Sol Tamargo in Calgary
by: Matt
With the outbreak of the FLU, we have been dealing with lots of cancellations and troubles with clients, trying to make effort to help our clients rebook or reschedule a date that works for both parties. This has connected us with one of our Canadian clients who is forced to reschedule back home, in Calgary. Her tour operator cancelled ALL flights to Mexico from April 28 - June 4th. This has to be one of the most sensationalized and ridiculous things to happen in…
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American Photo Magazine Top 10…
by: Matt
Sol & I are exceptionally stoked and honestly elated to be selected for this list. I've drooled over and studied the work of these same photographers. Its really an honor to be listed with them. Lots of inspiration shopping by visiting these sites. I promise, before your next wedding, go through an entire folio on one of these togs sites...…
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2nd shooters requested
by: Matt
**Updated** positions filled.
HOLY Cow... I'm sorta in a bind because I'm short a hand or two hands on May 16th 2009 in Atlanta. We have been CRAZY busy in the middle of high season in mexico and all my shooters are either on other jobs or attending weddings as guests.
My studio actually has 2 different weddings on May 16 in ATL. Anybody interested out there who is near the area? I really prefer…
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new gear wishes...drooling actually…
by: Matt
I was surfing the web and have been trying to figure out what kind of gear would be great to have.....
We will be investing in primes since we have all the desired zoom ranges currently made by canon that fit with our shooting.... 15, 24 t/s, 35, 50, 85 are currently in the toolbox. We have been thinking heavily on a few and thought it may be nice to hear feedback from any readers about their personal fav's and why.…
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USA Today features flash crazy…
by: Matt
Yep, the secret is out. Flash adds an element to the photographers toolbox that enables lots of creative freedom. Photographers are pooling their knowledge and offering hand-outs on tips, techniques and often or not, movies on what or how they do what they do.
Thanks to a FF reader, today I was directed to a writeup in the USA Today about the emerging…
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My favorite RED
by: Matt
Flashflavor dragging a$$ these days... sorry folks. Just clocked 10 weddings, 4 TTD sessions in March... holy moly we are off to a crazy spring spree of shooting like mad.....again.
Those that know us hang in there, we are still here and also working on a new project blog for del Sol Photography. This site has been a major drain on free time with all the development and data gathering, writing, idea brainstorms...etc... lots been happening and we aren't getting…
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FF Trashing gets published
by: Matt
I was surprised to see the recent issue of Bodissima Magazine, a Mexican publication that hits the stands for the 1st quarter of 2009 in Monterrey and Mexico City. WOW, that's some serious coverage. We have been so lucky to participate with the Trash the Dress movement in the last few years and I'm so proud to see that Sol also got the cover photo too... I'm so stoked to see the movement start to move through…
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Sol tricks her Sync Speed
by: Matt
I just happen to peek over my shoulder yesterday while Sol was editing one of her recent TTD sessions. She is always using her flash creatively in the right bright light conditions, admits to finding a newly learned technique quite helpful.
I was visiting Digital Pro Talk a bit back and did a ff post on David Ziser "tricking the sync…
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help from one light
by: Matt
I definitely enjoy hanging out in venues that are bigger than life. Recently, I needed to fill some space with light. We were dealing with powerful theatrical stage lighting and added a 1/1 full power blast to the right of bride and groom. The light spills and gives some dimension to the space.
I just used this as a quick way to execute a shot when on the run, walking around the building to get just about every photo along the way. I shot these…
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Speaking for the PPOCA in Playa…
by: Matt
I recently was hanging out with the Professional Photographers of Canada-Alberta here in the Riviera Maya and was speaking on my photojournalism ideals and giving a quick demo of using low lighting conditions and accenting a subject with flash / video light and using color correction gels. Sol accompanied and helped assist us on the beach with the demo. She also provided well needed moral support for…
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We need your help this time!!!!…
by: Matt
HELP US, PLEASE! Can you get this slideshow to load on your computer and play ALL the way through without crashing or slowing down your machine?
Ok, so we are in the midst of developing a new blogsite / website / new FACE for del Sol Photography. One of the elements we are working on is a new slideshow format. This slideshow is going to be integrated / embedded into our blog posts and have the ability to go FULL screen.
One of the…
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how do you do what you do
by: Matt
**Edited to add** HOLY COW.... They had 100 memberships available and they sold out in the first 25 minutes of business today. They do have a waiting list, so holler at them and let them know you are interested!
Well, for us we get a lot of help from ShootQ! We shoot a ton of weddings every year and honestly, couldnt survive without these guys. Studio management software at its best...
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water
by: Matt
Recently, i've been exploring lots of photography in / around the water. This last weekend, we were neck deep in water shooting a client in a dark dark place. I wanted to add lots of color to the water but didnt want much of that color to jump out and light my subject.
