“. . . Stand in front of more interesting stuff”

The photo above is of Don Senas, Fire Dancer [NIKON Z 6, VR Zoom 24-105mm f/4G IF-ED, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/320, ƒ/4, (35mm = 75)]

This week I have been teaching how to use studio strobes to help improve one’s photography.

Last night was the only time I have had the class join me for an actual photo shoot that they can watch, take some photos to help remember the occasion, but primarily have the opportunity to watch pros and what they do on a photo shoot using studio strobes to improve the lighting.

Fire Dancer Six hula keiki (children) in Hawaiian [NIKON Z 6, VR Zoom 24-105mm f/4G IF-ED, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/250, ƒ/4, (35mm = 24)]

My wife Dorie Griggs took a video on her phone of me taking the photos and the students watching. Here is that video:

You can see the strobes off to the side at about 45º from the camera angle.

All those were shot at these settings: [NIKON Z 6, VR Zoom 24-105mm f/4G IF-ED, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/160, ƒ/4, (35mm = 24)]

Brooke Valle Anderson [NIKON Z 6, VR Zoom 24-105mm f/4G IF-ED, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/60, ƒ/4, (35mm = 24)]

These photos are of Brooke Valle Anderson, a Hawaiian Dancer. She is with Island Breeze. They do luau shows on the Big Island.

Hula keiki (children) in Hawaiian dress [NIKON Z 6, VR Zoom 24-105mm f/4G IF-ED, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 12800, 1/60, ƒ/8, (35mm = 28)]

Brooke also works with a Hula Keiki (children’s) after-school program where the children learn different dances.

Dorie Griggs photo of me teaching [NIKON Z 6, VR Zoom 24-105mm f/4G IF-ED, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/2500, ƒ/4, (35mm = 24)]
Hula keiki (children) in Hawaiian [NIKON Z 6, VR Zoom 24-105mm f/4G IF-ED, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 1600, 1/60, ƒ/4, (35mm = 24)]

Earlier in the day, I taught the class how to use an off-camera strobe to complement the existing light. Here are some of the shots I did to show them how to do this before they each went and spent the afternoon shooting an assignment to do an environmental portrait and use the flash to improve the photo.

[NIKON Z 6, VR Zoom 24-105mm f/4G IF-ED, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/2500, ƒ/6.3, (35mm = 68)]

They were to hand in a before and after photo like I am showing here.

[NIKON Z 6, VR Zoom 24-105mm f/4G IF-ED, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 125, 1/500, ƒ/6.3, (35mm = 75)]

I also gave them a PDF for the assignment. Here is a link to that project if you want to try this.

Here are a couple examples I showed them that are “Environmental Portraits”

Here are some that would also work for this assignment from my photo shoot in a Chick-fil-A. All of these also use a strobe to improve the light.

Catering delivery vehicle

This was the last assignment of my time here on the Big Island of Hawaii, teaching the students in the School of Photography 1 at the University of the Nations. The last assignment they did is the one that I do more than any other lighting setup.

I am adding just one light off the camera to help light a person’s face to help draw the audience to them quickly in a photo.

“If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of more interesting stuff.”

Jim Richardson

Using Strobes to Enhance Your Lighting

Settings for photo above: [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/6, ƒ/9, (35mm = 24)]

I shoot a lot in restaurants. The hardest part of these photo shoots is that there are four walls, and three are all glass. Just the front counter isn’t backlit during the daytime hours.

Dining Room [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 1000, 1/160, ƒ/4, (35mm = 24)]

I love to hang strobes from the drop ceilings using a bracket.

Not the light I use but same bracket

I just used the Flashpoint XPLOR 600 HSS TTL Battery-Powered Monolight as a bare bulb and pointed the light straight up.

That lets me keep the outside windows from being blown out in the background and gives me great light on people’s faces most of the time.

Dining Room [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 1000, 1/125, ƒ/4, (35mm = 24)]

The light from the window is lighting the employee, and the strobe in the ceiling is lighting the customer in this photo.

The other great thing about using this setup is that the strobes are battery-powered, so there are no cords. I am adjusting the power with the Godox X1T-N TTL Wireless Flash Trigger Transmitter.

Godox X1T-N TTL Wireless Flash Trigger Transmitter

I could change the lights’ power even though they were mounted on the ceiling away from the camera. I first check to see what the existing light settings would be and then set the camera to use that ISO and settings so that the flash is just cleaning up the light and where there are shadows [like the man’s face would have been] are no longer silhouettes.

[NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/6, ƒ/9, (35mm = 24)]

Now to get the photo like the one here and the very top photo, I just slowed the shutter speed to 1/6 and cranked the aperture up to ƒ/9 and ISO 100. As I mentioned, the flash is on the ceiling, and since it is TTL, it just popped in to get a clean light on the face, and then my panning blurred the rest of the photo.

Dining Room [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 1000, 1/125, ƒ/4, (35mm = 75)]

Just getting the flash off the camera is my best tip. Try mounting the moment to the ceiling rather than on a light stand.

Try some experimenting. You don’t always shoot the lowest ISO and at the flash sync speed when shooting with the Flashpoint XPLOR 600 HSS TTL Battery-Powered Monolight.

Dining Room [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 1000, 1/320, ƒ/4, (35mm = 52)]

New brick background for that location feel

If you don’t have a good headshot, you need one in today’s business world. For actors they need them for all the shows they are in. For the average person you need one as part of your resume, which many use LinkedIn as the way to deliver a resume.

I have steered away from picture backgrounds because they can look fake. However, recently more and more people want photos outside on location.

Katie King [NIKON Z 6, 85.0 mm f/1.8, Mode = Manual, ISO 50, 1/125, ƒ/4.5, (35mm = 85)]

So while the traditional solid background works for inside portraits, outside portraits on weather-challenging days are challenging to do with your model.

Bought this on Amazon. Click on image for more information.
[SM-G970U, Mode = Normal, ISO 640, 1/39, ƒ/1.5, (35mm = 26)]

So this is the setup I used to do actor headshots at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia.

Photo by Dorie Griggs [SM-G970U, Mode = Normal, ISO 640, 1/29, ƒ/2.2, (35mm = 13)]

Before I shot the models with it on location, I did some testing in my house.

Photo by Dorie Griggs [SM-G970U, , Mode = Normal, ISO 320, 1/39, ƒ/2.4, (35mm = 26)]

I tried a few lighting setups. I went with the Pall Buff 86” Soft Silver PLM™ Umbrella. It produces a steady, feathered falloff with very soft shadows.

Photo by Dorie Griggs [SM-G970U, , Mode = Normal, ISO 1250, 1/9, ƒ/2.2, (35mm = 13)]

I had two setups. One with an extensive white muslin background that I could make grey or white depending on the light I put on the background.

Katie King [NIKON Z 6, 85.0 mm f/1.8, Mode = Manual, ISO 50, 1/125, ƒ/4.5, (35mm = 85)]

My wife took a video when I was shooting my daughter in the brick background.

Here are some of those photos:

I did less coaching with Chelle since she had done this many times before and needed no real direction. For others doing this for the first time, I did more instruction.

I shot with my Nikon Z6 with the focus setting on AF-S and Auto Area with the AF face/eye detection turned on. Using the Nikon ViewNX-i software will let you see where you were focused when the photo was taken, as you can see here. This is great for troubleshooting your focus.

I find that actors/models love the freedom to try new expressions and experiment.

This was the setup I finally used after experimenting.

Nikon Z6 pushed to the limit without using flash.

Organist in the Roswell Presbyterian Historic Sanctuary for the 8:15 am Worship service. [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 2200, 1/200, ƒ/4, (35mm = 28)]

Today I photographed three different worship services at my church using my Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera. I arrived early and knew I had to shoot without a flash, but I wanted to see if I could shoot with the silent shutter.

So I switched the camera to silent mode. Here are the instructions from the camera manual.

After setting the camera to silent mode, I took a picture of the plain wall and got banding, as you can see. So I couldn’t shoot in silent mode. But, the Nikon Z6 is still much quieter than the DSLR.

Test Shot [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 8000, 1/200, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 250)]
Dad helps his daughter to follow the song in the hymnal during worship at Roswell Presbyterian Church’s 8:15 am service held in the Historical Sanctuary in Roswell, Georgia, on Sunday, January 26, 2020. [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 20000, 1/200, ƒ/5.3, (35mm = 92)]

I was shooting wide-open apertures most of the time. I had the Auto ISO set to @ 1/200 for shutter speed.

