Recharging the Batteries, Columbia River Gorge Trains…

November 5, 2009 – 12:21 pm

Gorge Train

After spending the better part of two months using Canon Speedlites to shoot lots of images for my new Digital Field Guide about the Speedlite system, I felt like I needed a break from flash photography and the computers. My photographer friend Dave Lutz suggested a trip out to the Gorge to shoot some trains, bridges and tunnels and I thought it was just the ticket to get the ‘ole creative juices flowing again. Sometimes all we need to break the routine is to step outside and flex the creative muscle.

While Dave chimps his images on his camera’s LCD monitor, I photographed him in Continuous shutter mode as a freight train whizzed by. This one was by far the best of the burst as the camera isolated him in the negative space between the railcars and an added bonus was getting the fall leaves behind him on the other side of the train.

Gorge Train2

By Brian McLernon | Posted in Personal, Portraits, Scenics | Tags: , , , | Leave a Comment

Strobist Contest Winner – Happy Halloween!

October 31, 2009 – 9:10 am

Halloween

Here’s an image I created a few years ago for a Strobist contest “Shoot Your Jack-O-Lantern” that won the top prize. Click here for the original post. Happy Halloween!

By Brian McLernon | Posted in Personal, Scenics | Tags: , , , | Leave a Comment

Adding a Second Speedlite to Your Macro Photography…

October 6, 2009 – 1:44 pm
fallspider
This was shot in my backyard for the macro section of my new Canon Speedlite Digital Field Guide set for release February 2010. It shows the benefit of adding a second Speedlite for the background (triggered by PocketWizards) to counteract the tendency of the background to go black when shooting macro images at high f/numbers.
Canon 5D Mk II, ISO 2000, f/11 @ 1/80 sec. with an EF100mm macro lens. Macro Twin-Lite MT-24EX for the main light, 580EX II for the background, both on manual settings.
By Brian McLernon | Posted in Editorial, Personal, Scenics | Leave a Comment

I So Believe in Karma…

September 3, 2009 – 4:21 pm

500_blog

I am continually amazed at the good things that happen in life and today was one of those times.

Without going into all the details, 29 years ago (1980), I paid a fine for a friend who was, let’s say, unable to do so. I was living in Arizona at the time, planning to move back to NJ in a month and that was a fairly big hit to my travel budget, but it was the right thing to do at the time. Back in NJ I kept sporadically in touch with them and every time we’d speak they said they’d make good on the debt. Well, after a while the calls stopped coming and my letters were returned as “undeliverable”.

I was more than frustrated and pissed that I had been blown off like that, knowing that money would definitely help my gear budget for my brand new photography business. As more time went by, I got over it, chalked it up to my own naivete, and figured it was one expensive life lesson I just paid for and made a note to self, to never do that again.

This past Saturday I was back at the studio after a small portrait shoot, on the computer downloading images and an email pops into my inbox and it’s from that same old friend. I sat back in my chair, not believing my eyes, stunned. Could it be real? Or some mutual friend just jacking me around for a laugh? A short cryptic note with a website link in the tagline. I clicked it and a flood of emotions took over as I saw this successful person’s passion displayed on their business website. Hands shaking, I dialed the number on the website.

Long story short, we talked for an hour and again the long standing debt was discussed and a check was promised.

It arrived today.

Never say never. That’s why I believe in Karma…and people.

By Brian McLernon | Posted in Personal | Leave a Comment

Studio Portrait with A Twist…

August 28, 2009 – 3:17 pm

tony

Had a floor covering client in the studio this week that wanted a variation over a standard studio portrait. He wanted something like a trade show/showroom feel that he could use for his marketing and web sites along with some social networking. After discussing a variety of ways to do it, we incorporated a banner he had brought with him and a bright red canvas backdrop.

Since I’m working like crazy on my second book for Wiley, this one on Canon’s Speedlite System, I’m shooting everything now with Speedlites until the book is finished. This shot actually uses four Speedlites, one for the main/key light, shot through a softbox, edge light camera right, background light and one on the banner to kick it up a little.

By Brian McLernon | Posted in Advertising, Portraits | Tags: , , , , | Leave a Comment

Canon 5D Mark II Digital Field Guide…

August 12, 2009 – 2:31 pm

Canon 5DMkII cover

My book is finally out in the bookstores! As many of you know,  this spring I wrote a digital field guide for an exciting new Canon camera, the 5D Mark II, for Wiley Publishing. I hadn’t wanted to blog too much about the process while I was writing it because part of me wasn’t sure I could complete the book within the required timeframe but now that it’s published, I thought I’d share some details about the process.

