Chris Burns Photography

Update

2010-10-26T03:11:00.002-05:00

This year, I've gone through a lull in shooting photos. I've been wanting to shoot some portraits lately, but there's just not much work out there at the moment. To keep busy, I've been working out and staying in shape. My accomplishments this year have been more on the sports side. They include:

First 5k
100 mile Tour de Rock
Hotter'N Hell Metric Century
Soaring Wings Half Marathon

Recently, I took some impromptu portraits of my cousin and some general snap shots, but other than that, the camera has been sitting on the shelf. Here's a few shots from the year. Some of these I've taken, others were taken by family and friends.

Soaring Wings Half Marathon - Photo by Mike Kemp

On a different note, I'm glad to see that people are reading my blog despite the lack of recent updates. Oddly enough, the one post with the most updates is "Cute, Adorable Kittens". I still get suggestions for names, even though my "kittens" were given names well over a year ago.

Preview of Mary's Photoshoot

2009-11-23T00:25:00.002-06:00

Mary contacted me a few weeks ago for a portfolio shoot. Because she is new to modeling, I just wanted to concentrate on getting a good start on her portfolio. The shoot went very well, and we even discussed doing other projects together. Here's just a preview of our shoot.

Return to Collins Creek

2009-10-12T01:31:00.003-05:00

It's been a couple of years since I first visited Collins Creek. I finally went back over the weekend to take photos for my parents' house renovation. Since this creek flows all year long, it is a great place to learn how to take photos of waterfalls. Here's just a few of my favorites from this trip.

The creek flows into the Little Red River, which is a very popular fishing destination. Since the river is fed by a hydro-electric dam, the water can rise very quickly. I was lucky to get this photo, because that very spot was underwater 5 minutes after the photo was taken.

August Portrait Shoot

2009-08-23T15:33:00.002-05:00

Earlier this month, I went to a large ranch in Mena, AR to shoot portraits. Though it was hot and muggy, I worked throughout the afternoon and into the evening to get some great shots. All the models were around the high school senior / early college age, so I spent the time building up my senior portrait portfolio. Here's some of the stuff I was able to get.

Just a Little Preview

2009-08-10T01:43:00.003-05:00

I finally got back out with my camera and started shooting again, after about a year off from any serious photography work. I was glad to behind the camera again, and I realized that I haven't lost my touch for setting up my lighting. For this shoot, I stuck with a single light simply because I didn't want to haul a lot of equipment around the 105 acre ranch where I shot.

So far, I just have this one photo edited as a preview of what's to come. I took the day off to recover from 7 hours of driving and about 6 hours of shooting. I will definately have more photos to add to this one in the next week.

Keep watching for more on the shoot as well as more photos.

New Self-Portrait and More Thoughts

2009-07-14T03:14:00.003-05:00

Really not anything new at the momment. I decided to go out one night and shoot a new self-portrait over my vacation since I couldn't get out for a day trip like I wanted to. So, here it is.

The latest question I received made me think a little deeper about my art. A person wanted to know the best time of the day to shoot with a certain flash in a certain way. Anyone who knows me well, knows I can't give a simple answer to this question. Why? There are too many "what ifs."

In typing a very lengthy answer to his question, I came up with the conclusion that people are trying to create a job with the tools they want to use. Instead we should use the tools we have to do the job laid out before us. Example: A person says, "I have so-and-so flash, so I want to use it for a photo." There is no thought as to what is already there, only that they "have" to use this one piece of equipment. Instead they should think, "I am provided with a certain quality of light. Can I use any tools to shape this light into something better?"

Finally Some More Photos

2009-06-28T00:25:00.002-05:00

The past few months have not been good as far as getting shoots scheduled. I've even tried doing free shoots with no takers. Finally, I had a reason to take photos of something. Tonight the local symphony put on its yearly "4th of July" concert along with a fireworks show. Here's just a couple of the shots I took tonight.

Tour de Cure

2009-04-26T09:44:00.012-05:00

Saturday, I took my first real test of my endurance. I rode in the Tour de Cure 50 mile ride, my longest ride so far. The wind was the biggest factor, except for the 5 miles that it was at my back. Since I was on my bike, I didn't get to take any photos, though my wife took some of me before the event started. Read on for a full ride report.

Saturday's Tour de Cure was my first organized ride for the year. I started my day with a nice, carb loaded breakfast, packed my gear and my wife in the car and drove to Little Rock for the start of the ride. I arrived in enough time to take a few photos of the 62 milers before they got started.

Next I registered for my ride, grabbed a cereal bar and prepped my bike. Once the bike was ready, Trish wanted to get some photos of us before I warmed up. I finally got a couple miles warm-up in ten minutes before the start of the event. Before the start, we received the usual "here's the route, over the big dam bridge, ride to Scott, and finish with a climb over the bridge again, two supported rest stops on the out and back course for a total of 4 possible stops, 50 easy miles."

Out of everyone in the 50 mile group, the majority of the riders consisted of two teams, Garvin and Outskirts Bike Shop. These guys took off like the event was a race. I started up toward the front so I tried to hang on for a little bit, but the challenge started when we started climbing the bridge.

First of all, the columns that keeps cars from trying to drive on the bridge where still in place on both ends of the bridge, causing a bottleneck from all the riders trying to avoid crashing into the thin barriers. Second, the bridge was still open to pedestrian traffic meaning this peleton of 30 or so cyclists had to dodge runners, walkers, and random sight-seeing people during our climb and descent.

Once off the bridge, the two teams took off, and I fell back and got into my own rhythm. "So here we go. 48 solo miles," I think to myself. About halfway down the river trail, I hear a chain shift into a lower gear behind me as I enter one of the short climbs on the riverfront. Apparently there are some late starters on the course and this guy has been drafting me for a few minutes. I let him by, and get on his wheel for a few minutes before getting off the trail and onto River Rd. Just before the end of the trail is the group from Outskirts and one of them has their bike upside-down, fixing a flat. Normally I would slow and ask if they needed help, but there where about 6 of them working on one tire. They already had the tire off the wheel and were in the process of placing the new tube in the tire. Knowing that this rider was in good hands, I blew past them and continued my journey.

Now, just eight miles, and less than 40 minutes into the route, I see the first rest stop about a half mile away. At this point I weigh my options; stop and get something to eat now, or keep going and have a gel on the bike once I hit 10 miles. I decide on the latter and keep going, knowing that the second stop was only 10 miles later.

A few miles after the rest stop, the route turns southeast. I find my pace slowing a little as I hit a strong south crosswind. This continues for the next 10 miles as the route turns little by little more into the wind. Around the 17 mile mark, my legs start to feel the effects of the wind, slowly building up a steady burning feeling with every push of the pedal. A few miles later and I'm at the much anticipated second rest stop. I take a break off the bike for a few minutes to get food, take a bathroom break, and prepare for the next 5 miles, which I know will be the hardest 5 miles of the entire trip.

