How to Set Up a Simple Photography Studio |  |
- How to Set Up a Simple Photography Studio
- 40 Must-See Photos From the Past (Slideshow)
- Cameraman Almost Hit by Wingsuiter When Flyby Ends Up a Bit Too Close (Video)
- Interesting Photo of the Day: Geological Rock Patterns
- Natural Light Fashion Photography Tips (Video)
| How to Set Up a Simple Photography Studio Posted: 14 Mar 2014 11:39 PM PDT Sometimes we just need better light. Not so much a larger amount, but something nicer, portable, adjustable–and something that will just fill in the right places. As we get better at shooting, we start to notice where critical light is missing. But we don’t always need the kind of Hollywood set that Tom Cruise is akin to. You can achieve amazing light using some of the most easily accessible tools that won’t cost you big dollars and, in some cases, won’t cost you anything.  “My Photography Studio” captured by Kimberly Gauthier First though, we need to understand that handling this equipment is the latter of two evils. The first is learning to identify light: where it’s coming from, how soft it is, and how it interacts to highlight your subject. DaylightLet’s start with the most available light there is–daylight. It might seem silly, but using the natural daylight will provide you with the best light there is. Studio lights are built to mimic this light in its various forms. Sitting your subject next to a window provides a complimentary color and softness to the light. The softer the light, the more it wraps around your subject. If using the window method, try both direct sunlight and indirect shaded light for different effects. And the best part– it’s free!  “Window Portrait” captured by Eric Murray StrobesTo mimic this kind of light we use studio strobes or “flashes” as they are commonly known. The easiest setup is a single strobe, a large reflector, and a stand. Many places sell these as kits for as little as $600. Sometimes they even include remote wireless triggers, so you don’t even have to be anywhere near the lights when shooting. Compare that to an on-camera flash kit, which can cost $400 and up for a good system, the extra few dollars are going to give you so much more creative freedom to experiment. Look for kits that include the light, stand, remote trigger, and a softbox. You must get a softbox. No softbox, no soft complimenting light. If not included, they start relatively cheap anyway, at around $100–often less.  “Strobes” captured by David Yamasaki A system offering around 400 watts of power is plenty for a small studio, but make sure you can adjust the power up or down by at least 1/4 of a stop with each change. Good systems, such as those from Elinchrom and ProFoto, provide great control in tenths of a stop. Small, but often needed for subtle improvements. ReflectorsLight with a basic reflector that offers gold, silver, white, black, and translucent, will serve the best. These are known as 5 way reflectors. The gold offers a subtle, warm (orange) tone, whilst the silver cools the light down with a slight blue cast. White adds light to increase the exposure, and black subtracts light, adding a high contrast look. The final element is the translucent disc, acting like a small softbox or cloud. To explain, clouds make for the perfect softener of light, acting as a gigantic diffuser.  “Fight the Power” captured by Sean Molin The larger the light source, the softer the light becomes, as the further it has to travel across a surface, before spilling into the subject below. As an example, shining a torch through a bed sheet will spread the light evenly, whilst the torch itself will pinpoint the light. A good start for absolute beginners is to get a continuous light kit, instead of a flash kit. With the continuous kit, simply switch it on, look through the viewfinder, and what you see is what you get. The problem with continuous lighting is that it’s often hot. Tungsten lights are noisy, cast a yellow light, and become very hot to the touch within a very short time of turning them on. New manufacturers are making this easier, with cold LED lights that mimic daylight, but have a big check ready if you want a set. A simple strobe kit is not hard to master. Many studios use multiple lights, white cards, block boards, reflectors and all sorts of gear, but that kind of gear is reserved for very high end commercial and fashion shoots. To get started, a simple light kit with a 5 disc reflector will give you just as soft or dramatic a look. You’ll wow your friends and family or even your clients. Remember, the more gear you have, the more you need to use it, otherwise it’s a costly resource just sitting in storage. About the Author: For further training, below is a helpful video on how to setup a studio in your home: Once you’ve sorted out your studio lights, it’s time to set up your home photo studio. You could use a spare room so it’s more permanent. Or just push the furniture to one side for a couple of hours. Part 1:Part 2:There are various light modifiers you can use such as soft boxes, umbrellas and beauty lights. I’m going to show you the difference between soft boxes and umbrellas. To get the exposure you will need a flash meter unless you’re using a speedlight on a stand which has a TTL connection to the camera. So lets see how the light in your home photo studio looks. sit back and enjoy the movie. Go to full article: How to Set Up a Simple Photography Studio |
