Just before the start of FotoWeekend 2011 in Dubai, I had the good fortune to join Bobbi Lane for a sunset shoot at the Bab Al Shams Resort resort. Bobbi is a GPP-veteran — who mercifully shared her [...]]]>

Just before the start of FotoWeekend 2011 in Dubai, I had the good fortune to join Bobbi Lane for a sunset shoot at the Bab Al Shams Resort resort. Bobbi is a GPP-veteran — who mercifully shared her secrets about such things as dealing with a 12-hour time shift and also hauled me out on many great adventures in Dubai. Joining us for this shoot was Issa Saleh AlKindy, a talented Omani photographer (site here), who fortunately knows how to drive on highways that have many warning signs about random camels crossing the road.  I have to say, that even though I grew up in the desert of Arizona, I learned loads about desert shooting in the sands of Dubai.

Starting With A Vision

There is a long tradition of falconry among the desert peoples of the Middle East. For this shoot, I wanted to to capture the persona of my two subjects — Zia, the falconer, and his beautiful peregrine falcon. Being desert-born myself, I also wanted to capture the magical light of the desert sky after sunset.

Even though we arrived when Zia was still flying his falcons — a daily event for the guests of Bab Al Shams — I waited for the skylight to dim. Remember that, when shooting towards the west, even though the sun is below the horizon, right after sunset there is a load of light in the sky. Sure, some of the ambient can be reduced by shutter speed, but I find that it’s best to wait 30-45 minutes after sunset to shoot.

When I did start shooting, I made about 50 images in 13 minutes. If you click through on the Lightroom gallery above, you’ll see that about half of my shots were full-length and half were in tighter. For me, the hero shots from this shoot are all full-length.

Three Shots — Three Moods

One of the interesting challenges of this shoot was that I don’t speak a word of peregrine. While I could communicate with Zia, who, like many in Dubai, speaks English, the lady-falcon mostly did what she wanted – despite many prompts from Zia. Given the dim ambient, I made loads of shots when she was looking off in a completely different direction — including a few when her head was turned around completely. Oops.

When shooting portraits of multiple subjects, it’s important to consider the relationship of the subjects to each other and the relationship of each subject to the lens. Consider the differences in the following three shots:

> subjects (mostly) looking at each other
> both subjects looking into the lens
> both subjects looking off in the same direction

Subjects looking (mostly) at each other.

Both subjects looking into the lens

Both subjects looking off in the same direction.

Other Random Lessons Learned

1. As you’ll read below, I shot a single flash though a small softbox. There are issues with many of the shots because the softbox was too far to the side — which caused severe fall-off. This is somewhat of a problem in the first and third shots just above. The Fill Light slider in Lightroom was a bit of a help, but not a compete fix, for many of these contrasty images.

2. Even though the softbox was small (about 8″ / 20cm on a side), it created beautiful soft light. The small size is the reason that the light falls off — which I prefer since it forces your eye back up to the falcon and Zia’s face.

3. The level of the horizon also changes how the environment is portrayed. When I dropped low, to make Zia more iconic, the sky become a more dominant element in the image. When I shot from a higher vantage point, the sand became more dominant.

4. Desert sand has magical qualities that enable it to creep in everywhere. I used one lens because I did not want to risk getting fine sand inside my camera. If you are the type of shooter who wants to jump back and forth between a couple of lenses, in the desert, it’s a good idea to have those lenses mounted to separate camera bodies so that you can keep everything sealed up.

5. Focus was a challenge. Given that I waited for the skylight to dim, it was hard to see Zia’s eyes in the viewfinder. Despite my Boy Scout heritage, I did not put a flashlight in my kit. So focusing was hit-or-miss.

6. Take advantage of random bits of ambient light. The middle shot just above has a slight golden rimlight coming from the right. This happened when the resort briefly turned on nearby floodlights. The warm tone came about because the bulbs were tungsten. Could this been seen as golden light from the desert sky? It’s a happy accident for which I am grateful.

Gearing Up For A Fast Trip Into The Desert

The challenge of lighting on the road is hauling all the gear. For this shoot, I carried all my camera and lighting gear in a daypack. Here’s a rundown of the gear I used.

Lastolite Ezybox Speed-Lite Softbox This is my favorite strap-on modifier for small flash. It packs flat, pops back into shape after a rough trip, and creates beautiful light that approaches the quality of much larger softboxes.

Canon 580EX II Speedlite I carried two Speedlites, but intended to only use one for the shoot. Why the second flash? It would have been tragic to go all that way and have my only light fail.

