Month: September 2013

Gross income broken down for the independent photographer

by Stanley Learybusiness / Taxes
Reading Time: 2 minutes
If you are considering becoming a professional independent photographer, look at some of these numbers. Of course, you may want to keep your day job and do this as a hobby instead.

One thing most self-employed people know about their business, if they are successful, is that only a tiny part of what you charge a client is what you will take home to pay the bills.

These are my numbers, which will vary widely from business to business. Your age makes a big difference in medicine, for example.

According to my numbers this morning, I could break down every $100 into four major categories:

  1. $19 Medical Expenses
  2. $36 Business Expenses
  3. $14 Federal and State Taxes [Self-Employed pays double vs. staff person; no, you don’t get to take home more because you don’t spend more as a staff person. The company pays that other 1/2.]
  4. $31 Net Income
Once you start figuring out where all your money is going, you get a lot better at ensuring your prices are high enough to survive. Surviving is paying all your bills and doing it on time. If I weren’t debt free, another piece of the pie would be for interest. 9% credit card interest may turn into a 3% loss of income to pay off debt.
So after working on those numbers, I went to lunch and, while eating, broke my tooth. After a trip to the dentist, I now changed some of the numbers by 1%. Medical went up by 1%, and net income went down by 1%.
You cannot plan for all emergencies. You cannot count on a certain income coming in, either.
Most business owners run a tight ship most of the year and then, in the last quarter, talk to their accountants and then might do some upgrades to equipment or other purchases to help lower their taxes and make capital improvements.
Many business owners will give more to their church in the last quarter or a charity. The reason for the delay is the importance of reserves.
If you are young, in your twenties, and unmarried, your medical expenses could be drastically lower than mine. I am covering my family, and I am in my fifties. Just being that old will give you higher rates for medical insurance.

High Key Dodge Viper Photos

by Stanley Learylighting
Reading Time: 3 minutes

I decided to go back to the Dodge Viper and shoot it purely high-key. So here are some from this morning’s shoot.

Dodge Viper [COOLPIX P7000, , Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/1250, ƒ/8, (35mm = 28)]
Dodge Viper [COOLPIX P7000, , Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/1250, ƒ/6.3, (35mm = 30)]
Dodge Viper [COOLPIX P7000, , Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/1250, ƒ/7.1, (35mm = 41)]
Dodge Viper [COOLPIX P7000, , Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/1250, ƒ/6.3, (35mm = 30)]
Dodge Viper [COOLPIX P7000, , Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/1250, ƒ/8, (35mm = 28)]
Dodge Viper [COOLPIX P7000, , Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/1250, ƒ/8, (35mm = 68)]
Dodge Viper [COOLPIX P7000, , Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/1250, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 28)]

For these last few, I turned the 30″ x 60″ softbox long side front to back rather than side to side, which helped eliminate a black line that you may see in the photos above.

Dodge Viper [COOLPIX P7000, , Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/1250, ƒ/8, (35mm = 55)]

You can see the black line I got rid of by putting the softbox, in essence, further behind by turning it vertical versus horizontal.

Here is the result here

Dodge Viper [COOLPIX P7000, , Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/1250, ƒ/8, (35mm = 55)]

By the way, the size of the car here is something for scale.

Dodge Viper [COOLPIX P7000, , Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/1250, ƒ/7.1, (35mm = 41)]

My photographs of a Black Dodge Viper

by Stanley Learylighting
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Nikon P7000, ISO 100, ƒ/8, 1/640

I just wanted to have fun, so I photographed a Dodge Viper.

So I rolled the Dodge Viper into my studio. Here are some shots.

Dodge Viper [COOLPIX P7000, , Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/1000, ƒ/8, (35mm = 153)]
Dodge Viper [COOLPIX P7000, , Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/1000, ƒ/6.3, (35mm = 76)]
Dodge Viper [COOLPIX P7000, , Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/640, ƒ/8, (35mm = 153)]
Dodge Viper [COOLPIX P7000, , Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/1000, ƒ/6.3, (35mm = 76)]

After doing different shots with the blue gel, I switched to red and reshot the photos.

