Well, that went fast. And not as I expected at all. Faster and crazier than planned, and it left little time for writing and posting. My sincere apologies on that. I am way behind my time on keeping the blog fresh, I am afraid, and will try to correct that this and next week.

Before we get on to the trip, there have been some wonderful posts on the net you should be aware of:

1. The ongoing controversy over Larry Lessig and the Creative Commons movement (I wont link). I am not a fan, to say the least. It seems like a transparent grab by large corporations to take the creative ownership from the creators to the distributors. Promises of glory and fame are empty and stupid. There is some more of the travesty that I believe Creative Commons is over at Burns Auto Parts. Leslie Burns is fighting the good fight, and read the comments to see how convoluted the language has become to deny value to what we do. Part One and Part Two. A follow up deconstruction of Lessigs ‘speech’ is here. A recent post does serve to remind us that Lessig plays fast and loose with the truth. Beware of Creative Commons and the incredible way it changes how we feel about art and the value we place on it.

2. Lots of questions about pricing at every workshop. Rob at A Photo Editor has a fantastic post on working with magazines. Day Rates and Space Rates can be confusing to those who are not familiar with them, but it is the way many magazines determine the fees for photography.

3. Keep up with Robert Wright, a New York photographer at his blog. Postings are sporadic, but the content is creative and a good insight into the life of an editorial photographer in New York.

4. James Danziger has a little blog that is quite interesting. He is an fine art photography gallery owner and a staunch advocate for photographers. Check the site out and say hi.

5. Looks like the call has gone out once again for “Certification” of photographers. Absurd, elitist, knee-jerk-stupid and sad. In professions where measurable outcomes can be defined, and where health and safety are at risk, certification is important. I don’t want writers to be certified… painters, sculptors, poets and photographers. Here is a post I wrote about the nonsense. And, a follow up one for fun.

Fight the urge to become automatons and komrades. Ask yourself who certified the certifiers? What aesthetic do they bring to the decision of whether or not another photographer is ready for the show? Who decided that the test would be able to determine excellence in vision? In art, the end product is the thing… and there are so many wonderful approaches to the creation and enjoyment of the work. Adding a layer of bureaucracy on top of it simply diminishes the relevance, and creates a draw to the center – the ‘good enough’ mediocre arena of banal.

I know some really bright people who have no degrees. And I know some pretty freakin stupid people with a whole wall of degrees conferred on them by other people with walls of degrees. Reminds me more of incest than excellence. Passing a test doesn’t mean anything other than you can pass a test. Fear creates this kind of thing. Busting your ass to create great work is a catalyst to the fear. Choose that instead.

Now on to New York:

I arrived with plans on visiting the city a day earlier than the workshop start. Didn’t work out. BTW, if you are looking for a ride from say, La Guardia to Secaucus (16 miles) and get a page that offers a flat rate… ask for confirmation on what that includes in the flat rate. Flat Rate means flat rate… in ‘car service’ land it means a sort of maybe estimate. My flat-rate $80 ride was actually $155. But, hey… close enough I guess. Thank goodness that was the only glitch and it happened the first day.

Friday evening we met most of the workshop attendees in Penn Station at the TGI Fridays. A truly great group of people who were excited to learn and work with lighting. We hung out and chatted for a few hours and then hit the train back to Jersey.

Weekend workshop was great. We had a fantastic studio to work in. Guler Ugur Studio, (646 319 6777), is a nicely appointed 1600 Sq Ft Studio in the Photo District on 20th Street. Nice natural light and amenities to make it well worth considering if you are looking for rental space in NY City. Tell them Don Giannatti at Lighting Essentials recommended them and they could be even more accommodating. Depending on availability. 6th floor with elevator and security entrance. Rent full or half days.

Shooting spilled out onto 20th Street and we hit Union Square for some great late day light. The students were attentive and creative, and the talent was amazing. Thanks to all who attended.

Monday we did some tourist stuff starting with a trip to B&H. Charles, my compatriot for the week, needed a B&H fix, and we wandered around that place for quite awhile. If you haven’t been there, it is really amazing. I saw some lighting gear that I liked a lot… probably going to add to the arsenal… heh. (Yeah, even a non-gearhead can still love gear… ya know.)

We then hit the MOMA for a look at their photography on exhibit there. On the third floor the show, Pictures by Women: A History of Modern Photography, was amazing. Wonderful imagery. Oh. and the small Irving Penn show in the lobby was really wonderful.

But of course, the real reason for our visit was the totally incredible “Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century”, April 11–June 28, 2010. One of the masters of our medium.

There are 300 images there, one of the largest photographic exhibits I have ever seen. Works that were familiar (the Bicyclist) and those that were not, carefully shown in a timeline/geographic display that was simply breathtaking. One of the myths that Bresson’s work seems to carry is that he only photographed those people who were unaware of his camera. Wow, is that put to rest. There are posed and attentive subjects in many of the photographs and they were as wonderful as the “Decisive Moment” work that is more well known. If you are anywhere near NY, you should take the time to visit.

On a personal note… it was really terrific to be in an art museum that was freeekin packed! Thousands of people in that building. Wow… that is soooo cool.

Escalator, MOMA: iPhone image.

We next hit Central Park up near Columbus Circle. We took a walk, and then met Prescilla, a skate boarder. We asked for a few moments of her time and shot some fun images. I worked at getting some portraits everywhere (maybe the Bresson show carried over in my mind?) so I snapped a few whenever I found the opportunity.

On the Streets, a Portrait. iPhone image.

We then took to the streets with a model from the workshop. I wanted a shot of someone with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background. That led us to the “A” train and Brooklyn. Chloe was a true sport as it was still a little nippy down on the water. The weather had held off for most of the day, but now the clouds rolled in and it started to get a little dicey. A bunch of the guys came along and we all shot with Chloe down on the banks of the Hudson. With that many guys we had some true lighting toys to play with. I ended up with three speedlights to do this shot.

Chloe and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Tuesday it rained. A lot.

I looked at Charles and said… “maybe it isn’t raining in the Hamptons.” Seemed plausible.

It was. A lot.

But we got some photographs anyway, and the inclement weather made it even more fun for me. I have lots of sun shots, the shots I got on the water in the Hamptons were very different than what I shoot mostly. I was able to keep all my gear dry, even though I was soaked and freezing. That is until I got excited about a shot and left the car door open. As the rain wasn’t falling verticle, but rather at a 45 degree angle, all my gear got wet. And the car seat. And the dashboard… heh. Luckily no damage. (Gibbs swat to the back of the head.)

Hampton Island, NY. iPhone image.

Thank goodness the rain abated Wednesday and we headed down to the Village to see Jen Bekman’s Gallery. Small and fun, the work on the wall was worth the walk. (We walked a lot in NY.) Jen works hard on behalf of photographers, and her “Hey, Hot Shot Project” is a wonderful project for emerging photographers.

Right across the street is Jay Maisel’s incredible building. I thought about knocking to say hi, but thought better of it and snapped a shot of the door. (Images) Close enough.

We headed for Battery Park, and had a blast shooting till dark. Shawn came along on that day, and we also hit Canal Street looking for bargains. WooHoo… shopping!

Each night found us t a cool little restaurant and getting back into Jersey about midnight. We rose early and headed back to the city. Breakfast at the Chelsea Diner was a must, as was hitting the financial district for some tall buildings shots.

In the city. iPhone image.

Thursday we hit the town to see Wall Street and took the train to Coney Island. Bright, sunny day. My goodness it reminded me of Phoenix, and I started to want the rain to come back. Got some shots and a hot dog at Nathans. (Tourists… waddayagonnado.)

Oh, and lunch found us on a little street in the East Village having great little sandwiches with Andrew Hetherington. That was really a fun time. Andrew is fun, engaging and a wonderful photographer. We swapped stories about working in the city now versus back in the day when I was working there (mid 80′s). Some things remain, and some things are changed forever.

Andrew Hetherington, Photographer. iPhone image.

A final visit to an icon, Grand Central Station, and we were off to the hotel for a final night in the city. The next day we left to go to Baltimore for an advanced workshop that was also really exciting.

I love NY. I have made some decisions based on my recent visit. The energy that is found there, the culture and the incredible feeling of legacy overwhelms me, but yet I feel drawn to it. Alicia Keys says it well here, but I also think that I love Liza’s version too (goosebumps, man).

Vendor, NY. iPhone image.

Thanks for taking a walk with me through my week in NY. It was a changing experience for me, and there will be repercussions… heh.

If you are considering a workshop this year, take a moment to visit Learn to Light, and if you want to follow along with me on Twitter, well, there ya go.

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This is kind of a personal post for me. There are challenges that I face as an artist and writer. And photographer. And sometimes those challenges can take its toll on me, and us. Creativity, for me, takes nurturing and constant practice.

I have always felt that photography, was more than what I could do. It was a big part of what makes me. In my DNA so to speak. It partly defines me more than any other endeavor that I involve myself in.

I came to photography the usual way. My dad was a photographer / writer and his enthusiasm was contagious. I would go into the field with him and he would photograph fishing ‘flies’ and how to sight in a rifle and such. I would be his note taker, and he would talk to me as he was working and I would write down the distances or the exposures. He wrote and illustrated magazine articles for outdoor magazines. I miss my dad.

When I was a kid I would wait every Wednesday by our little mailbox to get the issues of Life and Saturday Evening Post. Cover to cover by nightfall. I cut out images and stuck them in a little box. Names like Eisentaedt and Margaret Bourke White started to become recognizable.

