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February 28, 2011
photo session – Shawna – using the PocketWizard AC3 Zone Controller
While in Las Vegas for WPPI 2011, the team at PocketWizard asked me if I would be interested in them shooting a short video clip of me using the new PocketWizards for Nikon. I didn’t hesitate in saying yes! Here is the description of the setup of the one photo sessions I did. There was another one, which I will post in a day or so. I will post a link to the PocketWizard video clip as soon as it is up.
For this demonstration of the PocketWizard FlexTT5 and AC3 ZoneController, I relied on Shawna, a favorite model, Shawna, again. (She featured in the recent posts on video light vs bounce flash and using the available light. I knew we’d be able to get some stunning images with such a stunning model and the new photo toys …
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February 24, 2011
off-camera flash photography book – now available!
Some time last year I announced that my next book, which is about off-camera flash, had been completed and was going through the final proofing stage.
Well, I’m really happy to announce that the book is now available via Amazon, or your local bookstore.
The actual release date was scheduled for April 01, 2011 … but they are shipping it early. People who pre-ordered have already received their copies. So it is hitting bookshelves right now!
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With this book, I once again took great care to compile additional material along with the info that is spread over numerous articles on the Tangents blog. I wanted the material in the book to flow as an accessible introduction to off-camera flash.
As always, the aim was for those aha! moments when things become clear and just makes sense. And then, hopefully, inspire the readers of the book to see how easily off-camera flash lighting can expand our photographic repertoire.
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You can order the book from Amazon via that link, or if you want,
you can order an autographed copy directly from me.
Also, if you like the book, a review on Amazon would be great!
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Filed under: news — Neil vN @ 8:30 pm
Dino Direct – image theft and blatant misrepresentation
update: March 04, 2011
I have added the PDF screengrab of the page where DinoDirect was using my images without my consent … because when I confronted them about it on their Facebook page, they removed the page, and are acting dumb about it. Trying to appear innocent. As if.
Someone let me know today, Feb 24, that they had discovered some of my images on the website of Dino Direct. Apparently it is a company that distributes all kinds of electronic goods, including video lights. Dino Direct took it upon themselves to appropriate three of my images; crop out my logo; and add their own logo. Blatant theft of my images.
But worst still, they are misrepresenting themselves with those images …
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Filed under: zero — Neil vN @ 5:33 pm
February 23, 2011
video light vs bounce flash
It’s easy enough getting nice clean open light with a single on-camera speedlight when shooting indoors. By bouncing your flash with the idea of getting directional light from your flash, you can effortlessly get portraits like this. As usual, I used the black foamie thing to flag my flash and get more light on the one side of my subject’s face. In this case, more subtly so than some other examples on this site.
We were working in the same location here as shown in the previous article where I photographed Shawna using only the available light. However, for certain photographs I had in mind, it quickly became obvious that a more contained light source than bounce flash would work better. When compared to a light source like a video light, bounce flash tends to flood an indoor location with light, even if directional when you look at your subject. A hand-held video light gave me the type of lighting I wanted …
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February 22, 2011
photography: direction and quality of light
While in Las Vegas for a few days, I had the opportunity again of working with one of my favorite models – Shawna. This striking photo of Shawna illustrates something that I want to underline: at some level, our consideration of the light that we’re using remains the same, whether we’re using available light, or flash, or video light or some other continuous light source.
We need to consider the direction and quality of the light we have or are creating.
We then either need to adapt our lighting, or adapt our way of shooting our subject, to complement our subject. So let’s look closer at the light / lighting used for this photo …
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February 20, 2011
using the PocketWizard AC3 Zone Controller
This portrait of musician, Josh Adams, was a fairly quick set-up. I deliberately chose an area in a large hotel conference room to shoot this. A bit of a challenge to see how quickly I could get a simple but dramatic portrait out of a ‘nothing’ scenario. Here’s the pull-back shot that will show you the area, as well as the placement of the lights:
The light came from three speedlights, all controlled with the PocketWizard FlexTT5 transceivers. They in turn were controlled via an on-camera FlexTT5 (for Nikon), with an AC3 Zone Controller piggy-backing on the TT5. Using the AC3 Controller made it a breeze to control the output (and mode) of each of the three speedlights. I could switch any of them to manual, or to TTL. I could control the TTL units’ Flash Exposure Compensation from the ACR3. And I could control the manual output, if I had decided to switch the speedlight to manual mode. All from my camera …
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February 19, 2011
This was taken at one of the stations at the After Dark workshops in Las Vegas. Two strip lights on either side, freezing this Cirque du Soleil performer doing jumps on his board. Pretty wild, I think.
