Tangents

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Online video class: Portraits with on-camera speedlight

July 24, 2014 Neil vN 7 Comments

Online video class: Portraits with on-camera speedlight

There have been many requests for a video tutorial series or a kind of online workshop of the articles on the Tangents website. Working in conjunction with Craftsy - a company that produces professional looking online video tutorials on a number of topics - we created two video classes. The first class is Portraits with On-Camera Speedlight, and the follow-up class is a natural extension of that: Off-Camera Flash Photography. The online classroom has a platform where anyone who is subscribed can ask questions. So it is an  Read more inside...

review: Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS

July 22, 2014 Neil vN 22 Comments

review: Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS

With this wide-angle zoom, I felt like Canon redeemed itself. And you may well wonder why I have such a strong opinion about this. Well, my experience with Canon over the years has been a clouded one. A number of years back I moved back to Nikon again when I couldn't handle the Canon 24-70mm f2.8L going out of calibration every so often. Then, there was the untrustworthy AF performance of the Canon 1D mark III. In fact, I'm still waiting for Canon to send me an apology note for that camera. In fact, for all three bodies that I owned. But I digress  Read more inside...

Timelapse photography project – Commercial properties

July 17, 2014 Neil vN 11 Comments

Timelapse photography project - Commercial properties

Always busy, the most recent project that I was busy with, was for a client who had asked for a way to show their various commercial properties in a dynamic way. I had to help them show their warehouses and buildings in a non-static interesting way. I suggested time-lapse photography, and they accepted my proposal. With time-lapse I could create a video clip that is dynamic in a way that isn't possible with stills or even video. Above is a shortened version of the final project. I have created other time-lapse clips with my  Read more inside...

Posing technique – Adjusting a pose with incremental changes

July 14, 2014 Neil vN 8 Comments

Posing technique - Adjusting a pose with incremental changes

I'm not a huge fan of "flow posing" where someone is rigidly posed according to formula. I feel this doesn't allow as much for personality and individuality as a more organic approach. I much more prefer a low-stress approach where a pose is adjusted, to where it looks good, and looks flattering. This does mean that I have to find that balance between allowing "faults" and finessing a pose. Sometimes it just works better for the flow of a photo session to not micro-adjust to the point where your subject might feel it as  Read more inside...

Flash photography: questions & answers (FAQ)

July 9, 2014 Neil vN 41 Comments

Flash photography questions & answers (FAQ)

Looking at some of the questions about photography that appear via Google searches, I wanted to more directly answer some of the questions. This article is a selection of questions on the topic of photography, that I decided to amalgamate into one longer article.  Read more inside...

Studio photography – Image projection effects for creative backgrounds

July 7, 2014 Neil vN 10 Comments

studio photography - image projection effects for creative backgrounds

Studio photography - Image projection effects for creative backgrounds

Working with an idea in mind in the studio - a moody B&W portrait with a stylized cityscape as background. Using the Light-Blaster again in the studio, this final image was a progression of that idea. I knew I wanted to use the cityscape background of one of the metal gobos that came with the Light-Blaster kit. Because I wanted the final photograph to be black and white, I set my camera to Monochrome so that I'd have a good idea during the shoot what the final image would look like. Since I shoot in RAW,  Read more inside...

Wedding photography lighting – Shooting in partial sunlight & shade

July 1, 2014 Neil vN 22 Comments

Wedding photography lighting - Shooting in partial sunlight & shade

I strongly believe that when you have the ability to control a photo session, that you pick your battles. You don't have to try and make everything work. Set up portrait shots in light that favors you. Of course, off-camera flash really helps you in being able to pick where you want that light that favors you. Solid advice that I adhere to, is to not have a person or a group of people half in the sun, half in shade. It's a recipe for disaster, or a tough battle to fight, lighting wise. But then, slightly  Read more inside...

Will flash freeze movement at slow shutter speeds?

June 26, 2014 Neil vN 25 Comments

Will flash freeze movement at slow shutter speeds?

Does flash freeze motion at slow shutter speeds (in low light)? The answer is ... maybe. Perhaps. It depends. There are several factors which will determine whether flash will freeze motion at slow shutter speeds. It is difficult giving a definitive answer because it depends on the scenario. In short - if your subject isn't lit by much available light (with ambient light 4 stops or less than your flash exposure), then flash will freeze the action ... if there is no bright background. Probably. But it depends on the type of  Read more inside...

Studio photography – Working with a large Octa Softbox

June 22, 2014 Neil vN 4 Comments

Studio photography - Working with a large Octa Softbox

It was exciting when I equipped my studio last year with a variety of lighting gear - so much to choose from. A little kid in the toy store! I want everything. The decision obviously has to be made between various lighting items that are only slight changes from other, with little real world difference. And then there ia also lighting gear that is quite esoteric. I chose various gridded stripboxes and reflectors, in addition to the soft boxes and beauty dish that I had. Then I had my eye on an octabank - specifically  Read more inside...

Innovative product photography on a budget – Diver’s Chronograph

June 18, 2014 Neil vN 16 Comments

Tilo Gockel's photography on his website and in the Strobist FB group, always impresses. You also might know him as the author of superb books on flash photography. He is always pushing his own boundaries, coming up with images that surprise. From photograph of models, to the latest - product photography that excels. Tilo was kind enough to expand on the image, and explain how he set it up.  

Product Photography - Diver’s Chronograph

a guest post by  Tilo ~Gallo~ Gockel Hi everyone, I feel very honored that Neil invited me again to write a guest  Read more inside...

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