"UNEXPECTED BACKGROUNDS"

I remember seeing a Scott Robert Lim video (he is a Big Time Photographer  with a truly inspiring  story) where he recounts the tale of one of his visually potent photos. He was with an Asian-American couple on their wedding day, driving around between the ceremonies and reception. Red (and gold) are potent colors in many Asian Cultures, and Lim wanted the couple against a striking background that would communicate well with the couples' outfits.

As I recall, Lim says he saw a convenience store or gas station sign (and it looked a bit run down), and asked the driver to pull over to take a photo of the couple. The couple looked a bit puzzled and concerned… had Lim lost his mind?

The result was an amazing photo of the couple in front of a striking red background. The lens compression and the cropping gave no indication where the actual environment was. The result spoke volumes for the method.

Flash forward several years, and this image (shared by "DrBatookhan") graphically communicated the exact same principle. The top is the "roadside setup," and the  bottom is the result (click to enlarge).

Nothing cooler to me than to see how these guys think when they compose.

YOUR FIRST HOME PHOTO STUDIO

Photography can be expensive…but it doesn't necessarily have to be.
If your a pro, you more than likely need pro equipment—and it ain't cheap.
BUT
if you are an amateur, or a part-timer (maybe a graphic designer who does a handful of product shots and the odd headshot or two here and there;-) you can set up your studio with some "McGyver" ingenuity and a few bucks.

There are tons of "photo-teacher-celebrities" now on Youtube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion who have some great ideas of how to start. I personally have enjoyed the "stick-n-stones" photo studio guy, Joe Edelman with his T-8 fluorescent (pseudo kinoflo) track panels [and later LED ones btw], and many, many others.

I personally have discovered the joy of reading labels. For example, not any fluorescent tubes can be used! T8 fluorescent tubes (with their higher refresh rate, 85 or better CRI rating, and daylight color-balance  of 5800 -6200K) are best.

The SLANTED LENS offered this one up a while ago, but with several students asking how to get by "on-the-cheap,"  I think it bears re-examining.

F-stoppers article on "HOW TO CRITIQUE"

Anyone who has ever taught a class (or taken one for that matter) can feel the pain of a poor critique.

There is always the one student who "likes it," or "just doesn't like it," without any clarification as to what specifically they are identifying, and as to whether it is a personal preference or an overriding technical or compositional error.

Then there is the other who is worried about being perceived as "the jerk," preferring to identify every single piece as worthy of hanging in the MET… whether that is the case or not.

You often have to give guidelines for critiques, and this article by F-Stoppers' Mark Bowers focuses primarily on photography, but much of it rings true throughout all visual art.

iPHONE-ography?

The following is a blog post from ERIC KIM. In it, he makes some compelling arguments about iPHONE/Smartphone photography (after all… the best camera is the one that you always have on you) while mixing in some common sense photography foundations, and advice on how to achieve those foundations in a smartphone sphere.

He also sells products (workshops and literature), but I think the free stuff on this site is incredibly useful for budding iPhone-photographers.

While I'll readily admit that the commercial market may not be ready for product shots done on a smartphone (save for viral marketing/social media campaign types of things), in the fine-arts sphere, It is no less valid than any other form of image production.

With entire group shows at fine arts galleries across the world, and even full-length movies being done on smartphones (and tablets), why resist the technological marvel that you likely have on you at all times. It certainly exceeds many of my early cameras.

10 Powerful Photoshop Techniques every Photographer Should Know

I recently came across this video on a Photography site that I frequent (Petapixel). Its provocatively entitled "10 Powerful Photoshop Techniques every Photographer Should Know."
Many times (as Petapixel contributor DL Cade states) these articles are a bit of a letdown. I found a few of the approaches in this video pretty interesting and not too basic nor too difficult.

Its worth a view on a lazy weekend, and at 36 minutes long it covers several topics.

