Shooting The Queen

I found this video of Annie Leibovitz in a photoshoot with the queen of england (yes queen Elizabeth) ..... A lot to be learned here people , just some of the things i picked up as i watched this :

1) Notice how she chooses to go there a good while earlier , to scout the location , study the place , she needs that cause the time of the actual photoshoot is only 30 min ( which u will notice be reduced to 15 min ) . So she needs to make sure shes prepared to deliver top quality work in the smallest amount of time = Planning Beforehand...... Now i can imagine that after this visit , she had so many setups planned , as well as more backup setups .

2) Notice how she communicates with the queen , how she negotiates what she wants to do ( in the end she DID take off the queens tiara even after she got a FIRM no at first ) ...

3) Notice how many lighting setups she made in different locations , before the queen even arrived , which only makes sense as the queen wont be waiting for them to put together softboxes , or set lighting ....




A whole article bout this at strobist ..I am really amazed at how much Mr David can pick up in those few mintutes ( as opposed to my 3 points hehe) , PLEASE READ EVERY COMMENT HE HAS ON THIS , HE BRINGS THINGS OUT OF THIS PIECE U NEVER EVEN KNEW WERE THERE ..!!!

Video from youtube.

Getting Creative in a garage ....

Another great strobist video .... A group of very creative strobists , head down to a garage to make some magic... Notice the ideas u guys , the picnic in a garage, and other things . Its all out of the box .... Very creative .... very well done...





Article from http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/12/that-does-it-im-moving-to-seattle.html

The video is also on you tube ...

Great Photography Links

Some great links from over at LeggNets Digital Capture ( another great blog btw ) ..... worth checkin out...... enjoy......:)


Annual Report Photography, David Tejada 'The f Stops Here'
Assignment Construct
Black Star Rising
Bryan Regan Photography
Change, Culture, Creativity, Communication
Chase Jarvis Blog
Dan Heller Photography Business Blog
Digital Photography Review
Digital Photography SchoolDigital Photography Tips from the Top Floor
DIYPhotoraphy.net - Photography and Studio Lighting - Do It Yourself
Epic Edits Weblog
Eric Hamilton PhotographyEthan Myerson Stock Photography
f/1.4 Photography by Sean DugganKenneth Linge's Journal
LeggNet's Contacts Flickr Group
Lightsource Studio Photography Podcast
New West Images
Photo Business News & Forum
Photo District News - PDNewswire
Photo News Today
PhotoAttorney
Photography Bay
Photography for Real Estate
Photography Podcast - photography.ca
Photoshop Insider
Photowalking.org
Photowalking Salt Lake City
Pixel remix: The Ann-alog
Rasmus Rasmussen dot com
Scott[o]Smith's Digital World
Shorpy - The 100-Year-Old Photo Blog
Strobist
The Digital Storythephotographybiz.com
Thomas Hawk's Digital Connection

"Moments of Life" - Photography Exhibition

Events events events u guys , just to get u people
out of ur homes a lil ....

"Moments of Life" - Photography Exhibition


"There is Nothing in this World, that does not have its Decisive Moment", Henri Cartier-Bresson
Name:
"Moments of Life" - Photography Exhibition

Host:
Studio owned by the russian artist Yelena Alexandrovna

Start Time:
Wednesday, December 26, 2007 at 7:00pm
End Time:
Wednesday, January 9, 2008 at 10:00pm
Location:
Gallery & Studio Fine Arts
Street:
11 Al-Gezira el Wosta St, Zamalek
City/Town:
Cairo, Egypt

View Map
Google

Contact Info
Phone:
27351307
Email:
galleryfinearts@yahoo.com

"There is Nothing in this World, that does not have its Decisive Moment".Henri Cartier-BressonOn behalf of Yelena Alexandrovna the owner of Gallery & Studio Fine Arts & all the participant photographers.We are pleased to invite you to our "Moments of Life", Photography Exhibiton.


The participants are:


1. Aline Faltas


2. Marwa Samy


3. Mohamed El-Tamamy


4. Passainte Assem


5. Sara Yehia


Don't forget to invite your friends...Waiting for you ALLLLLL...

