Today we will give away to THREE PEOPLE, so keep the nominations coming in.
FIRST NAME DRAWN: 20X30 Signed Print ("Mineral Basin from the Tram" - currently in Skiing Magazine) + 2 Snowbird Lift Tickets (Total value of $470) SECOND NAME DRAWN: -New Photo/Video website from Smugmug (Pro Account - $150)
Here's the scoop: We want to help a new company or non-profit successfully get their name and product out into the marketplace by giving away a full blown commercial photo shoot - for free! This will include everything from a preproduction phone call with the owners, directors or creative department to a full day of shooting with models and all the equipment necessary and lastly all post-production required to tie the shoot together. I'm extremely excited to help a deserving organization out!
Now, In addition to this grand prize, we are doing a daily give-away just for nominating a company you think deserves this opportunity. You can't nominate your own company (but a friend can). For the next three days (starting right NOW), we'll be giving away cOOl gear! You can enter to win every day by entering a new company name (no repeats please). The drawing will be at random at the end of each day (10:00pm MST, 12:00pm EST). Please think of an organization or individual that is really deserving and fits the criteria mentioned above. If they don't have a website or information, please tell us a little bit about them.
For anyone interested in getting involved either giving away something this week or participating in the shoot, please email me (info (at) kevinwinzeler.com) with details. I would love to see a Creative & art directors, models, assistants donate their time for this project.
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Win Free Gear - Today's Giveaway!
1) Think of a start-up company or non-profit organization in the fitness, outdoor or sports industry for the Photo Shoot.
2) Write their name in the comments section of the daily giveaway (below).
Huge thanks to the companies helping in the giveaway - Clik Elite & Smugmug!
*The grand prize will be awarded to the company I feel is most deserving in terms of their overall need for the services, opportunity for success and good will they are doing.
*Please note that all expenses involved in the photo shoot will be paid for by Kevin Winzeler Photography including local travel in Utah. For travel to other States or worldwide, the only thing the company will pay for is travel and lodging.
The Adobe Company approached me recently to help shoot a commercial/film highlighting all that the State of Utah has to offer as a place to work, live and play. My first thought was along the lines of, "We're going to need feature film length time to showcase this amazing State and we still won't get to northern Utah (think Moab, Arches, Lake Powell, Zion, Bryce...phew)." Of course, I was ecstatic with the opportunity not only because I love where I live and work, but also because of the creative freedom I had on this project and the chance to shoot more motion and video; something I've been pushing into much more intensely this past year. As a photographer and film maker, I have images in my mind that I look forward to shooting when the time is right, and this was one of those times.
We made the most of our key locations and worked with local talent for most outdoor, sports and lifestyle shots to nail down the key shots within our deadline and budget. I also pulled out some more seasonal imagery (i.e. Lake Powell, Winter) I'd shot prior to help supplement the story line as well. I also had the chance to play both director and director of photography during the project which was an absolute blast. The nightlife, education and technology imagery was done in a more run and gun style, which I'll get to in later posts.
Props also go to CMG for their work shooting part of the piece (a joint effort) including some of the interviews and other landscape footage. And a huge thanks to BenC, the man with vision and for tying it all together!
Upcoming blog posts will detail my favorite shots, including behind the scenes video. Don't miss the helmet cam footage and one of the most unusual underwater chest rigs that has ever been devised for the water ski shots at Deer Creek. Stay tuned.
This clip inspires me for a couple of reasons and wanted to share with you: First, my heart goes out to good friends for the loss of one of their close buddies and surf legend, Andy Irons. He will be missed!
Second, top athletes, people and businesses have an unyielding focus on a very specific goal. Whether it's a championship ring, winning a world title in surfing or launching a new product to first position in the marketplace, the drive and focus are the same. It's a pretty simple formula; set a goal and focus acutely until it's accomplished.
