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.

12961440_1158246187527353_7522385579558603106_oPetteri 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.

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I went for a walk, nightwalk before Photowalk

Few nights ago I took my camera and went to streets of Tampere. I wanted to practice street photography because next I was going to participate Canon Photowalk in Helsinki. Themes of photowalk were darkness, lights and shadows.

It was interesting to go out: it was all dark and it was raining. I haven't been shooting like that for a while. It was time to follow Henri Cartier-Bresson's footsteps and capture decisive moments :)

And what happened next day in Photowalk? It was so great to meet old friends and new people that I didn't shoot at all... but the others did; you can check images which participants took in Twitter #canonphotowalk

New, and interesting this time was, that we "gathered" next day in Twitter. I feedback, participants followed and commented – Photowalk was this time great mixture of real life and virtual life. Thanks for all :) Once again.

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Light and Sport cheer up – Stock images for Method Putkisto - Pilates Instructor

I saved these images for the darkest time of the year. Light and action in these make me full of energy and happy even though I just see them on screen :) I shot these images for my friend Ulla Pesola who needed them for marketing her business, "Ulla Pesola Method Putkisto – Pilates".

Ulla works in the Central Finland, Muurame so that's why we shot in that kind places that local people recognize them: Muurame ridge and library. Weather was great both days during photo shoots, and I was able to shoot almost only in available light.

First images were done while Ulla instructed walking lesson, and I was just shooting. And I heard some good tips at the same time, and I've been trying practice better walking ever since :) ulla_pesola_method_putkisto-6ulla_pesola_method_putkisto-2ulla_pesola_method_putkisto-11Read more


Urban Exploration in Tallinn - Portable lighting equipment for journalists & bloggers and Portraits in location

https://youtu.be/qPaIl-_dp3g

I had great opportunity to participate Urban Exploration in Tallinn two weeks ago. Canon organized workshop for journalists and bloggers there and I was one of the lecturers there. My theme was Portraits in Location and I had thirty minutes inspirational presentation before we went to old shipyard to test and to shoot with new Canon cameras.

Because of short presentation time I went to old shipyard day before to take some example portraits. My friend Pit Euler (who has already modeling for me in Photography Guidebook POSE) lives in Tallinn. he and his friends joined me in old shipyard and were models in portraits.

My idea was to shoot portraits in short time and use minimum lighting equipment. Because of our ferry arrival time, taxi drivers difficulties to find shipyard etc... when we finally got to shipyard it was already sunset and then darkness. And there wasn't any electricity there... I used as main light Dedolight DLED 4 - BI (battery version) and as fill light Canon Speedlite 600 EX-RT. Those lighting equipment can fit in one backpack and it's easy to carry on for journalists or bloggers. And it can be easier to use because you can see the light which continuous light source produces all the time. And then you just use fill light as much as you want to have it. And if you have speedlite same brand as your camera ETTL Mode works quite well.

So we did portraits in old shipyard in one hour –in darkness :) My idea for next day's inspirational presentation was to point out few details if one shoot close-ups...Read more


André Boto creates surrealistic images in Photoshop – Awarded Portuguese professional photographer's seminar in Finland

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Awarded professional photographer André Boto visited Finland two weeks ago, where he had two days seminar for Finnish Professional Photographers' Association (FPPA). Boto has worked as professional photographer only five years but he had super-start: he won FEP European Professional Photographer of the Year competition in 2010. His awarded images were done for photography school. "I won right competition", André said, "clients still remember that award".

Characteristic for André's work is surrealism. He masters Photoshop, and what's the most important thing, he has vision. He began with art and drawing and later on changed to photography. Now he draws in Photoshop. He admires art pieces of Magritte and Dali, and you can see their influence in André's work.

André's seminar in Finland was split in three parts. In the fist one he shared his thoughts about photography and his ways of working. "Even though my images are surrealistic they have to be believable. Scaling and light are important. And story - there's always story in my image."

