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The 3rd FotoTV Christmas Carol
Summary:
If you are in need of a special gift card for this year's christmas, Eberhard Schuy from Loft 2 helps you out with an unusual technique to create a fitting motif. A few household gadgets are enough to make shiny stars appear even in the darkest winter night.
Along with his photographic expertise, get advice on how to adjust lighting, shutter speed and aperture for this specific setup. When it comes to color and exposure you may however apply these tips differently to achieve results according to your taste.
So join in for the latest Christmas Carol episode, and if you missed the last two, make sure to catch up with the links down below!
Wine Photography á la Surprise
Summary:
One Light Shooting
Summary:
Photographer Martin Krolop gives FotoTV viewers a step-by-step studio set-up on how to photograph beauty or portrait lighting using one light.
Often photographers are used to the lighting set-up with a soft-box above the subject and a soft-box below the subject. The space between is where the photographers normally shoot from in a typical situation like this. But most photographers also know that this can be an annoyance, shooting from in between the soft-boxes and somehow always in front of the camera.
Krolop begins by explaining it does not always have to be this difficult and sets out to demonstrate the best method, position, and studio equipment to use to achieve the finest studio portrait lighting with just one light, and actually standing right in front of the soft-box itself—imagine that.
Focusing on all the most important technical aspects, Krolop delivers a winning tutorial and guide for any photographer wishing to create and offer clients the best work possible while keeping his finances in mind. What Krolop accomplishes in a few short moments is very easy and the costs are very economical. The setting is easy to set-up, easy to light, and easy to modulate and make mobile if necessary. It actually doesn’t get any easier than this, so if photographers are looking for a great way to enhance or improve their style and very cost effectively, then this video tutorial is the perfect way to get started.
Based out of Bonn, Krolop comprises half of the creative team at Krolop & Gerst photography. Combining traditional photography techniques with the latest technology and software, Krolop and Gerst specialize in editorial, fashion, location and wedding photography, providing excellent visual solution services to many satisfied clients.
Ray Flash Light
Summary:
The frontpages of fashion and beauty magazines are full of pictures without any shadows at the face. To achieve this look, one needs a flash device that allows even lighting.
If one is not willing to pay a few hundret dollars for a ring flash, you will be delighted to hear, that there is another possibility:
Mike le Gray explaines how to use a ray flash, how it works and what the advantages and disadvantages are, when compared to a normal ring flash.
He photographs his model in front of a white background and explains the effect, the light creates. Later on, he changes the background to black and shoots a few more pictures with Navenna.
In this video, you will learn a lot about the technique and usage of a ray flash, allowing you to do great shots without spending a lot of money.
Splish Splash
When the Glass Tips Over
Cocktails in Space
Waterdrops in Focus
Summary:
The studioCommunity is here again with another photographic trick!
This time they show how to capture flying wine in an otherwise still life. The bottle is full and immobilie, but the wine is literally jumping for joy!
The crew explains the setup and the execution with tips to improve the illusion.
Disco Light
Summary:
In this film, freelance, fashion and beauty photographer Michael Gelfert covers the topic of creating a disco atmosphere for a fashion production at club in Frankfurt, Germany.
Gelfert approaches this topic from two angles; one, shooting in an actual disco using the disco lights as part of his shot, and two, recreating a disco look using studio lights covered with colored gels to simulate the colorful lights of a disco.
For the first part of the film, Gelfert works with a lighting technician, especially there to control the disco strobes and spotlights. He comprehensively goes through all settings and equipment that he needs to use to create the look he wants. Needless to say, it is all done with great effort, but the results are brilliant. Working with a beauty dish as his main frontal light, he cannot change the output of his background disco lights, so he must rely on his shutter speed to regulate the brightness of the surrounding backlighting. Something that requires him to use a tripod and stay pretty much in the same position, all very inflexible.
Since Gelfert wants to move about freely and try new perspectives and angles to shoot from, he sets up a simulated disco scene using the beauty dish again as a main frontal light and three flash heads, each with a different colored gel for his background and disco effect. The results are dynamic and authentic looking and it allows him to be more mobile and also shoot at a faster shutter speed since he can now regulate the power output of the backlights.
