Ryan - Fairport HS Senior Portraits, Class of 2014

Ryan was one of those boys that didn't have much interest in having his senior portraits taken, and was mostly here because his mother wanted him to.  After his initial consultation where we talked about what we would do during his session, he was actually looking forward to it.  During his session, he was very relaxed and gave me some of the most comfortable smiles of anyone I've seen this year.

Lighting a Gymnasium for Sports

Nikon speedlight, battery and wireless sync

When HS seniors that are athletes come through the studio for their senior portraits, I like to support the teams they play for.  During this time of the year, I am fairly active with winter sports.  Because a large majority of the HS seniors that came through the studio this year were athletes, I find myself out many nights or weekend mornings at boys' and girls' basketball games, hockey games and wrestling matches.

Even thought modern SLR cameras work extremely well in low-light conditions, I am not thrilled with the quality of light that most high school gymnasiums provide, so I like to supplement the existing light with my one.  This does two things: 1) help stop the action; and B). helps to add definition to the athletes, depending on where the lights are placed.

From The Sports Desk...

Numerous HS Senior athletes have come through the Luke Photography studio recently, and I look at each and every one of them as a challenge: how do I make them look like professional athletes, make them all look different, and make them look realistic, all at the same time?

I go into each session with an athlete with the idea that I'm creating a cover photo for a story in Sports Illustrated.  There has to be drama and impact on first sight....something to entice you into stopping to read the article.  Drama and impact are usually created by lighting.  Sometimes it's a different vantage point of the viewer...but most often it's the lighting.  Here are some examples of some HS senior athletes with impact.

Workin' up a sweat during the session

A puck's eye view of a face off

Blue turf and sky...amazing color.

Intensity shows in the eyes

An 8 ft. stepladder...on the ice.

Would you want to bat against him?

Old school basketball in an old school gymnasium

The red and blue create the impact...his look creates the drama

Team chemistry and intangibles...that's what leads to trophies

Yeah, you wish you could play like a girl

Can't argue with the great John Wooden.  She knows it

You can't mask dedication.....it always shines through

During games, her expressive eyes just radiate through this mask

Drama, impact and intensity....it's all here

All soccer...all the time

See the Light, Not the Camera

I just saw a really great quote about photography, and it really resonated with me, especially after the last session I just shot:

Beginning photographers think about cameras.
Intermediate photographers think about composition.
Advanced photographers think about light. 

The photography industry has been bombarded with new photographers in the last 5 or so years, now that digital cameras have come down in price, and produce such high quality results.  Now stop right there if you think this article is going to lambaste all those new photographers.  Let's get beyond that.