Exploring

Youth and curiosity travel together. The trick is keeping them on the same trail as you age.

Many Uses of The "Shoot Through" Umbrella.

Groovy discovery. Decided to grab a quick portrait of my niece. Dark, foreboding, storm clouds as backdrop. Ran inside, got the SB800 and a shoot-through umbrella. Set the flash to full power, used the on-camera flash as a trigger, under exposed the sky by about 2 stops, held the flash and umbrella in my left hand and made a few photographs.

Love the chocolate smudges.

The rain soon began to fall, my niece said she needed to be under the umbrella, I held the umbrella over her head and suddenly thought, Hmmm... this could be a shot. Even though it's a "shoot-through" umbrella there was more than enough bounce-back to create this image.

Will be using this technique more often.

You don't necessarily need to stop shooting even when you think you've got the shot. You just never know.

Teaching and Learning

Joe McNally has put up a post called "Making Window Light." It's yet another of one of his informative posts, explaining in great detail how he works on the road. He continues to generously share many of his secrets about lighting, about how to travel light and still make images that will knock the socks off your client. All with great humor and wit.

The same is true in person, as I discovered when I attended one of his one day workshops last year. (see here) We all laughed quite a lot and learned even more. If you ever have the opportunity... take it! There'll be no regrets.

Go read the post linked above and learn some new groovy way to achieve that soft window light look with a few strobes. Then put it to practice. I intend to!

Meantime, I'd like to share a few images. After reading Joe's blog I was reminded of the many times I've made actual window light portraits. Most of my favorites were in front of one particular window in my home. Best look comes from cloudy days, but shade works as well. As long as no direct sunlight is coming through, you're good. (unless you really do want that, but that's another thing altogether)

In any case, here's to good light... and good teachers!

Chasing Bubbles.

playful innocence

the gamboling sprite

cheerful, brimming with glee

impishly giggles to the delight

of familial woodland attendants

Imagination.