The Weekly Wrap-Up is a compendium of some of the articles published this week on Photofocus. This week, we explored new gear, showed you a few different lighting techniques, talked about exhibiting and showcased Olympus’ flagship camera. We also gave you some great Cyber Monday deals. Still looking for some savings and ideas? Check out our Holiday Gift Guide!
Gear Review: Peak Design 45L Travel Backpack - Peak Design has done it again: The company has broken Kickstarter with its new product. I think these people get together and say, “What can we make that will cause people to lose their minds and buy it with wild abandon?” The company makes quality stuff and designs it very well. The latest offering is the Travel Line, and it I think it’ll meet the expectations of all the people who funded the Kickstarter with $5,206,611. Yeah, five-point-two million dollars. The Travel Backpack There’s no doubt that this is a well-made backpack. It’s got all the features you’d expect in a bag expected to last a lot of miles. Taped seams, tough fabric, overbuilt closures and plenty of bar tacks. The thing is, while it probably meets the standards, it doesn’t look like a military spec bag. It appears sleek and stylish and comes in black or sage (I was sent the black, but I’m coveting the sage). It’s got cool design features, like backpack straps and hip belt that stow without any buckles or clasps. Curiously strong magnets are used in various places to keep the surface unfettered by…fetters. A laptop fits comfortably against the back panel. (My sample is a preproduction unit, so some things may be slightly different than in my pictures.) Personally, I think about the design of bags and gear a lot. A whole lot. I immediately notice weak points and say, “I wish they’d done such and such instead.” I can always qualify my favorite things with several areas that need improvement. As I’ve been using this bag for the last month or so, I’ve only found one flaw, which I’ll discuss below. It’s a tough and well-designed bag, but it doesn’t scream out, “I’m going to climb a mountain with my camera in this bag!” In fact, it really doesn’t look like a camera/tech bag at all (probably because it’s not — it’s a travel bag). It’s also got all kinds of security features built-in. Quick Note: Peak Design has a video at the bottom of each page of its website for every aspect of this bag, and I recommend watching them. The designers show you all the nifty stuff they did and explain all the things you’d probably not notice on your own. The Camera Cube There are so many cool features to this backpack, but as this is a photography site, I’m going to focus my efforts on the Camera Cube. It’s a travel backpack, so it’s not dedicated to photography, which I like. They’ve created these camera modules, however, which integrate seamlessly with the pack. They are reasonably tough and protective. If you’re a normal person who remembers there’s a camera on their back and doesn’t go throwing the pack around then this will protect your gear well. It’s not a hard plastic case, but it is as protective as any soft-sided bag I’ve seen, but without as much bulk. It opens either on the large face or from the side so you can access your gear through the backpack like a sling bag. This is handy. I’ve been using the Cube outside of the backpack for transport in my car and sitting in the studio and it’s a very functional setup. The most unusual and distinctive element of the Camera Cube is the dividers. They are adequately rigid, but are slim, which leaves more room in the Cube for your tools. They are also creased so they fold over. This is awesome because I often have lenses or speedlights that don’t take up the entire volume of the section they are stored in. These fold-over sections allow me to stack other stuff on top without stacking things directly on top of each other. There are also several pockets that attach to the dividers. One thing most camera bags include is useless little pockets that are too thin to get stuff out of. These divider pouches, however, are elastic and repositionable so you can always put them in the best spot and you can always get at the memory cards, filters, lens caps, batteries or whatever else you drop into them. The backpack will fit in the carry-on cabinets of even the smallest planes, but in case you had to check the bag the Camera Cube would come out and fit under your seat to keep it safe. Lastly, the Camera Cube is also built to last. Even though it’s intended to be used inside the backpack, it has weather resistant zippers. I’ve appreciated that as I’ve used the Cube in my other backpack for extended backpacking trips. It comes in three sizes. I have the middle size and it fits a large micro four-thirds kit with room for my clothes in the backpack. Here’s the video about the Camera Cubes. The pouches Peak Design designed other pouches to help you organize your travel gear, and I really like using them. You can buy the Camera Cube and pouches independently of the backpack. There’s one for toiletries, one for cords and charges and all that junk, one for shoes and one for clothes. I was dubious at first that I needed a pouch for my clothes and for my shoes, but now I’m thinking about buying more of them. The pouches maintain the beautiful and simple design of the backpack. The clothes pouch (Packing Cube) and Shoe Pouch are made of super lightweight nylon and are simply the best thing I’ve used for storing clothes. When you carry a bag through three airports on a trip you start doubting everything you put in it as it weighs on your shoulders, but these pouches are negligible. I usually spend a lot of time the night before a trip organizing everything and all that time is wasted as soon as an inspector at the airport gets to work. These pouches preserve the organization and keep clothes from getting wrinkled. The shoe bag keeps my other stuff clean from extra shoes in the bag, and I
