Photography Exhibition - International Disability Day

Another exhibit u guys..... Novembers been a party....;)

Photography Exhibition - International Disability Day
Hussein Shaaban, Karim Omran, Luay Al Shaikhly, Mariam El Mofty and Tamer Eissa

Event Info

Name:
Photography Exhibition - International Disability Day
Tagline:
Hussein Shaaban, Karim Omran, Luay Al Shaikhly, Mariam El Mofty and Tamer Eissa
Host:
British Council

Start Time:
Friday, November 30, 2007 at 2:00pm
End Time:
Monday, December 3, 2007 at 10:00pm
Location:
British Council Agouza
Street:
192 El Nil Street, Agouza
City/Town:
Cairo, Egypt

View Map

Contact Info
Phone:
200219789
Email:
information@britishcouncil.org.eg

In celebration of International Disability Day, the British Council is hosting talented photographers Hussein Shaaban, Karim Omran, Luay Al Shaikhly, Mariam El Mofty and Tamer Eissa to present their views on the issue of disability. Photos will also be exhibited on 3 December 2007 at the Wisdom Hall, El Sawy Culturewheel, Zamalek.Both venues are wheelchair accessible.This photography exhibition is under the umbrella of 'A Celebration of Different Abilities' and is one of many activities organised by the British Council to celebrate the day.
For more information, visit: http://www.britishcouncil.org/egypt-arts-culture-events-idd.htm

Food Photography (3): Whats the best lens to use ?

Contuining our ongoing series Food Photography , the more practical angle. An article from Mr Michael Ray's blog....

What's the best lens for food photography?

" If the photographer knows what they are doing, they will select a lens because of a combination of factors that pertain the reason for the photograph and to the individual needs of a particular subject matter. One type of shot or one type of food my lend itself to using one lens over another. For example, shooting editorial magazine food photography is very different than shooting for food packaging. The differences in the two looks may require the selection of different lenses. This is just one example of why one lens may be better for another.

There are many reasons that a knowledgeable photographer chooses a particular lens. Some of these reasons may include:

#Perspective
#Weight
#Maximum aperture
#Minimum aperture
#Focus flexibility
#Relative sharpness
#Working distance from subject
Lets discuss some of these reasons why a food photographer may select a particular lens as the their “favorite” lens for food photography.

Perspective in food photography

Some photographers believe that distance from the subject is the only thing that changes when they select a particular lens over another. The truth is that many things change when one lens is selected over another. The biggest thing that changes is what I call perspective. A wider lens will create a very different effect that a longer (more telephoto) lens. Take a look that the illustrations above. The “crop” of each camera is the outside of the plate on one side and the outside of the spoon on the other. Notice how much more background is included when using a wide-angle lens. This means that more props would be required to complete the background composition. When using a telephoto lens, fewer props would be required to give a similar compositional feel to the same picture taken with a normal lens.
Another thing that perspective effects is the relative size increase of a closer object, when compared to an object that is farther away. With a wide-angle lens, closer objects are emphasized and farther away objects are de-emphasized. This effect is a tool to be used by the creative photographer. If you want to emphasize one object in the shot, then maybe a wide angle lens would be a useful tool to use. On the other extreme, maybe the job requires that you give more equal emphasis to multiple objects. In that case, maybe a telephoto would be a more logical and useful tool. You get the idea.

Depth of Field in Food Photography

Another characteristic of a telephoto lens over a wide-angle lens, is that the focus tends to “fall-off” more quickly. The effect helps to concentrate more attention on the main subject of the photo. Again, this is a tool to use in your creativity. There may be time when more focus is desired. If that’s the case, then maybe a normal or wide-angel lens would be a better choice. Lenses are tools of creativity. Use the right tool for the job at hand.

Working distance in food photography

In food photography, working distance is something to consider. A food stylist will sometimes have problems working on a plate when the camera and the subject are too close together. He or she may not be able to view that plate from the same angle as the camera, making their job quite difficult. This doesn’t mean that wide lenses should never be used in food photography, I’m just saying that it should be taken into account.

Focus control in food photography

Since we’re talking about lenses and not cameras, I’ll not go into my sales pitch regarding the advantages of view cameras over SLR cameras. Most of the people reading this aren’t in a position to get into buying a view camera, but in my opinion, they’re the way to go. This is an arguable issue, because many very successful food photographers use 35mm digital cameras. I’m just not one of them.

I would like to talk for a moment about view camera lenses. Probably my favorite lens for food photography is the 120mm Schneider Super Angulon lens. I like this lens because it’s designed as a wide-angle lens for an 8x10 film camera. Since I shoot with a digital back, and not an 8x10, I rarely use the large coverage area that this lens offers, but on occasion, I will make some pretty extreme swings or tilts and I’m glad for that coverage. Regular view camera lens are usually ok, but it’s nice to have that extra buffer of a wide-angle design to cover my butt when I try to twist that camera into a pretzel.

