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Starting with the basic lighting diagram

We used bright white background paper hung on a DIY rod, two paint rollers with a spring tension to brace in on the ceiling. The lights moved around a bit during the shoot, but this is the basic set up, three 500 tungstens in 12 inch reflectors on lightstands. I started with umbrellas but they muted the light on the backdrop to much. Everthing was metered on a 18% Gray Card in camera, spot mode.

First subject. I was shooting aperture priority, which was dumb as it kept shifting the shutter speed. What I should’ve done was switched to manual and stayed there. I am used to shooting natural light, so the change in mindset was kicking my ass.

As you see, we had a seam in the background, which is clearly visible even after I post processed these. I loaded them in lightroom, white balanced for Tungsten and then boosted the Whites to 100%. The designer is going to photoshop the seam out, or life the subjects entirely and place on a blank white background. There is a lot more I could do dodging and burning, and for my portfolio shots I will, these are just cropped and color adjusted.

The office was closed for the shoot, and the subjects were all patients so they knew what they were doing. We closed off all the windows and turned down the overheads, to keep the white balance the same.

I think the most important thing to take away from this, is if you HAVE space use it. Do not seam your background. Use the right lens for the job, I was shooting on 24-70 f2.8, honestly I would’ve LIKED to have pulled further back and used my 70-200 to compress the shot, but there was simply no room to make it work.

I am not displeased, the models were great and the clients are happy or least I think so. I’ve heard not complaints yet.

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The short answer for the first question is Yes. It’s no surprize that Drew keeps tweeking Fark, he’s going to keep tweeking it to suit his audience.

I assume the same thing for mobile device usage. Don’t forget there are a lot of Canadian Farkers, we don’t have nearly the freedom with cellphones that you (Americans) do. We have low bandwidth limits on cellphones and we pay through the nose for extra MBs (yes, MBs, not GBs). My other assumption was that it’s really hard to see the detail in a pic on a tiny screen, so why bother.

I just want to go on the record here, Mister Speaker, Fark’s mobile App sucks. I’ve used it on Android and IOS and found both to be clunky, limiting and slow. You cannot easily access any of the forums unless you load the main site in your phone browser. If you click a link and read an article you will get bounced back to the Apps mainpage rather than the article. Plus, ads, soooo many ads.

Also wik

Yugoboy I too would not drink the Kool Aid from Apple, until a series of unfortunate phones drove me to choose an Iphone. (I had three Droids, all cheap construction, glitchy software and slow as glaciers.) I actually paid full price for an Iphone 4 and have found it to be worth the money, smooth, intuitive and robust, plus the thing is made with metal not plastic, so you don’t feel like you are carrying a Texas Instruments Calculator circa 1982.

Other than an Ipod classic, I own no other Apple gear, barely know how to use a Mac and how no interest in switching platforms. (Though if Windows8 is any harbinger of the future, this may change.) I do not think Steve Jobs was an alien or angel, but I feel I must recommend the iPhone to anyone in the market for a new phone.

Now, I have to go ritually purify myself by running a DOS application.

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ennuipoet, if you keep posting pictures like these, you’re going to make me actually want to visit NYC. For me, Toronto is the BIG city and a very cosmopolitan international one at that. I grew up with “NYC crime” horror stories, and now live with “NYC cost of living” horror stories… My desire to visit has only ever been for a few specific places (Ellis Island, Tenement Museum, Empire State Building, Chinatown…) You’re actually making the place attractive…

You should submit this comment to the City of New York Tourist Board with the recommendation they immediately hire me as their primary photographer!
🙂

The truth is, finding shots in the City is 50% knowing where and when to go 30% luck and 20% skill. All the skill in the world don’t do nothing if you don’t know where to go, and get lucky finding people or things when you get there.

Plus, I admit it, I am still in love with this City, even with all the crap I put up with living here. I like to think the love is really what makes the photos.

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I could write hundreds of words about this, in fact I did

http://freeversephotography.com/freeversephotoblog/2013/05/31/the-chicago-sun-times-plucks-out-their-eyes-we-go-blind/

Still pissed.

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It is a far, far braver thing you do.

I won’t touch a wedding with a ten foot pole.

