Over $3000 worth of products for $99 until July 13th–The Big Deal 2016–OBSOLETE

 

This Sale Has Ended

 

In an industry flooded with training and software-  finding what works for your photography workflow can be time consuming and expensive.  Unless - you can cut through all of that with a bundle that gives you access to top notch training from industry experts and software for one low price. 

That’s exactly what you’ll get in The Big Deal 2016.

The largest online photography bundle is back- bringing you the best in education, presets and resources from top trainers like Joe McNally, Peter Hurley, Matt Kloskowski, RC Concepcion, Renee Robyn, Corey Barker, Tamara Lackey, Kristi Sherk and more. In fact you can even get a free copy of my Printing 101 eBook in this deal:

This year, they are adding powerful software like Photo Mechanic 5, Particle Shop, Topaz Clarity, and Perfectly Clear to your toolbox.  Hours and hours of training and software that would cost thousands of dollars if you purchased them all separately, are now part of the The Big Deal 2016 for just $99.

You’ll get the training and the tools to create jaw dropping Black & White photographs, incredible landscape images, beautiful portraits and exceptional wildlife photos.  You’ll learn essential Photoshop techniques and get brushes, presets and actions to help you create stunning images.  You can turn every shot into a printable, shareable work of art.  Plus the key component to make every photographer’s life easier - how to organize and work with your image library in Lightroom CC. 

Here’s a short video where you can learn more about what is included:

Learn More

Click here to learn more.

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

Which Books Should I Read?–2013 Edition

UDPATED: June 3, 2013

So you've got a new digital SLR camera, great lenses, and awesome software so you are ready to go right?

Now you are all excited, but you've discovered one little problem - your camera doesn't seem to work as good as others. Well my friend, let me assure you that it ISN'T a back focus problem, and your camera works just fine (99.9% of the time)! The problem is more likely that you haven't acquired the skills to get those amazing shots you see other photographers taking.  Let's start by getting real and learning how those other photographers do - it's called experience my friend!

How do I get that experience - NOW?

In this age of instant gratification, everybody wants results now. You just spent a couple grand or more on a camera so you think you should be shooting stuff that my Top Photographers would be in awe of, but the reality is that you aren't going to be a great photographer over night. However, the good news is that you can improve your photography skills drastically by reading the right books right now!

So Ron, what books do you recommend?

Without a doubt, the best (and most popular) book on the market right now is The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby (a fantastic no-nonsense author). This book will teach you what some people take years to learn, and the best part is that the book is a quick read. Most people will finish it in around an hour. In fact, this book is so great that I suggest you keep it in your backpack and read it again when you find the time! In fact, I recommend whole series of books because the additional editions pick up where the previous volumes left off. Collectively they will teach you more in a short time than you’d learn on your own over the course of several years.

After you know the basics on how to use your camera and gear, you'll probably discover that your pictures are more technically sound but still considered pretty boring by others. The best way to remedy that is to start Learning to See Creatively - a phenomenal book by Bryan Peterson (another outstanding author and amazing photographer). Some will argue that Understanding Exposure should be read first, and in many ways I agree with that recommendation. Understanding Exposure will teach you how to use your camera to create interesting compositions, but you have to be willing to read your manual and switch out of P mode (fully automatic) to take full advantage of it. However, if I had to pick one for the beginner I'd stick with Learning to See Creatively because you might might not be ready to read that camera manual just yet.

However, this is only half the problem because you'll have good gear, but still struggle with how to use it. Scott Kelby’s books will teach you how to use it, and Bryan Peterson’s books will teach you how to become a better photographer. However, there’s still the subject of inspiration on how to shoot differently than you have been up to this point in your life. This of course is the challenge for you, and for those who master it like Joe McNally you'll see what wonderful things you can do. In Joe's latest book, Sketching Light (and his others The Moment it Clicks & Hot Shoe Diaries) you'll see some great shots from a truly gifted photographer, hear some great stories. You’ll have a few tips on how to get those great shots, but for most of us it won't be enough info to turn us into explorers of light – at least not yet!

To begin your journey to master lighting there is one book that I deem to be the bible on subject of light that I am convinced will amaze you (if you have the patience to read it from cover to cover and understand the content). This wonderful book is called Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting. If there is one book I wish I could read over and over again until every concept was permanently etched into my brain it would be this book. I'll admit that it is a text book style that isn't nearly as fun as Scott Kelby or Bryan Peterson books, but if you take the time to read it then you'll learn more about light than most photographers you know. It WILL help you become a great photographer, but knowledge and application are two separate things, so this is one area (like creative composition) where only experience will help you. However, without the knowledge this book offers, it would take a lifetime to gain the experience needed to be a master. This book saves you 20 years, so I can't recommend it highly enough.