I wanted to post this photo for my readers who stop by from time to time and see if you can figure out what I did here. I have a very clever idea for executing this technique and want to see if anybody can come up…
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I see movement
by: Matt
Recently, I was assembling a few galleries and found a few shots that Sol shot and wanted to share with you. Let this be a little motion motivation for you :) Here are 3 frames where a flash helped act as the shutter and freeze the action involved, just enough so the ambient and movement patterns would leave a ghosting look. This technique is easy to follow, drag shutter, add flash :) low power flash preferably.
She has done very well capturing motion…
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"tricking" your sync speed
by: Matt
I was doing some browsing around and hit up my buddy David Ziser's site and found a tutorial he recently put together on "tricking" the sync speed of your camera. I'm liking this idea and can't wait to try it... ALL this time I've been afraid of going above the native sync speed of the camera in fear of the big black stripe on the bottom of the frame.
David…
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JVS offcameraflash.com
by: Matt
In 2005, I was lucky enough to attend my 1st photogaphic workshop that greatly influenced my flash photography career. Ironic enough, it had nothing to do with flash photography! The workshop was "See, Shoot, Show" offered by Huy Nguyen and JVS. The 2 day workshop encompassed photojournalism techniques and thought process working an event as a documentary journalist. Both of these guys opened my eyes and enlightened me with some serious direction.
Basically, these guys regurgitated ALL…
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41 exposures? 100 exposures? Artists…
by: Matt
Recently, i've been very interested to try this technique out... Imagine a totally blank canvas. Now imagine that canvas is the frame inside your 35mm DSLR. When you open the shutter to allow light through the iris, you start the magic! Now lets say you have 100% control over the amount of light that enters your frame... hey, last time I checked, I did! Ok cool, no that you understand the basic principal of starting this artistic process, turn on your flash.....50+ times... take a million photos....whatever.…
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Jaco's TTD
by: Matt
Every time my eyes hit Jaco Fourie's site or an image he has created, i'm drawn in. This South Africian photographer has one outside the box creative vision and I'm so happy he is willing to share here on FF. Recently, he was involved with a TTD shoot that resulted in some serious fine art. He continues to challenge the creative edge and is delivering some killer stuff. Rangfinder even contacted him and is planning on featuring his…
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flashflavor MAKEOVER
by: Matt
Flashflavor is getting a total makeover and we are excited to put up something different / more professional for this blog! The look is coming from our friends at
flosites who have worked on this with me for some time now. We ask for some patience as we get things together to make the change. Since Flashflavor just had its one year anniversary, it makes me think back on old times and where the flash madness every started. I brushed the dust off…
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more SOL inspiration
by: Matt
I was looking over my wife's shoulder as she was working on a recent wedding... She is just on fire with some of her attempts with flashflavor recently. Specifically, I was noticing that she is doing a brilliant job of fooling the eye. I wrote about her attempts to lead the eye out of believing that there is any flash involved in
this past FF article. Here, she is at it again with a pretty nice portrait attempt.…
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Neil Cowley on photoshop flavor…
by: Matt
Neil Cowley is a photoshop guru and an off camera lighting wizard. I would like to send congrats out to Neil and Liesel. They are leaving NY and headed for their new move over to Charlotte. If you are a NC photographer, please be sure to connect Neil to your social network. He has made a serious contribution to the photographer society. Neil has taught workshops throughout the US on seeing the light. He is currently shooting weddings, traveling, and teaching all at the same time. I checked out Neil's…
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back to playa del carmen
by: Matt
I was Stateside for 2 weddings and have returned to Mexico for a few more weeks to close out the season here. We are taking 3 weeks off in July and even more time off in August. After spending time away from the wife, its good to see some of
Sol Tamargo. Its especially nice to turn around to see one of her killer images staring me in the face. I love this flashflavor image with the bride and groom walking, shutter drag, some kewl editing.…
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atlanta pictage user group meeting…
by: Matt
While I am in the US, I am giving a small chat about getting the flash off the camera at the local Pictage user group meeting (pug) at Java Vino tomorrow at 7pm in Atlanta GA. These meetings are set up by Pictage so that users can get together and network and talk about business. I'd love to invite you to join us! Please come to visit if you can :) The meeting is at: THURSDAY June 5th 7pm-9pm at
Java Vino in the room upstairs! 579 N. Highland…
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Pro on my shoulder
by: Matt
I've been doing a bit of jet setting lately and recently ended up in a beautiful outdoor Atlanta city setting for David & Laura's wedding. The day prior to the wedding, Laura told me that she spoke on the phone to her future Father-in-law for the first time every! He had a ton of questions about ME and when I was shooting and where etc.... I knew from the beginning that David's father was a photographer. I didnt have a problem with the father of the groom toting around a rig and shooting all night,…
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here is what we did
by: Matt
Well, I must say that I'm impressed by all of your creativity with ideas on how to light this setup. Everyone who commented has a great idea and we all have respect that there is no right answer on how do to this stuff... matter of fact, I'm a bumbling idiot at most of my weddings with last minute inspiration to do whatever it is that I do... I'm liking all the suggestions, even the one of attempting to light the ocean. I'd be curios to try this setup at an upcoming wedding. Possibly a blue gel?…
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what would you do
by: Matt
What would you do for this scene to add some flavor? I'm going to write a follow up article about this photograph. But, before I do, I'd like to leave it open for a small amount of discussion... if you care to give an idea. When you see this setup, how do you rig the lights for it? What kind of flash setup would you have for this scene? 1 or 2 lights aimed at the stage on clamps? Any other setup for an approach to photograph this area some sexy scene setters? If you read this blog and have 2 minutes,…
