Tangents

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Informal / candid portraits on the street – Applying what you know

May 15, 2015 Neil vN 2 Comments

informal / candid portraits on the street

Informal / candid portraits on the street - Applying what you know

New York City abounds with characters - interesting and colorful people. This is one of those constants if you're out on the streets in NYC, especially when taking photos or busy with a photo session ... or as in this case, during one of the individual photography workshops in NYC. This man approached us to sell his artwork ... and we ended up taking a few photos of him. With a few quick, automatic steps, the informal portrait is improved. I'm one of those people, who, if tourists in Times Square give me their  Read more inside...

Photographing portraits with a personal connection

May 5, 2015 Neil vN 6 Comments

photographing portraits with a personal connection

Photographing portraits with a personal connection

Of all the portraits I've taken over the years, this photo is one of those that I am most proud of - my friend Petra Herrmann. This photograph shows her strength as well as vulnerability. I'd mention her sense of humor, and her warmth and kindness .. but she'd just tell me to fuck off. So there's that. But it's true. She's a remarkable person and friend ... and I am glad she's going to be around much, much longer. Petra is a well-known boudoir photographer in Kansas City. Somewhere late in 2014, she was diagnosed with breast  Read more inside...

review: Best light modifiers for on-camera flash

April 30, 2015 Neil vN 55 Comments

review: comparing various light modifiers for on-camera flash

review: Best light modifiers for on-camera flash

Many of the tutorials and articles on the Tangents blog deals with getting the best from your on-camera flash. My approach has always been one of - what technique would give me the best light? Of course, there are so many different scenarios we could find ourselves in - so we have to adapt to where we are, and what we want to achieve. With on-camera flash, I've always pushed back against the idea of there being a single do-everything device that will make your flash photography look better. Specifically with light and lighting, We  Read more inside...

Scam – Domain name registration / SEO service registration

April 13, 2015 Neil vN 2 Comments

scam: domain name registration / SEO service registration

Scam - Domain name registration / SEO service registration

As if the e-mail scams aren't bad enough, they are now texting photographers with the same scam! But there is another scam that has been going around for years now - but it is so obvious that I doubt many people will fall for it. But just in case anyone has any doubt, or may be a touch too inattentive, this next one is also a scam - fake domain renewals / SEO service registration. If you have a website - and this means everyone - then you have received these emails, warning you to renew your domain. There are also  Read more inside...

Dramatic studio lighting: Using the beauty dish as a single light source

April 9, 2015 Neil vN 9 Comments

dramatic studio lighting: using the beauty dish as a single light source

Dramatic studio lighting: Using the beauty dish as a single light source

I love the forgiving nature of large light modifiers - you don't have such precision with a huge softbox as you do with a smaller, more contrasty light modifier.  But you also have less opportunity for dramatic light, as you do with smaller light sources. In line with the idea that a smaller light = harder light = dramatic light, I wanted to create a series of portraits that had a darker, moodier feel. Brian Calabrese, a photographer friend of mine, met up with me in my studio, and through various iterations  Read more inside...

review: Profoto B2 Off-Camera Flash – photo shoot

March 31, 2015 Neil vN 73 Comments

review: Profoto B2 Off-Camera Flash – photo shoot

review: Profoto B2 Off-Camera Flash - photo shoot

Over the years I have used a variety of off-camera lights on location shoots and at weddings, and have worked my way up from Dynalite and Quantum flashes (and speedlights), to the Profoto B1. The Profoto B1 (affiliate) has made such a difference for me in the ease of use, the speed of setting up, and the sheer power of 500Ws of light. I love my B1 flash. For example, here is how I used the Profoto B1 flash at a wedding. Profoto has now released the Profoto B2 250Ws Air TTL Flash, and it comes as two options: -  Profoto B2  Read more inside...

Portrait photography & Studio lighting – Influences & inspiration

March 27, 2015 Neil vN 5 Comments

portrait photography & studio lighting

Portrait photography & Studio lighting - Inspire your own style

I keep a folder of Inspiration images to which I often add interesting photos shot by other photographers. This serves as an ideas folder. There are hundreds upon hundreds of images. I add to this Inspiration folder, and I also discard images over time as my own style and what I want to work towards, form better shape. I might browse through this and see what sticks in my mind. Sometimes it is the amalgamation of ideas that lead to something new. Even when I try to emulate the style and lighting of an image, there  Read more inside...

Flash photography: applying the Sunny 16 Rule & Flash Guide Number

March 17, 2015 Neil vN 29 Comments

applying the Sunny 16 rule and the flash Guide Number

Flash photography: applying the Sunny 16 Rule & Flash Guide Number

In essence, if you know the GN of your flash, then you could use (bare) off-camera flash to match the sunlight, without even metering! There is a super-useful shortcut built into those two simple values: Sunny 16, and the Guide Number. Now, I am pretty sure that when you hear mention of the Guide Number of a flash, you're most likely switching off already, thinking that it is just an arcane list of numbers - different apertures against different power settings. But hang in there - this is very useful stuff  Read more inside...

Portrait photography: Show us a favorite or break-through photograph

March 15, 2015 Neil vN 67 Comments

portrait photography - favorite photograph

Portrait photography: Show us a favorite or break-through photograph

This photograph remains one of my favorites. It was taken circa early 90's during a studio shoot-out arranged by a camera club (CCJ) I belonged to in Jo'burg. In this photo, the models are waiting for their turn to be photographed in a studio setup, using studio lighting, as well as available light in the large studio. It was a candid moment, as I knelt in front of this model, Megan. For me, this was a transitionary photograph - I was at a point where I knew basic photography techniques. I read voraciously, and  Read more inside...

recap: Wedding photography workshop – Style & technique

March 14, 2015 Neil vN 20 Comments

workshop: wedding photography, style & technique

recap: Wedding photography workshop - Style & technique - April, 2015

In this wedding photography workshop, we will discuss real-world practical steps to help you develop and achieve a personal style in wedding photography. We will also discuss photography techniques, as well as topics such as posing and lighting. We will cover various other aspects that photographers can work on and develop, so that they aren't overwhelmed and daunted by the wedding day. Please note that this seminar is about the techniques and styles of wedding photography, and isn't a seminar on business  Read more inside...

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