When you light a portrait, a good rule of thumb is that your light should be about the same size as your subject. That's easy for a single individual where any softbox will work, but what about lighting a group of people? A light that big is hard to find. V-flats offer an easy way to make a large light that gives soft, even coverage for your group. You can use them to make soft light on the whole group, but you can also move your subjects around for different effects. V-flat as a modifier The V-flat is two large sheets (typically 7 or 8 … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: How to use V-flats to light a group
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First Look: Lume Cube AIR
The new Lume Cube AIR is even more compact than the original and with a longer battery life. It has a powerful magnet on the back for mounting to any ferrous surface and it includes two diffusions domes (one white and one for tungsten lights (CTO)). You can control all its features from the LumeX app, which is a free download from your mobile device's app store. The video below expounds on how to get started using it. We'll have more reviews and use cases coming soon, but for now, go pick up the new Lume Cube AIR and start creating. It's … [Read more...] about First Look: Lume Cube AIR
Portrait Tips: How do you develop a style? Play more
I'll keep this one quick. Each time you make pictures you are developing your own style. At first, this may be mimicking the look of other photographs you've seen — in fact, it should be mimicking because that's the best way to ensure you make some good pictures. That means that the photos you look at are a huge influence on your personal style. The only way to create your own style is to make more pictures. And I don't think you should be intentional about making your own style. As you shoot you'll find ways to make pictures that get you … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: How do you develop a style? Play more
Gear Review: Fractals (Your New Must-Have)
Fractals, people, are the new must-haves in my camera bag. I was introduced to Fractals at WPPI. My friend and fellow photographer, Kathy Mukhopadhyay, bought a set and mentioned that they were doing live demos throughout the trade show if I wanted to check them out. I snuck over briefly to see what all the fuss was about and let me just tell you, their booth was packed! People were jammed into their little area just to see what all the talk was about. Sadly by the time I had gotten up front they were already sold out. That's how hot this item … [Read more...] about Gear Review: Fractals (Your New Must-Have)
Creating Effect and Mood with Light
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 sharing examples of the use of colors and lighting to create different visual effects. This set is from my Creative Lighting Workshop in Boston on April 22, 2018. I had 2 completely different lighting setups right next to each other. How the Lighting Was Created Model Valentina Beli … [Read more...] about Creating Effect and Mood with Light
How and Why to Use a Grid on a Softbox
In this video, I'll show you the power of using a grid to further modify the light on a softbox. It creates mood and makes it simple to control the light completely. From the course: Improving Your Photography and Portraits with Lighting Modifiers Modifying a softbox with a grid from Improving Your Photography and Portraits with Lighting Modifiers by Robert Vanelli Course transcript So now what we want to do here is modify the light a little bit further to where we're just using a beam of light. And this next shot's going to be a … [Read more...] about How and Why to Use a Grid on a Softbox
Shooting with a Beauty Dish
From the course: Improving Your Photography and Portraits with Lighting Modifiers Shooting with a beauty dish from Improving Your Photography and Portraits with Lighting Modifiers by Robert Vanelli Course transcript Once we start to really understand light modifiers, we can have a lot of fun with it. For this set here, we have the beautiful Erin, and she's going to play the assassin. To get this shot, if you think about what an assassin is, they're rugged, they're rough. Even though she's beautiful, we want her to have a … [Read more...] about Shooting with a Beauty Dish
Portrait Tips: Why You Shouldn’t Use Auto White Balance
I should have followed this rule the other day. I photographed 50 people in a row and I need to finish all of those pictures for delivery. It’d be a lot easier to get a great starting point if I had shot a white balance target to begin with. Why Not Use Auto White Balance? Auto white balance reads the colors in the scene and makes a judgment about how to compensate for those colors. It’s supposed to make the color of light look great, but there are a couple of problems when shooting a lot of portraits with a flash. First, if you’re not … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Why You Shouldn’t Use Auto White Balance
Lights, Colors, Fractals
I shot this photograph at WPPI in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago. I was at the ClickProps Studio Backdrops booth. This company makes over 500 backdrops in various designs and sizes, and we got to test out a number of them. This photograph was shot against the "Brick Natural" backdrop. Our shooting space that was only about 5 feet by 10 feet. A Collaboration Between Two Photographers The photograph was a collaboration between 2 photographers: the model, Kat Armendariz of Hush Hush Shoot Studio in Las Vegas and me. Kat is one of Las Vegas's … [Read more...] about Lights, Colors, Fractals