P.S: I am not sure about the End Time, I'll keep you updated...

Food Photography (5) : Examples by Mr Michael Ray

Examples u guys .. Examples . !! :)

Please note the direction of the main light. You can see it by looking at the bowl in the upper left of frame. Not from the front, is it? This image is a really good example of the magic that small light sources and translucency can cause. Take a look at the lettuce leaf and shrimp tail. Besides the neat translucency, backlighting causes increased texture and rim light effects. Rim lighting helps to create that third dimension we photographers strive so hard to create. Also note the light ratio. The front surfaces are intentionally under lit (compared to the rear main light) to enhance the appearance of depth.

This is a good example of using a small light source. You can see the cast shadow on the left of the plate made from the main light. Do you find it distracting? Do you think that a large light source could create the same degree of texture? Take a look at the two shadows cast across the upper right of the background. No matter how hard you try, can't do that with a large light source. Also, notice the highlight area on the lower left hand side of the food item. By using a small mirror reflected back from the main light, I was able to light only the lower half of the item, enhancing the appearance of depth. Also, the texture of the white dish is enhanced by the use of the small light source. The minimum depth of field was chosen to isolate the viewer's attention. I think it worked. You?

Articles and photos from Mr Michael Rays Blog http://www.foodportfolio.com/blog/index.html

Choosing a flash ?

A great article i found at "one light workshop " .

We discussed offcamera flash before in posts like wireless trigerring , and umbrella and flash , and several others .

"If you are ready to start shooting off camera flash and you are needing to buy a flash, I’ll outline a few basic things to think about as you start the process of buying gear.


1. Budget. How much scratch do you have to drop on a flash?
2. Dedicated? Do you want a flash that will also perform dedicated functions such as TTL on your current camera body?
3. Power. How much light can you get out of it?
4. Manual Mode. This is non-negotiable for me. Any flash I have MUST have a manual mode with 4 or more stops of user adjustable power settings.
5. Accessories & Special Features. Do you want a flash with a zoom head? Bare bulb? External power sources? Etc.

I’ll break this 5 point list down and give you some information to consider. Then I’ll recommend specific flash units that I use on a regular basis. Most of what I recommend will be on the less expensive side of the spectrum of lights available on the market. I’m working on another article about higher end and more powerful lights.

1. Budget. There are many cases of “getting what you pay for” but I can think of a number of flash units where this universal statement doesn’t really apply. I have found that there are items that are cheap and items that are inexpensive. Inexpensive items are pieces of gear that don’t cost a lot of money but have a great reputation for being reliable. The Vivitar 285 flash is a great example of what I am talking about. You can buy them brand new for $89 from B&H. They have been around for 20+ years and are known to be reliable workhorses. When looking at your budget, remember to keep light stands, modifiers, triggers, batteries, and other accessories in mind.

2. Dedicated? - If you want a flash that will also perform dedicated tasks such as TTL, then your choices just narrowed quite a bit. I have always found TTL to be too inconsistent for my needs and purposes so TTL is never an issue for me when buying a flash since I don’t use it. The new Canon 580ex II is out and selling for $409 at B&H. I figured out what the “II” means in the name. It means, “Too” expensive. For $409 I would want a hot shoe flash that made my coffee and checked my voice mails.
While it is a great flash, it is not necessary for Canon users to have for off camera lighting situations. Same goes for the Nikon SB-800. I know you can use proprietary accessories to fire them off camera, but for the cost of another SB-600 / 800 for the Nikon CLS or the ST-E2 needed to go off camera in the Nikon and Canon line of cameras, you are nearly spending as much as you would on a set of Pocket Wizards.
All this to say, if you can learn basic gear and learn light, then you don’t need to be tied to $300 - $400 dedicated flash units. I have shot over 100 weddings and hundreds of portrait sessions in the last 3 years without ever needing or using TTL. I only say that to say it can be done without TTL.

3. Power - This is an important part of the purchase process. Ideally you want the highest guide number as possible from a flash but when it comes to small hotshoe flashes, there isn’t much difference in power at the top of the flash food chain. Comparing a flash with a guide number of 150 to a one with a GN of 180 is similar to comparing a Honda Civic at 150 HP and a Toyota at 180 HP. It is difficult to really trust the stated GN for a flash since manufactures have always been known to exaggerate the actual power output. To find more information about understanding GN’s, see this article at ShortCourses.com.

