A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by the guys from SLR Magic about a new lens they are launching for Micro 4/3. At first I thought it would be another toy lens but I got a lot more interested when I heard it was a 12mm (24mm equivalent on full frame) with a wide open aperture of F/1.6 and macro capabilities. It’s called the Noktor Superprime. I’ve been wanting a fast wide angle prime for my GF1 for a while so I’m happy my review copy arrived today.

I’ve only had time to take some quick test shots today but until I got some time for a decent review, here are already some snaps and my first impression.

It’s a pretty heavy lens with a  rather strange shape but it balances nice with the GF1 and doesn’t look too weird.

It’s a manual focus lens but even at f/1.6 it’s not really a problem to get it focused fast. I even managed to take a picture of our very energetic dog Mika and my German friend Josh who becomes equally energetic when he gets to hold the Phase One, we’ll be shooting with tomorrow.

Josh also had a go with the GF1 + Noktor Hyperprime and took a shot of me in my extremely tidy office.

If I’m not mistaken, you can focus as close as 4cm from the lens. Wide angle macro is certainly something that opens up a lot of creative options.

I’ll leave the pixel peeping to others but at first glance, I think the optical quality, sharpness and distortions seems to fit my needs.

It’s too soon for a final verdict, but for now, it looks like the Noktor is here to stay.

The lens should be available soon. I’ll keep testing and let you know how I feel about it.

This weekend we finally got a bit of summer here in Belgium. Our backyard was filled with action from my own kids and some of their friends. And Kobe asked me if we could make a cool soccer picture of him. So we did a short improvised shoot to create some spectacular images. I grabbed my 5Dmk2, my 17-40, two 580EXII speedlights, some stands and my Pocketwizard TT1/TT5/AC3.

In a dimly lit environment, flash will freeze the action at lower shutter speeds but on this bright day, with the sky as the backdrop, you would see movement if you had to shoot within the normal sync speed range. With the new TTL PocketWizards you can sync at any shutter speed with the help of High Speed Sync (FP Sync for Nikon, I believe). I’ve never used High Speed Sync that much but it seemed perfect for the shot I had in mind on this very sunny day. For those who don’t know what High Speed Sync is: it’s basically a way to use flash above the maximum sync speed. These shots are taken just before noon at ISO100, f/4 and 1/4000.

The downside of High Speed Sync is that your speedlights loos quite a bit of power. Because I wanted to underexpose the huge amount of ambient light, I had to use two 580EXII’s on full power. Both flashes, slightly apart, are placed to camera right just outside the frame.

The secret to make this shot work was to get Kobe high enough so the sky could be the background. It’s easy if you have a trampoline in the backyard.
We tried a couple of shots with Kobe really kicking a ball. It soon became clear that it was possible … but it would take a lot of jumps to get it right. So I opted for shooting the jump and the ball separately and composite them together in Photoshop. I like to get things right in camera but if it’s faster and easier in Photoshop, I have no ethical objections to it.

The girls also wanted to have their own trampoline picture:

I’ll be doing a Pocketwizard TT1/TT5/AC3 workshop on November 13th. So if you want to know about the advantages of this system, book your spot.

Yesterday, during my daily morning Twitter catch-up, my timeline was filled with info on the new Nikon 1 cameras and the mainly negative reactions on it from bloggers all over the world. Looking at the specs, I subscribed to the general consensus: the sensor is way too small, the glass too slow, manual settings are buried deep into the menus and no real hotshoe.

At night I was invited to a Nikon blogger event in Brussels. I basically went to catch up with some friends and complain the whole night about what a bad job Nikon did with their 1-series.

I got to admit that Nikon Belgium did a great job organizing a fun event for us bloggers and social media people. Great venue, delicious food, very friendly atmosphere, free massages, coctails, … Canon and Sony have been doing similar things for a while over here and I think it sparks a great conversation between the brand and its user base. It’s great to see that Nikon is seeing the importance of these kind of events too.

Maarten from Nikon, gave us a short presentation about the system. The specs couldn’t change my mind about the pointlessness of this system compared to other mirrorless systems. There was a lot of talk about “innovations” that, in my eyes, are just meaningless gimmicks for any halfway serious photographer. My twitter feed filled with similar reactions from other people.
(sorry about the crappy iPhone pic, left my GF1 in the car)

After the presentation we got to play with the new cameras. Usually at these events, you have to fight to get your hands on the only prototype camera available. But Nikon provided lots of the new cameras in all kind of colors and with different kinds of lenses.
It’s safe to say that the cameras look quite good but there are cheaper fashion accessories to be found. More important is that they feel quite good too. I think the “feel” of a camera is an often underrated feature. I shoot a lot more and better with a camera that feels right.

