Lighting in Layers Update: Wider Availability, Download Version and a Trailer

First, thanks for the kind words from many of you who already have purchased Lighting in Layers. We worked very hard on the project; the notes, comments and reviews are much appreciated. A trailer has now been posted to give people a better idea of what LiL is about. The hard copy DVDs are now available at Midwest Photo, Adorama, Amazon, Gulf Photo Plus and Souq.com. And … the downloadable ($99.95 USD) version is live, here. I know many non-US readers were waiting on this. It is the same drag-and-drop (iPhone/iPad/iPod, laptop, Android, etc.) file...

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Announcing: BC3:2L

It's been a while since our last lighting Boot Camp, so what the hell. Let's dust off the speedlights and give them a little workout.As with previous bootcamps, there will be assignments, reviews, people complaining that they can't figure out how to post photos to Flickr -- and, of course, prizes. And given the experience range of readership on the site, we're gonna do something just a little different this time, too. Each assignment will be limited to using a maximum of two speedlights, so a certain someone won't have an undue advantage.Thus,...

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Sidewalk Art

Food for thought: Next time you clamp up a few speedlights on a public street, it could lead you all the way to the state Supreme Court. Got your attention? Keep reading...__________Earlier this week, my friend JoeyL tweeted about NYC photographer Philip-Lorca diCorcia, and it really got me thinking.A few years ago DiCorcia clamped strobes up under...

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Lighting 101 Update: Evolving Umbrellas

One long-overdue item on my To-Do list has been to add more current info to some of the Lighting 101 posts that have become a little dated.High on that list was the post on umbrellas. My thinking on the cheap, portable light sources has changed drastically since Lighting 101 debuted in 2006. As such, I have added a significant update to the original...

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Two Speedlight Grid Spot Systems: Flashpoint and Rogue

If you need to create a tight beam of light, it's as easy as wrapping a little cardboard around your flash head. Bam -- instant cheapo snoot, to go.But what you'll find with a snoot is that the edges of the beam can be a little abrupt. If you want a nice, feathered transition to that edge, you'll want a grid.I have long been a user of the Honl grids....

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Q&A: Thomas Hunter

Lotsa good questions popped up in the comments section of last week's On Assignment: Thomas Hunter post. Fair enough. Hit the jump for the A's to your Q's. Read more...

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If Ikea Made a Ring Flash

Is there a hole in your life that only a light with a hole in it can fill?Are you pining for a ring flash but have neither the money for an Orbis nor the DIY skills to roll your own?You may be in luck. The folks over at DIY Photography have just come out with a hybid version. And, as the headline suggested, this is one you assemble yourself.It's made...

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On Assignment: Concert Pianist

Shooting in big, dimly lit rooms used to scare the heck out of me. I'd bring out all of my big flashes -- and borrow whatever others I could get my hands on. But still, I never seemed to have enough light to do what I wanted.What I didn't know then was that it is usually better to let the ambient in a big room do its own heavy lifting, then tweak it...

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Brad Trent's Ocean Master Session, Pt. 2

ED. NOTE: This is the final in a series of guest posts, which were so helpful during a very hectic spring. Many thanks to Miller Mobley, Finn O'Hara, John Keatley, Chris Crisman and Brad Trent for the assist. -DH__________When last we left Brad, he was waiting patiently for the pool to fill up. Today, he'll walk through that part of the shoot and the...

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