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 set that is included along with the $159.95 hard copy version. They are 640x480 .mp4 files, encoded via h.264 for maximum compatibility file size economy (2.9Gb total) for portable media players.

PLEASE NOTE: If you want to test the CODEC on your machine first, you can download a short vignette in the exact same format via Mediafire, for free.
__________

Alas, the subtitled version is taking far longer (grrr…) than expected. I very much hoped to have it ready by now but the video producer is still working on it. Apologies, and I will post as soon as it is up.
__________

Full information on Lighting in Layers is here; after-the-fact Flickr discussion thread for viewers, here.

-30-

Read More

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, Boot Camp III: Two Lights, or, BC3:2L.

Speaking of Flickr, if you want to publicly post to the BC3:2L results page, you will need to join Flickr. It is free. Go head and do it now, to give your account long enough to get past any waiting period so you can post to groups, etc.

If your country blocks Flickr, either use Firefox and find an appropriate "unblocker" plug-in, or grab some pine. (That's baseball speak for "sit this one out.")

The first BC3:2L assignment drops later next month.

-30-

Read More

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 a scaffolding on a New York City sidewalk, thus turning the space into his own private public studio. He then photographed people as they passed through, making a series of beautiful portraits that were at once banal and thought-provoking.

And that's where the interesting starts… Read more »

Read More

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 post.

-30-

Read More

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. But there are a couple of other interesting grids floating around that deserve consideration, depending on your particular needs.

Inside, a quick look at speedlight grids from Flashpoint and Rogue. Read more »

Read More

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 »

Read More

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 out of the same flexible vinyl material you'll find in folders and binders, so it is reasonably sturdy but by no means indestructible. I have played with one, and the quality of light is very good. (There is progressive ND filtration at the bottom and the light levels are pretty consistent around the ring.)

It is a universal (or nearly so) fit. It's also cheap, at $25. The only thing it doesn't come with is an allen wrench and a weird, quasi descriptive Ikea name like Reng Flösh, or maybe Reh Dyye.
__________

:: DIY Lighting Kit Ring Flash ::

-30-

Read More

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 with a little strobe. And by "a little," I generally mean speedlights set in the 1/8 power range, max… Read more »

Read More

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 post processing he used to get the final image, seen above.

Sortaa cool, IMO, as this is frequently the "black box" part of these kinds of shoots that usually goes unexplained... Read more »

Read More