Commercial
Weddings
Lifestyle Portraits
Freestyle Fashion
Editorial PR
Headshots
Schools
Property
Posted on December 22, 2011
.
It’s been a busy year (in fact there’s still a few shoots to do before Christmas Day!). Thank you to all of you that continue to want to learn and know more and I hope that you enjoy your Christmas and New Year.
Posted on December 12, 2011
.
One light – from the front it’s flat, but from the side and back it creates shadow which means you can alter how something looks. You can create form and shape by adding shadow or adding highlights. I like to backlight where I can (on location, the sun does this) but try where possible to add reflected light before a second light, where it’s appropriate. Here’s a few examples from the gallery below, reading from left to right:
Row 1 – Image 1 – single light to the side, soft but no separation; Image 2 harder light with shadows which model the chin; Image 3 – backlight to hair create separation.
Row 2 – Image 1- Backlight is more from above with reflected light (tri-flector) pushing from below and flattening shadows; Image 2- softbox and backlight; Image 3, same but more like sandwich lighting.
Row 3 – Image 1 – single light camera right and high key set means that ration of 2:1 achieved by reflected light alone; Image 2 and 3 – Canon speedlite to the the rear and off camera left.
Posted on December 6, 2011
.
Winter weddings can be great to shoot because of the quality of light. It’s soft and flattering but it can also be a bit weak. It can be lacking on contrast. So here’s a few quick things that were covered in part of the course that relates to he 12 pictures in the gallery below. The lighting levels were very low and the weather cold!
1. Shot of the groom against the wall. Natural light from camera left and modelling / shadow coming from the wall.
2. Shot of groom against the wall. Kicker light from camera left , balanced for ambient.
3. Groom against the pillars. Kill the ambient and turn day to night. High contrast from flash gun off camera.
4. Window light that acts as a giant softbox. Use the direction of the subject’s face to control shadows.
5. If you’ve set your exposure relative to the direction of the light, shoot away in manual, with confidence.
6. Making sunshine with off camera flash to add contrast and remove some of the flatness of the ambient.
7. Dark, dark churches. Using off camera flash to mimic where light is coming from but is too weak to make the photograph without some help. First light is the backlight which lights the red carpet and mimics the direction of light from the window. Second light from the the side as fill. The third shot mimics the backlighting from the tungsten lights overhead.
8. Imagine it’s raining outside – so make use of whatever you can. This is a curtain to the left of the altar. Shadows can be used to hide anything unsightly and strong directional lights adds drama and contrast. If you’re at a venue with little in the way of attractive backgrounds it’s your lighting that will save you.
9. 10.11.12 Ambient light can still be a bit tricky depending on how you shoot with it. A large diffused light sourced can be flat – but by placing the subject under cover (as in picture 12) see how the highlights appear on the hair and shoulders and modelling comes into the face.
If you’re interested in learning more about lighting and camera skills training, please do get in touch.
Posted on November 28, 2011
After a cold start, rain and some strong winds, I spent some time on Sunday morning on the beach at Whitstable for 1-2-1 training on shooting in variable light. My client had brought some of her family as willing subjects and one of things that came up from a different photography course provider was the idea of manual mode being redundant because of AV. I hadn’t heard this before as for me manual mode is simply brilliant. If the lighting conditions are constant, or you keep your position to the subject and light fairly constant then manual exposures won’t change. They’re locked in, unlikely to fluctuate the way Av can when it gets confused by elements of light and dark being picked up as you move around, zoom in and out etc. With rapidly changing conditions Av has many benefits but it still requires a degree of exposure compensation. Manual of course is my preferred mode for working with off-camera flash.
The pictures below highlight a couple of things and they were taken against very string directional light one minute and then cloudy skies the next. Here’s a couple of observations.
- Back-lighting - great for portraits with reflected light to front
- You can shoot into the sun but the risk is lens flare and a washing out, low contrast etc. You can put contrast back in afterwards. Into the sun can also give a retro feel.
- Shadows can be fun as long as they are not from you!
