CATCHING UP WITH KIMMI /// SHOOT WITH KIMBERLEY MAC LAUGHLIN
Hey guys,
I know this shoot was quite a while back, but I want to give a lot of my past shoots a chance to be written about, so heres one of my favourites, and it was a very simple but awesome one.
I have known Kim a long time, we have done many photoshoots over the time but all just fashion and portraits. This time she did some boudoir / lingerie shots, and one of two simple ones which I used to create some graphic art images on photoshop.
The set ups were all done with very inexpensive speedlights. Either using them to back light the model or light her from the front. I wanted to create more dramatic light with backlighting her.
Mos of the time the Speedlights were bare, and here and there I used a normal shoot through umbrella. I did most of the shots using my 50mm lens. The rest was with my 16-35mm to get wider shots.
Im sure you will be seeing a lot more coming from this gorgeous woman. Please follow her on the links Below to keep up to date with what shes going to be getting up to. Show some love.
Gear we used for this shoot:
- Canon 5d mk iii
- Canon 50mm f1.4
- Canon 16-35mm f2.8 L
- Peak Design Slide strap.
- Df 400 speedlights x 2
- Yongnuo 622c triggers
- Kata Backpack
- 1 lightstand
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check out my sponsors:
- Peak design // Click here
- Photogadgets SA // Click here
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Please follow us all on social media:
Optical Noise photography:
- FACEBOOK: click here
- INSTAGRAM: click here (@opticalnoise)
- TWITTER: click here (@opticalnoise)
Kimberley
- FACEBOOK: click here
- INSTAGRAM: click here (@kimmac03)
- TWITTER: click here (@k_I_M_Z_Y)
Craig Anderson (Foto_fotography) Assistant
- FACEBOOK: click here
- INSTAGRAM: click here (@Foto_fotography)
- TWITTER: click here (@Foto_fotography)
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Have a good day everyone!
cheers!
I-POLE SOUTH AFRICA! /// POLE DANCING PHOTOSHOOT
Hey guys!!
Another one of my shoots from forever ago, or so it feels.
I had a pole dancing photoshoot with the gorgeous ladies from Ipole SA. I felt weak watching the strength these girls have. We were just trying to create some nice shots for their website and social media. I got to work with Michelle Ben-Israel, Aviva Hanan and Madonna Jane.
We set up in their studio in Sandton, using just a black sheet mounted to the mirror in the studio. We used one of the black poles, which made separating the pole from the background tricky, but luckily I like using flash. This put a highlight on the pole and helped the situation.
We used 2 yongnuo yn500ex speedlights, with shoot through umbrella for diffusion. Trying to create dramatic light, and to minimise the light hitting the background we lit them from the side mostly. Some of the shots we used another speedlight from the right to fill in some detail.
Funny enough for this shoot we didnt at all use High speed sync. Because we wanted the background black anyways, we used a high aperture, and 1/200th shutter speed. this made the shot empty and completely black, even though the studios lights were on. Then when we used flash, it made only what the flash hit visible to the camera.
You would think that the slow shutter would create motion blur, nut it cant, because the flash is only on for a split second, there is no time for the camera to capture the movement, it will only record what it saw for that quick moment. Some of the shots were even shot as slow as 1/20th, because for the same reason as I mentioned above, there wouldn't be time to show motion in the shot.
They are also part of Pole Evolution. Which is a competition hosted by them and SA Pole Fit Academy which is owned by Megan Clare Snijam. So do check that out, they having Pole evolution Battle this year on 14 May 2016!! Check out all the links to their pages listed below to keep updated on where and when that will be.
Please also check them out if you are or were ever interested in learning to do this. Its a great fitness session, and builds a lot of strength.
Check everyone out! and enjoy the images!
Gear we used for this shoot:
- Canon 5d mk iii
- Canon 50mm f1.4
- Canon 16-35mm f2.8 L
- Peak Design Slide strap.
- Df 400 speedlights x 3
- yongnuo yn500ex
- Yongnuo 622c triggers
- Kata Backpack
- 2 lightstands
- black sheet
- clamps
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check out my sponsors:
- Peak design // Click here
- Photogadgets SA // Click here
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Please follow us all on social media:
Optical Noise photography:
- FACEBOOK: click here
- INSTAGRAM: click here (@adiesofipolesa)
- TWITTER: click here (@opticalnoise)
Ipole SA!
- FACEBOOK: click here
- INSTAGRAM: click here (@courtneigh_sinead)
SA Pole Fit Academy
- FACEBOOK: click here
- INSTAGRAM: click here (@sa_polefit_academy)
Craig Anderson (Foto_fotography) Assistant
- FACEBOOK: click here
- INSTAGRAM: click here (@Foto_fotography)
- TWITTER: click here (@Foto_fotography)
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Have a good day everyone!
cheers!
