Speedlights On Location

Posted on May 16, 2013 by SPCII

In this article we’re going to get into the FUN stuff in working with your Speedlights on Location!

Previously we talked about some different types of Flash units, Guide Numbers, and the controls built into most Speedlights. Now we’re going to get into Practical Application.

As you know by now, I’m a big advocate of Manual operation of both camera and lights. I much prefer to be in control of the exposure of my photographs than to relinquish control to a computer devoid of emotion. (Remember, your Digital Camera is really a computer with a lens). After all, Photography is an Art form, and as such it appeals to the emotions. I know what I want as the result of my photographs, but the camera computer only knows one thing: How to make an exposure that equals 18% gray! (I know that may be a completely foreign concept to you, but trust me on this for now, and I’ll talk about it more later.)

Especially in creating photographs for Portraits are the emotional and creative elements of high importance. So I don’t want to leave leave the exposure decisions to the Program or Auto mode of my camera!

To the point…Outdoors on the beach in Hawaii, I want the beauty of the blue sky to be apparent in the photograph! On a recent photography session there was this huge outcropping of dark lava rock on a section of the beach, and we wanted to use it for one of the settings. Imagine the Drama of the huge, black lava rocks against the azure blue sky, and with my family group dressed in white shirts posed on and against the lava! Gorgeous! Right?

In order for the sky to be the beautiful blue that it was that afternoon, I wold have to make the exposure right for the sky! Here’s the result….The sky is perfect, but not exactly what I had in mind for the portrait… Now going back to the 18% gray concept…You can see that about 1/3 of the frame here is brightly lit…That is, the sky and the portion of the white shirts that are being hit by the sunlight. But the other 2/3s of the scene is really dark by comparison. So taking the whole scene and averaging the light reflectance to equal 18% gray over all is what the camera computer would create for the exposure. And that would look something like…

So now you can see the people, and most of the lava rocks, but the sky is completely “blown out”, that is way over exposed so it looks white. And the faces of half of the group, especially the 3 boys on top of the lava are over exposed, and the lighting is just not good.

So here’s where adding light via Speedlights really makes a huge improvement in the look and appeal of the photograph. Now I have the look that I envisioned, but no way would the camera computer come up with this combination of exposures!

I’ll walk you through what I did here… First I set the exposure for the sky. At ISO 100, that was F/9 at 1/250th of a second. Then I set my main light, a Nikon SB900 at Full power, with the “zoom” set to 35mm and positioned the light about 6′ to my left and 10′ from the front of the group. I positioned my “fill” light, a Nikon SB600 right next to me on my right, at 1/2 power and with the “zoom” set to 35mm also. (For a smaller group that isn’t spread out so much, I would typically set the “zoom” on my main light to 50mm.) This power ratio equals a 3 to 1 contrast in the lights and results in nice shadowing or “modeling” of light on the faces, which brings out the 3 dimensional quality of the faces and has a very “natural” look.

(I just want to point out that this image was not the best one of this group, and that I have done nothing to this in the way of adjustments or post production. This image is straight out of the camera. Also I do have the permission of my client to use these photographs in this lesson, and these first photographs from the session were made specifically for this lesson.)

I know from previously having made the measurements, that in combination, with my SB900 at Full power and my SB600 at Half power, both lights at 10″ from the subjects, I get a good exposure at F/9. Your flash units may produce more or less light, so it’s important to test and measure the results with a flash meter. If you don’t have a flash meter, you will have to experiment. But in order to get a nice blue sky in your photographs, you have to adjust the exposure for the sky.

Whatever the background is, if you want the background to look the way you see it in the photographs, you have to set the camera exposure for the background. To do that, simply look through the viewfinder, zoom into your background, and set the F/stop and shutter speed combination to what brings the in camera exposure meter to the neutral position. Your in camera meter will look similar to this example and should appear at the bottom of your viewfinder when you depress the shutter release button half way. If the indicator is on the + side of neutral, the current setting will OVER expose the photograph. If the indicator is on the – side of neutral, the current setting will UNDER expose the photograph.

