161. Leather - July 10-16, 2016
Don-
Leather.......hmmm I'm not sure why I picked it. I didn't make
my mind until just before I got home from Taos Sunday. I think it
had something to riding 3 hours in 100 degree heat.
Anyway I liked the leather idea it just took me a while to
figure out what I wanted to do. Here it is, boots and guns.
I did this with a D810 using a 24 to 70 mm lens, on tripod and in natural light. Focal length is 50mm.
Exposure; 1/50 sec; f/3.2; ISO 360. Camera is Manual and pattern metering.
Leather.......hmmm I'm not sure why I picked it. I didn't make
my mind until just before I got home from Taos Sunday. I think it
had something to riding 3 hours in 100 degree heat.
Anyway I liked the leather idea it just took me a while to
figure out what I wanted to do. Here it is, boots and guns.
I did this with a D810 using a 24 to 70 mm lens, on tripod and in natural light. Focal length is 50mm.
Exposure; 1/50 sec; f/3.2; ISO 360. Camera is Manual and pattern metering.
Byron-
I did this with a D810 using a 24 to 70 mm lens, on tripod and in natural light. Focal length is 50mm.
Exposure; 1/50 sec; f/3.2; ISO 360. Camera is Manual and pattern metering.
I did this with a D810 using a 24 to 70 mm lens, on tripod and in natural light. Focal length is 50mm.
Exposure; 1/50 sec; f/3.2; ISO 360. Camera is Manual and pattern metering.
Kevin-
Most of you have known me long enough to recall that long, long ago I worked for a now defunct chain of camera stores. There are a small group of us, all ex-store managers and or ex-customers, who try to get together each month to swap stories, tell tales, show off images or share photo books we have.
One of us, Chris Grey (aka Chris Grayczyk), is a former customer, still working as a commercial photographer. Another, Steve Rouch is a former store manager still working as a wedding and portrait photographer.
This week Chris invited us to join him in photographing a young model, Viktory (yes, that is how she spells it), that Chris had once worked with previously. The fourth member of our Photo Oldies group, Pat Carney (who Paul and I both used to work with) was supposed to participate as well, but he had to cancel at the last minute.
We had a number of different lighting and background setups, and Viktory would shift from set to set, and from photographer to photographer. She wore outfits ranging from antique evening dresses to torn t-shirts, to absolutely nothing.
When Don announced the Leather theme for this week I knew I had a perfect opportunity to combine Viktory and a very old leather jacket that I own.
Nikon D4s, handheld. 105mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor lens (I would have used my 85mm but it is being serviced by Nikon). Lighting is via two Profoto strobes in the studio that Chris has. One is in a large softbox. The other is in a gridded beauty dish as a hair light. ISO 100, f/11 at 1/250th of a second (flash sync).
I asked Viktory to look very bored during the shots in the leather jacket. Bored, pissed, fierce, or whatever you want to call it, I wasn’t looking for a fashion model pose.
Most of you have known me long enough to recall that long, long ago I worked for a now defunct chain of camera stores. There are a small group of us, all ex-store managers and or ex-customers, who try to get together each month to swap stories, tell tales, show off images or share photo books we have.
One of us, Chris Grey (aka Chris Grayczyk), is a former customer, still working as a commercial photographer. Another, Steve Rouch is a former store manager still working as a wedding and portrait photographer.
This week Chris invited us to join him in photographing a young model, Viktory (yes, that is how she spells it), that Chris had once worked with previously. The fourth member of our Photo Oldies group, Pat Carney (who Paul and I both used to work with) was supposed to participate as well, but he had to cancel at the last minute.
We had a number of different lighting and background setups, and Viktory would shift from set to set, and from photographer to photographer. She wore outfits ranging from antique evening dresses to torn t-shirts, to absolutely nothing.
When Don announced the Leather theme for this week I knew I had a perfect opportunity to combine Viktory and a very old leather jacket that I own.
Nikon D4s, handheld. 105mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor lens (I would have used my 85mm but it is being serviced by Nikon). Lighting is via two Profoto strobes in the studio that Chris has. One is in a large softbox. The other is in a gridded beauty dish as a hair light. ISO 100, f/11 at 1/250th of a second (flash sync).
I asked Viktory to look very bored during the shots in the leather jacket. Bored, pissed, fierce, or whatever you want to call it, I wasn’t looking for a fashion model pose.
Paul-
The Minnesota Renaissance Festival is (I think) the third largest of its kind in United States. The site is located in Shakopee, MN and runs for seven weeks each year during August and September. On a whim, dare, and no small amount of friendly coercion I participated as a street performer there for three years (1984-86). 2016 marks its 46th anniversary.
On balance, it was one of the most enjoyable, taxing, unusual, and creatively challenging things I have ever done. (I could say that about one or two other activities as well, but this is a family show.)
