Here is a great economical way to soften your light. They're China Balls: These were used on the set of Grey's Anatomy. You can buy these light diffusers from World Market or Pier 1 Imports. Here's a link to Filmtools. Filmtools is a great resource; however, on some items they are a bit pricey. They cater to the movie and television industry. They range in cost from around $3.75 for a 12" China Ball up to about $17.00 for a 30" China Ball. Most are made of paper; however, some are made of silk. You do not need the silk ones unless you're … [Read more...] about Lighting with China Balls
Lighting
Bounced Flash for Casual Shooting
I live in a cave. Not literally, but it sure feels like it. My house is so dark. Even with the windows wide open, on a bright sunny day, I still have to shoot at a minimum of ISO 1600. Sometimes I embrace my cave, I shoot with the high ISO, and I don't sweat it. But, honestly, the images that I love, the images that I keep, the images that I share of my family in my home almost alway use my flash aimed at a corner of my ceiling. Why Bounced Flash? Because it is flexible and easy. There are lots of ways to bring in extra light to shoot indoors … [Read more...] about Bounced Flash for Casual Shooting
Canon 600 EX-RT Speedlites with Sony A7 Cameras? Yongnuo to the Rescue
When I sold my Canon 5D Mark III and 7D Mark II cameras and bought into Sonys A7 camera system one of the deciding factors was the Sony cameras ability to use Canon lenses via third-party adapters. As someone who has a long-standing love affair with Canons L-series glass, I was loathe to give them up. A have also been a fan of Canons underrated 600 EX-RT Speedlites and I am happy to report that they work wonderfully with my Sony A7R Mark II thanks to the Yongnuo YN-E3-RT commander module. Clone Wars When I invested in the 600 EX-RT system a … [Read more...] about Canon 600 EX-RT Speedlites with Sony A7 Cameras? Yongnuo to the Rescue
Want Drama? Shoot With The Light
I often spend a lot of time at a wedding wrestling with light. Different sources, color temperatures, intensities are all over. Often, I find I like to shoot into the light to create a dreamy, open, bright feeling to my images because those are all qualities that typically go along with weddings. However, sometimes, I find myself in a spot that just needs more oompf, more drama. When that happens, I shoot with the light, not into it, not perpendicular to it. I point my lens in the direction the light is falling, spot meter for my highlights, … [Read more...] about Want Drama? Shoot With The Light
Aesthetic Judgments: Composition, Color & Story
In the first part of my thoughts on aesthetic judgments I introduced the first two considerations on my list of five that inform my work. This post discusses the rest of them starting with... Composition Composition is the pleasing expression of the elements in a space. I prefer to lock the camera on a tripod then adjust the elements in the frame. Shooting tethered into a computer also assists me in this quest. Finally, I always give myself permission to frame my subject loosely to allow for cropping. No where in any of the works on … [Read more...] about Aesthetic Judgments: Composition, Color & Story
Hot Hair Lights
I'm a huge advocate of creating depth in a photograph. One of the ways is to use a back light or at times referred to as a hair light when shooting talent. Some of the challenges I might have are when the talent has blonde or gray / silver colored hair. I'll lose hair detail in the hair light. I found a great method for helping gain back that detail without losing the depth that a hair light can create. First I'll spray paint the inside of one of my reflectors from metal to flat white. This will soften the contrast: The next thing I will add … [Read more...] about Hot Hair Lights
Fast Retouching in Photoshop with Wes Maggio from Wacom
Wes Maggio from Wacom joins us to share a quick tip on processing a portrait of Skylar he shot in the desert in Las Vegas during Photoshop World last month. Starting in Lightroom, Wes works through the develop module, but then jumps into Photoshop for a window replacement made easy by using a Wacom pen tablet. https://youtu.be/8jfBbRFjg6I Wes is a Senior Evangelist for Creative Products at Wacom Technology. He can be found on Twitter here or at the Wacom Community website here. … [Read more...] about Fast Retouching in Photoshop with Wes Maggio from Wacom
Battling Bright Light at Weddings
