fotolog

Core Knowledge: Working With Remotes

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0200

There are two things you should always remember about radio remotes:

One, radio can be fickle. This is true whether you are using your time-honored PocketWizards or a brand new Chinese offering.

Two, radio waves -- and success with your remotes -- are all about the physics. So a little knowledge can go a long way toward ensuring good range and reliability.

Some basics that every lighting photographer should know, inside. Read more »

Tyler Stableford: Dispatches From the Underground

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0200

Aspen, Colorado-based photographer Tyler Stableford generally shoots action and adventure, most of it aboveground. But this shoot for Timberland PRO would send him a half-mile deep into the earth.

That far down, before adding light it is absolutely pitch black. As in, you cannot see your hand in front of your face. And the lights the miners use while extracting coal there aren't much friendlier -- low-level, and a mix of tungsten and fluorescents.

So Stableford shot the entire campaign working on the edge of the quality envelope, and lighting with only a few speedlights. Read more »

Vent d'hiver

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:36:01 +0200

Une journée venteuse au Bas-Saint-Laurent. Saint-Donat, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Québec

Q&A: Dealing with Glare from Dark Wood Backgrounds

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0200

Reader Jefferson, from California in the US, asked via Twitter:

"How do you deal with glare on dark wood in background for portraits? Is this covered in Lighting 101 or 102?"

Actually, it is covered in L102, if a little obliquely. And yes, pretty much any time you light into dark wood as a background you are gonna get some blowback.

But rather than look at this as a problem, I prefer to think of it as a feature… Read more »

Ono Shouichi: The Spirit of a Century

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:30:00 +0200

Photos © Ono Shouichi

By Irwin Wong --Multi-light setups, gear reviews and lighting tricks are all worthwhile food for thought. But when people are looking back at your life’s work, will you be remembered for your lighting or for what you tried to tell the world with your camera?

In a long-spanning portrait series, Tokyo-based editorial photographer Ono Shouichi has (to date) photographed two hundred Japanese centenarians. The lighting, while there, is subordinate to the message. As it should be. Read more »

QA: Down the Phase One Rabbit Hole

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:10:00 +0200

There were a few misconceptions (and a LOT of questions) that popped up in the comments after I wrote about ditching the D4 for a used Phase One camera and back.

Videos, answers to Q's and some specific things that convinced me to make the jump, inside. Read more »

Kodak Files for Bankruptcy

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:27:00 +0200

On the day when just about every photographer over 30 pauses to consider Kodak's filing for bankruptcy, a video. The once-dominant company obviously knew it was already in trouble at this point, but still came out swinging in a refreshing appeal to the future.

Considering this was made in 2006 (and how quickly things have happened since) the video was pretty darn prescient. In the end, all of these things did happen. Just without the need for Kodak.

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On Assignment: Dude for LumiQuest

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:31:00 +0200

I shot the original ad for the LumiQuest Soft Box III back in 2008, using a pre-production sample. I love that light mod, and use it all of the time. So when Quest Couch asked me to shoot a second version and left the subject matter up to me, I started looking for a subject. Read more »

Gulf Photo Plus 2012 is Live: See You in Dubai

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 04:35:00 +0200

The best part about facing the oncoming winter in Maryland is knowing I am gonna bail for a week of 80-degree days in Dubai at Gulf Photo Plus. It's my favorite annual photo event of all, and the only teaching gig I am planning for the whole year.

Heisler's coming back. Dave Burnett is coming. Martin Prihoda, too. And of course many of the regulars will be there. On top of that, I'm especially excited to be teaching a completely different set of classes this year. Read more »

Levée de soleil en hiver

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:21:01 +0200

Neigette, Saint-Anaclet-de-Lessard, Bas-St-Laurent, Québec

Levée de soleil en hiver

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:21:00 +0200

Neigette, Saint-Anaclet-de-Lessard, Bas-St-Laurent, Québec

A Few Pointers on Beauty Photograph

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0200

Ed. Note: For obvious reasons, do not try this at home without using extreme care. I'll say it again: do not try this at home without using extreme care. Seriously, kid. You'll put your eye out. -DH

Photos ©Ludovic Taillandier

By Sara Lando -- Paris-based photographer Ludovic Taillandier (NSFW-ish) specializes in advertising, fashion and beauty. (And occasionally, apparently, novelty electronics.) Today, a look at the making of his futuristic Tronized Beauty series. Read more »

BTS: Time Magazine's Protesters

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:36:00 +0200

Seldom do we get such a long-form look at the production of what is quickly becoming an iconic group of photos. The BTS video below is of Peter Hapak's assignment to cover the world-wide protester phenomenon in 2011, for the Time cover story in which they were collectively named Person of the Year.

