Some Recent Work ~ Senior Madness

they are all amazing!!! How in the world did u get his face in focus thru all that movement???? (baseball player)

mchong75 wrote in post #10013221
Pham,

While I like what you're trying to achieve but, I think the WB are off on these photos.

Since "IMAGE EDITING OK" on your profile, I did a quick edit from the jpg files to show you what it looks like with better WB and some color adjustment. Hope you don't mind.
I'm sure with RAW files, you'll be able to get much better results.

I'll delete these after you view them. Compare these with yours.......

[Imimg]

your edits are good on all but the sunset one.. and i thank you for taking the time to do this and offer another edit.. (seriously they look good)

lets see how to explain this..

studio shots need good white balance.. and when i do normal shots the white balance will be correct..

but for my senior work.. Art is what i am trying to achieve.. and that means interesting light.. so that means tones are shifted, sun flares are in corners, and things will be slightly different from the norm.. composition and lighting will be slightly different from what most are used to..

what i try to do is make an image that when you see it, you can say it was done by phamster... totally unmistakable done by phamster.. with out a logo or water mark..
(i don't even water mark my photos on facebook) because my town just knows my images from the other 4-6 competing studios around..

and with that it is my style to shift the warmth to about 500 degrees to the right.. i do it all the time on most of my shots.. and that is what makes my images "distinct" thus my style..

i see on 3 other photography social networks many photogs doing tones and desaturates and it becomes interesting photography and post processing..

GenuineRolla has an incredible following on Flickr because he makes INTERESTING LIGHT..

i have learned from him by conversation what makes people come to him, it is his lighting and his tone processing.. and all of his W/B is way off normal..

he has stated - Pham you want to try to make interesting light and colors just to be distinct..

after it sunk into me.. i started to try to making more interesting photos by light and tones shifts.. and this past set of works is my results .. though be it is all subjective and i am not questioning your w/b statement it is valid.. i am on the warm side by 500-700 degrees always..

respectfully yours

Pham..

xoiceox wrote in post #10013485
they are all amazing!!! How in the world did u get his face in focus thru all that movement???? (baseball player)

a little in photo shop..

the original file was some what too sharp in areas..
so i made a duplicate layer and motion blurred the areas i wanted and kept the face sharp per my likings..

see it all makes sense now.. right?

and thanks everybody..


phamster

cbknight wrote in post #10010826
us mortals cant do it. He adjusts the sun.....not the camera settings, flash output, etc.

LOL! Now that's one way to put it ..

Incredible stuff man .. some a liiiitlle too snappy for me (I prefer a softer touch)
Like #1 .. purely "golden" ..

These are just awful! just kidding!

1 & 6 are my favorites, but they all look great. Very artsy!

I have been watching your blog, awsome stuff there too!

Perfect as always Pham. I came back after a slow winter of shooting and shot today for the first time in awhile, and I came out of the shoot thinking my shots were pretty decent. Then I saw these and I was right back to saying to myself "dang I have a ways to go". BTW how do you like using your 580 and AB800 together? I just ordered a Vagabond and B400 and will be getting a beauty dish for it soon so I was just curious about how you liked using the combo, and also what you are using to trigger the combo.

360° wrote in post #10010735
wow, just wow...... im just wondering how you balance the flash when you're shooting into the sun.... they all seem so perfect

agreed!

I need to get a 5d Mark II asap!

Thanks guys..

and some more.......

Kaitlyn's awesome presences in just a plain alley with flowers in hand and boomed lighting makes for a wonderful senior photo..

singel 580EXII with a radio poppers for a trigger, boyfriend boomed the wescott softbox over head camera right for this one..


Camera:Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Exposure:0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture:f/3.2
Focal Length:85 mm
ISO Speed:200
Exposure Bias:0 EV
Flash:On, Fired

http://farm5.static.fl​ickr.com …30146360_3f6cb7​45f9_o.jpg

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Kendra is a representative for my senior photography. We will be doing a Softball shoot soon and many other as the school year passes..

my key to success is to have her as a friend on facebook and once her friends see some of the photos she has done by myself, the traffic will come..

here i used one speed light in a soft box 28 inch westcott triggered by the radio poppers..

Camera:Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Exposure:0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture:f/3.2
Focal Length:85 mm
ISO Speed:125
Exposure Bias:0 EV
Flash:On, Fired


http://farm5.static.fl​ickr.com …80763046_659d6c​ac83_o.jpg


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probably one of the more wild color night i have captured in the fields

mother was very happy with all the shots.. this one stood out as being unique for a photographers eye and composition.

i used a 86 PLM with the AB1600 at the lowest power. camera right about 8 feet away

the 86 PLM is so large that i could have had the light source away from the subject as far as 16 feet and the light would have looked soft..

using it out doors is a risk.. it is so big and becomes a kite in any wind..

the plm 64 is my go to choice now..

