Paul's Photo Notes

"Frostbite 5K" Race

2012-01-28T20:37:00.007-05:00

As some of you may be aware, my oldest son (now 19 years old) has autism. My wife and I are both involved in the Pittsburgh-area autism support groups (my wife more than I...). So when we found out about a 5K race that was an autism fundraiser, I naturally wanted to be involved.

The race was held this last Saturday. Leading into the weekend I was concerned that the weather would put a damper on the event. They were calling for rain and snow, with falling temperatures, for the day of the race. Fortunately the actual weather wasn't nearly as bad as they had predicted, and over 300 runners showed up to participate.

Photos from the race can be found here:

http://photos.paulrichardwossidlo.com/g/frostbite_5k

Race results can be found here:

http://smileymiles.com/2012Results.html

Dana and Erica's Engagement Session

2011-10-22T19:39:00.005-04:00

Dana and Erica recently booked me to photograph their wedding next year. They also wanted engagement photos, so in early September we scheduled a photo session for October 8. At the time, I was concerned that with Fall coming, we had no idea what the weather would be like for the shoot. Fortunately we lucked out, and the weekend in question was part of the warm and sunny stretch that we had.

The session was scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Oakland, near the Heinz Chapel. We shot in the garden areas around the Chapel, and then headed over the Software Institute, across from Saint Paul's Cathedral. With the columns, steps, and "porch" area, it is a great place to shoot. It is especially popular with wedding photographers on rainy days, because the "porch" is under an overhang and protected from the weather.

Even though it was a quiet Sunday afternoon, passer-byes still took notice, including one who took a photo of me taking a photo...

2011 Race for Pace/Paws for Pace Event

2011-10-18T16:33:00.006-04:00

Last Saturday I photographed the 2011 "Race for Pace/Paws for Pace" event, sponsored by the Pace School in Churchill. The was a 5K race for people, and a 1 mile walk for dogs (and their owners). Besides the usual race awards there were also awards for Biggest dog, smallest dog, and best costume. As in the past, this year's event was hosted by WTAE's Mile Clark and Kelly Frye.

The weather was a definite improvement over what I had to deal with at the "Tour du District" bike ride two weeks earlier. There was no rain, and we actually had sunshine towards the end of the race. The only problem was high winds, which blew over sponsor displays and prize boards.

As a parent of a child with autism, I was more than happy to help out a school that offers such an important service to our community.

Photos from the event can be found here:

http://photos.paulrichardwossidlo.com/g/race_for_pace

"Street Shoot" with Amber Rose

2011-10-10T11:50:00.002-04:00

Amber is new the modeling scene. I was actually surprised when she first contacted me, because she lives in Northwest Pennsylvania, and has a bit of travel to get to the Pittsburgh area. Turns out she has friends in the area, so it isn't much of a problem for her to be here.

For this shoot I decided to try something different and tried a "Street shoot". The idea is to travel light (just a camera for me, just one outfit for the model) and work in a business district, posing with whatever is handy. It is quite a bit different from the "regular" shoots that I do, with a bag full of camera gear, flashes on stands, and other photo paraphernalia. Amber and I met in Squirrel Hill, along the Forbes Avenue business district. We went down one block, crossed the street, and came back the other side, with only a couple of minor detours (an alley, and a short distance on another street). I was amazed at the variety of settings we were able to find in just that short distance.

Amber was great to work with. It didn't faze her that we were working in public and people were watching. She took direction well and did everything I asked of her.

I'll be definitely planning more "street shoots" (and photos with Amber...) in the future.

Mikkey

2011-10-08T15:06:00.001-04:00

Michal Renee (who prefers to be called Mikkey) contacted me on Model Mayhem, looking to add some shots to her portfolio. She's actually taking a short break from college to pursue her modeling dream. So we scheduled a session this past Thursday down at Cedar Creek Park, in Rostraver.

Micky is amazing in front of the camera. She has an extensive dance background, and it shows in her posing. She doesn't have a bad angle, and each pose is unique and effortless. When you combine that with a professional attitude, creativity, and fashion sense, she truly is a joy to work with.

This was the first of a series of shoots I scheduled to take advantage of a stretch of great weather we're having. It's a little bit crazy, I suppose, having 5 shootings over an 8 day stretch, but given this may be our last nice stretch of weather until April (ugh!), I definitely want to take advantage of it.

Let the fun begin!

2011 Tour du District

2011-10-01T19:10:00.011-04:00

Saturday I photographed the 2011 "Tour du District" bicycle ride, sponsored by the Woodland Hills Foundation. I live in the Woodland Hills School District, so this was a great way for me to give back to my community (as well as getting my name out there). This is the second year for the bike ride, with is intended as a fundraiser for the foundation.

Unfortunately the weather really conspired against this year's event. In addition to the threat of rain, this year's riders had to contend with unseasonably cold temperatures (45 degrees when we left the house), which really put a crimp in attendance. Skies were so dark that I decided to use a flash in order to freeze motion. I was glad that I wasn't riding, and could go into the school building to warm up.

Photos from the event can be found here:

http://photos.paulrichardwossidlo.com/g/tour_du_district_2011

All Fall 2011 Dynamo Soccer are Online!

2011-09-29T14:57:00.003-04:00

This past weekend was the makeup weekend for the Dynamo Soccer Fall 2011 Recreational League. Other than a few random drops, the rain held off and I managed to get all of the teams photographed. All told, I shot over 3800 photos over this Fall. That's about 500 more shots than I did in the Spring.

All of the photos are online, sorted by team. The Fall photos can be found here:

http://photos.paulrichardwossidlo.com/g/dynamo_soccer_fall_2011

There is a 15% "Early Bird" discount for all orders placed by October 1 (that's this Saturday), so you still have a couple of days to order and save!

Dynamo Soccer Fall 2011 Photo Day

2011-09-17T08:34:00.010-04:00

This past weekend was Photo Day for the Dynamo Soccer Fall 2011 Recreational League. I was at Schenley Park both days to photograph all 68 teams. As usual, the weather played a factor. Both days had a chance of rain and thunderstorms. Saturday we had sunshine and warmer temperatures until 4 pm, when the skies suddenly opened up (even though the sun was still shining) for about 30 minutes, killing my chances of getting any photos of the teams scheduled for 4 pm games. And all that rain on Saturday meant that the grass fields were a mess on Sunday. All told, I shot almost 2500 photos over the two days.

The makeup weekend is scheduled for the weekend of September 24 and 25, when I'll be at the field to photograph anyone who missed the first weekend.

I've started posting the photos online. Currently I have all of the photos from the Saturday games up, and I'm working on the Sunday games now. The new gallery can be found here:

http://photos.paulrichardwossidlo.com/g/dynamo_soccer_fall_2011

There is a 15% "Early Bird" discount for all orders placed by October 1, so order now and save!

By the way, a bit of explanation for the above photo is in order. Sometimes the players want to ham it up for the group photo. Since I usually shoot several group shots, I will tell them that if they give me two "normal" group shots, they can have some fun with the third shot. So the U10G California Blue girl's team decided they wanted to be "Drama Queens". The result is just plain fun!

"Last Chance Sale" for Dynamo Soccer Spring 2011 Photos

2011-08-24T21:50:00.009-04:00

Mark your calendars. Photo Day for the Recreational League Fall 2011 season is tentatively scheduled for the weekend of September 10 and 11. I'll be at Schenley Park both days for both team/individual photos, and also for in-game photos. The makeup weekend is scheduled for the weekend of September 24 and 25, when I'll be at the field to photograph anyone who missed the first weekend.

Since I'll soon be posting new photos, I need to make room by taking down the current Spring 2011 photos. This is your last opportunity to purchase photos from the Spring 2011 season. As an added incentive, I've added an automatic 10% discount on all soccer photo orders placed from now through September 10.

The link to the Dynamo Soccer Spring 2011 gallery is:

http://photos.paulrichardwossidlo.com/g/dynamo_soccer_spring_2011

Michael and Valerie

2011-08-23T12:15:00.005-04:00

August 20th I got a chance to photograph Michael and Valerie's wedding out in Westmoreland County. This was my first "Second Generation" wedding, in that I had photographed Valerie's parent's wedding over 20 years ago. I had also photographed Valerie's aunt's wedding around the same time. It was interesting to see everyone again, and a reminder as to just how long I've been doing this...

The bridal party was a wild bunch and all the guests really enjoyed themselves. But we still had time for a simple, elegant portrait before entering the reception.

Quick & Easy Outdoor Portraits

2011-07-08T11:31:00.008-04:00

I got my start professionally photographing portraits and models outdoors. As a poor college student, I didn't have the funds for flashes, umbrellas, and the other paraphernalia that indoor portraits require. Fortunately my alma-mater, Michigan State, had extensive park and garden areas available that made ideal locations.

I still enjoy working outdoors. Lighting is much more natural, and being out of a studio environment tends to relax subjects more. I try to avoid an overly elaborate setup, preferring a flash with diffuser attached to the camera with a rotating flash bracket. Put the sun at the subject's back, add enough flash to fill in the facial shadows, and everything's ready to go.

Last week I was contacted by a member of my synagogue, asking if I could shoot a portrait for use with her daughter's upcoming Bat Mitzvah announcement. It needed to be done quickly, and the fact that I would come to their house to shoot the photos was a big plus. We had the option of shooting inside (I had my flashes and umbrellas in the car), but we had a nice day and they had a nice front yard, so everyone agreed that outdoors was preferred. The rest of the family sat on their front stoop while we shot. I used the dark hedges for a background, making the hair highlights really jump and helping to separate the subject from the background.

Deanna

2011-06-23T17:24:00.006-04:00

I just finished a shoot with another OneModelPlace model who goes by "Deanna Destruction". She's a total professional who is a blast to work with. She's got a great head of hair that looks great when the wind catches it.

We did part of the shoot under a highway underpass, and I turned it into an outdoor studio. I set the exposure manually to kill the ambient light, and then used three flashes (one on-camera, one from behind on the left, and a snooted flash high and on the right. The results were dramatic and exciting, with an old-school glamor flavor to them.

2011 Spectrum Charter School Graduation

2011-06-04T14:41:00.002-04:00

My older son KJ has been going to Spectrum Charter School in Monroeville for four years now. Spectrum is specifically set up for high-schoolers with autism spectrum disorders. All of the kids there thrive and grow in that environment. Every May, a few of them graduate, and the entire student population, family, and friends attend. It celebrates just how far they have all come.

The gallery of photos can be found here.

"Double Trouble"

2011-05-31T18:49:00.003-04:00

This past Saturday I had the opportunity to photograph Haley and Gwen's B'not Mitzvah ceremony. They're twins, or as the Rabbi referred to them, "Double Trouble".

I was specifically asked to take photos during the actual ceremony, rather than doing staged photos beforehand. This presented some challenges, because the Synagogue requires the photographer to stay in the back (in one location only) and to not use a flash. Shooting indoors with a telephoto lens and no flash is tough. The long (slow) shutter speeds mean that any subject motion results in a blurry image, and the telephoto lens means any camera motion is amplified and also blurs the image. And the wide apertures needed for low light mean that the focus has to be right on the mark.

This a perfect situation for my recently acquired Nikon D300 camera, because it offers much better low-light capability than my previous Nikon D70 cameras. I also decided to take advantage of my fixed location by bracing the camera against the door frames at the entrance to the Sanctuary. This will steady a camera almost as well as using a tripod or monopod. The net result was a much higher percentage of "keepers" than I've had on the past. And that means a happy client...

Dynamo Soccer Make-up Weekend

2011-05-02T11:52:00.005-04:00

This past weekend was planned as a make-up weekend for shooting Dynamo Soccer photos for anyone who was missed the first weekend. The original plan was to spend a few hours each day at the field, so parents could just bring the player over for their photo, or a team could come over to have a team photo re-shot.

Unfortunately, the lousy weather our first weekend (April 16 and 17) meant that a lot of teams were missed that first weekend, and in some cases the players were covered in mud for their photos. So I planned to stay the entire day this weekend to make sure I got everyone taken care of. Mother Nature, however, had other ideas. Saturday was gloriously sunny, so much so that I got sunburned. But Sunday was a rain-out again, with weather only fit for ducks (see photo). So there are still a number of teams I still need to shoot. I haven't figured out yet whether there will be ANOTHER make-up day, or whether I'll try to make it to some practices to get the remaining teams. I'll post an update once I know more.

Dynamo Soccer

2011-04-28T09:37:00.004-04:00

The last two times I've photographed Dynamo Soccer, I've been blessed with really great weather. Well, I guess the law of averages caught up with me! I had scheduled soccer photos for the weekend of April 16 and 17. This had to be the wettest photo day since I started shooting Dynamo Soccer. Dynamo ended up cancelling all of the Saturday games that were being held on the grass fields (The artificial turf on the main fields has pretty good drainage).

Sunday the weather was better, although it was still extremely windy. And the grass fields where Sunday's games were played were still waterlogged and muddy from Saturday's downpours.

The gallery with the soccer photos from the first weekend can be found here:

http://photos.paulrichardwossidlo.com/g/dynamo_soccer_spring_2011

I'll be on the field this weekend (April 30 and May 1) to photograph the teams I missed that first soggy weekend. I'll update this post as more photos are posted online.

Easter & Mother's Day Special: Gift Certificates

2011-04-05T11:30:00.003-04:00

We have a special Easter and Mother's Day offer available if you are still looking for something unique and memorable: A gift certificate for an on-location family portrait session and one 8x10 print (which you select) from the session. Normally this costs $80.95 ($70 for the session and $10.95 for the print), but from now until Mother's Day, you can purchase a gift certificate for only $39.95 (less than half price!). If you would like a gift certificate, you have two ways to order one:

1) If you wish to pay by cash or check, please email (pwossidlo@aol.com) or call (412-480-4698). We will make arrangements so you can purchase your gift certificate and receive it before Easter or Mother's Day.

2) If you wish to purchase your gift certificate using a credit or debit card, click on the button below to pay for your gift certificate using PayPal. We will mail the gift certificate to your PayPal address within 24 hours.

Samples of my portrait work can be found in my portrait portfolio. If you have any questions, just ask!

Paul

Last Chance to Order Dynamo Soccer Fall 2010 Photos

2011-04-05T00:18:00.000-04:00

I'm getting geared up for the upcoming Dynamo Soccer Photo Day the weekend of April 16 and 17. As a result, I'll need to be taking down the current Fall 2010 photos.

This is your last opportunity to purchase photos from the Fall 2010 season. As an added incentive, I've added an automatic 10% discount on all orders placed from now through April 17.

I've also added the new 5x7 Dynamo soccer border that you will be able to order with the player's name and the Dynamo logo. I also added the Memory Mate Mug, which includes a player photo, player information, and a team photo.

The link to the Dynamo gallery is:

http://photos.paulrichardwossidlo.com/g/dynamo_soccer_fall_2010

Dynamo Soccer Spring 2011 Update

2011-02-20T14:08:00.001-05:00

Spring 2011 Photo Day Scheduled
Mark your calendars. Photo Day for the Recreational League Spring season is tentatively scheduled for the weekend of April 16 and 17. I'll be at Schenley Park both days for both team/individual photos, and also for in-game photos. We will also schedule a makeup weekend when I'll be at the field to photograph anyone who missed the first weekend.

We're also planning to photograph the Travel League teams also. All of the details haven't been finalized yet; I will let you know once they are.

Save Even More with Prepaid Photo Vouchers
I've always offered special promotions and discounts to help parents save money. For a limited time, I'll be offering another way to save even more: prepaid photo vouchers. The voucher is good for $20 towards your order, but only costs $18. That's a 10% savings, which can be combined with other discounts that I offer for even greater savings.

Photo Vouchers work just like a gift card (except that you don't get double FuelPerks, sorry!). You purchase the voucher in advance, and then enter the voucher code during order checkout. The voucher amount is deducted from your order total, and you only need to pay for the remaining balance of the order. If your order total is less than the amount of the voucher, then you pay nothing; and the order total is deducted from the voucher balance. You can use the remaining voucher balance on a subsequent order, simply by entering the voucher code again.

Vouchers can only be purchased until March 11, and will only be available in $20 values for $18. You can purchase multiple $20 values if you choose. You will receive a single voucher code via email for the full value you purchased, since only one voucher code can be used per order. To order your Photo Voucher, please click below:

Edit: Link removed after sale ended.