Rev. Jeff Meyers, the Senior Pastor for Roswell Presbyterian, has Rev. Lyndsay Lee Slocum, Executive Pastor laughing during the 8:15 am worship service held in the Historical Sanctuary in Roswell, Georgia, on Sunday, January 26, 2020. [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 11400, 1/200, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 210)]

In the historic sanctuary, it was pretty dark. For the most part, I was shooting ISO 2200 on the balcony with the organist. A fluorescent light directly over her kept the ISO lowest in the room. In the pews, ISO 22800 is in the middle of the room. I was able to shoot as low as ISO 8000 by the windows.

8:15 am Worship [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 22800, 1/200, ƒ/5.3, (35mm = 98)]
8:15 am Worship [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 8000, 1/200, ƒ/4, (35mm = 28)]
8:15 am Worship [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 20000, 1/200, ƒ/5.3, (35mm = 100)]

After the first service, I captured the minister talking to the people outside.

Bill Elder, a member, enjoys a light moment with Rev. Jeff Meyers, Senior Pastor for Roswell Presbyterian, after the 8:15 am worship service held in the Historical Sanctuary in Roswell, Georgia, on Sunday, January 26, 2020. [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 220, 1/200, ƒ/4, (35mm = 28)]
A member enjoys a light moment with Rev. Jeff Meyers, Senior Pastor for Roswell Presbyterian, after the 8:15 am worship service held in the Historical Sanctuary in Roswell, Georgia, on Sunday, January 26, 2020. [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 180, 1/200, ƒ/4, (35mm = 28)]

So for the first service, I shot everything with the Nikon 28-300mm ƒ/3.5–5.6. It worked just fine.

11:00 am Contemporary Worship [NIKON Z 6, 85.0 mm f/1.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 51200, 1/125, ƒ/1.8, (35mm = 85)]

With Auto ISO set, go to ISO 51200. I found the shutter speed was dropping to 1/15 at ISO 51200. I ran to my car and got my 85mm ƒ/1.8 and 35mm ƒ/1.4. Even with those fast lenses, the light in the Contemporary Worship service was dismal. I was in a gym using mood lighting. It was dark.

I was still at ISO 51200, but at ƒ/1.8, I could have a shutter speed of 1/125 when photographing the people in the congregation.

11:00 am Contemporary Worship [NIKON Z 6, 85.0 mm f/1.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 51200, 1/30, ƒ/1.8, (35mm = 85)]

I was dropping some room parts to 1/30, ƒ/1.8 @ ISO 51200.

11:00 am Contemporary Worship [NIKON Z 6, 35.0 mm f/1.4, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 51200, 1/30, ƒ/1.4, (35mm = 35)]

With the 35mm ƒ/1.4, I was wide open at ISO 51200 and shooting 1/30.

There was no way to photograph people in a dark room like this with a zoom lens. So I needed the fastest prime lenses I owned.

Being with your best friend during worship is a lot of fun for these two at Roswell Presbyterian Church’s 11:15 am service held in the Historical Sanctuary in Roswell, Georgia, on Sunday, January 26, 2020. [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 4000, 1/200, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 300)]

The last service was in the brightest room. I could pull out that 28-300mm, zoom in, and capture these two friends enjoying worship together. I love my Nikon Z6 because it lets me focus on moments and people. I had to think and be sure I had the right lens on the camera, but the technology let me capture the moments that will help my church show they are a place where people can be themselves and feel welcomed and bring anyone they know to worship with them.

Savanna Sturkie Tips for Going Freelance

Savanna Sturkie, a 2017 graduate, is being interviewed by Mark Johnson on Photo Night @ The Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communications, University of Georgia. [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 25600, 1/200, ƒ/4, (35mm = 32)]

The point of Photo Night is to help learn from photographers. Sturkie graduated from UGA in 2017 and worked as an intern for Food & Wine Magazine in Birmingham, Alabama. She wanted to be a food photographer.

Sturkie was asked how she changed from a full-time job to a freelance. She first explained she was on track for editing and not shooting in her position with Food & Wine Magazine.

She said she doesn’t recommend doing what she did for the transition. Most people, she said, work part-time while building their freelance. She was just so unhappy with her trajectory and needed a change.

She quit and moved to Atlanta, Georgia, from Birmingham, Alabama.

“I emailed relentlessly photographers that I wanted to work with or learn from,” said Sturkie.

Three things she recommends

  • Get Coffee with photographers
  • Photo Assisting
  • 2nd Shooter

Getting coffee with photographers was a way to learn. She said that she never got a chance to work with one particular photographer she had coffee with, but what she learned during that coffee time was some of the most valuable information.

