Post series Strobist

Strobist” is a term coined by American photographer David Hobby, who was one of the first bloggers to hit the mainstream and help his readers learn more about the use of artificial lighting techniques on a budget.

  • Using bounced flash to improve the quality of light in your portraits.

  • It’s been a while now since I’ve led a photo workshop. But Pascal from the Photo International Club Zurich asked nicely earlier in the year and so we found a weekend which would work out for us both.

  • The idea behind the workshop I ran in Zurich a few weeks ago was to get away from lugging around loads of lighting gear and heavy camera equipment. I hadn’t done an extensive portrait session with my Fujifilm X100 and I arranged this workshop so that I and other users of smaller cameras could give…

  • PocketWizard TT1

    In preparation for this weekend’s portrait meetup, I did a little research on using my PocketWizard Mini TT1 and Flex TT5 to take photos with my Fujifilm X100 and Nikon SB-900. I didn’t expect the setup to allow TTL flash, and I was correct: this isn’t possible. It is, however, possible to use the PocketWizard…

  • A quick reminder to those whose minds may have been on the glorious summer we’ve been having, that we are meeting in Zurich this Sunday for a day of portraiture. The theme is “Keep It Simple“: taking portraits on location with a minimum of equipment. Details A Facebook event entry is here. Please sign up if…

  • Thanks to all of those who have completed the Doodle poll mentioned in a previous post, the date for our next meetup has been chosen as Sunday, 25th August at the Blatterwiese park in Zurich. Members of Facebook can sign up for the event and discuss it on my Facebook page; alternatively, please feel free to leave…

  • What makes a picture is often the main subject. But a little attention to detail can also work wonders and turn a nice picture into a really nice picture. Walking in the park with friends last autumn, towards the end of a couple of hours shooting portraits, the lighter patches between the trees caught my…

  • First experiences with my new ultra-compact and ultra-light Ezybox Speed-Light softbox.

  • Yesterday’s free portrait and lighting workshop at the Rolex Learning Centre in Lausanne was an unmitigated success, with just the right amount of photographers taking part to allow everyone to make new friends, work well together, and come up with some great shots.

  • The second of two photographic portraiture and lighting days this summer will take place at the Rolex Learning Centre on the grounds of the EPFL in Lausanne on Sunday 19th August.

  • Our workshop day this past Sunday was a great success, after the rain passed away from the MFO Park in Oerlikon some ten minutes before we started! Blazing sunshine soon warmed the area and gave us plenty of light to work with, so the day was spent mainly working with a mixture of natural sunlight…

  • Thanks to all of those who toook part in a Doodle survey, the dates have now been set for the first of the on-location lighting and portraiture days here in Switzerland.

  • After a break of almost two years, and a handful of small lighting courses both on location and in the studio, I’ve decided to organize another free day of photography and learning in the style of the Swiss Strobist days.

  • I ran a course earlier in the year on the subject of portraiture and lighting, which was very well received by the attendees and which I really enjoyed organizing. I’ve been planning to run a similar photo course for a while now, and have decided that the next event will take place on the weekend…

  • Inspiration: Gregory Crewdson

    Whilst presenting my One Frame Movie photos at the Open Show in Lausanne this week, I mentioned Gregory Crewdson. I first became aware of his work in 2008 via David Hobby’s blog and have admired his process ever since. He’s technically more of a film director than a photographer, albeit that the result of his…

  • My all-day coaching session on 11th June 2011 took place in the grounds of the ETH at Hönggerberg in Zurich. I’ve used this location several times before thanks to the size and variety of potential areas in which to take photos; from modern architectural detail to green lawns and trees.

  • Details of a new 60cm Walimex softbox I’ve bought for use with my compact flash guns.

  • I’ve carried out the first of my photographic lighting workshops for 2011 and there are still places available for the next one in Zurich in June.

  • I’m happy to announce that starting in June, I’ll be taking the Swisss Strobist workshops to the next level. Moving away from the previous days with large groups of attendees, I’ll be leading affordable half- and one day courses both on location and in the studio. Each course is specially prepared for photographers who have…

  • After spending around three months considering my requirements and comparing many other cameras and solutions, I have chosen the Nikon D7000. Apart from where otherwise mentioned, all photos and video sequences in this article were taken with the new D7000 during my first outings with it.

  • With the money I’ve put aside for new camera gear, a new, reliable, fully automated flash gun was high on my “wants” list, not least because I receive a slowly increasing number of requests to take portrait photographs and cover events.