Goldfish shoals, nibbling at my toes. Fun, Fun, Fun in the Sun, Sun, Sun. HAPPY WELCOME to the summer heat and humidity. Beautiful blue skies, and sweaty sweaty t-shirts. Spent the weekend out in the sun for the North and South Intermediate Workshop. 82 year old Jahana-san showing how to stay cool in the summer heat. Put on a hat and stay in the shade. Time for some fresh mango juice.
A couple of portraits from part of last month’s studio workshop where we were using soft light and black background. Thanks Allison for joining the workshop and posing for us. Camera: Pentax 645Z with 90mm lens Lighting: Profoto D2 with softlight reflector white (right) White card as a reflector (left) Profoto 7a with 2 pro heads in RFi 1×4′ softboxes (rear left and right) for rim light. Triggered with Profoto Air Remote.
During the 2017 Kyoto Workshop it was great that I could introduce new pieces of equipment and techniques to others in the group. One of these was the Profoto B2 Off Camera Flash System. This strobe allows me to add light to my images to make the subject pop a little more and add catchlights to the eyes. I also use it to fill in shadows. In the featured image taken at Fushimi Inari Shrine I used the Profoto B2 with no modifier, while the image taken at the Philosopher’s walk below (right) was with a shoot-through umbrella. The system works really well. Dividing the head and the battery pack makes life for the assistant easier as holding a B1 light on the end of a pole can be top heavy. The option to use the pack with two lights is useful, and also gives you redundancy if a flash bulb stops working. I used the Profoto Air Remote triggers with my Pentax cameras, as there is still no Pentax TTL/HSS trigger (unlike Canon, Nikon …
Yesterday I had a 1 on 1 workshop with Mina who wanted to learn some more studio photography techniques before she leaves Okinawa next month. After the dark and smokey Star Trek shots in September we decided to go clean and bright. This was a three-light setup. Two strobes were pointed at a white background, and the keylight was a Profoto D2 with a 3×4′ softbox. Large flags stopped any spill from the background lights hitting the subject. Our model was Kelley, and makeup and hair was done by Audra Presika. We first went will a beauty look that was reminiscent of Daryl Hannah in Splash. We then switched to an 80’s glamour look, that with the addition of a prop gives us some (somewhat tardy) commercial images for the Motorola Dynatac. A more up to date bit of kit was the new Profoto D2 1000W light. Unlike my Profoto B1 this is a mains powered light, so is designed for studio rather than location use. It has fast recycle times, fast flash durations, and …
Kyoto Workshop April 1st to 7th, 2017 An amazing photographic experience in Japan. 6 nights and 7 days exploring Kyoto and creating stunning images. We will be visiting iconic locations including temples, shrines, bamboo groves and traditional gardens. There will be monkeys, geisha, and a model (Yuki) in yukata and kimono. 6 nights and 7 days exploring and photographing Kyoto and the local area. We will also take side trips out to the castles and skyscrapers of Osaka, and the temples of Nara. As members of the workshop you’ll be doing more than just playing follow the leader. We’ll be learning as we shoot, capturing great images at each location. I’ll be bringing speedlights and a Profoto B1 so that we can add our own splash of magical light when desired. In the evenings you’ll have the opportunity to review images and work on your favorite shots in Lightroom. Price US$1800 (deposit US$500) Price includes accommodation in a business hotel in Kyoto for six nights (individual rooms with breakfasts), entry fees. Does not include transportation …
Fantastic Star Trek themed Studio Fundamentals Workshop yesterday. We started talking about the differences between speedlights and studio equipment, continuous lights v strobes, monolights v power packs. When looked at the simple one-light set up I use for the Karate Masters Portrait Project then took it to the next level with some indoor rain and a fisherman’s sou’wester. In the afternoon we worked up to a 4-light setup, and even used a bit of smoke for good measure. A super fun day filled with friends, coffee, cakes and the occasional flash of brilliance. Happy 50th Birthday Star Trek! Live long and prosper. Learn more about our workshops by clicking on the workshops tab.
It’s three weeks to go before the Trevor Williams Light Painting / Retro Portraits Workshops. If you’re interested in coming to either of these workshops please contact me to book your place. It’s going to be a fantastic few days, and as the next Trevor Williams courses will be in 2013 or 2014 please make the most of this opportunity while it’s available. Trevor will also be showing off his light painting skills at the Apple Store in Ginza, Tokyo on April 17th. It will be a high tech interactive fusion of light and music, possibly the first of its kind in the world. If you can’t make the workshop, please check out what should be a fantastic event. You can check out some of the great images by last year’s light painting workshop participants here. Hope to see many of you in three weeks time 🙂
Now that I’m back from Yonaguni and Tokyo I can start organizing the coming workshops. Please click on the links to see more details about each class. I’ve put in two Photography 101 workshops in April so that people who aren’t yet comfortable with their digital SLR can master the basics before taking part in the Light Painting Workshop. I’ve also had requests for another Off Camera Flash course, hopefully this will happen later in the summer. April 14/15 – Photography 101 Weekend Workshop with Chris Willson US$250 April 28/29 – Photography 101 Weekend Workshop with Chris Willson US$250 May 3 – Going Retro Mini Workshop with Trevor Williams and Chris Willson US$50 May 4/5 – Light Painting Workshop with Trevor Williams and Chris Willson US$150 To reserve a place send an email to chris@travel67.com (please write WORKSHOP on the subject line) Please state the name and date of the workshop you wish to book. I’ll send a paypal request for the course fee. Once payment is made your place on the course is confirmed.
TRAVEL 67 : Chris Willson Photography 