So when using Flash to light your subject and you want the background to come out the way it looks to your eye, first expose for the background, then set the flash units to the power that will give the SAME exposure for the subject.

Any questions? Feel free to post them along with any comments below. It’s very satisfying to create beautiful photographs with the results you envision, and it’s quite simple to do when using your Speedlights on location!

Your Photo Coach

Speedlights Features and Controls

Posted on May 2, 2013 by SPCII

Let’s talk about the Features and Controls of most compact flash units.

Obviously the purpose of “speedlight” type flash units is to add light so that a good exposure and photograph may be made. When I say ‘speedlight’ I’m referring to the type of small compact flash units that may be attached to your camera by sliding them onto the “hotshoe” on the camera.

I don’t know why “Hotshoe” was the name assigned to this. It is “hot” in the sense that when the shutter release is triggered a small bit of electrical current is sent to the contacts there. That’s of course what triggers the flash when it is in place there. But, shoe…?

I don’t actually know if there is an official name for this part of the flash that connects to the hotshoe of the camera by sliding into it, but to me it’s logical that if the part on the camera is a hotSHOE, this would be the hotFOOT. So that’s what I’m calling it…

Anyway, notice the contact points on both the hotshoe and the hotfoot. They match up so that the flash will be triggered when the shutter release is pressed.

Only one contact is technically required to trigger the flash, but in order to perform properly in TTL mode, or in “Command” mode when sending signals to other speedlights, these additional contact points come into play.

So now let’s take a look at the controls on the flash and discuss how they are used.

There will be an “On / Off” button or switch, which performs the obvious function of turning the unit on or off. It is clearly marked.

There is a “ready” light, which lights up when the unit is fully charged up and ready to fire. The red button labeled “Flash” is a ‘test’ button. This will manually fire the flash. When the batteries are fresh this unit will fully “recycle” or re-charge to full power in about 6 seconds. A practical application for the ‘Flash’ button is to first of all check to see that the unit is working, then to see how long it takes to recycle. If after firing the flash, it takes 10 seconds or more for the ‘ready’ light to come back on, you should replace the batteries!

On this and most modern speedlights there is an LCD window where the settings are displayed. The unit pictured above here is not on, so there is nothing displayed there.

The “Mode” button lets you select how you will use the flash. Flash modes include Manual, where you set the power manually, in this case by pressing either the ‘+’ or ‘-’ buttons. Typically the power settings are Full, (1/1), Half, (1/2), 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, and usually displayed as fractions on the LCD.

Other Modes include TTL, which means Through The Lens. In the TTL mode the flash “reads” the light that is reflected back to the camera from the subject, and depending on the ISO and F/stop set in the camera, it adjusts the flash output accordingly. Pretty amazing when you think about it. And there’s the “A” or Automatic mode. In this case the flash unit simply “Reads” what F/stop the camera is set to and “assumes” that the subject will always be 10 feet away and adjusts the flash output according to that information.

Then there’s the “Zoom” function. I love this function! Of course I nearly always use my speedlights in Manual mode, so the way I use the Zoom function is usually in order to adjust the spread of the light to affect a “softer” transition from highlight to shadow. When used in the TTL mode, the flash will automatically adjust the “Zoom” function to match the degree of “zoom” of the lens. So if you’re using a 28 ~ 150mm zoom lens and it is set to 75mm, in TTL mode the flash will set the “zoom” or focus / spread of light output to match.

Notice that what the “Zoom” function of the flash actually does is to focus the light output, or to cause it to spread out. So you can use this information to manipulate the light the way you want. For example if my subject is 20 feet away, and I have my lens set at 105mm, I may focus or Zoom the flash to 180mm or whatever the maximum is in order for the light to reach my subject at that greater than 10 feet distance effectively.

Conversely, when I’m at 10 feet from my subject and my lens is set to 50mm or so, and I want a “softer” look to the light I’ll set the Zoom on the flash to 28mm. Since I nearly always use two flash units when making portraits, by setting the spread of light to a lesser “zoom” than the lens, the two lights overlap more and create a “softer” edge to the shadows and a more pleasing look.