There's of course an irony I must mention in the two things that strike me about this clip; sometimes when we lose something in life, like those closest to us (family and friends), our priorities shift and so does the focus we've worked so hard to achieve. What seemed like everything in life can in an instant become hollow and empty. This process has happened on occasion to me and as a result helped refine my 'focus' on the goals that matter most. There is however a difference between shifting our focus to find a better balance and being unfocused altogether. We all need a kick to the backside once in a while and people like Mr. Slater usually inspire us to get up, move and work toward whatever the goal is we hope to achieve.
I was out testing some time lapse the other night in front of our local grocery store of all places and saw this interesting composition. We've essentially got a two light set-up going on :)...a mixture of moon light (creating a rim light) and street lamps (creating some funky warm glow - probably @ a WB of 15 kagillion kelvin).
The clip is a total of 150 shots combined at 24fps to create motion.
Tools to make it happen:
Canon 5D Mark II
Lens: Canon 24-105 @ 105mm
Intervalometer
f/4.0
10 second exposure
The first image of the sequence was processed in Adobe Lightroom 3 the settings shown below. The settings were then synced across all 150 Raw images and brought into Adobe After Affects to give it motion. Each image was sped up and cut to 24p courtesy of AE guru Ben Unguren.
As a professional photographer and business owner a primary goal with all projects is to exceed client expectations! (see "shoot for the cover" post) Every time! No exceptions! Hitting the target is good. Hitting the bullseye is better!
So, how do you do this? The first step is to understand and narrow the scope of every project you write an estimate for. Does an email like this ring a bell?
"Hi photographer xyzfstop: In general, can you give me a ballpark figure to take a few shots for a project we have coming up? "
Sure, this is a bit exaggerated, but you get the point. How in the world will you ever even meet a clients expectations let alone exceed them with such vague language? You won't. The scope of the project must be defined and narrowed to ensure success and provide an estimate. A while back, I started sending a Photography Pre-Shoot questionnaire in response which helps A) get a feel for how serious the request is and B) narrows the scope of the project to the point that the I'm 100% confident on delivering the goods within the allotted time frame and budget. The questionnaire is really a simple tool that almost goes without saying. However, putting a project description in writing will kick off a great conversation with a serious client and build trust in you as a professional in the industry.
Feel free to hit me up at (info (at) kevinwinzeler.com) and I'll shoot you over either a PDF or Apple 'Pages' version to customize to your business. It's also available as a free download on the resources section of my site along with the Photography Gear Checklist. (Note: tailor the information in either document to your specific target market and needs).
Photography Pre-shoot - Questionnaire
1) Photography Location (street name, number, city, state, country):
2) Short description of project:
3) Number of total shots needed and type of shots:
4) Estimated number of days:
5) Type of mood to be conveyed (Twilight/Daytime - tight - wide angle, etc.):
6) End use of images (publications, portfolio, web, wall display)
7) Date (s) of the photo shoot:
8) Other considerations (Models, Producer, Stylist, Pre-production days, Travel, etc.):
9) Date and time you are available to further discuss on the phone:
Recently a fitness magazine editor contacted me for a cover image in an upcoming magazine (Which was a fantastic change from the otherwise obsurd submission process, but I digress). After selecting a sending a few options over, he came back to congratulate me on the cover shot for an upcoming publication. I was stoked!
After thinking for a bit about what makes a cover image, I came to the conclusion that photographing for the "cover" is a mentality; a mentality that dictates that every time I pick up the camera and head out to shoot, I'm going to deliver the best possible work I'm capable of, a cover image if you will. However you define that term "cover", the mentality is the same. Maybe you dream about displaying your first panoramic print in a gallery or delivering a stellar bridal image to a client or taking a genuine portrait of your grandparents. In my mind those are your "covers". Remember there's only one cover image at the end of the day. So what does that panoramic print look like? What's the composition, lighting, subject matter and moment? However you define it, I'll bet your next shoot will take on new meaning and purpose if you decide to shoot a "cover" that day. It's the mentality I take to commercial shoots. It's also the mentality I define my personal work by. It's what helps me push my photography and film further each day. So go get it! Your cover shot, that is!
