Sometimes, shooting a location portrait means cluttered backgrounds, gawking parents, jeering students, and the list goes on and on and on.  Basically, setting up for one with any of the above elements means you’ve just turned on the “Hi look at my lightstands and big cameras, everyone!!,” sometimes making the subject a little self-conscious.

This is what happened during my portrait session with Castle High School receiver Shaydon Kehano.  I arrived, and it so happened to be team picture day–read:  ENTIRE JV and VARSITY are on the field with the team photographer.  Clean background?  Fah git aboutit!

I had to think on the fly, and noticed a nice puddle by the track, and the sky had just started to clear from a passing shower–perfect backlight.  The solution?  Cook the subject, and under-expose everything else!!  I had two lights at full power, and got the result I wanted.

Castle receiver Shaydon Kehano poses for a portrait Friday, Sept. 18, 2009 at Castle High School. (Jamm Aquino/Honolulu Star-Bulletin). Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 15 mm f2.8, Exposure mode: Manual, 1/250 @f22, 200 ISO, daylight whitebalance. Lit with two snooted Nikon SB 28 flashes at full power.

I also had the privelege of chatting and meeting KSSK radio personality Larry Price the other day to photograph him for our Centurions tab for UH Football.  The two hours spent with him were amazing–the stories and recollections he had from his days as a player and coach were so interesting that I caught myself just holding my camera because I was just intently listening to his conversation with Dave Reardon.  Here’s my favorite photo of him from that session, which didn’t run unfortunately but I thought I’d share with all of you.  Enjoy!

And, for the record, I’m back in effect! Sorry for the hiatus!

Larry Price, former UH Football player and coach, is reflected on the Clark Shaughnessy Trophy, the only piece of memorabilia he owns from his days as UH Football coach Monday, June 15, 2009 at the KSSK Offices in Iwilei (Jamm Aquino/Honolulu Star-Bulletin).

This past Monday, I photographed the Project DisFUNKshion fashion at Windward Mall.  As always is the case, I was pressed for time, as I had a baseball game to shoot immediately after in Aiea.  A nice setup, metering of lights, and location scout is always a luxury I seldom ever have, so I compensated by using both ambient and speedlites to shoot my portraits.  The three models, Nalani, Marc, and Mandy, were wonderful to work with and very cooperative.  Here’s three shots to illustrate the variety of approaches when shooting a fashion assignment such as this.

LIT:

Mandy McGarry, left, and Nalani Ravelo wear spring fashion by Wet Seal, photographed Monday, March 16, 2009 at Windward Mall, part of the 2009 DisFunkShion show. (Jamm Aquino/Honolulu Star-Bulletin). Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 15 f2.8 fisheye, 580EX speedlite x 2, triggered with a Canon ST-E2 wireless transmitter. Exposure mode: Manual, ISO 50, 1/250 @ f8.0, daylight whitebalance.

AMBIENT:

Mandy McGarry wears spring fashion by Hot Topic, photographed Monday, March 16, 2009 at Windward Mall, part of the 2009 DisFunkShion show. (Jamm Aquino/Honolulu Star-Bulletin). Canon EOS 1D Mark II, EF 24-70 f2.8L at 50mm, Exposure mode: Manual, ISO 50, 1/200 @ f2.8, Daylight whitebalance.

MIX OF BOTH:

Marc McGarry wears spring fashion by Hot Topic, photographed Monday, March 16, 2009 at Windward Mall, part of the 2009 DisFunkShion show. (Jamm Aquino/Honolulu Star-Bulletin). Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 16-35 f2.8L at 16mm, 580EX speedlite triggered with ST-E2, Exposure mode: Manual, ISO 50, 1/250 @f5.0, Daylight whitebalance.

Mixing it up allows the page designers plenty of variety, much like preparing a multi-course meal.  Situationally, shooting in the crowded mall is always a challenge.  Everyone is watching as you work.  Using the lights to isolate the subject eliminates the cluttered mall background.  For a few of the shots, I was looking for an urban look to match the clothing the models were wearing–that was as easy as wandering outside, around the corner, and into the service entrance alley!  After about 50 minutes of solid shooting and 6 different outfit changes, it was off to baseball.

Sometimes–actually, let me rephrase that–OFTEN times, we have to make a portrait of someone with the following set of challenges:

-the subject is short on time

-I’m short on time

-the meeting place usually has little to no conduciveness to creative backgrounds or scenery

-the meeting place is a poorly lit gymnasium

-the subject has other things on their mind than providing you with a good photograph

-the meeting place is a poorly lit gymnasium

and lastly

-the meeting place is a poorly lit gymnasium

For all of my sports portraits, I almost always use strobes to light my subject.  It provides depth, dramatic contrast, and total control over the vision I have in my head.  By strobes, I mean just the regular flashes that you can attach to the camera…

..the TRICK is getting those flashes OFF camera.  For this portrait of Kaimuki pointguard David Taulung, I used just two Nikon SB-28 flashes fired with Pocket Wizard slaves to make him pop.

Using strobes off camera and even shooting INTO the camera provides for interesting effect and dramatic lighting, especially when juxtaposed with a peak action subject. Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 24-70 2.8L at 50mm, Exposure mode: Manual, ISO 100, 1/250 @f7.1, 2-Nikon SB-28 flashes, far one set to 1/4 power, close one set to 1/2 power with an umbrella, fired with Pocket Wizards