Tag Archives: location

Children’s Portraits 1

Simple lighting–One main light, a 580EX inside a Lumiquest softbox on the right, about a foot away on the right gave me f5.6 @ ISO 200. Canon 5D Mark 2 with a 50 mm lens
I added a 2nd Canon Speedlight, a 430 EX with a red gel to jazz things up. It was set to give 1 to 1 1/2 stops less light than the main light, the 580EX in the Lumiquest softbox.s

Setting up a makeshift studio doesn’t require a lot of space but it does require some improvisation.

I was in the basement of the First Congregational Church recently to photograph some children who attended Puppet Palooza–a week long puppet making workshop by Creative Kids Have Fun.

Young children are not the easiest of subjects.

That’s why there are photographers who specialize in just children.

Just like any kind of portraiture work, you have to engage your subject, spend some time with them.

 

Continue reading Children’s Portraits 1

Capturing pictures of kids at play indoors

Maya Guerrero gets a hug from one of her students on their last day of class meeting.

When Maya Guerrero, center director of Circle City Music Together needed some promotional stills, she invited me and my cameras into one of her classes.

Even without making a reconnaissance trip, I had some notion of what to expect.

Most studios whether it’s for ballet, dance or even a martial arts dojo have at least one large mirror the size of an entire wall. Continue reading Capturing pictures of kids at play indoors

A proposal at the Bell Tower

Aparna Kulkarni reacts as her fiancee Manish Desai proposes to her at the Bell Tower on the campus of UC Riverside where they met. Canon 5D M2 in available darkness. Canon Speedlight 550EX on a light stand on the right at 1/16th power.

The police cruiser pulled to a stop as I crouched in the shadows.

The lone officer inside asked what I was doing sitting in the shadows.

I told him I was waiting to make pictures of something devious but yes, we had permission from the Chancellor of UC Riverside to be there with the candles.

I was mildly aware that our intended ambush victim and her fiancee was approaching.

Finally, he said he had read the email.

I wonder if the word “surprise” was mentioned in that email.

So he was drove by to check and by doing so made the surprise more challenging. Continue reading A proposal at the Bell Tower

Shutterstories field trip Spring 2011

A very lovely Ally Rutherford helped us out during our visit to Shutterstories. Canon 5D Mark 2 ISO 400 with studio strobes triggered by Cybersync radio slaves.

Two Mondays ago I met my students at Shutterstories–a photography studio in Riverside owned and operated by husband and wife team,Terry and Melissa Tippie.

In case there’s some of you thinking, “Lighting, isn’t that for the advanced folks?”

That might have been true in the  film days, but not anymore.

Learning to light

Ray, Adam, Ashley and Brittney were lit with one softbox on the right. Powershot G11

In the days of film, learning to light with flash or strobes required an all-important piece of equipment: a special light meter that could record that very brief flash, so you can figure out what aperture to set on your camera.

But that wasn’t the most difficult part.

Waiting to see the results of your effort even if you processed the film yourself was agonizing.

Continue reading Shutterstories field trip Spring 2011