OCF Gear 33′/10m ETTL Cord The ability to control every function of a Canon Speedlite from the LCD of my camera (including zooming the flashhead) is a huge part of my workflow (which I wrote about here). To control a Speedlite that’s off-camera, you have to have an ETTL connection between the camera and flash. This cord enabled me to move around the subject and still control the flash that was parked on top of the light stand.

Manfrotto 026 Swivel Adapter This durable swivel adapter is made of metal rather than plastic. Sure, it costs and weighs twice as much as the plastic brackets. But, it also won’t break in transit and cause heartache on location. To attach the flash, I threaded the flash end of the OCF cord directly onto the swivel adapter.

Manfrotto 5001B Nano Light Stand This is my favorite light stand for a minimalist kit. The unique design allows the legs to fold upwards, so the stand is extremely compact. Yet it reaches to about 6′ / 1.9m. If there’s any breeze, you’ll want someone to keep hold of it.

Canon 5D Mark II Camera This has been my go-to camera since it was introduced. I’m addicted to full-sensor cameras. My next camera will likely be the Canon 1Dx.

Canon 24-70 f/2.8L Lens I’ve used this lens for years as my one-lens-when-stranded-on-a-desert-island lens. That said, I wish that I had had the Canon 24-105 f/4L IS for this shoot. The 24-105 has image stabilization; which the 24-70 does not. As I was handholding the camera in dim light, I think the IS would have helped in a few shots.

Zacuto Z-Finder Pro 3x Although designed for HDSLR cinema shooters, the Z-Finder has become an indispensable part of my stills work. Using LiveView and the Z-Finder, I can focus manually with great precision (provided that I can see the eyes of my subject). I snap the Z-Finder onto the back of my camera with a Zacuto Mounting Frame. I’ve pushed the Z-finder on and pulled it off hundreds, if not thousands, of times without issue.

Syl, Zia, and Bobbi. Photo courtesy of Issa Saleh AlKindy.

Issa, Zia, and Bobbi.

I learned this morning that a number of my blogging friends have discovered that a site is publishing entire posts from their sites. Three years ago, I ran into this same problem on my original blog, PixSylated. So, for the benefit of those who’ve just discovered that they’ve been ripped off, I’m republishing [...]]]>

I learned this morning that a number of my blogging friends have discovered that a site is publishing entire posts from their sites. Three years ago, I ran into this same problem on my original blog, PixSylated. So, for the benefit of those who’ve just discovered that they’ve been ripped off, I’m republishing my story about fighting a web pirate in 2009. It was a quick fight. Within 24 hours the site was taken down entirely.

The Digital Millenium Copyright Act (“DMCA”) provides very clear steps on what you should do. SOPA and PIPA are entirely different creatures. The DMCA has been alive and kicking for over 12 years.

To file a DMCA Take-Down Notice, you have to contact the ISP that hosts the offending content. Every ISP has their DMCA procedure buried somewhere on their site. Look for “Legal” in the page footer of the ISP’s homepage. If you follow the steps precisely (as defined by the ISP), a US-based ISP has no choice but to take down the material. If several offenses are reported, it is possible that the entire site will be taken offline.

Finding the ISP that hosts the offending site is the key. I detail the steps and provide search links below. For me, it started with a WhoIs search to determine the IP address for the offending site and then a search for the host of that IP address.

If you have additional resources or insights about fighting web pirates, please add them as a comment. The more that we all know about this, the better the web will be.

 – Originally published on PixSylated.com (used here with permission) –

PhotographerMentors.com Steals Blog Content From Leading Bloggers

By Syl Arena on January 28, 2009 – 9:52 am

I truly believe that our world is a better place because of the open exchange of ideas and information that happens through blogs. For me, that’s why the theft of blog content is such an insult.

Blogging is hard work. Remember that “blog” rhymes with “flog” and “slog”. To build a blog entirely on the content of others is #1 illegal and #2 lame.

This week a number of bloggers who cover photography around the world discovered that their content had been posted in its entirely and without comment or analysis on PhotographerMentors.com. In addition to a post from PixSylated, I found posts pirated from David Hobby (Strobist), Joe McNally (blog), Scott Kelby (Photoshop Insider), Rob Haggart (A Photo Editor), Chase Jarvis (blog) and many other great bloggers.

The Right Ways To Use Others’ Web Content

The blogosphere is woven together with links and references from one post to another. I love it when other bloggers provide links to my blog. Links are an important component is search engine optimization (“SEO”).

There are sites like StumbleUpon, Technorati, Delicious where readers can post links to or bookmark favorite posts. Here’s a snapshot of a post back to PixSylated on StumbleUpon. I’m always grateful for Stumblers and others.