Here's a sample of how a view camera can control focus. Instead of the focus example above where the focus plane is fixed, the view camera can manipulate the focus so that areas can be selected for being in or out of focus.

Most people think that photographers only use the view camera’s movements to get things into focus, where in reality, sometimes keeping things “out” of focus can be just as important as a creative tool.

The focus can be manipulated on both the vertical and the horizontal axis.

Sharpness at a given magnification in food photography

Another thing to consider when choosing a lens, is its degree of sharpness at a given magnification. Lenses are designed for a given magnification range. That’s why there are such things as Macro lenses. Non-macro lenses are not as sharp doing close-ups. That’s a simple fact. Some lenses are “ok” doing close-ups but many are not sharp at all. The only way to really tell just how sharp your lenses are at a given magnification, is to test them.

Sharpness at a given f-stop in food photography

Sharpness at a given aperture is another factor to consider when selecting a lens. For example, I have a lens that is designed as a close-up lens. Through experience, I’ve learned that this particular lens is not at all sharp when stopped way down. At f-16, some things are sharp, at f-64, nothing’s sharp. Your lens may be like this too. You’ll have to test to know for sure.The importance of relative sharpness in food photography
I’d like to talk for a moment about sharpness. In my opinion, sharpness is both a relative thing and an over-emphasized issue. I say that sharpness is relative because has much to do with viewing size. Sometimes sharp images are reproduced so small that the sharpness is irrelevant. (relatively speaking), For example, I have a client, who shall remain nameless, who likes to shoot in Chicago because this particular photographer still shoots 8x10 film, and they want the very best. The problem with that is, the client was shooting for a can label! The image would end up being about 2” x 3”! And they insist on shooting 8x10. Boy, those big chromes look good. And after they get the film back and reduced it down to 2x3, they are going to scan the film and print the label on a web press. To me, that’s funny!
So to conclude… I can definitely say that I do have favorite lenses but I can honestly say that there is no such thing as a best lens. And that’s all I have to say about that.

Article and photos and diagrams by Mr Michael Ray

Food Photography (2) : More practically explained

A lil more bout food shooting.... This time a lil more practically explained.... article from Seattle times .

Turn blah into mouthwatering

By David Hagedorn

Garnishes are to a dinner plate what accessories are to fashion models: They set off attributes to their best advantage. But making food look nice — the "halo effect" of plate presentation — doesn't require foam machines or truffle shavers. Here, a three-element plate gets a simple, effective makeover.
One caveat: Because we tried to show as many techniques as possible on one plate, this comes dangerously close to overdone. Learn to stop garnishing at the first moment of satisfaction — or even before.

Before: The dish is divided into equal thirds, like a prison or cafeteria tray, with a case of the monochromatic blahs.

• The sugar snap peas have vibrant color of their own, but even they need some help.
• The sauce sits in a dollop on top, inert and sad.
• The chicken breast idles blandly — and flatly — on the sidelines.
• The couscous, a drab beige, cries out for color.

After: The chicken takes center stage, and garnishes break up the visual monotony.

• The sugar snap peas gain attention when a few of them get pulled onto the rim in a pattern.
• The sauce, once it's squeezed from a cut corner of a food storage bag, creates a sense of movement.
• The chicken breast, cut in half to create an illusion of abundance, nestles on the side dishes and makes the plate three-dimensional.
• The couscous gets color by being prepared with a quarter-teaspoon of ground turmeric, turning it a bright yellow without affecting flavor.
Other garnishes: A sprig of flat-leaf parsley (the curly kind is hackneyed) sits off-center. Red bell pepper strips enliven the sugar snaps, while black sesame seeds and chopped scallions set off the yellow of the couscous.

Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company

Food Photography

I love food..... Yes ... i just had to start this with those 3 words.... I LOVE FOOD....and im sure a lot of u out there share the same feelings . Feels only right to be able to shoot something u love , doesnt it.... Now lets talk about food photography a bit..... Article from this place .

Photographing Food

By Lara Ferroni

I’m sitting in a café doing an odd thing. Watching someone take photos of cupcakes. What’s unusual about the scene is not that someone is taking the photos. It’s that it isn’t me clicking the shutter.
As a professional food photographer, I’m usually the one on that side of the camera, my tripod getting in the way of the waitstaff or with my family rolling their eyes at me wondering if they’ll get to take their first bite before the meal gets cold. These days however, I seem to spy others popping off shots of the delicious dishes in front of them almost as much as I am.
The sheer number of food photos on websites, blogs and photo sharing sites like Flickr is enough to feed millions of hungry eyeballs, and is growing at an enormous rate. Finding quality in those images, however, is still a bit of a challenge.

