Youtube has changed so much that I don’t even bother to start. Although there are thousands and thousands of educational videos on photography most of them aren’t worth to watch. Trust me – I’ve watched them all.  Janne suggested years ago that we ought to do some strobist stuff on youtube in Finnish but I never liked the idea too much.

Beauty of youtube is that now and then you hit a gold mine like Darkness and Light or Dean Collins clips. And this old fellow doing a lecture on studio lighting. Its long and bit dry but definitely worth to look through if you are diving into to studio world.

The night before my first trip to the studio I found this lecture and went through it while making notes. I vividly remember writing down this string-trick on knowing your light if on F8. Useless I was shooting digital!  I was so excited on getting into the studio that tricks like that seemed worth putting down.

During the same week I had this brief conversation in IRC about studio lighting. I asked if anyone had some tips for novice. First answer I got was “Do you know what grid is?” I didn’t. “Well you absolutely have to know what grid is and how to use if you are doing anything in studio!” Right. And all I needed to know which is better to start with umbrella or a softbox. Turns out there was small softbox on the strobe ready to go. All I needed was two strobes and reflector and I was happy as a kid in a toy store. I never got this guys idea of knowing everything about grids and gels before you can shoot in studio. Its ones and zeros – its free. And you always have photoshop to save your ass!

Anyways hope the lecture helps. Hopefully getting some pics up next week.

There are whole punch of different photography related podcasts online and by now most of them are done with video like Twit or the Grid and the only voice shows like TwiT and LIME.

On top of my list is a traditional voice only podcast called The Candid Frame.

Ibarionex Perello is a photographer behind The Candid Frame and the shear attitude of podcast is totally different to other shows. He does a proper research on who ever he has discussion with. Interview is a proper interview not just a one hour talk about stuff. Gear is rarely mentioned and he also has people on the show who aren’t photographers but can help out photogs in the industry.

He has no need to bring him self forward on the show but the guests have the floor.  I was listening to his talk with the legendary portrait photographer Dan Winters and suddenly I noticed that Dan had been going on this long long long monologue full of small interesting details. Same with Gale Tattersall, the guest have all the room they need to say what they want.

So do your self a favor and tune into The Candid Frame. Today I am gona go back to listen to David duChemin episode.

As a not so good problem solver here is my solution. Do it your self! DIY-photo critique.

Here is how it works: I pick up a old photo of mine from the archive. A photo that I regarded as one of the best I’ve shot at the time and then tear it apart.

The Critique:

A clear attempt to do a film noir shot. Not a total failure but almost.

Lighting is decent although slightly accidental. Lights are on both sides of the model and without a good key from the front this does not work. Not the salvation of lighting is the fact that she looks straight to the light on right. Although equal powers they become key and rim light.  So basically she saved your sorry ass on  this.

Biggest problem here is the post production. Its too heavy. Goes almost to plastic and looks crappy. One can almost spot the brush strokes on the background where burn tool was used. Also blurring the background does not look authentic. Easier to go for longer glass than blur in Photoshop.The basics of photography you ought to know, dumb ass.

The blacks are gone and her skin looks like it came through a two dollar plug-in.

Okay, I’ll say it, it was a total failure.

End of Critique!

I have lost one DVD of RAW images.

The picture above is – I think – on that one lost freaking DVD. Back in the day my back up system was a  bit unreliable. Basically I filled up my hard drive with pictures without a proper folder order. When the drive would fill up I’d just take some of the folders and burn them on DVD. Not in a chronological order but in a “I don’t need those pics anymore”-sort of way.

Of course I was studying at the time and constantly broke without any money on DVDs. Plenty on beer though.Back then the external drives weren’t that pricey at all but almost 200 euros were more than enough to last two months back then.

So there I was burning the DVD #12 done, delete the folder, burn #13, delete the folder… mind you NO 2nd backups were done.

Burn #14 delete the folder #15…WHAT WAIT! NOO..

Truth be told I really was not much of photog back then. I took 20 000 images on my D70 but none of those end up my wall. Most likely that shot of the Audi is the only one I really miss and I’ve tried to find it but the time line matches and most likely it was on that folder that was meant to be a dvd #15.

I’ve never looked back on those twenty something DVDs I have burned and hidden in the closet. I should back them up at least once and go through them.

Visa took my portrait back in 2005/6 or sometime back then. It was my first and last strobist round up and I got kick out of it. Not too many – okay no good photos at all. But the experience to meet other same minded photogs was cool.

Driving to the round up I actually thought I knew lighting a bit and had some cool small soft box to play with among shoot through brollys. Truth is I knew shit.

These days I can honestly say I know my way around lights and knock of fill-key-rim scenario without breaking sweat. Truth is it does not matter.

More on my gloomy thoughts coming up when I get it all out of head onto keyboard.