The images were so beautiful, and sparked such interest… I would go back again and again to look at the photographs. Moments in time caught forever in a frozen tableaux… to be shared and remembered. Film (movies) doesn’t do that for me. I rarely want to sit and watch a movie again and again. But I can pick up my copy of Ansel Adams Monographs, a Minor White collection, or my old dog eared Cheyco Liedmann book and enjoy a few quite moments.

There has also been some stuff online recently that lets me know that other photographers are talking about and thinking about this stuff as well. Chase Jarvis, Zack Arias, Scott Bourne, Jack Hollingsworth, Kirk Tuck, and others have posted on creativity.

I have been feeling the burn of captivity lately. Seems like I am tied to a desk as I am working on two books, redoing the curriculum for the workshops and editing/post processing images for clients.

So I wanted to go out and do something that spoke to how I was feeling. I generally don’t try to make ‘pretty’ pictures, others do that very well. I like environments that show themselves to be involved in life. From decay to renew, old contrasted with new, and the mark of man on the environment.

Since I am feeling a little isolated and in need of a recharge, I decided to take an afternoon and do something photographically that made sense to me. At this moment… where I am and what I am feeling now.

More after the jump below. I just wanted to remind you that our new feature “Rants and Raves” are shorter form articles that are just that… rants and raves. I have the first few months of the schedule up at Learn to Light, so if you are considering a workshop this year, check the schedule out. I think my workshop is one that will change your lighting and photography for the better.

This is the road that I chose. It is fairly close to where I live and goes through some rather flat and mundane farming land.

View Larger Map

It isn’t a long drive, and it offers no typical ‘beautiful’ scenery. I had a nice slightly overcast sky and it seemed right for my project. I wanted to capture in my images what I was feeling and this light, environment and somewhat desolate landscape was exactly what was called for.

Abandoned migrant worker facilities.

I find that just getting off your ass and doing something, anything, can get the juices going and create situations that allow vision to be explored. I had nothing in mind as far as photography and gear, I just wanted to make images that would help me understand what I am feeling.

My gear was simple: Canon, 20-35 L, 80-200 L, 4 speedlights, several stands and modifiers, a small boom, and a kit of Mamiya 6×7 film cameras. Tripod, extra batteries and my “lighting’ kit was also along. At the end of the day, nothing but the Canon and the 20-35 was used.

The lines caught my eye and the clouds added some beautiful texture to the sky.

I guess that was fitting looking back. I am looking for simplicity in the images and the gear seemed to follow. I like the way the wide angle lens adds so much to the field of the image… letting the subject be more isolated within the environment.

Simplicity is the thing for me right now. I want to narrow my acquisition of things and increase my understanding of the ways creativity are manifested in the soul. Too much time spent chasing the material world can create havoc in the creative world. At least it does for me.

The simple, or minimalistic, aesthetic is one that appeals greatly to me. It runs through my photography and design, and it needs to be brought into my self as well. I wanted the images that I do to speak to the minimalist in me.

I didn’t leave the house with the intention of shooting only one lens, or to do ‘that shot’ I have been wanting to do. I tried to clear my mind of all that stuff and just think about the emotion of the world in front of me… and how to get that into a photograph. Without expectations, I am open to serendipity and that allows the world to present itself.

Remove the filters of self-imposed arbitrary limitations.

The trees made me stop and turn around. I knew there was a shot there and I wanted to find it

I drove right by the trees. I was listening to some music I had brought along and thinking about something I had just seen. The trees just wizzed by my passenger door with only a glimpse. I kept on driving for a mile and realized… that was part of what I need to do. Stop going so damn fast and missing the moments that can be created.

I turned around and went back to the three trees. Closing the car door it looked kinda hopeless. Access was denied due to the fencing and there was a fairly soggy ditch between me and the trees.

The more I didn’t see a shot, the more I wanted a shot. I needed to make that image. I didn’t know what image, but there was one here. I refrained from making images that I knew would not cut it. I worked the camera like it held precious film… not taking the shot till I knew I had something.

That was important to me. I wanted to come back with as few images total as possible, with the maximum amount of images I like. I finally found the image I was looking for, and made a few exposures.

I was feeling less melancholy at this point. I knew I had a few images that would make the day worth it, so I got in the car and headed further south with the feeling that I was making some images.

I have always been drawn to the frame within the frame. It says something metaphorical to me.

This is the power of the personal project. Some projects are large in scope and some are small – like this one. It doesn’t matter which you are on at any one time, but having projects to focus intent on makes a big difference when you are shooting.

Some projects are driven by external elements, a desire to do something to help or elevate or bring attention to a cause or an interest. And some are driven by internal elements… like this one.

Projects help open the mind to opportunities, it let’s the images that may not be seen get through. Awareness of parameters and goals helps refine the creative self to find the answers and solutions.

Finding emotional meaning in images is so important. The image as metaphor, the image as a reflection of one’s soul. The image as an iconic touchstone for people to refer to in thought and action. A great image can transcend the reality of the object. A piece of paper with some ink or emulsion on it is NOT what a photograph is. We bring so much TO that little piece of paper from our own perceptions, emotions, community and culture. The fact that images can provide that for people of diverse situations is a testament to the power of the still image.

When I got to the ‘destination’, actually the turnaround spot for me, I found that the “Burnt Buns Cafe” had been taken under new management and was no longer.

No problem. I made my photograph anyway. I didn’t dwell on the loss of an old friend, I instead made an image that showed the distance between. The loss that I felt, instead of the cafe itself. I hope you can see that in my images, but if you can’t, that is fine as well. I cannot guarantee that my images will do what I want them to do. And I don’t make images that scream the message or are so totally flagrant in the metaphor. At least… I try not to.

In the end, the trip was well worth it. I got these 6 images and 7 more that I really like. And I got off my ass. And I took my cameras and gear and set out to do something. Anything.

But I also left with a plan… to make images for ME about the way I am feeling and hopefully to share those images with people who will enjoy them…even IF they don’t know what I am trying to say.

Other projects: I have a 365 iPhone project here, and I am working on a few books and new site for art photographers. In March I will start a photograph/article per day project that will culminate in a book.

I hope that you found the article interesting, and have started a personal project for yourself. It doesn’t have to be a big project, it can be as little as a few hours on a lonely county road.

Post processing was on my mind from the first image. I wanted to mute the colors and increase the contrast from the very flat light. I used overlay layers (soft light), highlight painting, luminance masks and localized sharpening on the images. I then desaturated the image and added a tone of warmth to all the images.

Follow me on Twitter, and visit my website for more of my work.

No related posts.

Well this was a fun gig. Once per year my friend Troy asks me to photograph his choir kids for a year of marketing for them. We spend about 4 hours and shoot a gazillion images. Neat part… he lets me do what I want. I can be as ‘creative’ as I want – as long as we get it done in 4-5 hours.

This time Troy wanted to do a poster of the kids to introduce the choir program to the school. He wanted to make it fun and exciting – not the normal ‘choir robes’ type of static shot. In this, as in many other inner-city schools, getting kids interested in choir takes a commitment to marketing. We started by sketching up a grid poster idea, then looked in the room for a place to shoot it. In Troy’s classroom, there are very few blank walls… it is a haven for music lovers. Posters, charts and more on every square foot.

We found a spot, took down a few posters and set it for our shoot space. This would be a place I would return to every moment I wasn’t shooting the choirs and the seniors. (I told you we shoot about a gazillion images, didn’t I?) To do that, I had to keep my ‘MOJO’ in play. That little thing inside us that keeps us centered or crazy (depending on need) for extended time. Mojo is an old, out of date term… I’m old and out of date… seems apropos. More after the jump below.

Before we take that jump, let’s take a quick look at some very cool posts from the web.

ProFotoResource.com has an article about the single portraits I did of the seniors. Check it out.
Hamburger Eyes from Chase Jarvis. You just gotta watch it.
Kirk Tuck stirs thing up with this post on the Flickr-ization of Photography. Leave a comment!
Bruce DeBoer has an interesting interview with Dominek Rella, Creative Director, at Permission to Suck.
Workin’ hard to get those Social Media numbers up? Seth Godin has some insight.
Good advice from Gary Vaynerchuk… as always.

And some popular posts here as well.
8 Essential Sites for Photographers.
Branding Your Photography Business: A Practical Approach.
10 Nifty, Excellent Excuses for Failing at Photography

If you are looking for a workshop, take a look at Learn to Light for our schedule and sign-up pages.

Jan 16, 17 : Phoenix (first one of the year… woohoo!)
Jan 30, 31 : Seattle (This workshop rocks… great studio and incredible talent)
Feb 6, 7 : San Diego (Last years San Diego workshop was amazing.)
Feb 27, 28 : Houston (Three-peat for Houston. Great town for us)
March 13, 14 : Santa Cruz (First time in Santa Cruz. Excited about that.)
March 27, 28 : New Orleans (Never even been to NO… very cool!)
April 17, 18 : Philadelphia (Philly is one of my favorite towns.)
April 24, 25 : Omaha (We had a ball in Omaha last time… probably have one again this time!)

Look for an announcement about Austin coming soon. we hope. Heh.

We have had some pretty interesting discussions at the LE FLickr Forum lately. Marketing, introducing your work to potential clients, lighting information and more. Join us, it’s free and fun.

