You may not have personally met Justin and Mary Marantz, but you'd have to been stationed in Antarctica without access to the Internet to miss their series of videos, Walk Through a Wedding.  Sponsored by Profoto in 2014 it captured a different subject/technique with a new video every two weeks. I've grabbed one of my favorites below.

Here's another favorite concept they do and talk about on their blog, Shooting for the Silver Frame. At every wedding they look for that one stunning classic moment for a signature image which highlights their subjects, not to mention Justin and Mary's skill set.

I love the concept for a couple of great reasons. First, remember your number one goal is to exceed client expectations. Well, what could be a better way, than to capture an image like the one above? Second, Shooting for the Silver Frame highlights the need for printed images. You can't frame a jump drive or a disk and have the same impact. It's a print that has incredibly strong family appeal. For sure it's destined to be displayed in a place of significance in the family's home.

Check out Justin and Mary's blog for more ideas with a click on the image above. And, if they're teaching a workshop near you, run don't walk to grab a seat. They also shared a pretty remarkable image on "Why?" recently and it's worth your time to listen to Justin's story. Click on the image to the right.

Profoto's complete Walk Through a Wedding series is just a click away. Here's a complete lesson in lighting  and virtually ever aspect of a wedding, all in 2-3 minute segments.

"If you love it and you really want to do it, then you must do it,
because you'll never forgive yourself for not doing something
you cared about or you believe in, if you don't do it now!"
Mary Ellen Mark

by Skip Cohen
 
Just like the new "Why?" series where every image has a back-story, so do blog posts.

A few months ago I was teaching a workshop and was talking about Mary Ellen Mark. I couldn't help but notice the blank stares on so many faces. When I asked how many people knew who she was, only one hand went up. I was talking about one of the most recognized women in contemporary photography and nobody knew who she was!

Well, that experience actually became the foundation for "Why?" and getting as many of today's photographers to know the artists who are the leaders in our industry.

Mary Ellen passed away in May of last year, but her wisdom and inspiration lives on in her books, podcasts and videos, not to mention all of her images. She was a remarkable artist who I had the privilege of getting to know, starting in my early days at Hasselblad.

Wandering through Profoto's YouTube archives I came across this video from their Icon Series four years ago. It's an outstanding presentation by Mary Ellen. She simply shares her thoughts on imaging, creativity and even touches here and there on technology. There's so much inspiration and wisdom in this video.

For example, she told me in a podcast a few years ago, which she also talks about in the video, how she has her students cover the screen on their cameras. She doesn't want them to "chimp." Why? Because so often photographers think they got the shot but the best image might still be coming. Because they've seen the image digitally, they think it's time to move on. In fact, that's the reason she liked analog so much more than digital, analog kept her focused on the subject longer.

Profoto is so much more than just a manufacturer of the industry's best lighting gear - they're leaders in education and technology. Visit the Profoto Blog for great content; subscribe to the newsletter, and check out their archives on YouTube. You'll never be disappointed.

If you don't have one of Mary Ellen's books in your library, they're just a click away. Profoto's website is also a click away and your chance to check out the very best in lighting, especially their Off-Camera Flash System. Just click on the banner below.

Intro by Skip Cohen

I've shared a lot of Jared Platt's Profoto videos and posts because he's one of the leading educators in professional photography. Each post is always filled with strong "how-to" content designed to help you raise the bar on the quality of your images and technique.

Profoto's blog is loaded with great content. They're not just the leader in lighting equipment, but in education and support of the professional photographic community. Check out their blog and get yourself on the subscription list for their newsletter too. You'll never be disappointed in the information they're sharing.

There are more creative tools available to artists today than at any other time in the 175+ year history of photography, and many of them are thanks to Profoto.

Jared has a passion for staying on top of technology and helping you understand how to create stunning images. Now, imagine what it's going to be like spending a week traveling with Jared in his upcoming trip to Prague. Here's the link to find out more about the Prague experience with Jared and co-instructor, Bob Davis.

by Jared Platt

In my last post, I detailed the process of using color correction gels to match the colors of various light sources. It that case, we matched the flash (which is a slightly blue light) to overcast daylight (which is much more blue). Then we went the opposite direction and intensified the blue in the sky, by using a warm gel on the flash. If you haven’t read it, take a look, it is worth the read.  Throughout the shoot, we nailed four variations that were are great, so the selection between them would be based on individual preference.

In our next challenge, we will be correcting light that is not a matter of preference. In fact, without a corrective Gel on this shot, you may as well pack it up and go home, or do a lot of work in Photoshop when you get home. But with the right gels on your flash, the ugly light we encountered on this photoshoot is no problem whatsoever.

We took our model to the Arizona Railway Museum which sports a shiny railway car from the 1960’s, complete with beautifully hideous florescent lights from that decade. This is the color of light you can see and feel as odious with the bare naked eye. You know it is sucking your soul when you walk into the room, and it photographs with the same evil intensity. Of course you can find this kind of lighting in many corporate environments as well, although you will find that florescent lights have made some major breakthroughs in color temperature in this century. So the idea that all florescent bulbs are all evil is becoming less true as manufacturers have taken the temperature of CFL to exciting new lows, below 2700 K. Because of these advancements in technology, you can’t make a blanket statement that all florescent light will be at the wretchedly ugly temperature of 5000 kelvins. Now you need to do a little research into the temperature of your light sources.

