Confessions of a Photographer - episode 02

[antoniofotografia]

Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge

[ciwil23]

which lens did u used this shoot ?

[dima9944]

@ciwil23 The one on his camera.

[sheeplereaper]

it brings a new meaning to beer goggles.

[lifethroughmylens1]

Nice work, I loved it.

[sampreap]

the soundtrack to everyone of your videos is doing my head in

[prmass1]

something is wrong with the exposure too dark, probably you had too many beers mate :)

[STRIFE1000]

what beer??

[wastedscal]

Hey, that's the street going down to the Woluwe Shopping Center from Poseidon side. Cool to see a place to recognize.

Nice videos.

[ptlofts]

I like this video and your explanation but to me the photos look too dark... :p

[galaxiedance]

I'd lick Kim's ass. that's for sure! Yum !!!! :P

[uuuaaahhh2007]

One question .... what tripod do you use for your speedlites. They seem to be very easy to transport, very less weight.

[pastori70]

@uuuaaahhh2007 I quess it's Manfrotto 5001b Nano. Excellent stand indeed.

[pastori70]

@uuuaaahhh2007 Whoops... No it's not Manfrotto 5001b. Actually I don't know.

[gregallenphoto]

Please keep confessing. Nice work.

[yorshgreen]

Hi, nice techniques, can you tell me which wireless item do you have in this video, and also which flash kit did you use.

Thanks :)

[sasktank]

speedycolt ----- it's all about the photographers vision -- there's many ways to shoot every subject -- there is no wrong way , just different way's

[speedycolt]

Im sorry but I dont like his photography. He uses too much shadow in my opinion. Your using all of these great backgrounds and you can barely see them. If I wanted dark pictures I would just go stand in the dark and start snapping away. Use what you have, dont cut it out of your pictures.

[MrBananasundae]

your models are HOT!

[sabbathack]

Great stuff! Thank you!

(More videos please!)

[tigeramigos]

I love the final product!!

[captaindash]

You are one of the very few who can show something like this and have all the information you need, and none you don't. I had a dusk shoot changed to daytime and I remembered this video so I came to watch it for some ideas. Thanks for posting.

[Xeo989]

Very helpful

[TrajikFrikshun]

VEry Good Video,my man... I especially love the "AFTER A FEW BEERS" comment... HAHAHHAAAAAA...

[yonas357]

Very helpful for an amateur photographer like me, thanks for posting buddy.

[MarsoOO]

All the picture that we saw in the video are photoshop-ed !

So it's hard to see the real impact of your small flashes, Steph.

But good video indeed :)

[itsumonihon]

@MarsoOO it doesn't look hard to me, it's very clear. you can see the hard back or sidelighting he's creating in every picture especially when he cranks up the shutter speed to darken the background.

[captaindash]

@MarsoOO Every photo you see is photoshopped, that's just the way it is. These are very close to in-camera though. Try this lighting setup and you'll see why he chose the backgrounds. Making most of the frame black is very easy to do with proper lighting. Experiment and you'll see you can do this too. It's awesome!

[solichsolich]

RollOff1982: It's about flash to subject and background distance. Try to have subject and model close and the wall further away. That should help.

[RollOff1982]

nice videos!!

can someone tell me how i can get this DARK backrounds? what should i to do with my camera? low iso, very fast shutter speed, big aperature, very low exposure or just photoshop?? i cant get it :(

thx for help

[sumitino]

@RollOff1982

you can underexpose the background by a few stops and/or whilst keeping your subject fully exposed with the flashgun

[mrtorro]

get a external flash, to work in ttl mode get a wireless transmitter

@ bertstephani - what transmitter you use 10x

[GameVoid]

The camera is set to expose for the amount of light coming from the flash. So the parts of the frame that are outside of the flash are underexposed (dark). That is why he has the tube that is directing all of the light on the model and not on the background. She is ultra bright to the camera and the wall is too dark for the camera to properly record.

[apodo360]

after a few beers lol

[Konotani]

Bert, quick question; do you shoot in aperture priority? or do you run back and forth to your flash to adjust manually?