But the handling couldn’t convince me. It lacks the tactile and direct controls of my GF1 and the pictures on the LCD didn’t look half as good. Off-course this was only a very short test, so I won’t draw any final conclusions. But my first impression confirmed what I feared after reading the specs.

Talking to other photographers, a nagging feeling crept up to me that I somehow was missing the point. I’m a happy Canon shooter but despite all the friendly mocking, I think Nikon makes great cameras too. How can such a respected company, miss the point so badly? And who am I to think Nikon misses the point so badly? After all, they’ve been a leading brand for ages so they probably know what they are doing, right?

One thing was clear to me from the moment I read the specs: The Nikon J1, nor the V1 is a proper photographer’s camera. It’s not a challenger for the GF1, X100 or Sony NEX. I couldn’t figure out the target audience for the Nikon 1 series. Who is it for? That’s the question I kept asking myself all night. Well, not really “all night”, I won’t loose any sleep over a Nikon

This morning however, I think I figured it out. What about my mom? My sister? They like taking pictures, documenting their family lives and their travels. They are pretty happy with their compact cameras but sometimes it’s really too limited. My sister usually needs to explain that the blurry dot in the distance is her son scoring the winning goal in soccer. My mom is frustrated that she can’t take sharp pictures of pottery in dark exhibition spaces without ruining the picture with the build-in flash. An entry DSLR costs about the same as a 1-series camera but it’s harder to handle and too big to lug around for the occasional picture.

I think the Nikon 1 cameras might be a great choice for people who can appreciate good pictures but don’t want to learn too much about photography. I know, I can shoot better pictures if I control the settings then whatever automatic function the manufacturers come up with . But then again, I spent and spend a good part of my time learning and practicing photography techniques. But let’s not forget that not everyone is like me (and luckily so).
To give these cameras a proper test run, I should keep my hands of it. It’s just not a camera for me. Instead, I should let my mother and sister use it for a couple of weeks and see what they come up with.

Conclusion:
- Do I think this is a great new camera system? NO
- Do I think other people might find this a great camera system? YES

A big thanks to Nikon Belgium for organizing this event and inviting me to it.

I’m trying to work out a one weekend family photography workshop with four photographers AND THEIR FAMILIES. At the moment, this workshop is still in the planning phase but I’m pretty sure it will happen although the details might still change a bit. If you’re interested, let me know as I have quite a lot of planning to do for this one.

THE IDEA
The plan is to combine a family weekend trip with a hands-on family photography workshop. Not only does this allow you to learn a lot in a relaxed environment but you get to make tons of great pictures of your own family. The other photographers will also add their style, talent and creativity to your family album.
We’ll start by meeting up and getting to know each other on Friday night and talk about vision and how to translate it into your style of telling the story of a family. Over the next two days, the photographers will get together for a number of practical and theoretical sessions about: working with families, natural light techniques, off-camera flash techniques, documentary style photography, conceptual family portraiture, … Between those sessions you are free to practice what you’ve learned.
It’s not like your family will have to be on posing duty the whole weekend. It’s up to you to do things together with other members of the group or on your own.

PRACTICAL

- When: November 27-29
- Max 4 participants and their families
- Where: I was thinking about going to Centerparcs De Haan because it’s along the beautiful Belgian coast and I know the area pretty good. This kind of bungalow park is also suited for kids of all ages.
- Price: The workshop fee will be probably around 400 – 450 EUR (excl. VAT). You’ll have to take care of food and accommodation. A cottage is around 250-500 EUR (depending on the type of cottage).  I’ll contact the park to see if we can get a group reduction.

Click here if you are interested so we can get everything in motion ASAP.

In this workshop we’ll help you get started in studio photography. You will learn about equipment, the basic techniques, working with models, studio workflow and how to setup your own studio whatever space and budget you have available. At the end of this day you’ll be able to create beautiful studio portraits.

THE DAY
We’ll start the day with a guided tour of the studio and explain all about equipment and how to use it. We’ll spend a lot of time exploring the basic techniques and setups with one to three lights and different background effects. We’ll explore high and low key portraits with different kinds of main light. While you are learning all that, we’ll throw in a ton of practical tips about organization, studio etiquette and getting the most out of your models. We’ll also look for solutions for your needs, available space and budget.

