The sun is shining, the birds are singing, there is a promise of another fine Port Alberni summer day, what else could a human body want?
The front lawn, the patio swing, and the Vespa Virgin are all calling me but I have decided to write his article instead.
I would like to tell you about the Pro Photo Lighting for Portraits seminar at the library that happened on May 13. Dana and I set up a mini-studio complete with studio flashes, umbrellas, softbox, and background.
Library manager Michael deLeur put up black cardboard to stop the fluorescent lights from interfering with our studio lights. One hour later we were ready to go.
DeLeur introduced me and I introduced Dana; I mentioned Dana’s special way of photographing children. We started off the seminar with Dana seated on the stool, me operating the trusty Nikon that was plugged into a projector so that everyone could see what I saw.
Using a single studio flash with a reflector Dana was photographed in the following lighting poses. Split lighting was the first, followed by loop lighting, then Rembrandt lighting, butterfly lighting, broad lighting, and finally short lighting. Then I shot using the softbox with an umbrella fill to show soft lighting.
As hand-outs everyone received a photograph of the six single light poses along with a description so that they could replicate the lighting at home by using a single tungsten bulb with a clamp reflector.
We recently went to Ucluelet and back on the MV Frances Barkley. It happened to be Seniors Week with a hefty 50 per cent off the $70 ticket (one has to grab the bargains when one can). The early morning departure was cold and cloudy but by noon the sun was out in full force.
There were not a lot of people on board but there was a good mix, older people, young ones, people from Washington state, Montana and even as far away as Nanaimo.
One of the chaps was saying that he lived in the desert in Arizona and had come here to kayak at Sechart Lodge.
The Frances Barkley arrived at Sechart Lodge, the people and the freight were unloaded but the chap from Arizona was still on the top deck and talking up a storm. Les said to him “weren’t you getting off here at the Sechart Lodge”? Zoom and he was gone.
We arrived late in Ucluelet and were told that we had one hour of freedom. Les and I disembarked and huffed and puffed up the hill to the main street to our favourite fish and chip restaurant where we shared an order of two pieces of halibut with chips. Yummy.
On the way back to Port Alberni we saw a family of three whales happily skipping through the waves. Everyone rushed to the side to have a look or photograph the whales. Les had a chat with Taylor, one of the crew members. As it turns out he is a part timer at the Peak radio station as well as a part timer with Lady Rose Marine Services.
Taylor mentioned that he spent some time in Calgary but couldn’t wait to get back to his lovely hometown, Port Alberni.
Any questions? E-mail me at nsilverstone@telus.net or see me online at www.silverstonephotos.com.
Norman Silverstone teaches photography through North Island College and Eldercollege.
