Photography tips and lessons

Kalaupapa, Moloka'i Hawaii

2009-10-30T16:29:00.003-10:00

I just started reading Moloka'i by Alan Brennert. It's a story about a little girl who contracts Hansen's Disease--leprosy--in 1892. It is supposed to be an uplifting story, but right now the 6 year old girl is starting to show signs of the disease, so it might be a tough read for a while. I went to Moloka'i 5 years ago and saw Kalaupapa from the landing above the peninsula. This is what I wrote at the time:

The Kalaupapa Peninsula is a piece of land nestled up against the north shore of Hawaii’s Island of Molokai. The peninsula juts out from some of the world’s largest sea cliffs. The cliffs are a majestic deep green color that leads your eye down to the rich blue water that surrounds the Islands. The Peninsula and her surroundings are unfathomably beautiful.

The Peninsula was also the site of unspeakable horror from the mid-eighteen hundreds through the 1940’s. What was once a viable Hawaiian community and haven for travelers seeking refuge from a rough sea became a name synonymous with terror.

King Kamehameha V declared the peninsula to be a holding tank for Hawaii’s victims of Hansen’s Disease. Hawaii’s now infamous leper colony was born. Prior to the 1940’s, leprosy—or more properly, Hansen’s Disease—was a widely misunderstood disease, and one whose name registered intense fear. It was felt that leprosy was an extremely contagious disease.and a diagnosis of HD was deemed a crime. The victims were banished to Kalaupapa—left to fend for themselves, never see their families again, and die an unpleasant death.

Father Damien—known as the “Martyr of Molokai” arrived on Kalaupapa in the late 1800’s and spent sixteen years caring for those in the colony. He acted as priest, caregiver, doctor, nurse and even carpenter before succumbing to the disease. He is widely recognized as the man who brought humane conditions to an inhumane situation.

By the 1940’s, modern medicine caught up with Hansen’s Disease and rendered it curable. What was once synonymous with terror is now known—somewhat ironically—as one of the least contagious of the communicable diseases. The vast majority of people have a natural defense to the bacteria that causes Hansen’s Disease. Approximately 4% of the population is susceptible to the disease, which is transmitted via direct contact with an infected person. Leprosy is still a concern in parts of the world without access to modern medicine.

The isolation and quarantine that chastised this beautiful land was finally lifted in 1969. Those who were banished were now free to go. However, the former victims were promised a place to live if they chose to stay. Many apparently did choose to stay.

Access to the peninsula is extremely limited. Visitors are welcome as guests of the residents or the Board of Health. There are sanctioned tours available as well. Perhaps there will come a day when the beautiful Kalaupapa Peninsula will once again be fully accessible and will regain its place as a vibrant and active Hawaiian community—and the legacy of leprosy will follow its namesake into obscurity.

--Compiled from information gathered at displays around the Kalaupapa Lookout.

Note: Father Damien is now Saint Damien.

Congratulations and Mahalo to Teresa Lee!

2009-10-30T15:03:00.001-10:00

From Teresa Lee Photography: Wow.... We just found out that I have been voted "Best Photographer" in Southern Colorado by the readers of the Colorado Springs Independent. The Indy is Southern Colorado's largest publication with over 120,000 readers each week. This is probably THE most incredible honor I've been given in my career. I was thinking about it, in comparison to my photos being in Times Square on the Kodak Jumbotron and how each of the 7 times they've been up there, how emotional it is -- how surreal it has been to stand there looking at an image that I created on that big screen where millions of people will pass by to see my work... that feeling is like none other I've ever experienced. But, this... THIS recognition has got to be THE best thing ever because it has come as a result of my clients and their experience with me. I am truly humbled and so thankful.

THANK YOU to all of our clients who voted for us!! You guys are the best! I look back, in awe, of how much I have learned and grown through the years since I began this journey. Who would've thought when I started photographing a handful of friends and family just 8 short years ago that it would grow into a thriving business that has taken me all over the country to photograph thousands of people. This year has brought me to places in this beautiful country to work with some amazing people and I am blessed with a job that most people would only dream of having. From being asked to document a baby's first cry as he enters the world to working with dancers on a hit TV show (love you, SYTYCD guys!!!!), this has been the wildest and most fun ride that I could ever imagine.

I am so humbled and honored by the opportunities I've been given and where it all started. My thanks go out to my friends and mentors, who have come alongside me and been instrumental in my growth and success. I can remember as a little girl, being photographed by Robert Jenkins of Robert Jenkins Photography in Wynne, AR, who was our family photographer. This man has been my photographic idol since I can remember. I decided throughout the years that he had the coolest job in the world, and I think he is one of the greatest photographers I've ever known. He has been so generous in answering my questions about starting a business and helping with lighting and finding the perfect vendors and I wouldn't have such a great business if it weren't for what I've learned from him.

My good friend, Laura Stetser, of Laura Lynne Photography in Roseville, CA - a huge thanks to her for being such a sweet friend and supporter and incredibly talented photographer, who has walked this path with me and I'm enjoying seeing her success, as well. We found friendship with each other and began our journey toward our dream and have seen each other through the hard times that it takes to make the dream a reality -- the long nights, the 70 and 80 hour work weeks, the driving nonstop across the country to work more 70 and 80 hour work weeks, the hauling equipment, the equipment failure, the hours away from our families to live out the dream, the sweat and many tears that have been part of it... all the hard work that has paid off to have such a great job. I appreciate her friendship and growing with me.

And I would like to extend a huge thanks to Stephen Dantizig, of Dantzig Photography in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is THE most incredible author and fashion photographer. He has been such an inspiration to me from the time I bought his first book and contacted him saying that I was "his biggest fan and could he teach me everything he knows?" He has given such amazing advice and direction in developing my skill, and I couldn't imagine having a better mentor (or more famous one!) And I'm STILL his biggest fan! :) He took the time to take a rookie and explain to me things to do and not to do and I am forever grateful for a business relationship that I am privileged to have.

Thank you so much to our clients across the country. Those inside and outside of Colorado Springs who continue to trust me with preserving your family's memories and special days for you. To those who choose me to create art for them in capturing personalities of their loved ones... this is such a fun journey and I appreciate every person who has joined us for it. Thank you to all who have appreciated my work enough to vote for me. You guys are incredible and have help make my childhood dream better than anything I ever imagined!! Thank you...

Those of you in Colorado Springs, go out today and pick up a copy of the "Best Of" issue -- for those of you outside the Springs, see the winners here. Go to the Best Of Winners in the Making Noise section and you can scroll down to Photographer.

We are MOVING!

2009-10-30T15:00:00.002-10:00

I am proud to announce the launch of www.dantzigphototalk.com. It's not complete yet, but all of these posts are there and we'll have a bookstore too! There will be a transition period where I will post on both blogs. Please join us at our new location!

Steve

Cassie Ann Sumimoto--A Multimedia Portfolio

2009-10-10T12:28:00.001-10:00

Join Miss Teen Hawaii World 2009, Cassie Ann Sumimoto, as she talks about her modeling and career goals. See images that Stephen Dantzig has created for her through the years as well as a glimpse into her modeling future.

Behind the Scenes Video with Tiffany Lajola and MUA Kecia Littman

2009-10-04T10:35:00.001-10:00

Stephen Dantzig Photography Behind The Scenes with Tiffany Lajola and MUA Kecia Littman from Stephen A Dantzig on Vimeo.

Video--Outdoor lighting in Hawaii

2009-09-12T23:23:00.000-10:00

Hawaii Outdoor Lighting Lesson from Stephen A Dantzig on Vimeo.

Hawaiian Monk Seal visits my photo shoot!

2009-08-16T15:26:00.004-10:00

Hawaii never ceases to amaze me! We showed up at Little Makapuu Beach for a photo shoot and were walking around looking for our first location when we were treated to a visit from a Hawaiian Monk Seal! I implored Jade to run back to the car and get the camera before the seal took off. He hung around long enough to pose for some photos and play in the surf and was gone. It was a truly magical 5 minutes!

Entering the world of HD Video!

2009-08-16T15:22:00.001-10:00

I just ordered a Canon EOS 5D Mark II and will be shooting a lot more behind the scenes video of my photo sessions. I'll also be adding a video component to my Executive Portrait services! Stay tuned.

No sunlight on location? Create it!

2009-08-02T16:32:00.004-10:00

It's been about 30 years since I was was invited to my first "big production" shoot for a TV commercial. My good friend and first "serious model" had landed her first commercial. I was extremely excited when Pam asked me to come along. I remember that the director was a very friendly gentleman who welcomed me with enthusiasm. I think the product was a frozen ice pop called "Ice Juicy" or something like that. The shoot took place on a Long Island NY beach. It wasn't exactly a stunning Long Island Beach day. In fact, I remember it being quite overcast. I was a young student of lighting and was VERY concerned. I couldn't understand why the director and crew didn't seem to be upset. I finally got the nerve to ask the director about it: "...but, there's no sun today," I exclaimed! He calmly replied "Oh that doesn't matter...we'll create it."

It is now 30 years later and I live on a different island on the opposite side of the United States and this director's words ring through my head on almost all of my location shoots. I cannot rely on -- or wait for that magic time just after sunrise or before sunset. "Sunset" is a term that has very different meanings depending where on Oahu we are shooting. The Koolau Mountain range along the East-Northeast blocks the sun much earlier than you'd expect because the sun is setting in the West--well behind the majestic mountains. There may be plenty of light peaking over the mountains and illuminating the background, but our model is always in shade.

My job is to "create" the sense of a sunlit beach--just like I watched 30 years ago. Fortunately I do not need one of the monster "hot lights"- -blinding spotlights that were on at all times. I bring on of my Dynalite Uni400 monoheads and a couple of light modifiers.

We used an 18" white beauty dish to create these images of Joanne Guillermo. (You've seen Joanne a few times now. She's become one of my favorite models and always does a great job.) The beauty dish, fitted with a white diffuser, does a great job of simulating sunlilght. We set the strobe/ambient combination according to the background and we are good to go!

Outdoor lighting--sometimes a hat can throw you off!

2009-07-19T15:03:00.008-10:00

Shooting outdoors and controlling your lighting all day is a topic that I cover in detail in my book Portrait Lighting for Digital Photographers: The Basics and Beyond. I talk about the need to modify midday sun by using some kind of shade. The shade will certainly soften the shadows created by the harsh light, but it creates a situation where the light falling on your model is less than what is illuminating the background. I show what happens when you expose for your model's skin tones and then what happens when you expose for the background. The key to balancing the two exposures is to use a strobe to bring the light values of what is illuminating his or her skin up to what is lighting the background. I know that trees, overhangs and thin fabric create the solution--and problems described, but what about a simple hat or cap? Would the brim of the cap be enough to cast enough of a shadow to underexpose your model's face too much? We set out to find out.