BEING ON POINTE /// PHOTOSHOOT WITH NATASHA HEUSER EHLERS
I have such a big admiration for dancers in general, but with ballet dancers. There's something incredibly powerful about how strong they are, about how poised and controlled their movements are, and the willingness to keep going over and over, especially when trying to get the shot during a photoshoot.
I had a chance to work with the ever so gorgeous Natasha, a ballet dancer based in JHB. We actually did 2 photoshoots within the span of a month, as her shoot was meant to be done in PTA with the iconic purple Jacaranda trees that we often see in South Africa, but due to a time issue that was delayed and we did her first shoot at Gold Reef City casino, which worked just as well. So during this talk you will see images from both her photoshoots. We hope you like them like we do :D :D :D!
I really enjoy working with this girl. When it comes with dancing we need to work hard to get my timing in sync with the dancers time. Plus make sure the flash is actually hitting the model and all the settings are correct. So we often doing the same jump a bunch of times to be sure it looks awesome, and mainly make sure the technique shown in the dance move is correct. So im glad dancers are willing to do it "one more time" like a hundred times HAHA.
With dance photography, to me its most important to get the timing right. With any dance style there is always correct technique. Your photo can look amazing, lights and colours are awesome, but if the technique is incorrect, then its a bad bad image, and most dancers wont like the shot nor show it to anyone. Toes being pointed, lines from legs looking right, hands and so on, all contributes to making a dance shot work. I often ask the dancer if this is right or not and can we redo it. As much as i know a lot about whats right n wrong, the dancers knows more. So ask!
ok now for gear and what we did to light the model.
With dancing we always shoot with very high shutter speeds. from 1/800th to about 1/2500th. You would be surprised to see how much motion blur you get on feet when they jump up and fling their legs to position. So we used speedlights which are able to do HSS. We used 2 yongnuo yn500ex flashes mounted to one bracket and triggered wirelessly using a trigger. This allows the flash to sync over the usual 1/200th max sync speed.
For the bridge shoot We used a normal shoot through white umbrella to diffuse the light, but not too much to take away much of the distance from the flash.
For the shoot with the Jacaranda trees we shot during 11am sunlight which is very bright, but luckily we were then easily able to use the high shutter speed along with the flash. We left the flashes bare, no umbrella this time. We just covered the flash head with wax paper which just diffused it a tiny bit, but maximised the distance the light would travel in bright sun.
Gear set:
- Canon 5d mkiii
- Canon 50mm f1.4
- Canon16-35mm f2.8 L
- 2x yongnuo yn500ex speedlights
- yongnuo 622c triggers
- light stand
- wax paper
- white shoot through umbrella
- peak design slide strap
- kata backpack
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check out my sponsors:
- Peak design // Click here
- Photogadgets SA // Click here
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Please follow us all on social media:
Optical Noise photography:
- FACEBOOK: click here
- INSTAGRAM: click here (@opticalnoise)
- TWITTER: click here (@opticalnoise)
Natasha
INSTAGRAM: click here (@tashehl)
Craig Anderson (Foto_fotography) Assistant
- FACEBOOK: click here
- INSTAGRAM: click here (@Foto_fotography)
- TWITTER: click here (@Foto_fotography)
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Heres some more photos! Until next time!
cheers!
Hanging with lil Red in Maboneng JHB /// Photoshoot and BTS
Last year I had a lil meet with lil Red, and then we did a few photos of her too. We met up in Maboneng on a sunday, and joined in on the vibe at the market.
I have known her for quite a few years now, first as a dancer which I performed with and then now as a musician. She has been recording songs and performing for a while now, I'm sure you guys have seen her on social media and performing around SA.
I adore the red hair! since I met her this was a iconic part of her, and then when I stared photography I knew I had to photograph her. It took us forever to link up, but we did and it rocked!
Anyway, i wanted to share some of the photos we took, share some of the gear I used and how i managed to get the shots. Heres the just of it.
These photos were taken in mid day sun, which as photographers we know is terrible and unflattering light for models. We used strobists techniques, where we either had the model in the shade, or we backlit her with the sun, then we expose for the sky and fill in the shadows with flash.
I always use 3 speedlights on one bracket, firing through a big pop up umbrella softbox as one light source. Sometimes a second flash for side fill but here we only used one light source. I used all the speedlights on 1/2 power. This makes recycle time quicker and it doesn't destroy the bulbs. The 3 flashes make for a pretty powerful light. All these speedlights are very very cheap Chinese no name brand flashes. they called DF400 flashes.
full list of gear at the bottom of post.