One of the many "joys" of wedding photography is that, try as we might to advise clients on the best photo locations and times of day, inevitably we're thrown some of the trickiest lighting setups in the book. Mixed lighting color temperatures, ceremony restrictions on flash in churches that might as well be dungeons they're so dark, time restrictions forcing you to photograph in blinding sun or dead of night, the list goes on and on. It's one of the reasons why I think wedding photographers can often be some of the best all around … [Read more...] about Battling Bright Light at Weddings
Nick Saglimbeni’s Mastering Lighting – Mini Review
If you want to understand lighting - really understand it, prepare for many years of study. Or at least months and you might want to start with Nick Saglimbeni's Nick Saglimbeni's Mastering Lighting Volume 1 DVD Tutorial Series. At $150 it isn't cheap, but its much less expensive than the average in-person workshop. Nick is a cinematic visual artist. He studied cinema at USC and accordingly, his approach to lighting is very different from the average stills photographer. This guy doesn't mess around. If you want to see how to start from … [Read more...] about Nick Saglimbeni’s Mastering Lighting – Mini Review
Camouflaging Shadows
"Your greatest curse could be your greatest blessing" Shadows, at times they are such a curse, but with a bit of creative manipulating they can be a wonderful blessing. When working on a Hollywood set there are times I'll will have the Grips (the guys who rig things, their name comes from old Hollywood "because you needed a strong hand grip to secure things") set up a diffusion panel for me. If its going to be a full length shot for one or more talent you might end up seeing the edge of a 6x6, or up to a 20x20 foot frame's shadow. Its a ugly … [Read more...] about Camouflaging Shadows
Candle Lighting with Photoshop
Most interiors with candles for adding ambiance, are anything but controlled. HVAC, opening doors, ceiling fans in another room or even an assistant or client walking in the room can make flames flicker resulting in motion blurred fire. The room may have a lot of ambient light that can't be controlled so the slow shutter speed required to capture a vibrant flame can't be used. Open flames on a set can be a safety hazard. Candles dripping wax can cause an unsightly mess that is really hard to clean up before making the final photo of an … [Read more...] about Candle Lighting with Photoshop
Setting Up the Shot: Commercial Studio Headshot
Here is a basic set up to achieve a commercial studio headshot. If you've never played with lights, it can be intimidating but once you just do it, you will find you have much more control and it's not as scary as you imagine. This is a very basic set up with two lights. 1 Key light, 1 hair light and a white board for reflection. The Gear: 1 Photogenic Powerlight 1250 w/beauty dish 1 Elinchrom D-lite 4 with a grid 1 old piece of broken white piece of board The Setup: As you can see we have the beauty dish right in front on one side. … [Read more...] about Setting Up the Shot: Commercial Studio Headshot
Pinball Heroes: How I Previsualized and Realized a Photograph
When I heard that Photofocus was renting the Pinball Hall of Fame for a party, my mind started going crazy with ideas. The plan was to host a party during Photoshop World in Las Vegas and invite Photofocus readers to join us for a live shoot with models and borrowable cameras from LensRentals.com. The party was a blast, and you've already seen some of the pictures posted here on the blog. I had a particular plan in mind, however, and I'll show you how I made it come to life, and maybe my method will help you realize a vision you've had in … [Read more...] about Pinball Heroes: How I Previsualized and Realized a Photograph
Behind the Scenes with Dave Black
We had a chance to catch up with Dave Black at Photoshop World last month in Las Vegas. He sat with Photofocus' Pamela Berry to go behind the scenes of 5 of his most recent commercial jobs, showing us how he set up and lit each image and got an amazing shot. https://youtu.be/-1mWqaMGkbs About Dave Black Dave is a freelance photographer for over 30 years. His work has primarily centered on the sports industry for such publications as Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek and the award-winning TV show Sports Century on ESPN. He's covered events … [Read more...] about Behind the Scenes with Dave Black
