Bed Sheet or Ripstop Nylon

There is one modifier that I do not leave home without, I always carry a large sheet of Ripstop Nylon.  You would also carry a large bed sheet, I just think a sheet has to much weight. 

With a large diffusion sheet be it a bed sheet or nylon fabric, you can shoot your strobes through it or even bounce you light off of it.  In  the photo above, I simply taped the nylon sheet to a window and shot my SB-800 through it.  Soft beautiful light.

If your shooting inside where direct sunlight is streaming through a window, you can use this same sheet to diffuse that harsh light.  I will often in narrow hallways, tape this sheet to the door frame of an office.  Here is an older post regarding that use.

I mention here that I have a Small Strobes, Big Result workshop coming up this August 18th in Denver, for more information regarding attending click HERE.  DT

Chris's Portrait

This is my son Chris. Ever so often he allows me to photograph him, allowing me to try out some new lighting techniques.  This portrait was shot using two SB-800's, one in a 22" beautiy dish and the other inside a super large softbox.
The progression of this portrait is shown below.  The first image on the left is with the beautiy dish by it self, the center is with some fill (too much), and the last image is with the amount of fill I settled on.

The fill that used in this portrait was a super large softbox (4' X 6'). In the detail photo below you can see my silhouette in front of the softbox.


Here is a photo of the set up.

It's nice to have some time at home to shoot for myself and practice with my lights. I really think of my small studio space in my home as my laboratory to work out different lighting scenarios. I am constantly telling my workshop participants that you need to practice with your lights, I've been shooting for 30 years and I still practice with my lights when not working.
I'll be at the University of Miami in Ohio later this month conducting 3 workshops for the UPAA. I also have some space available in my August 18th Small Strobes, Big Results workshop in Denver.  For more information regarding this workshop click HERE

In Support Intellectual Property Rights

I received an email from my friend Quest Couch last week, Quest is the CEO of LumiQuest.  LumiQuest as you know, makes all those really cool light modifiers that I and so many of you use on a daily basis.

Quest has created a campaign in support of intellectual property rights.  As a creative individual, I'm in full support of Quests efforts. He has put a website together devoted to this effort, you can learn more about Quest's campaign for the protection of intellectual property rights at QuestForRights.  As creative individuals, we all understand the importance of protecting our creative efforts whether it's our photographs, product we developed or whatever intellectual property you've put forth.

It has been said that "imitation" is a form of flattery.  I'm all for competition in the market place, it creates innovation and improved products for the consumer.  However, the outright theft of intellectual property by lazy individuals or companies is unethical and illegal.  Doing so, only produces cheap unifier products and stifles innovation.  For me, I'm in support of the "Real McCoy"

Please check out  QuestForRights, and add your comments. 

Tucson Mentor Series Speedlight Trek

Last month I was in Tucson, AZ teaching a Speedlight workshop Popular Photography Magazines "Mentor Series".  I was teaching along with my friends, Dave Black and Lucas Gilman.  It was the first time that the Mentor Series had offered such a specialize workshop dealing with just lighting with speedlights.

Here is one of the photos I took as a demonstration using just a single grid on an SB-800.  I've ben using the Rogue Grid System for about a year now, I just love it.  The grid comes with 2 different grid sizes, a 25 degree and a 45 degree grid, when both are positioned together you get a 16 degree grid.  If your looking for a cool grid system, check them out, I carry two with me.

One of our location photographing was the Pima Air & Space Museum southeast of downtown Tucson.  One of the models which showed up was a gal dressed like the cultural icon Rosie the Riveter from the second world war era.

I position her under in front and below an airplane which was fitting for that time period.  The first exposure shown here is what the camera deemed normal.

I then deliberately underexposed the next frame by about 1 stop before turning on my flash.

If your interested in learn how to get studio quality light using your speedlights, join me for one of my Small Strobes, Big Results workshop.  I have space still available for my August 18th workshop here in Denver.  For more information about my workshops and how to register click HERE

I might also add that I'll be teaching at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops August 5-10, 2012.  I'll be teaching a course titled Corporate Photography and the Annual Report. If your interested in learning about the exciting field of corporate work, don't miss this workshop!  For more information regarding enrollment click HERE.

Back In The Saddle Again

These past 2 months have been crazy for me.  I've been on the road constantly, back and forth to Dubai twice, a two week trip to Ghana as well as Tucson and Salt Lake City.  The way I figure it, I've spent over 107 hours of flight time these past 8 weeks.  I'm slowly getting my legs back under me and re-introducing myself to the family.  I'm looking forward to catching up on blogging and sharing some lighting techniques with you.

Back in March, I was on assignment in the African country of Ghana.  It was my first time visiting Ghana, I found the citizens of Ghana a friendly and proud people. I have never seen so many cell phones in my life, everyone is connected no matter how far out of a city they live.  I was shooting for a mining company doing business there, it was their Ghana division that actually hired me for the photography.

I spent about two weeks shooting, I had a huge shot list, everything from social events to underground mining and helicopter aerials.  Prior to arriving in Ghana, I had spent 10 days in Dubai teaching at the GPP (Gulf Photo Plus), I had 3 days at home before heading back out for my Ghana assignment.  To say the least, I was pooped.

The short video above is a series of individual photos put into iMovie to show you a mining site blast, just one of the fun things to see while shooting for mining companies.

 While in Ghana, I was asked to photograph a groundbreaking ceremony for a new hospital in the community nearest the mine site.  The local chief of the area was on hand to swing the pick.  He was escorted by several helpers including his very own "voice activated Umbrella Holder".

Here is a group shot of the chief with all his friends including his VAUH.  The chief asked me through an interpreter, if I could swing by his palace to photograph him later that evening.  I thought it an honor to have been asked and heck, I wanted to see the palace.

An hour later I was driven to the Chiefs palace... a ranch style home, nicest on the field or lot.  When we arrived at the Chiefs place, the sun was just setting.  Once the Chief was informed of my arrival, we were asked to wait while he dressed into his formal outfit.

His formal chair was located in a large courtyard under a large overhanging roof.  As this opportunity to photograph the Chief was unexpected, I did not have any modifiers with me.  So I took the flashes that I had and bounced them off of a wall in the courtyard.  You can see the two strobes laying on the ground pointed to the wall, I also had one flash on camera directed on the wall as well.  All three flashes were set to full power as I had quite a distance to through the light.

Here you can see the final results.  The Chief seemed to enjoy the opportunity to be photographed, he asked me to wait so he could make a few outfit changes to be photographed in.  Here on of the final images of the Chief.

It was a pleasure photographing him, I can honestly say that I had never photographed a Chief before this time.  What a hoot.  DT