Well, I couldn’t put it off any longer. One of the problems that comes with owning your own business is the number of “projects” that are waiting their turn in line. In my studio the line is a long one. There are columns to write, books that need to be completed, this blog, and a whole bunch of other projects aimed at either the educational side of my business or the continual search for cash that the business demands. One of these, my stock photo file, has been successfully ignored for so long even I can’t believe it.

Last night, in a rare ‘what should I work on now?’ moment, I decided the time was right to look through all the images shot for the last few books I’ve written and get them off to my agents.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, ‘stock photography’ is the licensing of images that were taken for jobs or for the heck of it, through agents who represent photographers, for various and sundry purposes that return a percentage of the license price to the photographer, usually 50% of the fee negotiated by the agent. It sounds good, but success is driven by subject matter (and how unique the images are) and by demand for those particular images. There are other considerations, too, but it’s fodder for a long article, not the stuff of blogs. (If you’re interested, though, drop me a note – if enough of you do I will write a thorough article about it.)

OK, so I’ve been shooting for books and web articles for the last several years, along with shoots strictly for the fun of it. We’re talkin’ five years and five books here, and the current total in that image catalog is something like 39,000 images (and those are the edits!). Sorting through them to determine what might be salable, tweaking them in Photoshop, keywording them so editors will see them on the agents’ sites, and burning them to disc is, well, daunting.

But, never one to let the sheer enormity of a task ruin my day (or keep me from watching the latest episode of ‘24’) I dove in.

It took all of five minutes to realize this was not gonna be easy. It would have taken less time, but I can be sorta dense sometimes.

By the end of the evening I’d found, tweaked and finished about three dozen images, beautiful shots of a mother cuddling and breastfeeding her new baby, one of the most evocative things in the world. The original folder contains about 80 images, which means I’ve got roughly 38,920 to go (assuming that I stop shooting immediately, of course).

I’ll keep you posted.

March 1, 2009

Lots of fun this last Saturday. I was one of several photographers invited to participate in a “shootout,” an event wherein a group of photographers shoot a revolving group of models. It’s a win-win for both, especially for those of us who have specific projects that we’re working on. In my case, I’m working on a book detailing lighting scenarios for beauty and glamour (I prefer the Queen’s English for this word) photographers but other shooters were working on portfolio pieces. The models, of course, get the opportunity to shoot with a number of photographers and get the benefit of their different shooting styles.

The event organizer, ace photographer Jason Colvin, rented an empty former art gallery, a 4000 square foot space with all of the inner walls and amenities intact. It was beautiful space, painted in white and neutral gray, with a large bank of windows for available light and a lot of power in the walls for those of us who brought lights.

My primary interest was to mix strobe light with available sunlight or with existing incandescent light and the various room details made that somewhat easy. For example, there was a stairway in the back of the room that angled up past former display space. The exhibit spotlights were still in the ceiling, functional, and splashing against the back wall. This image, primarily lit with a softbox, utilized a slower than normal shutter speed, 1/50 second, to record the strobe exposure and the incandescent splash.

The makeup artists had a great time, too, pulling out all the stops to create some great looks. This put the pressure on the photographers to find locations and create lighting that would do the makeup justice. There was a portion of one wall that had been cut in to another wall, about two feet wide and two feet deep. It served no useful purpose that any of us could determine, so it must have been a feature that was built just because it was cool. With a light on the floor, aimed up, and the key light softbox aimed down, the result is quite nice and a great use of strange space.

Although this shootout was smaller than others I’ve been involved with, the fun factor made it worth it. If you get invited to participate in one of these you certainly should. It’s a great way to play with new ideas or just to work on your technique.

Had a great day shooting a line of upscale maternity fashions for a new company, Whoa Mamma! I’d first met the owner/designer, Rebekah Stivers, a couple of years ago when she was a high-powered executive in corporate America. She saved her money until she had enough to follow her dream, designing beautiful and flattering clothing for expectant mothers. While she admits she’s been spending lots of money at an incredible rate, just to get to this point, she’s also confident that she’s close to a successful and defining moment in her company’s short history.

Rebekah’s designs are gorgeous; warm, sexy, flowing clothing with ruffles and lace on the high end, comfortable and cute pajama styles on the other. All are designed for comfort and style.

The toughest part of this shoot was finding models who were not only pregnant but willing to be photographed in that state. While I love photographing pregnancies, I totally understand how many women feel totally unattractive and why they don’t want to be photographed at all. One of the women who agreed to participate was very glad to have been asked, but I had to talk her into it. Her pictures are beautiful and I’m happy to say I did it.

I wanted a lighting setup that was soft, no matter which way my model would face, with just enough shadow to define shape. I used my Lastolite 6×7 Hilite as the key, with an additional 4×6 softbox set on each side. I metered the key by itself, powering it to a whole f-stop. I turned the key off, and powered each of the softboxes, individually, to 1/3 stop less than the key by itself. Finally, all three lights were turned on and the final reading was made. Since the effects of light are cumulative, the final reading was brighter than any light by itself.

