Why photography costs money

Mainly because it breaks the photographer’s back.

Here is part of what I am bringing to a multiple corporate headshots session tomorrow:

This kit consists of:

• One backdrop
• Two rolls of backdrop paper, grey and white
• One two-monolight set with three stands and two umbrellas
• Two more monolights
• Four lightstands with umbrellas for speedlites
• Camera kit (lenses, a Canon 1Ds MkIII, etc)
• Lighting kit with four speedlites, five Pocketwizards, modifiers, and much more.
• Tripod

Not pictured:

• a 60×80 softbox
• a Canon 7D camera
• a muslin backdrop
• a stool for the subject to sit on.

I am now going to bed early, so that I can build strength!

The serious point, of course, is that when a photographer visits with a portable setup, he really carries with him a full studio and everything that includes.

RIP Ian Fuller

Word has reached me that Ian Fuller, a.k.a. frequent contributor “bkkphotographer” from Bangkok, has unexpectedly died. His wife confirms this from his email address, as do several friends.

This leaves me profoundly sad, and I wish his family and his other friends strength, and extend my condolences. Ian was a good man, and was just 53. As so often, it is entirely the wrong people who die too young.

I had wondered why he had gone radio silent: I had thought perhaps he was taking a vacation. Alas, the news was much, much sadder than that.

Soon, the book

The book is progressing well. The only thing that is slowing down is all this work!

But it is delightful work. Last weekend, birthday shoots. This week, spot news. Thursday to Sunday: teaching. Tomorrow, a series of on-location executive portraits. Great and varied work.

On a forum recently, I asked some other pros what they would use in a given lighting situation. One of them wrote back: “You do this for a living so you shouldn’t have to ask. Do you want your clients to google you and find that you are asking questions”?

This person misunderstands the Internet and misunderstands the collaborative world we live in today.  Of course I ask, share, debate, weight: the moment you think you know it all, you stop developing.

So if you have questions here, please ask and let’s kick some ideas around. Whether you are just starting to develop as a photographer or whether you are a pro: never be afraid to ask.

Fun with gels

Tonight, I had some fun trying various new gels.

For those of you new to photography: a gel is a coloured material that you put in front of a flash to change the coour. You typically use these for background colours.

Usually I use a slight correction gel (1/2 CTO, 1/4 CTB, etc) to perhaps warm a background up a bit or to give a corporate shot that slight blue tint in the background. But tonight I thought I’d play with some great new colours.

My system for the test shots below was:

• A key light to camera left, in a softbox on a Bowens 400 Ws monolight
• A fill light to camera left, into an umbrella, using an Opus 250 Ws monolight
• A Hair light, also into an Opus light, and snooted
• A background light: a Canon 430 X flash with the various gels. I used the excellent Honl system: the speedstrap on the flash, plus gels conveniently Velcro’d on.

So for these gels I used some basic colours and the new Honl “Autumn” and “Hollywood” gel sets. Great colours. Here we go, and look how each gives you a very different shot:

[1] The new “Autumn” kit:

Egg Yolk Yellow:

Chocolate:

Rust:

Dark Salmon:

Medium Blue-Green:

[2] The new “Hollywood”-kit:

Follies Pink

Steel Green:

Rose Purple:

Smokey Pink:

Pale Lavender:

And for comparison, some basic primary colours: Red, Green, Blue and Yellow:

And finally, what it looked like with no background light, white background light, and “heavy frost” background light:

Note: When you play with gels, do not forget to set your white balance to “F;ash”, so your canera does not try to adjust the colour away.

Now to see these colours side by side, check them on one page: http://www.mvwphoto.com/gels/