Portrait Wednesdays: In The Pink
With Wordy Wednesdays running for so many years I thought it was time for a change and inspired by Gary Bernstein’s book Burning Cold decided to see how many Wednesdays I could publish a different portrait of the same model, in this case Pamela Simpson. Over the next who-knows-how-many Wed-nesdays I will be show-casing a different image of her that was made over the five years that I’ve photo-graphed Pam showing her many, many...
No Photoshop Please, We’re French
In 2009, French lawmakers proposed a law that photographs where a model— the key word is “model” not your aunt Sally—has been photoshopped be labeled as such. In 2017, that law is now going into effect. The BBC reports that the Photoshop rule does not apply to the removal of blemishes being or retouching to hair. France 24 reports that as of October 1, 2017, anyone who publishes a photo in which Photoshop is used to “either slim or...
Shooting Portraits with Lowel’s Blender
The Lowel Blender’s twin-LED design makes it possible to fine-tune its color output to match (or contrast with) whatever kind of existing light that you’re grappling with. This tiny (4.5 x 3.75-inches) unit produces 56W of light, is dimmable from 100% to 10% and is powered by a 120V AC adapter or the optional ($27.88) camcorder battery sled (uses Panasonic, Sony or Canon batteries.) The Lowel Blender 3 Light Kit includes three...
How Did You Make That Shot? It’s Back
A studio session … provides the greatest chance for control. [But] even though there is total freedom.—Eve Arnold I started ‘How Did You Make That Shot?’ in 2012 but last year I only wrote one post, so in response to reader requests, I’ve brought it back. I promise to make an effort in 2017 to update this series, especially as I put my newly refurbished home studio back to work this year. Flashpoint’s 13-inch...
Using Scrim Jim Cine in the Studio
A “scrim” is typically a screen-like mesh placed in front of a light to reduce intensity but in common usage any device that produces a diffusion effect are called scrims. When it comes to portraiture, lighting isn’t only about the quantity of the light produced but is more often about the quality of that light. Westcott’s Scrim Jim Cine builds on that concept with a modular design that allows both reflective and diffusion...
Need a Flash Meter for Studio Photography?
Back in the day, when I was shooting film in the studio, a flash meter like my redoubtable and now-antique Gossen Luna-Star F2 and Polaroid tests were indispensable in getting correct exposures. I in a digital world filled with histograms and three-inch OLED screens the short answer is not always. While I often—but not always—use my flash meter or a hand-held light meter when working in my home studio, I know several photographers...
Studio Tuesday: Power Pack & Head Systems
Monolights, as I wrote about last week, combine power supply and flash head into a single unit. Another approach is used by power packs & heads systems that offer components as individual units that can be mixed and matched in different lighting set-ups. Because there’s no internal power supply, flash heads can be smaller and some are downright tiny allowing you to place them in locations where larger monolights might not fit....