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radio popper testing | video light…
by: Matt
Our apologies for the sloooow posting. We have stepped into our high season and just to give a little breakdown on what is happening, consider this: Production status: In May, del Sol has 22 weddings, 10 TTD sessions and an engagement and 1 rehearsal dinner. We are shooting more days than there are days in the month, crazy eh? We have a team of 4 shooters, myself, my wife Sol, my Atlanta associate Melissa and our Mexico associate Vincent. If my FF posts lag or dont show up, its because my head is…
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Sexy backlight
by: Matt
Have you ever been in a tiny room that made you feel like it was impossible to capture a frame that seemed romantic enough to reflect the mood of the delicate speech of the father of the Bride? Lets face it, every once in a while we are all put in a position to shoot a room or in a location that is just NOT built for making beautiful photos. If we use our lenses and lighting skills to compose and light our subjects with finesse, the results will be show stoppers! My friend Ben Chrisman was visiting…
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sol's hot toast
by: Matt
Have you ever shot people toasting at a wedding? Every shot it from below? Yeah, we probably all have. If you haven't yet, give it a whirl. If you use on camera flash and just blast them with light, it will be less desirable and likely a whatever photo, not getting a lot of interest. This technique will help you visualize how to take a normal / standard exposed moment that you have seen a million times and add a little flavor to it. First step is to make sure you have evaluated the surroundings…
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My camera's shutter gets the middle…
by: Matt
For my operating settings, I've got a few secrets that will help you snap quicker / better exposed photos when your flash is too hot. My wife tells me that I'm too fast for this world so this trick my not apply or matter to some of you. del Sol Photographers all use Manual photo control when shooting our weddings. We have grown close to cameras performance and when shooting, we find it helpful to be able to adjust your shutter and aperture settings while also working some photojournalism in there.…
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My first Radio Popper frame at…
by: Matt
This is my very first image captured by utilizing the Radiopopper system. Thank you Kevin King for getting these to me, all the way in Mexico no doubt! I am such a bad professional. I ripped the bag open to reveal my new set of RP's just 45 minutes before I walked out the door to a wedding 2 days ago. I ran around my place like a crazy man testing for a few minutes, but really didnt do much pro testing on these units before I unveiled them at a pro gig... shame on me eh? My client will be so disappointed…
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Joco's fury | Skyports
by: Matt
I've seen adverts for Elinchrom Skyports and until recently, hadn't seen images from this system of transmitters until I ran into Jaco Fourie, South African photographer. Along with his wife Daleen, they are producing some amazing imagery that I felt needed to be seen here on Flashflavor. I have been keeping an eye on the Flashflavor flickr group and noticed his stuff along the way. His images are very romantic and his compositions are all very pleasing to look at! Not yet contributing to the
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label your gear
by: Matt
I was unloading batteries today after a recent shoot. We stage all of our gear on a table as we pull old batteries out and put new ones in. I looked down at our equipment pile and got to thinking about a Flashflavor post. Since ALL our gear is mixed up, how the heck do we know whose is what? Once you start to build a nice equipment inventory, its about darn time that it get cataloged or labeled so you know what ya got! We are a studio with 4 maybe 5 shooters at a given time. It is crucial to us…
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photoshop user magazine
by: Matt
I was pleasantly surprised this week to find out that photohsop user magazine published a story I wrote about the trash the dress phenomenon. I was very excited to be featured (along with my wife) next some seriously talented folks. I had a chance to meet one of the photographers published in the article at WPPI,
Cliff Mautner. I also parked myself next to the Nikon booth to hear him speak about making…
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Radiopopper testing
by: Matt
I am very excited to see the birth of the Radiopopper this year. This write-up will serve as a initial preview of my experience with this revolutionary unit. In order to give a full review, I will need this baby on a few of my wedding gigs. I hope to be shooting with them at my first few weddings in April. We haven't used TTL at a wedding with off camera slaves in a long long time. Heck, I can't tell you when. I love to change up my game, so the popper is an exciting new tool in my tool box! We…
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RadioPopper
by: Matt
I've been spending my time these last few days hanging out at WPPI in Vegas and finally got to meet up with
Kevin King, creator of
Radiopopper. Kevin is a pretty rockin photographer and an awesome entrepreneur as well! Kevin let me play around a bit with this killer device and he even told me that I may be able to get my hands on a set pretty soon so I can experiment with them…
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Another FF Trash the Dress
by: Matt
We have been very lucky in a sense that our clients commission us to fly all over the world and shoot in some super exotic places. One of the requested sessions is typically an after wedding session where there are no rules and the dress likely will end up in the sand or swimming in the ocean. This allows for total creative freedom. I wanted to share another one of these sessions we shot recently in the Dominican Republic. We ended up spending the whole day with these folks driving across the entire…
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Del Sol Trash the Dress | Bat…
by: Matt
How much can I begin to say about the fun that we are having with our subjects. Our clients are escaping to a wonderful destination location and planning the wedding of their dreams. Why not dream a little more and go out on an exotic excursion to be photographed in the land of fairy tales? This is exactly what we are doing with our sessions and I often need to pinch myself. Picture yourself in the middle of a muddy deep dark hole and bats are flying around, everywhere. Watch out, if you step in…
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Flash Flavor Formals
by: Matt
I wanted to follow up with posting another set of images from one of the photographers I am keeping an eye on.