1. Face Aware Liquify Filters | 0:53
2. Color Lookup Tables | 4:30
3. Transform a Selection | 8:07
4. Frequency Separation | 9:03
5. Calculations for Selecting Hair | 15:06
6. Selective Sharpening w/ High Pass | 20:46
7. Color Range on Live Mask | 24:12
8. Curves | 27:21
9. Combine Adjustment Layers with Blend Modes | 29:50
10. Camera RAW filter on anything (Use Dehaze for interesting contrast) | 32:28

of course, this is a sample for a product that the video's authors (Tutvid) are hawking for a small fee...but I don't mind the free teasers that these places toss to us every so often. Enjoy.

Going Mirrorless

I am switching to a mirrorless camera. I'm doing it with baby-steps (entry-level APSC size…although the full frame is only a few hundred extra, outside of ISO and CROP, the difference are becoming less impactful for basic image quality, and I can always upgrade).

There is, however, a learning curve with this. I find I am much more comfortable shooting with a traditional DSLR--even though the resolution and IQ are lower on them—I don't yet feel comfortable shooting (and it shows at this point). I find that the images I shoot with the DSLR look like I am more comfortable. It's hard to articulate fully, since its not just one thing (composition, technical, etc.) but things look a little stiff and safe.

There is SOOOO MUCH to learn...The menus (and sub menus, and sub-sub-menus, and hidden menus; and of course the options and sub-options for all) are dizzying. The fact that the lenses take a bit of getting use to, as well as the exciting prospect of using old lenses from a variety of manufacturers on the camera and using "assisted manual focusing" are also part of the curve.

But I KNOW that the payoff is very real. The advantages will be well worth the growing pains.

We (the human animal) love the familiar, and often have an initial fear, suspicion, or confusion associated with the new. When we move to a new location, when we get a new car, or new television (etc.) with sooo many new and unfamiliar features, we need time to assimilate.

So I will continue watching videos and reading up on the new technology. I will ignore the part of me that tries to push me backwards technologically, and push forward and embrace the new (while maintaining an objective viewpoint about those items that are not necessarily better).

Kinda like life, no?

RAW Processing test

I read an article about the differences between the various ways different RAW processors handle files, and decided I wanted to try it with a "backyard shot." The shots lack any compositional or artistic merit, but they have a range of edges and tones that simultaneously allowed me to test a new camera and lens.

I shot the scene in daylight, and then again after sunset (at 3200 iso setting). I also was simultaneously checking the autofocus on this camera and lens combo with the zoom fully wracked out at the 210mm/tele end.

Take a peak at the results and see what you think. It looks to me like Phase1 or DxO gave me the  best results—but you may find another attribute within the photos lacking.
[click image to see the Flickr gallery]

An Open Source Workflow for Photographers?

In the 24 odd years of teaching, invariably at least one student will ask if there is an alternative to buying "industry standard software." There have always been alternatives to the industry leaders, but the fact remains that much of the industry has been structurally locked into the leader (and usually with a pretty sound logic behind it).

Let me say that I strongly advocate an industry standard workflow. The standardized plug-ins make negotiating things like color space matching very easy for beginners. And if you are doing anything that will appear in print, there is a whole other dimension to press profiles that needs to be added to the mix.

There are OPEN SOURCE software solutions. This recent PETAPIXEL article about an entire free, open-source workflow solution intrigued me. And to the student/s about to ask me the question on a Photoshop Alternative, here you go.

It really looks quite impressive and comprehensive— addressing most of the concerns in a full-process workflow.

However for me, I'll stick with the 90 plus percent marketshare leader. But I will certainly check this out (and keep it book-marked for those adventurous enough to jump into a full-on Linux workflow.

USING NATURAL LIGHT

F-Stoppers is a great resource for photographers. Admittedly, they do shill quite a bit for their products (some of which are great, some of which aren't).

One of the things I appreciate is their sharing of information. This video is a wonderful intro into shooting with natural light. While its targeting the world of video, its principles apply to all "light capturing," whether it be digital photography or videography.

To All the Cameras I've Owned Before…

Morguefile photo courtesy Michael Rickler

My first camera was a used box camera that my parents helped me buy when I was 8 or 9. The cost of film (as well as the oddball film-size that became increasingly hard to buy)  meant it was short for my world...but not before running its paces through every trick in the "Trick Photography Book" I got from the Library. I was the hit of the cub scouts (for which my younger brother deserves kudos for being pressed into service as a model).

