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: Photographers
Post Processing Fun
I like high-key ultra closeups. I like to work with an image, not just high-key, until “I” see an aha picture. I know a lot of folks don’t care for the treatment I afford an otherwise acceptable normal photograph.
I do, however, also use post processing to salvage an image, or at least part of it. The half face of Barbara here for instance; another photographer placed his big mitt and light meter into the frame and covered the other half of her face as I puller the trigger on the picture.
I liked the half I could see, I liked the the slight tilt of her head (she was starting to move away from the intrusive hand and meter), I liked the expression of her eyes and face.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 71°F;
- Humidity: 83%;
- Heat Index: 71°F;
- Wind Chill: 71°F;
- Pressure: 30.03 in.;
Posted in My Photo; My Comment.
Also tagged art, Closeup, Closeups, Expression, eyes, F1, face, Flickr, frame, Fun, hand, Head, High-Key, Image, Images, Light, Light Meter, lighting, Lot, Photo, Photograph, Photographer, Photographs, Places, Post Processing, pro, Rig, Salvage, Stan, Tilt, Ups
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Using the Nikon Creative Lighting System
This photograph was taken using a Nikon D-300, the Nikkor 28-70 f2.8 and 2 SB800s. One SB800 was placed high picture right behind Emily the other was hand held slightly high picture left above her head. Although I have the equipment to mount the flashes to either an umbrella or softbox, this session was done with only the Nikon defusser on one of the strobes.
I am becoming a real fan of the Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS) and the ability to control the SB-800s using the Commander mode on the D300. I’ve now used them in studio sessions as fill or hair lights, outdoors from as far as 30 feet away or the sole source of light as in this photograph.
The two cautions when using the system is to remember to have the sensor facing toward the camera and don’t step to far in front of the flashes. I spent nearly 10 minutes on one outdoor shoot trying to figure out why the flash wouldn’t fire, gave up and realized, the next day, that I had the IR receiver facing away from the camera.
CLS is a great tool, take the time to learn it.
Read about us being hassled by the Park Rangers in Washington, DC during this shoot.
Also see Damien Franco’s expansion of my photo tip about Seeing the Shadows over at www.yourphototips.com.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 81°F;
- Humidity: 71%;
- Heat Index: 85°F;
- Wind Chill: 81°F;
- Pressure: 30.02 in.;
Posted in My Photo; My Comment.
Also tagged Blog, camera, Cat, CLS, creative, Creative Lighting, Creative Lighting System, d300, door, Duri, Emily, equipment, face, Feet, flash, Flickr, Franco, hair, hand, hassled, Head, Hoot, Ir Receiver, Light, lighting, Lighting System, man, Modes, Nikkor, nikon, one, Park Ranger, Park Rangers, Photo, Photo Tip, Photograph, Photographer, Photographs, Photos, Places, Rig, Rkd, rkdauph, Sb, sb-800, Sb8, SB800, Sessions, Shadow, shoot, Sole Source, Source Of Light, strobe, Strobes, studio, Studio Sessions, Target, Tool, Umbrella
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The model’s husband
This entry is not about the model shown.
In the last three or four months I have allowed several models to bring their husband to the shoot. I set clear guidelines with the model, I spoke with the husband when they arrived at the studio about not getting in the way; please don’t distract me or the wife. If it became a problem I would ask them to step out of the studio and/or stop the session. Of course they agreed.
Most went very well. In two cases the husband, during a set change or a break, started talking about nudes, implied and full. Neither model appeared to really want to do full nudity and both agreed to do some implied. Although the session wasn’t booked that way, we would start doing mild implied shots.
Both times the husband continued to suggest/ask his wife to take more clothing off; undercover more. I never witnessed a real argument but could sense the tension between them. The model would exchange a look with me that I read as seeking a little intervention.
The first time I simply reminded the fellow of our agreement not to interfere. He said ‘Oh, okay, sorry’ and we finished the shoot.
The other guy just floored me. Pretty much the same scenario as above. Except during my second reminder that I would stop the session if he continued to disrupt me, he politely asked me to step out of the room to talk to him. I gave his wife a puzzled look and followed him out the door. In the hall he basically asked me to help him get his wife naked so I could get the photographs for him. When I expressed my puzzlement about his request he said, and I quote; “But she won’t let me take these kind of pictures of her at home.”
