LED vs Flash

In yesterday's post I shared an image taken to "find the hero" in the shot.  To help bring attention to the subject I choose to shoot wide open at F 1.8 and focus only on my subject.  Even though there were hundreds of people in the room the focus was only on my main subject.  If I'd used a traditional flash I wouldn't be able to shoot wide open as I wished.

Today, I want to share the lighting that helps me shoot in this manner and is a huge departure from how many are taught to shoot parties or events.  The lighting I love for working in these types of events are LED lights.  The output of light is minimal but you don't always need to shoot at F 8.0 or more and during the times when you want to have shallow depth of field these lights are quite amazing.  What I like about this brand of LED's is that I can control the color temperature by selecting one of the color setting on the back.  The one I have used most often is the 3200k setting.  The color temperature ranges from 2800k to 6500k.  2800 being the warmest (or yellow) setting and 6500k being on the cooler (blue) side.

The LED light works off of batteries the same as your on-camera flash but seem to last much longer.  When using AA batteries I prefer to use re-chargeable batteries as they seem to last longer.  I would suggest doing your own test if you are interested in using these lights.  The test is fairly simple.

To test your LED lights do the follow:

Shoot in a dark room without any artificial or sunlight.  Take one photo at each of the different color settings:
2800k
3200k
4000k
4800k
5600k
6500k

Don't judge your images by the back of your camera.  You can't judge color from your display as its only meant to show you to image, not give you accurate color.  Download the images on your computer and see which color setting you like best.  If you're interested in shooing wide open I would suggest also testing each of your lenses out at the widest F-stop to see which is the sharpest.  Zoom lenses tend to not be as sharp as the prime lenses and for this reason I rarely use zoom lenses, but this is a personal choice.  If you're interested in purchasing these lights made by Visio find out more by going to the following link.  LED Lights.

I wish you all the best now go out and shoot great pictures!

Always Dream Big

When To Shoot Wide Open

I often get asked the question, "how did you shoot this"?  It seems there is so much interest in how an image was made technically but not as much into the thought process that led to creating the shot.  Lately I have been on a quest to look for the hero, or key subject, in my images.  I want to bring the viewer closer to what I am feeling and make sure they get the message I am trying to project in my image.

Recently I attended a wedding rehearsal dinner and took photos during the evening.  I did not want to shoot in the traditional manner because so many of the images I see at events, parties, etc feel the same, especially when shot with on-camera flash.  My idea was to shoot wide open and focus on one person at a time and find a hero in each image.  By hero I simply mean I like finding the main subject and bringing attention to whatever it may be.  In this case the hero is the gentlemen in the grey suit.  Even though there are hundreds of people in the room all the attention is drawn to him.  To further emphasis my point of view I choose to shoot wide open, F 1.8 with a 28mm lens on my Sony A900.   The focus is only on my main subject, or hero, and I believe this makes this image successful.  If I had shot this image with an on-camera flash and at an F-stop of 5.6 or 8.0, I would have a very different image than the one you see here.

Tomorrow I will discuss the unconventional lighting used to create this image. Until then always dream big!

Time and the Value of Photography

Today so a lot of people take photographs for granted.  Part of the reason for this is because photographs have become so easy to take and the cost seems minimal.  The true cost is probably more than traditional photographs when we shot film because now you need a computer to see the images and your digital camera will not last as long as your old film camera.   With all the digital devices we have at our disposal it is also hard to remember what image is where.  Is it on your cell phone, ipad, digital camera or lost in a desk on a media card?

My family is probably typical of the way many people around the world handle their photographs these days, because a years worth of pictures can wind up on one digital card.  Those images may or may not be downloaded.  I have a fear that these images will be lost if not backed up properly.  Digital is a great way of capturing our memories and documenting our lives but we can't forget to perserve those memories in a tangible way.

As a professional photographer we know the true value of photographs and have the responsibility to preserve our images to last forever.  Today take a moment and look at all the wonderful way you can perserve your memories with photo books like Shutterfly, a company that will make a tangible photo book from your images to have for all time.  I have given a few of these books away as gifts and it a powerful way to make a strong impression with your photography.  When you give the gift of photography in the form of a book the value of that gift grows stronger with every passing year.  The true value may not be realized for many years but the longer the book exists the more value is placed on it and your photography.

Here's another way to form a bond with your clients.  For years I have shot images behind the scenes of my photo shoots.  The images that become published in a magazine or billboard are what everyone normally seems but to my clients we have the memory of the day, so I am now working on making memory books from my behind the scenes images to give away as gifts for the holiday this year to my clients.   I believe these books will form a bond in a way that no promo card could ever do and think of how much fun it will be to go down memory lane.  If you have never taken photographs behind the scenes of your jobs now is the time to start.