Then came the 110 camera for fifth and sixth grade. The "smallness" of the 110 was novel-y cool for the time, but the absolute crappy quality of the prints and enlargements never impressed me (even as a kid). It was only the fact that every other kid around me had the same style camera--slim little brick with a fixed focus lens (ditto btw on the suburban fad of the plastic molded skateboards of that era) that I kept it for so long.

Junior High (for you young'uns--now commonly referred to as "middle school" and attended a year earlier than junior high) gave me another dose of camera fever. Nothing but a 35mm SLR would do for me at this point,  and they weren't exactly cheap.  I was taking Vis Art electives in school and working on a skill badge in scouts related to photography, and I pled the case to my patient parents for a 35mm film SLR. My dad was my hero when he went out Christmas eve and came back with a set of boxes under the tree! A New FUJICA fully manual SLR, on camera cheapo flash unit, cases and gadget bag.

At that point, I became the "family photographer," constantly shooting anything and everything (often blurry and poorly exposed), but gaining confidence and quality through Junior high and into High School. It was also the first time that other kids (executive's kids that were 'better off' than a teacher's kid) showed up with equipment that was far better than mine. I think it as the first time I remember "holding my ground" on what I had and knowing that my dad worked hard for every cent. It provided me with my first opportunity to learn to ignore that nagging voice of camera-envy in my head, and blunting that tendency of so many to have equipment envy (or G.A.S [gear acquisition syndrome] as it is called in camera circles these days).

The old FUJICA was a camera that I would use for years and years-- in fact into college for my basic film photography classes—despite the fact that it was pretty much a "crappy camera" by most auteur's standards. I guess I learned to do with it what I needed. Compose, expose/shoot, develop.

Then came a string of faceless cameras that served mostly for the pragmatic purpose of capturing moments with family--Polaroid Instant Cameras, Consumer 'point-and-shoot' 35mm cameras, and the like. I vaguely recall at least one Vivitar and early Samsung in the mix. They seemed to lack any real characteristics that would imprint them on my psyche.

In the 90's came a camera that I will always remember. It was a gift from a friend who knew I wanted a TLR; a used TLR Rolleicord. I had always wanted a medium format film camera, and to this day I have to say the engineering on this relatively unassuming camera is one of my favorites.
I think—no for sure I know that its one of the finest cameras I've owned. It was a camera given in kindness, and enabling me to shoot and develop larger format negatives for the first time.

And then came the digital revolution! Along came another string of Digital Cameras that were each good for a while, and for what I wanted at the time. Kodak, Polaroid, GE, Olympus, Nikon, Canon (all PnS and Bridge cameras) followed by my Canon REBEL (which despite using to this day, I am now ready to part with btw). I still love and shoot with my 'hobbyist' Rebel (and it still ranks on the list of top cameras I've owned to this very day)… but …
I'd have to say that the Rolleicord is probably still my favorite overall cameras.

Not having shot with it since the mid-to-late 1990's, I have decide to part with it (although I vacillate between the idea of parting, and just having it near me for memories and inspiration). The eventual decision to sell it comes with the decision to part with anything— not because I don't love the camera, but I hope a collector who can use it more than I,  perhaps even cherish more if not as much, will do good by it. Clean it up and rework it a bit more while I accept the challenge in my life of trying to divest from quite so much "stuff" in  general.

I intend to focus on having one or two really solid cameras that I love and use constantly.

But what a camera!

Stop equivalencies and light ratios (oh my…)

When I was an undergrad, there was a mandatory photo class that you took as a Graphic Design major. I had my trusty manual 35mm SLR film cam, and two lenses: a  50mm prime, and a 200mm telephoto… all of which I got as a gift for Christmas and Lunar New Year (btw, it was not a very good telephoto — but it was a gift from a relative that I got in 8th grade purchased at a whopping 70$!). I think I had a polarizer and a haze filter also in the gadget bag, and an on-camera flash that must've been something like a GN20 or so.