And if you are looking for gear… MPEX has a little icon on the upper right of this page. Clicking on that will take you to the Lighting Essentials page (stuff I like) and you can save 10% on your first order. As long as you enter through this link, you can then go anywhere on the site and the 10% will be in effect. Save $180-$200 on Dynalite and Profoto Lighting kits… That’s cool. Thanks MPEX.

You can also save 50% ($100) on Selina Maitreya’s incredible audio program “The View From Here”… Just use the code FOSLE at checkout. I bought a little iPod shuffle and loaded this on it. Walking, flying, relaxing in the yard… that little iPod is clipped to my shirt.

Now let’s take a look at how to keep the shoot moving, under pressure, without losing the enthusiasm of the subjects.

I arrived before dawn to get the gear unloaded. I had an assistant for carrying stuff, but not a true ‘photographic’ assistant for this gig. I was going to be moving too fast and without an assistant who knows how I work (LOL… seriously… my assistants simply have to hang on for a few months before they totally understand the manic and furious way I think and work), I would spend more time telling them what to do than doing what I had to do. A sherpa was all I needed.

Kit:
Lenses: 20-35MM 2.8 L, 80-200MM 2.8 L
Lighting:
Speedlights: 580 EX, 430 EZ, Lumo Pro.
Studio lighting: 2 600WS ProFoto mono’s in a travel kit.
Modifiers:
2 43″ Bounce Umbrellas Satin
2 33″ Shoot Thru Umbrellas
1 60″ Bounce Umbella (Satin)
1 36″ Zebra Umbrella
1 SuperBounce with Stand
Honl Kit (snoot, flag, grids)
Speedlight ProKit: 1 Small Box, Beauty Dish, Accessories
Shower Curtain (goes everywhere with me)
Gels for Color Correction
Additonal Gear:
Elinchrome Wireless Triggers
Cybercync Kit
4 12′ stands
Tripod
Small Boom
Clamp Kit
Shoot Kit
Stand Bagger for carrying gear.

After locating and cleaning the wall, I set up the Canon 430EX in a shoot thru umbrella and did my lighting tests. We both liked the shadows as it added dimension. I like shadows… just do, so we placed the umbrella to give us a nice dramatic shadow on the wall to camera right. The shoot-thru umbrella worked well with all the white walls and the SuperBounce was brought into the shot in front of the subjects and just out of camera view. This kept some fill on them without filling in the shadows.

Against the white wall, skin tones and colors really pop!

I like the gritty look to the images. We could have blown out the background and had them floating on white… but the shadows and the texture just felt right. These kids love this room… it is a safe haven for them. Music and friends and memories abound. I didn’t want to remove all of that and make it so sterile that it could be anywhere. I wanted the reality of the room and the light. I think a lot about this stuff when I am preparing and shooting. The choices we make as photographers are based in contextual thought.

I placed a piece of tape under the center part of the stand to keep it in the same place for each student.

EDIT: I was asked about a setup shot. I forgot that I did one, so I am adding it here. I took this setup shot just before I added the fill card so I added it in with photoshop.

I had to add the fill card in with photoshop. It is in front of the subject about 20 inches... I wanted no fill on the shadow, but a little wrap back on the face.

That was the easy part.

We had over 200 kids to shoot if possible. I was also shooting the full group shots of the different choirs. so we would return to this shoot whenever time permitted. I would have nearly no time to work with each of the kids… a few shots – 3-6 and next kid.

These kids are sometimes into it and sometimes not. The key for me is to engage them in the shoot. Make them get out of their comfort zone and lose the inhibitions of ‘people are looking at me’ and they will really perform for you. It is really fun to see what they will do.

In order to do that, I have to be a little more crazy than they are.

Keeping the kids relaxed in a hectic shoot means not letting them see you going crazy.

Just not crazy with stress.

Of course things are moving fast and furious. A battery change means that the kids start to line up and more stress is introduced to the shoot. I handle those things with mock fury and real smiles. The kids get the sense of urgency, but also a sense of fun and the knowledge that it is OK to be in a hurry… we make it part of the process. If the kids get the sense that you are rushing them, uninterested in each one of them… they become uninterested in the project. Drifting off to chat instead of being excited to be photographed. I photographed every kid who was in line at lunch. If they were willing to stand there, I shot them.

I talk with the kid in front of me, and the kids around me. Joking and being somewhat irreverent to the situation brings them to my side. You have to be careful and know the limits of irreverence though. No ‘dissing’, no making fun or even sounding like you are making fun, and no off-color humor at all. Safe and fun.

I do it by making myself the point of the ‘joke’ not the subject in front of me.

I can't tell you how hard it can be to get a teenage kid to smile. I get them to laugh by bringing them into the experience and making it safe.

Getting kids to smile, let alone get goofy, is a challenge. I let their friends laugh at them with the knowledge that they would get to laugh back at their buds when it was their turn. I make them part of the experience. I chimp and share. I laugh and exclaim loudly that it was great… do it again… again… more. Always upbeat and always ‘with’ them, not aloof from them. I see that aloofness so often with photographers who are not able to identify with the subjects. Aloofness may be cool for hanging at the Starbucks, but it doesn’t cut it when shooting people in stressful situations.

I love working with kids. Getting these big, fun smiles makes the shoot successful. And the kids love the images.

We shot 136 kids against the wall. I didn’t have to choose, the choir director did that. He narrowed it down to the 24 on the poster and sent me the image numbers. Are there ones that I would have picked in the set he didn’t choose? Of course. But I am not the client, that is their job… mine was to give them as many to choose from as possible. I think we could have made at least 70 of them… but, that would be a different type of poster and require a lot more computer time. Which also isn’t free.

In the end I designed the poster with four different type treatments. He can choose the one he wants and we will wait for next year’s call and another chance to work with great kids, listen to great music (the A Cappella Choir sings all the time… beautiful), and explore portraiture… something I love to do.

Here is one of the type treatments for the poster.

I think the colors and the 'realistic' approach to lighting makes the poster accessible to the students. It let's them shine

Just gotta keep smilin’ and workin’ and never, ever let the Mojo go. You stay on top of all that is around you. It is YOUR shoot and you OWN the space. Bringing people into it and letting them have fun is one way to extend the power of your portraiture.

Please share this post if you found it interesting. Follow me on Twitter, and visit my website at dongiannatti.com to find out what is going on with me. My 365 Photoblog is at Posterous (I love those guys) and I hope you take a moment to see what is there from time to time. See you soon.

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Well, this was the second to last workshop for 2009 and it had its own challenges. The weather wanted to be a problem, and we were unsure of out talent pool. Talent was wonderful and the weather… while being a little stubborn on Sunday, finally opened up and gave us a beautiful bright, clear afternoon. We had photgraphers from all over the area. Buffalo, Ohio, Connecticut… a great cross section of shooters meeting and shooting at the place where three mighty rivers converge.

Wet weather nearly derailed the first outdoor shooting we did on Saturday, but the gray skies and mist eventually gave way to good lighting and innovative photographers. I want to show you a few shots from Pittsburgh, along with some behind the scene shots of the workshop.

Next year is shaping up to be a fun one as well. We have changed up the curriculum and added some AV items to it. Lighting on a bigscreen as well as the studio work we are doing. Laptops will display talking points as well as the AV and the “live” shooting. Lots of hands on, and structured lighting on day one. Day two will be involved heavily with location work… lighting, composition, logistics and working with live subjects.

Before we start, some news from Lighting Essentials.

We will begin to utilize our Flickr forum as an extension of the workshops. Thoughts are to create a private discussion area for the students of LE only, and to invite some industry professionals to interact with the students. Stay tuned for more information. Students check your LE Member’s Area for access information.

Recent Posts Around the Internet:
The Future of Photobooks: Lively and important discussion.
Photographers and Social Media: A Report.
Got an iPhone? Got an overwhelming desire to make lighting diagrams? Combine the two passions here.
Bill Vaccaro’s “Roadside Attractions” is pretty cool, as is the work of James Knight Smith.
Thomas Friedman’s idiotic ramblings in the NYT caught the attention of Austin Photographer, Kirk Tuck who had some things to say.
Here on LE we had a couple of posts that are pretty applicable to this time of year… “Twenty + Non-Photographic Essentials for Photographers” – think about gifts – and “Using the Lightmeter and ‘Placing’ the Light”.

And now we are off to Pittsburgh to sample a few of the images the photographers sent me. And, BTW, if you have attended a workshop and have a shot or three you would like to share, send it over with your name as part of the file name and we’ll get it up soon.

This shot was with one speedlight, and the photographer, Jessica Cornwall, wanted to add some snap to this shot, and bring Matt into the exposure with at least a matching light. Backlight was immense at this point and there was a bit of glare. Jessica knew exactly what she wanted the image to say, and set the light to beat the ambient sun about 2/3 stop. Not enough to darken the surroundings too much and have the shot seem un-natural, but enough to get Matt to pop off the page, and keep his face lit within that mighty backlight.

One speedlight at full power was used to light Matt. Jessica placed it so a little of the light ‘sprayed’ on the concrete buttress, which added a bit of whimsy to the shot and also gave it some depth. We stayed close to the light because of the breezes coming up the valley. Notice how the dramatic shadows of the railing cast back toward the camera, and Matt’s face seems well lit.

