The Digital Photo Guy

Parties, Dinners, Dances, Oh My!

I hadn’t done event photography in over 10 years so it was with trepidation I agreed to photograph the Desert Caballeros Western Museum Annual Charity Dinner & Fundraiser. The venue was one of the worst I’d seen for photography, high ceilings, walls lined with glass cases and lots of mixed lights. The main lights were some sort of halogen lamps way up high. The museum display cases had some type of incandescent bulbs. Fortunately, both seemed to be daylight balanced which was more than I could say about the mixed LED/tungsten icicle decorative lights and the warm hanging lanterns. In the end, the lights turned to be about 4850 Kelvin, just a tad warmer than sunlight.

With 120+ attendees, there wasn’t a lot of room to maneuver so I had to be in position for the “money shots.” I’m proud to say, I only missed 1 money shot, the most important one, of course. All in all, it was fun and I met a lot of interesting people.

The first is a test shot of Sharon, my VALS (voice activated light stand,) the Museum Marketing Mgr. She got stuck holding my light-on-a-stick (more on that in a moment) and pointing out various VIPs to be photographed. You’ll notice that 4 of the 5 men in the photos are wearing cowboy hats. I knew some would be wearing hats but didn’t think it would be 80%. Most of the women were wearing big, shiny, reflective silver and turquoise jewelery. Oh joy!

The first order of the day was to improvise a way to raise and lower the flash. Depending on whether the subject was wearing a hat and position of said hat (low over eyes, tilted back, square, etc,) I had to adjust the flash to throw light under the brim. What I really needed was a two flash Stroboframe but I don’t own one and had never heard of one. My solution was to draft the Marketing Manager.

To simplify the light positioning, I mounted my 580EX II on an old collapsible monopod, about 18″ long and wrapped with gaffer’s tape for handholds (light-on-a-stick.) It was triggered by a “dumb” CyberSync RF trigger. That’s all I needed since I was shooting strictly in Manual Mode. I set the 580 to Manual and power at 1/4 as I figured my average shooting distance would be ~5 feet. Tweaking was done by having Sharon move the light closer or further.

Not knowing what to expect, I carried 3 cameras. The Canon 5D MkII with Canon 50/1.4 turned out to be the best choice. I also had my Canon EOS-M Mirrorless with a 22/2.0 (35mm FOV) which came in handy for wider shots. A 3rd rig that I didn’t use was the 7D with an 85/1.8 (136mm FOV.)

Notice I didn’t use any zooms nor any fancy, expensive L or IS lenses such as a 24-70/2.8L IS or 70-200/2.8L IS. First of all, I didn’t want to lug around the weight of an L zoom. Secondly, for better focus accuracy, I prefer much faster primes. Third, I didn’t need the extra reach. Last, dragging the shutter is a better way to capture sharp low-light images.

The 50/1.4 is a very fast, sharp lens that weighs just 10 oz vs 2 lbs for a 28-70. It also costs just $400 compared to $1550 for the 50/1.2 and it’s a much better quality than the standard “plastic fantastic” 50/1.8 for $125. For low light photography indoors, the 50/1.4 can’t be beat.

Had I needed the 135mm range, the 85/1.8 would have served well because it’s a sharp, fast prime for just $420 compared to the 85/1.2L for $2100. It also weighs just 1 lbs vs 2.25 lbs for the L version.

In the next post, I’ll talk about setting exposure, “dragging the shutter” and “2nd curtain sync.” Until then, I hope you’ll be thinking of events you might photograph in the near future.

First Post of 2015 & I’m Freezing My Rear

Sometimes, I have to really work at finding a subject of interest to post and, other times, the subject literally falls out of the sky! We got real (Arizona style) snow on New Year’s Eve. I’ve seen a dusting of snow-like substance in the past but it never stuck for more than a nanosecond. This time, we got about 1/2″ to an inch of snow and it stuck.

I particularly like the cactus in front of the Desert Caballeros Western Museum Learning Center covered in snow. I used both my Canon 5D MkII with a 17-40/4L and my Canon 7D with 24-105/4L. All photos were cropped, levels/temp adjusted and sharpened in LR4.

Hope everyone had a safe New Year’s Eve and wishing you a wonderful 2015!

Finally Caught Up Processing Photos

Here are the last few from the Date Creek Ranch when I organized a shoot for A Day In the Life of Wickenburg. These didn’t make the cut for submission for the exhibit at Desert Caballeros Western Museum but I thought they were interesting. Five members of the Prescott Photography Meetup Group joined me at Date Creek Ranch at Oh-Dark-Hundred to make some great photos.

The first is the always faithful ranch dog. This one was accustomed to riding around on the back of an ATV. The 2nd photo is titled, “Behind the Green (Cattle) Door.” The cattle know no one ever comes back from behind that door! The heavily modified Jeep is the first I’ve ever seen with duallies. This is a serious Jeep. Tools of the Trade shows a bunch of tools I’ve never seen before and remind me of medieval torture instruments. The last is definitely a weird tool. Can anyone tell me what those plates are? If so, you’re a true farmer/rancher!

All were made with a Canon 5DMkII and 24-105/4L. Can you tell this is my favorite, go-to rig these days. Next time, I’ll post a few from Whitewater Draw made with my Canon 7D and 300/2.8 with a 1.4TC. That’s still my favorite bird/critters and action rig.

All images were processed in Lightroom 4.0 and the Green Door was run through Topaz Adjust for that ominous look.