Mr Craig was as always assisting with awesome lighting skills! his links at the bottom too. check him out
for now enjoy some images!
Behind the scenes video of the shoot shot by Karla Alberts
Gear we used for this shoot:
- Canon 5d mk iii
- Canon 50mm f1.4
- Canon 100mm f2.8 L macro
- Canon 85mm f1.8
- Peak Design Slide strap.
- Df 400 speedlights x 3
- Yongnuo 622c triggers
- Kata Backpack
- 1 lightstands
- 60cm - Pop up generic octobox softbox.
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check out my sponsors:
- Peak design // Click here
- Photogadgets SA // Click here
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Please follow us all on social media:
Optical Noise photography:
- FACEBOOK: click here
- INSTAGRAM: click here (@opticalnoise)
- TWITTER: click here (@opticalnoise)
Lil red
- FACEBOOK: click here
- INSTAGRAM: click here (@lilred_sa)
Craig Anderson (Foto_fotography) Assistant
- FACEBOOK: click here
- INSTAGRAM: click here (@Foto_fotography)
- TWITTER: click here (@Foto_fotography)
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Have a good day everyone!
cheers!
A day at Tuks with gorgeous Charnè Marais // photoshoot in PTA
Hey guys!
quick post today! wanted to share some images we took a long while back at the University of Pretoria AKA TUKS. This shoot was quite a while ago but I never did a blog about it so thought let me quickly share these.
We got Charnè Marias to come through and model for us. This girl is always gorgeous as ever, and she models effortlessly. A real pleasure to work with, and im sure that it shows in the images! She is currently not on social media much, but if shes ever back on I will add links to her accounts for you guys to follow!
Who doesnt like beautiful tattoo covered woman??? exactly!
We only did one outfit due to time, we might do another shoot with her for a online glamour magazine soon, we will definitely share this with you guys too.
please enjoy
Gear we used for this shoot:
- Canon 5d mk iii
- Canon 50mm f1.4
- Canon 100mm f2.8 L macro
- Peak Design Slide strap.
- Df 400 speedlights x 3
- Yongnuo 622c triggers
- Kata Backpack
- 1 lightstands
- 60cm pop up octobox
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check out my sponsors:
- Peak design // Click here
- Photogadgets SA // Click here
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Please follow us all on social media:
Optical Noise photography:
- FACEBOOK: click here
- INSTAGRAM: click here (@opticalnoise)
- TWITTER: click here (@opticalnoise)
Â
Craig Anderson (Foto_fotography) Assistant
- FACEBOOK: click here
- INSTAGRAM: click here (@Foto_fotography)
- TWITTER: click here (@Foto_fotography)
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Have a good day everyone!
cheers!
Catching up with miss Das /// Naomi Das ///
Hey everyone,
Wanted to share my last shoot with the ever so beautiful miss Naomi Das. We have done a bunch of shoots with her over the past and heres one more :)
If you guys know this woman you know she always being fire. EFC ring girl, featured in maxim a bunch of times and in a lot of music videos, only to mention a few.
I also shot with a friend of hers the same day, Liam Worthington, his shots are also listed in the shots below.
hope you guys dig it. Gear used is all listed at the bottom of the post. enjoy.
Heres a short behind the scenes video that Karla alberts shot for us on the day. its only 15 seconds as its just a instagram promo video
Gear we used for this shoot:
- Canon 5d mk iii
- Canon 50mm f1.4
- Canon 70-200mm f2.8 mk i L IS
- Menik fn-600 strobe (battery powered) from cameralight SA-- Link to flash
- Peak Design Slide strap.
- Df 400 speedlights.
- Yongnuo 622c triggers
- Kata Backpack
- 2 lightstands
- 120cm octobox bowens mount.
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check out my sponsors:
- Peak design // Click here
- Photogadgets SA // Click here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please follow us all on social media:
Optical Noise photography:
- FACEBOOK: click here
- INSTAGRAM: click here (@opticalnoise)
- TWITTER: click here (@opticalnoise)
Naomi Das
- FACEBOOK: click here
- INSTAGRAM: click here (@naomidas)
- TWITTER: click here (@naomidas)
Liam Worthington
- INSTAGRAM: click here (@liam_worthington)
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Have a good day everyone!
cheers!
Courtneigh Sinead Jacobs /// I love this womans hair :D
hey everyone!
A few weeks ago I had a very impromptu photoshoot with the gorgeous Courtneigh Sinead Jacobs . Been meaning to photograph her for ages and we finally got to it!
Thing I love most about this woman is her HAIR! ITS GLORIOUS! but of course also her eyes! have a look you'l see.