Always Dream Big!

Portraits_ How to Use a Light Meter

I have always been an advocate of using a light meter.   Knowing that you have the right exposure is not enough for mastering light.  You need to know where the light is falling on your subject and where it falls off.  When shooting close portraits of woman I usually want very even light, and in those situations I will meter my subjects entire face section by section.   I want to know the exposure in every section and where it falls off.

If I take one reading I may get F16.0 as a correct exposure but I need more information to really understand how the light is falling on my subject.  If I only read the histograms I will see that my image is exposed properly but still this will not tell me where the light is falling or where it falls off.  To get a proper reading of my subject I will read the middle of my subjects face and then the left side, right side, top and bottom.  I want to make sure the range of exposure stays within a third or less all around.  For for example, if the center of my subjects face is reading F 16.0, then I'd like the other readings to read between F16.0 to F16.3.  If the left side is reading 16.7 and the right side is reading 16. 0, then my light is off and I need to make an adjustment with the light direction.

All examples were shot with the Sony A900 using a 100 macro lens and Sekonic light meter.  The main light, which is also the only light, is a Profoto 8 foot umbrella with a small silver reflector underneath.  Sometimes less is more.

For more information about photography check out the instructional videos available in the Gallery Store.


Always Dream Big!

To Grid or Not to Grid

The Profoto beauty dish is one of the most amazing light shaping tools you can use for making portraits.   I use the beauty dish often for making portraits of woman, but at times I'm called on to photograph men as well.  Today I want to share a simple way of changing your light when photographing men.  The grid, a honey shaped lighting tool, is an easy way to shape your light for more dramatic images of your subjects.  While there is no rule on what light to use for men and what light to use for woman, I tend to like images of men more with the grid added to my beauty dish.

The images shown here are both shot with the beauty dish in the same position.  Nothing was changed other than added the grid to the beauty dish.  The image on the left is shot with just the beauty dish and a small reflector underneath.  The image on the right was made using the beauty dish also but adding the grid for a more powerful effect.  Adding the grid drops your exposure down by a stop at this distance so make sure you meter your light whenever you make any changes.

Always Dream Big

website:  www.MatthewJordanSmith.com

Instructional Videos:  www.Gallery.MatthewJordanSmith.com

iPhone Photographer vs Professional Photographer

Today there are more people taking picture than any other time in the history of photography.  If someone throws a pie in the face of a billionaire like Rupert Murdoch you better believe it will be captured in some way.  Some of the images that sticks out in my mind to illustrate this point are from the inauguration of Barak Obama.  As I watched the inauguration I was in awe of all the cameras from the crowd.  It seemed like every person in the crowd had a camera or camera/phone device to photograph that historic moment in time.  The amazing thing that digital has done is make photography easy.  Now anyone can make a great picture by simply pointing their camera and clicking away.

 

The question for professional photographer is how do you stand out as a photographer when anyone can now take an amazing image with their iPhone or like device?  With all the great apps out there, great cameras and technology, how to you justify a client paying you when they can have a six year old shoot and drop the image into photoshop?  

High production value has always been an important element in separating professional photographers from the rest of the pack.  Today more than ever we must push our production value in every shot we take and spend more time in thought to create stunning images.  Spend more time thinking about your point of view and what you want to say to the world in your images.  This is not only how you will survive in the future but how you will thrive.

For more information on producing images with high production value check out any of the instructional videos available in the Gallery Store.

Instructional Videos:  Click HERE.

Always Dream Big!

The Gift of Inspiration

One of the best gifts we can give to others is the gift of inspiration.  For photographers inspiration is the key that unlocks the door to creativity and enables us to share our thoughts visually to the world.  Once we learn the rules of photography we soon realize how important it  is to have your own visual point of view, but that point of view is influenced by everything around us and every experience we have.

I was recently a judge at a high end photography school and had the opportunity to view thousands of images and spend time with a lot of great photographers.  I have never had a real interest in shooting still life photography, but as a judge I saw many beautiful still life images involving water.  The images usually involved a product but I was inspired by simply the beauty and movement of water.  When I returned I started working on a new series of images to go with my long term personal project.  Many won't be able to see the connection of the new work with the other work but once the images are seen together I think it will all make sense.

To make this shot I used my Sony A900 with a 100 macro lens.  The lighting was simple and shot the same way I'd photograph a person on a white background except there is no front light.  On this day it was the first day of work for two new interns who watched as I set this up.  They didn't get the concept until they saw the first image and then it became crystal clear.  For more information about lighting and photography check out the many instructional videos at The Gallery Store.

