24 Frames in May, 2022
A project by the members of Project 52 Pro System.
We pulled out the film cameras and had some fun with one roll of film to be shot over the month of May, 2022.
Thinking about Portraits: 6 Studies in Beauty
This post is about portrait lighting and some of the things I think about when shooting a portrait... whether in the studio or on location. The shot above was done in Mexico at the Workshop in April. Christine had been walking with me and when she turned to talk to me...
WordPress Themes for Photographers from Lighting Essentials
They are finally here. We have been so busy lately, but it is time to announce that the WordPress Themes for photographers are ready for purchase and installation. We are really pretty proud of these WP Themes. They are built with the incredible power of WordPress,...
Claire Curran Corbett: Dallas Beauty and Fashion Photographer
Hey everyone. It has been a terrifically busy couple of weeks. We are finalizing the book, getting the new DVD into editing form and shooting new work for clients all over the southwest. I will be sharing those images as they come out of embargo. Today we get a chance...
Eduardo Frances: San Salvador Beauty Photographer
Well a few changes are in order, more about them later. This post is a wonderful interview with my buddy Eduardo Frances. Eduardo specializes in people and glamour work in San Salvador, El Salvador. Take a look at his interview, then drop over to one of his sites and...
Mexico Workshop, April 2009
Mexico was an absolute blast this year. We had about 14 models who were there for the "Girls of Rocky Point" calendar shoot. Weather was amazing, and the resort made us feel right at home. I had a chance to shoot a couple of shots with the guys and decided to share a...
Small Strobes with Dramatic Results: Nashville Workshop Images
I have had some great workshops over the past few weeks. This weekend it is Mexico, then some recharge time. Shooting a lot of workshop images and images for the book in Mexico as we are working on the workshop itself. I have Megan, Jerry and Evan going down for some...
April 14: 24 Photos from the Lighting-Essentials Flickr Forum
I am so proud of the Lighting Essentials Flickr Forum. There are some truly amazing photographs here. Thanks to all that participate. Now if we could get the discussions going a bit... oh well. Remember to visit the photographer's Flickr page by clicking on each...
Using Ambient Light and Strobe for a Natural Looking Still Life
This is a cover shot that we did for the fragrance company. We wanted a larger space and a more natural looking scene for the cover so we sought out a warm environment. Our AD found a beautiful home that fit the bill. I knew the item that I would be shooting was...
Keeping It Organized When There are a Lot of Shots
Recently I had the pleasure of working with Coni of Glacier Design and her client, Alicia on a big catalog project. It was to be a couple of dozen shots. Most are what I would call a "drop and pop," or simple product shot. Well, of course nothing is as simple as one...
Enough Modifiers to Keep It Interesting… Real Interesting
I use my speedlights frequently when on location, but truth be told I would rather have a more robust selection of tools to modify the light. I will admit to sucking pretty bad at the DYI approach. I will simply not go into a shoot with grubby or 'home-made' equipment...
Spend a Day Shooting Portraits
Sorry for the long absence. A stolen laptop put me back a lot farther than expected. Add to that the traveling and being without internet, well, reliable internet anyway, in some of the locations. Whew... Hey, enough whining. We will make it up to you really quick...
Amazing and Astounding… and Cool Too! Twenty Seven Images From the Pool
We are so blessed with talent over at the Lighting Essentials Flickr Pool. This weeks selection is wonderful and exciting, cool and hot - all at the same time. This group has 27 very nice images to inspire you and lift your spirits. Before we go down the pool to see...
Mexico Spring Workshop is Enrolling Now
I don't use this site to overly promote the workshops, but this Mexico workshop is rather special. We have people from all over the country coming to these Rocky Point Workshops. Location: Las Palmas Resort in Rocky Point, Mexico Flying in to Phoenix International?...
Tech Sheet: Using a Tilt-Shift Lens
Tilt-shift lenses provide the small camera shooter with the functionality of a view camera. At least some of the functionality of a view camera. The front half anyway. The ability of the camera to change the relationship between lens placement and film or sensor...
Using a Location to Full Advantage
This is a post from the old site, and I thought I would redo it for the new one. There are many things you can do when you find a great location. When Bri and I stumbled upon this one, I thought it would be fun to work out several different ideas. We used flash,...
Images from the LE Flickr Pool, 26 Amazing Shots
Some amazing work gets shown on the Lighting Essentials Flickr Group, and we like to take a few minutes and share some of our favorites. There are many that I am sure should be on this list that didn't make it, and our apologies. I need to do this more often. Just...
Our First Contest and Sponsor Acknowledgement
We are excited to announce our first Lighting Essentials Photography Contest. February 2009 Contest. Editorial Assignment: Portrait in an environment. Show the subject's relationship to the environment. Final Submission Date: February 28, 2009. Special thanks to our...
Shoot Thru Umbrella and Bounce Umbrella – a Comparison
There is so much talk on some forums about the 'softness' of shoot-thru umbrellas and how much it works to provide a soft light. And there is certainly some truth to that statement... especially with umbrellas at a distance. But finessed lighting that is done close to...
Tech Sheet: Beating the Sun with Small Flash
Our Tech Sheet on using a meter will be next time, we decided for a variety of reasons to bring you this Tech Sheet on beating the sun for effect instead. Explanation could come soon on why, but I wouldn't wait for it... heh. It just happens when you are a one man...
Our Desktop Calendars for February, 2009
Well, it is tech-sheet Friday, but that will have to be tech-sheet Saturday this week. The tech sheet I am working on is about using a meter, and there are a few more images that must be shot before it is ready to go. So I have instead decided that it would be good to...
Two Portraits with One Light
This post features two shots from this past weeks workshop in Phoenix. My Phoenix Workshops are fairly intimate affairs because I draw smaller groups and my studio is rather intimate as well. In the first half of Saturday we work on portrait lighting and working with...
Creating a Simple Spray Light for Backgrounds
One of the ways to separate the subject from the background is to use a spray light. The light creates a 'halo' of light to dark behind the subject and helps make a flat background more dynamic. It is a fairly simple technique with a lot of variations possible. We can...
Creating an Ambient Look with Speedlights on Location: Tech Sheet
Here we are for our second Tech Sheet of the year. How to create a natural light look to a photograph when there is little to no ambient light to be had. We will be using a couple of speedlights for this Tech Sheet. It has been a wild first couple of weeks for me, and...
Using a Speedlight for Environmental Images that Pop
I have been working on a personal project, shooting some of the old mining towns in Eastern/Central Arizona. Sometimes I shoot natural light and sometimes I like to pull out my speedlights for a little drama. Let's take a look at some easy ways to add a sense of...
Special Guest: Maciej Blaszczuk
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