by successfulbob | people photography, photography, photography gear, photography lighting resources
Little Lighting Lesson
I was in Washington speaking to the Professional Photographers of Washington showing a quick lighting demo using a three light setup with Fiilex LED Bricks.
Subject with no light in the eyes gives a less than stellar appearance.
Once you have lights in position, it can be a very small movement of your subject to get a better image. In this case, changing the head to a slightly higher angle allowed the light to show in the eyes. Catchlights in the eyes adds a lot of life to a portrait. A small change. Big difference.
The small change in position allowed the light to leave a catch light behind for a more ‘alive’ look.
Fiilex P100
I choose the Fiilex LED’s P100 (AKA the Brick) because they fit easily in my suitcase, are battery powered (approx 2 hours battery life per charge), and have adjustable color and power. With a Color Rendering Index (CRI) of just under 90, there is a large spectrum of color available that is important to look for in LED lighting. Very versatile.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
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by successfulbob | black & white, fine art portrait, Lumix Lounge, LumixGH5, people photography, photography, photography gear
Post Processing on the Portrait of Ernst
One of the great pleasures of traveling to speak to photography groups is the fellowship with photographers. I met Ernst Ulrich Schafer while at the PPW Conference in Yakima, Washington. Ernst and I went out on an adventure and had a blast getting to know each other.
I asked Ernst to take a moment to pose for me to make a portrait. Found a decent spot for a nice lighting pattern on his face but the final portrait was completed in post-production. Here is the story of ‘The Making of Ernst”.
Final image of Ernst
Original capture. Looking for a soft split light pattern.
I looked for a background that had a little bit of a gradient and a soft shadow transition from light to dark. Accomplished but finding an overhead light block with two open sides. I placed Ernst closer to the left-hand side to make the short side of his face the lighted portion. The light coming from the other side worked as fill. If aI wanted a sharper contrast I would have moved him further left. Less contrast further right. Since we can’t move the lights in a situation like this moving the subject is the only way to go.
Process in NIK Silver FX Pro 2 with Sepia Tone. Note the difference between this image and the final at the top of the page. The white rim on the collar was removed as it was a distraction. Additional dodging and burning was done to lightly increase contrast and control some of the highlights. Check out the Layers Palette Screen Capture for more details.
If you don’t already have NIK filters be aware that they are a free download from Google. There is a great variety of filter effects available in the Suite. I often use Silver FX Pro 2 for my black and white and sepia tone conversions.
Layers Palette
Background is the original capture. Silver Efex Pro 2 is the Sepia Tone conversion. The copy Layer shows some retouching with the removal of the white collar. Layer 1 is a Soft Light Layer to burn in the sweater and add contrast to the shadow side of the face. Layer 2 is another Soft Light Layer to control some highlights and add a little sparkle to the eyes. I use the Soft Light Layer Mode to dodge and burn my images.
As you can see Adobe Photoshop with a pit stop in Adobe Camera Raw is a large part of my workflow.
Image made with the new Lumix GH5 and the 42.5mm f1.2 Nocticron lens @f1.2 1/320th sec ISO 200
Yours In Creative Photography, Bob
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by successfulbob | fine art musician portrait, graphic design, Lumix GX85, Lumix Lounge, musician photography, people photography, photographer of musicians
Walt Richardson & Friends at Sound Bites Grill Sedona
What a great show! Walt is known for his reggae music, but he is so much more. He’s a legendary songwriter with a big heart, and it shows during his performance. His friends are entertaining and talented musicians. There’s a reason Walt is in the Arizona Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame.
Walt’s own words say it best, “I am a Soul, Living out my life as a Songwriting, Storytelling, and performing Musician.”
Learn more about Walter Richardson & Friends.
Art with signatures for the Wall of Fame
If you have followed my work you know I photograph the musicians live while they are performing for marketing of future performances. In addition, I create an image for the ‘ Sound Bites Grill ‘Wall of fame’. These art pieces are created with each individual member of the band recorded and then extracted from the image and rebuilt. It’s a great challenge to render each performer and band in a slightly different style. Here in a nod to the reggae, the red and green lighting pattern was utilized in the spot lights. The singer-songwriter and personality of Walt was highlighted by picking an expression with that little smile and wide open eyes.
Non-logoed version of the art.
Most of the images were captured with the Lumic GX85 and a 35-100mm G Vario lens.
