DC Event Photographer. Commercial Photographer. Automotive Photographer. Destination Weddings. Armin DeFiesta. » PORTRAITS

The Ranneys | Fun at Yards Park Photo Session

Armin — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:42:38 +0000

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It’s been two years since Alison & Dustin’s awesome wedding at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club. Since then they welcomed their adorable son Max to the world. Full of curiosity and not wanting to miss anything, Max wanted to explore the open space of Yards Park in DC during his photo shoot with mom & dad. Incredible weather was at hand for the Ranneys’ pictures, although it was quite windy! We had a great time catching up and got some great moments on camera. Enjoy some of my favorites.

SUNFLOWER SHOOT AT MCKEE-BESHERS WMA | LIGHTING & IPHONE PHOTO SHOOT DEMO

Armin — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:29:32 +0000

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IPHONE 4 PHOTOGRAPHY

My buddy Nils Granholm of Cavus Media and I met up with model Brittany in the sunflower fields of western Montgomery County, MD to do an editorial/commercial shoot. Our friend Chris also joined us to assist and shoot. This field is part of the McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area in which the sunflowers typically peak around mid-July. The time of day for this shoot was around 10am to noon and it was a very sunny day. Therefore, creating flattering light to minimize harsh shadows resulting from the high position of the sun was a welcomed challenge. Not to mention all the bees, insects, and other wildlife we worked in harmony with. Thanks to Chris for the bug spray!

Enjoy a short behind-the-scenes video of me, Nils and crew in action!

Much of Nils’ gear at this shoot was the same as mine. We also had three of the awesome portable and daylight balanced LitePanel MiniPlus LED lights. Check out our complete review of the LitePanel MiniPlus lights HERE. For a complete list of “what’s in my bag”, click the banner to your right of the page that says “What’s In My Bag” =)

Let’s start with a fun little game called, “guess the camera and lighting”. Can you name the camera and lighting used in this photo of Brittany below?

If you guessed iPhone 4, you are correct! I love having fun with the iPhone so why not try it on a real photo shoot?

Also below is an iPhone 4 photo showing the three guys handholding the LitePanel MiniPlus LED lights. As you can see, the first photo of Brittany by herself above was cropped in post. Other than cropping and watermarking, this is the original iPhone image with an exposure of ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/40th. The photo demonstrates how we lit Brittany with the LitePanel MiniPlus LED lights. It’s the perfect solution for quick lighting setups in studio and open shade locations for video, interviews, head shots, vehicle interiors, and anything else where we need more light. Best of all, it’s daylight balanced meaning the light is virtually the same quality and look as daylight – awesome sauce!

USING REFLECTORS AND TRANSLUCENT DIFFUSERS

In the following image Nils used his Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24mm f/1.4L lens, and a polarizer lens filter. The polarizer typically enhances color and contrast as you can see here. I’m not sure what brand Nils used, but I am a fan of the B+W polarizer filters. We used nothing but a big diffuser/scrim and a couple of reflectors for lighting with the help of myself, Chris and his son Charlie. Reflectors were used to bounce or redirect the sunlight onto Brittany. One reflector was directed at her hair for hair light, the other as a key light from head to toe. I was holding the large white translucent diffuser a few feet above her to soften the sunlight which was the main light.

To show what we were doing behind-the-scenes I snapped a quick photo of us with my iPhone 4, hence the distortion.

A gold reflector added a little hair light.
A large soft gold reflector acted as the key light.
I stood on a ladder holding a large 52″ white translucent diffuser to soften the harsh sunlight that would otherwise fall on Brittany.

There are many brands of reflectors, but I like to use the Photoflex LiteDisc Gold/Silver reflector (one side is soft gold, the other is silver). I also like to use the Photoflex White Translucent diffuser to soften harsh light sources by holding it between the subject and the light source. Notice in this iPhone photo how Brittany is softly “lit”, while Nils (to the right) is overexposed from the harsh sun – you can see the shadow outline of my diffuser on his hat.

In the following photos…

LEFT IMAGE: lighting with three daylight balanced (5600K) LitePanel MiniPlus LED lights as demonstrated in an earlier photo above.
RIGHT IMAGE: lit with the soft gold reflectors and a white translucent diffuser as described in the preceding behind-the-scenes photo.

As you can see the white balance for the LitePanel lights look just like daylight, even under open shade. The warm tones of the image on the right was the result of using a soft gold reflector.

In the following two photos we found some open shade along the tree line so no need for the diffuser I was holding.

