GrossingerPhotography.com

Happy New Year everyone!
Wishing you the very best for 2012 and beyond.

I have largely gotten away from doing HDR images because I found I really did not need to go to the bother.
There are scenes with extreme lighting that call for HDR, but for the most part I don’t need it. Dealing with moving elements in the picture is one of those hassles I don’t need. For today’s entry however, I want to present a beautiful picture of Moulton’s barn in the Grand Teton’s National Park.

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Moulton’s Barn (there are several in the area) has become a cliche because everyone and his aunts and uncles have photographed it.

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I used Photoshop CS5 to render this image into HDR. Yes, I have the customary 3 images, one under exposed by one f stop, one properly exposed and one over exposed by one f stop. You can take these pictures hand held but the failure rate goes way up, so better carry a sturdy tripod.

There is one very important consideration when shooting for HDR. Make sure your camera is set to aperture priority. You don’t want your depth of field changing with each image, and blurring your end result.

The following image is from the  identical original file to the one above, but it’s from a single image, instead of three. It’s not HDR. I worked this image using NIK Software.
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It hardly seems worth the effort to go through all the bother of doing an HDR, when I can get this kind of result with just one jpg. This is why I recently stopped doing HDR images and also stopped using RAW files. They are a waste of time and resources.
More on this later.

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Just a short entry today. I’m still suffering from the post traumatic stress from Christmas and I’m still staring New Year in the face. Hahahah! Well, I bet I’m not alone with this.

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Most people do their best to leave all vestiges of human existence out of their landscape images. I am of the opposite persuasion. I try to include people in all of my landscape shots. I firmly believe people add interest.

Here is an app that looks interesting. I swear, I’m going to have to get an Iphone!

NightCap is a photography app that extends the maximum exposure time of the iPhone camera to a full second.

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Jenny is a complete amateur. I had the opportunity to photograph her just before Christmas. As we were getting ready to do the shoot I asked her if she had modeled before. When she answered in the negative, I thought to myself ” oh, swell”. Not that I mind beginners, but working with a model on her first shoot usually means slow going with a lot of coaxing. “Smile”, “look into the lens”, that sort of thing. With Jenny no coaxing was needed. She just naturally gave great poses and wonderful expressions. What a gift!
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I don’t like to use a lot of props in my pinup photography because most of the time props are highly distracting and many times compete for the viewers attention. It’s the same with backgrounds. I almost always use very simple, plain backgrounds in order to focus all the attention on the model.

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In this case I used a hat from a gangsta costume and an old chair.

Most of the time I prefer models look straight into the lens to give the impression of looking at the viewer, to make a visual connection. I like this picture, because Jenny appears to be day dreaming of being in Hollywood, or perhaps just waiting for that certain someone.

In this image I have good eye contact, a sexy pose, an unusual perspective and a lovely smile.

You can click on these images for an even better view.

Jenny has the natural ability to look into your eyes and give you the impression that you are the only person in her life. That’s a killer look.

I try to develop that in all of the models I photograph.

Pinup photography has degenerated ever since the early 1970s, but I like to give the viewer’s mind the opportunity to work on his or her own fantasies. The brain is the most sensitive sex organ.

In my final image I have Jenny draped in a silk veil. Silk veils are much more expensive than veils made of other materials but nothing drapes a body like silk, nothing caresses the models body like silk.

I hope you enjoyed my presentation.

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I decided to present a couple more pictures of Mandy before closing down for Christmas.

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Mandy is doing one of my favorite and classic pinup poses.

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I like it because of it’s dynamic nature and because it shows the female body in its best light.

I snapped this image with my trusty Nikon D5000 and the Nikkor 18-200mm lens. ISO 200 f/5, 1/60th at 35mm

I use Alien Bee and Savage strobes that work really well for me.

This was my first photo session with Mandy. The shoot was a lot of fun, we got along well and Mandy is a talented and of course beautiful model. I hope to do at least one more photo session with her.

Yes, size does matter!

I like lots of color and I also like using a fan. The fan gives a feeling of action to an otherwise static studio scene.

I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!

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Sometimes I go over a month without having a pinup shoot, then other times I get flooded with appointments. Right now I’m being flooded. Not that I’m complaining mind you.

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I decided to try some new things when I planned for this photo shoot. For starters, I wanted to try out the Topaz and NIK Software plugins to Photoshop, plus I wanted to do some new things with the lighting and background.

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For this image I set the camera on ISO 200. I used the Nikon D5000 with the Nikkor 18-200mm lens. I shoot full manual when doing an indoor shoot using strobes. The selected aperture was f/7.1, shutter speed 1/60th with the lens set on 95mm. I set levels to enhance the shadow area.

The important thing about photographing amateur models, just starting out is to make them feel as comfortable as possible, to establish a good rapport and to work on their expressions. I always shoot with my wife present. That helps a lot. Expressions are harder. The model needs to be made to realize that a glamor photo shoot is like Hollywood, that she needs to learn how to act. That’s the hard part.

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I did not change any of the settings for this shot but I did use NIK Software Color Efex Pro 4.0. This is the latest version. I used the pastel filter. This filter falls right into my way of photographing women. Soft. I want the light to caress the female body, not smash into it and overpower it.

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For this image of Carmen I used Topaz Adjust

The settings were; f/5, 1/60th, ISO 200, 62mm

Carmen knows how to do a nice sultry look. I have worked with her since she was 17 years old. First with fully dressed images, where we concentrated on expressions. After she turned 18 it became second nature for here to play with the lens. Oh yes, I met with and talked with her parents before we did the first shoot.

