Typical shoot, untypical subject

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Last night I photographed an event featuring funny-man, atheist, magician author Penn Jillette. And let me tell you, having talked with him and listened to him at some length, he is as intelligent as he appears, and then some. He was also a friend of the late and great Christopher Hitchens (a fact I was aware of) and a very good friend of the late and great Lou Reed (which I did not know). I think I am the only person alive who remembers Mr Jillette when he used to write a column for PC/Computing Magazine in the late 1980s: I used to read that mag for that last page.

The first part of the event was in a hotel. Here, balancing (a) ambient, (b) outside light coming through the window, and (c) my bounced flash was the challenge.

For these, 1/40th sec, f/4, 800 ISO was required.

Then, the event in a University of Toronto theatre. Unfortunately, the stage lights were not available (it was Saturday, and of course staff deserved their weekend off), so it was general (and hence ugly), dim, fluorescent lighting.

Here, of course, flash is out of the question, so I shot at 1/100, f/2.8, 5000 ISO.

The event was, of course, sold out:

Careful white balancing leads to good light even under those circumstances, but I restricted myself to using the 1Dx. I do not like to use the 7D over 1600 ISO.

Now it’s all about expression, moment, composition.  I like Negative Space, and the screen behind him gives me plenty of that if I use the 70-200mm lens:

This time, I even have a photo of myself with my subject. For this, I put the autofocus to “camera chooses” and asked the volunteer to “just click”.

That was a fun shoot.

___

Do you have an upcoming event? I photograph them, and I do it well – that way, your event lasts forever, and all the effort and money you are spending does not end on the night. www.michaelwillems.ca

Exit Stage Left

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Many people think that stage productions need 6400 ISO, f/1.4 lenses, and so on.

Only partly true. Perhaps in a school gym. But professional stage productions are well lit! Look at this picture of Richard Dawkins, which I took a few years ago:

I took that from the front row (yes, be there early), with a 50mm lens at: f/2.8, 1/100th sec, 400 ISO. Here’s one more, exactly as I shot it, same settings:

So, when shooting people at presentations, a well lit stage is fine with an f/2.8 lens. (Why did I use my 50? Because I was close, and I wasn’t sure how well lit this stage would be).

And if you are in a school gym? Then go up to 1600 ISO or whatever you need. And there, an f/5.6 consumer lens will not cut it.

 

A few Lightroom Starter Tips

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Since I am often asked: here’s a few Adobe Lightroom starter tips to get you going. (Lightroom is the app for photo asset management, editing, and output generating).

  • Set up your files using dated folders (named “year-month-day-subject”), in folders per year, with all those year folders under one master folder. That way, if you move them, it’s just one click to tell Lightroom where they now live, or you can move specific years to off computer storage. See this video.
  • Turn on solo mode in all sidebars, so you see only one pane at a time.
  • Learn abbreviations, like D for “Develop” and G for “Grid”.
  • Turn on the XML files (in “catalog settings”):

  • Realize that each module works differently, including many of the keyboard shortcuts.
  • Back up your catalog file (or files): the “.LRCAT” file(s).
  • Learn how to make presets for things you do often (edits, exports, logos, etc).
  • In Develop, press “i” repeatedly to turn on/off the screen info about your image.
  • Learn collections and smart collections.
  • Start keywording your images. (See “smart collections” as to why!)
  • Look at all the menus and read what they do. So often I am asked “how do I do xyz?”, when the answer is right there. You wouldn’t drive a car without at least looking at the controls first, right? Often, people say “wow, you’re a guru”, when all I have done is spend an hour or two looking at the options.
  • Learn the terminology (“panes”, “HSL”, “Module”, for instance) so that it’s easy to google for answers when you are stuck.
  • Use the histogram when editing.
  • Always select sRGB for exports unless specifically instructed to use AdobeRGB.

There’s a whole lot more, but these may help. Also, see my new YouTube channel with tips and tricks. They’re usually about 5 minutes each: watch them all!

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I teach this stuff. Have me set up your Lightroom and teach you how to use it most efficiently – and we’ll do a photo critique of your work while we’re at it; and I’ll show you how to get the most out of your photos. Contact me for information.

 

 

 

Zombie Text

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Zombies text, too…

Have you always wondered how to get a nice frame like that? It can be done in Lightroom. Learn all about it here:

Like that? Then you should sign up to my YouTube channel, which will have more content on a regular basis: https://www.youtube.com/user/cameratraining

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I do private Lightroom training and coaching: a few hours and you will know Lightroom, and more importantly, you will have it properly installed and set up. Contact me to hear more.

