LENS HOOD

THE GREAT PORTRAIT SERIES-0003...SETUP

2008-07-09T12:31:00.003+03:00

So the first thing i wanted to avoid,was to throw direct light on the baby.....

The setup is pretty simple....

I mounted a canon 580 EX II on a tripod, and raise it hight enough to the ceiling...

This was a small baby and the poses where simple...always on a hug or on the sofa..so the light would come from the top and fill with soft light this little angel.....

Here is the setup shot...

simple..true simple.....

I used a Canon EOS 5D with ST-E2 transmitter for triggering the 580.

The ISO was set to 400 since i had only one light.

A canon EF 70-200 F:2.8 was used

The white balance was set to Auto..and it worked pretty well..

The 580 was in manual mode at 1/16 of power (Maxa Powerex batteries where used)

F:7,1 t:1/40...pretty risky if you thing that this angel couldn't stand still..

I chose RAW file and shot about 250 frames.

THE GREAT PORTRAIT SERIES-0003

2008-07-09T11:56:00.008+03:00

One of the thing i like beeing a photographer, is that everyday you might see,or learn something new.The joy gets double,when you have the opportunity to play with them...and shoot them.

So i was sitting in my office, when suddenly the phone rung...

It was George...George & Maria.......i was lucky enough to shoot at thei wedding a couple of months ago.....

He says to me..."Can you come to our house?....we have a new member..and we want you to shoot it.."

So,we scheduled the day...and that was it........

But he didn't prepared me for what i was going to see..

Until now,there are no words left to describe this beauty.......

She is only........10 days old....yes..10 days.......and it's the first time in my life i see this wonder of life....so early........

She is perfect......she is magic.......and she is small...believe me......

SUMMER STORM

2008-07-09T11:44:00.004+03:00

The storm was on her way.....i had to shoot it..!

SETUP:Canon Eos 20D mounted on a tripod triggered with Canon TC 80N3

B mode

sigma 17-70cm lens F:2.8

RAW file in AWB

BABY STORIES vol.1

2008-07-09T11:21:00.003+03:00

Isn't she a beauty?..or what?....

This is little Kostantina........she is 8 months old....and she is amazing....

I was booked to shoot at her baptism and create the invitation cards....this is actually a composition with the main theme from the cards...though it is not the final version....

During the shooting,she was amazing...she was more co-operative than a professional model...

Thank you Kostantina for this wonderful experience...

SETUP: speedlight 580 EX II mounted on a tripod to her left,reflected of the white ceiling

speedlight 580 EX mounted on camera

both flashes on manual mode,triggered with ST-E2 transmitter

EOS 5D in RAW mode with AWB

canon 70-200 f:2.8

WEDDING STORIES vol.1

2008-07-09T11:00:00.003+03:00

Maria & Stelios....or Stelios & Maria if you like....whatever...

A nice young couple...they joined with the bonds of....together..forever.....in other words..they got married..!!

Actually Maria is my aunt....yes i know...she is not too older than me....well you see,her mother when she...or my grandmother and...nevermind..

The fact is that Maria is my aunt...and Stelios..well..he is my new uncle...

So,i wish to them all the best from the bottom of my heart....i hope that this love and this sweetness on their faces,will last for the rest of their lives...

Thank you for letting me be part of your happiness,by shooting at your wedding....

i had a great time....

THE GREAT PORTRAIT SERIES-0002 SETUP

2008-04-04T10:15:00.003+03:00

This is the setup photo from little Jim's shot..

Yes, this is my living room....

I used a piece of white fabric stretced to my DIY backround holder, for the backround.

Three lights were used.

1) Canon 550EX behind the white fabric, mounted on a small tripod.

Manual mode, 1/4 power.

I wanted to blow out the fabric, so i can have a clear white backround, and smooth backlight.Like an enormous softbox.

2) Canon 580EX mounted on a tripod, to the camera's left, reflected of the white ceiling, so i can have uniform light on the whole subject.
Manual mode, 1/2 power.