There are sites like Photo News Today Planet5D that aggregate short snippets of content from blogs that cover imagemaking. PNT Planet5D always provides direct links back to the original sources. [note: as of January 26, 2012, PNT is no longer online. As shown below, Planet5D has a similar news aggregator -- that blurbed one of my stories this morning. I'm always grateful for this type of coverage.]

The common factor among all of these sites is that #1 they did not extract my posts in their entirety and #2 they provided open and numerous links back to the original posts.

How I Discovered That PixSylated Had Been Ripped Off

I discovered that PixSylated had been ripped off three ways:

• Kerry Garrison at CameraDojo kindly sent emails to a number of bloggers after he discovered that his blog had been ripped off by PhotographerMentors.com.
• it popped up in my daily report from Google Alerts.
• the offending post showed up as a pingback to PixSylated.

How I Fought PhotographerMentors.com

Thanks to the encouragement of Kerry at CameraDojo, I pursued this theft with a vengeance. The more people who push back against stolen web content, the faster the issue will be resolved. The more people who know about it, the less likely it is to happen again (at least by the same guy).

1. I tried to contact the blogger directly through a link or information from his site. No surprise that there was nothing on the site that would help me here.

2. I did a WhoIs search at GoDaddy (search link here) to find out who owns the URL.

3. I sent a takedown demand to the contacts listed in the WhoIs search. The guy who owns the site wrote back “My apologies. The material was removed. I thought only an excerpt was posted but was wrong.”

4. I determined the IP address for PhotographerMentors.com by using the IP search tool at Network-Tools.com.

5. I determined the ISP from the IP address by using the same search tool at Network-Tools.com.

6. I pulled up the legal page at website of the ISP for the offending site – turns out it was ThePlanet.com. [note: as of January 26, 2012, this URL now forwards to SoftLayer.com– their legal page here).

7. I followed the detailed instructions for filing a DMCA complaint (“Digital Millennium Copyright Act”). Be exact. If you miss one step, the ISP can ignore you. Give them all the info in the form they require and they have to respond promptly.

8. I emailed the details of my complaint to many other impacted bloggers along with a link to the material stolen from their sites and a request that they also file a DMCA complaint with the ISP. Several did so immediately.

9. I blogged about my experience to let even more people know.

10. I posted about the experience on web forums hosted by ASMP, APA and others.

11. I emailed every blogger I know and asked them to spread the word. Photo Attorney was one of the first to join the cause.

12. I emailed the presidents of every ASMP and APA chapter across the country and asked them to let their local members know.

Digital Millennium Copyright Act Resources

If you find that your site has been ripped off, check out the following:

• Google on the DMCA
• FAQ about the DMCA at ChillingEffects (a legal consortium)
• PDF on the DMCA at the US Copyright Office
• The dark side of the DMCA as seen by the Electronic Frontier Foundation

Gels are an inexpensive way to turn a boring set into a space filled with ambiance. Three Speedlites, two gels, a random mirror, and a mini softbox enabled me to turn a small, unfinished cellar (above left) into the colorful set for a model’s portfolio shoot (above right).

There are no hard and [...]]]>

Gels are an inexpensive way to turn a boring set into a space filled with ambiance. Three Speedlites, two gels, a random mirror, and a mini softbox enabled me to turn a small, unfinished cellar (above left) into the colorful set for a model’s portfolio shoot (above right).

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to gelling flash for dramatic effect. Most of the time, I start working towards an idea that I have in my head and then explore new opportunities as they appear along the way. So, I’ll walk you through the shoot I did for my friend Arian — one of my favorite workshop models here in Paso Robles – as a tour of my approach to creative gelling.

^ The entire shoot spanned 74 shots over 25 minutes. My hero shot happened at frame 69 — bottom row, second from left. As you’ll see, there were many turns in my visual journey.

My camera gear was my trusty Canon 5D Mark II with the Canon EF17-40mm f/4L lens, parked on my Gitzo tripod. Even though I can handhold 1/30″, I often lock my camera down in this type of shoot so that I maintain consistency of framing from shot to shot — which enables me to concentrate on the changes that I’m making to the light.

I fired three Speedlites – all Canon 580EX IIs – one in the hotshoe as the wireless master and two as off-camera slaves. You’ll find the details about my gel kit at the end of the article. I softened the blue-gelled Speedlite with the Lastolite Ezybox Speed-Lite mini softbox. The camera and flash were both run in manual mode for consistency from frame to frame. In fact, you’ll see that the only camera setting I change is the ISO.

^ Let’s head through the details of ten frames so that you can see the progression of my thoughts. (Tip: click through on any of the pix in this article to see a higher-res version.)

