2014 was an interesting road for me. I went from focusing on live concert photography and cycling sports in the early months with contracts with two local independent blogs/weeklies, to the usual portrait and wedding (as a second shooter or booth operator) in the summer, to fashion in the fall for the very first time. The funny thing is...since starting to work in fashion I've been using my K3 more and more while the D800 has been staying in the bag, while before the D800 was primary for everything.
I hope for this to a be refreshing post from the "I left Pentax to buy a FF" threads.
My reasoning for such could actually cause me to use my D800 less and less in lifestyle portrait work as well... and the reasoning is in truth very simple... the intimidation factor.
I've been getting a lot of work from headshots in 2015 so far. My first session only a few weeks ago has lead to about 3-5 sessions a week until March. For someone with a full time job and a young family (1.5 year old boy) this is a very busy work schedule for me. The one thing I've been noticing is that due to the short days and not getting out until the evening or using an actual studio... I've been using the K3 as it is less intimidating on the clients.
One thing I always noticed since I started using the D800, especially with the 70-200 f2.8 VRII and a grip attached is the tension in my model/clients face and body when we first start. This is why for all of my shoots I usually just use the first 10-15 frames to get some basic poses down and get the model to loosen up while we build rapport. Since I've been building that rapport more and more now while the model gets makeup and hair done I've been wanting to jump in and start getting great images right off the bat... The K3 helps speed that along.
I figured this out when my D800 recently went in for a CLA. I took my K3, DA*50-135, FA77, and FA43 out to do a head shot and basics session. The model was young and inexperienced, just starting out. I noticed right away from the minute I pulled out the camera she was more intrigued than previous clients. She naturally was leaning into the camera more and just felt more at ease. You could see it in her clavicle and shoulders, just more relaxed and her body language was just more open.
I shot the same model a week later with the D800 setup. As soon as I took the camera up to shooting position you could instantly see her body tense up a bit. It took a few frames and poses to get her to relax. This is really unfortunate because I loved her expression and pose in one of the first images, but you could see the tension in her shoulders and forehead a bit. I couldn't coax that expression out of her again.
So I experimented, I started using my K3 more and more and using it to open up the shoot. I found my models and clients generally at ease and more open. It thus becomes a faster shooting pace and it could just be me, but I find the models generally become more open and more creative with me.
So, do I want a Pentax FF? Nope. Not anymore. I want a K3 that can use HSS!!! This 1/160" max triggering speed is the only reason why I take the D800 out now for headshots.
Who am I kidding thought, I'll still buy one just to use my FA glass on if they keep the size down.