This is a photo I took while teaching an industrial photography workshop at the GPP in Dubai, UAE.
Nikon V2 in my bag
I recently purchased a used Nikon V2 with two lenses on eBay for a great price. The V2 has a small sensor with a crop factor of X2.7, which really increases the length of my longer lenses. The image quality looks good in the lower ISO range, actually I'm impressed.
I used my Nikon V2 yesterday on assignment shooting for an Oil & Gas company. The photo above was shot using my manual focus 300mm f/2.8 with a X2 converter. With a crop factor of 2.7, the focal length equals a 1620mm lens. Here is another image shot at sunset the night before.
My new Nikon V2 has earned a spot in my camera bag. Here is another image with just the 300mm on the V2, effective length of lens is 810mm. This was shot from the ground looking up to the deck of the drilling platform.
UPAA 2014 Symposium
I was a quest speaker and workshop presenter at this years, UPAA (University Photographers Association of America) symposium. The UPAA met this year at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. This was my 4th time speaking to this fine group of photographers.
I conducted three 1 1/2 hour mini workshops this year. One of the lighting techniques I demonstrated was a proper bounce. University photographers are not typically given a lot of time to create images and setting up a softbox or some other modifier take up valuable time.
This photo below was lit using a bounce technique, I actually placed the flash (Nikon SB-800) behind my subject camera left. With a set of barndoors on the flash, I aimed it over the shoulder of my subject to the wall cameral right. I aimed the flash as to allow a bit of it to strike my subject which provided a nice rim light. There is also a flash at the end of the hall with a orange gel on it striking the wall. This flash was also a Nikon SB-800, placed on Channel 1 Group B, the main light was set to Group A.
Just as a quick note: I'll be teaching a lighting workshop with my friend Dave Black in Charleston, SC in September for the Mentor Series.
Bee Keeper
Back in March, I was teaching at The Santa Fe Photographic Workshops. This is one of the demonstration photos I made during the week. I hired this bee keeper to come by the workshop for a short portrait session. After shooting in the studio, we went outside to make the portrait you see above.
I used a FourSquare softbox with two SB-800 flashes inside.
Below is the studio photo as well as the set up.
Adding Flash to a Landscape
I was recently on a Mentor Series Trek to Monument Valley and Arches National Park. During a sunset shoot, the sun came out with great intensity across the landscape, however the log in the forground was in shade. I placed a full CTO gel over my Nikon SB-700 to warm the light so it matched the setting sun further back in the landscape. Flash is not just for portrait work!
LA Photo Walk
This past weekend I was in Los Angeles, CA, I was attending The Big Photo Show. I was actually working in a booth for Popular Photography and American Photo Magazine, representing the Mentor Series. I had an after noon to walk around LA to snap a few images for myself. Single camera and lens....
