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July 3rd, 2009 09:44pm
damien
Every now and then I do a shoot where everything comes together in a way I like. I’ve decided to share a more complete set of pictures with you here from this set. I apologise if you have seen some of the poses or locations before but somehow every shoot is different. Stina our model gave us full commitment and it shows in the pictures.
This yellow dress of Stina's is my daughters favourite. I think it sets the blue alight. A pyramid composition is a firm favourite amongst photographic judges. The simplicity of this picture comes from a single close proximity Speedlight that has been zoomed into 105mm and tipped down just so.
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July 3rd, 2009 08:45pm
damien
Ratio class for key and kick. A simple shot like this lit with 2 Speedlights makes an ideal test bed for using ratios. I always set group A to the left of the shot and group B to the right of shot. That way it is easy to keep track of what's happening. In this shot the ratio on my ST-E2 was set to 2:1 towards A. This actually leaves A set to normal and cuts B to half power.
The wall in the shot above is at the Architecture Center on the Bristol waterfront. I really like the tagging here as it is an example of simplicity in design and graphic elegance. Unlike the scrawled initials often found left by vandals.
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June 30th, 2009 11:54pm
damien
In a sun locked UK shooting goes on but it is definately harder to work as controlling all that extra light becomes a challenge armed with just a couple of Speedlights. We find ourselves at the limits - f/22, 1/200th second (Canon) and ISO 200 (Nikon). Life on the limit often produces fabulous results. If it was easy everyone would do it;-)
Delegates lining up a shot on the limits. 4 shooters and 4 different shots. We all take it in turns to shoot from different angles and all is very civilised. This was a rare on camera flash moment.
Here is my take on the shot. The boots do it for me :)
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June 29th, 2009 12:08am
damien
I’ve been shooting so much lately that I’ve barely had time to write up my shoots on the blog. I’ll be posting up a selection of images from the four recent Bristol workshops throughout the week.
Dappled sunlight on a blue wall gave us a great start to the shoot. The sunlight was going through a young tree and a glass canopy.
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June 28th, 2009 11:36pm
damien
I used square on two point lighting for this shot for one of my clients. It was lit with the sun as a back light and I used a hand held off camera Speedlight as the key. The Bristol waterfront is a favourite area of mine for photographing clients and running workshops alike.
I often find myself looking at the world a bit differently (more…)
June 17th, 2009 04:56pm
damien
Our second shooting workshop under Chris Hanley’s ‘Cherish’ banner went without a hitch. When putting together a ‘Cherish The Dress’ style album it is wise to shoot detail and passion pictures alongside the full length dress pictures. Here is a very small selection of the pictures Chris and I shot on the day. The first 9 or so are mine and the last 9 or so are Chris’s.
The setting is the fabulous Hilton bar on floor 23. The lighting is all Speedlight mastery using infrared remote TTL control.
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June 17th, 2009 01:05pm
damien
Wow! What a day of creativity and learning we all had. No matter how structured and planned I make a shoot day, somehow it seems that a random patch of light or a change of circumstances present me with remarkable picture making opportunities.
Shot one of the day started where 'Urban Portrait' workshops finish. I took this frame with 2 Speedlights in sunlight remotely triggered with an STE2. The ambient exposure was held back to add emphasis to Paula. The clothes are the star in fashion orientated portraits.
I love rivets. This location near Deansgate was fantastic. Every nook and cranny was a picture waiting to happen. The sun lit the rivets and was Paula's key light. I used a Speedlight to backlight Paula and another to light the background on the left.
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June 11th, 2009 03:33pm
damien
Marko will also be giving talks at our 'Spectacular' event in Hook and on our Italian adventure in Tuscany this October.
