Tangents

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On-location photo session in New York – BTS video

October 2, 2015 Neil vN 23 Comments

On-location photo session in New York - BTS video

I met Marco when he attended one of my photography workshops - he is charismatic and with that photogenic ruggedness, I thought he'd be a great subject to photograph on location. He was visiting New York from Germany for a few days, and I asked if he would be up for a photo session. And here we are. With this photo session, I also wanted to try out something I saw Dani Diamond does - where he has an on-camera stabilized gimbal for his Go-Pro, to give a wider point of view from the photographer's perspective. A kind of  Read more inside...

Podcast interview: The Share-Inspire-Create Show

October 1, 2015 Neil vN 4 Comments

Podcast interview: The Share-Inspire-Create (SIC) Show

In this podcast interview with the Share Inspire Create Show, you get to see sleep-deprived me, with rings under my eyes and disheveled hair ... but we hit our stride in the interview fairly quickly. One of the main topics covered - how I pose models. I explain more about how I systematically and quickly adjust and build up a pose. Bonus: you can even see me strike a few elegant poses with my hands. There's a little bit about lighting in this podcast, as well as ... surprise! ... on-camera bounce flash photography.    Read more inside...

One thing you can do to improve your portrait photography

September 22, 2015 Neil vN 16 Comments

One thing you can do to improve your portrait photography

Possibly the most clichéd photographer's phrase next to "say cheese", is something about being more comfortable behind the camera than in front of the camera. We've all been there - that moment of discomfort when you have to be photographed. But I say it is time to confront this. You need to own it and become used to being photographed. Seriously. I would even go as far as saying that you have an obligation to your subjects and clients to be comfortable about being photographed. You need to know how to handle yourself in  Read more inside...

When to use high speed flash sync (HSS)

September 12, 2015 Neil vN 11 Comments

When to use high speed flash sync (HSS)

Let's cut straight to it - there are only two reasons you would need to use high-speed flash sync: to have an appropriately shallow depth-of-field, to have a sufficiently high shutter speed to freeze action. That's it. Just those two things. When you need shallow DoF, or a faster shutter speed than max sync speed, then you go to high-speed flash sync. What HSS doesn't do - it doesn't allow you to overpower the sun. When you go to from normal flash mode (at or below max sync speed), into high-speed flash sync, then you lose  Read more inside...

recap: NYC photo walks – photography workshop

September 7, 2015 Neil vN 7 Comments

recap: NYC photo walks - photography workshop

A fun addition to the photography workshops that I present, are the occasional Photo Walk in NYC. We roam a small area in New York with a model, and look for interesting views and places as background. There's no lecture style seminar, but I am there to answer any questions about lighting, posing and photography in general. I want these events to be informative and fun ... and for you to get some stunning images. More details about the Photo Walks: We travel light - no need to bring flashed and light-stands and tripods. Just a camera  Read more inside...

review: Sony Zeiss 135mm f/1.8 ZA lens

September 5, 2015 Neil vN 21 Comments

review: Sony Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm f/1.8 ZA lens

One of the pieces of photo gear that I have lusted after ever since the first time I saw it, is the Sony Zeiss 135mm f/1.8 ZA lens  (B&H / Amazon). That combination of the Zeiss name tag and the sweet f/1.8 aperture on the telephoto lens, predicted this would be a lens to experience. However, since I mostly shoot Nikon (and also have a small Canon system), and this is a Sony mount, it remained an unrequited love. Then I had a photographer in Germany, Thomas, asked about doing an personal workshop on flash photography  Read more inside...

Ultra-wide angle lenses with stabilization / vibration reduction

August 25, 2015 Neil vN 11 Comments

Ultra-wide angle lenses with stabilization / vibration reduction

The need for stabilization in the ultra-wide angle lenses, might appear to be a slightly redundant feature. After all, camera shake is less of a problem the wider your focal length. On a 16-35mm lens, it would really seem to not be that important. Now, I sometimes second-guess myself about what lenses I need. And what the gaps are in the lenses I have. The Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G (affiliate) is a modern legend, and I love it. But with the bulbous front element, it can't take filters. A polarizing filter and  Read more inside...

Posing and lighting technique

August 24, 2015 Neil vN 3 Comments

Posing and lighting technique - posing in relation to the lighting

When taking a portrait, the pose needs to suit the lighting. And vice versa, the lighting needs to be done in relation to the intended pose. Especially so when the lighting is dramatic. This is such a key idea - lighting and posing are tightly correlated. Started again: you pose the participants in relation to the light. You light the people you photograph, in relation to how you position the light. When lighting a couple, I tend to favor the woman in terms of flattering light. So in setting up a pose, the lighting  Read more inside...

First steps in shooting video with a stabilized gimbal

August 20, 2015 Neil vN 7 Comments

First steps in shooting video with a stabilized gimbal

[Testing out the Defy G2x gimbal, with a test run one evening in Times Square. Here is some of the (random) footage as I played with it to get a hang of its response and handling.] That smooth, fluid movement when shooting video with the camera moving, used to be the domain of cinema or higher-end productions because of the cost of the gear. Recently however, stabilized gimbals have appeared on the market around the $5,000 mark ... and then the more accessible, smaller units at around the $2,000 point. Suddenly, these items  Read more inside...

Wedding photography – products delivered to clients

August 17, 2015 Neil vN 14 Comments

Wedding photography - products delivered to clients

I often get asked what album company I use, and what other products I offer my clients. When I first set up my business as a wedding photographer, I was completely green when it came to branding, marketing, as well as the products I could deliver to my clients. Albums, prints, cards, canvases, and all sorts of deliverables I could offer. I was overwhelmed by all the options I found at the various photography trade shows. So many album companies and print labs. Without much of an idea of branding and consistency, this overwhelming  Read more inside...

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