Rayna is a former University of Hawaii Wahine Volleyball player. I met her in the stands one day after her playing days had ended. We managed to keep in touch and finally got together for a shoot. We shot four themes at Sand Island on Oahu: a dress with Honolulu as a backdrop; a "grungier" theme by an old junkyard; a sarong by the beach and some swimsuits. Rayna's junkyard outfit included a baseball cap so I wondered about what it would do to the exposures.

I first shot some images by taking a meter reading of the light surrounding Rayna. The background is indeed beautifully exposed and the light on her face is soft and pretty, but we do see the tell tale signs of an underexposed model: the light under her hat is less than the background because of the shade cast by the brim of the hat.

We placed the light meter under the brim of Rayna's hat to get the exposure reading for this photograph. The light on her skin is still soft and beautiful--and the exposure for her skin is more accurate, but we have lost the background. Exposing for the shade overexposed the background.

The key to this image was, just as in the examples in the book, to add light by using a strobe. We knew the exposure of the background from the first shots in this series so we adjusted the strobe to give us a combined ambient/strobe exposure that balanced Rayna's skin tones with the background.

The shoot with Rayna was a blast! We tried unsuccessfully to find time to work together for about 7 months. It was worth the wait! She is such a nice person! She photographs beautifully and is a pleasure to work with. Here are more images from the shoot:

COMING IN NOVEMBER 2009!

Christine--Then and Now

2009-07-16T17:51:00.008-10:00

I met Christine Pham about 6 years ago when she was working as a hostess for a local Honolulu restaurant. She agreed to sit for some photos that wound up in a few of my books all those years ago. She moved back to the Mainland and we lost touch...until we found each other again on Myspace about two years ago. We traded the occasional e-mail and casually kept in touch. I received a note from her about a month ago where she said that she would be in Honolulu for a week. I immediate asked her to update her photos and she agreed.

Christine "then"

Christine now

It was great fun to work with her again, but it was even more interesting to how much she had grown in five years. She went from a pretty teenager to a beautiful young lady. We met for dinner and to edit the photos a couple days later. It was really nice to sit and talk with her without the pressures of a photoshoot. We talked about where she'd been, where she was going and generally about life's trials and triumphs. The weekend was a lot of fun and one more reminder of the wonderful people I've met and friendships I've made in this field that I love so much.

Places to find me!

2009-07-09T14:14:00.002-10:00

Hello everyone! Welcome to those who are now just getting this feed. Please feel free to visit older blog posts here at http://stevephotohi.blogspot.com/ I have a new Author's page in the Author Central section on Amazon.com. You can find me on Facebook and send a friend request then join the "Ask Steve Photography Related Questions." I am also on Myspace and Twitter. I write a monthly column for www.prophotoresource.com and I also have an "Ask Steve" forum on that site. You can find some of my older articles and lessons in the FREE lessons section of the school portion of my website, www.dantzigphotography.com. Signed copies of my books are available in the bookstore on my website.

Aloha,

Steve

New Book Cover

2009-07-05T16:11:00.004-10:00

My new book has a name and a cover! Thanks Lindsay!!!! I've just made the last of the edits, so it's off to the printer for a November release!

Congratulations to Raeceen Woolford--Miss Hawaii 2009!

2009-07-05T15:57:00.004-10:00

I want to express my warm wishes, congratulations and aloha to Raeceen Woolford. Raeceen has been featured in a couple of my articles on www.ProPhotoResource.com and is featured in my new book. She was just crowned Miss Hawaii 2009!!! Raeceen truly embodies the spirit that is Hawaii and she'll make an outstanding ambassador for her home state. Way to go my friend! I am so proud for and of you. Have a GREAT year!!! Follow her adventures at www.misshawaii.org.

FIJI!!

2009-06-23T11:58:00.028-10:00

The view from the Club Fiji Resort Beach front and bar/restaurant

My "Bure" and another view from the property.

BULA!!! I had planned on doing a daily update of my Fijian adventure, but I couldn't connect my computer to the internet. So, here is the journal in it's entirety. Please stroll through at your leisure ("Fiji time!") and/or come back whenever you want to. See http://dantzigphotography.com/?page_id=184 for the complete galley of images.

(6/14/09 Fiji) I was a little more nervous about this first visit to the South Seas. I booked my trip to Fiji last year and it seemed like a far off dream. It still did not seem a reality even as the date rapidly approached. I met with my buddy Max for a couple of beers on Thursday night—everything was packed and ready to go. It was a quiet night and I was home by 9:30 and in bed by 10:00. The alarm was set for 3:00 AM because I had a 7:10 flight. I ignored the advice to arrive at the airport 3 hours early for an international flight and opted to arrive at a much more reasonable 5:00 AM. Sleep did not come easily so I was ready when the alarm rang. Max arrived at 4:00 and we were on our way. It was a wise choice to arrive later because the gate attendants did not get there until 5:30! A gentleman who I assume was returning to Fiji assisted me to the desk where we heard the words that every traveler dreads: “your flight is delayed and is now leaving at 10:15.” The thought of three more hours of sleep danced in my head! My 6 hour flight to Fiji now resembled the 10 to 11 hour ride back to NY!

I settled in for the long wait as neighbors took turns watching each others bags during restroom visits or food searches. I was pleased that I had packed a few extra peanut breakfast bars. We were at last on the plane on the way to Fiji. The flight crew was very pleasant and I partook of the bar cart on two occasions. I started reading the Twilight series a few weeks earlier so the three hour delay and the six hour flight allowed plenty of time to finish the first novel in the series. I could use a break from the adventures of Bella and Edward, so I dug into Don Felder’s Heaven and Hell: My Life with the Eagles. In time we landed and I excitedly awaited first sight of Fiji. I left Hawaiii on Friday morning and arrived in Fiji on Saturday morning because we crossed the International Date Line. I wasn’t disappointed despite a heavy cloud cover. I did not see much, but it was green and the mountains were pretty and somehow, initially at least, different than Hawaii. They looked more like the back side of Maui than anything resembling the Waianae or Koolau ranges from my so far limited perspective.

I received some assistance through the airport and had exchanged some money and cleared customs in no time. The ride from the airport to the Club Fiji Resort was not long—but I was glad that I was not driving on the left side of the road. The resort was down a long dirt and bumpy road. I was greeted by “Bula” by each of the so far very friendly staff. The resort is very laid back with a rustic wooden decor. I am in a small cottage that instantly reminded me of my visits to see my dear friend Nikki on Kauai. I love Kauai, so I immediately felt at home.

The wonderful hospitality continued as I sampled Fijian beer and cuisine for the first time. The Fiji Bitter is quite good, but I’ll pass on Fiji Gold. I had a plate of prawns and pork (the prawns were more like shrimp) that was VERY tasty!

I was sitting at the beach side bar having a beer when a guy wearing a New Jersey Devils shirt. Here I am, literally a half a world from where I grew up and I bump into a guy from Jersey! Russ turned out to be a really nice guy even though I am an old Islander fan! He’s on extended “holiday,” working for a year in Australia.

I was done by 8:00. It was extremely hot and muggy when I arrived but cooled down nicely at night. It rained a lot so I was periodically aware of the water hitting the roof of my cabin. I was wakened by the crowing of roosters and the (loud) singing of geckos. However the cacophony of nature would begin a little later! I’m not sure what kind of birds they were (mynah birds?) but they were sure happy to see the sun rise!

6/14/09 Fiji
I was able to confirm later that the noisy buggers were, in fact, mynah birds! I saw one and thought that the volume of it’s “chirp” far out bid it’s size! The day started slow. I called Verizon a month ago and learned that my cell phone would not work here. I felt a strange excitement when I thought of not being tied to a phone for a week. I realized yesterday (two days ago???) as I was waiting for the elevator at 4:15 AM that my WATCH was my phone! Shoots, I’d have to get a watch in Fiji. Oh well. Besides, my computer has a clock—good thing because my room doesn’t! I’d need to get an adapter because the electrical sockets in Fiji are different than in the U.S. Much to my dismay, the hotel didn’t have any adapters and my battery on the computer was shot (so no journal and no clock!). A resort worker named Ben offered to go into Nadi (pronounced Nandi) to buy me a watch (the people at this hotel are super nice), but Fai in the internet cafe came to the rescue and found an adapter that someone had left behind and lent it to me for the week.

I had a leisurely breakfast and came back for a shower. The weather was still iffy at best with a thick cloud cover. I booked an hour long massage on the beach ($20.00 US including tip) which was very pleasant. I took my spot at the bar and tried a couple more “local” beers (my buddy Max’ favorite beer is Victorian Bitter, so I’ll have to find that while I am here) and got back into Felder’s memoir of his time in my favorite band. I was talking to one of the bartenders about the surfing here. He said that the big surf could come all year. There is a clan on one of the outer islands that still has the power to invite the waves. He’s seen it happen. The next three hours were harrowing: I laid in a tope hanger under palm trees and clearing skies reading. I got caught up in battle with a rope hammock—trying to read and keep balanced is tough! The rat fink dumped me at one point! I wondered why I wasn’t doing this in Hawaii.

The weather was now quite nice so I grabbed the camera and got some shots of the palm trees before returning to the bar/restaurant for some eats and drinks. I ordered a mai tai. Let me tell you: they make them differently down here! One was plenty. I ran into my Jersey friend and continued a very pleasant conversation. A very good two-man band played in the background. They played mostly American and English classic rock. They introduced a Fijian song that I would swear was Kenny Rogers’ “Lucille” (You know the one—“You picked a fine time to leave me Lucille…with four hungry children and a crop in the field.”) Hysterical. Good, but funny.

The coconuts are free...so, apparently are the head injuries!

6/15/09 Fiji
Ugh. What is it with the second night after traveling? I slept long and hard on night one, but tossed and turned all night last night. The girls in the next bungalow obviously had a good night? There was the shadow of a critter on the wall as I went to the bathroom but it was gone too fast for me to really see what it was. There was a bit of noise after I returned to bed, so I’m guessing it was either a gecko, or the gecko got whatever it was. Welcome to the tropics.