Ed Pingol has recently contributed to a FF post on
deleting the ambient. One of the things that really stood out about Ed's photography is the effort he takes to set up some of his formals. I think that a LOT of us can take some serious…
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Hollywood motivation
by: Matt
One of the
blogs I'm stalking is from San Fransisco photographer,
Anna Kuperberg. Anna's eye is always fresh and exciting, so for me, its a huge source of inspiration. If you haven't checked out her portfolio yet, let this post guide the way my friend.... The image in this post reminds me of Hollywood! I was once one the set of the television series "Touched by an Angel" and I specifically…
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simplicity + interest
by: Matt
I was browsing around checking out a few websites that I stalk from time to time and found a photo that I really liked! I thought this was one of those images where I kinda spoke a little out loud "whoa"... Have you ever done that? Anyway, Dan & Anne Almasy have been rocking out some images in Atlanta. Check out their stuff, they are pretty rockin photographers... Dan writes:
I think that this particular shot is pretty representative of the way we approach lighting at weddings, and that includes…
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flash flavor accidents
by: Matt
Have you ever been shooting and had this miracle blessing where an off camera strobe (not your intentional flash) just appeared from the background / foreground and illuminated your frame, thus delivering a magical image that was totally unplanned and seemingly excellently executed? If so, then you should be thankful to be LUCKY :) Well, in our few years of shooting we have been lucky enough to see a random strobe appear. In this photo example,
Sol…
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Flash Flavor before and after…
by: Matt
I know everybody is totally annoyed with me that I only update this blog once every 7-8...ok, maybe 9 days or so. SORRY. I'm busy shooting and traveling, really, I promise! Anyway, I need that time to muster up content that is actually worth something, so this week, I want to post something that I think will help a few of my readers grow closer to actually nailing the shot they initially envisioned! Sound easy enough? Well, with some practice and some studying, its totally doable! In this post,…
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dance floor creative exploration…
by: Matt
Our job as a documentary photographer is to showcase the mood and ambiance of an event. Often enough, 5-7 hours into a wedding is enough for us photographers to start to get tired and lazy on our feet. Have you told yourself or assistant "hey, we have shot this dancing stuff for hours, I'm going to start shooting less"? Well, I would totally agree that 50 drunk folks on the dance floor can start to look redundant! I would suggest that the moment this question comes to your mind, OPEN YOUR MIND and…
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got SOL?
by: Matt
Sol: Spanish translation for Sun :)
Sol Tamargo recently used a technique that I think is often overlooked but when used, the results are beautiful. We were shooting a bride getting ready in the formal bridal room. We were blessed with open windows and cloudless skies with afternoon directional sunshine peaking its way through the glass panes. I would urge every photographer on the planet to make an attempt to photograph natural light…
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flash flavor publication station…
by: Matt
Flash Flavor has been slowly seeping its way into the printed press! Apparently, someone thinks we have some interesting ideas on this site! I think this is proof that if you add a little flava to your game, the imagery will start to look better! I'm stoked that we were featured in 3 magazines in December, each featuring our FLAVA... Check these out: 
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merry new year
by: Matt
merry new year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have been traveling and traveling and I have landed in Atlanta for a week for a wedding. We are headed back to the Mayan Riviera on the 8th though, this cold weather stuff is not for me! I wanted to share my new christmas present with you all, a box of goodies that every photographer likes to see under the tree. We picked up a few more lenses, but I am most happiest about my new 85 1.2 and my new 35 1.4! How much fun and exciting is this!!!!!!!!!!! We are actually…
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under the table
by: Matt
MERRY CHRISTMAS! I wanted to put up a small taste of flava over the holidays, seeing that I only update FF every week or so. We just got back from the Dominican Republic, 4 days of adventure with some cool clients! Today, we are with my family for some needed time off and I found an image to share with FF readers! I pulled and old trick out of my bag a few weeks ago (dec 8, 2 days after my wedding)! I will occasionally put a flash or two under the table to light the reception table settings in a…
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deleting the ambient
by: Matt
I've been keeping an eye on this week's featured photographer,
Ed Pingol from San Francisco. I noticed Ed's photos in the
Flash Flavor Flickr image pool and immediately went to look for more of his work. His lighting style is pretty impressive. He manages to shoot some of the sexiest formals (future FF post) I've ever seen, all with the power of of his ambient light…
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matts back
by: Matt
I just wanted to say thank you
David Hobby at Strobist for your kind words and recognition. David has helped both Sol & I achieve publication in 3 magazines, around the world... all in the last 2 months! David Hobby is one of the super heros of internet marketing. If you sell anything marketed to photographers, you should be advertising on his site. He has zillions of readers and…
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a small kiss
by: Matt
I love shooting silhouettes! To me, they are one of the easiest and safest ways to make a beautiful portrait. Usually, I'm shooting these images with very little residual light left in the sky so my exposure settings are reaching the limit of hand holding the camera. In this case, I just wanted to show what a simple kiss of light can do for a simple silhouette. Nothing more and nothing less. 1 speedlight, l1 KISS.
