Orlando photography class

Orlando Photography Class was a Winner!

I actually got a standing ovation when it was over. I think that was a first. :) thanks

We had a great model and fantastic weather (80 degrees in December) so we took photos outdoors between segments.

I believe everybody got a chance to photograph the model using some of the techniques.

That's it! This concludes the 2009 tour. Next fall (2010) we will have a new schedule and new topics. Using on camera flash, off camera flash, a combination of both, Sun Synchro, using studio lights and Posing. I think it will be called the Flash Tour. Maybe.

So what is next?

The Full 2 Day Photography workshop January 30 and 31.

Where? Orlando, Florida

Why?

Because at the end of every Seminar a lot of the attendees ask me if there will be any "hands on classes". Yes, the work shop will be mostly photography sessions with 2 models. We then download the photos and use editing software to adjust and crop.

We will limit the class to 15 people and it will be open to only those that have been to one of my seminars. This is because we need to hit the ground running. Now that we know the fine points of Lighting and Composition and how they affect the subject physically and the viewer psychologically we need to put it all together.

If you are interested please email me at manny@getthepicture.tv or call me at 727-375-0480.

How much? $300 or $275 if you sign up before January 15. So what's on your Christmas list?

Studio portraits on location and portable flash

Saturday sale event at Dillards had an extra added value for shoppers. If you bought a dress The make up artist at Clinique would do your make up for FREE and I would take a FREE portrait of you with your new dress and make up. Wow, what a terrific deal this was. Ultimately you would receive a FREE 8x10 photo. What a great deal for all the Dillards clientele.
Doing studio portraits on location means that you have to tear down your lights, backdrop, stands, cameras, etc. and pack them in your car. When you get to the location all that equipment has to be assembled and the process has to be repeated when your done. Having portable studio lights makes life easier.

I do have 4 regular studio strobes. The power packs are self contained so they are heavy which requires heavy duty stands. I love them in the studio but not to pack them up and transport them. For ease of transport I have Novatron lights. Novatrons like Speedotron, and Dyna-lite are portable flash units that are made for location photography. They are compact and made for travel. There are other brands but these are the ones that I am familiar with. They are powerful and durable. I bought them over 20 years ago and they are still going strong. A complete kit that has four lights, a main power pack, umbrellas, stands, and carrying case to put everything in goes for about $1,400 to $1,500 dollars. Some cases have wheels to make your day sweat free. All for less than the camera you own and they never get outdated like your camera. They are the best investment you could make.

I use them for location portraits and commercial jobs. You can also purchase soft boxes and other attachments separately.

Being able to take your studio photography on location is a big plus.
The quality of your images remains constant.

If you do on location studio work portable studio flashes are something you should try and invest in. They can make life a litlle bit easier.

Jacksonville Photography Seminar

A great photography class in Jacksonville !

Our Jacksonville photo class was very exciting. We had a terrific model and great weather. We got in a good amount of photos in between the lectures.

The question and answer period at the end was very interesting as everyone asked really good questions. Everyone got so involved that some stayed as much as 45 minutes after the seminar had ended to ask questions .
We have one seminar left this year in Orlando on December 13. Although we are a month away we already have the same mount of people that signed up for Jacksonville. Orlando is going to be a whopper!

How to use more than one flash

I had to take some photos of the Coral Room at the Rusty Pelican. Using the flash on the camera just wasn't enough because of the size of the room.

When we look at a room like this our eyes are constantly adjusting for differences in brightness. They adjust so quickly we are not even aware of it. This ability allows us to see detail everywhere regardless of how bright or dim the area is lit.
A photo can only be taken at one setting. If you set your camera for the outside light your inside will turn out dark. If you set your camera for the inside light the outdoor view will be pure white because it is much brighter. You must bring the different brightness levels within the same setting so there will be detail everywhere.

In order to do this you have to use multiple flash units. In the very top photo I used three flashes.

