Looking Back These Past Few Months

When I'm not shooting or testing various lighting set ups, I'm trying to keep up with all my image files in Lightroom.  Yesterday I found myself working with all my images shot thus far in 2008.  I put together a web gallery in Lightroom and have post it HERE.  I'll be narrowing down these images to just a few of the winners for 2008 at the end of the year.

If you see an image in the web gallery you'd like more information about, let me know.  I'll be happy to discuss how the images was created, the lighting and what ever else you'd like to know.  

I have lots of video to go over, all shot while on recent assignments and I hope to post those and more details about the individual images created at the Indy workshop of Small Strobes, Big Results.

Hope your having a wonderful weekend.  DT

Indy Workshop Results

What a wonderful Small Strobes, Big Results workshop we had in Indianapolis, ID. I want to extend a very special thanks to our host Polina Osherov. for opening her studio to us and for having such a fantastic location to shoot. Polina's studio is located in the Stutz building in Indy, If I lived in Indy, I'd have my studio there. For sure.  Check out Polina's post about the workshop HERE.

We had a full house at the workshop, my apologies to those that wanted to go but could not attend. Unfortunately we could not accommodate all of you that wanted to attend. I really like Indy and hope to return for another workshop sometime in the future!

The building where the workshop was held is fantastic! It use to be the manufacturing plant for the Stutz automobile. They use to have the famous saying "The Car That Made Good in a Day". Really neat space to shoot in, for sure.

It was a pleasure to meet all the fine photographers who participated in the workshop. This group really got into shooting all the the lighting demos that I did for them. Each of them had opportunity to shoot and work with the models. Janet P. had some truly beautiful variations by changing her angle of view and moving around. Way to go Janet.

I'm looking forward to seeing the other attendees work from the workshop. After the workshop we all went to dinner where I was able to answer last minute questions regarding work flow, lighting, business etc. This was a fun workshop guys, thanks for coming and I hope you learned a lot.

Here are a few images from our one day workshop in Indy. I'll be making full posts regarding the lighting of the images and such. We also shot video and will be posting that as well.

If you're interested in leaning location lighting using small strobes, looking into getting yourself to one of my workshops. Small Strobes, Big Results workshops are informative, fun and it just might shave a few years off your leaning curve. Our next workshop is being held in Denver on Jan. 10th, 2009.

What's coming up: I'll be leading my first Mentor Series Trek to Death Valley with fellow photographer Bill Durrence from February 18-22, 2009. On March 19, 2009 I'll be in Philadelphia speaking to the local chapter of the ASMP and on Friday the 20th, I'll be conducting a Small Strobes, Big Results workshop at Eastern State Penitentiary. Yes, at the Penitentiary. This is going to be really cool, more about that later. OK I'll show you what the place looks like, just a few shots.

Here are some of the photos I created for the workshop in Indy! Enjoy. DT

Bee Keeper Photo Shoot

I was recently commissioned by St. Mary's College in California to photograph bee lover Jennie Durant. I met up with Jennie in Boulder, Colorado to photograph her in an environment suited to bee keeper... beehives.

We had about 45 minutes with Jennie and I wanted as many different poses I could get during that time. These photos I was taking for St. Mary's where going to be for inside use of their magazine. I wanted to provide my client with plenty of choices allow them a place to put copy within the photo. I shot both horizontal and vertical orientations and I placed the subject on the left and right side of the image.

We also shot video that day and I've posted that at YouTube.

The lighting for these photos where as follows: I mounted 3 SB-800 strobes on Justin Clamps and than clamped them onto the speed ring that the octabox box was mounted too. I set each of the strobes to Remote, Ch 1, Group A. I fired all of the strobes via my built in command unit on my Nikon D700. I had no trouble in the bright sunlight sending the pre-flash info to the strobes from the camera.

When ever possible, I choose to use the Nikon CLS system when ever the distance and workability of the system allows. I always carry sets of Pocket Wizards with me for those times when distance is an issue. The key to using small flashes on location is to honestly think of them as you studio strobes. Use the same modifiers as you would with your studio strobes, just outfit them with your smaller strobes. Here are some of my favorite images from our shoot.

You can see the light change

Walked into my kitchen late this afternoon and noticed something strange. Sunlight passing through the kitchen window that looks out onto our sun room.

As the sun continues swinging farther south this time of year, I notice light striking surfaces that only happen this time of year. I fun spotting these beautiful little surprises when you lest expect it.

I have this new red teapot on the stove in the kitchen, at least it's new to us. Anyway, I spotted this pool of light and just had to make a photo. This triptyph at the left was created in Lightroom using the HSL sliders in the develop mode.

I basically made 3 Virtual Copies and change the Hue/Saturation/Luminance sliders to the colors I wanted on the pots. Just more screwing around in Lightroom having fun.

Wonderful Weekend

We had beautiful weather here in Colorado this weekend, can't remember when we've had such a nice fall.  It was a perfect weekend except for missing my Debbie.  She's in NM at a seminar/retreat for the weekend.

I've had a few emails asking how Debbie's business is going. My wife has been making these really cool Rat carriers.  She also make other products for rats, she has some pretty cool rat things, check out her website at Ratz Pak

Onward, I sat outside by my pond today in my backyard and enjoyed a nice cigar.  While sitting out there, my mind started to wonder off thinking about photography.  I'm always thinking about photography,  just can't stop thinking about shooting, lighting, marketing, shooting and shooting...

Anyway, I decided to pull out a strobe and do some shots in the backyard.  I have a small hook mounted on the patio wall, this hook holds my pond nets when not in use.  I thought it would be nice to set up a shot there at the hook.  The results are shown here.

I used one Nikon SB-800 set on remote, CH 1, Group A.  The strobe head had a full cut CTO filter on it and the head was fitted with a grid.  The strobe was fired via built in command unit on my Nikon D700.

Here's a shot of the set up for the photo above.  It takes such little time to do small exercises like this to keep you sharp.

  

I tell all of the participants at my lighting workshops "Small Strobes, Big Results" that even though I've been shooting for over 25 years, doesn't mean I don't practice my craft.  I love spending time working on lighting solutions and experimenting with my gear.

I also had time this weekend to do a portrait of my son Chris.  I wanted to check a light set up for a series of portraits I'll be shooting next week for an Oil & Gas annual report.

I hope your weekend was as productive and as fun as mine was... later.

What's all the Buzz?

Had a fun time today shooting a bee keeper in Boulder, Colorado.  We shot some video as well and as soon as I can put that together I'll be posting it.