We just went to the outdoor skatepark at Stoneridge mall, got permission to shoot and had at it. I wanted to test out the new Menik strobe that I bought from Cameralight SA. As iv said! i adore this flash!
Alot of it was shot using HSS (FP mode), with a 120cm octobox. one or 2 was shot with a speedlight as a hair light. Craig from Foto Fotography came through to help me out!
Heres a bunch of the images we shot. for more see our social media accounts listed below.
Gear we used for this shoot:
- Canon 5d mk iii
- Canon 50mm f1.4
- Canon 70-200mm f2.8 mk i L IS
- Menik fn-600 strobe (battery powered) from cameralight SA-- Link to flash
- Peak Design Slide strap.
- Df 400 speedlights.
- Yongnuo 622c triggers
- Kata Backpack
- 2 lightstands
- 120cm octobox bowens mount.
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check out my sponsors:
- Peak design // Click here
- Photogadgets SA // Click here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please follow us all on social media:
Optical Noise photography:
- FACEBOOK: click here
- INSTAGRAM: click here (@opticalnoise)
- TWITTER: click here (@opticalnoise)
Courtneigh
- FACEBOOK: click here
- INSTAGRAM: click here (@courtneigh_sinead)
- TWITTER: click here (@MelaNn_93)
Craig Anderson (Foto_fotography) Assistant
- FACEBOOK: click here
- INSTAGRAM: click here (@Foto_fotography)
- TWITTER: click here (@Foto_fotography)
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Have a good day everyone!
cheers!
Introducing Miss Callyne Benting /// The Clumsy Stylist ///
Hey Guys!
Hope you are all ready for a really productive week !
I just want to do a quick post to introduce you all to miss Callyne Benting. She is going to be our new stylist for shoots. She will be in charge of sourcing clothing and accessories for bigger photoshoots, and making sure everything is looking right on set.
We are very excited to have her working with us on everything coming up from now! We will be shooting a set this week. Which she will be styling. Look out for that coming later on this week.
This week we will have Callyne post a lil introduction on my blog, so you can get to know her a little bit. Keep an eye out!
Please follow her and us on our social media accounts to keep updated on what we up to.
Optical Noise Photography
- FACEBOOK: Click here
- INSTAGRAM: Click here @opticalnoise
- TWITTER: Click here @opticalnoise
The Clumsy Stylist
- FACEBOOK: click here
- INSTAGRAM : click here @the_clumsy_stylist
Heres a few more images from her quick test shoot that we did for her !
talk soon everyone! enjoy
​
Bboy shoot(Quaid & Teji) /// Menik FN-600 strobe test!
Hey awesome people!
A few weeks ago I set up a test shoot with two Bboys in Johannesburg. Quaid Jones and Teji Bola. We did the shoot in Rosebank. Shot in the roads round the mall. Really had a good time out with these guys.
Dancing has been such a huge part of my life over the past almost 13 years, so working with dancers will forever be a passion for me. This also makes it a lil easier for me to understand the dance moves, and the anticipate the timing to get a photo which best portrays the movement! SO all i needed is gear which can do what i need! AND I FOUND AN AWESOME FLASH!! A Menik FN-600 strobe!
I bought this flash from Camera light SA, through the online store. In the past I Have been using speedlights for everything, and i still do. Speedlights have awesome uses. They are easy to use and actually produce awesome power. I have been using Yongnuo 500ex flashes which has HSS features which is needed for shooting dancers at high speed.
Now the problem came cause we struggled to make the flash travel far enough. So we would mount 2 or 3 speedlights to one and use them all at 1/2 or .1/1 power. This however kills the batteries and only worked so much.
SO i invested in this strobe! AND ITS INSANE!
I so far have never needed to use the flash at full or half powered. The flash travels very far even with HSS turned on. I LOVE this flash.
I still use speedlights for fill and kicker lights. The flash uses Bowens mount diffusers. Which allows me to use giant softboxes and thats awesome!
So for this shoot we used the light bare with just the reflector dish attached. Most shots were taken with 1/8 and 1/16th power. and was still too bright.
heres some of the photos:
Heres a short Instagram promo video we did, check it out :D
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Heres all the gear used at the shoot:
- Canon 5D mkiii
- Canon 50mm f1.8
- Menik FN-600 strobe
- Yongnuo 622c triggers
- Kata backpack
- Slide strap from peak design
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Assisted by Craig Anderson (foto fotography)
Videography By Karla alberts (youtube channel)
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The menik flash is available directly from Cameralight. please use me as a reference! :D
Direct link to flash /// click here
Cameralight SA (facebook) /// (online store)
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My sponsors:
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As always thanks for reading!!!
talk soon guys!
heres a few more shots! enjoy
Carla Van Der Wath! Photoshoot and BTS
Hey all,
Just wanted to do a quick post and share some of my time shooting with The Gorgeous Carla Van Der Wath. Was shot a month or so ago, I haven't had much time to post the blog about it is all.
