New Flash System?
For a couple of years now, I’ve been working with the Strobist system; older Speedlights, used in manual mode with wireless triggers. Strobist took the photographic world by storm with this system, and for good reason. It’s cheap, it’s highly effective, and once you figure out what you’re doing, it’s easy. The setup I have [...]
Senior Studio Portrait – Preview
On Saturday, I’m shooting part two of a senior portrait session. Part one took place outdoors and was where I started talking about the merits of lighting with a single strobe. Part two will take place in the studio (which itself is going to be setup in a computer room at a friend’s house). For [...]
A Very Cool Wedding
Earlier in the week I shared my thoughts on the wedding blog Style Me Pretty. Since I’m checking them out on a regular basis, you can expect some of their posts to filter over here with my thoughts. I’m not going to shift gears and become a wedding critic, but I feel that certain weddings [...]
One-Light Portraits
Monday night I did a senior portrait session down in Wilkes-Barre, PA. It went well. Very well, in fact. For both of us. My client got some unique photos, and I got to play with lights. Or more specifically, with a light. This was a new approach for me. My usual MO when lighting [...]
Pre-gamein' it
What do these two photos have in common? (Hint: the fact that neither is very good isn’t the correct answer.) Hopefully you’re able to see the relationship; the photo on the left is a snapshot of a massage room at a medical school, while the photo on the right is a shot of my bathroom. [...]
What it takes
Tomorrow is the big day, my Orchard Wedding gig. I’m very excited and am looking forward to getting there tomorrow afternoon to scope the place out. The weather report is a little dodgy, but with any luck the rain will never appear and we’ll get blue summer skies with puffy clouds, which would make the [...]
"The Hotshoe Diaries"
If you’re working with Speedlight flashes, you’ve probably read Strobist religiously. And you’ve probably sat there scratching your head a few times trying to wrap your head around what David Hobby so easily comprehends. Which isn’t to trash-talk Hobby; the man is a small-flash expert, and 97% of the time does a great job getting [...]
Space – Making the Most of What You Have
I’m used to working with what I have on hand; I was a working photographer at the same time that I was a broke college student, so I have experience inventing/building what I need as opposed to buying it whenever possible. And as I said last time, I’m used to working with a P&S part [...]
Stock Shoot – Business Models
Last Sunday I transformed the living room in my apartment into a studio for a business-themed model shoot. The purpose was three-fold; first, it was a chance to try out my new background stand and seamless paper backdrop; second, it was an excuse to drag out all my lights and work with them; third, the [...]
Stock Shoot – Baking
Stock photography has long been a source of income for a good photographer and now, more than ever, it is accessible to the hobbyist photographer – something that has made it a hotbed for controversy. I don’t want to open that can of worms right now; I’d rather talk about the physics of producing good stock [...]