After a couple of seminars by Marko and I earlier this year in Munich and Frankfurt, Marko was invited to hold a Lightroom - Photoshop seminar in Rodgau. 25 photographers got together to exchange ideas for the weekend and to experience Marko’s expertise at first hand. (more…)
June 9th, 2009 06:08pm
damien
Wow, another day at the Bristol waterfront and another set of pictures. It is important for me to keep evolving the strategies and techniques I use and it is fair to say that the pictures I shoot at these workshops evolve too. Charlotte was a fantastic model for us to shoot and as you will see I loved that red coat.
Marko has given this first frame of the day a simple twist. Taking a well lit original and making a piece of art out of it takes just a few moments when you know how.
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June 9th, 2009 02:31pm
damien
My strategy to review a camera or lens puts my subjective observations at an equally important level as objective facts and figures. So when a Phase One camera and a couple of backs arrived I had a bit of product familiarity work to do. See how this camera got on in my fairly steady hands. (more…)
June 2nd, 2009 11:56pm
damien
After the persistent rain of last Wednesday it was a different story at the same locations for this weeks big flash in the country workshop. I once again took the Phase One camera for a spin and here are the pictures.
Not a cloud in the sky gave us a new set of problems. We were shooting at the limits of the medium format system. ISO 100, f/22 and 1/125th second. Steve, my assistant for the day is seen here rigging my Broncolor strip lite softbox.
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May 29th, 2009 05:34pm
damien
Wednesday’s shoot was a washout. We were shooting in an overgrown quarry, a flower meadow, a high canopy woodland and a pebble beach. The driving rain was constant so we just got stuck in to a full featured shoot. Here are our pictures.
The rain lashed down but with a bit of resolve there were still great shots to be had. I lit this shot with one barefaced Broncolor Mobil head. Even with the overcast heavy cloud cover we needed the might of the Mobil to deliver this powerful image.
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May 25th, 2009 10:14am
damien
A lot of noise on the US forums about the mechanical strength and the RF range of these units has led me to publish a few of the links and info here (more…)
May 21st, 2009 04:19pm
damien
Marko and I between takes on the set at the Lovegrove studio.
Quite a few of you were emailing about the video tutorials for Photoshop and Lightroom and asking when are they going to be available. (more…)
May 20th, 2009 09:50pm
damien
In this article I explain my strategies, techniques and systems for using big flash and Speedlights on location. (more…)
May 18th, 2009 09:13am
damien
Update: Over 100 of these brackets have been sold already and the feedback from users is fantastic. Those of you who want to use umbrellas with Speedlights can use this off the shelf solution in conjunction with the Lovegrove flash bracket.
It has been 6 months in the planning and testing but finally I can confirm the long awaited ‘Lovegrove Flash Bracket’ used to mount any Speedlight firmly in any position on a lighting stand is now available here for £47.83 plus VAT
Take control of your Speedlight and mount it on a stand in any orientation with this nifty stand to flash bracket. Ideal for weding and portrait photographers alike. Click on the picture for more details.
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May 13th, 2009 10:29pm
damien
After Monday’s shoot how could I even get close? I’m sure the wind was stronger and the temperature had dropped a few degrees on Tuesday. Megan braved the cold and was as kind and patient with us as ever. (more…)
May 13th, 2009 11:11am
damien
I thought I’d share this picture with you. I took it in a field of rapeseed that was in flower. I used flash in daylight on the Canon 10d camera that I’ve had converted for infrared use by ACS
IR photography is most often seen in black and white.
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May 12th, 2009 10:57pm
damien
Each shoot has it’s own chemistry and dynamic, and this one was no exception. The pictures I aim to produce to teach the intricate lighting techniques are suitably varied to keep the image making process fresh. Here are a collection of images from the day. (more…)
May 10th, 2009 11:21pm
damien
Photographer Martin Hill is already hitting the high notes as he launches into the top flight of social photography. The last ten months have been a full on learning experience for Martin and his team and I am pleased to say they have come through Evolve with flying colours.
This fabulous shot taken in Somerset was lit with a Broncolor Mobil flash and secured Martin his first gold award from his first ever professional competition entry.