3) Canon 580EX II, mounted on a tripod to the camera's right, shot through a white 32" umbrella.
Since little Jim was playing with his head, i placed this flash for fill in his face, so i don't get shadows under his little eyes.
Manual mode, 1/4 power.

The power for the three strobes came from three sets of the MAXA POWEREX rechargable batteries (see previous post). I have to report that i was shooting for about 45' (160 photos) and the power was the same, without waiting for the strobes to load.At least i didn't feel it.Nothing bothered me.

Camera: Canon Eos 5D, manual mode, AWB, 1/160, f:9, shooting on RAW at ISO 200
Lens: Canon 70-200mm L, f:2.8

The strobes were triggered with the Canon ST-E2 transmitter.

Post Process:Photoshop CS3 (Camera RAW) including Levels, Curves, Cloning the fabric to match with the foreground, Blur, and the final B/W conversion.

Have a great weekend..

THE GREAT PORTRAIT SERIES-0002

2008-04-04T09:28:00.008+03:00

Yes, i know..it's been a while...but you know...i've been busy...(almost a classic excuse)..!

So this is little Jim.Isn't he cute?Normally i don't get to excited with babies, but it seems that this little fellow had me from the beginning..!

He is 9 months old and this is the reason he exists........

Joanna and Kostas, aka "the usurer"....

I had a great time shooting at their wedding a few months ago, and now it was time for little Jim..Like his parents, he didn't cry, we played with him, he played with us and...."Like his parents??"..

Anyway, we had scheduled this shot for his baptism invitations cards...and here are some photos, from the day..

I will post the final version of the invitation in a few days, along with some post process info.

Right now we are waiting for Joanna to announce her final decision..

Thank you Jim for this wonderful experience..

"The Great Product Series"....0001

2008-03-02T14:04:00.005+02:00

This is my first product shot and you can see and feel this in the photo..

I used three strobes.

1)canon 580 EX mounted on a boom arm above the kit with white umbrella 32".

MANUAL MODE, 1/32 power and the white card of the strobe was exctended.

2)canon 550 EX to the left of the camera, mouned on a tripod with white 32" umbrella.

Again MANUAL MODE, 1/32 power.

3) canon 580 EX II under the kit.The kit whas relaxing on a piece of white plexiglass, so i lighted throug the plexiglass.

MANUAL MODE, 1/32 power.

Here is the setup shot.

As you can see from the first shot (the shadow on the left), i didn't calculate chair's arm whright.

A canon EOS5D whas used and the strobes triggered with the ST-E2 transmitter.

ISO 200, 1/160 F:6.3, AWB and i shot in RAW.

LENS:Sigma DG 24-70mm f:2.8

The files where cropped in Photoshop and i just applied an unsharped Mask.

I bet that you can achieve this shot with less equipment.

I was to excited i guess, and i wanted to use all of my equipment.

"Come on baby light my Fire...MAHA POWEREX KIT"

2008-03-02T12:25:00.004+02:00

I first saw this brand of rechargable batteries on Grand Master's of camera light

(less gear,more brain,better light) aka Strobist,David Hobby's blog.

These are the new Maha Powerex NiMH 2700mAh AA rechargable batteries with their MH-C800S Eight Cell Smart Charger .

"The Kit"

The kit comes with this digital eight cell smart charger and eight batteries.

Power supply unit DIN connector included.

"Features"

Eight indepented Slots for AA or AAA batteries

LCD display

Recharges in 1-2 hours (default Mode)

Deep Cycle Conditioning

Selectable Speed

Worldwide Power Supply

12 months guarantee

"Operation"

You have three choices.

1)Rapid Charge Mode (default)

You just plug the adapter into a compatible outlet and in about 1-2 hours the batteries are ready.

2)Soft Charging Mode

This is the right button from the photo and this is where this baby comes.

The manufacturers say that this charger has the latest and most accurate microchip, so in other words this charger will charge the batteries until 0,001V.That means every cell of the batterie.

So this is the mode that can succeed this.The rechargable time changes to 2-4 hours.

3)Conditioning Mode

This is a special mode (left button) witch rejuvenates and cycles the batteries.Applies a special initial charge, discharge and recharge cycle which can restore battery performance.