Tips for taking great photos of food

Food rarely looks appetizing when shot with a point-and-shoot digital camera on its automatic settings. A quick web search on “food photography” will return a lot of good tips: turn off your on-camera flash, shoot quickly before the food starts to wilt or congeal and get in close. These are all great tips, and will go a long way towards getting you more scrumptious looking photos.

But if you are still looking for ways to improve, try some of these tips:

Simple settings and props

First, decide what detail you want to show in the food or the scene and make sure that you don’t have other distractions in the frame. If it’s the lusciousness of a chocolate swirl, its simple to do by filling the frame with just the chocolate. If it’s the overall table, back up a little, but try to only include hints of the curve of a chair, or a casually strewn napkin.
It’s far too easy to have too many props distracting from your intent yielding cluttered and chaotic photos. Props, like dishes, flatware, flowers and linens are a bit like jewelry. It’s always a good idea dress the table, but then take off at least one item before the final shot. Simple settings lead the focus to the food. For this reason, it’s also usually best to stick with white dishes and linens without a lot of ornamentation.

Shooting angle

You’ll also need to find the right angle for the dish you are shooting. Most food photos that I see are shot from about 45 degrees looking down on the dish. This is a safe angle as it is similar to what someone who is sitting down to eat the food will see. It’s familiar, and gives some dimensionality to the food.
When shooting, I almost always grab a shot at about a 45 degree angle. However, as with most photography, you are likely to find better shots with a bit of exploration.
For stacks of food, like pancakes dripping with syrup and butter, shooting directly from the side will emphasize the height of the dish. Tilting the camera away from the standard straight portrait or landscape will add a sense of motion. I often use this for shots that involve pouring or how-tos in the kitchen. For a more novel look, you can try shooting from directly overhead. The food will appear very flat and more graphic… a fun look for things that are already flat, like decorated cookies.

Focus

A great shot means getting the focus right. Often when shooting a plate of food, the camera may be quite close to the dish. If your lens can’t focus that close, you’ll end up with a blurry image. Make sure you don't hold the lens closer than the minimun range for the camera.
If you are using a point-and-shoot, make sure it is set to macro mode. If using a digital SLR, get familiar with the minimum focal distance of your lenses and respect its limitations. It’s better to not fill the frame than end up with a blurry subject.
Also, auto focus doesn’t always work well on the uneven, soft shapes of food. If your camera has it, use manual focus to make sure you get the right point in focus.

Lighting

Lighting, of course, is the other key to getting a great food photo.
Like most portraiture, softer lighting helps bring out the right amount of detail while hiding the less appealing aspects of the subject. Side and back light bring out the shape and color where using flash from the front tends to flatten and make the food look dead or oily.
Food is happiest under natural light, so get the food close to a window when shooting. If the light from the window is too bright, it will cast harsh shadows, so soften it by covering the window with white paper or choose a different window.
You may also need to bounce a little bit of light onto the front of the subject, so you don’t end up with just a silhouette. Something as simple as a piece of Styrofoam, or a white napkin draped over a glass, placed just out of frame in between the subject and camera can provide the right amount of additional light.

Use a tripod

Soft light does tend to mean less light, so it’s always best to use a tripod when possible. This not only prevents camera shake but you can use the lowest ISO number. If you can’t use a tripod, increase the ISO setting to a point that you can still safely handhold the camera. The image may be a bit noisy (grainy) but it is better to have extra noise than a blurry image.
White balance
Finally, make sure you set the white balance on your camera. While a yellow glow might be nice to set the mood for some images, color cast is one of the biggest problems beginner photographers encounter, and one of the easiest to correct. At a minimum, change from auto white balance to one of the situational presets your camera has…usually setting like cloudy, interior or sunny day.
Even better, if your camera supports it, do a custom white balance. Take a quick shot of something neutral in color…a white napkin, the grey floor…that is in the light you will be shooting, and then set the camera’s custom white balance to this image. It’s a quick step that will ensure you are getting neutral color with every shot.

Lara Ferroni is a Seattle food photographer and writer who has a not-so-small obsession with food. She has photographed in some of the best kitchens and has penned pieces and snapped shots for Seattle Magazine, Portland Monthly Magazine, Edible San Francisco and Seattle Best Places. She owns two blogs, Cook & Eat and Still Life With, which is dedicated to food styling and photography.

Article and photos by Lara ferroni

Photography Business: Becoming a pro photographer

We talk about this regularly, and we have several other topics running like building ur portfolio and things u should know , which serve the purpose of helping people who wanna make this transition from amateur to pro.... Its a big jump , theres a lot to learn .... I found this piece at the great blog of Mr John Harrington ( author of best business practice for photographers) . Pros and amateurs should regularly check his blog out.....This is an article from his blog....

