Monday Photo Roundup - Sept. 10

I had fun with the folks at the Kaufman Jamfest get-together Saturday.  Brick walls may be cliché, but in "the Corridor" in downtown Kaufman, it is all brick walls.  As the name iplies, the space is basically a long, narrow hallway.  Setup was an Elinchrom strobe in a 2x2 softbox key light directly against the wall to camera right, another 3x4 softbox fill camera left and another light down the hall with a grid for a little rim light.  It also reflected off of the painted brick a little more than I would have liked, but there wasn't much time to mess with it.  Overall, I liked the look.

Shooting at more of an angle to the wall, the main light was more directional for this look..


And with the back light in the frame...



With the ease of photo manipulation these days, ever wonder how photo contests deal with it?  Here is National Geographic's take.

In the summer edition of Kaufman County Life, we were asked to obscure a photo of an inmate to protect his identity.  As a journalist, that is a touchy subject.  In some situations though, it can really be a life-threatening situation to have your photo in the news.

Do you like to take pictures of buildings?  Here is a nice article with some tips for good architecture photos.

Here is some more insight on mistakes to avoid if you are out shooting sports this fall.

And some more for tennis in particular.

I like to keep a ladder available for a higher viewpoint.  So how about a tripod that is also a ladder.  (And very expensive)

Lucky maybe, but Not smart.

Light, macro, science and color.  

Barbie and Ken finally tied the knot ... here are the photos.

Men and women see the world differently.  (of course)

Have a great week everyone.

Kaufman Jamfest

It was a good thing that the Kaufman Jamfest folks went indoors for Saturday's event... and not just because of the heat. For me, the giant windows of Jackson St. BBQ made the photo fun better as well.

Here is the setup.. small stage in the corner with evening indirect light from storefront windows. The renovated space has great character. If I was opening a studio, I would want something like this.


From inside, shooting toward the windows was interesting... dial in some exposure compensation to make up for the brightness..


Getting closer to subjects made for nice rim lights. The background is cluttery, but at least all of the clutter is informative.. guitar case, other players, rocking chair...


I also played around with the wide angle 14mm to get a view of the interior.. low angle highlights the great old wood floor.


Shooting from the window side gave beautiful soft light, but even busier background. Getting in nice and close helps, and the black ceiling works too....


Same thing, big window light...


Still working on mastering DSLR video and editing.. probably need some more toys in that department :-).


Have a great week everyone...

Don J.