I leave with a small group and have a chance to draft while riding south, directly into a 15 mile-per-hour wind blowing over open cotton fields. Unfortunately, the group fell apart within the first mile. I was in the third of the four riders. The first took off, and the last dropped back. The lady in front of me offered a good draft, but the pace got much slower than I wanted to go, down to 9 miles-per-hour, so I got ahead in the front to pull, keeping the same pace then slowly ramping up the speed. But the lady I was with just kept dropping back, and with the harsh headwind, I had no chance to catch the guy in front of me for a draft. Somehow, I made it to the turnaround and was rewarded with a tailwind. I went from a 10 to 11 mile-per-hour painful slog to an easy 22 mile-per-hour pace for 5 miles before arriving back at the rest stop. The only downside of having the tailwind was noticing how hot it actually was since I no longer had the cooling effect of the wind.

The last 20 miles would be completely solo. I left the rest stop and rode back into a crosswind. The easy pace I kept for the previous 5 miles was gone and I was once again back into that zone where I feel every single stroke of the pedal. I eat another gel around mile 36, halfway between the two rest stops, hoping the extra bit of energy will get me to the next stop.

About 7 miles later, I pull into the last rest stop, fuel up on crackers, and mix up some cold Gatorade, a nice change from the warm drinks I had throughout the ride. I finally leave this rest stop knowing I'm on the last stretch, but also knowing I have one final challenge ahead of me.

The ride down the River Trail is fairly easy. There's a couple of wooded areas that block the wind as well as one downhill section. At 5 miles left in the ride, I see the finish line, waiting for me on the other side of the river, but as I round the next turn, I see my final obstacle looming on the horizon. It's the Big Dam Bridge again, and after riding for 48 windy miles, it really does feel big.

The first leg of the climb goes by fast, but I soon turn back into the wind as the long north side ramp curves to cross the river below. This climb compounded by the strong south wind makes each turn of the pedal even more painful as I struggle to continue. Soon I cross the peak of the bridge and gain speed, allowing me to ease up on the pedals before taking the descent down the other side.

The final mile flies by with my legs refreshed by coasting down north ramp of the bridge. I make my final turn and pull into the finish line, finishing my first 50 mile ride in 3 hours and 37 minutes. Now as I sit here writing this, I can't wait until my next 50 mile or longer ride.

Thoughts About Light

2009-04-14T00:53:00.003-05:00

I don't know how I missed this one. About a month ago, Blair Bunting blogged about the emergence of digital painting in post production, the importance of lighting in the pure art of photography, and how they are being merged in today's heavy post-processing of images. I'll let you read the article for yourself.

http://blairbunting.com/blog/?p=346

In response to his article, I completely agree with his stance on both sides of the issue. I've always said that lighting, or the manipulation of light, is the most important issue regarding photography. Yes, location and "the moment" are important too, but let's look at how lighting affect these two ideas.

Take location scouting for example. When we scout for a shooting location, we watch how light plays off elements in the location. We ask when, where, and how to shoot. Do we add our own light to enhance what is already there? The answers to these questions are determined by the quality of light that we have available. As Blair eludes to in his final statement, great light makes your job of taking a great photo that much easier.

As for "the moment", look at candid portraits taken by the great photographers of our day. Look to National Geographic for good examples. You will see photos that touch the very soul of humanity. But take a step back and look at the details. You will find amazing locations, touching moments, but you will not find harsh, haphazard lighting. Every detail in these photos, no matter how impromptu they may be, is thought out before hand. A great photographer is always thinking about their next move, thinking about the way things are changing, and constantly adjusting to these changes.

In closing, next time you are out driving or walking around, stop at a location and pay attention to how light plays off of the elements in the scene. Do this at different times of the day. Once you are familiar with the natural look of the location, think about how you can enhance the look. Where can you add or take away light to bring your vision to life? Go into your planning as if you were making a movie. Once you have your plan, go out and shoot. Try to tell an entire story with just one insight, and use what you know about light to bring that story to life.

It's Been a While...

2009-04-07T00:57:00.002-05:00

So, what have I been up to lately. Due to cold weather, bad scheduling, and other things that are out of my hands, I have not had any shoots so far this year. I do have a few shoots in the works over the next couple of months, but I don't plan on it being a busy year. I'm starting to get away from the local strobist meetups since they are getting to be so large and so much of a chore to edit. I still plan on doing these meets, but I'm going to work on my terms so I can get my best work out of the events instead of producing mediocre stuff just to fill "requirements".

Since I haven't been shooting, I've been using my free time trying to keep my diabetes in check by training for a 100 mile bicycle ride in June. I'm currently doing group rides with a group in Conway during the week, and the CARTI group on Saturdays.

You can expect to see some more photos the first week or two of May. I am participating in the local Tour de Cure in a couple weeks. My group is the third to leave in the morning so I'll have some time to walk around and get some photos while the first two groups are heading out. The early morning start times should give me some great lighting to work with.

For the people that have contributed to the 30,000 plus views on my crosslighting video, I do have another one planned. I'm just waiting for the right photo shoot to film. It will be on balancing ambient exposure with flash exposure, a topic that seems to be difficult to a lot of photogs.

Short Vacation

2009-03-03T00:26:00.004-06:00

Over the weekend, my wife and I took a trip to Eureka Springs. The one thing we were not expecting was the inch of snow that we woke up to on Saturday. I skipped out on all the cliche photos that everyone takes in downtown Eureka, but I did get a few around the Bed and Breakfast that we stayed in.

The 5 Ojo Inn is a great place to stay when you visit Eureka Springs. The owners, Richard and Jan, are very friendly and really take care of their guests. The food is absolutely wonderful and makes you look forward to waking up in the morning.

This is Chester. He belongs to the owners of the Ojo Inn.

-end of post-

Just a Quick Update

2009-02-18T01:49:00.002-06:00

If you haven't read my DTV rant, please do so as I am going to delete it at the end of the month. I want to thank the couple of forums that have picked up on the rant and realized that I'm just making light of the situation and that it is not meant to be a serious post. To be perfectly honest, many of the people out there are ready, and as of today, the original DTV due date, have already made the switch to DTV.

But that's not the reason for today's post. Today, I want to share a single portrait I took of my wife before we went on a Valentine's Day Date. No special lighting this time. Just a little fill flash and soft, natural light.

-end of post-

Light is Light

2009-01-26T04:04:00.002-06:00

There are many popular "movements" regarding the best way to light for photography. The most popular of these include the strobists, natural light, and bounced on-camera flash. Telling any one group that another form of lighting is better just opens up a huge can of worms. However, just about any form of light you can use works very well if you know how to use it. Click the link below for more information.

Each style of lighting is just a tool that we use to acheive a certain look. I can take an outdoor portrait using only natural light, as in this example.