[GeorgeMaj15]

@Konotani I am also wondering this. especially in low light where it sets the shutter too slow even when flash is involved; should I just max sync speed and go from there?

[whoppers1000]

Bert, when you shoot models, do you mostly shoot in the 70-200 range? the reason I ask is because my wallet is tight at the moment and having said that, therefore I have to choose between a Tamron 18-270mm lens or the Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 any suggestion will be greatly appreciated.

[Konotani]

get the 70-200 2.8. If you are shooting Canon, the 70-200 f4 is also a good quality lense from Canon. But the 2.8 is a clear value. Remember that lense are way more important then the camera itself and they will outlast any camera you own if you take care of them.

[whoppers1000]

Thank you for your response and info. I really appreciate it. thanks.

[kikealonso]

amazing...just like that!!!

[Thebabe16]

Good pic's, you have the same camera as a photographer who i knows ( im a hobby model to, for fun)

[darkkon000]

nice!

[geordsta12]

hahahaha

"It took practice to see these backgrounds while still being able to hold the camera"

Nice

[GrandMasterJun]

how about the exposures? or white balance? did you change it on ur camera?

[bprizze]

these pictures post editeD?

[vkotis]

i'm sure they are

[AchtKore]

If u want a perfect picture u have to use dpp & photoshop or something like that...

[malcr001]

In all youre photos you seem to get such great high contrast harsh shadows in youre images, ive allways wondered how do you achieve this rich look? Please reply thanks

[l33thustla]

output of the flash and Photoshop :D

[erics1959]

In some of your videos you are using your flashes without a diffuser and in others ,shooting through and umbrella or bouncing the light off a card.

one will produce more contrasty light the other softer

How are you determining how you want your light source set up . I have always used a diffuser to keep the skin tones more softer when adding front fill lighting. Have I been misguided ?

Please share some words of wisdom ole - wise -one :-) 

PS love your style

[ThruDragonEyz]

The exact settings are not important at all.

Control ambient with shutterspeed and adjust flash output to aperture. Pictures are photoshopped at least some contrast and vignetting I guess

[malcr001]

Didnt he say in one of his videos that he really isnt a fan of photoshopping and that he prefers to get the image right the first time? After he said something like that I assumed that he either does very light touches or nothing at all since he seems to get that great contrast look everytime.

[erics1959]

He's only exposing for the skin tones. Using a flash without the diifuser.

this will cause the background to remain underexposed. Notice he's also shooting the model standing in the shade. My insticncts tell me he is probably setting the camera to - 1 stop on the exposure compensation.

I agree with him about photoshop. Do it right the first time and you dont need to fix what should have been done in the first place. Photoshop is often used as band-aide for poor workmanship.

[MustAccord]

Great photos, it would be better if you would also mention what settings you use while making your photos.

[naignik]

what?after a few beers its suddenly become cool abstract pattern... its so hilarious!!I didnt know that beer could help for photography!!!

[aldohodgkinson]

@naignik LOL, Itought i was the only one who would take better photos afer a few drinks :P

[cristalcircle]

zijn deze foto's bewerkt met pc?

[naignik]

how about the camera settings?i assume that you photoshoped your photo

[nicholasjohn44]

Like I said before, this guy is a genius at off-camera flash. He has some great concepts, but these videos are more entertaining than informative. He fails to mention the white balance control, the settings on the flash, and the fact that he's using $800 worth of wireless transmitters. He has a great setup, but you'd have to have a ridiculous budget for all that gear.

[l33thustla]

LOL 800?! I think it's arround 300

[nicholasjohn44]

4 pocket wizards + flashes = ~$800

[l33thustla]

Oh ok with flashes :D but those are not Canon I think it might be less expensive. Forgot the name.

[FredrikSvensson1979]

If you want exactly that gear you do need a big budget but you can get the same results spending far less.

Get an ok camera, a few primes, a decent flash and a tripod and you're set, now you just need to practice. Also, most flashes can be triggered without transmitters by the on camera flash.

