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Tag Archives: weddings
When in Munich . . .
Just trying to keep up to date with this blog is tough work ! Anyway.. so while in Germany Coaching and shooting away, Chloe-Jasmine and I had the wonderful pleasure of working with Munich based make up artist, Diana Zwarthoed.
As I was flying to Munich, I had to pack very light, these photos have been shot in the most simple way with a Single speed light using the Orbis Ringflash adapter. I used a single SB900 flash powered by the Godox Propac Battery. Everything was mounted onto my trusty Eddie Tripod (3 Legged thing). Shooting tethered into Lightroom helped check the focus was bang on for each frame.
85mm F2.2 @200 iso with a D700 – Thank you to Ian for the use of the camera & Lens, and Herb for the use of his Kitchen wall.
The photos have had a Duotone effect to process them, the BW conversions are also using a Duotone process.
Photographer: Dave Kai-Piper
Hair & Beauty: Diana Zwarthoed
Model: Chloe-Jasmine Whichello
Putzbrunn : Munich

Tagged 3 Legged thing., 50mm @ F1.4, bespoke coaching, Chloe-Jasmine, Chloe-Jasmine Whichello, coaching, d700, dave kai piper, Dave Piper - Latest Work, Diana Zwarthoed, Edits, Fashion, fashion shoot, Godox Propac Battery, Music Photography, Nikon D90, orbis ringflash, photo editing, Photography, Photoshop, Photoshop tutorial, SB900, Single speed light, teaching, tutor, weddings
Chloe & her glasses | Portrait Shoot
The other day, I just happened to have the wonderful Chloe-Jasmine in my living room, we shot a few photos using the orbis® flash.
These are all shot with the orbis® mounted on a 3 legged thing tripod, with the Frio Coldshoe. Nikon D90 & 50mm lens
More photos from this blog , Just click on the photos !!
Enjoy
Tagged Bryon Paul McCartney, Chloe-Jasmine Whichello, dave kai piper, Dave Piper - Latest Work, Edits, fashion shoot, Music Photography, NIK Software., Nikon D90, photographer, Photographers, photoshop info, Photoshop tutorial, rock music, wedding photographer birmingham, wedding photography, weddings
Dave Kai Piper Interview | Lady Sybilia
Photographer Dave Kai Piper interview-
“Do you want the truth or something beautiful?”
An interview with Lady Sybilia for http://sybilia.wordpress.com/
“Perhaps the pursuit of perfection, is the pursuit of sweetness and light.
~Matthew Arnold~
Coming across Dave Kai Piper’s work was an interesting moment for me as i’ve been always evaluating personal style,aesthetic choices that reveal a direction towards soothing the eye with pure photographic artistry rather than initially impressing with uber fabulous choices of subjects,lighting,editing, as i reckon is the current trend. Ok i like several styles. Yet, the above plus the personality of the photographer itself played a significant role in me requesting him to answer,in his very own style naturally,the basic ‘Lady Sybilia’s’ questions…He kindly accepted, showcasing the context behind the concept..and other interesting details..
Your work showcases a strong interest in certain vintage aesthetics with a modern view. Is that the case?
Its a complex subject, however you’re not far wrong. I love the romance and elegance from what we could call Vintage. I would not for one moment say that I set out to shoot anything Vintage for artistic merit, its more to evoke a feeling of time and place. The concept of Vintage is tricky for me. For me, Vintage is more a concept and context in which to tell your story.
If you were ehm.. ‘forced’ to choose a certain era/photographer for image inspiration, which would that be and why?