I requested a 6:00AM wake-up call—this is great—there was a knock on my door at 6:00! They literally come and wake you up! The people at this out of the way resort are amazing. I was waiting for my pick up for a day cruise to what turned out to be a very small but gorgeous island when I began having second thoughts about leaving my passport and wallet in my room unattended. Ben to the rescue again! He went back to my room at retrieved my documents while I waited for the pickup. My passport was safely locked away as I piled into the front seat with Inia driving. I was still freaked about driving on the left. I snapped photos out the window of all the stores, etc. to get a feel for this side of this island. The feel was instantly different when we crossed a small “river” to Demarau. We were in “resort” territory. I think I like the Nadi side better.

Views from the car on the way to Denarau and our ship at sea.

Crossing over to Denarau

The boat ride to Tivau was a little subdued but pleasant. The water and surrounding islands were serenely beautiful. Everyone kept to themselves despite the encouragement of the crew.

One of the islands on the way to Mystery Island.

Mixing the Kava. I tried Kawa after a demonstration of the welcoming ceremony. It tasted like wood. The lead guy of the crew was named Lee. He was extremely professional and pleasant, but I know that boat crews don’t know what to do with or about me. They always try to offer too much help. Lee was great. I think he was secretly relieved when I passed on the first snorkeling trip-I wanted to take photos of this amazing place. I did and I hope that my photos do it justice. I put the camera down and ventured into the turquoise shallow water and laid there for 20 minutes or so…until I heard “LUNCH AND BAR’S OPEN!!!” Food and beer trump beautiful water!
Some of the sights (and me!) on Mystery Island!

The second snorkel trip was after lunch. Lee wasn’t sure about me but had the respect to ask if I could do it. I wound up holding on to him as we swam back to shore from the entry point. He was clearly impressed with me even though I drank half of the South Pacific Ocean and almost fed the fish! I prefer scuba diving—I can’t tuck my head too low and inhale the Ocean with a regulator in my mouth. Lee kept commenting to his friends that “This guy’s good!” He confessed with obvious respect that he had never been scuba diving. He was impressed with my 11 dives. I hate to admit this, but sometimes I still get a kick out of surprising people.

Lee acting ferocious and pounding a coconut!!!

The boat ride back was fun. People’s guards were let down a bit and conversations began to sprout. Lee and his gang weren’t through and performed a slightly different version of how to shear a coconut. Mind you, I’ve hated coconuts my whole life but J decided to try a little of the actual nut. It was not awful and truth be told, it was good—sort of like an almond. I don’t understand how I can hate the juice and extracts, but like the nut itself. The crew was entertaining us with guitars and ukulele and a few numbers from around the world. The Australian entry was, of course, “Waltzing Matilda!” The US was represented by…are you ready?...”She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain When She Comes!”

The crew at the hotel was characteristically wonderful. I was warned no less the three times when I ordered the hot shrimp curry! The first bite was “holy crap!” but it was tasty after that—I think!

6/16/09 Fiji

Today had a frustrating start. I got up at 5:30 for a 7:00 pick up for what was going to be a full day canoe, hike (short hike) and slow raft trip. The lady from my hotel called at 7:30 and was told that the trip was cancelled. She was able to book me on a later ½ day island cruise so all was not lost, but I now had three hours to kill. I tried to call mom to let her know that I was alive and well, but the line was busy each time. So off I went to South Sea Island. This tour company was not as personal as Captain Cook was yesterday—It was more of a well oiled machine with several boats doing pick ups and drop offs around the islands. The staff was helpful, but it did not have the charm of yesterday’s crew.

We arrived on the island in time for lunch and a show of Fijian tribal dances. It was a good show. I saw two guys playing a board game that look like a cross between shuffle board and billiards. I wanted to get back to them and see how it was played, but never had the chance. There was a pretty young lady sitting alone at the table next to mine so I invited her over. Clare was a flight attendant from Hong Kong. There was a familiar face from yesterday’s trip and she came over to ask a question about her camera. We started talking and Clare took her leave. Julia was on an extended holiday from Germany. She was also probably in her early twenties and quite pretty. We talked for a good 40 minutes or so about career goals and finding and pursuing your passion—it was a topic that would repeat itself a few more times with other people over the day. She was also curious about my canes, so I launched into a familiar (and by now boring) story—but she meant well and was interested, so why not? I thought that we’d be buddies for the day, but that never materialized. I went in a semi-submerged submarine for a ride among the coral. I still prefer scuba over snorkeling or these glass lined vehicles. There were some pretty interesting coral configurations (some looked like huge mushrooms) and the starfish were cool. I met up with the two party girls from South Carolina back at the hotel bar/restaurant. They were heading back to Australia the next day and called it an early evening. I’m not sure what they did at night, but they had fun! I met another guy from New Jersey! What are the odds of that? He was also on an extended trip through Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. I’d love to figure out how to take three week to three month “holidays!” Instead I’m going back to a crazy schedule where I’ll be working and teaching three nights for the next six weeks. Gotta pay to play!

Fijian flag at sunset.

The masseuse from yesterday’s cruise was on this charter too and we got into a conversation. I mentioned that I wanted to learn about FIJI, not just see some “made for tourist” adventures. She said she had some friends who could show me around and suggested that we meet before my cruise tomorrow.

6/17/09 Fiji Today was the “Whales Tale” cruise to yet another small island. The pick-up this time was a taxi to take me into town to catch the “bus” to the dock. The bus was a beat up beast that looked like a small old Volkswagon bus. The “automatic” door never quite closed properly which was of concern to me because I was sitting in the seat next to it! We did, however, arrive safely after several more pick-ups. One of my “bus mates” was a beautiful Chinese lady named Athena—more about Athena later. Several others from New Zealand were on board. The short trip to the Marina was a lot quieter than the return!

I quickly met with Va and her friend Peli before boarding and we agreed to meet at the hotel the next morning to discuss the trip details. I left them and got on board the large schooner and quickly realized that this was the party boat.

The initial offer was “coffee, tea, or champagne.” Guess which one I took. Cries of “more beer, more food” were heard all day. The leisurely cruise took an hour and 45 minutes passing along a gorgeous blue ocean with small islands and atolls dotting the scenery. The time was spent listening to music (no “Coming around the Mountain!) and making conversation with the other passengers…and of course, more beer and more food! I was dubbed “Stevie Wonder” by the time we got to the island.

We arrived on the island and were invited to the Kava Ceremony (my second of three that I would partake in during my stay). There is no alcohol in Kava, but it is exported as an anti-anxiety and soothing agent. It is said that it can have hallucinogenic properties in high dose. Kava is a ceremonial drink that was used in the old days. Only a chief and his bodyguard could partake. Any disrespect shown at these ceremonies was answered with death by clubbing. Now the ceremonies are customary events to welcome visitors and Kava is a social drink. No more clubbings!

I passed on the snorkeling and went around the very small island taking photographs until it was time to get in the water. I definitely need to get into the water more often at home. It was simply magnificent: Warm, calm and aqua blue. I spent about a half hour lounging and swimming in this serene environment until the call to lunch came. I got to try that board billiards game and got my butt kicked! It’s much harder than it looks. I was going to go on a fishing trip after lunch but found a hammock to spend the 15-to-20 minute ‘down time.’ Well, I don’t know how long I was ‘down,’ but I missed the fishing trip!

I came to in time to watch the volleyball match that had just begun. It was getting close to leaving time and the volleyball was the last scheduled activity. I went back to the lunch area as the second and final match was in progress. Athena was lying alone on a bench closer to the water so I went over and told her that I had a question for her. I told her that I was a professional photographer from Hawaii and asked if she’d like to take some photos on the boat on the way back. I was very pleasantly surprised when she responded very enthusiastically to my offer.

The first thing I did was ask the Captain for permission to photograph Athena on his boat. No problem. I then went about trying to find something to use as a reflector. We came up with a small piece of aluminum foil, but it proved to be pretty useless. I had spoken to a guy named Jason throughout the day. Jason was a photo buff as well so I asked him to help out with the shoot. He happily agreed.

We started with some shots on the back of the boat but the sun was still a bit high in the sky and our little reflector wasn’t do much to help—although it did bounce some light in a few of the shots. The main culprit on the back of the boat was the limited space and the wind. Athena’s hair was blowing uncontrollably. We did get a few usable shots though.

The bow of the ship was a different story. The light, while still tough on Athena’s eyes, was becoming much more flattering. We also had more room to work with, so we went to work with Jason relaying my instructions to her.

Athena was a great sport. She had never modeled before and took the helm with a bunch of friendly strangers watching—and did a super job. We had to use the “close your eyes until I count to two then open” trick because the sun was still quite bright. I would shoot as many frames as I could in a couple of seconds and then have her rest. I normally bring strobes with me but obviously did not have them. The freedom to shoot without waiting for the strobes to recycle helped. I also did not have my trusty light meter with me, so I (gasp) relied on the camera’s meter on Program mode! This worked because the sun was behind me and was illuminating the entire scene—including Athena—evenly.

I realized later that I was in “my zone” while photographing Athena. I was completely unaware of anyone else on the boat (except for Jason) or even my surroundings to a degree. I was, thankfully, aware enough to recognize that I had to find an anchor point to lean against or I’d be joining the MahiMahi in the ocean! It was interesting in hindsight to recognize how totally absorbed I am during a shoot.

We scrolled though the images downstairs in the dining area. I made sure to at least ask her if it was OK for me to use the photos for my websites and books/magazines, etc. She said yes (so here they are!) It was hard to see with the small display screen on my camera, but the shots looked good and Athena seemed very happy with her first experience modeling. Wait until she sees the images full size! I hope that she will be able to find an agency in New Zealand and can use these photos to start a new career. She’s a natural! There were at least 50 good shots with 25 making the second round of edits. It’s going to be tough to narrow it down!

The trip home was fun—we were all buddies and the bus was full of song—albeit the horrible “Wheels on the Bus” was sung twice, but is was all good fun. All in all it was an awesome day. It was a great cruise, peaceful swim, good food…and I was able to do a photo shoot with a beautiful girl on a cool ship in Fiji. Not a bad day!

6/18/09 Fiji
I met with Peli this morning. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy. We tentatively planned on an agenda and settled on what we both felt was a fair price and seid our farewells. Today was an off day. I just didn’t feel it today. It may have been a Whale’s Tale hangover (not literally, but it could have been!), but today was kind of a buzz kill. It was not due to the tour guide. He did a great job taking three of us around to three popular spots near Nadi.