How to get colored light without using gels, part one - Lately, I feel like gels have become all the rage in the photography world and I am loving it. I was recently teaching at my son’s school, as I am the teacher for their school’s photography club. I was showing some images for colored lights when a student turned to me and said, “But how do I get a colored light look if I don’t have any gels?” I couldn’t come up with an answer and I was slightly bugged, so I went home and started doing some experimenting and came up with two ideas — a posterboard and a projector! Let me first show you how I use the posterboard. You want to tape your posterboard onto a wall or clamp it to a light stand. I like to use a boom stand and some trusty clamps. Then I have my subject sit on a stool relatively close to my posterboard, and I ask my friend to shine a flashlight onto the poster. There are two different options for this. First, hold a flashlight a ways away from the subject and have them illuminate not only the paper but the edge of their back and shoulder. This makes the color of the poster a lot softer on the subject and helps add a bit of separation between them and the backdrop by highlighting their check and shoulder very nicely. However, doing this makes the color of the poster just barely noticeable on the subject. The second lighting option is to hold a Lume Cube as close to the posterboard as you can get. This lighting setup really saturates the subject with the poster color and the surrounds. It just creates this beautiful moody feeling. Quick Note: What is a Lume Cube you might ask? Check out my friend and fellow author, Levi Sim’s, first look video of the new Lume Cube Air to get all the details. They really are some fantastic powerful lights that are so compact and versatile. As for the camera settings, use the same settings for both setups. I shot these with my Lumix GX8, used my 42.5mm lens which has the same field of view as an 85mm lens. ISO 800, f/1.7 at 1/40s for my shutter. I was handholding my camera the whole time but if your camera won’t allow you to do that and you notice your image is blurry or out of focus, just place your camera on a tripod. Since I had conquered the colored light thing without using gels I thought I would try and put a little spin on it and make it a bit more of a beauty image since that’s what I like to shoot. A while ago I shared a video on here about how I make D.I.Y snoots for my speedlights. I took that snoot, added a barndoor effect to the end and had my friend hold a second Lume Cube light in it. Then pointed it directly at my subject’s eyes. It was magic! Give it try yourself and see what I mean. It’s super easy and a lot of fun.
Introduction to exhibiting: Locations - Editor’s Note: We welcome Angie McMonigal to Photofocus. Angie is an award-winning fine art and commercial architecture photographer based in Chicago. She brings a detailed, thoughtful perspective to her work, whether for clients or through the workshops she leads. Focusing more frequently on bold architectural details rather than sweeping cityscapes, her photographs celebrate those unexpectedly iconic elements hiding in plain sight. You can find her work published and exhibited both nationally and internationally. Most recently, her Urban Quilt series was accepted into Catherine Edelman Gallery’s Chicago Project. Visit her website at angiemcmonigal.com, or check out her workshops on photographyunfolded.com. Many of us would love to get our work exhibited and out there in front of the public. But how? There are so many ways to go about doing this. I’ll cover a few options with you below. This is by no means a comprehensive list, rather just some ideas to get you started. Galleries Of course, the holy grail in exhibiting is the gallery and the ideal for many is to be represented by a gallery. Meaning, they take you on as an artist which results in them marketing your work, exhibiting your work in the gallery and taking it to art shows nationally and internationally, among other things. They generally take a percentage, often 50%, of the sale price for getting your work out there in the world. However, getting repped is no easy feat and likely not where you’ll start the process, you’ll need a solid resume/CV first. One way to build that CV is to exhibit in other ways. Other outlets Let’s set the gallery world aside for just a moment. Many artists exhibit at local establishments: Restaurants, bars, art/craft/gift stores and interior design stores to name a few. This can be a win/win for both the artist and the establishment. They get free art, you