Posts Tagged photography studio
#Tog Tuesday: Scrim
Posted by Amber McCoy in Reflectors, educational on August 31st, 2010
Scrim: A scrim is a translucent material that may be fastened onto a frame, and used outdoors to reduce the intensity of, and soften harsh light. A scrim can be used when harsh midday sun would otherwise cause people to squint, or “blow out” hotspots on people’s skin, such as cheeks, foreheads and shoulders. The scrim is placed close to the subject, diffusing and reducing the intensity of light, which is much more flattering, especially for portraits.
For Example: Scrims are very common in the video industry to help break the light behind announcers to make them more prominent. In the photography industry, typically scrims are used on shoots with strong sunlight (such as on beaches & swimsuit shoots) or in studios that utilize the natural sunlight through windows.
Scrim Light Example
#Tog Tuesday: Short Light
Posted by Amber McCoy in Photo Basics, Spiderlites, educational on August 24th, 2010
Westcott Softbox w/ TD5
Short Light is a style of lighting used in portrait photography where the main light is illuminating your subject’s face which is further from the camera. When looking at an image – highlights project while shadows recede. So your attention is naturally drawn to the brightest part of the image. So, if your attention is drawn to a smaller portion of your subject you are reducing their perceived size.
TIP: This is a perfect lighting style for individuals with a round face.
Below are some Westcott and Photo Basics products that can help you achieve this lighting style.
Westcott Spiderlite TD5 Large Daylight Kit PLUS
Photo Basics Home Studio Lighting Kit (Using Only 1 Light)
#Tog Tuesday: Color Temperature
Posted by Amber McCoy in Photo Basics, Spiderlites, TD5, educational on July 27th, 2010
Kelvin Scale
Color Temperature: is a description of the color of visible light from a light source. In Photography this is measured on a scale of degrees Kelvin. The higher the color temperature the cooler the color (blue-white); the lower the color temperatures the warmer the color (yellow-white through red). The Kelvin scale goes from 1000 to 10,000, with 1000 being very warm and 10,000 being very cool.
A common misconception is some perceive this scale in reverse, which comes from unguided experimentation in setting the white balance manually in the camera.
#Tog Tuesday: Main Light
Posted by Amber McCoy in Spiderlites, Strobelite, educational on July 13th, 2010
Main Light: Sometimes called a ‘Key Light’, is the principal source of light in an image, and typically will be the brightest source of light that is adding to the exposure of the image. In portraiture, the Main Light is responsible for your lighting pattern and is the light source from which you will set your exposure.
Tim Fillpot: A Testimonial
Posted by Amber McCoy in Photo Basics, Testimonial on June 4th, 2010
Photo by: Timothy Fillpot
Tim Fillpot of Fillpot Photography
Photo Basics: uLite 2-Light Kit
A Testimonial
My name is Tim Fillpot and I own and operate Fillpot Photography in Santa Maria, California. I have specialized in many types of photography, including wedding, families, babies, professional head shots, and commercial photography, for over 9 years. What began in 2001 in California’s Central Valley has grown into a wonderful business that has given me and my wife, Lillian, many fantastic opportunities to photograph and connect with so many wonderful people.
I have also been involved in selling merchandise on eBay since 2004. For the most part I’ve used window light to photograph my products; however, recently I decided I wanted something better, something more professional. I knew that to be a successful eBay seller, and to get top dollar for my merchandise, I needed to provide potential buyers with attractive, well-lit photographs.
Hernan Rodriguez: It’s a Wrap
Posted by Amber McCoy in Umbrellas on May 27th, 2010
Whether shooting images for a commercial client or to further my portfolio, all my images must begin with a visual concept. Being creative, you draw ideas from everywhere such as dreams, movies or trips. In any case, my recent thoughts were coming up with a ‘new approach’ to an image with a commercial feel, including ‘snap’, and good transitions throughout the skin tones. With my background as an Art Director, I illustrate most of my ideas on a sketchpad. I include where I would place my lights, and maybe what I want to portray in the final image. I find this technique to be a good practice and highly recommend it because it eliminates the guesswork. Even if I do not use that particular idea, I save the notes and refer to it later as my ‘tried and tested’ archive. It also comes in handy when I have a client wanting a specific look, which I might have already perfected. It always comes down to where opportunity meets preparation.
WPPI 2010: What a show!
Posted by Amber McCoy in Conferences, Spiderlites on March 16th, 2010
This year’s Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) was held in Las Vegas, NV at the MGM Grand Hotel from March 4 through March 11. It truly was a success for Westcott! We had the privilege of meeting numerous photographers with amazing talent who use Westcott products. We also had the pleasure of introducing new photographers to many Westcott lighting kits – especially our Spiderlite TD5s, which they immediately became a fan of.
