The Devil Is In The Details

Posted on January 5, 2013 by admin

It has been a long time since I added a post to the blog. If there is anyone out there who is reading this, a sincere thanks. I promise to be more attentive in 2013.

This is a photo used in a newspaper article promoting an upcoming fashion show. This is not the first time I have addressed the importance of the details of a shoot. Most of the time, the “details” begin before the photographer is even asked to do a shoot. For instance, I have been working for several months on the upcoming fashion show, The Art of Great Fashion, which will be held on January 21, 2013 here in Savannah at The Landings’ Plantation Club. The theme for the show, Carnevale!, was chosen because of a current exhibit at the museums of old art from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. I have done several shoots for marketing materials for the show and am getting ready for the actual show itself. Several nights ago, I photographed carnival masks for a promo article in the local newspaper. This is a link the article: http://savannahnow.com/accent/2013-01-04/sense-fashion-art-great-fashion-carnevale#.UOgG2o7m594.

Back to the story. The reason I did this latest shoot is the chair of marketing for the event contacted a fashion writer for our local newspaper and asked if she would run a story about the fashion show. Once that was agreed upon, it had to be decided whether to use just photos of previous fashion shoots or whether to try to get new photos to add interest and attract attention to the event. There was an informal meeting with the fashion writer, the owner of the boutique providing the clothes for the show, a stylist, and me, the photographer. The more people involved, the more details are involved – which can be good or bad, or both – you get the gist. Since the theme for the show was Carnevale!, it was decided to photograph the masks for the newspaper article, in addition to the fashion photo above. Of course time was getting short, as it frequently is with these projects. The afternoon, then into the night, before the photos were needed, the shoot happened. I had two stylist/assistants who were life(photo) savers. Always thank your help. We worked several hours photographing one mask and finally gave it up as a hopeless cause and then photographed several more masks. Specifics of the shoot: I was using a Nikon D700 with a 50 mm f1.4 lens, ISO 100, 1/160 sec, f4.0 on the first mask, and f8.0 on the second mask, with two SB900 speed lights (on manual controlled with Pocket Wizards) shot through medium softboxes, angled from both sides over-head. The reflections of the softboxes from the glass over the art were cropped from the edges of the photo. My tethered shooting lasted for a short time; I switched to CF card when I lost the connection to save time. As Joe McNally is fond of saying, “things happen at shoots.” These are the end results.

Other Subjects to Photograph

Posted on October 28, 2012 by admin

My recent blogs have been related to my love of photographing women’s fashion. Very few photographers limit themselves to one specialized area, and that includes me. I photograph weddings and other events, in addition to formal and informal portraits. As the holidays rapidly approach, many of us take the opportunity to update family and friends with photos of our immediate family. My wife and I were visiting our son and his family; they asked if I would take their annual Christmas photograph. When small children are involved in a photo shoot, It is a good idea to have everything set up including the lighting and camera settings. The attention span of very active, small children may not extend much past five minutes, so be ready. This is one of the photos from the shoot.

Love of Fashion

Posted on October 3, 2012 by admin

With my interest in this area of photography, I am adding a new category to my Gallery called Fashion. Please check it out.

The difference between a photo that is so-so and one that is worthy of being in a portfolio is many times in the details. In the case of fashion photography, this includes the model herself (or himself), the hair, the makeup, the lighting, the composition including the background, the gesture or story, and on and on. A team approach is often the best way to pay attention to the details. But be careful you do not have a state of confusion with too many leaders and not enough workers – the photographer should be the one in charge on the set.

One of my most recent projects was taking photographs to be used for marketing for the annual Telfair Academy Guild (TAG) fashion show (January 21, 2013 at the Plantation Club on Skidaway Island) here in Savannah. I was fortunate to have a fantastic team to work with including Monica McMasters and Jordan from B Street Salon, Kathi Rich from the up-scale boutique of the same name, Meredith Gray who is a stylist with extensive experience including Fashion Editor for Vogue Patterns, my wife Elisabeth who was my assistant, and of course the terrific models from Halo Models and Talent. Having the extra eyes and hands makes a huge difference in the ease of the shoot and the ultimate outcome. As a side note, I would not normally give individual credits in this blog, but the individuals donated their time and talents to TAG, an organization that supports the activities of the Telfair Museums, and deserve the recognition.

Opportunities To Shoot

Posted on July 15, 2012 by admin

Take lots of photos and be your own best critic. This is advice I give when someone asks how learn to take good photos. Until you are recognized in a certain area, such as fashion photography, it can be difficult to get opportunities to take these kinds of photos. Express Clothing recently sponsored a fashion show open to the public free of charge. Shooting an event like this is a great way to help get those thousands of photos “under your belt.” A selection of my photos can be found under Gallery/Events/ExpressFashionShow. Enjoy!

