Probably, I get told the following more than any other statement:
“It’s okay for you, you’re professional, you have all that equipment you can use”.
Now, to a certain extent this is true but when I then go on to explain exactly how I took a particular shot, most people are amazed at how simple the kit I used was. If there is one piece of kit I have that most non-professionals don’t have, it is quality lenses. These, I think are essential and it can make all the difference to your finished shots. I use Canon kit and when it comes to lenses I always go for the best. For instance, I own a Canon 24 – 70 mm f2.8L USM lens that costs roughly £1,000.00. You could find a similar lens made by another manufacturer for just over £200.00 but with a maximum aperture of f3.5 – f5.6 throughout its range and poorer optics. I have tried and tested both and believe me, there is no comparison. What this means is that my Canon lens is going to give me many years of service, whereas with the cheaper model I might be upgrading on a regular basis and still not getting the quality I require. In the end I will have spent as much as the Canon lens cost.
Now, let’s look at these two shots which were both taken on the Canon with the 24 – 70. How many lights did I use for each shot? Well, err, one actually!
And these shots could be done in a reasonable sized room in your own home. For the black and white version I used a square 50 x 50 cm reflector on the flash head with a honeycomb over the front. This makes the light very directional with very little spill. I placed this light at about 30º to the model so that it was almost side-lighting her. This has given great definition and drawn a delicate shadow on the right hand side of her body. At the same time I have exploited the shadow cast on the wall and incorporated it into the finished shot. The starkness of the set, helped by being in black and white, really makes this shot work and emphasises her graceful pose and feminine curves.
For the second shot, I used a roll of white photographic background paper commonly called ‘colorama’. This was rolled out to form the background and the floor for the model to lie on. Again I used one flash head but this time attached a reflector called a ‘beauty dish’ with a diffuser over it. This has a baffle inside it, which further softens the light. I mounted the light onto a boom and stand so that I could have it above and behind the model without appearing in the shot. In other words it backlit the model. I then placed two poly board reflectors either side of the camera to bounce light back onto her. This has created a very even and soft effect that is in total contrast to the black and white picture. The other effect I have achieved by this lighting is to make the background fade into grey. This helps her to stand out and gives more interest than if it had all been pure white.
Whenever I consider how I will light any subject I always think in terms of the minimum required. So naturally I start with just one light and then think about the quality of the light that it will produce i.e. soft or harsh, directional or bounced. I then think, can I use a reflector to bounce light back into the shadow areas or do I need another light? Of course there are situations that do need multiple lighting set-ups but I always try to avoid using more than is absolutely necessary. Ironically on some corporate jobs I take as much kit as I can because when I have turned up with the minimum, even if it is adequate, I get looked at as if I am an impoverished photographer and don’t know what I am doing. To me never has the saying, ‘less is more’, been so aptly used!
Hi John,
Thanks for your prompt response!
Would you suggest to buy the IS version?
Best Regards
Charlie
Hi Charlie,
Many thanks for your comments. Much appreciated. I have the Canon EF 70 – 200mm f2.8 lens and many of the shots on my site were taken with it. I can’t recommend it highly enough. I realise that it is a lot more expensive than the f4 equivalent but as far as I am concerned it is worth every penny. Even when I use it with the 2x extender, which reduces the maimum aperture to f4 it is still razor sharp. Don’t hesitate to contact me if I can help you further. Best, John
Dear John,
I obviously meant 70-200
Best Regards
Charlie
Dear John,
First of all let me join those who are amazed by your work. Your erotic and boudoir pictures are really breathtaking!
I am just about to buy a Canon EF 70-700 f/4 or f/2.8 lens. Would you strongly recommend to go for the one with image stabiliser?
I know the rules of shutter speed vs focal length but as a camera owner rather than a photographer I do not have too much experience on that.
Thanks in advance for your response
Best Regards
Charlie
Hi Hermie,
You are welcome.
You might like to get hold of a copy of What digital Camera magazine. http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/
They have reviews of just about every single camera so you can get an idea of what is available and how they compare. If you cannot buy a copy from your news stand you can subscribe online.
Good luck,
John
Hi John,
Thank you sir for replying to my question.
Honestly as of now I only have Kodak M340 (10.2 MP) compact digital camera, planning to buy a DSLR camera this year but I am confused what brand in the market is versatile? that’s why i didn’t mentioned it earlier. Canon is a good brand to start. Thank you very much also for your will explained advices. I will search in our market this book “Collins Digital SLR Handbook” hoping it is available… I will visit your website from time to time and read further articles.
I will inquire again soon as I get my DSLR camera to better undertstand what am I asking…
Thank You Sir for kind assistance…
Best Regards,
Hermie
Hi Hermie,
Thank you for your question. You don’t tell me what equipment that you already have but I recommend that you get a DSLR such as the Canon 60D. I would then suggest that you get a decent telephoto. I use a Canon 70-200mm f2.8 lens. Although this is quite expensive the optics are superb. The large maximum aperture will allow you to use a fast shutter speed so camera shake in rough seas should be minimised. You could supplement this with a 2x extender. This will give you the equivalent of a 400mm lens. However, it will reduce the maximum aperture to f5.6. With or with out the extender you will be able to get in close to your subject, such as the whales that you mention. To bring out the skies I would advise you to get a polarising filter. This will help you to retain and enhance the blue of the sky while helping to define the clouds. It needs some practice to get the optimum results but a book such as my: Collins Digital SLR Handbook, will give you details on how to get the best results. Good luck and if I can help you further please do not hesitate to contact me. John
Hi John,
I am just beginning to learn photography and as a comparison with others photography your style is amazing and different. I have been reading some of your articles through net and it really does impress me with your works and also it makes me more interested to learn photography…
So what I came here to ask is, what should i have to learned ‘first’ in photography if i will be focusing on nature specially ocean views or sometimes rough seas? My work is on board ship and i find it interesting to captured sea creatures like whales, skies, clouds,etc while we’re underway. Maybe you have lists of books here in our market which will be a guide for me to start.
Best Regards,
Hermie (Manila, Philippines)
Hi John,
Thanks for getting back to me,
This has really got me thinking of what area of field in photography I should study on.
Well, I would probably go for the one that most people would start off with which is portrait photography.
Thanks again for your help.
RJ
Hi Robbie,
Thank you for your comments. It is so difficult to say what is the ‘best’ camera as there is just so much kit out there it would be impossible for me to have tested it all. What I would say is that my kit is now virtually all Canon. This includes the Canon 1DS MK3 and a variety of lenses and accessories. I think that the most important aspect of buying kit is to thoroughly think through what you want to achieve and what your budget is. For example if you were thinking of pursuing a career in architectural photography you might consider that shift lenses were important. Only a few manufacturers, such as Canon, make these lenses. If on the other hand you wanted to specialise in portrait photography, would shift lenses be high on your list of ‘must haves’ when it would be better to invest in a fast lens, say f1.8, f2 or f2.8 in the range of 70 – 200mm. However, if you were going on a one off safari, would it be really worth spending thousands on a 300, 400 or 600mm telephoto lens when its use would be limited to other areas of photography. However, whatever you buy I always think that quality pays off in the end.
John
Hello John,
You’ve probably heard this loads of times but let me say this, your an a amazing photographer and I have been reading your book and it really does impress me with your work.
So what I came here to ask is, what is the most recommended camera? Because at this stage I have an Nikon D70s.
Thanks again
RJ
Hi,
I would refer you to this link which explains much better than I could.
http://www.openphotographyforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3526
Best,
John
Hello,John. Why do you use Adobe RGB profile for the image? I know that photographers uses SRGB for an Internet. Thanks.