About Me
My job as your photographer is to do more than just put a face to the name. I bring experience, professionalism, confidence, and a relaxed persona that produces photographs that instill a sense of trust and confidence in a potential client or customer. When you don’t do that, you will fail to get everything you can out of a brochure, website, or press release. The picture is critical.
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but you rarely hear about the reactions to a poor quality photograph. Professional photography when presenting yourself or company to the public is a necessity.
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Tag Archives: Photographer
Using Nikon’s Creative Lighting System (CLS) in daylight
SB900 using the sun as a hairlight.
I have heard and get asked a lot of questions about Nikon’s CLS’ ability or inability to function in bright daytime conditions. In my experience it really have not been an issue. I pay attention to the speedlight’s position and its sensor location relative to my camera and SU800.
Today’s metering technology is a great asset so I normally let it take the first ‘shot’ at what it sees in a scene. While I have studio lights and a Vagabond II, there is little I haven’t been able to do with my SBs. The above shot was taken with a single SB900.
SB900 powered by SD8A on 36 inch JTL stand with 24 inch Westscott umbrella. I use this rig when I travel because it fits in my suitcase.
It was very sunny in California the day I shot Candice – notice the shadow on the lower left of the umbrella even though the speedlight fired for this behind the scene picture.
In the photograph of Candice above I metered for the shaded portion of her face and let Nikon TTL do the rest.
In the event it does not produce the result I want I adjust the stop (by 1/3 steps) on the speedlight.
Controlled on camera with the SU-800. Both speedlights were set to TTL remote.
Distance is another concern CLS nay-sayers bring up.
In this photograph Jason is holding a 42 inch Wescott umbrella with a SB-800 tucked up in the open ribs point towarded the camera to get the light reflected back to his face.
Behind him is a SB-900 shooting into another 42 inch Wescott umbrella. That c-stand is a good 50 feet away and up the hill about 10-12 feet above Jason’s head.
Line of sight is important – so just pay attention. But I have used the SB8 & 900s behind glass, reflected the signal off of windows, mirrors, cars just about any reflective surface. I have also ‘staged’ the lights to ‘see’ another but not the SU800.
Think of the IR signal like a billiard ball.
I also use the Nikon CLS to fill on cloudy daylight sessions.
While in Phoenix last week I did the entire shoot with these tools:
Stand, Speedlight, umbrella and a model: the only tools you need.
The result:
Single SB900 camera left - TTL triggered with SU800.
The only time I have trouble with the system is when I position myself on the wrong side of the speedlight’s optical sensor or move in front of the flash. I use a ballhead so I can quickly rotate the speedlight into the correct position.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 42°F;
- Humidity: 72%;
- Heat Index: 42°F;
- Wind Chill: 35°F;
- Pressure: 30.2 in.;
Posted in Just a quick thought, Lighting tests, Things
Also tagged Amp, background, Ballhead, beautiful, beauty, beginner, Blog, business, camera, Candice, Cat, Class Announcement, CLS, Controlled, correspondent, creative, Creative Lighting, Creative Lighting System, Creativity, digital, dslr, equipment, face, fashion, Feet, flash, Flickr, focus, Fun, hair, hairlight, hand, Head, hobby, Hoot, human, Image, Ink, journalist, JTL, Lc, lens, Light, lighting, Lighting System, Line Of Sight, Lot, Metering Technology, model, nikon, occupation, one, Pace, paparazzi, Pay Attention, People, Phoenix, Photo, Photograph, photographing, Photography, portrait, Portraits, pro, professional, Reflective Surface, Ribs, Rig, Rkd, RKD Photography, Sayers, Sb, sb-800, SB-900, Sb8, SB900, Sbs, scene, Sensor Location, Sessions, Shadow, shoot, shot, speedlight, Stan, stand, strobist, studio, studio lights, Suitcase, sun, Sunny Day, Sunny In California, Target, technology, Test, Tool, traditional, ttl, Umbrella, Vagabond, viewfinder, Wescott
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Things that go Bump during a shoot: A solution for strobists
I have tripped and bumped my way through a lot of shooting locations; the act of repositioning the speedlights on stands with modifiers, while not the biggest challenge of any photo session, was an annoyance I didn’t like. Between the umbrella, open or not, and the open legs of an 8ft light stand I have said ‘Excuse me’; Pardon me’ a hundred times.
