photography – Page 9 – Gavtrain.com

Home Studio Essentials Episodes 1-10

If you’ve been watching my recent videos over on Adorama TV you’ll have noticed a pattern forming. Over the past months the majority of the videos have focused on shooting with flash in a small, home studio and judging by the feedback it seems to have gone down very well indeed. I think part of the reason for their popularity is the way each video builds on the previous skills learned, at least that was the idea I had when I originally planned them.

Gear is always a big part of photography but none of the videos need a specific brand of equipment to complete. I used my trusty Canon 5D2 and 24-105mm lens. My flash gear is supplied by Adorama and is their amazing Streaklight flashes. If you want to know more then you can read my review.

To save you digging through my blog / YouTube to find them all I’ve added them all here.

Episode1: One bare flash
[youtube]http://youtu.be/hR4DW7dXOsk[/youtube]
Episode 2: One flash with an umbrella
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur58XNQwMXA&list=PL821B7D720DEA39FA&index=11[/youtube]
Episode 3:One flash and a softbox
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0MTQFYnvQA&list=PL821B7D720DEA39FA&index=10[/youtube]
Episode 4: One flash and a reflector
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYQh9MNC3Is&list=PL821B7D720DEA39FA&index=9[/youtube]
Episode 5: Adding a second light
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcQg0cBncHs&list=PL821B7D720DEA39FA&index=7[/youtube]
Episode 6: Using honeycomb grids
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-C9xgTCLfM&list=PL821B7D720DEA39FA&index=6[/youtube]
Episode 7: Using coloured gels
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR0wu9Sy6GM&list=PL821B7D720DEA39FA&index=5[/youtube]
Episode 8: Getting a white background
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP4IixDOP5M&list=PL821B7D720DEA39FA&index=4[/youtube]
Episode 9: Softbox as a white background
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy0VZEhwtSU&list=PL821B7D720DEA39FA&index=3[/youtube]
Episode 10: Hair / seperation light
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaDUIqdQpPM&list=PL821B7D720DEA39FA&index=2[/youtube]

Using light to your advantage

Recently I recorded a series of short videos as part of the “Lovers of light” photography competition. In this clip I have a few words to say about the different types of light.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4uhpvMzN6g&list=PLtSaDsQ1Szx1KSX5cJ7b1BdAnK8fiZsca[/youtube]

There are three types of light in photography. Good light, bad light and no light. Being able to tell the first from the second isn’t as simple as you might think.

Good light:
What is classed as good light will vary depending on what you’re photographing. Great landscapes often come from strong directional light which casts long shadows. Portraits are best taken in soft, overcast light where shadows are few and far between.

Bad light:
Just like good light, what one photographer considers bad light might be perfect for another. Knowing what you shoot and when to shoot it is a skill that can be learned just like any other.

No Light:
Without light we don’t have any photos but with today’s digital cameras able to shot in extreme low light, it’s very rare to be left with no light at all. It’s all too easy to confuse the quantity of light with the quality of light, night time shots can be just as magical as day time photos.

Direction of light:
Where the sun is in relation to your camera can have a dramatic impact on the scene. The lower it is in the sky, the longer the shadows it casts.
Keeping the sun over your shoulder will make colours richer and shadows more pronounced.

Closing the lens aperture down to a big number (e.g. f/22) will give the sun a natural star burst effect.

Looking directly into the sun is dangerous for your eyes but with very careful use of your camera it can yield amazing results.NOTE: DSLR users should avoid looking at the sun through their viewfinders as it can damage your sight. Using “live view” is the way to go

Halloween Shoot

Last Friday was Halloween and I spent the evening taking some suitably spooky portraits. The location for the shoot was the recently opened Square 1 Studio near Dorking, an amazing place and one of the best studios I’ve used.

The evening was a free form event rather than a workshop with photographers popping in and out, sharing ideas and learning from each other. To that end I have to say a huge thank you to Andrew Dobell from Creative Edge who arranged for three models, a make-up artist and hairdresser to be on hand as well as a raft of props, all we had to do was supply the ideas

With around ten photographers moving between two shooting areas, there was lots of sharing of thoughts, tips and creative ideas. I also shared my Adorama Streaklights which once again proved their worth doing the whole three hour shoot and still having 2/3rd battery power left.

Below are a small selection of the photos. Click to enlarge… if you dare!

Pentax 645Z Hands On Experience

The last time I got to play with a medium format camera was a few years back at Hasselblad. Back then I loved the quality of the photos but found the experience of using the camera cumbersome compared to a DSLR.

Jump forward to late 2014, switch brands to Pentax and things have really changed for the better.

I got some hands on time with the Pentax 645Z thanks to a Park Cameras and Pentax/Ricoh offering a two hour group try-out session. Shooting time was limited and the style was a studio shoot run by my good friend Will Cheung. With that in mind please remember this isn’t a full on camera review.

First impressions
Coming from a Canon 5D2, the Pentax 645Z feels big and heavy but I’d expect nothing less. Once you get past the size it’s a great camera to hold and feels very DSLR in design.

The viewfinder was big, bright and brilliant to use and same could be said for the LCD screen on the back. In fact I swear some of the buttons and controls have been lifted from the Pentax DSLR range, they looked so familiar.

The first big surprise came when I popped my 32GB SD card into one of the two slots. Even though the card was empty I had just 219 available (RAW+JPG) photos before it was full. The Pentax packs a whopping 51.4 million pixel sensor with RAW files averaging out at around 65MB and JPG’s at 18MB each.

