Amazing Red Giant Software Sale 40% Off Everything

Folks – Don’t fall victim to Black Friday or Cyber Monday! Save your money… for just a little while longer. On December 8, 2015, Red Giant is having a Year-End Sale. Here’s what you need to know:

40% off everything in the redgiant.com store.
24 Hours Only!
Sale Starts: 12/8/15 – starting at 08:00 AM PST.
Sales ends: 12/9/15 at 08:00 AM PST
The sale discount is for everything in the Red Giant store:

Full licenses
upgrades
academic store (which is already 50% off)
Suites
Individual products.
40% OFF EVERYTHING. REALLY. WE MEAN IT.
How to Get 40% off: On the day of the sale, there will be a coupon code – it will be all over our site. You won’t be able to miss it.
ACADEMIC BUYERS: If you are a student or faculty and want to buy from our academic store, please make sure to Pre-Qualify as an academic buyer before the sale, or you may miss out on the sale price.
So… to follow up… This means that, for one day (Dec. 8, and a few hours of Dec. 9), you can get 40% off Trapcode, Magic Bullet, PluralEyes, Universe and everything else in our Red Giant store. Some examples of savings:

Trapcode Suite: Usually $999. Get it on sale for just $600
Magic Bullet Suite: Usually $799. Get it on sale for just $480
PluralEyes: Usually $199. Get it on sale for just $120
Universe Premium Annual: Usually $99. Get it on sale for just $60
Reminder: These are just examples. EVERYTHING will be on sale at 40% off. If you have any questions, we are here for you. Please contact us at redgiant.com/support and we’ll help you out.

The Quality of Light

The quality of light is something photographers obsess over whether they work in still or motion. This is especially true when discussing lightbanks. The last thing that kisses the light before it reaches the subject is the front diffuser of the bank and this is why I have always appreciate the quality of light created with the Chimera lightbanks. Yes, the Chimera material is durable and fade resistant, at least in my experience. But it’s the quality of the light that keep me coming back to Chimera when my choice is a lightbank.

Chimera has two types of lightbanks, one for strobes and another for film & video. It’s important that you use the correct bank for the continuous hot lights because of the higher temperatures. Coming from strobes I had to introduce myself to Chimera’s Video Pro line when I started shooting motion with hot lights. The OctaPlus has become my go to light when I need the wrap around of a 7 foot light and that special light quality. When doing many of many portraits the Chimera medium bank is perfect.

Portrait by Lee White, Los Angeles photographer using Chimera medium lightbank

For more information on the various types and sizes of lightbanks go to http://chimeralighting.com/

LED Lighting With The Spectra 900F

As an editorial photographer photographing on location and traveling by air frequently, I need sturdy, compacted and powerful lights. Now that editorial photographers have to create videos along with still photographs the lights should be able to do double duty for still and motion. LEDs are the perfect choice since they are very sturdy so able to withstand the baggage handlers and inspections. The bulbs last a long time, up to 50,000 hours with little change in intensity and color balance. LEDs draw little power so hooking up to outlets that also have computer inline do not have the same hazardous that strobe surges create or the power draw of tungsten. The new Spectra series from Manfrotto fit the bill perfectly.

The Spectra 900F is a daylight only balance powerful on or off camera LED compact light. It has a 50 degree wide beam. As you can see from the picture you get the light, ball head and three large filters in CTO, 1/4 CTO and opal diffusion. The ball head allows you to either mount the Spectra to the hot/cold shoe on your camera or by using the 1/4” threading allows various mounting possibilities. You might like to use the new lightweight Manfrotto NanoPole Stand with the Spectra 900F, I’ll describe it more fully in another blog entry. The Spectra 900F works for about an hour at the highest setting on 6 AA batteries, AC adapter, or D-Tap adapter for various power sources.

I was able to use the 900F by itself and with other Spectras for a variety of photographs and videos. I stretched the Spectras to the limit of their capabilities. In the 50’s glamour shot above, I used direct light for the main light high and to one side creating a small shadow under the nose and gently contouring the face. I used a Spectra as a back rim light to softly fill the shadow on the face, neck and shoulder and help give highlights to the hair. To make the background more interesting and add to the 50’s glamour look I used a third Spectra shining through a Chimera Window Pattern Kit to cast a palm leaf pattern.

