Lillie

Lillie has been a willing model and pays in drools and spit-bubbles..  The best type of currency.

Lillie loves to smile and laugh, except when I put the camera in front of her.  She finds the boys hilarious, but the jump on me or stand in front of the camera so I rarely get a photo with a big smile.  I think I creep her out with a large black lens growing out of my forehead.  Don't worry, it creeps me out too.  Again you can see the vignetting caused by the 18-105 lens.  I am shooting with a large bedsheet diffusing a sb-600 camera right. Set CLS, i-ttl.  this is with the reflector on Lillies left.  The large window behind me is still letting in ample ambient light.  WB is set to Cloudy.

Stats: D90, 18-105; apeture priorty, ittl-CLS, ISO-400, 1/160, f5.6 EV=+0.7, 105 mm,  WB-Cloudy

All of Lillies bows come from Lillie Bug Designs

This photo comes as I set up a second flash umbrella'd, camera left to act as fill.  I also position a moderate size black posterboard directly to the left of lillie. Less vignetting because I'm not zooming in full.

Stats: D90, 18-105; apeture priorty, ittl-CLS, ISO-400, 1/160, f5.3 EV=+0.7, 62 mm,

Stats: D90, 18-105; apeture priorty, ittl-CLS, ISO-400, 1/160, f5.3 EV=+0.7, 105 mm, WB-Cloudy

Ok, i opted to post this one instead of the photo with the spit-bubbles. :)
Stats: D90, 18-105; apeture priorty, ittl-CLS, ISO-400, 1/160, f5.3 EV=+0.7, 105 mm, WB-Cloudy

Love the hat, unfortunately Lillie didn't.  Only was able to snap one photo and I thought it was a keeper.
Stats: D90, 18-105; apeture priorty, ittl-CLS, ISO-400, 1/160, f5.3 EV=+0.7, 80mm, WB-Cloudy

All of Lilles photos were loaded into ACR where I increased vibrance to +40 (10 less than Hank because hank needed the extra help) and increased in exposure to just below clipping of highlights. Color and luminance noise reduction was set to 40. The files were then opened in PSE 7 where the eyes were dodged 30% mid-tones. Photos were then sharpened.

Enjoy

Henry

Henry and his cousin Lillie are just a few days apart in age.  So it stands to reason when I snap photos of one, the other gets to join in.  Even though Lillie is older, Henry is nearly twice her size. 

Stats: D90, 18-105; apeture priorty, ittl-CLS, ISO-400, 1/160, f5.3 EV=0 80 mm.

In setting up these photos, we had a overcast evening prior to the sunset.  I opened up all my windows to my large north facing window.  Used clamps to hang a white bedsheet from the bookshelf and curtain rods.  Placed a SB-600 behind the sheet.  Moved the recliner and position the kids against the wall.  This put my back to the window and flash camera right.  I used my silver reflector, which is a window sunlight reflector from walmart.  to help with some fill. 

Stats: D90, 18-105; apeture priorty, ittl-CLS, ISO-400, 1/160, f5.3 EV=0, 62 mm.

Love this pose. Had to change blankets after Hank decided to hose it down.  By this time the evening light was goign too weak so I added an umbrella'd Sb-600 to camera left.  I dialed it down to a EV=-0.7 i think. I then placed a medium sized black posterboard directly to hanks left (front here) to help with shadows.

Neither kid has taken to crawling yet, but sitting and pushups seem to be old hat.  With the 105 zoomed in you can begin seeing some vignetting in this image.  I didn't mind the effect because I felt it may be something I'd have down in Lightroom (had I owned it) anyway.

Stats: D90, 18-105; apeture priorty, ittl-CLS, ISO-400, 1/160, f5.6 EV=+0.7, 105 mm,

This was one of the last photos we shot that evening.  Hank was in his PJ's, and we were trying different hats on Lillie, but she wasn't happy about it.  So to get a photo in the fedora we tossed Hank down and snapped another couple.

Stats: D90, 18-105; apeture priorty, ittl-CLS, ISO-400, 1/160, f5.6 EV=+0.7, 105 mm,

All photos shot in Raw, Vibrance was increased to 50, exposure was brought up just shy of clipping.  As mentioned earlier that my monitor is somewhat lacking, I trusted the exposure histogram to make my decision on exposure.  Luminance and Color noise was raised to 40. Images were then opened in PSE 7 where the eyes were dodged 30% midtones. Photos were then sharpened.

