Videos – Page 4 – Gavtrain.com

Ambient vs Flash for location portraits

When it comes to shooting portraits on location I know many photographers who love to make best use of the ambient light. I also know lots of photographers who wouldn’t dream of shooting on location without flash. Although I prefer flash, I’m very happy to work with ambient light if it does what I need. If you’re undecided about moving to flash or perfecting your ambient shooting techniques then this video should answer a few questions.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXA-vsOm-mk[/youtube]

I must thank the Gatwick Aviation Museum for the use of their location and the loan of the pilots outfit. Part of the reason for the look and location in these shots was to test out the venue and one of the outfits for my big Aviation Apocalypse workshop. Judging by what we learned on this shoot, the workshops are shaping up to be very exciting!

Flash

Ambient

Low Key Lighting

If you have a small or portable studio set up then low key portraits should be high on your list of “must have” lighting skills. Why? Apart from looking amazing, great low key lighting can be achieved with simple equipment against any dark background.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba1Hiq3w3kc&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

As the video above demonstrates, black backgrounds are the obvious choice for low key shots but grey backgrounds work too. So what makes a shot low key?

An underexposed image is not the same as a low key image. Whilst a true low key shot will have the majority of it’s tones on the dark side it will also have a few areas of highlights too. Contrast is key and that needs lighting but how you get there is all part of the creative process.

Creating shadows with D.I.Y. Gobos

Placing an object in front of a light source will usually cast a shadow of some sort. In the studio, if the object is solid it’s known as a flag but if it’s full of gaps (or semi translucent) it’s called a GoBo and can be incredibly useful. The shadow cast by a GoBo is often used to add texture or shapes to an otherwise plain background but there’s more to GoBo’s then that.

GoBo’s can cast shadows directly on to your subject for dramatic effects or they can be used to give reflections of the light source a little more style. And you don’t need a fancy GoBo projector to do it. Fabric, glassware, twigs or even tinfoil with random holes in are just a few things you can find around the house.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sBK4xFmF3Q&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

One last thought. Many photographers will tell you that GoBo is short for Go Between because it’s something that goes between the light and the subject. Well, if that’s true why aren’t they called GoBe’s?

Four looks, one grey background

Sometime back I made a textured wall for my studio which I love but the most important thing about it is the colour. If you can only choose one background for your small studio then for me it’s always going to be grey. Why? Because with a little bit of lateral thinking and lighting knowhow a grey background can be black, white, coloured or grey (obviously).

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIoWwx-elCE[/youtube]

Grey
This is the easiest to do. If you only have one light get your model as close to the grey background and shoot away. If you want a darker grey simply move the model and the light away from the background. For a lighter grey you’ll need at least one more light. Scroll down to “white” for more info.

Black
Black is basically a very dark tone of grey so to make the standard grey go black you can do one of two things. Either move the model or light as far from the background as possible or move the light as close to the model as possible. An egg crate grid over the light can be used to reduce light spilling onto the background.
In a small studio the latter way is how I go, it does mean that the softbox ends up in the shot but if you watch the video you’ll see my Photoshop / Lightroom trick to hide it.

Coloured
For this you’ll need at least one more light. The extra light(s) is placed behind the model and a coloured gel is fitted. The background colour is from the gel but also from the light output. A stronger background light will give brighter colours which can bounce off the background and onto the edges of your model in a small studio. A lower powered light will created a background with darker, richer colours. It’s all about balance and experimentation.

White
This is the toughest to nail. Adding more light onto the background from the rear light makes the background record as a lighter tone of grey. Add enough light and the grey will be white. Add too much light onto the background and you’ll lose detail on the model. You can find out my tips for balancing light to get the perfect white background in this video.

5 FAQ’s (and answers) about flash meters

If you shoot with flash you may well be aware that speedlights and (increasingly) studio strobes come in either manual or TTL versions. If you’re shooting weddings, events or any sort of running and gunning photography, TTL is brilliant but for me manual flash teamed with a flash meter is how I like to work in the studio.

If you’re thinking a flash meter might be what you need to improve the consistency of you shots or you already have a flash meter but aren’t sure on how to get started with it, then I’ve got you covered.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG4P-Odutr8[/youtube]

In the video above I cover the top 5 questions I hear from photographers and flash meters.

Can’t I just use my camera’s meter?
Do all flash meters work the same?
How do I trigger the flash and the meter?
Where do I point the meter?
Do I really need one?

My flash meter of choice is the Sekonic L-308S Flashmate. It’s about as basic as a handheld meter can be but it’s super reliable and excellent value for money. More information can be found over at Adorama http://www.adorama.com/SKL308SN.html?KBID=67338

Gavin vs Mark Portrait Challenge

A few weeks back I was honored to have Mark Wallace, my friend and fellow Adorama TV host, stop off at my studio for a couple of days. Mark has been travelling the world for the past 18 months or so and this was the first time in a long time that he’s been shooting in a studio.

Now you probably already know I love a photo challenge, so when Mark suggested a studio challenge I jumped at the chance.

The rules were simple. We’d both use the same studio, same single flash and photograph the same model. We set a 20 minute time limit to include planning and filming and would see each other’s shoot until the end.

Mark went first and you can see his video below.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2aEN6UUDYA[/youtube]

I love what Mark did with the simple lighting and subtle editing. I was also blown away by the quality for the Leica especially as Mark had been telling me it’s probably not a camera that you’d choose for studio portraits

Once Mark was through, I got my turn.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzQr3GTUrwg[/youtube]

It was great to try out an idea I had been thinking about for a while and as you can see, my image is totally different to Marks in almost every way. I went with a contrasty light, aggressive pose and bags of drama.

