david_r_lewis

August 26, 2012

Steven,

Try checking with a business in your area that does trophies. A lot of them also do a similar plaque to the one you are seeking.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

July 31, 2012

Hi Francesco,

I have both a Zone VI in 4x5 and a 5x7 Deardorff, so there is no way I can tell you for sure, however, when I needed an additional lens board for my Deardorff, I went to an older wood craftsman / cabinet builder. I showed him exactly what I needed, he took the appropriate measurements and built a lens board for me. It works just like a factory produced item, but at a fraction of the cost. I hope this helps.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

July 6, 2012

David,

From a portrait photographer's perspective, I really do not want the flash centered in an umbrella. By design, an umbrella tends to create a very broad source of light giving a rather even distribution of light over the entire scene especially when used in close for portraits. Since usually the light emphasis is on the upper third portion of an image ( remember, I am doing portraits ) having more of my light hit the upper half of the umbrella, to me is more desirable. Yes I can feather the umbrella, but why not make the situation work for me. Again, just my perspective as a portrait photographer.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

PS I do drive a 1964 Triumph TR-4 !

August 20, 2011

Knack,

Craig is probably closest to being correct. Popular cameras for this style of photography of the 50's were either a Speed Graflex with 135mm lens and 4x5 film, hand held, flash fixed to camera right or a Rolleiflex 6x6 cm, 75 or 80 mm lens, roll film, flash on a bracket to camera left, again hand held. The flash was most likely # 2 Press Bulbs, a 4 or 5 inch polished reflector, pretty harsh shadows close to the subject. Film processing was 3 1/2 gallon tanks, room temperature, Kodak DK-50. The developer was all purpose, best with sheet film, not the ideal for roll film, the grain a little too pronounced with 8x10 and 11x14 enlargements.

A lot of these older products are still available. Just remember to set the lens for " M " synch when using flashbulbs.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

May 4, 2011

Veronica,

Congratulations for moving to a viable business location. Contact your Chamber of Commerce and join. In my community, the C of C helps with grand openings to members. We send the Ambassador group to help with the ribbon cutting, call the local media for coverage, and provide a list of members so you can send out invitations. Partnering with other businesses is a great way to network. Make it a party and have fun.

Warmest regards,

DAvid R. Lewis

April 23, 2011

Magnus,

Along with everyone else, HC-110 is a great all around developer which can be tweaked with variable times. The developer is a heavy syrup, so be sure to rinse out the measuring device with water to add to the developer.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

April 19, 2011

Cheryl,

Now that tax season has officially ended, just go to your phone book and check the classified for accountants. I have used accountants with and without their CPA, and I can only tell you that when my CPA told me to incorporate, it was the best advice money-wise. Don't hesitate to interview them. My CPA provides a monthly P & L, cash flow chart, figures the payroll tax form for both the federal & state, calculates the sales tax, and does the un-employment reports. Yes, I can do them, but my time is better spent behind my camera. Oh, and when I got selected for an audit by the dept. of employment, I told them the name of my CPA and they said they knew in advance there would be no problem as my CPA firm is highly respected by government agencies. Send a message if you have any other questions.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

April 3, 2011

Wrinkles are essentially " texture " on the facial area. We all know that to accentuate texture the light might be better placed more than 45 degrees to the face. Accent lights coming from behind the subject will do wonders. Check out George Hurrell's work and don't do as much retouching.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

March 17, 2011

Melissa,

I can only envision problems with your proposal. If the event is well attended, I personally would not want to try to photograph children with a large number of " self-appointed helpers." I do not know your locale, but the US Dept. of Agriculture does have a number of restrictions using live animals for promotional purposes and the permits required are a nightmare of paperwork. The fines are quite large also, no to mention any liability. My personal view is that an attractive display staffed with friendly folks who do not try to sell me anything on the spot and send me on my way with some kind of short dated incentive will probably get my business.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

March 17, 2011

David,

" Minus density " on a negative will produce dark spots on a print. This can be caused by dust on the film prior to exposure of because of a pin hole in the emulsion or an air bubble attaching itself to the film during processing. Over the years, I have experienced them all. With me, the cause is not as important as what can I do to fix the problem. I will first use spotting dye on the base side of the negative. That will fix most of the small circular spots. I use a # 1 brush so I can load it up with dye. If I get too much dye on the negative, I can go back and remove a little bit of dye with distilled water, or just spot the white spot on the print. I am also proficient with retouching leads. I personally like # 2H. A really fine point can do wonders on the curly boogers especially on 4x5. It does take a bit of practice, but I used to keep a retouching machine at the house as well as the studio and could work after I put the children to bed.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

