Sometimes photo shoots are just work; sometimes photo shoots are fun. Really fun. And then there are photo shoots that also feel like it's a privilege just to be a part of it. And fun! I had the opportunity to work with the Modern Gypsies during the past week. They are performance artists based in New York. I had met Michael Saab last year sometime while photographing an event, and we kept contact, with the idea of working together on some photo shoots, expanding their portfolio for their website. Above are two of my favorite photos of the initial part of the photo session. (Later Read more inside...
dynamic composition – changing your viewpoint (model – Carrie)
dynamic composition - changing your viewpoint (model - Carrie)
Near the end of the recent photo session with Carrie, I walked across the street to find another angle. Walking back, I noticed the sun just dipping behind the roof of this old train station. I thought it might flare interestingly if I caught the sun just on the edge there. The problem was that I had to step into the street a few times when there was a lull in the traffic. The angle was a tough one since I had to, or rather, wanted to keep my camera at ground level to shoot up. I wanted the flare, and I wanted this Read more inside...off-camera flash photography: positioning the softbox
off-camera flash photography: positioning the softbox
I've had a number of people ask for more pull-back shots during photo sessions where I use off-camera flash with a softbox. During this recent photo session in New York, with Christina and David, I did step back for a photo to include the softbox ... Read more inside...photography using the available light
photography using only the existing light
Instead of a photo session where I had to rely on off-camera lighting to give some color and snap to the photos, I want to show a photo session where I used no additional lighting or reflectors. Just the available light. This photo session was shot in same area as the previous one, but a week later with different light and a different couple, Kristy and Tom. They were just as great to photograph with tons of personality, making my work easier. But I still had to look for opportunity and great backgrounds. Using off-camera Read more inside...off-camera flash – bringing sparkle on a rainy day
using off-camera flash to give more snap to photos
Scheduling an on-location photo session, we are always left at the mercy of the weather. This Sunday the threat of rain turned into a real downpour just before the photo session with a couple, Jen & Chris, whose wedding I am photographing later on in 2011. During phone conversation while driving in, we agreed to just go ahead and work under the overhangs of various buildings if it should rain. When we started, it was still raining so we moved to certain spots where we were shielded from the rain. I could shoot towards the building Read more inside...background exposure and flash
flash photography - background exposure and flash
When I saw this dramatic sky with the approaching storm during our recent shoot at Coney Island, I knew I wanted to photograph our model against it. By the time I actually started taking photos, the raindrops were already spattering around us. So there was little time to work. I knew I wanted a brooding sky. Now, depending on how I chose my exposure, I could've had a much the sky appear much brighter, or just a little bit brighter than shown here. There's a whole range of possibilities in how I could've exposed for my Read more inside...it was one of those days ..
You know how some days you have the feeling that the day is just filled with all kinds of possibilities? Today was one of those days. I got to meet and hang out with someone's whose work I admire - Frank Doorhof. Frank is a fashion photographer from The Netherlands who is highly regarded for his lighting skills. He is currently visiting New York to present workshops on photography lighting. (In fact, there are still a few spots open for the Monday workshop.) A mutual friend, Richard Verlaque, arranged for us to meet, with the intention of us also doing a photo shoot, and possibly exploring Read more inside...
