Most of us photographers are crazy about having the newest and most expensive gear we can buy. Let me tell you after 20 plus years of shooting, it really has nothing to do with gear. It’s the photographer!
Yes, having the newest and shiniest gear is nice, but it really isn’t necessary. There are some wall size prints that I shot, hanging in a showroom in NYC that I made with a D200 to prove it.
Every time I go into that showroom I laugh because they think it was shot with a medium format back. They said they wanted a medium format camera with a digital back, but I knew they had no idea what it was. I shot one day with a medium format back and another with my Nikon D200 and my bet is you can’t tell the difference either in the shots below.
(insert shot dwf-focht1.jpg here)
I shot an editorial for a local bridal magazine here recently and used the same gear that I use for my weddings.
In the shot below, I used 3 Nikon SB800 stobes along with a SB900 as the main and master flash.
Let me do some explaining here. I have tons of high end gear and don’t get me wrong here, there are plenty of times I use it. That being said, you can do so much with so little.
(insert dwf-focht2.jpg)
In this shot, I was trying to figure out how I was going to light it. I could have set up full size strobes all over the place and had really nice lighting, but I hate dragging a bunch of gear along if I don’t need to. Then it hit me. I could use the same set up I do with my receptions.
I had bought a bunch of old cameras for the models to use. It was supposed to look like a celebrity being hounded by paparazzi. I had them each take an SB800 and mount it to their non working cameras. I positioned the flashes in the direction that I wanted them to face and gave instructions to the models to make sure that they stayed that direction throughout the shoot. I then got my base exposure with my main flash by using it set to ITTL.
I then adjusted the other 3 SB 800′s to be around a half stop over my main by using the SB900 and the Nikon CLS (Creative Lighting System) to control the output of the other 3 flashes right from my camera. It only took a couple of shots to get it dialed in. No power packs, no hand held flash meter, just me my D3 and 4 flashes that I use at weddings…..unreal! You can really see how the lighting was done in the shot below.
(insert dwf-focht3.jpg)
I also used another cheap lighting set up for the other parts of this shoot too. I have a fresnel hot light that I have had for years, that costs about $300 new. You can pick them up at most of the larger camera stores. If you don’t know what they are, think big hollywood light. They are a constant light source that allows you to focus the light into a large spread of a smaller beam. It’s what they used for all the lighting in the 40′s.
If you look at the shot below, you would think it was shot with thousands of dollars worth of lighting gear and took me hours to set up. Nope! About 5 minutes and $300 bucks!
(insert dwf-focht3.jpg)
Digital has opened up so many doors now for lighting set ups that you could never dream of doing with film. Tungsten, LED, fluorescent, anything will work now. Don’t worry if you don’t have the new shiny camera or the latest uber-flash that will light up a stadium and then take your dog for a walk when you are done. Work with what you have and think outside the box, that’s where you will find your true magic!
Kevin
You can find more lighting tips and information on the our retouching and retouching tools plus free downloads at Left Turn Creative http://leftturncreative.com.
If you would like to see more of our work, it can be found at http://www.leftturnstudio.com
Most photographers are crazy about having the newest and most expensive gear we can buy. Let me tell you: After 20 plus years of shooting, it really has nothing to do with gear. It’s the photographer!
Yes, having the newest and shiniest gear is nice, but it really isn’t necessary. There are some wall size prints that I shot, hanging in a showroom in NYC that I made with a D200 to prove it.
Every time I go into that showroom I laugh because they think it was shot with a medium format back. They said they wanted a medium format camera with a digital back, but I knew they had no idea what it was. I shot one day with a medium format back and another with my Nikon D200 and my bet is you can’t tell the difference either in the shots below.
I shot an editorial for a local bridal magazine here recently and used the same gear that I use for my weddings.
In the shot below, I used 3 Nikon SB800 stobes along with a SB900 as the main and master flash.
Let me do some explaining here. I have tons of high end gear and don’t get me wrong here, there are plenty of times I use it. That being said, you can do so much with so little.
In this shot, I was trying to figure out how I was going to light it. I could have set up full size strobes all over the place and had really nice lighting, but I hate dragging a bunch of gear along if I don’t need to. Then it hit me. I could use the same set up I do with my receptions.
I had bought a bunch of old cameras for the models to use. It was supposed to look like a celebrity being hounded by paparazzi. I had them each take an SB800 and mount it to their non working cameras. I positioned the flashes in the direction that I wanted them to face and gave instructions to the models to make sure that they stayed that direction throughout the shoot. I then got my base exposure with my main flash by using it set to ITTL.