With just that sunlight, I can shoot under shade, in direct sunlight, or under a cloudy sky. I can also add a reflector, shoot with the sun to the subject's back and give the illusion of a two light setup. However, with this setup, I'm at the mercy of how much light is falling on my subject as opposed to the amount of light in the background.

If I add a single, off-camera strobe, I have control over the light falling on my subject, and, therefore, have control over the exposure of the background, just by making an adjustment to either my strobe, the camera, or both. That is just what I have done with this example.

The background was purposely under-exposed to add drama and to draw the eye where I want it. If I had shot this using natural light only, then I would either have to let the sky blow out, or under-expose the subject.

The bounced flash method works great for a run-and-gun type of shooting. If you are shooting an event, setting up a light on a stand and running to it every few minutes to change a setting may not be the best way work. Instead I opt to use an on-camera flash in TTL mode. Bouncing the flash gives you soft but directional light, while keeping your mind and hands free to shoot without making continuous changes to your lighting.

This just shows you that no particular type of lighting is right or wrong. Each has its uses. If you know how to work with each type of lighting, you can create photos that look completely natural, or un-natural if you chose, no matter how you light your shot.

Building on Inspiration

2009-01-19T00:49:00.005-06:00

Back in July, I blogged about Blair Bunting and his "wrap-around" style of lighting. His work has been an inspiration to me for quite awhile, but I haven't had the right subject to try my own watered down Strobist version of his setup.

Well, this weekend, I obtained the last pieces of my basic cycling gear and finally had a great subject for my idea. Here's the resulting photo.

Click the link for more about this photo and my setup.

What brought my attention to Blair Bunting was this post on the Strobist blog. That post also made me realize one thing; There are more lights being used in that single photo than I own in my entire kit. So how do you take three small hotshoe flashes and attempt to reproduce an awsome photo like Bunting's? Easy, you use what you have and apply a little ingenuity.

When I first visualized this shot, I wanted a semi-low key look, so I started out with just the two Vivitars at the side. This created the key component of this shot, the sculpting light on the edge, but it left my face in the dark.

To counter this I needed a third light, so I put my Canon speedlight on the camera. Knowing that I needed to fill in the shadows, I wanted the light to be fairly soft, and I wanted to warm the color just slightly for effect. So instead of using the flash straight on, I bounced the flash, set to ev-2, off a gold reflector. This provided just the right amount of fill.

The rest is just my usual photoshop processing which consists of adjusting the contrast and saturation. Look for more photos using this style of lighting as I incorporate the look into my portfolio.

-end of post-

My Brother, His Wife, and a Motorcycle

2009-01-12T00:33:00.002-06:00

I've been so busy with life lately that I've just now started editing some of my photos from the holidays. Here's one of my brother and his wife.

I know what you're thinking, so to answer the question, yes, we are twins.
-end of post-

New Year's Stuffs...

2008-12-30T00:09:00.003-06:00

Well, it's that time of the year when most people reflect on what they've done in the previous year and plan out the next year. I'm doing just that in this post. Please click the link for more...

This past year has brought about a lot of growth in my photography, both in the business and artistic aspects. I've started working with portrait photography, shooting with off camera flash, and even did a few professional shoots. And the most rewarding part of 2008 was winning first place in a local photo contest as well as getting four of my photos published in a statewide coffee table book.

For the year of 2009, I will continue working on finding my style. I've already created a look for myself based on a few of my favorite modern photographers, but I want to develop and perfect the techniques I use to create that look.

I'm also working toward obtaining a new set of lights and a new camera. I feel that I'm being limited by my current equipment and once I get a set of studio strobes, my creativity and the quality of my photos should increase.

Finally, 2009 will mark the opening of my photography business. I'll have more information on the grand opening at a later date, but right now, I'm planning to open the doors sometime after the beginning of March.

Look forward to some great things throughout the year.
-end of post-

Small Changes

2008-12-20T17:31:00.004-06:00

In an effort to streamline the look of my blog, I've made a few small changes. Click the link below to learn about the changes that I've made.

- - - - -

The main change is that each post will now have its own page. I've done this so that you, my readers, won't have to scroll through many paragraphs to find posts that I've done in the past. This allows me to write longer articles without cluttering up the front page, as each post will now just have a short summary and maybe a single photo before the "Click Here to See More" link.

Becuase some posts can be very short blurbs, I will now add a "-end of post-" disclaimer if a new article does not contain additional information beyond the front page. Likewise, I will also add a "read on" statement in some form if there is more information past the front page.

Thank you to everyone who reads this blog. Stay tuned for some major announcements in the near future.

-end of post-

Christmas Kitties

2008-12-18T22:07:00.000-06:00

Tonight was just one of those nights where I just had nothing to do. So to keep myself from getting bored, I set up my lights and took Christmas portraits of my "kids".

Oreo

Hershey

Kitkat

Snickers

Photos from Petit Jean Mountain

2008-11-17T00:47:00.004-06:00

My wife and I went to one of the local mountains to shoot our annual holiday portrait on Saturday. Petit Jean is one of the hotspots of Arkansas for nature/senic photography, so while we were there, I had to wonder around and get some landscapes and senic photos.

We are past the peak for fall colors in the state, but there was still enough color on these trees to give a great view.

This bridge is one of the most photographed spots in the state. I've seen many shots from this spot, both good and bad, and as one of my photographer friends told me, this might be one of the best he's ever seen from this location.

I've Been Published!

2008-11-13T08:20:00.004-06:00

During the past summer, I asked all my readers to take a look and vote on photos at the Capture Arkansas website. The book was released this week, and I'm happy to say that I have four photos in the book. My photos were chosen from over 1,000 photographers and over 33,000 submitted photos.

I recieved my copy of the book yesterday and I am very impressed with the quality of the work. The editors did a wonderful job in choosing photos and making a layout that is very pleasing to the eye.

If you would like to order a copy of this book for yourself, just go to www.capturearkansas.com.

Now, here's my photos that made it into the book.

Monaia and Uche's Wedding

2008-11-03T00:13:00.002-06:00

Finally finished editing the photos from the wedding. Here's a few more of my favorites.

Monia and Uche's Wedding

2008-10-19T10:52:00.000-05:00

Saturday, I shot my first wedding in over a year. I was really nervous going into it, but once I got started, everything fell into place. This wedding turned out some of my best work so far. The couple was extremely photogenic and had some really good ideas. Here's a few of my favorites from the day.

Updates - Healthy Lifestyle Change and Other Things

2008-10-16T18:13:00.006-05:00

I haven't posted anything to my blog in a while, so I felt that I needed to give an update, photography related or not.

A few months ago, I was noticing a few things about my health that were slightly out of the norm for me. Upon visiting my doctor, I found out that I am a borderline diabetic. The results of this information has been both good and bad. First, the bad... I've been a little depressed lately. Mainly becuase of the sudden changes that I've had to make, but also becuase I realized that my job and the hours I work also affect my health. And there's no way to change it until I find a new job.

