Okay, I ‘ll give you a hint. He’s at GPP in Dubai. He uses speed lights. And this is the 3rd time in this millennium he has worn long pants. Give up? Mystery man revealed here.
(I also went to his class on social media and if there is anybody on the planet who knows more about the role it is currently playing in our industry, I certainly don’t know them.)
Speaking of knowledgeable people in exotic places, my buds Eddie Soloway and Renie Haiduk are heading for Africa. Both are wonderful shooters and teachers. Eddie’s book, A Thousand Moons, is simply one of the most beautiful books I have ever held in my hands. Definitely check out his website, and Renie’s. Hit this link for info on the Africa trip……
Still in Dubai…..
Rolling along here. In classes last few days, not the desert. Had a seminar day yesterday, so wanted to show the gang the notion of doing a commercial looking, bright, open white background kind of shot that lots of clients love, ’cause it is in fact, bright, white, and they can load it up with logos and type. Also wanted to show you could do a shot like this with TTL small flash.
Cross lit the background, which means taking the right side lights and throwing them to the left and vice versa. Alessia, who is just terrific in front of the camera, is leaping up and basically into the light coming from a 3×3 Lastolite one stop diffuser panel, supported by a c-stand. And there’s a floor skip coming off a 3×6 silver panel laying on the floor, with one SB unit bounced straight down into it. Group A, B, C, all playing together well. We started real small in the seminar, showing options for one light, hot shoed to the camera, and then built scenarios up to this, with a bunch of SB units working together, not only to cover the set, but to give a pretty good recycle time at 1/250th @ 5.6.
And, in the “this just in category,” Syl Arena of the Pixsylated blog madness is the headliner over at sportsshooter.com. Seems somebody figured out Canon flashes:-)
Heading back stateside this weekend……more tk….
hmmmm, at first I thought she was kneeling, not jumping. You stopped her.
They are Wee knees.
Wish someone (ie me) had have figured out Canon flashes before the workshops in Malaysia. 🙂
Joe, I’ve got 4 900’s and thats not enough! I need one or two more. 10 years ago I would have thought that was the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.
Where’s numnuts?
Hi Joe,
Thanks for the post; worrying thing is thought that I didn’t need to click on the link to know who’s knees the first picture was showing…lol
Great info re the white seamless; especially using the silver reflective.
Enjoy the remaining time over in Dubai and if not before I, I’ll see you there next year.
All the best to you and yours,
Glyn
Wow Joe ! Imagine with a few speedlight and of course … good technique … can produce such awesome picture ! Keep it up ! 😀
Hi Joe,
I was wondering if there is a benefit to using small flash for these kinds of shots? I mean it’s still about a seven-thousand dollar setup there. Is it for compact travel benefit? Regular strobes would seem to be the way to go cost-wise for this shot (only need 2 or 3). I know someone could light just about anything with enough small flash (space telescope, etc) but most photogs carry one or two flashes.
I’m just curious if I’m missing something (other than a couple of brain cells so forgive me if it’s something really obvious) as I don’t use small flash, just a sh*t-ton of large strobes.
Cheers, -Matt
One…two…three…four…five…six…seven(!!??) SB-900s.
Wow.
I’ve been doing a ton of those shoots with my kids. They jump from my shoulder down on our bed. I use a remote trigger and angles. It’s something fun to do together 😉
I’m never really satisfied with them – the lag of context (just like your), from shadows or similar, makes it very, very important that they have a “jumping/flying” posture. So I try to keep a bit of a shadow, like these two:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tcdk/3900424779/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tcdk/3901409540/
(shot with three small flashs)
BTW: I was at the Strobist seminar in London December 2008. It was cold. He was in shorts.
Hi Joe,did you have to add black flags on either side of the model
to stop flare from the bg? We’ve been doing a similar set up at
college in the studio with elinchrom lights, then using shots in Photoshop class for pentool practice.
Thats a lot of SB900s, wouldn’t have been easier to use a couple of big studio flashes?
Hmm…
Could they be St David HoBEES KNEES?
(Sorry I couldn’t resist…)
Very jealous of all the folks at GPP
He didn’t figure out Canon flashes 🙂 He used RadioPoppers.