get your work in a space that constantly has traffic and new eyes on your work. Also, depending on the space, people can visualize how their work might fit into their own homes or offices. Another thing to keep in mind — having the work on display close to the holidays can be an added boost as people are in the gift-giving mindset. These locations will often take a percentage of the sale price, just like a gallery would but it’s often much lower, perhaps 10-20%. Auctions You can also donate work to an auction. This can open a whole new audience. Just choose the charity wisely, evaluate your work and what charity might fit best with what you do. For example, my photography focuses on architecture, seen in an abstract way. Donating to a fundraiser for the Architecture Center or an architecture museum would be a good place to consider. Types of galleries Back to the gallery world. There are co-op galleries, which are generally a group of artists that come together to provide a venue where they can exhibit their work. Often having a permanent location and a mission to support each other through various endeavors. It can be a great way to create a community of like-minded artists with common goals. These usually involve monthly fees and duties to maintain the gallery, along with the money you’ll spend on creating prints for any exhibition you take part in. There are also venues that rent out their spaces to an artist or group of artists to host a show themselves. Kind of like a pop-up gallery. How to get your work shown If you want to exhibit your work in an established gallery, start by following them on social media and subscribe to their newsletters as many have calls for entry. Typically they involve a fee to submit a certain number of images for consideration. Some of these calls don’t involve a juror. You pay the fee to submit and you can exhibit. There’s no one judging the work or curating the show. This is rare, but it does happen. This can also feel very much like the pay-to-play mentality and doesn’t lend the most credibility. But if you’ve never exhibited it’s a way to get your feet wet and learn how the whole process works. Other calls for entry are juried, meaning the gallery has someone reputable in the art world jury the show. Often a gallery owner, museum curator, photo publisher, etc. This is a great opportunity to get your work in front of someone who works with photography daily and who has a good understanding of what makes a photo work. If your work is chosen there is often an exhibit that follows. Making it to the opening to connect with the juror and other exhibitors is a great way to network and for people to put a face to the name, which inherently makes you and your work more memorable. If your work isn’t chosen don’t be too upset. Often the curators have a specific aesthetic in mind and maybe what you submitted just doesn’t fit this time. It doesn’t mean it’s not good. Also, you still had the opportunity to get your work seen by someone in the industry. Other juried calls for entry result in an online gallery as opposed to a brick and mortar gallery. I’ve become wary of these, often they feel like nothing more than money-making endeavors for whoever is putting out the call. Just be cautious and understand what you hope to get out of calls like this. These are just a few of the ways to begin exhibiting your work and getting it seen by a larger audience. Of course, there are many other ways to get work out there — social media, publications, art fairs, portfolio reviews, etc. Lots to consider and more for another time. Good luck!
Timing the power — how to photograph Olympic Weightlifting - I just got back from an amazing Olympic Weightlifting (O-lift) meet. Many athletes were competing to qualify for the upcoming nationals. Needless to say, it’s been an intense and exciting event! O-lift is a very challenging discipline. It is challenging to photograph as well. Everything in a lift happens in literally a matter of moments. Timing is the key between making or missing a great shot. Here’s exactly what I do to make mesmerizing pictures that the athletes and the event organizers are willing to pay for. Locating the camera In order to get an angle I really like, I make sure to wake up early and be there as soon as the doors of the event open. I need a few minutes to see how the platform has been set up, then I make choices accordingly. I like to be at a slight angle to the athletes while lifting. This gives a view of the plates on both ends of the barbell (without one side being disproportionately large). The scene includes the athlete’s movements and some background elements. A screen behind the stage displays each participant’s name, the weight being attempted and other useful and information — which I really like to include in my frame. Yes! I use a tripod & a low angle Once I find my perfect spot, I place my camera on a tripod, at a low angle usually knee height. I always like to photograph from a low angle no matter what event is taking place and O-lift is no exception. The low point of view makes the athletes look more powerful. The viewer sees and feels more of the action. Friendly tip… I always pack bring something to eat and drink. There aren’t many pauses in the action the entire day (if any at all). I also sit on a chair or a bench to be as comfortable as possible during the many hours of the competition. Exposure and white balance The second step is to frame the image and find the right exposure for the scene. My Illuminati Meter comes in really handy to know the perfect white balance and exposure to set on my camera. The light in the venue is consistent so one reading sets me up for the entire day! In order to freeze the explosive movements of this sport, I like to use a shutter speed of at least 1/640th of a second. If I have plenty of light available, I go faster whenever I have the possibility. Unfortunately, O-Lift meetings are most of the time organized in poorly lit gymnasiums. So I stick to my slowest acceptable shutter speed (1/640th of a second) and get my aperture as wide as I can (which is f/2.8 on my telephoto). Then, I crank up my ISO to get to the right exposure. I was at ISO 3200 for that day. The White Balance color was at exactly 4650ºK. Expecting to win Anticipation is the key. As I’ve seen snatches and clean and jerk lifts thousands of times, my eye and brain know exactly when the athlete will end the pull or catch the bar. These moments are measured in fractions of seconds. Either I nail it or I don’t. There is no in-between. I believe this is what makes this sport so exciting to me. I have to be in perfect sync with the lifters in order to get what I want — and ultimately what they want too. I have to expect to win as much as the athlete does in order to make the photo! I have to anticipate movements and reactions. I need the same perfect timing. I don’t use continuous mode. I work to get it right every single time. I can leave with more than 2000 pictures after a meet is finished. 2000 frames without continuous mode. Can you imagine the crazy amount I would have to edit if I used high speed continuous shooting for every lift?! Fine tuning Keep the cream of the crop. Skip the ugly/struggling faces, the bad timing and awkward movements. As I said, I can get up to 2,300 pictures for a single day event. I make the first selection straight in my camera while photographing. There’s usually 30 seconds to 2 minutes break between each lift. I use it efficiently, tagging the best ones. I end up with something like 900 images. Then, I do a second sort back at my studio to come up with my top 450 or so. Those are my cream of the crop. Those are the photographs I want the world to see, that I am most proud of and the ones I know the athletes will be too. Then, I create a personalized preset and run them through my favorite post-editing software. This is what gives my images a unique look and how people recognize my professional, artistic style. Practice, practice, practice! I wasn’t born photographing Olympic Weightlifting. This is simply a sport I deeply enjoy watching and I decided that I wanted to be a part of it. I think about how hard the athletes train every day, what makes them faster, better and stronger. I know it is no different for me. As I become more and more experienced, I feel more and more confident in my photography. I find new tools. I have new ideas and so will you! If you feel like reading more on the topic, here a few links about O-lift photography and affordable sports photography gear. See you on the field!
Photographing events with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II - This is the first article in a four-part series discussing the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II. In future articles, I’ll discuss using the camera for landscapes, portraiture and advertising. Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to win an Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, and I’ve since made it my camera of choice. After photographing exclusively with it for nine months, I feel like I’ve got a good grasp of the capabilities of the camera. I couldn’t be happier with my Olympus system. I now have a second body for backup purposes, plus a plethora of lenses. For this series of articles, Olympus loaned me the 12-100mm f/4 PRO and 17mm f/1.2 PRO lenses to try out in my workflow. Corporate events, concerts and theatre My bread and butter is photographing corporate events, and so this was a big factor in my decision-making to switch to the Olympus platform. For me, I needed a camera system that performed well no matter what the lighting situation and had a fast shooting rate. I also desired a system that had a silent shooting mode, as I often shoot a lot of quiet events where I don’t want to interrupt or be a distraction. The big part of the puzzle for me was finding a camera system that I could rely on for all-day events. While I shoot a lot of smaller, 2-3 hour events, I also shoot some that are 8, 10 and even 12 hours long (and no, they aren’t weddings!). With the camera and my lenses being much smaller, I no longer have as many aches and pains after a long day of shooting. Low-light capabilities A lot of photographers think that, just because a camera has a smaller sensor, it can’t shoot well in low light. But that’s becoming less and less the case. I’m easily able to shoot up to ISO 3200 without any degradation in image quality. That said, I rarely need to go above ISO 2000 for my corporate event photography. Sure, there