With that said, I know that some people just won’t be able to handle reading Light because it can be pretty intense. If you want a more practical approach to “how do I get better shots with that $500+ flash I bought”, then look no further than On-Camera Flash: Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography by Neil van Niekerk. It is a short, easy-to-read book that teaches you everything you want to know and little that you could care less about. In short, it’s a practical book that will make your photography much better.

f you take pictures, you owe it to yourself to own Lightroom. It is quite simply the best photo management product on the planet right now and it will help you get the results you wished you could get from you DSLR when you purchased it – without the need to own Photoshop.  You should definitely pick up Scott Kelby’s Lightroom for Digital Photographers. It will show you how to use this great product to process your pictures to get the kind of results you hoped you get when you put your hard earned money down to buy a DSLR.

Show me the money

The funny thing about Digital Photography is that it is really easy to ramp up quickly and begin to take amazing shots. In fact, odds are that in your first year of photography you'll take a shot that everyone thinks is simply amazing. In fact, it will be so good that you'll find yourself being asked by friends to shoot a wedding so you'll need to learn really quickly how to do a decent job, so again Scott Kelby comes to the rescue again with The Digital Photography Book - Volume 2. While there are more exhaustive books on the subject that are quite good, this is enough to get you going to shoot that friend or family member's wedding that you just got signed up to shoot because your fee is in their budget (yeah, free :-)).

Of course, after you pull off that first wedding or group shot you now think you are ready to quit your day job and become a big name photographer. For a great book that will give you a reality check, check out Best Business Practices for Photographers by John Harrington. 

But Ron, I hate books what else can I do?

Sign yourself up for Kelby Training as it’s the best bang for the buck resource on the web for photographers. NAPP is a close second for Photoshop users (or Photoshop Elements User Magazine if you use PSE instead of Photoshop). PPSOP is also great if you like interactive training.

The MUST HAVE Photography Books

1. The Digital Photography Book (or the collection if you can afford it) – Trust me, it’s like having a pro friend with you to answer your every question!
2. Learning to See Creatively (2b. Understanding Exposure for those with extra funds to spend and who are willing to take their camera out of auto mode)
3. On-Camera Flash – Techniques for Digital Wedding & Portrait Photography (for the “show me how” types)
4. Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting (for the “show me why” types)
5. Scott Kelby’s Lightroom for Digital Photographers  (if you take my advice and purchase Lightroom)

If you can't afford to purchase them then go to your local library and borrow them (as I did initially) and you'll discover why these are must own books. However, if you do purchase them, I’d appreciate it if you use my links here to help support this blog.

But what about Photoshop books?

I'm so convinced that the Earth could be be completely covered in all of the Photoshop books out there, so I've chosen to leave this topic out of this article. When you are ready you can read article on recommended Photoshop books.

But what about other books to inspire my creativity?

I've gone through a stack of about 10 books that fall into this category, and I have come to the following generalizations:

• Any Bryan Peterson book is going to be outstanding. In addition to those previously mentioned, I have reviews of Understanding Shutter Speed, and Beyond Portraiture.  Joe McNally’s books mentioned previously are also great to get the creative juices going.
• I also find that most Peachpit Press photography books are quite good.
• The Web is a phenomenal resource for inspiration. Visit sites like 500px, Flickr, your favorite photographers home page, and others and you are certain to find plenty of inspiration.
• Most inspirational books are good to browse once, less useful to own. Your best bet is to look at them at the library or your favorite bookstore and save yourself the money for other things.

What about Michael Freeman or <insert name>’s books?

Michael Freeman writes some very popular photography books that many (engineers usually) swear by, but personally I swear at them. I found them more boring than reading an insurance policy or legal document. If you thought the book Light that I recommend above was an easy read and the level of detail you like, then you’ll love Michael Freeman’s books. If you cleaned your room and/or fell asleep reading Light, then you probably won’t care for Michael’s books.

Everyone also has their favorite books, so this is just the tip of the iceberg. I’ve read hundreds of books on Photography – mostly for the blog – and these are what I boiled my list down to the most useful for normal people with lives.

Conclusion

Simply by asking this question and reading this blog post you are a step ahead of many by taking the initiative to making your photos much better. Get out there and start reading and I assure you your camera will start working better and you'll start getting the kind of shots that will amaze your friends and family, but more importantly they'll impress and excite you!

To stay up on my latest recommendations, be sure to check out my recommendations store on amazon.com. I also post book reviews which you can find in the index on the right column of this blog.

Happy Shooting!