You may have noticed the “CSM” notation on the flash with little arrows between the “Zoom” and the “-” buttons. The CSM refers to Custom Settings Menu and is primarily used when setting the flash to “Command” or “Slave” mode. These modes are used when utilizing the built-in remote flash functions. I’ve used this function, which Nikon refers to as “Creative Lighting System” or CLS. In my opinion it is more of a pain in the ‘okole’ than it is useful and I have elected to use SkyPort radio triggers instead, so I won’t go int the use of that function.

Next time I’ll talk about the options for “On Camera” and “Off Camera” use of speedlights and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Till then, Happy “shooting”!

Your Photo Coach

Speedlights…Flash…and Potato Mashers!

Posted on April 17, 2013 by SPCII

If you’re fairly recent in the world of photography you’re probably wondering “what in the world do ‘potato mashers’ have to do with photography??!!”

In the pre-historic (digital) era of photography we pros often used “potato mashers” on location. They were excellent tools for weddings and events. (Yes I’m crafting my words carefully here in order to keep you in suspense!) My personal favorite was made by Sunpak This is what was referred to as a “Potato Masher” for what now should be the obvious reason! The handle was filled with AA batteries, or you could attach a portable battery pack. And the thing sticking out toward the bottom of the handle is for a mounting bracket that you would attach your camera to.

These flash units were great because they had lots of power, the light came from off the axis of the lens, so no red-eye, and they served as a handle for your camera! They were heavy, of course, but as I said, powerful and reliable.

I don’t know if the Potato Masher flashes are even made any more, but all of the Speedlight type flash units made today have TTL capability, and that’s a definitely helpful feature when photographing an even like a wedding as it happens. (TTL, if you don’t know, means Through The Lens, and refers to the ability to adjust the flash output based on the exposure settings on the camera and the amount of light reaching the sensor.)

Probably the most important factor to consider when making a purchase decision for a flash unit is the Guide Number of the flash. The Guide Number is a value assigned to the unit based on it’s maximum light output. This tells you what F stop to use with the flash at full power and at ten feet from the subject.

The way to arrive at the F stop to use based on the Guide Number is simply to divide the Guide Number by 10. So a Guide Number of 120 will allow you to use F12 at ten feet and full power. Simple! Therefore, the higher the Guide Number, the greater the light output at full power.

Of course you can dial it down and use a larger aperture at lower flash power, and that will make your flash batteries last longer, and the flash unit recharge faster.

Studio strobes are usually rated in “watt seconds”. That value is a little harder to explain accurately and how it relates to Guide Numbers, because the actual light output can vary from strobe to strobe even though they are all rated at the same Watt seconds. So the best way to determine what the maximum output of a strobe unit is, is to measure it at full power and at 10 feet using a strobe meter.

But that’s really a different subject as we are here discussing Flash Units. So next time we will talk more about the features of Speedlights/Flash units and how to use them.

Your Photo Coach

Little Lights BIG Impact

Posted on April 9, 2013 by SPCII

I LOVE photography! And there is no photography without Light. (Infrared is light beyond what the human eye can see, but it’s still light!) And I love the ability to play with and control the light that produces my photographs.

In the studio I use up to 6 lights at a time for certain effects, and as few as one single light depending on what effect I’m going for. In the studio I also use a number of light modifiers such as soft boxes, umbrellas, barn doors, snoots, grids, color gels, shadow projectors, and reflectors.

On location I primarily use Speedlights, (flash units), and the sun. Using the Speedlights and the sun together gives me a 3 light setup, which is what I use the most even in studio! And on location I usually do not use any modifiers other than what is built into the Speedlights!

What is built into the Speedlights is simply a focusing lens, which can either disperse the light to cover a wide angle, or focus the light to a much narrower angle. I always use the lights in ‘manual mode’ so I can control the output and dispersion. I have found that by using the 2 Speedlights in the same type of setup as I use a Main light and Fill light in the studio for portraits, and working with the dispersion, I can achieve much the same look as I get in studio using softboxes!

