alain_martinez

Got a client who wants pictures under the rain with her fiancee, and I was

wondering if anyone has had any experience with this. Do you actually hunt the

rain? Do you fake rain like a big production? This is not a commercial client,

it's a regular person like you and me who wants pictures under the rain. I love

crazy ideas--anything that's out of the ordinary, and I would love to hear your

experiences with this if any.

 

Thank you

thank you all for your replies. This confirms my initial thought of this being a composite. I would love to see/read something on the making of that picture

 

Thanks again,

I found the perfect example. I'm sure this was shot with medium format (I shoot 35mm), but still you notice no distortion and this is a fairly large group.

Hello,

 

Sometimes I see shots of large groups where I'm sure a wide angle lense was

used, but then I see enough details in the models which leads me to believe that

the the photographer was close or must have been zoom in all the way, and yet I

see no distortion. So my question is, what techniques are used for

photographing large groups of people and not coming out with a shot zoomed out

and 20 feet away with noticeable distortion on the edges?

 

I like group shots (even if it's just 8 people for example) where you can see

detail in people's faces (when enlarged to 16x20 or bigger). GAP and Banana

Republic ads do this a lot. They do a 2 page spread full of people cropped to

3/4 or not, and still see perfect detail and no distortion.

 

What leses? What techniques?

 

Thank you very much

Well...after all my planning and preparation, I found out last minute that the ceremony time had been changed to 6:30pm, which I think it's the worst time to shoot anything outdoors during this time of the year. I kid you not when I say that in the photos of the groom waiting for the bride at the altar you can still see the sky in the back. But after a court of 7 couples and then the bride slowly walking down the isle, the sky in the back was already pitch black. That's how drastically the light changed on me. There went all planning for custom white balance and good exposure. Thank good for the light of the videographer because all they had was tourches lighting the path, and even my L lenses were having dificulty foucosing.

 

In the end we took some beautiful pictures, but I guess all I can say is that no matter how much you prepare you always have to be ready for the unexpected.

 

thanks for all your feedback

Thank you for your responses. I typically shoot my weddings either on Aperture Priority or Time Priority. Sometimes there's not enough time to manually expose correctly. Specially outdoors where the light could change from f11 to f5.6 in the blink of an eye. I use one of those difusers (the lightsphere II), but even sometimes I notice the hightlights on the dress (on an outdoor shoot) a bit blown out.

 

So what you are saying is to manually reduce the output of the flash, say -1/3, to just act as a soft fill light?

 

Thanks

Hello all,

 

I'll be shooting an outdoor wedding on Saturday and was looking for

some recommendations from people that have been in similar

situation. The ceremony is outside in a beach-type set up. 3 pm, and

to top it off, he's skin is very very fair (white) and she is on the

darker side, a very pretty Dominican young lady. The lighting at that

time would probably be f11 @ 125. What have you guys done in the past

(to the dedicated flash) to make nicely lit images. I shoot canon 5D

and the flash is a 550 EX, lenses are all 2.8 (not that I'll need it

at that time).

 

Thanks a lot for all your help.

I just ran accross this article about Lois Greenfield...and wow..some

beautiful images she has. While most of her images are of people in

the air, and she claims that she does not use Photoshop, it really

gets me wondering how she achieves those images. When it's a single

person with some cloth flowing in the air I get it. However when it's

5 or 6 people in the air perfectly posed without something holding

them in the air, and later deleting it with photoshop, I really

wouldn't know how to achieve those images.

 

Does anybody have some insight into this puzzle.

 

Here's the article and some of her images.

http://www.photoworkshop.com/double_exposure/publish/CoverStoryLG.shtml

 

Enjoy

Thank you everybody for your help with this project. The photoshoot went flawlessly and the client was very pleased, in part, thanks to you all. You can see some of the images on my website under the Fashion section. Only the first 9 are from this shoot. I haven't had time to upload anymore.

 

My website is http://www.alainmartinez.com

 

Thank you again.

