Make Light Real

Neil September 22nd, 2008

Jamie Loves Sarah- Part Three at Rowell Photography

I decided to feature a new category ‘to what lengths’ and I suppose this one should get featured in ‘mind like water as well’ that would just be a pun.

It’s fun to see what lengths other shooters go to, and I hope it inspires you to think outside the box, beyond what you considered normal or worthwhile and take a step to new creativity!

That’s pretty funny!

If you’d like others to see what length you’ve gone to… post a link the the comments, on my facebook wall, or my flickr stream.

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• How To: , Inspiration , Photography Lighting , to what lengths

Neil September 21st, 2008

Expounding on last weeks ‘big space’ tutorial…

When I speak on achieving higher creativity, I talk about light being the entryway for more possibility.

Above is one of my shots lit with an Alien Bee 800 with 11 inch reflector with a Roscoe 3442 gel for 1/2 CTO conversion. Below is a shot within seconds of the above, without the off camera lighting.

I shot that basic image with a couple different focal lengths:

I hope that these shots inspire you to look at the big things around you and consider how your creativity would lead you to interpret them with lighting. However, don’t just assume that your off camera light must light the whole building, I prefer to think of lighting a scene:

Since my strobe lighting my photographs is 40 meters away, I don’t have difficulty choosing an exposure when my subjects move because the whole scene gets even light.

So when I have my exposure, I begin to explore the space photographically just as I would with natural light. Sometimes I look to my LCD for review, but otherwise I just work off the concept of the light that I felt and saw as I was setting up and testing. If you’ve never seen any available light photographs from me, take a look at this Bahamas Destination beach wedding photographer’s dramatic, atmospheric, cloud, sunset, portrait slideshow.

For an exercise, setup your light at dusk and get far enough away that your exposure is consistant. Get comfortable and explore the light, hear the shadows with me.

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• Exposure , Hear the Shadows , Inspiration , Photographic Flash , Photography Lighting , Self Assignment

Neil September 21st, 2008

Contest: Going Wireless with Strobist and PocketWizard « Pocketwizard Blog

Creativity with wireless triggering is key to this contest. Show us your best, most creative use of going wireless with radio triggering. And detail, detail, detail! Explain your setup well so everyone can understand what it took to make your vision come alive.

All videos must be tagged “pocketwizardstrobist” to qualify. The judging panel will be David Hobby of Strobist and Phil Bradon from PocketWizard.

In addition, photos may also uploaded to Flickr tagged “pocketwizardstrobist” with link to the YouTube video in the description.

The contest runs mid-July through end of November. Winners will be announced on the 15th of each month, beginning in August.

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• Photography Lighting , Shoe Flash Technique

Neil September 19th, 2008

Off Camera Flash by JVS » 2 Day Lighting & Portrait Workshop with JVS & Anne – October 7th & 8th

Ok so you ask who is JVS – that’s ok, I know you may not have heard about him, since he’s been living the happy life in Dallas ever since getting married and retiring to oh, 20-30 weddings a year.  Regrettably, the industry doesn’t reward true visionaries – it rewards self-promoters.  He’s the former…

Joseph Victor Stephanchek was there at the beginning.

The beginning of the cultural revolution of wedding photography, like circa 2000-2003.  And he did a good bit of the Sisyphean task of getting the wedding imagery market out of the doldrums.  

I know, you probably weren’t in the industry yet – but he’s not an old timer, he’s an innovator.  He’s a visionary – there’s nothing like the work he produces and shows. Pick a gallery from his documentary weddings portfolio and see if you’ve ever seen such an intense vision?

And lighting is not about technique.

It’s about vision!

Technique follows the vision, and so I recommend that you take a chance with your time and money, have a trip to Dallas and meet the man (and his woman).  Dallas really rocks the photography world, making NY jealous!  So all you New Yorkers better hop a plane and get some lessons to get yourselves back in the game!

2 Day Lighting & Portrait Workshop with JVS & Anne – October 7th & 8th

Now a little more about JVS:

The man can balance a handheld flash, with ambient like nobody’s business.  Which is just a statement that words don’t do justice to the creativity he can pull off with a 24mm lens and a shoe flash.  Proving the point lighting comes from vision – all the way up to the big guns, he can stun you with a powerpack as well!  So go to the workshop and get some info on anything from a Vivitar to a Profoto Pack.

Did I mention I wish I could go?  Tough thing is with my schedule, it’s hard to get an opening less than three months out.  This workshop is just three weeks out!  jump on it, 

And tell him Neil sent ya!

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• Photographic Flash , Photography Lighting , Shoe Flash Technique , Workshop

Neil September 17th, 2008

Let me just show you a big, bold wedding ceremony entrance:

Read more to think outside the box in lighting large spaces for maximum creative impact…

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• Inspiration , learning , Photographic Flash , Photography Lighting

Neil September 16th, 2008

iDC Photo Store – Specialty gear for the photographer

$99 Introductory price on their two disk’s chock full of great tips and training materials.

