One of the best tips ever

May 9, 2025/0 Comments/in blog/by Frank Doorhof

And also one of the most simple ones

And the moment I tell you, you probably go like “yes of course….. but I sometimes forget indeed”
Today I’m sharing one of the best tips, and it’s mostly about keeping your customers, or getting more.

Over the years I’ve done a lot of sessions, assignments and events, and if I learned one thing it’s that you always have to be prepared for everything and also take into account that people change (a lot and always). So what do I mean with this?

In most cases when you are hired there is a certain plan.
This can be for example “shoot a model screaming with a Tommy gun shot from a slightly lower angle”
And of course an image like this is exactly what the client asked.

When working very focussed it often means you are totally locked in to the image your client describes.
And when you get it and the client goes like “WOW LOVE THIS” it’s so easy to call it a day and write your invoice. but…..

But what if a few days later he/she realizes that a screaming model with a gun might be a bit too aggressive or simply not exactly the vibe fitting the campaign.
Of course you can rehire the photographer, model, build the same set and do it again. But you can easily prevent this but being pro-active in your session. And sometimes that means going against your client, who is happy with the shot and would prefer to just pack up and go home. For me it sometimes means that I just tell the client that whatever I do now is free of charge.

For example when the client orders a series on a white background I also always add some images against black and a few where I show the product with some props, smoke etc.

In most cases the client still uses the images he/she ordered, but we always get a very positive response and in a lot of cases they are using the other images also in another context and we hear a lot from customers they hire us back because we are always delivering the assignment but also some extra options. Plus often the client is so focussed on that look they don’t even know how it would look with another color, or for example within a set. This is one of the problems we all know… being to focussed and missing the bigger picture.

So back to our screaming model.
It’s of course very easy during the shoot to also shoot some images where the model doesn’t scream, or maybe even has a totally different pose, or shoot it from a lower/higher angle.

And this doesn’t just go for expressions, sets etc.
Also think about the layout.
Personally I love shooting in landscape mode. The negative space (I would love to call it positive space) gives your model so much more room to draw the viewer in and for you as photographer to play with composition. But often a client “demands” a portrait setting. Also in this case shoot some images in landscape because they might not use it for this campaign but it could be used for something else, and again if your client can use your images more than he/she expected the chance you get hired back grows.

When I started with photography for clients one of my first assignments was for a clothing brand and the assignment was very clear. Written down with all the specs.
And we did exactly that and the client was happy. But a few weeks later I got the question “We want a nice billboard in the shopping centre, can you crop one of your images so it fits”
And…. that was not possible for the image they wanted. Now a days it would probably be possible with generative fill but at that time it was just a no-go, also because it was shot on a 10MP camera so cropping too much would not make it good enough for a billboard in a shopping mall. End result, they hired a local photographer to do that one shot… and I never heard back.

If I would have shot a few images against their plans I would have probably kept the client.
Fast forward to a few days ago.
I was asked to shoot a team photo in front an office for an official letter, in this case it has to be landscape for the simple reason otherwise it would not look nice in a letter. But I also shot one set in portrait mode, because this was due a corporation between two companies the landscape image is great for the official letter, but the portrait mode can be used on the website where it’s easier to incorporate and when the session was done I asked them for one more shot. sitting on the ground and have everyone looking down at the camera. Totally not fitting the official photo, but I am pretty sure that that last shot will be one of their favorite for more casual use.

So even when a client has a 100% vision and urges you to not shoot anything else because this is it. Always try to shoot some extra material, and if the client is up for it just show what you can do more and I promise you, you will get more clients and keep them longer.

WOW that’s just awesome photography!

May 4, 2025/0 Comments/in blog, Visions and technique/by Frank Doorhof

It happens if you look for it

As you know, I love to play with light. Although I love to use plugins for film looks and sometimes enhance a lens flare here and there, my intent is to always get it right in camera.
By the way, if you want some of the best tinting and special effects software, make sure to check out BorisFX, it’s the best I’ve ever worked with.

Anyway, today I want to share this image from Claudia

This was shot at the end of one of the sets.
In the images, Claudia was lying on the couch, and the light was pretty close to her.
On my camera, I’m using the K&F concept black diffusion filter. And that gives great lens flares when they are hit with some light.
To get the effect, I asked Claudia to look up. And by shooting it from a slightly lower angle, I could just get the perfect lens flare.
This shot was not planned but it grew quickly into one of my favorites from the set. So, get it right in camera.

So when shooting a set, walk around your model for different angles. But also try some different poses and “freak out” with your lighting. You already got the shot! So, take it a step further. If it doesn’t work, you at least know it doesn’t. But if it does, you can use it in your next shoot to up your confidence and coolness 😀

Want to learn a lot more about lighting?
Check out our tutorials, books, and of course,e you can find videos on Skillshare, KelbyOne, among others.
Or visit one of the Dutch workshops at fotografie-workshops.nl
And if that’s not your thing, maybe book a 1:1 online 😀

See more results of this shoot on Facebook

You did not expect that did you….

May 1, 2025/0 Comments/in blog, Visions and technique/by Frank Doorhof

Shoot from different angles

Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t

But you should always try it.
Shoot from different angles, including during warm-ups, and always treat the shots as if they are real.
In most cases, these images are great for behind-the-scenes fun, memories, etc., but sometimes, you end up with something really special.

