using two video lights
using two video lights for photography
Video lights as a way of lighting still photography portraits is something that I've mentioned more often on this blog of late. When the subject and setting is such that a more dramatic way of lighting would work, then I quite often use video lights. This image is from the recent workshop in Philadelphia, and someone held a single video light to the right and above me. The angle that the light should be held at, is guided by how I want the shadow under her nose to appear. I prefer the shadow to appear as loop lighting or as butterfly Read more inside...using direct off-camera flash
using direct, bare (un-modified) off-camera flash
I had the opportunity to meet up with a fellow South African photographer, Jaco Fourie, who was visiting New York for a few days. I knew Jaco's work from some of the forums that he posts on, and his work with flash was invariably quite impressive .. so I looked on this as a great opportunity to see another photographer work and learn from him. I arranged for two models, and we met up in Manhattan for these photo sessions. Jaco specifically wanted scenic views of Manhattan, and incorporate the model as part of the urban Read more inside...bounce flash photography – short lighting
bounce flash example - short lighting
Having just finished the second of the two workshops here in Cork, Ireland, I feel unusually energized after the two busy days. Partly because the two workshops ran very smoothly, (courtesy of Liam Ramsell who coordinated these workshops), but also because I had two groups of genuinely nice people. On top of that, I am just enamored of the country and its people. I love it here! But back to the photography: The image above is of our one model, Noreen, and was taken during the practical session at a photography workshop in Cork, Ireland, Read more inside...Metering for off-camera flash? – start with the ambient light!
Metering for off-camera flash? - start with the ambient light!
In the tutorial on balancing flash with ambient light, various scenarios are listed in where we start with our camera settings. My advice is that we invariably have to start with the ambient light. That will anchor our decision to an extent, and will determine how the final image looks. This photo is from a photography workshop I presented in Birmingham, UK in 2009. In the afternoon session we used softboxes with manual flash to photograph the two models. And yes, the models did indeed stop the pedestrian Read more inside...Video light portrait
A portrait of Amy, one of our models at the recent workshop in Brighton, UK. Here we used a single video light on her. I love the dramatic quality the light imparts, and how you can flag the light with the barn-doors to create a specific fall-off to the light in the background. The strong vignetting helps in giving it that dramatic look. In figuring out the direction of light, and how to place the video lighting, I am largely guided by way the shadow of the subject's nose is falling across her face. I then direct the model and the person who holds the light, to move slightly if Read more inside...
NYC photo sessions – Sarah & Mark
New York photo session - Sarah & Mark
I have already posted several images from the extended photo session with Sarah and Mark - but here is the epic video. The intention with these photo sessions was to expand Sarah's portfolio as much as we could. We started off at Coney Island, doing a session with Sarah and Mark at the edge of the beach with Sarah in swimwear .. and from there it went into more of a lifestyle shoot with the two of them on the boardwalk. Later on we had Sarah run towards the camera in sportswear. But we rained out with a massive thunderstorm rolling in Read more inside...the progression of an idea ..
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