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Portrait lighting setup – Chiaroscuro

July 10, 2015 Neil vN 7 Comments

Portrait lighting setup - Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro is defined as the use of strong contrasts between light and dark - bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. Chiaroscuro in an Italian phrase meaning Light and Dark. Chiaro = Light; Scuro = Dark. In Film Noir, there are many examples of the use of Chiaroscuro, enhancing the mood. Here though, we're going to look at a straight-forward way of using Chiaroscuro as a lighting technique. This then becomes an easy starting point to experiment further. By adding planes that have a gradient between light and dark, you can enhance  Read more inside...

Your camera doesn’t matter – except when it does

July 8, 2015 Neil vN 6 Comments

Your camera doesn't matter - except when it does

Your camera doesn't matter - except when it does

There's this specific narrative that gets pushed that your camera and photo gear don't matter all that much. That it is your imagination and your eye that counts for the most. Perhaps, perhaps ... but without the necessary gear to enable what you're trying to capture, you're lost. It seems so self-evident. I would even insist that you need photo gear that are better than your abilities - this way you're not constrained by your equipment. With this performance by Team Circus which they asked me to photograph for them, I had to  Read more inside...

Dramatic lighting effects for portrait photography

July 3, 2015 Neil vN 5 Comments

dramatic lighting effects for portrait photography

Dramatic lighting effects for portrait photography  (model: Jessica Joy)

For this dramatic Hollywoord Glamor inspired portrait sequence of Jessica, I used two Litepanels Sola 4 LED Fresnel Lights  (B&H / Amazon). But there's more that happening here with the lighting than just the main light and the rim light. There is the splash of color in the background, augmenting the blue rim-light coming from behind. Jessica's reaction to the first test shot was amusing - a surprised,"where did that come from?", when she saw the image on the back of my camera. The blue tones and  Read more inside...

Best softbox for on-location headshot photography

July 1, 2015 Neil vN 3 Comments

on-location lighting gear for headshots and portraits

Best portable softbox for on-location headshot photography

I vary the lighting kit that I use for on-location portraits and headshot photography. It could involve multiple lights, or a single-light setup on location. My choice of lighting is most often decided by how complex it need to be, and the logistics of getting to the location and setting up. More than struggling with something, I detest the appearance of struggling with something. Let me explain - when working with clients, it all needs to appear smooth and efficient. Everything in place, and professional. No struggling  Read more inside...

Themes & context in Boudoir Photography

June 26, 2015 Neil vN 7 Comments

urban boudoir photography, NYC

Themes & context in Boudoir Photography - on the streets of NYC

The model in this striking image is my friend, Jessica, a boudoir photographer. Her pose is intentionally this strong and assertive. The concept here is part of an on-going project she had planned for a long while now. She had asked me to collaborate with her in taking the photos. The main idea behind the project (and these are my words and interpretation of what we had discussed) - women are objectified in society, but there is a disconnect in how people respond (or don't) to provocative posters and images of  Read more inside...

Why use a high-resolution camera?

June 11, 2015 Neil vN 31 Comments

Why use a high-resolution camera?

The Nikon D810 (affiliate) is a camera that surprised me for how much I liked using it. The high resolution of this camera was a drawback for me initially. But it had very responsive AF. Also, super-crisp images because of the improved sensor and due to the lack of the anti-aliasing filter. Ergonomics. (I have big hands.) But I didn't anticipate that I would love the D810 as much as I do. For a long while though I kicked against the idea of using a camera with a very high resolution. But then the Nikon D810 convinced me. There's a story  Read more inside...

Posing people: Tips for improving your portrait photos

June 8, 2015 Neil vN 12 Comments

posing people: tips for improving your portrait photos

Posing people: Tips for improving your portrait photos

Throughout the numerous articles on the Tangents blog, I'm often asked about how I go about posing people. I've described some of it in the article, adjusting a pose with incremental changes. Instead of a traditional way of posing, it's mostly a "feel" thing, looking at my subject and seeing if there are elements that could be better balanced. This studio portrait of a model, Adrienne, doesn't follow rigid guidelines of formal portraiture. Her shoulder is a little scrunched up, and her head is tilted to the side. Yet, to my eyes,  Read more inside...

New York cityscapes – B&W infrared photographs

June 5, 2015 Neil vN 9 Comments

NYC cityscapes – infra-red B&W photography

New York cityscapes - B&W infrared photographs

After a long hard winter and a slow warming up to summer (and a busy schedule), I finally squeezed some time to wander around New York City again with an infra-red B&W camera. I tried it out once during winter, but it just didn't work - without the sun and without heat, the images were dull and flat. Nothing there. Infra-red B&W needs bright light and contrast. Infra-red B&W photography seems dominated by landscapes where the trees and grass turn white, and the skies darker. But what I like about using this camera in  Read more inside...

How to overpower bright sunlight with on-camera flash

June 3, 2015 Neil vN 34 Comments

how to overpower bright sunlight with on-camera flash

How to overpower bright sunlight with on-camera flash

The photograph on the left shows one of the toughest lighting conditions you get to deal with. Your subjects are half in the sun / half in the shade ... and there is no way you could interrupt and change things in your favor. There is no way to have the flower-girls move. No way to bring in additional, off-camera lighting. You can't scrim the sunlight either with large reflectors. There are these times when your options are limited, but you still have to get the best out of this challenging situation. There is one viable option  Read more inside...

recap: Boudoir photography workshop – Albany, NY (2015)

June 2, 2015 Neil vN 3 Comments

recap: Boudoir photography workshop - Albany, NY (2015)

Teaming up with Genine Gullickson, one of the best boudoir photographers I know, we co-presented an all-day workshop in Feminine Portraiture and Boudoir Photography. The workshop was held in Genine's studio in Schenectady, NY on May 31st. We had two lovely modes, and two stylists who took care of make-up and hair styling. We had a fun group of 7 photographers who attended this workshop. Genine's place - Clique Studio - is a loft-styled studio offering a variety of backgrounds and settings. (This immediately made the images  Read more inside...

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