Home Made Accessories - Reflector

If you are starting to build your studio there are some great DIY alternatives you can make and use until you start getting it together properly. You can get white sheets of I think mdf for about €5 in most hardware stores, I got these in B&Q. They are light and flexible, and great for throwing light back at the model. They are about 1200mm x 600mm x 5mm.

To add a different reflection glow you can wrap them in emergency blankets, like below with the broad wrapped in a silver one. Even after I had a decent studio in place I continued to use them. 

They are also great for a mobile studio if you haven't being able to get a collapsable reflector yet, obviously they don't travel as well as the collapsable one but they do a nice job. And of course you will need a second body or two to hold and position them if you aren't in suitable location.

You can buy them here, for about €3 each.

Silver blanket ~ Gold blanket

Some samples using the reflectors:


A couple gold ones propped up in/around the tree.




A couple silver ones in the studio.

20 BULLS EACH - THIS IS THE END

I've known these lads 12 years, driven with and for them thousands of miles, seen them play a hundred times, sold merch, done the door, taken more photos than i can remember, shared beds, floors and food with them. Last night was the end. https://www.facebook.com/20bullseach 





Video: https://vimeo.com/118339567
More pics from Janer: http://pix.ie/punkrock/album/503065

First portrait shoot in a while!

So last Sunday I had my first portrait shoot in over 3 years, it was also the first time I took the studio gear (Elinchrom D-Lite4s) out on a shoot, in fact they had been packed away since November 2010! Luckily they were more easy to put up than I remember/expected, and packed away just as easy when we were done. And more luckily the bulbs still worked, they're about €60 a go! Anyway, I enjoyed it, think it went well....

Home Studio

A few people have been asking me about my home studio set-up, I've written a few emails, so I'm going to post this instead, save me time in the future! Further questions of course more than welcome.

Currently I don't have a studio, but below is what I had, and can be very easily be set up again with the right space. This was the master bedroom of my apartment (before rent went up and I lost it!) so wasn't a massive room, a bit longer would have been nice, but it worked. I have set it up now and then for shoots where the location and space allows.

MAIN GEAR

• 2x Elinchrom D-Lite4 400Ws 
• Lastolite HiLite 7" x 6"

EXTRA GEAR

• Lastolite HiLite Bottletop Cover With Train 6`x7` - Black
• Interfit Stellar Flood Light - 500 Watts (& Floor Stand)
• Nikon Speedlight SB-800 (with snoots, honeycombs etc.)
• Various folding reflectors
• Homemade reflectors
• Whiteboards 
• Whiteboards covered in emergency blankets

The setup is great, I couldn't ask for more in my needs for a studio, it also all collapses down making in extremely portable and storable. The D-Lite pack down in to a couple of cases, both of which I put in a larger case. The HiLite is like one of those pop up tents so also folds down nicely.

Sample shots

With the white train

With home made background

DIY accessories
I picked up some cheap white boards in a DIY store which are great for adding some extra bounce from the sides. I do a lot of camping and fishing, so when tidying up my gear bag I realised an emergency blanket was perfect for wrapping around one the white boards. It results in a very nice and warm reflector. I also keep one in the camera bag for lighting and real emergencies when shooting outdoors! They only cost a few euro so well worth getting a few.

Emergency blanket as a dress!

You can get emergency blankets here:

• Silver Blanket
• Gold Blanket

Blood or Whiskey

Blood or Whiskey are back in the studio after frontman Dugs recovery from illness. Apart from an EP in 2009 this will be their first album since 2006s "Cashed out on Culture" on Punkcore Records - who they had to fight a 3 year legal battle to get the masters of the album returned to them. Anyway thats all in the past for the boys, the future is looking and sounding great for them.

I joined them in the studio as they were laying some parts of the songs for the album. I only heard about 5 songs, but they sound great - faster, heavier but still that real mix of irish traditional and punk. I cant wait to hear the full tracks with all the additional instruments they've planned - tin whistle, accordion, organ, brass.....

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blood-or-Whiskey/323133547721
https://www.facebook.com/BigGardenSound
https://www.facebook.com/pages/SM-Photography/270615021035

Skeleton Crew in the Studio

Some shots of Dublin rocka/psychobilly/hardcore/punk scumbags Skeleton Crew recording their upcoming album for Sailors Grave Records.

Lydia

Great fun shoot with Lydia, her first time in front of the camera, a fashion design student, here with some of her own creations

20 Bulls Each in the studio

A few trips into the boys got some nice dark grainy! shots while they were recording their new album "A GLORIOUS AND BLOODY REVOLUTION" coming out on Thorp Records.

Leia shoot 1

Unexpected shoot with Leia

Leia shoot 2

Just a quick few shots before getting rained out of it....

Leia shoot 3

Another weathered out of it shoot, but some great ones got all the same.