I remember sitting through a few lectures at the time that only made partial sense. One was the discussion on Ansel Adams' “zone system.” I recall someone saying how it could dramatically improve our work (we shot and developed pretty much exclusively B/W as undergrads), but never fully understanding it beyond the reference to tonal range. The other was the “light stop equivalencies.” I pretty much metered everything in camera (I never once checked out the Minolta meter;-)

I also vaguely remember getting bawled out by a grad student in the darkroom for adding my prints to the rinser at the same time as hers. I pled ignorance (they never told me I couldn't in the class I had) to which she only became more irate at me, and insisted they 'needed a separate lab for grad students' to the lab monitor.

Well, here's to memories and the simultaneous “complexification” and “simplification” that the world of digital brought us.

We now have 1/3 stops ;-)

Here's a little handout from one of my classes (which makes a bit more sense to me now).

Enjoy!

GREAT PHOTOSHOP RESOURCE

I regularly come across these, and on occasion repost them. They are curated by others (Michael Zhang for Peta Pixel here…or in some other instances a collective of others) and offer many different tutorials and “how-to” guides. This offers 50 “GO TO” tutorials on some of the most frequently required items.
Enjoy!

An Interview with a Creative Soul {it got me thinking}…

“There’s often a disconnect between being an artist
and actually working as an artist. It’s one thing to 
be creative and not get paid for it—you can create until 
your heart’s content—but when money gets involved, 
it’s a whole different animal.”
                                             -Ike Edeani

---

I came upon this really good quote while reading an interview by Tina Essmaker with photographer Ike Ediani. To {way} over-simplify: Ike is a creative soul. Like many before and after him, he balanced this "love for creativity" initially by being "practical…" which lead him to an education and career as an Architect (arguably one of the highest paying of all the creative careers)… then later an art-director / graphic designer… and then eventually a photographer.

I think the quote by Edeani gets to the heart of some of the discontent behind those pursuing visual communications. You may be doing wonderfully innovative work when it is scholastic or a self-commisioned (or perhaps even self-indulgent) work. The fact is that in all probability career-wise, you often trade off  unfettered creativity for the much more confining reality of a steady job. The "no-limits, open-budget, avant-garde-euro-fashion-magazine cover job" you've dreamed of is in reality the "monotonous-but-steady" job where you generate forms and business cards in a preset format.

Times used to be that kids who wanted to be artists, but worried about steady employment, went into visual communications (or 'graphic design') to meet those goals. It seems the modern equivalent has become kids who want to play video games all day. There is another thread here in that ones loves cannot always equate to the reality of compensation to do what you want. You have to find the balance that fits you (and that you can live with). 

Regardless, it seems to me there has to be a moderation of what the centrally motivating factor is for the individual with a creative soul. Some will move between careers or employers until they find the balance they can live with. Others will transition out of their desire to"work in the field," and instead work at a job/career that can more adequately provide them with money, while practicing what it is they truly love on a personal level. There is no one correct answer.

I recently met up with some college friends, and found one of them was now in a financial career. One of our [well-intentioned perhaps] classmates commented that it was "a shame she couldn't work in design."

She had mentioned trying to work in design, but hating it. The creative profession she had dreamed of during her studies had became yet 'just another job.' After trying different agencies and scenarios, she figured she may as well work at a job that paid her more while requiring less of her time. 

Through happenstance, she began processing payroll and handling investments. After several years and a few promotions,  she had doubled what she made in design while working an actual 40 hour week (design insiders will get that one).

Now she is able to do painting and photography on her own terms, (which was why she originally pursued design studies in the first place–as a compromise to pursuing fine arts more fully) and had even had several joint/group shows of her work, and an a few individual shows at a local galleries (something neither I nor our "well-intentioned" classmate had puled off).

She figured out that, for her, being a creative soul didn't necessary mean working in a creative career.

It's Camera Season ...

If you know me, you know I love Photography as both a personal form of artistic expression, and as a professional, visually-communicative endeavor. I try to do both as much as possible.

