New Project Coming
It's been a few weeks since I last posted. I have been very busy and just haven't had the time; however, I have something coming that will surely make the wait worth it.
I can't tell you exactly what it is, but trust me when I say, its' an interesting twist on an old trick! I can't wait to unveil it. I do feel compelled to offer a hint of what's to come. I've done it before!
I can't tell you exactly what it is, but trust me when I say, its' an interesting twist on an old trick! I can't wait to unveil it. I do feel compelled to offer a hint of what's to come. I've done it before!
Balancing Act
I have always enjoyed event coverage as I never know what to expect from one moment to the next.
A few months ago, I had the opportunity to attend a local arts festival in the North Davidson community of Charlotte. Initially, I didn't know what to expect as many of the participants were heavily influenced by the arts and possibly a few illegal substances.
As the various performers presented their creative works on stage I kept the camera working. Initially the stage lighting proved to be very challenging however, I didn't give up. I was chasing a shot.
My goal was to land one image that could summarize the artistry of the evening. In one moment, the lighting went to a more neutral color, the subjects on stage slowed their movement, and suddenly, I manged to catch the shot I was chasing.
In this image one subject is entirely in shadow, while the other is lit from the overhead spotlight. There is an immediate connection to the yin and yang symbol, however I can also appreciate the power and presence of the shadow subject, while the lit subject is at rest.
In the end, I titled this image balancing act.
New Studio Shots
Today was my first day taking advantage of my new studio space. Although I am becoming more familiar with controlled lighting, I still chose to keep the set up basic for this test shoot.The main light was high right while the fill was left. I added a rear strobe to create separation between the model and the background.
I am excited to finally have a space dedicated to photography and look forward to sharing my work as I continue to grow!
New Studio Space
I would like to announce a wonderful business partnership that has allowed me to secure a studio space just south of Charlotte. I'm looking forward to expanding my creative process as I now have a workspace that is dedicated to photography.
I'll make sure I post a few updates such as images and video as I continue to create works of art.
I'll make sure I post a few updates such as images and video as I continue to create works of art.
Stretching The Photography Dollar
Having built my skills as well as my arsenal of photography equipment from the ground up, I have always had a fond appreciation for discovering new ways to stretch my investment dollars and time while avoiding the cheap feel or look.With this in mind, I recently have been working on collecting studio equipment such as strobes, umbrellas, back drops and various support systems. As I was recently shopping around for backgrounds, I quickly realized they are not cheap. A trip to a few local camera shops in search of 26 foot muslins quickly produced expensive results.
After shopping around, I reached the conclusion that I could spend $150 on a high quality cloth background or $40 on a 10ft roll of paper.
I was left wondering what I should do, then it hit me! Stretch your dollar!
I decided on the more expensive up-front option and purchased a 26ft cloth muslin. My rationale was that the cloth would be more durable than paper, easier to store, convenient to transport, and was long enough to cover a seat/stool with room to spare. Most importantly, it could be flipped over to reveal a second side which offered a second shade of color that could be used to add versatility to my background selections.
The samples above were shot with the same cloth background.
© Julian Rance Photography