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Things You Need AFTER You Buy Your New Camera - Must Have Photography Accessories
• Which Printer Should I Buy? Epson or Canon?
• On-Camera Flash Techniques
• Bryan Peterson Workshops Review
• The Perfect Picture School of Photography (PPSOP) by Bryan Peterson
• Kelby Training - best video training on the web
• Photoshop Elements User - (Discount) Tutorials and more
• Zenfolio – The best place to store your photos online

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

COMPARISON: Flashpoint Soft Box for Shoe Mount Flashes vs Lastolite Joe McNally 24" Ezybox

Lastolite Joe McNally 24" Ezybox vs Flashpoint 24” Softbox

My friends at Adorama sent me a Flashpoint 24” Softbox to see how I liked it, so I decided to do a very quick (like 20 minute) test to check it out. You know, this is the kind of thing you typically do when you get something new where you rip open the box and just try it out right away (while UPS is still on your block!). I was already a big fan of my Lastolite Joe McNally 24" Ezybox (which is just a branded version of this), so I thought I’d try it out really quick before watching a movie with my wife last night.

Ezyboxes collapse faster, but are huge. The Flashpoint is easier to travel stuff in your luggage

I couldn’t rope my wife into being a model, and my kids were getting the popcorn ready so please bear with my quick and dirty review here (and lame pics of yours truly with laying on the sofa hair <g>).

Physical Comparison

Before I discuss how each unit performs as a softbox, it’s important to discuss how practical they are as portable softboxes. This is where the Ezybox has set the golden standard (in my opinion) for great performance and easy of use.

Sure Westcott has the Apollo in a variety of sizes, but I never liked it because the flash is inside means that you either need something like Pocket Wizards or a sync cord because there is no line of sight with your trigger. I preferred to use my old 580EX II’s (or NikonSB-910’s) with line of sight rather than Pocket Wizards so the Apollo was out of the question for me.

Of course Westcott offers the outrageously priced $229+ magic slipper and softbox kits to match the Ezybox, but even that didn’t perform as well as the Ezybox and it wasn’t very portable. As a result, the Ezybox, trigrip (for shooting through) or an umbrella has always been my portable soft light solution.

As you can see from the photos above, the Ezybox collapses quickly into a nice flat triangle and comes with a storage bag, but it’s so large you can’t fit it in typical luggage bags. This means if you want to travel with this gadget then you need to carry it on the plan which is a bit of a hassle. The first thing I noticed about the Flashpoint was how compact it was because I knew I could toss that into any of my existing luggage bags.

Ezybox includes everything you need like a plastic slipper that holds your flash

Setting up the Ezybox is equally easy but over time it gets a little wonky shaped (see above) unless you wrestle with it a bit. It’s okay though because light doesn’t care much if the box is a bit off kilter – it just works. It features a plastic slipper for your flash that just pops in the back and it also has proven to be durable and just work.

Inside the Ezybox there is a inner baffle and it comes with white or silver inside

The Ezybox works like a proper softbox and even features an inner baffle. My McNally version has a white interior, but it’s also available in silver as well. What’s more, the Velcro on the recessed lip on the inside and around the outside can be used to mount accessories like an eggcrate grid.

Ezybox vs Flashpoint side view

When you put the Ezybox next to the Flashpoint, you quickly see the quality advantage of the Ezybox which drives up the price, but you also see that the Flashpoint offers the same size box for a fraction of the cost.

Ezybox vs Flashpoint head on view

Head on you quickly see one big difference – the Ezybox has a smaller surface area thanks to its very nice recessed design. However, both offer roughly the same amount of soft light for your subject, so the biggest difference here is the control you get from the recessed design.

If you look inside of the Flashpoint you see a very “Apollo-like” interior with no inner baffle or obvious support for accessories:

The No-Frills Flashpoint Interior

It’s Spartan, but it works. From behind it’s much like the Ezybox, but it uses a much taller tower of brackets:

Flashpoint Rear View

Setting up the Flashpoint is much more challenging thanks to its very annoying tent-like poles (shown in the first picture in this article) that are common to pro softboxes. While nicely designed Velcro straps help make inserting and removing the last two very easy, its still a pain and not as quick as the all-in-one design for the Ezybox by Lastolite.

Softbox Performance Comparison

Flashpoint behind the scenes setup

Since I was alone and in a hurry, I tried to do this quick test on the cheap. Instead of using my reflector (which I’d get out later), I just grabbed a piece of foil and tossed it on a tripod for a quick mild fill light on the opposite side of the Flashpoint box. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked. On the white seamless I just tossed a purple Rogue Gel on a flash to get a little color in the background.

Flashpoint test #1 (f/2.8 for 1/60 sec @ ISO 400)

Initially I used my 600EX-RT flash with the ST-E3 in radio mode to trigger them, but I’d switch to a 580EX II’s triggered by optical instead radio just to give them a real workout. They performed well, so I got started with my testing. As you can see from my setup and the shot above, this simple one light configuration turned out okay. Sure, I could have dialed it in better but what I saw was that I got nice soft light from the Flashpoint, so I was happy.

