Flash exercise

Last weekend I held a two day workshop on using hand held flashes or Speedlites. By the end of the two days we had created some great images and everyone walked away with a better understanding of how to incorporate their speedlites into their photography.

One of the exercises that we did was to use the speedlites as accent lights only, using another light source as the primary light. In this example, we used a window as our main light. Window light can be a very beautiful and soft light source but very often the background can get too dark. If the subject has dark hair, then you run the risk of loosing the definition between the hair and the background, ultimately creating a not so nice portrait. this first image is a good example of how nice window light can go bad.

In the next image a speedlite has been incorporated to light the background. Notice how the subject now stands out from the background and the image has a greater sense of depth to it. Also notice that as the background comes closer to the tonality of the clothes that the model is wearing, the less the clothes dominate the image.

In the final image, we put a speedlite to camera right and behind the subject. This adds a little more sepeeration to the hair and picks up more detail. The image was then reframed to eliminate more of the dress and fill the image with the subject. To finish off, in Lightroom we did some minor skin softening and added a vignette.

Mid August Already

Wow, I can't believe that we are already in the middle of August. It's been a busy summer filled with weddings, portraits, and teaching. Starting to prepare for the fall season now. Here's what's happening.

Now is the time that I start photographing students who are graduating in 2013. I know it seems a bit early, but it is the best time. This way we can still catch the nice weather of summer or the fall colours in about 6 weeks. If you know anyone who is graduating in 2013, get them to call me now. Last year there were many who left it too late.

Wedding season is in full swing right now.It's been a great season and it has been a lot of fun. Mid September is when the wedding shooting will start dying down and the album production will be in full force. This is also the time when I start putting together next years promotional wedding materials. I looking forward to presenting some exciting new offerings including an album on an iPad.

There is 4 weeks left in the wedding photography class that I am teaching at Focal Point. The students have been doing some excellent work. The fall semester starts in September and I will be teaching wedding photography, flash photography, Commercial Portraiture, and practical studio lighting. The fall course schedule will be posted soon on the Focal Point web site. These course fill up fast so sign up early.

That's it for todays update.

Granville Island Alley

Las t week it poured rain here in Vancouver. I had planned to take my students down to Granville Island to practice balancing flash and ambient light. That morning the weather cleared and we had fantastic conditions for photographing. Only problem was that it was really cold - for Vancouver anyways. The coldest of the group were the models, but they persevered and we came back with some great images.

This image was taken on a Canon 7D with a 24-105 lens.  To keep out of the wind, and to try and stay a little warmer, we were working in very narrow alleys. The natural light was very top sown and proved to be port lighting for the models. By placing a 580 EX II flash on camera right, we were able to create directional light on the model. Exposure was 1/60th at f5.6, ISO 400. All other light was ambient.

Focal Point Course Begins

Last thursday was the opening night for my Focal Point class. We have a great bunch of talented photographers in the class so it's going to be a great one for everybody involved.

The first night is always about finding out where eveyone is at (photographically speaking) and finding a common point to jump in at.  I always try insure that everyone gets the most out of every class, so doing this review gets everyone to the same place and helps to refine the materials for each class.  If you are interested in joining my Focal Point class, I could still fit you in. Log on to http://www.focalpoint.bc.ca/ for all the info.  Next week we are going to start exploring light. It's a real eye opener.

Don't forget that I am also running a flash workshop on May 7th in the Ann MacDonald Hall at the North Vancouver Presentation House.  Contact me directly at 604-307-4566 to sign up for this program.  It will be a great opportunity to learn pro techniques with hand held flashes.

Workshop Update

Update to the on camera flash seminar.

The date has been moved to July 18 from 2pm to 6 pm.  It will be held at the Anne McDonald Studio at 333 Chesterfield St, North Vancouver, BC.  The class size will be limited to give participants a lot of hands on time to master the techniques.  Cost is $69 per person.

Hand Held Strobe Seminar

I will be holding a 4 hour seminar on making the most out of your hand held strobe.  Learn techniques that will maximize on camera strobes and how to use strobes off camera to create studio lighting effects.

The seminar will be held on June 27th, 2010.  Cost is $69.  The location is to be decided but will be in North Vancouver.

Class size will be limited so sign up soon.