How to D.I.Y. a Snoot & Grid
What is a snoot? A snoot is just a funny name for a piece of equipment, generally a tube or similar objects such as a conical, cylindrical, or rectangular shape, that fits over a studio light or portable flash. It allows you to control the direction or area of coverage of the light. Basically, it makes the light more focused and concentrated by directing your light and focusing it. This makes the coverage very narrow and the light falls-off very sharply giving you a harsher or harder light. Adding a Grid Personally, I like the snoot and grid … [Read more...] about How to D.I.Y. a Snoot & Grid
Portrait Tips: Include the No-Look Look
You can double the unique pictures you make during every shoot by utilizing the No-Look portrait. Most portraits include the subjects looking at the camera smiling. But every pose you set up and each location should also include shots with the subject looking someplace other than into the camera. Don't Look Ahead One key to the No-Look portrait is that the subject should rarely be looking right where their body is facing. When the subject is looking downward in-line with the rest of their body it looks a little depressed or like they're … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Include the No-Look Look
Photographic Test Kitchen: 3 Light Setup
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 https://youtu.be/cIrX4qx8iUE … [Read more...] about Photographic Test Kitchen: 3 Light Setup
Portrait Tips: Subtle Spice Not Ketchup
When people see your picture, they should say, "Wow, that's a great photograph," not, "Wow, that's a well-lit photograph." Once you start using flashes, it's like having a hammer in your hand: everything looks like a nail that needs to be lit. That's ok, and it's fun. The trap is feeling like you need to crank the flash up so that it's apparent and obvious in your photographs--and there's a place for that, and it's fun, too. But instead of using your lights to overpower the sun and the ambient light every time, try augmenting the existing light … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Subtle Spice Not Ketchup
Skating The Ramps With Platypod Max And MagMod
A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a photo I selected for Photographer of the Day. It was of a skateboarder at a skate park, doing some tricks. Needless to say, I was inspired. I really had never tried to capture skateboarding in action, but I knew that with a few extra tools, I could do so in a unique and different way. Enter the Platypod Max and MagMod system. I had recently purchased a complete MagMod set, and was really excited to try out some of the less-traditional tools for lighting a scene. I talked to a local photographer friend, … [Read more...] about Skating The Ramps With Platypod Max And MagMod
Gear Review: Impact Large Clip Clamp with Ball Head Shoe Mount (a.k.a., Justin Clamp)
The very first lighting tool I ever bought was a Manfrotto Justin Clamp because Joe McNally highly recommended it in his books. I loved it and I've used it all around the world. It's small and light and can place a flash just about anywhere. However, it had some flaws--the rubber pads on the clamp melted off in the sun and the cold shoe couldn't hold all types of speedlights securely. Well, this version of the Justin Clamp made by Impact answers all of the flaws my old one had. The only issue I found is the knob to tighten the ball head is … [Read more...] about Gear Review: Impact Large Clip Clamp with Ball Head Shoe Mount (a.k.a., Justin Clamp)
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Amazing Speedlight Solution for All Cameras
Once I realized that mirrorless cameras were more than capable of replacing my DSLR, I dove in head first and sold my Nikons. Ever since then, I've been saying that the only thing I miss from my Nikons is the excellent Creative Lighting System. Nikon's CLS allowed me to make pictures with excellent light in all kinds of situations without using additional radio triggers or sync cords. From broad daylight to pitch black night, from manual mode to TTL, Nikon's speedlights never failed me. when I switched to Lumix, I continued using my Nikon … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Amazing Speedlight Solution for All Cameras
Minimal Lighting for Funeral Portraits
Funerals are a good time to make family pictures because people who haven't seen one another in decades are together. You should take advantage of the opportunity. I attended a funeral yesterday, and amidst the memory sharing I took a few minutes to make portraits. Let me show you how I made the most of a difficult situation with minimal gear. This setup will work well in many event situations. The Backdrop: Put It Farther Back There was a luncheon for the family held in the multipurpose room of a church, which happens to be … [Read more...] about Minimal Lighting for Funeral Portraits
Want Natural-Looking Light? Use Gels.
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 light from the flash doesn't match the ambient light, it stands out and looks like it was flashed. You'll make more natural-looking photos if you use gels. I recently made a photo for a pro bono ad in a local magazine. This fellow has started a food bank in town, and the local … [Read more...] about Want Natural-Looking Light? Use Gels.