Somehow, I just love this shot from Claudia, I shot while explaining the lighting setup.
For me, it tells a story.

During the workshops, I always tell people to walk around the model for shots from different angles. It’s always “surprising” how cool some of the angles can be when you see them. But sometimes you don’t expect it to look cool. Like in the next shot, where I was actually explaining that, probably due to the way the model was posing, the shot from that angle would look really awkward. But somehow the shadows fell right. The pose works, and I endedup totally loving the shot.

So ALWAYS take images from different angles, even if you don’t think it’s going to work 😀
You might surprise yourself and your model/client.

Remember to shoot from different angles. Even if you think it’s crap. Just try !

Check out this video about “Choosing your Angles”

Check this blog about Angles

Day of the dance, photographing motion

April 29, 2025/0 Comments/in blog/by Frank Doorhof

Today is the day of the dance

Today we celebrate International Dance Day (click here for more info). So this is a great reason to write a blog post about photographing motion and some tips.

This day was created to celebrate dance as an art form and inspire people worldwide to dance, move, and express themselves through music and rhythm. In the Netherlands and Belgium, a lot of attention is paid to dance on this day. Dance schools organize open lessons, workshops are given for young and old, and performances and flash mobs take place on squares and in theaters. From classical ballet to hip hop, from modern dance to folk dance – today it’s all about the power of movement and connection.

Dance connects people, brings joy, and is a universal language that needs no words. It is an outlet, a form of expression, and a way to come together, regardless of background or age.

I love photographing motion

For me, adding some motion to a photo always adds so much more than just that motion. Somehow, you just keep looking at the image.
To freeze motion with strobes, you have to make sure you use strobes with a fast flash duration. For most situations, a flash duration of 1/2000 is enough for a proper “freezing the action shot”. Of course, you can also play with this technique. For example, use a fast strobe on the face of the model but use a very slow strobe as an accent to get some nice blurs in the highlights.

The best way to use your strobes when freezing motion

To figure out the best way to use your strobes is much easier than you might expect.
If you by accident, own a Sekonic 858 lightmeter, you can actually measure the flash duration (very cool), but don’t worry if you don’t own one, there is another way.

one of the results from one of my first KelbyOne classes.

Use a fan

Yep, it’s that simple :D. Photographing motion by using a fan.

Set up the fan and use the highest setting.
Now shoot images on the lowest setting and build it up per stop on your strobe untill you hit the maximum output. (Don’t forget to change the aperture).
If you look at your images, you will see that on some settings the blades of the fan are sharper than on other settings. You now know on which setting the strobe has the fastest flash duration and the slowest. Always use that setting when freezing motion, and you’re done.

Remember that you don’t do these tests on HSS, only Manual mode.
Also, remember that in the studio, the shutter speed on the camera is always kept at 1/125, to make sure you can freeze the action as clear as possible always take one shot without strobes to make sure you have no spill light in your studio.

We recorded a “How did I shoot this one” about freezing motion and using a fan.

Need more light?

One of the problems you can and probably will run into is light output.
The main problem with motion is that you are often stuck with a very limited range on your strobes, and in most cases, the fastest flash duration is not on full power but somewhere between 50% and 75%. Now add to this that you want to avoid shooting on F2.8 but preferably use F11-F16, and you already see that we can run into issues with light output. Luckily, we also have solutions for this.

ISO

The first thing you can do is raise your ISO. With modern cameras, it’s absolutely no problem to use ISO800, and with some proper noise reduction, you can easily use ISO1600.
However, especially with commercial work where fine detail is important, I always choose to solve the issue with a proper light shaper, or the lack off.

Light Modifier

For motion, I love the more harsher quality of light for focus. And of course contrast. This does give me a head start because the light-shapers are already more efficient than for example a softbox. Think about this: with a softbox, you use several layers of diffusion material, which takes away light. With a light-shaper like a reflector, you can already see that the material is shiny. Which means that in the reflector, the light is focused via the reflective layer, which gives you a lot more output.

The size of the reflector is just as important as the material that is used inside.
Some of my favorites over the years were the Hensel 14″ spot and the Elinchrom Maxilight/spot, both gave a tremendous amount of extra light. I used them also a lot for outside sessions, and they saved me a lot of batteries 😀

Nowadays I’m using the Geekoto strobes, and the GT200 is a great strobe for outside use and freezing motion. Due to the fact it used a built-in Fresnel lens you get more light output from a standard flash tube. The compact design, in fact it gives more light output than the Geekoto GT250, which in its defense, uses a different flash tube. The design of a Fresnel gives you extra light output, and when used in a light shaper, also gives you a great quality of light, think about the old theater and movie spots.

Fresnel

Which brings me to my favorite light shaper at the moment.
I use it for portraits, fashion, freezing motion, and outside work. It boosts the light output,t and you can focus the light. I’m talking about the Nanlite FL20G Fresnel

In the past, Fresnels were very expensive, but with the Nanlite, you can now get a Fresnel for a ridiculously low price, and thanks to the Bowens mount, you can easily fit it to most strobes out there. So, if you want a great high contrast and high output light shaper make sure to check out the Nanlite Fresnel. (Or any other Fresnel, of course).

Let’s conclude today’s blog post with some dance/motion-inspired images. I love photographing motion and in my workshops I often show this technique to my students.