Behind the Scenes Archives - Page 12 of 21

The Top Four Types of Flash Brackets

External flash brackets are another one of those subjects that can turn into War and Peace. The concept is relatively simple: A bracket that attaches to your camera and allows the attachment of a flash next to it. Simple, right? Not exactly.

Bracket technology has advanced over the years to include a bewildering array of options, some so complicated they look like the International Space Station. These aren’t your grandpa’s flash brackets anymore.

The Folding Bracket

Folding Flash bracket — Your grandpa started out with a bracket like this

Okay, actually this is your granpa’s flash bracket. A basic folding bracket with a hot shoe attachment for the flash. A quick release button on the side allows you to flip it from horizontal to vertical.

The Basic Bracket

The basic flash bracket has a plate with a mounting screw along the bottom, a handle on the side and a brace that holds the flash across the top. The top brace usually pivots to allow the flash head to pivot so the flash can still be over the lens whether the camera is oriented horizontally or vertically.

The Flip Bracket

Like the basic bracket but is hinged so you can flip the camera from horizontal to vertical without moving the flash.

These come in all kinds of configurations. Some have multiple extensions on the flash extension, like a tripod leg for really getting your flash up there.

The Rotating Bracket

A variation of the basic bracket built with a track that the bracket handle pivots around for changing camera orientation without moving the flash around.

Besides the rotation track, there are usually articulated arms that allow a longer extension and more options for positioning the flash above and off to the side of the lens.

As you can see the options, and price points, are limitless.

Are Professional Organizations Worth The Money?

At some point in your photography career you’re going to consider going full time. Or you may be working in the business already, either full or part-time, and might be wondering if it’s worth joining a professional organization.

There are several professional organizations aimed at photographers, but the biggest and most popular, at least in the U.S., is the PPA, Professional Photographers of America.

The annual 2011 dues for professional photographers is $323 a year, which you can pay off at $27.92 per month if you wish. There’s also an Aspiring Photographer’s option that is $194 a year, but does not include a listing in their referral database and you’re limited to two years at that level before stepping up to a full membership.

So what exactly does that money buy you? Quite a lot actually. Because the PPA can offer vendors real buying power, they can offer discounts on services like data recovery, shipping, music licensing, office supplies including discounts on Adobe, Apple and several other hardware and software vendors, even discount financing for new equipment purchases.

You’ll also get access to their online learning resources (for six months) and Professional Photographer magazine.

Probably the best learning resource is having access to the local chapters of PPA, where you can get together for events with other local photographers. Those might include things like lunches, photo walks, charity events and TFP shoots with local models.

By far the biggest benefit that comes with your membership is the PhotoCare equipment insurance, that covers up to $15,000 of your gear against loss or theft.

You also get access to PPA’s malpractice Indemnification Trust when things go wrong on an assignment for which you might be liable.

In addition you get access to discounted liability coverage for your equipment and studio.

The insurance and local PPA meet-ups are worth the price all by themselves. Having coverage can really save you in case of an accident.

The best part is professional association dues are generally tax deductible. Provided the organization is not primarily devoted to entertainment, like a country club, the dues are generally a write off.

How The Pros Do It – Portable Lighting For Wedding Photography

Ac 3 — The PocketWizard AC3 paired with the MiniTTL for Canon

My nephew got married recently, an event I was unfortunately not able to attend, although my high tech family managed to send me pictures of the event. One picture that made my teeth grind was one with the wedding photographer in the background, trying to light a dress shot with a dinky external flash.

This was the photographer with a killer web site that my future niece felt she was lucky to get, but there was no way the results displayed on the web site were captured with the camera and flash combination in that photo. Judging by the pictures I’ve seen so far, she was duped by a slick web site with, at best, a tenuous connection to whoever took the promo pictures displayed there.

To contrast the difference between that lighting setup and the real pros, I went to see Karl Leopold at Images4Ever near Melbourne Beach, Florida. Karl has been shooting weddings longer than most photographers working today have been alive, has won more awards than I can list here, and is the president of the Atlantic Professional Photographers Association. I wanted to see a real pro lighting setup and wasn’t disappointed.

Karl builds his portable lighting kit around a pair of Canon 580 EX ii Speedlites, pairing those with a PocketWizard FlexTT5 for Canon. The trigger on the camera is a combination of the MiniTT1 matched up with an AC3 Zone Controller for changing the power settings on any of the flash units on the fly wirelessly.

“I can change the power by 3 stops on any of the flash units right from here,” Karl explains, dialing back the power with the AC3. I watched him flip through the power settings while shooting nearly continuously, much faster than making the change through the camera menu.

The arrangement provides the flexibility to mount the fill flash on a monopod and let an assistant adjust the location and height to fit the situation. If he’s working alone he can mount the remote on a light stand and adjust it himself. Instead of being tethered to the camera, he can also move the key off the bracket handle if the situation calls for it.