Indoors; the knocking around furniture, people and doorways is a headache. Outdoors; moving through people, parked cars, shrubs, trees and rocks presents its own challenges. The act of closing the umbrellas and legs every time I want to reposition the lights is both time consuming and then reversing the process at the new position can a bit unprofessional looking. Sometimes while balancing my camera gear too. I’m not as graceful as I used to be.
I’ve been doing the strobist thing for a couple of years and am always looking for a better more efficient way to get the job done. I was shown a Kwik Stand about a year ago by a studio photographer and liked the idea, but soon found out the Kwik Stand Company had gone out of business. Over the past year two companies have come to market with their versions of the folding leg light stand: Denny EZ Stand and Cheetah Stand. I have tried both and chose the Cheetah Stand for several reasons:
There is no real comparison if you take the time to see the differences. The all metal construction of the Cheetah with its slim solid metal legs and rubber rib-footed feet beats out the thin walled tubular legs of the EZ Stand with its flat smooth plastic ones. The EZ Stand feet appear larger but only one edge actually contacts the floor and it slides easily on smooth shiny floors. Maybe it’s a feature and not a flaw; in any case I didn’t care for it.
The legs of both extend on contact with the ground but the EZ Stand does not compress back to its body as closely the Cheetah. Not a huge deal but depending on the space, think church pews, you’re navigating – it just might. The all metal locking clamps and thumb wings of the Cheetah appear to be better suited to hold up over time with field use.
My copy of the EZ Stand did not smoothly extend or compress, the bottom (largest) pole section was very stiff in fact. It’s supposed to be an air cushion stand, why I’m not sure for such a small stand, which may be the reason for the gummed up feel. Fully extended, the EZ Stand is about an inch taller. The tubes are not internally secured (more on this in a minute). The Cheetah on the other hand is quick and smooth without being a hazard to your equipment with common sense and normal equipment care.
In field use neither stand met all my needs. Because of the inherent design required for this type of stand, the center post must extend down to within an inch or so of the surface. This is only a problem, for me anyway, when shooting on very rough uneven terrain like a rocky ledge 
near Lake Grapevine.(Let me add that neither stand was designed nor intended, as far as I know, to be use exactly the way I describe here.) But this is how I found out that the EZ Stand’s main extension tubes are not internally secured.
During a two speedlight shoot, one Cheetah and one EZ stand, I was unable place the opened legs of either stand on the uneven rocky ground. So, in my get the job done mode, I placed (gently wedged/balanced) the stands in-between some rocks. Worked like a charm; got the pictures; time to move on. When I reached out to grab the EZ Stand by the middle tube, balanced upon another rock, to lift it out of the crevice I had half a light stand in my hand. I did not jerk or twist it; it just ‘plop’ came apart. Ten minutes later I moved on with two complete stands. Good news, the tube went back in as easily as it came out.
Now here is a completely mox nix point I noticed, the EZ Stand could be used as a wind chime with all the hollow metal racket it makes when you walk around with it.