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for the next time you encounter…
by: Matt
Have you ever seen a Mayan Ritual performed at a wedding??? I for sure hadn't until my last wedding! I got this set of keepers at one of my last gigs in the Riviera Maya.... My 11/17/07 bride totally surprised her guests with an entertainment performance that I must admit, was absolutely unbelievable! I was getting ready to photograph one of the most insanely exotic sequences of images I have ever captured during a day of matrimony... I was aware there would be evening entertainment, but 12 ornately…
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underwater flash flavor magic
by: Matt
I have been following the work from a
Louisiana photographer who seems to be breaking all the rules and taking the "brides in the water" craze to an entirely different level. I've shot a few of these underwater sessions but nothing like this. What I love about Kevin's work is the passion he puts into the job to get it done and get it done RIGHT! Kevin Beasley writes: The idea for shooting under came to me after some serious soul searching…
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make light real Vol 1
by: Matt
This post comes from a photographer that I've been checking out for many years now,
Neil Cowley. Neil's efforts to better the lighting community can be showcased on his lighting website, Make Light Real. Neil goes pretty deep here to talk about his motivations to get this artistic shot during one of his engagement sessions. He also tosses in a cool "how to" with textures and his lighting overlay demo...
Neil pulled a quote from one…
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splash of color
by: Matt
This last week,
Sol Tamargo & I were in Mexico City covering a traditional Mexican ceremony. What is totally odd about that is the fact that we shoot 50+ weddings in Mexico every year and rarely is ONE of them a Mexican client. These guys had 400 guests with pretty beautiful decor. The bride's preparation took place in her parents home in a very exclusive home in suburb of the city. How many times have you seen the dress hanging? Did you…
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DQ Studios dynamic lighting
by: Matt
I got another killer shot from Dave & Quin Cheung of
DQ studios to show you. I really love how they approach making beautiful portraits during a wedding. I am a firm believer that they are one of the best studios in the entire continent of North America... They raise the bar by challenging the ordinary portrait... a spoonful of flava :) Or shovels full, when DQ is in charge...
Quin describes her shot: Jess and Rob wanted to take…
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low light first dance
by: Matt
As a follow up to my last
post about dragging the shutter and keeping ambient, I'd like to showcase similar circumstances we experienced from last weeks wedding in a beautiful garden, very looooow lighting conditions. We wanted to photograph the first dance with a little added light, in order to make an exposure. We used a fast prime for a few shots without flash, which ended up providing a dynamic portfolio…
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at night, drag and hang low
by: Matt
I often sit here wondering what I am going to do at the next wedding to change it up, making everything different. One thing I've been trying lately that will certainly make you smile a little bit more in your pursuit is to try and use the ambient! Add a little flashflavor and you will be hooked! I'm very happy shooting my receptions at ISO 1000 or 1250 with my Canon 5d and using my primes at wide open or my 2.8 lenses, shot with 1/30th of a second. That will pretty much allow you to BLAZE highlights…
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speedlights off camera win awards…
by: Matt
I dig around every now and then for inspiration and one place that I can guarantee to be wowed is the
WPJA's quarterly results. This contest is open to all WPJA photographers, each allowed at least 1 free entry per contest. I enter about 10-15 images per contest. From the handful of photog buds that I know who are also members, I can promise you that they all enter the maximum allowable number…
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a little color
by: Matt
I was looking at one of our recent weddings where
Sol Tamargo had spent some time with the bride who was getting ready at the Buckhead ATL Ritz Carrolton Hotel, who was heading downstairs for a ballroom wedding and reception, all at the hotel. For those of you who have been to similar city hotels, you may find that there inst too many places you can go for awesome setup shots.... Often enough, on the fly is the way you need to work. In this…
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Strictly Ballroom
by: Matt
I have written about Epic Photography in a past FF post, and after seeing this week's submission, I'm happy to suggest another photo that I feel defines the subject perfectly! Today's image comes from an awesome photographer in Atlanta, Andrew Niesen from the LaCour Studio, a group of several photographers... Mark Adams from the LaCour studio submitted this
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happy accidents again, to light…
by: Matt
We are moving towards doing 100% destination weddings, BUT, we are still contracted here and there to shoot in a big church or cathedral, where you can expect DARK dungeon type lighting. I always find it a challenge when the ceremony starts at 7:30 pm in the summer, Catholic service, so you are easy looking at 1 hour ceremony and 15 minutes of formals... Basically, there is NO natural light outside for any bride & groom shots... oh well. Pull out the
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shoot the cake
by: Matt