But, becuase of the changes I've had to make, I've never felt better. I've cut out 98% of the sugar I used to eat. Keep in mind, being diabetic doesn't mean you can't have sugar, it just means that it isn't absorbed into the cells and used effeciently. I've also started exercising several times a week.

Last year, my brother ran a marathon. When he did this, I thought that if he could run that distance, then I can certainly do a 5K. I started training slowly, just as you should, but after about 2 weeks, I started having pains in my shins. I slowed down, but the pain got worse. Eventually I had to stop running and I came to the realization that my body just can't handle the impact of running. I can walk just fine, but adding any speed in a training situation just hurts, not muscle soreness, but deep in the bones.

I never lost that desire to do some kind of "competetive" organised event, but running one was just not going to happen. Hearing that I am diabetic just added fuel to the fire, and a reason to be proactive about it. So I'm thinking, I can't run, but there has to be something else out there that I can do. Swimming was out of the question. It costs for memberships to pools, summer was ending, and I can't swim very well to begin with, no matter how much I like to hit the pool or the beach.

So that left cycling. It's a no-impact sport that I've done for a long time recreationaly, but not seriously or as a sport. The only problem was that my last two bikes were stolen while I was in college and I couldn't afford to buy one, especially one that could handle a long distance event. That problem was solved after talking with my uncle, who recently won a battle with cancer. It turns out that he just goes out, buys, and restores bikes from yard sales and flea markets, and coming from a cycling background, he knows what bikes are worth and which ones are worth picking up, and we're not talking about cheap wal-mart rides. To make a long story somewhat shorter, I've been through 3 bikes in two months, as I've progressed from needing something, anything at all to ride to needing a good bike that can be ridden at a competetive pace. I now have a nice vintage racing bike that's still worth more than what I can afford.

I've now progressed from being able to ride 3 miles on an old mountain bike, to riding 20+ mile rides during the past 2 months. Next week will be my first major milestone. I'm going to ride in my first organized, fully supported 30 mile ride on Saturday. My first organized ride on my way to doing a century. Yes, that's one hundred miles, the cycling equivilent of a marathon. I want to ride in the Big Dam Bridge 100 next year, but will probably end up doing my first 100 earlier in the year, as I'm progressing with my milage a lot faster than I thought I would.

So now that's off my chest, it's been a busy two months for me. I've had 3 photography appointments in the past few weeks with many more shoots in the works, and this all before my doors open for business. I'm also shooting a wedding/reception on Saturday. I've been so busy that I haven't even had a chance to go out and shoot for myself. Hopefully my wife will get some shots me during next week's ride so I can have a new profile photo for all my websites.

Hopefully it won't take as long for my next post, and I should also have lots of photos to post too.

Really Fast Bikes

2008-09-27T14:01:00.002-05:00

I started cycling recently, so when I found out that a leg of a 100 mile tour was coming through my town, I was excited to go out and get some photos as all the cyclists passed by.

This guy was part of the lead group. My town is the halfway point of the ride, and this group came flying by at just over 2 hours after the start. I barely had enough time to get the camera to my eye and snap this photo before they were gone.

Another Great Strobist Meetup

2008-08-26T00:22:00.004-05:00

This past Sunday, I attended another Strobist Meetup in Clarksville. Thankfully we had several models show up and there was plenty of space to shoot in. We had three backdrops set up as well as enough space to shoot elsewhere in the building. I spent about six hours shooting and almost exhausted all my batteries in both my camera and my flashes, and that includes using backups. I spent most of the time using only one light, but I did have a chance to use my edgy lighting setup for a few shots.

One of the other photographers brought a decorative katana (meaning it wasn't sharp) for the models to use. I was able to get some shots out of it, but it was a little difficult working around the other photographers. One of the guys had a habbit of trying to control the entire shoot, moving other people's lights while they were trying to shoot, and getting in the way of the other photographers. I had to scrap several frames becuase of him crossing in front of me while I was shooting. But that sometimes happens when you have a small group of photogs working on the same set, especially with beginners.

With the success of this meetup, the next one is already being scheduled. We will be going to Petit Jean, where the Arkansas Strobist group got its start. I'm really looking forward to doing another outdoor shoot, especially with all the neat locations at Petit Jean.

I haven't had much time to edit yet, but I do have a few shots ready.

This was my very first shot of the day. No testing of the lights. I love it when things just work like they are suposed to.

Updates...

2008-08-23T09:29:00.002-05:00

I know I've been quiet for a couple weeks, but things are normal for me, despite a few changes that are being made at work and in my lifestyle. Last week, I met with Alyssa and her mom to give them their photos. They were really happy with my work, which makes me happy since I was really stressing over the shoot and getting the photos done.

I have another Strobist Meetup in Clarksville tomorrow. Hopefully that will go well. One of the main problems is that it can be really tough to find models for our shoots. Usually one of the guys that goes to these brings his own, but if he's not there or if none of his models can make it, then we have to rely on other contacts, which seem to be really iffy about showing up. I've already have two models from this group that were interested in shooting, but never contacted me back when I asked about a time and place. So, we'll see how it goes tomorrow. I won't have to go into work tomorrow night (for those of you that don't know, I work overnight) so I should be able to have a few pictures up sometime tomorrow if things go well.

Pushing the Envelope - Updates and Other Things

2008-08-11T03:13:00.004-05:00

So far, July and August have been busy months for me. I haven't done much in the way of photoshoots, but I've been doing a lot of thinking and examining my workflow. I've been studying some of the up and coming "pro" photographers and how they use light. One of the few things that is still giving me trouble is watching the shadows in my portrature. I've be working on perfecting this, but perfection seems to be eluding me. I don't know if it's just the modifiers I'm using or just how I set everything up.

In studying these other photogs, I've also been dreaming up ideas for my next photoshoot. I'll be doing another strobist meet in two weeks, so hopefully I'll have a chance to try some of my new ideas. One of our members will be bringing a few props to play with that will work great for a "Sin City" look. Since we'll be shooting inside, I'll probably have to composite for my final look, which is fine since "Sin City" was acheived through composites. I'm also going to work more with triangle lighting and expand my cross lighting look. It would be great to storyboard an idea through photos, creating a short film through photography, though that might be a little to ambitious for this meet. I might try for a couple 3D composite scenes in After Effects.

Also, I've been inspired, with the help of some great comments on my last video, to do a series of video tutorials based on some of the strobist 101 and 102 lessons. My next video will be on balancing flash and ambiant light. I'll be taking away the post processing steps for this video just so I can concentrate on the lighting technique.

I think I've just about exhausted all my ideas for this post. Look for some great things to come at the end of this month and into September. Also the first winner of the Pocket Wizard video contest will be announced at the end of this week, so wish me luck. My vid seems to be in the top based on number of views, content, and comments, though I can't know what the judges are thinking at this moment. I'll definately provide updates if anything changes.