WHAT TO BRING
You basically only need a DSLR and a standard zoom lens. If you have a telephoto lens, even better.
Thanks to the support of Servix & Partners and California Sunbounce, you’ll be able to play around with lots of great toys from Pocketwizard, Manfrotto, Lastolite, Chimera, Elinchrom, Sunbounce, …

PRACTICAL
Location: The Barn, Dijkstraat 42, 1820 Steenokkerzeel
Time: 9h30 to 17h (I’m notorious for going over time)
Number of participants: max 4
Language: English (unless all the students speak Dutch)
Price: 195 EUR excl. VAT (235,95 EUR incl. VAT)
Workshop fee includes teaching and a tasty bread lunch

DATES AND BOOKINGS
- Tuesday June 12 : book your spot (4 spots available)
more dates will be announced soon

Small flashes allow you to work fast on location without much compromise when it comes to light quality. The new PocketWizards will let you work even faster with even less compromises and a number of unique extra options. In this workshop you’ll learn about TTL vs manual, flash above sync speed, hyper sync, … You’ll experience a number of situations in which the system can really make a difference.

THE DAY
A guided tour of the equipment and it’s possibilities is the perfect way to start this day, we’ll also take a look at the PocketWizard Utility Software. Then we’ll present you with a number of challenging situations in which the Pocketwizard TT1, TT5 and AC3 will make your life easier, your pictures better and your clients happier. We’ll test out TTL exposure for a quick portrait, we’ll stop action, we get shallow depth-of-field flash lit portraits, we’ll setup lights for an unpredictable first dance or event and we’ll find solutions for challenges that you face in your photography.

WHAT TO BRING
The new PocketWizards are currently only available for Canon or Nikon, so bring your Canon or Nikon DSLR, at least a standard zoom and your Canon or Nikon Speedlights. If you already have your own PocketWizards, feel free to bring them. If not, we got a Canon and Nikon set, you can use.
Thanks to the support of Servix & Partners and California Sunbounce, the studio is equipped with lots of great toys from Pocketwizard, Manfrotto, Lastolite, Chimera, Elinchrom, Sunbounce, … Most of these go beyond the scope of this workshop but feel free to try it out.

PRACTICAL
Location: The Barn, Dijkstraat 42, 1820 Steenokkerzeel
Time: 9h30 to 17h (I’m notorious for going over time)
Number of participants: max 4
Level: You’ll need a good basic knowledge about photography and elementary knowledge about using flash.
Language: English (unless all the students speak Dutch)
Price: 245 EUR excl. VAT (296,45 EUR incl. VAT)
Workshop fee includes teaching, model fee and a tasty bread lunch

DATES AND BOOKINGS
No dates set at the moment. Contact us if you would like to book this workshop.

You got yourself a nice camera but what now? During this very hands-on day you’ll learn how to shoot great pictures of your family, your travels, events, … You’ll learn all about the essential camera settings, composition, exposure and lots of practical tips. I guarantee you that your pictures will be dramatically better by the end of this day. In a small group of maximum six participants, you can be sure of a very personal learning experience and a fun atmosphere.

THE DAY
To kick this day off, we’ll start by going over the most important camera settings like the shooting modes, white balance, image quality and everything else you want to know. As soon as your camera is setup in the best way, we’ll take a good look at how to get a perfect exposure by choosing the right shutter speed, aperture and iso-setting. You’ll practice this in a series of exercises that will make you understand and remember these crucial pieces of information.
After lunch we’ll dive into how to make pictures with a lot more impact by making interesting compositions. You’ll also learn to recognize and even make great light. On top of that we will bomb you with lots of small practical tips for better pictures. We end the day by combining all that knowledge in a final assignment.

WHAT TO BRING
You only need a camera that allows you to make manual settings. Any DSLR or mirrorless camera (like the Panasonic GF1, Olympus PEN or Sony NEX). Some compact cameras also allow complete manual control. In case of doubt, contact us. Make sure you’ve got enough memory cards and batteries to last through the day. It’s a good idea to bring your camera’s manual too.
Thanks to the support of Servix & Partners and California Sunbounce, the studio is equipped with lots of great toys from Pocketwizard, Manfrotto, Lastolite, Chimera, Elinchrom, Sunbounce, … Most of these go beyond the scope of this workshop but feel free to try it out.

PRACTICAL
Location: The Barn, Dijkstraat 42, 1820 Steenokkerzeel
Time: 9h30 to 17h (I’m notorious for going over time)
Number of participants: max 6
Level: As long as you can hold a camera in your hands, you’ll be fine
Language: Dutch (for an English version of this workshop, contact us)
Price: 103,30 EUR excl. VAT (125,00 EUR incl. VAT)
Workshop fee includes teaching and a tasty bread lunch

DATES AND BOOKINGS
- Saturday February 18 : book your spot (6 spots available)
more dates will be announced later

The Speedlight Portrait Techniques saga goes on. In this workshop you’ll explore more advanced Speedlight setups that will make your subject look even better by using multiple Speedlights.  In a small group of maximum four participants, you can be sure of a very personal learning experience and a fun atmosphere.