I guess this answer is an extension of the last. Most of my biggest artistic influences have not been photographers or artists in the context of still frame. I am sure the close links between my family and the church have had an impact. The Catholic use of the Baroque after the Council of Trent, I guess, would be an era that was a catalyst for me and my work. Normal is never quite enough. I love the way the Baroque comes after you. It makes you form opinion, it makes you form your views. I like to think my work can do the same. Pretty photos are not enough, they need to engage the audience on another level. Inspiration is a strange thing. Being lucky enough to live in the UK we have some of the most amazing photographers and artists on our doorsteps, so there are many people I could name. When it all comes down to it. I like a good story. I want to be entertained. Many of my artistic influences are film makers and musicians. Marilyn Manson being the biggest along with Tolkien. Over the years there have been many amazing people who have shaped my world view, and there for my artistic views too. Its a very hard question to answer. But, If forced to, I would say, Cecil Beaton. This would for the sheer honest elegance and ability to create a story from a still photograph. Beaton shows us that photography is about content in context.
-Could you describe your overall vision/idea behind your work?
Sounds awfully Cliché, but I am quite aware that my work will live longer than I. I want to make a body of work that is going to live beyond me. To give something back to the world that has given so much to me. I guess my artistic views are formed on the sense that, what ever I do has to be created to stand for many years to come. To answer the first question. Yes. Its my version of what the Baroque is.
-Was fashion photography/photography your main idea or a career or emerged through life experiences?
I would still not say I really do shoot fashion. I would say that my style is to shoot fashion based portraits. The main focus is emotive content, then subtext is fashion in most cases. -Could you define some major influences that have shaped your view on things, perhaps photographers, designers, artists? There are many people who have shaped my views. There are few people who have actively came to me and helped me though. These people have defined me as a person and played major roles in my life. It’s unfair to name people, but they do know who they are. Most of them have not been photographers or artists, but people. Most of these people have put their time and energy into me a person, I owe a debt to these people, that, one day I hope I can repay.
-Are there some moments you’d define as crucial to your career, certain collaborations ,work features etc, that come to mind as milestones to you as a photographer?
Meeting Bryon Paul McCartney ? Meeting Chloe-Jasmine Whichello ? Meeting George Eko ? Meeting Steve Lewis ? Meeting Joe Challita ? Meeting Karl Baxter ? Meeting Krishan Parmar ? . . . It’s such a long question to give an honest reply to, the list above could go on for a many a thousand names. But of course there are some people who have had a more direct impact. Some people have been in my life for an hour, some people for many years. Some people I might never see again, others I am yet to meet. I don’t think I have reached any major cross roads yet, but, when I do, I am sure I will have the right people around me to help me see my path. Sometimes life is about choosing the people you stand next to.
Eddie The Tripod | Tripod Review
So, I was at Focus in Birmingham, chatting to some people when along comes Daniel (according to his business card, he is the supreme ruler of the Universe, but I suspect he is the owner of the new company and designer of the new tripods…) He had with him something a) new, b) had shiny bits and c) was made out of carbon fibre.. I was pretty much sold at that. Daniel introduced me to Eddie.
Eddie is part of the new range of tripods from the 3 Legged Thing Company. Launched on 1st January 2011 from a converted chicken factory in some little place called Stagsden, Eddie is the middle of 3 new tripods, all carbon fibre and all very pretty. Eddie weighs in at 1935g with its bigger brother , Jimmy at 2248g. The smallest of the family is Brian at 1575g. These weights are with the suitability beautifully made ball heads.
I have to really admit something here… I have not used a tripod in a long long time… Shooting the things that I do, I really hated having my Manfrotto tripod to lug about for hours just in case I needed it. These pods are a little different, They are quick and simple to use, super light too. Eddie can be converted into a Monopod quickly, hold a full frame dSLR with a 200mm lens very steady, while still packing away in to my camera kit bag (Eddie is 440mm long when packed down). Why would I not take it with me ? For me the massive advantage of having a super portable tripod like Eddie is that he can be set up to hold my SB-900 for some remote flash action. I did not even think about this when packing my camera bag for the shoot. When I got to the location, It just clicked.. Eddie can hold it !! Since then he has also been a reflector holder and a Laptop holder.
Soon I intended to have an army of Eddies to do my bidding while shooting. Just goes to show, an Eddie is not just a one trick pony/horse/thing….
