Utah strobist action at the Great Salt Lake

A few weeks back the Utah Strobist group met to shoot at the Great Salt Lake. This is fast becoming one of my favorite locations to shoot. A friend of the family and one of my models Airen came along to the shoot. Here she is!



There are no coral reefs in the GSL but the lake looks great as does Airen! Me and Scott O. Smith planned the snorkeling look as something that could be useful for stock, lucky Airen was game!



There was plenty of other things to shoot besides Airen. Meet Brian, the man has some serious muscle and those tattoos remind me of Blade. The light was fading, and it just seemed like letting the background go black would be killer.



Here is a photo of Bekah. What could be better than a white dress in the GSL? Beautiful girl in a beautiful location means beautiful picture! This is the second time I have had Bekah as a model (thanks Bekah)!



Jenn, was a model that I had never met before. I loved that blue dress and put her one the train tracks, means awesome!

Utah Strobist meetup May 30th

Last weekend I attended the first Utah strobist meet up held this year. I wanted to leave a little obvious but easily forgotten tip mixed in with a recount of the event.

This is one of the rare instances where I have an excellent before and after photos to share and illustrate the tip. Meet Alexa, a young lady who showed up to model for our group. I don't want to talk to much about the lighting (my lighting is really simple and mobile) but instead I wanted to point out something about composition.

Wide angle lenses are great for getting a lot of that cool sky as a background but will make your subject look immense and out of proportion. Here is a classic example of a wide angle shot and the distortion it creates:



Here is the quick tip, have the model lean forward slightly when shot such that the distortion is counteracted. The results are much more pleasing!



Now for some really cool lighting. A friend and Mentor of mine Kim Guanzon introduced me to the beauty light. OK so I am familiar with the beauty light and have experimented with it a little but this was the first time I had real experience using the light. Here you can see Kim setting up the light:



The amazing thing about the light is the hard/soft quality of the light. How can I describe it but as being beautiful!



Here is the beauty dish on Kim's beautiful wife Laarni:



One more result from the beauty dish:



One more behind the scenes view of the light setup:



I oughta throw out the fact that Laarni is an amazing makeup artist. Here she is doing Alexa's makeup.



I did take a few natural light shots, but I was loving the beauty dish so much that I only had a few of those. Here is a natural light shot of the lovely Tamara Luke:



One more photo done with my simple strobist setup. A single light source (shoot through 45" umbrella) at near ~90 degrees camera left.



Checkout more of the photos at the strobist group flickr pool:
beatthesun flickr photos

The gear I use and how I use it.

I get e-mail etc about the gear I use on a fairly regular basis (I don't claim to be an expert or pro, the explanation below is my experience, yours may differ). Usually the question is “what camera do you use”. I respond that I use such and such camera, and that is the end of the conversation (most of the time). So many times it easy to believe that the camera is what creates great photos (after all the camera manufacturers tell us that when they market the cameras to us). The right question to ask when you see a great photo, is to question how that person took the photo, how the photographer used the camera.

My intention in sharing my gear is to help out in understanding what benefit I get from the different pieces of gear I use. I want to show how I use different pieces of gear in my bag.

One suggestion: if are serious about photography, get a DSLR. Any brand will do but a DSLR gives you flexibility that you can’t get from traditional point and shoot cameras (though some are getting close)

My cameras:

I use a DSLR (note that most manufacturers have equivalent bodies, lenses etc. sorry this is so brand specific). I started out with the D40 which I still use today (yup the beginner DSLR by Nikon), and later bought a well used D70 camera body off ebay (mainly for the 18-70 kit lens and because I wanted a second body). As far as I am concerned the camera body makes the least impact on your photos compared to other photo tools you could acquire. Some will argue the point, I don’t have any experience with the expensive bodies so I am unqualified to comment on bodies. From my view point the camera body isn’t where you should focus your dollars. When you get the other items (read below) then upgrade the camera body.


Click on the photo above to see notes on the photo

My lenses:
I really only use three lenses for my shooting, the 18-55mm doesn’t see much use anymore. Not because the 18-55mm is inferior, the 18-70mm wins due to the lens hood, slightly faster aperture and better reach. The other two lenses I use are the 55-200mm VR and the 50mm 1.8 Nikkors. These are the lenses I use and have. The lenses are cheap, and they work well.