Ezybox test #1 (foil shown off my arm, but it was on my arm for the close up)

Ezybox test #1

I got less light spill and a slightly softer light with the Ezybox, but overall the two performed equally well. There’s lots of tests I could do here, but I just wanted to see if I could get this basic shot – it did it with no problem. I had more shots than you see here, but the performance was similar so I just grabbed one randomly to demonstrate that it doesn’t suck for you.

Over and under "Clamshell" setup with reflector

Just in case anyone might complain that neither of these boxes gives much light, I thought I’d have fun with a clamshell setup to show that bright light is no problem.

Flashpoint test #2 (f/13 for 1/60sec @ ISO 100)

You’ll notice here that I was able to do f/13 at ISO 100 with no problem (at 0EV and ETTL). I also elected to use a 580EX II only with a 600EX-RT as a optical trigger (but a ST-E2 or another 580 would have worked just as well) to show that you can use older flashes (and whatever you need to trigger them) and get good results.

Conclusion

While I hated the complexity of setting the Flashpoint up, the reality is that you get used to it really quick and it only takes a few minutes longer than the super easy Ezybox. Lightwise they both performed well, but I did prefer the Ezybox recessed design which helps prevent as much light spillage and also the interior baffle to soften the light even more. Both of these issues could be addressed by the do-it-yourselfer, so for those on a budget the Flashpoint 24” Softbox offers a great value. It’s also can’t be emphasized enough how easy it is to air travel with the Flashpoint vs the Ezybox, so some may find it worth picking up a Flashpoint for that reason alone.

Where to order

Click here to order the Flashpoint 24” Softbox or you can click here to order the Lastolite Joe McNally 24" Ezybox on the Adorama web site.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Home Studio on a Budget
• Lens / Camera Gear Rental Series (includes discounts)
• Canon 600EX-RT Flash First Look (ST-E3 RT)
• Olympus OM-D E-M5 (with 2 lenses) Review
• Getting Started in Boudoir Photography
• Discount Coupon Code Page
• How do I get my kid to look at the darn camera?
• What’s Hot in Photography and Photo Editing Books

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this. While I paid for my Ezybox, I was given a Flashpoint soft box – at my request – by Adorama for testing for this review.

Cool New Videos on Lighting

Click here to learn more about this course, but come back here for a discount!

I know I probably sound like a broken record, but KelbyTraining.com is the best deal in the business for photography and photo editing education. What’s more is that there’s always cool new stuff coming out. I just just checked it out and found a cool new video on fashion lightning  which really gives a good behind the scenes look to help set expectations about what a shoot might start light and how a shot becomes that magical image you wish you had in your portfolio (like the red head girl above – you won’t believe the before!!!!!).

There’s also a couple cool new videos from Joe McNally including this gem:

Click here to learn more about this course, but come back here for a discount!

Click here to learn more about KelbyTraining.com and get a discount at end of the article!

Disclaimer

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission.

Joe McNally, Through the Lens Tour

The much anticipated Joe McNally, Through the Lens Tour, with stops in Australia and New Zealand is official and taking place in May. Sydney is the first stop in a month long jam-packed program, which will take Joe to the Gold Coast, Auckland NZ and finally Melbourne.

As part of the Joe McNally, Through the Lens Tour, Joe will present seminars, keynote talks and exclusive workshops. Fans, amateur and professional photographers will have a chance to hear Joe’s inspiring photography journey first-hand, see photography demonstrations and in the exclusive workshops get a once in a lifetime opportunity to spend a day with this humble internationally acclaimed photographer.

One of the many highlights of Joe’s career is that he is an on-going, 23 year contributor to National Geographic. Additionally, one of his most well-known series is “Faces of Ground Zero — Giant Polaroid Collection”, which features portraits of the heroes of 9/11.

The Joe McNally, Through the Lens Tour by Mentem Inc is thrilled to announce that Nikon Australia has come on board as the presenting partner of the tour.

Joe McNally is an ambassador for Nikon and one of the first to explore the capabilities of the new Nikon D4 - Nikon’s flagship model released earlier this year. As the presenting partner, Nikon Australia will be involved at every session providing attendees with technical advice and support on their professional range of Nikon gear including the Nikon D4 and D800.

James Murray, Nikon Australia’s General Manager, Sales and Marketing commented, ‘Nikon Australia is excited to be a part of bringing internationally acclaimed photographer, Joe McNally and this landmark tour to Australia’.

‘Throughout his career and countless inspirational and iconic images, Joe has shared with us his incredible vision down the barrel of his lens. We look forward to taking this to the next level with Joe telling us the stories behind some of these images, and revealing his key photography tips and techniques during the Joe McNally, Through the Lens Tour,’ said Mr Murray.

Calling all fans, photojournalists, professional and amateur photographers - Save the Date!

