Off-Camera Flash Archives

Tips for Better Real Estate or Architectural Photography

June 24, 2016 by mitchrichie Leave a Comment

Real estate photography is a bit of right of passage. Some of my first paid photography jobs were for realtors that needed photos for their listings. I still do real estate photography on occasion, but I usually hold out for the higher end properties that demand a higher end photography to show them off.

If you have shot interiors before, you know how tricky it can be to get a quality image, especially when dealing with different light levels and color temperatures. In this video tutorial, I show you how I use a single speed light to capture multiple exposures lighting various parts of this apartment. I then demonstrate using photoshop to blend the different images into a single image. [Read more…]

The 7 Variables of Flash Photography

November 9, 2015 by mitchrichie Leave a Comment

Are you new to flash photography? Here are two tutorial videos that introduce the basic equipment and how it works: Download Tutorial Videos

While teaching photography in the classroom and online to thousands of students, I’ve come to learn that most new photographer’s insecurity is caused by a perceived lack of control to produce images that are consistent with their desired results. We fear what we do not understand, and photography is no different. Just when you master the basics, more advanced techniques become within reach which can greatly improve your work, if you take the time to learn and understand. [Read more…]

Using Off-Camera Flash Outdoors & Bridal Portfolio Project

August 20, 2015 by mitchrichie 2 Comments

Are you new to flash photography? Here are two tutorial videos that introduce the basic equipment and how it works: Download Tutorial Videos

No matter where you are on your photographic journey, the fastest way to grow as a photographer is through shooting personal projects. Personal projects allow you to take the pressure off, slow down, and experiment in a way that you can’t normally do when shooting client work. Some of my favorite images always seem to come from these types of projects. [Read more…]

6 Things I learned Photographing a Newborn for the First Time

January 13, 2015 by mitchrichie Leave a Comment

As a rule, I don’t photograph newborn babies. I like looking at great photos of cute babies and kids as much as the next guy, but the subject doesn’t really get me excited to pull the camera out unless it’s my own kids. This weekend though, I did agree to photograph my wife’s cousin’s newborn girl as a favor on the condition that my wife would do all the posing and help with the setup, props, and clothing choices.

The pictures turned out decent and we got a few that I’m happy with and that the mother likes. After one newborn shoot, we are definitely nowhere near professionals with this subject, but we did learn a few things that I think could be useful to someone getting into this area of photography. [Read more…]

Story Behind the Photo: Seaplanes at Lake Hood – Anchorage, Alaska

August 21, 2014 by mitchrichie 1 Comment

ISO 640 17mm f/4.0 1/200 sec

Lake Hood

During my short photography assignment in Alaska, we found some time to stop by and photograph seaplanes at Lake Hood Seaplane Base directly across from the airport in Anchorage. Lake Hood offers seaplane pilots a place to dock their aircraft and a waterway to take off or land. It’s the perfect location for taking some exposures of a variety of small aircraft in a beautiful setting. For the above shot, I was looking for a unique angle to show off the aircraft. I got the idea to try out my 17mm lens and see if I could keep the wing tip in focus as well as the body of the aircraft. The lens is wide enough that the entire airplane is in focus even at f/4.0. I like how the wing tip provides an interesting foreground to the image, the wing leads your eye the body of the aircraft in the mid-ground, and the sky and water serve as the background. This composition breaks the image into thirds, from top to bottom. [Read more…]

Simulate a Sunny Day – Backlight an Outdoor Portrait with Flash

August 19, 2014 by mitchrichie Leave a Comment

I was on assignment shooting video and still photography last week in Alaska. As is common in Alaska, the weather was always changing and unpredictable. We set out on day one hoping we’d get enough of a break in the wind and rain that we could create some image of our model collecting wild blueberries. It can be nice to photograph while it is overcast as the light and shadows are soft and flattering. I decided to try and simulate some sun backlighting the leaves and our model so I setup a speedlight on the ground behind the subject. [Read more…]

Learning Off-Camera Flash: Part Four – Quality of Light

July 15, 2014 by mitchrichie 1 Comment

This is part four in a series of posts about learning off-camera flash. Find the previous posts here:

Quality of Light

As you experiment with light placement, you’ll start to be able to anticipate the results certain light setups will produce. Professional photographers learn and practice their camera’s settings and features until it becomes second nature. They do the same with off-camera flash.

We do it for one main reason: As you develop these skills it will give you a tremendous amount of creative power. You are no longer just pressing a button and hoping to get a good shot. With enough practice and skill development you are able to construct the vision you have in your head. Your camera and lights are just tools you use to craft the final image. [Read more…]

Learning Off-Camera Flash: Part Three – Studio Headshots

July 9, 2014 by mitchrichie Leave a Comment

This is part three in a series of posts about learning off-camera flash. Find part one and two here:

Maybe the most basic use of off-camera flash is the classic studio headshot. When you are learning flash photography, setting up a simple headshot is a great way to quickly pick up on how the position of your lights effect the final image. Grab a friend or family member and find a white wall, screen, or hang up a poster board to use as a background. I suggest starting with one light and get the best image you can with that one light. Then, if you have more lights, add them one at a time and adjust as you go to get the desired results. [Read more…]

Learning Off-Camera Flash: Part Two – Studio Strobes

June 30, 2014 by mitchrichie 2 Comments

Alien Bee used to light this shot

In Learning Off-Camera Flash: Part One we talked about the cheapest way to get into off-camera flash photography. I highly recommend learning about flash with speedlights and umbrellas first, before purchasing any studio strobe equipment.

Why?

Speedlights are ultra portable and ultra versatile. If you invest in a set of speedlights and umbrellas you can use them in the studio as well as on location. Later, if you decide to get into dedicated studio strobes, you can use your speedlights inline with the studio strobes to compliment them. Speedlights are also much less expensive than studio strobes. [Read more…]

Learning Off-Camera Flash: Part One

June 28, 2014 by mitchrichie 3 Comments

The topic of flash photography can be intimidating to the beginner photographer. Some even go as far as to label themselves “Natural Light Photographers” and avoid artificial lighting all together. There is nothing wrong with developing a style around natural light, but I contend that learning flash photography is an important part of growing as a photographer and increasing your understanding of how light works. [Read more…]