All posts filed under: Pentax 645D

Love & Hope – Pentax Forum Gallery II, Shinjuku, Tokyo

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A set of postcards just arrived at my house promoting the new exhibition at the Pentax Gallery. Nice to see my name on there in the bottom right, and just as impressive is that they have spelt Willson correctly with two ls. It may be difficult to see, but the small camera icon in the center reads “Camera GP Japan 2011 – Camera of The Year” which is fantastic news for Pentax. Last month the 645D won the Best Professional DSLR award from the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA). Not bad for a camera that most people thought would never get beyond the prototype stage. I hope to get to the exhibition, but most likely it will be for part III when the part I prints are put on display again along with some other images. I’m aiming for the long weekend of July 16/17/18 but will see what happens.

Americana Singer / Songwriter Kluso

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Kluso is a singer / songwriter based in Okinawa. I’ve seen him play live several times, and it’s a pleasure to have someone with such talent and love of music living just down the road. Kluso’s style of music is best described as Americana, a blend of folk, country, blues and rock. Inluences include Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams, David Gray and even Oasis. Please check out Kluso’s music on his website, or on iTunes. His new album Determination will be available soon.

“Love & Hope” exhibition at Pentax Forum Gallery, Tokyo

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“Love & Hope” is a new exhibition to be held at the Pentax Forum Gallery  in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The exhibition is currently scheduled to take place  from June 8 to June 20, and July 6 to July 18. Images will printed B0 size (1030mm by 1,370mm) which should be amazing. The first part of the exhibition will have 10 images each shot by a different photographer. Pentax asked if I’d take part, and they chose this image of Jessica as one of 10 to be exhibited.

Return of the 25mm

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All good things must come to an end. I packed up the 25mm lens and sent it with Kuro-Neko (Black Cat Couriers) back to its home in Shinjuku. It’s a pity that the rainy season came early this year, as I’d hoped to have got a wider selection of images with the lens. It’s a huge piece of glass. It’s a giant in terms of size, weight and cost, but also quality. If you have the cash, and want to get as wide as possible, then this lens could be just what you’re looking for.

F.A.Q.s – Lighting Setups

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I’ve had several people asking if I can explain how I took the latest set of studio portraits. Here is the answer with the help of  the Lighting Setup generator by Kevin Kertz. The mainlight, a 150cm gridded octobox, was powered by a Profoto Pro-7a 1200W generator. The two hair lights, 30x120cm gridded softboxes, were powered by Profoto ComPact monolights. The generator was triggered with a PocketWizard which then triggered the two hair lights via their optical slaves. I used the Pentax 645D with a Pentax 67 105mm lens and a 67 to 645 adapter.

Suzanne Somersall Jewelry – Studio

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Continuing on from the location shoot with the E-type Jaguar, we moved into the studio. We worked our way through the various pieces in Suzanne’s LUXE collection so that she will have a wide range of images to work with when producing catalogs, websites or posters. The large files produced by the 645D camera mean that the client (Suzanne) will have more options with how the images can be used and the detail in the pieces was fantastic. A big thanks to Amanda for modeling, and Ursula (Ursula Styles) for hair and makeup. Check out more of Suzanne’s jewelry at Kirakirajewelry.com

Suzanne Somersall Jewelry Shoot – On Location

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Here’s a sneak peek at the location part of a shoot for jewelry designer Suzanne Somersall. http://www.kirakirajewelry.com I wanted to start with an establishing shot that focused not on the jewelry but more the lifestyle or principles behind it, these include quality, timelessness and beauty. I just needed an elegant model, a classic black dress, and a car that was the epitome of these qualities. We were lucky to get Amanda to model, Urusla Ajeroh for hair and make up, Suzanne selected the outfit, and Michio provided his E-type Jaguar. The fact that we had a few hours of reasonable weather during rainy season was a bonus. Next we move into the studio to focus on the individual pieces. Images to come soon… You can see slightly larger versions of these photographs over on Flickr, also please check out Suzanne’s website and Facebook page.

Naha Haari (Dragon Boat Races) in the Rain

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I got the opportunity to take photos of the dragon boat races today. I took along the new 25mm lens I’m trying out hoping to get some interesting shots. It quickly became clear that the weather was not going to be favorable and it went from drizzle, to light rain, to downpour over the course of an hour. Everyone was soaked, but I was still keen to get at least a few pictures of the event. I kept the camera and lens in an Ortlieb bag until the race began and then worked on the assumption that the weather sealed body and lens would stand up to a few minutes of rain. The camera and lens survived their ordeal without any problems, and I have a few photographs of life in the Okinawan rainy season.

Aikido in Action

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The above image was shot with the new 645 D FA 25mm lens. When using wide angle lenses and still trying to fill the frame with the subject, you can get a little too close to the action. A fraction of a second after this shot, Kabayama’s left foot glided a little too close to the lens for comfort. (When Q lent me the lens he had stated, “Please be careful with this one Willson.) For the following sequence I used the standard 55mm lens giving me a little more breathing room. The third image is the real money shot – it captures the essence of the shoot in a single image, and it was the most difficult to produce. To freeze action in this way you have to use either bright ambient light and a very fast shutter speed, or low ambient light and a strobe with a very fast flash duration. I turned off all the lights in the dojo, then used a strobe system with a flash duration of about 12,000 / …

Product Shoot for Ledeen Diamond Co.

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A few weeks ago I did a jewelry product shoot for Ledeen Diamond Co. with fellow photographer Aviva Bowman.  This shot is of  “The Limoncello” which I am told is a “Fancy Yellow Diamond Engagement Ring- 1.64 Carat Fancy Yellow Cushion Cut Center Stone, 1.02 Carats of Micro Pave Fancy Yellow Diamonds.” All those carats will certainly help you see in the dark. Ledeen Diamond Co. Boutique will have its Grand Opening next Friday from 4 to 10PM in Kin Town, Okinawa. You can find more information on their Facebook Page. If you’re on Okinawa, drop by, make some new friends, and support a budding local business. To take this shot I used a Lastolite Cubelite (a white indoor tent) that creates a very soft light and helps control reflections. A strobe was placed on both sides of the cubelite and these were triggered with PocketWizards. The flower then goes inside the tent which is zipped up except for a small hole.