The light from the two side softboxes would negate any shadow thrown by the HiLite (although that shadow would, by itself, be minimal) while adding extra light that would skim across the sides of the model. In addition to those three, I also added a strip light softbox on a boom, set quite high above and about three feet behind the model, also powered to -1/3 stop from the key to throw a subtle highlight on the model’s hair and shoulders. I also hung a piece of black cloth from the outside edge of the softbox to flag any light from hitting the background.

It took well over an hour to rough in the lighting for this shoot but it was worth the time. The results show even light with enough highlight to be interesting but not overpowering.

We were only able to shoot about 2/3 of Rebekah’s list in the time that was booked, with a finish date booked in about two weeks. I’ll keep the same lighting scenario, with the same ratios, for the next shoot. The results will be so close as to be unrecognizable from those shot on the first day.

Pregnant? Know someone who is? Check out these beautiful fashions at WhoaMamma.com.

I’m back from a wonderful trip to London as an instructor at the 2009 convention of the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers. Under the direction of Phil and Juliet Jones, and in about a decade, this great group grew from an initial membership of slightly over 200 people to over 12,000 this year. If I wore one, I’d tip my hat to them for overseeing such a vibrant and dynamic collection of exhibitors, photographers and instructors, it was that great a pleasure to be there.

Sightseeing? I lucked out when my sister, Paula, told a London friend of hers that I would be visiting. Her friend, Bob, immediately offered to spend whatever time I had available to show me around some places that tourists see as well as some they typically don’t. I had one day to myself, so Bob and his son, Rob, offered to meet me in the heart of London at one of the subway (tube) stations.

We met at the appointed time and headed for St. Paul’s Cathedral, an unbelievable structure that dates to the 1600s. There are many famous people interred in the crypt below the church, including the architect, Christopher Wren. Bob is quite a history buff (I’m not, unfortunately) and was able to tell me details about most of the folks who are spending their final earthly vacations in the church basement. All my high school history classes failed me, and I promised I’d read “English History for Dummies” before I returned.

Rob and I made the 176 step hike to the Whispering Gallery, a circular balcony that is located at the bottom of the huge dome. Rob walked to the other side, directly across from me. When I sat and turned my face to the wall and spoke in a normal tone of voice Rob could hear me plainly and we were able to carry on a conversation even though there were many other people up there.

Unfortunately, no photography was allowed in the building.

After a stop at a pub (one must remain refreshed) we had a quick lunch in Chinatown and then moved on to Trafalgar Square where we saw three women looking somewhat nervous. As we walked toward the fountain, one of them stripped off her clothes, revealing a wetsuit underneath. One of the others hoisted a video camera to her shoulders and filmed her as she made an announcement, sprinted across the square and jumped into the fountain, an illegal activity. Turns out they were filming an underground TV commercial.

We then moved to a commercial area under one of the tube stations, a place you’ll probably never get to on a paid tour. There was a market area where one could buy fresh food and produce and, to my surprise, many pubs. They all featured different beers and I felt it was my duty to try as many as possible. Our last stop, the Market Porter, was a cozy little joint on the inside, but the evening temperature was quite comfortable, so we were able to take our drinks outside where there was more room and less noise. Here’s a shot Rob took of Bob and I.

After the pubs, dinner seemed a good idea, and we found a little East Indian restaurant where we had an absolutely terrific meal. Indian food is my wife’s favorite, and I knew she’d throw a faux hissy if I told her how great it was, better than the local restaurant we patronize. I couldn’t wait.

Unfortunately, I had to be in my classroom at 7AM the next morning, so we had to head for the tube and, for me, back to the hotel.

I certainly hope the Jones’ invite me back. Bob says he thinks it would take about 50 visits to see everything important. One down, 49 to go.

Sometimes it’s fun to just play with your toys.

If you’ve been following the weather lately, you’ve no doubt noticed that the weather here in Minnesota has been colder’n a well-digger’s backside. This morning, a beautiful morning with a glorious winter sun shining over a fresh couple of inches of snow, looked much warmer than it actually was, somewhere around 6 degrees below zero.

My wife and I live in an older home, built in the mid-fifties, with a couple of windows that are not as air-tight as they should be. In weather like this the moisture between the panes create beautiful patterns of ice crystals and I’ve looked at them many times, thinking I should bring a macro lens home “one of these days” and see what’s what.

On New Year’s Eve, as I was leaving the studio, I grabbed an extra camera body and my 100mm macro. It was snowing at the time and around here that usually means a cold morning. I was looking forward to it, for once.

I wasn’t disappointed. The next morning promised to be bright and was already really brisk as I finished my first cup of coffee. I’d been thinking of what I’d written on December 21 about increasing the Exposure Compensation in Av Mode to get great results in bright light and I wanted to see how that theory would work under backlit circumstances or how I could vary the EC to get some other effects.

The window I would be using is in the kitchen and faces straight into the dawn at this time of year. There is a hill about 75’ from the window that keeps direct sunlight off the window for about half an hour after actual sunrise, so the first images would be without any highlights. I used the Daylight white balance preset so I could retain the color temperature changes I’d be sure to see over the course of the next hour or so. This image was made without any EC.

