Let's talk about Photography [pics]
 

Hi gang, I always love our discussions about Photography. If you have any questions about lighting, exposure, post processing, white balancing or other areas of Photography that you may be having issues with - let's hear about it. If I don't know the answer ... somebody here will. There are a lot of talented shooters here on GFY and somebody will be able to answer your question. :thumbsup

Here's a few pics to get the ball rolling on todays discussion. This is the famous pornstar Jessica Jaymes. I shot her a few weeks back for Twistys.com. I've also included a behind-the-scenes pics for those who like to see those kinds of things.

Lets' do it :winkwink:

http://www.deancapture.com/pics/jessica/001.jpg

http://www.deancapture.com/pics/jessica/002.jpg

http://www.deancapture.com/pics/jessica/003.jpg

http://www.deancapture.com/pics/jessica/004.jpg

You are a pro at what you do and when I am in Montreal I am picking the camera up again and will start shooting. Be prepared to have few questions coming your way once I am setup ;-)

I ain't no photographer but I must say I like what I'm seeing.Great pics man.Congrats on that.

What do you think of this: Canon EOS 5D + Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM + Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM for shooting models?

Looks like the perfect setup :thumbsup

i wish i had time to learn photography.... :(

Thanks :)

Hey Dean, I'm curious how many people you work with on your shoots. i.e. stylists etc.

Dean do you have any landscape or other things you have shot? It would be interesting to see how you approach them :) Also what is your opinion of beaty dishes?

lovely pics!!..

We have 4 people in our crew. Me, a hair/makeup artist and 2 photo assistants. One of our assistants also doubles as our on-set stylist. She never did styling before but started doing it for us out of necessity. She's really taken a liking to it and does a wonderful job for us. I have the greatest team on earth man - I really do :thumbsup

Tony - the only thing I've shot over the last few years has been Glamour/Erotic/Nude type work. I have no desire to shoot anything else :thumbsup

I don't have a beauty dish but I do have a small round softbox that is about the size of a beauty dish. I like the softbox better because it packs flat and makes it easier to transport. Since all of our work is shot on location - that is an important factor to consider. A beauty dish would be great if you set it up in your studio and leave it there but transporting those can be a major pain in the arse :winkwink:

She's hot as hell !!!! Great pic !! :thumbsup

I have another question for Obi Wan :) What light meter do you use, is it one of those combo spot and indicental ? Also was reading a article about
Timothy Greenfield-Sanders he started using a digital camera instead of his usual
11x14 view camera for some things and he said if you use expensive lighting it doesnt matter.Your thoughts?

hot pics as always!

Tony, I use the Sekonic L-358 as my main meter and for a backup I have a Minolta Auto Meter IVF. I rely on my meters like I rely on my lenses - wouldn't show up at a shoot without them :winkwink:

In regards to "expensive lighting" - I think you get what you pay for man. I've spend a lot on my lighting because I need reliable and dependable service from them. I need constant color balance as well. I don't want to look at my pics and see some of them cooler and some of them warmer. I don't want to see some pics darker and some pics lighter. When I lock in and start shooting, I want all the pics in that set to be the same brightness and the same color. Spending some money on good quality lighting gear will ensure that. Buying cheap lighting gear is great for a beginner but if your trying to produce good quality material - you need lighting that you can rely on and that won't let you down. Just my :2 cents:

Hey Dean.. Love your photography man, I strive to be as talented as you are one day. Here's my question for you: whats your take on using umbrellas?

Hey man - thanks a lot!

Umbrellas are great light modifiers but they don't offer as much control over the lighting as I'd like to have. I used them for years when I started my quest to learn more about lighting many years ago and actually still have a few of them in my arsenal of gear but to be truthful - I haven't used them in years!

A lot of shooters here don't need or require the control that I like to have so using an umbrella would be fine for their needs. I would say use them and see how you like them. If you need more control go with a softbox or some other kind of modifier.

What is white balancing? How do you do it? Do you have to do it before each set? What is the talk about grey 18% or whatever that sometimes pops up?

INSTIGATOR!!!


Good question though....

i just love your pics :)

Here's a link that'll explain what white balancing is. Let me know if you have any questions after you read that :thumbsup

Come back when you have a Photography related question and I'll try my best to answer it. Thanks for playing :winkwink:

All I know is I like what i like!

I like the third pic.

can I have your camera and lens and your skills?

Hi great work btw,
Do you use ring lights and why? second question do you put anything on the one for the hair light and the light in center above?
thanks
ricky

hmmmm - only if you marry me :winkwink:

How long does it take you to set up your lights for each set? and how long does a typical shoot last you?

Great shots Dean! I would like the contact info for any webmasters that buy content for the glam style that I shoot alot of too. Thanks

awesome photos! :thumbsup

I got one for you, I want to do a xmas shoot my wife in front of the tree with the lights on it. How do I light her but still not make the tree so bright that the christmas lights cant be seen?

I assume with two asst's , Dean is just handed his camera and starts shooting and Im so jealous lol

I have 2 ring lights and I love using them. However, I use them rarely. I've found thru my experience with using my ring lights that not all situations lend themselves to the use of ring lights. Here's an example of a good situation:

http://www.deancapture.com/pics/crissy_ringlight.jpg

In regards to putting things on my lights - yes, I do this frequently. I use gels of different colors and hues and sometimes put diffusion material on the lights. Most of the time I have softboxes on my lights though :thumbsup

thanks for the info

How long it takes to setup the lights for a set of pictures depends on how many lights I want to use for that set. Sometimes it may be 1 or 2 lights and sometimes it could be 6 or 7 lights. We are using 5 lights on the pics that I posted at the beginning of this thread as well as a focusing light (a light that I shine on the model to help with focusing). It probably took us about 20 minutes to setup the lights and fine tune them to the point that we were ready for the model. Once she's on the set - we'll remeter the lights in her first position, shoot a few test shots just to confirm that everything looks good and then we'll be off and running with the shoot.

My shoots are pretty quick. I can shoot a set of pics in about 15 to 20 minutes. The actual shoot is not what takes so long - it's getting everything setup and ready for the shoot that takes the most amount of time and energy. Styling the set, the wardrobe, the accessories, setting up and fine-tuning the lights and the exposure. Once everything is in order and we start shooting - it's pretty quick from there.

Tony, if I were doing a shot like this - here's what I would do. I would setup the Christmas tree and bring Mandy out in front of that tree about 10 feet or so. Then I would light her from the side with a nice large softbox and feather the light towards the camera - away from the background. Put up a reflector on the opposite side to fill in the shadows on her body. Then, I'd set the camera up on a tripod and experiement with different shutter speeds to pull in the amount of light on the background that you want. Try 1/2 second, 1 second, 2 seconds. At some point you'll find the right exposure that'll expose Mandy in the foreground with flash and the right shutterspeed setting that'll bring in the background lights on your tree. It's a little trickly but once you get everything setup and start playing with it - you'll figure it all out pretty quickly. :thumbsup

hey dean

im digging the lighting on these and it doesnt look like too much post stuff was done, (i may be wrong because when people doing post are good you cant tell, you know what i mean :) ). good stuff man!

im going to pick up where brett j left off on WB but a little more detailed.

what do you use a majority of the time for a white balance - is there a standard you go by ect - and in what situations do you change things up?

That's my idea of heaven...

All I know is to take photos, but don't have the talent in photography.. thanks for the pics..:)