New Sports Photo Products Coming
One of the new things I'll be doing is to offer a greater variety of personalized and gift products. There will be a new Dynamo soccer border that you will be able to order for your prints, and I'm also bringing back the Memory Mate Mug, which includes a player photo, player information, and a team photo. If you have any additional product suggestions, please email them to pwossidlo@aol.com. I'd love to hear your ideas!

Valentine's Day Treat

2011-02-15T11:00:00.004-05:00

One of the advantages of working as a photographer is that I can make time during the day for my kids' activities at school. Of course, this also usually means that I'm asked to take photos at the activity. Which I'm perfectly fine with. Such is the case this past Monday, when my younger son's class was having a special Valentine's Day treat at school. (I guess once you hit the age of 10, it isn't cool to exchange actual valentines any more). The Class Mom (who does an incredible job of organizing these things) wanted to have strawberry shortcake for the kids, and I (along with several other parents) offered to help serve the goodies. Class Mom dropped a not-so-subtle hint that it would be nice if I took photos. Like I said, not a problem. As it turned out, many of the parents had to cancel at the last minute, due to a cold bug that is going around the school. That actually worked out better, because the space we had to work in was cramped, and it really doesn't take that many parents to fix the treats. As you can see, the treats looked delicious, and were a huge hit with the kids.

Winter Sports Shoot

2011-02-15T09:26:00.003-05:00

Winter isn't always the best time to be photographing models outside. It can be cold, wet, and miserable. But it can also be a different and unique backdrop. I decided to try and take advantage of the situation by trying to set up some shootings based on the theme of "Winter Fun". I wanted to use winter sports, as well as year-round sports like running or bicycling. I posted this as a casting call on ModelMayhem, and waiting to see if any models might be interested. After a few days I got a response from Jaci Lilly. Besides modeling, Jaci is a marathoner and a personal trainer. She loved the idea of getting some outdoor running shots.

We lucked out and had some sunny but cold days, when there was still plenty of snow on the ground. We met a Frick Park after Jaci had finished her morning training run. Jaci was a trooper, doing numerous run-bys. Even though Jaci is used to running in the cold, I kept the session to under an hour because we were outside the entire time.

Judy at Panera Bread

2011-02-08T21:18:00.016-05:00

Over the years I have spent quite a bit of time at the various Panera Bread stores in the Pittsburgh area. With their free WiFi and great food, they make a good place to work when I need to get out of the house, or if I need to meet a potential client. And sometimes it is interesting to just sit there and observe people. They study, conduct business, meet friends, or just take a break. Many Paneras also have a semi-private room if you need to have a meeting. All of which can make for an interesting photograph.

So I decided to set up a shooting using one of the semi-private meeting rooms. There is no rental charge for the room, but you are expected to purchase $50 of food and drink. From the outset I figured this would be a multi-model shoot, and the $50 food and drink charge would provide refreshments and snacks for the models, which would be a nice perk (for them and me). The theme of the shoot would be the different things people do at a place like Panera, and how they interact with each other. I reserved the room, and then set about lining up models. Then the fun started.

Ideally, I wanted to line up three models for the shoot. Now, I have a variety of models that I've worked with in the past, and several more that have contacted me about working together. So you wouldn't think lining up three models would be that hard. But all three models needed to be about the same height (so they wouldn't look out of place), and models can be anywhere from 4'11" to 5'11". So I decided on 5'5" as my "ideal", and tried to recruit models from 5'3" to 5'7". Of course this excluded two-thirds of the models I know. As it turned out, most of the models I contacted (who did meet the height requirement) were unavailable. In desperation I started contacting models on OneModelPlace and ModelMayhem, as well as posting a casting call on ModelMayhem.

This was my first time using the Model Mayhem website to recruit models. I've been a longtime (since 2004) user of OneModelPlace, but lately it seems that there are more local models on ModelMayhem. In addition, photographers seem to get more bang for their buck at ModelMayhem. On the flipside, I've also heard that there are more model no-shows there. And my experience on this shoot certainly seems to back that up! Of the three models I lined up for this shoot (all from ModelMayhem, two canceled the morning of the shoot, giving me less than 5 hours to try and line up alternates. So what started as a multi-model shoot ended up with just one model.

That one model was Judy. Judy is a student at the Oakbridge Academy of Arts in New Kensington, and is new to the modeling business. She was punctual, easy to work with, and took directions well. Although we got some great photos, there are still some multi-model themes and poses that I didn't get a chance to try. Most likely I will try to set up another multi-model shoot at Panera before the year is over.

Santa's Visit to DiBella's

2010-12-19T12:57:00.004-05:00

This was my third weekend shooting Christmas-related photos. This time it was at DiBella's Old Fashioned Submarines up in Cranberry. DiBella's is a wonderful old-fashioned looking sub shop, with a great staff (and delicious-tasting subs, I might add) headed up by Kristen and Jocelyn (pictured above) They decided to have Santa visit the shop Saturday afternoon. This assignment was a little different than the previous two weekends, because they asked me to print the photos right on the spot. I brought along my laptop and Epson PictureMate printer, and it was a piece of cake. I received many favorable comments about the quality and color of the PictureMate photos.

Breakfast with Santa

2010-12-11T19:58:00.006-05:00

As some of you may be aware, my older son KJ has autism. So when the Autism Center of Pittsburgh needed a photographer for their "Breakfast with Santa" event at the Hyatt Regency Airport, it was a no-brainer for me to get involved. This was a holiday event geared specifically for kids with autism, and it was great. The Hyatt staff really went all-out, including an incredible 8x16 foot gingerbread diorama of the hotel and airport (shown at left). The kids had a blast. Besides meeting with Santa, Miss Pennsylvania USA was also there. Kids had a chance to decorate their own gingerbread men. There were also some amazing autism-themed cakes from local decorators. A great time and a worthy cause.

(If you are looking for all the photos from the breakfast, they can be found here)

Photos with Santa

2010-12-06T08:16:00.005-05:00

Every year, the first Saturday in December is my former employer's annual holiday party. Every year we take photos of the kids (and sometimes the adults) on Santa's lap, and post 4x6 files (1200x1800 pixels) online for a free download by the parents. I do provide the option of ordering prints directly from me if people want, and there are customers who prefer to do this.

Because I've been doing this digitally since 2003, I decided to put images from previous years online also. They're not available for a free download anymore, but folks can still look at them and order prints if they want. Last year I had one family that went through and found their kids' photos from each of the previous years and ordered one print of each. It was cute to see the progression through the years as the family grew and the kids grew up.

(If you're looking for the entire gallery of Bettis Santa photos, please click here)

Samantha

2010-11-18T22:35:00.003-05:00

Samantha wins the award for model who traveled the farthest for a shoot, having driven in from Akron, Ohio. In order to cut her travel time somewhat, we decided to do the shooting in Brady's Run Park, This is up in Beaver County, roughly halfway between Akron and my place. I've never shot there before, but it was rustic and rather quiet. Unfortunately, this time of year they drain the lake which is a central feature of the park, and they had chains up at the entrances to the lake area, so we had to find another part of the park to shoot in. Fortunately the park is several thousand acres, so it wasn't too hard to find another area to work at.

Samantha was extremely easy to work with, and didn't need a lot of direction. She had no problem working in the cold. Samantha's now rockin' the dark hair, and needed updated photos for her portfolio. The dark hair provides a wonderful contrast to her bright blue eyes. For something different, we went with a picnic theme, with a blanket, basket, and the works.

2011 Portrait Gift Certificates Now on Sale

2010-11-17T23:24:00.007-05:00

UPDATE (12/21/2010): Any gift certificates ordered between now and Christmas will be emailed as an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file that you can print out on your own printer. No waiting for it to be delivered!

Just in time for the Holidays!

I now have gift certificates available for 2011 In-Home Family Portrait Sessions. These gift certificates include an 8x10 print in addition to the session itself. The gift certificates are an $82 value and are available for a special Holiday price of only $34.95, which is the lowest price I have ever offered for this gift certificate.

Samples of my portrait work can be found here.

If you would like a Family Portrait Gift Certificate for the Holidays, you have two ways to order one:

1) If you wish to pay by cash or check, please email (pwossidlo@aol.com) or call (412-480-4698). I will make arrangements to meet so you can pay and receive your Gift Certificate.

