Today is the first opportunity I have had to shoot any photographs since I went to the OneLight Workshop last week. Of course I have no real models or clients so I have to endure the torture that is shooting my son. I took five frames before he lost interest. I suppose if I ever have a real shoot that is time limited I’ll be well prepared for it!
I’m starting to get an idea of the style of photographs I want to make. I don’t know what it’s called but it falls somewhere in the middle of these three amazing photographers:
1) John Keatley
2) Troy Stains
3) Dustin Snipes
I realise I have a long way to go. I also don’t want to shoot kids, but you take what you can get while you are learning!
This was shot using a single Canon 580EX, 1/8th power into a reflective 43″ umbrella. The background is a pure white wall. I deliberately wanted a shallow DOF and as there was daylight streaming into the room I had to kill the ambient, therefore my camera settings were pretty much limited to f/2.8 and 1/200th of a second. I just adjusted flash power until it looked right to me. I don’t have the luxury of a really wide room so I couldn’t make the white wall go black (the room is at most 5″ wide). I did use a technique we learned at the workshop, those of you that have been to a OneLight or watched the DVD will know what it is just by looking at the catchlights!
As always I’m looking for constructive criticism. I took a shot similar to this a while ago and I really believe that the workshop helped, compare the two and see what you think.
I’m still looking for people to photograph so please volunteer if you are in the San Francisco Bay area.
actually, I love these shots! Generally, I hesitate to use “One Light” on children without some other source of light because the dramatic lighting tends to be too much for their lovely little faces. But these came out wonderfully! First one is really great, and I also really like the expression on the second.
Hi Femi
Thanks. I’ve seen your work so that’s a nice compliment to get! I haven’t tried any kid photography (besides my iPhone) since I took these as I find it too traumatic, I’ll leave it to the pros like yourself!
Paul
I love your results and it seems as if you have a very good start!!
I too want to start doing this as I just recently started doing portraits this summer. The problem is I live in a cold weather state and now winter is coming.
I have some potential clients that I don’t want to turn away but just don’t know were to start (angles of the umbrella, camera distance, subject distance from wall and flash and so on).
Could you please give me some advice and/or help to get started.
Thanks in advance for all of your help!
Kevin
Kevin
I’ll send you an email with some pointers that I have learned. That might take me a day or two to get round to though. In the meantime the single best piece of advice I can give you is to part with $250 and buy the OneLight DVD.
I will email you some info though!
Cheers
Paul
Wow! you are now a pro at this “one light” thing! love the shots! the image is so soft. I wanna get the “big momma” softbox. Did Zack have that at your workshop? I also loved the 60″ umbrella,need that too….. GAS (gear acquisition syndrome). haha! Have you seen Zack’s DVD? I would love to have a look at it now to recap all I learned.
Keep posting more….your work is awesome!
Hi Gina
Thanks!
We never used the 50″ at the workshop but I saw it on the DVD. I just got a 60″ umbrella today (I’ve been using 43″s) and some better light stands (just minor GAS!).
I can totally recommend the DVD, it’s a condensed OneLight Workshop. thanks for stopping by, I added your RSS feed to my reader.
Cheers
Paul
Paul, really nice work! Great results in a small room. Big improvement from your first attempt…these have depth and texture that are really pretty. Wish I knew someone in SF that I could send your way!
Brook
Thanks! I’m happy with these. I’m really trying to imitate the look of the shot Zack showed us of the guy with really curly hair. I think it’s probably easier in a bigger room though!
If you ever find someone willing to be photographed here in SF let me know, I’ll send and Seattle folks your way.
Paul
Really nice! I really like the bottom one the best. I think it just shows a lot of personality out of Cam and his innocence. The lighting in this one is better than the one where he is pouting
John
The bottom one is classic Cam!
I’m pretty happy at how much better the lighting is in these than the pouting shot. I haven’t quite nailed the look I’m going for here but it’s just impossible to practice when your model is a 3 year old kid that refuses to stay still. At such a large aperture it’s really frustrating trying to focus with him moving. The exposure keeps getting ruined too because he moves in and out of the best light. I need some real models fast!
Paul
So, you were using the umbrella, then you decided it was better to let it collapse. Good work, I have had some of my better results by doing that.
Glad you had a good time at the OneLight, I too have struggled for models since I got back, but, this week I am back in the saddle with two shoots.
I’ll let you know how I get on.
Be good,
Adam
Adam
Exactly. Of course, you being a OneLight Alumni it was obvious right away!
Good luck on your shoots, I hope to see some of the shots on your blog soon.
Paul
In the short term, I need to pick up my camera and start taking pictures again and get reading about it. In the long term I want to achieve the god-like skills of Sally Man who is my favorite photog. Her dark American Gothic photography inspires me.
Dave
Just get out and shoot, if you want pointers to good sites to learn from I’m happy to help out.
I’d never heard of Sally Mann, I just read about her on Wikipedia and her work is fantastic. That is something to aspire to!
Paul
Awesome Portraits. The first one being my fave.
All three photogs mentioned are also amazing. That’s a great goal.
Thanks Dave.
The first is my favourite too. If i can be anywhere near as good as those 3 guys I’ll be very very happy!
Cheers
Paul