What have I been doing?

Not sure. I moved back to the Bay Area and I'm feeling out my options. I felt like I should post something though, so here is a look at one of my photoshop sessions:

I had three shoots over the last three days while San Diego delivered the worst July weather I've ever seen. When the forecast for 5pm says 80% overcast, I have to change up my approach a little. Check out the models:

July 7th: Paige Montgomery @ Mirian Bear Regional Park


July 8th: Leona Snell @ Mission Trails Regional Park


July 9th: Greta Proctor @ Torrey Pines State Reserve

These overcast conditions taught me a few things. There is a general agreement that a light cloud cover gives a softer ( more flattering ) light by cutting and diffusing the suns direct rays. My problem was that this was not a 'light overcast', this was a 'doom and gloom with chances of showers' kind of overcast.

Even though the sky appears evenly gray in all directions there is still a 'key light' direction where the sun is at the moment. When your model faces into this light the result is a flat, yet flattering soft and even look. When facing away from this 'key/sun' the light will appear to wrap around the sides of the model's face slightly, which is also a nice look. ( In the examples above, #1 is facing directly west into the key, #2 is turned 3/4 away from key, and #3 is with the key behind the model - notice the wrap in this one especially)

The biggest problem is filling in the dark eye sockets that result from there being so much overhead light. This can easily be solved with a little reflecting from below. Be careful not to fill more than the key or you'll get a weird, horror-type look. I found that having the model hold the bounce card herself allowed me to shoot with longer lenses and manually focus at apertures below f2, ( which I usually don't get to do because I'm holding my own bounce. )

An added bonus is the way this low bounce lights up the eye:


So don't be discouraged by overcast. In many ways it was easier to not have to fight the sun, but I do miss those backlit highlights.

BTS pictures

It's really rare that I ever get any behind the scenes shots of me working, but here are a few from this year:
This is the magic board in action. See my earlier post on this lighting setup: The Magic Board.


Video Shoot:

My 1963 Voighlander Ultramatic

This camera is amazing. Leave it to the Germans, the West Germans to be exact.

Not only is the light meter powered by the stylish photocell on the front, but the viewfinder has a periscope view of the aperture / shutter speed settings. This camera was seriously ahead of it's time.

I really wish you could hear the sound of the shutter in this camera. Its such a forceful, hollow sound. Pure evil.

More of Kathryn, Ami & Carin

Here are some other noteworthy ones from my 5-30 shoot with these great dancers:


There is no trick or photoshop to this. It's basically a bellyflop onto the earth.

fortune

Krizia

More to come as always:
This gives me a Kubrick, Herzog creepy feeling. Love it.

Savannah

Kathryn, Ami & Caryn @ Torrey Pines

Click to enlarge. 1680x1050px for a desktop background. Otherwise I would not have made this so stylized.

Let me say this again:
Working with trained dancers is so easy it feels like cheating. It might actually be cheating.

The joy of homebrew

Maté-veza. A corn-brewed beer in the Mexican style with a maté kick. Serving suggestion: