Posted: May 2nd, 2009 | Author: Lee White | Filed under: Canon, Education, Workflow, photo lighting | Tags: Audio Technica, California advertising photographer, california photographers, California sunbounce, Canon 580 EX, Canon 5d, commercial photographers, corporate portraits, dedo lights, direct light, dramatic lighting, editorial photographer, JVC video cameras, Lectrosonics, Lee White, location photographer, Los Angeles photographer, Marshall Electronics, Matthews Studio Equipment, panasonic video cameras, people photographer, Photoflex, Shure, video | No Comments »
Los Angeles photographers have the NAB convention to help keep them up-to-date. Commercial photographers like me often do advertising photography with the flavor of photojournalism to make location photography seem more real including my video work. The new video equipment I saw at NAB will help with that. When I do editorial photography, I often get to do video interviews and some of the new equipment will help with that was well.

Los Angeles photographer dramatic night portraiture with Canon 5D
I had some very productive chats with the following representatives and want to thank them for all their information. In chronological order Peter of Lectronics, Fred at Audio Technica, Red of Photoflex, Joey of Mathhews Studio Equipment, Greg at JVC, Douglas at Shure, Ulrich Goetze of California Sunbounce, Mike of Marshall Electronics, Bernie of Panasonic, and Jennifer of dedoweightfilm.de.
California photographers are lucky to have so many resources locally. I have been shooting video for over seven years and there is more demand for it than ever.
Posted: February 25th, 2009 | Author: Lee White | Filed under: Canon | Tags: advertsing photo, corporate headshots, corporate portraits, editorial, editorial headshots, editorial photo, headshot, location photographer, people photographer, people photography, photography educator, portrait | No Comments »

Self Portrait
As an advertising photographer in Los Angeles, California, I have photographed everyone from Hollywood celebrities for international ads to stockholders for corporate annual reports. Being a people photographer, I find it interesting that there is a common belief that one needs a celebrity or at least a model to make a good commercial photo. New photographers sometimes don’t realize celebrities and models are just real people too. Admittedly they have more experience in front of a camera and sometimes the support of professional makeup artist, hair stylist and wardrobe people so are more comfortable being photographed. It’s our jobs as photographers to create a situation where all our subjects response in the way we want.
Creating and controlling a photo session takes practice, I still practice all the time. This brings me to the above self-portrait. Although, I love the interaction with my subjects and find willing people to photograph almost everywhere I go, even if I don’t find a subject, I always have myself. I set my Canon 5d on self timer to capture this shot.
It is good practice being in front of the camera. If you want willing photographic subjects then you should be willing yourself and as a side benefit, you only have to quit shooting when you get tire. Never fear, in the coming posts the pictures I show and discuss will be of models, celebrities, and “real” people, just don’t forget you always have a subject in you.