My Photo; My Comment.

Something soft & sexy, something mean and something in-between

Most every time I work with a new model I get asked the same question: What should I bring to wear?

There is no doubt that clothing, makeup and the ability to ‘strike a pose’ are important to a successful portrait/modeling session. However, the most essential asset a model can bring to the studio or location is the ability to interact with the camera.

My job at a shoot is to make them look as best I am able given my limited skills with lighting and equipment. I cannot, however, do it alone. You have seen that cell phone snapshot that drew you in; you have also seen a professional portrait that, although technically sound, just leaves you feeling that something misfired. A model must have an understanding they are not trying to tease/seduce/influence me as the photographer: They must make the connection with the viewer of the photograph.

They must make the connection with the viewer of the photograph.

My answer to the outfit question: Bring something soft & sexy, something mean and something in-between.

Young girls and tattoos

I have photographed many young females with massive tattoo displays recently. Most all of them were strikingly colorful; both the young lady and her tattoos. They have held all sorts of jobs, been from various backgrounds and nearly all under 21.

Examples: Nathalie and Emily.

The young never see themselves growing old or their bodies wearing out and loosing its youthful firmness. Although I do not have tattoos, almost got inked one night in Army boot camp back in ’72 though, I can understand one, two or a few tats to mark an occasion, person or event. To have massive, highly visible sleeves at 18 or 19 is not looking beyond the rebellious moment of youthful freedom.

I did encounter a young woman about 2 years ago, she was in her late twenties, who realized life, to include her body, moves on. She asked if I would photograph her tattoos, after a short discussion we agreed on date, time and place. During the session she explained to me her body was ‘failing her’, her words and she wanted to memorialize them as her body is now and not as her children and grandkids would eventually see them.

I am not against tattoos, I enjoy the photographic challenge of lighting them and posing the model to achieve the best effect. I never mention my thoughts about the years to come and how I have learned life and bodies change. I simply take the photographs for their grandkids.

Incoming search terms:

army tattoos for girls

Using the Nikon Creative Lighting System

This photograph was taken using a Nikon D-300, the Nikkor 28-70 f2.8 and 2 SB800s. One SB800 was placed high picture right behind Emily the other was hand held slightly high picture left above her head. Although I have the equipment to mount the flashes to either an umbrella or softbox, this session was done with only the Nikon defusser on one of the strobes.

I am becoming a real fan of the Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS) and the ability to control the SB-800s using the Commander mode on the D300. I’ve now used them in studio sessions as fill or hair lights, outdoors from as far as 30 feet away or the sole source of light as in this photograph.

The two cautions when using the system is to remember to have the sensor facing toward the camera and don’t step to far in front of the flashes. I spent nearly 10 minutes on one outdoor shoot trying to figure out why the flash wouldn’t fire, gave up and realized, the next day, that I had the IR receiver facing away from the camera.

CLS is a great tool, take the time to learn it.

Read about us being hassled by the Park Rangers in Washington, DC during this shoot.

Also see Damien Franco’s expansion of my photo tip about Seeing the Shadows over at www.yourphototips.com.

In praise of the mature model

There is something I love about a mature woman. Their sense of presence, their no bullshit approach to life in general and men in particular.

Diane was simply a joy to work with yesterday. A classy woman with ideas about classic poses. Her eyes shared a lifetime of glances, sultry come-ons and femaleness in just the couple of hours we worked together.

The Carnival

The Carnival Hot Dog Stand

A few months ago it was the Carnival season in North Texas. I went out one evening with my trusty D300 and tripod. The intent was to do some motion photographs, ya know, blurred images of the ferris wheels and such. I got those alright but found it an interesting experience to spend time with the folks working the booths.

The carnies were friendly, curious and very willing to talk about their lives. There was a run-a-way and a fella who had a master’s degree in business running a snack stand. He said he’d had it with the pressures of ‘the real world’.

I can relate.

West Germany in the early 1970s

I was stationed at Dolan Barracks in Schwäbisch Hall, West Germany with the US Army. This is where my interest in photography began.

Photos scanned from self developed prints made during the time they were taken. Pentex Spotmatic and Spotmatic F.

Thank you Herr Ritter.

August 2008:

One thing about this WordPress blogging software; it logs the search terms people used to find my blog. I have been amazed by the number of searches for Dolan Barracks and/or Schwäbisch Hall. There have been a lot of us.