Speed, Speed it’s what you need
Before engaging the enemy it was a low light situation, once the rifles burst it was only then that I knew I had captured the shot. This is my first post on Photofocus. Thank you Richard, Vanelli and Nick for your help and encouragement. Having the correct tools for the job is imperative. Some of those tools are fast lenses. Fast lenses allow you to shoot in low light situations where you can't sacrifice shutter speed because the action in front of the lens would blur. Okay so just increase your ISO, you can, with the new cameras and … [Read more...] about Speed, Speed it’s what you need
Photofocus Podcast September 5, 2015 — Lindsay Adler and Ron Pepper
This week we catch up with two photographers to get a wealth of advice. First Robert Vanelli talks with fashion photographer Lindsay Adler about her career and advice to other photographers. Then Rich Harrington since down with panoramic photographer Ron Pepper for a free-wheeling discussion about gear, tech, and workflow. Get the show here or get it on iTunes Don't forget to post a review on iTunes. Lindsay Adler Lindsay Adler is a professional portrait and fashion photographer based in New York City. Her editorial work has … [Read more...] about Photofocus Podcast September 5, 2015 — Lindsay Adler and Ron Pepper
Adding Light – The Difference Just One Light Can Make
When I first started out with photography, natural light was my best friend. I didn't have money for lights, so I learned to shoot using what was available to me. Shoot after shoot, I'd tuck a little money away into a gear fund to save up for lights. Natural light can get you pretty far, but adding just one light can really take you up to the next level. On a recent video shoot, I was able to snap a comparison frame between a shot lit naturally and a shot lit with a mix of natural and artificial light. The building I was in had massive … [Read more...] about Adding Light – The Difference Just One Light Can Make
Photographing Candle Flames
Let's photograph a candle lit and not. It's simple right? Well, maybe... The Setup When I start to photograph anything, I ask myself "What is it?" By that I mean describe its properties. Looking at the candle, I see it's round. No. Make that cylindrical. It's reflective. It has texture, well the wick has it anyway. The properties tell me what the light wants to be. Reflective cylinders must be defined with a highlight running the length of it to reveal the roundness. How important is the texture of the wick compared to shape of the candle. Not … [Read more...] about Photographing Candle Flames
Elinchrom, Photix & Seckonic Band Together
Swiss pro electronic flash manufacturer Elinchrom, Phottix whose control systems currently work with Canon, Nikon & Sony DSLR cameras TTL for flash and Sekonic, world class creators of hand held light meters have teamed toghether to focus these areas of expertise on light measurement and control. What does this mean for photographers? A big change for how electronic flash systems are controlled is one important consideration. Remote controlled flashes are not new by any means. Putting together these three companies can mean some … [Read more...] about Elinchrom, Photix & Seckonic Band Together
Taming Interior Reflections
Photographing interiors means dealing with tons of reflective surfaces just waiting to spoil the fun. These little mirrors are everywhere bringing unwanted reflections into what would be an otherwise inviting inside space. The answer is simple. Show those offensive mirrored surfaces what you want the camera to see--nothing! Essential tools In order to successfully avoid reflections, I recommend using three tools There is one absolutely necessary tool for getting rid of pesky reflections. That's a tripod. In order to make this work, the camera … [Read more...] about Taming Interior Reflections
Photoshop World • A Learning Fest!
I've had the honor of teaching at well over twenty Photoshop World conferences. While I am there to teach; I am also there to learn. What a great opportunity to discover new ways to work in Photoshop, a lighting idea (Thanks Glyn Dewis!) or something I didn't know Lightroom could do. Photoshop World offers concise, info filled classes each lasting an hour. In sixty short minutes new ideas are born, creativity ignites and those in the room are inspired. It's three days of fun learning. What I want to see Business Track Tim Wallace rocks the … [Read more...] about Photoshop World • A Learning Fest!