Tech: 5D II, 70-200 @ f/2.8, 580EX II and shoot through umbrella. Edited via Lightroom 3
"Four short words sum up what has lifted most successful individuals above the crowd: a little bit more. They did all that was expected of them and a little bit more." ~A. Lou Vickery~
As photographers, how about a little bit more... ~Time working a composition. ~Patience for better light. ~Delivery to our clients. ~Interest in the people we are photographing. ~Appreciation of the great photographers before us. ~Thoughtfulness about why we shoot what we shoot. ~Decision about picking locations. ~Confidence in our personal vision.
I'm super stoked to bring you a few behind the scenes clips from images that appeared on this month (July/August) issue of Trail Runner magazine as well as earlier this year in March. On both occasions, the opportunity came to shoot a couple of commercial photography assignments and on a side note, these two images also get picked up by Trail Runner magazine for covers. This months cover was taken on the island of Kauai, one of the most gorgeous places on earth (anyone interested in a "Location Lighting" workshop in 2011??). We whipped up a little BTS video earlier this year from our shoot out there, showing some lighting techniques, so check that out too - Kauai Trail Running - Photography.
I hope you enjoy a quick behind the scenes from each of the trail running Cover Shots! Feel free to fire away with any questions about the shoot!
Photo courtesy: Bogdan Cristel
I try to frequent the Boston Globe "Big Picture" at least once every few weeks to take in stories from around the world. I was stoked to see shots from the first half of the Tour de France as I opened the page this morning. If you've never watched a stage of the biggest bike race in the world, do yourself a favor and check out one of the mountain stages (Pyrenees) over the next three days. You'll see both epic battles on the steep mountain slopes and some of the craziest folk you've ever laid eyes on. Check all 40 out here
:http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/07/2010_tour_de_france_-_part_i.html
After checking out the link, let us know which are your favorite images (first, second, third). Also, whether or not you're a cyclist and if you've watched any of the race either this year or in the past.
(Right-click on the picture to your right and "open" in a new window)
When composing photographs, I quickly fire through the following checklist in my head: 1) Foreground (What is the best foreground to draw interest to my subject?) 2) Subject (what am I composing my shot around) 3) Background (Is this the best background to draw interest to my subject?) Sure, this is photography 101 stuff, subject, foreground, background, but acute attention to the details of these three things will make or break your photography. The first image was taken during the Salt Lake ski shootout this past winter. Notice a couple of things about the foreground element in the Ski shot: 1) It's taking up roughly 2/3rds of the frame. 2) Color = Red. Cyan (sky) and Red (sign) are complementary colors and draw our eyes into a scene quickly. 3) The text "Experts Only" supports the the subject and tells a story. Next, are two images taken at Pipeline on the North shore of Oahu, one of the top surf spots in the world. The difference between aiming your camera toward the surf and framing your subject through an interesting foreground element is huge. The silhouetted coconut trees above felt like I was peering out of a window frame into the scene. The large wave rolling in with lots of little bobbing surfer heads just below it are an interesting subject as well. If I could change one thing.... (this was a candid image and if I could have directed one part of the shot, I would have created a bit more separation between the boy (also silhouette) on the lower left-hand side of the frame and the tree. He creates an additional foreground element and adds to the story as you can imagine he might be dreaming of being out there himself.) The take-away here is to do look at anything that could be used in the foreground (purposefully) to add depth to the image. -Kevin Winzeler More Sports Photography
I was entrenched in some research for a commercial photography project this past weekend and found this time lapse piece of the Eyjafjallajokull (er...volcano) eruption in Iceland especially inspiring. Excellent work behind the lens Sean Stiegemeier!
Favorite shots: :34 Composition from the road feels like I'm going into battle as well as the movement of the dead brush, dust and smoke. It also looks like a reverse graduated filter effect was used in post to create the desaturated feel on the road. :48 Epic volcano shot. So much power. 1:33 Abandoned DC-3 plane! I want to travel to Iceland just to shoot this. Either some clothing mfg or magazine needs to jump on this location for their next catalog.