You also know that photography ain't cheap (although I am a little bit cheap).

Every fall (run up to Xmas) Canon has big sales on their refurbished cameras and lenses. Nikon does as well, but since I have the APSC-sized Canon lenses, I amtypically looking towards Canon. [BTW—If I potentially switch to a full-frame camera, Nikon may be a MUCH bigger part of my life– a new investment in glass would be in order anyway, and Nikon's price point on both is lower]
Whether FF or ASPC, I am always looking to save on equipment.

One of the biggest ways to save is FACTORY REFURBISHED equipment. I was always hesitant to buy refurb until I met one of Canon's CS managers from Virginia. She had shared that her son ( a pro PJ ) shoots a 5DIII (the mac-daddy of Canon's line) that he purchased refurb. She mentioned that they inspect and bench test each unit thoroughly (as compared to new where every fourth or fifth off the line is inspected). They also carry a warranty.
At any rate, I have not (with 2 cams and 2 lenses through the program) yet had any issues.  I have also saved a ton over retail and even some "used" sellers.

I have NOT had any refurb dealings with Nikon yet, but heard similar praises from colleagues who have.

Some of the Cameras you may be interested in:
Canon Full Frame:

• the 5DIII (their "top-of-the line") 
• the 6D (less cross-focus pts and different build)
• the 5D II (a few years old now, but still excellent)

Canon APSC ("crop sensor"):
The 7DII is driving the prices down a bit on their upper-tier APSC, and I may wait for the 7DII personally.

• the 70D (which, while it is APSC, has more cross-focus points and is preferred by many "general subject shooters")
• the 7D (sports, and bird shooters... I am a bit leary as the 7D had some issues, but it is a really affordable Camera with the 7DII release, and with a lot of nice features. I heard that on some a simple firmware update eliminated early issues).

NIKON FF (FX):

• the D800 or 810 line (if I did go full frame, I would seriously consider Nikon for features/price ratio)
• the D600 or 610 (the prices are dropping in October on all their refurbs btw)

NIKON crop sensor (DX):

• the D7100 or 7000
• the D5300 or 5200

 

[click on the appropriate image to go to the Canon or Nikon sites]

NOTE: I have NO AFFILIATION or interest with either Nikon or Canon USA, just sharing... 

Beautiful Classic Film Photos to share...

If you know me, you know that I am a graphic designer by educational preparation (BFA). I am also an illustrator by both education and profession, and a (albeit not professional) photographer by choice ;-)

Every once in a while I'll come across something from one of those disciplines that I find interesting, and I'll share it.

In this case, my wife found this site, and shared it with me. I was so captivated by the painterly eye that this photographer held while shooting film. The "urbanscapes" of cities like New York and Chicago are something that I find breathtaking. Check out the  link (click on the photo below) to see what I mean. Shots from the "El" (which those of us with Chicago family roots may know is the Elevated Rail (which converges with the subway system also as a part of mass-transit).

Equivalent Exposure Rule…

Have you ever marveled at an experienced photographer who can nail exposure pretty much right off the bat?

Well, they got that way by first learning (in fact memorizing) some of the exposure equivalencies, and then doing a buttload (years) of shooting and applying that knowledge in real world scenarios.

I once met an advertising photographer they teasingly called "Old Oneshot." Back in the days of film, they used to provide a polaroid of the shot to you while they processed the medium format transparencies. Old Oneshot prided himself on being able to nail a shot with one polaroid (although he did fire off a minimum of three bracketed shots after nailing the exposure to be honest).

A little basic knowledge can go a long way.  Knowing the fundamentals of exposure equivalencies can really help your technical game. While you may not memorize them (ala Zak Arias or Jared Polan–many of the pros who have attended photo school for four years memorize these), you will be more technically skilled.

Check out the full lesson (click on the image link).

Rainy Day Photography Idea: Water Drops

Upon viewing my attempt at this exercise, my twenty-something son mentioned it could quite easily be: paint, milk, or pig's blood (yech). Whatever you use, a great rainy-day activity is to set up a mini studio and shoot water drops (the cleanup of water is easier than those others). You'll actually get very 'in-tune' with your equipment doing this exercise. You'll have to figure out manual focus, exposure, and of course TIMING.