Enjoy.

Rock on!

My first photo op with ms. liv. Loved the smirk on the face here and how the horns framed her face.  turned up the vibrance in PSE 7, this is shortly after I realized Raw (NEF) was pretty awesome.  Shot in my living room with a white sheet behind her.  (Take a peek up at the logo for this website to see my lighting set up :)

f6.7, ISO 200, 1/60th.  Lights  were sb600 umbrella-d high camera right, sb600 with lumiquest directly to the subjects left, and finally to camera right sb-25 bouncing light off the ceiling.

Enjoy

cg

The Fan

This is an older photo that I do enjoy. This was lit by 1 strobe undiffused.  The light was camera left, eye level.  You can notice the fall off on the wall behind.  I don't think I had the camera on auto ISO, but may have been on Auto setting.  Stats: ISO 800, F4.2, 1/350th.  Flash was SB-600. Shot with the D-50

The Kids

In this photo, I waited until the sun was setting.  The kids are facing west, so their backs are to the east.  I ran a few test shots to get my flash setting I wanted and snapped away.  This is one of my favorite images to come from this set.  I metered for the background sky, ISO 200, F5.6, 1/90th.  Flash was one shoot through westcott umbrella and a SB-600 placed directly above the camera.  This was my main light.  Second flash was placed on the ground directly under the camera and a little forward.  This provided my fill.  The light was softened with a lumiquest softbox.

Enjoy
Chad

Christmas opportunities

Christmas is an excellent time to practice some photography.  Everyone In the previous photo a young friend of mine and her beau asked if I would take some photos for christmas.  I happily obliged and dispite freezing cold temperatures and snow, we ventured out to our town square.  There upon the gazebo, we found a dry spot to take a few photos. 

The first I post today is one of my favorites.  I also had just downloaded lightroom 3.2 and was playing with it.  I accidently turned the luminance noise reduction too high and like the result.  Lens is 1.8 50 mm, set at f4 and 1/60th.  2 sb-600's were in use. One on an umbrella high camera right and the second on the ground camera left pointed towards the white ceiling.  Photo was then adjusted in Lightroom and turned into a Black and White. 

Enjoy.
cg

#27 & #28

1st Image, F5.6, 1/500 3 flashes, background white sheet. 

2nd Image F13 1/500 1 flash camera left, black sheet for background.  Notice Remote in Way's hand. :)

Rolling Right a long...#22 and Beyond.

Finally have some updated equipment, Primarily my portraits have been taken with a 28-70 mm, now I have a fixed 85mm macro lens. Increased clarity...here I come! Also with thanks to some random craigs list searching I found another SB 600 and an Sb25. Paired with my new light stand and umbrella, gridspot, filters, and new dirty faces, I'll be snapping away for a good while!

Poppa G and the Goldman 3

Even though we are without a dirty face quite yet, Our third son has arrived and will offer a multitude of opportunities for photos.

#16 and #17

Ok, not exactly dirty faces, but felt I could sneak by with these.

Notes: Both f.5.6 and 1/60, off camera light high camera right.

Dirty Face #14 and #15

Waylon is running the camera (see remote in hand?) After a evening of cheetos. Wes managed them too well.

Info:

f8, 1/90, Flash foward pointing reflected back, silver reflector. 1/32 power, 70mm

Faces 3-6

Just loaded in a program Loligo which allows me to view photos immediately on my monitor. Testing out the program with the boys, who had just finished up some ice cream. These are the beginning stages of my work with strobes and portraits. My entry into portraits.

Strobist:

On camera flash, everything on auto. Pointed at ceiling.

After these photos, more details are/were taken.

Recently purchased a can light from Orshlens and some ball bungees from wally world. Hopefully soon, I'll be adding a light stand, umbrella (most likely silver), and a second strobe.

The ones to start it all

The two photos that started it all. Photo 1 and Photo 2.

I can't wait until pasta night!

No real strobist information here, camera high right. My lovely assistant is hand holding the speedlight. I started taking better notes after this practice night.