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studio photography Tag

15 Jun

Posted at 07:50h in Blog, Dick's Rant by

And there is nothing on Earth that will set you dancing in the dark better than a series of cables and wires strung across a darkened photographic studio. Whether you entangle yourself with the power leads on the floor or clothesline yourself with the PC cord or computer tether cable, the experience will be exciting. You may be able to get some use out of that public liability insurance policy too, as well as the Medibank premiums. Mmm, boy there's something to look forward to...

30 Mar

Posted at 08:00h in Blog, Dick's Rant by

In my case I am shut into a studio, scale model workshop, and comfortable library with a drinks cabinet. As long as the supplies hold out, I am fine. The plan to distill liquor from potato peelings and old spray-painting rags is proceeding well and the still has only gone up in flames twice. Today's Shut-in Idea comes from a photo shoot that was done last year in the studio with John Harney. He's a marine seascape photographer who is wet more often than he is dry -  and wanted a page for one of his albums of pictures  - or for one of the calendars he produces. He came up with the idea of a set-up photo of himself and all the equipment he uses for the shots. You may have seen similar photos done be fire departments, military outfits, and sports clubs. They lay themselves out in precise form as if they were a G.I. Joe or Barbie play set. The work involved is considerable as there has to be a lot of precision in the concept as well as...

21 Feb

Posted at 08:56h in Blog, Dick's Rant by

I formed a very good opinion of the Fujifilm GFX 50S camera when I tried it out in my studio a year or so ago. The test shots done with a pin-up model in the style of a magazine cover pointed out the extreme detail available with the medium format sensor. The richness of the colour that the CMOS sensor produced told me that this would be s perfect studio camera - if the subject matter required a degree of enlargement and the price of the job would justify the extra outlay that medium format requires. I regretted that I didn't have that sort of business to justify owning the camera. I have now had a very brief chance to play with the alternate version of this camera - the Fujifilm GFX 50R - in an almost-studio situation. And as it was the sort of studio I dabble in, there was some point in me comparing that last experience to this one. The new Fujifilm has much the same sensor as its stablemate, but takes a different form - this one is...

20 Apr

Posted at 09:08h in Blog, Dick's Rant by

A great deal of photographic equipment is novel - at least it is the first time you see it. And some items are frivolous - mere mechanical bagatelles. Not so today's featured device. The box said Manfrotto 405 New Geared Head. I'm glad it was on a low shelf because I would not have liked to lift it down - it was a heavy box. The camera head inside turns out to be the closest thing to a naval cannon mount that you can buy commercially...

19 Apr

Posted at 09:28h in Blog, Dick's Rant by

I was a little taken aback when I saw the label for the Manfrotto 410* - it says " Junior Geared Head ". But it is actually quite large. I would say that this device would be capable of managing nearly all modern cameras. Certainly the specifications say it'll hold 5 Kg. But 5 Kg of what? What photographic equipment needs a geared tripod head - and when should you employ it? Well, the first thought that came to mind was the Little Studio studio stand - normally sporting a large Gitzo pan and tilt head, it was perfect for this one as well. the gearing is quite slow and means that you are not fighting to tap the camera assembly into a horizontal position - you can just wind it slowly into registry. Thank goodness the Fujifilm cameras all seem to have a green artificial horizon line that comes on as this happens. If you need to get close enough quickly the larger flanges seen on the control wheels are release mechanisms - twist them and the whole thing becomes loose -...

18 Apr

Posted at 08:48h in Blog, Dick's Rant by

Ever since I started to do studio photography I gained new respect for the chaps who put up scaffolding and hoardings on building sites. You see their structures all the time but you don't stop to think of how complex they are until you start to try to bolt together a set of camera or light supports. More often than not in the Little Studio the parts used are made by Manfrotto. This blithely named product - the MS050M4-Q2 - is just such a component - but rather than holding lights or backdrop rolls, it's a camera support...