2) If you wish to purchase your Gift Certificate using a credit or debit card, click on the button below to pay for your Gift Certificate using PayPal. I will mail the Gift Certificate to your PayPal address the same day.

(Button removed because the sale is over)

Please note that these gift certificates are for 2011 sessions only. If you need photos taken before then, please contact me as soon as possible!

More Soccer Photos

2010-11-13T09:07:00.003-05:00

This Fall was the fourth time I've done photos for the Dynamo Soccer Recreational League, and things went EXTREMELY well. I had the fewest scheduling problems this time, compared to the previous three times I did soccer league photos. In part this was due to having great weather both days of the photo weekend. There were only a few teams I missed, and we had a designated makeup weekend two weeks later to take care of those. Based on orders received, people seemed quite happen with the photos.

Then a funny thing started to happen. I was contacted by parents from a couple of the Travel League teams, asking if I could also do photos for them. This was the first time I've been asked to cover any of the travel teams. Of course, I was more than happy to oblige, getting the photos taken in short order. Because I was only photographing one team, there wasn't then same kind of pressure as I get with the rec league, when I sometimes getting 8 teams converging on me at once.

Hopefully I'll be doing more Travel League team photos in the future...

Second Shooting with Sohinee

2010-11-05T08:15:00.001-04:00

My first shooting with Sohinee was a great success, in spite of less than perfect weather. Ironically, after that cold and rainy Sunday we had a succession of beautiful Sundays. Sohinee and I decided we didn't want to let any more great weather go to waste, so we set up a shooting the next sunny day that we got. To keep it simple, we decided to shoot right on campus, in order to minimize travel time. I met her after her classes, and we had only an hour or so to shoot before it started to get dark. The Fall colors were really great, and the low sun made for a great look. Sohinee did another amazing job modeling (as expected!).

Sohinee

2010-10-04T11:05:00.005-04:00

This past weekend I had a modeling/portrait session at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts with Sohinee. Even though her wonderful dark exotic look comes from her Indian ancestry, she's been mistaken for Latina, Spanish, and Italian.

Sohinee is a really trooper. Even though it was cloudy, cold (50 degrees), and there was a threat of rain, she was out there posing in a strapless minidress. Nothing seemed to faze her. She was very easy to work with and took direction well. I'm looking forward to working with her again in the near future.

Dynamo Soccer Fall 2010

2010-09-16T10:20:00.005-04:00

Update: The soccer photos can be found here.
This past weekend was my fourth time photographing the Dynamo Soccer recreational leagues. Fortunately this weekend we had great weather and I was able to photograph just about all of the teams.

One of the things I am trying to do differently this time around is to have a single weekend designated for reshoots and make-ups. Last Spring, the Sunday we had scheduled for photos was rained out. I ended up having to contact the teams I missed and making alternate arrangements. Some teams had to be scheduled multiple times because key people were missing from the first reshoot. I ended up making almost a dozen trips to Schenley Park, and it took almost the entire month of May before I had finally photographed all 62 teams in the league. I didn't want a repeat of that experience.

Krystal

2010-08-21T10:58:00.003-04:00

This past Thursday I had a modeling/portrait session at Settler's Cabin Park. Krystal is model I contacted via OneModelPlace. I contacted her as one of the sessions that I was going to have videotaped as part of a promotional video that I am having done.

One of the things I experimented with this time was "Pseudo-moonlight". This involves using lighting and white-balance tricks to make in appear that the photo was taken at night, rather than the middle of the day. It is actually a very old Hollywood trick. I'll have more on this in a future post.

2010-07-21T17:22:00.002-04:00

Share (pronounced "Shari" or "Cheri") is another model I contacted via OneModelPlace. She joined OMP recently and has been extremely busy, including appearing in the new Taylor Lautner film Abduction which has been filming in Pittsburgh. Because Share has been so busy lately, it took us several weeks before we were finally able to get together for a session. Unfortunately, the weather was a solid overcast, which meant the lighting was extremely dull. So out came the flashes to add some spark to the photos. We started the session at the Allegheny County Airport, and from there moved to nearly McBride Park. Unfortunately the pavilion at the park is in a state of disrepair and is covered with graffiti. We were able to actually get more of an urban look (as shown at left), even though we were in a park. Unfortunately Share's stomach started to bother her, so we had to cut the session short after one clothing change.

Shooting a Self-Portrait

2010-07-03T21:54:00.008-04:00

I decided it was time to create a new photo of myself for use as an avatar on various photo forums and for social networking sites. But too many photographers use a standard studio portrait of themselves, or a photo of them holding a camera. I wanted something different.

The concept for this photo got its start with an old manual typewriter sitting in my basement. I wanted to use it as a prop for some vintage photos. Since I'm an "old school" (or is it "old skool"?) photographer, I decided to have some fun with that theme and go with the idea of an old-time (1940's or 1950's) news photographer.

Unfortunately I no longer have my cameras that would be appropriate for that era (a 4x5 view camera or a twin-lens roll film camera), so the best I could come up with was my first Nikon film SLR. It is a 1983 motordrive-equipped Nikon FM2. I guess it says something about the current camera state-of-the-art that a manual-focus film camera is "vintage".

I decided to try shooting this in my garage, just to see how well that would work. Unfortunately we have a detached garage and it isn't air conditioned! I used the blue side of my collapsible chromakey backdrop, which I prefer to the green side. The table is a plain plastic folding table (I didn't feel like trying to lug a vintage desk into my garage!).

I wanted strong dramatic lighting, so my main light was my SB-600 flash clamped to one of the ceiling rafters. My SB-800 was bounced off a silver umbrella to the right of the camera. This was at a fairly low angle, so there would be enough light under the brim of the hat.

Originally this was going to be a true self-portrait, and I was going to use an infrared remote to trigger the camera. Since it was summer and he is off school, I decided to let my Junior Assistant-in-Training trigger the camera. Unfortunately his attention span is only slightly longer than a full-power flash, so we only worked with the one setup.

Since this is supposed to be a vintage shot, a B&W conversion was the obvious choice. I went with a more contrasty conversion to get the effect I wanted. I'm pleased with the end result, but I may revisit the concept to try some alternate angles.

"Double Exposure": How NOT to be a Photographer

2010-06-17T00:24:00.007-04:00

The Bravo cable channel started a new reality show this week called Double Exposure. It follows the behind-the-scenes life of celebrity photographers Klinko and Indrani. They have been featured extensively in Digital Photo Pro magazine, among other places. So I was interested in seeing how the "pros" did it.

The Wall Street Journal reviewed the episode, and noted that Klinko and Indrani had recently gone through bankruptcy proceedings. Given what I saw in the premiere episode, I'm not surprised. Besides the "jet setter" lifestyle (and the expenses entailed), the way these two act during a photo session is enough to send potential clients running. They apparently believe that "Celebrity Photography" means that the photographers are the celebrities. They fight with each other, fight with their assistants, and fight with the clients:

Although I can see where this kind of tension can result in some great photos, it doesn't inspire any confidence from the client. Why would anyone want to hire them? Ironically, Kinko talks about seducing the subject (which I agree with), but there's nothing seductive about screaming and carrying on like a prima donna. You're supposed to make a client comfortable in what for most is an uncomfortable situation.

The whole point of doing a "behind-the-scenes" video, whether it is just for YouTube or for your own reality series, is to show how professional you are, and make clients want to hire you. And Double Exposure just plain doesn't do that...

Corey and Carrie

2010-05-11T18:35:00.008-04:00

In spite of the weather, I had a lot of fun this past weekend photographing Carey and Carrie's wedding. Carrie's mom had a really amazing backyard, which was great for posing Carrie and the bridesmaids before we headed out to the church. After the ceremony and family photos at the front of the church, we headed to the North Shore to photograph the bridal party at the waterfall there. The entire bridal party ended up climbing into the waterfall (Their idea, not mine!), which has to rank up there as one of the craziest things I've had a bridal party do...

