Time for Christmas Present
I didn't send any Christmas cards or bought any presents this year – instead of that I wanted to give time.
Yesterday I worked for the very first time as volunteer in local rest home. I read couple of hours Christmas stories to elderly . I will continue working as volunteer after Christmas, so new stories and activities will follow.
Time – let's give time to each other this Christmas. Time with Your Special Ones is the most precious time of all.
Merry Christmas to You and Your Family. Cheerful New Year. Let's spend our time well in 2017 :)
Mood boards, target groups, own inspiration – photographer Brett Florens at FPPA's Annual Meeting
I participated yesterday FPPA's Annual Meeting in Helsinki. Finnish Professional Photographers' Association and Color-Kolmio had invited Photographer Brett Florens to do seminar about his way to work as professional photographer.
Day was interesting and inspiring. I tweeted about Brett's seminar yesterday, and if you weren't there, or you want check Brett's ideas and his way to work, feel free to read my tweets. They're in reverse order -if you want to read them in chronological order, please, begin from last one :)
3 lights, 3 images – 3 different visualizations for portraits
Last week I did 45 min lighting and shooting demonstration in Road Show organized by Color-Kolmio and Foka. I wanted to demonstrate how to create 3 different portrait lighting set-ups when one has 3 studio strobes and few light modifiers, and one wonders what kind of light modifiers might be useful for portraits.
That's why I used strip -soft boxes, honeycomb grids and barn doors in these lighting set-ups, and black fabric all the time :)
White background, controlled light – Model can move freely
Idea of first lighting set-up was that model can move freely and change pose without lighting changing that much, kind of fashion lighting set-up.
I lit background (white wall) with two studio strobes which both had umbrella reflectors as light modifier. With these modifiers light beams spread wide enough to lit wall evenly.
I placed main light behind camera and attached strip -soft box to it in vertical position. In this position light beam doesn't spread that wide and models' outlines appear darker and form of person looks more three-dimensional in image. Model wore dress made of glossy fabric on purpose, so main light made reflection on it.
Two images below demonstrate clearly what means controlling the light. White wall reflects most of the light which hits on it. Even though model stands as fas as possible from white wall some reflected light may hit accidentally on model, and to lens.
Uncontrolled background light can be seen on first image on model's cheeks. It hits to lens too, and creates flare. Flare destroys all dark tones and image appears all gray.
Second image shows what happens when you place two frames with black fabric both sides of model to prevent flare. Light doesn't spread uncontrolled around studio anymore, and black fabric helps models' outlines to appear darker and that creates illusion of three-dimensional form of person.
Quite big difference, don't you think. I never begin shoot in studio or in location without enough black material, clamps, frames and stands that I able to create black scrim in the place where it's needed.
Lighting diagram:
(1) Main light: Elinchrome D-Lite RX 4 + light modifier Phottix stripe 35 x 140 cm (vertical position)
(2) Background light: Elinchrome D-Lite RX 4 + umbrella reflector (16 cm, 90°)
(3) Background light Elinchrome D-Lite RX 4 + umbrella reflector (16 cm, 90°)
(4) Scrim to prevent flare: Lastolite Skylite 1 x 2 m + black fabric
(5) Scrim to prevent flare: Lastolite Skylite 2 x 2 m + black fabric
(6) Background: white wall
What did I experience in Photokina?
This year it was interesting to visit Photokina, because I've asked lately so many times: where photography is heading, what's in the future? Maybe some answers could be found in Cologne.
Photo Exhibitions
First of all I visited Leica Gallery. I found photo exhibitions this year very different and interesting: lots of different styles, genres and themes.
Mostly I was impressed by pictures of Alex Webb, Fred Mortagne and Roger Ballen. All of them were very different: Webb's images were colorful, shot with wide angles on the streets; Mortagne's images were black and white and graphic and Ballen's images were combination of photos and other visual elements.
About Light Sources & Light Modifiers
On a second day I wandered around "light hall", and I found some trends in general:
- LED -panels, especially flexible panels made of soft materials
- wi-fi systems
- portable, battery flash systems
On the streets of Catalonia
I was recently on holiday in Barcelona. Between touristic tours with my Dad I had some time to shoot too :) So, some images from streets of Catalonia – colors of Catalonia, sun and spring <3 Loved atmosphere in Barcelona, at all friendly people too :)
Photography workshop for bloggers in Turku
Last weekend local camera store JAS Kamerakauppa organized photography workshop for Lifestyle Bloggers in cooperation with Canon: "How to shoot more visual and photographic images for blogs". At the beginning of the day JAS Kamerakauppa's owner Juha Saviluoto introduced place for participants.
JAS Kamerakauppa has one speciality which doesn't exist anywhere else in Finland: they have Vintage store and museum. Naturally Juha introduced them with pride.
There's "bad spot" in vintage store: section of recycled photography books :) JAS Kamerakauppa has done this section even worse... have coffee machine there and cozy chairs – so you can just sit down, have coffee and check all the books... this time I arrived in Turku previous day, but I didn't go to JAS Kamerakauppa – official explanation: everything was ready for the workshop, unofficial: no new books this time... – last time I just bought too many books... :)
In vintage store there are books you don't find anywhere from Finland – no bookstores, neither libraries. Of course some of them are old, but there are so many things in photography which doesn't get old - f.e. light is same today and twenty years ago. if you don't have possibility to visit Turku and vintage store, you can also check books from JAS Online Store.
First Shooting People in location photography workshop for this summer, check
I was invited to do photography workshop - Shooting People in Location - by Camera Club Aboca from Turku. Workshop was held in in Hostel Tuorla, Kaarina.
On Saturday we began photography workshop in classroom and I demonstrated basics of shooting people in location, and basics of lighting. In first lighting demo I showed how to use window light as main light. We had cloudy day so lighting condition stayed quite the same all the time, and it helped to demonstrate how to place model in relation to window that light creates light and shadow side to model's face and how her tone values separate enough from background's tone values.
Petteri Mäntysaari (Kappas Valokuvaamo) took some funny images while I was teaching, kind of "horror gallery" how strange faces one does while speaking... I think he didn't even show me the worst ones... :D After lighting demo participants split all over the building to practice and shoot.