Joe McNally, Through the Lens Tour IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Sydney CBD – Exclusive Workshop, Monday 7^th May

Sydney – Doltone House, Pyrmont, Tuesday 8^th May

The Gold Coast – Marriot Resort, Friday 11^th May – Sunday 12^th May

New Zealand – Waipuna Hotel & Conference Centre, Monday 21^st May – Tuesday 22^nd May

Melbourne – Atlantic Group V, Peninsula, Wednesday 24^th May

Melbourne CBD – Exclusive Workshop, Tuesday 29^th May

Tickets and information is available through www.throughthelenstour.com.

About Joe McNally

Joe McNally is an internationally acclaimed photographer whose career has spanned 30 years and included assignments in over 60 countries. He has shot cover stories for LIFE, Golf Digest, TIME, Newsweek, Fortune, New York Times Magazine, and Sports Illustrated and is currently an ongoing, 23 year contributor to National Geographic, having shot numerous cover stories for them.

Awards

Joe McNally was listed by American Photo as one of the 100 Most Important People in Photography and described by the magazine as, ‘perhaps the most versatile photojournalist working today.’

Joe McNally is also the recipient of some of the most prestigious awards in the photo industry – Pictures of the Year, Communication Arts, Eisie, and World Press.

See Ron’s latest Joe McNally book review - Sketching Light here.

Disclosure

This is a press release with no commission or incentive for publishing. I do not make a commission from anything in this article. All photos copyright Joe McNally and used by permission.

Canon 600EX-RT Wireless Real World Test

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no Joe McNally or Syl Arena, so when my second Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT flash arrived from B&H today, I did what I think most of my readers would do – I asked my wife to walk outside with me (with no explanation so should couldn’t say no <g>), and I took her to a spot where I asked her to take a photo of me. I set the camera up and ran to the other end of the block and yelled “okay honey, shoot.” Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. <g>

I’m standing at 115 feet (35 meters) which was the farthest I could go to get a reliable flash
My 24-105mm lens was zoomed to 105mm so this was a decent range

Unbeknownst to my lovely wife what I was really doing was a quick distance check with the radio wireless range of the new Canon 600EX-RT flash system. I had one mounted to 5D Mark III (with the 24-105mm lens zoomed out to 105mm) as the master and the other in my hand as a slave for a very unscientific, but practical real world sanity check.

My test shots outdoors were taken during a light on and off drizzle near sunset (7:00 PM Pacific). What I discovered is that I could reliably get the flash to fire at a straight-line distance up to 115 feet, and a maximum of 125 feet. Now I’m not sure how much that lamp post was interfering or how the rainy day may have impacted things, but overall I thought this was reasonable for my needs. It was shorter than I expected though, so I was a little disappointed. I’ll try again with a new set of batteries (these batteries were 1 year old Enloops that had been fully charged the night before), but I’m not expecting something drastically better here. I may try a park to see if it helps to have less interference.

Around the house

With the obstructed flash in the downstairs living room I went as far as I could go upstairs
and fired the flash – worked 100% reliably and ETTL was bang on

Inside I just tossed the flash in the formal living room in the center of the room then went upstairs as far away as I could. I fired and it worked flawlessly – repeatedly. In fact, I found that the ETTL behaved better than the Pocket Wizard MiniTT1/FlexTT5 system I reviewed. The shots above and below are the same room just from different angles upstairs where I was shooting. Try as I may, I could never trip it up.

The formal dining room (aka the playroom) next to the dining room was well lit too

The Closed Door Test

Solid doors – no problem

I figured if that worked well then I should see what it did behind closed doors, so I tried both the french doors and solid doors – again it was spot on every time.

French doors – ha, ha, ha – don’t insult me says the 600EX-RT!

Conclusion

I had to go back to being dad and spend time with the family, so I didn’t do as much testing as I would like. However, I learned what I wanted to know – the wireless system works pretty darn well. No shields or any fancy stuff was needed – this is a straight out of the box test so you should easily be able to mimic my results in your environment.

These flashes are also growing on me too as they are very well built and everything is integrated, so durability and weather resistance are a given. In fact, I was testing in the rain today with a 5D Mark III and everything worked fine – no leaks or malfunctions.

At this point I’m giving these flash a highly recommend rating with the only gripes I have are the obscene price and the lack of gels included with the adapter. For those coming from Nikon, these are basically like SB-910’s with wireless radio triggers built in, so they are pure goodness.

Order your Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT flash from B&H today!

Related Articles

• Pocket Wizard Mini TT1, Flex TT5 and AC7 (I do recommend these, but they don’t work with the 5D Mark III yet)
• First Look: Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT Flash
• Ask Ron: Canon 600EX-RT Radio Wireless and High Speed Sync on Sunny Days
• REVIEW: Canon ST-E3 RT Speedlite Transmitter
• PocketWizard Plus III Review

Disclosure

I was provided units to review from B&H that I returned when I was done. I may get a commission if you make a purchase using the links in this article.