It’s All in the Details

Posted on May 13, 2012 by admin

Preparation to shoot a fashion show last fall began with making sure my gear was in working order and that my batteries were charged. I was there that afternoon in time to watch/photograph the walk-through and then dress rehearsal. This gave me the opportunity to check the light levels and to get used to the pace of the event. I downloaded the photos on to my laptop to check composition and to make sure the 70-200 mm f2.8 was my best choice of lenses for this particular shoot. Then it happened – 35 minutes of frenzied action and over 900 shots later, it was over. This was one of the photos, the rest can be viewed in the Gallery/Events/The Art of Great Fashion.

Several weeks ago, another shoot with three of the models from the fashion show was a project of a different character, requiring much more planning, production, and directing on my part. In addition to the models from Halo Models and Talent and the photographer (me), other key people were the photographer’s assistant (my wife), the hairstylist and her assistants and a makeup artist (Monica McMasters from B Street Salon with Jordan and Kim), the wardrobe stylist (Dee Sutlive from Gaucho), and the multimedia artist (Marcus Kenney) working on the hair pieces and accessories. Setting a date and time itself posed a challenge. I originally planned to start shooting about 30 minutes before sunrise which would have meant hair and makeup would have begun around 4:15 AM. A senior prom and a night-time job with two of the models changed the start time to 9 AM with the actual shoot starting at 10:30 AM. The date had been chosen partly based on a high tide to provide an interesting backdrop. We were hoping for good weather rather than the overcast day with a little rain that we got. The wardrobes were chosen, and then the models fitted. The hairstyles with the three-dimensional art and accessories were then matched to the models and wardrobes. The one-half mile stretch of road called Bluff Drive near my home was then surveyed a number of times to select the sites for photographing each of the models in the different wardrobes. Permission was obtained ahead of time from the property owners where the individual shoots were done. The lighting had to be planned; we used mainly a large softbox, along with a beauty dish and large reflector. Since the shoot ran to 4 PM, drinks, snacks, and food had to be provided; that seems obvious but should not be left out if the shoot is going to last more than an hour or so. My house was used for changing, makeup, and bathroom facilities. A final note, especially when shooting outside, always have a backup plan for everything, in case it rains, the wind is too high to use a softbox, or if there is equipment failure. If the photographer does not have a manager/assistant , it is the photographer’s responsibility to manage the details. The photographs can be seen in the Gallery/Events/Fashion Shoot on the Bluff.

Take The Shot

Posted on March 30, 2012 by admin

If you don’t take shot, you will not get the photo. On my morning walk before sunrise, the owner of a boat was rowing to his ketch. My ISO was 1600, f-stop 5.6, 210 mm, and .6 seconds. The camera movement resulted in a surreal moment that could have been missed had I not taken the shot.

To Post or Not

Posted on March 11, 2012 by admin

It is common knowledge that a photographer will be judged not on his/her best photo but on the worst. This can cause a dilemma when posting photos that are not in the fine art category but more documentary. These photos may contain flaws of lighting, background, expression, or composition. But they are still worth posting for their inherit value. The value may be only to one person or many. This is a whimsical photo from a recent shoot and an example of “learn the rules, then break them.” Notice the reflection of the umbrella in the sunglasses which I purposely left in the photo. To see all of the photos, go to Gallery/Events/The Artful Table 2012.

Projects

Posted on March 5, 2012 by admin

Rather than random shoots, specific photography projects are a good way to improve photographic skills. The projects may be self-designed or ones that are requested by clients. Two of my recent projects included shoots for an advertising piece and a bridal show.

This is one of the photos used for the advertising piece for The Artful Table, an annual fund-raising event by the Telfair Academy Guild to benefit the Telfair Museums. The table setting was put together by a stylist and a graphics designer. The main light source for the shoot was a skylight; the reflection can be seen in the jars on the table but was felt not to be objectionable in the final piece. An off-camera flash with a snoot was used to highlight the plates in the center of the photo. The table in the photo was about 4 feet high, so the photo had to be taken from a ladder at a height of about 8 feet. The reflection of the photographer and ladder in the jars were removed in post-processing.

This is the poster used in the ad campaign. The photograph was also used for individual invitations, a banner displayed outside the museum, and a newspaper ad. The Artful Table is an annual fund-raising event by the Telfair Academy Guild to benefit the Telfair Museums. The event includes nationally-known speakers, a luncheon, a preview party with foods from outstanding local restaurants and caterers, a silent auction, and table vignettes. Each year the themed vignettes are created by local individuals and businesses with this year’s theme being Celebrations.