"Hoops for Hope" Gala

2010-04-24T20:56:00.003-04:00

On April 23 I photographed the American Cancer Society "Hoops for Hope" Gala that was held down at the Heinz History Center. This is my second year photographing this event. The idea is to give people a chance to pose in front of some of the historical treasures, and I print out a 4x6 print for them right on the spot. This type of on-site photo work is the main reason I recently purchased a new Epson PictureMate printer. The prints are dry, waterproof, and smudgeproof, and I put them in a small folder for the guests to pick up when they leave. Although I could have printed directly from the memory cards, I opted to use a slightly longer workflow with my laptop. The main reason for doing this was to add a "plate" at the bottom of the image with the name and date of the event. This also made sure the images were backed up on my laptop for safe keeping. After the event I posted the images to a gallery on ExposureManager, so guest had the option of ordering additional prints if they wanted.

Last year we were posing people in front of the old Pittsburgh trolley that is on display. This year, we went with one of the cars from Kennywood's "Racer" rollercoaster. As you can see, folks had quite a bit of fun with that!

Emily

2010-03-29T21:05:00.008-04:00

Things are finally starting to warm up, and we're getting a break from the rain.

Emily is a model I contacted via OneModelPlace. She has a real all-American look to her, which clearly comes across in her photos. We agreed to meet at a small park in North Huntingdon called Oak Hollow Park. It isn't a very big park, but it does have a small lake and enough variety for a range of photos.

I had a couple of objectives with this shooting. One was to work with the used Nikon N90s film camera that I recently purchased. Besides basic testing to make sure the camera was working properly, I wanted this to be a test for a hybrid workflow. The idea is to shoot film, and then have the lab save the scanned files on a CD for further digital processing. The second thing that I wanted to work on was using multiple flashes outdoors to give different looks. Besides playing with the lighting ratios, I also wanted to put snoots on the flashes to narrow the beam of light.

Above is one of the photos from the shoot. Obviously, it isn't one of the B&W film shots, and (maybe less obviously) it isn't using one of the snooted flashes. But it's still a nice shot...

New Members of the "Team"

2010-03-20T21:02:00.013-04:00

This week I picked up two new pieces of gear that I thought would worth mentioning...

The first was an Epson PictureMate Charm photo printer. The Epson PictureMate series produce 4x6 prints using pigmented inks. Which means that the prints come out of the printer dry, waterproof, and smudgeproof. They have an archival life of better than 100 years, and the cost per print is less than 30 cents. Paper can be either glossy or matte. So you're getting everything you get from your local minilab, without having to drive and pick up the prints. I purchased one of the original PictureMates 4 years ago, and it has been wonderful. My only complaint about it has been the print speed, which is approximately 2 minutes per 4x6 print, which is incredibly slow. That means you can only print 30 prints an hour.

The reason this is important is that I occasionally get asked to photograph an event and print out some images right there on the spot. The Picturemate's image quality and the durability of the prints are perfect for something like that, but one print every two minutes is just too slow to meet customer demand. Fortunately, the latest generation of PictureMates has reduced that print time by two-thirds, to less than 40 seconds. That works out to 90 prints per hour.

Besides the Epson unit, I also took a look at the Canon Selphy dye-sublimation prints. Dye-sub prints are a popular choice for photographers who do on-site printing. The Canon unit is inexpensive, and the cost per print is approximately the same as the Picturemate. In the end, I decided to stick with the technology I was familiar with, rather than going to something different.

The other piece of equipment was a used Nikon N90s film camera. Even though I still have my older manual-focus Nikon film cameras (an FM2 and an FE2, both from 1983), I wanted a newer auto-focus film body that would work better with my auto-focus lenses. I previously had a Nikon N70 that I had picked up in 1999, but I had sold it a couple of years ago when it looked like I wasn't going to ever shoot film again.

Of course, it turns out that I may, in fact, have a need to shoot film. One of the things you read online is that film just looks different, especially if you are talking about black and white film. In 2007 I had a model photo session where I shot both auto-focus digital and manual-focus film, and found that switching between the two modes of operation was incredibly difficult. Having an auto-focus film body would make switching back and forth easier, and given the amazing (or is it disgusting?)low prices on used film cameras, it seemed silly not to get one.

The three cameras I looked at were Nikon's N90s, N80, and F100. The F100 was Nikon's last (and best...) semi-pro film camera(where the D300s is now in the digital lineup), and the N80 was the last "enthusiast" film camera (same as the current D90). The N90s was the predecessor to the F100. The N90s is available used for less than $100, as is the N80. The F100 goes for three times that, so that ruled out that one. Between the N80 and the N90s, the N80 had newer features, but the N90s had a faster flash sync speed, and better build quality. So in the end I got the N90s.

This was my first opportunity purchasing used gear from one of the main NYC stores instead of through eBay, and my first time dealing with Adorama. The experience was great. The camera I purchased was rated as an "E" (Excellent)grade, which meant I should expect some signs of wear and use. Mine was literally spotless, with a little bit of wear at the strap attachment lugs. It even came with the box. The only thing that was missing was the original Nikon manual. By the way, I did check with my local camera store before purchasing online, and they wanted 4 times as much (!) for the same camera body.

I was able to find a PDF of the manual online, so I have that downloaded and even loaded on my smartphone. I was a little bummed that Thom Hogan doesn't have one of his e-books for the N90s, although he does have a very good review, which includes tips for using the camera. Ken Rockwell also has a very good review page for the N90s, which includes a "Usage" section with detailed instructions. So I think I'm in good shape at the moment, and don't need to spring for a Magic Lantern guide for the camera. Once I've run some film through the camera, I'll post my thoughts and an evaluation.

Taylor's Twilight

2010-02-19T14:15:00.012-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to work with Taylor for the first time. Based on the success of that first shooting, I wanted to come up with some other photo ideas that would showcase Taylor's look and talents. Taylor has very fair skin. So this started the gears turning. I remembered an interview with one of the actresses from the upcoming Twilight: Eclipse movie, where she remarked that because she was so fair skinned, she didn't need powder to lighten her skin for the role. That planted the idea for a "Taylor as a vampire" shoot. I also figured that as a teenager, Taylor would be psyched about doing a shoot with a Twilight theme.

If you're a reader of David Hobby's Strobist blog, the lighting for the Twilight posters (originally shot by Joey Lawrence) has been discussed before and even imitated. So there was plenty of reference material available online. I've also played around with changing the eye color to get either the red or yellow eyes the Twilight vampires have.

There were a couple of other objectives that I had for this second shoot. One was to play around with the lighting more, in order to get a dramatic effect. The other was to spend more time playing around in Photoshop Elements for more than the simple retouching I usually do. Besides the editing involved in "turning" Taylor, I also wasn't to experiment with a chromakey (also known as greenscreen) backdrop so that I could easily change the background.

Here's one of the first images from that session. I heavily retouched her skin, darkened the lips, and made the eyes red. I then cut her out from the chromakey background. I created a new background by taking a shot of bare tree limbs, darkening it, and tinting it red. I like how the resulting image has a strong red theme to it.

More to follow in a future post...

Taylor

2010-02-08T21:06:00.009-05:00

It's the Monday after the "Snowmageddon" storm. Pittsburgh is still under a state of emergency, we're digging out from 18-plus inches of snow, it isn't melting because the temperature is less than 25 degrees, and there is another 4 to 8 inches predicted through Wednesday. So, what do you do? Hunker down with your favorite photo editing software? Try to make some headway on your business todo list? Start reading the copy of Facebook for Dummies you previously checked out from the library? All good things to do when you're snowed in, to be sure. But if you're slightly crazy (as I can be sometimes, ask my wife), you contact a model and set up an outdoor shooting in the snow.

I met Taylor through One Model Place (also known as OMP). I knew she lived my neighborhood (same zip code), and we had talked about getting together for a photo session at some point. I originally contacted her on Friday about a shooting, knowing that the "Snowmageddon" storm was bearing down on us and figuring we would be unable to drive anywhere after the storm. Since she lived nearby, I figured we could walk to a shooting location. Everything came together on Monday: School was canceled, and the sun was out. One email and a phone call later, we were scheduled to get together at 3 pm (the warmest part of the day). It turns out she's literally 2 blocks away from me, which made getting together a simple matter.

Taylor was great to work with. She has a teenager's willingness to try just about anything, and nothing seemed to faze her (like snow falling on her from the tree branches). We had a blast and got some great photos in a little over an hour. Taylor's just starting out, and I'm looking forward to helping her make more additions to her portfolio in the future.