1/80
iso 1600
f5.6


http://farm5.static.fl​ickr.com …40415581_cb2916​bece_o.jpg

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Tiara and i rocked the lens with this simple blue gel set up.

her senior portfolio will have sunny and night time shots..

to me night time is very easy to do because the lighting is so controlled.. like a studio.. but outdoors..

we had many people walk by and respectfully watch us work..

lighting here was a 430 EX with a blue gel and a shoot thru umbrella...

and for the main light 580EXII in a westcott 28x28 all in manual mode.. camera right..

Camera:Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Exposure:0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture:f/3.2
Focal Length:85 mm
ISO Speed:400
Exposure Bias:0 EV
Flash:On, Fired


http://farm5.static.fl​ickr.com …22555182_64f588​ecf0_o.jpg

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Senior Session from a while back..

Taylor is such a great model and has amazing hair, we had to play with the light and show case her hair..

the lighting was just a single softbox held by mother and a 550EXII with Pocket wizard flex flex combination..

Camera:Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Exposure:0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture:f/2.2
Focal Length:85 mm
ISO Speed:50
Exposure Bias:0 EV
Flash:On, Fired


http://farm3.static.fl​ickr.com …19224717_5ff424​07a4_o.jpg

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Tiara and i rocked the lens today on a friends farm.. (Thanks Heather !..)

here we found a perfect natural frame to work with..

the textures and opening gave us this cool pose for Tiara..

why this shot works, is because the natural golden sun light from be hind and blending in that with just the right amount of fill.. i had to take about 6 shots before i got the the settings i wanted..

lighting was the AB1600 with 64 PLM
@ 3/4 power boomed camera right

Camera:Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Exposure:0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperture:f/8.0
Focal Length:85 mm
ISO Speed:50
Exposure Bias:0 EV
Flash:Off, Did not fire


http://farm3.static.fl​ickr.com …17072024_c0d8be​daff_o.jpg

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another shot for Kate, we found a cool diner to shoot in at the local university here in my town..

i used a red gel in a 430 exii and for the main light a 580EX @ 1/16 power about 8 feet way with a shoot thru umbrella

all triggered by the cactus v4's triggers

Camera:Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Exposure:0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture:f/7.1
Focal Length:85 mm
ISO Speed:1600
Exposure Bias:0 EV
Flash:Off, Did not fire

http://farm5.static.fl​ickr.com …85676711_47cd86​8558_o.jpg

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Katlin and i had a chance to work on her senior portfolio last night.

i was glad we went ahead and did the shoot, the sky turned out amazing as you can see.

i use AB1600 with the PLM 64 for this shot of Katlin

AB1600 was about 1/4 power and the PLM was about 7 feet way from Katlin

Camera:Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Exposure:0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture:f/8.0
Focal Length:85 mm
ISO Speed:160
Exposure Bias:0 EV
Flash:Off, Did not fire


http://farm3.static.fl​ickr.com …58897576_d1b227​8d20_o.jpg

Hahahahahahah!!! Dude criticized and offered an Edit of Phamster's photos!!! LOL!! That's awesome!!! (I am crying I'm laughing so hard here)

Pham, as always your shots are stunning. True art - just amazing!

Great inspiration..thanks for the info on each shot too.

@Mchong - Dude....white balance, smite balance - Photography is not about following the rules! They are clearly nothing more than guidelines. BREAK THE RULES!

I believe in interesting and colorful light. I love color. You can most certainly have a technically perfect lit photo, with the most perfect lighting with an absolute correct white balance, but then maybe your image isn't interesting. Sure, you have a technically correct photo, but it lacks any aspect that would make it interesting. People don't want to see correct photos, they want to see interesting photos. Interesting light, pose, WB, editing, composition, etc.

Like Pham has said, People like my work because of my use and interpretation of colors. Senior photos have been done for YEARS now...I think it's time that boring senior photos leave the scene...while guys like Pham - pave the way with senior photos that WILL be remembered for a lifetime. Why? Because they're interesting to look at.

While you're at it, call up the producers of the first Twilight video and let them know that their WB and saturation are wayyyy off. Offer them the "correct' edit.

Welcome to the interwebs.

Katelyn's cool laying down shot for her portfolio..

here we found a background that matched her cool outfit and made it look interesting..

lighted by a 28x28 speedlight in a westcott softbox.. with a 580EXII triggered by radio poppers PX system.

mother boomed the light..

the key to this pose is to have her feet just right, and have her head or nose pointing to the light source for the short lighting..


Camera:Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Exposure:0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture:f/3.2
Focal Length:85 mm
ISO Speed:500
Exposure Bias:0 EV
Flash:On, Fired


http://farm5.static.fl​ickr.com …32483699_eaea6a​8fba_o.jpg

how do you set up your camera and flash to meter the light?

i still cant get it

I like # 2.

360° wrote in post #10020734
how do you set up your camera and flash to meter the light?

i still cant get it

I don't have a meter, all the time i shoot in manual and manual lighting..

take a shot, look at LCD
make judgement on what to adjust
adjust shutter, if background isn't right
adjust flash power if subject isn't right

take the shot again, look at LCD
repeat until proper exposure..

it takes me about 3 shots to 6 at the most to do this now

just takes practice.

this method is called chimping.. i am a chimper.. haha.

phamster