The more I look at these shots, the more I think almost all of them have some kind of strobe lighting. Even if they are under a tiky hut, or gazeebo, he manages to get very contrasty highlights, which I think can only be achieved with some kind of flash. Do you agree? Also, what do they apply on the skin to make it look so shiny and healty, besides good lighting?

 

Thank you

Clay,

 

the pictures on that link you sent are exactly the look I'm looking for. Do you know by any chance the lighting used there? I think there has to be strobes used there for sure besides ambient lighting.

 

Thank you very much.

Alain

These pictures will serve a few purposes. Online store/magazine add/poster, ect. I'm into edgy pictures. I know it's all about the client, but in this case, the client is starting up the business and is willing to listen and go with the flow. I want to lean more towards the fashion side, rather than the JC Penny catalog look with flat even lighting throughout. Does that help you a bit in clarifying my vision. By the way I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the pictures in a JC Penny catalog, just not what I'm looking for.

 

Alain

Thank you all. Yeah the window of timing for outdoor shoots really stinks. If I want to do it early in the morning, everyone has to get up super early which can yield to models being late. If I want to shoot late in the afternoon, when the sun starts going down, it goes down fast, and on top of that, the models' faces have been all through the day, and they might not look as fresh.

 

Any comments here?

Hello,

 

I've got a shoot coming up soon for a line of bathing suits. The

shoot will be outdoors in Miami. I just wanted to get a feel for

what photographers are using out there as far as lighting. Strobes?

Softboxes? Ring Flash?

 

Thank you very much.

Alain Martinez

Wow! So many posts, so many good advises. Thank you all.

 

The only reason I'm going to brussels is because it's the hub for Europe By Air. I have high expectations for Prague and Italy. The reason for all the equipment is because I'm shooting a wedding, and I don't know what I will or will not need. I will definatelly try to get me a travel bag vs. the pelican case. That thing can get really heavy.

 

I'll research on bags right now. I've got the storage taken care of. I bought a 40Gig FlashTrax. Now I just need to pray that nothing happens to that.

 

Thanks to all for your responses. Keep the good suggestions coming.

Alain

Hello,

 

I'm going to some parts of Europe in September and I would like to

hear some of your experiences both technical and non-technical. I'm

actually going to shoot a wedding in Siena, but before I'll be going

to prague, brussels, venice, florence, and then siena the last stop.

I want to take breathless scenery images in all of these sites. So

your help with the following questions would be greatly appreciated.

My gooddie bag is pretty loaded, I'm taking canon 20Ds with 70-200L

2.8, 16-35L 2.8, 28-135IS, plus every other little thing we need

(remote triger, flashes, tripods, etc)

 

Are they any books out there that talk about photography in these places?

 

Any advise on Aperture to use for landscapes, technique, etc?

 

Has anybody had any problems traveling with a Pelican case loaded with

expensive stuff.

 

Any general advise?

 

Thank you

Hello all,

 

I'm looking for a 21st century way of showing the bride and groom

the proofs from their wedding. I usually give them about 350

pictures to choose from. I have tried several ways but none seem to

be successful up to this point. I can't use Pictage because I

custome-make Coffee table books with the pictures they pick. I

bought Flip Album Pro, and it's the worst $160 ever spent, the

clients hate it. I tried Web, and that's OK, but still not perfect.

 

I'm looking for something where the customer can see the pictures

next to each other, maybe select the pictures to a bucket of

favorites, delete from selection. Something along those lines.

 

Anything like that???

 

Thanks

thank you all for all your responses. I'll definetely look into those lenses. Yes my L lens is 2.8. As you can see in the picture of the chappel, the ceiling is high, and I can't count on a good bounce. I'll look into that sphereII mentioned here.

I just shot a wedding last saturday and part of the ceremony I shot with ISO 400, shutter priority at 1/30, and the exposure was great, but the pictures look a bit blurry, eventhough I had a monopod.