Lighting set up — How it all comes together - One Speedlite on a standard bracket, the other a remote that can be mounted on anything

It’s all about speed, reliability and flexibility, with added bonus of being able to light the world.

“The big advantage is you can put a light behind the subject for those nice, bright highlights,” Karl explained. The radio triggers work around corners and even when concealed behind foreground objects.

Equipment isn’t the only factor separating the pros from the posers, but having the right gear is definitely a bonus.

In the days to come I’m planning to work with Karl and Images4Ever on more articles on studio lighting, exposure, and working with models on commercial shoots. Stay tuned.

Building Your Photography Business With Social Media

Don't overlook social media when building your business

There are some businesses that lend themselves particularly well to promotion via modern social media and photography is one of those businesses. At a minimum you’ll want to create a Facebook group page and link to it from your personal page and your photography web site.

As part of the customer interview process get your customer’s permission to use social media to distribute some of the photos, but respect their wishes if they’d rather not. Online image collections of events are a great way to expose your customers entire social circle to your work. If the customer publishes the photos themselves, you lose that opportunity.

Online marketing pro Eric Hardenbrook explains, “Find out early if customers are comfortable opting in for online photo sharing. If they are send them a Facebook friend request. Post selected shots from a “life event” type shoot (wedding, baby, graduation, prom) to an online gallery and announce the post on your own wall. Their friends and family will rush to see your work and call you for theirs.”

The added service of loading the photos to an online gallery for your customers is another value angle for your business both in terms of service and exposure. The idea is to provide a path from their event photos to your contact information in a manner that respects the privacy of your clients.

Twitter is another convenient mechanism for communicating with customers and announcing the availability of photos or posting a few online with Twitpic. It’s also a convenient mechanism to advertise specials, like special deals on senior or family portraits. Twitter doesn’t tend to be a big money-maker but it is very convenient for communicating event information.

A LinkedIn account is important for anyone trying to build commercial and business contacts. Recruiters and media companies are increasingly using LinkedIn for locating local talent rather than putting out a hog call on the freelance boards or Craigslist. Getting location jobs these days really is a matter of who you know. Working your LinkedIn profile will build your business.

Another online marketing opportunity are microsites, small web sites focused on one particular facet of your business. Instead of just one big site that lists all your services, split off those services to individual sites focused on just one of those services and have it point back to your main site. “Many small companies are ignoring microsite strategies,” explains Eric. “They are inexpensive to build and greatly increase your web site footprint and search engine rating with back-links.”

Put your best foot forward with a great website - photo from Subtlevox Photography website

Blogging is another way to raise your web site profile and promote your individual brand value in the form of your unique selling points. “WordPress is a popular blogging platform that is very photo friendly,” explains Hardenbrook. “Use it as a gateway to your portfolio by posting slide shows of your shoots in different categories on your site. Adding links to your Facebook and LinkedIn profiles gives you a professional image.” Blogging is one of those activities that will get you business.

To get the most mileage from your online marketing efforts you have to make sure all your social media efforts are working together and echo your main selling points. Your social media message should be what sets you apart from others in the field of photography and why specifically customers should hire you. These are not “set and forget” advertising venues, but part of an ongoing relationship that eventually yields business.

“Remember that social media is all about the conversation. You want to be involved and available, allowing people to interact with you on their terms. Know who your clients are and use the media that they use.”

Boo! Tips For Frighteningly Good Halloween Photos

Halloween is a great time for capturing family and friends at their frightening best. Many people put a lot of time and work into their costumes, so it’s a photography field day.

Get In The Mood

Dress up yourself. Then you’re not so much an observer as a participant and you’ll notice it will change the way people interact with you. People will be more likely to open up and give you a more natural look to you if you’re part of the party.

Besides, it’s fun. You can buy enough novelty makeup for $20 to become the zombie photographer, just walk with a shuffle and you’re there. Just so it looks like you made an effort.

Light From Below

If you can get a sync cord or wireless trigger for your external flash and try lighting from extreme angles above and below the subject. The shadows will add to the drama.

You can also invest in an inexpensive set of stick on filters for your external flash to add a splash of color.

Or Skip The Flash All Together

Whenever possible, ditch the flash and go with natural lighting. That can be a little harder with point-and-shoot cameras than those with better manual controls. It also helps to have a fast lens.

Good glass that can get down to f/1.8 or f/1.4 will let you skip the harsh flash and preserve the darkened moment. The good news is those lenses don’t have to break the bank, with a few available for right around $100 USD.

You don’t have to have a Canon 5D MKII, either, any camera with a decent chip size should produce adequate performance in low light.

Watch The ISO

Some cameras are better than others in low light, almost any will start to introduce noise into photos at extremely high ISOs.

Personally, I think it’s better to bring more natural light or stop your flash power down than to deal with excessive noise.

The only way you know whether your camera is one that starts introducing noticeable artifacts at high ISOs is to experiment. Turn the flash off and shoot a series of pictures at high ISO values and take a look at the pictures.