When you’re in character as a 16th century townsperson, you don’t generally wear a lot of nylon or cotton/poly blends. Being faithful to the language, activates, and garb within that 1500’s timeframe is important in creating the illusion and entertainment. So, I grabbed most of the leather I wore or carried (sans my boots) and took a picture of them. The item I most wanted to appear, but I seem to have misplaced, was my leather “Jack.” This is a leather mug (traditionally sealed with pitch on the inside and wax on the outside) that can vary in size. It’s completely functional: I used it for three years and it never leaked.
The two leather purses were of immense help in carrying small props and contemporary items. I also had a leather satchel that I used from time to time. As for the staff, I told older visitors to the Festival that the leather I braided for my walking stick/quarter staff was a talisman to ward off wicked women of sinful intent…and that, regrettably, it worked.
Final note: A number of male performers also wore leather codpieces. I sort of drew the line there.
Whipping the picture in to shape: 18-55mm lens set at 18mm; aperture priority; +.3 EV; center-weighted metering; ISO 1250; 1/60 sec. at f/10. The camera’s flash (set to fill mode) was dialed down to -1.3 with a small strip of Nikon/Dollar Store translucent shower curtain placed in front of the flash. A bit of post-processing was done in Lightroom and PhotoScape.
The Minnesota Renaissance Festival is (I think) the third largest of its kind in United States. The site is located in Shakopee, MN and runs for seven weeks each year during August and September. On a whim, dare, and no small amount of friendly coercion I participated as a street performer there for three years (1984-86). 2016 marks its 46th anniversary.
On balance, it was one of the most enjoyable, taxing, unusual, and creatively challenging things I have ever done. (I could say that about one or two other activities as well, but this is a family show.)
When you’re in character as a 16th century townsperson, you don’t generally wear a lot of nylon or cotton/poly blends. Being faithful to the language, activates, and garb within that 1500’s timeframe is important in creating the illusion and entertainment. So, I grabbed most of the leather I wore or carried (sans my boots) and took a picture of them. The item I most wanted to appear, but I seem to have misplaced, was my leather “Jack.” This is a leather mug (traditionally sealed with pitch on the inside and wax on the outside) that can vary in size. It’s completely functional: I used it for three years and it never leaked.
The two leather purses were of immense help in carrying small props and contemporary items. I also had a leather satchel that I used from time to time. As for the staff, I told older visitors to the Festival that the leather I braided for my walking stick/quarter staff was a talisman to ward off wicked women of sinful intent…and that, regrettably, it worked.
Final note: A number of male performers also wore leather codpieces. I sort of drew the line there.
Whipping the picture in to shape: 18-55mm lens set at 18mm; aperture priority; +.3 EV; center-weighted metering; ISO 1250; 1/60 sec. at f/10. The camera’s flash (set to fill mode) was dialed down to -1.3 with a small strip of Nikon/Dollar Store translucent shower curtain placed in front of the flash. A bit of post-processing was done in Lightroom and PhotoScape.
Jerry-
My first idea (which was never attempted) was some sort of photo of my leather jacket with my ancient mini-bike. But I was distracted while on Facebook by a collection of photos of the not so happy inmates of insane asylums. It was one of those click-on things on the side of the screen that caught my attention. So, I attempted to recreate one of the photos using my leather jacket and yours truly as the model. Using myself in an unflattering pose seemed a good idea as I didn't want to diminish the self esteem of someone in the family (or pay for a model). My fun might negatively contribute to some one else's self image.
I composed the photo in the downstairs bathroom, lighting from the three big bulbs over the vanity mirror. I put a black background behind me and then tried several shots via the self timer. Composing the shot was kind of hit and miss, I could see the lcd in the vanity mirror and managed to come up with this one. Black and white seemed right to me. I used the pinch filter in Photoshop to increase my handsomeness. I experimented with other filters to make it grainy but decided the pinch and black & white was creepy enough.
Camera again was the Sony A6300 with 16-50 set to 16mm. Exposure was 1/6 @ f16, ISO 6400.
My first idea (which was never attempted) was some sort of photo of my leather jacket with my ancient mini-bike. But I was distracted while on Facebook by a collection of photos of the not so happy inmates of insane asylums. It was one of those click-on things on the side of the screen that caught my attention. So, I attempted to recreate one of the photos using my leather jacket and yours truly as the model. Using myself in an unflattering pose seemed a good idea as I didn't want to diminish the self esteem of someone in the family (or pay for a model). My fun might negatively contribute to some one else's self image.
I composed the photo in the downstairs bathroom, lighting from the three big bulbs over the vanity mirror. I put a black background behind me and then tried several shots via the self timer. Composing the shot was kind of hit and miss, I could see the lcd in the vanity mirror and managed to come up with this one. Black and white seemed right to me. I used the pinch filter in Photoshop to increase my handsomeness. I experimented with other filters to make it grainy but decided the pinch and black & white was creepy enough.
Camera again was the Sony A6300 with 16-50 set to 16mm. Exposure was 1/6 @ f16, ISO 6400.