Image Post: Hazel Clarke .. I’m not alone.

I made this image the other night at a multi strobe event at a local studio (Ians Studio) where I sometimes work and shoot.  The idea of the evening was to make images using multiple strobes so  2 or more, in this image I used 2 speedlites.

The idea was to imply fear and hesitation going up the stairs and create the impression she is not alone. One of the two lights were placed at the top of the stairs (with a snoot & grid) being held by a good friend of mine Kevin,  the second light is not shown in the frame but is just on the other side of the banister on an 9 ft stand bouncing a bare speedlight off the ceiling tiles.  The job of the second light was to light Hazel up a touch from behind, the rest of the exposure is ambient.

One problem I had no matter how I gridded, snooted and flagged the main light (top of stairs) I got a highlight on the right hand wall… I figured out its was the reflective nature of the wall so made the choice to reframe and hide it behind Hazel.

The ambient light was shot underexposed by 2 stops at ISO800 F7.1  1/125th sec, just enough to lift the environment with the rest of the work done by flash.  I could of opened up but wanted the DOF and the star flare that you see. 

I like this frame not only because I like dramatic light/images but also the framing, I really enjoy shooting wide with the 35mm, its allowed me to get close to fill the frame and still capture what's happening in the scene.

Thank you Hazel as always it was great to work with you again. 

Rick

#HrdLight - Sarah Mansfield…

Been a while since I added to the gallery for this project (its nearly complete).

The reason I enjoy using Hard Light so much is its simplicity, the depth and drama it can create.  You will all now know I am a huge fan of dramatic light and use of shadows.  Shadows help tell the story, show depth and shape.. with out shadows things a flat, boring and well just Meh!.

Sarah Mansfield ...

I knew it had to be black & white (highlight and shadow), the light, tones and location just screamed drama and black & white.  Lit with a single speed light modified with an Opteka 1/4 Grid (same thing as the Honl but cheaper), I own 3 of these things (2 are a tighter pattern) and I love them.  Sarah's look and complexion handled hard light with ease.  You can see a larger version in the gallery for the #HrdLight project.

I have a few more images to shoot for this project then its on to the next one, which I can’t wait for.

Rick

The Canon EOS 6D–Hmm?

Ok from the title of this post it may sound like I am thinking of buying a 6D… that would be nope for a few reasons I will explain in this post.  The rest of it is going to be my thoughts about this camera but please note I have not shot with it and to be honest probably never will, this will be more my 2 pence worth on what I know so far from press info and spec lists.

Ok those of you who know me/follow my work will probably know I recently picked up a used Canon 5D2 for a real good price so am now shooting full frame and love it.

Ok the first reason I would not buy a Canon 6D is well the 5D2 I just bought, yes the AF has its issues at times but I am more than happy with it and am currently looking for another good deal to add a second body.  The other reasons are down to just 2 of the specs on the 6D..

1. Max shutter speed 1/4000th sec on a single digit body (6D) at this price point.  Really Canon really – But surely 1/4000th sec is fast enough?.. yes for allot of things but not for any real fast action say like a punch/kick or even a bat swinging.   Lets say I was making an image of a Martial Artist throwing a fast spinning kick breaking a board, I want to light it with flash (using HSS) with out over powering the ambient but instead using it as fill, the 1/4000th sec shutter speed will not in many cases freeze the kick or fragments of the board… But the flash will hear you say yes but given the exposure will be made up of both flash and ambient you will still see blur.  Being able to take the shutter speed above 1/4000th sec will get you better results.

Also consider this second scenario.  You are shooting at high noon using hard light from the sun, you want to shoot wide open (f1.8, F1.4 may be F1.2).. ah oh your set to ISO 100 and your camera is telling you your over exposed with 1/4000th sec flashing at you because you can’t go any faster.. So you dial in ISO LO (50) ok that might work but if your more than 1 stop over exposed at 1/4000th sec  your still hosed and you will have to stop down your lens.  A camera body with 1/8000th sec will give you some more head room to play with. 

2. 1/180th sec Sync Speed – Ok 1/180th is a half stop value, I run 1/3rd stops on my cameras so to me the 6D’s top sync would be 1/160th.  Ok so its only 1/6th of a stop down from my 5D2 which syncs at 1/200th but it is 1/2 stop down from my 60D which will sync at 1/250th. 

Why is this max sync speed so important?  When dealing with flash your shutter speed will primarily control ambient light, that ambient light travels through the same aperture as your flash and remember aperture controls flash exposure.  If I want to kill or underexpose the ambient light I will need as fast a shutter speed (sync speed) as I can get, beyond that at ISO 100 I will need to start stopping down the aperture (which controls flash exposure) to tackle the ambient, I won't even think about lowering my iso as it will reduce both ambient and flash equally much the same as aperture will.  The questions in this scenario are do I want to stop down and do I have enough flash power to cope with the stopped down aperture.

The rest of the spec’s are fine (see below) the main one is its full frame and will hopefully be a cheap way in to shooting Full Frame with a new Canon body. The 6D is not due out until December so we have to wait to the reviews.  Also I am not sure if this is the replacement for the Canon 5D2 or not given the price point on both bodies, time will tell.  Lets look at the other specs below.

• Full-frame 20.2-megapixel sensor  - Plenty of resolution.
• Tough, lightweight construction  - Similar size to the 60D
• Max ISO 25,600 (expandable to ISO 102,400) –Good iso range. no info on performance yet.
• 11-point AF sensitive down to –3EV  - I fully expect this to be better than the 5D2.. not difficult.
• GPS* records your location – A first I believe for a DSLR
• Wi-Fi** file transfer and remote control – Another first for a DSLR
• Full-HD video – Similar to the 5D3 with compression choices.