Dawn Weyman wanted to beat the sun a little more to provide a more dramatic look to her model. Using a VAL (Voice Activated Lightstand) she brought the light in from the top and created a small pool of light for the model to work with. Dawn’s VAL carefully watched the model and made sure the light wouldn’t cause unattractive shadowing across the face. The power of the strobe was dialed to be a stop and a half over the ambient, and Dawn let the shadows fall where they did. The effect is pretty cool. This is an easy to reproduce light, and can be quite effective in all sorts of ambient situations.

Here is the resulting shot from the above image. Little Photoshop needed when the image is exposed and lit correctly.

In our next shot, Jessica wanted the model to look like she was in the same light as the city. As you can see, we were in the late, late afternoon shadow, and the city was in the late afternoon light. Jessica placed the speedlight to give her a bit of sidelight to separate the model from the background, and then shot from a very low position to eliminate the foreground as much as possible, and place her model in front of the city background. Setting the strobe to match the sunlight, she created a fun and natural looking shot of her model playing on the little structure.

As you can see below, the resulting image was one of pretty, effective lighting. The background is not too bright nor does the shot have a ‘Flash’ look to it.

In the shot below by Dawn, we had some bigger lights outside. Alien Bees and a Vagabond gave us plenty of power to make this shot with soft, elegant light. Dawn placed the model where she wanted to get the composition just right, then we lit around her. A bounce umbrella for the key is opposite the sun. This would lend some drama to the shot as the background is clearly lit from the opposite side. A 42″ translucent diffuser was added to block some direct sun on the models face, and a third speedlight was added as a near to camera axis fill. We put a Stofen on it to soften the effect a bit, and dialed it down to a mere ‘pop’ of light to fill the transition (light to dark) across the front of the model.

Dawn’s shot shows a sophisticated light and a beautiful model in an exotic location (actually it is the little park in front of the Steelers Stadium). You can see how well she blended the light and diffusers to present the model in soft, flattering light. I love how the light across her shoulders is gradient, and how the model just seems to pop!

We wanted to do a big shot with all the models and some big lights. As the sky grew darker, and it threatened to rain, we got started. We knew the background needed light as it was very, very dark and in the soft, but definite backlight. The sun was setting to camera right. We also wanted to do a more modern shot with rim/side light from both sides, while preserving the ‘key’ from the front.

We set up an Alien bee 1600 for the background and anchored it with its own Vagabond (Battery). Turning it on full power gave us a nice amount of light for the background and to keep the models separated from the darkness.

Two matching AB’s were mounted with matching silver umbrellas and placed slightly behind and to the side of the trio. A fourth AB was fitted with a beauty dish and mounted to a boom to allow the photographers to keep the key light on axis and lighting up the transition on the models.

The resulting image shows how the lower camera position eliminates a lot of the parking lot and brings the eye to the models. The backlight was aimed down to provide a bright to dark gradient across the background which plays well with the ‘evenly spaced’ light of the models.

Another of Dawn’s shots from this set:

This is our intrepid Pittsburgh talent and photographers: As you can see, we take ourselves very seriously.

Thanks for visiting. If you enjoyed this article, pass it on to your friends by using our social network tools at the top right of this post. Follow me on Twitter for photography related posts and an occasional rant. Workshop information can be found at Learn to Light.

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Hi, and welcome to Lighting Essentials, a place for photographers.

I do believe that is the first time I have used a welcome, and it had to be done. I guess. Stats show that I am getting new people all the time. Actually I was a bit surprised at all the people who are coming to the site. Thanks to all of you, and welcome, of course.

We are at the end of the workshop season and this weekend will find me in sunny south Florida. Anna Maria Island to be exact. It is the smallest little spit of land that completes the frame for Tampa Bay. At Bean’s Point there you can see the water from the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay meet. It really is a pretty cool place.

We have our little band of intrepid image makers, two condos, models and delightful surroundings… all the makings for some remarkable photos. In addition, I have two professional photographers joining me for some additional insight for the students. Billy Kidd, a pro from Orlando and Chris Gerber, a pro from Minneapolis are joining us for the weekend. We will be discussing and doing photography for three days. I love that.

That is the end of 2009 for Lighting Essentials Workshops. I will spend the remainder of December working on two other projects, redesigning the workshop for next year, finishing the small book and some video. We hit it again next January with a Phoenix workshop, then San Diego and Seattle. Seattle has added two additional workshops for advanced shooters. Smaller in size and broader in scope than the regular workshops. More on this as I rebuild the workshop pages… watch for that. The new design is taking shape and I am about to get it in production.

I would like to thank the folks who took the workshop, worked as hard as they did, and sent me nice notes (and they will be on the new site, for sure…). To the models who spent long hours with us, thank you. I consider you all to be part of the LE Family.

A couple of posts that I think you should take the time to read:
Frank Ockenfels III is interviewed by APhotoEditor, as is Sam Jones. Rob also interviewed my friend, Selina Maitreya. You can find her audio interview with me here.
Speaking of Selina and her incredible MP3 Audio Program… did you know that as a reader of this site, you can save half the price of the program? Yep! Visit her site at “The View From Here” and order the series. Normally it is $199, but enter FOSLE at checkout and receive $100 off the price. I believe it may be the best hundred bucks you have ever spent in photography – especially if you are an emerging photographer looking to find a voice and get noticed.
Heather Morton continues to follow two entry-level photographers as they build their books and their business. This is a wonderful project, so if you visit, be sure to leave some comments for these two guys who are working so hard to give others a glimpse ‘behind the curtain’ so to speak.
And if you haven’t kept up with the Going Pro section here at LE, take a few minutes to bookmark the posts. There is something for everyone.

Well, let’s take a look at a few of the images taken at the Toronto Workshop.

First up is this shot of Krista on the couch in Adam Belnap’s wonderful new studio outside of Toronto, CA. Brick walls, windows… check out those windows, and an environment around the building that makes it a shooter’s dream studio.

The shot is by Ian Hay:

I am drawn to this image for a number of reasons. I love how they (the team that Ian was on) took the lines of the floor and the window and used them as a graphic element. The windows do not tilt inward and the line that is part of the flooring leads directly to the middle of the couch. Graphics! Found and used.

Lighting it proved to be a challenge… there’s a lot of reflective glass there. As I teach in the workshops, they built the lighting based on an agreement of what the shot was supposed to look like (in their minds) and how they were to achieve that look.

Starting with the key light from camera right they used a bounce umbrella to control the spill and to deliver a smooth wash of light over the subject. Careful placement and angle of the umbrella assured there would be no reflection in the window. This can be painstaking work or you can sometimes get lucky. I think they worked this for a while.

Adding a second, fill light from camera left was an interesting compromise between the tools they had at their disposal. They decided that the shoot thru umbrella provided the soft, center weighted light they wanted so it was added. Keeping it low enough to not be seen in the window, and high enough to not cause a ‘Halloween’ look was worked out.

Test shots showed they needed to add a kicker light to sparkle up the shot. A bare speedlight was added to camera left, slightly behind the model and to the side. The power was dialed to be a little less than the key and fill, but the angle let it give a nice highlight to the shadow side of her.

Here is the setup shot:

Here is Scott Martin’s image from the team shoot above:

His horizontal approach and interesting pose brings a different look to the lighting setup above.

The dark brooding sky adds a nice, mystical touch to the image. The symmetry of the lines all leading to the subject and the poppy, glamour lighting make for a great shot.

Next up is a shot by a group working with Aleksandra. It was getting to late afternoon and the clouds were really dark and menacing. They chose to shoot her on a dirt road that lead to an industrial building in the background. Again there is a group of three shooters.

Hien’s shot of Aleksandra:

Keeping the separation of all that dark clothing against that impenetrable dark background was one of the challenges. Posing Aleksandra was not. She was wonderful, as were all the models in Toronto. Amazing. Hien used three lights to keep the subject lit and also for some drama.

Using the road as a compositional element to lead into the subject (and then mysteriously fade behind her) the group set up their key light on a stand in front. Zooming out to form a pool of light on her face, they then positioned it to Hien’s camera position to make it slightly, ever so slightly, off axis to camera left. This light gave the front light for her face. The light was then manned by a human to keep the axis of the light on the axis of her nose to eliminate any cross shadows.

A second light was added to camera right, slightly behind the subject. It was also bare and above the models head, angled down. Set to the same exposure as the main light, it also had to be flagged to prevent flare. This light separated her from the background very well.

Adding the third light on a human boom (and as you can see in the photo below, a very handsome human boom – heh) set to the same exposure as the other three and aimed to slightly graze the subject and throw some light on the road behind her… this added depth to the image and kept it from being too flat.

This is the setup shot for the image above:

Photo of the setup by James Harmon.

James Harmon’s shot above uses the same basic lighting, but a change in lens, angle and the use of the camera right third light changes it up quite a bit. A little light spill across the front of her and the dramatic zoom effect of the key light add a bit of lighting drama to this image.

Karen Weiler took this shot (above) of Aleksandra with the same basic lighting. She changed up the side lights a bit, and moved the subject to dead center of the road. Adding little graphical elements like that can make a shot have purpose. She moved camera right side light to be a little less on the subject and to add just a little to the shoulders. She had the light aimed up, so it wouldn’t spill too far down the dress. Camera left’s side light was moved to more fully light the background. As in the shots above, the key light is handled to make sure the axis of light and her nose are straight on.

Sometimes a single light is all you need. Navy Nhum was working in a freight elevator and wanted a dramatic shot of Aleksandra. She chose a single umbrella in bounce position to ‘pour’ the light over the subject without spilling it all over the elevator.

