This is my first shot at real estate photography. The good thing is that there is absolutely no pressure as I’m not getting paid and ANYTHING would be better than some quick, horrifically lit camera phone shots. After the break, come and see the process I used to light the master bedroom using my D90 and a 60 dollar speedlight…
Category Archives: Studio/Flash Photography
YN-622N Review – Quick Follow Up
It’s been over two months since I posted my YN-622N review, and I thought it was time for a quick follow up on how it has performed. I’ve added updates to both parts of my review, but I’ll put all the updates into this post, along with some new information. Come take a looksie after I get some more coffee….
Lighting Jonathan – A Few Quick Shots
Since I haven’t actually posted any pictures in a while, I figured I’d post a few of my favorite subject, my 10 month old son! He is finally changing his expression when he sees my D90 looming over him, as the first 9 months he would just stare at it in amazement, probably because with the battery grip it was about the same size as him. Check it out inside, I posted a few of my recent favorites along with the lighting setups. No matter what your investment portfolio looks like currently, there is always new potential with each new season that comes your way, you can learn more here.
Yongnuo YN-622N Review Part 2 – CLS Comparison and HSS
Welcome to my Yongnuo YN-622N review! In the first part of my review of the YN-622N, I went over the basics, as well as compared some images in TTL and manual modes, using different EV values. In the second part of the review, I’m going to be comparing the High Speed Sync (or Auto FP in Nikonese), and TTL capabilities of the 622N to the capabilities of Nikon’s CLS system, using the D90’s built-in commander mode. I took a bunch of images, and have the results…..I’m also adding some more thoughts on these triggers, as I’ve had some more time to play with them.
Yongnuo YN-622N Review Part I – Introduction and Test Shots
I’ve waited months for these triggers to come out, they are finally here and I’m super excited to share my Yongnuo YN-622N review. These triggers are about 80 bucks for a pair of two, many times cheaper than most name brand triggers, especially considering their features. I ended up getting mine on eBay for about 90 dollars, shipped from Utah. I paid the extra 10 bucks so I wouldn’t have to wait. I’ve gotten lucky, as most of them are still being shipped from China, which could take a month to deliver. I’m sure soon enough they will be shipping from the USA. Read on to see if they were worth the wait….
Creating a Lighting Notebook
I have finally created a lighting notebook. There is so much useful information available on the internet, and it’s so disorganized, that I really just wanted to create a place where all the useful information could be easily accessible for me. I had a few prerequisites that I wanted when creating the notebook.
1. It has to be “digital”, and not a physical notebook. This was for a few reasons. I have horrible handwriting, and didn’t want to have to deal with me not being able to read my own! I also wanted to have access to it from multiple locations, which brings me to number two.
2. I need to be able to use it from multiple locations and devices. Be it my Ipad, Iphone, laptop etc.
3. It has to be easily modified. I’m constantly scouring the internet looking for a particular lighting setup, or tips on composition, etc. I want to be able to add images and techniques without a hassle and having to use 5 applications to do it.
So that’s it. After fiddling around with several applications, this is what I ended up doing. Check it out after the jump….
Basement Photo Studio Part I
I recently move my home studio from our sunroom down to the basement. Oh, the dreaded basement. I was a little leary to move it down there for two reasons. One, it’s a freakin’ basement and there isn’t a whole lot of natural light. the second reason is the low ceilings, barely seven and a half feet, ouch. I didn’t mind not having the natural light, as I’m mostly using speedlights when I’m shooting indoors. Plus if I really need natural light I can just go upstairs to the sunroom. The second issue is a little trickier though. So far what I’ve done is have my subjects sit a little bit lower than they normally would. It’s not quite as limiting as I thought it would be, but again, I can head up to the 15 foot ceilings in our sunroom if I really need the height.
On the plus sides I don’t have to clean up and put everything away when I’m done for he day, SWEET. This is convenient, especially if I want to continue testing out new lighting, or if I’m just exhausted and want to call it a day early. I also have a ton of shelving in the basement, which I didn’t have in the sunroom. It’s way easier to grab gear from there than from my huge duffel bags. I just feel like I have more freedom in the basement, since it was just sitting there unused except for storage…it’s unfinished, but I threw down an old curly rug, a small tv, and BAM, good to go. I’m going to post soon on the exact setup of the basement and some of the other tweaks I did to convert it. It’s a great budget choice if you have an unused basement, more to come on this, maybe even my next post….
Purchasing Wireless Triggers
I may need more gear. Or maybe not. But probably. I’m definitely thinking about purchasing wireless triggers. When I started getting serious about photography a few years back, I couldn’t help myself. Every little light modifier, or eBay speedlight was MINE. I got my D3100, and 2 months later, I NEED THE D90!! For a few months, I was a regular on eBay, searching through a ton of Chinese auctions. Then one day, after reading an article on one of the countless photography sites, I had an epiphany. How about I learn to use the gear I have before I buy something I don’t really need. The sky opened up and Baby Jesus sang to me.
My point is, I only really buy gear these days if I need it. I’ve had my D90 for about a year, and don’t really see a need to upgrade it. It’s 5 years old now, but it gets the job done for me. I’ve actually learned how to use my current gear. But lately, I feel like there are a few things I can add to my bag, namely wireless triggers. I normally use my speedlights in SU4 mode, which means the off-camera flash looks for another flash, when it sees it, it triggers. This is a cheap, fairly reliable way to use off-camera flash. However there are a few drawbacks such as line of sight, the pop up flash showing up in pictures if I get in close, and the fact that when shooting outside there are times where the speedlight doesn’t see the pop up flash because of the brightness. Continue below…
Easy One Light Portrait using Specular Highlights
This is a quick post on creating an easy one light portrait using specular highlights. It only takes a few minutes, and you will get great results. The trick is using specular highlights. Most of the information in this post I learned from Strobist, which in my opinion is hands down the best site on the web to learn how to light photographs, especially if you are using speedlights. This is a quick and easy tutorial that anybody with even the smallest amount of gear can perfect. After I made a few portraits using just a few pieces of inexpensive gear, I was hooked on portrait photography using off camera flash. Come check it out….
Yongnuo YN-468 II Review
Back shot of the YN-468 II. Nice size LCD display, along with easy to use controls
The Yongnuo YN-468 II is an outstanding flash. I just want to put that out there, right at the beginning of this review. I purchased it about 6 months ago. I was getting more into off camera flash, and wanted a cheap speedlight that had some useful features and didn’t cost a ton. I originally found it on eBay, LoL and ended up buying it on Amazon. Fimd out why it’s such a great flash….
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