I teach a class by the same title as this article with the Hawaii School Of Photography. The class includes a workshop where we go out to a location and demonstrate how everything works. In fact 90% of the class is the workshop.

Obviously I can’t demonstrate everything here as I do in the workshops, but in the next few articles I will review the elements and procedures that I cover in the class. Hopefully this series of articles will give you a better understanding of how to use your flash units in the most efficient and impactful way.

When Photography Is Out Of The Question

Posted on February 22, 2013 by SPCII

Well, really, photography is never “out of the question”… Not entirely. But today is rainy and not a good day to take my camera outside, so in my mind, it’s not a good day for photography.

So what are some options? Well, obviously you can do photography indoors, or maybe photograph raindrops on the window, or get your macro lens on and do some super closeups of raindrops… Whatever your imagination directs.

Another idea is to check and clean your gear! Make sure everything is ready for the next project or assignment. Make sure the batteries in your camera and your flash unit(s) are charged up. Same with your remote triggers, such as Pocket Wizards or Sky Ports. It’s always a good idea to clean your lens(es) in between uses as well.

Hopefully you have a Skylight or UV filter on your lens that you never take off! That protects the actual front element of your lens from getting anything on it like fingerprints or smudges, or dust or oil, etc, etc. So actually what you will be cleaning is the filter lens on your camera lens.

To clean the lens, whether it’s the actual lens or the filter on the lens, you should use either tissue paper, (NOT “bathroom” tissue or Kleenex), (the kind that is used in wrapping delicate articles and is thin and translucent, and will not scratch or leave lint on the lens), or microfiber lens wipes made for cleaning glasses/lenses.

It’s not uncommon for people to steam their glasses with their breath and then wipe them with a cloth or tissue, but that is not recommended for your camera lens. When using the proper tissue paper, you should put a drop or two of lens cleaner, or a short spray of lens cleaner on the tissue, then clean the lens using a circular motion, making little circles starting from the center of the lens and working outward in a progressively larger circle.

After cleaning the lens with the leans cleaning solution, then with a dry piece of tissue repeat the same circular pattern to polish the lens off. If you’re using microfiber lens cloth use the same technique: Clean with a small amount of lens cleaning solution on the cloth, then polish with a dry cloth.

Cleaning the sensor in the camera is a little bit trickier, but certainly not beyond your ability!All you need is a proper sensor cleaning tool. You can find these sensor cleaning brushes online at several outlets. The one I use is called “Brush Off”, and costs less than $20. If you only use it once you’ll save a bunch of money over taking or sending your camera out to have the sensor cleaned!

(What do you know…I found something to photograph!) The instructions are on the box, and it’s really quite simple. There’s a procedure to insure that the cleaning brush is really clean before you use it for the first time, and that’s simply wiping the brush on a cleaning pad supplied with the kit, and then sticking the grounding wire into the back end of the wand, then touching the alligator clip on the other end of the wire to something that is grounded. Or just stick it into the ground part of a wall outlet.

Then to clean the sensor of your camera, take the lens off, set the mirror to the lockup position, then carefully wipe the cleaning brush across the sensor slowly once or twice in the same direction, unlock the mirror, put the lens back on, and you’re done.

This is not a routine maintenance thing to do in the same way as cleaning your lens. Rather it’s a procedure to do when you notice a spot that shows up on all your photographs in the same location on the photographs. That’s an indication that you have dust on the sensor, and you want to remove it. Otherwise, leave it alone.

That’s all for now. Keeping your photography gear clean and ready! Your Photo Coach

Your Photo Coach on Available Light Photography

Posted on February 14, 2013 by SPCII

It’s been quite a while since I’ve done any Available Light Portrait Photography! However for the past two weeks I’ve been blessed to have my daughter and her family with me, so while showing them around our island home I took the opportunity to create some available light (only) photographs for portraits.

Because of my personal preference, and because I’m so used to it by now, I would have preferred to bring along my whole location gear bag including Speedlights and light stands, but for expediency and in favor of traveling light, I didn’t. For most of our sightseeing trips I brought only one camera and one lens, my 18~125mm F3.5~4.5 zoom lens.