Requires up to 16 hours to complete and the manufactures recommended that you must do this

every ten normal charges so that the performance of the batteries can be ensured.

"LCD screen"

You can see here just about anything.

Initial charging, discharging, standby for recharging or recharging, finished, witch mode do you use.

Are they good?Do they last?..Well..I don't know..I just bought them.I guess we will just have to wait and see.

I bought the kit with 8 extra batteries from Athens for 130euros, but i bet that people from other countries than Greece can find them much cheaper.

"Come on Baby Light My Fire"....(the Doors)

2008-02-27T10:22:00.003+02:00

I am totally excited this week.It is from those weeks that you have been waiting the hole year.
It's an EQUIPMENT week..yeah baby..that's right!

Ingredients?
You take out the badget from the freezer, you put some notes, you do some research, again you take some notes (very important part of the recipe), you make some calls and....here it is..

Ready for shipping!

Here is the list:

1) Canon EF 70-200mm f:2.8 USM
2) Canon Speedlight 580II Flash
3) Sandisck Extreme IV 4GB
4) Hoya Protector Pro1 Digital 77mm
5) Lowepro TopLoader 70AW
6) InterFit INT 232 5 in 1 Reflector 32"(82cm)
7) MH-C800S Eight Cell Smart Charger
8) 2700mAh NiMH Rechargeable AA Batteries 4pc Pack w/ Carrying Case

That's it..(for now!)
I am just sitting here and waiting..i mean..what else can you do?

So you can just follow the links or wait for my product shots and reviews..
Have a nice week.

THE GREAT PORTRAIT SERIES-0001

2008-02-18T11:52:00.005+02:00

So, i had just received my first lighting kit (2 Impact Umbrellas 32" white with removable black backing, 2 hot shoe brackets, 2 Impact Air Cushioned Lightstands)..you can check out the hole kit here .Oh, and a Bogen/Manfrotto Mini Boom Kit..
I was so excited, my arms were shaking, my heart was beating fast......

I unpacked them and i just place them in the Living Room!!..for more than an hour..or a day..

For two days, i had the lightstand with the umbrellas and the brackets attached, sitting in my living room..without having any specific reason...(it's a kind of freak, isn't it?)...until..

The phone rung..It was my best buddie Chris (he is an excellent cabinet-maker by the way).
I had ordered him a wooden frame for use as a backdrop holder..and it was ready..

So, this is it...Chris was my first victim....Hey...i had to test my stuff somehow..!

I tortured him for about an hour and a half..this is the final result..

The setup is pretty simple..Canon Speedlight 580EX with white umbrella left and above Chris.Canon Speedlight 550EX behind him.Black fabric for backround.

A canon 5D whas used and the strobes were triggered with canon's ST-E2 transmitter.

Post Process? I removed the blemishes and i smoothed the skin.And i fixed the white ballance to.

This is a light diagram from the shot..

(Thank's to KEVIN KERTZ for his beautiful light diagram.Check him out here)

P.S-The result of the blue hue in the backround, is because of some light spill into the black fabric and a light blue cap in the 550EX)

2008-Let's Dance..!!

2008-02-12T12:41:00.001+02:00

So,here we are...a new year, with new promises (mostly to ourselves), new challenges and a lot of mood for photography and digital art....
So as i promise to myself, i will involve in photography with much more effectiveness than past years..I will try...I will learn...I will shoot...I will study....mpla..mpla..mpla..

So this is a blog with double purpose..

First, it's like my on-line gallery.I love my pictures and i want to share them with people who are interested about my perception...

Second.News, tips, behind the scenes , books, sites, blogs, artists, and much more.The things i try to find and learn through the internet and stuff from my experience.

So, as a starter in Blogs and on-line things, everyday (if this is possible!!) i will try to improve this blog, until it reaches the final acceptable interface...

Until then you have to do two things....

1-Excuse my terrible English and try to understand what i am writing here..!!
2-Visit my on-line gallery....................here

Thank you..
(Dimitra stop criticize my English)!