This is one of the things that we all must do, and the question is how do we do it dynamically? The cake is an intimate object, sitting over there in the corner, next to nothing sometimes... but, often there will be a few candles and maybe some ambient light focused on the table, adding to the mood of the reception. Ok, so now we found some ambiance, now what? I recommend that you change up your game! First, I would like to get you in the mindset of how we can utilize a room's ambiance by focusing…
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i've got a hotstick
by: Matt
Recently, I motivated myself to come up with an idea I had and have since been practicing :) Seriously, I hadn't tried the camera on the monopod idea before August 18 and at my very next wedding, August 25, I pulled it out to see what I could do. Folks, I plan to wear this bad boy technique out! Its clever and different almost every time you use it, because it allows you to change your vantage point. How many times do you see yourself standing on your tip toes or leaning or stretching or doing something…
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somewhere in time
by: Matt
I found a killer photo online the other day and did a little investigating to check out the source. Turns out, the photo author had WAY more to offer than just the typical portrait session....He is totally the portrait master! And he was all about the Flash Flavor.... key thing is, he was shooting these puppies when I was in learning to drive! Yep, a film photograph...What the heck is that??? and he even used a light meter...I'm totally lost now.... This digital age has really taken off, and it…
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Evacuation Isla Holbox Mexico
by: Matt
I haven't even downloaded my 2nd shooter
Sergio's images yet, but felt like this story has urgency due to the implications that hurricanes have on our clients and that the fact is we just experienced what some brides would call, "THEIR WORST NIGHTMARE" Actually, this group was the complete opposite of that. Vanessa has to be the coolest bride I've ever met... Under the circumstances, she played it out like a champion of champions. This…
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evacuating the island, photojournalist…
by: Matt
I am on isla holbox, a 45 minute ferry ride for a point in the north of the yucatan peninsula, 3 hours away from the nearest big city, cancun ...writing from a dialup computer. I have a bride getting married today who has been told by the govt that she is to evacuate the island with friends and family. i am with my amigo,
sergio photographer, and we are going to document the event as it goes... this one is going to be exciting. The bride plans to still…
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The Perfect Exit
by: Matt
Recently, I ran into an image shot by some friends of mine, a husband and wife duo in Atlanta, Chris and Katie Torres of
6 of Four Creations. This image is a must see! How many times have you been at a wedding for 7,8, or 9+ hours, and at the end, you are totally dead tired and ready to give up.... Chris & Katie's story about this image will WAKE YOU UP at the end of your gig! I really wish I had this one in my portfolio!!!
…
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hard light city
by: Matt
I shoot some pretty direct flash, as hard as the light may be sometimes...i kinda like it. I've heard talk about photographers that use hard light and it seems that sometimes it may be frowned upon...My take is "who cares". If you have had a chance to dig through my stuff, you will find a portfolio with some hard light hanging around. I'd say the edgy feel sorta defines my style a bit. You can always migrate to a bounce flash and soften the situation quite a bit but, most of the time, I'm on the…
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inspiration
by: Matt
I'm going to deviate from posting nothing but flash flavor and talk a little bit about why and how I got in the position I am in today. I constantly seek new inspiration and ideas. Every now and then, there are a few jems that stand out and I would like to mention them here. There are a few photographers that I admire and have learned quite a bit from in the last 10 years. Nature photographer
John Shaw, was a major source of inspiration…
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engagement sessions on the beach…
by: Matt
I wanted to talk a little bit about using your flash on your engagement sessions. Yeah, its harder and more work but the results for me turn out WAY better if I'm using the remote strobe for assistance. Let me show you what I'm talking about. I know I know, I'm a lucky A$$ for having a Mexican wife and for being able to shoot in the Riviera Maya...I figured if I'm going to get to pimp my locations I was damn well going to utilize all my tools in the toolbox to do it! I was asked to shoot this couple's…
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storytelling
by: Matt
We use our remote flashes to tell stories about our subjects, and in this case, I was again inspired by the flash inside the frame to post another one of Sol Tamargo's image sets. This post is about using the off camera flash more dynamically when that flash is located directly across from the field of view of your lens. Sol had her eyes on these children the entire time as they played with their toys all night long. I credit her for pursuing a strong photojournalism moment and then going one step…
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flash bursts inside the frame
by: Matt
Ok... still on vacation :) last day. I am in the hotel getting ready for 6 hrs of flying today and 3 or so hours of airport layover. I was inspired by the last post "
rim light" and decided to discuss the technique of including the flash burst INSIDE the frame. I have used this compositional technique "what feels like a million times" and each time I do it, I am trying to use the burst to strengthen the moment...…