In conclusion, whichever method photographers choose to use to create a disco look for their photo shoots, both are technically superb. Although one might be more work than the other to control, both still yield professional results and Gelfert does a wonderful job explaining the details and differences between both techniques.
Butterfly Lighting 2
Summary:
In this FotoTV film photographer Oliver Rausch, from the Cologne School of Photography in Germany gives FotoTV another helpful tutorial, this time taking a closer look at the very popular and forever timeless Butterfly Lighting" made popular in the 20's by legendary film icon Marlene Dietrich.
On hand from two fashion magazines he shows first the right and then the wrong examples of this style of Beauty photography. Then he constructs a lighting setup using various small lamps showing step by step which combination produce which results.
How do shadows created with large lamps develop, How can I with only one lamp illuminate both the model and the background are among the questions Oliver Rausch addresses here. He also gives some tips on how to best use umbrella reflectors.
Rausch concludes that plasticity is the most important element when using butterfly lighting. Rausch shows that a three-dimensional photograph of the face is clearly more pleasing than a shot produced by incorrectly placed lighting reflectors.
Cocktails in Space
Summary:
Our friends from the studioCommunity are back with another great photo shoot.
They really reach deep into their photographic bag of tricks this time with a gravity defying trick that will have the others wondering; "How did they do that?"
The props and how they are combined is demonstrated step by step. Slowly melting ice cubes, vibrant translucent lemon slices and bottled water defying gravity and a very basic image manipulation complete the illusion. The complete lighting setup is explained with tips to optimize the glass and bottle contours.
Nude Photography III
Summary:
For the third and final installment of this special three part series, iconic photographer, Greg Gorman, leads a workshop in Zingst, Germany, while discussing and demonstrating natural light portrait and nude photography with FotoTV and workshop participants.
The focal point of Gorman's discussion and demonstration today is natural light settings in low light circumstances for portrait and nude photography. Gorman specifically focuses on camera exposure settings and the analyzing of the model's face. As opposed to the second installment where Gorman uses a strong key light set-up and an edge light to separate the model's face and body from the black background, this time he uses a light somewhat overexposed background, a mixture of light tones and hues to create a soft, ethereal image with clean lines that are always straight and parallel.
Gorman emphasizes his rapport and working relationship with his models while on set and he finds it extremely important to routinely show the model either test Polaroids or images on the camera display so that they have an idea what he is shooting and how they look after the shot is taken. Gorman sculpts with light to render elegant and dramatic portraits and nudes. With the aid of a silver reflector he adds a kick to the overall image, making the photo more dynamic, therefore giving viewers an excellent demonstration of what can be done in fairly simple light.
Most noted for his work in black and white, Gorman shoots color for his workshop series and it is clear why he has been in the business for over four decades photographing for the world's most notable magazine and advertising clients.
Nude Photography II
Summary:
For the second installment of this special three part series, iconic photographer, Greg Gorman, leads a workshop in Zingst, Germany, while discussing portrait and nude photography for the male form with FotoTV.
This time Gorman focuses on the light set-up and his approach to photographing portraits for the male form with the aid of his model-photographer, Mike Lane from Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Using a strong key light set-up and an edge light to separate Mike's body from the background, Gorman aims to create a more dramatic photograph and he does exactly that.
By far, the most important aspect of his work is his working relationship with his models while on set. Gorman finds it extremely important to communicate with his models and to not feel shy when working with them. He directs his male model through the segment with ease, even as he tells his model to suck in his belly, something Gorman finds no problem saying because does it respectfully. It is not necessarily the light that makes Gorman's photographs so intense; rather it is his how he uses the light that makes the picture more interesting.
Throughout the shooting, Gorman makes several exposure adjustments and lighting changes to capture the essence and personality of the model optimally. He also suggests shooting from a slightly lower angle when photographing someone that is not so tall, so to elongate the body.
Most noted for his work in black and white, Gorman shoots color for his workshop series and it is clear why he has been in the business for over four decades photographing for the world's most notable magazine and advertising clients.