P52W17 - Avatar

P52W17 - Avatar

I've wanted to update my avatar pic for quite some time. I shot the original back in 2007, so it is definitely outdated. I still had the kit lens, which I've sold a year ago, in that pic!

The concept is the same. I wanted a shot of just my hand holding the camera at my side. I didn't want a pic of me holding the camera to my face like everyone else. And I wanted to overpowered the ambient to keep the focus on my hand so I used a couple of snooted flashes as main and edge lights. I think it turned out nicely. :)

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P52W09 - Just Tired

P52W09 - Just Tired

Got home late. Almost forgot to shoot one for this week. Notes to follow. Tired.

-arland-

P52W04: I Shot Them All

P52W04 - I Shot Them All

Brought these prints home from the office. They used to hang in my cubicle 'gallery' before we moved to another area of the floor. And that reminds me, I've got a ton of pics to sort and print.

I started with the concept of an interrogation-room-type shot, but I didn't have the rig to light it properly. I decided to zoom in, focus on the table with the pics. It looks simple, but I actually had my three flashguns lighting this scene: one at camera right, and two at camera left. All three were snooted to keep spill in control.

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P52W03: Back to Back

P52W03 - Back to Back

This was a quick and dirty setup. A composite of two portraits, with the strobe in a shoot-through umbrella slightly to the side and behind me. (I didn't have time to shoot yesterday because I was up late editing pics from my Tiyo and Tiya's 50th wedding anniversary.)

I was going for a bit of contrast. One side was supposed to be a little casual, fun, and the other a little serious.

Barely made week three, with 10 minutes to go. :p

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P52W01: All Set

P52W01 - All Set

The Goal: 52 Weeks. 52 Photos. Not just snapshots. These have to be images that I would gladly display in my portfolio, or include in a photo book.

Up to the last minute I didn't know what I was going to shoot as the first entry of the project. I mulled over several ideas this past week, and as the batteries finished charging last night I picked one. This was not it.

I knew it wasn't going to be easy. But I didn't think it was going to be this hard.

In the original concept I wanted to include my shadow as a background element, but I just couldn't make it work. The walls, the shadow, the lighting--all wrong. After 30 minutes of test shots, and relocating twice, I admitted defeat. Plan B.

Side lighting then. I read about this from Scott Kelby and Joe McNally. They used it on portraits of male athletes. (I'm not an athlete, but I thought I can make it work a bit.) I had a couple of costume changes, but then decided to keep it simple. White shirt, tripod/lightstand bags, and camera strap. (Strap only because I was shooting with my only DSLR.)

Set timer. Walk to postion. Emote a bit. Click. (Repeat until satisfied and/or close to fainting due to blood loss from a million mosquitoes feasting on me.)

I picked this photo because I look like I'm all set and about to go out on a shoot, because that's what this project really is. It's a 52-week-long shoot. :)

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Scheming

"The water's rising, but I know the course."

Scheming

480EX camera left full power, 285HV camera right @ 1/16, and another 285HV at the top of the stairs @ 1/2.


-arland-

Plan B

I wanted to try a glowing-orb-in-my-hand shot, but I couldn't get the lighting right. So I just moved the light around and did a back-lit portrait instead.

Plan B

The 285HV at back was at 1/4th power, and there's a 430EX camera left at 1/16th shooting thru an umbrella.


-arland-

Bottom Rung

I got home at 2am. Way to early for a Saturday night. Should still be drinking...
I thought the shoes lined up at the stairs (waiting for me to take them up to my room) would make a good foreground/background.

Dirty Shoes

At the Bottom of a Flight of Steps

-arland-

Black T-Shirt White Polo

I felt compelled to shoot after finishing Scott Kelby's The Digital Photography Book (Vol. 2). So I tried out a simple two-flash lighting setup, a variation of the 'clamshell'.

Polo - Close

Mukhasim

Polo - Side

Inosente Kunwari

-arland-

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween! :)

Trick or Treat 1

Trick or Treat 2

Trick or Treat 3

-arland-

Back to Normal

After a stressful past weekend, here's me taking it slow...

I Found Gold

Crooked

-arland-

In Our Backyard

I had my mind set on doing a photo shoot, but last Friday my best friend reminded that it was my inaanak's birthday today. (I know. I know. Bad ninong. :|) So a couple of hours before I went to the party, I grabbed my gear, went behind our house, and shot myself. :)

Migraine Boy

Clark Kent

Steady Lang

Smile!

Smize

Nasa Puso

-arland-

Late Night Reading - Workflow

Too bad I forgot to take a picture of the actual setup. :| Anyway, here's how I arrived at the final images from the previous post:

1.) I picked a location. I knew I wanted to use that light post as a background. So I headed to our second-floor terrace and set up the gear at one end. I set my camera to expose for the background. The right side of the frame was fairly empty, but it's ok. That's where I'll be sitting.

Late Night Reading - Setup 01

2.) The right side of the background was dark so I put a flash in my sister's room. I pointed it out the window to light the neighbor's roof a bit. (And you'll also notice it lighting my left shoulder in the final pics.)

Late Night Reading - Setup 02

3.) I used a playing card on a light stand to set the focus, and to test the key light. I put the light on a Gorillapod wrapped around the window grills, camera right. I gelled it CTO to match the light post.

Late Night Reading - Setup 03

4.) And here's a shot with the key light off to show how dark it was.

Late Night Reading - Setup 04

And that's it! Here's the finished product. :)


-arland-

Late Night Reading

Catching up on my reading... :)

Late Night Reading 01

Late Night Reading 02

Late Night Reading 03

Late Night Reading 04

-arland-