We went to Vuda (pronounced Vunda Lookout for a vast view of this section of the island and the near islands in the sea; the original village of Fiji and a beautiful botanical garden where the rainforest seemed to begin. Our guide was great-very knowledgeable and open to share his world with us. But, the weather wasn’t great and I was probably a little tired—and as much as I hate to admit it, probably ready to home. Tomorrow and Saturday promise to be interesting. I have private tours booked both days. I have nothing going on Sunday, so maybe I’ll see about heading home on Saturday night.

Well, there are only flights out to Honolulu on Friday and Sunday. I’m close to being ready to go home, but not enough to pass on two full days in Fiji.

6/19/09 It poured down rain last night which did not help whatever this sleeping issue I’m having—that and the fact that someone had the wrong bure and tried to get into my hut last night! Ugh. I figured that my trip to the Coral Coast would be a washout and it sure looked that way at 7:30 this morning. I went to cancel the trip but it started to clear up as the morning progressed and the lady at the tour desk convinced me to give it a go. I’ve been here long enough that I’ve stopped thinking about the exchange rate and the thought of spending $250.00 on a rainy tour did not appeal to me. Then I remembered that it was $125.00 US for a personalized tour for 5 hours. I’m glad I went. I’m also glad that I brought my Visa card because my AMEX card was DECLINED when I went to pay for the trip! So much for “Member since 1986!” They had better have a good reason when I call them!

My guide for the day was a very personable local gentleman who was easy to talk to and laugh with. I couldn’t tell you where we went, but it was a lot of back (aka DIRT) roads through the countryside. Horses, goats, cows and bulls randomly dot the roadside—some tied up, some apparently not. The weather was still junk, but it did not rain much so it was OK—just lousy for pictures, so I didn’t take many. Fiji is very much like Hawaii. I haven't seen the large mountains, but the lower areas strongly resemble the lower grassy hills of Hawaii. We went through some areas that seemed like the transition from the East to North sides of Kauai—thick trees and lots of bamboo.

We passed several Fiji villages, each with a larger bure home for the chief and many smaller homes made from cinder or tin. The largest building in each village is the village church. Fiji is primarily made up of Native Fijians (who are believed to have come from Tanzania, not Asia and are considered Melanesian rather than Polynesian), Hindu Indians and Muslims. Muslim homes are painted blue and Hindu homes have a large pole with a red “flag” hanging. Tourism is the number one industry in Fiji with sugar cane following in second place. The cane is transported via a very slow train that can pull 80 cars with 5 tons of cane.

A street in Sigartoka and flood damage.

We went through Sigatoka, a town largely made up of farmers with a big and busy market. It is called the “Salad Bowl of Fiji.” Produce is available directly from the farmers here, eliminating the “middle man.” Fiji had a devastating flood in January that knocked out the train bridge in this town. There are no plans to rebuild the bridge. They will use trucks to transport the cane.

I asked my guide if it was a tough life in Fiji. He said that no, in general it is a very peaceful life where the villages were primarily self-sufficient—although the neighboring towns do support the villages by buying the produce raised. The people in the towns have to pay for everything, but the villagers provide for each other.

People in the villages are born into a particular line and lines cannot be crossed. For example, if you are born into a line of storytellers then you cannot become a chief.

I had a couple conversations about the schools here. It is customary to bring a gift when entering a village. These gifts are often for the children to help cover the cost of going to school—there is no “Free and Appropriate Education” here. The families pay a lot in school fees—as much as a month’s wages or more and it gets more costly as the kids get older—wages are often $60-70.00 per week. About 70% of the kids go to primary school while only 40-50% goes to high school. I gather that this is primarily due to the cost. There are colleges and the University of Fiji, but this seems like a rare opportunity. Gifts such as pencils are apparently most welcome.

The route home took us through Nadi town. I was surprised to learn that half of the residents of the island lived around Nadi. It’s a huge contrast to Honolulu! There are many resorts and the airport here, so aside from Suva, the capitol, Nadi has the most to offer in terms of jobs.

I managed to (well, my tour guide managed to find) a six-pack of Victoria Bitter, so “Here’s to you Max!” I’ll have to buy a bottle opener tomorrow.

It’s time to brave the rain and get some dinner—and call American Express!

Trying to reach AMEX with a pre-paid calling card proved to be as frustrating as the reason for my call. I got through once and was then cut off—at the waste of a few bucks and over ½ hour. I asked Ava at the desk to run my outstanding restaurant/bar/internet/calling card tab through to see what would happen and it went through no problem. I have to suppose that the problem was with that particular card terminal. (I called AMEX when I got home and they had no record of an attempted charge--it must've been that store's terminal.)

I returned to the restaurant and ordered the Mongolian BBQ special for the night. Now, those of you who know me know that I can eat. Well, they brought out a plate that could choke a horse! I did my darndest, but I was bested! The resort owners were in town and were quite impressed with my attempts!

The owners are a very pleasant couple with a teenage boy from Australia. They are in town for a few months and part of there business is to reopen part of there resort that was badly damaged in the flood. They have a second restaurant that serves pizza and pasta. The “new” building will also house the boutique/coffee shop/internet cafe.

6/20/09 Fiji

Truth be told, the weather has been crap for the most part. It has rained for 5 of the 8 days I’ve been here. It’s pouring now as I write this. Fortunately it was gorgeous the three days I went on the cruises. Rain that is pouring down on a tin roof is not a noise that is conducive to sleeping. I awoke to what promised to be a dreary day—and this is the Leeward side of the Island during the dry season. I’m not sure I’d want to see it during typhoon season. The rain has come, as I alluded to before, during the days that I had planned road tours. I’m not so terribly disappointed in the lack of photo opportunities because the interior of Fiji that I have seen closely resembles Hawaii.

Today I was set for a private tour. I had a quick toast and coffee breakfast and waited for my guide. He was late—even by “Fiji time.” I was beginning to think about other plans and was heading back to my room to drop off my camera when he arrived. He apologized, stating that traffic was stopped for a walking competition in town (we saw some stragglers on the way out) and we were off. He had secured a cab driven by a gentleman named Jeb for our transport. The first stop was the bank so I could change more money (and pay Peli!) and then we were off in the opposite direction than yesterday’s trip. We headed to Lautoka, the heart of Fiji’s sugar trade and the second largest city in the country. 40,000 people live in Lautoka. The conversation was easy and interesting as we compared the folklore of Hawaii and Fiji. I can definitely see where some of the old Hawaiian stories came from. There were similarities between the worship of different gods and tabus on removing certain things from the different areas. Fijian gods, like Hawaiian gods, took the shape of different animals and other beings. Each tribe had its own god and that animal was sacred. The turtle, or fonu (as opposed to “honu” in Hawaiian) is similarly revered as a token of good luck. The whale is sacred, but the teeth from beached whales were used as dowries in exchange for a bride.

"Sugar Town--Suatoka. Sugar Mill. Sautoka was an interesting town. It seemed to me to be the urban center of the Leeward Coast of Fiji. We passed the distillery/brewery, but it was closed (dang it-I was hoping for some samples!) The sugar mill was interesting even though we couldn’t go in it. The Indians were brought in as indentured servants to work the fields, just like the Filipinos, Japanese, Chinese and others were brought to Hawaii. I was quite surprised to see the size of the railroad cars…I had envisioned something much larger.

We spent some time at the port/dock (Lautoka is the largest commercial port in Fiji) and discussed local politics-not coup related stuff, but how it all works here. The best analogy I could come up with is that the village chiefs are like our mayors who are then subservient to the “district” (an area of villages) Rokkuu (sp?) (Governor) who in turn reports to the President.

We stopped for lunch in Lautoka at a corner “plate lunch” place. Lautoka has a couple of traffic lights—the first I’ve seen in Fiji! Peli and I ordered the Chicken Curry (HOT!!!!!) while Jed ordered another chicken dish. It was quite eye opening to be in the second largest city on Fiji. The streets were very similar to the ones you've seen from other towns--maybe a bit more crowded, but the same general look.

The ride back to Nadi was quiet. I was tired, talked out and just trying to soak it all in. The trip did have one more surprise: Jed is also a cane farmer! He stopped at his house and cut some cane for me to try. I thought I remembered from many years ago that the way to eat cane is to chewed and sucked for the juice and not eaten. Well, I didn’t have anything to spit the chewed cane out, so it went down the hatch THEN Jed gave me a plastic bag for the extra stuff. I stopped at a souvenir shop and then they took me back to the resort.

I’d been eyeing the pool table with the snooker sized balls and pockets all week and tried a game tonight. Ooof. Talk about a lickin’…and I actually hit the little balls better than I thought I would. The small pockets are unforgiving. I’ve always enjoyed watching snooker and now I have a new found respect for the players.

I met a very interesting young lady named Tracy. She’s Fijian but lives in New Zealand for now. She’ll return to Fiji in time to pursue he career in preventative health care. Not only was she born into the chiefs’ line, her village appointed HER chief after her grandfather passed away! Quite a fet since women still don’t have the same voice asmen in Fiji. She and her grandmother were good fun. Sherrie and her mom from Australia were fun too.

6/21/09 Fiji

Last day. The skies were changeable all day--sunny, cloudy then sunny again, but no rain. I ended the trip the same way it started--sitting by the beach reading about the Eagles. I spent the last two hours talking and having dinner with Tracy, her grandmother and some other friends. It was a very pleasant way to end a good week. I have a feeling that this trip will get even better in my memory as time passes. The tourist stuff was fun--and beautiful--and photographing Athena was a really pleasant bonus. I enjoyed the two “personal tours” because they were off the beaten track. I found the similarities between Fiji and Hawaii to be very interesting--but it makes sense because the original Hawaiians supposedly came from the other South Sea Islands. Ancient Hawaiians culture was probably a blend of the various places that they came from. I enjoyed comparing the folklore and talking about the pre-Christian religions.

6/21/09 Hawaii

Wow! I get to do Sunday all over again! I left tonight and arrived this morning! It’s really good to be home. Perhaps one of the most important things that I got from this trip was a new perspective and appreciation for my home. The mention of “Hawaii” holds the same mystique there as it does on the Mainland here in the States. I think I am beginning to have a better understanding of where Hawai came from. I am still interested in exploring more of he Islands of Polynesia, but I can enjoy the beautiful tropics in my own back yard. I learned that while I, along with many many people, struggle to make ends meet, I’m actually doing very well. We forget that in our day to day lives. We are often so caught up in paying the next bill that we forget to sit back and truly enjoy what we are working to pay for. Yes, I’ll have to get back on my crazy treadmill to pay for the honor of calling Hawaii home, but thanks to Fiji, perhaps I’ll take more time to enjoy it.

