Where is Ben?

Gear Tips: The ThinkTank Modular System Update

If you're out shooting in the field a lot, you know that changing lenses can be a hassle, especially when you use a heavy backpack that you have to take off and on repeatedly. My solution for this is to shoot with no camera bag at all. Instead, I use the Modular belt-based storage system, by ThinkTank Photo. I've been using ThinkTank products for years and I absolutely love them. The Modular System is a series of lens and accessory pouches that attach to a special belt. This system makes changing lenses a breeze and makes my gear much easier to manage.

In an earlier video, I detailed the general setup I like to use and I'm posting an update to show how I've changed my setup in the video shown below.

FYI: It looks like ThinkTank has renamed their belt-based product line from Modulus to Modular.

Check out the components to the Modular System HERE

For the Tamrac Filter Pouch I use with the Modular System, click HERE

For the suspender/harness system I'm now using, click HERE.

Watch the original video on the Modular System HERE.

Receive a free ThinkTank item on my Equipment Discounts page HERE.

Teaching at the LEPP Institute

This week I'm spending my time in Los Osos, CA teaching a Digital Fine Art Nudes class. Today we looked at many example images, discussed a few general concepts and did a lot of light painting. Above and below are two of the images I created today. The image above is lit with only a flashlight, while the image below was lit was a green glowstick that was suspended from a string. Our model "Sam" was a great sport since we had her flinging around Christmas tree lights and holding still for quite some time while she had no idea what the end results would bare.

Digital Fine Art Nude Class

I have a Digital Fine Art Nudes class coming up at the Lepp Institute on May 12-16. This will be a great combination of theory (how to think about capturing a 3D subject in a 2D medium), shooting (both studio, outdoors, under natural and artificial lighting) and Photoshop (how to enhance your results to bring them to the next level). You'll learn how to interact with the models, how to make sure the lighting is flattering, how to pose them for dramatic effect and special techniques for making sure you end up with an image worth framing. I'm really excited about the class since this has been a passion of mine since I started college.

We need a few more signups to make this class a reality, so please let anyone you know that is interested in the subject matter know about the class (I'd really appreciate it). You can see some examples of my nudes after the jump (if you're offended by nudity, please don't click). I have many other examples that I am not allowed to show on-line since the women pictured don't want to be able to be recognized. This class is about fine art nudes, not anything raunchy.

What to Shoot in South Dakota: Dakotagraph

If you ever plan to visit South Dakota, be sure to visit the Dakotagaph web site before you leave. This is the web site of Chad Coppess who has been the senior photographer for the South Dakota Department of Tourism since 1993. His web site describes the best time of year to shoot different subject matter and gives you all sorts of useful tips for shooting in South Dakota. Go take a look... I think you'll be impressed by the depth of his posts.

I met Chad when he took one of my workshops last year.

Another Before/After HDR image

Here's another before/after example. The image above is my final version that is ready to be printed large while the photo below is the original version I posted on this blog.

FYI: The techniques I used to create this type of image are covered in my HDR DVD.

Featured in Double Exposure

I'm featured in this month's DoubleExposure Images that Inspire feature.

Route 66 Poster #3

Here's one more poster version from my Route 66 series. This image received a great response when I unveiled it as a large print during Fotofusion 2008 in Florida.

Image Refinement

I've been spending a good amount of my time refining images that I've already posted to my blog or photography web site. I thought you might enjoy seeing a blog version and the final "ready for a big print" version, which is sometimes radically different and other times almost identical. The main thing is that many of the image were posted to this blog the same day they were shot and I might have been shooting well into the evening and was in a hurry to get something posted before I went to bed. Also, some of the images were originally processed low res to save time and now have to be redone in order to get the quality needed to print them large.

The photograph above was taken in Cuervo, New Mexico. The top version is the final refined product, while the lower version is what I posted on this blog soon after the image was captured. You really have to see these images as a minimum of 13x16" in order to really get a true feeling for what's there. Eventually they will be printed at least 24x36" and that's when you should come take a look.

Route 66 Poster #1

Today I finished refining one of my Route 66 images and was about to print it on 13x19" paper. That's when I discovered that I'd have a little empty space on the sheet, so I decided to turn it into a poster or sorts. This image is now hanging in the bus to remind me of all the hours I've been putting into these images.

You can click on the image to see a larger version.

Route 66: Odell, IL

The photograph above was taken in Odell, IL while I was following Route 66 back in August. That's a restored 1953 Winnebago Trailer by the way.

Processing Notes: I opened this single exposure through Adobe Camera Raw making no overly special adjustments. I then applied an antique look to the background to make the trailer stand out and retouched out the edge of the building that was on the left edge of the photo and a few radio towers that where in the background. I wouldn't really say that I'm done with this image since I'm not happy with the antique look yet, but knew I was done working on it for the day, so I thought I'd post the image here.