Lighting How To

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Lighting How To
Low Light Scenarios: Challenges And Solutions
Jim Zuckerman  |  Feb 18, 2015  |  0 comments
I think it would be helpful to you if I explained how I handled different kinds of low light photographic situations. Apply my approach to your own images and make note of the technical solutions for each subject and scene. As photographers we are constantly challenged with shooting in circumstances where the light is not sufficient to get what we really want—sharp pictures, effective depth of field, minimal noise and a good exposure. We often have to make compromises but our goal is to get the best images we can under often trying conditions. In this chapter I’ll be sharing my thinking process in dealing with tough subjects in a variety of circumstances.
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Lighting How To
Sea Shells: Translucent Wonders
Jim Zuckerman  |  Feb 18, 2015  |  0 comments
I’ve photographed seashells in various ways—against black velvet, on a beach with a sandy background and in tide pools. The most dramatic way to photograph them is with strong backlighting. When you place a bright light directly behind the shell, it suddenly seems like it is glowing from within. The colors are intense, the form of the shell is beautifully defined, and all of the detail in the structure is revealed. The results are even more dramatic when you use a black background, as I did in (#1).
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Tips on How to Choose the Best Flash Modifier for Your Camera Strobe
Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Feb 17, 2015  |  0 comments

Modern digital cameras perform so well under dim light at high ISO settings that some photographers haven’t used a camera flash for months (maybe even longer). Well, here’s a news flash for them: for a small investment and a little practice they can turn most shoe-mount flash units into a controllable package of portable sunshine.

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Lighting How To
The Quality Of Light: Seeing “Photographically”
Jim Zuckerman  |  Jan 22, 2015  |  0 comments
Photography has radically changed in the last decade with respect to the equipment we use to capture images. It has also changed radically in our ability to manipulate our photographs in ways that were impossible just a few years ago. What has not changed are the fundamental photographic principles that make a great picture. These include the principles of composition, good exposure technique, non-distracting backgrounds, finding compelling subject matter, using lenses creatively and of course being aware of light.

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Lighting How To
Macro & Flash: Close-Up Lighting Techniques
Jim Zuckerman  |  Dec 24, 2014  |  0 comments

Capturing the details in nature requires getting close to small subjects and sometimes you will want to use flash. Shooting close-ups with flash is very different than using flash as you normally do.

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Profoto Adds High-Speed Sync to B1 Battery-Powered Portable Studio Light Via Firmware Update
Dan Havlik  |  Dec 15, 2014  |  0 comments

We reviewed the Profoto B1 500 AirTTL battery-powered studio light earlier this year and while we, generally, loved this portable strobe solution the one thing missing was high-speed sync. Profoto corrected that this morning by offering a new High-Speed Sync (HSS) feature to the B1 that’s available now via a free firmware update.

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Easy Photo Tip: Holiday Lights Beg to be Blurred. Here’s How.
Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Dec 10, 2014  |  0 comments

Whether the holidays bring out your “Humbug!” or your “Ho, ho, ho!” there’s one thing you must admit: it’s the most colorful season of the year. And all of those colorful lights are just begging to be zoomed, blurred and pleasantly smeared. Here are two common techniques that are easy to try.

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Smithsonian Creates 3D Portrait of President Obama Using 14 Cameras and 50 LED Lights (VIDEO)
Cynthia Boylan  |  Dec 03, 2014  |  0 comments

Giving a more modern twist to tradition, a team of digital imaging specialists from the Smithsonian Institute created a 3D portrait of President Barack Obama using eight high-resolution sports cameras, six wide-angle cameras, and 50 custom-designed LED lights.

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Lighting Review: Profoto B1 500 AirTTL Battery-Powered Portable Studio Light
Steve Bedell  |  Oct 24, 2014  |  0 comments

Profoto B1 lights are the first studio lights to feature built-in TTL. They also have their own battery and controller so you can go on location and just pop up a light and start shooting. As of this writing they are available only for Canon, but by the time you read this the Nikon version should be available as well. To me, this is tailor-made for location shooting, so that’s where I did my tests.

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Imaginative Illumination: Outdoor Night Light Painting
Jason D. Page  |  Oct 19, 2014  |  0 comments

In 2004 I was out late one night for a walk on the beach, as I often did to de-stress from a long day at work. This night was particularly beautiful, with a full moon shining overhead, so I decided to bring my camera and tripod along to take some oceanscapes. I found the perfect location, set up my gear, and opened the shutter of my camera for a long exposure. While the exposure was running I accidentally bumped my camera. When I checked the image and saw that the light from the moon had left a streak going across the sky I had an epiphany. My mind raced at the possibilities of using my camera and the moonlight to draw images in the sky, and from that moment on I was a light painter.

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Small Monolight, Small Camera: Shooting Mirrorless with the Flashpoint 180 Monolight
Joe Farace  |  Oct 07, 2014  |  0 comments

The first thing I did after receiving Flashpoint’s 180 battery-powered monolight was shoot a few tests to get a feel for how well the unit performed. Although impressed, more so than with some other battery-powered units I’ve used, at one point while shooting with a Canon EOS 60D, a BG-E9 battery grip, and an EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens, I thought, “Wow, why is this camera so heavy?” That was when the “Small Monolight/Small Camera” concept was born and I decided to shoot this review using a Micro Four Thirds camera. And why not, so I worked with my Panasonic Lumix G5 for the test.

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Lighting How ToPhoto Book Reviews
Photo Book Review: ABCs Of Beautiful Light, A Complete Course In Lighting For Photographers
Cynthia Boylan  |  Oct 01, 2014  |  0 comments

All artists must learn to harness the power of light in order to create successful images. Author, and noted photography educator, Rosanne Olson’s new book ABCs of Beautiful Light: A Complete Course in Lighting for Photographers offers readers an in-depth study on the use of proper lighting techniques for photography, videography—and art in general.

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Easy Photo Tip: Add A Little Flash — Literally
Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Sep 18, 2014  |  0 comments

You bought your DSLR or high-end compact camera to shoot by available light without flash. The latest digital cameras, for the most part, are capable of producing exceptional results at high ISO settings under very dim conditions. But there are times when a little flash makes all the difference in the world. 

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Lumodi Speedlight Beauty Dish
Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Jul 11, 2014  |  0 comments

You may have used a beauty dish in the studio. Here’s a very portable model that you’ll find hard to leave at home. It’s quite affordable, too.

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Traffic Lights: Long Exposures At Night
Jim Zuckerman  |  Jun 20, 2014  |  0 comments

One of the first techniques I learned in photography was to use long exposures at night to blur traffic lights. I liked it decades ago, and I still enjoy seeing artful streaks of light superimposed over an urban environment. You never know exactly what the resulting images will look like, and that’s part of the fun. When the background happens to striking, like the Walt Disney Theater in Los Angeles, California (#1), the combination of abstract lights and architecture makes a winning photograph.

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