THE DAY
We’ll start this day by quickly revisiting the most important basics by making a complete speedlight studio setup. This will also allow us to getting to grips with the challenges of using multiple lights and how they affect each other. Then we’ll move on to the more advanced techniques like producing beauty light in a couple of different ways, producing the glamorous soft Hollywood lighting with only hard light and some other rather unconventional setups. You’ll be challenged to bring all that knowledge into practice during a number of assignments.

WHAT TO BRING
Bring your camera and at least a standard zoom lens. Also bring your flashes, triggers and accessories. If you don’t have 17 flashes yet, don’t worry, you can supplement your own gear with some of ours.
Thanks to the support of Servix & Partners and California Sunbounce, you’ll be able to play around with lots of great toys from Pocketwizard, Manfrotto, Lastolite, Chimera, Elinchrom, Sunbounce, …

PRACTICAL
Location: The Barn, Dijkstraat 42, 1820 Steenokkerzeel
Time: 9h30 to 17h (I’m notorious for going over time)
Number of participants: max 4
Level: You don’t have to be a seasoned professional lighting guru to benefit from this workshop but a good decent knowledge of off-camera flash techniques is required.
Language: English (unless all the students speak Dutch)
Price: 245 EUR excl. VAT (296,45 EUR incl. VAT)
Workshop fee includes teaching and a tasty bread lunch

DATES AND BOOKINGS
- Monday June 25 : book your spot (4 spots available)
more dates will be announced later

Usually I paint with light but this morning I painted with … paint. You see, my hallway and staircase were in desperate need for a full make-over. In fact, my whole house is in desperate need for a make-over but you’ve got to start somewhere.
I can get pretty happy about good light but I never got high on it. That’s the difference between light and paint. Paint fumes really get into your brain.

When I started painting the top step of the stairs I started thinking about my first Tabula Rasa post about what a pain e-mail can be. By the second step, I was thinking about how beautiful life would be without all that e-mail and by the third step, I was pondering about what my ideal life as a photographer should look like. Being a rational human being, I dismissed most of those ideas because they seemed practically impossible. I told myself to be reasonable and to just accept that everyone just have to spend a lot of his time doing things he doesn’t like.

It wasn’t until the fifth step that the paint fumes dissolved the last bit rationality in my thinking. Levis, the goddess of paint, whispered to me in her soft seductive voice (she sounded like Patricia Arquette in True Romance): “Practicality destroys great ideas! Switch it around. Start from your craziest ideas and try to find practical solutions to make them come true!”

By now Levis has left the building and as soon she’s out of the door (watch out, fresh paint!) practicality returns. Luckily I still got a lot of painting to do, so maybe I will be high enough to convince myself to write down the things I really want to do and use them as the foundation of a better business organization.

disclaimer: if all of this doesn’t make sense, I blame the paint

Between our family holiday in Portugal and a trip to Scotland for a portrait shoot, I spent one day in Germany. They guys at California Sunbounce asked me if I wanted to be their coach / teacher during the FotoTV Challenge. This event was pretty amazing and it was great fun to be part of it. One of the cool things was that the Sunbounce guys had set up “The Cage“. It’s one of the biggest light modifiers I’ve ever used but man, that’s great light. Here are some pictures I shot during demos with the local cheerleaders:

“The Cage” is basically a tent-like constructions with side, top, and back panels. All these can be changed from black to translucent or opened up completely. It’s not a coincidence that this modifier was developed together with one of my heroes: Greg Gorman – that guy really knows what good light is. (That reminds me that I still have an almost edited video about me shooting a couple of portraits of Greg last year).

It works in the same way as the “covered shade technique” aka “afdakskestechniek” that I teach almost all my students. You basically direct the light in the direction you want it.

I’m afraid the price point and the size of The Cage is not fit for a quick portrait shoot on a remote location. But I can imagine using it for commercial portrait jobs or shooting catalogs. The amount of control you get over the available light is amazing. And it’s nearly impossible to create unflattering light on your model. If you open up the back panel, you get a nice high key blurred background. The models inside The Cage receive less light, so if you expose for their skin tones, the background will get brighter. You still get that much appreciated happy lifestyle outdoor look but you are pretty independent from the position of the sun, weather, …

I kinda liked the grey background look too:

Here’s a video (mostly in German, except for the times when I was interviewed) about that challenge:

Thanks to all the participants, models, organizers, sponsors and viewers to make such a great event possible.