| 40 Must-See Photos From the Past (Slideshow) Posted: 14 Mar 2014 02:59 PM PDT You might have seen one, two, even nine of these before—but have you seen the blurry headshot of Charlie Chaplin at age 27? Or a viciously unhappy hippo dragging a 1920s circus cart? Or Sweden’s disastrous first morning after switching drivers from the left to the right side of the road? Check out the full album here: The photos range from the late 1880s to the late 1960s, and chronicle the progression of human society in a bizarre and frank way. They show the origins of characters like Ronald McDonald and Winnie the Pooh, share a glimpse of the tragedies of America’s civil rights movement, and document the social effects of wars across the world. What’s more, they’re all genuine, whether you believe them or not. No Photoshop necessary. Go to full article: 40 Must-See Photos From the Past (Slideshow) |
| Cameraman Almost Hit by Wingsuiter When Flyby Ends Up a Bit Too Close (Video) Posted: 14 Mar 2014 01:36 PM PDT Mathias Wyss and Ludovic Woerth, a pair of wingsuit flyers, came dangerously close to a cameraman on a recent adventure. The two were filming for a movie called Image: Life Spent On The Edge. In this clip, taken from the Imagine footage, you can see the athletes’ close call as they soar around the mountainside: Flying over a group of skiers, the wingsuit flyers appear to be carving the mountain themselves, as they twist and turn through trees and swoop in close to the ground while in flight.  The wingsuiters got a little too close for this cameraman’s comfort. In the photo above, you can see one of the flyers as he approaches the aforementioned cameraman, who is trying to stay clear of the passing wingsuiters, attempting to avoid the path of the approaching flyer that is racing toward him without having to put his camera down. It’s hard to say who had the biggest adrenaline rush during the flyby–the wingsuiters or the cameraman. Go to full article: Cameraman Almost Hit by Wingsuiter When Flyby Ends Up a Bit Too Close (Video) |
| Interesting Photo of the Day: Geological Rock Patterns Posted: 14 Mar 2014 12:15 PM PDT Patterns and textures always make for interesting photography and are often sought out by photographers for just that reason. They can be found in the most unusual places and can be formed by any number of materials. Take, for example, this awesome photo of a rock formation:  Lineas IV (Via Imgur. Click for larger size.) The image was captured in Zumaia, a small town located in Northern Spain, well known for flysch–the rocks you see in the photo. The Flysch, is recognized as the longest continuous strata on earth and are popular attraction to tourists as well as geologists, because they date back to the mid-cretaceous era, 100 million years ago. The photographer used a Canon 5D Mark II and a focal length of 20mm. The settings were a shutter speed of 137 seconds, an aperture of f/8, and ISO 400. Go to full article: Interesting Photo of the Day: Geological Rock Patterns |
| Natural Light Fashion Photography Tips (Video) Posted: 14 Mar 2014 10:42 AM PDT You can’t always predict the weather. When you’re out on a one-day model shoot, you have to be able to think on your feet. Here’s a video where Washington, D.C. native Tim Coburn travels all the way to Ocean City, Maryland for a fashion shoot–only to find rainy grey skies upsetting his beach shots: The video is a great tutorial on how to handle multiple lighting scenarios with minimal equipment. Tim’s going for a simple commercial look, so he doesn’t need a lot of heavy contrast or stark lighting. Tips for Fashion Photography Lighting
 A 4×7 panel reflector is a great tool for fashion photography.  The reflector fills in shadows. The sun peaks out partway through the day, so they switch locations to a tree-lined sidewalk, where Tim gets his model to dance around and move a bit. He uses the spots of light through the trees to create a more vibrant, textured series than you’d see in most ordinary studio shots. They move on to a variety of locations, demonstrating how a simple reflector can shape light in any situation.  Asking your model to move around creates playful images.  A light-hearted image from the shoot.
Go to full article: Natural Light Fashion Photography Tips (Video) |
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