Videos – Page 6 – Gavtrain.com

5 in 1 Reflector – Home Studio Essentials – Episode 4

There’s 1000’s of photographic gadgets, gizmos and accessories that you can spend your hard earned money on and whilst many are utterly useless, there are a few that are indispensable. Towards the top of my list of “must have” accessories is the 5 in 1 reflector.

A five in one reflector is so called because it has five surfaces. There’s the white and silver surfaces for bouncing light, a gold side for adding adding warm light (and usually best avoided), a black surface to block light and a translucent surface to diffuse light. Best of all it’s one of the least expensive bits of kit you can buy.

In this video I use the silver surface to bounce light and fill in troublesome shadows. In this case the shadows are caused by a wide brimmed hat. One way would be to add a second light but if that’s not available a reflector can fill in very nicely… and yes, that pun was intended!

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYQh9MNC3Is&list=PL821B7D720DEA39FA[/youtube]

Gear used in this video (Links back to Adorama)

Flashpoint StreakLight 360 Ws Creative Collection (Includes flash, battery, trigger, boom etc)

Westcott Apollo Orb Softbox

Westcott Basics 5 in 1 reflector

Canon 5D Mark 2

Canon 24-105L

If like me you like to keep a visual record of you’re lighting set ups then this image should come in very handy.

The Softbox – Home Studio Essentials – Episode 3

There’s a reason why the softbox is my “go to” light modifier in my small home studio and it’s all to do with one of the biggest challenges photographers face when shooting in small spaces. With lots of wall close to the light source small studios can become one big reflector with light bouncing all over the place. Whilst that can be great for evenly lit shots it’s a disaster if you want moody lighting or even just basic control of the light direction. Softboxes like the Westcott Apollo Orb I’m using for this shoot, focus the light forward and cut out light spilling behind and to the sides. The upshot is beautiful soft light that has direction even in a small studio.

In this video I use 1 meter wide round softbox to give just the right amount of light on the model to achieve the effect I want. Of course in the real world of studio portraits getting the light right never happens first time so run through a couple of different light positions to see what works as well as cover the Photoshop processing to enhance the vintage feel.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0MTQFYnvQA&list=UU8Pksdbj37CdE00kmE7Z1dw[/youtube]

For this series of videos I want you to do more then just watch it, I’m hoping you’ll get your camera and take a photo based on the ideas you see in the video. That might be the lighting set up, the models pose or the Photoshop post processing. If you do (and you’re on Facebook) then please add them to Adorama’s Facebook page. I’ll be checking it regularly and giving constructive feedback on as many as possible

Gear used in this video (Links back to Adorama)

Flashpoint StreakLight 360 Ws Creative Collection (Includes flash, battery, trigger, boom etc)

Westcott Apollo Orb Softbox

Canon 5D Mark 2

Canon 24-105L

If like me you like to keep a visual record of you’re lighting set ups then this image should come in very handy.

Home Studio Essentials – Episode 2

Speedlites and flash units are great but after a while the hard light they produce can become a bit limiting. In part 1 of my home studio essential skills I used a bare flash but now it’s time to add an umbrella. It’s almost certainly the first light modifier you’ll buy and for good reason. They’re very versatile, quick to set up and fold down nice and small which makes them perfect for mobile and small home studio set ups.

Umbrellas come in two basic types, ones you bounce light into (reflective) and translucent umbrellas that you shoot light through. Whichever you use they soften the light by increasing the size of the light relative to the size of the subject. In other words, the bigger the umbrella the softer the light and the closer you get it to your subject the softer the light.

In this video I use a shoot through umbrella to create two very different looks. The first is a moody low key shot but it’s the second, more evenly lit shot that I love and it took lots of balls to make… about 50 colourful plastic balls to be precise!

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur58XNQwMXA&list=UU8Pksdbj37CdE00kmE7Z1dw[/youtube]

Gear used in this video (Links back to Adorama)

Flashpoint StreakLight 360 Ws Creative Collection (Includes flash, battery, trigger, boom etc)

Canon 5D Mark 2

Canon 24-105L

If like me you like to keep a visual record of you’re lighting set ups then this image should come in very handy.

