Light Modifiers
If you’re shooting video on an outdoor mobile production and realize your camera would benefit from a compact, lightweight matte box to control the light entering your lens, Tilta has filled that need with the versatile, new Mirage Matte Box for small and mid-size mobile camera rigs. The matte box features a clamp-on style and fits around 95mm lenses. But if you’re using lenses with different diameters, the matte box also comes with four
by Cory Rice ·Posted
Aputure has added the LS 600x Pro, a 600W bi-color LED, to its popular Light Storm lineup and the 59" Light Dome 150 circular softbox to its modifier collection. Together, the duo make for enticing options for professional photographers and videographers looking to produce a serious amount of flattering light.
It’s summertime, so naturally, barbecues and family gatherings are on the roster for many of us. Summer is a time for rest and relaxation, good weather, and dining al fresco. There is a good chance you’ll want to document your picnics, barbecues, and the food and beverages you’ll be serving. We all love to do that, especially in recent years. If you want your food photos to stand out while keeping your workflow simple, here are a few tips that may help you.
Working with Available Light
Direct sunlight can be harsh as a single source for food
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Jake Estes and Bobby Sansivero test the Angler FastBox Octagonal Softbox on an outdoor portrait photo shoot. As the name implies, this softbox sets up quickly and easily, snapping into place and locking in one motion. If you’re a portrait or wedding photographer, the Angler FastBox Octagonal Softbox is a must have!
Would you add this to your photography gear list? Share your thoughts in the Comments section, below.
by Cory Rice ·Posted
Profoto has added two new modifiers for the popular B10 and B10 Plus flashes: the OCF Softbox 3' Octa and OCF Softbox 1 x 4'. Equally
Texture is one of those multi-sensory things that we can feel with our sense of touch and “feel” visually with our eyes. Because texture transcends the senses, we must account for it when we create photographs. Sometimes the goal is to accentuate a specific texture. Sometimes we wish to “smooth” the texture visually. How you light your subject has a lot to do with how you reveal, or hide, texture.
Photographs ©Todd Vorenkamp
It might seem easy these days to go shoot on a beach. I mean, you could just throw an action camera into a protective case and all is good. Perhaps that works—for some shoots.
And if that is all you need, then more power to you. However, I’ve done a few shoots on beaches, and my experience is that the beach can be one of the most difficult environments in which to shoot. From getting the look you want, to protecting your gear from sand and salt spray, a little bit of planning can make a huge difference.
The Look of Your Shoot
On a sunny day
by Cory Rice ·Posted
Whether you are shooting a fashion editorial, a wedding reception, or anything in between, on- and off-camera lighting can make a huge difference outdoors. Natural light is wonderful, but there are scenarios in which you simply cannot run the risk of an unexpected cloud or rapidly setting sun ruining your shot. This article introduces the gear and accessories necessary to be prepared outdoors always, no matter what
by Cory Rice ·Posted
Once your portrait needs have advanced beyond what natural and available light can provide, it is time to begin exploring studio lighting. The best way to build any lighting kit is one light at a time. This allows you to grow with your setup, developing an understanding of how and when to use your lights along the way. One of the simplest creative setups to experiment with when working with your first light is low
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Cinematographer Shane Hurlbut really lights up a room, literally! In this video, he takes you step-by-step through his process, covering topics such as which types of lights to use for foreground and background, adding color, and best placement of equipment, as he shares his cinematography techniques and tips for lighting a room.
Share your takeaways from this video, along with your own tips and tricks for lighting a room, in the Comments section, below.
by Cory Rice ·Posted
With digital cameras and editing software constantly improving, photographers are able to get away with a lot more today than they could in the past. Better sensors, flexible ISO ranges, raw image processing, and ever-advancing lens technologies have all contributed to a more forgiving margin of error for the photographer—or, to put it more optimistically—greater creative possibilities. For the portrait photographer, this means you don’t have to invest in a studio’s worth of gear to create compelling photographs of your sitters. Some will say
Light modifiers keep getting better and better. Softboxes, in particular, although portable when collapsed, have often been an exercise in frustration and wasted time when it comes to setting them up. Yes, the light quality you get from them can be just right, but they are sometimes such a pain that they go unused except when really, really needed. Enter the Angler FastBox Octagonal Softbox 24" and its smaller compeer, the
by Cory Rice ·Posted
One of the first challenges awaiting portrait photographers new to studio lighting is how to produce soft light. Anyone who has used a flash or strobe knows that there is more to lighting portraits well than simply pointing a light at a subject and rattling off shots. At the same time, creating soft light does not necessarily require an investment in a ton of expensive lighting modifiers. This article covers the basics of soft light along with some light-shaping tricks for achieving soft light with and without modifiers.
by Allan Weitz ·Posted
For a lighting company that’s only been around for just over a decade, Godox has managed to establish itself not only as a recognizable brand among on-camera, portable, and LED lighting manufacturers, but as a serious contender in a fiercely competitive marketplace. And how did the company manage to gain such a solid footing in such a short time? Easy. Godox produces exciting state-of-the-art lighting products at price points that make the competition’s bean counters queasy. The following are some of the more recent and popular Godox
by Cory Rice ·Posted
Mastering studio lighting can feel like a Herculean feat when you’re just getting started. Like any aspect of photography, it requires patience, practice, and plenty of mistakes before it comes naturally. In an effort to shorten your learning curve, we’ve rounded up 10 common issues that beginners encounter and how to fix them.
Technical Issues
Lighting setups can be as simple or complicated as your heart desires—or your shot requires. However, before you can begin to think about how to use your lights creatively, you need to understand how