Comments on: Photography Tips – Working With Models

By: dilvie

dilvie — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:51:42 +0000

Hi Tami, Thanks very much for your comments. I have done some work with Elite, and Elite models, but I am not an official representative. Pulse Management oversees the Elite Model Management satellite office here in Salt Lake City. You can learn more about that relationship from my blog post about it: "Elite Model Management Breaks Ground in Salt Lake" I am happy to report that many of my model friends signed with Pulse have also signed contracts with the Elite office in New York City, and a couple have walked runways for major designers, photographed in New York, Paris, etc... IMO, it's the best opportunity in the state of Utah to launch a successful modeling career.

By: Tami

Tami — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:09:31 +0000

WOW, I’M IMPRESSED !!!! You have to be one of the very FEW photographers that take so much pride in what you do, to actually take and consider the person you are photographing and truly want to bring out the best in everyone!!! I have a daughter 22 that was asked to get into modeling way back at the age of 7 and her father stopped us.. I wish I never would have let that happen, she is beautiful and the pictures that she has even just taken herself to put on her my space, show her true flexibility and variety that she can offer.. I have another daughter 13 who was with her sisters in San Clemente, CA today and approached by someone from Elite Model Management.. She too can just photograph amazingly and with such variety… It sounds like you work with Elite in Salt Lake City?? My 11 year old has a great singing voice and I’m trying to give her the encouragement also to pursue her dreams to sing…We live in Heber City, UT and if that is true, I would hope that if my daughters are serious about auditioning that they would be fortunate enough to have a photographer like yourself that TRULY CARES about the person wholeheartedly such as you…. I’m SO SORRY about the long message, I was just EXTREMELY impresssed with your suggestions to others, YOU ARE AMAZING!! Tami Linn Rundell

By: dilvie

dilvie — Thu, 28 May 2009 03:06:35 +0000

I’m not planning another workshop in the same location. The next will probably be Wyoming. Also planning a Maui workshop. Maybe Miami, too.

Backlit and no flash is pretty much a non-starter, depending on the intensity of the backlight. You’ll either get a silhouette, or the backlight will wash out the frame due to lens glare. Can you use a reflector, or change the angle of the camera in relation to the light source?

Basic technique: Use a fast lens wide open (small f numbers), such as the inexpensive 50mm f/1.8, shoot with a shutter speed as low as it will go without causing motion blur, and then bump up the ISO until you get within about a stop of a perfect exposure. With most cameras, you’re better off under-exposing and boosting in post than you are raising the ISO gain – even on good low-light cameras like the Nikon D90 – D3 series.

I have a friend who owns both the D3 and D700 – really loves it. The D90 is cheaper than the D300 and performs significantly better. The D700 is full frame – D90 and D300 are crop-sensor. The full frame camera performs better, but your lenses will act different on a full frame camera. You’ll lose some reach in the focal lengths. Just something to be aware of.

Hope that helps!

By: Deb

Deb — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:20:38 +0000

I’d love to participate in your Zion photo workshop – however, I cannot make it! (I teach mid. school.)
1. Are you doing any follow up workshops – same topic – location?
2. Looking to learn more about backlit, no flash photography. For example: shooting in synagogues where you cannot use a flash. Yes, I know iso, aperture, etc., however, images are “noisy”. There is only so much I can do w/photo editing. LEt me know if you are doing any of this type of workshop.
3. Any info regarding purchasing better equipment? Looking at Nikon d300 and d700. Is the 700 really worth the extra $1000? I’ve heard the d700 is equal in many ways to the d3 – but don’t want to spend that much.