So this deserves a side bar… Am I happy with these lenses? Sort of, they are great because they are light weight and compact (I will keep them when I upgrade lenses so I have a light weight travel kit), but they aren’t fast (I mean that they don’t have a big aperture). Ultimately I want some 2.8 constant aperture equivalent focal length lenses of the two zooms mentioned above (I am just a little financially impaired).

So why use the 55-200 VR?
To get that shallow depth of field and compression you get when shooting at 200mm. Can you get this from other lenses? Yes but most cost a lot more.

A long focal length like 200mm can make the background seem like it is right behind the subject (compression) but look soft like creamy butter (shallow depth of field). This shot of Airen was taken using the 55-200mm at 200mm, see how the background is like a soft painting?



Why use the 50mm prime?
For that 1.8 F stop. When I shoot with this lens it is nearly always wide open aperture. I want that low light goodness. Shooting beautiful natural light usually requires a lens that is fast like the 50mm 1.8. Again you get some great soft backgrounds, this time because the aperture is so big (1.8). The bad is that you really need to be careful how and where you focus otherwise the important part of the pic will be out of focus. Notice how the photo below son's eyes are sharp and in focus but the rest of his face is quickly falling out of focus. Hall mark of the 50mm at 1.8 aperture.



Why use the 18-70mm?
For the wide end and for all the normal angles you might need. It just works well, though it doesn’t have any pop except when wide (when I say pop I mean that at most focal lengths it is like vanilla ice cream a bit boring but still the most popular flavor). If you shoot landscape then you want wide 18mm or wider. I don’t so I don’t have any ultra wide lenses. Here is a wide example, notice how everything appears in focus? That is where the wide bodies excel. Here is an example of a photo at ~18mm.



My lights:
I have an SB600 for the on camera stuff (I don’t use direct on camera flash much opting to bounce of walls etc), and use two older (very worn and beat up) speed lights for my lighting (planning to add a fourth light soon). This was due to a suggestion from David Hobby (Strobist) to buy used and I think I made the right decision. I don’t worry too much about the lights (SB 24 and SB 25), and just use them as the tools that they are.

Lighting is sometimes a hot topic (some think it is cheating). Suffice it to say that natural light can be wonderful, so use it when you can find good light. If you don't think lighting is interesting then skip the rest of the gear post...

Lenses are easy to explain but lights are a whole other beast. Suffice it to say that learning about light is what photography is about. Cameras capture light. I don’t know what more to say except just use it and do it. The more you do it (take photos) the better you will get! Now I don't want anyone who reads this to think that you have to use flash or strobe light, natural light can be the best light you will ever find, but learning to use lights can help you see natural light better, making you a better photographer all around.

Start simple, when learning to light, I suggest starting with a single light and then building up from there. After a while you will start thinking in terms of two, three, four and more lights, but I suggest starting with one. In fact most of time I use one light because I don’t want a shoot to get to complicated.

Here is a behind the scenes photo (indoor and a little more complicated).



Here is the result.



Light modifiers:
As you can see I use three different umbrellas sizes 60”, 43” and 33”. Light size is a huge part in the quality of your light. Most of the time you want soft light as it is more flattering. Soft light is achieved when you have a big source relative to the subject (more about it here). The 60” umbrella is great at providing real soft light. The 33” is a little more edgy but still is much softer than a bare flash.

Remember I said the light source size relative to the subject size, so a 60” umbrella 10 feet away will look as soft as a 33” umbrella shot at 3 feet away. Move the light in close to get uber soft light.

Other stuff:
Light stands, clamps, triggers (to trigger the flash when of camera) are other stuff I use. I use a couple of Bogen nano light stands because they are really compact and easy to haul around. Filters to change the color of the light etc. You can really spend a lot of money on extras.

One last note; there is so much more to photography than the gear, such as posing, framing, color, and the list goes on and on. This only touches the gear aspect which is a fairly small part of the equation. Getting all the right gear only gets you so far, the gear after all are just tools, you are the artist using the tools!

Hope this helps out!

Getting outside again

A few weeks back we spent the weekend at Palisades, car camping style. With kids you take what you can get and Dani and Jason have those twins that are a real hand full. We broke tradition and actually arrived at the campsite early enough that we didn't have to pitch our tents in the dark. When we woke up the next morning, the tents and nearly everything else was covered in frost (it got into the mid to low 20's that night). Of course Jack didn't mind...



The twins were very cold and unhappy for a long time but they eventually warmed up. One of the twins was fighting a cold, the other was happy as a clam (think perma-grin).



Look, a bird, a plane no it is...




My balloon is flying away!