^ The tiny, unfinished cellar as we found it — lit by a single CFL clamped to a post. For reasons unknown, we also found a convex mirror in the left corner. Look closely. You’ll see that I dropped a gelled Speedlite in front of the mirror to throw red light across the back wall. (1/30″, f/4, ISO 400)

^ Throughout the shoot, I futzed with the angle of the mirror to change the throw of the red light. Its convex shape helped spread the light in a wide arc. The small flash of orange-yellow at the center is the direct blast from the center of the mirror. Sometimes accidents, like this bit of over-exposure, can create a cool effect. By changing the angle of the mirror, the position of the Speedlite, the zoom of its flashtube, and the power level, I explored several different options for this space-filling light. (1/30″, f/4, ISO 400)

^ My initial idea was to have Arian hold the CFL — as if he was trying to see someone in the dark space. I worked this idea for a few frames, but it quickly seemed too contrived. In this shot, I have a blue-gelled Speedlite on a stand to camera-right. Both the blue and the red Speedlites are controlled from the master Speedlite in the camera’s hotshoe. It’s set as a disabled master — which means that it flashes instructions to the slaves during the pre-flash and then goes dark when the shutter actually opens. (1/30″, f/4, ISO 400)

^ Still working towards my basic set-up, I moved a wooden stepladder into the shot, pulled the camera back, and zoomed the lens a bit wider. Moving the stepladder in gave me a spot to park the CFL, which I still wanted in the frame. I think it’s important to have some light source that is attributable in the shot. The ladder also filled a bit of the empty background and gave Arian a prop to play off of. You also can see that I dialed the power of the blue Speedlite way down — in fact, it’s too far down to make any real contribution to the lighting. (1/30″, f/4, ISO 400)

^ Enabling the on-camera master Speedlite — meaning that it sent the instructions to the slaves during the pre-flash and also fired when the shutter was open —  killed the shot by stripping away the mystery. This is the look of over-powered, on-camera flash. Since the light hits both sides of Arian equally, the on-camera flash flattens the light by stripping away the shadows. You can barely tell in this shot, but I moved the blue Speedlite from camera-right to camera-left. The Manfrotto 5001B compact light stand is now sitting on the concrete shelf at left. The Speedlite is angled at about 45-degrees towards Arian. (1/30″, f/4, ISO 400)

^ ISO is a global change that affects ambient and flash equally. Here, I’ve dialed the ISO up from 400 to 800 — a change of one-stop. Shutter, aperture, and flash power remained the same as before. I also disabled the master again. For some, this could be a usable image. For me, it’s too bright. (1/30″, f/4, ISO 800)

^ I’m all for exploring far-ranging options along the way. Here, I’ve dialed the blue Speedlite on camera-left down almost to zero. This one change allows the CFL to play a greater role in the shot. (1/30″, f/4, ISO 800)

^ It’s important to step back and take a look at what your ambient exposure looks like without flash. Here I’ve shut the master Speedlite off — which kept the slaved Speedlites from firing as well. Dialing the ISO from 800 down to 200 (a 2-stop change) also makes the CFL appear more dim. I’m now at the exposure that I’ll use for the brief remainder of the shoot. (1/30″, f/4, ISO 200)

^ My hero shot happened at frame 69. I like the intense blue on Arian’s face and how it contrasts boldly with the warm light in the background. Look at the wall near the right edge. You can see that I’ve feathered (angled) the blue Speedlite so that most of the light flies in front of Arian and then bounces onto him. (1/30″, f/4, ISO 200)

^ With a shot I really liked in hand, I explored a new option — turning the red Speedlite off. I like the feel of the blue-only light as well. As I said at the top, there are no hard and fast rules when gelling for dramatic effect — just loads of options that pop up along the way. (1/30″, f/4, ISO 200)

 How I Gel Speedlites

I think that I’ve tried every option for gelling Speedlites. For me the two most important criteria are that the gel go on and off in just a second and that I have lots of room to be sloppy in how I place the gel — meaning no gaps that allow white light to fly out. My need for speed with gels comes from the fact that when the sun is crashing and I need to jump from a Half-CTO to a Full-CTO on my fill flash, I don’t want to take 30-seconds to make sure that the gel is aligned with precision. I want to make the change in 2-seconds and keep shooting.

My go-to gel system is the fuzzy Honl Speedstrap and the Honl Color Effects and Color Correction gels (which Honl calls “filters”). The two gels used for this shoot came from the Color Effects kit. Unlike other gel systems, the Honl gels are over-sized. So, I can literally slap it on or rip it off thanks to the Velcro on the Speedstrap and the gels. I carry my gels in an accordion-fold coupon box. Honl also makes a durable roll-up case for their gels.

Want to know more of the details about how I light with gels? Check out Chapter 20 in my Speedliter’s Handbook.