4. Manual Mode - Any flash I buy HAS to have a manual mode with more than 4 user selectable settings. I’ve seen some older units with only one or two manual settings. That’s useless to me. A Vivitar 285 has 4 settings. Full, 1/2, 1/4, and 1/16th power. A Nikon SB unit can be set in 1/3 increments from Full power to 1/128th power. That’s 7 stops of adjustment available to you. The more the merrier.

5. Accessories & Special Features. - Before you decide to start buying flashes, check out the accessories that are available from the manufacture and third party companies. The first thing I look for are external battery options. Can I get a high capacity battery for the flash? For a 120j, 285, or SB unit, the answer is yes. There are several battery options on the market for any of these flash units. You can also buy one battery to power them all if you buy the right cord for each flash.
Special features include being able to shoot bare bulb with a 120j. The only other flash that can shoot barebulb with for less than $500 is the..... The. Ummmmmm. Oh yeah. There isn’t one. You have to start shopping for used Q-flash units with battery packs to get a bare bulb flash anywhere near the price point of a $500 or less. New Q-flash units with a battery hover around the $1,000 mark. The Q-flash does have a good bit more power than a 120j BUT you can run a 120j on AA batteries, fit it in your current camera bag, and save enough to buy other items.

6. Conclusion. - There are three basic flashes that I have used A LOT and that I recommend. They are as follows.

• Sunpak 120j - I highly recommend these flash units. The problem is finding them. Sunpak recently discontinued production of this flash. I have been in contact with them and there is talk of a new model in the works but nothing is for sure. When they were still available you could buy a 120j with an external battery pack for about $289 from B&H. The 120j has 5 stops of manual power settings, has a parabolic reflector, and has the ability to be shot bare bulb by slipping the reflector off. They are powerful, inexpensive, and there are a number of accessories available for them. I have NO idea why they stopped making it. If you can find one, get one. Look for the non TTL version because the non TTL versions have a 1/4” thread on the bottom that make it easier to mount to am umbrella bracket.
• Vivitar 285 - Pros - Super affordable (especially if you find a good one used), Rugged, dependable, zoom head, multiple power options (AA, external battery packs), after market metal hotshoes available, very accurate auto modes for event shooting. Cons - Hard to fit in a pocket (it’s a bulky flash), proprietary sync connection that requires specific Vivitar to 1/8th” sync cords for use with PW’s (not always easy to find locally).
• Nikon SB26,27,28,80dx - Many older Nikon flash units make FANTASTIC off camera lighting rigs. Whether you shoot Canon, Nikon, or any other maker of camera bodies, you can still use a basic Nikon flash with any camera you throw at it. Pros - Affordable but you have to find them on the used market (You can find them used from $60 - $120), standard PC sync socket built in (can be used with the sync cord that comes with new Pocket Wizard), small and powerful (can fit in a pocket), 7 stops of manual power settings, zoom head. Cons - not many to list other than you have to find them used. The pro about this con though is they are easy to find unlike the 120j. Check out the used section of B&H or KEH for good prices on these.

If I had to choose just one? That’s tough. It would be either a 120j or an SB unit. I love the bare bulb option of the 120j but the SB80-DX I use on a regular basis can be powered down to 1/128th power, is very compact and is slightly more powerful than the 120j. I suppose my desert island hotshoe flash would be a used SB unit. "

Article and photo from http://www.onelightworkshop.com/OneLight/News_And_Articles/70875692-7555-44F2-BBE0-928DAF0E0916.html

NEWS : Upcoming PhotoCourse at CIC

News from the Cairo Camera Club . Sounds like good stuff to me , maybe some of u guys would like to check this out...

Upcoming photography courses at CiC

We are pleased to announce our list of upcoming photography courses at CiC during the first quarter of 2008, with a bigger variety of courses including Portraiture and Documentary Photography to come later in the year.