Travel Photography: Photographing People At Night In New York City (Manhattan)

Manhattan Nightscape
All photos in this article are Copyright Ron Martinsen – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

How many times have you gone on a trip where you see some cool nightscape and you tell your loved one – “hey, let me take a photo of you against that great view”?

Now think about how many times you’ve been happy with the result. If you are like most people, the answer is usually “very few” (at best). For most when you throw in the challenge of the evening shooting where high ISO’s and slow shutter speeds are virtually inevitable then things get even worse!

I’m no stranger to this problem myself, but I’ve learned a few things over the years that certainly help – A LOT! All of the shots in this article were taken in New York City in 2011 while I was there attending the PhotoPlus Expo. Most shots are at ISO 3200 or 6400, but I was also lucky to have a great assistant or two and borrowed lights to get some shots that I’m happy with.

I hope you’ll enjoy both the advice and the shots as you read through this article.

Introduction

Shooting at night in a big city like New York introduces some serious problems.

Your subjects are typically backlit against bright lights or mixed lighting. If you’ve been to the Flash Bus Tour, Strobist or Planet Neil then you probably know that you’ve gotta start by exposing your background first and then adding your fill light. This means you’ll be shooting manual and you’ll not always trust what your camera meter is telling you.

To get good results, you’ve gotta know your gear. If you don’t then I highly recommend you read my Which Books Should I Read? article and possibly get a subscription to Kelby Training (see my discount coupon code page for details).This article will not go into those details as that is beyond the scope of this article. Off-Camera Flash Techniques, Speedliter's Handbook, and Sketching Light all offer great advice on how to to get the shots shown in this article.

1. If you plan to shoot when travelling then come prepared

A Lastolite EzyBox and an assistant will get you great shots in the field

Many of us don’t have the budget to shoot on location, so our travels will be business trips or family vacations. If your goal is to get great shots during your limited shooting time on one of these events, then you really have to be prepared. While more gear is always better, there’s way to be smart and still have a great shoot.

First and foremost you need to be realistic about what you can accomplish with the gear on hand and the objective of your trip. What I mean by this is that if the objective of your trip is to get great photographs, then bring (or rent) the gear you need to get the job done. Companies like LensRentals.com will drop ship your rental gear to your destination so you can have what you need without hauling it on the plane.

Here’s the minimum kit that I recommend (in addition to your favorite camera):

1. A comfortable backpack like the Streetwalker Pro or if you have a lot of gear then a roller bag like the ThinkTankPro Airport Security. Your shots will be much better if you are comfortable and can bring everything you need. For me I always load my Airport Security bag with everything I need when shooting is my primary objective.
   
2. I like to have a 70-200mm lens and a 16-35mm lens so I can do both wide angle and telephoto shots. I usually use sneaker zoom for the rest. I’ll take my 24-105mm when I just want the one size fits all compromise lens.
   
3. A Lastolite EzyBox and an assistant will get you great shots in the field. This is really how the big boys do it, so if you want to look like a pro you’ve gotta bring the good stuff. This also means you’ll need some remote triggers like the Pocket Wizard Mini TT1, Flex TT5 and AC7.
   
4. At least one good reflector like the Lastolite TriGrip. Even better, consider using what small flash master Joe McNally uses as shown here at B&H. See the 2nd part of my PhotoPlus Expo article for my 2 cents on Joe’s collection.
   
5. Rogue FlashBender and Rogue Lighting Filters are a must to help you throw light where you need it as well as control the color of the light.

Sure there are a bazillion other things you can bring, so you can see my gear page or my holiday gear guide to get ideas on what else you can bring. Personally I pack my bag as full as I can stand it.

2. At a MINIMUM, bring a good flash for outdoors

If you want good shots then you are going to need good light.

At a minimum this can be an on-camera flash like a 580EX II or SB-910. Indoors the cheaper flashes can work, but outdoors you are going to want a the best flash money can buy (e.g., the Quantum QFlash is great too).

The shot above of Sandy is an example of a shot done just with a 580EX II on my camera with it pointing directly at my subject (something you can kinda get away with outdoors). I also had an orange Rogue Gel on my flash to warm up the light hitting her skin.

Tip: If you haven’t already, read On-Camera Flash Techniques to learn how to get great shots with the on-camera flash.

3. Avoid photographing your subject in the dead center of the frame

As Rick Sammon says, Dead Center is Dead Wrong. If you want to convey a sense of being in a different location, then your photos should include a little of the location with you. How subtle or pronounced it is depends on your proximity of the subject and the ability of your equipment, but the key thing is to have both – with one dominant subject. The way you do that is to put your subject at the left or right edge of the frame and pay attention to the background.

