I’ve always been a supporter of the idea that it is the photographer that makes the image and not the camera that he/she uses. While my close friends constantly hear me praise Canon and bash Nikon (jokingly, of course), a good photographer can make a dynamite image with a disposable film camera.
That being said, I had an opportunity to shoot with a fantastic camera - the Pentax K-7. This is Pentax’s ultra-rugged flagship camera. Considering that I learned photography on a Pentax ME Super, this was a very welcome homecoming to Pentax for me.
While I didn’t get to test the dust, weather or cold resistance of this camera, I did get to shoot a handful of portraits with it. I paired it with a Pentax 50-135 f/2.8 DA* lens and a Pentax AF-540FGZ flash used in wireless mode off camera. For a few shots, I even used the kit 18-55 WR lens. I had no trouble picking up the entire system on the fly and sincerely enjoyed the results.
The 14.6 megapixel files aren’t given any justice on this blog, but take my word for it that they are stunning.
Gavin Culbertson and Yuefeng Deng - Shot on the Pentax K-7 with the 50-135 DA* lens. © 2009 Max Gersh
Gavin Culbertson and Yuefeng Deng - Shot on the Pentax K-7 with the18-55 WR lens. © 2009 Max Gersh
I got the chance to test my DIY beauty dish this morning. It worked like a charm!
I once again had my friend Gavin Culbertson stand in for a few quick portraits.
Gavin Culbertson lit by my DIY beauty dish.
He was standing in the shadow with a sun-lit wall behind him. This picture could be improved with a back light but I only have one Speedlight, a Canon 550EX.
I love the circular highlight that shows up in the eyes of the subject.
Gavin Culbertson lit by my DIY beauty dish with circular highlights.
I will need to play with it more but it certainly gives off a nice quality of light. Not bad for a $20 DIY light modifier.
Over the last week or so, I have found myself working closely with my good friend Gavin Culbertson. It started when I told him how much better I could make his Web site.
You see, Gavin is a cinematographer. When you work in a visual field, the presentation of your portfolio is just as important as its contents. He had a really poorly designed i-Web Web site with great content.
After working for a few hours over the course of two nights, his old site was obliterated and the new and improved site was all that existed.
I did this for him free of charge. While it was mainly because he is my good friend and his old site was atrocious, it was also my way of thanking him for directing photo work to me.
Gavin is the broadcast assistant at the premiere talent agency in St. Louis, TalentPlus. When actors come in, he can recommend me for head shots.
While Gavin had seen a lot of my work (we have known each other for five years), I wanted to reassure him that directing traffic my way was not a bad idea. I proved that to him by giving him a complimentary portrait session.
Portrait of Gavin Culbertson in Tower Grove Park ©2009 Max Gersh
Portrait of Gavin Culbertson in Tower Grove Park ©2009 Max Gersh
He was happy with the results.