Month: November 2011

What’s In Your Camera Bag?

When not being ‘occupied’ by a cat, my standard camera bag holds my Canon 5d Mk2, Canon L series 24-105, Canon 50mm 1.5, Canon 85.. 1.8, extra batteries for the camera, and four 16 gig memory cards in an awesome Pelican CF card holder. In an additional bag goes flashes, flash accessories, extra batteries and the battery chargers – I also carry my own power strip to gigs to line up all those chargers, just in case.

I’m currently investigating new camera bags, as the gear (as well as the cat) has outgrown the ancient one I’ve had since college. Any suggestions for what works for you are most appreciated!

Tips For a Successful Headshot Session

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I personally believe that everyone should have a good head portrait or head-shot done once in a while. These used to be the domain of performers, actors, musicians, but with the rise of social networks and online professional directories such as LinkedIn, your image is something worth considering. That said, I’m less of a fan of the traditional head shot, and while I certainly can shoot you in a suit and tie, my goal is to deliver images which reflect my clients personalities.

A few things I tell clients when coming in for their portrait session –

Stay away from white shirts, clothing with distracting patterns, or very large pieces of jewelery.

Don’t go too heavy on the makeup and style your hair the way you usually do.

Dress professionally, but comfortably – if you aren’t happy in a suit, you won’t look comfortable in the photographs.

Don’t sweat it if you have some skin flaws. I don’t do a ton of retouching on my work, but I do smooth over any temporary blemishes and can provide more extensive retouching upon request.

A session like this can take under an hour, but I like to spend as much time as it takes to get the ‘right’ image. Some of the people I photograph are performers who love the camera, many are business people who feel very uncomfortable with a lens in their face. Posing for a head shot is actually quite a bit more difficult than being photographed at a large event or party. The end results, however, always look quite a bit more flattering than that tiny ‘photobooth’ photo you’ve been using for your Facebook profile.

There are a ton of tutorials on shooting these kinds of photos, here’s what works for me. I use studio lights or natural light as the situation require. The two images above were both shot in the studio with strobes, the one on the right with two strobes + softboxes, the one on the left a single light with a silver umbrella. I also like shoot-through umbrellas for this. The images below were shot with available light and my trusty Canon 85mm 1.8.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Been Traveling…

We got back from Prague a week ago, and I’ve been felled with a lingering cold ever since. Just when I think I’m getting better, I wake up feeling tired and achy again. David keeps reminding me to get a flu shot, but between you and me, I’m beginning to suspect it may be too late.

 

This was the view from our first hotel room window.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More to come…