I am looking for people to photograph!
I need your help! My publisher has asked me to write a book on portrait lighting, but with a specific theme in mind. They have a series they want to build up, called 60 Portraits. Over 150+ pages, each book will describe how different portrait photo sessions were set up, with emphasis on the lighting.
 |
|
60 Portraits, and each one is devoted a 2-page spread with the main photo, a description, and supporting images, including a lighting diagram. Wonderful to just dip into for ideas; wonderful to read through more systematically.The first in the series is 75 Portraits, by Hernan Rodriguez. I was very impressed with the quality of his work, and how the material in the book is laid out.
What really caught my attention, was the variety that the author has in his book. These are mostly studio-based photos, but there are many on-location setups as well. He also describes how he arrived at some of the concepts. His subjects are varied, ranging from kids all the way to Mike Tyson!
|
So there’s the challenge – to write a book that might compare.
I don’t want to write a book with just 60 lighting diagrams. I want to write a book on Portrait photography that will show different approaches and different thought-processes. I want each portrait to reveal something to the photography enthusiast, whether it is about light, or working with your subject, or coming up with ideas. I want the book to be multi-faceted in its narrative about portrait photography.
But … I don’t have enough material yet. And this brings me to the topic here. I need interesting and photogenic subjects. I want to photograph you. Or your friends, or family or colleagues. I’m not necessarily looking for supermodel-perfect subjects. I want people that fascinate and intrigue. Characters. Musicians. Tattoos. Interesting jobs and locations. People with stories.
I want to shoot mostly on-location. But instead of shooting in familiar locations where I might fall into routine ways of photographing someone, I want to shoot in diverse places, and let each place and each person (or group) that I am photographing, trigger new ideas and new approaches to photographing people.
So here’s what I propose …
Learn more inside…
- nvn-studio-011
-
- nvn-studio-009
-
- nvn-studio-010
-
- NV1_5378-edit
-
- Ulorin-red-miniskirt-edit
Ulorin-red-miniskirt-edit
- Ulorin-blue
-
- nvn-studio-012
-
- nvn-studio-013
-
- nvn-studio-014
-
- 13_0396-0392
-
- 14_0303-0316
-
- nvn-studio-017
-
- nvn-studio-015
-
- nvn-studio-016
-
- nvn-studio-005
-
- nvn-studio-004
-
- nvn-studio-007
-
- nvn-studio-008
-
- nvn-studio-006
-
- olena-parabolic
-
- nvn-studio-002
-
- nvn-studio-001
-
- nvn-studio-003
-
- NV2_4386-edit
-
- Elle_4386-edit
-
- NV2_4477-Elle-duo
-
- NV2_4477
-
- 05_0031-0081
-
- 08_0126-0101
-
- 09_0205-0229
-
PreviousNextPreviousNextAn update to my post where I announced that my studio is set up and ready, and that it is available as a rental photography studio space (with equipment) for anyone in the area that might need a studio on irregular basis. Keep this in mind in case you or a friend need studio space.
I’ve updated the webpage with the info about the studio, and this slideshow is from photo sessions I’ve done in (and around) the studio, and shows the versatility of the space and the lighting equipment.
Learn more inside…
Tangents, a must-follow photography blog
How very meta – a screen capture of the Tangents blog, as the lead image here. There’s a reason though – the Tangents blog got a nod by the people at e-junkie, as one of the Top 10 must-follow Photography blogs. It always feels good to get recognition for the work. So while I bask a little in this glowing moment, there’s also a thank you to everyone who follows this website. You’ve helped sustain this website into a something that has helped so many photographers along the way. This has been as much my own journey as I progressed as a photographer.
I frequently get thank you notes, telling me how much impact this website has had on their photography – and that is a huge compliment. It’s always good to hear.
A recent email that was quite touching …
Learn more inside…
Tangents – a few more changes
Along with the recent new look to Tangents, (with wider images and with the navigation improved), my web techie guy, Griffin and I, rolled out a few more changes.
The Tangents forum now more closely matches the look of the Tangents blog, with a wider layout, and with the same navigation (and Social Media links).
The overall navigation of my entire site has been changed, with the Tangents related sections now more logically grouped together. The Tangents related sites are now separated from the wedding photography site. It’s more an effort not to confuse any potential client. But in case you were looking for my wedding photography blog, it’s now on the ooooother side.
