Environmental Shooting

For those of you who follow my Facebook page, I said there would be more, and here is the more.

To keep up with your photography skills, it always helps to go to workshops to learn and practice. Plus, I love working with professional models. This was no different. With the help of @Robertsphoto in Indianpolis,In and our model Afton, the class was on an environmental shoot. This class was terrific, for we took pictures in a 10-yard diameter and made the best using lighting. In the above photo, when I was going through the shooting, I could not help thinking this was a teacher escaping her class for a bit of downtime. So I told her to pretend that she was holding a wine glass, for I added this in photoshop to get the image my mind was thinking. The above picture was a 3 light shoot.

If you saw where these pictures were taken, you would say how? It’s a simple look at the background and asks whether it will benefit. If it helps, if it does not, don’t show it. As you know, I love flash photography and have a lot of fun using it. In this case, we used from one light all the way to 3 lights and again in a very small area. That is one way to help with the background. Another is the angles of the picture; another is putting the background in focus or not. (you thought it was just pint and click :) ) I bet we had about 10 shots, and all we needed to do was look.

I can’t say enough about working with a model. For me, it allows me to use my creativity and wait for the moment before clicking. I am a big believer in education and learning. No matter how much you know, you can always learn more. I love workshops for two reasons. First, I get to see things live, and last, I get a chance to see other photographers and learn from them. Photographers are like campers. We love what we do and love to talk.

Environmental Portrait

I have done a lot of different things when it comes to photography. The experts say you should focus on what you like. So what happens if you like everything? One area that I do enjoy is the Commercial side of photography. I like the challenges and have many years of experience printing. It fit’s me. I have an eye for what I am looking at.

Dr. John Elchinger at NorthWest Ohio Vision Center

I received a call from NorthWest Ohio Vision Center Marketing people and asked if I could do a headshot of one of their new Doctors. So, of course, I said yes, when and where? Next, I received an email asking if I could do an environmental picture instead of just a headshot.

I arrive at the client and begin to do the setup. In this case, I needed two lights—the environmental and a flash. Environmental was set up first. I wrote down my settings and then set up a flash. Yes, I am one of the strange ones; I still use a light meter. I like a light meter because I know it will be right when coming to shooting. Setup was made and time for the Doctor.

Thank you, NorthWest Ohio Vision Center; you now have helped me twice. Yes, I said twice; I went to see them about 4 years ago with one of my eye going blind. Dr. Tara knew what to do, and because of her and the resources, I have about 90% of my vision back in my eye. So make sure you see your eye doctor or get one if you like your eyes. You will not regret it.

Videography?

I love all aspects of photography and now including videography. I felt like a commercial photographer; this was a must to learn and understand videoing. I have been playing with this last year on and off, but I am taking it to another level this year.

Just like photography, it takes practice and again more practice. First, I have been learning different camera moves for other effects. Next, understanding the light and now learning audio. Next, we learn post-processing and why something works, and something doesn’t work.

It starts with practice, and the following video is of that. I am an actor, director, producer, special effects, yes you guess it, I am doing everything, including filming. The idea was just to go for a walk in the woods in the winter. I like these woods and have taken a lot of pictures of family, seniors, and some wildlife in these woods near me.

It was fun playing with different camera views and thinking about A shoot and B shoots. Next was to put it together. Using Adobe Premiere, I was able to put it all together. The sounds you hear are all sound effects for interest. While this video was fun doing. It won’t make the Oscars, but you need to start somewhere.

2022 is going to be fun for me. I am looking forward to adding videography to my portfolio.

The Dermatology Group Parkview Health

My first blog of 2022. I have been blessed in my photography career to do work for the health community. This one was a special one for me. My assignment was to do individual headshots of this group and then a group photo for an advertisement ad on a BillBoard. Driving this Holiday season, we have about 4-5 Bill Boards on the highway. I noted that pictures that I have taken were on 3 of them, including this one.

Let me tell you; this group was so friendly and so much fun to be with that I felt at home. After the job was completed, I thought I would ask a question that I knew they could answer. That is, I have this thing growing above my lip that is not cosmetic pretty. Can I get this removed? She left and grabbed a magnifying glass, and said that you have Skin Cancer. The good news is that you have the good kind but need to be removed. Remember, I only ask for information. It was their time to play photographer and take a picture of it with that. With that, off it went to what was my Plastic Surgeon. In a few day’s I had my appointment to have this growth removed. This group did far more than I could expect. They were all great, but I want to give a special thank you to Hallie. This great woman did so much for a perfect stranger that most likely would not have gone through this if not for her. One thing that I noted threw this whole process was the team and how a team that likes what they do is not just a team, but a great team.

The procedure was done, and before I could even say thank you. They came in and had my appointment made for a complete skin checkup. They must have known that I would have waited. (LOL)

I am looking so forward to 2022. I have a list of things that I want to accomplish for my photography and videography. Yes, videography. More on this later, but I have been having fun learning all aspects of this.

2022 is upon us. The question is, what are you going to do with it? One last note, If you have some abnormal growth or mold on your skin. Get it checked out. You never know. Thank you, Parkview Health.

Learning is Fun

As my business continues to change, so does my learning. This time I wanted to learn more about being better with macro photography. I use this a lot for product and food shooting. I recently attended a workshop put on by Roberts Camera in Indianapolis, In. If you never went to a workshop and you are a photographer who wants to take it to the next level, you should. Not only the learning but other photographers that you will be interacting with. At this workshop, we had a 2-hour talk about idea settings and sharpness.

Next, we got a chance to work for 6 hours in about 20 different setups to practice what we learned. We learned about stack focusing, stack focusing software, using a tripod, which is a must for sharpness.

I took a lot of pictures this day, practicing what we learned. I filled up two cards of photos. I took pictures and retook pictures of a different composition of the subject. It was a day of fun. Oh yes, being a Midwestern, of course, I talked with other photographers that were there that day—so much fun to see and talk about once again. I am a big fan of education. Even when you think you know it, you can always learn. Who knows, you may make a new friend that does what you love.