Home Studio Essentials – Episode 1

Very few photographers have access to a professional studio but lots of us enjoy shooting portraits and so all over the world spare bedrooms, garages and front rooms are regularly converted from their intended use into makeshift small studios.

These small spaces can produce stunning photos but they come with their own unique set of problems and challenges. More often then not the home studio photographer may also feel restricted by owning a small range of lighting gear and using friends or family as models but truth be told that’s not the handicap it might at first appear.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR4DW7dXOsk&list=UU8Pksdbj37CdE00kmE7Z1dw[/youtube]

This is the first of a mini series of videos I’ve made for Adorama TV in which I work within the limitations of a small home studio. Over the coming weeks I’ll be dealing with the challenge of controlling light in a small space, working with amateur models and in this video, shooting without light modifiers.

Gear used in this video (Links back to Adorama)

Flashpoint StreakLight 360 Ws Creative Collection (Includes flash, battery, trigger, boom etc)

Canon 5D Mark 2

Canon 24-105L

Frio Cold Shoe

Black rapid RS-7 Strap

If like me you like to keep a visual record of you’re lighting set ups then this image should come in very handy.

Manhattan 15 Minute Photo Challenge

So here it is, the last video from a my short visit to New York. Actually this was the first video I made whilst out there but for reasons that are a bit of a mystery to me, this has only just been uploaded to Adorama TV.

The location for this 15 minute photo challenge was Madison Square Park (23rd and 5th) which has the iconic Flatiron building at one end. It’s just a few blocks away from the Adorama store, so when myself and Claude (Adorama’s brilliant video guy) found ourselves surplus to requirements during the set up for my Adorama TV Live workshop, we took the opportunity to shoot a 15 minute challenge video.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEuDnBH7jQI&list=UU8Pksdbj37CdE00kmE7Z1dw[/youtube]
Can’t see the video? Click here http://youtu.be/xEuDnBH7jQI

Equipment used in this video (Links to Adorama)

Canon 60D

Canon 24-105L

Black Rapid Curve (RS-7) Strap

How to make a DSLR time-laspe

A few years ago I made a video about shooting a time-lapse sequence with a DSLR and then making a video from the images. Most of the information is still as valid today as it was in 2011 but it’s amazing haw fast technology changes the way we shoot and edit. Back then very few cameras had a built in intervalometer and you needed a custom made slideshow preset for Lightroom if you wanted to create the time-lapse video in your photo editing software.

Skip forward 3 years and although my Canon DSLR’s still don’t have timelaspse out of the box I can use my smart phone to control my camera and take the photos. Plus Photoshop CS6 and CC can both create video from stills in just a few clicks of the mouse.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5Bwpm8_5XM[/youtube]
Can’t see the video? Click here http://youtu.be/J5Bwpm8_5XM

Equipment used in this video (Links to Adorama)

Canon 60D

Sigma 10mm-20mm

ioShutter release cable

Vanguard 284 CB100 Tripod

Walking Brooklyn Bridge

It’s been just over two months since I made a flying visit to New York and the third of my four videos from the visit has recently been released by Adorama. This time I take a walk around and part way across the iconic Brooklyn Bridge to see what photographs I can find.

To say the weather was cold is an understatement, in fact just a few hours earlier it had been snowing. Fortunately the weather cleared, the sun came out and the opportunity to visit the bridge was one I couldn’t resist.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLsKdJIsHT8&list=UU8Pksdbj37CdE00kmE7Z1dw[/youtube]
Can’t see the video? Click here http://youtu.be/PLsKdJIsHT8

I have to say a huge thank you to Claude, Adorama’s video guy. It was thanks to his local knowledge and ability to work in sub zero temperatures that made this video possible.

Equipment used in this video (Links to Adorama)

Canon 60D http://www.adorama.com/ICA60D.html?KBID=67338

Sigma 10mm-20mm http://www.adorama.com/SG1020EOS.html?KBID=67338

How to shoot through windows without reflections

Earlier this year I made my first ever visit to New York and one of the things I put on my “to do” list was capture some great shots of the New York skyline. Wih that in mind I spent a long time researching hotels that had great views. Now there’s no shortage of hotels in New York and some of them have unbelievable views which come at a sky high price but eventually I settled on the Yotel Times Square. I paid a few dollars extra for a room towards the top of the hotel and sure enough the view from the 22nd floor was stunning.