I really don’t remember my exact reply except for something about I’d see what I could do. The session came to ‘routine’ conclusion about 10 minutes later.
Lesson learned: No more husbands or significant others allowed.
Posted in Rant
Also tagged art, Break, Clothes, Clothing, Conclusion, Conclusion About, door, Duri, Expression, Fellow, Flickr, Four Months, Full Nudity, Heir, home, Hoot, Intervention, Lot, model, Modeling, Models, Nudes, Nudity, Photo, Photograph, Photographer, Photographs, Photos, pretty, pro, Puzzlement, Reminder, Reply, Rig, Rkd, rkdauph, Sb, Sessions, shoot, shot, Significant Others, studio, Tension, ttl
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Some days I’m just lucky
I literally stumbled into a photo shoot today. I was invited to stay and I got to spend some quality time with fellow photographers Tom and Janice in Arlington. Susie, also a photographer, volunteered to be our target, uh, model.
From Susie:
“I got them. Great work! Your post processing was perfect for the different shots and really captured the look and feel I was going for with the different outfits, especially the grungy look outside.”
See the whole set here.
Posted in My Photo; My Comment.
Also tagged Arlington, Fellow, Fellow Photographers, Flickr, Grungy, Hoot, Janice, Lucky, model, Modeling, Models, Outsider, Photo, Photo Shoot, Photograph, Photographer, Photographs, Photos, Post Processing, pro, Quality Time, Rig, Rkd, rkdauph, shoot, shot, Susie, Target, Uh
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Contact Me
Suggestions & Contribution:
I’m open to any suggestions, comments, questions and contribution (ie. guest blogging). If you have ideas that would to share with me, please contact me here or send me a mention on Twitter @rkd_photography.
Posted in
Also tagged adult, Amp, art, background, beauty, black, Blogging, Blue, business, camera, caucasian, Communication, Connection, Contact, D700, digital, equipment, fashion, female, Flickr, hand, Help, holding, human, Image, information, isolated, Job, Light, Looking, male, man, model, nikon, occupation, Pace, People, person, Photo, Photograph, Photographer, photographic, Photographs, Photography, Photos, picture, portrait, professional, RKD Photography, shot, space, studio, Support, technology, Us, white, woman, Word, work, young
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The Carnival
A few months ago it was the Carnival season in North Texas. I went out one evening with my trusty D300 and tripod. The intent was to do some motion photographs, ya know, blurred images of the ferris wheels and such. I got those alright but found it an interesting experience to spend time with the folks working the booths.
The carnies were friendly, curious and very willing to talk about their lives. There was a run-a-way and a fella who had a master’s degree in business running a snack stand. He said he’d had it with the pressures of ‘the real world’.
I can relate.
Posted in My Photo; My Comment.
Also tagged Aster, Booths, business, Carnies, Carnival, Carnival Season, d300, Fella, Ferris Wheels, Flickr, Heir, Hot Dog, Image, Images, one, Photo, Photograph, Photographer, Photographs, Photos, Real World, Rig, Rkd, rkdauph, Rust, Snack, Stan, stand, Texas, Tripod
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Nikon Speedlight umbrella test
When I decided to start playing with Nikon’s Creative Lighting System (CLS) I took this series of photographs to try and understand the difference between a shoothrough umbrella and a reflective one.
I also used this test to learn how to use the Commander mode on my D300 to change the power settings of the Speedlights.
SB-800 on left into 32 inch Photogenic white umbrella: SB-600 on right through 48 inch Wescott umbrella. Controlled by D300 Commander mode.
- Top half of photo: both at half power
- Bottom half of photo: Both at full power.
