Not much happening on this blog lately and I’m sorry about that. Let me fill you in on why it’s been so slow here.
For starters there’s the usual work that takes up a considerable amount of time and next to that I’m involved in two big projects. The first one is the studio, I’ve been working my ass off trying to finally get my playground ready. I’m sure it will be a work in progress for the next couple of years but I want it very soon in a state of readiness that allows me to work in it without any limitations. The upstairs part has been usable for a while but as long as there are ongoing construction works in the building, it requires quite a bit of cleaning before I can shoot. And then still, I have to greet everyone with the words “Don’t mind the mess”. And I’m tired of that stuff.
Deadlines in the distant future have never worked for me, I need pressure to be productive, so I set myself some crazy deadlines to finish the studio. In the past few weeks I’ve been working out pretty much every night in the studio. I demolished some old ugly walls and a ceiling, I did a great deal of cleaning and then went on to the finishing touches. The floors upstairs got their final layer of varnish and downstairs we’ve been painting the walls. In the mean time we also filled a container up to the brim with debris from almost a year of construction work. Still to do: a second layer of paint, even out and paint the floor, paint the doors and install the kitchen. And then it’s time to put in furniture, hang prints, … It’s exciting to get have the finish line in sight and luckily I can count on some great friends to help me out.
About two weeks ago (wall demolishing time), Sofie asked me if she could photograph me for a school assignment called photographers in their own environment. I agreed as long as I could play “photographer who demolishes his own environment.” 
And then there’s the second big project. During workshops and meetings with photographers I noticed that the technical part of lighting (and using off-camera flash) is something that most people get the hang of pretty quickly. But knowing how to trigger a flash and putting it at the right power setting doesn’t automatically mean you’ll have good light. I see lots of people struggle with the placement of their lights, choosing the right modifiers, … Using light as the very powerful story telling tool it is, seems to be another thing people struggle with. That’s why we decided to record a DVD with the working title “Motivational Light”. There are already some very good How-To video’s on the market, so we will be focusing on the Why-To. It will be the first LIME/Bert Stephani DVD so it’s very exciting to work on.
Here’s an iPhone snap of the cast and crew during a shoot in the forest:
Pieter and I already put a lot of planning, testing and preparation into this project to ensure a quality product. Our first 3 days of recording have been hard work but also lots of fun. We’ll keep you posted. If there’s anything you would like to have explained in this DVD, hit the comments. We can’t guarantee every question will make the DVD, but we’ll try.
What a great idea!!! I’ve been looking forward to buy such a DVD, but prices and shipping from USA has put me off. So the best of it is that is an European based product and of course a LIME production
you forgot the 50/50 project
looking forward for the DVD and for images from the new cave.
@Alvaro: thx
@Udi: Haven’t forgotten about the 50/50, I just need to find time to process the pics. Tomorrow is the last day!
for the dvd: i would like to see a section on subtle light. shots in which the light isn’t obvious or popping out of the frame.
oOo this dvd project sounds so good to me! As an engineer, I struggle much more on the why than on the how. I’m looking very much forward to it.
sounds like you have plenty on your plate =)
i’m sure you’ll be very happy once the barn is done…can’t believe it’s been a 1yr of demo.
on the dvd, it would be great to see topics like feathering the light, placement of flash & estimating power settings for rim lighting. look forward to seeing some BTS clips! =)
Are you ever think about flashlight & sportphotography (like snowboarding, Downhill, mountainbike…)?
I know that Pieter did this already with his Snowboard-shoot… It ‘s just an idea.
Maybe it is for the next DVD ;o)
Very good niews fpr me to knwo that a DVD wll be produced. I’m already excited to get it.
Hi Bert. That is a very good idea. Here’s what I would like to know: technical details about sync timings with different triggers. And how to use this technique when in bright sunlight.
so how will I be able to get it in Romania?
I guess that the dvd won’t be free
Regarding the WHY: this is an excellent idea. Personally, I mostly know the HOW (thanks to Strobist and others), but sometimes I wondering why to position a certain light. I’m looking forward to the DVD.
Thanks for the feedback, some really good suggestions.
@Andrew: Production costs and time invested are way to high to keep the DVD free, but we’ll try to offer it at a competitive price. You’ll be able to buy it online.
Bert, great idea on the DVD! I hope shipping to outside your country won’t be too expensive.
Btw, how does it feel to be the model this time? (as in Sofie’s shot)
@Pepin: We’ll try to keep shipping costs as low as possible and are also looking into the option to offer the DVD as a download to avoid shipping altogether. Sofie is great at putting people at easy and I was so exhausted I was happy as long as I could sit down
Bert, if you are familiar with “The Secret” at first it was download only, and then they released the DVD (and went on Oprah) well done, looking forward to it!
Bert,
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Looking forward to your DVD. Having seen videos by strobist and Zack Arias, I think a couple of items could be beneficial
1) your thought process when approaching ‘off camera light’ on a job…eg: placement of light..how does various factors (eg: ambient) affect your flash placement..your starting point in terms of exposure/shutter speed and how you fine tune, etc..in short..give us a peek into your head.
2) any post production tips and tricks that could further enhance lighting effects. or a quick overview of your post production workflow would be great.
3) your gear..or your recommended gear (pls keep it affordable
4) Being the expert you are…in most cases you may just hit the right combination of exposure and shutter speed in the first try…this can be intimidating to newbies..so its ok if you make mistakes and show us how you get to your final settings.:) i.e keep it real.
5) keep a good balance between using small lights and big lights..so relatively newbies like me wont feel left out. big lighting stuff might be cool but not so relevant for everyone.
6) please ensure the DVD is available for purchase in the US.
from following your blog and ur pics…i love your post production work…perhaps a tutorial(bonus DVD) on post production cud be your next project..just wishing
I cant think of anything else..will post comments if i do think of anything else.
Thanks for all your input. I’m planning the last days of shooting and try to squeeze in as much as possible