Article Archive for June 2009
Adam Mason asked us how aperture can affect your shot. To answer the question Kerry explains what aperture is and then demonstrates how it can be used to alter the look of the image you are trying to create. By learning how to use your aperture to control light and depth of field you can dramatically change the look of your photographs.
With the recent articles we have done on portrait lighting and the use of light meters we have had a bunch of requests to do an actual demonstration of how to use a meter in an actual real-world environment.
In this video Kerry demonstrates using a simple light meter in a product shoot.
Canon 500D, Nikon D5000, Sony A200, Sony A300, Pentax K-m, Pentax K200, and Fuji S100Fs now supported by DxO Optics Pro
DxO Labs has just announced availability of the new version 5.3.4, supporting 7 new cameras …
Over the past few weeks Kerry has upgraded from a 30D to a 50D and David upgraded from a 40D to a 5D Mk II. In this episode the guys discuss the new cameras and some of the features that they are really digging about the new gear.
Adobe has just pushed updates to Camera Raw and Lightroom. The main changes are support for new cameras.
Camera Raw 5.4
update June 24, 2009
This new version of the Camera Raw plug-in replaces the original one that …
While the Canon EOS 5D Mark II has been getting all the hype since it’s release. However, the 50D which came out about the same time has been getting virtually zero publicity because of it’s bigger brothers full-frame sensor and video capabilities. So let’s take a good look at the EOS 50D and see if it is really worth an upgrade or if its just a minor refresh of the previous 40D.
With several hundred entries we sure were glad that we had tons of things to give away. Just to explain briefly how the names where chosen. The entries were numbered in reverse order of how they came in, then for each prize we used the random number generator at http://random.org and asked if you return a number between 1 and 302 (number of valid entries). Then we matched the number with the info of the winner and viola!
While leaks have been making their way around the web for the past few weeks, Olympus has finally announced their new Micro Four Thirds camera, the E-P1 “Pen†camera. The E-P1 is basically somewhere in between a Point and Shoot and DSLR, or more like a Compact with interchangeable lenses. Combining the still image quality of a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) with the A/V quality of both a High Definition camcorder and high-end audio recorder, the E-P1 is a virtual full-service imaging studio in one ultra-portable and stylishly retro body.
As we continue our series on portrait lighting we now need to look at the different types of classic portrait lighting and see the effect it has on someone so we can decided when to use each type. By choosing the proper lighting for a particular person, we can help them to look their best by making them appear to be thinner or wider or to accent or minimize certain facial features.
One of the dyeing arts is that of portraits using classic styles of lighting ratios. Many new photographers are completely unfamiliar with how to do portrait lighting and so they don’t even try leaving the current trend of wedding photography to be that of photo-journalism instead of being a mix of styles including traditional portraits. In this article we are going to try to teach you the typical lighting ratios that are used in portraiture.
Kerry and David start off with discussing some high school grad night party jobs they have been doing recently and how they went after that market.
Later, the guys discuss the use of a light meter and how it can help you get your exposures fast and accurately in-camera and save you time in post-production.
If you are in southern California and would like to learn more about portrait lighting, then you should attend our Mini-Workshop on June 28th. This workshop will help you learn the basics of portrait lighting and then give you hands-on experience with constant lights and several models to help fine-tune your skills.
