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Another Santa Fe Week…

16 Comments

Finishing up a week long lighting class. I’m only teaching one more week of lighting for the rest of this year, in St. Lucia. One of the biggest reasons I return to Santa Fe is re-connecting with the model community down here, many of whom have become my dear friends over the years. Deidre, who I once described as a “one woman Cirque du Soleil,” and I have worked together for about nine years. I’m writing a story in my new book called “Working with D.” It’s really about building trust, and the collaboration of imagination. So, when I ask her if she has any crazy fashion duds with her (she always does) and would she mind climbing up on an industrial strength boiler in an abandoned electrical plant, she simply says “Yes!”

Lighting here is simple stuff. Almost all the gear was out in the field with the lighting teams, so I built a soft box out of a big umbrella and a Lastolite 6×6 diffuser. Fill is two SB-900 units banged off a silver reflector on the ground. She did the hard part.

Earlier in the week I showed the class a bit about putting lights far away, and up close. An Elinchrom Ranger is out in the parking lot, and that in turn is driving two units up front, a deep Octa, and an SB-900 in a ring flash. The light outside is gelled warm, and we just played with the power on the inside lights. I keep changing the ratio virtually every frame, just to show the class how small, incremental power shifts, along with juggling shutter speed and f-stops can have powerful effects on the feel of the photo. Almost never shoot more than one frame of any combo, so the dozen frames I shoot end up being a bit of a mess, but Yvette saved the day here with a beautiful expression.

More tk…

Comments

  1. Kyle jerichow says

    That ranger does some amazing stuff, coming through the windows it looks just like a harsh afternoon sun.

  2. Andor says

    Yes, if you don’t mention, i was to believe that’s just ambient sun from outside…
    Great one anyway, indeed beautiful expression.

  5. Damien Jemison says

    I love the shot of Yvette. What a difference a week makes, huh? I’d love to join you one year down in Sante Fe, seems like a much more personal and hands-on experience than PSW or a packed seminar.

  6. Craig says

    Joe, I sure do enjoy your work. On this bloc, I wish you would occasionally do one of your sketches showing the subject, light locations, and of course, numnets’s location. They really help me understand your thinking. I’m an amateur and have been shooting since 1964, and am still learning everyday.

  9. barbara says

    As always, your work is amazing…hard to believe you would ever find a need to delete an image.

  10. Kent says

    That shot of Yvette is beautiful! I too thought that was ambient coming from the windows. Amazing balance between that, the key and fill.

  11. Paco & Stephen at the airport says

    Thank you for the week Joe, the locations, the models, the assistants an you have all made this one an unforgetable week. I can´t wait to see that shot of D published.

    We will be back on your classroom soon…

    Paco & Stephen (and I am sure Dasha, Katjia, Justin, Mark…. and the gang)

  14. John A. says

    I love both of these compositions …and can’t wait til you finish your next book!

    However, forgive me for sounding stupid, but in the first portrait of the model on the boiler, it almost looks like there is a grid spot on her face. I’m a bit confused by your description of how you lit her, how did you achieve that spot of light? Was it the reflected light by the SB-900s giving that focused light?

  16. Kajsa says

    It was awesome Joe. I’m sure the team will sign up for the superduperadvanced class 😉
    Be sure to claim your beer in Holland end of the year!

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joemcnallyphoto

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Professional Photographer. Director. Author. Nikon USA Ambassador.

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Sep 7

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The ever striking muse @nwilmshurstx locks onto the camera. Classic beauty combo of an overhead light with a low fill. No background light, as she is only about eight feet in front of one of the @manfrottoimaginemore collapsible backdrops, which are super handy when using someone’s living room as a location - which is the case here! Over-under light, and add a lovely subject! Natalie is currently a highlighted performer at the @royalpalacekirrwiller in Kirrwiller, France. Looks like a spectacular show! #saturdaymorning #picoftheday #portraitphotography #nikonambassador #nikonpro #nikond850

The ever striking muse @nwilmshurstx locks onto the camera. Classic beauty combo of an overhead light with a low fill. No background light, as she is only about eight feet in front of one of the @manfrottoimaginemore collapsible backdrops, which are super handy when using someone’s living room as a location - which is the case here! Over-under light, and add a lovely subject! Natalie is currently a highlighted performer at the @royalpalacekirrwiller in Kirrwiller, France. Looks like a spectacular show!

