Elise Schreiner Photography: I Saw the Light

I Love Taking Pictures

Okay let me rephrase that... I like taking pictures. I love capturing a moment, an emotion, the real person, telling the story of a moment in time for everyone to see. I love the look on my client's face when we've finished a shoot that has been more fun than work, the glow they get from having such a good time and the anticipation that dances in their eyes as they wonder if I captured what they want to be. And the look of utter delight when they realize that I did indeed capture their spirit and they look more amazing then they ever imagined. Yes, I like taking pictures. But I love being part of the beauty and love that is life and capturing it for all the world to see.

Elise

Visit my websites at www.eliseschreiner.com.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

I Saw the Light

Okay it's technically a flash and it wasn't just mine, there were lots of them. Lots and lots and lots of them. Going off everywhere. And not stuck on top of the camera like you've come to expect to see them, but rather on light stands and in people's hands, being fired by wireless triggers. Now why would we want to take a perfectly good flash off of it's comfortable perch atop our cameras do you ask? To make better pictures we answer. To take take great pictures where no photographer has taken great pictures before we shout. Okay there wasn't any shouting, but there was great picture taking all over the place. On the beach, in the shade, in the bright sun, in areas that were both sunny and shady. It was all part of the 2008 Florida LUMU event.

This is one of my favorites sets of Nicole. She's in the shade, but as you can see, she looks beautiful.

Here she is standing out along the lake at Ft. Cooper Park in Inverness. Her back is to the sun, without the flash her face would have been obscured by a shadow. The pop of the flash allows her face to have the same light as the background. Taking the flash off of the camera allows us to control where the light is coming from.

In this picture I've got the flash across from the sun which gets rid of most of the shadows. (The sun is up to the right in this picture, the flash is on a stand to the left of the camera, essentially washing away the shadows. If it had been on the right side of the camera, the far side of her face would have been completely consumed by a shadow.)

I've got to thank Nicholaus Haskins and all of his crew for putting everything together. LUMU (Light it Up, Meet Up) was an awesome event and I learned so much from you guys and had a blast. Count me in for the next Florida event.

This is Nic with another awesome model named Gi Gi. The funny looking antana thing at his hip is a Pocket Wizard-the wireless trigger for his flash.

I've also got to thank Jeff, a great photographer and all around great guy. When I had an equipment malfunction he loaned me his back up wireless triggers so I could keep shooting. And when I couldn't get the light just right on the model's face out in the full sun, he helped me figure it out. Jeff - you're awesome. Keep it up!