Dramatic Portrait of an Actor / Model - My Vision

Earlier in the week I had been photographing glassware using a portable table-top background cyclorama, similar to a Kaiser studio kit (but one I had built myself, using translucent plexiglass, and light from underneath with strobes). I asked Gerald, the model / actor, to step over to the table-top cyc, lean over and rest his arms on the table-top background. The effect was quite dramatic, and similar to what one might see in a theater production. (Click on any image for a larger view.)

This Kaiser portable table-top studio background is a small cyc (cyclorama) that you can buy for about $1300. I build one myself using a translucent white plexiglass sheet (about 3/16" thick and about 3 x 5 feet), and a 2x4" wooden frame (minus the attached lights you see in the photo below). I would then light the table from underneath using strobe lights. It was great for doing glassware photography.


Self-Learning Tip: Always look for the catch-lights in the eyes, and you can often figure out how a photographer light a subject. You could do something similar to this by using a light table, or a lightbox positioned below (and slightly camera left) and pointed upward.

Sidebar: Some time ago, a talent agency asked me to photograph some of their clients. They mainly wanted "head shots" for their talent books. Although the money they were offering to pay me wasn't that good, I saw it as an opportunity to experiment with people who were willing to try new things, and built portfolio images for both of us. Since some of these people had backgrounds in theater, they also had access to some interesting wardrobe pieces, which can really help liven a portrait. "Trading" talent has been a tool I've used over the years to increase my experience and build my photographic reputation. This image is part of a series that has resulted from these talent trades.

You can also view my Flickr Photostream to see more of "My Vision."

Peaceful Conclusion to a Summer Storm - My Vision

(Click on image for a larger view.)

This is my final and favorite image in this series about a fast-moving summer thunderstorm that rolled over the Grand Tetons two weeks.

I love the angry and brooding look of the clouds, yet there is a peace and calmness that is starting to settle in as the blue skies push away the blazing clouds.

There are four images in this series (scroll down to see the time line) that took a little over 35 minutes to come and go.

You can also view my Flickr Photostream to see more of "My Vision."

Hubbard Glacier Calving - My Vision

(Click on photos to see a larger image.)

The calving sequence only lasted a few seconds. A park ranger, standing nearby, told me it was the largest calving he had ever seen.

About the Glacier: Hubbard is the longest tidewater glacier in Alaska, and its open calving face is over ten kilometers (6 miles) wide. The face rises an average of about 200 meters (600 feet) above the water (Disenchantment Bay). The ice chuck that just fell and produced this splash was over 100 meters (300 feet) high, or the height of a 25-story building. The glacier routinely calves off icebergs the size of a ten-story building.

Photography Tip: There were hundreds of people on the deck of the cruise ship (almost all with cameras), but I don't think anyone got this sequence, or even the climax. Most people put their cameras away when it's raining (read more below). I've found that you have to concentrate your attention in one general direction, and ready your equipment. Little chunks of ice will usually start crumbling and falling just before a big 'berg is calved. As soon as you see any falling ice or splashes in the water, you need to quickly compose onto that area (it takes about 2-3 seconds for the cracking and splashing sounds to travel from the glacier to the ship). If you wait until you hear the crack or the splash, it's too late to position your camera and lens for the big one.

The Blue Color & the Rain: This is the actual color of the glacial ice (centuries of compression drive out the oxygen, changing the ice to this color). The color might be a little more saturated than normal, because it was raining (a constant, light drizzle). In fact, my Canon EOS 40D quit working after this calving sequence (I'd been out in the rain for two hours). It took about an hour with a hair dryer to get it working again! (The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens functioned flawlessly, because it has more weatherproofing seals -- should have used my Canon EOS 1Ds body because it also has more weatherproofing. ;-)

You can also view my Flickr Photostream to see more of "My Vision."