Coffee Time

  • Listen – This is the most important thing to do when you have coffee.
  • What can I learn from this photographer? It would help if you were focused on realizing you are starting and they are further ahead of you.
  • Develop the relationship – The industry is small, and you need a network of people to make it. They may hire you, refer you or be a resource.

Photo Assisting

While you have some skills, you can learn so much by just watching another seasoned photographer. You also get to make some money when assisting. This is doing whatever they need when they are on the job. You may be getting lenses for them. Helping carry gear and setting up is also part of the job. The key is to be willing to do just about anything to lessen the load on the photographer.

2nd Shooter

80% of Sturkie’s work is weddings. When she first helped in assisting, she hated it. She helped a photographer with a style that didn’t feel good, and the lady wasn’t pleasant at all to work with.

She did find other photographers doing a photojournalistic wedding style. By being a second shooter she was getting to shoot, but also learn about the business of weddings.

Today

Sturkie is now doing food photography, weddings, and other photo projects as they come up.

Personal Projects

Sturkie also said that you must create your project to keep that creative fire going. The photo above is one of her projects. She wanted to do a 1960s fashion shoot. She paid to get all the clothes and had a studio space for the photo shoot.

Sturkie said, “You need to self-assign.”

“Glory Years Are Now”

While Mark Johnson was interviewing Dave Labelle during Photo Night @ The Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communications, University of Georgia, he joked that this might sound like, “Get off my lawn.”

He was addressing that veteran photojournalist and talking mainly to a room full of college students.

“What would you say is the purpose of photojournalism today?” asked Mark Johnson of Labelle.

Labelle said, “Humans are still the same.” He explained that while the technology to tell stories has evolved, storytelling has always been here. “Visual storytelling has also always been here, ” Labelle said. Storytellers had always used words to paint pictures, even before there were visuals.

Labelle said that with technology as advanced as it has become today, “The Glory Years are now.”

Mark Johnson, Dave Labelle & Andrea Grace Briscoe Photo Night @ The Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communications, University of Georgia [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 4500, 1/200, ƒ/4, (35mm = 75)]

Photo Night was a concept started by Billy Weeks.

Billy Weeks interviewed his good friend Mark E. Johnson at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Photo Night on March 7, 2018.
Billy interviews a photographer

The format is where a photographer is interviewed and brings just three images they want to discuss. Many photographers often ramble, and this format works great. Billy and now Mark can help steer the conversation to the nuggets of wisdom the audience will benefit from the most.

Steffenie Burns, a 2017 graduate, is being interviewed by Mark Johnson on Photo Night @ The Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communications, University of Georgia [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 28800, 1/200, ƒ/4, (35mm = 24)]
Savanna Sturkie, a 2017 graduate, is being interviewed by Mark Johnson on Photo Night @ The Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communications, University of Georgia [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 25600, 1/200, ƒ/4, (35mm = 32)]
Ryan Cameron is being interviewed by Dr. Kyser Lough, Assistant Professor, Journalism, about his Sugar Bowl coverage experience during Photo Night @ The Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communications, University of Georgia. [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 22800, 1/200, ƒ/4, (35mm = 28)]

Here are some of the tidbits that I considered gems from Dave Labelle worth sharing with you.

Labelle said to the students, “You are acquiring skills now from your classes for a job in the future you don’t even know about.”

“Calm seas never made a sea captain.” He said that if you have a lot of privilege, you don’t learn as much as when you struggle in life experiences.

I asked Labelle if there was a reason they could see the story before they talked to people? He said that he grew up with a father who got angry and would go into rages. He said his wife thinks that his background made him good at reading people and situations from a pure survival mode.

Mark Johnson asked Labelle, “How do you help today’s generation look up and out from their phones?”

“I’m a hugger,” was Labelle’s response. He said he needed to engage with people. The power of human touch is what moves his soul. He said he is never bored because he loves meeting people.

Dave Labelle talks with one of the students during Photo Night @ The Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communications, University of Georgia [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 9000, 1/200, ƒ/4, (35mm = 105)]

Sharing these stories of people he finds with others is his way of giving hope to people. Hearing and seeing people overcome struggles is his way of showing the world a sense of hope to provide them with purpose.

Be the Hero

I see many photographers who play the victim or the villain in their own lives.

They have a client that picks another photographer for a job, which sends them into a tailspin. “Woe is me” is what you hear them saying in one way or another.