Senior Portraits - Alyssa

2008-07-30T17:51:00.002-05:00

I just got back from my first true senior portrait session. We went to the Old Mill in North Little Rock, Arkansas which is a major local hotspot with photographers. I was really hot by the time we finished (mid to upper 90's), but my client did a great job despite the heat. I managed to get some great photos to add to my portfolio. Here just a few that I've already worked on.

Finally Done!!!

2008-07-26T22:58:00.003-05:00

I finally finished my short lighting video and uploaded it to youtube. I made the video as an overview to my lighting process. It's short, sweet, and not at all comprehensive, but it does give an idea what can be done with two small strobes. I was going to have a voice over originally, but I hate how my voice sounds on video, so I just stuck with text. Now hopefully the people at Pocket Wizard and Strobist like it.

So without further adue...

If you liked this video, please check out the other competing videos by searching "pocketwizardstrobist" on youtube.

An Awesome Source of Inspiration

2008-07-16T00:58:00.005-05:00

Today, the Strobist blog did an article focusing on the lighting of Blair Bunting. The photo being discussed was a football player whose features were well sculpted with light, making the guy seem larger than life; one of those guys you wouldn't want to meet in an alley at night.

This photo really caught my attention as did the lighting diagram. Imagine, using seven lights plus a reflector to sculpt your subject. This is exactly what Blair Bunting does. But he doesn't have to use seven lights to get really awesome results. His entire philosophy on lighting is to use shadows to bring out detail, so much of his lighting is done somewhat on edge to his subject with reflectors to provide fill and reduce contrast in areas he wants visible details.

What surprised me most when I visited his website is the look achieved with his post-processing. Like me, Blair states that he is not a pro when it comes to Photoshop, but he has some post-processing techniques that he uses to get results quickly. From what I can see, he processes his photos by mainly adding contrast and using saturation to bring out his subject, very similar to my edgy editing style.

The reason I bring this up is that I can see where all my practice and hard work is going. It's when I can study photographers like this and gain insight on their process that my own skills grow by leaps and bounds.

To see Blair Bunting's work go to www.blairbunting.com.

And Now for Something Completely Different...

2008-07-15T01:28:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, the Strobist and Pocket Wizard blogs opened up a contest in which you upload a video to Youtube displaying the use of wireless flash. The rules state that the video does not have to include live footage. An entry could be a slide show or any type of video. This is good for me since my first idea doesn't have any video footage of the shoot. Instead, I'm going to animate my ideas through the use of After Effects and a tiny bit of stop motion video of my equipment. The idea is to show what is posible using a simple two-light crosslight setup with an ambient light background. I have three photos from my "Cecilia Shoot" which I plan to use in my first video.

There are several chances to win as one winner will be chosen each month until November. The prize is a set of 2 Pocket Wizard Plus II's which are valued near $400 for the set. I already sent in my video of the AR Strobist meet that I did back in February, but I don't think it really qualifies since it's not really an instructional or demontration type video. I have other ideas that I'm going to shoot later. I'll post each video as I finish it. Wish me luck.

Learning, Practicing, and Preparing...

2008-07-12T21:53:00.005-05:00

I've done portrait shoots for a while now, but I don't feel that I really know how to pose people. I usually go into a shoot with some ideas and other ideas come to me as I scout around.

That's about to change. I picked up a book on posing techniques this weekend in preparation for a senior portrait shoot that I have coming up a the end of the month. When reading through the book, I was surprised at how much I already knew, but didn't realize that I knew. While at the same time there's so much I'm learning. The book has so much information that I've had to read it over and over to absorb everything.

One thing that is frustrating me is that I don't have many people to practice with. My wife is usually the only person that I get to work with on a regular basis, so I don't get much practice with other body types, which require different styles of posing. However, people of my wife's body type are the most difficult to pose so at least I'm getting enough practice there.

Here's a photo from today's session at Laural Park.

The senior I'm photographing for this upcoming shoot comes from a family that my parents have been friends with since before I was born. I've grown up around their two older kids, so I'm really comfortable around them. The plan is to go to the Old Mill early in the day so I don't have to worry about the harsh light. I'm also taking my strobe kit for the indoor and dramatic shots. My idea is to shoot so that anyone looking at the shots doesn't realize they were taken at the old mill, though I will have some of the traditional shots that you see everyone doing. Anyone following my recent work will know that I like to do things differently. All the shots I've seen at the Old Mill are under natural light and usually incorporate the old building in the background. I plan on using the textures in and around the building as a base for my ideas. For example, I plan on using the staircase and railings around the top floor as elements in some shots. These elements are things that hardly anyone has used before, except for maybe a few of the elite pros in the area.

I'll have photos from that shoot around the second week of August and I might have some updates from a couple strobist meets before then. I'll keep everyone posted on any shoots I have as they come in. Until then, wish me luck on my first senior portrait shoot.

Cute Adorable Kittens!

2008-06-24T01:05:00.001-05:00

NOTE: Please do not offer any more suggestions for names. These kitties have had names for 3 years now.

My wife and I are taking care of two kittens that we found. They are about 3 weeks old and doing very well.

This is Snickerdoodle, or Snickers for short.

The grey one doesn't have a name yet. I've been trying to come up with ideas, but just can't seem to find anything that I like. I need something a little better than "Hey Kitten". Something candybar related would be great.

I Need Your Vote...

2008-06-06T12:49:00.004-05:00

Recently, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette decided to publish a photobook with pictures from amature photographers all over the state. I've submitted some of my best work in hopes that I end up with a photo in the book. There's also a dvd that comes with the book that will have at least one photo from each person that submits to the project.

I've only been in the contest for three days, and have had at least one of my photos in the top 5 of different chapters each day. My "Foggy Trail" photo has been in the top five of the "scapes" chapter for the past three days.

Here's where you come in. The project relies on votes from the public to choose what goes in the book. Just click on the linked image below, register on the site, then vote. Go to www.capturearkansas.com for more information.

NOTE: This image only represents a few of my photos up for printing. Please go to the Capture Arkansas site to view more. Just search for Chris Burns.

More Emerge Photos

2008-05-26T06:26:00.002-05:00

I promised more photos from this shoot, so here they are.

A Day in the Clouds

2008-05-26T02:55:00.002-05:00

Over the weekend, my wife and I spent a night in the Mt. Magazine Lodge. We left the house around 5 in the afternoon, where it was sunny and the skys were clear. Two and a half hours later, we started our ascent up Mt. Magazine and were almost immediately confronted by pea-soup thick fog. The fog lasted overnight till about 11 the next morning.

I took advantage of the fog to create some moody landscape photos. While leaving the lodge to shoot, I was confronted with smart-alec remarks from people like, "I hope your planning to take pictures of fog with that camera," and similar things that showed their ignorance. Listen people. A decent photographer can take just about any situation and use it to their advantage. If it is foggy outside, then I'm going to find locations and subjects that are enhanced with the reduced visibility. If it's dark outside, then maybe I'm going to use that darkness to accentuate my subject.

