Day 2 of Shooting Senior Portraits

We had a day off from shooting yesterday, and today we're back at it.

The focus of our work today is interior portraiture. I'm going to show how to set up a portable studio in just about any space... as long as you have 10-12 feet in both directions.

Then we're going to photograph two high school students. For them, this will be an actual senior portrait shoot. The difference of course, is that there will be a film crew there capturing it all.

One of the segments that I'm looking forward to is where I sit down with the young man, his name is Zach, and we talk about this whole process. I'm going to say things like, "As a photographer, here's what I'm thinking as we start this photo shoot. What kind of things are going through your head?"

I don't know what Zach is going to say. And chances are good that his responses might be different than what I, or the viewing audience, anticipates. And that's why I'm looking forward to that segment.

After we're done filming today, I'm going to take the kids to the Warriors game tonight. They play the Nets, and it should be a good game.

Yeah, it's going to be a long day. And we're filming tomorrow too.

I'll catch up on my sleep next week.

-Derrick

First Day of Filming

The film crew will be here shortly.

We're recording a new title for lynda.com that features techniques for photographing high school senior portraits. I'm going to cover equipment, posing, lighting, and even the business angles.

What's fun about this title for me, is that we're filming in Sonoma County. So you'll see shots of my studio and some of my favorite locations for portraiture. It also means I get to go home after a long day of work.

We'll begin today by sitting around the conference table in the studio and going over the storyboard. We'll discuss the different scenes and how we want to approach them. The producer will make notes, and together we'll craft the best title possible.

Then, in the afternoon, we begin shooting. The first few scenes are always the toughest for me. After that, I'm in the flow and it all becomes very natural. 

I'll keep you posted and publish some behind the scenes stuff on Instagram and Facebook.

But right now, I better go get my voice in shape...

-Derrick

The Lost Years

It's almost like my photography history didn't begin until 2005.

All the available pictures that I have are from that year or later. Those are the images on hard drives in the studio, organized neatly in iPhoto and Aperture libraries.

If I want to pull a photo from the Beijing Olympics in 2008, no problem. But if I want to use a landscape from Scotland in 1992, that ain't so easy.

Why?

Well, I shot the Scotland trip with Contax cameras and slide film. The images are tucked away in archival sleeves, organized in 3-ring binders. It's actually a model of efficiency... for 1992.

Over the years I have experimented with digitizing slides a variety of ways. I have mounted slide duplicators on to DSLRs, invested in cheap standalone units, and sent my work off to India for scanning there.

None of these really hit the mark.

It's funny that the solution that finally stuck involves a favorite Micro Four Thirds camera, my iPhone, and a 1990's slide projector. (Nimble goes archival!) This trio provides the right combination of fun, ease, and quality. I actually like digitizing my slides now. It's become a great break for me when I want to step away from the computer.

You can read about this combo in the article, DIY Slide Digitizer with Olympus OM-D and Leica Projector. I also take more about it on this week's podcast.

My lost years were from 1968 to 2004. I feel like I just got a big piece of my life back.

I'm looking forward to sharing some of those images with you.

-Derrick

Incredible iPhone Drop

I never thought this would happen to me.

Last night, I was sitting in the top row of the gym bleachers cheering on my boys in their final home game of the season. I like sitting up there because I can lean back on the wall.

During a timeout, I pulled the iPhone out of my bag to check messages. Not much going on, so I slid the iPhone into the back pocket of my Urban Reporter 150. Or so I thought.

Instead, the iPhone went in to a free fall along the wall down the back of the bleachers. Yes, I had missed the pocket and essentially dropped the iPhone 5s from the top of the stands to the floor.

Just a day before, I had swapped out cases, and the device was sporting a Tech21 D3O Impact Case. It features "Impactology". It's no joke. Here's a snippet from their product description.

"The D3O is a patented protective material that combines enhanced chemistry with product engineering to produce high performance shock absorption and impact protections solutions. The same revolutionary technology is used by the US Special Forces and Ministry of Defence as well as in Sports such as motorcycling and skiing."

After I had realized that I had dropped the case, Theresa volunteered to climb under the stands to retrieve it for me. That's not really a tall guy activity. And I so appreciated the gesture.

Minutes later, she returned with my phone. It worked perfectly. There wasn't scratch on it. The case wasn't even scuffed. It had literally dropped from the top of the gym, to the wood floor, and was perfectly fine.

In my mind, this is both a testament to the excellent construction of the iPhone 5s and the space age design of the Tech 21 case.

Talk about dodging a bullet...

-Derrick

The Importance of SA

My workshops can be problematic for spouses.

Yes, their loved ones have a great time. They get to spend a couple days completely immersed in pursing their passion of photography. This is all good.

But what also happens is that their partners learn about new software, lenses, cameras, accessories, bags, and whatever else comes up in conversation. These discoveries can put pressure on the family credit card.

I'll always remember how this was addressed at a workshop last year. One of the participants was talking about a new camera with a fellow photographer. At one point, he remarked, "Ah, but do you have SA?"

"SA?" asked his comrade.

"Yes, do you have Spousal Approval?"

"Oh, that. I don't know."

"Well, I highly recommend that you get SA before moving forward."

SA is important. And it's not just for purchases. 

In my case, for example, I run a business. So as long as my bottom line is in the black, I can make my own money decisions. I love that! Where SA comes in to play for me, has to do with time. More importantly, how I spend it.

If I want to fly to New York to speak, I should get SA. For others, it's the purchase of a new camera.

The bottom line is, that every relationship has its priorities, whether it be money, time, friendships, or recreation. Like the wise photographer that attended my workshop, be aware of the priorities in your relationship.

And don't forget about SA.

-Derrick