Carla gave me a shout the Sunday morning saying she had a issue with her other booking and needs photos done the same day. So i had a gap and we met up at Newscafe Bedfordview to do the shoot. The guys at News cafe were kind enough to give us the space to work in for the afternoon. Was a pretty awesome shoot!
Carla is busy being signed into an agency. We will keep you updated on what she gets up to. Super keen to work with this girl again! super talented!
For the first scene we set up on the balcony. Shot out over the road. Some summer vibe shots. We used one light with a big pop up octo umbrella softbox. 3 speedlights inside all at 1/2 power.
heres a few examples
Second Scene we set up inside for a bunch of fashion shots, and of course some portraits. Which is always my favourite! For this we used the same softbox set up. Plus we added in a 60x90cm softbox for fill light. 1/2 power. one speedlight inside.
Heres a few examples
Lastly we set up for a few beauty shots which we were not planning. So didn't have a backdrop for this. So we used the large pop up softbox behind Carla which fired light from behind her into lens and lit up the diffuser which made a nice white backdrop. Then we used the 60x90 softbox as a key light.
Lastly heres a quick instagram promo video we did for the shoot with some behind the scenes shots! Filmed and edited by the amazing Karla Alberts who does all our video for shoots. If you need to get in touch with her just drop us a email.
GEAR FOR THE DAY:
- CANON 5D MK iii
- CANON 50MM F1.4
- CANON 85MM F1.8
- 5 Speedlights in total (df 400 speedlights)
- Yongnuo 622c triggers
- pop up octo softbox
- 60x90 softbox
- 2 light stands
- hoya nd4 and nd2 filters
- peak design glide strap
- kata backpack
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Thats about it!!! I hope you guys liked the shots. If you would like to see some more please follow Carla on instagram and show her some love!
And then remember to check out all our social media!
INSTAGRAM - @opticalnoise
TWITTER - @opticalnoise
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I was assisted by Craig Anderson from Foto photography.
Make up was done by Rene Viljoen.
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Please also go check out my sponsors!
Peak Design - https://www.facebook.com/peakdesignltd
Photogadgets SA - https://www.facebook.com/photogadgets
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Awesome! Chat again soon :D We have some cool stuff to share with you soon! and more blog posts coming this week!!
cheers.
welcome back !! 2016 !! Dance Photography first up
hey all you awesome peolpe.
I have been a bit busy but im back to post a few things this wek.
I would like to welcome everyone into 2016, and i hope to create great memories and art with alot more of your his year !
i have a bunch of cool things happening, and I have changed a bunch of my gear so im shooting a lil different.
First off, I shot with a few dancers the past few weeks.
Alex Smith from artistic intelligence crew in south africa was first. I shot this using natural light and some speedlights.
- my canon 5dmkiii
- Canon 50mm f1.4
- Df 400 speedlights.
- and one pop up octobox.
Here is a behind the scenes clip we took which was for instagram hence why its 15 seconds. filmed by the awesome Karla Alberts!
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I wont share them all but if you keen to see more remmeber to check our instagram @opticalnoise and facebook account for more
https://www.facebook.com/OpticalNoisefanpage/
Hope you guys like them.
please check out my sponsors too
will post more work a lil later.
Cell phone photography (Iphone 4S)
Hey guys, heres another one for you.
I have now and then taken out my phone and attempted to take decent shots with it. I never really used my phone to try take decent shots, it was always snap shots of things that I need to show people, never as a photography tool.
Coming from using only DSLR cameras I always found it very annoying to just push on button and having like no control. I know that new phones come with a bit more control like ISO, and aperture. Some do let you control shutter speeds as well. Nothing worse than being out at night and you try take a photo which has camera shake from slow shutter speeds.
I own a iPhone 4S, which has a 8mp camera which does ok in good light, but it has zero control. you can do compensation for exposure and you can kinda choose a focus area.
Then after some research I found an app called VSCO cam, which is available on any platform, but is best for IOS on apple. It basically allows you to access everything, shutter speed, iso, spot focus point and more. no aperture though.
so iv started to play with it now and then. i havent done alot of models but i will do more when I get a new phone. but for now have a look through what i have done. I might be getting a diff phone soon so I wanted to do this post of all my iphone 4s images first.