Image of the full band for future marketing and appearances at Sound Bites
Back-stage view at SBG.
Walter Richardson black and white photo.
When I am creating the marketing photos I always make the conversion to black and white as well as a color version. There is more to creating a dynamic black and white image for printing than just desaturating the image to monotone. You need to control the contrast and the highlight and shadows properly to make a solid photo.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | black & white, Lumix GX85, Lumix Lounge, musician photography, people photography, photographer of musicians, photography gear
Live Entertainment Photography – Anthony Mazzella Black & White
Many times if I want to check that I have a good solid image capture I convert to black and white to see how the tones do without the distraction of color. The fact that I produce advertising and marketing images for Sound Bites Grill makes me check that even more often as many of the images I create will end up in a newspaper in black and white.
I recently photographed the Legends of Guitar show at Sound Bites featuring Anthony. You can check the color images in my previous post. Here are the black and white versions.
This image still carries the blues feeling. I remember working hard to get Anthony in a spot where there was a separation light on his hat.
Shows the full line of instruments telling the story of the show.
A little smoke machine action gives extra depth and dimension.
Here’s one that needs the distraction of color. The hot spot of the light is too distracting in this image in black and white.
Check the color versions in the other post to get the most from this post. Images made with the Lumix GX85. The fact they removed the anti-alias filter give a better ‘grain pattern’ in my opinion. Makes for sharper images. And the five-axis image stabilization makes for better handhold ability in the low light.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
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by successfulbob | fine art photography, fine art portrait, people photography, photography creativity, tuesday painterly photo art
Tuesday Painterly Art – Kristi Elias
I have watched Kristi grow and set her work apart from others on so many levels. It has been an amazing journey to watch. Here is some of Kristi’s work and words to inspire you in your artistic quest in photography. While Kristi’s images do not involve painting per se they have a distinctive art feel to them. I turn this post over to Kristi.
Look carefully at this image and check out the background build.
(not to mention the build and definition on the fighter) – image © Kristi Sutton Elias
Original capture. Note the kicker lights that help with background separation and extraction.
image © Kristi Sutton Elias
“I am a fine art portrait photographer, a good portion of my work is conceptual composites. I create between 40-over 60 composites a week for client orders, some are more involved than others. The amount of time to create the composite varies depending on if I am reinventing the wheel and creating a new concept and artwork from scratch or re-creating a piece that I have created for another client before.
After processing. image © Kristi Sutton Elias
Original capture. image © Kristi Sutton Elias
“Most of my backgrounds were taken during our vacations, I pick vacation spots based on images I would like to create. Medieval and abandoned castles are my favorite, this year we are going back to Europe and I already have a shot list of where I want to go.
Original captures. See the final below. (I merged the three images original for this illustration: ED.)
image © Kristi Sutton Elias
Final image © Kristi Sutton Elias
“After I shoot a session, I upload my images into lightroom and cull through them rating my favorites. After that, I will open my selected image into photoshop and create the composite. Sometimes my composites could be 5 images put together to create the final image and sometimes just 2 images. After I have created my final composite, I use NIK Software Color EFX Pro 4 to create my final vision. I have a few go-to tools that I like to use, but overall each image is treated differently as its own piece of art. Some of my go-to’s are dark contrast and bleach bypass and darken lighten center. The best thing to do is go through all the filters and see what each one does and play with all the levels. Before I start an edit I look at the image and decide what color pallets, hues, and mood I want the final image to portray. I have created hand-painted backgrounds that I photographed and use for textures in my work.
image © Kristi Sutton Elias
Starting with a well-lit capture that has depth and dimension makes selling the final image that much easier image © Kristi Sutton Elias
“Another important part involved in my editing, I listen to Love songs or country love songs on pandora while I edit. Mood music :).”
www.KristiElias.com (Masterpiece Portraits)
www.KristiSuttonElias.com (Editorial and Advertising)
Kristi will be teaching a week long class on “The Fine Art of Portraiture” at Texas school this year. Click on the link to learn more about the class. It will be a very creative and fun class!
https://www.texasschool.org/speaker-lineup/kristie-elias/
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
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by successfulbob | fine art photography, fine art portrait, people photography, photography, tuesday painterly photo art
Tuesday Painterly Photo Art
Sandy Harrison
The Artist
“As a child, I was always intrigued with the old black and white photos my dad shared with me about his experience in WWII and how each image told a story of a time before me. My dad gave me my first SLR camera when I was in middle school. My love of photography took off! I was hooked and drawn to capturing landscapes, flowers, and bug pictures. Together, we used the darkroom equipment in our basement. I was in awe as I watched images appear on the glossy white paper right in front of my eyes.