On a different note, I got the Arkansas Waterfalls Guide Book by Tim Ernst so I can start on a project that I've been commissioned to do (a local business wants original landscape photos for their walls). The bad thing was that I discovered that there are three waterfalls on Mt. Magazine that are very easy to get to, only after I got home and started reading the book. I still got two photos to add to that collection, though. This weekend, I'm going to Petit Jean to photograph Ceder Creek. I don't know if I'm going down to the falls though, unless I get up early enough and get there before dawn.

Here's my favorite photo from the trip, and proof that you can take a good photo even when you can't see 15 feet in front of your face.

One Step Closer...

2008-05-22T15:37:00.003-05:00

I've taken the first step of making my studio a reality. I've enrolled in an online business class through UCA. I'm hoping that it covers all the things that I don't understand about getting started. The first lesson came out today, as well as the first quiz which I got a perfect score on. I have six weeks of classes with 2 lessons each week. Wish me luck in both this class and in getting my business started.

... I should probably note that I decided to do this class instead of investing in more studio equipment. I figured it would benifit me more in the long run.

Emerge

2008-05-19T06:15:00.002-05:00

Sunday was the Emerge catalogue shoot that I got invited to do. I'm happy with some of my shots, but I'm also a little frustrated about the event. First of all, there was not much space to shoot. That meant I had to share equipment space with other photographers again. One thing that really irks me when I'm doing a portfolio shoot is not being able to do things as I want to do them. When I get together with a group to do these shoots, I try to be different. Imagine up to five photographers working on the same set, with the same model, and the same lights. After a while, everything is going to look the same. It's this reason that I try to break away from the pack, set up my own lights, and do things my own way. I'm always curtious to the rest of the group, staying out of their way, and setting up my stuff so it doesn't affect their setup.

The second thing is that I made a couple stupid technical mistakes. The big one being forgeting to switch my ISO back from 800 after doing some ambient light shots. My camera was set this way for about 1/3 of my shots. The extra noise pretty much ruins the photos in this group, though I was able to salvage a few of my favorites.

However, I did have one mistake that actually turned out to be a neat artistic shot. Throughout the shoot, I worked with either cross-lighting or key and fill on 45's. In this particular shot, I had turned off my key light during a change to save some battery power and forgot to turn it on. As a result, the photo was lit by my backlight and a little spill from the umbrella. Though it's not usable for the catalogue, I like its low-key look.

More photos from this event will be posted later.

Decisions to Make

2008-05-12T03:27:00.003-05:00

I've been trying to decide on how to spend some money. I've been thinking about getting a sigma 28-70 f/2.8 to replace my kit lenses while at the same time, I could use more strobes as I only have two manual speedlights that are usable in an off-camera setup. I've been looking more into studio strobes as they are more powerful, faster, and provide more options.

At the moment, I don't feel hampered by the lenses that I currently own. However, I am always being limited by my current lighting setup. The main problem is that my Vivitars don't supply enough light, especially when shooting outdoors.

So here's the main dilemma. I already know that I am buying one Alien Bee strobe. The question is which one. Do I get the AB400 with a carrying case and 20 degree grid, or the AB800 and case? I'm leaning toward the 800 since it has more power. I can always get the modifiers later since my speedlights can handle the background and backlight roles (the main reason for the grid).

So now, what color do I get? If you don't know what I mean, look here. Really... like I want a hot pink or neon green strobe. I think I'm more of a black and white guy.

A Fast Car and a Beautiful Model

2008-05-05T01:15:00.005-05:00

I spent Sunday at our monthly Strobist meet. We had around 10 photographers and one, yes, just one model. At first it was kinda chaotic... Shutters going off everywhere. It's hard for me to work with so many people all at once since I have such a creative mind and like to set up my shots to perfection. In the first hour I think I might have fired off about 10 frames. Once we got out of the first area, I had more room to set up my gear without getting in the way of everyone else, and that's when my creativity just took off.

Kortney, our model, was absolutely wonderful. With her being naturally beautiful, it was easy to get good looking shots of her. Plus she was such a good sport. Doing everything we asked. She also gave us a chance for a swimsuit shoot, a first for me and something I needed for my fashion portfolio. At one point, I got to work with her one-on-one for a few minutes. The property we were on had a fence, and I used it as a foreground element for some very neat shots (I'm not sure if I'm going to post those photos since they were part of the swimsuit set). Believe it or not, I actually asked my wife for permission to take these shots, being the good husband that I am.

Our last set was with a brand new corvette that was loaned to the group to use for some shots. I was able to get some more good shots from this set. Everyone was switching out pocket wizards and shooting with a single Alienbee with a soft box. I had to be different. I set up a blue gelled back/hair light along with my typical key in shoot-through brolly. Some of those are my favorite from the shoot and would look great on any advertisement.

On another note... I got invited to shoot for a local clothing store's catalogue. It's another TFCD shoot, but it get's my name out into the local fashion world, and I get photos published. I just hope they don't mind my 3mp camera. As I always say, "It's not the camera that makes the photo."

Peace in a Busy World

2008-05-03T00:18:00.002-05:00

I went to the yearly city festival tonight. My wife left the house before I got off work with the camera and didn't grab any of my good lenses. So when the sun went down I was stuck with taking long exposures. I thought this one turned out well.

It is increadibly busy during the festival, and people are everywhere. Yet, you can still find people just relaxing and taking their time. This goes to show us that no matter where we are, we can always find peace in a busy world.

An Idea for a Concept Fashion Shoot

2008-05-02T09:21:00.003-05:00

I'm shooting at another Arkansas Strobist meet on Sunday in Clarksville at a beautiful natural area overlooking Lake Dardenelle. I wanted to try something different for this shoot, and go in with more of a plan and concept for what I want to get out of the shoot. I got the idea after seeing a set from one of my contacts using "Alice in Wonderland" as a theme. I'm going after a dark, moody look in a forest area loosely based on modern fantasy. I'm intending to do some heavy processing to the photos with heavy contrasts in saturation and lighting. I'm going to do less closeups and more 3/4 and full length shots I'm taking my fog machine to see if I can get some good ground cover with the fog. I'm hoping the pavillion there has electricity. If it doesn't, I'll just have to use my power port on my car for a couple shots. I'll have some photos from this shoot up Sunday night or Monday morning.

Out of Boredom Comes Photos of my Cats

2008-05-01T06:53:00.002-05:00

I'm sitting at work, where basicly get paid to watch TV (the fun of working in the TV industry), and becuase of having to sit and monitor 4 stations for 8 hours, I'm bored. Then I realized that I haven't mentioned about my $150 worth of gear that I got from winning 2 categories in the Little Rock Zoo Photo contest (I found out that I won people's choice last week). I actually got some supplies that I've been needing to get for a while now. Starting with some light modifiers for my strobes. When I got the gear home, I had to test it out. Since Trish wasn't in the mood for pictures, I found the next best subject; my kitties. I simply used a shoot-though white umbrella and a hairlight for these photos.