For more information:

http://www.manfrotto.us/category/24329.8373.8465.0.0/LED_Lighting

http://chimeralighting.com

How to Get Amazing Results with Glidecam HD2000

As an advertising image maker in Los Angeles, I’m always looking to improve my ability to show my clients and students the best.  The Glidecam HD2000 is amazing easy to get good results as long as you set it up correctly. It takes a little time to balance the Glidecam HD2000 with your video camera. Once you do have the camera and Glidecam set up it is fairly easy to get amazingly steady video while moving in a straight line, raising and lowering or making simple turns. At first, it’s not perfect but far better then handholding much more mobile then slider or jib.

Here is a link to a complete video on how to set up a Glidecam HD2000. http://vimeo.com/91253654

I find it much easier to go though the process with the Glidecam HD2000 on a stand. Once you’re handholding the Glidecam, there will probably just a few further adjustments to finish balancing to you. Just remember the lightest touch to control the direction is the best.

For more information: www.glidecam.com

The Zone System Overly Simplified

Starting as an advertising and editorial photographer in the 80’s I had the advantage of large format Polaroid and using a view camera. This meant with a little experience I had the ability to see a fairly good approximation of what the film would look like after inspecting the Polaroid which was very helpful for a advertising photographer. It also meant I could adjust the film by the individual sheet of film. As just a means of expediency, I would bracket my exposure and run a series of developments so if I was a little off I could compensate. Since almost all of my advertising and even editorial subjects allowed me to light them, I had control over contrast and form. So all this means I had little use for the formal use of the Zone System. I exclusively shot transparency film which is very much like today’s digital in that it was very unforgiving to over exposure. I would expose of the highlight and light for the shadows and form.

There sere some areas that were similar to the Zone System in careful consideration of exposure and the individual processing of sheets of film. I also use Pre-visualization to the degree I carefully worked toward a controlled result.

Now, I have an opportunity to revisit the methods of the Zone System and see how it can apply to my work. As a whole, I think a working understanding of the traditional Black and White process is very beneficial to photographers. Right off film is organic and I think people and especially artists (photographers) respond positively to its inherent natural qualities. I think we perceive the different between the random nature of film emulsions compared to the structured nature of pixels this includes film images that have been scanned. Then there is the craft in that very few steps in film can be poorly handled and satisfactorily adjusted for later which to a great degree is the value of the Zone System. Digital allows for a number of postproduction adjustment that appear to correct poor craftsman ship. This is especially true when the only platform for viewing is the already glowing monitor. 

Scoring Video Dialogue with Music

I have often wondered why when scoring a video that the music I picked lost most of it’s impact when I tried using it with dialogue and narration.  Kevin Klingler at SmartSound has explained why and how to fixed the problem in a very short but informative piece.  I suggest you take a few minutes and read the article at their SmartSound site at https://www.smartsound.com/blog/video-scoring-tip-audio-density-in-video.html?utm_source=20140706&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MusicScoring&utm_term=Spotting

Poorman’s Copyright Myth or Fact?

Poorman’s copyright is where you mail a copy of the work to yourself.  “It is not a form of registering copyright and will not hold up in any legal action,” Copyright Office, website.

I am not an attorney nor do I play one on TV so this is only my understanding of the copyright situation and is not legal advice.  You should always seek out your legal advice from a qualified attorney.

© how do you register your copyright?

Registering your copyright is fairly easy.  You can register your copyright of images online, by mail or by hand.  Registering online is the less expensive costing $35 and quickest way.  By mail is the next easiest but takes longer and is more expensive at $60.  By hand is the least convenient unless you live near the copyright office in Washington DC and costs the same as by mail which is $60 and more than online.

You can register online at http://www.copyright.gov/eco/notice.html

Why go to the trouble of registering your copyright if you get it by simply take the images?  See the next post.

I am not an attorney nor do I play one on TV so this is only my understanding of the copyright situation and is not legal advice.  You should always seek out your legal advice from a qualified attorney. 

© why register your copyright?

Why register your copyright? “Many choose to register their works because they wish to have the facts of their copyright on the public record and have a certificate of registration. Registered works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney’s fees in successful litigation.”  Copyright Office, Website.

I am not an attorney nor do I play one on TV so this is only my understanding of the copyright situation and is not legal advice.  You should always seek out your legal advice from a qualified attorney.

© copyright when is it created?

The copyright of a image or motion picture – video is created as soon as the image, be it a still or video frame, is created.  In other words push the shutter and you create a copyright of the frame as you create the frame itself. 

But what about registering that copyright?  Is that automatically done as well?  Find out about that in the next post.

I am not an attorney nor do I play one on TV so this is only my understanding of the copyright situation and is not legal advice.  You should always seek out your legal advice from a qualified attorney.