Website updates & Flash Composite How-to

Whoopiee! Small thing, but I actually made the Page header picture swap with every fresh visit, or page change in the site. Looks more professional? 🙂

Also did this quick and dirty flash composite yesterday.

It’s pretty easy – provided you’re already comfortable with manual mode & off camera lighting
1.) Set up the shot on Tripod, and expose the scene as you see fit (a la the usual strobist 1-2 stops below camera’s metering)
Tip: Prefocus the shot and lock it using MF. Remember to set a manual WB setting too!

2.) Position the subjects (and tell them, as much as possible, keep still!)

3.) Literally walk into the frame and light the subjects one-by-one (you can light a few people if they’re closely packed too!), each time taking a shot.
Tip: Using a wireless remote saves you running between camera and subject!

4.) Merge the different shots in Photoshop.

There! Nothing to it! 😉

Impressions of Light – Film Noir

Second of a 3 Part exploration of using light. I will need to pick one image from each set to submit.

Part 2 – Noire (playing with Shadow and Colours.)

The objective was to recreate the usually B&W Film Noir genre but in COLOR. This involves colouring the different areas of the scene, and playing with casting shadows. My chief inspiration was Rockstar’s game L.A Noire. – particularly the hues from the cover art.

It was actually rather mind-boggling to think of it – 3 light set ups, gels, and two models. Quite tricky for me! But thankfully, with the help of my wonderfully able friends/assistants, I pulled it off!

I’m still not 100% satisfied with the alley shots. The angle could be a tad higher, the lighting a tad more dramatic. But as they say, you live and learn. An experience like this now, makes me a better photographer in future.

And since the costume was just way too nice, I figured a few shameless self-portraits were in order.

View the full album here.