The pose of the model, the surroundings and the patina of the old metal elevator all lent themselves to a dramatic shot. The choice of the bounce umbrella meant that the light could be controlled and not light up the elevator with a flat light. You can see how the natural gradient gets darker as it goes up the wall. The bounce umbrella’s black backing made the light flow where Navy wanted it to flow.

Here is the setup shot from Navy’s photograph:

(Hmmm that damn handsome human boom does get around, ya know)

This shot of Heather, one of our models who is also a heck of a photographer, was done by Ian’s team.

This group worked really hard on this set of images. They found a spot in the adjoining store room to Adam’s studio and set this up. The main (key) light is my wonderful SpeedLightProKit Beauty Dish. It was set first to give the light they wanted to use to create the overall shape to the image. Adding a shoot-thru umbrella for fill from camera left provided the basics to the lighting. These lights were adjusted to give a 2:1 ratio for the model.

They added a light for her hair and it was set on a stand and brought from behind the background, and from camera left. Getting that light to stay in that position was a challenge met by leaning chairs and gravity.

Testing the shot, they found that the image looked pretty good, but lacked some real pop. A fourth light was added to come through the semi-transparent background right behind her. This shot took on a new life with the addition of that last light.

Again, I love the symmetry of the shot, the graphical look of the piece and Heather’s ‘S’ curve against all that symmetry. Below is the setup shot for this image.

A few more images with brief descriptions.

Navy shot this image with natural light from camera left and a single strobe for blending (matched) from camera left. A soft, cross process look to the presentation delivers a very romantic image of Hailey.

Karen shot this image of Krista with two canine admirers. She used a speedlight in a shoot thru umbrella for the main, keeping it a little above the ambient. Adding a second shoot-thru, dialed down to match the main, for a hair light added a nice, subtle separation to the subject.

One more image from Ian. This shot was done with two speedlights.

A speedlight from the camera right, and a speedlight from camera left, behind Krista presents an interesting shot in the woods. This split lighting creates nice drama for the environment.

And thanks again to the amazing Adam Belnap, captured here by David Giral in a rare moment of repose.

I may add some more images to this post in the next 24 hours, so check back. I am expecting a bunch of images in soon from the Toronto shooters.

Thanks for a terrific workshop, Torontonians. I look forward to returning next year. I am working on my schedule for next year this week, so the signup starts soon for the first half of next year.

See you soon on LE, folks. And thanks for reading. If you would share this with friends I would appreciate it. You can use the social icons on the top right of the page to send it to twitter or del.icio.us or whatever.

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Hey… it’s been a while. Sorry ’bout that. I have been traveling so dang much that it has been a little hard to get to the site… but I have really got a lot of stuff ready to go.

The last few weeks included Boise, Toronto and this weekend it is Pittsburgh. If you are ready to get your lighting up a notch or two, we will have our schedule for next year ready for signup on December 1. I am taking most of December off to work on the book and DVD. We should have some great stuff for next year. I am revamping the workshop to include more demos/handouts/video and some other cool things to be announced.

Toronto was a blast… a real blast! We had some incredible light on Saturday, and some – uh – fog on Sunday. No matter… the thing rocked. Shooting in Adam Belnap’s beautiful studio (more coming on that) and the cool area all around it.

I got to see some of the beautiful Canadian countryside on the way back (getting lost facilitated a trip through the back roads of Ontario… lucky I had time). It was beautiful and cold.

I got to the airport in Buffalo and found this email from one of my attendees…

“I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your workshop. I am in tears right now and that is not an exaggerating. I have been struggling for awhile (for a long time) with figuring out a career path for myself. I have always had a passion for photography, but was always unsure if I could do it. I got home last night and was anxious to look at my photos that I took from Sunday’s session, but had to force myself to sleep. (I can’t lie I was exhausted, but a good exhaustion.)

This morning I woke up got the kids off to school, and sat down to look at my pictures. There were some not so good pictures, some really good images, and some photographs that I never thought I could’ve taken in a million years! They literally took my breath away. If it weren’t for you putting on this workshop, and making it affordable to someone like myself, I would still be sitting here today, wondering if I could do it. I now know I can do it, and more importantly I want to do it so bad I can taste it. Thank you a million times over.”

I love this. I really do. You are welcome!

Some recent posts from around the net:

A Photo Editor had this interesting post on “Perception”.
Heather Morton: “A Year in the Life” project.
David Hobby has a few beers with Vermeer… heh.
David Eustace and his daughter take a trip.. and the result is stunning.
My friend Chris Valites got a nice post on Conscientious.
Liz Cockrum knocks us out with an amazing set of portraits.

IMPORTANT NEWS! Selina Maitreya’s incredible, wonderful, informative and entertaining audio series is now available to the readers of this site for half off. That’s right! 50% off her regular price. Simply visit her site and order the audio. When you get to the purchase page, put in the code FOSLE and you will get $100 off the price at checkout. This audio package will change how you think about your work and working in this great business.

Let’s go on now and check out these amazing 33 images from the Flickr LE Pool.

From the amazing Lighting Essentials Flickr Pool. And remember that you should click on the images you like and visit the photographers. Leave a comment or two… they love it

Thanks for taking a look and be sure to click on the images to see more work by these wonderful photographers. If you liked it, be sure to Tweet it or share… see upper right of each page for a series of sharing tools.

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Daron Shade presents a really well written article about ‘Breaking Out’ and Breaking In to the world of commercial photography. Another of our “Going Pro” series. I hope you enjoy them.

Today finds me in Boise, Idaho. The day after a fantastic workshop weekend here. Small groups mean a lot of interaction and that is what I like. I keep the workshops small specifically for that reason. I get to know each of the attendees and get to know their level and goals for lighting.

Next weekend is Halloween. Great time for getting great portraits of caped crusaders and princesses. Have fun with it!

A few posts from around the net:
Heather Morton on the found images of Vivian Meirs.
Andrew Hetherington on and editorial shoot for Details Magazine… subject, the band ‘Creed.’
20 Photoshop Tips for Workflow. Pretty good stuff.
And here are 50 Photographers Portfolios for you to peruse. Still kinda perplexed by the totally flash web site meme, but “you can lead a horse to water… blah blah.”
A reminder that we have some photographers portfolio sites built on WordPress at a great price. You can customize and totally build a great online presence, with a built-in blog as well. Take a look at our designs here.
And be sure that you hit the Archives tab for a list of older articles you may have missed.

Next up for the workshops is Vegas, Pittsburgh, Toronto (full) and Florida (full). Lots of traveling this fall. December will be the finalization on a new project I have been working on and then we are off to a winter vacation.

Back at the workshops next year. Now here is where you come in. If you have a town that you think would support a workshop, let me know. We need 8 photographers (no more than 10) and a place to shoot.

Breaking Out
by Daron Shade

As I was in the planning stages for this article, I really wanted to dive into Search Engine Optimization and web presence – but quickly realized that I was again making the same mistake that keeps most photographers from success. I was going to put marketing before defining the business. There’s a sea of good photographers that all want to be successful working pros. We need to understand what sets us apart from other photographers before we can begin to design our web presence or any cohesive marketing message. Most importantly, as commercial artists, we must understand that our creative process is partially driven by our art buyers and partially driven by our own unique inspiration. We shouldn’t be creating portfolio images that we ourselves don’t find compelling, nor should we be completely self-indulgent.

At one point in my career, I tried to cast a broad net – believing that in a small market, a generalist without a signature style would get more work than someone who is known for a specific look. My portfolio devolved into a mishmash of images that didn’t speak to me or the buyer. Somehow, I overlooked two simple facts: Small-town buyers have access to the same media that the big cities do, and that my clients hire me for my style, not some sterile image that looks like it was downloaded microstock. Small-town clients see the latest marketing trends and have a good handle on great images. Just because they’re here doesn’t mean that they won’t appreciate the same level of presentation as a big city agency.

From these mistakes, I have learned that the most important part of portfolio presentation is capturing the interest and imagination of the buyer. Here’s the benefit of being in a small market – if you knock their socks off, they will remember you. As we will discuss in the coming months, you’re going to have a website with hundreds of images that will show them that you can do anything. First, you have to get them excited enough about your work to go to your website. That’s where a top-tier portfolio open the door. They will think of you when they have an important job – even if it doesn’t fall in line exactly with what you have presented to them in the portfolio.

Image selection is paramount to creating a compelling portfolio. Just because we like an image doesn’t mean it should go into our book. This can be tough for many of us because of the emotional investment in our work – but remember that just because an image isn’t in your portfolio doesn’t mean that nobody will ever see it. In fact, some of the most popular images on my own website have never seen the inside of my printed portfolio.

A great exercise to follow is to create a folder of about 20 of your favorite images and start looking for consistencies among these images. Are they peak action, “moment in time” images, display a mastery of existing light, intimate family moments, mixed lighting, etc. etc. – we as photographers must learn our own strengths and style before we can hope for success. Within this group of images, you will certainly see patterns of images that have consistent elements such as subject matter, lighting, color palette, emotion, composition, and more. You should be able to recognize these and begin to understand your own style. It sounds simple, but it is really tough to back off and see our own creative product objectively.

For years, I would ask another working photographer to review my book and provide feedback. This provided mixed results at best and was akin to allowing the inmates to run the asylum. As a photographer, we need to search within ourselves to find what motivates us and what we embrace most about our jobs. Once we do this, we can find the road to being commercially marketable by carefully following what the art buyer wants.

