National Pencil Day - The Object of Endless Possibilities
The Pencil - The Object of Endless Possibilities
I don't typically acknowledge the "national day of whatever." 99% of the time I am unaware that its any kind of national recognition day until social media tells me that it is. 99% of the time I take no action based on the national thing day. Today is a little different.
Admittedly, I was unaware that March 30 was national pencil day, but when it came to my attention, I decided I didn't want to ignore it this time. The pencil and what it represents has a special place in my heart.
As a kid, I remember sitting and staring at my pencil and a blank piece of paper. I remember thinking to myself that I could write, draw, doodle, or note anything I wanted. The pencil represented literally endless possibilities. I could design a house, write a poem, invent a character, compose a song, start a novel, solve an equation, create an identity, build a rocket, explore a new planet, or anything else my mind could dream up. There were infinite things that I could do with that pencil. And the beauty of it all was that I could flip the pencil and use the eraser to give myself a second chance. If the thing I created wasn't quite right, the gummy end of that magic wand granted me the opportunity to make it right. There was nothing that couldn't be fixed. At some point in my life, I lost that perspective.
Currently, my oldest child is wrapping up kindergarten. He's learned to write all the letters and numbers, write his name, read words and draw pictures that represent them, and make up sentences that he can write down to practice his new skill. Over the years, I'd forgotten about this little reflection of mine from my childhood. But now that my son is entering this broad new world where anything is possible, it's all coming back to me. A little bit of magic has been restored in my life.
Tech details on the above image:
Camera: Fujifilm X-T1
Light: LumoPro LP180 through an umbrella
Shot overhead on white plastex. Triggered via Pocket Wizard plus IIIs.
What's in my Bag - My Everyday Photo Kit
My everyday photo kit. A small but powerful kit that is perfect for everyday carry and can net you some solid results on the fly.
I carry a bag every day, where ever I go. As a photographer, I like to always have the tools I need to get that quick candid moment, or snap that impromptu portrait wherever I am.
When I purchased the Fujifilm X100s, a lot changed for me as a photographer. One of those changes was my realization that most of the camera bags I own are not at all aesthetically pleasing to me. Way too much black or grey nylon and little to no personality. So I began the search for a new bag. I settled on swapping out my camera bags for two seperate Domke bags. The one shown above would be my everyday bag, and another larger bag for bigger jobs requiring more gear.
I have now settled on a small, but very powerful everyday photo kit:
Domke F-10 Medium Shoulder Bag in Rugged Wear finish
I adore this bag and this finish. The bag is solid, durable, exactly the right size for me, and looks great. In addition to this bag, I bought a larger messenger bag when the job requires more gear, so I have matching bags that look awesome, for what that's worth.
Fujifilm X100s
There is not a lot I can say here that I or others haven't already said. I love this camera and carry it every. single. day.
LumoPro LP180
This flash is everything. I recently bought 2 more, in addition to the this one AND the two LumoPro LP160s I have. These flashes are powerful, consistent, reliable, versatile, and inexpensive. Almost everything I shoot is with a LumoPro flash.
2x Pocket Wizard Plus III + Sync Cable
Carrying these in my kit offers me two sync options: Via optical slave triggered by the X100s' on camera flash, or with these radio triggers.
Inexpensive Two Sided Reflector
Purchased from amazon.com, silver on one side and white on the other, packs up just small enough to fit in the bag. An essential part of this kit.
Batteries and Memory Cards
In the bag is a small CaseLogic wallet for carrying memory cards and spare batteries.
Field Notes 48 Page Graph Paper Memo Book + FN Pen
I am completely and totally addicted to Field Notes and their products. I carry at least one notebook with me everywhere I go, and I have multiple books filled with lighting diagrams, notes, and concepts for future projects.
Odds and Ends
No kit would be complete without a pack of gum, business cards, Advil, tweezers, a pocket knife and a bongo tie.
Not Pictured
Although I don't carry it everywhere per se, I always have a light stand and umbrella nearby, generally in my car. You never know.
Examples
These are the kind of results this kit can get you
Shot with the Fuji, LP180 flash and reflector
Shot with the Fuji, LP180 flash and reflector
Shot with the Fuji, natural light.
BTS Tuesday - The Dancer
I recently reposted an old image of mine on Instagram and got a few questions about how I set up the lighting. Going through my old images, I don't have any good BTS shots of the lighting set up, so I thought I'd do it the old fashioned way and draw out a diagram and do this little write up. I figure this might be pretty fun to do regularly with images old and new, so BTS Tuesday is now a thing on my blog. Yay!
The Set Up
The lighting set up for my photograph "The Dancer"
My family is very blessed to have an incredibly talented group of family and friends whom have often become the subjects of photo projects, one such person is the truly gifted Victoria Souder. She is a dancer and studio owner in Moreno Valley, CA and this was our first attempt at collaborating together. I was doing a mini portrait project where I was photographing people I knew doing what they loved.
We were to shoot together at her studio after class, which I knew would be challenging because, as some dance studios are laid out, the entire west wall was a mirror that ran the length of the room. Judicious use of flags would be the key here.
I knew I wanted my final product to be low-key with dramatic rim light and heavy shadow, and that Victoria would be mid-motion. I set up my only two studio lights at the time (two Calumet Genesis 200's) directly to the left and the right of Victoria, with only the standard reflector, we were going with hard, focused light. I set up my flags to keep stray light off my lens and had to double them up to also block reflections in that mirror wall. We snapped a few shots and they were ok, but missing something.
An outtake from my first shoot with Victoria Souder
Victoria did some amazing things, but I wanted to add a little flare (Zing!) to the shots. I wanted them to feel less heavy and more like a presentation of immense talent, but with that low-key look. It was time to break out my trusty LumoPro flashes.
I added both of my LumoPro LP160 manual flashes to the rear of Victoria, to be shown in frame light stage lights. These lights would also even out the rim lighting I was getting from the Genesis mono lights. The result: "The Dancer"
"The Dancer" Model: Victoria Souder
This image was also featured in the book Strobox Vol. 2, the yearly highlight of the best images on strobox.com. You can purchase a copy here: http://strobox.com/book/vol2. This is a really cool book with a lot of great images, all of which include lighting diagrams and information on how they were shot. Check it out and support the site!
New Hair, New Headshot
New hair for Alesia calls for a new headshot! Shot in the backyard, one speedlight to the rear and camera left, and a reflector bouncing light back into her face.
Guitar - Still Life Product Photography
Sometimes models are hard to come by and you get the itch to make something happen. I had one such evening, so I grabbed my guitar and decided to work on a little still life/product photography. Something a little more artsy than catalog.
Tech Details
Set: In studio, black sheet for the backdrop
Lights: Canon 580exII in a small softbox camera left, gold reflector camera right, LumoPro LP160 camera right with flag covering the neck.