Tech Tuesdays - Hot Lights

When you think about shooting in a studio, you probably thing about using strobes to create the light. I'm here to tell you that continuous lights (hot lights) are also an amazing source of light. They can be used for more creative images, as well as more traditional images. They're also a great tool for less experienced users, as they're pretty much what-you-see-is-what-you-get.

Hot lights are not typically as powerful as strobes. They come in a variety of wattages, but the most popular are 500W and 1000W. They're traditionally tungsten, but now come in fluorescent and LED as well. These newer sources are not nearly as hot (temperature wise), but I'd assume they're still called hot lights. Because they're not as powerful, they allow you to shoot at a lower aperture and get a nice, out of focus background, which isn't always possible with strobes.

Another advantage of using continuous light is that you can incorporate motion into your exposures. By using a slower shutter speed, any motion is recorded and blur is introduced. Depending on how fast your subject is moving and how long your shutter is open, your results will vary from very slight blur to ghostly images.

I've been using 500W hot lights and love them! I'm able to shoot at f/2.8, 1/80th of a second and ISO400 and get some amazing photos! Here are a few of my favorites I've taken recently using hotlights:




Now, compare that to this image taken with strobes:



Notice how in the first two images, the eyes are in focus but everything else quickly goes out of focus, while in the third image everything is nice and sharp, even with the wind blowing her hair? That's the power of hot lights!

Photo credit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/caveman_92223/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Shantey

When Shantey walked into my studio, there was one word in my mind: "Wow!". She's tall and she's pretty, but she's not intimidating. She's fun and friendly. She's goofy. She's not afraid to be a real person. Good photos started happening very quickly.

Out of anyone I've shot with, I think Shantey got into the music the most and that really made the shoot fun. Our mood was influenced by the music, which translated into the photos. She was dancing and full of energy, which in turn gave me more energy. This is how it should be!

She had a few different outfits and with each one came a different attitude. The collared shirt gave her power. The blue cowl-neck gave her a casual feel. The white sweater started out pure fashion and then, with a change of lighting, became slightly seductive!

It's not every time that I'm already hoping for another shoot before the first one is over, but Shantey made me want to work with her again. Her attitude, energy and emotion were contagious. I think the only cure is to shoot again!

You can see more photos from the shoot here.

Favorite Photos Friday!

I tend to look at a lot of photos every week. Some for inspiration, some to keep current, some just to spy on other photographers! ;) I thought it would be fun to post some photos every once in a while just so you could see a little of what I see. I don't think I'll make this a weekly thing, but it will always be on a Friday for alliteration's sake! So, here are a few photos I've looked at in the past few weeks that really caught my eye:











Here's a few more: Beer, Wedding, Orchid, Dad

Tech Tuesdays - 1 Stand + 1 Umbrella + 1 Strobe = Awesome!

This past weekend, I went down to Colorado Springs for a photo shoot that Gary Barnhart with Imagery Light set up. I'll write more about the shoot in another post. Today, I want to focus on how just a little thinking outside the box can produce amazing results!

I had never done much shooting combining flash with natural light. I've done a lot of natural light shooting and adding the flash was usually more trouble than it was worth. If I was using just the flash with no umbrella, the results were too harsh. It I was using an umbrella on a stand, it was too unstable or too hard to position on uneven surfaces. Gary pretty much instantly made me a believer with one simple trick: Just pick up the stand and hold it like a boom!

How easy is that? Use one hand to hold the camera, use the other to hold the stand. It's really easy to position the light exactly where you want it, as you can keep the same composition and just move the light a little, since it's in your hand. No more walking over to the light, moving it just a bit taking another shot, adjusting the light some more... Just shoot! If a gust of wind comes along, you don't have to worry about your flash falling to the ground and breaking, or worse, hitting your subject. If you want to make a drastic change to your light, it takes seconds rather than minutes. It's just about the best trick I've learned in a while.

In the picture above, one of the models was holding the flash on another model. I looked up and saw them doing this, so I grabbed a quick shot (my exposure was set for shade, so the shot is a little blown out), but it should give you an idea of what I'm talking about. We had some assistants at this shoot, which allowed us to get a little farther away for our shots. That's the only downfall of this method, that you can't get very far away while still holding the light stand. But, with a little creativity and practice, I'm sure amazing shots are just around the corner for anyone who adopts the "Gary Method" of lighting!

