On this rather grey Sunday afternoon I started sifting through some old photographs and came across the pictures I took when I went to the beautiful Costa Blanca in Spain (2010).

I thought I would therefore inject a bit of sunshine and colour into your Sunday with a few photographs which include kittens, tiles, flowers and derelict buildings…(you can’t say I don’t get you a varied selection)!

Looking back over a few shots from Spain in 2010, as the sun set over Moraira. A beautiful location that I visited, up until recent years, every year.

A wonderful thriving town on the Costa Blanca, around 1 hour from Alicante airport and highly recommended.

Today little Mary was in the studio, a lovely smiley baby (which we always like) who seemed very happy to test out our new faux fur rug and very comfy she looks on it too!

Child & Baby Portrait Photo Shoots just £45 including 3x mounted 6″x4″ prints of your choice

]]> http://www.danieljamesphotography.net/baby-portrait-studio-photo-shoot-mary/feed/ 0 http://www.danieljamesphotography.net/puppet-photography-robots-on-location/ http://www.danieljamesphotography.net/puppet-photography-robots-on-location/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:19:43 +0000 DJP http://www.danieljamesphotography.net/?p=4451

Stepping out of the studio…

today, artist Krista Joy and myself took a trip to the Bonded Warehouse in Stourbridge (just up the road) to use as an industrial backdrop for some photographs of the new additions to the ever growing catalogue of puppets she produces.

Introducing AGN8S, S8TH and O1GA who are a Robot Family.

They were shot during the wonderful bright yet cloudy light of today (perfect for diffusing the light) using a Canon EOS 7D and a Canon 50mm f/1.8 (a.k.a nifty fifty). 

This lens was chosen for its speed to throw the background out of focus in some shots for a nice bokeh effect.

The settings vary per shot but are mainly between f/4.5 and f/7.1 with a shutter speed of around 1/320 and an of ISO 200 as the weather was very kind to us and we had a lot of light for most of the shots.

These puppets are available at Krista Joy’s etsy shop and come with handmade boxes, or to see more of her work please visit her website at www.kristajoy.co.uk.

Product Photography is available from just £20 per hour!

If you’re relying on your built-in flash from the camera then you’re probably getting really flat, harshly lit images that are really only of use in absolute emergencies when the ISO can’t be pushed any higher, the apertures wide open and the shutter speeds as low as you dare go.

A much better idea is to get a dedicated flash gun such as the Canon 430 EX or the Canon 580 EX II both of which are great flash guns and which you get will likely depend upon your budget.

When you’ve got a dedicated flash gun you’ll have a lot more control over the way a subject is lit but what’s important to know is how to shape that light so that it is flattering and even on them.

There are many expensive modifiers out there to get your flash gun putting the light where you want and diffusing it nicely but if you’re a bit tight on funds i’ll show you how just £1.60 can help shape it and get away from the direct, paparazzi style flash.

The images above were taken in a bedroom using a Canon EOS 7D at 1/250 on f5 and Canon 580 EX II on ETTL (enter through the lens) mode.

Direct – flash gun pointed direct at the model producing a flat image which is very unflattering and really should be avoided at all costs!

Cap Diffuser - a white diffuser that slides on to the front of the flash gun which was pointed directly at the model. This have softened the overall impact but it’s still not ideal really.

Vertical – the biggest impact your dedicated flash can have is that you can bounce the light off the ceiling creating a much more flattering image, though it is still quite dark under the eyes (shadows).

Fun Foam - (still aimed vertically) the cheapest option by far is to get some fun foam (from craft shops or eBay) and a hair bobble and attach this to the flash gun so that it wraps around the back and sides. This will create a wall of white foam to bounce the light off and back into the subject rather than just that which bounces off the ceiling.

(580 EX II only) White Bounce Card - the Canon 580 EX II has a white bounce card built in to it. This was slid out for this shot with the flash still pointed vertical for bounce. This is like with the foam but on a smaller scale and conveniently built into the flash.

Light Bubble (direct) - similar to a Gary Fong version this may look a bit strange but bounces the light around softening the impact. This shot was taken with it pointing directly at the model but has diffused it a little too much I think.

Light Bubble (vertical) - the best shot, lighting wise, in my opinion. This has created a soft and even lighting without flattening the overall impact, the light bubble was pointed vertical for this shot.

I find it amazing how much difference these modifiers have made to the shots and hopefully you can see that even just a bit of foam will improve your shots over a direct flash.

Shopping List

A4 White Fun Foam - £1.60 on eBay

Flash Bounce Diffuser - £12.49 on eBay – possibly a more professional version is the Gary Fong Lightshere (£79.80)

Cap Flash Diffuser - £2.99 on eBay

just £ 17.08 total – save even more by going through Quidco to get cashback!