March 4, 2011

Jeremy,

Forgive me if this gets too long. First of all, Harry Joseph is 100% correct. Forget the fancy equipment shuffle. Get the basics first! Most of my wedding groups are lit with one flash held above the lens axis. This tends to light the group evenly and any shadow drops behind the group and as such is not very visible in the image. Flat light ? Yes, absolutely. I can concentrate on getting pleasing expressions out of the people, which is what sells my photographs. Remember, ESP = expressions sell photographs ! My clients, and I suspect the clients of a lot of other photographers really don't care if wedding photographs are lit with three lights, the clients just want to look good. There is no doubt that three lights can raise your photography several notches, but at your level in all this, you would do better to improve your basic skills first. There is an old joke where the aspiring musician stops a pedestrian on the streets of New York and says, " How do you get to Carnegie Hall ?" The reply was, " Practice, Practice, Practice ! " Wedding or any other aspect of photography is no different. The late Monte Zucker had a series called something like "flow posing" where one pose transitioned into another. I am certain he found a willing couple to allow him the time to practice and get it down to where to him it became a rote operation. You could do the same with a group of friends. You do not have to practice in a church, this can be done at the park, the K.of C. Hall, a warehouse, or a larger living room. Get them together, assign roles to each, make it a party. Lastly, I may start a flurry of responses, but I find it incredible the sheer volume of people on this forum who think that a two sentence response, a book, or a DVD will make them proficient at photography. I doubt seriously any one of us would want our cardiac surgeon, accountant, or attorney to have gained their respective " expertise " from an on-line forum.Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

December 29, 2010

April,

First of all, where are you located ? For example, here in Illinois, there is a State-wide association which meets twice a year. There is a regional association which meets twice a year primarily in the southern part of the state and another regional association that meets monthly in the northern part of the state. There is also an association that meets monthly in the Chicago Metro area. Illinois also co-ops with Indiana for State-wide events. A search for photographic associations may help as well as contacting PPA.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

December 2, 2010

Steven,

From a portrait photographer's view, Henry is right on. Whatever source you use for a fill, it needs to light your scene from side to side, top to bottom evenly. Bigger is better. A main light usually needs to light only a portion of that scene so that the portion appears to be brighter. The face needs to be brighter than the background. Smaller is usually better. The bad news is that there are hundreds of variations and they are all correct for someone.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

December 2, 2010

Judy,

Unfortunately, friends make the worst clients. No matter what you charge, there will always be someone who will do it for less. Those two facts are absolute. First of all, most of my clients know what I charge before a session takes place, because we tell them. No, I don't rattle off every size and price, but they know they are going to spend money. My doctor, dentist, attorney, CPA, etc., all have office managers. I know all financial transactions will be handled by the manager, not the doctor. Unfortunately for me, I do almost all the sales at my studio. I am frequently asked to discount my work and it is tough every time. Just from you question, I get the feeling you are a beginner. Don't worry, the word " no " is a small one and it will get easier to say as time goes on.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

December 2, 2010

Judy,

Unfortunately, friends make the worst clients. No matter what you charge, there will always be someone who will do it for less. Those two facts are absolute. First of all, most of my clients know what I charge before a session takes place, because we tell them. No, I don't rattle off every size and price, but they know they are going to spend money. My doctor, dentist, attorney, CPA, etc., all have office managers. I know all financial transactions will be handled by the manager, not the doctor. Unfortunately for me, I do almost all the sales at my studio. I am frequently asked to discount my work and it is tough every time. Just from you question, I get the feeling you are a beginner. Don't worry, the word " no " is a small one and it will get easier to say as time goes on.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

November 22, 2010

Nicole,

There are two situations here. # 1. Glare or absence of glare on a glossy surface is governed by the angle of incidence = the angle of reflection. Example: If your light is pointed at the reflective surface at a 45 degree angle, the reflection will also be at 45 degrees not necessarily viewed by the camera, but you will get a shadow. # 2. The direction of the shadow is determined by the placement of the light relative to the subject. Example: Put the light as close to the axis of the lens. The shadow will fall directly behind the subject, but you might get glare. What I would do, is get a huge light source. Move the subject a foot or two away from the wall. Light from the side, 90 degrees with the light source as close as possible and put a silver reflector directly opposite the light source as close as possible. With a huge light source, you are lighting the subject and the background at the same time. For a light source, I would try stretching a white bed sheet and using two or three small portable lights for maximum light. Ken Marcus used to use this method quit a number of years ago with excellent results.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