- The subject doesn’t always have to face the camera
- Neutral and unchanging backgrounds mean that you can shoot in manual mode without too much trouble
- Meter, set your exposure, frame it, shoot it!
Posted on November 20, 2011
.
I was in London today running a 1-2-1 camera skills training session and decided out of the blue to stick to one camera with a 50mm lens working at f1.8 to 3.5, but mostly at 1.8. Do you remember when film SLRs used to come supplied with a 50mm lens? It’s probably one of the most over looked fixed lenses in my camera bag but I used it at a couple of weddings recently and had forgotten what a great lens it is. You have to get used to using your feet again to “zoom” in and out but that’s why there’s something cinematic about it – a fixed frame like an old super 8 camera. A shot a few frames for fun which I’ve included here. Hazy sunshine on a crisp November day.
Posted on November 20, 2011
Winter Training Dates
November-December dates including The Complete Wedding Course.
For 1-2-1 sessions, Camera Cafes or a full day Camera Skills Course there are the following possible dates:
Saturday 5th November 9.30am-12.30pm FULLY BOOKED
Sunday 27th November 9.30am-4pm FULLY BOOKED
Saturday 10th December – 12.30-2pm PLACES AVAILABLE
|
|
|
|
Posted on September 28, 2011
.
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.
Posted on September 15, 2011
.
I’ve always been keen to recce a portrait location or wedding venue prior to a shoot for practical reasons and to get some ideas on where to shoot certain sequences. More and more I find that having a plan “B” is not enough, and the changeable weather of this summer has made me glad to have had back up plans, creative alternatives and studio lights in the car! If you check the position of the sun prior to the day (imaging beautiful back-lit veils and long shadows) what do you do when it’s overcast and raining? So my approach these days is more free and works around a simple three point plan:
1. Natural light – look for where the light is painting the picture already and follow it:side light, rim light etc.
2. Reflected light – where are the plain surfaces that will work for you, placing your subjects close to them
3. Flash light / artificial light – don’t be afraid to use them to boost the natural light or be the dominant light
So, using examples from the last few weeks – (i) flat lighting and a cluttered background meant shooting a couple on the running board of the car, subtle side lighting against the deep tones of the paintwork; (ii) at Knowlton Court intense sunshine meant looking from diffused cross lighting and rim light, some fill in from flash; (iii) at Winters Barn, Canterbury and Salmestone Grange – overcoming rain by showing some of the outdoor location under cover; using natural wrap around lighting from a window and white table cloths as giant reflectors; closing curtains to make light directional and also a zoomed speedlight to create shafts of light or accent light for shoes, flowers and veils. If you’re looking to become more consistent in your photography or would simply like some refresher training, do please get in touch.
Posted on September 7, 2011
.
There are numerous ways of describing wedding photography – contemporary, traditional, reportage etc. Reportage is sometimes used as shorthand for “relaxed” and “informal” or “documentary” with no intervention from the photographer. Where there is absolutely no intervention you are really looking at wedding photojournalism. For now I’m going to stick with reportage for a moment. Some photographers prefer to rely on capturing the moment only and there’s nothing wrong with that. But sometimes there needs to be a little nudge here and there to make something come together where it might not have done so and this is what I call “styled documentary”. This is a subtle difference but doesn’t rely on hoping that everything will just happen in front of you. More often than not it will be looking for where the light is and moving something or someone closer to it. It might involved tidying something up – from flowers, table decorations to where hands are placed. It might mean choosing a different background to avoid something out of place. It’s helping to tell the story but not writing it for you. If you would like to get in touch and look at some portfolios of this style of wedding photography it would be great to hear from you.
Posted on August 29, 2011
.
Here are some examples below of how to get different pictures by modifying your lighting (the portraits are on Whitstable beach and seafront). Natural light can produce vibrant colours and long shadows (depending on the time of day) but makes for a harsh direction light. You can place your subject into the shadows but think about what you’re doing next. Is it to fill in with some reflected light or to fake the sunlight and build the picture up from scratch? Both are valid in different situations. Do you want a kicker light that is the sun itself or fake it with off camera flash? You’ll decide what’s best for you depending on the look you’re trying to achieve.
