For all the newbies...learn about light

[photostein]

My suggestion of the week, month or whenever is LEARN ABOUT LIGHT.

The lighting area of this forum is so dearth of activity when compared to the equipment talk.

This is totally backwards. It isn't about equipment, but understanding of lighting. No light, no photo.

One of the best DVD's I ever purchased was from Dean Collins that has 4 DVDs where he goes through (and this is all film based) how to light with one or two strobes.

Joe McNally is wondeful on teaching how to mix ambient with flash exposure.

I didn't frankly know what the heck I was doing until I learned about how to light and why certain light does what it does.

Save some money on L lenses, 20,000 Megapixel cameras, and get your Canon Rebel (I don't know Noink speak), the kit lens and try to take photos showing you understand the light.

The only time to upgrade equipment is when you cannot produce the shots with your current equipment and you know why.

I sold all my equipment a couple months ago due to priority changes in the household, but frankly it was eye opening.

I kept my Canon 1Ds III and am using $300 lens on it to make photos better than I ever did with the 70-200 f/2.8 IS I had because I am learning more and more about posing and lighting than ever.

We have two lenses and I am about to buy another (used of course) because I need a superfast telephoto prime for window photos in the house to keep the shutter speed up and ISO down. My wife asked me why do we need the new lens? I loved the question.

I had a chance to explain why I could not do what we did (I borrowed a lens for a shoot the other day) with strobes, with the lenses we had already, etc....

I was an addict when it came to equipment; now, I have been saved from that and am approaching photography from the right perspective and that is how to achieve what I want and use equipment to get me there.

The best advice I can give you to learn about lighting is to take a magazine, or some other medium with photos and see if you can recreate that lighting. I guarantee when you know how to mimick the lighting of another photo without being told how they took the photo, you are on your way.

Learn learn learn....

[ngoduyviet]

Agree, lighting is definitely scary for beginners, but once you understand it, you'll love it.

I'd recommend another DVD set that's highly praised & I had a chance to watch it myself and really love it, the OneLight DVD from Zack Arias

[J Eddington]

Originally Posted by ngoduyviet

Agree, lighting is definitely scary for beginners, but once you understand it, you'll love it.

I'd recommend another DVD set that's highly praised & I had a chance to watch it myself and really love it, the OneLight DVD from Zack Arias

I really like that dvd. I watch it over and over.

[Tom]

http://www.strobist.com

[Phanee]

Dan, thank you very much for the advice and references.

[Paulo]

Awesome DVD (OneLight)! I watched it over and over again.

Originally Posted by ngoduyviet

Agree, lighting is definitely scary for beginners, but once you understand it, you'll love it.

I'd recommend another DVD set that's highly praised & I had a chance to watch it myself and really love it, the OneLight DVD from Zack Arias

[photostein]

Originally Posted by Phanee

Dan, thank you very much for the advice and references.

Sure thing. Glad to help others take a shorter route to the end.

[EyeBurn]

I read various books and experiment, but have been looking for some videos to watch.

any other DVD suggestions and anyone in the Houston area willing to loan, rent, or sell me some?

-Benjamin

[photostein]

Hard to beat the recommendations in this thread.

Other lighting suggestions are to take some lighting training from Kelby Training at www.kelbytraining.com and check out Joe McNally for location lighting, then David Ziser wedding location lighting.

Funny you ask about buying some used DVDs. I have photoshop books that I have learned most of what they have to learn, but when it comes to shooting, the lighting DVDs are what I hold onto with a death grip.

Frankly, you can find a million tutorials on Google video on PS, but hardlly any on lighting. That shows the problem right there. No one is training fundamentals anymore and most don't even know they need to know this stuff.

I will check around and see what I have at home that I may be able to let go for a price.

[EyeBurn]

Dan,

I'm a big fan of Scott (he's a wealth of knowledge that translates well). I'll check into Joe McNally tonight.

I just started listening to the cameradojo (podcast) interview with David Ziser, I'll do some research on him this coming weekend.

I hit up HCE, Camera Co-Op, even Wolf/Ritz Camera...and regular book stores. Nothing great (maybe I need someone to recommend specific titles). Most that I find are tutorials on the very basics and seem goofy to me or they are digital manuals of specific camera models.

I did learn a few things about my D300 from the Magic Lantern DVD, but I really want vids on light, fundamentals, natural, creative use-of, and possibly off-camera.

thx,

Benjamin

[Tom]

Joe McNally has a book coming out that will be perfect: The Hot Shoe Diaries.

[humminboid]

Originally Posted by photostein

My suggestion of the week, month or whenever is LEARN ABOUT LIGHT.

No light, no photo.

I didn't frankly know what the heck I was doing until I learned about how to light and why certain light does what it does.

The only time to upgrade equipment is when you cannot produce the shots with your currente equipment and you know why.


The best advice I can give you to learn about lighting is to take a magazine, or some other medium with photos and see if you can recreate that lighting. I guarantee when you know how to mimick the lighting of another photo without being told how they took the photo, you are on your way.

Learn learn learn....

OOOOoo...RADICAL ideas! Also very true. After all, Photography is Writing With Light.

But, that would mean learning our craft, and admitting that without us, the equipment is just an expen$ive paperweight.

Of course, talking a subject to death is lots better than actually being able to do it!

[toverman]

Very well said, Dan.

There are so many important aspects to creating photographic images, but light is such a fundamental. Without light, the composition, posing, etc., doesn't matter.

[z-monster]

Originally Posted by Thomas Campbell

http://www.strobist.com

[MelanieIvy]

Thanks for the suggestions! I have looked around on strobist, but it all seems so overwhelming! I actually apparently have an amazing lighting setup in a HUGE bag in my closet that my dad gave to me for Christmas a couple of years ago when I bought my first DSLR :-X I haven't even unpacked it since that day because I didn't know what to do with it. Now I'm realizing what a sin that is... looks like I just discovered my next venture!