When I was contacted by Judge Caposela's daughter about possibly doing a portrait of him, I knew I would have to create a portrait that has some visual weight. It would have to show the dignity and character associated with his standing. Even more pressure when she told me that a B&W version would be framed and all hang in the entrance of the rotunda in the Passaic County courthouse. The days preceding this photo session, I worked out in my mind what I would do for the lighting. I wanted somewhat dramatic lighting, but also very flattering. I wanted the lighting to show the gravitas, Read more inside...
Studio lighting example for pet portraits
Studio lighting example for pet portraits
Rosa who I have photographed before as model, also lives out her love for cats as a catsitter. (Check out her Instagram page). She brought her cat, Happy, in to the studio for a few portraits ... but Happy had definite opinions about that! My career as a photographer of cats seems to be off to a somewhat shaky start! He was just being a typical cat - adorable, but with a mind of his own. In setting up the lights, one of my main considerations, just like it would be when shooting on location, is to make sure I have a background that Read more inside...Dance photography – studio lighting setup
Dance photography - studio lighting setup
Before we even start discussing this specific studio lighting setup, I might need to quality if by saying this is but one lighting setup of many, many possibilities. The consistent idea behind this (and other lighting setups), is that the lighting should be dynamic -- and have that interplay between light and shade that really flatters the dancer, and enhances the mood of what you are trying to capture as the photographer. Ideally you don't want your lighting to be flat - for me, there has to be at least a little bit of drama to the Read more inside...How to dramatically change your studio lighting with a gridded stripbox
How to dramatically change your studio lighting with a gridded stripbox
I have posted before about one of my most favorite light modifiers in the studio - a gridded Profoto 1’x6’ strip-box (B&H / Amazon). It is a surprisingly adaptable light source in how you can swivel it and tilt it and rotate it. This tall stripbox gives a soft light, but highly directional. Once you realize you don't have to use stripboxes in a strict vertical position, a lot of options open up. For example: Using a gridded stripbox as the main light (model: Claudia) Profoto: Read more inside...studio lighting : gridded stripboxes and gels
Studio lighting : gridded stripboxes and gels
Working with Uncured, doing promotional photos of the band members. They wanted a variety of photos in the studio, but with a dramatic look and with splashes of color. With that in mind, we kept the lighting consistent ... but changed out the gels for the various sequences. The idea was to get a variety of looks in terms of the colors and how the light fell ... and be able to make the changes quickly, without requiring long setup times. The pullback shot will show the lighting setup: -- Two lights high up against the background to Read more inside...Colorful, dramatic portraits in the studio with continuous / LED lights
Colorful, dramatic portraits in the studio with continuous / LED lights
It was a thrill to work with the band Uncured on their promotional photos. They are focused! I expect them to break out and be huge. During this photo session we mostly worked with the usual Profoto flashes I have in the studio. The brief was to create dramatic photos of the band. I used gridded stripboxes which were gelled. This gave the desired effect. (I will post some of the images in a follow-up post here.) But for one sequence of photos (of which three images are shown here), I changed it up with some Read more inside...Studio photography : Improvising on lighting setups
Studio photography : Improvising on lighting setups
Declan in the studio. This kid, only 8 years old, brought the suaveness and confidence of James Bond to the photo session. It was quite a treat to work with someone so young, but who had specific ideas of how he wanted to present himself, to the extent that this was somewhat of a collaboration. camera : Sony A1 (Amazon / B&H) lens : Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM ii (B&H / Amazon) lighting: lots of Profoto gear of course. See the description below for the setup. Read more inside...Dance photography – studio lighting with dramatic shadows
Dance photography - studio lighting with dramatic shadows
Jaqlin and I wanted to create photos in the studio that captured the sheer power in her dance movements. It took several tries for me to get her at the peak of her jump. The lighting here is very simple — a single Profoto B1x 500Ws flash (B&H / Amazon), and the Profoto Magnum reflector (B&H / Amazon). With the flash high up on a light-stand in the studio, I wanted it to simulate hard sunlight, with the shadow of Jaqlin, the dancer, being part of the design of the image. The shadow has Read more inside...Headshot Photography : adapting the lighting setup
Headshot Photography : adapting the lighting setup
With headshot photography in the studio, there are several setups such that consistently give great, repeatable results. One such lighting setup is Clamshell Lighting, for example. The results are always solid. Just looks great. In this link with articles on headshot photography, you can read up about some of these lighting setups. While I alway enjoy working with clients to give them outstanding headshots and business portraits, it is an extra bit of fun when I meet a client who wants something extra. Something a little different Read more inside...Creating dramatic studio lighting with Profoto A2 flashes
Creating dramatic studio lighting with Profoto A2 flashes
Profoto has created an entire system of portable lighting with accessories around their Profoto A2 flash (B&H / Amazon). I had the rare opportunity to connect again with one of my favorite models, Erin Leigh Pribyl, for a photo session in my studio. Even in this short video clip, you'll get a sense of her personality. With this, I wanted to create dramatic portrait lighting with a hint of the old Hollywood Glamor lighting, but with color instead of B&W. In this video is a glimpse of how I built up 4 Read more inside...- 1
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