The world of digital makes for a much easier time doing all of this. I remember trying something like this in college (when we shot film) and developing 71 exposures of crappy shots, and 1 passable, yet blurry shot. The ability to make adjustments on the fly while viewing your shots on the LCD or tethered lightroom computer makes it much easier, but still a great learning experience.

I used a boom stand with a ziplock sandwich bag as my water drop source. A simple paperclip near a tiny hole in the bottom of the bag was my regulator. The bag was binder-clipped to the boom arm.

I used a glass dish (yeah… I know there was a pyrex logo on mine…but you could easily use one without the logo, or a plastic tray if you prefer). The reason I used glass was so I could slide colored paper underneath, and we only have pyrex bakeware in the kitchen. For an exercise its OK.

I also used an off-camera flash (580-style knockoff) and some colored paper folded in a "V" so it could stand up across from the flash. I used a small paper reflector near camera as well. The camera really needs to be steady--so a tripod is a must.

You'l also need to manually set everything–including focus. To focus, I used a piece of styrofoam on a skewer where the water was hitting, and then removed it after I set focus (auto will NOT work with this). My speed was set between 1/100 and 1/200 (sync speed for flash). Aperture was based on exposure, since dof was not a huge issue in such a small zone. 

I used a wireless trigger set between the flash and camera, but could easily have used a flash cable. For every successful shot I had, there were four or five crappy ones (but the odds are MUCH higher than with film). Try it and let me know your results!

MACRO on the cheap… (wit' a couple o' TIPs).

I'd love to have a macro lens to play with (–anyone have one they'd like to give me?). I just don't have the cash at this point. If I  COULD make it pay for itself, I'd probably consider buying one. In the meantime, I'll try the time honored method of photographers-on-the-cheap everywhere, and use a decent set of aluminum macro tubes.

I bought the pair that I used in these photos for about 10 bucks. Back in school (80's), there were guys who did the old (turn the lens around) trick… and  a few who crafted reverse lens mountings using mailing tubes. These were always great for fiddling around with macro, but clearly not a solution that you'd want to use with paying accounts.

I'd highly encourage the tubes at their minimal 10$ price tag. For about 75 bucks, I could have purchased some with the proper EF lens contacts for my Canon. [but hey..who am I? Rockefeller?]

Just a few tips from my afternoon with the tubes.

Boy! Coins sure are dirty close up.
I wound up using a “nifty-fifty” lens on the end of the tubes.  You can see slight chromatic aberration on the coins and oatmeal when shot against a black glass surface. I played a bit with the aberration-correction in Adobe C.R.E., but can still see the slight fringe on the left and right.

You can also see that by the time I got to the dime I had opened the windows more in my living room, and used my hands to reflect light onto the dime (may also want to try a very small piece of paper).

The lens is very tight to the objects, so the light is sometimes tricky.
Because of the lighting, you may wind up setting your shutter for as long as a few seconds, so a TRIPOD and using the camera's shutter timer or a remote is probably good form on these.

You can also see in the quarter how really shallow your depth-of-field will be. "IN GOD WE TRUST" is just trailing out  on the E and the T, and you can see on the front end STATES is outside the plane. Your aperture is not "communicated" through the cheaper tubes. It will read "0" and revert to your fastest stop (on my equipment at least).

I learned from others' posts on using these simple tubes that you can use the aperture lock on your camera with the lens mounted as normal…then unscrew the lens while aperture lock is still depressed, then quickly attach the tubes to hold the aperture at its last setting.  I used f 8 as a starting point with this "locking" technique that will give you more depth of field (as in the dime), but require more light and potentially exposure time.

The mandarin orange wound up a bit dark, so I fiddled with aperture and exposure time to get the texture. Its a bit dark (which I don't mind terribly given the light "valley" in the skin crease behind it. 