Before we ever got started touring I had a chance to photograph my little granddaughter goofing off in our front yard.

At the moment of this photograph the sun was bright overhead and I had set my camera to ISO 100, F11 at 1/250th of a second, which was fast enough to stop her motion. Because of the camera angle the grass was her background and was getting the exact same amount of light as Emma. As a result the entire scene was evenly lit.

At this moment while the sun was still out, there were a lot of clouds overhead in the background, which made for a bright gray sky. So I moved Emma to an area where the background would be full of elements other than the gray sky, and would still have about the same exposure. Still at ISO 100, I set the camera to F5.6 and 1/160th. When the clouds move in front of the sun they act like a huge softbox, and cut back on the amount of light and therefore the exposure.

I can’t get enough of seeing my daughter, so I brought my Nikon D70s to the golf course to capture her perfect golf form…

Here you can see that the sun is bright and full on Jasmine giving me an exposure of F6.3 at 1/200th of a second and ISO 100. The grass in the background is the same exposure while the trees in the near background are darker providing contrast to the image. In this case the sun is to my back so Jasmine is well lit. However if the sun were in front of me, on the far side of Jasmine, her face would be in shadow making for an exposure that would either leave her in dark shadow, or make the background way over exposed.

Here’s an example where the background is over exposed because it is so much brighter than the light on the subjects. It was an overcast sky, so the difference in exposure wasn’t as great as it might have been otherwise. As a result the mountains in the background are still quite visible, but you can see that the sky is fairly “blown out”. The exposure here was ISO 400, F7.1 and 1/100th of a second.

Here the sun is behind me with a cloud acting as a softbox. So while the sun is shining into their faces, which is generally a BAD idea for portraits, because of the cloud “softbox” it wasn’t too harsh in their eyes, and again the exposure was equal on the subjects as well as the background. The exposure here was ISO 400, F8 and 1/160th of a second.

Now here’s what I call the ideal available light portrait scene.

Here you can see that what we have is an area of “open shade”. The sky was quite overcast, and Jasmine is under the shade of trees, but you can still see the direction of the light; coming in on her from camera left, (Jasmine’s right). The combination of open shade and the giant cloud softbox creates very soft shadows, but still enough to create “modeling” of the facial features. And the background is fairly evenly lit with some contrast to set off the highlights of Jasmine’s face, and the darkness of her hair. The combination of elements creates a very pleasing portrait lighting as well as sufficient contrast to make the subject stand out from the background. Exposure was ISO 400, F8 at 1/125th of a second.

For portraits in available light without added light, you can see that the ideal situation is in an area of open shade, or with cloud cover to soften the sun and the shadows. The composition will eliminate background that has a significantly different exposure than the subject. Basically what is desired is soft, even light. And remember, the only thing that matters is what is in the viewfinder!

Now as for landscape photography, again, even lighting over all the area in the composition. Of course there needs to be some contrast or it’ll look flat. Here’s an example of a landscape made by combining 3 different exposures of the exact same image. One exposure made at the “correct” exposure for the overall scene, one at one F stop over exposed, and one at one F stop underexposed. I didn’t have a tripod with me, so I braced the camera on the window frame of the vehicle we were in, and very carefully made the 3 exposures. Not changing the F stop, because that would change the depth perspective, but rather changing the shutter speed to achieve the under and over exposures.

The 3 exposures were then combined in a program called Photomatix, which is specifically for HDR photography. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range, which refers to the range of exposure. The human eye is able to see detail in highlights and shadows at the same time much much better than digital sensors can. (Or film…) So by combining 3 exposures as I explained here, the result is far closer to what we see with our eyes.

I hope this has proved to be instructional and will help you with your available light photography!
~Your Photo Coach.

Unlock Your Hidden Talent…Get Paid For Your Photos

Posted on January 22, 2013 by SPCII

Do you have hidden talent? Perhaps YOU Can get PAID for your Photos!