Ans as far as talking about white balancing, that's not what the video is about, it's about finding backgrounds.

[AllAmericanGuy01]

Every photographer has his or her own style.

I've noticed you like to have ALOT of darkness in your photographs. Most of the pictures I see that you take are mostly dark and mysterious...Sort of reminds me of a rainy stormy dark day. But that's your style.

[moonlandingwasfake]

what lens are you using there?

[a3180044]

canon 70-200 f2.8

[studioshopp]

I like your video but i prefer " FREEHOST24H COM

[0zgon]

I'll be honest with you, I don't prefer it.

[aye1980]

oh God niiiiice photos man thanx for shiring

[l33thustla]

:) I like it!

[tmyfkgw]

could anyone tell me how to retouch the

photo high contrast, like the one at 2:08

[vellerefon]

Ok, nice job but is there anything else except the same old flash techniques?

[Pasweh]

Thank you bertstephani, you are a talented photographer and a generous one. your videos are among the best here in youtube about photography. It could be more useful if you tell a little bit about your exposure values as well.

[sanjaj]

You are hilarious :), although I agree with some of the previous comments that it would be nice to see photos before they are processed in Photoshop. And you need to reveal what kind of beer enables you to see the best abstract backgrounds :)...

[AllAmericanGuy01]

lol, that is funny because I was just thinking that today. I watch his videos before I go on a shoot to inspire me, but I realized that the photos never look that good raw. lol

So I think before photoshop photos would be helpful and more meaningful.

[andy838]

Good video. Maybe the next one you could have a diagram or far out shot showing exactly where the flash went.

[meanman01]

Great inspiration & End result, But more details on what your using and camera setting would make this video even better, maybe you should add ISO, F stop, ETC... to this video? By the way, What are the camera settings?

[beckywillu]

i agree :) What are your camera settings?

[GetWoodworking]

Hi, great videos, thanks for sharing. I notice you're using a Pocket Wizard to wirelessly fire your flash. I'm just wondering how you connect the Wizard to the flash and what model of flash you're using? Cheers...

[hipporage18]

Alot of people may have missed it, but your pretty funny. lol. Keep up the good work.

.

[bigfuzzy74]

Though the bottom line is that your videos are sound and give good advice, for people wanting to really learn, I'd rather them see the shots as they looked more straight out of camera as opposed to the heavily processed 'final' ones you show in the video. For those that are beginners I think it gives a wrong impression. Still, very nicely done videos.

[GrillmairPhotography]

I really like your work, however I dont understand why you dont set diffusors, since the shadows which you create by setting only one light source are (in my opinion) too dark and suffer from level cuts (blacks).

greets,

P

[loco039]

What kind a camera is that, Mark II or III of canon?

[DrDougRoss]

30D...

[suzlwilliams]

Love your shots. Do you have a standard iso you use for certain "regular" lighting situations? what f-stop do you use for a shoot like that? are you photoshoping the black into it? That cobblestone would have looked great in a full frame...

[rmstudio]

Probably the first honest and most sound advice given on photographic lighting on the youtube that I have found. For once someone spoke some sound wisdom.. Compared to others on her I commend you.. New guys listen to what this guy says. You might learn something.

[mistydeleon]

thankyou sooo much!! im going to try this on a job i have in austin texas on the 4th of july!! ill let you know how it goes!! xoxo

[mistydeleon]

your an angel..xoxo

[mhea02]

whats ur aperature and iso? how come its 2 dark?

[topindot]

after a few beers: lol

great vid!

[WhoTownBoy]

yea i thought that was weird, i was like "whhaat"

[phyl1610]

1:12 Minutes :D

Great Video!

[kenthephotoman]

I love what he does with lighting.

[rprimeau95]

what lens are you using?

[roger767]

he's using a Canon 70-200mm f2.8L IS lens

[naruto10156]

What kind of flash is that? Could I use just any flash but with a wireless sync chord?

[roger767]

He's Using a Canon 580 EX II flash with Pocket Wizards.