The “home advantage” really can’t be underplayed. Remember I was using my gear, a model I’ve worked with before and I had the props hanging around in my studio. Even so I think it says a lot about how the photographer adds to the image when two of us can come away with such different emotions from the same subject using the same light.

Most of all it was a huge amount of fun and that’s what photography should always be about!

Tips for Better Bokeh

Recently I shared a few of my bokeh shots as a Friday Freebie. Nice as they are, nothing beats shooting your own stock shots and luckily bokeh is easy to do. This time of year is also perfect for bokeh shots with many places covered in festive lights which makes brilliant bokeh.

In the video below I cover the basics of bokeh, what it is, how you can control it and some simple tips for getting some great photos with it.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zBfBDNyGpA[/youtube]

OK, so you’ve mastered bokeh and it’s time to go beyond basic bokeh. In part 2 of this mini series I dive a bit deeper by adding flash, doubling my bokeh count and changing the bokeh shape.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mXg7-Juvrc&feature=youtu.be&a=[/youtube]

Bokeh is brilliant fun to play with but remember it’s not just for Christmas, the basic principles can be applied year round on any shot that has small points of light in the background.

Photoshop vs Make-Up

If you’re shooting any kind of portrait, the value of good quality make-up can’t be underestimated. For example, editing time can be massively reduced in family photo shoots by applying a little powder to reduce shiny skin on men. More creative photo shoots often demand more elaborate make-up and whilst I always try and get things as good as possible in camera, I do enjoy a spot of Photoshop fun.

So I decided it put make-up and Photoshop head to head in a battle to see which was better. You can see the results in the video below.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUWY5jvCdG4[/youtube]

Photoshop
For a single photo, given enough time and skill it’s perfectly possible to create the effect of bruises. In fact using tools such as liquify I could create some pretty convincing swelling that make-up alone couldn’t do.

Of course the downside is I’d need to do this to every photo and there are plenty of make-up styles that would be far harder (if not impossible) to recreate in post-production.

Make-Up
Give the choice, this is the way to go. An experienced make-up artist will be able to create amazing looks and once applied the make-up is there shot after shot, after shot.

Of course there’s no reason why Photoshop and make-up can’t be combined and that has the potential to take your portrait photography to a whole new level.

5 Questions about flash meters

One of the very first lighting accessories I brought was a flash meter, in fact the same meter gets used and abused almost every time I use manual flash. I’ve used my handheld flash meter with speedlights and studio flashes of all makes, I use it in the studio and on location. Honestly, I couldn’t work without it.

If you’re thinking of getting your own flash meter or already own one but are not sure how to get the best from it the video below should help answer some of the most common quesions.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG4P-Odutr8[/youtube]

Not a video viewer? No problem, try this instead.

1 Can’t I just use my camera meter?
Nope, you’re camera meter is designed to work with continuous light and can’t react fast enough to meter flash. However you can use your cameras LCD to review the photos and adjust the flash power based on what you see. This trial and error approach is OK but does have its drawbacks… see the video for more on this.

2 Do all meters work the same?
Well, they all meter the light so at a basic level they’re all the same. In my case I simply set the meter to match my camera’s ISO and shutter speed and when the flash fires I can read off the aperture.

Of course there’s plenty of advanced flash meters around that have features that might make life a lot easier for you. Some meters can measure the amount of ambient contamination in your shot, others can figure out lighting ratios and there’s even some which have pocket wizard radio triggers built into the meter itself.

3 How do I fire the flash?
That largely depends on the flash meter. On my Sekonic L-308s I prime the meter by pressing a button on the side and then fire the flash by pressing the “test” button on either the flash or radio trigger.

Other firing options include attaching a PC Sync cable from the flash to the meter or as I previously mentioned, finding a meter that has a built in radio system (such as Pocket Wizard)

4 Where do I point the meter?
This is the question that usually sets off much debate among photographers. For me it’s always… Point the meter at the light, however as you’ll see in the video, if the light is mostly coming from the camera position, the same exposure is recorded by pointing the meter at either the flash or the camera.

One mistake a lot of photographers make is to place the meter in the shadow cast by the chin or by the models hair etc. It’s easy done, so if the meter is telling you something that feels wrong, move the meter and try again.

5 Do I really need one?
No, you can do the trial and error way of working and get very good exposures. However if you move or modify the light you’ll need to do the same work all over again.

A flash meter saves time on a shoot and gives you extra confidence in nailing the correct exposure. However it’s always worth remembering that correct exposure isn’t the same as perfect exposure so it’s a good idea to ignore the meter from time to time and get a little experimental with your shots.

Lastly there’s one more reason for using a flash meter and it has nothing to do with how it works… Just like shooting with a big camera, the untrained eye can equate using a flash meter to knowing what you’re doing. Now, whether that’s a good or bad thing I’ll leave up to you.

Smoke on location

It’s amazing how adding a little bit of smoke can completely alter the look of a portrait shoot and a few months back I made a little video showing how I use a smoke machine in my studio.

But with the long summer days and warm weather I love to get out of my home photo studio and into the great outdoors. Of course shooting portraits in the woods makes using an electric smoke machine a real challenge but I found an alternative that’s even better.

The smoke in the photo above comes from a small smoke bomb. Also called smoke grenades, it’s basically a firework without the explosion. I used smoke bombs from Enola Gaye which is a UK company that sells their non-toxic smoke granades around the world. You can get them online but if you head along to your nearest paint ball or airsoft park you should be able to pick them up fairly inexpensively and in smaller quantities.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f064pZ41Fz4[/youtube]

If you’re going to use smoke bombs in your photography, do so responsibly. I cover most of the important stuff in the video above but read the instructions on the smoke bombs before use. If nothing else follow the final bit of advice written on the side of every Enola Gaye smoke bomb… Don’t be a dick with this product.