#saturdaymorning #picoftheday #portraitphotography #nikonambassador #nikonpro #nikond850 ...

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joemcnallyphoto

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Sep 5

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One small light through a window! A Speedlight, as a matter fact. Remember those? Handy, versatile, and highly evolved. The one flash is gelled CTO and placed out in the parking lot. I actually triggered it line of sight, so this pic is definitely from the old school of technology. Wonderful model, carefully placed so the striped highlights through the blinds hit across her eyes. Rest of the photo is just available pool hall light, with some assistance from a smoke machine. Shot with the Nikon D3X, which was a heckuva good camera, and aperture priority with underexposure dialed into the camera. The flash has no diffusion and is zoomed tight to retain the edge and hardness of the light. So much fun to play with light at a location like this! #throwbackthursday #thursdayvibes #thursdaythoughts #portraitphotography #picoftheday #nikonambassador #nikonpro #nikond3x

One small light through a window! A Speedlight, as a matter fact. Remember those? Handy, versatile, and highly evolved. The one flash is gelled CTO and placed out in the parking lot. I actually triggered it line of sight, so this pic is definitely from the old school of technology. Wonderful model, carefully placed so the striped highlights through the blinds hit across her eyes. Rest of the photo is just available pool hall light, with some assistance from a smoke machine. Shot with the Nikon D3X, which was a heckuva good camera, and aperture priority with underexposure dialed into the camera. The flash has no diffusion and is zoomed tight to retain the edge and hardness of the light. So much fun to play with light at a location like this!

#throwbackthursday #thursdayvibes #thursdaythoughts #portraitphotography #picoftheday #nikonambassador #nikonpro #nikond3x ...

2466 61

joemcnallyphoto

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Sep 2

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The Labor Day Weekend symbolizes the end of the summer, and our yearly, necessary, honorable celebration of work. On this Labor Day, I remember going underground with some of the hardest working folks I’ve ever been privileged to point a lens at—the legendary NY Sandhogs. I’ve always been compelled to photograph labor. Work. Always been curious about how things are built, or the intricacies of major industry. Hence my propensity over time to climb things, or go under the ground with my cameras. The camera stands in service to hard work and knowledge, and I’ve loved the times I’ve been allowed behind the scenes—in a mine, in an operating theater, in tunnels, or massive manufacturing plants. Sweat and striving. The drama of heavy industry. The camera honors and defines the nobility of work be it backbreaking labor accompanied by the din of heavy machinery, or delicate, intuitive, tension-laden moves of a scalpel inside the chest of a patient. Work compels us, support us, frustrates us, rewards us, defines us. For many, the job becomes almost inseparable from the person. So it is with the Sandhogs you see here. They build astonishing structures far below the earth’s surface which flow water into New York. Without their work, the city couldn’t exist. It was a story I responded to, and remember on this day. #Laborday #photojournalism #NYC #storytelling

The Labor Day Weekend symbolizes the end of the summer, and our yearly, necessary, honorable celebration of work. On this Labor Day, I remember going underground with some of the hardest working folks I’ve ever been privileged to point a lens at—the legendary NY Sandhogs. I’ve always been compelled to photograph labor. Work. Always been curious about how things are built, or the intricacies of major industry. Hence my propensity over time to climb things, or go under the ground with my cameras. The camera stands in service to hard work and knowledge, and I’ve loved the times I’ve been allowed behind the scenes—in a mine, in an operating theater, in tunnels, or massive manufacturing plants. Sweat and striving. The drama of heavy industry.

The camera honors and defines the nobility of work be it backbreaking labor accompanied by the din of heavy machinery, or delicate, intuitive, tension-laden moves of a scalpel inside the chest of a patient. Work compels us, support us, frustrates us, rewards us, defines us. For many, the job becomes almost inseparable from the person.

So it is with the Sandhogs you see here. They build astonishing structures far below the earth’s surface which flow water into New York. Without their work, the city couldn’t exist. It was a story I responded to, and remember on this day.

#Laborday #photojournalism #NYC #storytelling ...

