I know that I teach how to deal with bad backgrounds in my workshops … but that doesn’t mean I don’t get lucky now and then.
Category Archives: photo of the day
I wanted to use a somewhat hard light source with a noir feeling for this shoot with Wendy, to show the balance of her femininity and strength. This is just a barely cracked door with a light source behind it — f/1.2, 1/10th, ISO 5000 does the rest.
A slightly more risqué one behind the cut. So if you followed the direct link but can’t see a fully (but sexily) clothed woman … um … don’t scroll down.
Charity, Adam and I snuck out of the reception for a minute to get some photos while their friends chatted above.
Luckily my clients trust me. “So … we’re using the light of a vending machine? Haha, OK…”
I don’t shoot boudoir except in very special cases, so it’s not often that I have to link a photo as potentially not-safe-for-work. But when you’re doing an engagement shoot in Coney Island, anything can happen…
But first, one a little more romantic:
Elizabeth had said the one thing she always pictured about her wedding was a last dance set to "Modern Love." It was a poignant end to a gorgeous Brooklyn Botanical Garden wedding.
Shakun and Tim’s connection is so visible at every glance. I loved the crazy golden glow that was coming in through the leaves, and did this 16-shot Brenizer method with the 85mm f/1.4. Then I said … “You know what? If there’s a glow like that, we might want to follow it.” And that led to this shot.
I recently spent a few days in Dallas to attend a workshop by Erik Clausen (better known as Poser), and meet some wedding photographer friends. Why I have more photographer friends in towns like Dallas and Denver than NYC is one of those mysteries of the Internet. Erik did a great job with the ambitious concept of throwing an entire fake wedding to show how he would handle it. He used one of the couples whose wedding he had shot, and they had absolutely unbelievable chemistry — even though it wasn’t a “real” wedding, their emotions and her tears were.
I have been blessed with a full shooting calendar for a very long time, so I don’t get to second-shoot much. Which is a shame since I don’t get to just mess around with low-hit-rate but cool techniques, such as just playing with freelensing during the formals. So I took this time to have some fun with it.
Every year I do portraits for the Catholic Guardian Society of the underprivlidged children and developmentally disabled adults they serve so well. It’s a fantastic experience and helps them raise sorely needed money. See some samples from this year’s shoot here, with lots of adorable kids.
Handstand on a dance floor? Awesome!
But wait … check out the velocity of that tie. That’s no handstand … it’s a backflip!
I’ve seen a lot on wedding dance floors, but that was my first backflip.
Colleen and Steve take a moment on the dock after getting married at his family’s camp.
29 images with the 85mm f/1.4.
If you have an iPhone 4, apps like "Flash Light" can keep the LED flash on for a much stronger light than just using the display. If the best camera is the one that you have with you, so is the best off-camera light.
This works with any phone with an LED flash, as long as there’s a way to hack it to leave it on.
And it’s easy to mount:
Ting and Weiji brought me back to my old stomping grounds of Columbia University for this shoot. Fun fact: Even though I didn’t start at Columbia until 2004, the last time I was in this room was 1997. Figure that one out.
Not only do late-night engagement shoots make for some romantic lighting, it’s the only thing to do when the weather hits 103 degrees…
This is a good example of how a simple light — two flashes on the ground aimed upward at a quarter power — can transform a scene. Of course, it was Michelle and Kunal who really sold it.
For comparison, here it is without the flash. The kind of place where people look at you funny when you stop to shoot there.