Before we give you a recap of the show, we wanted to first thank everyone for taking the time to stop by our booth! Without you, WPPI would have not been a success! Second, we want to extend our appreciation to the photographers who donated their time to speak at our booth as well! You all did an amazing job! The following individuals spoke at our booth: James Schmelzer, David Ziser, Zach and Jody Gray (Gray Photography) and George DeLoache.
RECAP of WPPI 2010:
Day 1: Monday March 8, 2010
When they opened the gates for the WPPI Expo to begin, we knew it was going to be a good one! We had an immediate rush that continued until after the show had come to a close on Day 1. Our biggest hit for Day 1 had to be our Green Screen products. Photo Basics by Westcott recently launched a handful of items featuring Green Screen technology. The following products were featured at the show: 9′x10′ Chroma Key Blue and Green Screens, Green Screen Digital Photo Kit, uLite Green Screen Video Lighting Kit and the uLite Green Screen Photo Lighting Kit. On a Pro level, our biggest featured product had to be our 6-in-1 Reflector Kit.
Day 2: Tuesday March 9, 2010
As the second day began, it was definitely a day of interest in our Spiderlite TD5s. With the wave of constant light becoming more and more utilized in the industry, everyone wanted to know how to utilize these lights. The TD5s allow photographers to create a light source that according to Scott Kelby is “almost like cheating”. Since Westcott offers many kits (biggest value) featuring the TD5s, the demo on the product was ‘enlighting’ – no pun intended.
Day 3: Wednesday March 10, 2010
The last day was nothing to be reckoned with! The traffic through our booth was almost mind-boggling! The Westcott 28” Apollo softbox was a product not to be overlooked – this had to be the product of the day for Westcott. With more and more photographers focusing on the option of using their products for both studio use as well as on-location, the Apollo had everything to offer! It creates an avenue for travel photographers to have the performance of a softbox with the portability of an umbrella. This product is truly a photographers’ dream! And as the day continued, the traffic remained even up until the conference had closed.
Closing of WPPI 2010
This year was truly fantastic and it is always a pleasure to see familiar faces! So in the meantime, keep your eyes and ears peeled – 2010 is going to be a BIG year for Westcott – who knows what is up our sleeves!
Don’t forget – Order your FREE 2010 Westcott & Photo Basics Catalogs now! Click here to order!
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Keith Ibsen – Complete Concepts Photography
Posted by Amber McCoy in Backgrounds, Spiderlites, TD5, softbox on March 15th, 2010
Keith Ibsen is a Co-founder of Complete Concepts Photography, located in East Northport, NY. Keith and his associate, Joel Lucks, started collaborating in the spring of 2009, combining their photographic talents. Keith’s background is in illustration and design and Joel’s, as a professional writer, made them a perfect match. The company is divided into two divisions – commercial and consumer. Their job assignments have taken them from the underwater world to corporate offices, from the studio to locations around Long Island, New York and the country. Between them, they have over 40 years of photographic experience.
Keith is a long-time Nikon photographer, while Joel is a Canon photographer. However, when it comes to studio lighting they both agree Westcott Studio Lighting is the best choice. In early 2009, Keith attended a lighting seminar facilitated by Westcott’s representative, Dave Piazza, and was introduced to the Westcott TD5 constant light source and was sold immediately on their system. Soon thereafter, the first light was added to the studio. So impressed by its performance, the studio now has a total of three TD5s, along with Westcott’s soft boxes and accessories. In December 2009, Complete Concepts Photography also added two Westcott Strobelite PLUS lights. With this winning combination, and a backdrop rented from Westcott (www.rentscenicbackgrounds.com), Keith produced the images featured here.
Photo #1
Photo #1, Svetlana, was taken with a Nikon D3 set on manual using a Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. Lighting was produced with a pair of Westcott TD5s: One in a Westcott 36” x 48” Shallow Softbox and one in a Westcott 12” x 36” Strip Bank. The exposure was 1/100th at f/5.6. The ISO was set at 400 and the portrait Expo Disc was used to take the custom white balance. All shooting was done tethered to a MacBook Pro 15” Laptop. (See Below)
Setup Shot
Photo #2
Photo #2, was taken with (2) Strobelite PLUS lights, one with barn door with a blue gel and one with a snoot. Svetlana was photographed about 3 feet in front of a white background. As with the first photograph, the primary light source was the TD5. Again the Nikon D3 in manual mode was used along with the 24-70mm lens. The custom white balance remained the same, as did the ISO. Exposure was 1/80th at f/7.1
Photographing with this light source is almost like cheating.
For more information visit www.completeconceptsphotography.com and check out Phototoons at www.prestigiousillustrations.net.