As some of you know, I come from a video background. Still photography is relatively new for me even though I am making up time by snapping hundreds and hundreds of pictures lately. Video is great. There is so much you can do and convey. It's a very powerful medium. But it's hard. It's tedious. It's expensive. You say you want to shoot a short film? Ok, let's shoot a scene in my family room. Let's first block all of the sunlight from the windows so we can completely control the amount and quality of light falling on our set. Now let's set up those lights to simulate realistic lighting in such a way that the camera likes it and is satisfied. Oh wait, the actors are going to speak so we'll have to stick a microphone in there somewhere. And someone is going to have to hold that microphone and move it around as each actor recites his lines. Oh, hold on a second - is there a tornado or a rushing river right outside the back door? No, that's just the fridge running and the central air unit kicking on. We'll have to turn those off. Yeah, it's going to get hot in here and the set lights are not helping. Ok, we're ready now. No, wait, the neighbor's dog is barking, there's a helicopter flying around overhead and the baby is beginning to cry. Let's take a 10 minute break and we'll get started soon.

Yeah, I know that all sounds a little negative. I don't really mean it. But after producing almost 40 short films, countless corporate videos and several television commercials, I've earned the right to be a little tired. But the other side of this is this - there's nothing quite like watching others watch your films. Hearing the laughter (when they're supposed to laugh) is a wonderful feeling. As long as I am healthy enough to drag a camera around I will be making videos.

But imagine the liberation, the freedom felt when shooting still photography. If shooting with a flash, for the most part, existing lighting is of no concern. The flash will completely overpower any typical incandescent lighting. Noisy neighbors, airplanes, loud car stereos may be annoying, but they have no effect on shooting stills. So keep the air conditioner running, don't unplug that fridge, let the dog bark and snap away!