I’m taking a little different tack here, but I think you’ll be interested in this idea of getting paid for your photographs and artwork. So I’ve looked at a couple programs that can help you on your way, and I’ve borrowed this article to get you thinking about what might be possible for you. At the end of the article you will be invited to check out a website that offers a helpful program to get you on your way to profiting from your photography. Here it is…

If you have the passion or the skills for taking good photos and even have a collection of pretty pictures on your library, then why don’t you turn all of them into cash? You can get paid for your photos only if you have all the resources needed such as digital camera, editing software and of course your Internet access. Translate your hobby into cash… Have fun and gain profits at the same time!

As the downturn of global economy persists and job losses continue to increase, more and more people are looking for additional ways to earn a living. Most are turning their attention to the Internet to try and find their niche so they can get paid for their skills and talents. Some of the most common offers are web designers, graphic artists and photographers. Or maybe you’re fond of baking, candle- making and other interesting hobbies that you think could be your living wage. Sure, those nifty unused artsy talents and leisure pursuits could be your income generating projects. Simply get that digital camera out, have your Internet connection and squeeze that creative juice out of your brain cells— and start to make money now!

Get paid for your photos through submitting your artwork over the Internet. You can begin to move to this industry since many job markets are turning into online businesses. Don’t miss this opportunity.

Selling your photos or designs is an ideal way to get some money coming in if you’re looking for freelance art work while starting to create your niche in the virtual world. This is a great opportunity to have an artist job or career without spending money since there are online programs for artists and photographers where you can get paid for your photos, all you have to do is upload them and wait as people and businesses repeatedly download your artwork.

If you’re serious to find your niche in the cyber environment and passionate about your work of art, worry no more… There are many people and companies who are in need of photos and service you can provide. Insurance companies, web developers, Ebay sellers, E-books and magazines and Internet marketers are a few examples of where you can share your talent and be paid. All you have to do is a little research and watch training videos that can show you how to make a good income from your photos and artwork.

Check what photos are marketable and in demand. You should take a little more time and effort doing research on what kinds of photos are saleable and this will give you an advantage. In fact, if you get to the right market which is reliant on your photos and you understand which photos are suitable for your client’s demand, then surely you could convert them into cash.

Take high- quality pictures for your target market to download and they will pay you for your photos. Find appropriate editing software that can help improve your work. Nothing beats original good quality photos of your client’s preference.

Learn how to submit your masterpieces online and get paid for your photos. It is a good idea to browse some stock photo websites and aim to sell via those popular sites that could pay you the most.

Millions of people globally are gifted artists and photographers. You don’t have to be Picasso or Ansel Adams in order to earn tons of dollars. Those photos, sketches, PowerPoint, paintings or images found online that just took your breath away could be one of those images or drawings created by someone just like you or someone you knew.. If you’re one of those that are capable of creating such magnificent images, don’t you think you should get paid for your photos?

Market yourself and images to others online. Earn money from your art, just do your groundwork. Click the link below for a site that can help you do just that. Take first-rate photos and earn money worthy of that tour de force of yours. Unlock your hidden talents… Get paid for your photos.

Click Here To Visit Official Site!

TableTop Product Photography on White Backdrop

Posted on January 18, 2013 by SPCII

Today I have a tutorial video for you showing just how easy it is to set up a little TableTop Product Photography Studio! This session shows how to photograph products on a white backdrop using Flash for lighting. However the same techniques can be employed using Hot Lights as discussed in a previous post, and with different colored backdrops as well.

This is very simple and requires very little space. Neither does it require a big outlay of cash to get the materials needed. In my case I’m using Sky Port remote triggers for the flash units, but any remote triggers may be used. And of course with Hot Lights, no remote trigger is needed at all.

This simple TableTop Product Photography Studio can make a BIG difference in the perception of your products or items that you want to sell online. The white backdrop makes the product stand out clearly, and it makes for a professional looking image. All of which makes the items for sale appear more desirable, and you, the seller, more reliable and professional.

You’ll notice that I’ve set up this demonstration in my home gym/ Portrait Post-Production area, and the table I use has fold up legs, so when it’s not in use, I simply fold the legs up and stand the table against the wall where it takes up virtually no space at all.