From the 20 images selected above, it’s likely that only 4 or 5 have a consistent theme that is worthy of building a portfolio around. Guess what? It’s time to start planning images that are built around this concept. Here’s where my advice may differ from most other photographers – It seems most say “shoot, shoot, and shoot some more” – I tend to disagree with this philosophy. I support “conceive, plan, and then shoot” – If you’re building your career, you are much better served planning images for your portfolio rather than shooting every waking moment then trying to edit down to a few great images. This may be my film background dictating my style, but I think most of us would be better served by carrying an idea book with us and sketching concepts rather than walking around camera-in-hand and hoping something presents itself. Of course, this advice is assuming you’re already got the nuts and bolts of your gear covered and can create most anything you can visualize – if you can’t, you’re not ready to start charging for your work. The idea is to create a presentation that shows a broad spectrum of your work, but tied by that common thread that you have found for yourself in your own work.

Once I’m reasonably satisfied with the portfolio but need some direction, I solicit people I know for input – but I do it carefully. Our friends and relatives may be afraid to tell us the truth, so I try to make it easy for them. With questions like “I need to remove an image from this book, which one should I take out?” followed by “why” – if multiple people are pointing to the same images for the same reasons, I’m probably best taking that image out of my book. Photo sharing websites and forums are definitely not a place to decide the contents of your portfolio. Great for a pat on the back or having your images torn apart by people with dubious credentials, but certainly not a place to hinge your career.

Once you have a dozen or more images that follow a consistent theme and are exemplary of your work, it is time to consider shopping it to buyers or running it by a portfolio consultant. Presentation to buyers is another wonderful aspect of being in a small market. You will often be present while your portfolio is being reviewed. Watch the eyes and involuntary expressions to determine which images are the ones that grab their attention. It’s bad form to ask for detailed critique, so it’s critical that you ‘read’ the review properly so you can update your portfolio in the right direction. A professional portfolio consultant is an excellent way to cut to the chase and get a seasoned veteran’s honest opinion of your work, and I especially recommend hiring a consultant if you can have face-to-face time with them. Again, an unfiltered first impression is the key to understanding your book and updating it with the right images.

Over the next few months, we will get in to much more detail than this high-level overview of the process of defining your style and building your book. Hit me in the comments section with questions and feedback – or email me directly, daron@daronshade.com – your feedback will help determine what we discuss next month, so let me know what’s on your mind.

Before our next article, sign up for Google Analytics (www.google.com/analytics). It is free and a great tool for monitoring your site’s traffic. You will need this as you market your business and quantify what efforts are bringing you traffic and more importantly which ones are bringing you valuable leads.

I’m including a Google Analytics screenshot that includes my website’s visitors over the last year. I want to illustrate a growth trend more than just number of visitors. My site has grown from 200 visitors per month in October 2008 to 1750 in September 2009. That’s an 850% growth over the last year. I am looking forward to sharing how I was able to accomplish this.

Thanks Daron. If you enjoyed this article, please let your friends know through Twitter or any of the social media sites you can find listed at the top right of this post. Visit Daron’s site here.

See you next time.

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Briana Shaker adds a new article on having fun and getting the job done. It is good reading for photographers and models alike. More after the jump as they say.

I want to take a few minutes and let everyone know how much I appreciate the great emails and comments you are all making on the site. And to my workshop attendees, I can only tell you how amazingly humble it makes me feel that you come to the workshops. I work hard to make them pretty special. And the feedback seems to indicate that you feel the same way. Thank you.

I am preparing next years schedule and want to get that up as soon as possible. This week for sure… (yeah… we’ll see – ed) but know that I am on it.

We still have openings for Boston (1), Pittsburgh (2), Vegas (4) and Boise (2). The Toronto and Florida workshops are full at this time. Woohoo! If you are thinking about getting toned up for the holidays, come on down and join our merry band of talented photographers.

I want to link to a few articles that I have been excited about on other blogs.

A Photo Editor has a wonderful interview with Sam Jones, and editorial portrait shooter.
Sam Jones Part 1
Sam Jones Part 2

Heather Morton’s Blog is just a fantastic source of great information. This post on Email marketing by photographers is a great read.

David Hobby (Strobist) has a timely article on creating a color pallete for your work. It is something a lot of photographers don’t think about, but they should.

Selina Maitreya’s audio book is now available on her site. Wow… it is a fantastic look into the world of creating a kick-ass portfolio, finding your voice, and living your life with photography. Check out the free chapter and you will be sold.

And Robert Wright has a post on the use of digitally alteration and the news on his great blog Wrighting.

BTW, my friend Kirk Tuck has a new book out, Commercial Photography Handbook: Business Techniques for Professional Digital Photographers, for those of you thinking about starting out in the crazy world of commercial photography. I will be reviewing it soon, but I think you should check it out as a great source book for the move into commercial.

Well, let’s get on with Bri’s great new article on having fun and being professional in front of the lens.

Say, “Cheese?” Please… Say, “Natural.”

“Amateurs focus on the model, pros focus on the shot.” – Don Giannatti

By Briana Shaker

As Don says, pros will focus on the shot, so if as the model, you’re bringing the “cheese”, it’ll disrupt the shot. It’s about blending or contrasting with the environment, harmony or disharmony, but never amateur. For instance, if the shot is comprised of some form of architecture with numerous vertical lines, the model can either stand tall and reflect the image, maintaining the shot’s feel or work horizontal or angular lines to create a disjointed shot, making both aspects stand out so it “pops.” But the amateur? The amateur smiles likes she’s on vacation. Just think of the stereotypical “ignorant American tourist” complete with Hawaiian shirt, camera, and straw hat. True, he stands out. But not in a good way… he’s best… behind the lens, right, Don? Or even think Florida. Spring Break. Drunk girl. Big smile. Good for MTV, but not for the runway. (You got a problem with Hawaiian shirts, kid? –ed)

In front of this bush as a design element, the photographer wanted a lot of lines to break the symmetry.

Socialization

Now why do we act so cheesy when first in front of the lens? Simple. It’s natural. It’s how we were raised. Our parents pointed a camera and said, “Smile!” And thus we smiled. We’re conditioned to behave this way. A philosopher I once read wrote that we see the world before we name it. And it is those names that label or place something in its category. We see a camera and we say cheese. Conversely, we want to be models and we see a camera and we exaggerate our looks. But which is right? Or is there a better place? Somewhere in the middle? Or… is it as I suggest? A chameleon effect? That effect where the professional model knows how to blend and how to make something stand out. Yet, how does she do it?

Having Fun with the Moment can loosen everyone up!

Au Natural

Now some shoots, like high fashion, demand such exaggeration, but, equally, some shoots prefer that “girl-next-door” look or the “lifestyle” image to gain a desired effect. Yet those shots never really seem natural do they? You really think that woman in the Wal-Mart ad hangs out with her friends in their underwear smiling at each other? Sorry guys don’t hate me, but we don’t. But it works. It blends with the environment created in the ad and it plays on stereotypes to stand out and thus get a desired effect… you to buy the product. The point is that modeling is seemingly anything but natural, but a good model can train her self to do it… naturally. Because it actually is something very basic and something we all already know how to do. Make sense?

Here we are being silly in a coffin in Jerome, Arizona

And here we are being a bit more serious in the image. Jerome, Arizona

Retail Clerks and Baristas

Now some people really do like their jobs and are naturally cheery, but… we know it’s false… no one is that happy. But we can still learn something here. The clerk or barista gets us to buy. And we expect them to be overly happy. They stand out. But we remember the coffee, not the guy who whipped our latte. So they blend too (metaphorical joke intended.) That’s natural. The clerk is what we expect, annoyingly there to start us a dressing room, but that’s where her role leaves off. We still have to try the stuff on. The barista is there to wish us a good morning, but doesn’t come with us to make sure it is truly a good morning. But they are what we expect and what we want; a natural part of the process. They got us to look at the products and thus buy.

This ad for Apricot Lane called for me to be a bit more aloof.

A model is the same. We’re there to sell a product. Early in our careers we’re selling ourselves in the portfolios we create for agencies to view. And later, we’re there to sell the product our agents set up for us to sell. For instance, I just finished a campaign for a gum manufacturer. Will my name roll in the credits? No. I was just paid to bring attention to the product. To get potential customers to look and then get them to see what I have to sell. And I did my job well. It comes naturally.

In these ads I was to act like a Volleyball Player in the middle of the woods. It was an ad that focused on not using up natural resources by using software instead.

Model Naturally: A Guide

• Environment – the set – what is it? A Zen garden? Then feel it. Be Zen.
• Assumptions – the theme. What is it? Zen? If so it makes you think of Zen’s purpose in our lives. Most people are stressed and need a moment of happiness. Zen offers happiness. If it’s linked to the product. Then show that connection. If chewing gums leads to Zen… show it!
• Curiosity – it’s a natural thing. So use it. Let people formulate their own opinions… well, opinions you lead them to see through your manipulation of their assumptions. If your look arouses curiosity in the viewer, they’ll look at what you’re doing. And want in.
• Draw Attention to Self – seem a part of the experience. Be one with the set, product, and theme. If you’re part of it and seem that way, it’s believable. So act the part… believe you’re there.
• Draw in Viewer – make them feel as part of the experience too. Let them know if they have what you have, then they too will experience what you experience.
• Know the product – knowledge is power. The more you know about what you’re selling the more you’ll be able to sell it. It allows you to enter the world of the individual that is using the product. It’s hers. It’s yours. And soon… it will be the consumer’s.