Field Trip!

2010-01-28T12:40:00.007-05:00

One of the advantages to being self-employed is that I get to be more involved in my boys' activities, particularly anything that is going on during the daytime. Case in point: Yesterday #2 Son's class had a field trip down to Conservation Consultants Inc. (CCI) on Pittsburgh's South Side. CCI is a company that consults with small business and homeowners to make their buildings more eco-friendly. They do educational programs for schools, to teach kids all the ways you can improve a building. The photo shows their rooftop garden, made of of trays of desert plants. The garden provides insulation by eliminating the amount of dark rooftop that absorbs heat in the summer. Because the trays hold the rainwater, the garden also minimizes contaminated water runoff from the roof.

For the field trip they needed some parents to go along as chaperones. Since I didn't have anything else scheduled for the day of the field trip, I volunteered to go along. Of course I took a camera and flash along to take some photos. I figured the school could always use some for their website. Granted I wasn't getting paid for it, but I viewed it as an opportunity to do some free marketing as well as hone my camera skills. But all of that was secondary to the smile on my son's face when I first walked into his classroom...

Carlow School Basketball

2010-01-25T17:04:00.013-05:00

This past Saturday was my first time working for a new client, Carlow School's basketball program. There were six teams to photograph (three boys and three girls), and they wanted team team photos, individual photos, and game photos. They had contacted me because some of the kids had also been in the Dynamo soccer league that I began photographing last year. The parents really liked the idea of being able to do all their ordering online through ExposureManager after the photos had been taken.

The gym was a small older one that reminded me of something out of Hoosiers (that's a compliment, by the way). One of the things that is interesting about this gym is that the balcony where the spectators sit is right up against the court. So if you are at the railing, when the action comes near you, you are literally right on top of it. This gives some really unique angles for some of the game photos. Unfortunately it also meant that I spent a lot of time going up and down steps, which I felt in my legs the next day.

For the indoor individual photos of the players, I used my SB800 (with a diffuser) on my Stroboframe bracket, and the SB600 on a stand to the left and behind the player. The SB600 was set 2 stops lower than the SB800.

Carlow basketball is the first sports shooting this year. I'm anticipating doing a lot of youth sports in 2010. It seems the online ordering approach appeals to local parents who are tired of the usual approach of order envelopes.

Another Office Assistant...

2010-01-19T20:15:00.007-05:00

This is another one of my office assistants, Jumper. He's asleep on my laptop keyboard waiting for his morning caffeine fix... Good help is hard to find!

Jumper is your typical senior staffer. He's been around for a while, and he isn't afraid to flaunt his status. Like many senior people, it takes him a while to get started in the morning. More often than not, you can find him in the break room having a snack, or schmoozing the CFO (my wife), or looking out the window daydreaming. But you also find him chasing after the new hire, to keep him in line. Jumper is also responsible for corporate security, and is constantly on the lookout for birds, squirrels, and other potential intruders.

"Picture the New Year" Portrait Promotion

2010-01-11T13:42:00.006-05:00

For the month of January, I'm offering a new promotion for my family portraits. The sitting fee for the portraits has been reduced from $70 to $50. In addition, all customers receive a coupon for $50 off of their order if they order at least $100 worth of photos. Which means that the the sitting will effectively cost nothing!

Sittings are usually done at the client's house, and typically take an hour. Multiple poses, multiple groupings, and multiple clothing changes are all recommended. My portrait portfolio can be found here.

The Office Assistants...

2010-01-09T07:41:00.010-05:00

One of the advantages of working in a home office is that I have four office assistants of the four-legged feline variety. They are wonderful for keeping me on schedule (Especially when it is feeding time). They also love to keep things organized by pushing papers off the table onto the floor. They are trying to learn how to use the computer (although their emails and IMs still need some work). They even tell me when it is time to take a break, usually by curling up on my laptop's keyboard. Unfortunately we still have a problem with office politics (particularly fighting over who gets which workspace) and more often than not, we usually find them sleeping on the job.

Unfortunately they aren't always the best models. Even though they are always primping themselves and demanding attention, they're really poor at taking direction. Getting them to hold a pose for any length of time is difficult, and they refuse to work with others. It is also impossible to keep their attention, especially when they hear the refrigerator door open.

Pictured above is Chagall, the newest member of our staff. Like most new-hires, he is enthusiastic and energetic. He can be somewhat loud and demanding at times. I think he is angling for a job as my personal assistant, because he seemes to follow me everywhere.

Technical Details: I had to work quickly because you can never tell when a cat is going to get up and leave. I used my 35-70 f2.8 lens, set manually to f3.5. Lighting is from my SB800 set to TTL, with the head turned 180 degrees (in other words, backwards) and tilted up at 45 degrees to bounce off the wall (3 or 4 feet behind me) and ceiling.

A New Year Reminder

2010-01-01T20:50:00.002-05:00

Hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year's. Just a friendly reminder to everyone to update any copyright notices you have on your websites and other materials to 2010. If you are an ExposureManager user, there are three areas you need to check:

You want to check your backprinting settings ("Sell My Photos" ==> "Overview" ==> "Packaging Slip / Print Settings"). This will appear on the back of all prints (8x12 and smaller) that ExposureManager prints for you.
Check your watermarks ("Gallery" ==> "Edit Settings" ==> "Protect") in all new galleries. Don't forget that if you need to change the watermark on an existing gallery, you must regnerate that gallery afterwards ("Gallery" ==> "Regenerate Images") and then clear you browser's cache and cookies in order to see the changes.
Check your custom headers and footers ("Layout" ==> "Custom Header & Footer"). I have a "Copyright 2004-2009..." notice in my footer, and needed to update that to 2010.

Here's to hoping that 2010 is a great year for you and your business.

Frozen Beauty

2009-12-30T13:07:00.001-05:00

Temperatures this morning are in the single digits here in Chicago. Looking out the front window of the house (which faces East) as the sun rose was showed just how pretty things could be in this time of year. It was a little tricky shooting with only a slow zoom and no tripod. I ended up using very slow shutter speeds (1/3 of a second) and ended up having to steady the camera against the window glass. In this situation the number of keepers will drop dramatically due to camera shake, but this isn't like shooting film, so shooting extras doesn't hurt. It also helps to focus on you technique to minimize camera shake: proper holding of the camera, controlling your breathing, and slowly pressing the shutter release.

Dashing Through the Snow

2009-12-27T13:02:00.000-05:00

After two days at the Kalahari Resort, it was off to Chicago. Unfortunately there is a major snow storm blowing in from the West, and the closer we got to Chicago, the worse the weather became. Fortunately the “salt shakers” (trucker lingo for a salt truck/snowplow) were out in full force. The Indiana Turnpike and the Illinois Tollroad (I294) were in excellent shape, but once we got off I294 conditions worsened. By the time we got to the subdivision my mother lives in, the streets hadn't been plowed at all. It didn't help that the suburbs Northwest of Chicago (Our destination) were the hardest hit by the snow. I managed to get our car up the long curvy driveway. When we awoke this morning, snow covered everything.

Merry Christmas to All

2009-12-25T12:53:00.001-05:00

I just want to wish everyone a safe and wonderful Christmas. My family and I are spending a couple of nights at the amazing Kalahari Resort in Sandusky Ohio on our way out to Chicago to visit my family. We actually won the trip in a contest a local TV station was having, so I have been tasked with taking photos of the trip to send to the station when we are done.

Lemons from Lemonade

2009-12-20T12:46:00.002-05:00

Driving is miserable. Snow and ice everywhere from the day before. It is Sunday morning and I have to take #1 son to religious school. After dropping him off, I planned to run some errands nearby, and then spend some time doing paperwork until class was over. Mother Nature had other ideas. I hadn't gone more than two blocks when I lost traction going up a hill that hadn't been salted. I ended up backing my car into a parking spot, so I could at least walk to get my errands taken care of. Fortunately I had brought a camera along, so I could turn this in to a photo opportunity, and got some nice shots of the snow in the trees.

Learning From Your Mistakes

2009-12-18T21:36:00.005-05:00

There's an old saying that those you do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. There's another saying that states that a true professional realizes they do not "know it all" and never stops learning.