 

The real challange is that the reception is outside....so I better hope to get good shots before the sun goes down. I'm sure after the sun goes down, it will be nothing but a dark field.

 

As for the offers for assistants...really appreciated but I'm already taking my girlfriend...sorry.

 

Thanks for all the advise

Hello all,

 

I recently got an a dream offer to shoot a wedding in Italy. A

friend of mine from here (Miami) is doing a destination wedding in a

castle in Tuscany, so you can just imagine the lighting challanges

that such big places may bring. Any advise for such situations

would be greatly appretiated. Experiences, do's and don'ts,

anything that can help me feel a bit more confident would be great.

I've shot quite a few weddings, but none by myself.

 

Here's my list of equipment.

2 20d (one for back up)

1 70-200L lens

1 28-135IS Canon

1 18-55 canon

1 12-18 sigma

several 550 flases

a laptop for downloading pictures

 

What else would I need?

 

Check out a picture of where the ceremony will be. I already smell

the challanges

 

http://www.geocities.com/ll127/images/cappellavuota.JPG

 

Thanks in advance

Hello all,

 

I recently got an a dream offer to shoot a wedding in Italy. A

friend of mine from here (Miami) is doing a destination wedding in a

castle in Tuscany, so you can just imagine the lighting challanges

that such big places may bring. Any advise for such situations

would be greatly appretiated. Experiences, do's and don'ts,

anything that can help me feel a bit more confident would be great.

I've shot quite a few weddings, but none by myself.

 

Here's my list of equipment.

2 20d (one for back up)

1 70-200L lens

1 28-135IS Canon

1 18-55 canon

1 12-18 sigma

several 550 flases

a laptop for downloading pictures

 

What else would I need?

 

Check out a picture of where the ceremony will be. I already smell

the challanges

 

http://www.geocities.com/ll127/images/cappellavuota.JPG

Thanks in advance

Thank you so much for all your responses. I'm going to the loxahatchee river. I called the other day and the one that runs the canoe rides told me that it was hit pretty hard with the hurricanes, and suggested to wait until the summer for good shots. So I guess, I'll be waiting. I'll be enough time to save up for a wide angle 2.8 L lens. I guess my technique questions regarding aperture was, is it a good idea to put it in apperture priority at f16 or 22, and let it choose whatever time it needs. I want to concentrate in deeply vegetated areas with old trees, and the ocacional aligator where the light is very soft. What iso should I use 100, 200?

 

Thanks again

VERY IMPORTANT!!! You need a special hot shoe adapter with a built-in Voltage Step-Down. I believe the previous person mentioned it. Anyway the power coming down on the PC cord from a baterry powered set of strobes is greater than your Rebel can handle, and it will get ruined. I have it at home, but can't remember the name. email me through photo.net and I'll remember to get the name.

 

Hope this helps,

Alain

Hello, I'm heading out to a local river here in florida to take some

pictures and I was wondering if you guys had some advise on how to

take good shots from a moving canoe. As far as equipment I have:

Canon 20D

70-200 2.8 Canon

28-135 IS

12-24 wide angle (Sigma)

18-55 canon

 

Any advise on right exposure? right aperture?

 

Thanks in advance

Alain

I'm glad you guys are finding this post useful. All of the places mentioned here are great. The place on 8th street in Coral Gables is nice, but you always have to fight for elbow room. There's always somebody there taking pictures. Jimbo's in Key Biscayne is a great one, I just shot some engagement pics there last weekend.

Hello,

 

I'm trying to start an educative post here to share with other local

photographers hot spots for outdoor photography in my Area (Miami,

Fl)

 

I'll start with the first:

Virginia Beach, Key Biscayne. This spot has it all, from romantic

spots right on the water (great for engagement pictures), to rustic

corners with old vegetation (great for fashion photography). It

will cost you $3 per car to get in, but it's worth it. If you want

directions, just ask.

 

Hope you guys find this useful, and post your own spots.

 

Thanks in advance