Every portrait photographer starts out working in available light but eventually, if they are stick with photography and are serious about their craft, they move up and learn to light.
In my case, I had to learn to light because the newspaper I was working for switched from BW to color. Continue reading Available light portrait with Josephine
I was delightfully surprised when I went to my mailbox this morning.
The envelope told me exactly what was inside— my copy of the 2012 Calendar from  my cyber-friend Jo Chopra, executive director of Latika Roy foundation.
Even though we’ve never met, she’s been a really wonderful cyber-friend sharing with me her stories, her wonderful photography and adventures from India where she works with children with disabilities.
This year’s cover image was a wonderful choice.
I love the spontaneity of the moment, Jo.
The joyous smile on that beautiful little girl skillfully captured with a long lens speaks volumes of your patience, skill and dedication.
I can picture you with your long lens waiting patiently for this moment.
I can also picture you leaping up and down when you took your first look at what you captured.
It’s never easy to distill the year down to around 12 pictures. Believe me, I know this from experience.
Besides gear, access, light and enough time, photographers also need enough space to do their work.
A recent assignment where I photographed UC Riverside Chancellor Tim White is a good example.
As with many daytime assignments, the kind of day outside can dictate where I get to work.
When I arrived at 8 am, things were not pretty outdoors.
It was raining, drab and cold.
Tinted windows are great for occupants of dwellings because they cut down on extreme glare from the exterior. Continue reading Location lighting needs: space around your subject
While cleaning up the other day I came across my old TLR camera– a Yashica Mat 124G.–a Twin Lens Reflex camera.
I also found a roll of 120mm BW film.
It had been sitting around in a drawer a good ten years, by my best guess, so it is way past its expiration date.
I will develop it in a week or two when the darkrooms open up during the winter session since BW film is notorious for having a good shelf life if it hasn’t been subjected to extreme temperatures.
Shiva and Tempe naturally found the camera interesting especially when they peered into the waist-level finder. Continue reading It’s not about how many exposure you can make