Wednesday and Thursday Evening's Shoot - UPDATED

So Wednesday, we were down near the gazebo and fountain/creek on the east side of campus. As usual, click the picture for EXIF info and brief lighting blurb at flickr.

Paula

Requisite Long photo:




A few from Thursday evening:











Ryan

Creating a blog roll/ portfolio roll

In an attempt to better manage contact lists of everyone's websites and/or blogs, I'm going to pin a list to the side of utdphoto.com containing hyperlinks to everyone's sites. If you want your site/blog featured, leave a comment with your link(s).

I'm finding a way to better pass out everyone's photos to models who participated in our photo shoots. Usually, volunteer models who model for us contact me through my email. What I want is a more efficient way to share your images to those models. A better way to Deliver your Product. Sharing our images is important because we have a hard time getting volunteer models if we don't promise them images in return.

I will share my work flow. After a photo shoot, I typically head over the ATEC building and use their computers which have built in card readers and ultra upload speeds. I upload my images (I shoot JPEG) immediately to my site so those models (who I photographed) may see them right away. In some instances, a model, or member from a group shot, asks for photos from a particular photographer. I let them know when a respective photographer's website is updated with their photos.

How many photos?
This is your professionalism coming into play. You, the photographer of that model, must decide how many photos you want to deliver in order to send satisfaction to that model. The bottom line is to deliver images. We don't make promises that they will be fantastic or great but we do commit to sending something at least. We make contracts whether you know it or not. We make the informal, oral type of contract. We promise photos in return for a model's time. Fulfilling that contract is up to you.

On a side note, only twice in my experience has a model asked me to remove their photos off my website. This is fine, we appreciate their volunteering but if anyone asks to take a photo down, take it down.

Some of you may have gotten referrals for job offers or gigs from some kind of intelligent being from the nonphysical realm. Hmm. I think it's because utdphoto is doing a pretty good job, or more likely, some of you are doing an outstanding job so much that someone wants work from you.

Samples from Thursday night

The sunset around 5:45PM was ideal to demonstrate ambient lighting control. Notice how I used the same power setting and f-stop for both photos but only changed the shutter speed.

125th and f4

1/8th and f4

Alex held the light source about 10 feet high from the ground. The height made it such that we find no reflections on the glasses. A fill on camera left should have been applied to reduce the harsh shadows underneath the faces.

Some more here.

Last minute Thursday Evening Shoot

Long is leading a shoot tomorrow evening for anyone interested. It will be for some sunset/evening pictures. If you've never had a chance to try some portraits with off-camera flash, then this would be a good opportunity. No more worrying about shutter-sync speed when it gets dark :). And if you don't know what I'm talking about, shame on you! Just kidding, Long will help you figure it all out!

It will be from 5:15 till about 6PM (Thursday, November 12). The location will be between the Jonsson and Visual arts building.


Long can be reached on facebook, email, or at 214 718 2387.

Lighting and no lighting

Natural lighting. 85mm 2.8


SB-80dx @ 1/4 + .7ev power
on reflective umbrella


No lighting at all. But nice silhouette.

More here.
I still have a lot of self-improvement left in the posing area. I'll try to bring a printed version of the lighting file next time.

photo shoot Wednesday

Another meetup and photo shoot on the 11th at 1Pm to 2:30PM. Meetup by the gazebo by Lot C. Commuters, let's plan to park on the east side of campus as close as possible to the library. We will not meet at the art barn this week.
Call me, 214 718 2387, if you need help finding this area.

A Few From Wednesday

Lighting for the break shots:

3 bare speedlights. Fired wtih PW.

Left 1/4
Right 1/4
Back right 1/8






Natural Lighting


Jesse giving the European look


Michelle's Picture setup:

Off campus shoot planning II

Let's pick a weekend to do the arboretum photo shoot.
I'm aiming for one of following days. Leave a comment and I'll tally up which day is best for us.
the 14th, Saturday around noon
the 21st, Saturday around noon
the 28th, Saturday around noon

Can't make Saturdays? Let us know in the comments.

photo shoot Wednesday

Meet up at the art barn at 1PM. The shoot will last until 2:30pm. We'll talk and discuss ideas for the first ten minutes then move onto campus and find some nice backgrounds to frame our compositions. Call 214 718 2387 to find where we are located should you meet up with us after the initial meetup.

Lighting File: update

updated: You will find the lighting file on the atec server:
\\atec01\bruce barnes\Independent Studies\Long Nguyen\misc

I'm building up a source book for posing ideas and lighting setups. As of now, it consists of about 75 portrait images ranging into more than ten categories. I will continue to build this up and figure out a way to share this with our photographers. This will not be posted online. I'll update more as I progress.

More From Wednesday

A pretty neat shoot Wednesday. We tried something different this week in terms of lighting and location. It wasn't the greatest spot, but we were able to do some neat things. Thanks to Helen, Tripp, Melissa and her friends, Jae and Linh. Short write up at the bottom. enjoy the pictures!




















Make sure both flashes work


Things I learned:

• Find a better location next time, I hated this spot. It only worked well for the break dancing shots, but even then it was kinda cramped.
• Check your flashes to make sure they're firing (we tried to get clam-shell lighting, but only got regular umbrella lighting)
• Move the light closer to your subject and your subject away from the background to make it dark
• Rim lighting as Long pointed out is a hit and miss and must be constantly adjusted

I think that about covers it. Till next time...

Ryan

photo shoot from Wednesday afternoon

Please review all of the photos by clicking the photo link below.


All the shots from my camera are untouched so a true assessment can be made. note:
Alex posed as a lighting test subject, no direction of posing was made.
For the rest, I will list what needs improvement on posing and lighting.

-Shot all on 85mm with varying aperatures of f4 and f5.6. I started out with this error without realizing it until after the shoot; the apertures were too low. There is lack of focus on the two person shots, the subject behind is blurred. Shoot at least f8 or above to grab both planes of focus.

-The rim lighting is a miss. Here, the light became more of a side lighting; a better position would be placing the light high above and more behind the model. My Manfrotto clamp would be useful in that case.

-Some distracting elements in the foreground, caught unaware by me until importing into the pc. Taking the time to move objects is worth the effort.

-Shooting from behind the shoot through umbrella caused light leak into the camera causing lack of contrast - those images where it had whiteness throughout.

-Unnecessary shadows under the noses, caused by light source being off axis of subject's face.

-Poses could be pushed more by introducing more angles, not viewfinder-wise but by bending the poses themselves. More tilts, weight leaning, elbows out.

Post your suggestions in the Comments. And hope this will help out in your scenarios.

Past and Present

Last week's Thursday shoot turned out really well. We had a good turn out and shot in some new locations. Thank you to the group that let us take their pictures, Jennifer, and Vicki for posing.







Most of the following shots had 4 lights as arranged above

umbrella right, one flash behind column (back right)

straight on camera flash

Playing with a Honl Grid Spot






And a couple from the previous week of Monisha and Dana.






See you Tomorrow,
Ryan

Back to Wednesday

We're back to our normal time this week. Wednesday, October 28 at 1PM in the art barn is when we will meet and head out. See you there.

If you have time, start reading Strobist's 101 and 102 sections. It will help give you ideas on how to use light to achieve different effects. You'll be able to put your knowledge to better use at our shoots.

Also, check out Long's updated list of basic lighting techniques and tricks right here.