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Location lighting with Bill Turnbull – contact sheet critique

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:07:57 +0000

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Editorial photography usually involves little or no time to photograph your subject. Typically you arrive not knowing where you can photograph, whether the person is running late / has time / is in the mood to be photographed so your decisions have to be quick and flexible. This week I had 8 seconds to photograph Professor Robert Winston – that’s 3 frames and enough time to say “please sit here”. With the shots of Bill Turnbull I had 6 frames and so I thought a critique of the contact sheet might be helpful to look at why I rejected 3 of the 6 frames and how the shot was done.

4.30pm, the sun is low and falling away but thankfully lighting the cathedral. I rejected an earlier position against a metal gate and went for the stone post. This was completely in shadow so I could control the lighting. A small softbox camera left and then a second light behind Bill. I wanted it to look more like an August afternoon than a cold October evening. The first shot or two (one light firing) was good but a bit moody. The second light really brought things alive, adding definition to neck and shoulder line. The shots that I rejected where to do with expression – teeth were better than just a smile. Note the post production to remove the distracting ironwork, cones and people! Kit – 2 x Canon 580EXII, Pocketwizards x 3, Lastolite Ezybox and 2 lightstands (my standard kit). Canon 5D + 24-105L.

Working in the shadows – when the light isn’t there for photographers

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:37:13 +0000

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There’s a real mixture of pictures in this section because I wanted to talk about the importance of shadows (not ignoring the role of highlights too). The key image above was taken in a lounge full of furniture and soft light from some large windows. Directional light produces shadows and it’s the shadows that do the work in that picture. But without shadows, life can get difficult. The architectural shot of the New Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury is as flat as a pancake because there is no sunshine, no shadows to really make the excellent design come to life. The stage shot of opera singer Rosie Aldridge from Glyndebourne testing the acoustics on stage in the main auditorium relies on a shadow cast by a speedlite hidden in front of her (in the absence of stage lighting!). Again, the shadows do the work.

The shot in the church – the darkest church I have ever been in – is a speedlite faking the direction of the window light and thus creating shadows. The shot of the groom on the steps at Mount Ephraim is packed full of interesting shadows – a speedlite creating a harsh light and the ambient lifting the shadows.

Lighting on location – Kent commercial photographers

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:43:14 +0000

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Where I think where we as photographers work for and earn our money – particularly in commercial photography – is where you have to control the situation and environment, regardless if the weather or how much time you have. When a shoot is booked and there’s no light, you make the light. When it’s raining you have to adapt the style or look you were thinking of when it was sunshine. So, as you heard me talk about before, it’s about lighting. The selection below from a location shoot used mostly a softbox and reflector to fake sunlight and try and make highlights where they were missing under flat, dull diffused light.

One for the pot – Food photography in Kent

Sat, 13 Aug 2011 08:47:21 +0000

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It’s not everyday that a lobster that was meant to be sleeping (after being in the freezer) decided to wake up mid-shot, thrashing it’s tail around knocking the ice off the table. All in a day’s work! This was during a location shoot of a series of images for Le Petit Poisson. Although you can shoot some types of food with just natural light and reflectors – editorial style – it’s not always the brief to have shallow depth of field and a styled rustic kitchen location and boho chic crockery. These shots were with 2 lights and a number of layers of diffusion with no natural light at all – high contrast for a new website.

Wedding photography at Charlton Park, Canterbury, Kent

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:42:40 +0000

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Every bride deserves a dream wedding, or at least the opportunity to create a day that is extraordinary, unique and full of memories. It’s no coincidence that the sizeable viewing figures and enormous success of recent television and film productions such as Downton Abbey, the re-made Brideshead Revisited and Atonement demonstrate that the fascination and lure of the English country house is alive and well.

Charlton Park is the genuine article and with the large windows of the main house bathed in sunshine of the April heat wave, the estate formed the perfect setting for a promotional photo shoot (with thanks to Teokath for the dresses). If you would like to come on the next wedding photography training course, please get in touch.

