News about StudioFD, Frank Doorhof, and more.

DP review is shutting down…

In case you didn’t know one of the largest photography communities is being closed down.

If you are a DP review member it’s maybe wise to save your data.

Personally i think it’s the wrong way this is done.
For years they have made money from adds and members at least have the decency to archive the forum not delete it. Or give it to the community or sell it. But i dont think you can just delete everything.

There are posts there done by people we lost in the mean time, people that grew to become famous photographers and there is a boat load of information there. Destroying that is absolutely unnecessary for a company that owns so many servers and money.

In an online world there should be something that protects communities like those from being wiped out.

The rogue snoot in action

The rogue magnetic system is absolutely awesome and together with the flashbender it gives you a total solution that fits in almost every bag

The most recent addition is the snoot. A super flexible snoot that in speedlights can be used in 8 different ways.

Today some images I shot with the snoot and as a fill in light I’m using the dome with a blue gel.

Model : Claudia

You can order all rogue products via www.rogueflash.nl and www.rogueflash.com

Aisha a new model

Some results from the testshoot with Aisha.
She will be joining us as workshop model soon 😉

Testshoots are short 1-2 hour sessions in which we try different things that will give me a good idea about what would happen during a workshop.

When I’m looking for workshop models I actually prefer non experienced model. Not that a pro model can’t give you great results. But during workshops I strongly feel it’s an added layer of learning when you work with a starting model. Seeing most people have problems directing the model. (including me ;))

Ofcourse using our clickpropsbackdrops 😉

A new Frank Doorhof allround filter pack

Filters come in many shapes and sizes (literally).
Personally, I’m not really a filter fan, but since I started using the Black Diffusion filters from K&F concept I have literally fallen in love with those filters.

The Black Diffusion filters from K&F concept give a fantastic “glow” effect on highlights, but do not “ruin” the photo due to loss of sharpness, photos remain razor-sharp, but as soon as some backlight falls on the lens, you see the highlights really “glow” fantastic. “. but that’s not all, I mainly use the filters for the impact they have on lens flares.

Where normally a lens flare can be a bit “harsh”, the filters provide a fantastic smooth rendering of the flare.

The Black diffusion is available in different strengths, but I mainly use the 1/8 and 1/4.
It will therefore come as no surprise that you will find these 2 in the package.
But there’s more…

You probably see them sometimes, those shots where the water is really super smooth, in case you’re wondering how they do that…. a really long shutter speed. Normally, however, this will not work because you would then get a totally overexposed photo, so you have to ensure that less light falls on the sensor. And for that we use so-called ND (Neutral Density) filters, which are available in different values ​​(stops) which indicate how much light is lowered.

Now you may be wondering what I do with an ND filter?
Well… with outdoor flash we have a similar problem.
Many flashes that are a bit more powerful have a limitation on the shutter speed that you can use (often this is max 1/125-1/200, called the X-sync). If you shoot faster, you will be treated to a “nice” black bar (the shutter curtain). This often means that if you work with flash outside, you get photos with a depth of field from here to eternity, and that’s not always what you aim for of course.

By using an ND filter, we are able to block part of the light so less light falls on the sensor, this means we can now open the aperture, resulting in less depth of field. Awesome.

Now the question that we all want to ask “what strength should I buy?”
Well, that’s not so easy to answer.
Sometimes you want a little less and sometimes a little more…. luckily we have a solution for that too.

In addition to the 1/4 and 1/8 Black Diffusion filters, the Frank Doorhof package also includes a variable ND filter from 8-128, a very useful range for both model photography with flash on location and landscapes. The variable ND filter has clear indications for the stops and is also fully adjustable. More flexibility is almost impossible.

If you’re already getting excited…. just wait

One of the major drawbacks of filters is that they are sometimes impossible to get off your lens.
There only needs to be a small grain of sand on the ring or maybe you don’t pay attention when mounting the filter and it’s not aligned perfectly, drama, drama, drama 😀
Well…. we solved that too.

frank doorhof K&F kit

All filters are magnetic
This means that you only have to place the magnetic ring on your lens, my advise is to do this in a clean environment and also, just to be sure, clean everything with a blower so that there is nothing on the lens mount where the ring is placed. Once the ring is on, you can change the filters with lighting speed.

Happy yet?
Again this is not all, when we do something… we do it the right way.

Due to the design of the filters and the ring, you can also combine the filters.
For example, if you want more diffusion than 1/4, you just click the 1/8 on top of the 1/4 and you get a heavier effect.

Of course, the variable ND filter is also fully magnetic and has no protruding parts, so you can still use the lens hood if necessary.

Almost done
Ok, in terms of filters we are done now, but there is more.
Of course we can just give you the filters in a box, but that is not really convenient on location and doesn’t look cool/special, so we opted for a beautiful handmade leather pouch, and they are all unique (handmade). We have a few of them in the studio and they are indeed all slightly different, so you really buy something unique.

In this video I introduce the package to you and show you what it contains and what you can do with it.

The filterpack is now available via www.frankdoorhof.com/shop (for the Benelux) or in the stores that sell K&F Concept.