Make Light Real

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.

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

• Photographic Flash , Photography Lighting , Workshop
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Neil May 1st, 2008

I can’t quite hold back my ecstatic anticipation of teaching for the first time in the United Kingdom at this perfectly suited and painfully quaint location!

Maybe I’ll get a monk’s habit, just to fit in - ha!

We have a great space for presentation, lecture and the hand’s on light shaping excercises.

We have a nice little outdoors space as well to produce our evening shoot…

Workshop includes:

• Two full days of instruction
• Produce your own Lighting catalog
• 1 on 1 portfolio review with Neil
• Hands on instruction by Neil
• Shoe Flash Demos
• Strobe light a huge room
• Model shoot
• Multimedia notes
• Live PhotoShop demonstration
• Day one sunset shoot
• Full schedule information

Full Course $420 - purchase now

For full and incidental details, hotel recommendations and other sundry facts see the workshop schedule page.

• Workshop
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Neil April 27th, 2008

Mind like water is a visual metaphor for a state of being. A nugget I hope you gain from watching this video is quoted “choice is a function of awareness, awareness comes as a function of meditation.”

So if no-one has ever taught you the goal of meditation let me help you “observe things from a place of non-reaction, which does not mean detachment, but means not attached to an outcome.” And this is my personal favorite photographic mode, allowing my own choices to be fully aware and scooping creative power from the natural surroundings….I hope you begin a practice of meditation into your life to help you create with a watchful eye and this article blesses you with the inertia to start that practice.

YouTube - Michael Beckwith - The power of Meditation

• Creativity , Inspiration , Mind Like Water , Philosophy , The Zone , Video , Workshop , how to , learning
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Neil April 25th, 2008

JoeyL Tutorial Review - Behind the Scenes | An American Peyote Scribble

Well, if you haven’t been ‘up’ on a recent internet fad, there was a buz about a Photographer calling himself Joey L…..he was interviewed glowingly by Strobist, and self produced a tutorial DVD to teach others how he produces his shoot. Just so you’re informed on the pop culture behind this review. I’m about to review this review in talking about the creative process….

“This is the first Photoshop tutorial I’ve ever bought, and it was purchased for the following reason: I’ve become comfortable with the basics of Photoshop, using the clone tool for basic corrections, levels and saturation control for various tonal adjustments. Basically using those tools to enhance the feeling I wanted to communicate with the images taken using my cameras. I’ve been looking for a learning package to help me take things to the next level and to expand beyond the basics of enhancing an image and start using Photoshop as a tool to create a specific visual impact with my digital images – beyond what can be accomplished with cameras and basic lighting.”

Now that’s a good reason to get yourself a PhotoShop tutorial. Maybe it’s just cause this guy’s a climber, but he’s definitely articulate and intelligent.

” Did the JoeyL DVD contribute in the aim of fulfilling my creative desires? “

That’s a great question, I sometimes find the same desires in my life as I’m hard pressed for creative time when business tasks take up 90% of my day.

” The creative process was a main draw when I finally sent my credit card info for the DVD, knowing full well that $249 was just dropped electronically. In my opinion a description of the creative process is probably the weak point of the tutorials. “

An American Peyote was disappointed by the DVD - and while I feel for Joey, I’m not surprised that the creativity mark was missed. Why?

While Joey the photographer certainly has a style - it’s a level 6 style - one that is recognizable and marketable. The current trend is in love with anything dark, or low key a little bit pictoral. A style is repeatable, and marketable in a DVD, and powerful enough to convince an intelligent person to spend $249, but real creativity is almost too hard to see. Real creativity hides among the interaction between a self and a medium ….like in Tao 33.

Creativity is a process.

A process of pouring out oneself into a medium: for understanding, for expression, for communication, for documentation.

Technique is a gateway to open up the flow of creativity.

“During the lessons Mr. Lawrence talks through his thinking process in adding various layers and how to do different adjustments. Adding layers and blending and the use of manipulating shadows and adding light to images is well explained. This is exactly what I was looking for, since it shows you how to enhance lighting effects in Photoshop which were absent or difficult to produce in reality.”

But to learn creativity, one must learn to be open.

Evidently the reviewer did open up after watching the video again a few times “In this capacity I’m very happy with my decision to drop $249 on the JoeyL DVD tutorial and would do so again.”

One day I’ll have a DVD worth spending $300 on, that will leave it’s customers open, educated and inspired. But creativity is never something that can be bought, only something that can be initiated or opened as I impact you, or you draw from the universe. I wish a creative blessing for my climber friend, and that JoeyL learns to communicate what wells within him. So let this review remind you as you’re tempted to buy the latest DVD, to instead go out and watch the sun set, feel the grass in your toes or hug your daughter. Open up to the flow, instead of spend your cashflow.