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rim light
by: Matt
going to make this short...still on vacation :) I have been thinking about this shot as I was browsing the digital wedding forum the other day, looking at some images from many awesome photographers posting images with strobes behind their subjects or coming in from an angle, adding a halo of light to the frame... I believe this technique is one you can put in your bag of tricks to carry around with you...its one that allows you many many very different possibilities. Include the flash in the frame,…
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i'm on vacation
by: Matt
WHEW...Sol & I are officially going to go on vacation tomorrow. Flight leaves at 7am, will be out of the house at 5. No, I haven't packed anything yet... I'm going to try to enjoy the Black Hills of South Dakota, Jackson Hole WY, Grand Tetons & Yellowstone. We are there for 2 weeks. Problem is, Sol & I are totally up to our ears in editing... We shot 4 weddings, 2 e-sessions, 1 ttd session, 1 rehearsal dinner in the last 8 days...oh, we traveled 5000+ miles to do it. Virgin Islands, Captiva Island…
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happy accidents
by: Matt
This one is short and sweet because I'm headed on vacation and I don't have too much time here so I just figured I'd get to the point.. Happy Accidents, thats all... Yep, they happen to everybody just about every day. Sometimes you don't even realize they are happy until AFTER the wedding... At that point, you can put them into your reserves and turn a happy accident into a sweet moment! In this photo example, Sol was shooting a portrait moment with her bride who was patiently waiting for her call…
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Night Club Reception Lighting
by: Matt
This post is all about dealing with tough circumstances at a wedding reception. Basically, night club lights! I did have a killer guest photographer assisting me on this one... If you didnt get a chance to see this piece of fine art, check out my amigo, Mark Adams from
LaCour who contributed to this past FF post:
beach…
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sneakin one in
by: Matt
On a wedding assignment when the client asks for nearly 100% documentary coverage, it becomes the PJ's duty to discover moments of candid brilliance that can fill the album with beauty. This post is all about a simple technique I use at weddings occasionally to grab an awesome portrait of the bride & groom without them ever knowing it happened. This particular image comes from a reception where things were happening fast. The ceremony started at 5pm, on a December evening. It was total darkness…
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high fashion with CTO
by: Matt
While I am here in the Riviera Maya this week sweating big time I want to reflect on the cold weather days...geeze, today its 95 and feels like nearly 100% humidity! ouch! Often, we are left kept inside with our photographic duties due to outrageous weather conditions. It could be too hot and or too cold to snag a few photographic portraits outside. The off camera flash is your best friend if you need to be inside. I recommend that you program your mind to start thinking about accenting the image…
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you have the sun in your pocket…
by: Matt
As I study my lighting techniques, I try to understand why it is I do what I do. Sometimes, I have no idea why I do something....it just works so we shoot and move on to the next scene. As I develop this blog, I am beginning to think more about my techniques, putting a label on the 'whys" and "hows" of our approach... For this photographic example, I would like to direct you read
Strobist | Lighting…
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make the images of them
by: Ross
Up to this point, we have featured techniques and ideas on how to add a flavor to the ordinary wedding photograph. Today, we are going to leave the wedding scene and photograph a bride and groom. This week’s post comes from a fantastic duo from Calgary Canada. My friends Dave & Quin Cheung have been delivering amazing imagery setting the bar for photographers around the world. Take…
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beach chapel highlight
by: Matt
Before I get into another post, I wanted to invite everyone into the classroom for a lighting shakedown. Do you want to learn strobe lighting? Visit
Strobist | Lighting 101 which I thought was GOLD until
Strobist | Lighting 102 came out... 102 is just an overview at this point BUT still super valuable... David Hobby…
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the light from above
by: Matt
On the way out of the church on a cold winter day, I needed to take advantage of any indoor photo chance I could! One thing you must do is utilize your resources. I looked up and noticed a 20 foot high balcony! This was a perfect location for a light source....(especially with the wide isles and also noticing that the church employees had just turned OFF all the inside lights).... I had my assistant take our speedlight up to the balcony and set up the lighting for this quick and easy shot. In order…
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photographing a beach ceremony…
by: Matt
Today's post comes from an amazing team of photographers located in Atlanta Ga, LaCour Photography. I asked my friends to submit an image or two along with a dramatic story to go along with the theme of this blog, creative off camera lighting. Mark Adams has one killer image along with a unique story and tops it off by shooting in one of the most challenging of all shooting conditions: Beach Ceremony at night with NO available light.