The following 3 courses are offered in January and February:

1) Introduction to Black and White Photography (a darkroom course) with Mohamed El Maymouny / LE 400

2) Portfolio Build-up (create your own portfolio) with Heba Farid / LE 850

3) Introduction to Photography (a six-week course) with Aladin Abdel Naby / LE 1200

For a more detailed description of each course such as date and time, curriculum, biography of instructor and registration, please get in contact with:

Ms. Shaza Moharam

Mob: 012 4098 459 or

Tel: 794 1686 between 10pm to 6pm. shazaster@gmail.com

Thank you in advance,CiC team

Email:cairocameraclub@gmail.com

Office:CIC(Contemporary Image Collective)

Street:20 Safeya Zaghloul, off Kasr El Einy st., Garden City, Monira

City:cairo, Egypt

Food Photography (4) : Food Photography as a proffesion

Amazing article from Mr Michael Rays Blog.... He has a great blog u guys MUST check it out...

Food Photography as a Profession

Basically, there are three main types of food photography: Packaging, Advertising, and Editorial. These are vague, abstract categories and you will always be able to find exceptions to the generalizations I’m about to make, but for discussion sake, here we go.

Packaging food photography

Of the three types of food photography, packaging tends to be the most technical, tedious, and anal-retentive type of food photography. It is not unusual in a packaging shoot to actually count the number of peas shown on the plate. Strict rules in advertising make everyone involved in the process. Lighting must be relatively flat to show maximum detail and there is definitely not room for special effects. Your job is to show the food in a realistic, favorable way. An Art Director and a layout will be supplied and you are expected to match that layout to the best of your ability. Most details of the shoot regarding cropping, propping, and backgrounds will be pre-determined. Your input and creativity will be put on the back burner. Most of the time at the shoot will be spent poking very small details and dropping images into layouts to see if everything fits just right. Please don’t get me wrong, it still beats “working for a living” but of all the types of food photography, this kind of work is the toughest.

Advertising food photography

I’m using this category of food photography as a broad “catch all” category encompassing actual food ads, menus, product brochures, and possibly billboards. This type of food photography tends to be less tedious than packaging, but still can be quite restrictive because of layout parameters. Someone, usually an Art Director, or possibly a Designer, has a predetermined idea of what end result will look like. There is usually a layout, and everyone expects that the final photo to end up looking very close to the Artist’s illustration. There is usually some room for taking advantage of unforeseen opportunities such as props or lighting special effects, but the end result must communicate the idea behind the photograph. A pretty picture will sometimes take a lower propriety to communication.

Editorial food photography

This is the type of photography that most food photographers love the most. The most important thing is “making a beautiful image”. Instead of needing to communicate “Heinz’s hot, moist, meaty, abundant, corn fed ground meat stew”, you just need to make the viewer say “Wow!” This kind of shot usually makes “lighting” the big issue of the photo. Ya, it has to be well composed, and beautifully styled and nicely propped, but if the lighting isn’t spectacular, the shot ends up being just so-so. One of the greatest compliments I ever received was from a food stylist that said, “Mike, you can make a turd on a paper plate look good”. Now that’s high praise!

Article from http://www.foodportfolio.com/blog/food_photography/food_photgraphy.html

Photo by Mr Michael Ray

A very well explained well done photoshoot by Bert Stephanie

An amazing video by Bert Stephanie a belgian pro photographer ... I was surfin over at Ms Tammys blog ( one of my fav places on the net , we mentioned it before in the post "Available light only they say " ) , and i saw this post.... Had to bring it over .... Its a great example of the Strobist principle.... Usin little , to get a big effect.... The vid is very useful , he shows how he does his lighting, what equipment he used , and he explains very nicely too.... This is a shoot he makes for a photo competition about pollution and earth in the future , notice the brilliant idea he comes up with... with him in the shoot are fellow photographers Ake van der Velden , Pieter Van Impe, Didier Jouret, and model Dirk Hesse . Enjoy the vid.....










U can see Berts Channel here on You tube... or visit his blog .

EVENT : KARAS STUDIO FOR COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

KARAS STUDIO FOR COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

For every commercial, fashion, portrait photographer that are looking for a studio to shoot in. Whether you need to hire a short or a long time period for shooting, KARAS STUDIO is now available for you.

