Good Light vs. Everything Else

EDIT: This blog has MOVED. You’re on the old, dead blog. Everything (including this post) has been migrated onboard my website. Here’s the direct link:

http://scotthargisphoto.com/blog/

Update your bookmarks! See you there!

We now continue with our original programming….

One of the photos above was made with my Canon 5DmII, with a 17-40 “L” series lens. The other was made moments later, with my iPhone 4s.

Both photos got some color correction in Photoshop as well as perspective correction, and the iPhone version got some noise reduction courtesy of Nik Dfine. Nothing else was done – no HDR, no toning, nothing.

The lesson here is that really good light trumps pretty much everything else. As photographers, we need to hone our ability to “see” good light. When it’s there, you go with it. When it’s not, you make it.

Can you tell which is which? Click the image to see a bigger version. Answer on Friday.

Aerial SF

It’s hard not to gloat a little over the prospect of being paid to do shoots like this. This is fun stuff, no two ways about it.

And I totally lucked out with the weather. Our first attempt last week was completely fogged out, so we hit all of our East Bay waypoints (shooting through some nasty haze) and postponed all of the San Francisco stuff for another day. That day was yesterday, and I nearly cancelled the flight because the weather in Hayward (where the flight originated) was so crappy, and deteriorating. But the Golden Gate was getting the light that photographers dream about!

“Don’t try this at home, kids,” said Rick Cascelli (the pilot), as we skimmed alarmingly close to the Marin Headlands for this shot.

Law Firm Reception – by Dumican Mosey Architects

A few weeks ago I spent a few hours with Dumican Mosey Architects, with whom I’ve worked before, shooting the newly completed lobby of a San Francisco law firm. (Note to AT&T: 28 floors up in San Francisco’s Financial District…and no cell service? Really?)

I had scouted this a week earlier, and so I knew pretty much what we would have to contend with. Getting detail on that deep navy blue wall was going to be a challenge! I brought every light I own, and most of them got used on the shot above. There are 6 heads firing, almost as many hotlights, and even a Nikon SB-80! We averaged 2 hours per shot, but the results were worth it, I think.

Alan starts setting up the lights.

iPhone Photo of the Day

iPhone Photo of the Day

Alien Hands!!
Eclipse Party, Oakland

iPhone Photo of the Day

iPhone Photo of the Day

Pre-shoot walk through with Building Lab, in Hayward California.