" So you wanna be a photographer?

The other day, one of you readers posited this:

Hi John,I have a simple question for you, one I'm sure you get a lot. How do you go about building a portfolio when you are starting out without undercutting established photographers for a certain time period, even if you intend on staying in the business long term? It seems a catch-22. Without charging less why would a client go to an unestablished, unproven photographer when there is an established one charging the same price?

Consider, for example, Heather Drake, whom I met recently at an Advertising Photographer's of America meeting here in DC this past Tuesday. Heather has a full time job, is taking classes at the Art Institute of Washington, and, she - STEP 1 - Has a website, STEP 2 - has not let the fact that she doesn't have many assignments keep her from making great images in the style and type of work she likes.Of course, her site's not finished (check the Fashion, Beauty and Celebrity sections), but she's headed in the right direction. She has taken the first few steps. She also has the financial backing (i.e. she has a job that pays the bills, even if she would rather be doing photography) so she's not forced to take the jobs that undercut what she's worth. Yes, her website will improve, get finished, but she's moving down the path, not stationary, paralyzed by her own inaction.

Before someone will give you a paying assignment (worth having), you have to proove you can complete an assignment. Yes, I know, seems a catch-22, as suggested. Yet, it's not. Give yourself an assignment! It's called....self assignments! Read the paper, find out about the latest parade in your area. Go to high school or small college sports, and practice. You want to be a wedding photographer? Offer to cover a friend's wedding as a guest that will not cost them anything as you won't eat, or if you are a guest at a wedding, cover it as if you were working. After two or three, you'll probably have the beginnings of a portfolio that you can use to get paying work. Portrait photography? Offer to make portraits of friends and family, and then use those in your portfolio.

Once you have a portfolio - and by that I mean a website - where your work is displayed, once a client determines, based upon a review of your work, they they want to give you their assignment, then they have deemed you worthy of the work, and capable of completing it. Period.

At that point, it's all about what that assignment is worth. If you don't know, start looking around for guidance. Ask the question "What budget are you trying to work within?" See where they are coming from. Tell them you'll work on the paperwork for the assignment, and then do so. Call a few other photographers and ask them what they'd charge. Post a message on a photo forum that has professionals on it that have done assignments like the one you're being asked to do. Be thoughtful about the estimate, and then put it in writing, including the proper rights package, and then send it along via PDF attached to a cover-letter-type e-mail.If they said their budget was $200, and everyone you got counsel from said it was an $1,100 assignment, send the estimate near that knowing you may not get it, and chalk it up to good practice. And, as it says on the back of the shampoo bottle, "lather, rinse, and repeat." Eventually, fair budgeted assignments will come your way, and you will (slowly) grow your clientele to be fair paying. If you take every $200-job-that-should-have-been-$1,100 at $200, you'll never have the fair paying clients, or, at the most they will be few and far between. Further, you'll be surprised at how many people tell you $200 and then approve your $1,100 estimate. Sometimes, they are just trying to be cheap, but know what they really have to pay.

If being a professional photographer was easy, everyone would be one. Many many people are photographers, or hang out their shingle and call themselves one, yet are not among the professionals, nor are they even aspiring professionals. They are just stepping in and dilly-dallying around, not being serious about it as a sustainable profession. About 2% of actors actually earn their living as actors. I submit that less than that are professional photographers. "

Article from
http://photobusinessforum.blogspot.com/2007/03/so-you-wanna-be-photographer.html

Photo from

http://photography.qj.net/category/Canon/cid/711

Shooting Jewelry : A basic setup

Found that very simple explanation of a basic way to shoot jewelry at a great place called lighting essentials . U guys should check that place out...

"Classic, for me anyway, method thatI shoot jewelry. Most of the time myclients want clean, easy to seepieces that show off the finishor the stones. I find that largesoft light with lots of fill worksto deliver the smooth highlightsand well lit jewels."

Just press the image for a larger view......

Link http://www.lighting-essentials.com/setups/jewelry/index.html

Upcoming Exhibit by Photographer Hamdy Reda...

News news news , just like to keep u guys updated.... peace out.....And since Mr Hamdy Reda , is the exhibitor , then , its a sure thing .... ;) I have to say the names very catchy...:)

Through My Kitchen's Window من شباك مطبخي
عرض فوتوغرافي لـ حمدي رضا photography show by Hamdy Reda
Event Info

Name:
Through My Kitchen's Window من شباك مطبخي

Tagline:
عرض فوتوغرافي لـ حمدي رضا photography show by Hamdy Reda

Host:

ARTELLEWA

Type:
Music/Arts - Exhibit

Start Time:
Monday, November 26, 2007 at 7:30pm
End Time:
Friday, December 7, 2007 at 10:30pm
Location:
Cairo Atelier
Street:
2 Kareem El-Dawla St., Down Town
City/Town:
Cairo, Egypt

View Map
Google
MapQuest

Contact Info
Phone:
012.596.3611
Email:
hamdyreda@yahoo.com

THINGS U SHOULD KNOW PART(5) : WHAT IS DAY RATE ?