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+1

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Thanks! (?)

It was a sincerely meant compliment wrapped in a tongue in cheek insult. 🙂

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Given that I live in a desert, will cacti and sagebrush do? Riparian oasii?

I’ve been meaning to say this since I saw your entries: SCREW YOU PAL! 😀

Those are frickin’ beautiful.

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I am good with 9 when participation is low, which it is right now. If/when things pick up, we go back to 10

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Does faking it include photoshopping?

Negative on the Photoshopping, Fake it means things like staging a Perp Walk with a coat over the head, or a traffic accident with Hot Wheels, that kind of thing.

Making the news would be anything you shot which ran in a news venue, online or print. Citation is not needed but I would think you would enjoy the publicity.

Taking it, well, it bleeds it leeds, fires, accidents, natural disasters…or cute and fuzzy human interest stories about the litter of kittens adopted by a cute kid.

Hope that clarifies.

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This is as interesting as it is dumb. So what did she hired you for? Was she trying to prove something?

I honestly don’t know.

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My biggest problem with the iPhone/iPad people isn’t the fact that they’re shooting with them. It’s the people who believe their iDevice is going to turn out pictures as good as my DSLR.

It may be the user not the tool, but I’m still going to have trouble writing a book with a crayon. It can be done, but a pen or pencil will produce better results.

Indeed, I received and email from my client this morning, she has decided to with her shots on the Ipad as they give her a look and feel more in line with her creative vision. Fair enough, I can’t complain about that. If you creative vision is blurry, low resolution, poor framed and lit shots who am I to complain, I just cash my check put my shots in my portfolio and call it a day. When the book publishers return her shots as insufficient to meet print standards, well, I am going to need to some more money. (Not really, it is friend of mine, but I WILL say I told you so.)

I would give my left testicle for a Leica, since it is the slacker testicle and really does nothing but watch football and eat cheeze doodles, but I would not pay the exorbitant prices for a Leica.

I understand (though don’t agree with) the high prices for Leica. I was trying to find the simplest camera used by an excellent photographer but ran out of time and it was the closest I could get.

My general take on any tool is I like it to be capable of producing better work than I can. That way I can grow into it.

The Leica is a brilliantly simple camera, no zooms but shoe leather, rugged as all hell and zero bells and whistles (at least on the older models) and is perfect example of how gear isn’t relevant to quality. Unfortunately, Leica’s mystique has simply shot beyond all reality price wise, you are not paying for an excellent camera, you are paying for the name Leica.

Would still take one if someone offered it to me!

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I had a guy once tell me I could never take a “good picture” until I bought a 5D.

Robert Frank
http://www.transmopolis.com/2009/09/robert-franks-masterpiece-the-americans-at-50/

Alfred Eisenstaedt
http://www.famousphotographers125.com/alfred-eisenstaedt.htm

Leica rangefinder

Where’s your gear God now?

I would give my left testicle for a Leica, since it is the slacker testicle and really does nothing but watch football and eat cheeze doodles, but I would not pay the exorbitant prices for a Leica.

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Little fish think gear=talent;

I had a guy once tell me I could never take a “good picture” until I bought a 5D.

So I smacked with my portfolio and stole his camera.

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I mean I josh people about the Canon/Nikon thing, and I hate on Instagram but it’s not personal.

Except for Sony users…you people are the devil. The literal devil, you are in league with the darkness! 👿

I would hate on Leica people, but I do not meet the minimum fiscal level to even speak of them, much less TO them.

Seriously, my relationship with other photogs I meet in NYC is cordial and most of us on the streets are not competing with one another for contracts or commissions, we are small fish. Some of the Pro Press guys are really awesome, but they are a rare breed in general these days. I know one shooter who is a stringer for the Daily News and Post who has used his Press Credentials to get me into a few events as his assistant. He’s been shooting in NYC for 30 years and is full of stories about the old days. Other Press Pro just ignore you if they don’t recognize you.

The little fish can be the real dicks, I had a guy last week at the Dance Parade who intentionally jumped in front of every shot I was taking and followed me from block to block…I don’t know WHY he did this, but he sure as hell did. I finally ditched him or he got tired of the game. I figure why get in a fight over it, just work around him.

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