may be some noise present in the images, but it’s not enough to distract a viewer or my client. I’ve never once gotten a complaint of the quality of an image — in fact, quite the opposite. Many of my clients are surprised that the photos turned out as well as they did, especially if there was no external light available. Focus In terms of focusing, the E-M1 Mark II never missed. In theatre and concert photography, that’s important, and I love the fact that I can rely on the built-in image stabilization and autofocus system to get me sharp photographs, no matter what the light is like. Silent shooting and fast shooting speeds The silent shooting modes in the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II have really helped me in a lot of my photographs. By default, there’s Sequential Shooting Low and High shooting modes. I always find myself on the low setting, otherwise, I’ll end up with a gazillion photos that I have to import to Lightroom! The low burst, by default, is set to photograph 10 frames per second, but I bring this down to 8 fps. This is plenty for corporate events and even sports, but if I need more, I can go up to the Sequential Shooting High mode for up to 15 fps. Speaking of shooting speeds, the E-M1 Mark II offers up to 60 frames per second with the Silent Sequential Shooting High mode. I’ve used this for the occasional sports photoshoot I’ve had, as well as some concerts, and it’s performed beautifully. It uses the focus point at the start of the series and retains that for as long as you continue holding down the shutter button. For focus tracking using C-AF, you can use the Silent Sequential Shooting Low mode, which offers up to 18 frames per second. The image quality is just as great as it was when I was shooting a single photograph, and the focusing is spot-on. With on-camera flash Despite the low-light capabilities, I often pair the camera with an on-camera flash. This helps to give the subjects a bit of a pop, separating them from the background. This is especially useful with some of the weird lighting that interior spaces can often have. The camera’s TTL system works great with my Nissin Di700a speedlight, and there’s always enough light produced. The quality of the images is sharp, with virtually no noise present if used properly. Gear of choice In addition to the speedlight I mentioned above, I always have a battery grip on my E-M1 Mark II camera body. While it certainly helps with battery life, I like the ability to photograph vertically without having to strain my arm. In addition to the grip, I usually photograph indoor events with the following lenses: 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO For outdoor events, I’m planning on adding the 12-100mm f/4 PRO to my arsenal. Because of its fixed f/4 aperture, it’s not quite as fast as my f/2.8 lenses, but it gives me a great option when there’s the sun overhead or a lot of light present. What I love about it is it gives me a broad range of view, making it really versatile and allowing me to shoot an entire event without changing lenses.
Removing harsh shadows using natural light - Removing harsh, ugly shadows from what would be a beautiful portrait is relativity easy. You find a shaded area, set your camera to a low aperture of f/2.8, diffuser the light and then let Mother Nature’s light do the rest. It really is that easy. Here are the steps in more detail on how to remove harsh shadows using natural light. Find a shaded area Look for a close shade treetop canopy or an open shade area — a building or an object blocking direct sunlight — to remove your subject from direct sunlight. This solves the problem of harsh light hitting the subject but shade also causes a bluish tint to an image. Adjusting your camera’s white balance, using a White Balance Reference Card or adjusting the white balance in post-processing will quickly fix this problem. Soften and balance the light with a diffuser Although I moved the subject under a tree, dapples of light shined through and cause unflattering shadows on the subject’s face. Adjust the subject the best you can to remove as many unwanted shadows as you can, then soften and balance the light with a diffuser. This will convert the quantity of light to a better quality of light. It’s also worth mentioning, that light takes on the color it bounces off of or shines through. If the tree is covered with thick green leaves, a greenish tint will spill onto the subject. If this happens, you may want to look for another area or remember to fix it in post-processing. Search for pockets of shadows Sometimes you may not have room for a diffuser to soften the light. If this is the case, try your best to look for pockets of shadows. Place your subject in this area knowing you have to adjust the shadows in post. If you have to get it perfect in camera, you may have to overexpose the image a little causing the subject to look good but risk a blown-out background. Weigh your options to determine which one would be more efficient. These steps sound simple, don’t they? Commit them to memory — or save them as a note on your phone — then take a test subject out and practice. Soon, they will become second nature and you will spend more time being creative and less time thinking technical.