I also bought a generic macro and fisheye clip on lens which helps being creative too. info on pics
also i now use Snapseed. and app which lets you edit like you would on photoshop, allows control of tones, and even dodging and burning which is very popular with retouching.
I also did one shot on a samsung note2 for fun.
have a look at this shot I did of Monique linder and a bts shot taken by my friend Tshepo which shows you what we did.
shot using iphone 4s and car reflector for fill. edited on photoshop
Bts of my the above shot, thanks to Tshepo for this. have a look at her work here
https://www.facebook.com/ciyaphotography
Anyway have a look through the images below. they are all saved from my instagram so if you would like to follow my work please check my account. search @opticalnoise and here is the link https://instagram.com/opticalnoise/
I will be using a bunch of different phones, either from sponsors or from friends. Its alot of fun testing out a bunch of different things on different gear. Want to give it shot on all of them and im busy confirming a permanent cell phone sponsor , which i will promote through my work, once confirmed I will tell you all about it.
share your images with me I would love to see them. you can tag me in them on instagram :D
much love
rob
This is the shot i did with the samsung note 2. with a clip on macro lens
macro lens attached
my basic set up
A lot of people think i run off a big set up when i shoot.
actually this is all i have usually, everything i need fits in that bag. of course theres bigger set ups sometimes and i have a assistant who helps get things around, but i usually just have this. mainly cause i dont own a car as yet , been riding bikes for ages, and wasnt ever an issue as my dancing career didnt need alot to be carried around.
so for the past almost 3 years since i started photography, i used my bike to most places.
My Honda CBR600rr 2008 :D
in that bag is alot!
5d mkiii body
canon 100mm f2.8 L macro
canon 85mm f1.8
canon 50mm f 1.4
my peak design camera strap grin emoticon ( Peak Design / Photogadgets )
3 speed lights (df400 generic flashes)
3 canon 622c yongnuo triggers
pc sync cable
3way speed light bracket
alot of batteries, memory cards and diff kinds of tape.
and a a4 grey card.
plus the lil odds n ends
On the outside i tie the light stand and umbrella to it for support,
and then i use a sock from Bounce South Africa (one of my face places ever) to cover the bottom of the stand so that it doesnt hook on edges.
and my Red e powerbank from these guys
https://www.facebook.com/RED-E-1444174479181385/
thought id share this. i didnt get a load out shot but i will do one next time smile emoticon
talk soon
rob
Shoot with Nikki Du Plessis
Hey all
I thought I would pop in quickly and share a few images that I took of gorgeous Nikki Du Plessis.
As one of my favourite models to photograph, I just had to share a few shots with you. The photoshoot was done for submission to online magazines as a feature, and then we shot a few extra scenes which we are allowed to share.
Nikki is a internationally recognised model, she has worked with alot of local and international photographers and brands including the official "black tape project" and "paradise challenge".
As always I was honoured to have the opportunity to work with her again.
Quick rundown on what gear I used for this.
- Canon 5D mkiii
- Canon 70-200mm f2.8 L
- Canon 16-35mm f2.8 L
- Canon 85mm f1.8
- 2x yongnuo yn500ex flashes
- 1x yongnuo yn568 (nikon flash on slave mode)
- yongnuo 622c trigers
- and a 3 way speedlight bracket
- numerous memory cards
- eneloop pro AA batteries.
- and a regular large shoot through umbrella...
I mount all 3 flashes to one bracket and shoot on 1/4th power on each. This way i have 3 times the power and a way larger light source which I can use quick as the recycle time on 1/4th power is very fast about 1sec.
Having one flash at full power will overheat and only one head firing makes it a small share source.
For this shoot I used smaller apertures as well. From 4-7.1, this was to compensate for the really strong mid day sun, and also to give a very share and rounded look to the model, and as the background was far from the model we still have really nice separation from the background.
Retouching is all done by me through Photoshop, and I use lightroom for colour processing, also exporting to jpg format.
thats about it.
check out the images below.
also heres nikkis social media links
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NikkiduPlessismodel
- twitter: https://twitter.com/NikkiduPlessis2
- instagram: https://instagram.com/miss_nikkiduplessis/
Here are my social links too please follow
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OpticalNoisefanpage?fref=ts
- twitter: https://twitter.com/OpticalNoise
- instagram: https://instagram.com/opticalnoise/
hope you enjoy :D
rob
A look into my dance photography
Hey all I know that I have been quiet since I left on my trip to Cape Town in July. During my stay I had my camera bag and gear stolen and it kind of threw me off quite a bit. So lets get back into it.