Photography Projects – Expectation vs Reality
As anyone who's been to WPPI can tell you, it's pretty insane. Between the Classes, Expo Booths, Parties, Socials, After Parties, Dinners, and well...everything else that Las Vegas can throw at you, seeing everyone / everything you want too is next to impossible, let alone keeping your professional schedule in check! 2016 was no different, however this time, I was on a mission. I decided to start a new photo project digging back into an old one for inspiration...one of my favorites of all time, Film Noir. As I began casting for this project, a … [Read more...] about Photography Projects – Expectation vs Reality
Modifying Speedlights & Magmod
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 with a flash. When you need to use a flash, you also need to modify the light coming out of it, and my favorite new modifier for small flash is the Magmod system. Let me share a few ideas about modifying light, and why I like Magmod. Why Modify? Modifying … [Read more...] about Modifying Speedlights & Magmod
Photofocus Photowalk: San Diego’s Embarcadero with Levi Sim and Erika Thornes
This is a hands-on shooting time when you can practice various techniques, like dragging the shutter, long exposures, and light placement for the most flattering portraits. All skill levels are welcome! Here are some pictures I've made during other photowalks. We're really pleased to team up with Perfectly Clear for this event. This is a free event, and we've got several raffle prizes, including a license to Perfectly Clear. The photowalk is a hands-on shooting time: bring your camera and tripod with fresh batteries and empty memory card, … [Read more...] about Photofocus Photowalk: San Diego’s Embarcadero with Levi Sim and Erika Thornes
Photofocus Photowalk: Lighting Up the Night in Chicago with Levi Sim & David Crewe
This is a hands-on shooting time when you can practice various techniques, like dragging the shutter, long exposures, and light placement for the most flattering portraits. All skill levels are welcome! Here are some pictures I've made during other photowalks in Chicago. We're really pleased to team up with Perfectly Clear and the gang at Out of Chicago for this event. This is a free event, and we've got several raffle prizes, including a license to Perfectly Clear, and a complimentary ticket to Scott Kelby's Shoot Like a Pro Reloaded Tour … [Read more...] about Photofocus Photowalk: Lighting Up the Night in Chicago with Levi Sim & David Crewe
Photofocus Photowalk: Lightless in Seattle, or Speedlighting the Fremont Troll
Seattle is calling! So let's make pictures in one of the best places in the country. We'll start with portrait practice under the bridge on Aurora Ave where the Troll lives. We'll use speedlights, so bring 'em if you have 'em, and if you don't have any flashes, well then come on down and see what can be done. We'll work together and make some frames. After the portraits, I'll probably seek out a cityscape or two as well. This is a hands-on shooting time when you can practice various techniques, like dragging the shutter, long exposures, and … [Read more...] about Photofocus Photowalk: Lightless in Seattle, or Speedlighting the Fremont Troll
Photofocus Photowalk: Evening Portraits in Washington, D.C. with Levi Sim and Lisa Robinson
We're really pleased to team up with Perfectly Clear and the PAC for this event--check out their groups around the world. This is a free event, and we've got several raffle prizes, including a license to Perfectly Clear, and a complimentary ticket to Scott Kelby's Shoot Like a Pro Reloaded tour on Friday (here's an interview with Scott detailing some of the things you'll learn there) This is a hands-on shooting time: bring your camera and speedlight/flash if you've got them, as well as triggers you use (or would like to start using). Normally, … [Read more...] about Photofocus Photowalk: Evening Portraits in Washington, D.C. with Levi Sim and Lisa Robinson
When to Use Photoshop: Head Swapping
I'm a Lightroom guy. I like to use Lightroom because it's simple and helps my photographs look the way I imagined when I clicked the shutter. However, sometimes I just need the powers of Photoshop to make the best picture possible for my clients, and the number one way I use it is to swap heads in a group photograph. Let me show you how to do it in four simple steps. Oh, and this technique will work in any version of photoshop back to at least CS3. 1. Open As Layers in Photoshop Here's a good example of two pictures that would be better if I … [Read more...] about When to Use Photoshop: Head Swapping
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
Powerful Environmental Portraits Need 3 Things
Environmental portraits show people in their place, their habitat. The environment sets the mood and the place of the story, and a single look at the photograph can tell you what the story is about. Let me show you three things I think about as I light the background to make an environment worth photographing. 1. It's Gotta Be Believable Lighting and posing a person so he looks his best is my primary concern. (Here are two other articles about lighting and posing to help people look great.) After that's under control, I've got to figure out … [Read more...] about Powerful Environmental Portraits Need 3 Things
Beat a Rainy Day With a Polarizer and One Tool That’s Practically Free
Today was rainy, and then it was rainy and windy, but what else can I expect in the winter in the Pacific Northwest? Trouble is, I still have to make a living even when it's raining. Fortunately, I had a willing client and two tools that helped me make the most of the situation. Twist to Enrich My client was going to meet me at my office where I had a decent background of greenery available and a covered porch to shoot under. However, things changed, and we ended up going to a different spot. Changing locations can be really terrifying. As you … [Read more...] about Beat a Rainy Day With a Polarizer and One Tool That’s Practically Free
How to: Make Magic with a Flash and Rear Sync
The most powerful flash setting you have is the one that controls when your flash fires. This setting works for your pop-up flash, for a speedlight on your camera, and for any off-camera light you're controlling. It's called Rear Sync, or 2nd Curtain. What you need: Camera--point and shoots may not be capable and your iPhone can't do it, but many bridge cameras and every changeable lens camera I've ever handled will work Flash (pop-up, speedlight, mono-block, power-pack and head, nuclear bomb--anything will do) Tripod--strongly recommended … [Read more...] about How to: Make Magic with a Flash and Rear Sync
The Photokina Files – New Siros Monolight from Broncolor
I just got back from a week in Cologne Germany at the MASSIVE Photokina photo expo. Now I'm a trade show veteran, but the sheer scale of this 7 day show is unbelievable. No wonder manufacturers wait to release their newest products until this big gathering of visual creatives, every two years. If you've been anywhere near the internet I'm sure you've heard about the new cameras, software (Capture One 8), lenses (Tamron 15-30mm), and lights (Broncolor Siros) that were announced. As a professional photographer, lighting is one of the skill sets … [Read more...] about The Photokina Files – New Siros Monolight from Broncolor