Westcott Ice Lights Saved my Shoot – Vincent Versace | Stories from the Set
Stories from the set takes you behind the scenes with top photographers as they talk about the challenges it takes to get the shot. [youtube:http://youtu.be/bdBheOv8Vm4] Robert Vanelli sits down with pro photographer Vincent Versace to discuss his approach to lighting. Learn how ICE Lights were uses on a recent shoot. Vincent Versace is an internationally recognized pioneer in the art and science of digital photography. His passion for natural light photography is manifest not only in his work but also through his role as a creative … [Read more...] about Westcott Ice Lights Saved my Shoot – Vincent Versace | Stories from the Set
Shooting Smoke
There are times when a photographer needs some smoke. Want to make a candle look like it's just gone out? Smoke. How about a steaming cup of coffee? Smoke. Make the cigarette or cigar look realistic? Smoke. Add some magic to a fantasy portrait? Yep. Smoke! Here's a quick tutorial on making photographs of smoke's feathery goodness. Incense I'm not much into incense. Sure it smells good. That's not how it gets me happy. It looks amazing. A single stick of incense is good for several hundred fun, wispy images. Lighting for smoke Sidelight is … [Read more...] about Shooting Smoke
How to Stretch Your LED Lighting Budget with Accessories
LED Lighting is a great way to shoot video and photo projects, but its more expensive than other choices. Fortunately you can extend the budget and your lights usefulness with some key accessories. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0FFgHaOZnE In this tutorial, explore some cost-effective options for working with LED lights in your video productions. Watch the follow-up movies within this series at … [Read more...] about How to Stretch Your LED Lighting Budget with Accessories
How I Got the Shot | Negative Fill
Thinking on your feet Before the seminar began, I scoped out the room for potential subjects. I was instantly drawn to our new friend Rob Leigh. He reminded me of Hemingway, the famous writer. I paused for a moment and thought, how would I light him to give a dramatic effect? I realized what I needed to do. I just needed to modify my lesson plans in front of a live audience. Forget for the past few weeks I rehearsed how to add light to a portrait and do the opposite; remove light to get a dramatic effect. No pressure. A simple set up A … [Read more...] about How I Got the Shot | Negative Fill
Making “The Boxer”
"I want to be a boxer!" said model Vanessa Guillemette as we were preparing a test shoot in my studio last week. She pulled out some pink Everlast boxing gloves and the fight was on... The Setting Most photographs begin with the environment. I thought about how to represent a gym-like feel. The scene would evoke a smokey, window lit place with lots of shadows. I hung an old canvas drop cloth from a friend who painted commercial buildings. A piece of cardboard with cutout shapes in front of a Dynalite SH2000 studio head cast the shadows. I … [Read more...] about Making “The Boxer”
Elinchrom + The MAC Group
Back in March Elinchrom announced it would form a company to distribute their electronic flash products. The company was to be called Elinchrom USA scheduled to debut on May 5th. Times change... MAC Group to distribute Elinchrom The MAC Group announcement quotes Elinchrom President Chris Whittle as saying Last month we announced the birth of Elinchrom USA, but since then a far better and even more exciting plan has emerged. We are pleased to announce that MAC Group will be taking on the sales, marketing, distribution and service for Elinchrom … [Read more...] about Elinchrom + The MAC Group
There’s Just 1 Trick to Photographing Glasses
The trouble with photographing eyeglasses is that they're made of glass, which is generally pretty reflective and reflections of my flashes may obscure the eyes behind the glass, and if we can't see a person's eyes we might as well not make a picture. I was pretty intimidated by this when I was a new photographer. Tips I'd read for beating the problem included tipping the glasses on the face, removing the lenses, and taking a shot without the glasses and blending it with the glasses in Photoshop. As a guy who wore glasses, the idea of removing … [Read more...] about There’s Just 1 Trick to Photographing Glasses
Photographing The Sapphire Pin
Photographing jewelry always presents some interesting challenges to overcome. The brooch crafted by Marie Scarpa is shiny gold and silver wire wound in a spiral holding seventeen sapphires. Each one is a different color. The wire had to read as silver and gold. The individual stones had to show their true colors. The background was to compliment the center stone. Here we go... Pin Support One of the most difficult parts of shooting brooches and pendants is supporting them for the photography. I built a little rig that was simply a piece of … [Read more...] about Photographing The Sapphire Pin
My Most Profitable Light Is Also My Cheapest
Six years ago I started making pictures, and I dove right in planning to make a portrait business. The best thing I did was attend David Ziser's workshop where he taught me that shadow and light are the most important technical things to learn in photography. He showed image after image of stunning portraits, and they were almost all lit with the same modifier, and I bought one from him that night. Six years later, that Zumbrella is still my most profitable tool, and while it's seen better days physically, it's still the fastest and easiest way … [Read more...] about My Most Profitable Light Is Also My Cheapest