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I have been wanting to do a shoot using mardi gras type masks for some time. I think this prop works great for sheer impact. Of course you lose all facial expressions, so body language is all important. I want the viewer to make up his or her own story when looking at these types of pictures.

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This type of imagery is a bit tougher for model and photographer because we don’t do many photo sessions using masks.

I used the same settings for this picture. We really concentrated on bringing a more myserious, perhaps forbidden look to this image. The dark background, high contrast, and low key lighting all added to that effect.

I am going to continue discussing pinup, glamor, boudoir photography in future blog entries

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I’m so busy with the babe photography that I only have time for one picture today.

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El Paso does not get all that many thunderstorms, so when one does take place I’m out there looking to get some lightning images.

For this image I used the Sony SLT A55 camera, 18-250 lens and a sturdy Manfrotto tripod.

ISO 200, f/5.6 20 seconds 60mm, camera on shutter priority

I set up camera and tripod in a likely location that is both dry and comfortably distant from the lightning storm. I point the camera at a likely location, where several bolts have been seen. Set the camera on 20 to 30 seconds exposure and press the shutter release. This is one of the few instances where shutter priority is better than aperture priority. The lightning bolt is going to register regardless of settings, so the real challenge is to catch the lightning bolt while the shutter is open. On a really good and energetic thunderstorm I don’t have any trouble catching the bolts, but on a weak storm with few lightning bolts I have has many as 10 to 1 failures, where no lightning registers.
Sorry for the short post, but I have to get back to work.

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I discovered this cemetery by accident, while on a birding trip. Just stumbled on it. There is very little information concerning this remarkable cemetery,  other than the fact that it’s located  on the recently opened Fort Stanton reservation.

I was really impressed with this anchor way out in New Mexico!

I used the Nikon D5000 with the swivel LCD to capture this image. The ISO was set to 400 because I was actually trying to photograph birds and wanted a higher shutter speed. The aperture was f/9 and the shutter speed was 1/1000. I had the Nikkor 18-200mm zoom set to 18mm

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I focused on the anchor and let the foreground flowers blur a bit.

Sorry about the delay. I got held up by a photo shoot I did with two beautiful women.

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The field of primitive white crosses amazed me. For this picture I used a low angle in order to better show the crosses.

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Well, I did go out birding and as it turns out, the cemetery was the best place for finding birds that day.

I changed the ISO to 100 aperture priority was set to f/8, the camera chose 125th for the shutter speed. The lens was set on 250mm.

Lila and I had a great time exploring this cemetery and then moving on to Ft Stanton its self.

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For this fashion show I used a Nikon D5000 with a Nikkor 18-200mm zoom lens. I also used a SB600 flash unit with a Sto Fen diffuser attached.

This equipment worked really well for me. Since I was shooting indoors I did not have to fiddle with the camera settings. Put the camera on aperture priority mode, ISO 100. Now all I needed to adjust from shot to shot was aperture and lens zoom. That gave me plenty of time to look at the pretty girls.

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I did this show because I suspected it would be a lot of fun and perhaps challenging as well.

For this image I chose f/6.3 and let the camera/flash team figure the rest.

Really the only challenge for me during this shoot was to develop some rapport with the young ladies.

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I encountered this young lady outdoors, so I did a quick change by turning the flash off, that allowed the camera to select a shutter speed of 1/200 after I selected f/6.3 in order to smooth out the background. I got a strange look when I asked her if should could carry cold beer this way. The lens was zoomed to 95mm

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Ever hear the expression, “she would look good in a sack”? Well here is the proof that some young women do look good in a potato sack!

f/6.3 flash, lens on 32mm. I joked with her a bit until I got this really flirtatious smile I definitely liked.
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This girl definitely pegged out my cute-o-meter!

f/6.3 1/160th lens on 135mm
This little girl was really bashful so I only got this one shot! I could have spent the rest of the day photographing her, she was that cute.

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I made this trip to the Black Hills in South Dakota in order to complete my recovery from all my health problems. I was lacking confidence and was fighting a depression as well. I’m happy to say that I left all my problems in the Black Hills. Yes, they still work their magic.

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I guess the Chief Crazy Horse memorial will take a hundred years to finish, judging from the progress they are making.

I took a helicopter ride to get this picture. I wanted to get a head on shot and was surprised by all the construction that is going on.  Since I was riding in a rather small and confining helicopter I did not have a lot of time to mess with the camera. I set the aperture on f/9 and just took pictures with the Sony A55 and the Sony 18-250 zoom. Having that combination meant there was no need to change anything. All I had to do is enjoy the ride and take pictures.

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I did the same thing for Mount Rushmore, shot the image from the same helicopter. Doing these pictures was not cheap, but I justified the $150.00 ride by telling myself it was a once in a lifetime event.

I set the lens on 130mm and the aperture was on f/9 for this shot. Shooting through the plexiglass dome is not the best situation one can deal with. There is a bit of glare around Teddy Roosevelt’s head, but I like the picture because of it’s unique perspective.

I tried to get a senior citizen discount but the girl behind the counter would not hear of it. Then I went for a military discount. No go. I told her she reminded me of my mother-in-law. That did not help either. So, as I was getting ready to pay, my VA card slipped out. She saw the “disabled veteran” ID and promptly gave me $20.00 off. Bless her tight ass heart.

This last image is a cool aerial view of the rugged Black Hills.

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Viewing the Black Hills by helicopter definitely let’s you see things very few people ever get a chance to see. I set the lens on 50mm for a larger field of view. The aperture remained on f/9

This blog entry shows only a tiny part of the Black Hills. I hope you get a chance to see them yourself some day soon.

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