The rolled oats had a bit of the aberration on the farthest oat against the black background glass. I noticed you get almost "bokeh" effect of reflective items on the glass if the exposure is too high, so this exposure is the combo of acceptable aperture and focus against the moderated speed (1/6 sec).

To recap: 

these macro tubes (photodiox) are fun to experiment with…but I don't think that anyone doing macro with a proper lens is going to bother with these (even the higher end ones that do communicate between  your camera and lens).  A macro lens is just easier and more expedient in more diverse use scenarios.

You'll also need to have a tripod! No way to hand hold on some of these.

A  decent understanding of aperture, shutter-speed, iso and focus (and the dexterity/ability to manual focus while adjusting your tripod for distance) is also a must. 

If you don't have a good window letting light in, you'll also want good constant light as well (I use a CREE 6500K LED work light I picked up on sale at the hardware store, and use it on other items as needed).  OVERALL, it's well worth the 10 bucks to experiment with though.

Photography Two-cents…

I am a “graphic designer who does photography…” and not a pure photographer by training.

I  teach photography regularly, and I have always told my students that, first and foremost, I am a graphic designer. During the time that I went through school (early 80's), a part of my training included some basic fine-arts photographic preparation (and the world of darkrooms and black and white film). I feel comfortable around the medium (Although I had to adjust to digital like many of the old salty-dog photographers out there).

At any rate, I always feel compelled to make this distinction because there is occasion for Designers and Photographers to sometimes view things differently. The vast majority of the time though, it is a very complementary relationship, with the added experience and expertise of  each party resulting in a solid visual product. The experienced photographer typically plays a pivotal part in helping an AD achieve a communication goal.

Occasionally, with a media-driven process, there can be differing viewpoints. This is when my design background comes out. My message (the brand, the idea, the concept) has to be king. If it means cropping that photo much tighter than the photographer would like—so be it.

I also appreciate great photographic equipment (while I myself cannot afford it). It's awesome to shoot on a pro's 5DmkIII with pro L lenses! It makes sense for the pros to have great equipment, but anyone who cannot make a return on the cost of investment is not really getting what its all about. An old friend in Arizona  repeated the well recited mantra to me: “ beginners worry about gear, pros worry about light (and money too).”

Too often I also feel that equipment can often become an excuse for students not mastering the fundamentals or understanding basic technique. I have had more than a few students claim their work was subpar because they didn't have “camera X ” or “gadget Y…” as well as a handful with D800's shooting entirely in AUTO.

Learn the camera you have! Master the exposure triangle and light, and figure out stops to light ratios. Take great shots and set up interesting composition and angles.

Once you've mastered the fundamentals (and if you have paying gigs), dropping 5K might make some sense.

Studio Lights…

Quite a few friends and students have elevated their hobby interest in digital photography to a higher level. In simpler times, a 35mm SLR film camera, a few lenses, and an on-camera hot-shoe flash was what constituted a "pretty serious enthusiast."

Nowadays, I have the occasional student with full sensor pro-level DSLRs! These are NOT NECESSARILY practicing pros either! Some also have pretty intense studio setups, with Profoto or Einstein strobes.  Students with multiple SB 800s are also not uncommon.
(I'm still the kind of guy who uses some home-brew lighting —see the video link below on using Hardware LEDs… but I do use some inexpensive mono-lights/cheap soft-boxes as well).

It is great if you can afford it, but without the knowledge of how to properly utilize them (or experience with the nuances that come with years of using the equipment), the impact won't be as great as it could be.

One of the first things I did was look at shots that had lighting diagrams included. This lets you dissect/reverse-engineer a shots appearance. I've included a few links below to sights and blogs that can be really good resources.

 Strobox will allow you to search amongst a collection of photos, diagrams, write-ups, and videos for a desired lighting situation. It is also run from donations.

 Portrait Lighting.Net is a site that contains the shot and the lighting diagram that provides the desired result. The interface shows you options for the number of studio lights you want to use (1 to 4, natural), which contain links to the various  results.

Using a blog entry format, this site simply posts a shot with a brief lighting diagram beneath it. Any anecdotal or additional notes are attached to it.