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5th Year Of Taking Portraits At My Daughter School

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So, it has become kind of a ritual. Every year I take portraits of every kid in my daughter’s class. This has been the 5th year and it got me thinking about stuff.

But first, here is the general idea. Each year I go to my daughter’s school and take pictures of all the kids in her class. There is no preset date for this, but I try to hit one of two events: Purim (where everyone shows up in a custom) or very close to end of year.

I do not charge for these pictures, nor do I hand businesses cards to the parents. The teacher and parents are free to use the pictures as they please and more than once, the pictures found themselves in birthday calendars, fridge magnets and T-shirts.

I use a very similar setup each year, with the same collapsible backdrop. Usually with one strobe and umbrella on the kids and another gelled on the backdrop.

There is no monetary compensation in doing this kind of project, but I consider it to be one of my best personal projects as it intertwines with so many aspects of my life.

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Make Your Own Photogram Cyanotype

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If you are not familiar with photograms and cyanotypes, here are two new words for you: A Photogram is a photograph made without a camera by placing objects directly onto a photographic paper. A Cyanotype is the developing process used to make blue prints.

You can have lots of fun and interesting results by creating Cyanotype Photograms. Photographer Paul Eliasberg is going to show us how.

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A Twin Lens Reflex (TLR) Built From Lego Bricks

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Have you ever held an old TLR (Twin Lens Reflex)? It feels amazingly good. The top viewfinder is a delight and shooting from the hip removes any obstacles between you and your model. Well, a nice Rolleiflex TLR can set you back about 5 D800s.

But not if you make it from Lego bricks.

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Build Guide: A Modern Old Camera That Eats Photo Paper

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Be warned, this guide is not for the faint of heart! BUT! it will be one of the most rewarding projects you’ll ever make, granting you with a camera you built yourself that takes real pictures onto real photo paper.

And before anyone jumps, we covered all the parts and all the needed steps, and while it is pretty detailed, it is not an super precise plan (just like the battleship) and we assume you know some basic staff. so feel free to expand it into something of your own.[Read More…]

Nasty In Vegas (A Post-PMA Post)

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Having the opportunity to visit the industry at PMA and CES this year was rad, but what was even radder was the chance to meet and have fun with a few of my personal industry heroes, Zeke of Nice Photo Mag, Matt of Nasty Clamps and James of Orbis. We spent some time talking gear and the industry but having spent too much time confined in the show rooms, Zeke and I need some venting. We took a Nasty Clamp a Canon s100 and an strobe and roamed the strip. Having limited gear, we wanted to see what we can come up with.

What started as a fun (yet cold) evening ended with security kicking us out of the boardwalk for taking professional photographs, but I am getting ahead of myself.[Read More…]

The Awesome Stuff @ PMA (per me)

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About two days ago I returned from PMA. Aside from the big camera announcements going on the main CES showrooms (the Nikon D4, the Canon G1 X and the Fujifilm X-Pro1) there were a lot of innovation and coolness going on the smaller booths and the PMA venue.

Actually, for me as a photographer/blogger/inventor some of the stuff that was displayed on the smaller booths was more interesting than (I said you could touch it not grab it) touching new camera models.

The really nice thing about it, is the most often than not, the inventor would stand in their booth in a way that allows direct interaction. The kind of stuff you can’t get on emails. So you get to ask questions, make suggestions and get instant feedback. nice.

Here is a small round up of the stuff that I found cool on PMA/CES, some of it is new, some has been around for a while. Feel free to add more coolness if you’ve seen it.[Read More…]

DIY: Small Circular Softboxes

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Photographer and design student Hunter Frerich came up with this really cool DIY for building a small circular soft box. It kinda resembles one of the first projects on DIYP (which is the one that actually pushed me to start the site) but is waaaaay nicer and probably gives way better light. It kinda resembles the Honl Traveller8, but exchanges the high $$ for sewing skills.

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Light Painting A B-25 Bomber

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L.A. based photographer Eric Curry likes it big when it comes to light painting. Actually he likes it huge and would stop at nothing smaller than a B-25 Bomber.

Eric creates complex composites of partly lit areas of the complete picture. The amazing thing is the magnitude of objects Eric chooses to photograph.

In Eric’s American Pride And Passion he light paints objects in connection with the American spirit. Luckily, Eric shares video tutorials of his work.[Read More…]

Five Tips On Balancing Photography And Family Trips

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Have you ever gone on a family trip expecting to take great pictures only to discover that the camera either stayed in the bag or that you’ll be sleeping outside the tent with the bears?

Or let me put this differently when you are a photographer going on a trip with the family can be a super cool experience. It can also be a nerve wrecking adventure both for you and your family if not handled correctly.

Here is what I have learned after years of traveling with both my family and my camera. Would love to hear your tips on the comments.[Read More…]

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