Anyone can see there is a reason to be upset, but you cannot be successful living with this mindset. The problem is you are not addressing the anger you feel.

People who feel victimized tend to view events in their lives as happening to them and feel ineffective and overwhelmed. They also operate on the basic assumption that the world should be fair, a child’s way of thinking. You can learn to deal with this in a much more productive way.

You must understand that anger is a simple, irrational emotional response to frustration.

When we examine the loss of a job to another photographer, we often think that the client “should” use us. We believe there is some sense of obligation of them to us.

Oxeye Daisy [NIKON D2X, 24.0-120.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/320, ƒ/6.3, (35mm = 180)]

I started this blog with a picture of the forest, but what we see in the image above. Something within the forest. Often it is just a tree or even a flower.

I think it is essential for you to give up a sense of entitlement and to recognize that you do not inherently deserve to receive anything in the way of good treatment from others.

Too many photographers will talk badly about other photographers. This is often done by those who feel like a victim and now are acting as a villain. They have turned that anger into putting down others to make themselves look better.

Putting those around you down alienates people and drives them away from you. You are now negative energy. Creatives don’t thrive in this environment and will most likely distance themselves from you.

If you have watched professional ice skating competitions, you have seen failure. It is often just one small mistake, but that means they go home without a medal that day.

Skaters will analyze their performance over and over. They will work with a coach to help them nail it next time.

After losing a job, my first go to do just like skaters and look for where I failed.

Today I realize that this is often not the only thing we should be doing.

We need to think of things from a higher perspective. It would be best if you thought of this from the client’s perspective.

Sometimes you may lose the job because:

  • They have a friend who is a photographer
  • They have been asked to try a new approach
  • Someone offered to do it for free
  • They want to see what someone else can do for them
  • They want some variety
  • A new person is now doing the hiring
    • They hire their friends
    • They have a photographer they worked with in the past
  • A person in the company has someone they recommended they use, and that person is someone with political power

Wakeup Call

  • Let this be something to make you try new things.
  • Ask yourself, on the last job, was I listening to the client
  • Go and produce some new work to send to that client
  • Work on updating your portfolio
  • There are seasons with clients, and maybe the season has changed
  • Time to market yourself and find more clients

The Hero in a story faces challenges. It is a moving story when the hero must go into a burning building and get someone out. It isn’t interesting as a story if they take the elevator to the 2nd floor, meet someone, and go to lunch.

Heroes in stories face challenges and overcome them.

Play the Hero. Remind yourself that this is a hiccup, and you need to embrace it and learn from it. Find a way that this can make you a better person and not a bitter person.

Be the Hero of your story and not the victim or the villain.

Your Appearance & Competency

Professional headshots are not just for actresses and models. Every person in business needs a professional headshot.

Marina Tanjga

A first impression is what a person thinks of you when they first meet you. It is the feeling they get or the initial evaluation that a person does of you when they first meet you. It can be done during a glance, in conversation, or even from a distance when someone looks at your body language.

People will judge you as a warm or cold personality very quickly. They also will evaluate your competency in how you present yourself.

Your headshot makes you real in the virtual world. Yet some people continue to leave their headshot blank on places like LinkedIn, or they don’t take it seriously when they do upload one. 

  • Don’t use a selfie. Using a lousy headshot, you are making your first impression suffer.
  • Don’t use images where you’ve cropped others out of the frame; it’s weird.
  • Don’t use images with multiple people in the photo. 
  • Don’t leave it blank – this makes you less accurate and more suspicious in the virtual world.
Robin Rayne

Your headshot should be just as polished as all your marketing materials if you want to leave that great first impression that portrays you as the sharp and competent expert you are.

As part of your branding, a photo of you that communicates your professionalism and approachability improves your messaging.

If your current LinkedIn headshot is from 10 years ago, it’s time to upgrade.

Believe it or not, a professional headshot can be quick and painless. If you work with your photographer to plan out all the details, it should take no time at all to capture the perfect headshot.

3 Camera Video Interview

I posted this photo on my Facebook page and got a lot of comments. I thought I would write here about my setup.

Camera 1 – Gesture Camera

My first camera, which I am not using but only this camera, is straight on and shooting a little loose—always shooting interviews on 4K. Let me crop in and do some Ken Burns Effects. The Ken Burns effect is a panning and zooming effect used in video production from still imagery. The name derives from the extensive use of the technique by American documentarian Ken Burns. 