The 3 Legged Thing company have really gone back to basics here, They have noticed that the number one thing when making new gear, is to make something that people will actually want to use, then making it do its job well at the same time. Having Eddie in the house has actually made me find things to shoot with it, its really fun, simple and light weight to use. For the first time ever, a tripod has a permanent feature in my camera bag.
Eddie, the pod in the photos , can hold up to 12kg, and packs down to 440mm and most importantly can come in many colours. On These tripods, nothing thing quick release or button release. Instead the tripods all have twist screw actions to hold things into place. Everything is smooth and well made, everything comes apart for cleaning and converting into a monopod. The Ball Head is super slick to use, very precise and very strong when locking into place, very simple to do with a light finger and thumb action on the round dials. There is a very cleaver design to let you shoot the camera portrait off the camera too. Very handy indeed.
“To be a global leader in tripods within 5 years, and to continually provide a 5 star service to our consumers, dealers and distributors across the globe by returning a personal element to all of our dealings. To listen to your feedback objectively and implement the best ideas of our customers, whether trade or consumer, and to continue to develop the innovation of tripods so that future generations of photographers can grow as we do” – 3 legged thing.
That means big things, to have a statement like that, to take on the tripod monsters like Manfrotto and Gitzo, the 3 Legged Thing Company have to have a plan and something to set them apart.
These tripods are quite unique, they are fun to use and get the job done. They are study and strong, quick to use and did I mention they look very cool. The company seem to have a good idea of how a modern photographer wants a tripod to perform. If your a little more interested in facts and numbers about the pods, head over to the website and check then out.
They also have a cool range of non-carbon ones for those times when you can not bare putting a your Eddie into salty/oily water or some more worrying situation. While your there have a look at the stunning Gimble heads
3 legged thing say:
A lightweight, yet incredibly strong Multipod with a built in detachable monopod, reversible and removable central column. Eddie is ideal, a fantastic all round tripod, combining a small folded size with tough 28mm Carbon Fiber tubing that will hold up to 12KG. The 3LT X2 Eddie is a class above the rest. Tested in conditions up to -60 degrees Celsius, 3LT X2 Eddie is rugged, strong and versatile.
3LT X2 Eddie was recently awarded the Editors Choice Award by ePHOTOzine.com and a maximum 5 Stars by Digital Photography School and is our most successful tripod. With a beautifully engineered ball head to match, available in 5 stylish but functional colours, the X2 is ultimate choice for professionals and amateurs alike.?
For more information on 3 Legged Thing visit www.3leggedthing.com
Hi Res Imagery is available to download from http://www.3leggedthing.com/Worldwide-Press-Enquiries
For further information and to keep up with the latest on 3 Legged Thing visit www.3leggedthing.com or call 0844 272 7777. You can even join our facebook group www.facebook.com/my3leggedthing or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/3leggedthing. Check out the selection of video’s on You Tube www.youtube.com/user/3leggedthing
Tagged 3 Legged thing., 3LT X2 Eddie, camera equipemtn, Camera Monopods, Camera reviews, camera tripods, carbon fibre, Carbon Fibre Eddie, carbon fibre tripods, Carbon monopods, Dave Piper - Latest Work, Eddie the tripod, Edits, Fashion, fashion shoot, it came from Stagsden, Legged Thing Company., monopods, Music Photography, photo editing, Photographers, Photoshop, photoshop info, Stagsden, Tripod reviews, wedding photographer birmingham, weddings, www.3leggedthing.com
Why Watermark a Photo ?
Ciaran Whyte posted a question on Facebook that did get me thinking a little. I have been meaning to write about for a while.
Ciaran asks:
I’ve been shooting 6 years now and to date I have avoided adding watermarks to my images. But given the recent theft of one my images and due a strange increase in requests for higher resolution versions of my images for wall papers, I have been revisiting the whole idea of watermarking. I’m not sure of the best way to add them… is this too much? Any suggestions?
I will be fair and balanced (ish) as I think outloud on to this blog. My things is… If your are going to be photos in the public domain, do expect them to be used by other people, legal or not. If your not watermarking your work its like leaving the keys in the car, and the motor running, your asking for problems.