Daniel

In my initial conversations with Daniel, a model from Parker, he told me that he wanted something a little edgier for his portfolio. "Perfect," I thought, "I can do that." I'll use a darker background, lots of shadows and contours and set the mood with the right music (Massive Attack's "Mezzanine", in case you're interested). What really made the shoot work, though, was Daniel's attitude. He came in ready to shoot some edgier, darker photos. Without the right attitude, the photos would not have turned out the way they did at all!

Daniel came with the right attitude, but also the right outfits. He picked clothing that was not too heavy, not too dark, not too goth, not too biker... just cool guy stuff. Everything he wore, and the attitude he wore it with, said "I'm not just another pretty face!" What really took these photos to the next level was when Daniel decided to pop his collar for some closeups. Wow! Those shots are some of my favorites from any recent shoot I've done.

There are a few things I really enjoyed about this shoot. First, Daniel was not afraid to step outside of his comfort zone to get the shot. From the different attitudes and emotions he expressed to sitting and laying on the floor, he went the extra mile to make it work. Second, he was very enjoyable to talk to. He offered ideas for shots, he talked about previous shoots he'd done and even suggested ideas for future shoots, not to mention the regular chit-chat that goes on over the course of a 2-hour shoot. Finally, I love the images we got! Judging by Daniel's Facebook page, so do lots of other admirers! ;)

You can see more images from the shoot here.

Tanya Part IV

Tanya IV - The Return Of Tanya. Hmmm... not as catchy as I'd hoped. Anyway, Tanya's back and better than ever! You might remember her from one of my previous posts, creatively titled Tanya, Tanya Part II, and Tanya Part III. Once when we were shooting, I asked her if she'd be a guinea pig when I got into a studio. She agreed, so as soon as I got the studio space, she was the first person I contacted.

This shoot consisted of a bunch of messing with lights and trying to make things look right. Fortunately, Tanya was very patient and seemed like she was having a good time. We tried a few different looks. That's one thing that I didn't anticipate about a studio: It's much easier to change outfits! She came in with her entire closet (or close to it), so she had lots of clothes to choose from. She was able to change outfits 3 times during the shoot, which is something that is just not possible on location.

My introduction to the studio was made much more enjoyable by working with someone I know and am familiar with. Tanya was a real pro, both putting up with my crazy behavior and still giving me some great looks (as well as a hard time!). I am happy with the photos and so is she. I feel like I've made some huge leaps in my studio skills since this shoot, but that might not have been possible without: The Return Of Tanya!

You can see more photos from the shoot here.

Tech Tuesdays - Spare Batteries

If I were to ask you to name the piece of equipment for your camera that you have never fantasized about owning, I'm sure the first thing you'd say is "lens cap cover". OK... but if I asked you to keep going, I'm sure that pretty quickly you'd say "spare battery". Let's face it. The batteries that come with our cameras these days last a long time (much longer than cell phone batteries, but don't get me started there!). They're also expensive. Wouldn't you rather spend that money on something that's way cooler? I know I would. But, ask yourself this: If your battery runs out in the middle of a shoot (or your kids birthday party/basketball game/graduation/wedding), what can you do? Answer: Nothing! Nothing, that is, unless you have a spare.

I learned the importance of having a spare battery when I owned my first digital camera. My wife and I were hiking and, of course, I was taking photos like crazy. I hadn't charged the battery in a while, but didn't think anything of it at the time. Then we came across some snakes in the middle of the trail. I still don't know what they were doing, but it looked pretty awesome, so I took a bunch of photos and then started taking some video. After about 5 minutes, the camera ran out of battery. "Oh well," I thought, "at least we were almost done with the hike." Just a few hundred yards down the trail, there were hundreds of butterflies landing on some plants. It was like nothing I'd ever seen (or have seen since). It was amazing! It was beautiful! My battery was dead.

I think it was that same day that I went out and bought a spare battery. Ever since then, I've had a spare battery for every camera that I use on a regular basis. They're small, light and when you are faced with a once-in-a-lifetime shot, are priceless.

Maybe you charge your battery every night. Maybe you never need to take photos for more than an hour. Maybe you're saving up for a new lens. Maybe you'd rather buy a faster memory card. Maybe you need to eat this week. Those are all good reasons not to buy a spare battery. Maybe you'll never need a spare battery. Maybe you'll never miss a photo because your battery died. Maybe. Maybe not. That's why I have two spares.