1. Portrait Workflow

2. © 2010 CarbonSilver Photography About Greg Shooting since 2000 Primarily self-taught –Shoot ~50,000 images annually –Assist wedding photographers –Books / web –Network with other photographers –Conventions (WPPI, Imaging USA) Focus on Portraits, Weddings, Cityscapes

3. © 2010 CarbonSilver Photography Lighting: 4 Scenarios No light! On-camera Off-camera Studio

4. © 2010 CarbonSilver Photography (1) No light Fast! Cheap! Gear –Reflectors (add light) –Gobos (remove light) Natural lighting –Sun = bare bulb –Clouds = soft box –White wall = reflector –Trees = gobo –…

5. © 2010 CarbonSilver Photography

7. (2) On-camera When? => no other options –Fast paced environment (wedding, etc) –Budget constraints –Gear / weight constraints Head on? –No glasses! –Fill for high contrast scenarios (full sun) Bounce? –Large enough? Close enough? Right color? Gels: Match color temperature! See: –On-Camera Flash Techniques… by Neil van Niekerk

8. © 2010 CarbonSilver Photography (2) On-camera

9. © 2010 CarbonSilver Photography

10. (3) Off-camera No assistant? => 8 Cheetah stand Assistant? => light stick –Manfrotto 3218 Monopod –Optional: 234 Swivel Tilt Battery pack & gaffers tape !!! Triggers –Budget => Optical or cord –Speed => TTL radio trigger RadioPopper PX (easy, 2 strobes, heavier) PocketWizard Control TL (calibration, high speed AB) –Reliability / Predictability => TTL manual (or cord) PocketWizard Plus II (or similar) See: –strobist.com –tricoastphoto.com/blog/

11. © 2010 CarbonSilver Photography

12. (3) Off-Camera

13. © 2010 CarbonSilver Photography (4) Studio Ultimate control, ultimate cost Learn the rules, break the rules Light on separate planes Know your modifiers One light at a time !!!

14. © 2010 CarbonSilver Photography Studio: Background Light Light on separate planes –background about 10 feet behind subject. Shape light for interest –unmodified SB-800 flash zoomed slightly to give it a bit of a vignette. Match f-stops –I wanted the shoot the key at f/11, so I set this backdrop right at f/11 as well.

15. © 2010 CarbonSilver Photography Studio: Key light Light: –Alien Bee 1600 –f/11 (no background considerations, go for max sharpness with minimal recycling time) –High (flattering shadows, butterfly/loop) Modifier –Beauty dish (fairly hard, directional) See –your favorite magazines (watch the catchlights)

16. © 2010 CarbonSilver Photography Studio: Fill light Goal: Fill Shadows –neck –eye sockets –scarf under neck Light: –Hotshoe mounted SB-800 –About 1 stop below key (TTL -1) Modifier –Ray flash adapter –(reflector in lap, not necessary)

17. © 2010 CarbonSilver Photography Studio: Separation / Kickers Goal: –Give the image punch –Light the hair Light: –2 AB800s (one on each side of subject) –About 1.5 stops below key Modifier –gridded strip box –oriented vertically

18. © 2010 CarbonSilver Photography Lightroom: Reviewing Import with standard previews Picking the winners –X to mark for rejection –1-5 keys to star only the best –P to mark client picks Color (6-0) for editing notes –(sharpened, original, etc)

19. © 2010 CarbonSilver Photography Lightroom: Editing Get it right in camera! Keyboard shortcuts –G = Grid (Library) –D = Develop –N = Healing / clone –W = white balance (Photovision grey card) –Ctrl-+/- to zoom Alt / Option key to see the extremes / clipping Avoid Photoshop (costs a lot of time)

20. © 2010 CarbonSilver Photography Exporting / Printing Create presets, they save a LOT of time! Calibrate your monitor! (Calibrate printer for non-standard papers) Photoshop for lab printing –Resize output by short side Crop in labs upload tool (ROES) –Actions for speed Smart Sharpen –radius ~2 (1.5 to 3 for 240-300 dpi) –Adjust amount to sharpen (optional: fade luminosity) Curve adjustment for blacks (0->10) and whites (255->250)

21. © 2010 CarbonSilver Photography

22. Thank you!