Thanks for all your questions and comments and please keep them coming.  For more inspiration today check out this blog by Skip Cohen which includes a video interview by Marc Silber Studios.  Click Here

Its almost time for Summer School and I hope to see you all in Vegas this August.  For information and to sign up click the following link:  Skips Summer School 2011


Always Dream Big

Instructional Photography Videos Link - All only $15.95

How to Create Sun on a Rainy Day

The most amazing source of light is the sun but there are days when we want sun but rain is in the forecast with no sign of letting up.  If you are shooting outside its hard to get around a day of pouring rain, however if you are in studio you can create the look and feel of the sun by using constant light sources.  Some of my favorite "sun-like" sources are HMI lights, as in the example shown, and tungsten lights like Lowel DP lights, which are much less expensive than the HMI variety.

In the image of Tyra on the staircase everything was created from the wall to the staircase to the sunlight and shadows.  To create the warm color of sunlight, we balanced the light to neutral using the colorchecker passport, then added the 1/4 CTO gel to capture the evening glow of sunlight.  For more information on lighting check out Ten Ways to Use One Light Source and How to Work with Complex Lighting Situations.  To create the shadows we used two black floppy cutters on C-stands angled to create the shape of sunlight coming through a doorway or window.  A fan was used to give a gust of wind to the hair and the rest is all the magic of Tyra.

Always Dream Big

How to Create Clients

We have all heard how important it is to make a great first impression, and the same holds true for creating life-long clients.  Years ago I started sending my female celebrity clients flowers on or before my shoot with them.  The flowers would have a small card attached with their name on the front saying "here's to a great shoot", or if I shot them more than once it would read, "here's to another amazing shoot"..... and would follow with a personal message depending on the subject.   Twenty years later I still send flowers and my clients leave with them all the time.

The process of winning your subjects over and getting great images starts long before you have them in front of your camera.  It is the small things you do that make a difference and help seal a connection, and in photography it is often about the connection with your subject in one way or the other.  Whenever I tell the story of giving flowers I always get the question "what do you give your male celebrity subjects"?  Well I don't give men flowers to men, but I do talk with them to build a bond before the shoot.  I talk about sports, or what types of exercise they do in the gym, or travel, etc.  The bottom line is not about giving any specific thing, but more in making a connection with your subjects before you point a camera in their face.  You want to break down the wall and start the communication so when your photographing them they feel comfortable.  For more tips on shooting your subjects check out the Youtube link, Ten Ways to Photograph Women.

Always Dream Big

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Faster or Slower?

After being away for almost a month on the road I have returned to find my main computer acting up on me.  Today I will make my 2nd trip in a week to the apple store and but as I sit in this state of frustration I stop to think am I getting more done with computer's now that the photography world is digital or less?

Yesterday I had an amazing shoot and I can't wait to share it but at the moment the computer problems are slowing me down and making me fall behind on deadlines.  In the days of film I could have my film back in three hours, edit my top selects an hour later and be off to dinner.  These days its much more work and still computers are not fast enough or safe enough for the images we take.  The rule is the have three backups but when you shoot millions of images a year that is a lot of backing up and a lot of time.  I want to have my images around 200 years from now for future generations to see but with hard drives being so fragile and all eventually failing I keep thinking about film.

My latest shoot was photographed using my favorite camera, the Sony A900.  I also used one of my favorite lenses, the 100 macro lens.  After weeks of thought into how I'd shoot this project my new interns were surprised by my lighting setup.  The shoot was a personal one to go into my five year project.  Personal projects are a must for every artist I believe and this one makes me happier than any I've ever worked on.   I am very happy with the results and my new interns learned how to think outside the box as we went about shooting the images.  As soon as I get my main machine back up and running I will share some of my favorites here.

Keep your computers running smoothly and always dream big!

The Joy of Teaching Pt 2

What if everyone made a living doing what they love?  Since my last round of speaking engagements I have been in touch with some of the students and many are scared and doubtful they can make a living doing what they love.  The idea of getting a "safe job" and then doing what you love on the side is more in line with what seems comfortable.  One student wants to work in construction and then work on photograph on the side, while another wants to return to the midwest with family and get a job doing something before working on photography.  In all these cases I understand the need for security but you only get the fruit when you go out on a limb.  We all must be willing to make a sacrifice for what we love.  If you are working a steady job keep it, but make sure you work just as hard for yourself to make your dreams a reality.

I love sharing the joy of photography and hopefully one day I will be able to help photographers all over the world by teaching and sharing in a brand new way.

For now if you're interested in learning more about photography check out some of the videos aimed at helping photographers become better in the gallery store.  All video downloads are only $15.95 and more are being added in the next two weeks.  Click Here to see a list of the video products available today.

Always Dream Big