Posted in Lighting tests
Also tagged art, camera, CLS, Controlled, creative, d300, Flickr, Hoot, Light, lighting, Lighting System, man, Modes, nikon, nikon d300, Nikon Speedlight, Nikon Speedlights, one, People, Photo, photogenics, Photograph, Photographer, Photographs, Photos, Power Settings, Reflection, Rig, Rkd, rkdauph, Sb, sb-800, shoot, speedlight, Stan, stand, Test, Umbrella, Wescott, White Umbrella
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Nikon D300 & SB-800 Speedlight Flash Diffusion Test
On camera flash photography has always challenged me. I learned photography, in West Germany during the early ‘70s, using natural light only, black and white film and developed my own prints. My first experience, in the early ‘80s, with a flash gun was a reunion of flight school classmates and our families. We paraded the kids through the living room, onesies, twosies, you know the drill, and I took whole family photos too. The garish, over exposed pictures with that damn hard edged shadow (like the top center picture) was embarrassing when the color prints arrived. Who needs a flash? Not a REAL photographer anyway; so, back to natural light for more than 2 decades.
Click to continue reading “Nikon D300 & SB-800 Speedlight Flash Diffusion Test”
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 51°F;
- Humidity: 49%;
- Heat Index: 51°F;
- Wind Chill: 49°F;
- Pressure: 30.33 in.;
Posted in Lighting tests, Things
Also tagged 70s, af-s zoom-nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8 if-ed, Amp, Aperture, Aperture Priority, art, background, Backgrounds, black, black and white, camera, Camera Flash, Camera Flashes, Cat, CLS, color, Colors, Couple, Crowds, D2x, d300, Developer, diffuser, Duri, education, equipment, eyes, Eyes Of The Devil, F1, face, family, Feet, File Test, film, flash, flash diffuser, flash gun, flash photography, flash test, Flickr, Flight School, Focal Length, germany, girl, Girl In The World, girls, hand, Head, Heir, human, Human Face, Image, Images, Ink, Inti, Iso, Job, Jobs, lens, Light, Light And Shadow, lighting, man, Manikin Head, Modes, Natural, natural light, Nikkor, nikon, nikon d300, omni-bounce om-sb5, one, Ounce, Outsider, People, person, Personality, Photo, Photo Tip, photogenics, Photograph, Photographer, Photographs, Photography, Photos, picture control file, Places, portrait, Portraits, Pose, Prints, pro, Quick Test, red eye, Rig, Rkd, rkdauph, rs-df100 flexidome flash diffuser, Sb, sb-800, Sb5, School Classmates, Shadow, shot, Shoulders, speedlight, Stan, stand, standing, studio, studio lights, Target, Test, ttl, west germany, White Film
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Dav Miller
This was a fun photograph. Dav was all about getting ‘good’ lifestyle shots for his modeling portfolio. As we worked through the session he was getting tired; as I was encouraging him to hang in there, I mentioned he might need to get pumped up for the last 30 minutes to get his ‘game face’ shots.
He wanted a yelling picture. The first two attempts weren’t working for me. He wasn’t actually yelling but faking it. I told him to come at me yelling for all he was worth.
Posted in People
Also tagged 30 Minutes, Attempt, Attempts, Dav, face, Flickr, Fun, Game Face, Lifestyle, model, Modeling, Models, one, People, Photo, Photograph, Photographer, Photographs, Photography, Photos, Rig, Rkd, RKD Photography, rkdauph, Sessions, shot, yell
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Follow Me
Playing with black and white again
Barbara: simply black and white
I started in photography shooting only black and white on film while stationed in Schwäbisch Hall, West Germany at Dolan Barracks, with the US Army. I enjoyed the entire process of taking the photograph and then spending hours in the dark room developing the print. My mentor back then was a German WW II photographer, Herr Ritter. I would spend a lot of time selecting the paper, cropping the picture and playing with the time under the light and developer only to have Herr Ritter walk behind me and give me his, usually one word, assessment of my work. Now every time I start to produce black and white imagery I feel Herr Ritter in the next room; about to walk in.
Today, I shoot digital, have a computer, Photoshop and the associated plug-ins. The subject of my photography has changed, I enjoy portraiture, I like to simplify the female face to the essence of femaleness; to show basic beauty. Sometimes that is a hight-key process, sometimes an ultra close-up. This image of Barbara is another, different, attempt.
I wonder what Herr Ritter would say.
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