Last time we discussed "things u should know" it was a while ago , thought id remind u there was an ongoing series called THINGS U SHOULD KNOW.......today we discuss "DAY RATES ".....

What is a "day rate"?

Day Rate is an out-of-date term that use to signify the minimum amount a photographer would be paid when shooting for an editorial client, with additional money owed if multiple images were used or if images were used particularly large (see the question on space rate). The term has come to mean the flat rate that photographers are offered for shooting for a publication, and disregards experience, ability, degree of difficulty, and benefit gained by the client.

The biggest problem comes in that most day rates are little changed in almost twenty years, with most publications offering less in terms of real dollars, or some even less in straight dollars, than they were 10, 15, even 20 years ago! For example, a $350 day rate offered in 1985 would be $577. 37 today, just to keep up with the cost of living.

Being paid solely for our time disregards a photographer's creative ability and experience level, as well as the benefit being gained by our clients from using our images. An emerging photographer or student would likely take longer to arrive at a location, set up the shot, shoot the images, break down and leave than would an experienced shooter.

Should the student be paid more simply because it took them longer? In addition, being paid based solely on time can lead to disagreements over full and half days, and even hourly rates. If we're being paid solely for our time, shouldn't we really be paid just for the 1/125th of a second it takes to expose the film?

Finally, most day rates are barely enough to cover our daily cost of doing business, never mind make a profit. As professionals, and suppliers in the supplier-consumer relationship, we should be willing to ask for fees that cover our overheads, allow us to provide for our families and businesses, and that compensate us for the benefit being gained by the client from the "leasing" of our images. For suggestions on more equitable ways of pricing usage, see the above question on knowing what to charge.

Article from http://www.editorialphoto.com/resources/faq.asp#anchor14

Bedaya Photo Exhibition

Another busy month we have in Cairo , this time an exhibition by some really talented artists/photographers...

# NIHAL RAMZY
# HANY ABDIEN
# SARA ABOUBAKR

Guys u dont need me to tell u this is one exhibit u cant miss , be THERE..!! :)

Bedaya Photo Exhibition



Our First Photo Exhibition
Location : Egypt
Event Info
Name:
Bedaya Photo Exhibition
Host:
Sawy Culture wheel
Time and Place
Date:
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Time:
6:30pm - 8:00pm
Location:
Sawy Culture wheel , Al Kalma Hall
Street:
Zamalek, 26th July st.
City/Town:
Cairo

View Map
Google
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Contact Info
Phone:
20101648634
Email:
inviron@yahoo.com

TALENT SPOT (2) : Aaron Lam

Im proud to present an artist , that has never ciesed to amaze me , i must say that i have been lucky , fate has brought him into my path.... I wont say more , u guys judge for urselves...

Aaron Lam : His black and white works are just , stunning , he has the real feel of what its like to shoot in black and white, here are the words of my monochromatic friend " My name is Aaron Lam and I live in Victoria, Canada. I've been taking pictures for six years now and I shoot with an Olympus E-500. My favorite subjects include the ocean, birds, forests and of course, people. I'm also the director of the Imagination

Gallery, which is a Victoria-based local art gallery, which aims to feature local artists. I go to the University of Victoria, where I'm trying to get a degree in History. If i could wish for one thing to come true, it would be that more people would take pictures . "

Aarons Link at deviant art....
Dimpled on deviantART
http://www.dimpled.deviantart....

Upcoming event

STOLEN MOMENTS

Opening of the Photo exhibition by THIERRY GIQUEL‏
Event Info
Name:
STOLEN MOMENTS
Tagline:
Opening of the Photo exhibition by THIERRY GIQUEL‏
Host:
VillaGrey
Time and Place
Date:
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Time:
8:30pm - 11:30pm
Location:
Dokki
Street:
24 Abdallah Al Kateb St.
City/Town:
Giza, Egypt
View Map
Google
MapQuest
Contact Info
Phone:
20233382184
Email:
Gerard.Avedissian@greycairo.com

Artist Bio :

Born in France, son of Roger Giquel, one of the founders of modern French journalism, Thierry is the quintessential artist who chose to express his visions through the art of photography.He learned his trade the hard way, working for long years as a press photographer for France's leading TV station TF1.He covered various social, political or artistic events, as well as major military conflicts across the continents, in Europe, Africa, Asia, the USA and the Middle-East.