Around October of last year, my friend Mark Fitzgerald of the Digital Darkroom called me to see if I would be interested in writing a book about the new camera (not yet out) for the company that publishes his Lightroom and Photoshop Bibles. “Absolutely” I said, having never written a book before! Mark hooked me up with his Acquisitions Editor who was overseeing the project and long series of emails and phone calls commenced. 265 emails all totaled. Wild.

It was an extrodinary learning experience. Where I had hardly ever, in all my years, looked in the camera manuals that come with new cameras more than a handful of times, my 5D Mark II manual is now, literally falling apart from over use, checking and rechecking procedures and language for accuracy.

I’ll be highlighting different aspects of the book in future blog posts but wanted to get this up today. You can find more info about the book from Amazon here, Barnes & Noble here or Borders here(Borders has the previous 5D DFG author listed :-P .) I’m now hard at work on my second DFG for the series, this one on the Canon Speedlite System due out in February 2010 and a third one (top-secret!) is in the works. Wow, it’s like a whole new career!

By Brian McLernon | Posted in Editorial, Personal | Tags: , , | Leave a Comment

Jenna Fallon Make-up rocks…

August 4, 2009 – 11:55 am

jenna

I was reunited recently with a makeup artist I had worked with a year or so ago on a Nike shoot with distance runner, Kara Goucher. Jenna had called to reconnect and it was perfect timing because the scheduled makeup artist cancelled that day before my shoot for INUR magazine the next day. I quickly hooked her up with the editor she was on the team!

Jenna was a delight to have on set and it was great to get someone of her caliber at the last minute. She has a new website showcasing her work (with a few images from yours truly ;-) jennafallonmakeup.com that has a cool retro style that I dig. She’s very friendly, totally professional and available for commercial shoots, weddings and personal consultations. Shoot on over to her website and check out her work!

By Brian McLernon | Posted in Commercial, Portraits | Leave a Comment

Bi-Mart 125 @ Portland International Raceway…

July 21, 2009 – 10:18 pm

BiMart125__617

NASCAR West came back to Portland this weekend, coming to PIR after many, many  years. I had gotten up early to finish staining the decks and hoped it would work out that I might be able to get to the track to do some shooting. Had a lot to do that day and finished up the staining about 9:30. The gals and I walked one block over to the Velodrome and caught some bike racing at the Alpenrose Challenge, had lunch, then I headed over to the track to cruise the pits and do some shooting. I’m working on a project about Speedlites so I needed to get some outdoor before & afters. As the race was about to begin, I headed over to my favorite spot to shoot (so far), three quick turns at the end of the main straight called the Festival Curves. You can get fairly close and the cars come in at top speed then go all the way down to first gear under hard braking through that first left-hander. Some guys come in a little deep and they lose a ton of grip. Conditions like that often make for good action photos. It’ll happen, you just have to wait. And wouldn’t you know it , along the way, ran into a few old buds.

Eventual winner, Jim Inglebright, is on the right.

By Brian McLernon | Posted in Motorsports, Personal | Tags: , , , , , | Comments (1)

Family Portraits & Charity Auctions…

July 13, 2009 – 2:19 pm

family

Families are starting to call and book the portrait sessions they won in the charity auctions I contributed to this year. Donating the sessions to groups I care about is a great way to give back to the community, increase awareness of my brand and create some exposure about another style of photography I do. As much networking with all the various groups as I try to do, I am always amazed that people will mention to me that ”I didn’t know you did that (type of photography)!” Families were also keen to take advantage of my July/August Portrait Specials and recieve a free custom 11×14″ or (2) 8×12″ prints when the session is booked and shot during these two summer months.

Multnomah Arts Center and The Irvington School Auctions were the recipients this year of three portrait sessions each, that were bid on during their silent auctions. Multnomah Arts Center raised over $25,000 that will go a long way to support the arts and art programs at the center, which is very close to our studio, and the The Irvington School Auction raised over $47,900. Way to go!

family2

By Brian McLernon | Posted in Portraits | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Environmental Portraits…

May 18, 2009 – 3:04 pm

Wow, interesting. The last three people who came to the studio for portraits, took one look at my wife’s creativity in the garden and all opted for outdoor portraits (what, you don’t want a boring seamless background?!). My wife is an excellent gardener (I just mow, that’s my creative input!) and I was proud of her that they recognized her efforts.

portrait1 

This one for a massage therapist/florist was actually shot in a misting rain. Well, she was in the misting rain, I was in the studios main doorway nice and dry (can’t get the camera wet, nooo!). I just popped two Speedlites on lightweight stands, moved them outside and shot it like any other studio portrait.

By Brian McLernon | Posted in Editorial, Portraits | Leave a Comment