I have watched it several times now -- as a journalist, a photographer, a lighting guy and certainly as a human.

There's a lot to learn. Read more »

Paysage d'hiver

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 18:39:00 +0200

Padoue, Bas-St-Laurent, Québec

Bailing on the Nikon D4

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:36:00 +0200

Apologies for slightly off-topic post. But given my gear path to date, this is not exactly one I was gonna slip under the rug. I think every long-term photographer has an interesting and very personal journey leading to their current gear bag. Here's mine.

It was almost 30 years ago, but still remember the first day I stepped into the Nikon pro flagship line. At the time I owned a Nikkormat FTN, a 50/2 and a 200/4. And then I saw the ad in the classifieds of the Eustis News. Some guy was selling a Nikon F, with a full bag of pro lenses, for like $600. I couldn't afford it.

But my friend and fellow photographer John Ashley was also a young Nikon shooter, having gotten a job at the local Leesburg Daily Commercial right out of high school. And he was looking for some gear, too.

As luck would have it our needs were almost complimentary. So we pooled our money (mine from mowing lawns) and bought the bag together, divvying up the spoils. I forget all of the split details, but I think I walked away with a 24/2.8, a 105/2.5, a 300/4.5 -- and a Nikon F body. It was the happiest day of my life up to that point. I now owned a Nikon flagship camera and bag of lenses -- if only the 13-year-old versions.

Since then I have worked as a photojournalist with the F2, F3, F4 and F5 before switching to digital. Then it was the D1, the D2 and D3. So the decision to switch horses rather than go with the D4 was a big deal for me. Read more »

Layer Slayer Dave Hill Peels the Onion at Valio Con

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0200

More than a few of you can kiss your productivity goodbye for the next hour. From a tech/creative conference last summer comes this long-form video of a presentation by LA-based photographer Dave Hill.

It's a straight video grab from the conference room, so there is no contrast in the images. But still, great stuff. In the full-length vid after the jump, Dave talks about bootstrapping, five-finger optical discounts at prop shops, hand drawing curly beards on dudes in Photoshop and even his very first composite portrait. Read more »

Bonne année 2012

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:31:23 +0200

Padoue, Bas-St-Laurent, Québec

Bonne année 2012

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:31:00 +0200

Padoue, Bas-St-Laurent, Québec

Lighting in the Wild

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0200

Living at the edge of the woods is like living next to a zoo. We get a nonstop stream of animal visitors, perhaps none more majestic than this eight-point white-tailed deer.

Mature bucks are notoriously very crafty and skittish. That's how you live long enough to be a mature buck. But this guy visits us regularly, and has become a little more acclimated to the sound of my shutter release.

Enough so, that I am starting to plan how I am going to light him … Read more »

Tour

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:23:00 +0200

Photo d'archive, France 2010.Vannes, Bretagne, France

Another Year Passes in a Flash

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 18:01:00 +0200

The last week of the year is special, and one to be taken advantage of. I spend it balancing time between family/friends and looking back at the past year while preparing for the next one.

There are some cool things lined up for 2012 already, but today's post is about looking back. Herewith, the favorite posts of 2011 -- mine, and yours... Read more »

Sentier en couleur

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 03:06:44 +0200

Photo de mes archives, Mont-Comi, St-Donat, Bas-St-Laurent, Québec, automne 2009

Sentier en couleur

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 03:06:00 +0200

Photo de mes archives, Mont-Comi, St-Donat, Bas-St-Laurent, Québec, automne 2009

Shooting Holiday Lights, Redux

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0200

A lot of you have been tweeting or otherwise sharing the 2006 post on How to Photograph Christmas Lights (thanks!) so I thought it merited a refresh. Included are updated photos, tips on dealing with LEDs and a video that should totally make sense to your your point-and-shoot friends.

We are hunkered down and in full-bore holiday mode -- including, as seen above, a trip to cut down our tree the other evening. Strobist will be back the day after Christmas with the traditional end-of-year B.O.S. post.

Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays to all.

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Le 5e rang

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:21:04 +0200

Le 5e rang de CabotPadoue, Bas-St-Laurent, Québec

Le 5e rang

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:21:00 +0200

Le 5e rang de CabotPadoue, Bas-St-Laurent, Québec

Making a Case for the Beauty Dish

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0200

When posting on my four favorite soft light mods, I included a beauty dish but lamented the necessity of a dedicated case to keep it from getting scuffed up. Dishes aren't cheap to begin with, and neither are decent cases.

Problem solved... Read more »

Five-Digit Studio Flash Catfight: Broncolor vs. Profoto

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 10:21:00 +0200

As Profoto and Broncolor battle for supremacy in the high-end studio flash world, things are getting all like, "Rawrrr, nice sweater. Does it come in your size?"

