An additional challenge when photographing dancers in movement, is the exact timing. That fleeting pose in mid-air needs to be captured at the exact moment when their feet, hands and the entire body is positioned in ideal way. Some advice about this was given in a previous article on photographing dancers - tips on photographing dancers and ballerinas - but much of it relies on constantly conferring with the dancer, who will know exactly what they want.
Ella is a dancer, with a delightfully confident personality - especially so for Read more inside...
Collaborating with other photographers, I am often involved as a kind of lighting tech, bringing along the necessary lighting gear, and setting it up as needed. With this Fitness photography photo session in the gym, I helped my friend Yasmeen who specializes in fitness photography here in NJ and New York. On this occasion, I arrange the lighting as needed for various setups she decided on. This is a large part of what I like about being involved on this end of a photo shoot - not just collaborating, but being problem-solving, Read more inside...
Late afternoon in New York, with the sun-light glinting off the glass buildings - dramatic light for a ballerina in an urban setting. However, the sunlight that was reflecting off the buildings wasn't consistent, and did not necessarily fall in a place where we could use it. So I created my own with an off-camera speedlight just out of the frame - but positioned so that it intentionally flared, and also gave beautiful rim-light on Viktoria.
The pull-back shot shows how the speedlight was set up, and my own position, low down on the ground, Read more inside...
When the Modern Gypsies asked me to photograph their one performance piece in a night-club in Manhattan, I wasn't sure what equipment to bring along. I tend to over-prepare and bring too much. You know, just in case. So I have a tendency to overload myself with gear at times. It's a discipline thing then to strip it down to just the essentials ... but still be flexible enough to accomodate a challenging situation.
The previous time I photographed them, I knew there would be a large prep room, so I could bring in extra gear such as Read more inside...
The video clip is a behind-the-scenes view (with some techie info) of the photo session with Ulorin Vex. This photo session was also the first time I tried out the Nikon D800, and I also got to play with my Profoto D1 studio light (500 Ws) (affiliate), for the first time. An exciting day. Read more inside...
A groom holding up the softbox for me ... as you may well guess, there's a story here. Alvin and Lucia are from the UK, but decided to get married in Central Park. Of course, there's a story here too. Read more inside...
I love doing engagement photo sessions because this allows me the opportunity to connect with my clients before their big day. Even more so, in that there's much less pressure and haste during this photo session than there'd be during the wedding day.
The engagement photo session is also a good opportunity to impress your clients with your photography. They did sign with you because they liked your style, but it's even better when they love the photos you took of them. Time to shine.
Their friends and family will also be Read more inside...
In the recent article, turning day into night, I described the thought-process of a photo sequence. Starting with an idea, we worked up to a photo that looked impressive. So that entails a few test shots, including one to show the couple what we're trying to achieve. Then we finesse it.
That's the usual process when coming up with ideas - it's a succession of photos, changing things up a bit until we have a few images that look really good and show the couple at their best.
But sometimes, the idea doesn't work.
It takes time for a photographer to Read more inside...
With the recent post on a few guidelines on posing people, I wanted to add the reminder that when photographing people, our final destination isn't just the posed photograph, but that we should try and capture something about our subject. Something about their personality, or showing some facet of who they are and their lives.
When photographing couples in particular, my accent is on photographing their relationship as well. In addition to the portraits of the couple, I want to show how they interact with each other - playfulness Read more inside...
photo sessions - Shawna - using a variety of photographic lighting options
Shawna is the delightful model I used while I was in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. She helped us out during the mini-workshops I offered, as well as some photos of my own. I've posted a few photos from these already, but thought it might be interesting to show a further selection of images and discuss them ... Read more inside...
