Comments on: Artificial multi-point lighting

By: Wide world of “sportraits” at Gersh Photo Post | Max Gersh | Multimedia Photojournalist

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 06:22:41 +0000

[...] The sports department has kept me busy recently. On top of regular feature stories here and there, the paper is running articles on the players of the year from each sport. I’ve shot so many sports portraits that I tried to coin the phrase “sportrait.” (Don’t forget my underwater portrait of the two swimmers or the group shot of wrestlers.) [...]

By: Max Gersh

Max Gersh — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:02:16 +0000

Now there is a story I haven’t heard! I never would have thought about the intensity cycle of a flashbulb.

With some things, it helps to have a preconceived idea of what your image is going to look like. Once you have the answer, you can solve the problem. Just like algebra (but I was never great with math).

I imagine it is hard to invigorate the minds of students who either don’t care or who have little hope as they are about to try to enter a struggling industry. But that does remind me of a story.

My first job was working at a KFC in Louisville. One of my managers constantly said he didn’t get photography, or art at all for that matter. I asked him what he did like. He told me sports. Especially football. He said he read all the major sports magazines.

When he said that, I pointed out the fact that those magazines are filled with art. Just a type that appeals to a different kind of person. While I don’t have any feelings one way or another for a Picasso, I love all photojournalism (and most photography). While he had little feelings for most photography, he connected with gritty sports action images.

We all have to find what particular thing appeals to us and run with it as hard as we can.

Maybe your students know that they enjoy taking pictures but have yet to find a subject that they enjoy to photograph.

By: bob la rouche

bob la rouche — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:07:27 +0000

The old is new again. There’s a great book of photographs of locomotives photographed at night using flashbulbs and an open shutter. The iris shutter clipped the flashbulb output - it was set to capture the light at its peak burn. The open shutter included the light at ignition and as it
trailed off - a half-stop or so additional exposure. We set the solenoid timing on the speed
graphic by using a piece of printing paper in a frame which spun the paper, and looked at the pattern of exposure when the frame was spun and lens fired at different shutter speeds.
We set the solenoid for the peak exposure at 1/200.
using multiple light setup is essentially individual exposures from each light, only simultaneously. But you knew that. I just like to lecture.
I’m frustrated and baffled by a class full of students who do not seem to want to work or give a
care. And I’m not sure how to inspire them. Hope all is well with you. - Bob