok, but anything much more is normally distracting and draws more attention to the clothes than the people wearing the clothes.  Color coordinate!  Mix and match complementary colors; for example, dark jeans go well with dark blues, any reds, and brighter greens or yellows.

As a couple, try to wear styles and colors that complement each other, but do not compete for attention.  Wear clothes that stand apart from each other’s wardrobe; matching clothes will cause each of you to blend into one another, and generally is strange and distracting in photos, as wearing similar clothes always stands out.  The only time this is advisable is if you as a couple have something significant that matches, such as bowling shirts or the like.

Makeup, Hair and Nails

Be sure your makeup, hair, and even nails are cleanly done and presentable.  Makeup should look exactly as you would like it to look in person – anything too dramatic WILL show up too dramatic in the final photographs.  DO NOT purposely overdo your makeup!  Having your makeup, hair, and nails professionally done is optional but not discouraged.

Many brides-to-be choose to have their makeup, hair, and nails professionally done prior to an engagement session, though this shouldn’t be seen as mandatory.  Brides often choose to do their own makeup, hair, and nails in order to look their best for the shoot.

I have heard from many brides that their makeup artist suggested making their makeup “a notch more dramatic so they ‘pop’ in the photographs.”  The reasoning almost always given seems to be that “you need an extra boost for the makeup to show on camera.”  THIS IS NOT TRUE!!!  I cannot stress this enough; makeup should be natural and smooth – the way it looks in person is the way it will show in the photographs.  In every instance I have ever shot where the makeup was purposely made “more dramatic” and looked “too much” in person, it comes out looking like too much in the photographs as well.  That being said, you shouldn’t be discouraged from getting the makeup and overall look you want for your big shoot, if you want something a little more over-the-top than usual.

Being extremely blunt:  If you look like a clown raccoon in person, you will look like clown raccoon in the photographs.  I truly can’t stress enough; have your makeup look in person as you want it to look in the final photos!!!  DO NOT purposely overdo your makeup!

Believe it or not, your nails may even be included in the shoot; I normally like to get shots of the engagement ring, and that oftentimes means close-ups of your hands.  Doing your nails isn’t required, but nails that match one or more of your outfits can be a small detail that pulls your set of photos together.  A French tip, or pearl coat goes with practically everything.

Finally, blemishes, birthmarks, and scars; If you have any of these you don’t want in the photos, and they’re not concealed, simply talk to me about them if you’d like them removed.  I try to make it a point to ask on the shoot if I notice anything like this, but if you’re very concerned about anything like this, please bring it to my attention.

Props and Extras

Sessions can be made even more interesting by including props, like signs with messages, instruments, pets such as horses or dogs, and even transportation like bikes and motorcyles.

Don't forget about anything extra you might want in your pictures - miniature chalkboards or wooden signs on sticks reading "She Said Yes" or "Love Him" & "Love Her" make for a few cute pictures as a couple reminiscint of old cartoons or vintage films or ads.  It can also be a fun and romantic project making signs together before the shoot, or even secretly writing messages to be revealed during the shoot for loving and emotional reactions to be captured on film.

Have a pet?  Want them to be a part of your shoot?  Bring your sidekick along!  Pets are part of your family too, so bring your dog to tag along, your bird to sit on your shoulder, or your horse to stride around upon.

Love bikes?  Incorporate a tandem bicycle.  Ride your motorcycles to the shoot.  Imagine photos of you holding close, tightly behind your fiance as you two ride a motorcycle or horse.

If biking isn't your thing and you like cold weather, you might like to go sledding.

Two singer / songwriters might want to have a picnic with their guitars, or shoot in a quaint musical venue housing  a honky-tonk piano.  The possibilities are as diverse as every couples' interests.

Get Trashed

Consider getting some messy engagement photos, such as playing in water, snow, or mud, for some unique and memorable shots.

With current trends like "trash the dress" you may want to get messy during your engagement shoot, especially if you are thinking about getting trash-the-dress photos after your wedding.  Kiss in the rain, have a mudfight, splash water playing in a stream, kiss on the beach, or even have a snowball fight - there are plenty of messy but romantic ways to get cute and "dirty" pictures from your session.  Just don't forget to bring a change of clothes!

After the Session

You will get your high-res JPEGs on DVD.  Prints are chosen and sold separate from your session after you’ve seen your proofs.  Professionally printed and bound books are very customizable and available for any number of uses, including wedding guestbooks.

What happens after your engagement session?  There are a number of options you have, but you will always receive a DVD of your high-resolution JPEGs which you may use for your save-the-dates and sharing with your friends and family.  You also have the option of ordering prints.  Finally, I can also produce a printed and bound book of your photographs, customized anyway you like.  Normally I am given creative license and make a book that meets and exceeds your vision.

These books are professionally printed and bound, and may be compared to a coffee table photo book in any size from small to large as desired.

The newest trend is to make your engagement photos into the guestbook for the wedding; this is very similar to a yearbook, but with large photos from your portrait session on white backgrounds – guests may then sign their name and leave messages around your photos when they sign in at your wedding.  This is also a very attractive option as wedding albums can be made to coincide with the engagement album / guestbook, DVD, and other items you may interested in that I offer for your engagement and wedding.

How to Get Started

Shoot me an email for ANY reason, even just to say hi!  david@jdbphoto.com.

Contact me!  Any questions or suggestions can be answered if you just contact me at david@jdbphoto.com.  We can discuss anything on your mind via email, phone, or even meet by appointment.  The first step in planning your engagement session should be to contact me to coordinate and gather ideas; the sooner you contact me and more detail you share with me, the easier it is for me to make your engagement photos everything you imagine.

Remember; as a photographer, I’m there to capture the emotions of your engagement and document the details of your wedding day.  I don’t just offer photography skills, but I also bring experience that can help you through the many creative decisions to be made surrounding your engagement and wedding.  If planning your engagement shoot or wedding becomes stressful, just remember that I’m used to the challenges these can present, even if you are not, and as your photographer I will stand by you to help guide you all the way through your wedding day, and even afterwards when it comes time to decide on prints and final album considerations.  I’m there to help and work with you.

Michelle-and-David-(32-of-50)forblog02

The Hazells, Christmas 2011

Normally I don't just post only one photo from a shoot, but this is one that I can't resist.  It's my favorite from the shoot, and the only one I've had time to edit thus far.  Until today I've been finishing my 40 page undergrad thesis - it's now finished and printed, waiting to be submitted in the morning... so now I have some time for some photos!  ...but I have my Psychology thesis due in a week, so I'm not quite done just yet...