When I say research, I mean, point your camera at the bulb in the daylight white balance mode and take a photo. Is it green? Is it orange? Is it Neutral? This will give you a good indication of what color that light is.  You can even go to the custom white balance mode and dial the kelvins up and down in “live view” mode and watch the color of the light change as you dial the temperature up and down. This simple activity will give you an accurate understanding of your color temperature wherever you are. We went looking for an ugly florescent scene and actually found that most of the newer corporate offices around Phoenix were using much warmer CFL and LED lights, so we decided to go back in time to 1960 inside this Amtrack express train and we definitely hit the jackpot for ugly light! (Please don’t read this as me putting down the train museum, they have done a great job at preserving the cars, which is why I was confident I could find the color of light I was looking for).

If you recall my color of light discussion from my last post, you will know that a flash is the same color temperature as the sun at midday with no clouds (5500 K) and will match that slightly blue color. But when you use a flash indoors and white balance for the flash on the model, you will end up with a neutral subject and a color tinted background. If the ambient light inside is created with incandescent bulbs or soft white LEDs, you will have a very warm background. If it is lit with daylight balanced CFLs, there will be no color cast at all. If, however, you show up at a corporate photo shoot and they are lighting their facilities with standard florescent bulbs (5000 K), you will end up with a very ugly green background! Unlike my last photoshoot, where the choice between the color casts were completely subjective, no one wants to look at the green cast of a florescent light! So you had better use a gel.

 

In this case, we had three lights for the shot. The main light was a Profoto B2 Off Camera Light, modified with a 2 foot OCF Softbox Octa with a soft grid. We used the soft grid to keep the light from spilling out beyond the model. We wanted to see the ambient light, in all it’s glory. We also employed a Profoto B1, modified with a Zoom Reflector (right behind the model and low enough not to be seen) to give him a hair light and to add a little rim to the seat backs throughout the train car. Then we added a second, bare headed B1, with only the Gel Holder to create some additional forward light from the back of the train car.

In our first shot, we did not gel the flashes and we selected the flash white balance setting on the camera (Canon 5D Mark III with a 24-70 2.8L lens). The exposure is set at ISO 500 at f 2.8 and the shutter speed is a long 1/40 second, to burn in the ambient light on the train. The model and the first set of seats is lit by the flash, and therefore the color of the flash is over ridding the ambient green. Behind him, throughout the rest of the car, you see the true ambient color in full display. The only other instances of neutral color you see are the rims and reflections of light from the B1 off camera flashes behind the model.

Now that I have your attention! It’s time to solve this problem. By adding a Green gel to each flash and then switching the white balance on the camera to florescent, we matched the two colors of light. Now the same ugly light that is coming from the florescent lights on the train is also emanating from the flashes. That’s right! We want the same ugly color coming from our flash that is coming from the train lights. So when the camera corrects for green, all of the green is corrected at the same time, and my model and my background are both brought back to neutral.

You can see that adding one simple gel to three lights will correct a very ugly problem very quickly and remove a lot of wasted time in post-production. The Profoto OCF Gel Kits are small, so they can be taken with you anywhere and are very easy to add inside soft boxes, inside reflectors, over or under grids and even in connection with umbrellas (with the B1 series lights).

No where are gels more obviously important than in the right and wrong scenario of dealing with the ugly nature of florescent light. But remember that the entire world of light bulbs is changing. The color of an LED lightbulb can be changed via an iPhone at the drop of a hat. CFLs are rated as “soft white” at 2700 K and as “daylight balanced” at 5500 K in the isle of your local grocery store. So you can’t make any assumptions anymore. It is best to have a full compliment of gels for every light in your portrait kit. This way, you can correct for anything a location throws at you. Just be prepared with the right equipment and an understanding of the color of light.
Location: The Arizona Railway Museum, Chandler, Arizona

2 x B1 Off-Camera Flash
1 x B2 Off-Camera Flash
1 x OCF Softbox with Softgrid
1 x OCF Color Gel Starter Kit
1 x Air Remote TTL-C

There's so much great content in Profoto's YouTube archives and this video with Peter Hurley is just one example. I've shared some posts featuring Peter, including a podcast on Weekend Wisdom and just recently, a new episode of "Why?"

​Part of the fun of working with Peter is he's simply a good guy, but this video points out another terrific asset - he's an outstanding instructor. Regardless of who your subject might be, the skill set is all about illuminating the face. In this video, really a mini-webinar, Peter takes you through the challenge of being on location, without the control you'd have in the studio. 

It's classic Hurley and whether you're relatively new to professional photography or an old dog needing to learn some new tricks and maybe just needing a refresher course - Peter's about to share one technique after another.

I also love the way this video has been produced, with plenty of great examples along the way showing the results like these two screen grabs below.

A big thanks to Fstoppers for producing this video and, along with Profoto, allowing me to share it here. While the video might have been posted a year ago, there's nothing dated in what Peter is teaching. Check out the B1 and B2 along with the complete accessory line supporting Profoto's Off-Camera Flash System.

Take the time to wander into Profoto's YouTube archives. Then get on their mailing list for their newsletter. You'll never be disappointed with the content they're always sharing!

PS Here's the link to this week's newsletter!