601 12

joemcnallyphoto

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Aug 31

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Wide open sharpness intensifies the eyes. Once again, an over/under style of light not only suits the lovely face of Cassie, a beautiful Hawaiian dancer I have worked with, it illuminates the eyes. The under component is essential, given the floral decorations in her hair. That is provided by the Westcott Eyelighter 3, with a Profoto overhead umbrella with a diffuser. All overhead light would produce shadowing. But this lighting twosome and her resolute beauty looking at the camera demands the attention of the viewer. It’s like that old game we played as kids, “Made you look!” This style of light does make you look. Nikkor 85mm lens wide open at f/1.8. Compact lens, handy to carry and crazy sharp. #saturdaymorning #hawaii #portraitphotography #picoftheday #beauty #nikonpro #nikonambassador #nikonz7 @nikonusa

Wide open sharpness intensifies the eyes. Once again, an over/under style of light not only suits the lovely face of Cassie, a beautiful Hawaiian dancer I have worked with, it illuminates the eyes. The under component is essential, given the floral decorations in her hair. That is provided by the Westcott Eyelighter 3, with a Profoto overhead umbrella with a diffuser. All overhead light would produce shadowing. But this lighting twosome and her resolute beauty looking at the camera demands the attention of the viewer. It’s like that old game we played as kids, “Made you look!” This style of light does make you look. Nikkor 85mm lens wide open at
f/1.8. Compact lens, handy to carry and crazy sharp.

#saturdaymorning #hawaii #portraitphotography #picoftheday #beauty #nikonpro #nikonambassador #nikonz7 @nikonusa ...

3133 58

joemcnallyphoto

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Aug 28

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The startling beautiful Monteece locks eyes with the camera. A veteran Vegas performer, she has an amazing array of skills, from gymnastics to dance, to acting. I’ve always found inspiration amongst the group of performers and friends I’ve worked with over the years in Vegas. The physical grace and strength demanded of them to be in these shows nightly is extraordinary, as is the discipline. Shot with over/under lighting and the square format on the Nikon Z 7. One of the primary benefits (for me) of all the accelerated mirrorless technology is the ease of use of square format. Don’t forget to experiment with different formats! I find the square connects to a historical continuum of portrait tradition, and has a formalism to it. (Also, you don’t have to turn the camera for a vertical😉) And our talent’s gesture inhabits this particular square wonderfully. Production excellence from the one and only Lynn DelMastro and gorgeous styling by Sam Brown. #wednesdaywisdom #picoftheday #portraitphotography #nikonambassador #nikonpro #nikonz7 @monteecetaylor - talent @northorchard - production @samanthabrownstyle - styling @nikonusa

The startling beautiful Monteece locks eyes with the camera. A veteran Vegas performer, she has an amazing array of skills, from gymnastics to dance, to acting. I’ve always found inspiration amongst the group of performers and friends I’ve worked with over the years in Vegas. The physical grace and strength demanded of them to be in these shows nightly is extraordinary, as is the discipline. Shot with over/under lighting and the square format on the Nikon Z 7. One of the primary benefits (for me) of all the accelerated mirrorless technology is the ease of use of square format. Don’t forget to experiment with different formats! I find the square connects to a historical continuum of portrait tradition, and has a formalism to it. (Also, you don’t have to turn the camera for a vertical😉) And our talent’s gesture inhabits this particular square wonderfully. Production excellence from the one and only Lynn DelMastro and gorgeous styling by Sam Brown.
#wednesdaywisdom #picoftheday #portraitphotography #nikonambassador #nikonpro #nikonz7

@monteecetaylor - talent
@northorchard - production
@samanthabrownstyle - styling
@nikonusa ...

1167 18

joemcnallyphoto

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Aug 24

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Hard light, amazing eyes. And transformative HMU by @clairepiao. The wondrous @dlimathais graces the lens with a look that holds attention. Available hard light, working outside on a deck in Los Angeles, with my dear friend @bertonevisuals - who has a marvelous studio area. Camera rig is the Nikon Z 7, partnered with the astonishing optic, the NIKKOR Z 58mm F/0.95 S, wide open at .95. Fastest lens I’ve ever used. Sharpness is unreal, and DOF falls off a cliff. Perfect for a hard light look! #saturdaymorning #picoftheday fashionphotography #nikonambassador #nikonpro @nikonusa #nikonz7

Hard light, amazing eyes. And transformative HMU by @clairepiao. The wondrous @dlimathais graces the lens with a look that holds attention. Available hard light, working outside on a deck in Los Angeles, with my dear friend @bertonevisuals - who has a marvelous studio area.

