A while back, I got a call from a friend asking me if I would be interested in shooting a company portrait for her.  After we worked out the details of the shoot and did some location scouting at their building, I was ready to roll on the day of the shoot.  

The concept was simple and straightforward.  Shoot a portrait of the company (60-70) people outside in their parking lot.  Make sure everyone is visible and try to make them look good. I said to myself "sure, no problem...I do this all the time at weddings".

I got to the location, and then the fun began. Here's how that conversation went:

Client: "Hi Chris, lovely weather we are having today!"
Me: "Ah yes, cloudy and drab.  Change of plans?"
Client: "Yes...and by the way, the company meeting is running late, and the management team has a conference call sooner than expected, so you'll have five minutes, OK?"
Me: "Sounds perfect, I'll start setting up."

I even had time to do a little video describing my setup. I've also included the final product for you to see. Enjoy!

(Click for a larger version)

 A couple weeks back, Steve and I shot Kendra and Mark's engagement session down in Columbus, OH.  We had some wonderful weather for their session, and we took full advantage of the strong sunlight as we approached sunset. We had a great time shooting the session, and we look forward to shooting their big day later on this summer. Enjoy!

As I continue to evolve as a photographer I find that one of the most challenging tasks is making artificial light look realistic.  It's a delicate balancing act.  Natural light, artificial light, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO all have to work together in harmony to achieve your desired result.  Getting to that final balance is no easy task.  It requires the image maker to have a intimate knowledge of each of the elements, and what their impact will be on your final exposure.

Every photographer has their own approach to lighting.  Some use trial and error until they see what they like. Others pre-visualize entire scenes and can see the final image before they even take out their camera.  Perfectionists can use light meters to tweak the exposure using 1/10th stop increments. 

What's my approach?  It varies.  It can depend on time restrictions, subject, equipment, time of day, and of course how I'm feeling at any given moment.

Let's look at a the evolution of a shot that I recently created.

This first test shot is crucial.  It shows me how the camera is seeing the scene, and where the natural light is coming from. From here I can begin to understand where my light needs to be, and how much light I will need.

Subsequent test shots reveal how my light is impacting the scene.  From here I can move and shape the light into a more pleasing source.  At the same time I can give the model instructions as to how they need to interact and orient to the light source. I will also begin to adjust light output to more closely match the natural light in the scene.

When trying to balance ambient and artificial light, I will often do a before and after comparison to see if my light is believable or not.  In this particular shot, I have included a practical (cinema term for a light source that is present within the frame) to give the viewer an realistic place that the light should be coming from.  This helps to hide the fact that I am using artificial light and makes the scene more believable.

As you can see in the final exposure, I continue to tweak wardrobe, camera position, and model position until I am happy.  Throughout the entire process I continually re-evaluate the light an shadows to make sure everything is balanced.

This past Saturday was a very special day for me.  It was the first day for a lot of things.  It was the first time that I have done any serious charity work. It was the first time I really appreciated what some families in this country are dealing with in these hard economic times.  It was the first day that I felt that I really gave something back using my gifts.  It was the first day for the world-wide event Help-Portrait. Help-Portrait is the idea of Nashville photographer Jeremy Cowart.  Instead of trying to explain what Help-Portrait is, it would be better if I can show you... (continue reading...)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I had some down time out here in San Diego, and I'm currently recovering from my tryptophan induced coma. So, I decided to work on a few blog posts. A few months ago, my friend Katharine needed some headshots for her acting career in Massachusetts. Of course, I volunteered to shoot some for her since I always look forward to mixing things up a bit with photography. Katharine brought in a few outfits and we got to work. I remember asking her as to why we had to have so many different color outfits if we were just going to convert them all to black and white. She told me that these days, many casting directors are now requesting full color headshots and that this was now the norm. I actually wasn't aware that casting agents / directors don't really request black and white shots anymore. Either way, I think we were able to come up with some great shots for her, and being an old high school friend, I thought it would be fun to come up with a magazine cover for her. I have no doubt that she'll be on the covers of magazines one day, but for right now, let's consider this a preview of coming attractions. Thanks for a fun shoot Katharine! -Steve