Master Chief
Some of you may remember me posting a screenshot of this image last week and commenting that it must be my “style” thanks to nailing this in one shot. This led to a small conversation with Scott Woodwhen I said I might be leaning too heavily on this particular setup and that I was sure people would just become sick of seeing another similar style image, but that I greatly enjoyed them. The conversation ended when he reminded me that I needed to shoot for myself first, something that I lose amongst all the noise of life. These are wise words that I need to print off and tape to both of my cameras!
Part of my goals for 2013 are to try to teach a class on the fundamentals of photography. I also want to share some of the behind the scenes on what I do and how I achieve some of the images that I post. What better time to start that knowledge sharing than right now. Almost no low-key image I post consists of off-camera flash, but rather a constant light source. I made Helghast Invasion with a simple desk lamp from Target and a 40-watt light bulb. I achieved the lighting on Bow Before Stewie by setting the figure on my iPhone after starting up iLumination, a free flashlight app. The light for Master Chief is courtesy of my Nexus 7 and Color Flashlight, yet another free flashlight app.
While I do own an off-camera flash setup, I do not always have the room necessary to achieve the lighting I want or need. I also do not even remotely require the full power of a flash as most of the toys I shoot max out at a measly three-inches. I have found that these low cost solutions provide enough control to produce the results I am aiming for.
Be excellent to one another!
Technical Info:
Exposure: 10.0 sec at f/11
Lens: 105mm
ISO: 200
Bow to Your Sensei
This is another entry into the Toy War series between Jon Stolarski and myself. What I find I am enjoying the most about this friendly competition is that we are doing more than just trying to outdo one another, but rather sharing work for critique, talking about the pros and cons of the figures themselves, and getting excited over what we are working on. I also find that we seem to be balancing one another out when it comes to Jon and his well-lit and properly exposed work and my low-key one light work. It is so much fun, and that is what it is all about right?
Be excellent to one another!
Source: chrisnitz.com
Happy Halloween
Tonight, costumed kids all across the U.S. take to the streets in hopes of scoring countless pounds of candy. This also means half-priced candy tomorrow along with every store skipping that whole Thanksgiving thing and moving right along to Christmas, not that they have not already setup huge Christmas displays…..in August. Sigh. Anyway, let’s enjoy the ghosts and goblins that will fill the streets tonight!
Enjoy!
Bow Before Stewie
I am on the road once again, so I leave you with a bit of insight into the direction I am moving over the next few months. I am trying to trim all the crud from my plate so I may focus more on what I need to do to make a living doing what I enjoy. This means more toys, more Honda Accord shots, more macro photos, and finally nailing my style. In short, prepare for a lot more low key and black and white work, along with shots of my bug-covered car.
My hope is that as I focus on making a real business, I can actually start earning a small living doing this photography thing. It also means that I am going to get out there and try to find places to hang my art while trying to get my name in circulation. I have a long road ahead of me, but I am determined to make this a reality! If nothing else, Stewie has my back ;)
Enjoy!
I am a Ames, Iowa based photographer. I enjoy automotive, macro, still life, and street photography. To relax I wrestle dinosaurs.