I have decided to start off with sharing some info about my dance photography and why I adore it so much. Also a little info into how I freeze motion with flash (speed lights)
I have always been around dancers, and now recently I have been able to photographed a lot of dancers. Which makes me very happy. :D
Some was photographed using flash, and some of the older shots were shot without flash. Most recently I have been working a lot with speed lights so that I can utilize the High Speed sync function.
With dancers moving so fast you sit with the decision of is the slight or heavy motion blur ok or not, do you prefer frozen solid or a slight feel of movement? I try getting both, all depending what I feel is more important at the time. Most of the time a sharp frozen in time is key for me.
Now to make a dancer freeze solid you need to shoot with a very fast shutter speed, and with most sync speeds of 1/160th or 1/200th is way too slow. Especially when it comes to break dancers or ballerinas. Some of the moves they remain still and that’s easy enough but when a foot or arm has to be swung to get to the climax of the movement then the shutter speed is key.
I have noticed that anything under 1/800th is never sharp. So my go to speed for these shoots are 1/800th and 1/1000th. I would go faster but the flash can’t handle it always and I end up killing the flashes. When I get more speed lights this will be more suitable. For now I work off 2 yongnuo YN500ex flashes. Which are around 1/4th power or 1/2 power. Full power also kills the flash when fired too much, and I usually mount both on one bracket, and either bare or with a shoot through umbrella depending on the light situation.
With HSS you need a much higher power output to make it affect the image at all. Do a quick test shoot a photo at 1/200th, then at 1/250th. The difference of HSS is seen easily.
I only use Eneloop pro batteries, which goes a long way when I do this. They recycle quite fast and don’t overheat easy.
Using flash just allows you to create a very unique light effect on the dancer, which creates contrast and makes it different. Shooting without flash at super high speeds is pretty simple. If you can anticipate and time the move nicely that’s all it is, but with flash the look of the image using strobist techniques will create a nice feel.
Here is a photo I took in Jhb CBD a while back of bboy Lab-A . No flash, just high iso, with a canon 85mm f1.8 wide open and the only here’s we had was an above streetlight
Then here is a shot of Bboy Curse in Cape Town shot using high-speed sync (1/2000th)
I love speed lights because of the uses they have. I have completely moved away from studio strobes. If I could afford a strobe like an elinchrom ranger or profoto B1 then maybe id do that. But even with my in studio work I have been using only speed lights. Maybe I will do another write up on using speed lights to do studio work. Just remember light is light, however you can get it into the shot, it will work.
I can do a more in depth write up on the exact settings for each shot if you guys are keen to know more. But this is my introduction: D
Check my site
www.opticalnoise.net
Instagram @opticalnoise
Keen to hear from you all. Lets hope they publish it.
I will try attaching a bunch of images to this as well.
Enjoy
#Speedlightsonly
More of my dance photos with and without flash all together
Flying to Cape Town
Hey all.
Currently I’m in a plane heading to the mother city Cape Town. By the time I post it I will be in the airport seeing as imp wifeless while in the air, but seeing as I got some time to kill let me say what sup and tell you a little about what imp planning to do in cape town, what gear I packed and where I will be staying.
I will be there from today 30 July until Monday 3 August; I’m staying in Greenpoint, which is my usual resting place when I’m in Cape Town. Its close to camps bay, sea point and town, and with me not having any transport this is best for me.
I try go down to Cape Town every few months, on my own funds of course, all in an effort to establish myself and make a name for myself. I try going down and grabbing some photographs of a few people, models and dancers and by doing that get my work to spread.
So far I have a few models set up for shoots, two dance shoots and some casual shots. I also enjoy just meeting with friends there and going to try out new coffee shops. I will be editing and uploading work the entire trip so keep an eye on our social media accounts!
As soon as I land I have a photo shoot with a gorgeous model which you will see images of later this evening.
In my kit I brought the following:
Macbook pro
Wacom tablet and apple mouse
Body
Canon 5D mk ii
Lenses:
Canon 50mm f1.4
Canon 85mm f1.8
Canon 16-35mm f2.8
Speedlites:
2 x Canon 430ex ii units
Triggers:
Pocket wizards TT1 and TT5
Others:
3 Camera batteries
A whole bunch of batteries for flashes.
Light stand
Shoot through umbrella
Black rapid action strap
And of course memory cards.
In general this is my go to set of gear to cover almost everything I need to do.
I might go and get another light stand while I’m there. And might be changing my triggers to a diff type but we will see what my budget allows for.
Other than that, I’m feeling hopeful that all of this will be productive and a load of fun!
Keen to show you guys what I get done.
Here’s our social media links
Facebook :
www.facebook.com/opticalnoisefanpage
instagram:
@opticalnoise
twitter:
@opticalnoise
Have a good and safe weekend people.