Wanting to Dive In...

2008-04-28T06:13:00.003-05:00

I feel like that little kid who slowly dips his foot in the pool before he jumps in. I've been flirting with the idea of starting my own photograpy business for a little over a year now. I've just started designing my own business cards, which has been a challange since I'm not really a graphic designer. I'm going to start out as part-time only until I can get enough business to cover all my bills. Then maybe I'll go full-time. When I get to that point, I may not have a choice but to go full-time.

Graduation Shoot with Cecilia

2008-04-26T13:48:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, Chris Wilcox invited me to shoot photos for his friend, Cecilia. We all had a great time. We started by shooting traditional cap and gown photos in front of a bed of flowers. Then, we found an undeveloped lot and shot some fun photos around a huge pile of trees and limbs. While the weather wasn't perfect, it made for good even lighting for my traditional shots, and a great moody backdrop for the fun shots. Luckily it didn't start pouring until after I had packed up all my gear.

I've really started developing my own style of shooting and editing since getting my strobes. Though I'm far from mastering lighting, using the strobes has really freed my mind to create my own editing techniques. Now if I can just find some local bands who would like to shoot with me, I think it could really help me get my name out there.

Zoo Contest Winners Have Been Revealed...

2008-04-21T02:17:00.005-05:00

... And I was one of them. It was somewhat a surprise that I placed, but it was the photo that was chosen that surprised me the most. I would have never thought that my photo of the giant tortoise would have won anything, but, the judges chose it as the first place winner in the Black and White category. The first place winners all recieved $75 gift certificates. One of my friends won the Altered Images category with a painted version of a monkey. As of this writing, the Viewer's Choice award hasn't been announced yet, but I'm hoping that my parrot photo pulled in enough votes. Several members of my family showed up for support and voted on my photos, so hopefully that gave me a good start.

The Foundry, my lifegroup at church, also came out to the zoo on Saturday. We all had a good time. I have one warning though. Don't eat at the cafe on a busy day. It took about 45 minutes for me just to get a hamburger, and that's after everyone ordered. You know when people start cheering when their number is called, you are in for a long wait.

As with anytime, I go to the zoo, I used the time to shoot even more photos. Here's just a few of my favorites from this trip.

Snakes, Bees, Models, and All-Around Hotness

2008-04-07T03:24:00.004-05:00

Sunday was the April Arkansas Strobist Group Meetup in Bluffton, Arkansas. It was a hot day, and I'm not talking about the models (though they all looked good, as usual). It seems that we're skipping Spring and going straight into Summer.

The event was great, as was the location. We met on some farmland in the tiny town of Bluffton. We were able to shoot around five or six locations. Three of these locations were old barn or shed like buildings, and one was an old dilapidated house.

While we were taking the tour of the land, we ran into what Rex said is a prarie kingsnake. Completely harmless, but still, I really don't like snakes. The news of snakes really didn't seem to phase our models as they went from location to location without much worry.

Thanks Rex for another great meetup event, and thanks again Wayne for supplying us with great models to photograph.

Zoo Contest Photos Submitted

2008-03-31T00:12:00.003-06:00

It's only 3 weeks till the Little Rock Zoo 11th Annual Photo Contest. I'll start by saying I'm sorry for not having any photos to accompany this post, but I really don't want to point out which of my photos that I submitted since the submission time for the contest is still open. I would like to say that these are some of my all time favorite photos I've taken to date. At this point, everything is out of my hands, and it's driving me crazy. After dropping them off at the administrative office, I can only hope that they make it to the right person and not get lost on the way.

I've submitted six photos in two categories, two in black and white, and four in adult-color (color is the only category split into adult and youth divisions). I know I have some one-of-a-kind photos in the contest, but I have no idea how the voting will go.

On a side note, shooting for this contest was a hoot. It is absolutely amazing to me how many people think that it takes a great camera to take good photos. I love telling people that I shoot with a 3 megapixel camera. It's also funny to watch people with the newest Canon combined with a 70-200mm f2.8L lens (it's obvious who they are, it's a white lens) stand about 5 feet back from a glass enclosure and use the pop-up flash, while I walk up with my D30 and kit lenses, standing lens to glass for several minutes before firing off my first shot, waiting for that perfect moment.

If there's anyone reading my blog that might be submitting photos for this contest, please don't take this post as bragging. I never stated my photos were better, just different. I haven't seen anyone take some of the approaches that I've taken for some of my shots. I've taken this advise from world famous photog, Joe McNally. "To get the shots that no one has seen, you have to go where no one has gone." If you've submitted for this contest, then I wish you the best of luck. I can't wait to see what everyone has done.

If you haven't submitted, you have until April 15, at 5:00pm to get your photos in. Here's a link to the information you need, as well as links to the sponsors where you can find entry forms to print. You can also go to Bedfords or the Zoo to pick up forms. This event is sponsored by the Arkansas Outdoor Photography Club, Bedford Camera and Video, and the Little Rock Zoo.

I'll follow up with a post in a few weeks to let everyone know how I did, as well as the submitted photos and photos from the event.

Photos of my Parents

2008-03-30T23:35:00.003-06:00

Over the Easter weekend, I took my parents out to the Old Mill in North Little Rock, Arkansas for some portraits. The last time they had any profesional photos made, they went to one of those "quick set-up, snap the shot and move to the next", fundraising type of shoot. The result from that kind of photographer is sloppy, poorly posed, non-engaging type of photo (trust me, the one on the wall looks pretty bad from a professional's eye).

For this shoot, we slowed down, and had some fun enjoying the scenery and joking with each other. In shooting this way, I was able to capture genuine expressions. The site was extremely crowded, so no grand veiws of the mill itself. But this made me look for those quiet, hard to get to, hard to shoot spots that when I got everything right, were just pure magic.

Working with the sun that day was just a nightmare, and having an assistant that doesn't understand the finer points of the lighting equipment made for some tough shooting scenarios, but we ended up making things work.

In all, this turned out to be a great shoot. Now if I can just teach my wife how to pre-visualize the shot, learn to watch the light, and how to control it with the reflectors, as well as following precise directions (she gets confused very easily), then I'll be in business.

AJ

2008-03-20T09:22:00.006-06:00

For the past couple of weeks, my church has been working on an art project with several artists in the congregation. My friend AJ is one of those artists. His mind is really sharp and it amazes me what he can come up with. Despite his smarts, this guy is one of the most down to earth people you will ever meet. Being such a great guy to photograph, you can expect to see more photos of him in the future.

On a side note, Jamie's work is really starting to influence my shots, as suggested by the flash in the frame and the lens flare (Jamie loves to use lens flare).

March Flickr Meet with Bridal Shoot

2008-03-04T03:32:00.003-06:00

Sunday, I participated in yet another flickr meet. Richie Ryerson set everything up. We started at the Faulkner County Library with a short meet and greet before getting into learning a little about flash photography.