This first camera lets me get some gestures when the subject moves their hands.

Subject is on 1/3

I position the subject on one of the 1/3 vertical spots in the frame and typically look to the side with more space.

Camera 2 – Expression Camera

I usually put one camera to a much tighter side. I like the second camera to be tighter where I focus more on the subject’s facial expression.

Here you can see the setup from the subject’s perspective. I have one light off at 45º to keep me from getting raccoon eyes due to the top lighting. I like having good Rembrandt-style lighting on the face for interviews. I keep the cameras all on the shadow side of the light to give me some modeling on the face.

Then the three cameras are what I call the sizzle camera. Here I am using a motorized slider constantly moving on a loop.

Couple quick tips

  • FOCUS – I am trying and shooting on manual focus. To keep the person focused when they move, I typically shoot around ƒ/5.6.
  • FOCUS SETUP – Once I get the composition set, I zoom in to check the eye’s critical focus. I do this on my Cameras by pushing the + button on the back of the camera. Since both the Nikon Z6 and D5 have touch screens, I can pinch them like you would with your smartphone.

My primary microphone is typically a wireless lavalier Omni directional microphone put on a shirt near the subject’s breast bone. This is always manually adjusted using closed headphones and the audio meter on the camera.

Nikon Z6 @ Insane High ISO

Top Photo Camera Settings: [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 51200, 1/100, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 122)]

I could not believe how dark the venue was at Lips Atlanta, but the Nikon Z6 took on the challenge and didn’t disappoint.

“Lips has been serving up drag from coast to coast for almost 25 years. Lips are Atlanta’s true LaCage dining experience. Enjoy Vegas-style drag shows nightly on the Lips stage. Lips are the best place to celebrate anything and everything! Atlanta’s #1 drag show and home to the first lady of Atlanta – Mr. Charlie Brown!” [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 45600, 1/200, ƒ/3.5, (35mm = 28)]

We celebrated Dorie Griggs, my wife, and my daughter Chelle’s birthdays. 60 and 21 are milestones that deserve going big.

[NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 20000, 1/200, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 300)]

Even the stage wasn’t super bright. I was shooting at ISO 20000 to get good results.

[NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 51200, 1/80, ƒ/4.5, (35mm = 55)]

I am not expecting ISO 51200 to look like ISO 100, but to be able to take photos in that low of light without a flash is incredible.

Years ago, film shooting ISO above ISO 800 was only possible with black and white. Shooting color, you had to just light venues.

This camera is just incredible in so many ways. This shows you the high ISO capability.

The three birthday girls, Chelle, Dorie and Kate. [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 51200, 1/200, ƒ/3.5, (35mm = 28)]
[NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 16000, 1/200, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 160)]

Covering the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl from a Brand Perspective

Top Photo: Justin Jefferson #2 of the LSU Tigers makes a catch against Justin Broiles #25 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the first half at the 2019 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 28, in Atlanta. [NIKON D5, 120.0-300.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 32000, 1/4000, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 250)]

When I am hired to shoot a game for a company like Chick-fil-A, I have to look for ways to show the brand.

LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson (2) pulls in a pass before scoring as Oklahoma defensive back Woodi Washington (5) closes in the first half of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl between LSU and Oklahoma, Saturday, December 28, 2019, at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. [NIKON D5, 120.0-300.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 22800, 1/4000, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 240)]

This photo here works just great. You can see the branding on the patch of the Oklahoma player.

LSU’s Joe Burrow (9), The Heisman Trophy winner, got under center from the three-yard line and bullied his way into the end zone. It’s his eighth touchdown of the day and his first rushing touchdown. [NIKON D5, 120.0-300.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 11400, 1/4000, ƒ/4, (35mm = 195)]

While this touchdown is a great photo as well, it is less valuable by itself since you cannot see the brand anywhere in the image. The place it does appear is in the caption when the photo is published in news outlets.

K’Lavon Chaisson #18 of the LSU Tigers is given the Most Outstanding Player award by Dan Cathy after beating Oklahoma Sooners in the 2019 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 28, in Atlanta. [NIKON D5, 120.0-300.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 9000, 1/4000, ƒ/2.8, (35mm = 240)]

It also helps when the CEO, Dan Cathy, is in the photo.

