Have you ever wished you could get an elegant grid spot effect without the investment in a studio strobe system?  Perhaps you already own studio grid spots but wish there was a more portable solution. My article this month describes my do-it-yourself solution for a portable and inexpensive grid spot using a standard speedlight.   I came up with this piece of equipment after a little experimentation and several failures.  Next month I’ll describe how to use it for a variety of effects with different subjects.

Last month I wrote about Subject Centric Lighting. We will expand a little this month and talk about maximizing a minimalist approach. That sounds like an oxymoron, but essentially what I am saying is that we can do an awful lot of photography with very minimalistic gear.

A few days ago Michael Johnston, the writer/owner of a website called www.theonlinephotographer.com ,  proposed a “new” learning exercise to master photography.  He suggested that the best way to learn is to buy a Leica rangefinder camera (film version) with one lens.  He suggested a 28mm, 35mm or a 50mm lens.  My choice would always be the 50mm but then I see everything in that focal length.  He further suggested using only a 400 ISO speed black and white negative film like Kodak’s Tri-X or Fuji’s Neopan 400.  His theory is that the finder is unexciting so the photographer must previsualize what he wants to shoot.  The film is a standardization so that one doesn’t spend time spinning wheels with too many choices.  The limited focal length choice teaches exactly what one will get in the frame every time.

“Dragging the shutter” is an old-school term for keeping the shutter open long enough when using flash to register ambient light and make it part of the composition.  While wedding photographers frequently allow 35-40% of ambient light to register along with the flash, it’s usually done at shutter speeds that rarely go below 1/60 second to avoid background blur.

Well, hello there. This is my first article for ProPhotoResource and I am just super happy to be among all of these incredibly wonderful photographers and artists. I hope you find my views on photography and lighting something you can use and enjoy. I have been a generalist commercial photographer and a fashion/beauty photographer. I love portraiture and exploring the beauty that people can project. I guess I love it all. Well, almost all types of photography. I don't go underwater, and I don't fly in airplanes that have propellers. I also am not an event shooter and my brief brush with weddings was happily, well... brief.

Let's face it,  I don't think any of us woke up one morning and said, “The thing I love best is taking pictures of chubby brides putting on yet another cookie cutter,  antique ivory white dress with the annoying little buttons down the back.....”.  We didn't.  We don't.  We do many of the annoying little jobs we do because they pay the bills.  The wedding profits pay for the mortgage and the car payments.  The bridal portraits help pay for new gear.

I’ve frequently been asked if the effects of large studio strobes can be duplicated with small accessory flash units.  Simply, the answer is no.  Accessory flash units are just that, accessories, and have a limited potential mostly due to their small power output.  That said, and with a little planning, accessory flash units can be used to create stunning lighting effects that, in limited ways, may surpass conventional softbox technique.

Here we are near the middle of March and everything I wrote about in October column seems very accurate.  The markets for commercial photography suck.  The market for corporate work is still in the toilet.  One of my biggest technology clients has cancelled all major shows for the year.  All of them. One of the few bright spots for some of my friends is that weddings have gone on inspite of all the business turmoil.

I was excited about working with Cathleen since meeting her s couple of weeks ago. She’s a pretty lady with a very fresh face. As usual, I began to think of ways that I wanted to light her when she sent me a link to another model’s portfolio showing the type of look she wanted to create. [NOTE: There is nothing wrong with looking at other people’s work for inspiration—you just cannot create an exact duplicate without getting into copyright issues].

A few months ago I took a look at some of the ways I’ll use reflectors in the studio. I’ve obviously used them on location too, but perhaps in ways that most would not expect. I have mentioned on several occasions that the difference between the light values in the shade versus the open sunlight here is well beyond what can be captured—even shooting RAW. By now everyone knows that I bring a studio strobe with me to all location shoots. Why would I bother with a reflector when the strobe will provide the extra light that I need?

Let’s start by admitting that not every project in the world needs the accuracy and precision of a separate light meter.  And let’s go on record understanding that, while meters may be objectively accurate many times cameras and lenses, as closed loop systems, may not be quite so objectively accurate.  Wouldn’t it be nice if you could take a highly accurate and flexible meter and program it to “understand” the inconsistencies of your particular camera and lens system?

Last month I wrote about business opportunities that present themselves for those of us who can light and pose ordinary people in an extraordinary manner, and in an innocent yet sexually suggestive way that transcends any sort of traditional portraiture, that being boudoir portraiture.