Specifications:

1-Shooting area: 4,80cm x 3,70cm (extendable).

2-Height: 2,70cm.

3-Floors: non solid to reduce shock .

4-Equipment: Three strobe flashes (300 watts) each.- Three softboxes (70x100cm).

5- One bathroom.Location: Cairo, Sheraton Heliopolis.

For reservations:-Tel: 22661832 daily from 9am till 3pm except Fridays.-

Mobile: Sherif Karas 0122272129 (after 3pm).-

E-mail: studiokaras@yahoo.com

Note: Available without equipment as well, the place is in a ground floor so it's easy to bring yours.

Email:
studiokaras@yahoo.com
Website:
http://www.sherifkaras.com/

Funny But true : Facts In photobusiness

Funny but true..... a piece from Mr John Harringtons blog....

10 Ways To Remain a Starving Artist

1 Don't set goals.

2 Never ever think about money.

3 Keep your artwork to yourself—don't show it, don't talk about it.

4 Don't tell anybody you're an artist.

5 Spend all of your time in your studio. Don't bother marketing—let your art stack up.

6 If people are buggin you to buy your artwork say it's not for sale—it's not priced—that will deter them.

7 Go at it alone—don't get any help.

8 Stay away from artists earning money.

9 Expect instant success.

10 Wait to be discovered.

This list was compiled by Martha Zlatar, Art Business Consultant at the Small Business Development Center of San Francisco. Google certainly has a number of references to Ms. Zlatar, however Ms. Zlatar is Vice President of Marketing and Special Events with 12 years experience in Event Management, Market Research, International Business, and Art Business Consulting at Paragon Strategies in San Francisco.

Article From Business 101 section of Mr John Harrington..

Painting by the Ed Rath

Blog Round up for the month of November 2007 , A Summary of whats been discussed this month :

Photojourneys Blog Round up for the month of November 2007 , A Summary of whats been discussed this month :

Articles of the month :

1) Article from Photoeditor : discussing the importance of getting urself a good subject to help make you an impressive picture...

2) Shoot what u want to work : discussing tips for putting together ur portfolio....

3) Shooting for Mood : article discussing how to control moods in ur picture ( technique included)

4) How to build ur portfolio: New series to help guide one to building a successful portfolio...

5) Available light only they say ! : and article discussing the importance of supplementary lighting to get the best results....

6) Strobist article : about lighting in different planes...

7) Assisting a photographer : an article for assistants , or would be assistants .

8) Talent Spot : Aaron Lam

9) Things u should know part 5: Continuing our series things u should know , this time explaining day rates .

10) Shooting Jewelry : a small simple diagram to achieve simple soft lighting on jewelry.

11) Shooting food: Parts 1 and 2 , a new series were starting discussing the beautiful yet hard to mater art of shooting food.....many posts yet to come in that series insha2ALLAH..

12) So u wanna Become a pro photographer ? : article from Mr John Harringtons blog...13) Various events and photo exhibits in cairo , like Mr Hamdy Redas exhibit Kitchen window , Bedaya exhibit by Hany Abdien , Nihal Ramzy , Sara AbouBakr . Stolen Moments exhibit by Mr Thierry Giquel .


Videos of the month :

1) Sports Magazine cover photoshoot

2) Industrial photoshoot

ID ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT TO THIS SPECIAL SECTION ON THE BLOG CALLED TALENT SPOT WHERE WE INTRODUCE TALENTED ARTISTS AROUND . SO IF U FEEL U HAVE WORKS UD LIKE THE WORLD TO KNOW OF , OR IF U KNOW OF ANY TALENTED PHOTOGRAPHER PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME ON MY EMAIL WITH LINKS TO UR WORK AND IF ITS TALENT I SEE THEN REST ASSURED UR WORK WILL BE DISPLAYED WITH A SMALL BIO ABOUT URSELF INTRODUCING U TO THE PEOPLE .

If anybody has any feedback , ideas , articles he'd like to share please feel free to contact me .Also if u happen to be a photoblogger or own a photosite please contact me so we can link to each other.

Thank u all ,Semary