The second project was a bridal show called Behind the Veil. Monica McMasters and B Street Salon were responsible for the models’ hair at the show. Monica asked if I would photograph the annual bridal show that is held at the Jepson Art Museum. Bleu Belle Bridal provided the models and gowns, and Savannah Magazine is a co-sponsor. Most of the photos were taken “on the fly.” They were all shot using available light with some off-camera fill flash. This provides challenges including poses, background and lighting. When photographing this or a similar event in the future, I will bring additional equipment. A backdrop and studio lighting will provide greater diversity in the photos I can shoot. You can see additional photos from this shoot under EVENTS.

Jay Maisel

Posted on November 21, 2011 by admin

I first posted this as an addition to the About Me page on the website but decided readers would better access the information if I put it in my blog.

This photo of Jay (on the right) and me was taken by Jamie Smith, Jay’s Workshop Producer.

After thoughts, some random, some not: Who is Jay Maisel? A video produced by Kelby Training, A Day With Jay Maisel, was a good intro and enough to perk my curiosity. Shortly thereafter, my wife and I made reservations for the workshop. As the time approached, I felt like a kid a few days before Christmas, and my anticipation turned out to be well-founded. Following Jay’s advise in his videos (the first mentioned above, the second one, Another Day With Jay Maisel) and to my wife’s dismay, I purchased black shirts, black pants, and comfortable black shoes – this outfit helps make you invisible when shooting on the street, a Jay true-ism. My wife is not used to seeing me in Zorro-black.

So much information was crammed into 5 short days that flew by. No reason to reinvent the wheel, my latest lens is the 28-300 mm Nikon – this was the only lens I took to the workshop and the one Jay uses most frequently. Another “Jay-ism” is the more lenses you take, the less you shoot. Right again. By the way, Jay is a self-proclaimed Nikon junkie, but we had several users of the “other brand” in the class. The equipment bag I recently took to the Egypt workshop weighed about 40 pounds and was a back-breaker. One body and one lens is the thing dreams are made of when preparing for a shoot. Also, no filters, with rare exception, and no lens hoods. “Use your damn hand above the end of the lens if you need shade.” Jay has had to replace a few lenses over the years but does not like the distortion created by filters – the lens hood makes the lens more intimidating on the street. At the bottom of the recommended equipment list for the workshop is a tripod, “if you want.” When I return for Jay’s Alumni Workshop, the tripod stays at home. Obviously I do use a tripod when needed and polarizing and neutral density filters when appropriate.

You cannot take a photo if you do not have a camera (Jay tru-ism). Some interesting photos have even come from the water closet. Keep the camera with you! Some of the newer digital cameras give amazing photos in low light, hand held using ISO’s of 1600 and above. Prior to the workshop, I would rarely go above 800, and was usually shooting 200 or 400.

Jay has two buttons, tough guy and pussy cat. Being of the female persuasion is a definite advantage when the second button is needed, and his daughter is obviously the queen of second-button clan. Seriously, he is a wonderful human being with a gift for photography and more importantly in my opinion, teaching the art. Regarding the workshop, I cannot tell you how important his assistants Jamie and John were in making the it successful – highly, no very highly, knowledgeable about cameras and computers and software, and, and, and.

Light, gesture, and color – and you are responsible for every square millimeter of your photograph – yes, when you take it, not after you have altered the photo with “some fancy-dancy software.” If it does not add anything to the picture, do not include it; no unintended distractions.

Jay was a very gracious host, sharing his magnificent home, extensive photographs, phenomenal “things collections,” knowledge of the craft and art, and most importantly himself. The workshop participants were expected to by on the streets of Manhattan, shooting by 6:30 AM. Have I mentioned food? After early AM shooting, the day started with a light breakfast at his home and continued with lunch and dinner at favorite neighborhood restaurants, all really good, and several in the excellent category. Back from a temporary diversion, there are many aspects to a photograph, light and color, but most importantly gesture. If there is no gesture, the photo is not worth taking, and certainly not worth looking at or asking anyone else to spend their time. The ultimate source for explanation of gesture is Jay Maisel. Jay Maisel I am not, but he certainly contributed to who I will ultimately be as a photographer and a human being. I now have an awareness, not there before my week in Manhattan. We all have people in our lives who have made an impact, our parents, a close friend, a teacher, maybe even someone famous – no question that Jay is on many lists.

Red Fashion

Posted on November 15, 2011 by admin

Check out the new content in the Gallery Section Under Events. These are both documentary with some artistic photos included. Most importantly, have fun!

Dan Biggerstaff Photography

Like Who You See

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