test shoots

So it's been nearly a year since I updated, partly because I'm a bit too busy, the other part because I've clearly been a bit too lazy. I guess most of it is down to deciding what to write into this blog, and I thought I'd dust it down and put something in. I want to treat it more like a scrap book of thoughts than making it too heavy.

So first up, I've had a busy few days doing some shooting. I've had/got three shoots this week - I've already had the first two, and the third one is on Friday.

My first shoot was for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research.

I've been working with them for about eighteen months now. I met them while I was on work experience at a newspaper and I got chatting to them during an event we were covering. I thought they were really lovely people and they left quite an impression on me. Afterwards, I decided that since I couldn't offer a monthly donation, I could offer them my skills and time if they wanted it, and they've always been really lovely and welcoming. Last year, they had several bikeathons across the UK to raise money, including their first one at Drumpelier Country Park, near Coatbridge. I went and did my usual thing, photographing people on bikes. It was a great day, with lovely warm sunshine which made the photographing bit so much easier.


To launch their 2010 bikeathon, they asked me if I would take photographs of a family and one of the guys from one of their partners for this year, Evans Cycles. It was much colder this time, but the park was also really busy! I went early, to scout round, and thought I'd found a quiet spot near the loch, but it seemed to be a people magnet. The downside to this was having to stop frequently to let people past, and also that I couldn't get away with putting up my speedlight stands as I would have liked to have done. Not all the visitors were kind enough to step around either, quite a few chose to walk right through the middle, even though there was plenty of space to walk past. This meant I had to rescue my speedlights quite a few times, and then continuously replace them.

I managed to get some good shots of the family, which I won't be posting here just yet (partly because there's a kid involved). But I will show you some of the photos of our cycle-guru:




Reasonably happy with these, although less happy with my batteries as despite being brand new rechargeable (and fully charged) the day before, they lasted approximately forty-five minutes before the recycle time got a bit long. I might have over-vignetted the top shot though, but that's easily fixed.

I've also been working on some test shots. I've got a big photoshoot this weekend as part of a college project. I have one shot at it, and I'll admit I am feeling quite nervous about it. Probably more than I have for previous college shoots.

So to help me prepare, I dragged my brother to pose for me, while I experimented with lighting. My kit here is two Canon 430EX speedlights, triggered by a Canon 580EXII speedlight (oh for the day when I can afford Pocket Wizards!). The 430s were on light stands with brollies. I used the 580 for a little filler.


The last shot there, was the starting point. I borrowed the set-up from photographer Tom Miles and a shoot he did for a poker mag. From there, we experimented with moving around and raising the height of the lights.


Ian (my brother) was really good with this shoot. I think he got quite interested in what I was doing and made suggestions about what he thought would look good.

Given this was relatively easy to set up, it gave me some ideas to try and play with.

I had another little play this afternoon. Unfortunately, I was without an attractive model, so I've had to make do with my own mug. Most of the shots are out of focus. Long story, involving a cheap trigger and an inability to find a new battery anywhere and therefore relying on the camera timer.

First shot shows me with my eyes closed. Also, yes that is my back garden. This shot gives an idea of my first tests - two speedlights behind me, set at +1/2 power, without brollies. I alternated a little here and occasionally put a brolly on one of the lights to see the effect and whether I liked it.



This first shot is with a brollied-speedlight (to the left of the camera) and a speedlight on a stand to the right, just over my shoulder. A little bit of on camera flash was used, I diffused the light and set it at between -1/4 and -1/8 power.


This second shot shows no on-camera fill flash. I thought I'd add it as a comparrison. Not so flattering, I don't think, on a girl, what with noses and all that. I think a paper bag might have been better.


Moving on, I thought I'd swap sides with the brolly/speedlight. I moved it because I felt it would work better with the direction of light in the sky - since the direction light is sort of parallel where there are breaks in the cloud. I quite like this effect - I had the brolly a lot closer and also upped the zoom, and a little fill-flash.




I'm heading south tomorrow afternoon, and won't have time to get another practice in, unless I give tomorrow morning a go. I basically want to get something that I can say "that works" and then be able to put it up and get started immediately, without worrying too much about setting it up.