The following notes are for the pictures that follow and describe the lighting and camera settings. Standard small wedding kit = 1D & 5D bodies, 70-200L, 24-105L, 17-40L, 2 x 580EXII, light stands, Pocketwizards and no assistant! (actually the bride did hold a flash off camera for her shoe shot…)

1.  Flash camera right to lift the contrast as I was in a area with flat lighting. ISo 100 @ 6.3 1/200.

2. Backlit window = fill flash bounced at 45 degrees off wall behind camera, -2/3 comp, ISO 800@ f/8 1/125

3. Dress detail, natural light backlit underexposed a fraction, ISO 800 5.6 @ 1/125

4. Very tight space ( pressed against an ensuite shower!) so window light and reflector camera left ISO 500 5.6 @ 1/200

5. Only space outside so used light bouncing off wall. no flash ISo 100 5.6@1/160

6. Reflection off wall to groom but tiny bit of fill flash – guessing ISO 200, F8 @ 1/125

7. Sun too harsh so groups in the shade (sun becomes backlight), fill flash to front – probably ISO 200, 6.3 @ 1/125

8./9/10 – Off camera flash left and right with underexposed ambient. No modifiers as full power required. ISO 100, f13

11./12/13 – reflection off paving is always useful and with a low sun you can pay with the exposures a bit – ISo 250, 6.3 @ 1/200

14. Less is more with flash, at 1/2 a stop under and could have gone lower. ISo 1000, f4 @ 1/40 off camera

15. If the light isn’t there. make it! Off camera, low, manual at 1/4 power ISo 800 f4 @ 1/60

Newborn babies and baby photography. I’ve got nothing against photographing babies and newborns in the studio. It’s just that I’ve got this theory that comes in three parts. The first is that newborns are incredibly sensitive to sounds and smells and so the home environment is the best place to be. Second is that it’s at home that those precious moments of parenthood – normally whilst feeling a mixture of intense fatigue and joy – really unfold and that telling that story is where photography can be very powerful.  Third, and perhaps most important, travelling to a studio involves packing the car with all sort of kit when at staying at home seems so much easier.

The examples below are taken in homes where I used just one light to fill in shadows from pre-exisiting window and ambient light. I don’t carry any props, preferring to work with whatever I find at the home. Before I start going on about technical stuff, if you’re a mum, dad or grandparent and would like to talk about having photography at home (or the studio if you would prefer) do please get in touch. Canterbury, Faversham, Whitstable and other parts of Kent are fine.

Technical stuff – shallow depth of field (mostly), f2.0-4.0 with a fixed 50mm lens on a Canon 1dIII, occasional 70-200mmL and the rest on the 24-105L on a 5D. Small Lastolite softbox to mimck window light when windows not present, Canon 580EXII triggered by a Pockewizard. Manual meeting. I tend to set my light and then move it in and out rather than dialling up/down the power, or I’ll use the camera’s aperture to do the same job.

Next training half and full day is May 27th in Canterbury – HERE

You’ve heard me say it before, but one of the main characteristics of professional photography is to shoot pretty much anywhere and under any conditions by controlling what you can and working with what you can’t. This is just the sort of thing I’ll be covering in the next course in Canterbury on May 27th, but here’s an example from a recent shoot.

The conditions were overcast, rain and then breaks in the clouds, changing every few minutes – you know the sort of weather I mean. The first few shots (1, 2 & 3) were taken under cover with natural light behind and warm reflected light from the hay.

Shots 4, 5, 6 & 8 are blatantly 2 x off-camera flash but still working with the idea of backlight and keylight. Incidently, always bring bin sacks to lay your kit on when shooting on farms

Shots 7 and 8 are zoomed in and more directional flash. By the time we got to the final shots the natural light was as flat as a pancake again. Shot 10 is simply using the open barn as a large softbox. Shot 11 is backlit by flash but using the overhead skylights as a detail and to give the backlight some logical context. The final shot, natural light,  has modelling to the face camera right by someone standing there and acting as a flag or gobo. Nothing more sophisticated than that!

If you’re looking at photographers that do location portraits, model portfolios or other types of photography in the Whitstable, Faverham, Canterbury, Kent or London areas, please do get in touch.

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One thing can be found in most photographers’ work areas – whether professional or amateur – is a bit of kit that we bought thinking that we would use them but never did. It’s not just a boys with toys thing and a common mistake is in the area of lighting – too many lights, too many ways of shaping the light (called modifiers) cables, triggers and so the list goes on. Ok, so you’re skating on thin ice if you think one light will get you of every situation – but I’ve just completed a shopping list for delegates on my last off-camera flash training session and here’s a few notes about using one light as much as possible before buying another one, and the comments are linked to the images below. If you’re thinking of having some 1-2-1 training do get in touch – or the next set of half-and day sessions are in May

1. 2 light setup : one for the background and one for Robin Cousins. For a good ISO, the dark interior made the necessary

2. Same lights but backlight feathered to catch the side of the face

3. 1 light as the sun is providing the backlight and a single off camera gun, shoot through brolly to camera right does the fill-in.

4. Same as for (3) above

5/6. Single flash illuminating room shadow after background reading taken from window.

7. Single light in dark area after background light metered.

8. Single light as fill with sun creating the backlight and highlights.

9. 2 lights – sandwich lighting.

10. Single light coming from same direction as natural light but making it “travel” further

11. 2 lights – camer right and very, very gentle feathered light from background

12. Backlight and key light, camera right

Ready to brush up your photography skills before the summer? Time to dust off that SLR you got for Christmas and get cracking. 2 sessions – morning of camera skills and an afternoon of portraits. Come for either or both!

http://photographytraining-auto.eventbrite.com/

http://cameracourses-auto.eventbrite.com/

http://portraitcourses-esearch.eventbrite.com/

Ok, so it’s almost that time of year again – Saint (St.) Valentine’s Day. Yes, you can go and get the card from Clintons or Hallmark. You could order the Thornton’s chocolates. Others will be slightly more nervous as they plan how to get their girlfriend, boyfriend or significant other to their favourite place and pop the question. Some will be wondering if the huge heart they have spent an afternoon drawing in the sand on the beach will still be there before the tide gets it. In Kent it’s mainly shingle so it’s even more of a challenge. So, for some St Valentine is about a big statement and a possible new beginning in a formalised way such as marriage. For those already together it’s about reaffirming, remembering the why and how and about having fun.

The name “Valentine ” is derived from valens, meaning worthy. Whether you’re starting anew or affirming the old, your story is worthy of celebration and retelling. We’re in the business of helping people tell stories, through photography. If you’re thinking of doing something different this Valentine’s Day, or getting engaged then we’d love to hear from you. Gift vouchers are available for location or studio shoots for couples as a gift for a girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, husband or significant other. And for engaged couples – well, we’ll even refund your shoot if you ask us back on your wedding day.

In these days of snow and general all round coldness, a lot more tends to happen in the studio. The informal and documentary style of location portrait sessions – families on the beach, in the woods – and the shots of couples and children are replaced with warm floors and a guaranteed session (without the need to reschedule because of the weather). Do I have a preference? Well, I’ve been doing location work this week which has been tough on fingers and toes, but I really like having to work with the light outdoors, supplement it, control it and over power it when necessary. But the control and flexibility of a studio is great too – as is the heating right now!

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.

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.

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.