07 Nov 08 Today on Twitter: 2008-11-07

@digipixels The new photobook engine is amazing! #
RT @blackstar: Using an Off-Camera Flash to Improve Your Photos http://twurl.nl/fzqujd #
RT @Peachpit: @NAPP_News Congrats to Scott Kelby for making Amazon’s Best Books of 2008 list! http://budurl.com/y3ap #
RT @digipixels: PhotoTip: Try using different angles to improve your photos. Read on here: http://tinyurl.com/5tzsqp #
RT @kenshane: The new Obama transition website: http://www.change.gov/ #

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29 Oct 08 Today on Twitter: 2008-10-29

Interesting Story - Point Pleasant NJ Dairy Queen - Video on YouTube http://tinyurl.com/6qy9g3 #
Olympus lends lenses Micro Four Thirds compatibility http://tinyurl.com/5f5uas #
Twitter members and Photo.net community http://tinyurl.com/5qdaqd #
http://tinyurl.com/5qdaqd #
RT @studiolighting: Great question on the #Lightsource flickr group today “Flash Meter Recommendation?” http://twurl.nl/3dqnlb #
Look for our ad! http://tinyurl.com/5tmeeq #
RT @davidtejada: My PocketWizard podcast is public at http://www.davidtejada.blogspot.com #

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28 Oct 08 Getting Great Halloween Shots

Photographing excited (and constantly moving) costume-clad children at night can pose a few challenges, but taking great Halloween pictures can be a snap if you use a few simple techniques.

Use that Jack-o-lantern! Jack-o-lanterns can serve as great props as well as a creative light source for super-spooky shots. You can pose your children close to the jack-o-lantern—either with the pumpkin below their faces or in a silhouette pose, and the light coming from inside will cast a soft and scary light on their faces.

Go for the Action: Go beyond the traditional ‘say cheese’ shot and snap pictures of your trick-or-treaters on the go! Consider photographing them from behind as the run down the sidewalk, fully costumed with treat bags in tow, or walking up the steps to a neighbor’s house. Have them act the part of their costumes and keep snapping!

At Dusk– To Flash or Not to Flash: Most trick-or-treaters try to hit the trail before dark, and using natural light as the sun goes down can yield some wonderfully warm Halloween images. Turn off your flash and use natural light to capture the rich colors of the costumes and painted faces. If possible, snap some of your shots before dark; your Halloween photos will contain a nice range of moods between the dusk and nighttime hours.

Nighttime Shots: The right flash can make all the difference when it comes to creating that perfect image. Most cameras have a flash that is effective somewhere between five and ten feet from the subject; just don’t stand too close or else you may find your picture looks too bright or overexposed.

If you shoot using a DSLR, a high-quality add-on flash unit can greatly improve your images and allow you to capture fantastic nighttime pictures. PROMASTER has the most complete flash line in the industry with a product to suit everyone’s needs and budget. http://www.promaster.com/electronicflash

Tags: action, Ave, bag, bags, cam, camera, cameras, Di, DSLR, exp, flash, images, moods, napp, night, part, photo, photograph, photos, Pin, pl, ppi, Quality, SLR, subject, sun, tech, time, use, walk, your

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27 Oct 08 Studio Lighting on a Budget

By Derek Martin at Roberts Imaging

So, I’ve been busy the past few days moving product on our site into new, more visible categories (for your convenience), so I’m sorry I haven’t had time to finish the bokeh series yet, but I really want to have some nice reference shots to go with it. I’ll try and have that ready for you before the end of the week.

So, let’s talk a moment about a subject I’ve been reading up on lately: professional studio lighting. Now, as most of the world is aware, the US is currently having some jitters when it comes to the economy, and as most photographers know, studio lighting can be a very money-intensive thing. Can be. But, that’s not always true.

Lastolie Ezybox

First off, I’m seeing more and more studio-style lighting done with small flashes. That is to say, people are using their Canon flashes or Nikon flashes more and more. Flashes like the SB-900 or Olympus’ FL-50r now have wireless master controls built in, and with everything from bounce reflectors to small softboxes now available for these type of units, what used to be on-camera flash systems are finding their way off and opening up worlds of flexibility and portability in lighting.

RPS Studio 3-Light Kit And that’s all very cool. But, what if you’re like, just starting out on your equipment acquisition and you want to, say, shoot white seamless product and fashion shots (hey, I’m a designer, we’re all commercial at heart, baby)? For that you need at least three light sources, and SB-800s, SB-900s, FL-50rs, and 580EX IIs will add up in those quantities. So, how about three monolights with stands and umbrellas for less than any of those flashes? Well, then, take a look to your right at the RPS Studio RS-SB/SLK3. Three 160ws monolights (more than enough power for small studios and garage studios) with stepless output down to 1/8 power, two white umbrellas (you can shoot through them like softboxes for more diffuse light), a nice silver umbrella (I did say fashion earlier, afterall), and hey, it’s got IR triggers, so you can still work wirelessly. I’m budgeting one of these kits for myself, because it’s the perfect way for the newcomer to professional studio lighting to get their feet wet without making their wallet dry. And that’s pretty A-OK in my book.