Food Photography in Kent’s Coast – Le Petit Poisson Herne Bay

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:26:36 +0000

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Le Petit Poisson is situated almost right on Herne Bay’s beach, by the old pier. I had a great lunch there a few weeks ago and so was pleased to return for a short shoot just before the start of their lunch service. I’m not a fish person, but I devoured a perfectly cooked Sea Trout and Braised Brill. Check it out http://www.lepetitpoisson.co.uk

Technical stuff – the room shot to the front was cross-lit by bare-bulbing 2 flash heads to create a pool of light (this was rather than simply adding fill to the darker part of the room). I wanted shadows through the railings and chair legs. The dishes were shot with a single softbox from one direction, snoot and some silver reflective material as and when required.

Pictures from the week – schools, factories and wellington boots

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 14:39:06 +0000

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Here’s a selection of pictures from the week, only some which were in the fresh air and making the most of the sunshine. In between usual assignments and Kent 2020 I was finishing off some 1-2-1 training sessions whilst the weather was good. The next workshop is on April 16th in Canterbury – book asap HERE

So, some quick technical notes on the pictures. The girl in the studio – single light, octobox to mirror window light; the corporate studio headshot was against white but if you don’t light white and have the light source close to the subject, it falls off to grey – ISO 100, F8, Bowens 500W heads. Single softbox light with fill from white material on octobox (switched off). Outdoors at Lorenden School to take some tricky shots that another photographer was struggling with and to form part of their prospectus – shooting at 90 degrees to the light where possible. No reflectors, no flash but making use of reflected light from gravel surface, paving slabs etc – ISO 100 probably F4 or 5.6. Headshot indoors on location in dark meeting room trying to avoid reflection of the softbox and reflector in the glass – ISO 500, F8-F11 with small 250W heads. Shop interiors at the marvellous Peekaboo boutique in Whitstable – ISO 400-800 with occasional tripod and mirror lock-up. Finally, the factory. 2 x Canon speedlites triggered by Pocketwizards – one from behind subject’s head and using his head to hide it; second, camera left through a viewing panel.

HRH Earl of Wessex | photos of Prince Edward visiting the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:55:08 +0000

Prince Edward has visited Canterbury to look at work on the building of the £25 million new Marlowe Theatre. As a patron of the new theatre he was given a tour of the building on Monday.

The prince, who is also the Earl of Wessex, chatted to those involved in the project including architect Keith Williams and Janice McGuinness, the head of culture at Canterbury City Council which owns the theatre. He said: “It’s great to see the design team’s ideas becoming a reality. I’m very impressed with what I’ve seen today and look forward with eager anticipation to the finished theatre. I congratulate the community that work together to create a wonderful project such as this. These are difficult times but once it is built the new Marlowe Theatre will be of enormous benefit, not only to Canterbury, but also to the rest of the region.” I was photographing the event as part of my corporate association with the Friends of the Marlowe.

Location Lighting | NHS | Herne Bay Football Club

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:31:46 +0000

Ok, so anything after 4.30pm at the moment is going to require lighting of some sort. This was a cover and spread for an NHS publication about overcoming depression / beating the blues and the location was a football club in Kent with a blue kit strip. It was 7pm, cold, the players were in training for a big match on Saturday and there was a limited amount of time. Magazine and editorial work always requires one eye on a strong image but also empty space for text and smaller images as montages or insets. I had two Canon 580EX speedlights, stands and Pocketwizards for the goal area shots and then went for ST-E2 and a single hand held low down for the other shots. The floodlight group shot had a speedlite behind the players to make the floodlight “travel” a lot further than it really was, and create some nice shadows. ISO 100/200 for high contrast images (f5.6-8 at about 1/80-1/125) and ISO 800 f4.0 1/30 for the remainder).

Location Flash Part 2 – when the sun keeps shining and it’s still -3 degrees!

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 17:20:57 +0000

Canterbury; early morning; ice on the ground and a distinct chill in the air…Executive / corporate editorial shot to make some link with him as marathon runner. Original location of an underpass ditched in favour or a track.

Very strong winter sunshine = low in the sky = shadows. The sun becomes the kicker and backlight and that just leaves the need for a softbox to the front. Overpower the ambient and kill it a touch. ISO 100 f8 and F9 @ 1/60 to 1/80. Very slippery track! Decided to keep the shot with the flare in…