Camera rig is the Nikon Z 7, partnered with the astonishing optic, the NIKKOR Z 58mm F/0.95 S, wide open at .95. Fastest lens I’ve ever used. Sharpness is unreal, and DOF falls off a cliff. Perfect for a hard light look!

#saturdaymorning #picoftheday fashionphotography #nikonambassador #nikonpro @nikonusa #nikonz7 ...

1776 28

joemcnallyphoto

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Aug 19

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World Photography Day is described as a day for “photographers to share their world with the world.” In short, to witness, which is what we do. The beautiful necessity of being a photographer is that you have to go. You have to go and see. Many writers and reporters, nowadays especially, do a lot of their work on the phone, or the internet. But photographers have to go there, camera in hand, and see for ourselves. And then once observed and recorded, share it with the world. A slice of time, as innocuously lovely as a sunset, or a family gathering, as momentous as an earthquake or an Olympics, or as deadly and forbidding as a war zone. It can be a fanciful bit of our imagination, or as steely and shrill as a political protest. We witness. The compulsion to document the world around us is as compelling and necessary to photographers as breathing. I did a lot of work for LIFE, and the motto of the magazine rings true to this day, even though the publication is no longer. “To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, to draw closer, to find each other, and to feel, that is the purpose of life.” The sound of the shutter is still thrilling to me. Still a sense of wonder at the camera. Seventy countries and counting. Sharing this roll call of pictures, in association with the @monroegallery, with whom I have a strong relationship nearly twenty years long. They are astounding folks, shepherding historically important imagery to be shared, to be seen, and thus to move those who do see it. They understand clearly the overarching value of important photography. Pictures are our history, our memory, our sense of ourselves. #worldphotographyday @monroegallery #photography

World Photography Day is described as a day for “photographers to share their world with the world.” In short, to witness, which is what we do. The beautiful necessity of being a photographer is that you have to go. You have to go and see. Many writers and reporters, nowadays especially, do a lot of their work on the phone, or the internet.

But photographers have to go there, camera in hand, and see for ourselves. And then once observed and recorded, share it with the world. A slice of time, as innocuously lovely as a sunset, or a family gathering, as momentous as an earthquake or an Olympics, or as deadly and forbidding as a war zone. It can be a fanciful bit of our imagination, or as steely and shrill as a political protest.

We witness. The compulsion to document the world around us is as compelling and necessary to photographers as breathing. I did a lot of work for LIFE, and the motto of the magazine rings true to this day, even though the publication is no longer. “To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, to draw closer, to find each other, and to feel, that is the purpose of life.”

The sound of the shutter is still thrilling to me. Still a sense of wonder at the camera. Seventy countries and counting. Sharing this roll call of pictures, in association with the @monroegallery, with whom I have a strong relationship nearly twenty years long. They are astounding folks, shepherding historically important imagery to be shared, to be seen, and thus to move those who do see it. They understand clearly the overarching value of important photography.

Pictures are our history, our memory, our sense of ourselves.
#worldphotographyday @monroegallery #photography ...

1113 47

joemcnallyphoto

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Aug 17

Open
Beautiful light on the river! Sometimes, the sun is with you, and the colors of the scene mesh in ways you hope for, but never completely expect. (I mean being a photog, you have to always assume disaster and rain clouds are in your immediate future.😀) But here, on the Schuylkill River near Philly, color, light and gesture came together. Great assignment! Long lens, hold steady from a chase boat. #saturdaymorning #summertime #sunsetphotography #picoftheday #NikonAmbassador #Nikonpro #NikonD4S @nikonusa

Beautiful light on the river! Sometimes, the sun is with you, and the colors of the scene mesh in ways you hope for, but never completely expect. (I mean being a photog, you have to always assume disaster and rain clouds are in your immediate future.😀) But here, on the Schuylkill River near Philly, color, light and gesture came together. Great assignment! Long lens, hold steady from a chase boat.

#saturdaymorning #summertime #sunsetphotography #picoftheday #NikonAmbassador #Nikonpro #NikonD4S @nikonusa ...

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