"Hey, I was just wondering if would take a picture of me, for the yearbook? I have this idea..."
And that's where it started.
After one shoot, it became two, and then several bookings followed after that. I knew this was to be a busy week.So over the next few days, weeks, months (probably), I will reveal the secrets behind each of the photoshoots I did in a new set of "How Was It Done?" articles.
So now, a primer.
Lets go over my gear first. I shoot with a Pentax *ist DS, the kit 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 lens, and the Tamron 70-300 f/4-5.6 lens. For the strobist gear, I have a Metz 50 AF-1, Cactus V4 flash triggers, an umbrella (and bracket), and a bunch of DIY bounce cards, snoots, etc. I'm proof that its possible to make awesome photos despite the gear you shoot with. (Softbox made from a pie box and some printer paper, anyone?)
If you haven't already done so, visit the Strobist blog to get some heads up info on shooting with manual, off camera flash as the yearbook shoots which i did were primarily strobist style. Additionally, visit DIYPhotography.net to learn about some DIY strobist gear you could make with just a few bits of cardboard and lots of duct tape.
This yearbook was my first set of large-scale strobist shoots. The only other strobist shoot i had done was the commercial type photo of a Remy Martin VSOP Cognac bottle. Additionally, this was a chance for me to build a portrait portfolio without having to pay for models, and subsequently meant I didnt make any money off of it either. But this is a critical part of photography, building a portfolio, especially for portraits. Start with some close friends and work your way up. Soon, you may even get some paying clients!
As a well practiced photographer, i tend to be very technical, so in order to understand the lingo, make sure to brush up on some key photographic terms (such as aperture, f-stop, shutter speed, ISO, etc.). I will be writing the following articles as if i was talking to another well-practiced photographer.
The first behind the scenes of the photoshoots will be coming up soon. So stay tuned...
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My DeviantArt Page
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