Event Photography Flash vs. Video

Well, I just had a member of the conference that I am shooting tell me she has a medical condition and the flashes I am using are causing her to feel ill. 

Oddly, I just spent almost $500 on external battery packs, diffusers and stands (plus accessories) so that I could make some killer light from a nasty lit conference room.

Luckily,  I had an idea of shooting video also. I had hoped to upsell the client, or at very least, have a portfolio piece to get work doing videography for conferences.

I was stressed because I wasn't going to be able to do both.  I got myself in too deep.  I am always trying to learn a new technique and master new equipment. Sometimes I give myself too many things to do.

Sooooo... down come the new lights and now I get to focus on video! 

This is exciting. 

I turned lemons into a margarita! 

Well... we'll see, right?

My First Mobile Entry

We are just going to test this app out and see how she works. 

I should however make it pertinent to the blog which is about my photo journey.

So...

Recently I shot a couple of conferences which we use a lot of strobes for because conference rooms have hideous lighting. 

I think a hundred years ago the architect union and the photographer union got together and decided to only build crap lighting in hotel conference rooms so that there would be more work for photographers. 

I am just wondering what the photogs had to give up to the architects?!?

Anyway...  we commonly aim our strobes up at the cieling (I am sure you have seen this and thought we were being stupid).  This, however, allows the light to hit the ceiling and bounce back as a much larger (albeit dimmer) lighter source. 

This generally works wonderfully.   Yet i found that if i am shooting wider than 50mm, i am too close to the subject and my light (from the ceiling) hits them straight down.  This causes huge shadows under the eyes, nose, chin, etc...

Not flattering.

(I will post some examples)

So, i bought this new flash diffuser which lets me shoot straight up, but also gives me some light that will hit the subject straight on. 

I will also post some photos after my gig next week alomg with my findings on if this difusser does the job or not.

Damn... this was supposed to be a test of the mobile blogging app... it better friggin' work now!

Welcome to my Blog

Hello everyone.

If you are reading this you likely know me, so I shouldn't need to introduce myself.  However, maybe you are an alien (excuse the ignorant earthling term for you guys from outer space) and are intercepting our interwebs and have some desire to know about me and my lovely photography journey.

Since I am not planning to make any of these posts too long, I will just give a brief synopsis of why I am starting this blog, and in subsequent entries you can get to know me better.

I have recently taken my final photo class to acquire a degree in photography.

I have spent the past 4 years studying full time and working nearly the same.  It has left me little time do anything else.

One of the things that I've always thought that would've be fun would've been to keep a journal of all my crazy experiences, insane bosses, exciting classes and fun projects.  (too many modal verbs in that sentence)

So here is my brand new blog.  I will be talking about new things that come up in my jopurney as well as retelling old stories.  It will be a little like "Lost", except I hope to have a much better ending!

Oh... by the way...

I am...

Nathaniel Y. Downes
www.Shutter2Speak.com