I photographed this Interior and exterior using 5 exposures, all bracketed on a tripod, exposures were +1, +2, N, -1, - 2 for each view. I blended the images together from layers in PS3. For anyone with a quick turnaround this is the way to go. Supplemental lighting was minimal so I was able to complete this all by myself. The Interior images were a mixture of tungsten and daylight WB settings. Click on any image to see the complete assignment....

©2012 David Zanzinger, all rights reserved. Federal copyright law prohibits unauthorized reproduction by any means and imposes fines for violation. Call 310-980-5156 for assignments, licensing and more information. Thank you very much. david@zanzinger.com

Spring Washington D.C. Cherry Blossoms

In 1912, an incredible gift of 3,000 cherry blossom trees was bestowed on Washington, DC by Tokyo, Japan.
Washington, DC’s famed cherry trees grow in three park locations: around the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park, in East Potomac Park (Hains Point), and on the grounds of the Washington Monument.

 

George Mason Memorial, located near the National Mall in Washington, DC, District of Columbia, USA, 

 

Washington Monument, Spring, Cherry Blossom trees,  District of Columbia, Tidal Basin

             Jefferson Memorial, Spring, Cherry Blossom trees,  District of Columbia, Tidal Basin

      Spring, Cherry Blossom trees,  District of Columbia, Tidal Basin

 U. S. Supreme Court Building in Washington, DC, District of Columbia, USA,  Capital of the United States

©2012 David Zanzinger, all rights reserved. Federal copyright law prohibits unauthorized reproduction by any means and imposes fines for violation. Call 310-980-5156 for assignments, licensing and more information. Thank you very much. david@zanzinger.com

Benedictine Monk retreat at Montserrat Spain, near Barcelona

Benedictine Monk retreat at Montserrat Spain, near Barcelona, a photo by d.zanzinger on Flickr.

Learn How to Light.

Lighting 101
Intimidated by the idea of off-camera lighting?

Don't be.

We are pretty much starting from scratch, so no worries. The first posts will be about what kind of gear you will need to do the minimalist strobe thing.

When we are done having our way with your wallet (remembering that light gives you far more bang-for-the-buck than does fast glass or the latest digital camera or 300/2.8) we'll move into basic technique. And after that, we'll keep it going with periodical essays and ideas on how to improve (or refresh) your lighting ability.

When you've worked your way through the basics of designing your light kit and learning how to use it, make a point to browse some of the examples in the "On Assignment" section. Those will be updated constantly, too. So keep checking back.

You will likely have some questions along the way. Sadly, it is not possible for me to take the time to personally answer all of the one-to-one lighting questions that pop up. So try to resist asking them in the comments section. The only people reading this behind you are the people who are, well, behind you.

You will find the one-to-one knowledge bank you seek in the Strobist Group on Flickr. There, you can ask away and get the diversity of response that you need. These are the lighting grad students, so to speak. They know this stuff, and are very enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge.

But please do your part and be considerate enough to search the Flickr group threads for relevant keywords in your question first. You are probably not the first person to ask. Or the tenth. Just sayin'.

Most of all, remember to have fun and learn to make some cool light.

For a very nice head start into Lighting 101, take a couple of minutes to watch this informative little slide show.

It is by Paul Duncan, whose site you can see here. 

Learn How to Light.


Lighting 101 Series
(If you start with the first one, they are linked in order to each successive lesson.)

Two Things Your Flash Needs to Have
Traveling Light
Light Stands
Super Clamps
Ball Bungees
Umbrella Stand Adapters
Synching: PC Cords and Pocket Wizards
Building a Pro PC Cord, Pt. 1
Building a Pro PC Cord, Pt. 2
Soft Light: Umbrellas
Soft Light - Wall/Ceiling Bouncing
Bare-Tube Style Lighting
Hard Light - It's Better Than You Think
Balancing Flash Intensity With Ambient, Pt 1
Balancing Flash Intensity With Ambient, Pt 2
Using Gels to Balance Light Color
Cereal Box Snoots and GoBo's
Textural Lighting for Detail Shots
Cross Lighting
Back Light as Main Light
Headshot in a Corner
Lighting for Glasses
Long-Throw Hard Light
Reverse Engineering Other Shooters' Light
Know The Flash
See The Flash
Be The Flash
Don't Let Good Light Ruin a Photo
Keep a Lighting File

Networks you need to build a presence

The Small Business Social Media Cheat Sheet

 By Ethan Bloch on Jan 23, 2012  

One in three small businesses are using social media and, as this number grows, a social media presence has become something that customers have come to expect.  But for businesses that have yet to dive in to the social media arena, it can be a little bit overwhelming. How do you know which networks you need to build a presence on and how do they work? A handy-dandy cheat sheet (a.k.a. infographic) showing the ins and outs of the social media ecosystem has become all the rage.