Light and color are the only things your camera records, so those things should be a the top of your mind for every photo you make. Last week I was making headshots and the background had to be the building we were in, not just a backdrop. The trouble is
While wandering around the booths at WPPI this year, I met Paul McKelvey. Paul is the founder of the Kobra Flash Modifier — he designed the Kobra. The Kobra is a flash modifier that is lightweight, flexible and pretty sleek looking. “I felt disappointed as to what the market was
I made this portrait the other day at the Out of Oregon Photography Conference. I was teaching a class on portraiture, and I had a picture like this in my mind as soon as I found out Maygen would be helping as the model. She was a surfer and I
If you give a boy a hammer, everything looks like a nail and he will pound it. If you give a photographer a flash, everything looks like it needs to be lit. That means that you’re doing the right job for the tool instead of using the right tool for
The other day a fellow contacted me about a picture I made nearly ten years ago. He was an assistant to the master woodcarver and I spent a few minutes making pictures with them. The event was Baby Animal Days at the Western Heritage Center in Logan, UT, and the
When shooting a photograph, I often feel that I am creating a single frame from a movie. The star of the movie is the subject. With the use of backdrops, light, a ladder and a Venetian Blind I have created an effect and a mood. In this article, I am
Work made with 3 speed lights Here’s the equipment used to create this photograph: Nikon D810 Nikon 105mm Macro lens 3 Nissin Di700A speedlights Nissan Carbon Fiber Light Stand Nissan Air 1 transmitter Rogue XL2 Flashbender Rogue large Flashbender Rogue Grid set Rogue Gel set Click Props “Factory Floor” backdrop
Why it can be less expensive to fly First Class I recently returned back home to Boston from a three-week trip to the Bahamas and Florida. It was great to get out of the Boston winter! I was teaching workshops and shooting videos with Vanelli, photographing models and scenics and
(Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from our friends at MPB.com. MPB is a great place to sell gear that’s no longer in use as well as where to buy quality used photo and video equipment at much lower cost than that of new.) Photography is completely centered around
You need great light to direct attention to your subjects and help your photos appear natural. If you want to make great light with flashes, you need gels. Gels simply color your flash’s light which allows you to match the flash color to the light in a room. When the
Making great light is essential to making great portraits. And I mean that: you’ve got to make great light. You can find a good source of available light, but I’ve rarely seen any available light that couldn’t be made better, either with reflectors and flags or by adding light somewhere
Recently, a post of mine shared the planning process and the initial set build for a portrait session for Atlanta musician Jeff Paige. This one deep dives into the rest of the details. Lighting Without question every photograph is all about the light. The tools available allow us to sculpt
