workshop view: Denver, CO
Denver was the start of the next series of workshops that I am presenting into the Fall of 2008, and I had to add a second date when the initial Denver workshop date sold out. This was my first visit to Denver, and I found it a beautiful city which offered easy opportunities for us to go out and practice flash photography techniques out on the street with our two models.
These two workshops were the first after I had revamped the material, basing it on the book that I had written on the subject of flash photography. (The manuscript is at the publishers at the moment.) These were also the first where I had restructured the workshop as a combination seminar presentation + practical sessions.
For me, the best part of the workshop is when the group goes out on the streets in the early evening, looking for settings in which to photograph our models. Then there’s the chance to try out the techniques covered in the morning’s seminar presentation.
Thank you to everyone who attended. I had a great time, and felt energised afterwards by your enthusiasm. And a big thank you to Andrea and Aaron, our two models.
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The image at the top was from the evening session, where we played with colour correction filters on our speedlights. We could then see the effect of using (or not using) gels on the speedlights had to (partly) correct for the artificial lighting on the streets.
Here is that topmost again, as well as a comparison image. Our models were lit by on-camera flash that was bounced off a shop wall.
The first image (left) has the flash gelled for Tungsten by using a full CTS gel on the flash. You will notice how the yellow/orange colour cast in the background scene is diminished by the filter (and using the camera on a Tungsten / Incandescent WB.) The use of this gel and then using the camera with that WB setting, turned the sky into a deep blue because of the resultant shift in colour balance.
The second image (right) was taken without a gel on the flash, and using Cloudy WB, and the difference in the background colours can clearly be seen. (Both images had the WB slightly touched up as part of the normal RAW workflow.)
[ click on the images to see a larger version ]
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When we came across this interesting alley, I had everyone try out an interesting challenge - to bounce the light from their on-camera speedlights such that it appeared as if the light was coming from someplace behind our models. This created a much more dramatic and moody effect than if we had bounced flash over our shoulders somewhere behind us.
The first image here was with flash. The next image is simply to show how much flash there really was in the first image, and how low the ambient light was for the chosen camera settings. (Note that I didn’t photoshop the image aside from some minor adjustments as part of my normal RAW workflow. For a final version of that image, I would’ve cloned out the distracting sign behind them.)
Antonio Correia Said,
August 14, 2008 @ 4:40 am
“… the book that I had written on the subject of flash photography. (The manuscript is at the publishers at the moment.) …”
We are all waiting for it !
:)
geoff Said,
August 14, 2008 @ 5:10 am
I accept the sky looks better witht he additional blue punch, and of course, the couple aren’t a sort of ‘flash blue’ in comaprison to the background…but i feel a little of the ambience has been lsot as the orange lighting in the background is a nice counter-point to the blue in the sky.
Would a 1/2 or 3/4 CTO have allowed more of the ambient orange lighting to come through once the white balance adjsutment had been made?
I ask because a couple of sunset shots i took of my wiofe beforehand were with bare flash and i used the cloudy setting (i think) to enhance the orange in the sunset.
of course, the colour balance (flash) then was off and it looked like I had photog’d my wife in front of a backdrop…so clearly i needed some sort of colour gel…but too much and then i would have lost a lot of the rich background.
i was thinking of balancing a 1/2 CTO and a coral pink together just to subtley balance the flash lighting better without losing too much of the background.
Linda Wang Said,
August 14, 2008 @ 10:30 am
Your book is going to fly off the shelves!!! Any idea when it will come out?
Neil Said,
August 14, 2008 @ 11:03 am
Harry Simpson Said,
August 14, 2008 @ 2:11 pm
Hi Neil,
The link to the ladies MM should be http://www.modelmayhem.com/AndreaFuller
- so do I get a free workshop now?! 
Went out and did some outdoor forest type ambient with flash shots today at lunch. I was shooting 40D ettl -3 direct on camera (430EX)
verses combo it is at this second
These evening shots I really need to try too!! Great stuff!
Harry
Neil Said,
August 14, 2008 @ 3:59 pm
Lucian Said,
August 14, 2008 @ 7:28 pm
I can’t wait for the book too, honestly.
Do let us know details (at the minimum, the name) of the book ASAP so that I can keep a watchout for it. =)
Neil Said,
August 14, 2008 @ 9:00 pm
Harry Simpson Said,
August 15, 2008 @ 8:00 am
In the first set of pics, how did you have the flash set - strait ahead with a stofen?
Neil Said,
August 15, 2008 @ 10:02 am
Scott Roeben Said,
August 15, 2008 @ 12:09 pm
Hello! Just discovered your great blog today! What an amazing resource. I’ve scoured the Web, but unfortunately there aren’t a lot of great sources of information about flash photography, which to me is the area of photography that presents the greatest challenges. I’ll be checking your blog daily for more insights, and I’ll be blabbing about your site to all my photographer friends. Great job, and keep up the wonderful work.
Scott Jones Said,
August 15, 2008 @ 5:20 pm
I am surprised that you speak about white balance settings when shooting in RAW because My understanding is that the setting makes no difference in RAW, only when shooting with jpegs when in camera processing is performed. Can youexplain?
I too am very intersted in your book.
Neil Said,
August 16, 2008 @ 4:06 am
Mark Mortensen Said,
August 17, 2008 @ 11:03 pm
Neil…
Incredible seminar/workshop! I enjoyed my time a lot and have walked away with a lot of worth while information. Thanks for opening up the second workshop or else I wouldn’t of been able to attend. I too have made a blog posting that you might enjoy. http://www.markmortensen.com/photoblog/?p=59
-mark
AAron Said,
August 18, 2008 @ 5:08 pm
hay Neil, had a lot of fun working with you for your denver workshop.. hope you had good trip home.
here are the links to my photography and modeling pages on MM..
http://www.modelmayhem.com/358460 photo
http://www.modelmayhem.com/359680 model
cheers,
AAron
Damian Brown Said,
August 18, 2008 @ 7:11 pm
That book MUST be published, I expect it will be the DEFINITIVE word on flash photography, bold statement but it’s how I feel.
Keep up the hard work Neil!
Andrea Said,
August 19, 2008 @ 1:46 pm
Thank you for allowing AAron and I to be a part of these workshops.
I had fun and learned a little bit about lighting.
If any of you need to use me as a model again, it would be my pleasure.
http://www.modelmayhem.com/AndreaFuller
http://www.modelmayhem.com/698230
Thank you.
Andrea
Eric Said,
August 25, 2008 @ 3:14 pm
Neil,
Thanks for everything. Your clear, concise presentation was a pleasure.
I came away with a working understanding that will enable me to grow
and develop.
All the best,
Eric
Neil Said,
August 27, 2008 @ 2:17 am
I received some wonderful feedback via Frances Marron’s blog. And it is even more of a compliment to receive such comments in the same breath as mention of the workshops and seminars by David Jay and Alt-F.