workshop view: Phoenix, AZ « Neil vN

A benefit of presenting workshops on location, is the ability to help local photographers deal with lighting situations that are typical of their specific area. One of the aspects that was covered in today’s workshop that I held in Phoenix, was how to cope with the harsh sunlight. Here our lovely model Chelsea was lit by off-camera flash, balancing the exposure to retain detail in the sunlit desert landscape.

Technical info:
Speedlight diffused through a Photoflex Q39 softbox, triggered by a Pocketwizard.
The flash was set to manual exposure. The camera too was in manual exposure mode, and metered for the background.The speedlight and softbox were mounted on a monopod, and held by one of the workshop participants.

The same technique was used here in photographing Craig, our other model.

Thank you to our two models, and to everyone who attended the workshop.
Do keep in touch. (More info about future workshop locations.)

7 Comments »

Hi Neil
I’ve learned a lot from your site and return almost every day to learn even more, because I think you always have great pictures and articles.

However, I’m curious why you in this case positioned the flash to camera left, when the sun comes from camera right?
To me, it looks like the girl is from one picture, pasted into the desert picture since the light comes so obviously from different directions. Any comments?

Regards
/Ulf

Comment by Ulf — March 5, 2008 @ 3:57 am
Ulf .. thank you for the kind comments.

The answer to your question is simple .. because I wanted to, and liked the look of it.

I know the classic (or traditional) way of lighting in this case would be to keep the direction of the lighting the same, and not have that incongruous lighting effect .. but in this case, I liked the dramatic look of it.

Neil.

Comment by Neil — March 5, 2008 @ 4:20 am
Neil,
These photographs are fantastic. Your blog and tutorials continue to be very informative.

–Stephen in NJ

Comment by Stephen — March 6, 2008 @ 10:48 am
I Enjoy your photos and tutorials alot, and have got a lot of help. I most say that the top photo is a bit strange, while the shadows on the plants are on one side, but on the other on the person

Comment by johansrk — March 6, 2008 @ 3:11 pm
Neil,
I really learned a lot on your website. You said you use a Q39 softbox. I was wondering, how big is this softbox?

Comment by lottel — March 6, 2008 @ 9:38 pm
Hi there …

The softboxes I use during the workshops are the smaller ones, the Photoflex Q39 – 16×22 (small). They are easier to travel with when I fly, because they are so compact. And I also need two of them for my workshops. I also have the Q39 softbox one size up from this, the 24×32 (medium).

But for my own work, I normally use the Westcott Apollo. It is very simple to set up.

Check this link for more info on these items:
http://planetneil.com/tangents/my-gear/accessories/

I also really like the Westcott 18×42″ Strip Bank, created by Bruce Dorn.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil — March 8, 2008 @ 4:27 am
I received permission to repost this comment from Marnie M. who attended this workshop.

I had the immense pleasure to attend Neil’s workshop this past Monday. In short, if you haven’t been…GO!!

Neil is both talented and generous of spirit. He is very concerned that everyone who attends the workshop truly understands the principles being taught and takes away a new skill. More than just “Dial this in and shoot”, he breaks down each element and then weaves them together to create a tapestry of sorts that when properly applied will dictate a specific outcome based upon existing lighting conditions (natural and any supplemental light you add). With an emphasis on practical application, he encouraged each participant to try different settings and review their results after each change.

While I have been shooting with on and off-camera flash for some time now, happy with my overall results, I learned that I was making it far more difficult than it needs to be, thanks to Neil. I now feel more confident asking my gear to perform in low-light than I did before the workshop.

I could go on and on about how great he is: humorous, adorable, foul-mouthed, intelligent, witty, etc., but why?

Whether you are new to digital photography and/or flash techniques or just need a kick-in-the-pants to refine your approach, you will benefit from a day with Neil.

Sign up for his workshop and see it for yourself!

Comment by Neil — March 8, 2008 @ 4:31 am