PhotoPro Expo – Feb. 2-5, Cincinnati, OH This has to be the greatest value of all the winter events. $159 gets you 16 speakers, including Yours Truly. I’ll be [...]]]> The next three months offers a wide range of photo expos, festivals, and conferences. Here’s a quick survey of eight of the larger events.

PhotoPro Expo – Feb. 2-5, Cincinnati, OH This has to be the greatest value of all the winter events. $159 gets you 16 speakers, including Yours Truly. I’ll be doing Speedliting clinics on the tradeshow floor Saturday and Sunday. Plus, if you’re an early-bird, I’ll be giving away some special door prizes during my Sunday session at 7am! In addition to the great lineup of speakers and the tradeshow, there will be a print competition and, since it’s Super Bowl Weekend, parties every night.

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The other events are:

Photo LA – Jan. 12-16, Santa Monica, CA

Imaging USA – Jan. 15-17, New Orleans

FOTOfusion – Jan. 24-28, Palm Beach

WPPI – Feb. 16-23, Las Vegas

Gulf Photo Plus – Mar. 5-10, Dubai

Photoshop World – Mar. 24-26, Washington, DC

Palm Springs Photo Festival – Apr. 1-6, Palm Springs

Photo LA – Jan. 12-16, Santa Monica, CA This is the 21st-annual international exhibition of photographic art in Los Angeles. If you need a crash course on the business of art photography, cancel your appointments for the rest of the week and get to LA. This event is a total eye-opener. It’s a great chance to talk directly with art dealers and survey the universe of art photography.

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Imaging USA – Jan. 15-17, New Orleans As if anyone needs an invitation to head to NOLA for a few days of fun…Imaging USA is the joint annual convention of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA), the Society of Sport and Event Photographers (SEP), and the Evidence Photographers International Council (EPIC). Imaging USA hosts a wide range of seminar and workshops, plus a huge tradeshow.

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FOTOfusion – Jan. 24-28, Palm Beach FOTOfusion is a large and diverse event produced by the Palm Beach Photographic Centre in Florida. It includes shoots, computer labs, lectures, workshops, and community events. Over 70 photographers are scheduled to teach.

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WPPI – Feb. 16-23, Las Vegas WPPI is the huge conclave of wedding and portrait photographers that literally attracts attendees from around the world. There’s a huge tradeshow and an all-star list of speakers. If you are thinking about getting into the wedding pic biz, consider WPPI to be a must-attend. Even though I don’t shoot weddings, I’ve attended many WPPI sessions and always come away with new ideas about composition, posing, workflow, and managing a photo business.

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Gulf Photo Plus – Mar. 5-10, Dubai I had the good fortune to be invited to teach at GPP’s FotoWeekend last November and can say wholeheartedly that GPP makes a trip to Dubai a great experience. [Travel tip: I flew non-stop on Emirates from Los Angeles and found my coach-class seat and meals to be quite good.] The week-long GPP event for March, 2012, includes a long list of great shooters and teachers.

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Photoshop World – Mar. 24-26, Washington, DC Over the years, Photoshop World has morphed from being a computer-centric convention into an incredible conference on digital photography and lighting. Uniquely, your PsW ticket enables you to attend any session you desire. Check out the full schedule, here. To add to the value of PsW, there’s a large tradeshow and a number of fun and crazy events in the evenings.

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Palm Springs Photo Festival – Apr. 1-6, Palm Springs It’s no surprise that PSPF continues to grow each year. The festival provides an intimate opportunity for professional and emerging photographers to improve their craft. The events range from short lectures and seminars to multi-day workshops — with networking activities each night.

Lighting Persona, the second of my two December presentations in the Event Space at B&H Photo’s NYC superstore, is now on YouTube. In this video, I go through a number of shoots and the ways I shaped light to create the persona of the subject. Although my [...]]]>

Lighting Persona, the second of my two December presentations in the Event Space at B&H Photo’s NYC superstore, is now on YouTube. In this video, I go through a number of shoots and the ways I shaped light to create the persona of the subject. Although my first session, Multi-Flash Speedliting (here on YouTube) was specific to Canon Speedlites, the concepts in Lighting Persona apply to all types of light — large and small, flash and continuous.

Click here for the HD version.

Click here for a standard-def version.

In the presentation, I talk about:

• Deciding Whether You Are a Pictorialist Or a Documentarian
• Why Lighting Is Really About Shadowing
• Controlling Ambient Light For Creative Effect
• Hard and Soft: Shaping Light To Match Your Vision
• Using Gels For Color Correction and Dramatic Effect

For a more detailed look at how I shoot with flash, including footage from a number of studio and location shoots, check out my Multi-Speedlite Course on Kelby Training.