Some interesting articles there. Thanks.
Thanks for posting this one! The info on doing white BG shots with Speedlights is going to be very useful! I’ve messed around with this before but could never get it quite right – I guess because was using 4 Speedlights instead of 7!
I’ll have to see about borrowing some, as I’d really like to give this a try.
Hey Gang….yep, using some bigger flashes would certainly work, and would perhaps be easier, and also more cost efficient. thing was, the teaching I was doing that day involved small flash. That’s what the audience was interested in exploring, so we stuck with it, and started with one hot shoe flash attached to the camera and just built a bunch of solutions from there.
leslie, surprisingly, we didn’t need any black flags or cutters. I was worried about flare when we started, but it wasn’t a problem. Did put some gaffer tape on the camera side of the dome diffusers to play it safe….Best, Joe
Hi there,
Yeah, it wasn’t too hard to guess the owner of the knees… :-)))
But one thing is missing in your diagram – the numnuts. WHere’s he?!?
Enjoyed this post as any other on your blog. Keep up the good work, Joe!
Me likey! I just got a 3×3 lastolite panel to couple with my quadra set – feeling good to put it through it’s paces and this is the kind of inspiration I need!
Greg, I thought the same thing.
Joe, are you at least getting a free room for product placement? Thanks for the tip.
Hey Joe… never seen a whole pic of David in big boy britches.
btw… did you forgot to put where numnuts was in the drawing? That’s the fun part.. where in the world is numnuts.. a new blog game!
tailwinds~
Mike
Joe’s there…
David Hobbit is there in PANTS (what! that venue must have a dress code, or was it the rain?!
and where’s Zack with “ONE” LIGHT!
and here is Syl in action with his own Trident-o-speedlights!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sundevilstormin/4286397343/
Hey Joe – where is Numnutz in the diagram?
Waiting for you in Santa Fe for DLWS.
Bring your coat. It’s cold here.
I was in that seminar and I, together with other participants, was totally blown away. Joe, where’s that picture you took where the other model (sorry, forgot her name) sat on the auditorium’s stairs and you lit her up so beautifully WE blurted “WOW!!!” in perfect unison? It was an amazing, amazing experience. I think I learned more in that 4 hours you spent talking to us than in my 2 years of reading, practicing, attending other workshops, etc. Thank you for your time here in Dubai/GPP. I hope we see you again next year. You’re my hero.
Thanks Joe for the setup. Very helpful.
That photograph looks wonderful.
I didn’t know David Hobby owned pants… he had to rent them, didn’t he?
Damn…. we was at the same time in Dubai:-)))))
I was teaching there a clas sin photography and photoshop.
But have to leave Dubai on March 3rd
Maybe i will get another Chance to meet you
Kepp on going Joe
lg Calvin
Hi Joe,
I had a great time at GPP this year! Definitely worth coming all the way from India. Will definitely register in advance next time for your bootcamp as this year the seats were full.. but I really enjoyed your lighting seminar where you took that shot of Alessia.. She’s a wonderful dancer.
Don’t forget to check out the awesome shots of mine David Hobby clicked in his ‘Lighting In Layers’ class.. he just nuked me with 8 flashes from all sides and it was just mind-blowing! But more fun would be to see him wearing long pants, which I definitely missed 🙂
See you next year.
Vineet
lol @ the reference to Hobby always wearing shorts 😛
I did a similar ‘hot white’ shoot a couple of weeks ago, and I lit the white seamless in the same way…although perhaps last decade’s version. Three SB-28s (because that’s all I had) set at 1/2 power, and a Metz Mecablitz 60 set at something less than 1/2 power. Upper and lower, cross lit, just like you’re doing. So it’s definitely doable with low-power strobes.
I saved the Alien Bees for the main light and fill.
And I see I’m not the only one who immediately thought “David Hobby” when seeing those legs.
your ideas are very special,I support you.I think you must be a clever man.so i want to know you.
hi,fantastic pants in your post,I love that beautiful pants,I need to find one for me,bill
wa,I thought it was enjoyable at best.Very good have nothing to say.