Yes you could use any flash, even an Nikon brand but you will have to use them in manual mode.

[naruto10156]

Thanks so much!

[ayshasan]

I think your videos are brilliant! :)

I can never use the 70-200mm lens without a tripod, it's just too heavy for me, you handle it so well! Great work!

[lhmodel]

after some few beers it suddenly becomes a cool abstract pattern :D:D....that was a good one..i like your style how you talk about shootings:-)...not too serious BUT still with very good resultats. good attitude, great shots.

thx 4 posting

[judge02]

hello sir,if its possible if i use powershotsx100,i take same shoot like your picture?and can i use the wireless flash using my digicam?ty. sir thanks a lot about this video i learn trick.more power sir

[MCRmauricionvp]

I really wanna be a photographer when i grow up

[Aaathan]

me too

[MCRmauricionvp]

its good to know that im not the only one!

[Ethaniel82]

Same here :D Do u study photography?

[Ethaniel82]

Same here :D Do u study photography?

[MCRmauricionvp]

not yet.

im only 13

i ll probably stupid photography when i go to high school

[wontonsaregood]

goodluck, because you'll be making the equivalence of what i made flipping hamburgers when I was in highschool. if 18-24,000/year and a trailer/tiny studio sounds good to you.. have fun.

photography shouldn't be a job.. pathetic.

[vatskytube]

Hey, do do it and make a ton of money doing it. Start now, even with a small camera. Practice is what makes anyone good and the heart makes them great!

[vittles05]

If you want to become a photographer start early man. Shoot your heart out. Start understanding lighting and how to use photo editing programs to enhance photo's if you start now by the time your are 21 you'll be awesome. Also call up your local college they sometimes offer classes and stuff as well as local photography shops.

[MCRmauricionvp]

I really wanna be a photographer when i grow up

[MCRmauricionvp]

I really wanna be a photographer when i grow up

[davishammerphoto]

Ahahah nice reference to bokeh.

"After a couple beers..."

[nielneil]

good,some exif info would help,too

[grupocreaciones]

Thanks for sharing great video colection

[mapotufu]

Thank you for sharing those great videos.

I learned a lot from them.

You are a PRO!

[JamieJonesFilmsTM]

i have a interview tommorrow for a phototgrapher. this helped alot thanks.

[urafoc]

very very good photos, great work

[crokuslabel]

Great work, and thank you so much for the time you take here to help your fellows out. gotta love photography in order to share it as such.. (I too love it... ;) )

Thanks for all those beauties... I don't mind at all finding the speeds and openings by myself now that I have this trick, it will only be play and learn more from there.

Thanks again,

Crokus Label Photography.

[knockout43]

please do more and tell what setting for camera and flash. also tell how you meter flash . beautiful work .we need longer instructional videos

[DebbiinCalifornia]

Did you say 'after a few beers' that is so funny! Great video! (also I love the music choice)

Debbi

[tommybass40]

This a great tutorial, especially for using strobes in daylight. This is great for beginners like me.

It would be nice to see where the strobe was placed in relation to the model but I think it must've been set up high on a wall at about 45 degrees angle from the model and maybe parallel to the camera.

[shibuya86]

We need more!

THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!

[geowulf]

Excellent Bert! I love the Beer Bokeh effect. LOL!

[filips01]

Awesome video! Gives me millions of ideas! Keep them coming please

[DrZarkloff]

Kind of reminds me of how I'm making air conditioning tutorials in the nude.

[ningthouja]

thnx for the tips...

[Bohemists]

with just one strobe?

[dcsplicer]

thanks Bert, i'd like to see a wide shot showing the flash placement in relation to the model. you show us the flash, you show us the model, but not in the same frame.

Thanks again for posting your videos!

[Jenson69]

nice inspiration. thank you!

[schwachs]

wonderfully helpful!

[visualdensity]

Awesome man. Thanks for the video. They are deeply appreciated!!

[wisie]

Always enjoy watching your videos!

[ralph03]

great Video! thanks for the tips!