If the photos are being taken of a website that you can control, there are many many ways of preventing this by using software to remove the option to save the photo direct of the site. Taking away the , Save As function can solve many problems. This is a very simple thing to solve. If the photos are being taken from a third party site like Facebook, Model Mayhem,Purestorm or any others, its very simple to solve also. Just don’t use them. But, this is just not practical, so, most of us just except the trade off and get the benefit. Use a watermark.
I use a magazine style credit for all members of the creative team, Its a nice simple way to give access and information to the other people while at the same time as showing ownership to solve and provent any simple faux pas. Its fine for me and my style of work, I can use it to show who does what and when, use it provide a background. Another key element is that I work in different ways with other people, This photo below was a was not my photography but my editing. It was in fact taken by my buddy, Bryon. Using this style of watermark is perfect for me to show my relationship to a photo.
Everyone is going to have there own reasons for tagging a photo, but it does shock me when people dont. I have to think, Do they really not want to claim credit to there work ? do they not want people to trace the photo back to its creator ? If they don’t, can they really complain when it is used for something beyond there means to proven ? As a photographer that’s why I am putting the photos out into the public eye in the first place, the more times they are reposted the harder they become to track and find the end user. As a Photo Editor for a magazine, this is very annoying, having to try and trace owners of lovely photos.
As Photographer Jay McLaughlin says:
“mostly self promotion, my theory is that if someone wants to steal your image, they will… it’s a sad fact of the internet.
So I figure it’s better to let them advertise me in the process”
“so what if someone moves it ? just out of intrestest ? Would you confront them ?” I asked back.
“I’d do what I’ve done to a photographer recently send him an invoice then when he doesn’t pay… take him to court. I won’t watermark over the middle of an image it ruins it”
Paul Ottey says
“I use watermarks so people can find their way back to my own archive of images on the internet. Direct links can become unclear after the second or third reblogging of an image. I think they should be subtle and added to the image in a way that does not spoil the viewers experience of the image”
Clear and very vaild reasons to use them, Its a good way to keep tabs and track of your photos.
The message here is, Protect your self and be sensible. Use a nice small credit or watermark, avoid problems by claiming ownership early on. I do want leave this article a little open ended as there is another article coming soon to follow up, so , till then I shall leave you with a funky way to tag a photo.
http://www.jaymclaughlin.co.uk/
Amore Toscana 2011 Spring and Summer Photography Workshops
Spring and Summer Photography Workshops
with Bryon Paul McCartney
Its almost Tuscany Time again ! ViewFinder have released the dates of there summer classes in Tuscany. I shall be there for the two art nude classes and maybe the Life in Tuscany workshops also.
Bryon and Kellie do put on an amazing week, plus you do have the added bonus of my self around. Below is a little video that was made to show last years Art Nude class.
The text below is from the Viewfinder website:
A photo workshop is a great way to learn new photography techniques and immerse yourself in the craft of photography. Whether you are just beginning or a seasoned pro, our photography workshops help you develop your creative talent and improve your technical skills in the midst of scenic and inspiring southern Tuscany, Italy. In 2011, we offer four six-day workshops, based in beautiful San Quirico d’Orcia. For complete details, click on the workshop titles below.
Beyond Postcards: Landscape and Life in Tuscany
This workshop will help you learn new photography techniques and re-energize your creative approach to take you from shooting ordinary holiday snaps to creating compelling images that reflect your personal travel story. We offer our Beyond Postcards photography workshop twice this year to take advantage of the changing seasonal landscapes and local events. For complete details, click here.
- 17 – 24 April, 2011
- 26 June – 2 July, 2011
Amore Toscana Fine Art Nude Photography workshops
Bryon Paul McCartney leads two workshops this summer designed to help you gain experience in fine art nude photography. You’ll have opportunities to explore creative techniques and styles as you shoot in unique and breathtaking locations with experienced models and expert guidance. No experience with models and no portfolio required. For complete details, click here.