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Be productive and enjoy
Rob
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Shooting In the City With Miss Carla Galinos
I know I know… I have been a terrible blogger… but what I do is take photos so you cant blame me :p heres what we got up to this week.
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On Wednesday afternoon I had an awesome time out shooting with thee beautiful miss Carla Galinos. We went through to Johannesburg CBD and got some urban feel fashion and abstract photos.
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Its always a pleasure to work with models who like to plan and bounce ideas around, and Carla is always full of them, going to Jozi was all her idea, and I LOVED it.
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Carla is also the owner of Trend Frenzy online magazine, also the photographer for ArcticDusk Photography, so I got to work hard to impress her.
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Please have a good look through all the images at the bottom, just note im still editing so they are not all up yet please follow my and carlas social media to see more as it comes up !
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In regards to gear used:
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Canon 5d mk iii
Canon 70-200mm f2.8
Canon 50mm f1.4
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Used one 430ex ii speedlite here and there, both bare and some with a shoot through umbrella.
Triggered with tt5 and tt1 pocket wizards
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Really had a good time with this one, being able to branch out and be creative with light was fun. Please let us know what you think.
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facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OpticalNoisefanpage
instagram and twitter : @opticalnoise
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Carla
instagram : @carlasosassy
twitter : @carlagalinos
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See you guys soon!!!
Shooting with Xavier Saer.
Recently I got to photograph Mr Xavier Saer. Just wanted to touch base and meet him, and then while we were there grab a few images to showcase my work to him.
Most of you know He is a talented photographer, musician, and model. With a keen eye and style, he always showcases amazing shots.
He came with his motorcycle, a Royal Enfield, which we used in a few images as well.
Have a look through the images below, and if you wish to see more keep a eye on our social media for more posts.
Have a look at his website: http://www.xaviersaerphotography.com/
Camera Gear Used:
- Canon 5D mkiii
- Canon 85mm f1.8
- 2 x Canon 430ex ii (taped together with each at 1/4th power)
- one shoot through umbrella
heres the rest of the gallery
Dominique Stroh's photoshoot and video
Trying to use the blog more and in that effort heres a quick run through what I did with Dominiques shoot, what i used , where and how we shot it plus just some images for you to have a look at :)
First off, as always Dom is a privilege to shoot, the images are always gorgeous and she really knows how to ooze sexy. Be sure to check out her facebook fan page, i will list the link at the bottom of the post.
The initial plan of the shoot was to shoot with no flash, using only the strong back light that would come in through the window as that side of the house has the sunset dead on. As you can see in the start of the video we had perfect sun for it and then while Dom was changing, i was watching the sun disappear behind thick clouds ...... (insert oh crap face)
That being said, we had an issue as i was going to film this too and i own like zero video lighting and i couldn't even find a torch so video was going to be difficult but we made it work. We had a nice back light but the rim light i wanted on her body was not exactly right, but it still came out nicely, we ran out of light and i didn't film alot but i did what i could and it worked.
Then started the shoot of photos which i just used one speedlite, which is all i generally use for shoots for fill light, i just made it quite strong and i left it bare with no diffusion to make the contrast super strong. then i placed it outside the door and firing in directly at her side,
And that's pretty much it, for the high shots i just stood on the bed with a wide lens to create the height, with the canon 17-40mm f4 L lens.
I used the 85mm f1.8 on the closer normal crop images, always used at every shoot I ever do, such a nice range and always produces amazing quality images.
GEAR:
- Canon 5D mk iii
- Canon 85mm f1.8
- Canon 17-40mm f4 L
- Canon 430 ex ii speedlite
- one light stand for flash.
Please have a look at our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OpticalNoisefanpage
instagram and twitter are both @opticalnoise
Dominiques Model Page please like: https://www.facebook.com/DominiqueStrohFanPage
Heres the video link.
That's it. Will post again soon thanks for reading :D
Rob
Self Portrait for 2015
Self Portrait time.
so i have been training super hard every morning and dancing alot again which you have probably seen the video, and full video will go up tomorrow.
so i thought lets take some progress photos, seeing as i dont like being photographed by people i made a lil studio set up in the house and put camera on timer and tried some posing. so heres shot one. i was still sweaty from training but i thought it might look cool
lemme know what you think :D
if you want to see my dancing page here it is the video is up there
https://www.facebook.com/BboyStarZ.RobertHarris
my instagram and twitter are both @opticalnoise
and my website
www.opticalnoise.net
facebook fan page:https://www.facebook.com/OpticalNoisefanpage?ref=bookmarks
have a good day everyone!!!
next blog il be reviewing my camera bag cause i love the shiz outa it!
click image to enlarge