The other cool thing about this piece: Dude only had two days off of work, but headed out anyway (self-funded) and created something epic. Message to self = stop making excuses and go shoot.
On the technical side of this type of stuff, you may recall a recent conversation I had with another fella about some of the techniques here.
Kudos to these guys for their passion and patience! Besides giving me the travel bug, stuff like this inspires me to be a better photographer.
Here's the rundown:
1) GO to the Facebook Fan Page: HERE
2) Become a fan. click the little "likey" button
3) "SUGGEST THE PAGE" to at least 20 fans (on your honor)
3) Tell us about it on the Fan Page
4) Cash in and look at the tropical Hawaiian ocean every day in your office or living room
Pretty simple and easy! (Contest ends Thursday, June 24th!)
The first image was taken on a peaceful morning at sunrise on the North Shore of Oahu near Laie. The worn and weathered pillars stand still as the ocean washes around them.
The second image, also from the North Shore is a surfers dream. There could not have been a more pristine setting as two long-time surfers made their way out to a distant break with long boards in hand. It's a favorite for sure!
This weeks all about giving a huge shout-out to music photographer and educator extraordinaire, mr. Zack Arias. I met Zack while teaching a course during Photocamp Utah and was super impressed by not only his photography, but by his personality and philosophy in life.
In short, he just wrapped up a teaching a 3 day live workshop with the creativeLIVE folks and absolutely killed it! If you can scrounge up a few bucks ($129 to be exact) I highly recommend picking up the nearly 20 hours of live footage on all things studio photography- CreativeLive Info. Whether you've never picked up a flash in your life or are a seasoned pro, you'll get your money's worth. I'm half way through the content and picking up some sweet tips and tricks as well as being entertained by one funny dude. Thanks Zack and crew!
BTW - the classes are free if you tune in LIVE and so check out some of the upcoming stuff.
I love photographing in the outdoors, working with people and promoting an active and fit lifestyle. On occasion, I find dabbling in the world of architecture fascinating too.
Photographers - What do you love to shoot?
Try this exercise:
1) Open five separate browser windows with five of your favorite photographers websites.
2) Save ONE image from each site that you would absolutely DIE to have in your portfolio. Just one!
3) Create a collage of those five images, save it as a jpeg and send it to your phone, ipad, printer, desktop.
4) Study the photographs for 5-10 minutes each day and look for something new.
-What emotion do you feel?
-Why do you connect with these images?
-What are some common themes across all of them (people, sports, products, food)?
-What interests you about the posing, lighting, camera angles and post-production?
-What would you change about the image?
Okay, I can already hear a number of you saying: "Ya, nice idea, but shouldn't I find my own vision and style? I don't want to copy someone else's work." And while I completely AGREE with your thought process here, this is simply an exercise to help you find what it is you love about picking up the camera and taking pictures and deciding to pursue those interests. What subject matter most intrigues you? Do you know? If every picture in your collage has a person in it, then why are you so bent on learning how to light and shoot inanimate products in a studio environment? If the images promote fitness, sport and the outdoors, then why are you spending time and money learning how to promote your wedding photography business? Vision comes from passion and this will help you visually see what it is you are passionate about shooting. You probably already know, but we can all use a reminder from time to time. You may find that you can shoot a variety of subjects and that your five images are completely diverse and span everything from sports photography to pet photography, but I doubt that will be the case. So the message is not to steal or copy, but rather to focus and develop your vision and style.
5) DECIDE to develop your portfolio around what it is you love to shoot. The type of work you put out is the type of work you'll be paid to shoot.
"Kevin, I am a big fan of your work after seeing you on strobist, I am now doing quite a bit of adventure oriented advertising photography. I hope you can answer one question for me.... I am deciding between the Elinchrom Ranger RX Speed AS pack with "S" freelight head or Ranger RX pack with "A" freelight head. CAN THE "S" FREEZE ACTION FAIRLY WELL OR DO I HAVE TO GO WITH THE "A"? I understand you are very busy but hope you can lay a little info on me. I use Canon 5d II, 16-35 II, 24-105, 70-200 f4. pocketwizard plus ii's Thanks!"
