Topic 1: IP Retreat

Josh:

Real estate photography

-composition

-Lighting techniques

-Twilight images

-business/ sales strategies

Brent:  Four total presentations. Graphic Design in Photography, Simple composites for Impact, Camera Cleaning like a Pro and recording a session of Latitude.

Connor: I am doing two classes, one on how to achieve dramatic lighting when shooting with strobes, and another I will be hosting a few times on Retouching like the Pros.

Topic 2:  Connor – Traveling with film can be a huge pain

Larger airports, get enough of the requests that they don’t question it so much, but smaller airports and other security checkpoints don’t.

While it is true that film under an iso of 1600 is safe to travel through an x-ray machine, the amount of times it is capable of doing so is limited, since it is a cumulative effect. 1 trip for iso 800, 2 for 400, and a handful for iso 100.

Better safe than sorry, so be prepared to fight anyone wanting to send it through the x-ray and be prepared to get hassled.

Final thoughts, if you want to travel with film, just be sure you are going somewhere it is worth the hassle of doing so.

Midroll: Jim pre-recorded

 

Topic 3:  Brent – New podcast…

Name: Latitude: THE Travel Photography Podcast

Recording our first episodes tomorrow. Co-hosting with Brian McGuckin

Looking to publish on Wednesday, March 1 if all goes to plan.

We’ll be talking about all things travel and photography related, and specifically how they go together.

We have a facebook group we invite you to join if this interests you.

Topic 4: Connor – Strobed portrait using ND filters.

This is something I have been playing around with a lot recently,

Using an ND when shooting in location with strobes allows for you to use very wide apertures.

One sticking point I was having with this when I first started doing it was using a Variable ND which made it a little difficult to get the amount blocked exact. But using circular ND filters make it very hard to quickly find focus with portrait work. The solution is something I was taught by Joel Grimes when taking one of his workshops and that is to use a cokin style filter with a modified holder to allow me to swing the filter up, get focus, and put it back in place for a shot.

Very fun way to shoot with strobes that give a look you don’t see much of.

Question of the Week:

Jen Mangenello – I’m wondering how people are using the color labels in lightroom? Could some of you that find them useful share examples of how you’re using them?

Doodads of the Week!

See all the doodads at https://improvephotography.com/doodads

Connor – 100mm square Glass ND Filters The one I currently use is: Zomei Glass PRO 6-stop Neutral Density Filter However I just had a small email exchange with breakthrough photography, and they said they will be releasing square ND filters some time in the middle of the year, so it may be worth holding off until then

Brent – MiFi from Novatell wireless and the freedompop.com service. Free international roaming wifi hot spot.

Josh: Manfrotto 405 geared Tripod head