Lighting that ROCKS! How you can set yourself apart by lighting well. This is part of my newest lighting program first presented Monday this week for The Dutch Institute of Professional Photography in Utrech, The Netherlands. In this image you can see how I use as many as 3 back lights on Jamie. The middle ones main purpose is to do the hair and edge her. The two on the sides are also hitting her face and shoulders and earrings in a strong way. For my main light I use a small reflector with a grid straight on to just hit the very middle of her face. It is hand held by my assistant since it needs to be SO VERY EXACT and any little movement in Jamie and it will need readjustment. Fill light is a silver umbrella. You can see it all in the overview image (The overview is shot on a black background a few minutes before we changed background and outfit for todays main image.) This "Lighting that Rocks" section also goes into my Photographing People Part 2 class from now on. Elinchrom is my main supplier of strobes. 

Here is another image from my shoot for a company publishing personal books. I wanted to use the nice natural light coming through the window. The problem was it wasn't giving me enough punch, so I added 1 Cameron Digital Imager Metal Hilide 800 lamp with an 18x18 inch softbox. It has a 5200K bulb in it so it worked great mixed in with the daylight (The final image is edited warm for a cozy feeling) The beauty of a lamp like this which is a continues light is "that what you see is what you get" which is missing with flash photography. I use this lamp sometimes also just to make the window light broader, to wrap around a person. I got this lamp from a Canadian company called Booth Photographic Ltd. here is a link to the lamp and company. Camera: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III with a 70-200mm f 2.8. Shot at 400 ISO, f.5.0 and 1/125 sec at 110mm.

PS. New dates for local Photographing People Classes posted.

Today I want to show you a simple but powerful two light set up for location. The image is of a Mother and son looking at a book together in a nice master bedroom. Main light is an Elinchrom 600 ws Strobe with the 53" Junior Octa my favorite soft box. The second light is a second Elinchrom 600ws unit with a standard reflector placed behing them to the right pointing up in the pitched ceiling. Look closely at the two slim detail crops and see all the second light does! It back lights, lights hair, over all fill lights in addition to lighting up the room evenly. Often simple ways make things look great. I did bring a carload of different lights, never know what you might want and need. Hope your summer is great. For us it has been the second busiest July in my 34 years as a Photographer. Not second most profitable, but second busiest :-)Main light only, Elinchrom 600 ws Strobe w/ the 53" Junior Octa my favorite soft box. Main light + second light a Elinchrom 600ws unit with a standard reflector placed behind them to the right pointing up at the peiched ceiling.

It's not very often I use my blog to promote products, but this will truly make your life better, Kenneth :-)

For Glare Free LCD screen viewing… Checking your histogram, composition and focus outdoors is easy with Hoodman's HoodLoupe. HoodLoupe is worn around your neck just like a normal loupe. When it is time to review your shot; bring Hoodloupe up to your image and place your eye up to the eye cup for complete glare free viewing. HoodLoupe has a +-3 diopter to accommodate those with less than perfect vision. HoodLoupe adjusts focus just like a binocular eye piece... you turn the eye piece in or out to set for your vision. HoodLoupe's precise German glass optics give you a 1 to 1 ratio for true LCD screen viewing. Each HoodLoupe is encased in a user friendly rubber for comfort and protection from bumps that will occur throughout your shoot. Comfortable lanyard and compact protective storage case included. Fits up to 3.0 inch LCD screens.

PS. I got mine at Pictureline (link directly to the loupe).

Workshop in Oslo, Norway together with Roy Gabrielsen and Michal Tomazewicz

When I do workshops I love to challange myself to do something nice with not ideal conditions. Of course the location here is faboulous, it's the new Opera in Oslo. I really liked the glass corner as you see. So i took the challange of hard dirct sun, sometimes we get forced to photograph with light like that, normally I will go up against the sun since I love backlight. Then add whatever ligthsource is best for the given situation. Anyhow here I am shooting in direct sunlight as you can see very well in image number 2, see how hard the shadows are on the ground. It's June 8th at 5:57 pm and that day the sun went down 10:34 pm, yes it is some very nice long days in Oslo this time of year:-) The diffussion panel we had was big but not large enough to diffuse her and the building, so no diffusion. I'm shooting laying on the ground under the reflector shooting @ 28mm full frame. To make my model look good I have her lean forward to get more in level with the camera plane. Have her keep her hips back. This way I avoid distorting her getting big hips, small head etc etc. I use a silver/gold reflector to add a touch of warmth and to lighten up the hard shadows somehow. I tilt her head up more than normal so the sun will hit the triangle on her face. It is really important that everything face the sun right to not get unplesent shadows on her and the dress. Some other things that makes this image work well: She is the most important part of the image, so her skin/hair etc is the minority, the blue creates depth. Blue and yellow are also complimentary colors as you know. So there are several elements that make your eyes go to her more than the surroundings. Hope to see you somewhere in the world soon :-) Thanks for following my blog.