When the first rays of sunlight hit the window it was like magic. The crystals refracted the light along the moisture lines that had formed them and helped define their shape. This image was also made without any EC.

I wanted to see what would happen if the EC was kicked up, effectively overexposing the image. I dialed the EC up 2/3 stop, which meant, in Av Mode, that the shutter speed would slow down. This can be a problem in low light, because it’s tough to be steady enough to avoid motion blur in lower light and, whether the shutter is fast enough or not, hand-holding the camera is also iffy, as critical focus is obtainable over a really short distance of only a millimeter or so. Obviously, too much morning caffeine could pose a hazard on both ends.

To my delight, dialing down the EC, to -2/3 stop, also produced beautiful images, leaving highlights more “normally” exposed and allowing the shadows to deepen. Very artsy and delicate.

It snowed yesterday, not a lot by Minnesota standards, only about eight inches. But it got real nasty when the wind kicked up, sending wind-chill temps down to the -20 range, brutal by anyone’s standards.

This morning the sun came up with the dawn and everything’s beautiful. Now that my driveway has been snowblown, all’s right with the rest of my world, too.

Today is winter solstice. I don’t allow myself to morosely fall into a winter depression, I prefer to think of today as the first day of spring. After all, the days will be getting longer starting tomorrow, continuing to do so until June 21st, the first day of a long, warm autumn. When September 21 arrives, the first day of winter, I can look forward to a very mild season until spring comes once again in December.

Yes, spring sometimes starts a little rough but, hey, it’s Minnesota. We’re a tough crowd.

A question has been posed to me many times since digital cameras, with their shorter exposure tolerances, came into vogue. “How do I get my automatic zones to record a correct exposure?” Well, let’s back up just a bit and talk about your camera’s light meter.

The function of the light meter is to take into account everything it sees and average it, balancing lights against darks until it delivers what it believes is a correct representation of the scene. When the scene is largely bright, white shapes, the meter says, “Whoa! Overexposure!” and averages those white shapes against its built-in mandate of 18% gray. The result is actually underexposure, and your pictures look, well, bad, especially if the scene includes people. This image, made with the Shutter Priority setting and without any compensation, certainly fits that description.

The solution is to fool the camera into seeing less light than is actually present by using the Exposure Compensation function. I’ve found that an exposure increase of a full stop is often necessary to get great results. With my Canons, the Av button is in the upper right corner next to the camera’s LCD. I merely depress it and rotate the Main Dial to add or subtract exposure. Adding +1 is the same as telling the camera to subtract one stop of what it sees, effectively brightening the image.

The final result is an exposure that matches what you saw when you made the picture, without any additional image manipulation.

Note that Exposure Compensation is not available in any of the Basic Zones, those super-automatic zones that make all the decisions for you, only in the Zones that allow you to make changes. Exposure Compensation is also not available in full Manual.

What a treat! I had some of my radio personality clients in today. Photographing radio talent is so much more fun than television talent. The TV folks need to be portrayed as caring, trustworthy, concerned and intelligent. Radio people are mostly nuts, except for the newscasters, who need to be portrayed just like their TV counterparts.

Today I had the components of “Colleen and the Boys,” a threesome doing their thing on a local fm station. Colleen Kruse is, among other things, a talented stand-up comedian and something of a film critic – I love talking movies with her. She and I hit it off nicely when we first met last year and I showed her some of my collection of vintage horror and science fiction movie posters. The guys, Chris and Gerry, are pretty damn funny, too, so the whole shoot was one crackup after another.

Colleen had finished her stint with the makeup artist and Chris had just gone in when Gerry asked how much time we had until we were ready to shoot. “Fifteen minutes,” I said. “Why?” Gerry said he was going to the nearest liquor store for champagne. I was grateful for his appreciation of the medicinal effects of alcohol.

Did I mention that the first shot was in 1970s clothing? Gerry left with the collar of his blue snakeskin polo over the collar of his blue denim jacket, worn over tight jeans. He’d even grown a retro Trapper John moustache; it was like watching a time machine walk out the door. Frankly, radio people, who are considered invisible for the most part, are more than willing to push the visual envelope to get their personas out to the public.

These pictures are meant for the website, brochures, newspaper ads, giveaway goodies at the State Fair, and little else (the Promotion Manager always lets me know when a billboard or anything special is on the line so I can be prepared). The best part is that the shoots are almost always unstructured – I have to be sure to get a few shots that “corporate” will like, but I’m only limited by what the talent wants after that. These shoots are dreams come true, mostly because none of these folks are afraid of me or of my camera.

For this shoot, we shot everything on greenscreen, a wonderful technology that allows you to virtually eliminate the green background color and substitute whatever organic or manufactured background you wish (I’m just showing these with white, it’s the default when converting from the .psd format to .jpg). I’ll write more about his later, maybe even do a demo video, but it’s technology worth investigating. My Art Director clients love it because they can create whatever backgrounds they want for whatever reason or promotion and the transition from living, breathing, human to something manufactured is seamless and believable.