Tangents

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Posing into the light for better portraits

October 31, 2019 Neil vN 6 Comments

Posing into the light for better portraits

This is a simple illustration again of the idea that posing and light(ing) go hand-in-hand. You can't really separate these two aspects when photographing people. When there is a video team at a wedding, I have to accommodate them in not using flash when they are shooting their sequences during the romantic portrait session with the bride and groom. Then I have to rely entirely on just the available light. In this example, they had the bride, Amanda, walk down the jetty twice - a good opportunity for me to shoot some extra images to pad  Read more inside...

Best photography purchases of 2016

December 15, 2016 Neil vN 59 Comments

Best photography purchases of 2016

The lists of best photography purchases from previous years received a lot of interest and comments. The somewhat amusing thing looking back at those lists, is that I have since sold some of the equipment - I either upgraded, side-graded ... or changed direction. Such is the fluid nature of photography technology, and also running a photography business. Things change. Similarly, this year, there were several pieces of photo gear that I bought that I hope will make a difference. Well, better than just "hope", I plan on them making a  Read more inside...

Outdoor photo session with kids, using off-camera flash

December 4, 2016 Neil vN 25 Comments

Outdoor photo session with kids, using off-camera flash

When I posted photos from this session on FB, there were questions about the lighting (and whether I had used off-camera flash), as well as camera settings. There were also questions about which lens I had used for this sequence - whether it was perhaps an 85mm lens. The surprise perhaps might be that this isn't out of the ordinary from how I usually approach a photo session - Checklist for portrait photography on location. A systematic way to make sure I get images that look really good. With kids being their  Read more inside...

How to get a blurred background in photos

August 9, 2016 Neil vN 4 Comments

How to get a blurred background in photos

Somewhere at the start of the adventure that is photography, a newer photographer will soon realize that having your subject stand out from the background, really gives the photo a near-3-dimensional effect. Your subject just pops out with the background blurred. The question of how to get blurred backgrounds in photos, is easily answered. There are two ways to blur the background in a photography - In-camera (i.e., optical) vs Photoshop. Doing it in Photoshop is in my opinion, a boring way to spend an afternoon when you could be out  Read more inside...

Gelling flash for Incandescent light / Tungsten light

February 18, 2016 Neil vN 39 Comments

Gelling flash for Incandescent light / Tungsten light

The color temperature of the light from a flash / speedlite is around 5400K. While the actual numerical value might have little meaning to many photographers, it does mean that light from a flashgun will look a lot cooler than the light from an environment would with tungsten/incandescent light. That warm glow of tungsten light, which is around 2800K but varies a lot in actual value, makes the flash appear too cold, or too blue. However, if you simply adjust your white balance so that the flash appears neutral, your background  Read more inside...

Personal photography projects & goals for 2016

January 3, 2016 Neil vN 13 Comments

Personal photography projects & goals for 2016

While I was compiling my list of Best photography purchases of 2015, I went back to another post from a year ago - Personal photography projects for 2015 - and I realized I had done none of these. None. Zip. Mostly, it is that in the quieter winter months it is easier to plan these things ... and then as the new year progresses, work and commitments escalate. I simply ran out of time and opportunity to do these things - or became involved with other projects and events. Some of these ideas mentioned in the 2015 post, transpired  Read more inside...

Best photography purchases of 2015

December 15, 2015 Neil vN 54 Comments

Best photography purchases of 2015

Last year's post on the best (and worst) photography purchases turned out to be quite popular. So many responses! Some needed to vent a bit, and also declare their love for favorite pieces of photo gear. In the same way, looking back over this past year, I'm sure you too are happy with some of your purchases, but inevitably, there will also be those purchases you regret. For myself, this was the year I decided I was going to calm down a bit with buying new gear - but then, plans change. Looking towards expanding what I do, I had to acquire some  Read more inside...

Your camera doesn’t matter – except when it does

July 8, 2015 Neil vN 6 Comments

Your camera doesn't matter - except when it does

Your camera doesn't matter - except when it does

There's this specific narrative that gets pushed that your camera and photo gear don't matter all that much. That it is your imagination and your eye that counts for the most. Perhaps, perhaps ... but without the necessary gear to enable what you're trying to capture, you're lost. It seems so self-evident. I would even insist that you need photo gear that are better than your abilities - this way you're not constrained by your equipment. With this performance by Team Circus which they asked me to photograph for them, I had to  Read more inside...

Why use a high-resolution camera?

June 11, 2015 Neil vN 31 Comments

Why use a high-resolution camera?

The Nikon D810 (affiliate) is a camera that surprised me for how much I liked using it. The high resolution of this camera was a drawback for me initially. But it had very responsive AF. Also, super-crisp images because of the improved sensor and due to the lack of the anti-aliasing filter. Ergonomics. (I have big hands.) But I didn't anticipate that I would love the D810 as much as I do. For a long while though I kicked against the idea of using a camera with a very high resolution. But then the Nikon D810 convinced me. There's a story  Read more inside...

Engagement photo sessions: Posing, lighting & context

May 27, 2015 Neil vN 20 Comments

engagement photo sessions: posing, lighting & context

Engagement photo sessions: Posing, lighting & context

I love this photo! I also like how it came together. This was within minutes of meeting DaWeon and Toban for their engagement photo session in Philadelphia. We had only chatted on Skype before. Embarrassingly enough, I arrived late to the meeting place for their engagement session through my misunderstanding about the address. No excuses there. But it did mean I had to work fast - the setting sun was lighting up the Philadelphia skyline, and I had to nail a series of photos very quickly. DaWeon and Toban had said they  Read more inside...

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