What’s in my bag – lighting gear for headshots on location
What's in my bag - lighting gear for headshots on location
In one of the previous articles dealing with lighting gear for headshots on location - headshot photography lighting on location - I showed the need to be flexible. There I showed a number of the setups I have used, depending on the client's needs, and also dependent on where we are shooting. With this article now, I want to more specifically show the lighting gear I have in my lighting roller case - my usual minimum setup. As you might expect by now, my lighting choice is based on the Profoto B1 and A1 flashes. It is a Read more inside...Fitness photography – photo session in the gym
Fitness photography - photo session in the gym
Collaborating with other photographers, I am often involved as a kind of lighting tech, bringing along the necessary lighting gear, and setting it up as needed. With this Fitness photography photo session in the gym, I helped my friend Yasmeen who specializes in fitness photography here in NJ and New York. On this occasion, I arrange the lighting as needed for various setups she decided on. This is a large part of what I like about being involved on this end of a photo shoot - not just collaborating, but being problem-solving, Read more inside...On-location headshots
On-location headshots
With these on-location headshots of actor and TV presenter, Andy Peeke, there is a lot going on despite the apparent simplicity. The photos were done in a very short space of time - we rained out! So I had to work fast and still nail the images as intended. Also, - I wanted that out-of-focus city scene behind Andy, and I wanted it to appear bright. - The lighting, off-camera flash added to the ambient light, shouldn't intrude and make itself obvious. I wanted the light on him perfectly balanced with the way I intended the background to appear. - Unusual for Read more inside...Studio photo session: Yoga
Studio photo session: Yoga
With this portfolio shoot, we wanted to end up with sequences of photos that looked different enough - as if they were taken at different times, and even different locations. In between, Heather would change her outfits as well. We ended up with four distinctly different setups - two of which used studio lighting, and two which used available light only. With the two setups using studio lighting, the easiest way to make the lighting look different, was to use a big softbox or one setup (for softer light), and a gridded stripbox for another setup (for more Read more inside...Outdoor photo session with kids, using off-camera flash
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...Lighting an on-location photo session – Home Free
Lighting an on-location photo session - Home Free
I had another opportunity to do promotional photos for Home Free, the A Capella group. Some of the previous photo shoot was described in this article - On-location lighting problem solving. This time we met at another location - a farm which also doubled up as a reception venue. This offered us some outdoor areas, as well as a more barn-like area. From the art director and manager's description of what they wanted, as well as photos of the location, I knew that if I flat-lit this with large light sources, it would lose some of the Read more inside...People skills for portrait & wedding photographers
People skills for portrait & wedding photographers
The articles on the Tangents blog have focused heavily on the technical aspects of photography - lighting, posing, camera settings and such. But there is another essential ingredient for you as a photographer when you work with people - good social skills. This is invaluable - you can be a phenomenal photographer, but if you don't quite know how to make people immediately comfortable and trust you, then the photo shoot will not be as successful. With New York’s vibrant culture and the imposing architecture, it’s often a Read more inside...Photo shoot: On-location lighting problem solving
Photo shoot: On-location lighting problem solving (with Profoto)
When I photograph on location, many of my decisions on the technical stuff like camera settings and lighting, are based on common sense algorithms. Max flash sync speed, choice of aperture, and direction of light. That forms the basis of decisions, but just as often we, as photographers, have to adapt and go into problem-solving mode. Here's an example during a photo shoot where I had to come up with a different way of using my off-camera lights. It was a big deal for me when I was asked by the management of Home Read more inside...Lighting an on-location Fashion shoot
Lighting an on-location Fashion shoot
Bringing just the necessary photo gear and lighting gear to an on-location shoot, is balanced by the need to bring enough to cover any eventuality and possibility. A tough balance between risking not having the right gear, and being laden down with too much gear. I had the interesting opportunity to work with my friend Daniel Featherstone, and collaborate him with him on the lighting during his photo shoot for New York Fashion designer, SR1990. (The day-long photo shoot was at Opus 40, where I shot also some B&W infrared images during Read more inside...- « Previous Page
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