@SargentRay,
I was once a moderator (way back, when I played video games :-) so I know what a time consuming task it is,. My hat's off to you. If your forum members would be interested in a Q&A regarding this series, I do have free time next week, so just let me know!
I've always been a Nikon shooter. I can't imagine using any other gear, though in the end it's the eye behind the camera that matters most. Both Nikon and Canon make fine cameras and lenses, but the 14-24mm is a tough one to match :-)
@tonyfield
That last shot wasn't even strobed! That's sunlight (and yes, it was a bit strong). Sunrises for some reason seem to happen quicker than sunsets
@dmacmillan
I'm a big believer of pre-visualization. Luckily I have been to Badwater a few times before which helped with the logistics of planning all of this. And knowing what time of year to shoot, and what to take with you was just as important. Thanks for noticing!
Thanks Michael, very generous of you, but to be honest we're a french Canadian forum, most people only have a very basic understanding of the Shakespeare language. Some will understand by seeing videos but i find myself frequently translating notions for members. I often re do videos in french that i post on You Tube to help them grasp everything more clearly. This is especially true for post processing where most folks have their preferences set in french, an overlay layer becomes "Masque d'incrustation" and so on. Besides there's only a handful of guys that do portraits, the majority of people posting landscapes or some attempts at sport shooting their kids. Those who have gone pro or semi pro don't really attend the forum anymore, just the occasional "perfect" wedding shot, seeking compliments oohhhs and ahhhs. It's normal to an extend i suppose right ?
The last tutorial i posted was all about Short and broad lighting for portrait, wasn't familiar with the term myself as we define it differently in french although we speak of the same basic notions. During the following weeks many have tried the technique (with variable levels of success) but it was sure nice to see them try and get out of their comfort zone. I find i like more and more "teaching" what i have learned over the years. Having gone digital only 4 years ago i am still learning myself from the generous more experienced photogs out there. I try to do the same as best i can :-)
Michael - some really awesome work! I'm with SargentRay - the OCF and the filters I like the best are the ones I can't see - and they are literally invisible!
That last shot - with the 105 - 40 minutes after sunset - wow! If you don't mind me asking, what were your settings to pull that off?
Wow, thank you everyone, for voting for this thread! I'm really excited for all the positive feedback. I've gone through the RAWs from that evening one more time, and can't believe I missed this one during the initial curating process. So here is one more shot, with her right in the center of it all.
@Poff Photo, thank you for appreciating the process that went into these. The shot you're referring to was shot as ISO 1600 at 1/400 and f/2. Ok, maybe it was 30 minutes after sunset? And by sunset I mean when the sun went behind the mountains.
I really need to make more time for conceptual shoots like this. Alas, our busy schedule tends to take over, though I would definitely love to do another one like this before the end of the year!