So the Cheetah Stand works for me, I now have four of them and they go where I go. Quite, reliable and built to last.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 31°F;
- Humidity: 75%;
- Heat Index: 30°F;
- Wind Chill: 25°F;
- Pressure: 30.48 in.;
Posted in Lighting tests, Things
Also tagged Air Cushion, Amp, Annoyance, art, background, black, Blog, business, camera, Camera Gear, Cat, Cheetah, Cheetah Stand, CheetahStand, church, Church Pews, Clamps, color, colour, Common Sense, Contact, Couple, Denny, Denny's EZ Stand, door, Doorways, Duri, education, equipment, Extension Tubes, EZ Stand, face, Feet, film, Flickr, frame, hand, Head, Headache, Heir, Hoot, Hundred Times, illustration, Image, Ink, Iso, isolated, Job, Lake Grapevine, lamp, Light, lightstand, Lot, metal, Metal Construction, Metal Legs, model, Modifiers, new, New Position, object, office, one, Open Legs, Pace, paper, People, person, Photo, Photo Session, Photograph, Photography, portrait, Pose, pro, professional, Reason, Repositioning, Rig, RKD Photography, Rocky Ledge, Shiny Floors, shoot, Shrubs, Smooth, space, speedlight, spotlight, Stan, stand, standing, strobe, strobist, studio, Studio Photographer, Target, technology, Tension, Things, Thumb, Tree, Trees, Umbrella, Umbrellas, Uneven Terrain, Walk, Wings
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King Street Metro Station – Alexandria, VA
While in VA on business for 2 days I decided to walk over to the metro station one evening. Boring stuff, but I was bored.
I had always hesitated taking photographs of strangers on the street. I’m not sure what I expected by way of reaction from people but the truth is no one really seemed to notice. People would watch me take pictures of others, but when they thought I might take their photograph, they ignored me.
People are funny.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 63°F;
- Humidity: 29%;
- Heat Index: 63°F;
- Wind Chill: 62°F;
- Pressure: 30.06 in.;
Posted in My Photo; My Comment., Places
Also tagged Alex, business, Flickr, Fun, Heir, King Street Metro, King Street Metro Station, one, People, Photo, Photograph, Photographers, Photographs, Photos, Rig, Rkd, rkdauph, Stranger, street, Stuff, Tree, Truth, Walk
2 Comments
Strobist ballhead and umbrella test
In Joe McNally‘s CLS video it showed him using a ballhead to align the flashhead along the umbrella stem axis. Made sense that it would distribute the light more evenly; so I bought the rig. Here’s the test results – you decide.
As pointed out in the note above, I forgot the diffuser.
Single SB800 set to TTL into Wescott 42″ shoot through umbrella.
The ballhead is the Manfrotto Lite Tite Swivel+Umbrella Adapter 26
The coldshoe is the Stroboframe Shoe-type Flash Mount Cat. No 300-SHO
I consider this as a ‘nice to know’ experiment only. With the inherent spill associated with shoot through umbrellas and with the difusser on the speedlight the coverage appears to be good. One additional advantage I found with the ballhead set is the ability to quickly rotate the flash body to align the IR sensor to face the camera.
I’ll know better after I field test it.
Sideview
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 31°F;
- Humidity: 75%;
- Heat Index: 30°F;
- Wind Chill: 25°F;
- Pressure: 30.48 in.;
Posted in Lighting tests
Also tagged art, Axis, background, Ballhead, black, camera, Cat, CLS, color, colour, diffuser, education, equipment, face, Field Test, film, flash, flash test, Flickr, frame, Head, Hoot, illustration, Image, Ir Sensor, isolated, Joe Mcnally, lamp, Light, Light And Shadow, lighting, Lighting tests, man, Manfrotto, metal, model, new, nikon, Nikon Speedlights, object, office, one, paper, People, person, Photo, Photograph, Photography, Photos, portrait, professional, Rig, Rkd, RKD Photography, rkdauph, Sb, sb-800, Sb8, SB800, Shoe Type, shoot, Shoot Though Umbrella, space, speedlight, Spill, spotlight, stand, standing, strobe, strobist, studio, Target, technology, Test, Test Results, ttl, Umbrella, Umbrellas, Wescott, White Umbrella
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Nikon D700 vertical banding issue: It happen to me.
Response (Kevin J.)
11/15/2008 06:26 PM
Dear Ray,
This does in fact look like a banding issue and unfortunately there is nothing I can do over the phone.