- 3 – 9 July, 2011 Workshop I. Light, Form & Expression
- 10 – 16 July, 2011 Workshop II: Personal Vision & Portfolio
Tagged Amore Toscana Fine Art Nude Photography workshops, Art Nude Photography workshops tuscany, Bands, Beyond Postcards: Landscape and Life in Tuscany, birmingham, Bryon Paul McCartney, dave kai piper, Dave Piper - Latest Work, Edits, Fashion, fashion shoot, fine art nude photography, learn new photography techniques, Music Photography, Photographers, Photography, Photoshop tutorial, portrait, San Quirico d’Orcia., summer classes in Tuscany, the craft of photography., wedding photographer birmingham, weddings
How to edit | A little more in-depth
Just another quick little “how to” blog using some screen shots.
A couple of people have asked for a more in-depth blog about fast ways to edit a portrait. This is my “quick” way. Its not meant to be a high-end beauty retouch, but a nice pleasing way to finish a photo in an interesting way. Screen shots of the editing steps, so maybe it might be a little easier to keep track of the process for newbie people.
My stunning model is Verena from Zurich.
Make up was done by Simone Zbinden @ www.bperfect.ch/
This was shot @ Bryon Paul McCartne’ s Viewfinder Studio.
Step One | Stamp and Clone.
Start to tidy up the skin, hair lines.
As always, Step one is to get your photo. The shot I am using for this shoot is of Verena from Zurich. She has the most amazing eyes and lips. These are my key elements and we shall try and highlight them in the development process. Once again, we shall make use of the Duotone method and a simple plug in.
The first thing that you wont notice, is that at no stage is this photo going to be cropped in the development stage. Crop in camera, every time. Digital development is not there to rescue broken photos, its for finishing good ones.
I have started this step by duplicating the background layer, placing above, then selecting the stamp tool, (key-cut – s ). Zoom nice and close and just do some tidying work to the larger distracting elements, hair lines and perfect the makeup. Use your own artist view to decide how smooth and polished you wan the skin and overall look.
These two photo show the before and after of my stamp and cloned effects. I think of this stage as prep work for the later smoothing of the skin.
Step Two – The Skin.
A quick plugin and mask.
To push the skin-work a little more, and to save time, I am using a plug in to get a nice effect on the skin. There are many good plug-ins and tools that you can buy and lots of them are very good. I like the toys from Imagenomic. Plug-ins can be very powerful when used in the correct way.
Create a new merged layer of your clone and stamped , smoother layer and open up this layer in your plug in. ( you can download the plug in for a 30 day free sample ) When using editing modes and filters such as these I prefer to push the effects hard then pull this back in the layer modes and opacity. For example. In the plug in , you will notice I have all the settings on max and gone for a really barbie doll like look. At the moment for this step I am only looking at the skin, not the eyes or hair or any other detail. The only thing that matters is the skin. I am trying to a get a really flawless skin effect.
Once I have my new super skin layer, apply the effect and Photoshop will come back to the main screen, your new layer should be in the top. Add a layer mask to the new layer and with the paint brush, remove all the of the new layer that you don’t want, thus, just leaving the effected layer visible over the skin. ( little pro tip – use the mask reveal mode to fine tune your mask , press the “\” button ). you will notice that you can balance out and create some nice depth just using this method. If you don’t want to use the plug in method. There are a number of other ways to get this look in a dew steps. This is not going to be a high end beauty shot, so lets not worry to much.
I do think the most simple way is the best way as a rule. After creating my new layer and creating my layer mask to go with it ( using a soft brush and soft edges ) , my file looks like the screen shot below.
Step Three – The Sharpen.
The Unsharpen sharpen.
Create the photo, develop, then color is my work flow, it does confuse me why people tend to sharpen there photos as a last step ?. After I have my new lovely skin, I want to sharpen up those tiny details to really make the photo “pop”. There are many many ways to sharpen a photo, all have there uses. I like to use the Unsharp tool.