I had the good fortune to give a two-hour presentation on Canon Speedliting with Multiple Flashes a few weeks ago in the Event Space at B&H Photo’s NYC superstore. Thanks to the great gang at B&H, you can now watch my presentation on YouTube.

Click [...]]]>

I had the good fortune to give a two-hour presentation on Canon Speedliting with Multiple Flashes a few weeks ago in the Event Space at B&H Photo’s NYC superstore. Thanks to the great gang at B&H, you can now watch my presentation on YouTube.

Click here for the HD version.

Click here for a standard-def version.

In the presentation, I talk about:

• the details of using Canon’s built-in wireless system (which is the backbone of my multi-flash technique)
• other ways to trigger multiple flashes
• favorite modifiers for small flash
• the set-ups I used in a number of my favorite shoots

For a more detailed look at how I shoot multiple flashes, including footage from a number of studio and location shoots, check out my Multi-Speedlite Course on Kelby Training.

One of the most important concepts in flash photography is sync speed. This is the fastest shutter speed that your camera can use with normal flash. For most DSLRs, the sync speed is 1/250″. Your camera’s sync speed may be faster or slower — so check your user manual if you don’t know.

Why [...]]]>

One of the most important concepts in flash photography is sync speed. This is the fastest shutter speed that your camera can use with normal flash. For most DSLRs, the sync speed is 1/250″. Your camera’s sync speed may be faster or slower — so check your user manual if you don’t know.

Why can’t I use flash at any shutter speed I want? This is a fair question. It has to do with the design of your camera’s shutter. If you use a DSLR or an old-school 35mm film camera, your shutter mechanism has two curtains in front of the sensor/film plane. During the exposure, the 1st/front curtain opens and then the 2nd/rear curtain closes. The difference in timing between the movement of the two curtains is your shutter speed.

At many shutter speeds, the 1st-curtain will completely clear the sensor before the 2nd-curtain begins to close. If your flash fires at any of these speeds, the entire sensor will see the flash — which is what you normally need to make a flash photo. Your sync speed is the fastest shutter speed at which the 1st-curtain completely clears the sensor before the 2nd-curtain begins to move.

At faster shutter speeds, the 2nd-curtain begins to close before the 1st-curtain is completely open. The shutter literally becomes a slit between the curtains that moves across the sensor. So, there is no point at which the flash can illuminate the entire sensor.

High-Speed Sync is a special flash mode that changes the way your Speedlite fires. Rather than fire one big pulse of light, HSS turns the Speedlite into a machine-gun of light that fires an insanely-fast series of pulses. Essentially the Speedlite becomes a continuous light source for a very brief period of time. The downside is that HSS consumes a ton of power. So, your Speedlite in HSS is 2.5 stops dimmer than it is in normal mode. There are loads of reasons to use HSS. Click here for the many articles I’ve written on HSS.

More Tid-Bits About Flash and Sync

The black band in this shot is evidence that the shutter speed was faster than the camera's sync speed. If the camera does not sense that a flash is attached, then it will not limit the shutter to the sync speed.

Your Camera Might Not Know That You Are Using Flash

If your camera senses that a Speedlite is attached and turned on, then it will impose the limitation of sync speed. However, there are several situations when the camera will not know that you are using a flash. In these cases, the camera will fire at any shutter speed you specify. As shown above, when the shutter speed exceeds the sync speed, you’ll get a black band on a portion of your photograph. So, you need to be mindful of the sync speed in the following situations:

• using a Nikon Speedlight with a Canon camera or vice-versa
• using a radio trigger to activate your off-camera flash
• using a PC-sync cord
• using an infra-red trigger to fire flashes via optical slave sensors

Why Outdoor Flash “Overexposes” Your Photos

Using your flash outdoors in bright sunlight is a smart idea because your camera cannot record the full ranges of brights and darks that you can see. Outdoors, in bright sunlight, the shadows will often be too dark. Turning your flash on in bright sunlight will throw “fill flash” into the shadows so that the camera can record those important details.

If you’re using a wide-aperture to create shallow depth-of-field that hides distracting background details, then under bright sun, you’re also using a fast shutter speed. So, when you turn your Speedlite on for fill flash, the camera slows the shutter back down to the sync speed — even if the camera is in shutter-priority (Tv) or manual mode. So, if you just turned your Speedlite on and your photo looks way over-exposed, you need to activate high-speed sync so that the camera can return to using fast shutter speeds.

Some Cameras Have Very Fast Sync Speeds

For most of us, the sync speed is imposed by the mechanics of the common two-curtain shutter used in SLRs. If your camera does not have a two-curtain shutter, then you likely have a much faster sync speed or no sync speed at all. For instance, the shutter in a view camera lens is made of blades that open from the center out to the edges (much like the design of the aperture mechanism). So with view cameras and some medium-format cameras, sync speeds can be very fast. Another example is the digital cameras that have electronic shutters. With these, the sensor literally turns on and off very quickly. So the sync speed can be 1/500″ or faster.