For lighting–

Chris deployed a soft gold-sided reflector on camera right
I also set up two speedlites in ETTL mode, the first one was positioned camera left behind Brittany
Second speedlite was used as fill light positioned camera left, 45 degrees in front of Brittany.
The Canon 580EXII Speedlites were fired using the MiniTT1 & FlexTT5 Pocket Wizard system.

Here’s the set up behind the scenes (sorry for the blurry look, that was my “iPhone camera shake”):

GETTING THE MOST FROM A SINGLE SPEEDLITE OR FLASH

I know many new photographers don’t buy more than one flash or use softboxes, umbrellas or other modifiers. So I thought this would be a good demonstration of getting the most out of a single flash.

For this part of the shoot I used my Canon 5D Mark II and a Canon 100mm Macro f/2.8 lens. I like this lens because of the bokeh quality, detail and clarity it produces. Because it was hot, the sun was high in the sky, and time was getting short, I needed a quick lighting solution to minimize the shadows on Brittany’s face from the harsh sun. Here’s my solution:

I attached my Canon 580EXII Speedlite onto the hotshoe of my camera and set it to ETTL.
Raised the flash exposure compensation up two stops.
Zoomed the flash all the way to 105mm to narrow the light as much as possible.
Set the flash to HSS, or high speed sync, allowing me to use faster shutter speeds in order to drop the ambient light down to my taste.
Exposure: ISO 200, 1/4000th, f/3.2.

The fast shutter speed helps me control the ambient light and underexpose or drop the background as much as I need to pull more contrast from it. Plus it allows me to open up my aperture wide to get a shallower depth of field resulting in a nice bokeh, or blurred background. No light modifiers were used in this photo.

When using these flash settings you’ll might be drawing a lot of power from your batteries so I recommend high quality AA batteries or a compatible battery pack, such as the Quantum Turbo battery pack for Canon or the Quantum Turbo for Nikon speedlights.

For demonstration purposes, this is the result with no flash or lighting of any kind. I also put some distance between me and Brittany to get some sunflowers in the foreground. A great shot, but because of the high position of the sun there’s too much shadow on her face for my taste. A reflector to bounce some light back onto her or a speedlite (on or off camera) would help add fill light.

And one more image of Brittany with my on-camera speedlite doing what it does best. I am more of a two or three light shooter, and if time was on my side I probably would’ve added a hair or separation light in these photos. But for the purpose of demonstration, I encounter situations where I may not be able to set up enough lights, or not have enough setup time. So knowing ways to get the most from one light is essential.

More…

Here is one of the in-camera shots so you can see little was done to enhance the final image. Other than a slight contrast boost and resizing for the web, it’s pretty much similar to what was done in-camera.

In the following image we were shooting Brittany in open shade near the tree line so it was a great place to deploy the three LED lights again. Nils used his 5D Mark II and his Canon 100mm Macro as well. By the way, the guy in the far back was a nature photography shooting us… I don’t know why LOL.

Here are some of the resulting images:

Thanks to the crew and the lovely Brittany for their hard work! I hope you enjoyed the photos and learning more about what we did behind the scenes. If you’d like more info or suggest certain content, please contact me or leave a comment. Thanks for visiting the blog today!

BECCA’S MATERNITY SHOOT LIKE NO OTHER! | DC MATERNITY PHOTOS | TWO SPEEDLITE SETUP

Armin — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 13:00:00 +0000

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You probably remember Becca Bredholt, my co-writer and co-host from SHUTTER WARS. Well congratulations to her and her husband who are expecting their first child in about two months! Becca and I were pretty much in sync when we started chatting about doing her maternity photo shoot. Needless to say it was a blast working with her again bouncing around some fun ideas. Follow her on Twitter (@mediachick76)!

Here’s my gear list for the shoot, all of which you can purchase at B&H Photo & Video online (except for the roller bag I use):

DSLR: Canon 5D Mark II
Lenses: Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro, Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L
Lighting: Two Canon 580EXII Speedlites triggered by Pocket Wizards (MiniTT1 triggering a Plus II)
Lighting modifiers: None, bare flash this time
Two Impact light stands
Gear Bag: Think Tank Photo Airport Security V2 roller bag

: Typically bare flash (no softbox, umbrella or any light modifier) results in harder light. Under the right conditions and placement of light, you can get some great results. For Becca’s “silly theme” here I wanted contrast and strong colors so I felt bare flash would be the solution. To minimize the harsh shadows while keeping some dramatic effect, cross lighting is one of my favorite solutions. Cross lighting is nothing more than using two light sources that oppose each other in their direction. Don’t forget though that in outdoor shoots, the sun is also a light source! So in a sense I have THREE light sources for the shoot on the bleachers. This was my thought going into it before we set foot on the ball field. I knew I wanted some backlighting and was going to use the late afternoon sun for that purpose.