I am sorry to say you will in fact have to send your D700 into our facility for evaluation:
Again, Thank you
The Nikon Team
I FedExed my D700 to California today ($87 overnight); Kevin, the Nikon rep I spoke to, tells me it’ll be 3-4 weeks to get it back. I purchased the camera in Albany, GA on September 26, 2008 while visiting my folks, so the camera is, what, 2 months old.
I first saw some vertical banding a couple of photographs I took at a local airport. The red (pink) vertical lines were in the gray overcast sky of two pictures. The sky was a bit overexposed and I ignored it, thinking it was something I did wrong.
Last Saturday I was asked to take a team photograph of my daughter’s (See “My Daughter the Ax Murder” article) high school girls LaCrosse team for their website. The coach was there with her young daughter and I took the opportunity to grab a couple of pictures of her with her little girl. (See attached photo – full sized). The banding was intense, bright and undeniable.
The banding was intense, bright and undeniable.
I checked the Nikon website, saw the support office was open and called. I spoke to Kevin who actually told me ‘he’ had not seen any red banding from a D700. I pushed and asked was there a known issue with banding; he again said he had not seen any banding or heard of many at all. We discussed the problem, he opened a trouble ticket, I uploaded the Jpeg to him. Well, I wish I had recorded him when he opened my file; “Wow, I’ve never seen red banding before; it’s usually gray.” No, I didn’t go there.
I have got to tell you: my camera bag full of lenses sure looks empty.
Only 3-4 weeks to go.
UPDATE: November 27: After speaking to a Nikon manager on Tuesday about the problem and possible solutions I arrived home yesterday to find a brand new D700. They replaced the camera.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 50°F;
- Humidity: 56%;
- Heat Index: 50°F;
- Wind Chill: 47°F;
- Pressure: 30.06 in.;
Posted in My Photo; My Comment.
Also tagged art, Ascii, Blog, Break, Cambria, camera, Coach, color, Couple, D700, family, Fun, Fx, girl, girls, Girls Lacrosse, Girls LaCrosse Team, Head, Heir, High School Girls, home, Image, Ink, Last Saturday, lens, Light, Little Girl, man, Mso, My Daughter The Ax Murder, Nap, new, Night, nikon, Nikon D700, Nikon D700 Vertical Banding Issue, Nikon Website, office, one, Orphan, Overcast Sky, Overexposed, Photo, Photograph, Photographers, Photographs, Photos, pink, Pose, pro, Reference, Rig, Rkd, Send Your D700 Into Our Facility For Evaluation, Style Definitions, Target, Team Coach, Team Photograph, The Nikon Team, Times New Roman, Track, Train, Trinity High School, Trouble Ticket, ttl, tx, Unfortunately There Is Nothing I Can Do Over The Phone, Vertical Banding A Couple Of Photographs, Vertical Lines
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Post processing; finding the edge
Before and after: Too much?
Sometimes I like to play with a photograph that doesn’t appeal to me in it’s original form. I see other’s work and like the processing or like the concept of it. I tend to get fixated trying new filter effects, crops or plug ins while trying to produce an artistic version that is like a gossamer thread in my mind’s eye.
Sometimes I get to the ‘ah ha’ moment – sometimes I don’t. I do however enjoy the journey to artistic expression.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 56°F;
- Humidity: 66%;
- Heat Index: 55°F;
- Wind Chill: 54°F;
- Pressure: 30.05 in.;
Posted in My Photo; My Comment.
Also tagged Ah Ha, art, Artistic Expression, Crops, Expression, eyes, Filter Effects, Flickr, Gossamer Thread, Journey, new, New Crops, Oment, Photo, Photograph, Photographers, Photographs, Photography, Photos, Plug Ins, Post Processing, pro, Rig, Rkd, rkdauph
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Cropping to change mood, attention or perspective
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 43°F;
- Humidity: 70%;
- Heat Index: 43°F;
- Wind Chill: 38°F;
- Pressure: 30.22 in.;
Posted in My Photo; My Comment.