This is a great question because it addresses one of the most important, yet overlooked items to consider when buying a new set of strobes, especially for sports photography, that of Flash Duration. The key difference between the two heads in question is the flash duration, the "A" head being twice as fast as the "S" head. Flash duration, just like shutter speed, is measured in fractions of a second and becomes your action stopping measurement when working in low light or dark (studio) situations. Typically, you want the shortest/fastest flash duration possible, just like you would want the fastest shutter speed possible when shooting and trying to stop action.
To visualize this, find a room in your house that you can turn completely dark (no ambient light leaking in). Put your camera on a tripod and open your shutter for 30 seconds. Now, let's say during your exposure, the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt, runs in front of your lens and just as he passes by, you fire your strobe. Will he be in focus, blurry or a combination of the two? Remember, your shutter is open for 30 seconds, so wouldn't he just be a blurry abstract blob in the final image? The truth of the matter, is that the action freezes based entirely upon your strobe (remember no ambient light) and the accompanying flash duration of that strobe, or in other words, how QUICKLY your strobe goes on and then off. So if your strobes flash duration is 1/125th of a second, Usain is going to be blurry! So what is your strobes flash duration? In the case of an Elinchrom Ranger it is a combination of which head, pack and power setting is used.
If I were shooting Mr. Bolt in a studio with my Ranger AS Speed pack, A head and Full power on the B channel (366 w/s), the absolute best (shortest) flash duration I could achieve would be 1/1700th of a second, plenty fast to stop the action (see my note on using the t.1 rating instead of what the mfg suggested t.5). However, with the same settings but switching to the "S head" my results would be 1/850th of a second. Now, what if I needed full power from my pack (1100 w/s)? Note the chart above with 1 A head @ Full power = 1/2300 s and 1 S head @ Full power = 1/1250 s. For the A head, my action stopping power has been reduced from 1/1700th to 1/766th and S head from 1/850th to 1/400th, which starts to creep into the blurry zone for action stuff on the S head. Lower power settings would result in an even slower duration and more chance for motion blur.
Skiing photograph shot during the SLC shootout. Skier: Jason West. 4 strobes used in total: 2 Elinchrom Ranger RX Speed AS Packs, 3 "A" heads and 1 Canon 580EXII fired via Skyports. Lighting set-up here The action in this shot is entirely stopped by the strobes (roughly 1/2000th of a second flash duration).
Phew...so, what does all of this mean in the real world and why is it important? If you are using strobes while shooting ANYTHING moving, then just like knowing what shutter speed to pick to create a sharp, crisp image, you should also know what flash duration you'll be getting from your strobe:
-hummingbird feeding
-gymnast during a floor exercise
-outdoor portrait of model on a windy day (blowing hair)
-pouring a bottle of Coca-cola into a glass for a product shot
-cyclist descending Cormet de Roselend during the Tour de France
IN SUMMARY:
1. Flash duration stops the action and becomes your shutter speed (in low-light and dark settings)
2. Flash duration changes (typically is fastest at full power)- check mfg specs
3. If your strobe manufacturer uses the t.5 number, divide by 3 for the true stopping power of your flash.
So, what's the answer to the question? For the most flexibility stopping motion, get the "A" head. This is one of the main reasons I chose the Elinchrom system because most of their lights have very fast flash durations at a reasonable price. However, just like buying any piece of equipment, consider why you need the faster flash duration head and how it will fit into your work as a photographer and buy what fits your needs. And one final CURVE BALL to end on: If you shoot location work during daylight (much of what I do) then your true stopping power becomes a combination of your cameras sync speed and your strobes flash duration OR worse yet, entirely dependent on your cameras sync speed. In the next blog post we'll discuss using strobes with ambient light, on-location.
Phillip Bloom interviews the Director and producer of of the hit TV series House, Greg Yaitanes, in this interview. The fact that the director of a major TV series decides to shoot it's season finale (not just parts of an episode) is unreal. As photographers and film makers, we have access to an unbelievable number of tools to tell and share stories. Exciting times ahead folks!