Fashion is Exaggeration – Naturally

Yes, fashion models stand out. But that’s natural. When we buy clothes it’s not because we want to hide. We don’t shop at ninja stores, seeking the best camouflage for our night out clubbing. No we shop for the look that makes us “look” good. We want to stand out. We want to be seen. Now how does a model do the same? If she just wore the clothes would we see the clothes? Or do her exaggerated poses make us pay attention to the lines of those clothes? The colors? Do we see the product and not the model? Quick test: open your Victoria Secret catalog. Turn to page 7. Look. Now shut quickly. What color was her bra? What color were her eyes? Gotcha



In Nova Scotia, Don and I found this great bridge. Contrasting the straight lines with lots of curves and attitude was my job. This was really early in the morning and it was chilly for us desert folk!

Conclusion

Nature is about adapting. Evolution if you will. And being natural is the same. It’s about evolving to meet the needs of the environment you find yourself in. The carnivore stands out and the herbivore blends. The model can naturally be both. It’s as simple as pretending we’re something other than what we really are… a process we are all quite good at: The world’s a stage and we all play our parts. Now go play yours, sell some stuff, and make some money



Just relaxing and being myself was the catalyst for Don shooting this series.

P.S. This article is dedicated to the Canadian photographers I met recently in Toronto.

Thanks Bri. Glad you are having a great time up in the Cold North.

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2. Model Behavior: Trust the Model She’s back – due to popular request. Briana has a...
3. Modeling the Light: A Model’s Role in Lighting ‘ Britney Spears “Kill the Lights! Don’t be scared, make...

I get a lot of questions about gear at the workshops and by email. I have lots to say about gear, but I am not a gear-head. I love gear that helps make my work easier, and couldn’t care less about cost or prestige. If something works well I like it. And if it isn’t worth a premium price, I wont spend a premium price. Period.

There are lots of camera manufacturers, lots of lighting manufacturers and lots of gear manufacturers to choose from. And this article is in no way stating that other peoples choices are wrong. These are the tools I use and like a lot. I do not do negative reviews, so if I talk about it, it is because I like it.

Before we get to the specific items, I want to let everyone know that the workshops are going to be offered again next year and we will have the schedule up soon at Learn to Light. They have been very successful for us, and we are kicking them up a notch with a lot of interesting learning tools for next year. Everything will go up but the price. We are holding at our current price and still keeping to our very small 10-12 participants. If you are thinking about a workshop for your photography, I hope that you take a look at our schedule and mark one you like.

I want to link back to a few other gear articles we have done before getting going here.

Simple Setups for Dramatic Lighting
Mini Workshop: Location Portraits and Glamour
Speedlights: Unleash Their Creative Power
ON LOCATION: with Jerry OConnor, Jim Vigileos and Christina
Enough Modifiers to Keep It Interesting
Shoot Thru Umbrella and Bounce Umbrella – A Comparison
Twenty+ Non-Photographic Essentials For Location Photography

And a few recent articles you should be aware of:
Still Life Shot for a Magazine Ad
Modifying Natural Light with Simple Tools
And this 10 post long series on Going Pro. We are adding more to the Going Pro real soon.

Some new blogs and sites that I love are also something I want to share.

Heather Morton is an Art Buyer in Canada. Her blog is so damn interesting I cannot recommend it more. Absolutely amazing look at the real world of advertising photography. Also there is the wonderful blog by Nick Onken. Nick is one of my favorite shooters and his blog is very insightful. Rodney Smith is also one of my all-time favorite shooters. He now has a blog and it is fascinating reading.

I hope to meet more of you next year, and we are sure loving the fact that so many of you are telling your friends about Lighting Essentials. Thanks so much for your support.

And we still have a few openings in Pittsburgh and Boise. One spot left in Boston and one in Detroit. Florida is full. We will be starting next year with San Diego and Houston. See Learn to Light for more information.

So let’s get going on the gear post.

Let’s start with the Honl Gear that I have been carrying and using for several months now. Excellent build, and incredibly easy to carry in a small camera bag. I use the Flag, Snoot, Grid and Color Correction Gels.

What I like about them:
1. They go on all my speedlights no matter what brand or model.
2. The strap system is rugged, and powerful enough to handle wind and heat.
3. Quality of the light. From the snoot and the grid-spot, it is clean and easy to manipulate
4. They travel so well. A very small footprint for travel. I usually pack them in the front of my small travel camera bag.
5. After being taken to at least 12 workshops and passed all around in all kinds of weather and circumstances they still look and work like brand new. And that is really impressive.

How I use them:
The Honl System works so well for my work these days. I use the Snoot tool as a way to gently highlight a small area. And I can modify it to be a bounce fill for my speedlight if I need one. Versatility and build quality makes this Snoot exceptional. I use this thing for so many little nuances in shots that I would really not like to get on location without it.

In addition to the traditional snoot, I also like to use it as a very controlled bounce for my speedlight. In the shot below you can see how I will fold it to give me a little wink of fill from the flash. I do this to taste and not as a formula.

Snoots are used to bring a controlled light with a tight fall off to an area that a photographer wants. I have also used the snooted light as a main. It can be very dramatic. You should experiment with these tools to find out how much you can actually do with them. That is what makes them so cool, and being able to carry it in your bag is a huge reason for not having excuses for less creative light… ya know.

The Honl Flag is quite versatile as well. I use it to block light from spilling over onto areas I don’t want it to. This traditional tool is so powerful as there are places you may not want the spill to light. It also works really well to block potential spill from a backlight speedlight on your lens.

The Flag (Gobo) has a white and black side to it, so the white can be used as a smart bounce card above the camera, and I also use it to add a bit of rim light when needed. To block the light from spilling over on the background or other areas, I use the black side.

Grid Spots are amazing little tools to bring tightly controlled light with a soft edge to to it. Unlike the snoot, the light falls off a bit more gently from the honeycomb Grid Spot. Grids do kill a bit of the power, but there are so many uses for them that I have several.

The Honl color-correction gels are so easily handled with the Velcro system that it lets me be creative and exact with my light… fast. There are times when you really need to get that light right. The ability to quickly add a color-correcting Gel to any of the Honl tools is a real selling point to me.

Creative lighting sometimes calls for these special tools. And having them be so portable makes them very powerful. I have Grids, Snoots and Flags in the studio, but they really do NOT travel well. The Honl gear does what it says it will do and gives photographers the freedoom to take these creative lighting tools with them easily.

For more information on the incredibly powerful Honl gear see Expo Imaging.

A note about DIY:
I suck at it really bad. I have no time to develop the artistry that it would take to make these tools to the specs and presentation that I require. A Pringles Can snoot will only go so far before it is no longer a snoot, but a beat-to-hell Pringles can.

I work with people who expect the best from me. I expect the best from me… and my equipment. I want it to work well and look good. Look professional. That is so important for my work and my client’s clients. So I spend a little money to get what I think will do the job and get stuff done.

Honl Gear can be found here.

Two shots from a recent workshop showing the Honl and SpeedLightProKit tools being used for a beauty shot:

Another shot from that setup:

Next up is the Kacey Beauty Dish from Kacey Enterprises.

I love this thing so much. It is very light, and very easy to use. But lightness and ease of use is not the most important thing to me. To me it is the quality of the light. And this thing rocks. It has a Mola look to the design. That makes it look quite attractive and the light is really beautiful falling on the three dimensional faces I shoot.

Beauty dishes are quite large and most are pretty heavy. It adds a bit of a challenge to using them. My studio currently has three beauty dishes… two for my large studio kits and this Kacey Beauty Reflector for the speedlight work that I do. I recommend that you get it with the dual speedlight adapter as there are times when you need a bit more power (DBL Speedlight Configuration).

As I said, the light is really sweet from this Dish, and I love how I can dial down the power and get a true Beauty Dish look with an aperture of 2.8 or 4. Limited Depth of Field with the look of a powerful lighting tool. My other large strobe Beauty Dishes will not go much below f-11 or f-8 within the distance that I like to use a beauty dish (18″ – 42″) from the subject. That close proximity of the light means that my ProFotos – even when dialed all the way down – are still too powerful to use wide open apertures. It comes with a mirrored diffuser for the speedlights efficiency, but the Kacey can be ordered with an optional non-mirror diffuser for more powerful lights.

I use the Kacey Location Bag as well, and it makes carrying the Dish, attachments, and speedlight mounts so easy.

Here are three shots by Bill Millios of the Kacey Beauty Dish in action at the Lighting Essentials Workshop, Fredrick, Maryland. There was a fairly stiff wind on the bridge shots, but the Kacey with the painter pole really held its own.

This shot shows the Kacey working to provide a beautiful light in an overcast situation.

In this shot, also by Bill Millios, the Kacey is paired with an Alien Bee for a somewhat surreal image. It helps to have exceptional talent as well as a concept that makes it work.

Kacey also makes grids and softlight covers for the beauty dish, but I rarely use them. They are also high quality tools, but I prefer an open face beauty dish. However, the Pole Adapter is simply an amazing little tool for adding your Beauty Dish to a long painting pole. Available at most any Home Depot or Lowes painting departments, the extension pole can be adapted to holding your beauty dish with one of these little devices.

The Kacey Dual Mount Speedlight Mount:

The Back of the Kacey Beauty Dish with one Light Bracket:

For me, this light and totally modifiable reflector makes perfect sense. I can get an adapter made for my other, more powerful units, or simply choose to use it as is with an assortment of speedlights, my choice. For now, it is my go-to light on the speedlight front whenever I can get it there.