Thank you (“Mahalo” or “Vinaka”) for taking this ride with me!

Off to Fiji!

2009-06-11T14:33:00.001-10:00

I'm off to Fiji tomorrow morning! I'll try to post updates and images everyday, so keep checking!

Proceed With Passion!

2009-05-24T12:17:00.005-10:00

I readily admit that there are many times that I get wrapped up in the technical aspects of photography and lighting in particular: I love playing with the science involved with creating images. I was involved with a shoot yesterday that proved to be a subtle, yet powerful reminder that it’s the art that drives the passion behind photography. I’ve had a studio of some sort for almost 30 years and I’ve created images for a professional market for more than half that time. Walking into my studio is like walking into my living room--it’s my comfort zone. I was reminded yesterday that creating images--just for the pure beauty of creating art from what started out as an empty room is an awesome experience.

My buddy Max has helped me out on numerous occasions--both in the studio and on location shoots. Max owns and runs his own scuba diving company on Oahu called Manini Dive Company Hawaii. He is not a newcomer to photography by any means. However, most of his photography takes place underwater. He and I have had many many conversations about the differences between light underwater and light on land as well as creating the light you want with strobes an other light modifiers. Max finally took me up on my offer to share the studio for a day and for me to HIS assistant for a change.

Max has always been an artist and has been a photographer since high school. He had a shot in mind that he wanted to create that would use a fairly harsh lighting scheme to emulate the glamour lighting and formal portraiture of the 1940’s. He found his perfect model for his vision and Elizabeth was willing to sit for her first time in front of a professional camera. Melissa Hurley agreed to do the make-up for the shoot and a project was launched.

Max always puts his all into everything he does. His vision was to create a formal portrait of a young lady in a classic cocktail dress, so he showed up at my condo to load up the camera gear dressed to the nines in black slacks, a white button down shirt and black tie! Setting the mood an be a very important piece of the creative process!

Max and I both photographed Elizabeth in each of two sets. We took a quick look at the images before leaving the studio. Max half-jokingly stated that he thought that he had captured better images of Elizabeth than I had. It was meant as a light-hearted jab at his old friend, but I have to agree after a more careful review of the images. There is nothing wrong wit my images: I got some nice images of a very pretty young lady. Max’ images images show--well--they show his passion!

What’s the lesson to be learned here? The ability to create the images you want--whether it is underwater, outside on land, or in a studio is an awesome treat. Take every opportunity to do so that comes your way--and Proceed With Passion.

Max's images used with permission. All rights reserved.

New book!

2009-05-20T19:46:00.001-10:00

My new book has a name! It's called "Portrait Lighting Made Simple." It's due out in November so I'd better get back to editing! Photo soon! I'll get back to blog posts as soon as this round of edits are finished.

Old questions revisited

2009-05-12T16:15:00.003-10:00

I write a monthly column for a terrific website called www.prophotoresource.com. I am also lucky enough to have my own forum on that site called "Ask Steve." I get asked a wide variety of questions so it's always good fun to read what's on people's minds as they navigate their way through the fascinating world of photography. Many wonderful questions and discussions are now buried in the archives--they are still available on PPR, but you have to go digging. I thought it was time to bring them back to the surface and breathe some life into them. Hopefully they can spur on some new discussions and help some other photographers.

I wrote "Bring Back Your Background By Taking Your Studio Strobes Outside" several years ago for prophotoresource and covered the topic in some detail in my Outdoor Lghting book. The two images of Brooke that start this post show the before and after efffect of the technique discussed. The basic technique was to shoot at a faster shutter speed at a midrange f-stop to show the detail in the background and to use a powerful stobe to illuminate Brooke--jut the opposite of "dragging the shutter" to show detail in a dark background. This was the question and my response:

Stephen, when you changed the shutter speed to 1/250s didn't the camera indicate a 2 stop overexposure? This probably seems like a silly and very elementary question. But I ask because I think it is important to mention what the camera meter will display. Some photographers may not understand that many times the camera reading will not indicate a normal exposure but that the set exposure may in fact be the correct exposure to achieve the look you want.

Response: First off, there is no such thing as a "silly question." The only bad questions are the ones that you don't ask. Now, you pose an interesting set of questions. My camera is always set to manual exposure so I tell IT what to do rather than IT trying to dictate to me what it wants to do. I would have gotten that awful first shot if I relied on the camera's indicator. However, if I had checked the the camera's indicator, it probably would have said that I was UNDERexposing the image by two or more stops--which is essentially what I did--except that I used the strobe to bring the light on Brooke up to meet the the new exposure. Remember that your meter--in the camera or hand held--is both an amazing machine and a stupid tool: It understands one thing only: midtone gray. It's amazing because it will translate ANY metered scene into 18% gray. It's stupid because it doesn't know what to do with that information. That's where we come in. We get to take that critical information and tweak it to fit our needs. The image of Brooke actually had two correct exposures: one for her and one for the backdrop. The two were not compatible--until we introduced the strobe. (The originally questioner did mean to say underexpose but mistyped it)

My approach seveal years later is very similar. I've written several articles for PPR about metering for the background and using strobes to balance the foreground with the background. I also address this in detail once again in my upcoming "Back to Basics" book. Please feel free to visit me at either PPR or join my "Ask Steve Photography Related Questions" on Facebook!

Growth and Maturation in the Middle to Late Teen Years

2009-05-03T15:56:00.008-10:00

Growth and Maturation in the Middle to Late Teen Years

The amount of growth and change that occurs in the first two years of life is remarkable. Capturing those changes for posterity is a viable and often lucrative market for portrait photographers. Many studios have established programs where babies are photographed every few months--creating a cherished baby album for the family--and eventually the child--to enjoy for years to come.

Senior portraits, on the other hand, are at the opposite end of childhood. Senior portraits are a snapshot in time that documents the transition from childhood to adulthood. There is, however, a critical period of time that falls between these extremes, albeit more towards the “senior” end of the timeline.

I have always like working with teenagers. I’ve worked with them as a school psychologist and as a photographer. The changes that occur in the mid to late teen years affect every aspect of the young person’s life. I have been fascinated by the changes in the way teenagers think and understand their worlds for as long as I’ve been in psychology (long time!) However, we have the opportunity as photographers to document the changes as they grow from children to young adults. I’ve had the pleasure of watching many youngsters grow up right in front of my camera.

One of the most dramatic examples comes from my work with Cassie Ann. I’ve worked with Cassie four times over about one and half years. She changed dramatically with each shoot from a pretty kid to a beautiful young lady--right in front of my lens.

(Cassie with Sam Chung)

(Cassie with Serena)

Cassie is also a very professional and friendly model. Drop me a note if you want to work with her and I will pass your information on to her. (Hair and Make-up for Fruits and Harajuku Girls was done by Toni Farley and Tiffany Pestana-Breaux)

I couldn't resist!

2009-04-28T19:52:00.004-10:00

Sorry for the delay in posting--it's been a busy few weeks.

I was supposed to be there as lighting director and a support to my new student who was making her debut behind the camera. Luna was doing an anthropology project for a class at the University of Hawaii when she contacted me. She was to explore the culture of a field that was unknown--but of interest to her. She wanted to explore fashion photography. She assisted me on a few shoots and took a bunch of notes, but I felt that she needed to actually conduct a shoot for the project to be valid.

Luna took on the challenge and set out to find her first model. She found Esther. Esther was indeed very pretty, but she was as much of a novice at modeling as Luna was at professional photography. Hmmmm...new photographer working with a new model...could be a recipe for disaster!

It wasn't! Esther was a great sport as I made Luna make the tough decisions about the lighting (with a little guidance) and as she built the set. Luna did NOT make the classic first time photographer mistake--she did not freeze and take way too long between shots. She kept shooting and directing Esther (with some whispered directions from yours truly).

I may have helped more than the usual assistant, but it was definitely Luna's shoot--she determined the lighting components and took on the task of directing a new model. Esther was great too. She was goood fun and was easy to work with. I think that it was a great success for both ladies.

Oh yeah, I was looking through the viewfinder at one point and Esther was in what looked like a very natural pose. Instinct took over (I've been pushing the shutter when a pretty girl is in front of my camera for thirty years, so I just starting shooting!) and I grabbed about 8 shots. The photograph of Esther that leads this story was one of them!

Liquify Filter

2009-04-01T21:56:00.003-10:00

Sorry, this one’s being posted in multiple places because it’s a great technique. There is an incredibly wonderful filter at the top of the filter drop down menu called “Liquify.” You need to play with this tool if you haven't discovered it yet. Eddie Tapp introduced it to me several years ago and I quite frankly forgot about it. I ‘re-discovered” it this year and it as become once of my favorite retouching tools. It works by moving pixels around in some unusual ways. The filter has several tools to choose from. The two that I use most often are the forward warp and pucker tools. There are others like “bloat” and “swirl,” but I don’t have much use for them yet. You can also mask off areas that you do not want the tools to effect.

When and how do I use these tools? EVERY model will have a shot where the pose is great and the expression is terrific, but the body position creates a “roll” of skin that looks very unflattering and makes her look heavier than she is. I use the forward warp tool to push that roll of skin back where it belongs...and ”voila!” she is back in the shape that actually represents her body! I use the hash mark in the center of the brush as my start point to push the pixels.

I have every model “arch their back and suck in the bely.” It creates a flattering pose. I shoot fast and sometimes I catch a shot where she relaxed--or the angle extends her belly a little too much. The Pucker tool does a great job of tightening a loose stomach.

I mostly use the forward warp tool to open a model’s eyes a little. Sometimes a model will have a lazy eye where one will appear more closed than the other. While this is a natural phenomena that occurs to a degree in almost every photograph, sometimes it can be too distracting. Other times you’ll have a great model who gives you a wonderful expression but in doing so closes her eyes too much. This was the case in the photos below. Joanne Guillermo is a lot of fun to work with. She is a beautiful model with many very natural expressions. The smile in these photos is real and genuine, but in doing so her eyes wound up squinting a little too much. I opened her eyes by VERY gently using the Forward Warp tool in the Liquify Filter. The cropped versions of this commercial shot show the before and after results of using this tool.

You need to use these tools with caution because they are very powerful and you can easily get an unnatural looking distortion. You can “Undo” one step, but as far as I’ve seen there is no History trail to revert to--you have to start over if you go to far and are beyond a single step mistake. Play with the controls on the right side of the dialog box to find the settings that work for you.

