Frank Doorhof

Feathering the light

October 19, 2015/in blog, Visions and technique/by Frank Doorhof

One of the most powerful things you can do with light is actually something that is often not used by most photographers.
Every light source has a similar behavior (some more some less), the middle is pretty harsh and bright and the more you go to the edges the softer but also dimmer the light gets. With some light sources this is less obvious and with some it’s very obvious but the following trick works for all.

When we “normally” light a model we are used to aim the light source directly at the model, meaning the model is in the hotspot, however this also means that the light falls off near the model in all directions. In other words the model is in a sort of “bubble” of light. Normally this is not really a problem, but if you place your model next to a wall and you want less light on the wall this is often not so perfect. This is where feathering comes into play.

If you feather your light you actually aim your light away from the model and in essence you light the model with the sides of the light, meaning less power but also in almost all cases a nicer light quality (softer).

In this example you can see the effect with our model Sanne and a LedGo led panel we normally use for video.
The wall is highly reflective and when you light your model in the hotspot the image will not be pretty (to say the least), by feathering you can create some very nice vignetting on the wall, get some nice light on the model and the end result is much more pleasing. Of course you can still walk around the model for less or more contrast as you can see in the examples.

the setup

New instructional video MTM 2 On location

October 15, 2015/in News etc, Webinars and instructional videos/by Frank Doorhof

New Mastering the model shoot instructional video : OUT NOW !!!!

Today sees the release of the second video in the “Mastering the model shoot” series, Video 2 : On location.
Working on location is one of the most challenging things a photographer can face, but also one of the most exciting and of course it can give you great portfolio results, but there can also go so much wrong.

In more than 100 minutes you travel with me, Nadine, Lenaa and of course Annewiek through the UK and Scotland and you see me shooting in different amazing locations and with each locations I share the tips, techniques and the gear to go from ok to WOW.

Topics include :

GEAR
Working with small flash/speedlights, natural light, the Elinchrom Quadra. Old lenses on modern cameras.

TECHNIQUE
Metering the scene and calculating for stunning results on the fly, dragging the shutter, cheating to get out of the 1/125 rule without HSS, modifiers, working with wide angles or longer lenses and why.

COMPOSITION
What to look for in a scene, finding the right angles, changing positions for the perfect light, concessions you sometimes have to do and how to work around them

RETOUCHING
A complete run through of two images of the shoot from start to finish with loads of techniques and tips (I didn’t take the easy ones)

MODELS
Working with the model, coaching, poses, styling, story telling

And MUCH much more….

The video is now available on https://frankdoorhof.com/web/shop-videos-etc/direct-video-downloads/ and is priced at 35.00 euro.

We also created a new section with classic videos where you can download the first series of instructional videos for a very attractive price.

Only a few of the images shot during this trip.

Results Ultimate weekend part II

October 13, 2015/in blog/by Frank Doorhof

The Ultimate workshop weekends are without a doubt the most intense workshops I teach, in 2 full days (and an evening) we run through everything model photography related from styling to set building to lighting to retouching add in some business tips, shoot in the studio and on location, use strobes and natural light, add some magic with smoke, work with motion etc. etc…. we actually do it all.

This is also why the results from these weekends always end up in my portfolio, so today some of the results from day 2.
Model: Anna Matthea
Clothing by Nadine and Sinister

Oh and the new date for the next Ultimate Workshop is https://frankdoorhof.com/web/tours/ultimateweekend/

Shooting in a highly reflective set, much more difficult as you might think, but a GREAT learning experience.

Our cool groups shot 😀

And we also went outside with our model, a very simple setup in a not so interesting location, but….. as you can see the results can be very nice (well I like them anyway).

Las Vegas

October 12, 2015/in blog/by Frank Doorhof

Today some images I shot in Las Vegas during our stay for PhotoshopWorld.
We have visited Las Vegas a few times and we always seem to find some interesting images, although I have to be honest… I still like the big cities without too many tourists a bit more for street photography 😀