Sharpening filters emphasize the edges in the image, or the differences between adjacent light and dark sample points in an image. The generic Sharpen or Sharpen More filters are often for graphics, and are less suitable for color photographic images. However, filters do vary, the name “Sharpen” is vague and is not always very descriptive, it is hard to say what they do. But the Unsharp Mask is where the action is for photographs, the standard tool. It offers the necessary greater control. Its my weapon of choice 90% of the time. The Unsharp Mask filter has parameters that allow it to have variable effect, to primarily affect the strong edges in the image, and to specifically exclude the smoother low-contrast areas. It is NOT a simple on/off choice. It is these parameters that make the USM so powerful and useful for photographic images. The Photoshop USM tool is shown, and Elements USM is the same.
One thing to remember when adding your sharpening filters, well a few things,
-
DONT over sharpen.
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Create a new layer and apply using Layer Masks.
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DONT sharpen your whole photo.
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PULL OUT KEY ELEMENTS.
-
The fastest way to make a rubbish photo is the sharpen tool.
Step Four – Add some color.
Add some creative lighting.
Create another new layer by merging all the layers into one file. Sometimes, if I have done a lot of complex layer masks I might make a new file to keep my file simple. Some people might say that’s silly as then I can not go back to every step. But then again.. each to there own. So you have a new layer. Ready for a little bit of color touch up. Eyes and lips are the key elements I wish to show. So these are going to have a tweak to make them stand out a little. To color them I am going to add a Hue/Sat layer and change the color using the values. See photo below. Remember, your only looking at the color of the eyes when adding your color. Using another layer mask you will let this layer come though only in the places you want it to. See the other example photo. The red coloring shows the parts of the photo that wont let that section of the layer show. I have also used this effect to color the flowers a little.
his sample screen shot shows all my new color layers with the layer masks on each layer. If you want to keep your PSD history nice and clean, maybe use a group to set these layers away from the other layers. I am not that good at keeping a tidy work flow, but if you are going to have a couple of people working on one photo, its nice to tag and name layers, ie: eye color mask, Lips mask etc.
Step Four – Duotone.
add an overtone.
The Next step is also a very simple and cool trick, The use of a pre-made Duotone color filter. (There is a blog about duotones on my site). Just think of them as color mapped filters to match your photo. Its like putting a mono-color version of your photo over the color version. You can just use a simple color filter, like the photo filter or make a color by just filling a layer. Have a play about with different ways and you will find what works for you. To create your own toned layer, duplicate your newly created final layer into a NEW DOCUMENT. Convert in to Grey-scale then convert in to the Duotone mode. Sorry if I just jump a little here, but select your colors using the ink selection process, or select one of the many pre-made tones. Have a look at the Triones, monotones maybe. The aim is to get an interesting color that will fit over your color version to give some extra elements of interest. Have a play with this section.
I have gone for a nice purple – Grey tone range. To add the color layer onto the color file, just drop and drop the layer on the top of your layer stack. Something important to think about is the layer blending mode in which you want to use something to let your combine in a nice way, for this example the Lighten Blend mode was used.
At this stage I am pretty happy with my almost finished photograph, but I still feel its a little flat, I have used a yellow color filter to over lay the whole photograph to just add some punch back in. This also works with the story and content of the photo. Once again. Add the filter using Layer Masks.
And done ! A very quick easy simple way to edit a photo. At this stage I would save a PSD version if I am to edit up a set of the photos to ensure my steps and settings are saved, then save 2 other versions. One CYMK converted TIFF file , just in-case I need a print ready file, then make a smaller 1000px high Jpeg version with credits on for the internet. my final version as some added level changes and a few other changes. Enjoy !
Tagged Bands, birmingham, Bryon Paul McCartney, Dave Piper - Latest Work, Edits, Fashion, fashion shoot, how to edit in photoshop, Imagenomic, models, Music Photography, Photographers, Photography, Photoshop, photoshop info, Photoshop tutorial, punk, Punk Rock, skin-work, Stamp and Clone, stamp tool, super skin layer, Verena, wedding photographer birmingham, wedding photography, weddings, what are duotones, what are layers, work shop, Zurich






























