If you shoot with artificial lighting, you can go with off camera flash or continuous LED lights. Of course, each approach has its good and bad sides. In this video, Francisco Joel Hernandez discusses pros and cons of using continuous LED lights for portraits. So if you’ve been thinking of getting them for portrait photography, this might help you make the final decision.
A round up of what people think about the new Sony A7III
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The Sony A7III, the successor to the very popular and heavily discounted Sony A7II, was announced just a few days ago, but already people are getting very opinionated. A few are just going off the on-paper specs, while others have managed to actually get their hands on one and take it for a spin. So, let’s see what people think, and whether or not it’s the right camera for you.
How this portrait was made from concept to completion
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It’s not often that a behind the scenes or tutorial video goes over the entire process of an image’s creation. Usually, they cover only a specific aspect of it. Often that’s just the gear used, just the lighting set, or just the post work. Great if you want help with a particular element of a shoot, but they don’t really provide the entire picture (no pun intended).
In this video, portrait photographer Francisco Hernandez goes over his entire process for creating this shot. He covers everything from how he found the model to picking the location through to actually shooting & post-processing the final shot.
Watch 3 photographers shoot the same model with off camera flash
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After seeing Jessica Kobeissi’s ‘3 photographers shoot the same model’ video, where she and fellow photographers Irene and Ruby challenge each other to photograph a model with a time limit in several locations, I was inspired and motivated to say the least. It was such an interesting concept that I decided to give the challenge a go with my friends Eli Infante and Jeff Antons . I was excited for several reasons; It was going to challenge us as photographers, I was curious how the photos turn out, and, most importantly, because we’d be doing the challenge using off camera flash (OCF).
This short movie shows the difference between diffused, double diffused and hard light
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Most large modifiers come with two diffusers. A big one for the outer rim and a smaller one that fits between the source of light and the big diffuser, right in the middle of the modifier. Of course, this begs the question how may diffusion layers do you actually need.
Photographer Francisco Joel Hernandez shares a short, yet informative video on how diffusion of strobes effects portraits (or any other type of shoot).
The new Godox AD200 flash takes on the bright Texas sun and wins
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The Godox AD200 is the newest flash in the Godox line up. Around the world it’s sold under various brands. In the USA it’s the Adorama eVOLV 200. Here in the UK it’s the Pixapro Pika 200. Whatever it’s called, it’s been getting a lot of attention since it was initially announced. Last month we showed you Robert Hall’s quick hands on review.
Now, they’re out in the wild, shipping and being delivered as I type. One photographer who’s got his hands on one is our friend Francisco Hernandez. Francisco lives in South Texas, where the sun’s often brighter than average. As a consequence, he’s a big fan of high speed sync. So, he put the Adorama eVOLV 200 against the bright Texas sun to see just how well it performed.
10 reasons why this photographer switched from Canon to Sony
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I know, I get it, you’re sick of all the “why I switched” posts, already. But, photographer Francisco Hernandez has some pretty compelling reasons for his switch from the Canon 6D to the Sony A7RII. Of course, the reason why anybody switches to or even initially chooses a particular brand or body are often personal reasons. They don’t apply to everybody.
So it follows then that some of Francisco’s reasons won’t apply to you, either. But, they’re still valid points. If they are things that you’ve been concerned about with your current system, such videos help you make decisions. No matter what camera system you might consider buying into, it’s a big expense. So, it’s a topic that one really can’t see too many opinions on.
Shooting outdoor flash portraits with a 50 year old M42 lens on a modern mirrorless body
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It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of M42 and other older manual focus lenses. I’ve been using them for years with my DSLRs. They have imperfections, suffered from very random quality control, that give each one a slightly unique look and feel. They often have characteristics that can’t be reproduced with modern “perfect” glass and post production. So, whenever I see my favourite photographers also using them, I get interested.
This time, Texas based portrait photographer, Francisco Joel Hernandez has discovered the Russian-made Jupiter 9. Out of all the M42 lenses I own personally, this is tied with the Helios 44-2 as a favourite. We’ve featured the Jupiter 9 before, but Joel’s video shows a couple of neat tricks for working with this lens on location. The big one dealing with the flare this lens is often prone to.
Get amazing outdoor location portraits by mixing ambient light with your flash
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A common mistake made when learning to shoot flash outdoors is to try and crush every bit of ambient light you can. Many photographers think it’s either one or the other. Daylight or flash. But mixing the two and getting the best of both worlds often produces the most spectacular results. It’s also less stress in your batteries.
Photographer Francisco Hernandez visits this topic in his newest video. He takes advantage of the TTL capabilities of his Flashpoint/Godox flashes for his demonstration, but the same effect can easily be achieved with manual flash units. You may need something that supports high speed sync, though, depending on the ambient light levels and your aperture.
Size matters; Comparing Octabox sizes with high speed sync
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One of the questions I see pop up often through various portrait groups on Facebook is “what softbox do I buy?”. After they settle on an octabox, it’s invariably followed up with “How big should I go?”. Personally, when it comes to Octaboxes, I’ve always been of the belief that the bigger the better. But, that’s just because I like nice big soft light. And, if you’re using a flash capable of filling it, why not?
In this video from photographer Francisco Joel Hernandez, we’re shown how they measure up in a direct comparison. Using 18″, 38″ and 60″ we get an overview of how size affects how the light falls on your subject. We also get a look into some of the more practical reasons why you might choose one size octabox over another.
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