It’s probably a strange time for me to start a big photo book project – I haven’t been able to do very much photography at all for the last few weeks, since I’ve been busy moving apartments! Not much time to take landscape photos along the way, unfortunately. But in another sense…
Photography Life
Adventure, discovering unknown landscapes and creatures, long journeys far beyond civilization. All of that belongs to wildlife photography as naturally as a fish belongs to water. But consider this: right now, some photographer might be on a plane to photograph the very animals that live in your backyard. And similarly, you might be planning a trip to their corner of the world to photograph species they find ordinary. So, is travel necessary for wildlife photography?
Photography Life
Hasselblad just announced the followup to their medium format X2D camera, the X2D II 100C. The new camera is an improvement in many ways, most notably the addition of continuous autofocus (AF-C) and the lower price. Hasselblad also announced a high-end 35-100mm f/2.8-4 E lens at an unexpected price. Here’s what you should know!
Photography Life
Best wishes to all for a peaceful safe holiday season. And onto ’25! May the pixels be kind to all of us:-)! Peace, love and happiness to all. Be well, and see you in the New Year!
The post Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Best for ’25! appeared first on Joe McNally Photography.
There is hard light. And then there is the diamond edged, stiletto-like sun that careens relentlessly across the Salt Flats of Utah. The cracked, lifeless earth seems to have the only appropriate response. Just, you know, give up.
But photographers like to tilt at windmills, so a hardy group of UPAA photogs gathered out there in the big nothing and set about making pictures. It was fun. I was teaching out there, and honestly it was the first teaching event I’ve ever been involved with that included being filmed by a drone, which was kind of cool. There were, maybe, a hundred or more of us out there, all working under the umbrella of the University Photographers’ Association of America’s annual get together.
Shot the banner pic with a Profoto B10X Plus, and was accompanied by a lovely dancer, Chelsey Carlson. We ran it the other day on Instagram, and I discussed the notion of letting the dancer just be the dancer, and try not to constrain them overmuch. I was shooting wide as you can see, and her arm drifted a bit into the no fly zone of a NIKKOR 14-24mm, but it didn’t trouble me overmuch. I wanted her to feel comfortable in the air, and do what she does best. Had a question on the lack of shadow, and that is courtesy of the raw power of the sun. One would think that using a 500ws flash would create some kind of subject shadow, but the sun was so fierce that the bubbling cauldron of the sun literally ate the shadow up. And my angle of the flash was flat to her. It was not pitched as one might ordinarily do with a dancer.
It was a wonderful faculty to be included on. Greg Heisler, Dan Winters, Rod Mar, David McLain, Melissa Lyttle were members, and I don’t even want to begin counting how many years of experience we have amongst us, not to mention the variety of skills and inclinations. The atmosphere was very giving, open and honest, with all of the participants sharing information and stories. I’ve worked with the UPAA before, and they do an amazing job of supporting the mission of university photographers, who have very unique jobs. Given the varied aspects of campus life, they could be called upon to do portraits, shoot sports, do illustration work and still life, and produce compelling visual narratives about the life and times of higher education in America.
Also did some studio-like work, in a large cafeteria, and was able to blackout the background via f/stop and shutter speed which allowed my friend Derick Turner, the Michigan State photog, to deploy his wide range of wonderfully mischievous expressions. Two light portrait, shot at f/2 with a 50mm NIKKOR, f/1.2.
The event was a terrific learning experience for all concerned, and a highlight of last year. I was able to sit with Greg Heisler and Dan Winters, two of my idols in photography, and basically just shoot the breeze in the company of a couple hundred photographers. Pretty cool. They both are amongst the definitive photographers of our time.
Needless to say, at some point in the future, I’d do it again! Great environment. Lots of support and learning.
More tk…
The post Lighting On the Salt Flats with UPAA! appeared first on Joe McNally Photography.
