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 [...]
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.
Nikon 70-200 VR II Review
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.
Dealing with Rights Grab Photo Releases
Given the recent comments on my concert photography article and the A Photo Editor blog regarding the Jane’s Addiction photo release, I thought the topic of rights grab contracts deserved some attention. The full text of the JA release and my overall strategy for dealing with these predatory documents after the jump.
How to Take the World's Best Concert Photos
July 13, 2009 – The wait is over. My concert photography article is now live over on the PhotoShelter blog. The article is part of their new LEARN series (a totally sick collection of business resources for photographers).
Thank you to everyone who submitted topics for the piece on my previous post and on twitter. Even [...]
Get creative with Flash Zoom
05.14.09 – Most external flash units like the Canon 580 EX and the Nikon SB-900 have the ability to move the flash head forward and backward effectively zooming the flash. In normal situations having a flash zoom setting that matches the focal length on your lens is ideal. (When the settings match, the flash spreads [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
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 – [...]
Chris Owyoung is a New York City based music photographer specializing in concert photography and band portraits. 