Once it warmed up it was off to the sand box to look for buried treasure.





Clayton had a blast just being with his cousins.

We tried bubbles but the only one interested was Camus.



Clayton managed to overcome his fear of slides while with Jack, Emma and Elli. It was awesome seeing the little guy work up the courage to go down the slide. Clayton is one cautious little dude.



Of course the twins aren't afraid of any slide anywhere. No fear for those girls



The kids played so hard that they completely wore themselves out. The boys (Me and Jason) took the kids for a ride to see if they would fall asleep. Clayton slept but the girls managed to tough it out (they are stubborn Grotepas girls). We had a bit of an adventure while driving to get the kids asleep. Jason decided to see how far his Sequoia could go after the digital read out said No Gas, 0 miles. I was positive that we would be pushing the Sequoia the last mile to the gas station.



It was so nice to get out and camp. We are definitely going to do this again soon!

Woods Cross Drill team

Ariana (Woods Cross Drill team advisor) has been telling me for a while now that she wants me to take the Woods Cross drill team portraits. Well I went to a drill team practice to give moral support to my wife (Woods Cross Drill assistant advisor) and to help a little with the technical details of the prop building they are doing for their novelty routine. While I was there I took a "concept shot" just to give Ariana an idea of what I have in mind. She hasn't given me any ideas of what she is looking for in the team photographs but I figured I would take 5 minutes and show her an idea that was floating around in my head. I have a couple more ideas that we will have to try when there is more time!



I know it is not what you call traditional but I think it is something that the girls would like. I told the girls I would put a couple of photos that I took on my blog so they could see them bigger than what they looked like on the back of my camera. Like I said this is a concept shot so it is far ideal. Lighting is one of those things I feel needs to improve, and I am sure the girls would like to get glamored up for the final shoot. Maybe dress in the same outfit?



It sould be easy enough to add the the name "Woods Cross" across the top of the photo, so no problems there. We could easily do the traditional style photos as well. I know Ariana wants them in the outdoors but the snow and cold puts a little damper on that, but we can figure a way around that, no problem!

Enjoy,

Nathan

Christmas greetings from Dani, Jason

Here is one cute family... Great mom and dad, protective and loving big brother and hyper active over the top cute twin sisters! You don't get better than this. Of course throw in the mix last minute preparation, an inexperienced photographer (me), a family running late with no time to spare and what do you get... The Sander's Christmas portraits.



This is the closest the twins ever got to smiling for the camera. They just were not amused!

Don't stick that lip out at me Emma!



Even when the twins don't make happy faces you can't but help wanting to reach through the monitor and trying to give those cheeks a pinch!



I thought that if I threw some snow the twins just might smile... Another failure.



Next time I know exactly what to do to make the pictures "picture perfect".

Sanpete, again!!!

Yes you can see Mt. Pleasant down in that valley below and what a beautiful valley!



Clayton loves to head down to Sanpete! There is so much interesting stuff and he really can stretch his legs being able to roam all over his grandma and grandpa Marx's yard. He can chase chickens, ducks play in all the dirt, well you get the idea.



Here my son is making funny faces at the camera. I think he was actually mocking me at the ripe age of two! Kids are supposed to think their dad is the smartest and the toughest man on earth at that age. Guess he just learns too fast!







Of course it is even more fun when Clayton is able to play with his cousin Jordan!





Jordan is such a little cutie. She is 2 months Clayton's senior so they are best buds. She also loves the outdoors and is teaching her city boy cousin (my son Clayton) what rural life is all about. This little girl is full of energy and just goes, goes, goes.......

It's a boy!!!!

My little sister had her baby a couple of weeks ago.... Everybody welcome Clayton's newest and smallest cousin, Brody! Drum roll please.



It's funny how you can forget just how little these guys are when they are born.



Of course as newborns do, Brody was able sleep through the whole experience. No wonder people can't remember things from when they were a few weeks old. You sleep so much there is nothing to remember.



I think that Brody was having some good dreams don't you?






He tried to wake up for part of the pictures but naw he couldn't keep those little eyes open.






YYYYYAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWNNNNNN! This little guy does have big mouth.



Don't you just love baby feet!



Jordan loves that new little brother of hers. She won't let any of the school bullys pick on her little bro! Brody is safe with a tough big sister like Jordan around!





Of course I can't just show pics without my little boy being in them. This is his new cousin after all. He had a blast hanging out with his cousin Jordan! They are just too cute together! Love that little guy!