• Creativity , Inspiration , On Art , Photoshop , Reviews , Tutorials , Workshop
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Neil February 21st, 2008

I will be presenting a one hour lecture presentation for the Central New York Professional Photographers Society of New York in Syracuse at 6pm March 19th. I will be giving an inspirational lecture on lighting and camera controls.Make Light Real: CNY PPSNY March 19th 6pm

6301 State Route 298 East
(Off Carrier Circle)
East Syracuse, NY 13057

• Workshop
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Neil February 18th, 2008

I’m proud to announce that some impassioned UK photographers have arranged for me to be teaching in the UK. I’ll be traveling across the blue yonder to the United Kingdom for the first week of June as we have scheduled two workshops - the first on June 2nd and 3rd in Warwickshire - the second on the 3rd and 4th of June near London. Read on through to the workshop page for full details. The first five workshop spaces are discounted for each location, however with the overwhelming interest from all the UK photographers there’s only two left for the Midlands schedule already.

Hit the pub with me!

Even if you can’t personally attend the whole workshop experience I encourage you to stop off for a pint with me on June 1st at the open to all pub party in Birmingham; and again on the 3rd near London. We’ll be announcing the location as soon as we have a sense of the turnout so pop your name in the comments if you’d like to notified of the location as it’s finalized. From the looks of it, I think the British may actually get my sense of humor, and maybe we’ll get to meet some of the strobists.

I’ll shoot your wedding in the UK!

I will be arriving early in the UK and hope to shoot a wedding on the 31st of May if any of you know someone who would like a sensitive eye to document their love, and do some ultra hot portraits. I do have a nice portfolio of stuff, however nothing from England! I can imagine shooting at a great old castle or estate somewhere with an evening mist coming up….contact me through my wedding site if you’re interested or have a referral.

• Travel , Workshop
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Neil September 8th, 2007

The Fine Art of Digital Printing -Oct 29 - Nov 2

John Paul Caponigro - R Mac Holbert

The premiere Fine Art of Digital Printing workshop went so well in June that we’re returning for a repeat performance. It’s the chance of a lifetime. Learn from two master digital print makers at the same time, fresh off their highly successful tour in the Epson Print Academy, in The Fine Art of Digital Printing. The workshop will be held in state-of-the-art labs at the Brooks Institute of Photography in beautiful Santa Barbara, California.

In addition to stellar technical presentations there’s significant time devoted to individual reviews and one-on-one sessions.

Thefineartofdigitalprinting.com has been updated with more information describing what to expect and how to prepare.

Space is limited to 24.

Reservations are made on a first-come-first-serve basis.

The first workshop filled in less than 3 days.

If you want to take this workshop but can’t make this date, email jpc@johnpaulcaponigro.com to get on the waiting list, which will give you priority status in the next workshop.

Register today!

Continue Reading »

• Workshop , learning
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Neil April 19th, 2007

Well, as stressed as I was to provide content and learning for two days for some really smart people, everyone went home each day with a mind melt from learning so much…

Here’s an image of Tom Flint a destination wedding photographer living here in Rochester. I shot this image setting up the Alien Bee 800, with a custom fresnel 7inch reflector, and 10 degree grid spot in our “See the light, hear the shadows” set of shooting. This image is straight out of camera. The title of the exercise expresses my own little play on words, because we can’t ever actually ’see’ the light can we? We can only see what the light reveals. And since we can only see what is revealed - I try to teach you and sensitize you to listening to your inner artistic voice as you critically examine the shadow areas in your photos to make expressive light.

Because expressive light isn’t about the light - its about what the shadows tell us about the light - isn’t it.

The Make Light Real Concept is not only about good shooting techniques, but also about good Photoshop ‘expression’ of the idea and mood that you shoot for. Time, location and equipment can limit you at a location but if you are able to shoot with a concept and purpose - you can accentuate that light heavily in Photoshop using my workflow actions. However, creating good light in Photoshop, really doesn’t happen. Take a look at the original:

Let me know what the most significant breakthrough in your thinking was while you were at the workshop.

• Photographic Flash , Reviews , Workshop , learning
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Neil February 28th, 2007

Thanks everyone for a great learning experience at the Studio. E-mail me the silly pictures of me and maybe I’ll post them - but don’t get your hopes up

• Inspiration , On Art , Workshop , learning
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