View their DVD trailer here!

Special Introductory Price $99. (Regularly $149) 
DVD with over 3 hours of jam packed content from Bruce and Maura.

Includes:

1. Lighting and Speedlite Techniques : aka Bruce’s AVAILABLE MAGIC Tricks!
2. Cinematic Composition for Capture
3. Artistic Application of Textures in PSD
4. Speedy Album Production Tips and Elegant Book Design Concepts
5. Painter X Demo for Portrait Photographers
6. Slideshow of iDC Portraiture and Wedding Imagery
7. Slideshow of Maura’s final 30 minute paintings from the tour

Buy your copy today

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• Photography Lighting , Shoe Flash Technique , Tutorials

Neil September 11th, 2008

Front and Back fashion bridal portrait

Lighting is simply about contrast.

Contrast defines shapes.

Clearly seen either one will help you make a good picture.

If you’re a beginner, don’t be tricked by f-stops or ratios; remember to see what you’re interested in – and then get enough light on it to make a picture.  Don’t loose your muse, before you start.  Gaining complex lighting does not help you  gain a better picture.

Here I used an Alien Bee 800 set to minimum power with 30 degree grid spot on the standard 7 inch reflector. Roughly 6 feet from the model. You can see the falloff starting at about the hips.

Canon 1d – 50mm lens – f2.8

• Comments(2)
• Exposure , Hear the Shadows , Photographic Flash , Photography Lighting

Neil July 18th, 2008

My thanks go out to the Professional Photographers of Ontario for hosting a wonderful half day workshop for their members with me as their speaker at the Ashbridges Bay Yacht club in Toronto.

I was able to present to the group a motivational lecture, an on-location shoot, and an image review and quick post processing example after dinner.  However to extend your experience, I’m going to provide you with some original Canon 1Ds raw files shot that day to try your hand at lab color mode post processing, as well as altering the mood of the photo with a lighting overlay image you can download from the Create Cart:

Have a brand new free texture from me as you check out from the cart – there are a few more free ones and several sets of high resolution texture and lighting files if you are interested.

Now on to the full raw file downloads:

Download Test file one (13mb Canon CR2 raw file): Blue background accentuated by a tungsten gelled main flash, if you weren’t there you can download this screen cast movie file to learn to process your files for rich and vibrant blues : or view this post page on photoshop manipulating the blue in images.  This image would be a fun one to try out the texture – if you try it – post a link in the comments to your blog page, flickr page, or other way to see your results. In this image we use the principles of Make Light Real:

• provide a clear subject – by making the subject brighter than the background
• create compelling color and contrast – by altering the flash color temperature with a gel to warm it
• compose the unexpected – I waited until the boat was in the right place to add the added ‘story line’ to the photo

Download Test file two (13mb Canon CR2 raw file): another gelled image of the model on the rock, this is would be a great candidate for the lighting overlay you downloaded from above.

Download Test file three (13mb Canon CR2 raw file): a strong test of balancing the very dark nigerian model with the bright summer sky on the lakefront.

Have your fun with these images and post your versions to the comments and I’ll do my photoshop edits and post back in about a week.

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• Free stuff , Hear the Shadows , Inspiration , learning , Motivation , Photography Lighting , Photoshop Retouching , Real-light Overlays , Tutorials , Workshop

Neil July 10th, 2008

Here’s the program description:

Lighting for Creativity – click here to register!

Part1: Listen to Neil’s personal journey. And share his understanding the creative power light has brought to his image making process.  Make the visual connection between creativity and light on many planes as we discuss the implications for our spirits, our businesses, and our cameras.  You will be personally challenged to break through your own personal psychological limits before moving on to part two – in the field.

Part2: Light with Neil in the field.  Neil will approach a location he has never been before, with a subject he’s never shot before and attempt to share with you the running dialog in his head as he ‘lights for creativity’ in bringing out the qualities of the location, subject and mood.  His challenge will be to transform the location with creative and expressive power.

Part3: Finish with flair. Neil will download and photoshop his raw captures live while taking questions from the audience as he goes.  If you think there’s some kind of dark magic locked up inside your computer, come check inside Neil’s as he accentuates the visual phenomenon in his photographs using Photoshop. 

Sponsored by:
Central Portrait Branch – Professional Photographers of Ontario
Professional Photographers of Ontario

Click here to register. We welcome all skill levels, you’ll get something out of it! 

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• Photographic Flash , Photography Lighting , Workshop

Neil June 27th, 2008

Continuing my explanations from the gear I use - today again the small softbox:

So I was out on an engagement shoot and had done all the normal stuff and wanted a little something extra…

But the simple daylight angle was not very flattering and the busy environment of the playground rope piece made for a very messy image – cool – but a little too messy – what could I do quickly to improve the impact of my couple in the space…

Here I am climbing around searching for the right perspective….

Read on to see the final shot and read about my camera settings making it….

• Comments(6)
• Exposure , Hear the Shadows , learning , Photographic Flash , Photography Lighting , Shoe Flash Technique