"I always try do do something different, because I think if we (artists in any area of arts) want to be on the market, we need to do something different, we need to çreate our own style and when the people recognize us with a style, that's a very good sign. So, I show my work and told about the concepts and what I had in my mind to create this type of different stuff. It's important to say that I didn't start on photography area, I started on arts and I applied some knowledge in photography from other areas of arts to create the difference."

Andre is master in other way too: he shares his thoughts, skills and knowledge to others in seminars. Check his way of working from Youtube:

https://youtu.be/xATORzmv2bU

https://youtu.be/jFh6g99fu5k

https://youtu.be/hqB0jGywVck

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Thank You FPPA – I was awarded The Master Photographer of the FPPA Title

There's no photography training without people who want to learn.

Thanks for this journey I've done belongs to all these people I've worked with – to learn something new about photography, that passion we share together. Thank you all <3

I appreciate highly The Master Photographer of the FPPA Title by myself. I realized that while my presentation when tears came out. And still tears come out when I think about it.

Among others I want to thank jury too; they valued my journey worth of Master Photographer Title. Actually they opened it up to me: "this Master Photographer Title is not given to photography guidebooks but it's given to Tiina Puputti".

Journey will continue :)

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The Master Photographer of the FPPA Title 

The Master Photographer of the FPPA Title is highest title which FPPA awards. I applied title for field of Photography Training and I used my two photography guidebooks as examples: Light & lighting – Portraits in studio and location and POSE – Guidance of the Model. Of course it wasn't only about books, it was about the journey I've done while writing them. That journey has been all about:

- Get inspired and express yourself with positive attitude – Basis of my way of thinking and working

- Light & lighting – deeper understanding of profession, professional skills and know-how, and on my way to sharing knowledge to others

- POSE – sharing, communality, building your brand and marketingRead more


Wednesday program in local movie theater Joensuu: Lighting & posing tips

I hopped on train last Tuesday night to travelled to Eastern Finland, Joensuu and did photography seminar there in local movie theater Tapio. Same night I hopped on a train again, travelled back to Western Finland, Tampere and yesterday morning I was already in Helsinki. So my trip to Eastern Finland was really short. But we had enough time to do seminar for local photography people. Seminar was organized by local photo dealer Kuvanmaailma and Canon. Themes for the seminar were Lighting & Posing tips in Portraiture.

I used two light sources in lighting demo. First one (1 mainlight) I used to lit model's face, the other one was fill light (2). As background (3) there was white, translucent diffuser because I wanted to use simple and few equipment. Just basic lighting with basic equipment.

I placed diffuser diagonally in relation to model. This way right side of it (from camera's direction) stays darker than other side. This helps to separate models' face better from background from it's light side (there's enough separation in tone values between light side of face and background). And another reason for this diagonal placement was: this way light hits to diffuser unevenly, and it creates gradation on it. And simple white diffuser appears more interesting background for portrait.

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Tallinn – #designit – compose, shoot, edit & share

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There’s Design Night Festival in Tallinn September, 17th – 20th. Part of Disainiöö program – ”for early birds” – Overall Eesti organized photography workshop on 14th, Sept: #designit – compose, shoot, edit & share.

Idea of the photography workshop was to give tips to Design Night Festival participants how they could shoot storytelling and better quality images of design products during all the events of the Festival. We in Overall Eesti waited for 25 people to participate to workshop but 28 people showed up to yesterday. Luckily we had enough chairs and coffee :)

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Once again we had some product samples from Estonian Design House (Eesti Disaini Maja) – again these beautiful, colorful  and cool products which I adore :) So, it was great to do demonstrations with these beautiful design products. Loved it :)

Idea of #designit photography workshop was to demonstrate shooting process when people have only cameras or smart phones with them. First of all – you have to decide what you want to shoot and know why you shoot it; what’s the purpose of final image. This is way it comes to storytelling and message of image: you decide that before you press the button. Then it's also good to think before shooting where your image will be seen: via mobile devices or spread in two pages in newspaper or magazine.