Arizona Surfer Chick

Ever since I did a shoot at a junkyard in Wittmann, I’ve had an image in mind for a bikini-clad surfer chick against a wall of Arizona “surfboards” (truck tailgates.) I’ve been looking for the right model for 2 1/2 years and finally found her in Alyssa Caitlain. I organized a shoot for 4 photographers and hired Alyssa to pose for us in 3 different themes: Swimsuit, High Fashion and Pin-Up. Alyssa, being the consummate professional, went above and beyond with four wardrobe changes and several accessories changes.

I believe the “Arizona Surfer Chick” concept turned out well, if I say so myself. The only “boo-boo” was the faded orange paint that rubbed off on Alyssa when she leaned against it. Her Mom was there to fix problems like that but we still managed to miss a few strategic spots. The only other error was a failure to try different lighting angles with the soft gold reflector.

All the photos were made with a Canon 5DMkII and 24-105/4L and processed in Lightroom 4. I also experimented with Portrait Professional but, for full body shots, it was easier to just use the tools in LR.

The Wickenburg Art Club voted to allow use of the art center for photography workshops. I plan to hire Alyssa to pose for bodyscapes, figure studies and portrait sessions. If you’re interested, stay tuned. I also want to hire other models for B&W fine art nudes.

Whitewater Draw a Bust

I was at Whitewater Draw in McNeal, AZ for my annual sandhill crane shoot. Given the brutal cold in the midwest and the high water levels at Whitewater Draw, I had hoped record numbers of sandhills would be crowding the main impoundment at WD. Alas, there were less than half the usual number of cranes and every single one was on the west bank, about 1/4 mile from the observation decks. A few hundred were in the roosting area but the closest I could get was 100 yards, still too far for any meaningful photos. I’ll post a few as I process them.

WARNING! Scantily Clad Women

I added the photos at the end in case you’re viewing this with your kids/grandkids. None of the photos are anywhere close to pornographic or even mildly risque. In fact, my wife says the images are about what one would see at the mall or any high school or college campus.

This past weekend I participated in the Fall 2014 Arizona Shootout (aka, AZSO.) It was conducted at Robson’s Mining World, a tourist “ghost town” about 30 miles west Wickenburg. The organizers rented the whole town for the weekend so 30 glamour models and 45 photographers could make photos ranging from mildly titillating to full frontal nudity. None of it was the least bit offensive but, of course, offense is in the eyes of the beholder.

With so many possible combinations and permutations of models and photographers, the whole event quickly devolved from chaos to utter chaos. I’m amazed how many great photos were made. Since I wasn’t sure of what to expect, I only signed up for Saturday but went back on Sunday to help a new friend Jerry (link is Not Safe for Work.) I know it’s difficult to believe but Jerry and I spent a lot of time talking about his new studio strobes (Neewer 180W,) the huge umbrella and various posing tips. All this while surrounded by gorgeous women in various stages of undress. Actually, most of the women simply walked from one set to the next in the buff because, as one explained to me, “It’s too much trouble to dress, walk 30 feet and undress!”

OK, I’m running out filler to push the women to the 2nd page so I’m gonna throw in another ad for my Winnebago View motorhome built on a Mercedes Sprinter diesel chassis. You can see all the photos on Craigslist but, for the totally lazy, here are some pics for your edification. Notice the cool places we’ve been with Arbey the RV. We always had our own bathroom, bed, kitchen and solar power.

On to the AZSO Photos

The first two are Brianna during a workshop conducted by Dan Howell, a multi-talented NYC photographer. This is his general website but if you Google his name you’ll find other sites where he showcases glamour, wedding fashion, tattoos, kids, corporate advertising and portraits. The first shows my interpretation of a setup by Dan. His setup (2nd photo) was too busy for me so I made one that had a clean, simple background. There were no lights on any of these photos, just reflectors.

Speaking of reflectors, I always thought of them as pretty basic tools but discovered a multitude of uses for this type of shoot. I especially loved how my Photoflex soft gold reflector warmed up all skin tones from dark through alabaster.

You’ll notice on the 3rd photo that I’m still not watching out for glamour issues such as the roll of skin under Amelia’s right arm. Trust me, she doesn’t have a roll, it’s only because of the contorted position I asked her hold. Chrissy, on the other hand, looked great in both the 3rd and 4th shots. Notice the diagonal boards behind Elizabeth? I made a real newbie error in later shots and had that sticking out of the top of her head. What a dummy! Gwen is a very intelligent lady who has a Euro look to her. She’s actually a fine art model and does glamour for a bit of fun. We talked about a possible workshop in San Diego next year. I think she would be a hit at the Deer Park Winery and Auto Museum in Escondido. It’ll be a small workshop of 4-6 photographers so let me know if you’re interested.

I’m thinking of posting some of the more risque photos in a hidden, password protected folder. If I do, I’ll let you know in a future post and you can e-mail me for the URL and PW. The e-mail will be your consent to view those photos.

One Spot Open for Alyssa Caitlain Junkyard Shoot

On Saturday, 11/29 from 8AM to noon, we’re photographing Alyssa Caitlain at a huge junkyard. There’s just one spot left so if you’re interested, send me $75 via PayPal. This is strictly a break-even proposition for me, I’m not making money, just organizing the shoot. Alyssa will be doing a bikini against a row of truck tailgates for a concept I’ve had for several years called “Arizona Surfer Chick.” Next, we’ll have her in an LBD (little black cocktail dress) complete with pumps, seamed stockings w/garter and a tiny patent leather clutch as she steps into an old junker limo. Finally, if we have time, we’ll ask her to change into pin-up/rockabilly style. It should be a great time and a super learning opportunity.