: Here’s my two-speedlite diagram. Since I’m using bare flash (no light modifers) and the strong sunlight for backlighting I knew I would get the contrast and color boost I wanted. I set the speedlites to 1/4 power in manual mode fired by the Pocket Wizards. Each speedlite had a zoom setting of 80mm. I had the left light at its highest point of about 9 feet at Becca’s eye level, while the speedlite on the right was at about 7 feet aimed at her belly. The time of day was around 4:30pm and had some good strong sun coming through the clouds just enough for a hint of backlighting.

Most maternity photo sessions have a gentle and poignant feel to them. We’ll get to those in a minute….

Becca did not just want the gentle side of maternity photo sessions. She decided to add some flare and downright silliness to the mix. I think we got it!

For the images on the bleachers above and below this photo, I wanted to capture some color and detail in the sky for dramatic effect. Plus I think it just looks plain cool! This is when shooting in MANUAL MODE has its benefits. To accomplish my goal I need to expose or meter for the sky. In this case after 1 or 2 test shots I manually set the aperture to f/18, ISO 200, and shutter speed at 1/320th. This results in an exposure I'm happy with for the surroundings and sky, but a poorly lit Becca. Fear not, this is where your lighting does wonders. As I mentioned in the lighting diagram above, two speedlites were cross lighting Becca. The lights were in manual mode, 1/4 power at 80mm zoom fired by Pocket Wizards. I got what I thought was the balance I wanted between the sky and Becca. This method is known as dropping the background or overpowering the sun. Some call it balancing ambient with off-camera lighting. See the following results!

Now for something more tame and beautiful. Becca switched gears and put on the soft white linens for the rest of the shoot. The sky became partly cloudy so I took advantage of the soft light as a result. I used no off-camera lighting for these. It was a warm day out but Becca used a product called VS Shine to minimize the shine you get from perspiration, seemed to work well! I hope you enjoy them!

So there you have it. Sure I love a good monolight or strobe, there’ll always be a place for the big lights in my work. But for this shoot I kept the lighting simple using the small form factor of powerful speedlites. Don’t underestimate what they can do when you execute some off-camera lighting strategies. If you’d like to know more about what’s in my gear bag, click my Gear List banner. Would love to hear your questions and comments as well. Thanks for visiting my blog!

Pocket Wizard MiniTT1 Review | Multiple Speedlites With Strobox Diagram

Armin — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:50:08 +0000

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Many photographers use RF (radio frequency) devices to remotely fire their flashes, strobes, monolights or any off-camera lighting for studio and location work. I am one of them! One of the more popular brands is PocketWizard (yes their logo appears to be one word). If you’ve ever been at a photo shoot and saw antenna-like things on top of the photographer’s camera, or dangling from the back of a strobe or flash, you’ve probably seen a PocketWizard. Better yet, the next time you watch America’s Next Top Model or Project Runway, take a close look at the photographer’s cameras. There’s a good chance you’ll see one on their cameras and lights as well. They are reliable, compact, and easy to use. They’re so popular that even some lighting companies have built-in PocketWizard receivers in their lighting systems. One of my favorite light shaping companies is Profoto that have built-in PocketWizard receivers in most of their systems. I can’t begin to tell you how convenient that is! Check out my SWAT Police photoshoot where I used Profoto.

I cannot imagine living without a system like PocketWizard as a professional photographer.

Well one of my PocketWizard Plus II radio transceivers recently went out of commission after years of hard use, mostly due to me, not the device. These devices can take a beating, but everything has its limits.

I decided I would replace it with the newer PocketWizard MiniTT1 Radio Slave Transmitter from B&H Photo. The MiniTT1 is part of PocketWizard’s new E-TTL & E-TTL II compatible system. This USB upgradeable device also provides High Speed Sync up to 1/8000th sec on most SLRs. And it’s backwards compatible meaning it will easily trigger all PocketWizards that you might already have. Very cool.