In the photo above I get Wall Street in the background and only let Kaethe occupy 25% of the frame (the minimum your subject should be in most shots). While the physical distance and laws of physics make it impossible for me to have both subjects in focus at the same time, you can appreciate a nice portrait and your memory will fill in the blanks. Wall Street adds a nice splash of color and you can tell that there’s something big happening in the background.

4. Take your cityscape and portraits separately

Your photo should only have one primary subject. While it would be great to have photos of Manhattan and your friend, don’t try to do both in one shot. In the photo above I successful capture beautiful QiaoQiao with a nice Manhattan backdrop for a splash of color and location. However, I don’t try to make them both subjects in the same shot.

When I was done with the shot above I stepped to the side of QiaoQiao and took this Manhattan shot:

The net result is that I have two good shots instead of one crappy shot that doesn’t do justice for either QiaoQiao or Manhattan. (TIP: Topaz Labs Adjust 5 (review) is for processing city shots)

5. Groups - the same rules apply, but it’s more tricky

Mouse Over for Before “Fail” Shot
Mouse Out for After (Fixed using InFocus by Topaz Labs)

Groups are always tough, but they are even more tough to shoot when you are out having fun and are trying to do an impromptu group photo. The key thing to remember is that you need to apply the same rules as your individual shots, but you’ll need to configure the people differently.

In the above shot I decided to line group up in an alternating pattern to make them more interesting, but I also was mindful of the background so I could convey the sense that they were in Times Square. I then tried to use the top third of the shot to get the nightscape to give a sense as to where these girls were.

What I did fail to do in this shot actually is adjust my aperture (hey, shit happens) so f/2.8 got all of the girls except for the foreground girl in perfect focus. The foreground girl was totally blurred, but I used Topaz Labs InFocus to bring her back into the shot. While this photo won’t end up in a portfolio or a gallery, it’s still a decent group shot that these girls can show their friends when talking about their great trip to The Big Apple! Let this be a lesson though – either shoot with a larger f-stop number or get everybody on the same plane.

6. If you have a friend in your destination city, ask them if you can borrow their gear

The last time I was in New York City, I was extremely fortunate to have one of my blog readers – Cliff Pickett – offer to help me out. Not only did he act as an assistant, he also loaned me gear which helped me to get a lot of great shots while I was there. He also got me access to the best place to shoot in all of New York City!

Keep this in mind when you are travelling – there may be a friend, or long lost cousin that might be able to help you out when you are in town. You never know, that cousin you never met that your Mom tells you to see when you visit city X, might just be a cool photography geek that can be a huge help to you!

They may save you some rental expenses or extra luggage fees too, so plan to treat them to dinner too! :)

7. Be ready for the unexpected

Seriously, I wouldn’t have guessed in a million years that I’d see Elmo in Times Square on his cell phone making a call in front of a huge bottle of Corona beer! Shit happens when you are in the big city, so always have your camera ready to shoot. This means flash on, lens cap off, and camera settings dialed in as conditions change.

If I didn’t have my camera (and in this case my crew) ready to go, there’s no way I would have go this shot.

8. Be spontaneous and get your subjects to come to life

As a photographer we need to think of so many things when shooting that it is easy to make a technically strong, but terribly boring shot. Instead of taking DMV mug shots outside, ask your subject to get a little crazy and then start firing away. Have them look off camera and think about something that makes them happy and fire away.

Another thing I’d like to point out is that keeping an eye on what is behind your subject is important. The crap in the background like power lines, signs, lamp posts, garbage cans, planters, etc…. are all nasty to look at in your photo so try to avoid them if you can. While a quick shot of Elmo dancing my get you a free pass on the background clutter, generally speaking it can just ruin a shot.

9. Photograph strangers

This is a tough one for many people, but you’d be surprised how many people will let you take their photo if you ask. It helps to have a business card and tell them who you are and what you do first, and you should always offer to give them a free image in exchange for their time. An 8x10 print or 800px on the long side JPEG is sufficient. What’s more, is that you can have them fill out a release for you after they contact you to get their print. This keeps you from shoving a contract in their face while on the street, and lets them go about their business.

Tip: Ask the people who you find attractive! Yep, that’s right, try asking the good looking folks because generally good looking people are happy to get their photo taken, and you’ll be happier with shots of people you find pleasing to look at! Once you do, you’ll have people of all sorts of looks asking to have their photo taken!

10. Find or recruit buddies to help assist

Taken with the Canon 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye Zoom (review)

There are lots of photographers in the world these days, and local groups for strobist, smugmug, etc… mean there are always people willing to go out and do a photo walk. As a result, you can recruit these people to help you out and help them in exchange as well. It’s tough to get great shots without an assistant, so I highly recommend you find one and plan ahead!

I’d like to thank my buddy Joe Gambardella who I met at the Bryan Peterson Workshop in Seattle (review) and Cliff Picket for their generous time and support during my Times Square and Rooftop shoots.

