There has been a new video added to Ken Tucker Photography

This is a video that I saw sometime back that I have always been meaning to share. A couple of weeks ago Frank Doorhof tweeted a video of a photographer’s really elaborate studio setup which aesthetically I am sure we would all want to have something similar. I have always been amazed at how Chase Jarvis handles his workflow and backup from shoot to recovery in his Seattle studio. I know I have worked to duplicate similar aspects of Chase’s workflow and backup strategy and it has been an extreme benefit to my organization and access to client files. There is not a lot you can say about this except … watch it, soak it in and learn. Enjoy!

I know I said that I was going to give an example today of making a great image in bad conditions but of course Florida offered me nothing but the most fantastic weather this weekend. I would have to say it was the most beautiful weekend we have seen in a long time. I did shoot a model in a situation that was not ideal and created what I think is a striking image in about 10 shots. The issue is that I don’t have the release for the model yet so I can’t post it. That being said, I will not leave you hanging today as I am trying to stick to my Monday/Friday post schedules. I was searching the net in hopes of finding a video that might still get my topic across to readers. Luckily Atlanta based photographer Zack Arias and Jason Groupp have come through as usual with their own shootout filmed a few months ago. This is a great watch and actually hits on many of the topics I have discussed in the last couple of posts. As photographers in the digital age we get so used to looking at the lcd whether we are “chimping” or looking at the histogram. This video demonstrates how you can add a twist to the technology. Watch as Zack challenges Jason to shooting with the all-purpose gaffer’s tape over the lcd. This is a great model video for going out and challenging yourself with fellow photographers. Enjoy!

In the previous post I suggested getting out and challenging yourself with another photographer by having a “shootout”. I understand that it might not always be possible to find a buddy to have a shootout with. Here’s your “solitaire” version of the shootout. Find a not so great location or better yet find a horrible location. Really limit your possibilities in what is available to you at this location. For instance, horrible lighting conditions or backgrounds not appropriate to the shot. This is where you let your creativity shine by bringing out your lighting gear in any form you wish or using makeshift backgrounds. If you really want to limit yourself and challenge yourself try using no more than one hardware light source. I will definitely give it a shot myself and post the results on Monday’s blog post. I would love to see what you come up with! — Ken

In the spirit of Gulf Photo Plus, which starts today in Dubai, I thought it would be apropos to discuss challenging yourself as a photographer. Maybe I should say challenging yourself with other photographers. In a business where there is so much competition, letting your guard down to share and learn with others is a definite way to succeed and further your skill level as a photographer. It’s nothing to simply ask a photography buddy to go out and have a little shoot out with you. Find a subject that you will both shoot and then use your individual creativity to capture that in any way you choose.

There are so many things that you can do to make the same subject your own. Using elements such as depth of field or lighting can drastically change a mediocre image into a fantastic image. Shooting against your peers in a situation like this should not be about the competition but about what you can learn from each other. It sparks ideas and techniques for future shoots. Outside of what you can learn from other photographers, it is just fun. Have friends critique the images without knowing which photographer shot which image. Post them on a forum and let others from around the world critique the images. It will help to guide your photography to higher more exciting levels. And most of all, have fun with with it. Take a look at the video above and see how some pros are not only challenging themselves but having fun with others who desire to do the same.

Seeing the light! I think the opening video from National Geographic photographer Mark Thiessen is a great lead-in to this topic. Most intermediate to advanced photographers constantly hear the phrase “See the Light”. Although the phrase is heard … Is it really understood? You can go from one technique site to another and hear this phrase. Like a train, until we stop, look and listen, the handling of changing light in our photography can crush your image dreams in seconds. I can’t promise that I am going to clear it up beyond all reasonable doubt but I am going to give it a shot to hopefully make things a little more clear for those who may not have truly grasped the phrase.

I will admit that it took me a good year and a half to really sink my mind into the phrase “see the light”. Not because the words are complicated but because sometimes words can be like a magician’s illusion. Keep your eye on the right hand while the left hand performs the actual trick. What I am trying to say is that maybe instead of focusing on seeing light; we should see the shadows. In reality, the shadows that surround our subject help to shape and define the forms we see. For instance, a lack of like in the right places can make a slightly over-weight model look thinner. Lighting in combination with proper posing can create a beautiful image with beautifully deceptive form.

In the studio, we naturally start with no light at all and build from there. On location, we strive to find that shaded area and bounce light back into the scene with a reflector or off-camera lighting. Even when there are no shaded areas to retreat to and the sun is high we either create a shaded area with some form of diffusion or we place our subject between us and the sun. Seeing the light really is about creating form. It truly is about molding the light, through shadows, that help to make our subjects look at beautiful as possible. The leading video from Mark Thiessen and National Geographic shows Mark waiting until the right time to capture more compelling images. For him the right time was when light was actually taken away and then added through the use of the artificial lighting on site. The artificial lighting formed their own shapes on the monument creating a very dynamic and compelling image.

When dissecting an image, some of the things that capture a viewer are as follows: low and high contrast, sharpness, in focus and out of focus, high saturation and low saturation and of course our main topic in this article of lightness to darkness. All these items combined help to create the form and draw a viewer into the image. So “seeing the light” is without a doubt an important thing to consider when forming an image but “seeing the shadows” allows you to create the image in your mind. Here’s a little test. Close your eyes and think of your idea of a beautiful image. You have it? Think about that image and figure out where your shadows are. It is a given that you have light on that image somewhere otherwise you wouldn’t see your image. Remove those shadows in your mind. Does that image still have the same impact to you? In most cases, it probably will not. So from this point on as you look to create your images, “see the light” but don’t forget about the shadows.

Quick Technique for Finding the Shadows:
This is a tip that I heard a couple of years ago from Kurt Voclain. I’m not sure where he may have heard it from but it is a simple technique for finding direction of light that I am sure many have used before. The technique is simply as you are standing outside, take your arm and hold it straight out in front of you (yeah … you will feel like an idiot). From there take your index finger and point it up towards the sky (I personally like to use my thumb … kind of a cooler Fonzie type of thing happening). At that point you should be able to see how the shadows fall on your finger to get an idea as to how they will fall on your subject. This technique helps you determine the direction of light which is key to determining where your shadows might fall. Give it a shot! Hope this helps!

Suzanne Sease & Amanda Sosa Stone Part 1 from 1ProPhotoCom on Vimeo.

Suzanne Sease & Amanda Sosa Stone pt2 from 1ProPhotoCom on Vimeo.