Here is what to do. First find the correct exposure for the outside. In this case it was 1/125 of a second at f/5.6. This will be the exposure setting for the photo. The reason for this is you cannot change the intensity of existing light. You can change the power setting of the flash.

Next, I placed a flash on a stand on the left to light that side of the room.
Then I took my flash on the camera and bounced it off the ceiling. That lit the table in the forground. I bounced the flash instead of straight on because I was too close to the table. Lastly I put another flash on floor behind the table on the right. This was aimed at the right side of the room where the cutains are. All flashes were on auto and set to f/5.6.

All together I have two lights on the background and one light on the food tables in the foreground.

The flashes were connected electronically with Radio Slaves so there were no wires. The end result is that you see detail outside the windows and the food on the table as well as the curtains in the background.

Create a self assignment

Want to really boost your creativity? Give yourself an assignment. Think of something that you like or dislike. Then go out and photograph it. Photograph it from different angles and at different times of the day. Look at it with a different point of view. Photograph it out of context. Perhaps something about it looks unusual or different when compared to other similar things. Accentuate likeness and differences.

Here is the nice thing about a self assignment, you're the boss. You are not trying to please a client and you can spend as much time and resources as you wish. Give yourself a time frame so you don't put it off each year till your 90th birthday.

This is where you unleash your creativity. Use whatever equipment and skills you have to the fullest.

Here is the first step; just pick a subject. It's that easy. Perhaps you like flowers or dogs. Maybe you think tennis balls are unique or maybe you want to make a statement about empty plastic bottles. Once you start thinking this way it will be hard to narrow it down to just one subject.
Once you do stay with it. Don't change your subject or theme. That will force you to think of different possibilities. Before you know it you will have an entire body of work on that theme. My first self assignment was in 1994 "The Sensual Guitar." I thought it was about time I gave myself a new one. Smoking Statues.

I was in New York over the summer to give a lecture at B and H Photo Video. While I was there I took photos of the skyscrapers with the 15mm fisheye lens. When I go back I'll continue that self assignment. Maybe I'll call it "Concrete Redwoods".

This creativity will flow into your daily photography because you'll start to look at everything differently. So what will your self assignment be?

Equipment Review Page

It's coming, the equipment review page on our getthepicture.tv website. "Gearing Up"

Often I am asked, "What equipment should I buy?" Having the proper equipment for the specific photo assignment does make life easier. When purchasing a camera, lens, lights, tripods, and software it's important to keep in mind what kind of photography that it will be used for. There will always be those unusual jobs but what kind of photography do you do most of the time? Answering that determines what is best.

In today's digital world there are so many choices of equipment some of which is really good and some not. Some built to withstand use and abuse and some built to give you a headache.

I do have my share of equipment. The photo above shows me with about 60% of the equipment that I have.

We are now putting together the newest page on our website http://www.getthepicture.tv/. I will review the "stuff" that I think makes our job easier. There is nothing so frustrating as spending your money on something that just doesn't measure up for the task at hand. So get ready for "Gearing Up"

Boca Raton Seminar

I have been so busy with the weddings and seminars this past two months that I have not been able to blog as much as I would like. Below are some photos from the Boca Seminar.



The Boca Raton Seminar was a real success! Not only was it well attended but we kept right on schedule. As a bonus we got into posing and were able to do a good amount of photography.

Amanda, our model was very pretty and patient. When we went outside it got cool (76 degrees).

I would like to thank everyone for attending. Especially those who really traveled from as far as Seminole and Tampa to attend. Our seminars, and DVDs are really taking off.

Our website is being viewed by people in 34 countries and the blog is viewed by people in 11 countries. Thank you all!

Please do sign up for our NEWSLETTER if you have not done so yet. Although it goes out only once a month it is more detailed. You can do that at http://www.getthepicture.tv/

Two Seminars left this year. Jacksonville and Orlando.