After that, he moved naturally to the extended word of photography in advertising, fashion and covered world-famous events and provided portraits of celebrities from around the world.

Since 1999, his private life has been evolving around the Middle-East, moving according to events, between Lebanon, Egypt and back to France.His work as photographer was of course affected by this change.

In Egypt, he covered various subjects related to the movie industry, its stars, the song and music scene, as well as advertising.

In Lebanon, he became a regular photographer for magazines covering architecture, interior design and fashion.He has held major individual photo exhibitions in France, Europe, Lebanon and finally Egypt.

Besides his professional assignments, Thierry has shown his versatile visions through his personal research to capture furtive “Stolen Moments” of life as he sees it.

This retrospective exhibition covers that aspect of his research.

Facebook Link http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=6005453069&ref=nf

ASSISTING A PHOTOGRAPHER

For a lot of people considering the move from amateur world to pro world , assisting a photographer is prob be one of the good moves to make this transition more safely.

As an assistant u get to see a lotta "applied" photography business , see how negotiations go , how the business is run , how to handle the tough situation etc. . Now were not about to go into the advantages and disavantages of becoming an assistant in this post , rather were gonna present a few good rules to follow considering u already became one .

These points are from an article at photo editor ( i refer to his blog a lot i know , but believe me , every second u spend there is worth it ) . Amazing piece ...

1. learn as much tech stuff as you can. This will make you more valuable as an assistant.

2. take business classes too.

3. Try to think BIG. Try to care about the world. Try to get a grip on the big picture.

4. When you start assisting, consider putting away your cameras entirely for a few years, and concentrate on being a servant. Get into a servant mindspace. Be in a supportive role. Trust me, it helps. This is your time to be a giant sponge and learn as much as you can. It’s not your time to shoot. (Ok, maybe with your iphone, but nothing more serious than that).
5. Think how you can be most useful to a photographer. That will get you hired, and keep you getting hired.

6. Be a good conversationalist. Be well read. No one wants to drive five hours with an assistant that doesn’t have anything to add to the conversation. And it better be better than how to make web galleries from Bridge, or something geeky like that.

7. Keep your mouth shut around clients. Just be a good energy, but sure as hell, don’t offer ideas. The photographer has his own agenda, and he needs to work that out with the client.

8. Don’t be late for work. And if you are, call ahead and let the photographer know. Don’t just show up thirty minutes late, especially if it’s on the way to LaGuardia.
9. Be loyal.
10. Go beyond the call of duty.
11. Don’t order expensive drinks after the job, especially if it’s editorial. Be aware of the budget.

12.Turn off your cell phone during the job. Fine to check messages during lunch, when it’s your time, but don’t be sending text messages to your girlfriend, even if nothing is going on in the job. Trust me, even though you’re not aware of it, there is something ALWAYS going on in the job.

13. Be prompt when submitting Invoices. Don’t bitch about photographers always paying late, if you wait twenty days before you Invoice a job.
14. Be a sponge. Notice everything. Notice the way the photographer deals with the client. Notice the issues that the clients have, and be sensitive to these. You, as an assistant, are privy to a ton of valuable unspoken information; make the best use of it. Learn from it.
15. Travel out of the country as much as possible. Learn how other people live.

16. Dress well. Doesn’t have to be Prada, but try to look competent.
17. Learn your job. Learn the subtleties of a Profoto pack. Learn about the fuses in a Pro 7b. Try to learn CaptureOne, even just the basics of it. You are Support; try to know your craft. Even the geeky details. It’s the geeky details that’ll sometimes save a job. That’s when you’ll be the hero, and you’ll get an extra beer that night at dinner. (But don’t show up the next day hung over).

18. Learn as much technical stuff as you can, because Rule Number One is, the client doesn’t really care about your vision of the world. They care about their vision. If you show one thing in your book, chances are, you’ll be called for something else. So have a good grab bag of tricks, for those days when you walk into a beige conference room, and have to shoot a fat guy on the corner of a desk.

Don’t ask to leave early, “cause you gotta go pay your rent or your phone bill”. Handle all that stuff outside of work. Again, you are Support; you are not the star.

And I forgot the worst one : Don’t approach the client to “show him your work sometime”. It’s the cardinal rule. If you’re there on the job as an assistant, then be in the assistant role. Every client will ask you if you shoot, because they don’t know what else to talk to you about at lunch, but trust me, they really don’t care. They might care a little bit, but they don’t want to see your book. The right way to do it is — Stop Assisting, then become a photographer. Don’t approach a client when you’re on somebody else’s job.

From the article ADVICE FROM A PHOTOGRAPHER .

