Tag Archives: portraits

Advice, Assignment, Gear

Using Speedlites for location glamour photography

Maria was lit by 2 Speedlites, one inside my Photoflex Octodome and the other inside The background is lit by a 3rd Speedlite.
Maria was lit by 2 Speedlites, one inside my Photoflex Octodome and the other inside The background is lit by a 3rd Speedlite.

I have always admired photographers who specialized in glamour.

They may be men but they are very in tuned to how makeup works on the variety of skin tones, hair color and  facial features of the women they photograph.

Coordinating all that and wardrobe alone is enough to make my head spin.

 

Having a makeup artists on hand is definitely a god sent.

I recently connected with makeup artist and hair stylist Anna Cameron recently so we when we got together, we collaborated to photograph aspiring model Maria Nuñez.

We worked in the basement of Back to the Grind coffeehouse.

Continue reading Using Speedlites for location glamour photography →

Gear

Field test Photoflex’s OctoDome XS softbox

Portrait of Dr. Pamela Clute, UCR Mathematics professor
Dr. Pamela Clute photographed with the Photoflex OctoDome extra small. There is one silver reflector placed just out of the frame underneath to provide the catchlight in her eyes. A blue gel was fitted over the 600-EX-RT Speedlite aimed at my gray background for a little accent and contrast.

I generally test my gear thoroughly before heading out and using it on jobs.

In the case of a light modifier like a soft box,  I would be wasting invaluable time assembling and disassembling it at every assignment.

So with my Photoflex Octodome extra small, I keep it assembled.

For my portrait session with UC Riverside Mathematics professor Dr. Pamela Clute, as with most of my portraits, I have some an idea of the kind of lighting I want even before I arrive.

Still, it’s a challenge.

On location, unless the spot I’ll be working is one I’m familiar with, I have to plan for the worst case scenario and then be pleasantly surprise if there’s good ambient light to work with.

For that reason, arriving early to set up and having some idea of the light setup I want to use is important.

There’s nothing worse than having to rush.

Details get overlooked and mistakes start creeping in.

Continue reading Field test Photoflex’s OctoDome XS softbox →

Advice, Tutorials

Tips for better group photos

Professional belly dancer Hadia Habibi needed some pictures with her Al Nar Bellydance Ensemble.
Professional belly dancer Hadia Habibi needed some pictures with her Al Nar Bellydance Ensemble.

Group photos tend to be documentary in nature i.e their primary purpose is to record who was present at some place and time.

For that reason, I take a quick group photo with my point-and-shoot camera as an attendance record whenever I’m teaching. It cures the most camera shy instantly.

What if you are aspire for your group photo to be better? To get past the mentality of lining up everyone up against the wall? Continue reading Tips for better group photos →

Gear, Tutorials

Two light setup for self-portrait

2 Comments

Self Portrait Tips

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#1 A ‘hard light’ i.e. a Speedlite fitted with a grid spot was my main or key light on the right for this type of lighting commonly known as ‘short lighting’. There was another speedlite also fitted with a grid spot for a backlight. I used the grids because I didn’t want the light to spill all over. I was too lazy to remove the picture hanging on the wall behind me, so this was the simple solution. See other picture.

When my new Canon 600EX-RT Speedlite and its companion ST-E3-RT transmitter arrived, I couldn’t find locate a model.

I’m not so fond of self-portraits for obvious reasons. Continue reading Two light setup for self-portrait →