Bruce Deel gives the invocation at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl 2019. As the founder and CEO of the City of Refuge, Bruce Deel is bold, relentless, and unyielding in the fight against poverty and the consequences it has in Atlanta, GA. [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 6400, 1/2000, ƒ/4, (35mm = 105)]

You are also taking some photos of critical people participating in the brand. Capturing the invocation is essential to the client.

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl 2019 [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 560, 1/200, ƒ/4, (35mm = 32)]

You are also taking photos of the company leaders at the event and coving the game itself.

The Sooner Schooner takes the field during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl 2019. It is the official mascot of the University of Oklahoma Sooners sports teams. Pulled by two white ponies named Boomer and Sooner, it is a scaled-down replica of the Studebaker Conestoga wagon used by settlers of the Oklahoma Territory around the time of the Land Run of 1889, considered the first mobile home. [NIKON D5, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 11400, 1/4000, ƒ/4, (35mm = 28)]

When an icon intersects with your client’s brand, you know they will use it. Combined with other photos, their brand is associated with cultural icons.

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl 2019 [NIKON D5, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 7200, 1/4000, ƒ/5.3, (35mm = 92)]

What is the point of this post? It isn’t just about shooting for a brand; it is more essential than that. Know your client and their audience.

Know your client and their audience.

Test Shots with Flashpoint XPLOR 600 HSS TTL

Photo above: Chelle Leary at Krog Street Tunnel in Atlanta, Georgia
[NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 1000, 1/60, ƒ/4, (35mm = 58)]

Flashpoint XPLOR 600 HSS TTL list price $699

Sale Price $479

I have shot with this flash in Hawaii because they have a couple at the school I teach each year.

I put this photo up on the blog in February and am using it here.

[NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 100, ƒ/5.6, 1/100, Focal Length = 24]

When the sale price popped up around Thanksgiving, I started to think should I do it and buy them. I finally bought two and will be slowly selling my older lights, which work just fine, for these shortly.

Setup for the first photo
Krog Street Tunnel with Chelle Leary [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 1000, 1/60, ƒ/4, (35mm = 75)]

I took my daughter to the Krog Street Tunnel in Atlanta. The Krog Street Tunnel is a tunnel in Atlanta known for its street art. The tunnel links the Cabbagetown, Reynoldstown, and Inman Park neighborhoods. It is trendy among cyclists and is part of the BeltLine for bicyclists and pedestrians to cross Hulsey Yard.

Chelle Leary at Krog Street Tunnel in Atlanta, Georgia [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 2000, 1/60, ƒ/4, (35mm = 24)]

Before buying the lights, I shot all these on TTL and controlled the two lights using the Godox X1 I already owned.

I just put one of the lights on A Channel and the other on B Channel and powered them at 0, -1, and low as -3.

Chelle Leary at Krog Street Tunnel in Atlanta, Georgia [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 32000, 1/320, ƒ/4, (35mm = 48)]

Depending on the ISO I set the camera, the scene would look vastly different.

Krog Street Tunnel Chelle Leary [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/60, ƒ/4, (35mm = 48)]
Chelle Leary at Krog Street Tunnel in Atlanta, Georgia [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 10000, 1/160, ƒ/4, (35mm = 24)]

The lower the ISO, the more the flashes became the dominant light. I didn’t want to hand hold the flash a long time, and then you would see ghosting in the subject if she moved.

Chelle Leary at Krog Street Tunnel in Atlanta, Georgia [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 10000, 1/160, ƒ/4, (35mm = 105)]

By changing the ISO, I could decide how natural light blended with the strobes worked. Trying to keep a tiny flash on the model’s face gives the skin tones the best color and dynamic range.

Krog Street Tunnel Chelle Leary [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/320, ƒ/4, (35mm = 24)]

I also took my daughter out in the sunlight and took more photos. Here the daylight is at more of her back; she would have been silhouetted without the flash. Notice the flash sync went up to 1/320. You can do high-speed sync with these flashes.

Chelle Leary at Krog Street Tunnel in Atlanta, Georgia [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/60, ƒ/4, (35mm = 58)]

While I shot with my Nikon Z6 to get all these photos, these flashes will work with Fuji, Nikon, Canon, and Sony. You need to buy the correct transmitter for your camera brand. The strobes will work with all of them.

I bought the Flashpoint brand. However, you can find the same flash in brand names like Godox, Neewer, Cheetah, MoLight, and others. It’s a good idea to go with dealers a little more local to you just in case of problems. If you have a problem with Flashpoint, Adorama has a good reputation for taking care of you to get it repaired.