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May 8th, 2009 03:05pm
damien
I demonstrated how to shoot punchy pictures using just a grey paper background roll, portable Broncolor Mobil flash lighting kit and some coloured gels.
Here are a few of the many pictures I took during the fourth studio lighting workshop. We had a great day being creative, learning new basic and advanced lighting techniques. (more…)
May 8th, 2009 01:08pm
damien
In order to correctly assess exposure when shooting on location, you need to start with a calibrated screen. This is a simple process but can often be overlooked. Here is my quick guide. (more…)
May 8th, 2009 09:22am
damien
The Strictly Lovegrove project continues to gather pace. I’ve been scouting my local vicinity for venues and locations that can sustain the project throughout all the seasons. At the moment I reliant on unheated spaces and with minimal clothes on my clients it is restricting me to shooting on good weather days between May and September. Here are a few pictures from a shoot earlier this week.
A field of Rape and a blast of flash set the mood of the first picture of the day. I used two flash heads connected to my Broncolor Mobil power pack to provide visual impact.
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May 6th, 2009 08:53pm
damien
Wuthering heights at Clevedon on sea. A wind swept Charlotte coped well with tide coming in and being blown about. I lit this shot with a couple of Broncolor Mobil heads.
A positive mental attitude and four delegates with a determination to have fun were what was needed for a thoroughly great day of picture making. (more…)
April 30th, 2009 10:11pm
damien
A classic Lovegrove shot started the shoot on Tuesday. Eleanor was back lit with hazy sunlight and I rigged a Speedlight vertically on a stand to provide the key. I shot this frame from below the eyeline with a 20mm lens on my Canon 5D mk2. Costa, our start of the day rendezvous point is on the left in the background. Bristol architecture makes a striking backdrop for an urban shoot.
Better weather and some Costa cappuccino gave us a great start to our shooting day on Tuesday. The variety of photographic opportunities available on the streets is fantastic. (more…)
April 30th, 2009 09:05pm
damien
A wallop of Speedlight combined with a low angle viewpoint gives this frame it's character. The flash was running at full power, zoomed right in and it just about kept up with us. I changed the flash batteries just after this shot and they were burning hot as a result of the continuous firing and recycling. I use 7DayShop 2800 mAH NiMh cells at under £5 a pack and they perform well in arduous conditions. I shot all of Monday's pictures on my Canon 5D mk2.
Monday’s shoot started in a downpour. Costa coffee cafe was uncharacteristically closed, and 20 minutes before shooting our model was stuck in traffic. What else could life throw at us? (more…)
April 29th, 2009 12:48pm
damien
Several months in the planning stages have finally come to fruition. We were originally offered the ‘Graphi Studio’ castle in northern Italy but delays in it’s refurbishment meant we had to look elsewhere. Luckily Julie and I have shot several weddings at Italian castles and villas in recent years so we decided to revisit one of the most enchanting of them all in the heart of Tuscany.
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April 26th, 2009 06:55pm
damien
All through my professional career I have been inspired by other photographers and accepted guidance on creative and business direction from other professionals outside of photography. It is very rare that a talented creative is also (more…)
April 24th, 2009 09:31pm
damien
As part of the Evolve training workshop on Wednesday I was teaching the delegates how to shoot for big pictures. A big product on a wall of a client’s home can make a dramatic impact on the mood of the place it is in. The bigger the mood change in the room, the higher the perceived value etc. So that got me thinking what constitutes an ideal picture to print big? Photographers like Jo De Banzie are fantastic at taking the ‘big pictures’ of children, so I thought I’d share a few of my own.
This was one of my pictures from Wednesday's shoot. It is quite common for me to shoot from behind my client. No eye contact with the child means the viewer can express a more fluid imagination of drifting thoughts.
It’s not just the viewpoint, or the telephoto perspective that makes the shot. (more…)
April 24th, 2009 08:38pm
damien
This time of year the dappled light is just fantastic. The leaves are small and the patterns they create on walls and other surfaces make striking shots. (more…)
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