I am an amateur photographer which by definition means that I earn my living by doing something else other than photography. That also means that I don’t really have the budget for expensive lights/strobes that many professionals use in their line of work. The professionals need them for reliability and consistency and I think they should get the best equipment their money can buy. Just like they say the best camera is the one that you currently have with you – the best light is the one that you have. In my case it was a Flashpoint Digipop and a Adorama softbox that my father-in-law handed to me several months ago. Rated at 300 watt sec it is not the best in the world, but it is small enough to carry and set up on location. I had the opportunity to take some head-shots for a childrens theatre company in town and I used this simple setup and the results at least in my view turned out great. I took these head-shots in the gathering area of Madam Walker Theater in Indianapolis, Indiana. The background was put together by covering a rectangular cutout propped against an easel stand with a cloth backdrop that I made myself. The strobe was on Camera Right at 45º shooting down through a Westcott Umbrella. I did not use a reflector to fill in shadows because I wanted to create something more “dramatic”. The strobe was set to 1/3 rd power and exposure was 1/180 sec at f/8.0. Above you can see some head-shots from that set – what do you think?
Strobist
4
Aug 10
Are budget strobes any good?
5
Jun 10
Balancing ambient light with a Nikon Speedlight (flash)
I still have a lot to learn on how to use Nikon Speedlights. There are some amazing resources out there for anyone wanting to learn and one such resource is the Strobist Website. On a recent trip to Florida we stopped at a beach in the historic St. Augustine area. The sky was pretty ominous and the ocean was rough because of a small Atlantic Storm. As we were walking to the beach from the car I saw this pigeon sitting on the fence against this dark grey sky.
I took a meter reading of the sky which came to 1/250 sec @ f/11 which would have been too dark for the Pigeon. I set my SB-24 Flash in Manual mode at 70mm Zoom, 1/16th power and f/11 giving me a working distance of roughly 7 feet. I fired off a couple of shots and each time I changed just the distance from the pigeon. I am pleased with the result and the fact that I am getting the hang of Speedlights and using them efficiently.
9
Feb 10
Photoshoot for cast of MLK in a Hip Hop World
A little background information about this act sourced from a PR release:
Rooted and grounded in the civil rights era, “MLK in a Hip Hop World” allows audiences to observe dramatic scenes through the lens of the hip-hop generation. We are reminded that hip-hop is not just a form of music but an undeniable social movement.“MLK in a Hip Hop World” examines the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., contemplates his work and lifts his legacy to the rhythm and pulse of the streets.
“MLK” reminds viewers of Dr. King’s history and philosophy through a cultural perspective that has influenced our progress as a diverse nation.“MLK in a Hip Hop World” is an original theatre piece written and performed by ACT alumni and Asante Touring Company members Jocque “Coosto” Carey, Cleo “The Dark Knight” House, Vincent “LL” Jordan and “King” David Orr, under the direction of Deborah Asante, Founder and Artistic Director.
14
Dec 09
A Fabulous Holiday Music Weekend
I was fortunate to see and be a part of two amazing performances this weekend. First was the Inter-generational Kwanzaa Choir which put on a wonderful show at the Indiana Historical Society’s Frank and Katrina Basile Theater. Led by artistic director Deborah Asante the performance included the African National Anthem (in Swahili), the 7 Principles of Kwanzaa, a sneak peak at MLK in hip hop world, and a tribute to Michael Jackson. The costumes were dazzling and equally dazzling were the performances.
Rest of the Images from the Kwanzaa Choir can be seen at : Kwanzaa Choir
The second performance that I got to see was the Holiday Classic “The Nut Cracker” presented by The Indiana Ballet Company and The Russian Ballet Academy of Indiana. This was a special show put on by the Company and Dancers as part of the “Hopes and Dreams” initiative for the benefit of approximately 850 children. Some of these children are currently confronting major challenges such as poverty, homelessness and serious illness. The dances were based on original choreography by Vainonen with additional choreography provided by Artistic Director Alyona Yakovleva. I was one of the volunteer photographers covering the event, and I got to do some group photos of kids with the dancers after the performance.
