Pro wedding photographer Pete Leong came along on a fun location shoot with model Liz Craig and horses Makoto, Sly, and Sky.
Pete took some wonderful behind the scenes shots, which pretty much explain all. So without further ado…
Ready to shoot (image by Pete Leong)
Bring on the horse (image by Pete Leong)
Do not drop the camera! (image by Pete Leong)
In the middle of the action (image by Pete Leong)
Eboh and I getting a few final shots (image by Pete Leong)
Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait by Michael Grecco
Here’s another good reference book, Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait
On Michael Grecco’s website you can also get a good idea about his lighting setups by looking at his behind the scenes video clips. I particularly liked this clip showing a portrait of Scorsese, it shows a clever use of natural and strobe light along with a bit of smoke.
Here’s a quick shot from my latest studio shoot. Eboh and I were helping Nikki update the images in her porfolio. This image was lit from the front with a softbox that included a blue gel filter. Another softbox with an orange gel was angled from the side.
Studio shoot: Nikki (blue) 645D with 67 105mm lens
The colored gels create an interesting look. Reminds me of the lighting in some of the C.S.I. crime labs.
Model: Nakita Nedd
Lighting: Eboh Ajeroh
Makeup: Kim Clay
Moon 645D 400mm 2x converter (full image)
Last night there were some patches of clear sky and the moon came out. I decided it would be a good opportunity to try out the 400mm telephoto lens and a 2x converter. I experimented with various settings, the shot above was ISO 400, 1/60, F8. It is surprisingly difficult to focus on the moon, you can’t just set the lens to infinity, but need to make micro adjustments. A more significant issue is that as the lens itself is mounted to the tripod, the rear converter and then the camera are hanging mid air. I think I could gain extra stability and sharpness by having the body mounted on a separate tripod, although this will make any changes in angle a pain. (The other option would be a custom double mount but I imagine this would be prohibitively expensive.)
Moon 645D 400mm 2x converter (crop)
One of the other key points about this exercise is that sometimes smaller sensors are very useful. In this case, the advantage of having a large sensor was made redundant by the fact I was unable to fill the frame with the subject and had to crop the image.
It was interesting to see the detail on the moon’s surface, I don’t think I’ve ever really looked at luna craters before. I’m sure with practice I will be able to get better shots, but as a first attempt this one ain’t bad.
And before you ask, the answer’s yes. It’s clearly made of cheese.
Pentax O-RC1 Remote Control
A simple item that didn’t come with the 645D camera was a remote control. The Pentax O-RC1 is a simple device that allows you to fire the shutter without pushing the shutter release button. This is great for self portraits and family photos as it avoids the self-timer dash. More importantly for me, it means I can eliminate any micro wobble that may occur when pressing the shutter release button on a tripod mounted camera. As a bonus the remote control is waterproof, which in rain soaked Okinawa is probably a good idea.
The remote control also works with other 2010 Pentax cameras including the Optio W90 
Lighting for Portrait Photography by Steve Bavister
Having recently posted some studio portraits I thought it would be a good time to mention the book Lighting for Portrait Photography
It is published by Rotovision and similar to other books by this publisher it shows you a photograph and then explains how it was created with lighting diagrams.
Lighting illustration from Lighting for Portrait Photographer (Copyright Steve Bavister)
There is a good mix of camera types and lighting setups. The above illustration if for a natural light shoot, but later on in the book the are examples using multiple strobes, gels, softboxes and snoots.
The book was printed in 2001, reprinted (with a different cover) in 2007, and is now out of print. Used copies are available and cheap ($20) so it’s well worth checking out.
Studio Shoot: Nikki J.
Yesterday I assisted my friend Eboh on a shoot for jewelry designer Suzanne Somersall. Nikki J, Ursula and Suzanne modeled the various rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings while Kim Clay did makeup.
It was interesting to meet and collaborate with the client on the shoot. As photographers, our job was to make both the models and the client’s products look their best. I took a couple of shots myself, this one of Nikki came out really well.
A couple of days ago I put up one of the images from Jessica’s shoot on Flickr.
Jessica #59 on Flickr Explore July 5th 2010
Normally I check my Flickr account every few days to see if people have been viewing the images or if there have been any comments from people. The amazing thing that has happened with this photo is that after a couple of days it has been viewed 4653 times, commented on 35 times and added as a favorite 57 times. It even made it into Flickr’s Explore section for July 5th which showcases the most interesting images of the day. 🙂
Lonely Planet Discover Japan
A few months ago I did a quick review of some of the various guidebooks to Japan, you can read the post here.
A new “IN FULL COLOR” guidebook to Japan titled Discover Japan 
Outdoor Onsen in Yakushima (Lonely Planet page 29)
As in the previous review I checked out the section on Matsuyama. There are 4 pages of text, with two photos. The text highlights the three main attractions in the city, but publishers could have done a better job of matching photos with the text e.g. after a long description of Dogo Onsen there is no photo. The page layout is also a little strange with the “If you like…Matsuyama” sidebar hidden on the next page amongst information about Nagasaki.
I turned to the section on Okinawa. Here the quality of both the photos and the information varies. Photos of small shisa statues are captioned as toy dragons, and the photo they’ve used to illustrate Shuri Castle is one of a tour group in front of the Koufukumon, a side gate that contains the ticket office and restrooms! There is no mention of Okinawa Expo Park and the Churaumi Aquarium, which is surprising especially when Osaka’s (inferior) aquarium is mentioned numerous times and is ranked number 16 in the top 25 experiences in Japan.
Overall, however, the book is a good overview of Japan. Would I recommend it as the only guidebook you buy, probably not, but if you are planning a visit to Japan I would suggest that at the very least you borrow a copy from the library and then use it along with the other guidebooks I mentioned to plan your trip.
A few more images from the shoot with Jessica.
Studio Shoot - Jessica (645D with 67 105mm lens)
Jessica really reminds me of the character Leeloo in the movie The Fifth Element
Studio Shoot - Jessica (645D with 67 105mm lens)
And finally a photo of Jessica and her daughter Sarah. One of my favorites from the whole shoot. (I love the beauty dish catchlight in each eye.)
Studio Shoot - Jessica & Sarah (645D with 67 105mm lens)
TRAVEL 67 : Chris Willson Photography 