Photohop stuff

2009-03-31T21:08:00.000-10:00

Anyone using Adobe Photoshop CS4 on MAC OS 10.5? Do you wonder where your old workspace with the solid backdrop went? Do you see your desktop through your workspace? I talked to somebody at Adobe today. Click the "Application Frame" in the drop down "window" menu to get your old interface back.

New Lesson posted!

2009-03-28T16:37:00.002-10:00

I have posted a new lighting lesson at www.dantzigphotography.com! This one features Naomye and describes a "Hard-Soft" lighting technique. Check it out...it's FREE!

The size of your light does matter!

2009-03-27T12:13:00.002-10:00

Size: I have often written about the influence that the size of your light will have on your image. My Back to Basics book will lay out these differences in great detail. In short, small light sources will lead to a harsher quality of light than a larger source placed the same distance from your model. This little bit of information plays a great role in my decision to use a particular light modifier.

I usually want to use a large light source for white garments. The larger light modifier spreads the light over a broader area and has less contrast, so the light is more even. The highlight created by the light is not as intense and it is easier to maintain the detail in white clothes.
Model: Tasha

In contrast, I like the smaller lights when I want to use shadows to accentuate an outfit. For example, I will go to a Small Stripdome if my model brings a dress or a gown with a lot of folds. The small Stripdome adds a nice bit of contrast without the possibly brash feel of a spotlight. The shadows created really show the dress’ lines and design. However, I do not want the images to have so much contrast that I lose detail in those same shadows. I normally use a much larger softbox behind the camera. I set this light to provide one stop less light than the Stripdome. The half-stop fill that the large box adds keeps the needed detail in the dress while allowing the smaller light to dominate the look and feel of the image.

Model: Mapuana (Image From my book Softbox Lighting Techniques for Professional Photographers)

“Testing” and Working with a New Model

2009-03-01T19:04:00.005-10:00

“Testing” refers to a shoot where the intent is to try something new. You work with a model who needs some work to either build or update his or her portfolio, so it’s a “win-win.” I’ll usually try at least one new set-up for each test shoot before reverting back to a tried and true technique to make sure that my model gets some great shots for her “book.” Why would someone at my point in my career want to keep “testing?” Well, for one thing I truly hope that I have not stopped learning about the field that I love. Secondly testing on a regular basis keeps you fresh and enthusiastic. Thirdly--and perhaps most importantly for me--the images that I create on a test shoot become my stock of images that I can then use for my books, articles and blogs like this one. It is very important to get written permission from your models to use the photos in this way. There is even some debate about whether you can post mages to your own website without a written model release. MY NON-LEGAL opinion on this matter is NO. I will not post or publicly use any image where I do not have a release to do so. Now, I know that releases are not necessary for editorial work, so technically I could use the images for my articles without a release, but I don’t. BTW, the topic of releases is always discussed upfront before the shoot--there are no surprises on my sets.

Where does working with a new model fit into all of this? Well. I have to admit that many of my “flashes of brilliance” come from hindsight (I’m joking about the brilliance, but not about the hindsight). I’ll usually try out my new technique for the first lighting scheme of the day. This--in hindsight--makes sense because it will usually take a new model some time to warm up and become comfortable in her new role. The very fact that you are “testing” a new set up means that it might not work. Why not use the time (and shots) that you are shooting to get your model warmed up? If the lighting works, but you haven’t got great shot of her yet then you can always go back and shoot that style again later. If the lighting scheme does not work, then you haven’t wasted any great shots of her on so-so lighting.

The latter of these scenarios played out this weekend. Elise is a beautiful young lady with an impressive athletics resume. In fact she played volleyball for a college team that is a perennial top 10 to top 20 squad. She’s quite confident on the court. Modeling however, is a whole different ball game. This was only her second professional shoot and she was understandably a little nervous. I’ve worked with new models for a very long time, so I know that is just a matter of time before the jitters go away and she starts to have some fun. I used this time to try out a lighting idea that quite frankly didn’t work!!! Elise was plenty warmed up by the time we changed the set-up and she was a champ by our third lighting and outfit change. We wound up having a lot of fun and I captured some great images of her--and I learned that I have to make some modifications if I want that first lighting scheme to work! See: Win-win!

Growing Pains

2009-02-21T15:26:00.001-10:00

My tried, true and trusted PC finally gave up the ghost after about 15 years of great service.Yes, there were upgrades along the way, but the basic machine lasted well over a decade. (Drop me a line if you are in the Los Angeles area and need a computer. I’ll hook you up with my buddy who built me a MONSTER of a machine) It was decision time: get another PC or go with a MAC. I went with the Mac and it has not been an easy transition. I tried to run both platforms by using a virtual machine program for a long time, but that did not work as well as I hoped. I eventually wound up with Adobe Photoshop CS4 for PC and MAC and was (am) amazed at how differently the two versions work. First it seems to me that colors are different in each version--and I use a numbers based method to color correct my images. My color correction technique is a combination of techniques taught by Dave Cross, Martin Evening and Eddie Tapp. I’ve published my step-by-step method in several places, but you can see it here for easy reference: http://dantzigphotography.com/?page_id=121. I wrote an action to make the process of identifying the gray point automatic. Imagine my chagrin and angst when the action--which worked for years in my PC versions of PS--didn’t work! I went through the process manually to no avail. I was flustered to say the least. I went back to www.photoshopuser.com and found Dave’s original video and found a difference in how we were doing this procedure. When you look at my article you’ll see that I was making a duplicate layer of my background layer and filling it with 50% Gray before changing the blending mode to “Difference.” Dave added a “New Layer” from the icons at the bottom of the layers palette (which adds a new blank layer above your background layer) and then continues by filling this new layer with 50% gray and changing the blending mode to Difference to find the most neutral gray spot. I tried it. It works and I wrote a new action so I am back in business. SO...REPLACE “Duplicate Layer” with “Add New Layer” when you follow my color correction technique.

Wearing a Duck Hat for United Cerebral Palsy of Hawaii!

2009-02-15T11:58:00.001-10:00

Aloha everyone!

Yup…that’s me…wearing a duck hat! My partners are Donna Fouts, executive Director of UCPA Hawaii, and one of our best young volunteers. I wore that hat for 7 hours this weekend around the Great Aloha Run Expo. Why? It’s “Duckie Time” again! Many mahalos (thanks) for your support last year. We had the best race ever and raised over $53,000.00! My friends and family (that’s you!) were responsible for just over $2,000.00! I know that times are tougher this year, but I’d like to ask for your support once again as United Cerebral Palsy Association of Hawaii celebrates 50 years of providing assistance to children and adults in Hawaii with Cerebral Palsy. This year’s event is the:

UCPA Hawaii – 22nd Annual Great Hawaiian Rubber Duckie Race!

The Great Hawaiian Rubber Duckie Race is one of our most successful events for UCPA. Here’s how it works: You “adopt” a duck—or as many ducks as you want—to race along the Ala Wai Canal. The first 50 ducks to cross the finish line win prizes for there adoptive parents—some of the prizes are even good for those of you on the Mainland! Everyone wins though because all proceeds will assist us in providing needed services to children with disabilities here in Hawaii. Individual duck adoptions are as low as $5.00 per duck! To celebrate this milestone, the organization is planning some very exciting events and we are hoping for your support.

This year’s adoption choices are:

$5 ADOPTION:
• One (1) Duck in the Race

$25 QUACK PACK:
• Four (4) Ducks in the Race
• Event T-Shirt

$100 22ND BIRTHDAY SPECIAL:
• Twenty-Two (22) Ducks in the Race
• Event T-Shirt

$250 UCP 50th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL (VID - Very Important Duck):
• Fifty (50) Ducks in the Race
• Event T-Shirt
• 50th Anniversary Ball Cap

Race day activities, events and festivities will be at the McCully Shopping Center prior to the race.

Don’t miss it, the 22nd Annual Great Hawaiian Rubber Duckie Race will be held on Oahu March 21, 2009, with the race start time at 1:22 p.m.

As you can see, this is going to be a special day for UCPA and the little duckies. I would very much appreciate your support in the above activities. Attached you’ll find the adoption flyer, and of course, I’m encouraging you all to become a Very Important Duck! Please help me make this a special year for UCPA!

You can print, complete and return the attached form directly to the UCPA Hawaii Office at the address on the form!

Many Thanks! I look forward to hearing from you and have a Duckie Day!

Adopt Your Duckie Now!

Name: _______________________________
Last First M.I.

Address: _____________________________

City: ___________ State: ______ Zip: ______

Home Ph: ____________ Cell: ____________

Email: _______________________________

I wish to adopt:

____ Single Duck

____ Multiple Ducks (# of Ducks: ______)

____ Quack Pack – Circle shirt size:
Youth S YM YL Adult S AM AL AXL

____ 22nd Birthday Special – Circle shirt size:
Youth S YM YL Adult S AM AL AXL

____ 50th Anniversary Special – Circle shirt size:
Youth S YM YL Adult S AM AL AXL

*T-shirt(s) pick up at the UCPA office or on race day, or add $5.00 per shirt for postage & handling.

BOARD MEMBER: Steve Dantzig

Check or money order payable to: UCPA of Hawaii

Or charge to my: ____VISA ____Mastercard

# ______________________________ Exp. ______

__________________________________________
Print Card Holder’s Name

__________________________________________
Card Holder’s Signature

Total Charge Amount: ___________

Mail form & payment to: UCPA of Hawaii
414 Kuwili St., Suite 105
Honolulu, HI 96817

Adoption certificate(s) will be mailed to you. Mailback entry deadline is March 18, 2009. Online adoption at www.ucpahi.org. For more info, call UCPA at 532-6744.

* $20.00 assessed for returned checks.

Adopt Your Duckie!
(Choose what works for you)

$5 ADOPTION:

• One (1) Duck in the Race

$25 QUACK PACK:

• Four (4) Ducks in the Race
• Event T-Shirt

$100 22ND BIRTHDAY SPECIAL:

• Twenty-Two (22) Ducks in the Race
• Event T-Shirt

$250 UCP 50th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL (VID - Very Important Duck):

• Fifty (50) Ducks in the Race
• Event T-Shirt
• 50th Anniversary Ball Cap

Multiple entries accepted. Winners need not be present to win. Employees of UCPA not eligible to win. Winners will be notified of how to pick up prizes. No purchase necessary. Limited to the first 20,000 entries. Prizes will be awarded to the first 50 finishers

Behind the Scenes--White backdrop

2009-02-10T20:54:00.003-10:00

Here are some “behind the scenes” shots of my shoot with Joanne Guillermo that show what I was talking about in the white backdrop entry. I aim the spotlights into large silver cards to create an even spread of light across the white backdrop. Black flags are used to block the light from spilling too much onto the set. The little light that does spill adds a nice accent to Joanne’s hair and body. Thanks to my buddy Jon Yoshimuro for the images!