 

Zombies ‘R’ Us

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Last night I held a little zombie party. And that prompts me to tell you about the importance of two things in photography.

One is the make-up artist (the “MUA”), who is present at many shoots. Without one, you are limited. You cannot, for instance, change anyone into a zombie, like this:

Or this:

Here’s Melissa, last night’s MUA, working hard on making me ugly (not all that difficult, according to some):

But even for simple shoot, a make-up artist can be essential. Why does professional photography involve so much time (each make-up job took over an hour, in two parts: make-up, then blood and wounds) and money? Because doing a professional job takes real effort, knowledge, and time. Accept the extra expense and do it, next time you have a shoot that needs a professional look – whether that look is beauty or zombie. Same thing, for a good Make-Up Artist.

The second thing is post-processing. While I do what I can in the camera, some things cannot be done there. Like the “Walking Dead” look in these pictures. Here’s Melissa, the Make-Up Artist:

So to get this look I quickly created a Lightroom preset, which I call “zombify”. That makes image 1 below into image 2 below:

Lightroom “Zombify” Develop Preset, by Michael Willems:

  • Temperature 6150K (with my studio flashes)
  • Tint -44 (my version of “Walking Dead Green”)
  • Exposure +0.5
  • Contrast +12
  • Highlights +7
  • Shadows +11
  • Clarity +65
  • Vibrance -42
  • Sharpening 80
  • Noise Reduction 20
  • Post-crop vignetting -27 Highlight Priority

Do those settings (tune to taste), then save as a new preset and you are all set for Halloween. You’re welcome.

The Angel of Death is watching.

Enjoy your Halloween, later this week.

___

Come to me for a little Lightroom coaching, and I’ll set up your Lightroom structure professionally while we are at it, too. www.michaelwillems.ca

And then there was…

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Light can be dark and dark can be light when you have a camera.

Last week’s class at Sheridan College:

The classroom was brightly lit. But without changing that, by using low ISO/fast shutter/high aperture number, I got this – remember, this was a bright room:

And then I turned the lights off. And now I chose slow shutter, high ISO, and open aperture (low number). Now I got this – remember, this was a very dark room:

Yeah, that is right, your camera is a light shifter, and don’t you ever forget it!

 

State Of The Art

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I was at Toronto’s Historic Distillery District yesterday, to pick up a large print from The Kodiak Gallery, where I had it framed. The Distillery is, of course, the home of Canada’s most photographed truck.

Yeah, I know… guilty as charged. I could not resist snapping it again, with my renewed-with-firmware-2 Fuji x100 camera. Nor could I resist the bricks:

Or indeed the Kodiak Gallery itself:

Or Gregory Talas, the gallery owner, at work:

This is a gallery I have had several exhibits at, by the way (and still have work at: that large black print on the wall there is one of mine, for instance).

And there, over a coffee, Gregory told me he is moving.

Moving from The Distillery, after years there. It appears that the last few years, people come in, look, admire, praise, admire again – and then leave. Unlike in Europe, most Canadians do not buy art, certainly not in today’s economy; or they expect a painting to cost $99 instead of $5,999 (or a print $30 instead of $300). Why stay at The Distillery if people stop buying? Gregory, and with him The Kodiak Gallery, is moving, and my work goes with him too, of course. Shame: I liked The Distillery; but sure, if the buying public is there, go elsewhere.

One reason for this, I think, is that beginning photographers undersell themselves. When you work out what it costs you to create, say, a framed print, from beginning to end, factoring in the time and equipment, the material cost of art printers, paper, and inks, the framing, it is impossible to seek a print for $80, say. Or rather: it is possible, but you are making a loss. And the same applies in wedding photography, family photography, or any other type of photography. The local newspapers employ people who do it for free, or for little money. If that means a lowering of quality, so be it. If most people want the distorted, not well printed, same-as-everyone-else Ikea bicycle for $49…

…instead of a unique one that only you will have, autographed and printed in permanent pigments in limited editions, at $400…

…then so be it. But just like in food, where most like McDonalds, there will always be people who do want quality and uniqueness – just not at The Distillery. And not quickly, either: a painting, a print, can take years to sell, but if it is good, it will sell in the end.

You set prices according to the market, but also according to what you put into the work; and also according to the “can I live off this” spreadsheet. All three need to meet.