Tag Archive for: measuring

Outside fashion shot for sunglasses with extreme styling and flash Part V : let’s talk about something grungy

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The final setup

Today in the blog the final setup from the workshop “on location in Emmeloord”
In this workshop we use locations close to our studio, that at first sight might look uninteresting, but by using light/poses/angles and of course styling are still suitable to create awesome images.

If you didn’t already I highly recommend reading the previous blogposts.
Let’s talk about the flash
Let’s talk about gear
Let’s talk about storytelling 
Let’s talk about backgrounds and angles

For the final setup we are still using the same lighting setup with the same Geekoto GT200 with a large reflector.
This is what we sometimes call our “outside studio” or in other words a part of our studio (away from the public eye) where we just leave everything (within reason), so it looks very “grungy”/”urbex” this part is based around an old trailer with some bushes and is great as a location, especially when shooting from a low angle the fence in the background and the angle it creates can be very nice.

In this setup I’m also using HSS for the last images.
During the workshop I did not use HSS because when working during a workshop it’s better to shoot with a so called “dumb” trigger, this means I can setup the strobe with my Geekoto Commander  and just let the attendees shoot via their own trigger. HSS and ETTL only work correctly with a commander that fits your system. With Canon, Nikon and Sony we have special commanders, but this workshop we also shot with a Leica so the choice was made to let HSS rest till the end.

The main advantage of shooting HSS is that you can break the 1/125th second limitation of normal cameras/strobes.
By the way, Sony just released the first camera with a global shutter that will make it possible to shoot on much faster shutter speeds with strobes not using HSS. This is a HUGE deal for flash photography on location and will change the way you can work forever. I hope to be able to test one of them in the near future.

With HSS you can break this rule which means you can shoot day2night but still have a very shallow depth of field.
Now don’t just set your camera to 1/8000 and F16 ISO100 because you will be disappointed.
HSS is awesome but it takes a HUGE hit on your output. Where with a large reflector shooting F22 on ISO50 is no problem at all with HSS you will end up with a pitch black image not even seeing the strobe.

 

HSS Technique

Also with HSS I’m using the same technique.
I set the camera to manual and use the EVF (or lightmeter) to determine the look I like. But I do take into account that I leave the aperture below F4 and I try to keep the shutterspeed sensible, and only at the speed I need. When you are used to setting up for HSS you will find that it really adds a lot more different looks to your arsenal, and… that’s always a good thing 🙂

So let’s take a look at the final results… can you spot the images I was shooting with HSS?

Model/Styling : Nadine
Sunglasses : Sparks

www.fotografie-workshops.nl for the Dutch workshops
www.frankdoorhof.com/shop for my gear

Light meter to do or not to do…..

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I get a lot of questions about this so I decided to would maybe be time to dedicate a blog post to our good friend the light meter.
Yeah you probably already know where I stand in this “debate” that has been raging over the internet ever since we have cameras with the instant polaroids on the back, the light meter has done it’s work and can now be retired is a trend you hear more and more. In this blog post I will “try” to tell you why this is not true and why the light meter is of vital importance for your work, and also share some tips on buying the correct one.

 

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Cherelle fashion 1:1 workshop

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Today it was time for a 1:1 workshop with one of the most beautiful models I know (well ok they are all beautiful bit it sounds nice, doesn’t it ?) Cherelle. The 1:1 workshops are always special because the student can make his/her own program, and for me it’s always challenging because I can often do stuff I normally don’t teach during the workshops, or do in my own work.

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Strobist masterclass Kamera Express

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For me teaching workshops on locations is one of the most challenging and rewarding things I do, it forces me to do things differently and see things in a fresh and new way. That’s also one of the things I always try to teach my students, know your gear and theory so you can shoot in any possible situation and deliver a good image. I’m therefore a big supporter of the idea that shooting on locations at least once every week or so will force the photographer to grow much faster than if he/she only shoots in the well known area of their studios. Because of the workshops I teach I’m often asked by companies and clubs to do the workshops in their (or an arranged) location and as you might have guessed it’s always something I really enjoy.

March 6th it was time for the Kamera Express workshops with as theme, “Strobist”.
You might have noticed that there is a lot of strobist stuff going on lately with me and that’s true. I’ve always been a huge fan of “big flash” but after a nice chat with Joe McNally (who pushed me into “small flash”) I decided it was also time to add the “small flash” or so called strobist way of using flash into my workshops. However I try to do it slightly different, in this blog post I take you backstage with the workshops I did for Kamera Express, you can see the backstage video at the end of the blog post (or now) and you can see my favorite shots of the day. I will also explain the techniques and vision behind the shots.

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