November 22, 2010

Anthony,

Ratios for mixing can be confusing. When I mix up the Kodak Indicator Stop, I start with a one gallon jug of distilled water, remove two ounces, add two ounces of stop, shake well and write the date mixed on the container. When the liquid starts to turn purple or six months has passed, whichever comes first, I discard. For Photo-Flo, just a capful to a gallon is a good mix, using distilled water also. Before I go to use it, I shake the container and if I see a bunch of " flotsam " floating around, I discard and make new. That stuff floating around can dry on film and cause all kinds of trouble. For the most part, chemicals are not that expensive and I always use the freshest I can because it is a lot less expensive to use fresh chemistry than to have to re-photograph everything.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

November 17, 2010

Melanie,

If I understand your question correctly, your client will be handing a set of prints to you to be mounted into a flush album. If so, gpalbums.com might be the answer. I have done business with this company for many years with satisfaction. Anticipating your next question of how much to charge : you are reseling a product. Take your cost and mark it up by the percentage which allows you to make a profit for your time as well as material cost.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

November 4, 2010

I use a 5x7 back on my 8x10 Eastman #2 Studio Camera with a 14" Pinkham-Smith lens. On my 5x7 Deardorf field camera I use a Kodak 12" Soft Focus Portrait Lens, the favored one of the late Mel Newsom. I love both of them.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

November 3, 2010

Stephanie,

Do a search for the Professional Photographers of Pennsylvania, contact them and join. They are a great bunch of folks who are willing to share information with other members. I have judged their print competition at one of their conventions and have been a speaker at another of their conventions, have met a lot of nice people at both events. Membership and participation at the professional level is not an expense, it is an investment in your success.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

November 1, 2010

Rob,

I am so happy you found some humor ! I try to make humor part of my life but will keep my day job as a portrait photographer. Graduations are not more important than any other event in one's life, the one from high school can happen only once. One can actually graduate from the same university more than once by obtaining degrees in different majors, but high school - well, just one time.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

November 1, 2010

Ben, I am happy you did not take my comments in a negative way. We are always trying to educate our clients as to what great portraits are all about, not someone who can take 250 or so " snapshots " and call it portraiture. This same situation happened in the late 70's and early 80's with weddings. A lot of M-F 9 to 5 factory workers and firemen bought Hasselblads and were instant wedding photographers. Our weddings declined for a while until the public got tired of second rate wedding images and the image makers got tired of having to work harder than their regular job because it was no longer fun. This too will eventually happen with the new soccer moms and dads doing senior portraits. The unfortunate result is that people can get married, divorced, and re-married a number of times while the young adult can graduate from high school only one time in their life. If their senior portraits are mediocre to bad, well my clients know I cannot make time go backwards. I will weather this storm just like I did the wedding situation, but it is getting more difficult by the day.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

October 30, 2010

Ben,

Please do not be insulted by my response, but I have been photographing high school seniors for many years now and am facing stiff competition from people just like you. Example: a girl just posted all her images on her Facebook. There are one hundred eleven images. When it gets boiled down, there are only two locations/backgrounds and she averages 7-9 images of the identical pose and she thinks the photographer is creative. Another person advertises 95 images for half of my session fee. I on the other hand offer depending on the session, anywhere from 20 to 40 different poses with numerous clothing changes. In my experience, parents, who are the ones handing over the credit card, do not want 100 + choices. They simply cannot decide, are overwhelmed, and the sale suffers. Students only want 100 + images so they can wow their friends on Facebook. Personally, 30 really great images with no duplicates beats the heck out of 100 images with 75 being duplicates. You might try the mentality of what we had to do when film was the only option. I used the RB-67, and most of my sessions saw 20 color images ( 1 roll of 220 film ) and 5 black & white images ( two students to a roll of 120 b&w film ). To get a great variety for my students, I had to make sure the eyes were open all the time, everything was in focus, the lighting was correct, the exposure was correct, and the composition was what I wanted. In conversations with several of my friends who own studios, we all went nuts when we first started using digital because we could. We are all now going back to what we used to do and in almost all cases, our sales are increasing by providing a fewer number of really great images over a huge number of images with a larger proportion of essentially duplicate images.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

October 25, 2010

John,

Always look at the shadows to see the direction of the main light. The one image I saw was lit pretty much from above and to the left of the image as we view. The shadows are very much filled in, but they are still there. The light source was most likely fairly large in proportion to the subject.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

September 24, 2010

Mark,

You are absolutely correct. The best size of tray to use is the size best suited for your paper. My take on John's original post was the fact he is limited on space and was not printing that many "oversized" prints. It seems that both you and I adapt to the situation at hand and sometimes have to "make do" with less than desirable circumstances, but maybe that's just part of the fun.

Warmest regards,

David R. Lewis

Sign In

Profiles

Forums

Blogs

Events

Downloads

Gallery

Store

Posts posted by david_r_lewis