Small sensor, small lens … phone and post!

Pubblicato il 23 marzo 2013 da admin

Strange to me, I have to say that using my phone to take photos is a way that, just for fun, become part of my life slowly but in a consistent way.

Unexpected, a folder in my Flickr account is called “Mobile”, it collects most of the pictures taken with the phone camera and often suddenly postproducted with Instagram, RetroCamera or Snapseed.

Al lavoro! Trasferimento fieno! #camminaconlasino #mule #donkey #farmTo be honest, you have not such liberty as a real photo camera (reflex or not): you cannot choose the exposure and aperture, not change the lens, not read the amount of light, not easily connect a flash on the hot shoe;  but on the other side less control on the camera push me to pay more attention to the quality of light and frame.

Snapseed shot and post

 The possibility to shot almost everything in every moment is not so different to take a camera with you, photographers ever did that during the years!

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I think that what change is the “immediate postproduction” and “share”. There is something that hit me and I can give you my immediate feeling of the moment not only sharing the photo but with the crop, saturation, adjustments and then feelings that I want to underline in that exact time.

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From this point of view, the risk to fall in something banal, common or just interesting to me but not to the viewer is high. On the other side shooting with the phone isn’t something that I feel to be my way to do photography, I don’t think it can substitute my reflex and lenses but yes..I use the phone too and I can say that some shots are very likely! IMHO

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I never ever thought about, when some days ago my fellow photog said  to me “You know? My wife does an exhibition with the photos she took with the phone!” I started to reflect to the number and impact of photos that I shot everyday with the cell.

Nothing to complain, just some thoughts because…at the end… light is light!! Cheers!

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One light pregnancy shot on location

Pubblicato il 23 febbraio 2013 da admin

The last week I shot Margherita in her house, she is pregnant and next to the childbirth. I want a clear b&w shot similar to the one we produced some years ago for a charity auction (follow the link).

I was in front of the problem to choose where to put my subject to have a good background and enough space for place the lightstands. Inspired from the white walls and strict spaces I managed the shot in the following way:

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Imagine a strict corridor that opens in two doors, Margherita stands at the center of the cross, behind her shoulders a glass-door act as a light-diffuser; two speedlights are on stand hide from the door set at 1/8 power as key light.

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1/30 s @ F/4 ISO 125

 

The fill light is provided by a circular Lastolite white panel placed on the opposite side. The aim is to open the shadows over her body and face. The camera is in the front room with the Cactus V4 plugged on the hot shoe to command the flashes.

I turn on B&W in post and tract the skin with the frequency separation technique, very powerful but I need to practice more and more.

Have a good light!

Pubblicato in english, Fotografia, italiano, model, modella, photography, portrait, ritratto, strobist, strobist | Contrassegnato , , , , , , , , , , , | Commenti disabilitati

In the studio with an old friend

Pubblicato il 27 dicembre 2012 da admin

The occasion was a dinner with an old friend of mine and my wife; the person you miss for a handful of years throughout university, first job and family. Then she appeared again and told me that a book, like a model’s one, is a dream she ever had.

Said and did! We organized a first session thanks to the studio of fellow photographer Francesco Marmino, a good ambient to rent for some shots.

Nicoletta is not used to the camera and takes some time to achieve the right feeling but in the end those shots are noot bad! ;-)

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60′s style and black&white work well togheter for this intimate feeling. I use only one light in a square soft box just to create some directional light and deep shadow for a nice contrast.

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Special thanks goes to MUA Miriam Li Trenta that takes care of make up during all the session.

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20121114-_MG_1575_webThanks folks and have a good light!

 

Pubblicato in english, Fotografia, italiano, model, modella, photography, portrait, ritratto, strobist, strobist | Contrassegnato , , , , , , , , , | Lascia un commento

Dramatic portrait

Pubblicato il 29 novembre 2012 da admin

There is a type of photography that make me crazy, what it’s usually know as “dramatic portrait“: an environmental portrait where the background is deep and  strong in contrast with a soft light that balance the subject.

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Michael Grecco and Joe McNally were always been an inspiration in this field and the last week I had the opportunity to experiment a little with a new model under my lens for a book.

Alessandra is a law student with the passion for dress and clothes. During the shooting she brought with her a black dress in a gothic style.

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I ask you to concentrate on the first shot that is nothing else than a silhouette. I want to achieve a fashion style lighting the model in a gentle but directed way.

What you are seeing in the b&w shot is our start condition, from this point I want to underxpose the background and light correctly the model. The problem is about the quantity of light that is needed to overburn the highlight of the cloudy sky.

I chose to put two speedlight Canon 430 EX inside the portable octobox, in manual mode and full power, triggered via Canon 550Ex IR-Signal. It follows the light scheme.

The drawback is that the IR signal from the master flash on camera doesn’t hit the slave flashes because of the black fabric of the octobox. The easiest solution is to bounce the IR signal against the silver surface of the circulare Lastolite Panel. The master fire the IR signal, the signal reach the panel and bounce back to the white diffusive curtain of octobox and lets the slave to fire.

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1/160 s @ F/2,8 ISO 50 – 2x Canon 430Ex full power

So, here you are the result! What about the color cast? Just a little trick with the white balance: set in camera for tungsten light and correct the flash with a full CTO gel.

That’s all! Have a good light and see you soon!

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The non conventional way

Pubblicato il 12 settembre 2012 da admin

Hard work over me in this time! Office is going to prolong its activities all along september and october, my wife stable’s and our mules and donkeys are in full time work for the last trade show and events of this summer.

So, not many time for portrait photography but the last month I did a test shot with a new model: Giulia (too many models with the same name..!). The session was one of the many “lunchtime shots” that had the aim of knowing each other in order to a later and immersive  session.

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Abandoned places and beautiful model are always a good choice for a nice contrast, and what I can say is that Giulia has attitude! Great posing and natural feel let you easy to shoot.

In this case I leave the softboxes and flashes in the bag for most the time, working with ambient light filtering from the windows.

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Flattering light and a lot of flare inspire me for the following shot across fashion and sixties’ style

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If the past photos are standard shots, the following one is that make me proud of this session. Strong natural light outside the house, force myself to use it in a non conventional way: backlight and low shutter speed with a little bit of speedlight!

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The setup is very simple: the backlight is provided by the ambient light from outside the house, there is no reason to take care of the correct exposure of this highlight strip because the indoor ambient is very dark and force you to long shutter speed. The correct exposure of Giulia burns the strip without many discussions.

But if the long shutter speed is long enough to register the movement, the result is a dreamy look. Ok at this point I need some rabbit in the hat to make comprehensible the photo and…ta da!!!

The solution is always my old friend Ezybox! Placed on stand at model’s left side I used it without diffuser with a Canon 430 ex inside triggered through Cactus V4 and second curtain synch. The shutter opens and register the dress movement, than the speedlight fires and freeze Giulia’s face, shutter close and your photo need only a cold style preset in postproduction.

Have a good light and see you soon!

Pubblicato in english, Fotografia, italiano, model, modella, photography, portrait, ritratto, strobist, strobist | Contrassegnato , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Lascia un commento