NOTE: The MiniTT1 combined with a PocketWizard FlexTT5 gives you E-TTL/E-TTL II ability, or through-the-lens metering. This means your camera can measure the light levels coming through the lens and use that information to set the proper exposure and control the amount of light emitted from the flash. This is not new technology since you can already achieve TTL control via the Speedlite’s built-in optical sensor systems. The downside is that those sensors need good clear line-of-sight to the optical sensors of the off-camera flash(es). Not so with PocketWizard systems. They operate on RF which can overcome most line-of-sight barriers.

I did some test shots the day it arrived and will be using it on more upcoming shoots. Here are my first impressions:

Small, compact, very lightweight
Very low profile compared to the Plus II – no more antenna to bump into things!
Plug-and-play ability – just slide it into the hotshoe of your camera like any PocketWizard and you’re ready to shoot.

The Box!

Just slide it in and you're good to go. And if you want to operate a flash ON-CAMERA, just slide it into the built-in hotshoe locatied ON TOP of the MiniTT1 and you're set.

This is how I used to attach an on-camera flash AND PocketWizard for firing off-camera lights.... with a bungee cord! Cumbersome indeed.

THIS is much better! Just slide the MiniTT1 onto the camera's hotshoe for firing off-camera lights. Then, if you need to, attach a speedlite onto the hotshoe ON TOP of the MiniTT1. Convenient and fast!

My lights – 3 Canon 580EXII Speedlites, each with the older PocketWizard Plus II Transceivers ready to receive the signal to fire from the MiniTT1 on my camera. The Speedlite with the Lastolite Ezybox softbox will be my main light.

This is my lighting diagram thanks to this very cool and useful iPhone app from Strobox.com! 2 Speedlites behind my subject for backlighting, and one Speedlite/softbox camera left for the key light. Can't get any more simpler than that! Key light was at 1/4 power, backlights were at 1/32 power.

Learn other lighting setups from a community of photographers.

VISIT STROBOX.COM AND START USING THIS USEFUL LIGHTING DIAGRAM APP!

She managed to smile for me, it's tough getting a 4 year old to sit still sometimes. I let her hold her iPod Touch as a compromise =). No editing to this image, straight out of camera.

Goof! Same gear and exposure. The backlighting was set to 1/32 power each. The key light was set to 1/8 power. No editing to this image, straight out of camera.

For this shot I took the key light flash and attached it to my camera's....er MiniTT1's hotshoe and tilted it directly at her (e.g., direct flash). The backlights remained in place.

I like the simplicity and low profile of the MiniTT1 so far. The fact that you can securely attach a hotshoe flash to it makes it a winner. No more clever contraptions to attach a PocketWizard, just slide in the MiniTT1 and go. I just might have to add some PocketWizard FlexTT5 units to my gear bag. The FlexTT5 will allow me to achieve High Speed Sync, zone control, and more importantly, E-TTL/E-TTL II control. It has many other capabilities but I will save that for another review. Until then, happy shooting!

VESPA PHOTOS | VESPA PICS | VESPA PHOTO SHOOT

Armin — Tue, 17 May 2011 13:29:56 +0000

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Founded in Genoa Italy by Rinaldo Piaggio the first Vespa patent was filed in 1946. Its long history and social impact inspired me to photograph this bright red LX50 model in Annapolis, MD. Many thanks to Vespa owner Mandy Sroka for helping make this happen. A Vespa scooter is a fun and excellent solution to get around beach towns, downtown areas, or anywhere your local laws allow scooter operation. All you need is any state issued driver license – no title or registration required, but please check your local and state laws. I must say that I am now interested in photographing an older vintage Vespa, maybe one from the 1940′s or 1950′s. If you have one in excellent condition, contact me so we can chat!

I used my Canon 5D Mark II, open shade and ambient light for most of these photos. Lens was the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L for all shots. Photoflex reflector (gold side) and 2 to 3 Canon 580 EX II Speedlites for fill as needed. I hope you enjoy these photos. Many thanks to model Noelle for working with me on this shoot! The speedlites were triggered wirelessly with Pocket Wizards radio transmitters and receivers. With the exception of the light stands, everything was easily packed and transported inside my THINK TANK PHOTO AIRPORT SECURITY V2 ROLLER BAG, probably the most reliable and toughest gear bag I’ve ever owned going on 3 years of hard use.

Now I am a fan of studio lighting, strobes, and monolights from companies like Profoto and Paul C. Buff. But I also know that if you practice, experiment, and think it through, you can get a lot done with just a few Speedlites. Strobists rejoice!

