In front of the camera
I was doing some kit research in preparation for a wedding I'm photographing next week and came across some great kit from lastolite. Not only do they have brilliant products but they also have a ton of training videos showing you how to use their kit in a variety of creative ways.
I picked up a few soft boxes and umbrellas to use with the Canon speedlights I already have. Flash photography has not always been a strong point of mine as I have preferred to use continuous lights (tungsten) for both product and portrait photography. But flash is very useful for event and wedding photography so I have been developing a deeper understanding.
I also picked up some pocket wizards to enable me to control the flash off camera with the click of a dial, making controlling the light in situ quick and easy.
Using a lastolite reversible background (which has a yellow and an orange side) I was able to shoot two contrasting images in a matter of minutes.
Looking through Fergus Greer's book on 'The World's Top Photographers - Portraits' I tried to emulate/copy the lighting used in a number of portraits. The only 'model' I could find was myself, which made taking the images a challenge! Remote releases work ok but choosing a focus point can be difficult.
Please have a look at a range of lighting set ups below.
It goes to show what can be achieved with only three flashlights and a few studio accessories. I'll be able to set up shoots both indoors and outdoors really easily.
I am very happy with the results and have learnt a lot about flash photography and gained a deeper understanding of my new kit. Once the wedding project is complete I shall be looking for more photogenic models to continue with my flash lighting training.