Strobist Article : Michael in Paris

David Hobby , the MAN himself , held a meeting / seminar in paris , and here he demonstrates how he uses the seminar room in a very skilled manner to achieve amazing quality pics... A MUST SEE. Notice how he makes a great example of using LIGHTING IN 2 PLANES . Heres a teaser of the article from strobist .

"The first one, of attendee Michael, touches on a few points that we have talked about lately. The shot is a good example of lighting on two planes, gelling a backdrop for added color, and using a diffuser to alter the beam of a flash. So I thought I would write it up and expand on the concepts a bit.

Shooting in front of a roomful of people is always a different experience than doing an assignment with just myself and the victim subject. (Try it once if you don't believe me.) So to cover my bases I usually take a quick look at the room during the lunch break to get some ideas for the afternoon's photos."

The 1 st photo is the outcome , the second photo shows the environment and the setup , notice the flash back in the backgroung in that alcove by the door used to make the background stand out more...

For the full ARTICLE INCLUDING TECHNIQUE , visit http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/11/on-assignment-michael-in-paris.html

Also for more on the SEMINAR please visit http://lightingmods.blogspot.com/2007/11/paris-strobist-seminar-27oct2007.html ( Lighting Mods is another amazing blog u have to have on ur rss reader ) .

Available light only they say !

Ive been meaning to discuss this topic for some time now , u know the one where some people keep sayin they only like to use "available light " and no other light sources , as they like the "Natural " look . Well , fotunately , Tammy of http://www.nicepicslady.blogspot.com/ ( a great blog u guys , if u havent been there , GO THERE, on a regular basis , its a great place if u wanna learn a thing or 2 ) , saved me the trouble by writing this wonderful piece discussing just that .

Heres a teaser paragraph :

"Available Light Snobbery

Lately I've run across a few people who ride the "available light" high horse. These are the folks who say stuff like, "I only shoot with NATURAL light" or "I don't like the look of artificial light, so I won't use it." There's an implication in their words that there's something wrong with strobes, that only lesser artists resort to "artificial" light sources like flashes or floodlights.

I can respond to this attitude only one way: "Hogwash!"

The fact is that, unless you happen to be photographing the inside of a black hole or something, light is light. It has certain properties of intensity and color, but basically, photons are photons. There's nothing noble about limiting yourself to the set of light sources over which (relatively speaking) you have the least amount of control. It's rather like trying to play golf with your legs tied together and one arm handcuffed behind your back: You can do it, and you might even hit a great shot from time to time, but you're severely handicapping yourself for no really good reason. "

Thats only part of the her post u guys, the rest IS A MUST READ.

Also be sure to check out every hyperlink she has on that post esp the Mark Seliger reverse engineering link .

The above Photo from http://www.onelightworkshop.com/OneLight/News_And_Articles/07AAAF33-865D-4CE0-9FA0-AD6428D14D87.html

HOW to build ur PORTFOLIO (1)

As promised guys , we will be discussing the subject of portfolios . Its a big topic which cant just be discussed in 1 post , so as we did before in things u should know, underwater photography and controlling ur point and shoot cam , were staring a series of small posts on tips for having a more effective portfolio .

We mentioned before how imp ur portfolio is to u as a photographer , its basically ur CV , and nobody can expect to get good work without a decent CV .

So lets talk about ways u can make ur "CV" more impressive , to achieve a greater impact .

Todays topics gonna be nice and short :

MAKE SURE U HAVE UR BEST PHOTOS IN THERE .... its as simple as that , its not a matter of packing ur portfolio with enormous amounts of photos ( not that thats a bad thing ) but make sure every pic u put on ur portfolio counts . Make sure every pic shouts out " I AM THE BEST FOR THE JOB" ....Dont believe me , hear what photoeditor has to say about that :

" Everyone Takes Bad Photos

Monday, September 17th, 2007

Yes it’s true. Everyone. All the top editorial photographers take bad photos.

They just don’t show it to me. Ever.

Thing is… I know everyone takes bad photos, it happens and it’s not a big deal… I just don’t want to be reminded of it when I’m looking for a photographer.

The promo, website and portfolio are all places where the possibility exists for you to remind me that shoots can sometimes turn out bland and then I suddenly get the feeling that the shoot I was about to hire you for will turn out bland.

I think I know why you do it. You don’t have enough material yet or you want to show me how you can shoot portraits, food, B&W, color, holga, photoj, etc…

I want to live in a fantasy world where every single shoot is perfect. The best photographers let me."


