Category Archives: Photo News
SLC-1L-07: Small, Fast and Powerful
Much like a welterweight fighter, a leaf-shuttered camera and a speedlight in a mini softbox throws a punch that is much harder than you'd expect. Even outdoors, in midday light. Case in point, these portraits of Cuban boxer Osmany Barcelay. … Continue reading
SLC-1L-05: Living in the In-Between
Our eyes are wonderful devices. They are autofocus, auto-zoom, autoexposure, and (to a large degree) auto white balance. Our cameras, on the other hand, see things more objectively. Today, how to finesse that difference when adding light. Read more » … Continue reading
SLC-2L-04: Thank You [BTS/360]
Today on Lighting Cookbook, something different: A BTS/360 look at a single photo. Normally, we concentrate on the "how" part. But today we'll also be looking at the broader ecosystem— the why—and how a simple photo can serve as a … Continue reading
X-Peditions 2019 Workshops Have Filled
Strobist’s 2019 X-Peditions workshops (Havana in January and Hanoi in the fall) have both filled. Hanoi actually filled before any public announcement. So if you think you might be interested in a future workshop, please make sure to sign up … Continue reading
Opportunity Knocks
As Halloween approaches, a timely story about a little prank available to any lighting photographer. All you need is a remote flash trigger, a clueless friend and the maturity level of a 12-year-old. Read more » Strobist
SLC-2L-04: Use a Tight Grid to Create Color
Normally, you might think of a grid spot for what it creates: a tight zone of light. But it also can be helpful to think of it in terms of the inverse: a grid also prohibits light from reaching everywhere … Continue reading
SCL-OE-04: Cheap, Portable Outdoor Light Source
No matter how long you have been doing something, be it lighting or photography or, well, anything, you're never too old to be dumbstruck by a cool new idea. Take the linens drying on the line above, for example. In … Continue reading
SLC-OE-03: How to Choose a Softbox for your Speedlights
Umbrellas are a great first light mod: cheap, easy to use, easy to transport. But softboxes can give you more control, both in the beam's edge and with reduced light leakage. The photo above was shot with a single speedlight … Continue reading
Now Open: X-Pedition Havana
We are announcing our second X-Pedition photo workshop, in Havana, Cuba for January 11-18, 2019. A joint project of Strobist.com and Washington, D.C.-based Focus On The Story, X-Peditions are a shooting-intensive week centered at the intersection of journalistic photography and … Continue reading
SLC 2L-03: Use Your Second Light to Hide Your First Light
As promised in the last sunset lighting tip post, a second quick hack for dusk/lit portraiture. This one involves helping your camera's chip see a contrasty scene more like the way our eye sees it. Read more » Strobist
SLC-OE-02: The Best Compact Lighting Bag Is Not a Photography Bag
Call me crazy, but I love the idea of finding a great piece of photo gear by going off-label. In this case, a lighting bag that is not technically a lighting bag. It's perfectly sized, comes in a ridiculous array … Continue reading
SLC-1L-04: A Hack for Manual Flash at Sunset
Manual flash is great for its consistency and repeatability throughout a shoot. But working in a fluctuating ambient environment, such as against a fast-waning sunset, can get hairy. Today in the Lighting Cookbook, how to easily control the exposure level … Continue reading