The 6D records to SD cards, which are fast, cheap and readily available – Pro’s looking for a cheap back up body to a 5D2/5D3 or may be a 1D body might not like SD cards given they will most likely use CF cards, I am aware the 5D3 will also use CF and SD.  Canon have thankfully kept the same LP-E6 battery used in the 60D,7D,5D2,5D3 which is great. 

Personally I am not interested in GPS or wireless and would not be willing to drop the shutter speed and sync speed spec’s in place of GPS and wireless this is because I shoot allot using flash on location.

I am sure the the 6D will make a great upgrade for 550D,600D,650D, 60D shooters when they want to jump to FF but be aware the limited specs I have mentioned above, of course this will depends on what you shoot.

I would still buy a new 5D2 over the 6D any day, for one its cheaper (currently) and even cheaper used and it is better spec’d for the work I do.  I am not against the 6D, its just not for me… that and I am still trying to figure out who Canon is aiming this thing at given its price point.

Feel free to add your thoughts below.

Rick

Personal Work & Models– A Studio Shoot with Model: Bex Lendon

Normally when I post these kind of post I get right in to talking about the shoot and the model/person I worked with along side images.  But for this one I want to start a little different and talk about my thoughts on personal work and working with models. May be this should be its own post..maybe but it’s this shoot that got me thinking so here it is.

Of late I have been shooting allot of models, why? well for me there are a few reasons.

1. You get to meet, collaborate with different creative people face to face (not just online)
2. It keeps you thinking creatively and working the camera and lights. Stops the rust setting in.
3. You can field test stuff for client work. Yeah I do that, test a lighting setup or two.
4. You get to work on developing your style of shooting/lighting (I'm years off this by the way) and keep moving forward, making mistakes and learning from them.
5. You can build your book / portfolio or at least (depending on what you shoot for client work or want your book to be) develop & continue your skill set & growth as a photographer.
6. You can gain great experience in dealing with many different types of people in front of your camera, yes they are models but lets not forget they are not just models. Talk you who you have in front of the camera, get to know them and find the real them, a real expression or moment.

Personal work is important not only for some of the reasons above but also to give you goals, focus and to help you not suck so much, take my #HrdLight project for example is it some amazing photography project or theme Nope in fact I have had much better project ideas since starting that, and that's the key I started a project.. set a theme or goal and am still shooting it! had not done this who knows if I would be writing this post now or working on another project.  Fact is its important and Personal to me and I WILL finish the 25 image edit for the project because I know even if I end up never really adopting hard light in to my future style I would never of know if the project were not to be completed.  Ok now that's said on to the shoot with Bex….

#1

I love #1 for a few reasons the light (3 light setup + reflector), the eye contact.. but also for Bex’s hair, it’s amazing (big & wild in a way). Many beauty shots show styled hair and are photoshopped to with in an inch of their lives, this would probably give some people fits in post production but for me it works as its a little different as I let Bex’s hair do pretty much what it wants apart from her fringe so I could keep light in her right eye. Exposure was pushed 1/3rd in camera to give the bright punchy and clean look. 

#2


#3

For #2 & #3 I added a 4th light (gridded speedlite) to the set to light the background, image 2 has the rim/hair lights turned off (handy groups feature on the Photix Strato II triggers) and image #3 has them turned back on (the right one failed to fire) but I love the smile on this one, some times no always the moment, expression or smile is more important than a perfect all lights firing image.


#4

#5

Numbers 4 & 5 are actually from the first set shot using the Westcott 7ft Silver Parabolic Umbrella.  I am really likening the 1:1 square crops lately and placing my subject centre frame on clean simple backgrounds. I would of liked the light to go a little higher but with 10ft celling height that was a no go.  


#6



#7

Numbers 6 & 7 were list using a Westcott 28” Apollo (love that thing), hair light and a gridded light on a material background. Again Bex’s hair is great and apparently it use to be longer.


#8

Number 8 is something a little bit different form the beauty lighting set up of (1,2 and 3) turning the key light off and taking the reflector out leaving the rim/hair lights only. The colour gradient is a result of flare not photoshop.

#9

Number 9 was a I have this bubble wrap so lets see what it will do as a background kind of experiment.  Yup specular highlights expected that, quite interesting and something I will come back to maybe lighting the background separately. Key light was a 28” beauty dish.

The next images were shot as a sequence with a fair amount of frames which will fill this post up so I have made them in to a collage instead, which i delivered to Bex. Also I shot these at ISO 400 on my back up camera Canon 500D, still looks great so don't be afraid to up the ISO in studio or good light as it will allow your speedlites to recycle faster due the the reduced flash power required and the flash durations will be much shorter at the lower power so action freezing is no problem.


#10 A sequence of actin and dancing. Some fun to wind down a shoot.



#11 Some back lit fun and hair flicking.

#12 & #13  - My two favourite images from the sequence in #11

To Finnish the shoot off I wanted to play with some fog in a can (thanks to @damienlovegrove for the idea shown on his Lighting Studio Portraits Videos). I only had one can so limited fog.

Big thanks to @markboadey for assisting with this one.

#14 A 3 light set up and some fog in a can. Must order some more. ISO 400 F10 with speedlites.

Thank you Bex for a great shoot, your pre shoot communications were great and you rocked the shoot. Will be working with you again soon.

Rick

PS any spelling mistakes are not real, honest.  It’s 2 am