DIY Photography

Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time

Search

 

Submit A Story

This studio simulation is so good, I am recreating my entire portfolio as CGI

by 7 Comments

Being kind of a computer geek, I found myself looking for a good way to simulate studio lights. I tried Blender, Cinema 4D, and other 3D programs until I found Set.a.Light 3D. Let me save you the long read. It’s awesome. OK, you can continue now.

I first fell in love with Set.aLight 3D with one of its first versions back in 2015 or so. It was love at first light (sorry! I could not resist the pun). Since those early days, the simulation improved quite a bit, and the latest v2 release officially blew my mind.

[Read More…]

Three basic tips for using artificial lighting for food photography

by 1 Comment

When you shoot with artificial lighting, you have all the control over it. But, there’s a lot to have in mind if you want to get your shots just the way you want them. In this informative video, Joanie Simon of The Bite Shot discusses the three most important things that you should always keep in mind when photographing food with artificial lights. And even though she is focused on food photography, this is something everyone should have in mind when using studio lights.

[Read More…]

6 Light Beauty and Fashion Lighting Setup

by 2 Comments

I know it’s extremely trendy right now to say that ‘one light is all you need’, and although in certain situations this is true, a of the time extra lights will likely look better, or at the very least make your life easier.

Now before you rush to the comments section to proclaim the purity and simplicity of a black and white headshot being lit by a single light as being the very essence of great photography, I’ll just add that I agree. Sometimes, complicated lighting and over-lit portraits can certainly get in the way of a subject but conversely, a more visually interesting shot can also be achieved with the addition of more lights to draw in and engage a viewer.

[Read More…]

5 ways to avoid lens flare with studio lighting

by Leave a Comment

If you’re unfamiliar with what lens flare is then it’s the hazy washed out areas in an image that appear far brighter than they should do. You usually can’t see flare with your own eyes but when you take a shot, there it is and often it’s an undesired effect that can ruin several aspects of your photo including contrast.

[Read More…]

Photographing The Movement Of Dancers Using Speedlights And Long Exposure

by 6 Comments

Photographer, Phillip McCordall, has put together a great video tutorial explaining the how he uses a combination of studio lighting, slow shutter speeds, and rear curtain sync to create almost atmospheric photographs of dancers, such as the photo you see above. While there are many applications in which you can use this technique on, the graceful leaps of the dancer are really eye catching when you are able to illustrate the motion of them, too.

If you’re not already familiar with rear curtain sync, this could be a really fun project for you learn it with. To put it briefly, when shooting with a rear curtain sync, the flash will fire at the end of the exposure rather than the beginning of the exposure. When used with a slow shutter speed, this allows you to record motion (as a blur) using only the ambient light at the beginning of the exposure, then right before the shutter closes, the flash will fire and freeze the motion.
[Read More…]

Recent Posts