Posted in Getting Hired from http://aphotoeditor.com/category/getting-hired/

Shooting For Mood

Dg28 , Strobist , and photoeditor are some of the best places out there where u can get the best " bang for ur surf " ( meaning the greatest amount of info and benefit , in the shortest amount of surfing time ) . In a lot of cases im short on time , like those days my finals are starting in 2 weeks , yet i have to admit im an addicted surfer , and as u guys may have noticed an addicted blogger recently . There has to be this time in the day for me , where id log on do a lil learning and those places are always a sure thing . Check out this great piece on Dg28 . Amazing place .

Creating Mood

"Every time you take a photograph you are saying

something about what is in the image.

It's impossible to avoid a frozen frame being anything other than an interpretation of that moment so it becomes a mark of a good photographer to make sure that every element of the image (composition, subject matter and light) helps to paint a consistent story.

The mood required for every image - especially with portraits - is something that you have to consider very carefully.

Some lighting guides will tell you that there is a lighting set up for each mood and that it is a simple matter of placing light A in position B and light C in position D to achieve this. I have to agree that there are some obvious starting points for many of the moods that I use, but there are many other factors that have to be taken into account when setting the scene.

Even a short list of variables such as time of day, age of subject, subjects clothing and location mean that there can be no such thing as a standard lighting rig. This portrait of a teacher who feels that he wasn't prepared during his training for the attitude of pupils needed a lot of thought.

We met at his home in a pleasant London suburb and I was determined to give the whole portrait a real inner city feel. I asked him if there were any dark alleys or heavily graffitied walls near his home but he couldn't think of any. We got back into my car and went in search of a location, being very careful not to identify the location in the photographs. We found this shady wall with a small amount of graffiti and parked the car. It was an overcast, if bright, late morning by this time so I decided to add to the "street" atmosphere by using a strong side light. "

This is only a teaser piece , Rest of the Article describing the techniques and how tos at http://www.dg28.com/technique/choosing_a_mood.htm

Picture from Dg28's article Choosing a Mood .

Industrial Photoshoot by David Tejada

About 2 posts ago , there was this video Of Mark Cornelison doing a photoshoot for a sports mag cover , today we have this great video of photographer David Tejada on one of his industrial photo shoots , very good stuff , for a very good photographer , enjoy u guys . Also be sure to check out his website and blog .

Video from http://www.youtube.com/user/davidxtejada

Shoot What u want to work

Pretty soon we're gonna be discussing the topic of portfolios , how to build it , what to put in there, what not to put in there . Whether ure an amateur or a working photographer , whether ure old and seasoned or u just started , ur portfolio is ur best representative , and thats what really speaks on ur behalf . So anyways one of the things i was gonna discuss under this topic is SHOOT WHAT U WANNA WORK . And funny thing, i came across this interesting post in photo editor , that says just that . In case u doubt the wisdom of a begginer like myself , hear what the pros have to say about it :


Hiring A Photographer

October 26th, 2007

My greatest piece of advice for hiring photographers I learned the hard way. After many failed and boring and misdirected shoots I discovered an axiom I now adhere to. Never hire a photographer to shoot something that’s not already in their book. This is worth repeating.

Don’t hire photographers to shoot pictures they don’t already have the skills to take.

Don’t misinterpret this to mean you need kittens playing with yarn to get a job shooting kittens playing with yarn. And, don’t take it to mean we never try photographers out or take a chance on photographers. We do, just not with the big shoots.

It means I want to see the visual language in your other pictures that will make up my picture. It means playing to your strengths. It means attempting to match the perfect subject and photographer.

I can’t always do this but when I do, it works every time.

Posted in Working

Article from the great blog http://aphotoeditor.com/

Photoshoot for a sports mag cover : Mark Cornelison

Every once in a while i like to post a vid , helps break the boredom , and more importantly , gives u the feel of what its like to do a photoshoot . This is a vid of Mark Cornelison doing a photoshoot for a sports magazine cover . U will notice how he uses dramatic lighting ( hard lights , rim lights , and big difference in lighting ratio between light and dark parts of the image) to give them this sort of heroic intense look which works great for atheletes.

Vid from http://www.youtube.com/user/heraldleaderphoto

Mark's website http://www.markcornelison.com/

Photo Editors Article : Get Urself a Good Subject

People im a fan of this guys blog , im there almost on a daily basis , sometimes twice or more , his posts are short , concise , and always useful . Hes a photo editor in a New York based magazine , and posts his experience for all of us out there , u guys should be visiting his place regularly .
I got this article from over at his place :

Subject
October 25th, 2007

When an editor tells me they want better pictures in the magazine the first thing I say to them is, “get me better subjects.”
Creating compelling imagery with mundane subjects is best left to great artists. It’s nearly impossible.
When you’re starting out in this business if your friends, your family or where you live is not interesting go find something that is and take a goddam picture of it.
The subject always rules. I know this because when I’ve got a juicy subject for a story I can have the pick of any photographer I want to shoot it.

Posted in Photography Business