After a couple hours of general shooting with the strobes, we were treated to a bridal shoot with photographer Jamie Fender, and her client, Susan. We did half the shoot under the studio lights, then broke out into Downtown Conway for available light shooting. We had a cloudy sky which was perfect for shooting portraits in the urban setting. The highlight of the shoot was when we drug a couch out into the middle of the street for some photos (did I mention that Jamie gets these awesome crazy ideas that seem to work perfectly).

Overall, this was the best flickr meet that I've participated in. We all got to try new things. I know I learned a lot about working with clients and how to represent a photography business. It was also nice to put down the strobes for a while and shoot using only available light.

February 9 Strobist Meet Video

2008-02-15T22:20:00.001-06:00

Arkansas Strobist Meet in Mena

2008-02-12T19:21:00.000-06:00

On February 9, 2008, a small group of photographers gathered in Mena for the second Arkansas Strobist Meet. I had a long drive, but it was well worth it. Rex and Wayne did a wonderful job setting everything up, scouting locations, and obtaining some great models. Here's some of my shots from the meet. A video will be following soon.

Learning New Things

2008-02-07T09:43:00.000-06:00

Ever since I became a strobist, I've completely overhauled my editing processes. I've found that adding the off-camera lighting has opened up new doors in my creativity. Lately I've gone back and have been trying to figure out this edgy look that some of the popular photogs, such as Dave Hill and Joey Lawerence, are using. While many amatures are using overcooked versions of this look, I'm going for a little more subtle, but still edgy type of look. I've found that the best look comes from expanding the contrast in selective parts of the photo. Here are a couple examples of what I've been doing.

First Arkansas Strobist Meet a Success!

2008-01-07T01:54:00.000-06:00

This past Thursday marked the very first of many Arkansas Strobist meets. We had four photographers and five or six models. It was a little cold, but the models didn't complain and did a great job.

We shot at three different locations on top of Petit Jean Mountain. We started at the gravesite and overlook on the east side of the mountian and shot for a couple hours there.

On the way out to the Red Bluff Drive on the west side of the mountain, we made a quick stop at a hayfield to get a couple shots.

We ended the day at one of the westward facing overlooks for some shots using the beautiful sunset.

After such a successful meet, we have already started planning a second meet for February. This time, we are planning to shoot with an urban theme, as well as taking the time to learn more from each other. This next meet could posibly be recorded with a youtube video following shortly after the event. Those Seattle Strobists should be aware that they aren't the only ones having all the fun.

First Photo of 2008

2008-01-02T05:15:00.000-06:00

Since I work odd hours at my job, Trish and I were not able to spend New Year's Eve with each other, so she recorded the ball dropping and we watched it Wednesday night. Along with this, she also has this tradition of taking photos of everything we do. Knowing this, I set up my new flashes and used them to light the photos. Here's one that turned out nicely.

Looking Forward to my First Strobist Shoot

2007-12-26T03:15:00.001-06:00

I have my first Strobist model shoot coming up next week. I'm still waiting on my Ebay triggers to come in the mail, but I'm expecting them to come in later today or tomorrow. That will give me a week to perform the modifications needed to make them more reliable.

The shoot is going to take place at Petit Jean State Park. I don't know the exact locations we are going to shoot, but I do have some ideas I would like to try. One idea in particular would have to be shot at the "eye of the needle" on the bear cave trail. Setup would be simple, brolly as key, reflected fill, third light on ground to light up the rocks behind the model, maybe with red/orange gel. Luckily, this location is easily accessible since the trail is only 1/4 mile long, and fairly flat. Other than this shot, I'm just there to learn since I've never really worked with portrait photography.

My Strobist Equipment Came In!

2007-12-21T08:49:00.000-06:00

All my new flash equipment came in, though I'm still waiting on my remote triggers. It shouldn't be more than a couple more days on those. I'm already starting to get the hang of the new concepts of lighting. Well, I hope I would know a little about lighting with flash. I've only read through the Strobist blog front to back several times this month. But, learning concepts and putting them in practice are two different things.

Here's my first photo, in typical Strobist fashion.

Touching Moment

2007-12-14T02:35:00.000-06:00

This is one of those snapshots that you just have to show everyone.

This is my wife's best friend and her new baby girl. We stopped by the hospital to visit the family and took a couple photos. I'll be doing a formal portrait set in the month to come.

Collins Creek

2007-12-12T02:46:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, I got together with a few of the local Flickrites and we took a trip to Collins Creek in Heber Springs, Arkansas. It was quite a sight to see the four of us kneeling down about three feet apart at the creek's edge with our cameras on tripods. Even then, all of our shots were very different. Here's a few of mine.

The Collins Creek trail head is located just outside of John F. Kennedy State Park, below the Greer's Ferry Dam. The creek is fed year round with water from Greer's Ferry Lake creating a great opportunity to photograph it's waterfalls in any season. I plan on doing a series of this location featuring the many cascades in every season. Now, if we can just get some snow...

Photos in Pea Soup

2007-12-12T02:24:00.000-06:00

For the past few days, we've had very thick fog. It was so thick over the weekend that my TV station's microwave signal was off the air for about 3 hours straight. I decided to enjoy the situation and go out to my favorite fishing spot and take some photos. I learned some lessons on this short trip. First of all, if you think that there is the slimmest of chances that you will use a piece of equipment, take it. You will end up wishing you had it if you don't grab it before setting out. Ex; I questioned whether I would need my polarizer and my 300mm zoom and decided that I didn't want to carry extra stuff, besides, I was just going to get a few pre-conceived shots. When I got there, I realized that the water was almost all glare, and many ducks decided to feed in that spot. By that time it was too late to turn around and get the equipment I had left behind. Oh, well... At least I was still able to get a couple good photos.

Going Crazy

2007-12-11T06:14:00.000-06:00

I keep reading the Strobist blog and looking at the Strobist photos on Flickr. Now I'm ready to put my own strobist kit together. Only one small problem remains. I have to find some way to finance my shopping spree. I have a lot of music equipment I'm working on selling, but it seems that no one is interested. If I can sell all of it at one time, then I'll have enough to build a two flash kit. I'm going back to a local music store today to see how much I can get for a couple of my instruments. Hopefully they offer what I want.

"Gearing Up"

2007-12-07T03:08:00.000-06:00

I'm getting ready to take the big step into professional photography, but first I'm trying to upgrade some equipment. My idea is to create an entirely portable studio with small battery powered strobe units.

I've recently subscribed to the Strobist idealology and am currently in the process of obtaining several Nikon SB-24 flash units, radio remote units, stands, and umbrellas. Until I get this equipment, I'm stuck with using my cheapo continuous lighting, which works well for the time being.

This photo of my wife is just an example of what I can acheive with my $5 Wally-World lights.

Cross Processed Fire Truck

2007-05-19T12:24:00.000-05:00