The Orphan Works disaster and one way to hopefully keep your images from becoming orphans

2009-02-06T06:44:00.001-10:00

The Orphan Works legislation is something that every creative person needs to be concerned about. The bills that have been presented to Congress and the Senate are of particular concern to photographers. In a nutshell the Orphan Works legislation will make a mockery of your constitutional right to own, maintain and profit from your creation. It’s called “Copyright.” You, as the “author” of your photographs, have the sole and exclusive right to lease and distribute your images as you see fit. The proponents of the Orphan Works Bill(s) state that there are thousands of images available where the author is unidentifiable and therefore unable to approve (either for a fee or not) or disapprove the use of these images. Proponents feel that they should be entitled to use the images when they cannot find the rightful owner after a “reasonable” search. The Bill(s) also severely limit the damages that you can claim in the event of unauthorized use. The limitations would essentially void any benefit to registering your images with the copyright office. The intent of the Bills is admittedly different, but the result will open a free for all with people stealing your images and claiming that a “reasonable search” was conducted. I still see a problem even if the image was used in “good faith.” ANY use of my image without my express permission is a violation of my right to NOT have my image distributed.
The passage of some version of the Orphan Works Bill is inevitable. The question now becomes: How can we protect our images—especially when posting them online? The first task is to make sure that they cannot easily become orphans. Save your information as metadata in your image. You do this by adding file information to the image in post production. Find this setting in the “file” dropdown menu in Photoshop.
Adding metadata is not enough because many of the online “social networks” strip this data when your images are posted. I embed my name and logo into every image that goes online. I wrote a simple action to open my logo file, select the logo, copy the logo, deselect the logo, close the file, paste the logo into my main file, flatten the image, resize it, change the color profile to sRGB, and add file information. While no image is 100% safe online, at least I have taken some basic precautions.

New lesson posted

2009-01-25T15:08:00.002-10:00

I posted a new lesson on softbox basics on my website. It's in the free lesson portion of the school pages at www.dantzigphotography.com. Check it out!

Breaking Out of a Funk

2009-01-25T11:41:00.002-10:00

Breaking Out of a Funk

Model: Joanne Guillermo

I had just written about the “mood” of the studio when I was scheduled to photograph a new model. I am normally very excited about working with a new model. I do thoroughly enjoy working with the same model over a period of time because the images change as our relationship matures. I have mentioned that many of the ladies I’ve worked with become good friends of mine. However, there is the unique anticipation of another first shoot that is like no other: How will she photograph? How much direction will she need? What wardrobe will she bring? How will I light her and her clothes? How will she get along with my helper? How will she “fit in” with my style of shooting? These are all great questions and the feelings that go along with them are what keep this whole thing fresh after 30 years. I admit that there are still some nights before a shoot when I don’t sleep very well.

The Sunday for the shoot came around and I was having an off day. Even though my buddy Jon was busy pulling the gear out of the closets, I got to the studio later than I wanted because parking was a nightmare. I also just plain wasn’t feeling good. I was at the tail end of a rotten cold and my stomach was not happy with my choice for lunch. We are all human and sadly, so am I…it was shaping up to be “one of those days.” I knew that I had to turn it around because Joanne was calling from downstairs!

I usually try to meet with a new model before I work with her, but it was not possible this time. I had spoken to Joanne a couple of times on the phone so I knew that she seemed really nice, but I was going to meet her for the first time feeling sub par and still setting up.
I mentioned that the “mood” of the studio was a combination of all of the players and situations involved for that day. I usually try to be the upbeat and enthusiastic one to keep it all moving along. Well, on this day it was my friend Jon and a statuesque young lady with a beautifully exotic look who would pull me out of my funk. I had obviously seen photographs of her, but at 5’ 10” her presence on the set was unmistakable. She was truly professional and was, in fact, an extremely nice lady to work with. It didn’t take very long for the conversations to flow and for me to start pushing the shutter release. She moved with ease from pose to pose and my blah feelings soon dissipated and I was back! We wound up having a lot of fun and I captured some beautiful images. We are looking forward to working together again in the future. Please contact me if you are in Hawaii and are interested in working with Joanne and I’ll pass along the information.

Choosing a lighting scheme

2009-01-19T11:56:00.002-10:00

Choosing a lighting scheme: The guys who help me out with my shoots usually start by asking what we are going to do on the set. They tend to stop asking after a short period of time. I suppose they get tired of hearing me say “I don’t know!” I rarely have a preconceived idea of how I will light my set. The normal exceptions are when I am photographing a beauty headshot or white garments. Those set-ups are not necessarily set in stone either. I enjoy the freedom that I have when I walk into my empty studio and want the model and her choice of wardrobe to partially dictate how I will light her. I had to make up a number of lighting schemes for my Softbox book. The experience was as daunting as it was exhilarating. The numerous exercises left me with a large number of tools to play with and I try remain open to the sets I designed for the book as well as new ideas. I never know whether I will use one light or seven to illuminate my model and set. I like simple lighting as much as I like elaborate sets with overlapping lights of varying sizes and effects. Sometimes it depends on my mood—or the mood of the studio while other times it is her wardrobe that sets the stage. The idea that the studio can have a “mood” is a very important concept—and one that I have never really contemplated on paper before. Photo shoots are living breathing entities unto themselves. The “vibe” of a shoot stems from the culmination and integration of everyone who is on the set. Each person’s individual mood plays a very important role in how the mood of the studio will be defined for that day. Sometimes the mood dictates a subtle approach while other times I can let the room lead me into a more playful set.
The purpose of the photo shoot will also obviously play a role in how my set is lit. I probably would not drag out too many lights for a simple portrait. The converse is not necessarily true however; I tend to use many lights for a glamour photograph, but there are times when one or two lights do the trick. Once again it comes down to a combination of the intent of the shoot, her wardrobe and the “feel” of the day.
Two recent shoots illustrate these points. We were asked to create headshots and lingerie images of Brooke and Jocelyn. The shoots would be my first opportunities to work with these beautiful young ladies. Both shoots were a blast, with a great vibe from the start. The shoot with Brooke was first and the idea from the get go was to keep it simple. A large softbox would be used to provide a soft side light while a beauty dish would provide enough fill to keep the shadows from going to dark. It was simple clean lighting for more of a commercial look and feel.

Brooke joined us for the shoot with Jocelyn and provided make-up services for the creation of what would be a more of a “glamour” feel. Three lights of different sizes were chosen to light Jocelyn from the front. A large 40”X60” softbox was used as a fill while a 30”X40” softbox was chosen for the main light. A spotlight with a three degree grid added a “pop” to Jocelyn’s face. Rim lights and spot lights were used to separate her from the dark backdrop and add the illusion of depth in the photograph.

The photographs are very different, but they work for the intended purpose. I am looking forward to working with Brooke and Jocelyn in the future. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to hire either of these very professional models. I will gladly pass the information on to them.

Lighting a white backdrop

2009-01-09T13:49:00.002-10:00

Photographing a model against a white backdrop is a topic that I have covered several times. There is a free lesson on the topic in the “School” section in my website. I have repeatedly discussed the need for using an accurate light meter for all of my photo shoots. The free article and my books detail how and why I use a meter. I used to point a spot light at the middle of the backdrop to light my seamless paper. I would place one on either side of the backdrop and set the combined exposure to read one stop over the f-stop set on my camera. This “working aperture” would be established by the combination of main and fill lights illuminating my model. The problem for me with this set-up had to do with the “spread” of these spotlights in a small studio. The corners of the backdrop would not be lit evenly and the falloff of light became very apparent when I shot a full-length image. I have several large sheets of silver coated foam core that I use as reflectors. The “reflectors” are actually sheets of “house wrap” that I purchased from a local lumber yard many years ago. House wrap is a material that is used to prepare a home for aluminum siding. You might have a hard time finding it in warmer climates, but you can try the major chain stores’ websites. The house wrap came as 2X4 foot sheets that came 12 to a corrugated set. I could cut off 4 sheets and have a 4X8 foot reflector!

The solution to my problem was simple enough: I simply set up two large reflectors at an angle to either side of my backdrop and aimed the spotlights into the silver cards. The light blasting back to the backdrop was now much broader and easily covered the paper from corner to corner. Black flags were then placed perpendicular to the silver cards to shield the light from hitting my camera lens. The following diagram shows the set-up. The images of my beautiful model Ashley Cara shows the results.

See “White on White” at www.dantzigphotography.com or pick up a copy of Lighting Techniques for Fashion and Glamour Photography for Film and Digital Photographers or Softbox Lighting Techniques for Professional Photographers for more details on the technical aspects of this technique.

2009-01-06T14:39:00.000-10:00

Let’s get started! The following article has been published several times in several different versions. I include it here because it defines the way I work and how I steadfastly attempt to respect the personal limits of the models who pose for me. Trust is the main ingredient in my recipe for a successful photo shoot.

TRUST-THE COMMON DENOMINATOR IN ALL SUCCESSFUL PHOTO SESSIONS
An Excerpt from Lighting Techniques for Fashion and Glamour Photography for Film and Digital Photographers

Previously published in numerous places including ProPhoto West, www.ShootSmarter.com and www.prophotoresource.com.

By Stephen A. Dantzig, Psy. D.

Teresa Bringas and I became good friends about five minutes after meeting each other--ok, I'm exaggerating--it took a day!

Lighting, metering, posing, composition, and all the techie stuff that goes into photography will NOT necessarily lead to successful shoot. Lighting styles come and go and differ widely depending upon the type of photography. There are even stylistic differences within the various specializations. For example, a wedding may be photographed in the "traditional" mode, or with an emphasis on photojournalism. "Fashion" photography has a multitude of different styles. Corporate photographers often have their own styles and approaches to the task. Portraiture can be studio based or environmental.
The only common factor in all of these types of photography is the fact that we are dealing with other people, each their own sets of insecurities, concerns and personalities. Some concerns come with the territory, such as a CEO's concern about projecting the correct image to his or her constituents or a bride's hope that "her" day will be documented beautifully [uh, with all due respects to the grooms!]. Then there are the fears and concerns that "should" not be a part of our business, but unfortunately do exist. These are the concerns of a parent sending their daughter off to her first portfolio shoot. Whether we "have" an executive for 10 minutes or are sharing the most important day of someone's life, we are involved in a relationship, and like any successful relationship, it must be built on trust.