So, if you were stationed there; how about leaving a comment with the dates and unit?

Added: John Hill was kind enough to send along a few of his photographs from his time at Schwab Hall; thanks John.

The construction of an air force base by the Germans at Hessental was started in 1934. During the war it was garrisoned with bomber and night fighter squadrons. Dolan Barracks at Schwäbisch Hall was closed by the US Army on 30 September 1993.

If you were stationed at Dolan Barracks and would like to contribute please contact me.

Shooting tethered in the studio

Although I have had the equipment to do it I have only recently started to shoot tethered while working the the studio, I like it.

My equipment/software list:

Nikon D700
Lens as needed
Dell 13″ Studio_XPS
500 gb external HD
15′ USB cable
Gitzo 1258 Tripod
ProLine GMS80A Conductor Sheet Music Stand
Nikon Camera Control Pro 2
- * Just bought TetherPro
And of course the studio light gear

So here is the basic setup: Simple and useful.

Tethered setup overview

The above image is from a catalog shoot I did for Jane Burch, see “The Transformation” article.

Tethered shooting allows me to view the images in real time on a 13 inch calibrated monitor, allows me to zoom into the images to check focus and detail.

: 13 inch image view

I rarely show the monitor to the model, unless I need to show them something specific – good or bad. I do, however, encourage the client, in this case the MUA, to review and comment as the photographs are taken to ensure they are getting what they want and need.

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Client reviewing images as

I don’t know if it’s the same with Canon equipment but Nikon software places the images onto the computer’s hard-drive not the CF card. I do not edit, much, on the laptop so I have the download directory on an external hard-drive for easy transfer to my desktop editing machine.

A final image

While this setup isn’t exactly ‘high end’ it works well for my needs.

A specials thanks to Tom Thompson for the behind the scenes shots.

The versatility of the AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 G ED

I was talking to a few photographers the other day and was asked what was my favorite lens to use in studio portraits sessions. I really wanted to say something cool like “My AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 IF-D is my best lens.”

Nikon D700 - Exposure 1/200 - Aperture f/13.0 - Focal Length 70 mm - ISO 200

Nikon D700 - Exposure 1/160 - Aperture f/20.0 - Focal Length 55 mm - ISO 200

Nikon D700 - Exposure 1/250 - Aperture f/8.0 - Focal Length 24 mm - ISO Speed 200

But the truth is on my D700, I really appreciate the versatility of the AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 G ED in the studio.

What’s your favorite studio lens?

The iPad and photography: Tool, toy or prop?

I had offered to loan/help another photographer with a project involving the iPad. Of course in order to help him incorporate the iPad into his assignment I had to figure out how to make it work – so off to the studio to do some testing.

I have found the iPad to be much more useful than I had expected in my photography work. I use several Photo apps now at most every session.

So, for you is the iPad use in your photography a tool, toy or prop?

Come join the Flickr group and show your stuff: Flicker iPad and Photography Group

Using Depth of Field Demostration in Portraits: CLS works with you

During a recent Strobist meetup I was doing a boudoir demonstration to show dramatic lighting using speedlights. I was shooting tethered and projecting the resulting images. 97.3% of the time I let Nikon tell/show me how it sees the scene first and how it thinks it should be lit. I almost always make adjustments to the resulting mechanically conjured lighting.

See setup photo here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/byrkdauph/4613328383/in/set-72157621832784087/

As I was changing the lens from the Nikkor 24-70 2.8 to the Nikkor 85 1.4 I was asked if I ever used the largest aperture for portraits. The three images were shot in front of the group to demonstrate how to use depth of field to change the tone or focus withing a portrait.

The top image was taken at f/16
The middle one at f/5.6
The bottom at f1.4

The effect is dramatic but I’d like to point out another aspect of the photos that I failed to highlight for the group. I was showing the effect of change f /stops and did not adjust the speedlights throughout the large aperture changes for the DOF demo.

I had adjusted them to get the lighting I wanted in the beginning as stated above but not after making the f/stop adjustments. Nikon’s CLS system adjusted – on the fly- the power outputs of three speedlights for the entire range of lens - f/1.4 through f/16 with NO adjustments from me.

Had I been shooting manual I would have spent easily 3 or 4 times the effort to show something that took me literally less than 5 minutes using the CLS.

I love the Nikon CLS system.

More photos from the session here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/byrkdauph/sets/72157623950994863/detail/

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