It sounds like the Canon primes won on set along with a couple of zooms to ease the transition of shooting different focal lengths. Of note were the 50 f/1.2, 85 f/1.2, 100mm Macro (used in the opening sequence below) and 70-200 f/2.8 II.
There's a good discussion happening over at Cinema 5D on the topic and hopefully we'll see some behind the scenes footage and further discussion soon.
If you missed the show this week, download an HD version at the iTunes store.
When we think of sports photography, usually we think of shooting at the highest shutter speed possible and wide open apertures in order to stop the subject dead in his/her tracks. The sharper the image, the better, right? Let's talk about breaking this rule for a minute and working to capture more of a sense of motion in your images. How do you translate the feeling of a cyclist racing across the asphalt at 30mph? How about the movement of a propeller as an airplane leaves the ground at take-off? Or a sail boat piercing it's way through an open ocean? Or what about a skier tunneling through three feet of freshly fallen snow? One way to create movement in our imagery is through the use of slow shutter speeds and panning the camera. As a commercial photographer, I'm constantly striving to create the most intriguing and compelling photographs. Of the many techniques available to photographers, panning and the use of slow shutter speeds is an excellent tool to add movement and energy when shooting action. Skiing image: panning at 1/30th of a second
The easiest way to practice this technique is to pick up the camera, walk out of your front door and point the camera at moving cars. You can experiment with different shutter speeds, backgrounds and subjects this way. To take panning to the next level, the trick is to get the camera into a position that it can move at the same speed as your subject.
Road cycling image: panning at 1/20th of a second from the back of a van.
Some other points to consider when panning:
1) Pick the important elements to keep sharp:
What are the important elements to keep sharp in the final image? If I'm shooting people, I generally want head and facial features sharp. If it's a commercial shoot, keeping logos, product names or other elements we are advertising is also critical.
2) Move with your subject:
Once you have the location and subject matter, next decide on your composition. The easiest way to explore the technique of panning is to move the camera parallel to your subject as they ride, ski, swim, walk past you. For example, during the 2006 Tour de France, I captured this image of cyclist, David Millar during the prologue stage of the tour. And a few months ago during the Salt Lake Shootout, I captured this skiing photograph with roughly the same technique. However, if you're working in a more controlled environment, try getting into a position where you can keep the camera still and move with the subject. Whether it be a bike, motorcycle, car or other rig, try the camera into a position is moving at the same speed and direction as the subject. For the following image, I wanted a head-on perspective and so we jumped in the back of a mini-van and with the tailgate up, started shooting. I love the gritty feel of getting the camera close to the moving pavement, while keeping the rider and bike in focus.
3) Choose your shutter speed.
Panning requires a steady hand and experimentation with your shutter speed. For example, when shooting a cyclist, I'll start in the 1/25th of a second range and move up or down from there to get the right blend of motion and sharpness. Also, keep in mind your background colors when choosing your shutter speed to create either something that's recognizeable or completely blurred giving an ethereal and abstract feel.
Lifestyle shoot: Panning at 1/5th of a second (strobed w/ Elinchrom Ranger)
Lastly:
1. Use ND Filters. If you're shooting on a sunny day, throw a neutral density filter or polarizer on your lens to bring your exposure back to 1/30th of a second (or whatever shutter speed you decide on). As a LAST resort if you can drop your iso to 50 and crank your aperture to f/22, but make sure your sensor is clean!
2. Bring lot's of memory. We shot roughly 300 images of one athlete in the span of 2 minutes or so on the 5D Mark II (3.9 FPS). We had roughly 10-15 keepers.
3. Safety first. If you are hanging off or a motorcycle or out of the back of a van, make sure to communicate to everyone involved. You, the driver and the athlete need to be on the same page. The last thing you want is for the driver to suddenly hit the brakes while your cyclist is trailing 3 feet behind at 30 MPH. Keep it safe.
What are some of your techniques for panning? Let's hear it. Next, we'll talk about panning with the use of strobes (big and small).