X-Sync Is The Same As Sync Speed

Old-schoolers will refer to sync-speed as the X-Sync because cameras used to have an X on their shutter dials to indicate the maximum speed with flash. So, when you read “X-Sync” just think “Sync Speed.”

For more details on sync speed and flash photography in general, check out my Speedliter’s Handbook.

Visual Stories

Vincent Laforet
Visual Stories is my favorite non-lighting photo book of the year. If there’s anyone who can talk about the evolution of modern photography as a vocation, it’s Vincent Laforet. An award-winning, NY Times photographer, Vincent was literally the vanguard for the convergence of still and motion photography when he shocked the world with Reverie — the first Canon 5D Mark II HDSLR mini-movie in 2008.  Visual Stories is essentially a series of conversations with Vincent about the stories behind his photos. His insights are candid, relevant, and drawn from a career that most only dream about. If you don’t know Vincent’s work, check out his blog and portfolio/reel. Highly recommended. Amazon  New Riders Press, 264 pages, 9.1″ x 8.7″

Lighting Essentials

Don Giannatti
I’ve given my friend Don Giannatti the moniker “Photo Pundit.” Don has been in the photo biz for 40+ years. Those who know him, know that he’s a man of strong opinions and one who is not prone to staying quiet. He started his blog Lighting-Essentials.com as a resource for all-things light-wise.  Over time, the blog became Don’s soapbox for sharing his opinions about a wide range of issues in the photo world. So, Lighting-Essentials.com will soon morph into the more suitably titled Essentials-For-Photographers.com. In his book, Lighting Essentials, Don shares his no-nonsense approach to lighting. If you’re after insights on lighting for fashion and glamour, Lighting Essentials is a great place to start. Amazon Amherst Media, 125 pages, 11″ x 8.5″

Lighting Notebook

Kevin Kubota
Ever since I met Kevin Kubota several years ago at WPPI, I’ve been a fan of his energy, his photography, and his willingness to share both. Kevin’s Lighting Notebook lays out a sound foundation of lighting jargon, skills, and tools. It then guides you through 101 different shoots. One hundred and one! They range from simple portraits to crazy editorial to glamour. There are set shots and lighting diagrams for each shoot so you’ll have a clear understanding of what went into the lens and how the shot was created. Kevin also shares insights on how many assistants (if any) were needed and how much each shoot cost to produce. All in all, this is an accessible and valuable book to have on hand. Amazon Wiley, 320 pages, 9.2″ x 7.4″ 

The Passionate Photographer

Steve Simon
If documentary photography or photojournalism is your passion, then you must read Steve Simon’s Passionate Photographer. Steve distills the wisdom of his 30-year career down to ten steps that will help you define and pursue your own path as a shooter. Think of it as the bridge between knowing the controls of your camera and knowing how to create memorable images. The Passionate Photographer is full of insightful stories, sound advise, and great photos.  Check out more of Steve’s work at SteveSimonPhoto.com. Amazon New Riders Press, 264 pages, 9.2″ x 8″

Pro Digital Portrait Lighting

Peter Hince
This book gets the dubious award for being the Most Misunderstood Lighting Book of 2011. Frankly, it deserves much more positive recognition. Pro Digital Portrait Lighting takes an innovative approach to teaching lighting by showing the look of light set-ups on four different skin types. Sure, at first glance, it’s a boring book. Each spread consists of a lighting diagram and the same four faces shot against a white background and then a dark background. Spread after spread — there is a lighting diagram and eight headshots staring straight into the lens. Yet, therein lies the brilliance of Pro Digital Portrait Lighting. This is the only book I know of that enables you to compare how changes in lighting create subtle, yet noteworthy, changes in light and shadow on a range of faces.  The book covers one light set-ups, two light set-ups, and all the major lighting modifiers — which are moved systematically through a set series of positions. It’s not a book you read. Rather, it’s a book that you study visually as a set reference charts. Forget the shortsighted reader reviews on Amazon. Instead check out this detailed look here on the Sekonic blog. Amazon Pixiq, 256 pages, 8.6″ x 9.6″ 

Light: Science & Magic

Fil Hunter & co.
I consider Light: Science & Magic to be a must-read for every student of lighting. Although the approach often borders on textbook-dry, if you’re looking to understand the mechanics of light and how to shape it, then this is an invaluable resource. The chapters on shooting reflective materials (like metal and glass) are second-to-none. Amazon Focal Press, 326 pages, 9.2″ x 7.5″

There are many great photo books published each year. These are just a few of my favorites. Time, unfortunately, does not allow me to share more. If you have a favorite book that was published in 2011, why don’t you share the details as a comment?