Here’s my gear list, all of which you can purchase at B&H Photo & Video online:

DSLR: Canon 5D Mark II
Lenses: Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS, Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L
Lighting: Canon 580EXII Speedlites triggered by Pocket Wizards
Lighting modifiers: HONL 1/4 CTO (color temperature orange) gel
Impact light stands

Vespa represents a distinctive lifestyle whose brand and iconic identity continues to inspire fans around the world.

Protected: FAMILY PHOTO SHOOTS

Armin — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 16:16:28 +0000

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PHOTOGRAPHY REALITY SHOW, SHUTTER WARS WEBISODE PLAYLIST

Armin — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 01:26:40 +0000

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SHUTTER WARS was sponsored in part by THINKTANKPHOTO, get your FREE GIFT with your order of $50 or more.

Also check out the brand new RETROSPECTIVE 5 BAG, perfect old school camera bag solution for the new school photographer.

Here is the conclusion of my pilot web series SHUTTER WARS Photography Reality Show, broken up into 3 parts. I also included a separate video of some funny moments and outtakes.

MY THOUGHTS AFTER PRODUCING THE FIRST “SHUTTER WARS | PHOTOGRAPHY REALITY SHOW”

I believe what sets this photography reality show apart is everyday people – the contestants consist of everyday people like you and me, not the brooding eccentric artists that some my associate the word “photographer” with. Most of the contestants chosen have been shooting for 5 years or less, some even less than a year. The appeal of the contestants as everyday people can attract more of my target audience – entry level digital SLR consumers, many of who are parents. Shutter Wars can inspire, educate and empower the viewer by giving insight into what it takes to be a photographer. As this show will demonstrate, it’s not as easy as point-and-shoot. In a crowded and exploding marketplace of new photographers entering the industry every year, it’s anyone’s game. Moving forward, I hope to attract distributors and financial backing to produce a complete 12 challenge series. I am in the beginning stages of some dialog with a few contacts in the industry as we speak.

THE PRODUCTION OF “SHUTTER WARS | PHOTOGRAPHY REALITY SHOW“

The photographer contestants face the judges as their photo challenge results are critiqued. The contestants were challenged to photograph a child model in 30 minutes time and to produce an “innocence” themed photo and a “disturbed” theme photo. The feedback they received could prove valuable to new photographers and photo hobbyists.

Shutter Wars was shot in 24p using Canon’s popular digital SLR cameras that have full 1080p HD video. Here’s a list of some of main equipment used to shoot the webisodes:

Principle filming of Shutter Wars took place over four days in Alexandria, VA. The next step is to seek financial backing and distribution so I can produce the next Shutter Wars. Although this PILOT webisode series only had two photo challenges, we wrote twelve(12) photo challenges to show proof of life for a typical single season run for broadcast.

Visit the SHUTTER WARS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE to stay on top of the latest news. Thanks for watching!

SYNOPSIS:

Three judges, six (or more) photographers, one chance to create a photograph that will win them a sponsored prize in each webisode . Watch the challenge unfold as photographers of all levels and disciplines compete alongside in an exploding market of photographers proving once and for all that it takes more than “auto” mode to understand the art of photography.

Sponsors:

- The Art Soiree | http://www.theartsoiree.com

- Union 206 Studio | http://union206.com

- ThinkTank Photo | http://thinktankphoto.com

- Nations Photo Lab | http://nationsphotolab.com

- Moshe Zusman Photography | http://moshezusman.com

Executive Producer/Creator: Armin DeFiesta

Producer/Writer: Rebecca Bredholt

Production Manager: Ron Newcomb

“Shutter Wars” is an American challenge-based reality TV and/or webisode concept created by DC photographer and producer Armin DeFiesta. The concept focuses on professional photography and its target market – entry-level DSLR consumers. Retailers have indicated that suppliers such as Canon, Sony and Nikon report that the entry-level photography market are some of their most profitable segments in the DSLR market space. “Shutter Wars” could attract viewership from photographers and non-photographers alike, inspiring DSLR owners to gain more technical knowledge and take their personal creativity to the next level. The series would be about more than just photographers participating in photo challenges, it could about discovering that the real competition is themselves. Because of the educational value and the contestants’ drive to be a better photographer, “Shutter Wars” would be a good match for product manufacturer sponsorship. The concept can be developed as standalone webisodes or a series of elimination-based photo challenges.

