OK, so the books are out and it’s been wild getting feedback and emails about them from readers all over the world! We’re currently in discussion about another book that I am very excited about if it gets final approval. I can’t say much about it right now but suffice to say it is a subject very near and dear to my photographic heart.

Since the pace has eased up a bit around here I thought I would post some of the images either used or shot for the books and provide a little backstory on each one. First up is this shot of my neighbor Damien for a story on urban farmers and for the Canon Speedlite System DFG. With little daylight left I wanted to explore the whole warm/cool visual tension with Speedlites. The Canon 5D Mark II was set to an indoor tungsten balance to turn the background a deep blue and the foliage behind Damien was lit with one ungelled Speedlite at around 1/8th power. Since the camera was set to tungsten white balance and the flash produces daylight white balance without a gel, the whole background goes blue or very cool tones.

A second Speedlite @ about 1/16th power and mounted on a stand with an FJ Westcott umbrella-style Apollo softbox was used as the main light. I taped on two full CTOs (color temperature orange) gels and shot about 12 frames. Set-up and tear down took about 15 minutes.

In post production I decided I way overdid it with the CTO’s and backed off the saturation for less intensity of the colors. I now have a full kit of 1/4, 1/2, and full CTO’s for next time. I like the visual tension between the two different color families. What do you think?

After their dismal performance at the Super Bowl on Sunday, I figured I’d dig into the photo files for some slides of the original band. This one was my favorite from a roll of 36 slides shot at the Phoenix Coliseum in 1978. I scanned ‘em all and posted them here. Enjoy!

Mimi the Clown came to the studio recently for some promo shots and to help me out with a few images for my new book on Canon Speedlites. After she got into costume we did various poses showing a range of her expressions. The original plan was to do some shots outside in the fading light, then move into the studio once night fell. Unfortunately, the light faded quickly to black but we moved outside anyway.

As Mimi danced and mimed in what little ambient light there was, I set up two Speedlites on either side of her, one on the left zoomed all the way to 105mm undiffused, and one on the right in a Westcott softbox. I like this shot because after fiddling with the settings on the Speedlite, I forgot to zip the softbox back up and a tiny sliver of light escaped from the bottom that lined up perfectly with her fooot and the shadows from her legs. A mistake that added to the overall image. Mimi thought it gave the shot a “highwire” look!

Afterwards, we moved back into the studio for the top shot and the rest of the shoot. When Mimi was done, we shot some portraits of the real person and I think she cleaned up nice!

Nighttime portrait of Jacqueline Joseph on the roof of her apartment building for my new book about the Canon Speedlite System, due out in January 2010. One 580EX II was used, triggered by PocketWizard Multi-Maxes, and fired through a small white umbrella on a stand camera-right.

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.

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!

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.

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.