And just like Lexus and Infinity luxury car ads, they each want to point out their being better in some measurable way. Witness this Broncolor-produced "real-world shootout"… Read more »

By: What have I been up to? || TrevorCarpenter.com

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:43:23 +0200

[...] Photowalking [...]

Brad Trent's In-Camera Digital Man

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:05:00 +0200

I didn't see this on Damn Ugly Photography (sorry Brad) until it was picked up by the Profoto blog, in itself a Damn Good Blog. (Especially when you consider it is run by a buncha tie-wearin' corporate weenies…)

Brad Trent's "Digital Man" was created in-camera with a mix of surprisingly simple lighting, some crucial on-axis fill … and a $10,000 light mod. Definitely worth a few minutes of lost cubicle productivity on a Wednesday.

: Brad Trent's Digital Man ::

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Construction

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 03:49:00 +0200

La construction d'une des tours à Rimouski.Rimouski, Bas-St-Laurent, Québec

Rewind The Flash Bus: Now on Video

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:09:00 +0200

Above: Flash Bus Busted, Phoenix, AZ

This spring, for reasons still largely unknown to the logical side of my brain, I signed on to a 42-day, 12,531 mile road trip.

It was not a decision taken lightly. On the one hand, we'd be getting up at oh-dark-thirty every morning after sleeping in a coffin-sized bunk on a moving bus. On the other hand, I'd get to hang out up-close-and-personal with one of the true legends of the photographic community. I am speaking of course of McNally's first assistant, Drew Gurian.

On April 6th, we pulled into the Pennsylvania Convention center in Philadelphia. By then we pretty much had our stuff together, and the bad jokes weren't getting any better. So we figured we should film it. Read more »

Q&A: Controlling the Sun When Using Flash - A Comparative Guide

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:58:00 +0200

After Monday's post lighting a soccer player into the sun at a wide aperture, several questions came up via comments and Twitter about the relative benefits of doing this in different ways.

Yes, there are different ways to do it -- namely ND, high-speed sync and special-chip cameras. Each method has advantages and disadvantages. The full how-to and scorecard, inside. Read more »

Read Strobist on Google Currents

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 02:55:00 +0200

With a dozen SB's and a shoe box full of AA's, Strobist is all about being mobile. Google has just launched their answer to Flipboard, and for those of you mobile readers who choose to download the app, the site is available on that platform.

The app is free for iOS or Android users, and you can download it here.

Once installed, hit the magnifying glass search icon at the bottom right of the app and search "strobist". It is only US on launch, but that should change soon enough.

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Soccer Through Sunset

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0200

Any time I am shooting an outside portrait and the start time is up to me, I am for an hour before sunset. The reason is simple: You know the light is gonna just get better and better until it is time to wrap it up.

That's exactly how it was with a shoot last week of local soccer standout Zach Johnson. But this time we veered away from the normal afternoon/sunset game plan a little. Read more »

Speedlinks: 'The Office' Edition

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0200

I'm still an old-school guy when it comes to developing projects. I like to keep my ideas on physical surfaces. And without whiteboards in The Cave, we revert to stickies. Like, everywhere.

Today's speedlinks are office-themed; one an actual shoot-in-a-boring-office solution and another to show what can be done with … a lot of stickies. Read more »

Dean Bradshaw: Putting the Pieces Together

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0200

Photos © Dean Bradshaw

"Photography has taken me to some amazing places and allowed me to meet people I would never have had the opportunity to otherwise meet," says Aussie transplant Dean Bradshaw, who now works in Southern California. "For me it has been a lifestyle and a way of interacting with the world more than just something I do to pay the bills."

Bradshaw said that he likes to think of photography as the intersection between art and real life. But that intersection doesn't always happen spontaneously. Usually it takes perseverance, serendipity, bootstrapping and an ability to pre-visualize the pieces of a photo before they ever comes together.

Case in point, the process of creating the image of a San Diego breakdancer, above. Read more »

Giving Back With Your Camera

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 07:00:00 +0200

It's Thanksgiving, a day when many people in the US will eat way too much food and then collapse on the couch to watch the Baltimore Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers on the teevee. (Heh.)

But thoughts of giving thanks often prompt thoughts of giving back. And there is a lot of collective talent among the readers of this site. So today, a bit of an open thread on ideas for giving back with your camera.

I'll start off with a few specific suggestions from my own experience, but I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Read more »

Parabolic Activity

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:04:00 +0200

Ever have a problem with onlookers nosey-ing around on a shoot?