I'm sitting here waiting for the recovery software I use to finish scanning my memory card. I'm trying to recover from a real bonehead move. On Saturday I went for a walk in Frick Park with #2 Son. Took a bunch of nature shots. I set the camera down when I got home.

Two days later I grabbed the camera and a flash to take photos at #1 Son's birthday dinner. The frame counter indicated that the memory card was not empty, so without thinking I reformatted the card and headed to dinner. I only took three photos at dinner. After I got back, I realized what I had done.

Fortunately, I only lost one image from the first shooting, because the first shoot was shot in RAW plus JPEG, while the second shooting was done in JPEG only (which takes approximately one-third the space on the memory card). I fired up the image recover software I have (thew free package "PC-Inspector") and managed to recover everything else from the first shooting.

In my old job, this was known as "Lessons Learned". There was an actual process you had to go through, and you (or your boss) had to write a letter telling everyone why you screwed up, and how you were going to make sure it didn't happen again.

So, what should I have done differently?

Always dump the cards as soon as the "assignment" is over with. Doesn't matter whether you took 3 photos or 300, empty the card and have it ready at a moment's notice. While you are waiting for the images to download from your card, make sure that your camera settings are what you always use as your "standard" settings. If you have to shoot something quickly, you don't want to waste time double checking your camera settings.
After you dump the card (and have made at least one backup) reformat the card. That way you are ready to for the next time you need to shoot something.
If you pick up the camera and there are shots on the memory card, chimp the photos on the card before you reformat it. If you remember dumping those photos, go ahead and reformat. If you don't remember dumping them, leave the card next to your computer and grab an empty card to put in your camera.

Photo Illustration, Quick and Dirty

2009-12-12T18:27:00.010-05:00

For the post I did on Friday on ExposureManager coupons, I decided after I started that some sort of photo illustration would be a nice addition. I quickly had an idea of what I wanted, a graphic shot with coupons arranged on top of a keyboard. Then I hit myself with a ton of questions as I tried to figure out the details:

Which lens to use? I don't have a macro lens. My 35-70 and 70-210 both have a macro feature, would that suffice? Might I be better off trying my non-macro 18-70 or 85?
Do I need to put the camera on a tripod?
How should I light it? Available light? One flash or two? Direct flash, diffusers, typing paper light tent, or umbrellas? Do I need to set up my lightstands? Do I need a lighting diagram?
Do I need a small table for the laptop, so I can position the lights and tripod around it? Maybe put the laptop on the floor? Do I use my new laptop (black keys) or my old laptop that #2 son inherited (light gray keys)?

I suddenly realized that I was pacing around the house, weighing the differenet options in my head. A lot of back-and-forth, trying to decide the best way to do this. The problem was, the picture weasn't getting done! I suddenly realized that I was suffering from a classic case of paralysis by analysis. Unfortunately it is something that happens to me too often. Instead of spending so much time thinking about the shoot, I needed to just start shooting!

Having given myself a mental kick-in-the-pants, I decided to go with simple and quick, which is my preferred mode of operation. I grabbed some coupons from the kitchen and put them on my keyboard. Put the 35-70 on my camera and put it in macro mode. Set the camera for F11. Hooked up my SB800 (with the diffuser dome) in TTL mode with an SC17 cable. Held the camera in one hand and the flash in the other, with the cable running over the back of my neck. I focused by moving the camera up and down until the focus indicator lit up. Seriously, it doesn't get any more "quick-and-dirty" than that, and it definitely isn't the sort of thing you would want to show in an instructional video.

But it worked... Surprising well, actually. I chimped the first shot, and found I had the right amount of magnification, the image was sharp, and the exposure was on the mark. So from a technical standpoint, I was all set. All I needed to do was play around with my composition (I didn't want to show the product names on the coupons) and the lighting angle. I ended up resting my hand with the flash against the top of my laptop screen. After a total of 9 shots, I had what I needed.

When you read posts from pros like David Hobby, Chase Jarvis, and so on, you get the impression that "the right way" is to plan everything out, and know what you're going to get before you even snap the shutter. That is certainly a valid approach, but you need to do what works best for you. And there is nothing wrong with trial-and-error. Chimping is one of the huge advantages of digital photography: shooting can be an iterative process. Converge towards a solution. Better to get started, shoot something quick, and then review it and adjust accordingly.

ExposureManager Tip: My Coupon's not Working!

2009-12-11T07:22:00.009-05:00

This time of year, a lot of photographers are using coupons to encourage sales for the holidays. But if you haven't used coupons before, there are some pitfalls you should be aware of:

Coupon not enabled for the gallery: Some photographers seem to think that if they set up a coupon (or any discount, for that matter) in a pricesheet, it is automatically applicable to any gallery using that pricesheet. That isn't the case. You need to go to the gallery selection screen for the coupon and pick the galleries you want the coupon to work for. Make sure you use the "Inherit" box to tag all the subgalleries, and then click on the names of the parent galleries (the ones with the asterisk next to them) to verify that all the subgalleries are tagged the way you want.

Gallery uses a different pricesheet than the coupon: Just because you can select any gallery for the coupon , doesn't mean that the coupon will automatically work when someone orders from that gallery. The gallery also has to use the same pricesheet that contains the coupon. This is necessary because the products in each pricesheet are considered unique. A 4x6 in your "Sports" pricesheet and a 4x6 in your "Wedding" pricesheet are two totally different products, at least as far as ExposureManager is concerned. So a coupon set up to work with one pricesheet's products will not work for the products in another pricesheet. There is a work-around of sorts for this issue: if you do not check any products for the coupon, then the coupon will apply to all products, regardless of which pricesheet they are on.

Coupon set up outside of a pricesheet: This is a variation on the different pricesheet problem. Some long-time ExposureManager customers still have access to the coupon interface from prior to the introduction of pricesheets. They think that they can set up a coupon using that interface and have it apply to all their galleries, even those using pricesheets. This has the same problem as using a different pricesheet: the non-pricesheet products are separate and different from those in the pricesheets, and if specific products are selected for the coupon, it won't work.

Coupon conflicting with other discounts: Only one discount can be applied to any one item in an order. In addition, coupons have the lowest priority, because the coupon code gets entered after the other discounts have been applied. This is a particular problem with volume discounts, which tend to be applied to an entire order. So if you decide to offer a 15% off volume discount for the holidays, your customers will suddenly find that their coupons no longer work.

Multiple coupons with the same code: Some photographers think they can get around the different pricesheet issue by setting up the same coupon code in all of their pricesheets. Their logic is that the coupon code should then work regardless of which gallery and which pricesheet the customer is using. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. When the system finds a matching coupon code, it then checks if it is applicable to the products being ordered. If the coupon doesn't apply, the system doesn't check the rest of the coupon codes to find another match. You should always make your coupon codes unique to avoid a problem.

Expiration date: There's always someone who will be trying to order at 11:55 pm on the last day the coupon is good for. And the coupon isn't going to work for them... When you set the expiration date for a coupon, the coupon expires at 12:01 AM Pacific Time on the expiration date. So if you're on the East Coast, the coupon will be good until 3 AM. That is why ExposureManager recommends setting the expiration date to one day later than the date you advertise to your customers.

Finally, one of the things ExposureManager can't stress enough: TEST YOUR COUPONS AND DISCOUNTS. And not just for a simple, minimum order, case. Try to come up with an extreme example (like a $900 order, or 30 copies of one print) and make sure things work the way you want them to.

EDIT: Added the item about coupons conflicting with other discounts

Photos with Santa

2009-12-10T00:57:00.012-05:00

This past Saturday, I photographed the children's holiday party held by my former employer. It dawned on me as I was shooting that I first did this over 25 years ago. Which means that some of the kids I photographed then are bringing their own kids now. That first year was crazy. Everyone was going to get a free 4x6 in the company mail, so I had assistants taking everyone's name down, hoping that we kept everything in order so people got the correct photo. Santa was sitting in one corner of the hall, and the line to see him stretched all the way around all four sides After I got the photos (over 200 photos) back, I had to sort them and put then in envelopes for printing. There was a lot of manual effort involved. I did the holiday photos on and off for a few years after that, finally settling in to doing it officially about 15 years ago. 2004 was the first year I shot it digitally, although we still printed them, and optionally emailed them to people.