This image was from my first shoot with Marisa. We've worked together on two other occasions and I look forward to future collaborations with her.

Most of my work is within the fashion realm, but I have done some corporate/executive portraiture work and a little general portraiture. Much of what I am going to talk about is specifically geared to working with young ladies, but the importance of the discussion is universal-and applicable to all people photography-perhaps with some subtle changes. Many of the "girls" I work with are new to the field. I have talked to many parents of young ladies who are interested in modeling. More often than not, I hear the concerns and fears about their daughter and whether she could be taken advantage of. I recently had a mother thank me for not putting her daughter in an awkward situation. While I appreciated the compliment, and I know that she wasn't personally questioning me, I was concerned about the general underlying fear that her daughter would not be safe on a shoot. In reality, the situations that people express fear about rarely happen, but they happen enough to warrant discussion. Unfortunately, I have worked with enough young ladies who have told me stories about being placed in awkward situations and/or were asked to pose in ways that they were not comfortable with. Fortunately, the ladies in question were strong enough to get up and walk away and did not allow their personal limits to be compromised.

This was also the first of three shoots with Raeceen. Respect and common sense go a long way in any field, but they are especially important in the photographer-model relationship. Trust is the common thread that weaves its way through every successful model shoot. My first job is to establish a trusting relationship with the lady I am about to photograph. Before I shoot the first frame of film-or fire off that first digital image, she needs to know that she is safe. I do not necessarily mean that she is safe from physical harm [although that is a factor]. She needs to know that I understand her personal limits and that I will not knowingly push her beyond those limits. She has to go home after a shoot and look at herself in the mirror and not feel embarrassed about what she did in the studio. Every lady is different. Some ladies are completely comfortable posing nude while others may only be comfortable modeling overcoats! Either case is fine because it represents HER comfort zone. I have worked with models on both ends of the spectrum: I've got some beautiful figure studies in my portfolio and some great Fall fashions!

This shot was one of the images of Ashley's first professional photo shoot. She is now too far away for us to work together, but we stay in touch to this day.

When your model arrives on the set, it becomes time to forget about being a photographer! Now you are a psychologist, comedian, confidant, and trusted ally. Work with her, talk to her, laugh with her, let her laugh at you! When you are trying to pose her, mirror those poses for her. If you want her to move her left arm, move your right arm. This eliminates that awkward question of "My left or his left."--Besides, sometimes poses that look great for a lady who is in front of the camera look downright goofy on the person behind the camera--especially if you happen to be a guy! If you aren't afraid to take on a silly looking pose, then maybe she'll be more comfortable moving into a pose that will look great when she does it.

So, How is it that a young lady would find herself in an uncomfortable position? Often times it happens quite innocently. I realize that every profession has its share of misanthropes, but I have to believe that MOST times it is because cues are misread. Young ladies--especially those who are new to modeling--are sometimes intimidated by the whole photo shoot set-up and are uncomfortable saying, "No, I really don't want to do that." A photographer may ask a model to start posing in ways that are different from what was established up front and not read her cues. She may acquiesce because she doesn't feel she has the right or the power to express her real feelings--or she may not really know how she feels.

OK, so this was my second shot with Flora!
The simplest way to avoid these situations is to talk to your model! Find out what she wants to do and what she is comfortable with. Plan your shoot in advance. Discuss what you will shoot and how it will be shot--and stick with it. If your shoot is going to include a "body shot," ask her whether she wants to model swimwear, body suits, and/or lingerie. Unless you are shooting for a particular client, have her bring her own wardrobe. She is more likely to be comfortable modeling an outfit that she packed herself. It's OK if there are other things you would like to shoot with her, but discuss these new ideas after the shoot. If she is interested, schedule another day to shoot and plan out that session as well. As I mentioned earlier, all forms of photography and modeling are fine--as long as everything has been discussed and agreed upon in advance. If you are the model, ASK what you will be asked to do.

Another way to build trust with your model is to learn how to read her body language. Your model's body language will often tell you more about how she is feeling than she may be willing or able to vocalize. "Listen" to her body language. She may have packed an outfit that she thought would be OK, but wasn't comfortable on the set. There have been many times I have said "This doesn't seem to be working, why don't you go change outfits!" Similarly, pay close attention to her eyes. There is an old cliché' about the eyes being the window to the soul. I'm not sure about that, but I do know that they can tell you a great deal about how comfortable she is on the set. If you sense some discomfort, talk it out. Let her know that you are on her side and that you respect what she is doing.

Jaime was a pleasure to work with as well.

As you are building her trust, you will also be building her confidence. Another way to keep her confidence going is to shoot as fast as your style-or camera-allows and keep it going. Shooting fast helps her to get into the flow of the shoot and does not give her time to become self-conscious. One mistake that most, if not all, new photographers make is waiting too long to push the button. I have taught several classes that include live model shoots. My students tend to over-direct and shoot very slowly. I have talked with some of the ladies who model for my classes and they tell me that when our students don't shoot, they begin to wonder whether they are doing a good job. You must remember that no matter how experienced your model is, she is human and will experience bouts of self-consciousness. Shooting fast will help keep her moving. You will also get some great "in-between" shots that are totally unplanned! You may never use some of these shots, but you can show her how much fun she had! I also try to talk as much as I can during a shoot. Give her feedback and get her going! If you aren't talking and it gets too quiet, you can bet she's thinking that something is wrong. What ever you do, don't give up on her. Tell her she looks great and what a wonderful shot was just taken. Above all, keep shooting.

This was one of my most fun shoots to date! Tiffany and Toni took the idea and did a great job with the make-up. Cassie, Sam and Serena had me laughing so hard that I almost couldn't press the shutter!

Oh yeah, if your model is under 18 years of age, a parent or guardian is nearby. There have been the extremely rare times when a 17-year-old young lady showed up on the set without a parent. The first thing I did was to call her mom and explain exactly where we'd be, what we were shooting and about how long it would take.

I have been incredibly lucky. I am usually able to quickly establish a trusting relationship with the ladies who come to my studio. Many of the ladies I have worked with have become lifelong friends. The reward comes when I am showing a new model the pictures from our first shoot and I hear "Oooh, that's not me!" My goal is to have every model leave my studio feeling better about herself than when she walked in. There is simply no better feeling!

Midori remains one of my favorite ladies to work with.

The images that accompany this article are among my favorites. Many were taken during the first photo session with the model while others were part of a long standing relationship with her. They all show what I feel is an important hallmark of my work: Trust and comfort.

2009-01-06T14:24:00.000-10:00

Welcome to my new blog! I’m not sure what will happen here, but it is my intention to check in at least once a week to add a photography tip or two, discuss an upcoming or recent photo shoot and more importantly, respond to your posts and questions. Send your comments and questions to steve@dantzigphotography.com and I will post them here and elsewhere.
Who am I and why would you care what I have to say about photography? My name is Steve Dantzig. I am not a full time photographer—yet. However, photography is in my blood and I have managed to carve a niche in the world of photography that I hope will leave a lasting legacy. My passion has not led to lucrative financial rewards—yet, but it has taken a direction, that in hindsight makes sense. I am an educator. My “day job” is within a different field in the public schools. I have trained professional psychologist for over ten years—as a consultant and now as a university professor.

It does not seem as surprising that my career in photography would venture into education as well. It started innocently. I was walking out of a photography convention in Los Angeles. I don’t even remember what year it was. The Photoflex booth caught my eye on the way out. I returned to the convention hall to say “hello” to the people who made the gear that I used in each of my shoots. It turned out to be a fateful encounter. I met a gentleman by the name of Ben Clay. Ben mentioned that Photoflex was starting a new web based photography school and was looking for people to write articles for the new site. I mentioned that I would like to give it a shot. My career as a photography educator was launched. I have published articles in many of the premier photography magazines and websites including RANGEFINDER Magazine, Professional Photographer Magazine, PC Photo Magazine, Studio Photography and Design, ProPhoto West, www.ShootSmarter.com, www.ProPhotoResource.com, and of course, the Photoflex www.WebPhotoSchool.com. My good friend at Rangefinder introduced me to the idea of writing a book about lighting. Bill Hurter then introduced me to the folks at Amherst Media and Lighting Techniques for Fashion and Glamour Photography for Film and Digital Photographers was born. I followed this endeavor with Mastering Lighting Techniques for Outdoor and Location Digital Portrait Photography and Softbox Lighting Techniques for Professional Photographers. My latest project is in production and is tentatively called Back to Basics: An Introduction to Lighting and Photoshop Techniques. This volume is geared to those of you who are relatively new to photography and want a step-by-step breakdown of the complicated laws that govern light and lighting.

One section of my website is dedicated to educating those who are hungry for photography knowledge and information. The “Hawaii School of Photography” section is where you will find a number of my previously published articles. I will be tying this blog into my school pages as well. I also have an “Ask Steve” forum on www.prophotoresource.com where people can join for free and post any question related to photographic lighting. I encourage you to join that site and ask away. You are also welcome to post your questions here and I will respond as best I can. I will also repost your questions and my responses on prophotoresource.com.
Here, now, are some of the rules for this blog:
1) You grant me permission to post and repost your comments and questions on this and other blogs related to photography. You give me permission to use your name as signed in future postings.
2) I will NOT post your e-mail address in any blog nor will I release your e-mail to anyone. I may use your e-mail to update you when new articles/blogs are posted online, seminar dates are announced or when my books or other educational products/opportunities are released.
3) You MAY submit photographs along with your questions. You grant me permission to post and repost these images within the context submitted. You do NOT grant me any other rights and all other rights, including YOUR COPYRIGHT remain with you. You MUST have your name embedded within your images if you want me to post them. I repeat: I will NOT post any images where the photographer is unidentifiable.
4) You, however, recognize that image downloading is extremely common and agree to hold me harmless in the event that your image is “lifted” from my site(s) and used inappropriately.
5) Images depicting graphic violence will NOT be accepted.
6) Images depicting nudity will be considered on a case by case basis.
7) SPAM will not be tolerated.
This blog will contain some technical information that will cover the gamut from beginner to advanced topics. However, it is not my intention to recreate what my books offer. I hope to offer some insights into the reasons behind my lighting choices and to talk about my thought processes behind the techniques I used. You might see images that have been published in previous books and articles, but the discussion about the images will be different. I will let you know where to find the images and the previously published information.