Morgan | Playing with Light

Sometimes I ask someone to step in front of my camera just for the fun of it and for this shoot I wanted to play with different lighting setups.

The photo above was made on a bright sunny day, inside my garage.  The natural 2pm daylight is reflected off the concrete driveway straight onto Morgan's face, resulting in Flat Light: a low contrast look that gives very little detail to the face, emphasising the eyes and mouth.

Compare this with the photo below, which I made using my studio lighting setup.  The main light is a softbox just in front of, and very close to, her left shoulder (camera right) but not aimed directly at her.  Instead, the light which 'spills' off the edge of the softbox is what reaches Morgan's face, creating a much softer look.  This technique is called 'feathering' the light.  

In addition, I placed a diffuser between the softbox and Morgan's face to soften the light even further.  Finally, there's a second light behind Morgan on her right, which serves to separate her from the background a little, often called a 'kicker' light.   You can see the effect of this light in the hair on the right side of her head (camera left).

The angle I'm shooting from produces what's called Short Light on Morgan's face.  The fully-lit side of her face is turned slightly away from the camera, leaving the shaded side toward me.  This creates a little shadow in the outside curve of her nostril called Loop Lighting, as well as giving definition to her right cheek bone.

So which is best?  It all depends on your taste and why you're photographing the model.  What story are you wanting to create with your image?

These photos of Morgan were taken just after she'd graduated as a high school senior and not long before she headed off to university, to study photography.  I've seen some of her work and she's definitely someone to watch.  Thanks, Morgan - and best wishes!

A Passion for Learning

Buckingham Fountain, Grant Park, Chicago IL USA

This week I was in Chicago for Skip Cohen University's Summer School, an annual photography conference that gathers many of the great photographers of our day into one place, to teach others in the field.

Industry icons such as Joe McNally, Clay Blackmore, Roberto Valenzuela and Ryan Schembri joined many other well-known photographers in heading up the list of instructors for SCU 2013.  We studied topics such as lighting, posing and fashion, for family, child and wedding portraiture, as well as fine art, marketing and the business of photography.

All this so that we can get better at doing what we do, for you our clients.

So what do a bunch of photographers do at night after class?  We hit the town - with our cameras.  We learn from and teach each other; because we love what we do and get a kick out of helping others improve their skill.

It's all about learning, progressing and improving the photography industry as a whole.  As Anthony J. D'Angelo said: "Develop a passion for learning.  If you do, you will never cease to grow."

Summer in Georgia | Cumming GA Family Photographer

"And now for something completely different".  Well, it's not really, but it is a break from the 2014 Dog Calendar campaign!

Georgia summers are a dodgy time of year for photographers; the weather changes at the blink of an eye.  But thunderstorms mean you have puddles to play in, which is great for kids - including us big kids!

During this particular shoot, fortune was smiling on us and the rain held off for the entire shoot.  We were lucky enough to have an overcast evening which turned the sky into a lovely, big softbox, meaning no harsh shadows from sunlight.

There's only so long that Hotlanta can go without rain during summer, though, and as we were heading back to our cars the skies opened and we were pelted!

Was the Moon Landing Faked?

Six years ago I taught a church Sunday School class of 12 and 13 year olds and one week I asked if they knew what the Berlin Wall was.  Considering that they had never heard of it (seriously?  What's wrong with the education system today?!), then it's not really surprising that some people think the moon landing in 1969 was a hoax.

In this video, S. G. Collins sets out to show it wasn't a hoax.  As description on his post says; "Collins is not sure if men went to the moon. but he is sure they could not have faked it."

Setting aside your personal viewpoints on the political and other topics briefly mentioned in this clip (all done very tongue-in-cheek), you'll find, in addition to Collins' lovely sense of humour, some interesting stuff on lighting and film / video technology.

Setting the Mood

Fog creates a lovely mood in photos, with nature cloaking herself in a soft, almost shadowless light.  Scenes disappear into the mist and bold lines are muted, giving an air of mystery.

Now, I don't much like dreary days (Rotorua, New Zealand and Portland, Oregon are places to visit, not live, in my book...) but give me a foggy day?  I'm out there with a camera.  If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!  Make sure you take a soft, lintless cloth with you to dry off the camera and lens completely.

SKP PhotoTips - Winter Blues or Glorious Gloom?

We've had gray, rainy days for so long now it seems as if the sun has migrated south along with the birds.  And in a way it has, seeing as my homeland New Zealand is starting to bask in the light and warmth of early summer.

Nevertheless, from a photographer's viewpoint gloomy days are glorious!  The light is soft; not harsh as it would be on a sunny day.  The only thing you need to worry about is getting rained on with that camera.  Autumn leaves look pretty against a brilliant blue sky, but in my opinion they look even better against a backdrop of soft gray clouds.  They're not competing for the eye's attention.

Sooner or later, the clouds will move on and we'll have sunny days again.  So what can we do to rescue our photos from the harsh, flat light of an otherwise beautiful blue day?  People can be moved into the shade (but watch out for dappled light as it filters through the trees) or if you have a handy assistant, they can hold up a shade.  You don't need to rush out and buy a set of shades and reflectors - they can be expensive.  A light-coloured sheet will do in a pinch, just be aware that the colour may cast a hue on your subject.

But what do we do with landscapes?  The best times for shooting outdoors are dusk and dawn.  That's when the shadows are longer, giving more depth to the vista and the light's coming in from the side instead of directly above.  And we all have enough tired-looking shadows under our eyes without using the sun to emphasise them!

Besides that, the light is magical.  The basic rule of thumb is roughly 30 minutes before sunrise to an hour after (at most) and 30 minutes either side of sunset.  This will give you the rosy hues of dawn and the golden light of day's end.  And really dramatic skyscapes as the sun pokes through after a storm.  What more can a photographer want?  Don't waste time in front of a computer trying to mimic the beauty that's around you; get out there with a camera and make it yours!

SKP PhotoTips - Say "Cheese!" (Holiday Photos)

Over the past few days some of my clients have ordered Christmas cards using images from their photo shoots, making me realise it's coming up on that time of year - very quickly.  In two weeks' time, people all over the USA will be gathering with friends and family for Thanksgiving, with Christmas and other holiday season celebrations occurring around the world soon after.  What are you going to do to record this year's memories?  Here are a few tips for taking great group photos.

One of the hardest things you'll face when photographing groups is to make sure everyone has their eyes open and is looking at the camera.  I learned a simple trick from photographer Scott Kelby - ask the whole group to close their eyes and open them on your count: "3, 2, 1 - open!" and then wait one extra count before taking the shot.  It works like a charm!  The extra count allows the subjects to relax and avoids having wide-eyed, freaked-out-looking people in your photos.

If you are working with a large group, point out to them that if they can't see the lens of your camera, they won't be in the photo.  It's amazing how many people apparently forget this and suddenly start shuffling around to make sure they have a clear view of your lens.

In the northern hemisphere we'll likely be indoors for our holiday parties and odds are you'll need to use a flash.  Avoid using mirrors and windows as backdrops, unless you like the look of an all-encompassing reflection flare.  Built-in flashes seem to be designed to make everyone look like Casper the Friendly Ghost.  Simply fold a tissue and place it over the flash to soften the light, making your subjects look warmer and lessening harsh shadows.

Most cameras have a red-eye reduction feature, but you can help prevent this little nasty by adding as much light as you can to the room.  Turning on all the lights shrinks the subjects' pupils - and every little thing helps!

One last tip - smile and have fun!  If you're grumpy and getting frustrated, no-one will want to smile.  Give them a reason to be happy about looking at you.