Photographer Radu Dumitrescu (that's his voice on the tape) was shooting in an abandoned house in Bucharest, Romania when a couple of intrepid guys noticed flashing lights inside the house and decided to investigate. When they raised their cell phones to capture hard proof of the afterlife, Radu laid down on the remote trigger and gave them a show.

They only got one reaction on tape, but Radu said the guys repeatedly came back to the house only to be scared back off again by the flashes. Anyone who can have this much fun with a flash trigger is truly a man after my own heart.

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Learning to See Light

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0200

As photographers, we are pretty intuitive about recognizing interesting ambient light when we see it. But stick a flash and umbrella in our hands and we tend to default to much more standard styles of lighting -- especially at first.

In the real world, great light rarely comes from 45 degrees up and to the side. So if you want to be able to create more interesting light with your flashes, you should work to better recognize how ambient really works. This way, you can recreate those different looks when you are in control of the light. Read more »

Sony Users Finally Get Some Remote Trigger Love

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:07:00 +0200

I don't do a lot of reviews or gear announcements on this site, but I think the Sony version of the Strato II is notable just for the frustrating gap it fills for Sony users.

Sony's deciding to go with a nonstandard hot shoe has always left me scratching my head a little. As a result, there has been precious little third party gear support for plug-and-play off-camera lighting.

That just changed with the release of the Sony-specific version of the Phottix Strato II Multi remotes. By all accounts the standard hot shoe version of the remote is a decent performer, which bodes well for these units.

If you are a Sony user, hit the jump for specs and links. Read more »

Bucket List: A Visit to San Francisco and TWiT

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:07:00 +0200

This week I enjoyed my first-ever visit to the city of San Francisco, which is truly an amazing place. On the agenda was lots of hiking, plus trips to Google and Flickr. But I also traveled north to the picture-perfect small town of Petaluma, home of This Week in Tech.

I drove up there on Tuesday to appear on the TWiT Photo show. For those who missed it live (sadly, also missing the chance to heckle via the live chat room, heh) the archived video is after the jump. Read more »

Jumeaux

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:53:37 +0200

Les jumeaux à 4 semaines.

Jumeaux

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:53:00 +0200

Les jumeaux à 4 semaines.

Christian Colberg's Orchestrated Coworker Portraits

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0200

If you get the chance to visit Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore, take a moment to view the collection of portraits of BSO musicians on the wall. (Pictured above is violinist Yasouki Tanaka.)

The photos were done by one of their own, violist Christian Colberg. Shot with minimalist gear over the course of a summer, the project is a template for any amateur photographer with a day job doing something else. In other words, this is what can what can happen when you allow your vocation and your avocation to cross-pollinate. Read more »

Nick Fancher: Run-and-Gun with Hard Lights

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 07:00:00 +0200

Columbus, Ohio-based photographer Nick Fancher shoots for JackThreads, which means manic spurts of product, apparel and shoe photos. To that end he shoots guerilla-style, scrounging multiple locations and setups on the quick.

Which is no problem, as he travels light with RadioPoppers and speedlights, preferring to work without modifiers. This means he can light at modest ranges and easily match or overpower the sun as needed.

Check out the vid above, in which we follow Nick through a typical multi-product day of shooting. Neat stuff -- I like the multi hard-light look. He tends to crank the flashes to 105mm for extra punch, which also restricts the beam for a cool fall-off.

And if the name sounds familiar, Nick was featured a little ways back for his Mad Men-themed engagement shoot. If you haven't seen that, it's worth a look.

(Thanks, Mark!)

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Mains

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:42:00 +0200

Mains de grand-père et de petit fils.

A Flash of Inspiration: The Accidental Backlight

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0200

Strobist reader Philip Rasmusson, from Göteborg, Sweden sent me the above photo, along with a tweet asking:

"This totally happened by accident, with someone else's flash going off in the back. What do you think?"

Well, I can tell what you think, Philip. I think you like it, 'cause you were happy to claim it and stick a logo up on it. (Smart man.)

And any time a happy accident like this happens, bells should go off in your head. In particular, I can think of at least 5 bells going off right now… Read more »

Heinz Maier's Insanely Beautiful Water Droplets

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:28:00 +0200

For those of you who like to tinker around with the art of water droplet photography, the bar has just been raised. Significantly.

Using the hydraulic setup you see above, German photographer Heinz Maier captures the tiny slices of time in which multiple drops of falling water interact with each other.

The lighting tools, which are not shown here, are very simple: a small DIY cardboard softbox with two flashes (cutting the already fast t.1 times in half) some sample gels (complete with spindle holes, no less) and a lot of creative thinking.

The results look like complex glass sculptures… Read more »

Ciel d'automne

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:11:56 +0200

St-Donat, Bas-St-Laurent, Québec