Conclusion

Travel Photography is one of my favorite things to do, but I’m only able to travel once or twice a year. Being out of my element sparks new creativity possibilities, but also new challenges.

Most of us aren’t Joe McNally so while we read great books like Sketching Light and think I’d like to try that sometime”, few of us actual do – especially when we are out of town. However, I’d like to encourage you to stop making boring shots when you travel. Haul a little more gear with you and go make some great shots! 

Feeling Trapped And Longing For More Creative Outlets?

As photographers we get into creativity ruts from time to time, but travelling is the best way to see the world differently. Reading books like Learning to See Creatively or taking a course from The Perfect Picture School of Photography can really help inspire some new thinking, so a new environment may be just what you need to get those creative juices flowing again. I know it always helps me!

See the introduction part of this article for more ideas on how to improve your camera skills too!

If you like this article and want to see more like it, please leave a comment on the blog to let me know what you think.

Disclosure

I may get a commission if you make purchases using links in this article. Thanks for supporting this blog by using my links!

PREVIEW: Sketching Light by Joe McNally

Sketching Light: An Illustrated Tour of the Possibilities of Flash
Excerpted from Sketching Light by Joe McNally
Copyright © 2012. Used with permission of Pearson Education, Inc. and New Riders

Normally I don’t talk about a book on my blog until I’ve finished reading it, but for this book I’m going to make an exception. The reason is simple – I enjoyed The Moment It Clicks and Hot Shoe Diaries enough to know what to expect from this book. When I started to skim this book I quickly discovered it took the best elements of Joe’s first two books and included a bit more detail (i.e., lots of lighting layout diagrams). This is a great start as depth was something that was lacking from his earlier editions, but the great photos and stories made up for it. In this edition you get all of that (including some of the same past photos discussed in more depth) and more.

At 417 pages, Sketching Light: An Illustrated Tour of the Possibilities of Flash is way more of everything than you’ve seen in Joe’s past books. I can assure you that if you liked The Moment It Clicks or Hot Shoe Diaries, you will LOVE Sketching Light! If you’ve never read one of Joe’s books, then let me say that you are in for a real treat so this should be high on your list of recreational reading books.

A Peek Inside

Thanks to my friends at Peachpit Press, I’m able to share with you an exclusive look at some of the content from this book not found anywhere else (not even on Joe’s blog!). I don’t typically ask publishers for content or do this sort of thing, but for this book I made an exception because I think it’s really important to show you why I love this book. I think you’ll also see why it’s still worth you getting even if you own Joe’s other books.

Fantastic Images

Fantastic images are nothing new for  Joe McNally book – I mean the guy is a freakin photography legend, but Joe cranks the dial to 11 in this book. While the content of some of the images may be subjective (see below), the color, exposure and technical skill required to pull of the images can be appreciated by all photographers.

Joe begins his chapters with a large image and an intro where you are taken on a voyage to learn what all went into Joe making each chapters shot. Here’s one example, and you can find more on Amazon and Joe’s Blog.

Excerpted from Sketching Light by Joe McNally
Copyright © 2012. Used with permission of Pearson Education, Inc. and New Riders

More Details

I like Joe’s books, but in the past I felt they were more coffee table books than instructional books. The reason was simple – you saw a photo of a great shot learned a bit what went into making the shot, but there wasn’t enough detail for us mere mortals to go out and pull it off. While this edition still lacks the brilliant easy of use of Kelby’s Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It, it does give you more in-depth details where an intermediate and advanced photographer can stand a fighting chance of getting the shot. Here’s a great example that gives you a tiny taste of the new level of detail:

Excerpted from Sketching Light by Joe McNally
Copyright © 2012. Used with permission of Pearson Education, Inc. and New Riders

What is even more important is that this edition isn’t like the Ikea car instructions as they were in the past. Instead Joe shows you how he builds the light to get the shot. Here’s a snippet of one of the many examples where Joe goes deep:

Excerpted from Sketching Light by Joe McNally
Copyright © 2012. Used with permission of Pearson Education, Inc. and New Riders

Conclusion

I’m reading this book now and loving the hell out of it. It’s going to be my holiday vacation companion (even more so after I get my Kindle Fire on Christmas <g>), and I think you might enjoy doing the same. This version has more depth and details as well as a couple chapters to set your bearings before he dives in to the good stuff. Based on a 2 hour skim of the entire book, I see nothing that will keep this one off my highly recommended list, so I’m going to jump the gun and say this is a “great to have” book.

NOTE: Nikon shooters will enjoy knowing that Joe even covers the new SB-910 in the last chapter!

Click here to order yours today in print or electronic format.

Disclaimer

Peachpit press a copy of this book to me in advance of its retail release for my review. They also provided me with exclusive images from the book at my request. If you make a purchase from this article I may get a tiny commission.