However, sometimes I cannot take my Kacey Beauty Reflector because of space or if I am flying and I cannot get another piece of luggage on. For that, I use the SpeedLightProKit Beauty Dish. It folds up so easily and packs in the lid of my suitcase. While it is not quite a beauty dish, lacking the sharp edge, the light is really fantastic.

Here is a shot of it in use in Mexico. This shot is by Bill Millios:

This simple technique is one I have discussed on ProPhotoResource.com. The article is here.

Images courtesy Hopeland Studios.

The beauty dish comes in a neatly packaged box which can be used for travel. I have the beauty dish, a large softbox and a small softbox in it with some barndoors and gel pack. I reinforced the sides of my kit box with a small amount of perfectly cut Gaffers tape so it is both rugged and attractive. The beauty dish itself is in three parts: the two that snap together to make the large dish and a diffuser that fits inside the opening. It was a little tricky the first time I set it up, but now it goes together real quick.

As I stated, there is no ‘lip’ or tight edge to this beauty dish, something that traditional beauty dishes have, so it doesn’t have that ‘snap’ at the edges. I don’t think that is a bad thing… it is actually pretty good. The flash seems to fade pretty fast at the distances I use it, and I love the fall off from this thing. So while it may not be ‘exactly’ as a beauty dish would perform, I love what it does do a lot.

The SpeedLightProKit Beauty Dish will be available soon. Check their website for more information.

Some words about the SpeedLightProKit products that I use. I particularly like these units for a lot of reasons:

1. They are solid and very well made.
2. The footprint for travel is nearly nothing. I can take a bunch of modifiers in my luggage whenever I need.
3. The light is smooth, well defined and color correct.
4. The units deliver a lot of light for small tools.
5. I cannot tell the ones that have traveled all over the country, been used hundreds of times, and packed/repacked over and over again from the absolutely brand new ones I just received.

My personal kit for the SpeedLightProKit tools is as follows:

1 Beauty Dish
2 Large Softboxes
2 Medium Softboxes
2 Medium Box Grids
And an assortment of grid-spots, gels and diffusers.
That is equal to two ProKit Pro Sets, two ProKit 6 Reflector kits and most of their other modifiers.

I usually tell my students at the workshop that if you are going to buy a lighting modifier – umbrella, softbox, reflector, grid etc… – to get two of each. There are times when having two lights that totally match will be important. That may not be true with beauty dishes or the larger umbrellas or parabolics, but it is definitely something I press on the smaller to medium tools. Two that match. Important.

For those of you who may already be familiar with the SpeedLightProKit tools, I would like to point out a few changes. They have created a new mount for the Large Softbox (ProKit 6) that works extremely well. Here is a look at the ProKit 6 Large Softbox and New Mounting Ring.

Another New Item is the PR4-T tool. These are a pair of diffused panels to match the ones for the ProKit Pro and ProKit 6 modifiers. They can be mixed and matched to make a traditional ‘event shooter’ speedlight top, or something more esoteric… like a softbox with a diffusion panel to add light to a bounce card below. Or a Large softbox with some diffused light to escape and fill in ambient… the uses for this set of tools is limitless.

Here I use a small ProKit Softbox to light Frank against the sun over his shoulder camera left. Speedlight is a 430EX on half power.

The shot after removing the light in Photoshop.

For a look at the SpeedLightProKit tools I reviewed earlier this year, see this page:
Enough Modifiers to Keep It Interesting

In the end, the tools above are simply tools. You must make them work for you. I hope you consider them in your gear purchases. Most can be found at MPEX or at their own sites to which I have linked. I hope you found this article informative and useful. Please join me on Twitter or Facebook or any of the other Social Media sites listed top right of this page. Thanks.

Next Gear Review will be on Flash Units for studio and travel.

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I get asked a lot about how my methodology works. What am I thinking about when setting the light? How do I know what the settings should be.

For this post I have pulled some shots from last years workshop tour. I will explain the exposure planning as we go along. From mixing the ambient with the speedlights or overriding the ambient altogether, the knowledge of what the image should look like will help you decide.

And what should the image look like? Well, that is up to you. In photography there seems to be an endless amount of possibilities and you can pretty much do what you want. Stylistically and artistically, you can make the image you want by working with the light your way.

The neat thing is that the light works the same way, every time. So you can “learn” the light and its abilities and controls and be comfortable that the light will do what you expect it to.

I always carry a little book with me to sketch ideas in and also to document how I do something for later review. I decided to scan those extemporaneous drawings so you can see how simple it is to do the shots, and how important it can be to carry a small notebook for making notes. You don’t have to be an artist, but it sure helps to LEARN what you are doing by writing it down. I don’t do every shot, but sometimes I like to just sketch it quick and then see if there is anything else I could do.

Before we get going on this post, I want to remind you about the upcoming workshops: Akron, Omaha, Montana and Chicago. These workshops are intense and full of information that goes even beyond lighting. From professional working methods to using social media to gain exposure, we talk about photography all day long. For two full days. Visit the Learn to Light website for more information.

If you are currently looking for a new way to present your work, take a look at our Professional Photographer Websites built on the power of WordPress. Just click the Essentials link on the menu bar for more information.

Now lets look at five different portrait setups that use speedlights and ambient light.

You may want to take a look at this post for some information on calibrating your lights and learning exactly what the power is going to be at the distances you choose. My 430 and 550 are both right at f-8 at 1/8 power at about 5.5 feet. That knowledge means I have total control by power setting and distance

The shot above represents a neat ambient blend of speedlight and soft ambient light that wraps all around the subject. After getting the exposure with my Minolta meter I could begin to plan the lighting and what it should be. I usually take an ambient light shot without strobes so I can see how the light is falling and get an idea of the image as it will be presented.

The shot on the left shows the ambient only photograph. You can see that it isn’t bad at all, but the one on the right has a little more snap to it. F-4 at 1/160 was the meter setting and I took several shots with the ambient only before adding the strobes. The ambient shot isn’t bad, and we shot several shots with the ambient as it has a nice, soft look to it.

When it came time to add the strobes I knew exactly what I wanted to achieve. I wanted the ambient look but with a little pop from the strobes to open the shadows on her face and give the skin a brighter look. I didn’t want the strobes to overpower the ambient, just to add a little bit to the shadows. I did not change the exposure of the image with the strobes, as I knew they were so close to the ambient exposure.

Here is the diagram for the light:

Below I have the shot of Briana after some minor Photoshop work.

You can see how gentle the light is here. We didn't want to overpower the ambient, just add a little spark to the image.

Here is a shot of Briana on the sand bridge heading over the hill. It was very cold and blustery at this time. We were both cold, so we wanted to make the shot and get it in the can before we both froze…

The shot with the ambient is terrible. To open the shot with the ambient would have meant that the sky would have gone white and the shot would be very flat.

I needed then to add some strobe to it to bring the shot up in value and leave the sky dark. To add light to the subject and not change the shutterspeed was the goal. That allowed the shutterspeed to control the background (the dark gray sky) and the strobe to fill in the light up front and the subject.

Looking at the shot now, I realize I should have used a flag on the front part of the image to darken it a bit. I had to lower the values in Photoshop, as I didn’t want the image to look flashlit so much. Below is the shot at ambient and with the flash. I used a 430 on a stand, bare with no modification.

Here is the diagram for the above shot:

And here is the final shot. I brought the values down a bit in the front with photoshop and some layer blends. Creating a more even transition of light from the foreground to the background keeps the shot from looking too “over lit.”

Next up is this shot of Briana in Nova Scotia:

I like the look of the light and background matching.

This shot shows what the background looks like without the strobe. I generally make a few shots to see what the background is going to do before I start to add the strobe. I want to see how the light would look without my added lights. What happens to the leaves and the shadow that is being thrown forward? Will there be any issues with the bench?

I find it very important to “build” a shot. Starting with the ambient exposures gives me a great starting point. I new that 1/160 was within my strobe sync speed on the Canon, so all I really had to do was add my strobe at the position I wanted and at the power I need to get f-14. Since I know that at 1/8 power at 5.5 feet it would be f-8, I simply had to change the power to get to f-14. 1/4 power would give us f-11 and 1/2 power would give f-16. I simply moved the light back about 6-7″ and it would give me f-14.

Lighting Diagram:

I made sure that the flash would not throw any shadows across the face or create any difficult lighting problems. I do that by making sure that the axis of the light was straight onto Bri, not too far to the side or too high. At the level I have the light, it throws a shadow under her chin, but it is nearly straight back. It is one of only a few flash “tells’ Making the light seem natural was my goal.

In Photoshop, I was able to make sure that the light was nice and smooth and I added a bit of contrast with Tony Kuyper’s Luminance masks, and painted some gentle highlights on the arms and dress. Overall, there was a little Photoshop, but not too much.

Here is the shot after the Photoshop:

I wanted to match the background: after a shot with no strobe, I knew that it would be easy to add a strobe.

It is so important to make some shots first and to see what the light is going to do before you add some of your own. Knowing what the strobe output at specific distances makes this rather quick. At that point it is angle to subject, the angle to the camera and camera angle to the subject… the triangle that is the basis of lighting.

There are two more in PDF form if you would like to download them. Thanks for stopping by. And please let your friends know about Lighting Essentials – a place for photographers.

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