If you are a student of light, then consider Joe McNally‘s new book Sketching Light to be a must-read. Sitting down with Sketching Light  is like sitting down for a beer with Joe as he talks you through his favorite pix in a photo album. [...]]]>

If you are a student of light, then consider Joe McNally‘s new book Sketching Light to be a must-read. Sitting down with Sketching Light  is like sitting down for a beer with Joe as he talks you through his favorite pix in a photo album. The conversation will wander, stories will be spun, jokes will be told, detailed insights will be shared, advice will be given, and you’ll walk away grateful for the opportunity.

Believe me when I say that Sketching Light is like having a conversation with Joe. I know. Truth be told, I owe a lot to ol’ Joe. Years ago, he opened my eyes to the potential of using big flash on location during a workshop in Santa Fe. Many times since, Joe’s hauled me out on memorable shoots. He’s had me translate his Nikonian into Canonista during workshops—in both New York and California. Joe also opened the door to my relationship with Peachpit Press—which lead to the publication of my Speedliter’s Handbook. So, yes, I’m biased.

Let me offer up the following insights as a Canonista > 

> Sure, the book is Nikon-centric. Joe is Nikon-centric. If you shoot Canon, or Sony, or any other brand, don’t let this worry you. Strip out the Nikonian jargon and Sketching Light remains a heavyweight when it comes to lighting. (Unabashed plug, if you shoot Canon, my Speedliter’s Handbook will give you all the info on buttons and dials that you need.)

> Sketching Light is a book about the possibilities of flash and it covers the full spectrum. Joe shoots Speedlights. Joe shoots big lights. Sometimes you need just a breath of on-camera fill flash from a Nikon SB-910. Sometimes you need the punch of an Elinchrom Ranger. Sometimes you need one light. Sometimes you need to haul out every light that you can get your hands on. So many possibilities.

> There are plenty of set shots that show Joe and his gear in action.  You’ll also find Joe’s signature lighting diagrams—drawn by hand on napkins and sketch pads—for nearly every shoot in the book. I recommend keeping a highlighter and a black marker on hand so that you can annotate your “aha!” moments as you read.

> Yes, there are photos in the book that no mere-mortal could make. Joe is, after all, the Indiana Jones of photographers. Yet, there are also dozens of shots that you can make today with gear that you likely have around you right now.

> There are no photo captions in the book. At first, you’ll hate this. You’ve likely grown accustomed to flipping through photo books, pausing at a pic, and having the caption give you the basics so that you can move on. Sketching Light makes you earn your knowledge. I guarantee you, however, that as you read Joe’s narratives and decode his photos, you’ll be a stronger photographer for your efforts.

> This is not a beginner’s book that lays a foundation of basic concepts and then layers new ideas on top. Rather, Joe starts right in at an intermediate level and keep moving. Think of Sketching Light  as a long conversation that jumps around and you won’t be disappointed. Each “chapter” is really another “hey, let me tell you about this now….” And yes, you can jump around Sketching Light and read the chapters for the pix that interest you today and then jump to another spot tomorrow.

> Sketching Light may give you deja vu. If you’ve read Joe’s blog, watched his videos on Kelby Training, or attended one of his seminars/workshops, then you’ve likely seen some of these pix and heard some of these stories before. I see this as being like catching up with an old friend rather than a shortcoming. Of course, there were pages and pages of material in Sketching Light that I’d never seen before.

While wrapped in a cover that says “flash”, for me, Sketching Light  is really about vision and using whatever gear you have to craft images that express that vision. It’s about dreaming big and having the courage to fail. It’s a book that says “go out there and create the images that only you can create.”

Sketching Light – paperback

Sketching Light – Kindle/eBook

Speedliting.com underwent a major tune-up tonight. While the overall look of the site remains much the same, the navigation and menu systems have received complete overhauls. The main goal was to make older content accessible to new readers. So, if you’re reading this via an RSS feed, I encourage you to [...]]]>

Speedliting.com underwent a major tune-up tonight. While the overall look of the site remains much the same, the navigation and menu systems have received complete overhauls. The main goal was to make older content accessible to new readers. So, if you’re reading this via an RSS feed, I encourage you to stop by and click on the new menus. You might just find a few articles that you’ve not read before.

I’ve also updated the sidebar to the right. Scroll down and you’ll find lists for some of my favorite photographers and some of my favorite photo books. There are many more details to be added. If your favorite shooter/book/blog/topic/etc. is not listed, feel free to add it as a comment.