Video tutorial: On-camera bounce flash photography
I finally put together the really, REALLY big tutorial about on-camera bounce flash photography. It's an entire workshop. This is a long one. An hour's worth of material. It's going to require a bit of stamina.
If you prefer Youtube : Bounce Flash - That one thing you need to know.
Related to this video, is this video where we discuss how Bounce flash photography & The Inverse Square Law interrelate. There's something interesting and unexpected happening there.
And if you are new to the "Black Foamie Read more inside...
With a headshot / business portrait photo session in Manhattan with Yana, we spent most of the time outside, using the New York cityscape as an out of focus background. But then we also had access the library / lounge area of the apartment complex Yana lives in.
The outdoor session was mostly the ambient light outside, with some fill-flash from an off-camera flash. The B10 was more than powerful enough to work with the existing light like that.
Profoto B10 flash (B&H / Amazon)
Profoto OCF Beauty Dish Read more inside...
The two things that immediately stand out about the Tamron 35-150mm f/2 - f/2.8 (for Sony) (B&H / Amazon), just by looking at it:
The focal length range: 35-150mm is an incredibly useful range for photographing people.
The fast maximum aperture. A surprisingly f/2.0 at 35mm, going to a very usable fast f/2.8 as you zoom in.
This would immediately make it an ideal one-lens option that would cover to many different photo sessions. I show some examples lower down in this review, which include engagement Read more inside...
We all started out with a light-weight tripod as our very first tripod. Most likely then after several uses, and budget allowing, you upgraded to a much sturdier tripod. If you've ever struggled with a light-weight tripod, you know exactly why. And then the occasion strikes where you realize at times you also need a really tall tripod. Then the options become fewer. It's that intersect between affordable, robust, easy to carry ... and really tall. Nothing else will suffice. For this kind of situation, I got the Robus RC-0888 carbon fiber Read more inside...
I had an interesting headshot photo session in the studio this afternoon. The brief from the company was oddly specific about which #Profoto light modifiers need to be used, and the power settings and angles and position, etc.
As it would happen, when they contacted me and sent over the brief, I was all, "Sure, I have all of that." Because, you know, I do.
I'm always keen on reverse engineering photos anyway, to figure out the lighting -- but in this case they made it easy with the diagrams and notations.
The company is Read more inside...
This video tutorial on timelapse photography covers a lot of ground, including the cameras and other gear I currently use. We cover an entire range of techniques you need to know to get started with time-lapse photography. Most importantly perhaps is the section on getting smooth motion in your timelapse videos. There's a specific formula or algorithm in getting timelapse footage that is smooth, and not jittery. It's all in the choice of Frame Interval.
This is covered thoroughly in the video, but it might help if it is written out where time can be Read more inside...
One of the limitations for me about the Sony A1 (Amazon / B&H), was that I couldn't select a smaller size RAW file than 50 megapixels ... until now. Sony changed that with the release of firmware 1.30 and now there are two further options than the 50 mpx full RAW file. You can now have Medium RAW (21 mpx) and Small RAW (12 mpx). There were immediate reports that the smaller RAW files, don't have as much leeway for recovering blown highlights. With this video, I wanted to get a clearer idea of what we are up Read more inside...
Finding a solution for poor low-light auto-focus with mirrorless cameras
As much as I love all the advantages mirrorless cameras offer, at this point there is still a serious flaw in my experience - the low-light autofocus response just isn't as solid as the top-end DSLRs. The autofocus capabilities of my Sony A1 (Amazon / B&H) as amazing as it is in proper light, just isn't a match for my Nikon D5 when it comes to low light levels with low contrast. As the current technology is, mirrorless cameras have a hard time seeing the AF-assist beam from an on-camera Read more inside...
Studio lighting ideas : learning from other photographers
One of the cool things about renting out my studio to other photographers, is that I get to see how they work, and what they do differently in terms of their lighting, and how they work with their subjects. During the past 2 days, I had Jason Buff in my studio where he presented his masterclass workshop on his style of portraits. Jason specializes in studio portraits with a painterly quality. He was kind enough to invite me to take a few photos as well. I didn't take the photograph much further in terms of his style of Read more inside...
Facebook -vs- your own website and online presence
I just had a 30-day ban handed to me for "human exploitation" because of this comment in a Facebook group where we were discussing workflow.
A friend got a 24-hr ban from Facebook because she mentioned the killer lasagna she made.
The lesson here for photographers and other business people -- do NOT rely on any Social Media platform as the only way to have your work seen. You HAVE to maintain your website.
The ban was reversed later the same day, but there is always a risk that your appeal will be disregarded on something Read more inside...