Like all modern hotels the Yotel came with lovely big windows which gave a great view but horrible reflections. Fortunately reducing the reflections and even getting rid of them completely isn’t too difficult, especially if you follow my simple steps in the video below.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3q6aIBc_cc&list=PLwm6LvGc5xq3_BqxMpqpGyxYdJJMQE1mM[/youtube]
Can’t see the video? Click here http://youtu.be/b3q6aIBc_cc

The daytime view was always beautiful but just after the sunset it became amazing, especially with the huge purple neon “Yotel” sign which reflected off the surrounding buildings. The only regret I have is that the view from the rooms on the other side of the Yotel were potentially even better… and that sounds like a good reason to return to me.

Equipment used in this video (Links to Adorama)

Canon 60D http://www.adorama.com/ICA60D.html?KBID=67338

Sigma 10mm-20mm http://www.adorama.com/SG1020EOS.html?KBID=67338

Vanguard 284CB100 Tripod http://www.adorama.com/VGALTA284CB.html ?KBID=67338

Adorama TV LIVE!

It’s been a busy few weeks for me with trade shows and travel filling my diary. Top of the list was a flying visit to the Adorama store in New York, a city like no other!

I’ve never been to New York before but of course I’ve seen it many times before. I’ve seen it in Hollywood movies, I’ve seen it in music videos and I’ve seen photos taken by other photographers but nothing compares to actually being there… I absolutely loved it!

The main reason for the visit was both to meet the amazing people who work at Adorama and to talk to the brave group of photographers who endured the freezing New York weather to spend a few hours with me. If you were there I’d like to thank you for making me feel so welcome.

The Adorama team wanted to share the event with those that couldn’t attend in person and so they organised a live stream.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HVBEk2fI5E&feature=share&t=7m11s[/youtube]
The video above is about 90 minutes long and is a recording of my lighting demo on how to get the best from just one light. You can skip the first 7 minutes as they are blank!

Not having done live streaming before there were a few technical glitches, particularly with the audio but that aside the video contains 90 minutes of amazing tips.

My model is an Adorama employee called Damian who excelled himself by being amazingly patient and a total pleasure to work with. All the photos you can see in the post are the actual shots taken during the Live Stream.

I’d like to say a huge thank you to Adorama for making the event happen, particularly to the team who worked tirelessly before, during and after the live event. I won’t embarrass them by naming them directly but they know who they are and I’m hugely grateful for all that they did.

A Splash of Lemon

Winter round these parts usually means short days, long nights and inclement weather which makes for a tough time for us photographers. So here’s a photo project that you can take at any time and whatever the weather.

The technique makes use of a single flash to freeze the moment a slice of lemon splashes into a glass of water. No flash? Well you might be able to do this with a super bright light but to hit the really fast shutter speeds needed to freeze the action you’ll need to bump up your ISO and open up the aperture. Flash really is the way to go as you’ll get sharper shots with a bigger depth of field and be able to use a nice low ISO.

I’m using glass “ice cubes” real ones are fine but they will float. So either pack them in tight or use a bigger, heavier piece of lemon (other fruit slices can be used too). Alternatively lose the ice and use fizzy water, the idea is simply to put some texture in the glass and how you do that is up to you.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/9GxRwBxc8-8[/youtube]

Equipment used in this video (Links to Adorama)

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom V5 Software, Windows and Mac OS

Canon EOS 60D Digital SLR Camera

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM AutoFocus Wide Angle Telephoto Zoom Lens

Enlight photo Frio Universal Locking Cold Shoe V2

Canon RS-60 E3 Remote Switch (2′) for Canon Sub-Mini (E3)

Flashpoint Universal Swivel Holder -Umbrella holder

Vanguard Alta Pro 284 Carbon Tripod with SBH-100 Ball Head

Flashpoint 6.5′ Black Lightstand, 5/8″ Top Stud

Flashpoint 40×60″ Collapsible Disc Background