Then we went to shooting process and decision making. We had few words about KISS (Keep It Simple and Straightforward - or version which I prefer: Keep It Simple Stupid :) ), direction of light, main subject, separation of main subject from background etc. and I showed examples of those in demonstrations. But mainly we concentrated on composing images - which different ways to compose image you can choose.Read more


Modeling & assisting in 30's Hollywood Glamour style photo shoot with Dedolights

I had great team with me while we're doing POSE – Guidance of the Model Photography guidebook. We agreed a while ago that we'll have get-together when POSE is published and celebrate that. And how we did it – with photo shoot :) Idea for this came because Tanja is shooting photo series of ladies in different decades.

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Lighting diagram for Hollywood Glamour Portrait

(1) Main light: Dedolight Classic 150W tungsten halogen spot + barn doors

(2a) Fill light: 1 000w halogen spot and (2b) glossy silver-gold -reflector, appr. 1 x 2 m

(3) Rim lights: 4 Dedolight Classic 150W tungsten halogen spots + barn doors

(4) Additional light source: Dedolight Classic 150W tungsten halogen spot + barn doors

(5) Additional light source: Dedolight DLED 4.1  led light head + barn doors

(6) Additional light source: Dedolight DLED 4.1  led light head + barn doors

(7) Additional light source: Dedolight Ledzilla 2 led light head + barn doors

In 30's Hollywood Glamour style is typical that lighting is done with small light sources; it's high contrast, cookie lighting is used and edge of lights and shadows are hard. That's why we chose to use small-size Dedolight halogen spots to create this image.

Poses in Hollywood Glamour images are usually static because in that time exposures were longer and model has to stay longer on pose. That's why models are typically placed that she/he could lean on something. So Tanja painted one of her garden chairs golden an it fitted perfectly to Glamour Style. With help of chair I was able to be more static and also able to exaggerate my pose. Exaggerated poses are also typical for Hollywood Glamour style. Whole photo shoot we used live view on laptop's screen so I could see image and assist Tanja in lighting.Read more


World Press Photo of the year – photographer wanted to make a statement

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I had yesterday my inspiration day in Helsinki. One reason to travel was to participate in Opening Ceremony of World Press Photo. It's always interesting to see photo exhibitions and of course to see friends at the same time :)

Among WPP -photo exhibition it was interesting to participate Opening Ceremony because World Press Photo Contest Winner Mads Nissen (Denmark) was there too and he shared us why and how he did his Photo of the Year. I also enjoyed guided tour by World Press Photo Exhibition Manager Femke van der Valk. Very detailed.

 

Manipulated images and smartphone images

In general it was interesting when Femke van der Valk told us that about 22% images sent to the contest had to be discarded because they were manipulated. I think it's good that WPP Organization shares this kind of information public. It reminds us that we always have to keep our minds critical even when we see images called documentary. It' also brings out the question of photographer's ethic and moral today.

Other interesting point was that one of the category winner images was done with smartphone. No more professional photographer use only "real" cameras.

 

Russian gay couple in World Press Photo of the Year

Danish photographer Mads Nissen was in the opening ceremony and he told us about his image:

"This morning I walked from the hotel to Sanomatalo. There were bunch of people on the street to collect names to list which protest against gay marriages. Next to them there were gay couples - and what did they do? They didn't spit, they didn't throw rocks, they were kissing. What a strong message.
I hope we all have someone to love. My image of Russian gay couple is not image of gay couple, but image of couple in love What I witnessed this morning cleared me once again how important this matter is not only in Russia but everywhere in the world."

I always enjoy to listen photographers when the tell stories behind images, how they got their ideas and passion to shoot, and this was my question to Mads yesterday.

"I was in St. Petersburg and I was watching pride parade. I met there guy called Pavel. When we were standing on the street, someone came to ask Pavel is he gay. Pavel said yes and immediately this guy hit him straight to his face. I was in shock and I couldn't do anything. I realized that photography is my tool, and I knew at that point what to shoot."Read more