The concept can be developed as standalone webisodes or a series of elimination-based photo challenges. The show will definitely challenge photographers of all levels and styles. The cast will be a mix of experience, mid level and aspiring shooters. I want Shutter Wars to emphasize what it really takes to create a photo – the art and the personal and technical challenges many experience today. And putting them in a competitive environment will help push the artists out of their comfort zone and learn something new about themselves and the craft.

2010 WAS A GREAT YEAR | DC PHOTOGRAPHER

Armin — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:06:50 +0000

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Just thinking about 2010 reminds me how time goes by so fast. With all the challenges, all the wins and losses, I can’t help but feel excited for what 2011 has in store. I know it’s cliche, but that’s probably because it’s true and many can relate to those words. I was browsing through my website homepage photos and decided to make a quick slideshow of some of my favorite photos from 2010, plus a few favorites from the past. I want to thank all my wonderful and amazing clients from this year and years past! C’mon 2011, I’m ready for ya!

Laura and Nick | New York City Engagement Photo Shoot

Armin — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 23:50:55 +0000

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In less than a year from now I’ll be photographing Laura & Nick’s wedding at the Sequoia in DC. Both lived in New York City for a few years where Nick proposed to Laura in Central Park. Of course, what better place to start shooting their engagement session. A big thanks to Laura and Nick for their wonderful hospitality and inviting me and Denise to NYC!

It was a gorgeous day in the high 60′s and the City was crowded and full of energy. With Denise wielding the Lastolite Tri-Flash “light stick” like a satellite dish, it wasn’t hard getting the attention of some onlookers, including a group of photographers that had a field day with the couple in the archway under the terrace. One of them commented to Denise, “that’s an interesting lighting setup you got there.” Visit this link to the Tri-Flash Bracket at B&H Photo to see what it’s all about. Simply put, you can attach up to 3 speedlites onto one bracket to give you more light. It’s portable and compact enough to take anywhere. You can attach an umbrella or put it inside a softbox like the Westcott Apollo 28 softbox.

We had a blast capturing some portraits and candids of the happy couple in Central Park and at the Brooklyn Bridge. From Bethesda Terrace to DUMBO Brooklyn, there wasn’t a place you couldn’t get a good photo of these two.

A lot of couples say to me during their consultation, "we're not photogenic." well I don't think Laura & Nick have too much to worry about!

It was a fun moment for them to come back to the same spot that Nick proposed to Laura, just across the water from Bethesda Terrace.

The fountain at the Bethesda Terrace seemed to be where all the action took place. It was crowded with visitors, street performers, and dozens of photographers =)

A wide view of the fountain area of Bethesda Terrace in Central Park.

This was one of my favorite candids from the Bow Bridge.

We took an interesting cab ride to Brooklyn for some more awesome photos. Here'a a view of Manhattan island and the Brooklyn Bridge from the Brooklyn side.

DUMBO (down-under-manhattan-bridge-overpass) park was also crowded with people. So with a little digital massaging, I made them disappear so I can have a pleasant Brooklyn Bridge skyline with my star couple in the forefront.

I loved this vantage point of the Manhattan Bridge, had to stop and compose a shot!

We walked up onto the Brooklyn Bridge which was packed with pedestrians, but we managed to find a spot where I could compose a shot encompassing some of the bridge's architecture.

VIEW THESE AND A FEW MORE OF MY FAVORITES IN THE SLIDESHOW BELOW:

Michelle | Commercial Fashion Style Head Shots

Armin — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 05:49:58 +0000

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Commercial and lifestyle photo shoots always present the opportunity to mix things up. When you have a short amount of time and a location space you don’t know well, you’re forced to improvise. The talent in this photo shoot, Michelle, is a beautiful and pleasant young woman to work with. But I sensed a rebellious vibe, not to mention that Eliza Dushku look. The black leather, her natural beauty, and red motorcycle in the background inspired me to create an edgier look, instead of the usual “soft” look I’ve done before and have seen so many times everywhere else. When it comes to on-location photo shoots, no two are alike. Each one presents a unique set of challenges, especially lighting. With Michelle’s shoot, I was working in a small area of a garage that wasn’t even hers, and we only had about an hour to use. I first set up my Tri-Flash system on a single light stand (3 Canon speedlites). And I used an Alien Bee ABR800 ring flash with soft box attached (or “Moon Unit” as Alien Bee calls it). In a few photos I only used ambient light spilling through the big garage door behind me. For the photos outside the garage, I just used my Tri-flash system, each speedlite at 1/2 power. The final interior shot, we used a blue wall inside the house as a simple background for a ring flash shot. A BIG thanks to Michelle for being so great to work with!

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