Dodge Viper [COOLPIX P7000, , Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/1000, ƒ/7.1, (35mm = 119)]
Dodge Viper [COOLPIX P7000, , Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/1000, ƒ/6.3, (35mm = 105)]

Now how did I take all these photos? Well, first, I was walking through Sam’s Club and saw the Dodge Viper and decided to buy it on the spot. So yeah, I spent a whole $12.95 for a model.

The Setup

Dodge Viper [COOLPIX P7000, , Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/640, ƒ/8, (35mm = 50)]
Dodge Viper [COOLPIX P7000, , Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/640, ƒ/8, (35mm = 50)]

I moved the softbox further from the background and more in front of the car for the first photo and did a similar with the first red photo.

I suggest playing with something like a car and photographing it in a different light. I also highly recommend buying a black car versus a lighter color car if you want to learn how to light. 

Wedding Lighting Kits

by Stanley Learylighting / wedding
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Kit One

These are the AC-powered strobes that I use for many different shots.

Here is a list of what is in the kit:

  • 3 Alienbees B1600—If I think the facility for the reception needs more than this, I can bring even more of these monobloc lights
  • 3 PocketWizard Plus Receivers
  • 2 PocketWizard Plus Transmitters
  • 1 PocketWizard Plus II Transceiver—Can be receiver or transmitter
  • Sekonic Light Meter
  • Vagabond Mini Lithium—Use this to power Alienbees B1600 when power isn’t nearby
  • 3 Extension Cords
  • 1 Power Strip
  • 3 Convertible 45″ umbrellas—Can take off black and convert it to a white shoot through
  • 3 Smith-Victor RS75 7’6″ Compact Aluminum Light Stands
  • 1 Paul Buff set of four honeycomb grids for a 7-inch reflector
  • Roll of Gaffer Tap
  • Several gel filters for color correction or adding color if needed

All this fits into the Tamrac 660 Rolling Studio – Black and weighs about 65 lbs. I check this bag when flying.

In this photo, you can see the room lit up with the 3 Alienbees B1600.

Rebecca Kramer and Cameron Manzi Wedding

Here is another photo showing how the lighting works in the room. Again, most of the action happened in the center, not on the fringes where I placed the lights.

Kit Two

This photo shows my hotshoe lighting kit. It includes

  • 1 Nikon SB900
  • 1 Nikon SB800
  • Pocket Wizard Flex Transceivers TT5 Kit
    • 2 TT5
    • 1 TT1—Use this with the PocketWizard Plus so I can sync at 1/500
    • 1 AC3
  • 2 ThinkTank Strobe Stuff bags to carry the flashes
  • SD-9A 6 AA External Flash Battery Pack for Nikon SB-900 SB900
  • 2 Metal Umbrella Brackets with Adjustable Flash Shoe
  • 2 Manfrotto 5001B Nano Black Light Stand – 6.2′ (1.9m)
  • 2 30″ PhotoFlex White Translucent Umbrellas

All this except the light stands and umbrellas go with my cameras in the ThinkTank Airport Security™ V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag. I usually pack the stands along with my Tripod.

Gitzo GT0531 Mountaineer 6X Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs – Supports 11 lbs (5kg) & Manfrotto ball head.

Simple One Light Outside Group Photo

by Stanley Learylighting
Reading Time: < 1 minute

Nikon D4, 28-300mm ƒ/3.5-5.6, ISO 100, ƒ/8, 1/125, Off camera Alienbees B1600

The Setup

Simple lighting setups work great outside when you already have the sun as one of the lights.

Before getting the photo above, you must plan and do some test shots.

I recommend putting the strobe opposite the sun and using the sun as a hair light to help create separation from the background.

Nikon D4, 28-300mm ƒ/3.5-5.6, ISO 100, ƒ/8, 1/125, Off camera Alienbees B1600

When I do test shots, I take intimate photos of the face to see how the light looks on the front. So here, my daughter, who was also my assistant, stood in the place I would have the bride and bridesmaids stand.

Top View

I metered the scene and then added the strobe at one stop less than the scene.

Just be sure no one comes between the strobe and the people, and always have someone standing next to the strobe so that a strong gust of wind doesn’t blow it over. Also, this person can be sure the flash is firing.