Inspiration from Austin Walsh

Every so often I come across something that gives me the immediate and overwhelming urge to drop what I’m doing, grab my gear and create something awesome. I had this feeling today after watching this video by Austin Walsh. The piece is a great example for still photographers who are looking to dive into motion (you might not know if from watching, but Austin is a Kansas City commercial photographer not a film maker) and a reminder that following your passions can lead to amazing projects with high potential for more business.

The video was not client commission but a personal undertaking of Austin’s ahead of his presentation at a two-day photography workshop hosted by Kansas City photography retailer Digital Labrador. For more background on the video and the workshop, check out this event post-mortem by the PhotoShelter crew.

If you love this as much as I do, please share it, give a shoutout to Austin on Twitter, and check out his blog for more inspiration.

If you’ve come across something that has instantly inspired you, please share it with me in the comments or @chrisowyoung on twitter.

DIY Beauty Dish Video Tutorial

At long last – the video Todd and I shot while building the Mark II edition of the “Chinatown Special,” is up. Here’s the 4 minute walk-through of how to make what Todd and I think is the best DIY beauty dish around.

For the full 10-step instructions, more photos of the design, and the complete parts list, check out the full write-up for this DIY beauty dish design.

For a sample portrait and catch light detail using the Chinatown Special, check out this example. Also, stay tuned for a full write-up about using the CS “on the ground” from my promo shoot with the My Silent Bravery.

The Best Ways to add photos to your WordPress Blog

Since most photographers I know want to spend as much time shooting as possible and as little time on everything else, I’ve put together this overview of some of the fastest and most beneficial ways to get your photos into your wordpress blog. Continue reading →

Nikon 70-200 VR II Review

New Nikon 70-200mm VR II

I’ve used the new Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II for a couple of weeks now and so far, I’m impressed with the results. My short review complete with 100% crops at super slow shutter speeds after the jump. Continue reading →

Actual Band vs. Touring Band

When shooting a live show on assignment, it’s important to go in knowing who the principle band members are and whether or not they perform with a larger ensemble when touring. While it’s good to photograph as many of the artists as possible, it’s probably more important to your editors that you focus on the main band members. Keep tabs on the health of the band beforehand so that you’re not surprised by substitutions to the lineup due to injury or illness.

A note about Photography Contests

Photography contests with big sponsors, celebrity judges and attractive prizes may sound good, but beware the fine print. Theses contests are often nothing more than an easy way for the sponsoring companies to raise a lot of money and gain rights to your work for free.

At $20 a photo, the entry fees for only 1,500 images would be $30,000 – a profit margin that exceeds your average lottery ticket with far less return the winner even after any expenses are deducted. Speaking of expenses, it gets worse.

These contests often contain small print that gives the sponsoring company rights to perpetually publish, modify and even sell your work as their own without compensation or consent. Licensing fees for this type of use would normally cost a corporation thousands of dollars per image. Photographers beware.

Gaffers Tape – Your Best Friend

Ever pulled a lens out of your bag and accidently turn off something vital like AF or IS/VR? Keep that from happening by putting a piece of gaffers tape over the AF and VR switches. The tape will keep you from accidently screwing up your settings when changing lenses. Gaffers tape is better than other types because it’s  non-marking and resealing which means you can peel it back and replace it when you need to turn off AF or VR.

No Flash Websites

A recent survey that included photo editors and art directors from various publications showed that an overwhelming majority of image buyers hate landing on flash homepages. These people are there for one purpose only, to look at your photos. Don’t make them wait. Keep things simple.

Isolate You Subjects

When shooting crowded events or tightly packed performers, it’s all the more important to isolate your subjects by throwing the background out of focus.

When shooting with primes, remember to use wide apertures. Wide apertures = shallow depth of field = more background blur.

When shooting with zooms use wide apertures and remember to zoom in as far as you can without excluding the important elements. Shooting at longer focal lengths = shallow depth of field = more background blur.

If more depth of field is needed shoot at wide angles with smaller apertures.

SHOOT MORE!

Looking over images of a recent event I shot, I noticed that the second or third image I took of a group of people was often the best. I was shooting with flash in a dimly lit event space and it seems that by the second or third consecutive photo, people’s eyes are open and their expressions are more natural.

If you’re going to try this technique set your camera’s frame rate to 5 FPS or lower and be sure to have good batteries in your flash!

My friend and top music photographer Ryan Muir also mentioned that “another good reason for using burst mode when shooting (in low light without flash) is that in a series of 3 or 4 shots, the later exposures will have less evidence of camera shake as your grip stabilizes after depressing the shutter button. This is also true when taking long hand-held night exposures.”

THE REAL VALUE OF CAMERA FEATURES

When considering upgrading your dSLR beware the marketing hype. Sure, big jumps in megapixels and long lists of new features may sound nice, but might be accompanied by lower image quality and a lack of features that matter specifically to you. Examine your photographic style and pick the camera that will compliment it best. It might not be the newest one or the most expensive.

Take Great Photos

Images can be good because they are technically well executed. They can also be good because they tell a story. Great photos often do both. For concert photography, this means that you need to think about capturing your subject in the most compelling composition and the most compelling moment in addition to worrying about exposure.  I’ve found it useful to practice timing, exposure, subject matter, and composition separately before putting them all together.