Now things are simpler and more organized. Parents are given a number when they arrive at the party, and the numbers are called in blocks of 10 to minimize the time families wait in line. I post the photos in a gallery on ExposureManager, and people can download a 4x6 file (1200x1800 pixels) and also have the option of ordering prints. There's no need to track people's names any more, since they can find their own photos in the online gallery. Definitely a lot easier than it used to be.

I keep my setup quick, easy, and flexible. I need to be able to quickly go from a large group of 10 people with Santa to a closeup of a newborn sleeping in Santa's arms. I use my 18-70 Nikkor Zoom to give me the range I need. For lighting I use a Stroboframe flash bracket with an SB800 flash using the supplied diffuser. I have an SB600 on a stand (hidden behind the Christmas tree)aimed at the ceiling to giver some separation.

Pictured above are my two assistants for the day, Deanna and Shelby, thanking Santa for his help :)

Avoiding the Latest and Greatest

2008-01-20T21:23:00.001-05:00

Nick Cernis over at "Put things off" has a great piece on avoiding the urge to buy the latest and greatest. His piece was prompted by the new Macbook Air, but is probably MORE applicable to us photographers, between our cameras and computers.

I’ve avoided this for my camera gear (still using my trusty Nikon D70’s professionally) but made the mistake with my laptop last year when I bought a new Vista laptop the week Vista was introduced. TOTALLY screwed up my workflow for an extended period of time…

Paul

The Best Deal on a Pro Zoom Lens

2008-01-14T19:30:00.002-05:00

I am amazed by the top-of-the-line zoom lenses that Nikon offers. I call them the "four-figure" lenses because of their plus $1000 price tags. Wonderful lenses to be sure, but the price tag puts them out of my reach. These lenses also tend to be big and heavy, and I'm not sure I want to lug a couple around for an entire wedding.

But if you look on eBay (or other sources of used lenses) you can find a pro-grade, auto-focus Nikon zoom lens for between $200 and $300 dollars: the Nikkor 35-70 f2.8 AF zoom.

This lens was originally designed as a "framing zoom" for full-frame (FX) cameras, being centered around th 50mm "normal" lens mark. An interesting thing happens when you use this on a DX-format camera: it becomes the equivalent of a 52-105 zoom, which makes it an ideal portrait zoom. I use this lens for engagement sessions and portrait sessions and it is wonderful.

Why is this lens so cheap on eBay? Well, there are several factors at work here. First off, the lens was not that expensive to start with. I dug through some old photo magazines, and 18 months ago it was selling for $650 new. Secondly, it isn't the latest Nikon mid-range pro zoom, having been replaced by the 28-70 f2.8 AFS lens and now the new 24-70 f2.8. Third, there seem to be a goodly number of them available, since a lot of 35-70 owners upgraded to one of the the newer lenses and decided to put the old one up for sale. Lastly, since it is an older design, the lens has features many consider undesirable: push-pull zoom (actually reverse push-pull), no AF-S (leading to slower autofocus), and a rotating front element.

What you do get is an incredibly sharp lens that is built like a tank. Professional build quality and professional image quality. But at the same time, this is a lens that is smaller and lighter than current pro zooms.

I have one and I love it on one of my D70. I paid $200 for it on eBay. For portrait work, or low-light photos, it is amazing. If you shoot with Nikon gear, you owe it to yourself to try out this lens. If you're patient you can get a good deal on eBay. If you later decide you don't like the lens, or upgrade to a newer model, you can always sell the lens for what you paid for it (but I don't think you'll want to...)

The First Photo Tip I Ever Used...

2008-01-14T14:03:00.000-05:00

The first tip or trick I ever picked up dates from the mid-1970s. I was still in high school, on the yearbook staff. One of the photo magazines (this being before the internet, blogs, and whatnot) had an article on "Photo Tips from the White House Press Corps". On of the suggestions in the article was to take two rear lens caps and tape them back-to-back. This allows you to remove the cap from one lens while simultaneously putting it on another lens. As an added benefit, you only need two hands to make the change, without having to set a lens down.

30+ years later, this is still a handy tip. With dSLRs it is even more important, as a way to minimize how long the camera is "open" for dust to get in. Just make sure you clean the insides of those endcaps fairly often, so they don't accumulate dust which will eventually find its way inside your camera and onto the sensor.

When I first did this, I used black electrical tape to tape the caps together, since black was "more professional" (naturally). I now have access to the same kind of tape, but in a variety of colors, and I'm now thinking of redoing the caps with a brighter tape that would be easier to see in dark reception halls.

New 16-85 VR Nikkor Rumored

2008-01-10T19:32:00.000-05:00

Apparently Nikon is planning on a 16-85 VR lens as a replacement for the excellent 18-70 that served as the "kit lens" for the D70. Photos of the new lens were leaked from Thailand and are circulating on the forums. Best estimates are that the lens will be introduced with either a D40X replacement or a D80 replacement, sometime this year.

I currently have the 18-70 that came with my original D70. It is definitely a cut above what you normally think of when you hear "kit lens". It is currently my main lens, especially for wedding work. Almost all the flash photos I take during a wedding are shot with this lens. For most of 2006 I also used a Nikkor 24-120 VR that I picked up used off of eBay for only $300. I really liked the lens, and used it quite a bit, because it had a longer reach than my 18-70, and it also had VR. But I was always hindered by not being able to go wider than 24mm, particularly at the reception, and often had to switch back to the 18-70.

If this new lens is available at a reasonable cost, and is optically as good or better than my 18-70, then I am definitely going to get it. Having the extra reach on both ends, and having VR to boot, this lens would be a great all-in-one wedding lens. Having the extra width means I can put off having to get a wide zoom (like a 12-24) for a while. The only question becomes whether the 16-85 or 18-200 makes a better wedding lens. Both will have VR, and both appear to have similar construction. So it comes down to which range is more useful and whether both are optically acceptable. Cost might also come into play, although I suspect that initially, demand for the lens will out-strip supply (as has been the norm for Nikon with new lenses) and the lens will probably be selling on eBay for $50 to $100 above the MSRP.

Are You Shooting EVERY Day?

2008-01-08T22:18:00.000-05:00

So, if you are a professional photographer, is it OK to NOT take a photo on any given day? If you are a professional, SHOULD you be taking photos EVERY day?

In a word: "YES!" It doesn't matter what the subject is. It can be a big self-assignment, or it can just be your family, or something you spot while out walking with your camera. You don't even have to save the files if you don't want to. The important thing is, you're out shooting.

Shooting every day gives you a chance to develop your technique and your eye. You learn what looks good, and what doesn't. You learn what the best way to photograph a certain subject is. You get a chance to try a new technique you read about, or a camera setting you've never used before. And hey, you may even get an interesting photo out of the deal.

Shooting is practice, the more you practice, the more proficient you are handling your equipment. You also pick up on the idiosyncrasies of your equipment. The camera really does become an extension of yourself So when the pressure is on, and the client is watching, you're not sitting there fumbling with your equipment.

Shooting every day also makes sure you have some lasting memories. It is too easy to get wrapped up in "assignments" and "Professional Photography", that you forget to get those "Kodak moments". You end up with lots of photos of other people's families, and none of your own.

What's in a Name?

2008-01-06T09:55:00.000-05:00

OK, so we have a new blog here, and the first question you might ask is: why did you choose to call it "Photo Foundry"? Well, first off, I needed something slightly more interesting than, you know, "Paul's Photo Blog". I also wanted something that reflected the fact I was in Pittsburgh, and referenced the city's rich steel-making heritage.

But I think the name also speaks to the process of creating a photo. That it is work. That you need equal measures of creativity, technical expertise, and common sense. That it is often an iterative process, which may require several cycles before you get it right. You start with the raw material (or is it RAW material?) and shape it to match you vision.

One thing I hope to emphasize is out-of-the-box thinking. Creative solutions to problems that aren't the "normal" or "accepted" way of doing things. And to be honest, I may not have the best/easiest/cheapest solution, and if you have a better approach I would love to see a comment. Blogs are supposed to be about interactivity, so any suggestions or alternative ideas are appreciated.

So welcome, and thank you for taking the time to read this. Feel free to email me directly if you would rather not leave a comment.

Paul Richard Wossidlo