“Pretty wild” would also sum up the entire three day experience of attending the After Dark workshop, if I had to go by the Friday evening that I was able to attend. This is where After Dark differs from other workshops and conventions, in my opinion. Just a simple description of the workshop as being 3 days of a series of seminars and demonstrations, doesn’t quite encompass it …
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February 18, 2011
flash photography & lighting workshops – New York
May 16, 2011 (Monday) – NYC
July 11, 2011 (Monday) – NYC
Sept 12, 2011 (Monday) – NYC
flash photography & lighting workshops – California
April 19, 2011 (Tuesday) – Dana Point, CA
April 21, 2011 (Thursday) – San Francisco, CA
flash photography & lighting workshops – UK, Ireland, Europe (?)
to be announced
other workshops and seminars in 2011
March 27, 2011 (Sun) – 9:30am – 12 noon – PPA Massachussets Convention
A two and a half-hour long presentation on Nikon Wireless Flash system, with emphasis on the techniques of flash photography.
May 2-6, 2011 (Mon-Fri) – Treehaven, WI
This is a week-long workshop at Treehaven in Wisconsin, under the auspices of PPA. Last year’s workshop in Treehaven was very well received, so this will be a repeat workshop.
seminar presentations at B&H – dates to be announced
book launch party & book signing event – details will be announced in April
As mentioned in various posts last year, I had decided to pause the travelling workshops for the time being. The workshops in other areas of the USA, away from home, have been rewarding, but the time spent travelling has taken me away from my work as a wedding photographer, and I need to focus on that again.
However … I decided to take a trip out to California, and at the same time present two workshops there. Therefore, if you are interested in attending a workshop, and don’t live near New York or in California, then you might want to make it a trip out there, and include a workshop as part of it. ;)
I’m still finalizing dates and places for possible workshops in the UK, Ireland and possibly elsewhere in Europe. (Most likely the Netherlands.)
These will be the only dates planned for this year.
more details about these flash photography workshops ..
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February 17, 2011
looking for, and using the available light
Let me say this out straight – I hate gazebos. I hate gazebos and fountains and I especially hate having to photograph a couple at whatever landmark/feature that a reception venue has, where every other couple from the last five years has been photographed. There, I’ve said it. I feel better now, with that weight off my shoulders.
Wedding portaits should be about capturing the romance, and capturing the relationship between the couple. I want to show how much they are in love with each other, rather than the wooden structure that the reception venue bought from Home Depot. I would much rather work with the couple and with the light that is available … and augmenting the existing light with some flash or video light if needed.
This photograph from a wedding a few years back, remains one of my favorites in my wedding gallery. The portrait session with Simone and Damien and their family and bridal party was to take place in the late afternoon. The maitre d’ of the venue suggested I use the fountain on the venue’s grounds as a backdrop for the couple.
Instead, I looked at where the light was coming from … and it was stunningly beautiful glowing light. And the best part of it was, the spray from the fountain was lit up by the glow from the late afternoon sun. This created that ethereal looking golden mist behind them.
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February 15, 2011
using selective focus to overcome lack of depth of field
When you don’t have enough depth-of-field, to get all the essential elements in focus, there is always the option to use a sequence of images and selective focus. In this case, a cute story in two images.
This little flowergirl was especially enamored of her digital camera, and would snap everything, and immediately chimp. But instead of keeping my focus on her, I immediately refocused on the little boy to show his querying expression. If I had kept my focus for on her for the next shot as she looked at her camera, there would’ve been a less interesting sequential flow to the images. Her looking at the back of her camera is a near-inevitable ‘conclusion’. One we already expect.
By shifting focus on the boy however, our attention moves across the frame. That natural flow in the sequence of the two images is now helped by the selective focus. Instead of the lack of depth-of-field hampering the initial image, by switching attention in the next image, it helps direct our attention.
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