I then adjusted the other 3 SB 800′s to be around a half stop over my main by using the SB900 and the Nikon CLS (Creative Lighting System) to control the output of the other 3 flashes right from my camera. It only took a couple of shots to get it dialed in. No power packs, no hand held flash meter, just me my D3 and 4 flashes that I use at weddings…..unreal! You can really see how the lighting was done in the shot below.
I also used another cheap lighting set up for the other parts of this shoot too. I have a fresnel hot light that I have had for years, that costs about $300 new. You can pick them up at most of the larger camera stores. If you don’t know what they are, think big hollywood light. They are a constant light source that allows you to focus the light into a large spread of a smaller beam. It’s what they used for all the lighting in the 40′s.
If you look at the shot below, you would think it was shot with thousands of dollars worth of lighting gear and took me hours to set up. Nope! About 5 minutes and $300 bucks!
Digital has opened up so many doors now for lighting set ups that you could never dream of doing with film. Tungsten, LED, fluorescent, anything will work now. Don’t worry if you don’t have the new shiny camera or the latest uber-flash that will light up a stadium and then take your dog for a walk when you are done. Work with what you have and think outside the box, that’s where you will find your true magic!
- Kevin
You can find more lighting tips and information on the our retouching and retouching tools plus free downloads at Left Turn Creative http://leftturncreative.com.
If you would like to see more of our work, it can be found at http://www.leftturnstudio.com
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11 Comments at "It’s Not About The Gear!"
Great article and so true. I use a little older camera … Nikon D1x and a SB800 and love it. It does have some limitations but makes me work smarter. I grew up using film and went to school for photography when it was film…so it has nothing to do with the camera … it does help, but you as a photographer need to have an idea of what you are doing.
I was actual told the other day by a photographer, who has never worked with film … that I am not a professional because I am using a camera that is a couple of years old….that is the unfortunate mindset of many people.
I need to slightly disagree here. While I do agree that having the newest equipment does not make you a pro, I do think it is critically important. I cannot imagine a professional NASCAR driver driving in a 1972 Chevy, nor can I imagine a professional computer programmer using a Commodore 64.
While we may not need to be on the bleeding edge of technology, we at a minimum need to keep our understanding of it alive. Moving from my 10D to 40D to a pair of 5D2s, I can tell you the equipment has helped shape who I have become in terms of being challenged and constantly learning.
Scott
I agree and disagree! I think it is really important to be creative with the gear that you have to create the best shot possible! I would love to not have to invest extra thousands every year to keep up with the newest technology. If I could have just kept the 20 D that I started with 5 years ago I would have, but when I upgraded my lenses and cameras it improved my image quality and flexibility as a photographer!
I can always tell when someone is shooting with “non professional” digital camera at weddings. As a wedding photographer I think having newer gear is necessary because we #1 Wear them out faster #2 work in very low light environments and the ISO range is constantly expanding with the newer digital cameras and #3 keeping up with the new equipment is an unfortunate, but realistic part of the job these days. Digital cameras have a shelf life where film cameras don’t. Do I think that people are investing and turning over cameras faster then maybe necessary…yes, but I definitely won’t stop upgrading my gear.
Wendy
p.s. Kevin LOVE YOUR shots! Makes me want to get more creative with my flashes!
Those pics look a whole lot like the cover shots for Grace Ormond that Mike Colon did.
Please send me a link as I have never even looked at that magazine. The b/w shots were taken 6 months ago and the two color shots were taken 3 years ago. Maybe it is the other way around
Kevin
Great photos. Very insightful into focusing on photographic skills, as opposed to possibly relying on equipment.
80% of photography is between the ears.
20% is the equipment.
My two cents.
just do a google image search for grace ormond wedding style covers
Jared, other than it being a paparazzi style shot and b/w I really don’t see too much similarity. Neither one of us came up with this idea, I can guarantee you that. My shoot was based off of a party girl getting married, his seems to me more of a glamour thing.
I don’t really keep up with this magazine or his work, so any similarity is just that, a similarity.
Not sure what you are trying to say here, but I have been shooting fashion for over 20 years and haven’t copied another photographers work before, so not sure why I would want to now.
i hardly tell other pros my opinions, but you are very good
i hardley tell other pros my opinion,but you are good.
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