Playing in the studio 2020


2019 was very good to me, at least from an equipment standpoint. Thanks to an attractive employee purchase program, I was able to bring home two new cameras in 2019. In fact, one is so new it only has 29 actuations on it and I honestly haven't even downloaded them yet. I also own some new lenses, lights, triggers, and even that new Leatherman multi-tool photographed above.

I have had a small shooting area in my basement for some time, but over the holidays I took time to expand it into some additional space and actually create a small studio space. Actually its a really nice, large area.  I'm quite blessed to have not only such a space, but also the awesome gear to use in it. I'll leave that for a different blog.

Having finished the studio, it was only fitting that I shoot something, right? Well, in typical fashion, every bit of that fancy, new gear remained packed away today.  Instead, just about everything used to shoot this image was free - devalued gear that, if not donated to my cause, would have been discarded. My trusty ol' broken 7D supported by an old Tiltall tripod and a less than perfect Nikkor 105 handled the image capture. The light was provided by an old Photogenic light, sitting atop by a defective light stand bounced into a single ugly old umbrella.

As you can see in the image below, this is far from high tech gear in perfect condition. Quite the contrary. So why would I choose to use this old janky equipment when I could simply reach for some of the newest, highest quality equipment currently available?


There's actually more than one answer to that question. First of all, I simply enjoy using my old "broken down" gear. It actually makes me happy to create images using this stuff.  Secondly, since most of this gear will live out its remaining life in my basement, it only makes sense to use it for my in-home projects and leave the newest gear packed up and ready to go for on-location shoots. But, finally, I want to prove a point. And I want to practice what I preach. I consistently attempt to educate my customers and students to one simple fact. Our industry constantly has some new tool of some sort to either fill an existing need or to create a new one. And, while having new, shiny tools makes us feel great, and sometimes makes our jobs easier, those tools don't create our images. WE do, using our skill and our imagination. 

Lighting is a perfect example of how quickly trends in this industry change. Lighting modifiers themselves are in constant flux. I'm in the business of selling these things and I can't keep up. Do you need an Octobox or a rectangular softbox or maybe you need a 7' parabolic umbrella. I think thats the one that's the most popular at the moment. A 7' diameter umbrella? Seriously? Various lighting modifiers have slightly different effects but they all do pretty much the same thing. That's why I chose to use a humble old traditional umbrella for my Leatherman shot. A moderate sized umbrella is one of the handiest, and certainly most cost effective, modifiers any photographer can own. Even a nasty old stained and yellowed umbrella that would otherwise be occupying space in a landfill somewhere. 

This setup is so simple that it only took about fifteen minutes to set up and shoot. If I was shooting this for true commercial purposes I would spent have more time making sure things were perfect. I definitely would have dusted the Leatherman off.  I would have likely added another light to add some brighter highlights to the Leatherman, etc. But  today my job wasn't to sell anyone a Leatherman multi-tool.  

So, taking a look at the image again, I think that one ugly umbrella did a pretty nice job. So did that broken Canon camera and its mis-matched Nikon lens. I'll likely keep using them for a while. 



Despite having purchased new gear in 2019 myself, my hope for 2020 is to inspire as many people as possible to learn to create great images with the gear they own. I witness far too many photographers that believe their images will improve only when they can afford to upgrade. I know better. 

Have a great 2020 and lets create some great images. 




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