Also tagged Beach California, Flickr, focus, Highlight, Light, Perspective, Photo, Photograph, Photographers, Photographs, Photography, Photos, Post Processing, Presence, pro, Rig, Rkd, rkdauph, Seagull, Taking Flight, Truth, Ventura Beach
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It ain’t easy being beautiful
I have been both pleasantly surprised and left speechless by the way some of the folks I have photographed show up for their portrait session.
‘Models’ show up with only the street clothes they have on. Personal hygiene, chipped and mismatched finger and toe nail colors, dirty feet, makeup, hair weren’t a consideration. When I’ve mentioned it they have done everything from just shrugging their shoulders to suggesting I ‘could’ have had an MUA and hair dresser for them to telling me to ‘fix’ it in Photoshop. And yes, I do mention the above to any model I shoot TFP – doesn’t seem to matter.
Others walk in just drop dead ready to go with makeup, hair, nails and wardrobe and most importantly – ideas.
Paying clients generally do better but I’m still perplexed at times by some of the by what some folks consider ‘portrait ready‘ appearance for themselves and their family.
This is a small rant only, the majority of the many people I’ve photographed are very nice, ready for their session and know what they want from it. But some of them—-
People are funny.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 42°F;
- Humidity: 82%;
- Heat Index: 42°F;
- Wind Chill: 36°F;
- Pressure: 29.64 in.;
Posted in People, Rant
Also tagged Appearance, beautiful, Clothes, Clothing, color, Colors, Dirty Feet, family, Feet, Flickr, Fun, hair, Hair Dresser, Heir, Hoot, Lot, Makeup, man, model, Modeling, Models, Mua, Nail Colors, one, People, person, Personal Hygiene, Personality, Photo, Photograph, Photographers, Photographs, Photos, Photoshop, portrait, Portrait Session, Portraits, Rant, Rants, Rig, Rkd, rkdauph, Sessions, shoot, Shoulders, street, Street Clothes, Toe Nail, Tree, Walk, Wardrobe
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Portraiture: The changing human face.
With every portrait session I use light, shadow and pose to portray a different mood, facet and aspect of the subject. I see it during the session, I count on it to produce the shoe-box photograph – the keeper.
During nearly every post production process I am pleasantly surprised how a single person can look so differently in a photograph. Soft, rough, hard, beautiful, thin, heavy – you name it. The human face holds a true fascination for me, the eyes – the eyes, expressing the wisdom of the ages or the delight of youth.
People are wonderful creatures.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 34°F;
- Humidity: 78%;
- Heat Index: 34°F;
- Wind Chill: 25°F;
- Pressure: 30.01 in.;
Posted in My Photo; My Comment., People
Also tagged beautiful, Creatures, Duri, Expression, eyes, F1, face, Facet, Fascination, Flickr, human, Human Face, Light, lighting, man, People, person, Personality, Photo, Photograph, Photographers, Photographs, Photos, portrait, Portrait Session, Portraits, Portraiture, Pose, pro, Rig, Rkd, rkdauph, Sessions, Shadow, Wisdom Of The Ages
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Follow Me
WWII Re-Enactors strobist shoot fun
Last weekend our DFW Midcities Strobist Meetup Group had a fun and interesting strobist outing shooting a few local WWII re-enactors. Lynn and Dean are long time players while Zack and Zane were a member’s teenage sons were conscripted into the German Army for the event.
As a photographer I thought I had a lot of gear; man these guys had more toys than any man should be allowed to own. A full sized anti-tank canon, land mines, machine guns, pistols , camouflage nets, manikins, road signs, barbed wire and on and on and on.
10 strobists, 4 actors, 5 acres of land and toys! We had a blast.
See more of my photos, including behind the scenes shots, here. To see all the uploaded photos by members of the groups go here.
-- Weather When Posted --