In Use
Using the Pentax 645Z was real pleasure, the shutter fired with a satisfying clunk and the photos appeared almost instantly on the LCD. Pentax made a big thing about the focusing system, with its 27 AF points 25 of which are cross type and so on. However in practice I found the focus slightly sluggish. Not sloooow but certainly not as fast as I’m used to. To be honest I can’t say if that’s just how it is with this camera or if it’s down to the 90mm lens I was using.

Those big files take time to write to the card. Fortunately I packed one of my fast SD cards that I use for capturing video but I noticed a couple of the other photographers were using standard SD cards. At the end of their session they needed to wait some time before the files had been written to the card and they could safely remove it.

Features
Pentax were really keen to talk up a few of the features that make the 645Z different from other medium format cameras. For example it can shoot at 3 frames per second, it’s weather sealed, it shoots video and it shoots at high ISO. I really wanted to test the last one so here’s a series of (JPG) photos starting at ISO6400 (Where my Canon 5D2 stops) right up to a jaw dropping and utterly useless ISO204800

It’s hardly a definitive test but from what I can see that’s probably one of the best high ISO performances I’ve ever seen.

Reviewing the photos
So the big question is how did the photos look? In a word they were… detailed!

We only got the chance to shoot portraits but when I viewed at 1 to 1 in Lightroom every little blemish, imperfection and detail could be seen. That level of detail is perfect for many photographers needs but for my portraits it would mean a little more retouching might be required!

Yes the sensor has lots of pixels but it’s also big in size at 43.8mmx32.8mm. The bigger the physical size of the sensor the shallower the depth of field and when reviewing my photos I could see that my usual f/8 was giving me a noticeable reduction in depth of field.

Final thoughts
With a price point of £6800 body only and limited selection of lens to choose from, the Pentax 645Z isn’t on my real world shopping list but part of me wishes it was.

The price may seem high but compared to its competitors at Hasselblad and PhaseOne it a bargain. And when you consider the Pentax uses exactly the same sensor as it’s medium format competitors, it’s not surprising that the Pentax 645Z is constantly on back order at retailers.

I’d like to thank Mark and Luke from Pentax/Ricoh for letting me get my hands on the camera, Park cameras for providing the venue and Will Cheung for being a brilliant teacher/assistant and for continuing his tradition of wearing truly terrible shirts 😉

Drama With Grids – Home Studio Essentials – PT 6

For almost all of my studio works, soft light is what I want but every now and then it’s great to break that mold and do something with a bit more edge with grids or snoots. Fortunately my Adorama Streaklights have purpose designed tools to do the job.

In the studio grids are an essential tool, they help me light small areas with maximum precision and control. Usually I use grids in combination with a softbox as the key light but occasionally I’ll just use the grids for some dramatic effects.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-C9xgTCLfM&list=PL821B7D720DEA39FA[/youtube]

One of the downsides of a small studio is just how easy it is to accidentally bounce light off a wall or ceiling, ruining the effect you hope to achieve. With their tighter beam of light, grids and snoots might just be the answer you’re looking for if you want to get moody lighting in your small home studio space.
Gear used in this video (Links back to Adorama)
Flashpoint StreakLight 360 Ws Flash (Includes flash and battery)
Flashpoint Streaklight 180 WS Streaklight
Grid/Gel Set Streaklight Beauty Dish/Grid Set
Canon 5D Mark 2
Canon 24-105L

Using two lights – Home Studio Essentials – Part 5

There are many ways you can use a single flash to take great portraits but sooner or later the limitations of a single flash will be reached. Adding a second flash can be a great way to open up new and creative photo opportunities.

In this video I fire up a second light to act as a hair light and separate the model from a dark background. Then in the final shoot I add a few bubbles to create something a bit special.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcQg0cBncHs&list=UU8Pksdbj37CdE00kmE7Z1dw[/youtube]

More lights means more complexity but my advice is to treat each light separately and meter accordingly. Turning them both on and trying to balance them at the same time sounds easier but trust me it’s not!

Gear used in this video (Links back to Adorama)

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

Flashpoint Streaklight 180 WS

Westcott Apollo Orb Softbox

Canon 5D Mark 2

Canon 24-105L

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.

Instant Photo Collage Action – Friday Freebie

It’s a case of two for the price of one with this Friday freebie Photoshop action as I’ve recorded a version for portrait (upright) and landscape (wide) format images. This action is an extension of the four part split action I made a few weeks back and generates a collage of small scattered prints from one single photo. There’s also the option at slightly alter the exposure of each print which really adds to the effect.

You can download the action here: photo-collage-gavtrain

To use the action, start with the photo you wish to use already open in Photoshop and then play the landscape or portrait version of the action as appropriate. The first thing it does is make a copy of your photo so the original will be untouched and safe. There’s a lot of things for Photoshop to do with this action so it may take a minute or two to run through. DO NOT switch to another image whilst running the action.

Towards the end of the action you’ll be given the option to automatically adjust the exposure of each print, it’s a subtle effect but well worth doing. After the action is run you’ll notice plenty of layers which I’ve left so you can move, alter and tweak to vary the effect to your taste.

As with most actions, the size of your image will effect the final effect small images (less pixels) will get a bigger border and wider shadow although these settings can always be adjusted after the action has completed.

The action will work with Photoshop CC, CS6, CS4, CS4, CS3 and should work with Photoshop Elements 11 and beyond too.

Usage rules
The action is copyright Gavin Hoey 2014. Use is limited to any personal, non-commercial purposes. Please share the Friday Freebie by linking back to this page. Do not redistribute the original action without my permission.

Download instructions
The direct link to download the actions is https://www.gavtrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/photo-collage-gavtrain.zip

You must UNZIP the action before installing it in Photoshop / PS Elements

No support is provided with the Friday Freebies. If you need help Google or YouTube the question and you’ll almost certainly find the answer 🙂

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.