Painted Image – © Sandy Harrison
Before Image
I landed a job at the local 6 Hour Film Lab. Instead of sending the small cassette of film off to be developed, I was able to develop and print in the small re-purposed gas station. I spent mornings in the dark cracking open cassettes and hanging the film on big reel hangers which mechanically dipped the hangers into the developing bins and through the big dryers. Afternoons were spent viewing the film. Once the film was printed, I gathered the big reel of paper and started it on its way through the paper developer machine.
Didn’t know then, but later was amazed that my Lab experience helped me in my photography business
with such things as color, density, and over and under-exposed negatives.
Painted Image – © Sandy Harrison
Before Image – © Sandy Harrison
I loved to work for the owner’s of the lab at their Camera Store/Portrait Studio. I would spend hours watching the owner take portrait sessions. She encouraged me to learn.
I’ve studied under some amazing talented masters but a few who really touched my heart throughout the years are Van Moore, John and Mary Beavers, Colbert Howell and Rick Alexander. Without the teaching and giving of themselves, I would not be who I am today.
I have welcomed the digital era diving full force in 2000 converting to one hundred percent digital medium from film and have never looked back. I love the flexibility of the digital darkroom aka the computer! I continue to learn and move upward with the flow as the digital medium is in constant change.
Painted Image – © Sandy Harrison
Before Image
With the switch to the digital era, came a glimpse of something new again. I sat in a class taught by Marilyn Sholin teaching Correl Painter. It was the vibrant colors and uniqueness of her portrait art that caught my eye. I told myself that day; I needed to learn more about this amazing technique. She was offering workshops just two hours from Charlotte. I enrolled in one of her workshops and again was hooked! The creativity I hoped to accomplish with painter was that of what I see on the walls in museums! I have continued to grow as a photographic artist the past six years or so with the help of Marilyn and her workshops and private tutoring.
Painted Image – © sandy harrison
Before Image
Myself, being a photographer, I was inclined to stay in the lines and make a photographic print. She has taught me to be loose, messy and think outside the lines. She encourages her students not to copy but to create a style of their own. In doing so, Marilyn directed me to another Master Artist, Heather Michelle. Heather’s style of painting is more of a traditional approach as well as teaching color theory. Just what I needed as a classically trained portrait photographer. After studying under both of these Master Artists, I’ve tried to take both styles and techniques
and make something of my own. Every painting I do is a work of art from my heart.
I would encourage you to always continue your education. Embrace the new! Accept the challenge of change and make it your own.
Take your craft and your experience and be open to share it with one another. Looking back on my successful career of over 30 years, I am so thankful to those that shared their knowledge with me.
One Moment, One Click of a Shutter and Time Stands Still Forever…
Happy brush strokes!”
To see more of Sandy’s work. www.PhotographicElegance.net
Biography
Sandy Harrison was born in Port Huron, Michigan. She started her career in photography at the age of 20, just newly married. She continued living in Michigan while starting a family and pursuing her passion for photography until moving to Charlotte, North Carolina in 1988 where it
would be a reality and full-time employment in a portrait studio. There she learned the art of classical lighting and posing from Master photographers at the local and state conventions
and workshops.
Sandy embraced her craft and was hired to photograph well-known dignitaries such as Michael Gorbachev. She was hired to photograph basketball star, Larry Johnson’s wedding along with many of the Charlotte Hornet basketball families in the 1990’s. She was also the first to be featured on the Carolina Bride Magazines cover adorning Lisa Cooley, Charlotte’s premiere news person. Sandy’s keen eye and ability to capture the true essence her subject makes her a sought after photographic artist. Her work continues and hangs in many homes in Charlotte and the surrounding area.
Sandy pioneered the digital era in the Charlotte area being one of the first to make the transition to
the new digital media. In doing so, she surpassed many of her associates and got a head start
in the digital world in 1999 and has never looked back.
Keeping true to her passion and drive wanting to learn new things, Sandy started painting portraits in
2009. She continually studies under several Master Painters and is always expanding her knowledge in
yet another medium.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
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