Another new addition is the Store page which lists the video tutorials and action sets (and such) that are for sale on the Tangents site. In addition to the links in the menu to the Tangents forum and Workshops, there are nowa link to an About page which helps bring some sense to this by-now labyrinthine website.
The image at the top is the view of Manhattan from the cliffs of Weehawken – a truly breath-taking sight any time of day. It was shot with the très magnifique Fuji X100s. I did juice up the colors slightly in post-processing.
Tangents – a new look
As you may well have noticed, the Tangents website has had a major overhaul. Two of the changes that will be immediately obvious to the regular visitor – the horizontal images are now larger. Yay! Also, the navigation has been tweaked.
It’s still an ongoing process, but if there are any glaring problems, or ways I can improve the site, drop me a note here.
The image at the top is from a concert I attended recently – The Heavy, during their show at Webster Hall. Electrifying! (But I decided to hang out from the balcony area since I hurt my foot, and wasn’t ready to be trampled in the crowd yet.)
It was shot with the awesomely awesome little Fuji X100s.
After Dark Photography Education – St Louis, MO – 2013
Anyone who regularly followed the Tangents blog during the past year or so, will know that I’ve raved about the After Dark events that I attended (and presented at). In my opinion, After Dark is the best (and most fun) learning experience that I’ve encountered.
If you want more details about After Dark:
- After Dark Edu website for more info
- After Dark on Facebook, if you want to closely follow discussions
The one After Dark event that was announced for 2013, was held in St Louis. As before, I did several presentations and I’d like to show some of the images that I shot while here.
Learn more inside…
Tangents rated (very nearly) one of the best photography blogs!
Okay, I sound a little cheeky there with the title, but honestly, it really is an honour to have Tangents noticed and rated highly by other photographers. Especially when they run their own very visible and successful blogs, like Jamie’s The Modern Tog. Lots of good business advice on her site. Check out the link for the other superb photography blogs.
A few years back, I moved the Tangents blog over from the PlanetNeil domain to the new domain, neilvn, to keep it in line with rebranding my site and my photography. I know, PlanetNeil is a quirky name and memorable, but it also sounds like something a 12-yr old would’ve come up with. That says a lot about my general state of mind perhaps. Perhaps.
Since that time, the PlanetNeil domain lingered as just a splash page with a link through to the Tangents blog. But I also noticed that a huge number of people seem to have still kept it as a bookmark, and enter the Tangents blog via that link. With that, I thought it might be cool to update the PlanetNeil intro page into something less bland.
So there it is, PlanetNeil had a make-over, with more images and a list of the most recent blog entries. A bit of window-dressing for the long time followers of this website. Thank you for having stayed on for this journey!
Anelisa in the studio for a photo session
To create a promotional video clip for my studio, I had Anelisa stop by today so we could do a variety of looks. We used available light, continuous light, and studio lighting. It is also the first time we saw each other since the release of my new book – Direction of Light - so I was able to give her her copies. (In case anyone missed it, Anelisa is on the cover.)
As we reminisced a while about the number of times we had workshops and photo sessions, I realized that today was exactly three years, to the day, since the first time we worked together. The photos from that individual workshop resulted in one of the key articles on Tangents - effective on-location portraits. So yes, it’s been a long working relationship with Anelisa, my favorite model.
More images from this photo session, as well as the video clip, will be up in the coming days. But in the meantime, here is the pull-back shot of this image at the top …
Learn more inside…
Yes, it’s here! It’s available now. And I’m very proud of this book.
Since my previous two books, and with so many years of maintaining the Tangents blog, and doing numerous workshops and presentations, my “voice” has matured. My photography has improved. With all that combined, I really believe the material in this book is very strong. Essential even.
As I’ve told friends – I wish someone had told me everything that’s in this book, at a much earlier time in my development as a photographer. I feel it would’ve made so much difference to my understanding of the vital element of photography – light!
Right after I understood all the essentials – depth-of-field, shutter speeds, composition, timing, and all of that – instead of getting caught up in specific areas such as flash & off-camera flash & studio lighting … I wish that at the time I had truly grasped that it is all about the direction and quality of light. With this book, I try my best to share those “aha!” moments with you.
With that, I do believe this book can make a difference to your photography.
I believe that strongly in it.
The book might be at your local bookstore, but it’s definitely available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. And if you like to, you can order an autographed copy directly from me. Of course, you can also order the book via Amazon.