Finding Press Contacts

If you’ve done an exhaustive google search and still can’t find the proper contact, pick up the phone! Call the artist’s management or record label and ask them for direction.

Using P&S Cameras In Low Light

USING P&S CAMERAS IN LOW LIGHT
Point & Shoot cameras usually struggle in low light because the camera cannot let enough light in to properly expose the image without a long shutter speed. The result is usually a blurry mess. Even though your P&S camera won’t ever be as good as an SRL, the following points will generally help your low light shooting.

1) Don’t zoom in. Take all of your photos at the widest angle possible. If you want your subject to take up more of the frame, move closer instead. P&S cameras are usually best at the widest perspective the lens is capable of.

2) Tell the camera what you’re trying to do. If “night mode” is available, use it.

3) Increase the ISO or “sensitivity” of the cameras sensor. Try using ISO 400 to start.

Folding Stools (Stuff Chris uses)

Being a person of small stature, I’ve found it useful to carry a small folding stool with me any time a little extra height might come in handy. There are many options out there but I’ve found the “turtle” folding step-stool to be the best of the bunch. Turtles come in a variety of sizes for roughly $20. Check your local hardware store or click here.

Format Your Cards

It’s important to format your cards two different ways at two different times. #1) I generally format my cards before leaving my apartment for a gig. This gives me the opportunity to make sure I’ve downloaded all of the shots on the card before deleting them and makes sure I don’t run out of space while shooting. #2) I periodically do a low-level format of all of my cards on my desktop computer immediately followed by formatting the card in my camera. This wards off write errors on the card by making sure the memory is completely clean.

Do Your Homework

It literally pays to know what you’re getting into on any kind of photographic shoot. Whether you’ve got a noon wedding or a midnight concert, it helps to know as much as you can about the situation on the ground. Call the venue, ask the publicist, look at old photos, video – anything that will put you in the know. In the immortal words of G.I Joe, “And knowing is half the battle!”

Buy Good Glass

It should be a goal of every serious photographer to invest in good lenses before selling the farm for latest and greatest camera body. Good lenses hold their value extremely well and their ergonomic and optical performance is usually well above cheaper models. With precious few exceptions, I recommend buying lenses of the same brand as your camera body. The optical quality of your photos is only as good as the glass you use. What’s the point of buying a $3,000 camera if you put an $350 zoom lens on the front? I could go on and on.

If anything else, it’s nice to know that you can send your entire system in for testing and cleaning in case something goes wrong. If you have problems with third party lenses, the camera manufacturer and lens manufacturer may blame each other for the problems you’re having.

Rules of the Pit

Here are some of the general guidelines I follow when shooting in the pit:

1) Take up as little space as possible. This means traveling light and being conscious of your equipment. The less space I take up the more space is available for me to move and other photographers to move around me. It’s not another photographer’s fault for bumping me if my bag and jacket are taking up too much space for them to get by.

2) Use the courtesy tap. If you need to get by a member of security or another photographer, simply tap them on the shoulder to let them know you’re coming by instead of barreling through them.

3) Don’t leave your gear unattended. Security is not there to watch your stuff, don’t assume that they will babsit your $1500 lens. If you have to leave your bag somewhere, make sure there is no easy access. I’ve seen photogaphers lose lenses and laptops containing thousands of shots.

4) Be nice to fans. They paid to get in. They waited in line for hours. They will be your best friends or worst enemies all depending on your behavior.

5) Listen to security.

Cover Your Ass

If and when a job does go poorly, your editor should be the first to know when the poop starts flying. Don’t call your boyfriend, don’t call your mom. Call your editor first and tell her exactly what’s going down. It’s all about covering your ass and letting your editor cover hers. If something prevented you from completing your assignment you should give your editor as much time as possible to fix the situation or find replacement content. Your editor will appreciate it!

Be Reliable

Following up on the previous tip. Given that concert photography isn’t a talent show, important jobs often fall to the photographer who is easiest to work with, predictable, and most reliable. Think of it this way – every time an editor sends you out on an assignment, they are sending you to represent their publication. Whether you’re shooting for a local website or a national mag if you screw up and piss people off, it reflects poorly on your publication. Music photography is a very small world. It only takes a few bad experiences with the right people to tarnish your reputation.

Be Professional

Be polite. Be professional. This may come as a surprise, but the photography business is not a talent show. No matter how good you are, if you’re unreliable, difficult to work with and a jerk, the fans will hate you, other photographers will shun you and no one will hire you.

Be polite to fans - Even though you’ve got a job to do, you must respect that people paid to see the show. How would you feel if you’d spent $50 and 4 hours in line to get to the front only to have some douchebag with huge camera force you out of the way because “he’s got a job to do.”

Be polite to other photographers – Although you’re competing for the same shots, it doesn’t mean you can’t all get along. Keep your gear under control and the hail mary’s to a minimum (holding the camera above your head and flashing the bejesus out of the people on stage doesn’t take talent and only pisses everyone off).

Keep in mind that the people sharing the pit with you could be in a position to hire you or refer you to future assignments -  you could be sharing the pit with a photo editor or a photographer who will give you your next big gig.

I recently gave a major assignment to another photographer becuase I was already booked. Why did I choose her out of all the people I know? Because she is polite and professional in addition to having the talent to deliver.