Editor's note: In 2011 I wrote a full post on my four favorite soft modifiers. No changes since then. These are still my go-to's, for reasons explained below. So I am adapting/enlarging this walk-thru in the gear selection module. -DH
Light stands are designed to oppose gravity. Pretty simple. And the designs are, for the most part, pretty similar. I think of light stands as being in three categories: normal stands, compact stands (seen just above) and specialty stands such as C-stands.
(link is external) For light stands I like LumoPro for many of the same reasons I like the LumoPro LP180 speedlight. Their stands are well-built,... more (link is external)
This is pretty simple and straightforward advice. First, start with a wire. Yep, a simple sync cable.
It is cheap and reliable, and a great backup to have for when your wireless triggers decide to go all hinky on you. Which they sometimes will. Because, radio.
Because big lights and small lights each bring a different set of considerations to the party, I am splitting my recommendations into speedlights and "studio lights." (Although I hate that term.)
For speedlights, you have to decide if you wanna drive stick or automaticAKA manual or TTL. I live in manual mode, which means I sacrifice some convenience for reliability and repeatability. It also means I can pay about a third as much for each of my flashes.
There is no perfect camera. So get that idea out of your head right now. Far better to think of any camera as a set of compromises. Size, speed, image quality, low-light performance, price, etc., can all be featuresand they can all be liabilities.
You want image quality? Get an 11x14" film camera. Great for detail and tonal range. But sucks for... more (link is external)
If you have never done it before, lighting a group shot outdoors in full sun can be daunting. After all, sun is pretty bright. And your subject is pretty big and thus harder to light at a high level.
But with a leaf-shutter camera and a couple of battery powered monoblocs, you can easily own the sun and just about anything you can put under it.... more (link is external)
My last head shot had been getting a little long in the tooth. So on a whim the other day, I redid it.
Gotta keep things fresh, I always say. So I try to redo my head shot every seven years, whether it needs it or not.
As photographers, we only get to see one side of the equationand that does not involve looking down the barrel of the gun, either. So being on the receiving... more (link is external)
I love shooting at mix. Especially when there are epic clouds on the move. And even more so while monitoring my Dark Skies app to know exactly when the rain will start falling on a OMGHowMuchDidThatThingCost? cello.
At April and Johns Wedding at Consall Hall we tried something a little different from our usual bride and groom portraits and combined two photos in Photoshop to create a cool double exposure portrait effect. Here is a brief tutorial explaining the technique behind the effect. First of all, you need to choose your starting […]