Mark Adams…
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magic hour & photographing setting…
by: Matt
Photographers have long known about the magical time after sunset sometimes known as the "magical hour" or the "golden hour". In this time, it is said that the colors and the quality of light will be tip top. I am often in the Riviera Maya shooting and that particular coast looks east mostly so we end up waiting for the sky to change colors. I am a big fan of the 30 minutes after sunset and the next 30 minutes after that. This technique will improve your portfolio because it will enable the client…
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magic hour & photographing setting…
by: Matt
Photographers have long known about the magical time after sunset sometimes known as the "magical hour" or the "golden hour". In this time, it is said that the colors and the quality of light will be tip top. I am often in the Riviera Maya shooting and that particular coast looks east mostly so we end up waiting for the sky to change colors. I am a big fan of the 30 minutes after sunset and the next 30 minutes after that. This technique will improve your portfolio because it will enable the client…
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KIDS ROCK!
by: Matt
KIDS at weddings rock! If you use your imagination, you can make fairytale imagery! When shooting a reception, I'm pretty sure we have all noticed small children playing on the dance floor with no inhibitions..Spinning, jumping, rolling, twisting, sliding and always SMILING. :) PERFECT photo chance... I don't really like to stand anywhere for more than a few seconds while shooting as the shot angle & composition possibilities will start to grow redundant...so, we move around and change it up. With…
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KIDS ROCK!
by: Matt
KIDS at weddings rock! If you use your imagination, you can make fairytale imagery! When shooting a reception, I'm pretty sure we have all noticed small children playing on the dance floor with no inhibitions..Spinning, jumping, rolling, twisting, sliding and always SMILING. :) PERFECT photo chance... I don't really like to stand anywhere for more than a few seconds while shooting as the shot angle & composition possibilities will start to grow redundant...so, we move around and change it up. With…
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Dramatic shadows and theatrical…
by: Matt
I was lucky enough to have graduated with a BFA in theatrical production before my breakthrough into photojournalism. My instructors in college challenged me to think dynamically when evaluating an ordinary scene. One of the methods of emphasising a powerful movement or action on stage was to utilize a lighting effect to add strength to the moment by incorporating a back light, down light or a color sequence that emphasized the mood or energy of the upcoming scene. I think we have all chased our…
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Epic Photography
by: Matt
I was having a conversation with an associate the other day and we were discussing music and entertainment and the use of the word EPIC as a description for the impact of the music we were listening to. I then asked, can a photograph be "EPIC"? If you are an Ansel Adams enthusiast, your answer would be YES. First, I'd like to provide a definition of epic: adj. Surpassing the usual or ordinary, particularly in scope or size. When photographing a setting, it is the photographer / photojournalist's…
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who am I
by: Matt
I've been getting a few emails about who I am and what we do and where are we based out of.... I have been an Atlanta GA based wedding photographer for the last 5 years. Half of my weddings are destination weddings throughout the Southeast US... GA, NC, SC, FL Coast and the Caribbean and the Riviera Maya. My Homepage,
www.mattadcock.com |
www.mattadcock.com/blog One day a few years ago, I was introduced to one…
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who am I
by: Matt
I've been getting a few emails about who I am and what we do and where are we based out of.... I have been an Atlanta GA based wedding photographer for the last 5 years. Half of my weddings are destination weddings throughout the Southeast US... GA, NC, SC, FL Coast and the Caribbean and the Riviera Maya. My Homepage,
www.mattadcock.com |
www.mattadcock.com/blog One day a few years ago, I was introduced to one…
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Riviera Maya Trash The Dress,…
by: Matt
My awesome photographer fiance,
www.soltamargo.com & I shot a wedding on April 9th and ended up going back out the next day with the couple to do a trash the dress session in the middle of the Jungle in the Mayan Riviera. We decided to film a documentary movie (
www.delsolphotography.com/ttd/ttd1) with our P&S camera while swimming in a Cenote with our 5d's. We live in Playa del Carmen and have a great…
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Riviera Maya Trash The Dress,…
by: Matt
My awesome photographer fiance,
www.soltamargo.com & I shot a wedding on April 9th and ended up going back out the next day with the couple to do a trash the dress session in the middle of the Jungle in the Mayan Riviera. We decided to film a documentary movie (
www.delsolphotography.com/ttd/ttd1) with our P&S camera while swimming in a Cenote with our 5d's. We live in Playa del Carmen and have a great…
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out of the ordinary locations…
by: Matt
Locating your speedlight in the haste of shooting a wedding can be tough, but with a little intuition and the ability to act quick on your toes, you will surprise yourself with an idea that adds a little flavor to an ordinary scene. I have an example where I was without my personal assistant and was asked at the very last minute to ride along with the bride and groom in their get-away car, which I decided wouldn't be a great idea when I walked out the front of the church and saw no car waiting.…
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NO flash photography during ceremony…
by: Matt
We wanted to get this blog started with a post about BREAKING THE RULES as the off camera flash typically presents many challenges at weddings where you have very little time to think and react, moreover, change the settings quickly on your off camera strobe. (I'm not suggesting that all the photographers in the world go out there and flood church ceremonies with strobe lights... just a small "flavor" now and then) I have a fun example where we have all seen the rule:
Wedding Ceremony | NO FLASH…
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