I hope this tutorial is helpful to you. Go ahead and post a comment and let me know what you think, or ask a question. Tabletop Product photography can be simple and easy!

Table-Top Product Photography Tips

Posted on January 1, 2013 by SPCII

First of all, make sure the lens you are using is clean, and you are getting a good exposure when you make your photograph! A dirty lens can obscure details, and lower contrast in your images. And make sure the product is well lit, so you can 1) see it clearly, and 2) you can get a good exposure without having to use a slow shutter speed.

You should definitely be using a good, sturdy tripod for your product photography. You want to get full shots of your product, but you may also want to get close-up shots to focus on the details. And I mean getting the camera lens as close as you can focus to the product, and getting close up detail shots.

Now for lighting your product. Lighting for Table-top product photography is different for different products. When we’re talking about products where texture and shapes are important, such as lei or textured materials, I recommend not using the on-camera flash. Instead, I suggest you get some lamps that you can change the direction of their light output. You can buy clamp-on light fixtures with reflectors at a hardware store inexpensively, and they work fine for this. Alternately you can use flash units on light stands and remote triggers such as Pocket Wizards or Sky Ports, but these clamp-on “hot lights” are less expensive and you can see the light before making the photographs, and adjust as needed.

You are best off buying light bulbs that are made for photography. You can get them either at a local camera store, or online. But the main thing is that all your lights are the same kind, and wattage. Your digital camera has an automatic “white balance”, and will figure out the light you use as long as there is only one type of light in use.

I recommend using two lamps. Position one a few feet above the product, and slightly in front, (on the camera side), pointed down at the product. This will light it, and the texture will cast a very slight edge of shadow defining the details. Place the second light to one side a couple feet away. This light should be level with the product, and also just slightly to the front. This will add highlights and more detail.

Play with the placement of the lights within parameters described above, and make several photographs. Change the camera position a little higher, a little lower, and see what looks best. And place your product on a clean, solid color surface.

Next we’ll talk about making product photographs on a white background using Flash units.

Ask questions. That’s what I’m here for!
Your Photo Coach

Show Off Your Photographs To The World!

Posted on December 31, 2012 by SPCII

You’ve been creating photographs for however long now, and you’ve created some beauties…Show them off to the world!

You may or may not know just how easy and inexpensive it is to create your own website. I’ve been doing it the hard way for many years now, (since 1999), but you don’t need to go that route!

Since the beginning (for me) I’ve been getting my Domain Names and website Hosting from GoDaddy.com. I can tell you that in the 13 – 14 years I’ve been working with GoDaddy my websites have never to my knowledge been off-line due to problems with GoDaddy. And their customer service is available 24/7 all year long.

The reason I’ve always done it “the hard way” is because I didn’t want to hire a website designer or service like that. So I made myself learn what I had to know about Dreamweaver and created my own sites. (Now I’m using WordPress and starting a new learning curve…But that’s another story). Here’s what I’ve just learned…GoDaddy has a website builder program that you can use to create your own custom website, and it’s as simple as drag and drop! (Now they tell me!…Actually I guess they’ve had that option available for quite a while…I just never noticed.)

And now days with all the wonderful capabilities of mobile devices, having a website where your photographs are on display is like having your portfolio in your hand! Of course anyone in the world can go online and view your photographs on your site on their own, but you can also show them off (and your website) by connecting to your website via your phone or iPad, Tablet, etc. Plus having a website of your own gives you the advantage of being able to direct people to go to your site to view your photographs by putting the web address (URL) on your calling card, your emails, etc etc.

Having a website is particularly useful when you have a business, or to get a business started, but it’s also a terrific way to share your art with family, friends and the world!

You can get your Domain Name, (name for your website address), and Website Hosting at the lowest price, (believe me I’ve shopped around), and with the best service I’ve experienced anywhere at GoDaddy. Because I’m so happy with the products and service, I can wholeheartedly recommend them, and have provided a link to them for you here on the right side of the page. Check it out and see for yourself how easy and inexpensive it is to have your own website and show off your photographs to the world!

May 2012 be the best year ever for you!
~ Your Photo Coach