Recently I assisted my partner Sharon Blance with a photo-shoot to create promotional dance images for Jess, who is a swing dancer.

The photo-shoot was really fun and Sharon produced some amazing images – you can see all the final images over on her blog.

On her blog, she has included extra information about the purpose of the photo-shoot and the specific goals that needed to be achieved with the final images – it is well worth a read.

Getting a sneak peek

During the photo-shoot I filmed a bunch of BTS footage to capture details about the setup and how Sharon interacts with the dancers to achieve a really polished end result.

In my opinion, having the right gear and knowing how to setup the lights and use the gear is only a small part of what is needed to create amazing photography.

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This short really drives home the point that you don’t have to have all the latest and greatest gear to produce something great. What really matters is your creative vision and how you use it.

The HD video below was shot and edited entirely on the new iPhone 4. The video also includes some behind the scenes footage so that you can see how they did it.

I was impressed with the professional result that they achieved. Why is it so good – is it because it is shot with high definition video? Not really. It works because it has a good story, good acting and an emotive score. But the thing that makes it looks professional – and sets it apart from the video that you shot on your iPhone – is that they handled the equipment professionally – using dollies, panning and interesting camera perspectives that give the video that polished professional edge.

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Fstoppers has produced a fantastic interview and behind the scenes (BTS) video with New York head shot photographer Peter Hurley. Peter has built a name for himself over the last 8 years by specialising in headshot photography and currently works out of two studios; one in LA and the other in midtown NYC.

I find it particularly interesting  to see how Peter interacts with his subjects. He oozes with confidence and maintains a running banter with his subjects that enables him to put them at ease and capture a relaxed and engaging expression in his images.

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My partner Sharon grew up learning about photography the old fashioned way. For her it started with a pinhole camera as a school science experiment and then later through the use of film and developing in the dark room.

Me – well I am of the new generation. Whilst I can claim to have used 35mm film in a point and shoot camera when I was younger, I have never set foot in a darkroom – let alone dipped my grubby little fingers in the chemicals. My experience with photography has predominantly been digital, with Photoshop as my darkroom and the closest chemical involved in my development process being the occasional glass of Whiskey.

Sharon came across a toy plastic pinhole camera that can be loaded with 35mm film, which she gave to me as a gift. So, I set out on to create some images with the most basic form of camera there is – the Pinhole!

Long story short, I discovered that using a pinhole camera is complicated, especially when you are used to the instant feedback of digital.

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I first came across Kevin Winzeler’s work on a Strobist post featuring a behind the scenes video from one of his photoshoots. I am always interested to see how other photographers are working their craft and get a sneak peak into how they operate.

In this article I have linked to 3 of Kevin’s behind the scenes videos and Kevin was also kind enough to answer a few question about his photography.

Kevin Winzeler is a Utah based commercial and advertising photographer. He has an impressive portfolio to his name and some high profile clients under his belt such as Real Salt Lake, Salomon Sports and Mountain Hardware.

His work focuses predominantly on creating images that promote an active lifestyle and he takes pride in finding new and interesting ways to create visually exciting and immersive images. This is what I really like about his photography – I really enjoy imagery that offers a fresh and interesting perspective.

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Recently I bought a new watch. As a photographer, I did what any crazy normal photographer would do – I took lots of photos of it.

Needless to say, after taking a bunch of product shots of my watch I was all excited and needed something else to photograph… but what next?

The only thing that came to hand was a pack of mints. But these weren’t just any mints; they were a girly and very pink tin of peppermint mints – complete with a slide away compact mirror. Don’t leave home without one.

I swear they weren’t my mints. Honest.

I bought this watch when I was in Canada. It is made by the well known Canadian brand Roots.

How to bring out the best in a product

I enjoy the challenge of product photography. It’s not as simple as it might seem. Getting an exposed and in focus image is one thing; however, bringing out the best in a product is something else all together.

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If you are a photographer, then chances are that – like me – you spend a lot of time reworking images in Photoshop. I really enjoy Photoshop work, but I enjoy getting to the finished product and I never want a task to take any longer than it needs to. For this reason, I am a huge fan of using keyboard shortcuts.

Photoshop is an incredibly powerful piece of software; however, it is only powerful if you know how to use it. Now, keyboard shortcuts won’t improve your Photoshop skills – but it will save you lots of time by making your work more efficient.

Keyboard shortcuts save a LOT of time by substantially decreasing the amount of mouse movement that is required to get something done. It only take a second to slide the mouse across to the side and select the tool that you want to work on; however, this time really adds up when you consider how often you swap between tools and change settings – especially when you are working on a large number of images.

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Sharon and I have both been swing dancing for about 5 years. There is a regular dance scene in Christchurch where we go out and dance on a weekly basis. We teach for the local Swing Dance club for large group classes, as well as private teaching for individual couples who are planing a dance for their wedding, or for those who just want to learn how to dance!

Occasionally, you will also find Sharon and I performing as Sweet ‘n’ Hot. We do dance performances for corporate events and private parties. There is a bunch more information and some awesome photos and videos on our website www.sweetnhot.co.nz – go take a look!

Every year, the local swing dance club organises a weekend away at Hanmer Springs. The weekend is aptly named ‘Hanmer Swings’ for obvious reasons. Hanmer is a really neat place and it is less than 2 hours drive from Christchurch. Hanmer’s claim to fame is natural thermal pools – which are fantastic. Many hours can be lost soaking in the hot water.  Hanmer is also a great place to go walking and mountain biking and draws large crowds of tourists seeking to experience New Zealand. Our weekend away involves a lot of dancing to live bands, hanging out in the sun and soaking in the hot pools. It is always a fun weekend away.

This year we took my camera along and took some photos at the Friday night dance. The Friday night dance is smaller because people are still arriving. It is held is a small hall and we dance to recorded music (rather than on the Saturday night where we have a large dance in the town hall with Sideline Swing, a 16 piece big band.)

Here are the images that I created. Technical / Strobist info is below the images.

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On our recent trip to the icy cold shores of Canada, I took advantage of the healthy exchange rate and purchased a new lens – the Canon 50mm f/1.4 – merry Christmas to me! On the trip home, we had several hours wait during transit through Sydney airport. With little to do and armed with my brand new lens I was ready for action. Sharon kindly posed for a few casual portraits to help pass the time and below are some of the results. But first, a little back story…

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My brother Cairn and his wife Becs were recently visiting us in Christchurch to attend the wedding of some good friends who were getting married in the area. I hadn’t seen them for a while, so it was great to catch up.

I really wanted to take some portraits of my brother and his wife while they were staying with us. I knew we were going to be pushed for time since they were only in Christchurch for a few days, so just before they headed off to the wedding I grabbed a few lights and hijacked them on the way out the door -  taking advantage while they were all dolled up for the wedding.

This was a very quick portrait shoot – less than 20 minutes including setup – but we managed to get some fantastic images despite the lack of time! These two are very natural in front of a camera.

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