Q&A: Bleeding Power from Big Lights with Big Mods

Manila-based Diego Lorenzo Jose asks:

Could you share how you use the ND gel sheets on your big lights? I'm wondering how I could maybe use them on my monolights with big modifiers like a giant octa or softbox.

The good news is that's actually pretty easy, Diego. And you might not even need to buy any ND gel, either. Read more »

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BOLO Alert: The Flash Bus is On the Loose

UPDATE: We have a winner!
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The Photoshoppers -- close, but no cigar:



(Fair warning: The Flash Cart pic links to Fake Chuck Westfall's [typically NSFW-lang] post...)
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SATURDAY, MARCH 5 -- BE ON THE LOOKOUT: The bus has just departed from a secret location east of the Mississippi en route to Seattle, Washington. If you are the first to see it, you'll definitely want to grab a pic... Read more »

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Field Trip: Mumbai, India with Martin Prihoda

It's not often we get to point to something really cool in such a complete and illuminating way.

Not so long ago, photographer Martin Prihoda left the relative safety of a comfortable life in Vancouver (seriously, who leaves Vancouver?) to transplant his photography career to India.

Hit the jump for a BTS vid on the Cosmo cover above -- and links to two posts which show you his path to that moment. Read more »

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Plain and Simple Light: Athar

Athar Khan is sort of a local legend in Howard County, MD. Many people know him as "the Columbia Bike Guy." He is always out on the roads, biking. He sometimes wears wild hats, or dresses unusually, etc. Lots of people honk and wave, but few people really take the chance to learn very much about him.

I photographed him for HoCo360 last week, and the post is making the rounds locally these days. And it is a good reminder that even though Strobist tends to center around lighting, what is far more important is what you are actually seeking to accomplish with your photos. Read more »

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Compared to These, Rosco Gels Taste Like Crap

Outdoor photographer John B. Crane was hiking in the Colorado back country when he found himself in need of a green gel for funky-lit shot of an ice cave.

None of the official variety was on hand. But they were not short on imagination -- or tasty snacks:

Fruit Roll-Ups and Nikon CLS

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Oh Look. Yuri is Doing a Studio Conversion, Too

Wow!

I'm building a studio, King of Microstock Yuri Arcurs is building a studio -- it's like we have this parallel mind thing going on. It's like we are doing the exact same thing at the exact same time.

But just between you and me, I think my $130 propane heater really pushes my studio over the top, compared to his new studio. Dontcha think? I mean, I wouldn't wanna say anything to him and all. But is it me or does his studio just look too, you know, chilly?

Don't you get cold just looking at it? I sure do.

The space is okay I guess. If you like that kind of thing. But I really like my compact heater. Plus, my windows have that black plastic light proofing. It is like, totally opaque.

Don't get me wrong. I am happy for him and everything. And I am sure he likes his new space, too. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

(Thanks for the tip, Debbi. Thanks a lot...)

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I Want to Love You Madly

Okay, so photographer Nick Fancher might be onto something here with this "Mad Men" themed engagement shoot. I can totally see this kind of thing making the rounds.

And besides, it's only the engagement photo. Even if Mad Men jumps the shark (if it hasn't already, with Don's surprise proposal) it's not like it's your actual wedding photos or anything.

Lighting Geekery: Note the very low flash levels (1/64th; 1/128th) being used. This brings the aperture down to where you can incorporate the ambient light mix -- very important -- into your photo without getting into crazy slow shutter speeds.

But back to the theme choice. What if Mad Men has jumped the shark? What is the forward-thinking coach potato engagement photographer looking to do as a follow-up?

I know... a Walking Dead engagement photo session.

Better yet: Spartacus. Hell, yeah.


Bonus Link

To ogle some of the lighting behind a real Mad Men still photo (no offense, Nick) check out this BTS video of Frank Ockenfels' shoot of Don Draper from last season.

(Thanks for the heads-up, Nick)

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