THESE PDF COPIES ARE FREE COURTESY LIGHTING ESSENTIALS AND THE TALENTED PHOTOGRAPHERS FEATURED INSIDE.
Shooting on the Beach with Two Speedlights and the Sun
This is a simple shoot that can have some very nice nuance as you work two speedlights into a shot with the sun as back/side light. Using two sources a bit apart can cause multiple shadows, so you have to be very careful to make sure they are not a problem. For this...
Cleveland Rocks: Dispatch From Beside Lake Erie
Thanks Cleveland. You guys made our last workshop of 2008 a great success. And that wasn't an easy job. Rain, thick clouds, wind, sleet, snow and temperatures that our desert bods were simply not used to didn't deter anyone from digging in and having a blast. We had a...
Tech Sheet 2, November 2008: Two Light Portrait
This weeks Tech Sheet features one of my favorite portrait techniques. In this shot I am using it as a bright, poppy front light with a very pronounced back "spray" light. It is an easy setup with lots of room for customization and personalization. It can be done with...
Clamshell Lighting for a Glamourous Headshot
Well we are back from the Cleveland workshop and it was amazing. Bright sun and clear skies were a super benefit... for someone somewhere... we had rain, wind, snow, rain, wind and cold. At least for Bri and I coming from the desert... We left Cleveland at about 28...
Using a Single Softbox with a Shiny Card for Headshots
Sometimes you just want a simple image, a headshot or a 3/4 image that has a very direct light to show the skin color, open the eyes and bring some vivid highlights to the person. I like the big softbox and how it can simply wash the person with a clean, bright light...
First “Tech Sheet” and Assignment.
We are so excited about the new series we are starting... the "Tech Sheet" series. We will do one every two weeks and they will be uploaded on the first Friday and the third Friday of each month. Those months with an extra Friday will find an extra Tech Sheet. The...
Sun, Fun and Dancin’: November’s Free Wallpapers
A day or three late, but here nonetheless. All feature the lovely Briana who has a new calendar out on dancing called, appropriately enough, "Dancin' " You can see her site here. Before heading over to get to them, take a look at some of the recent posts if you missed...
Some Recent Workshop Images
Photo by Gary. As the workshops wind down for the year, there is a sense of excitement growing for the next season of Lighting Essentials workshops. Some changes are in order, and some tweaking of the workshop's standard fare is also coming along. We are looking to...
Something to Think About: Should Photography be Easy?
As I write this I am about 34,000 feet over Colorado heading to Atlanta to teach a seminar. I have a question that keeps popping to the fore in my thoughts. (NOTE: I posted this article to a forum on Flickr immediately after it was written. I want to share it with the...
Legacy Article: A model in the surf – the full shoot.
NOTE: This is a legacy article. Please click the "home" button at the top of the page to return or use your back button. HOUSTON is coming up fast. If you haven't signed up for our last western state workshop this year, I would advise you that time is running out....
“Why did you light it that way?”
A friend and fellow photographer and I were sitting and having some overpriced coffee when he asked me a question about one of my shots that we were looking at. "Why did you light it that way?" It took me a bit by surprise because most of the time I am asked "how" not...
Model Behavior: Shooting in Mexico. Some Thoughts
Bri takes us on a look at some of the images she did on the Mexico workshop. We all had a blast and Mexico was outrageously fun. We had lots of photographers and she shot with all of them. Before we get to the Model Behavior article, I want to let everyone know that...
Deconstructing a Portrait on Location
A direct contrast to the previous image with two strobes and lots of drama, this shot of Christina is simple and direct and with a more natural feel to it. Shot in Miami, Arizona, I wanted this shot to be very naturally lit and with a great natural feel to it. Before...
Deconstruction: Briana on the Pier (Spotlight Effect)
Let's take a single image today and deconstruct it out to see exactly how it was created. The shot is of Briana in Mexico while we were doing the September workshop in Puerto Penasco, Mexico. Also known as Rocky Pointe, the little town had become a favorite shoot spot...
Ask Briana: October Q&A from our readers
(This page will be continuously updated throughout the month of October, with newest posts to the top. We hope you enjoy this new column by our resident model/author. -- Don) Got a question for me about modeling, working with models, or anything related to being on...
Natural Light for Natural, Subtle Beauty
We are going to take a look at how we can use simple, natural light for some beauty shots of Bri on location in Miami, Arizona. This sleepy little town has such great old walls and patinas to work with. That and the fact that it is about 12 degrees cooler than Phoenix...
Using a Flash to Add a Little Snap with Natural Light
I love natural light. It has a quality that is so unique and fits with my vision so well. Lots of terrific pics made with only the light that is there at the time. Learning to use natural light and make it work for you is one of the most important things that a...
Images from the Lighting Essentials Flickr Pool
I love to go through the Lighting Essentials Group on Flickr and just being knocked out by the high level of imagery there. Most of the members there have either purchased the DVD or attended the workshop, so I take a little pride there. I am going to post a few of...
It’s Called Range: Part Two
NOTE: The Mexico Workshop and Houston workshops are just around the corner. If you are interested in attending one of these Two Day Workshops, take a look at the Workshop page. We have room in both workshops and they are going to be amazing. Briana will be going to...
September 08 Desktops from Lighting Essentials
We continue on with our free themes for your desktops. September is a strange month for me. I am getting tired of the heat here by then, and waiting for the cool nights to signal the end of the monsoon. However, we need the rain so I want the monsoon to continue for a...
On Location: Anatomy of a Shoot (with Video)
On location with speedlights, a model and a videographer. A warm, well, mostly warm December day and we are shooting in Tempe, Arizona. I will share the setups with you and also what I was thinking and working with here. Briana is the model, check out her Model...
One model? No worries, it’s called Range! (Part One)
Range beyond the ordinary: All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. And we each play our parts. And models? Well, sorry, Shakespeare, models can play any part. Modeling and acting are synonymous. It’s what makes us special. We don’t...
One Speedlight: Some Examples
I know, I know... late for the update on speedlights. I apologize a thousand times. Been unimaginably busy, and things have drifted. Bermuda workshop was so intense there was no time left for much other than sleeping (and a little dancing to reggae on the beach......
Bermuda Workshop: August 2008… What’s Happenin’
Two weekends in a row I have had workshops... three counting next weekend in San Francisco. Wow... that's some serious travel... Seattle, Bermuda, San Francisco. Sheesh, extreme distances... Seattle was a blast, even though we had a small group. Lots of models and I...
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