Hurricane Sandy Shoot - Varsity Apartments in Baltimore

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These pictures were taken as Hurricane Sandy was pounding on the East Coast. Rescheduling was not an option, so we made sure everyone was safe. A big thanks goes to the management of The Varsity Apartments in Baltimore, MD, where this shoot took place.

 

Credits:
Photography: Sven Bannuscher
Models: Lisa Renee (red dress with black accents and fur west), Karie (black dress), Tenia B (red dress)
Styling: Carlous Palmer
Wardrobe Assistant: Amber Jones
MUA: Tosha Thomas
Hair: Dionne Anderson

Clothing Credits:
Outfits by BCCC Private Couture Collection
Jewelry by Shana Kroiz

Lightroom Hack: Fix the Flash Gallery 500 Image Limit

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I recently wanted to create a Flash gallery for a client containing almost 1,000 images when I realized that the deault Lightroom Flash Gallery caps out at a maximum of 500 images. Most of those issues in Lightroom are fairly easy to fix, so I went looking for the file containing the code for the image limit. First you have to find the file default_flash.lrwebengine, so follow the steps below:

Applications -> Adobe Lightroom 3 -> right-click and select "Show Package Contents"

A new folder called "Contents" will show up:

Contents -> PlugIns -> Web.lrmodule -> right-click and select "Show Package Contents"

A new folder called "Contents" will show up:

Contents -> Resources -> galleries

In that last folder you find the default_flash.lrwebengine file. Copy that file into the following Lightroom library folder:

Users/User Name/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom/Web Galleries

Go to that folder and right-click the default_flash.lrwebengine file.

In the folder that opens up you will see a file called galleryinfo.lrweb, which you can open with any basic text editor, so go ahead and open that file and find the entry that reads "maximumGallerySize". By default, the maximum gallery size is set at 500, but you can increase it to any level you like.

I only tested this on Lightroom 3, but this fix should work on all versions of Lightroom.

Nikon D800 - Second Test with Sample Image (Studio Shoot)

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This is the post for my second test with the D800 and while the first one was outdoors, the second one was shot in studio using a grey background. I kept the lighting simple and non-distractive, a Profoto D1 1000 (click here) with a Mola Demi (click here) and of course my already dear Nikon D800 (click here) with the Nikon 85mm f/1.8G (click here). Since a few people have been complaining that it takes them a while to get the D800 to work, I put that to the test. The objective was to get two headshots out of a 15 minute session (including lighting adjustments and not using an assistant). That's about the time you get when you do headshots of corporate executives. My personal best was 80 headshots in four hours including setup and tear down using one assistant.

The picture has some minimal retouching done, such as cropping, spotting, contrast adjustment and black-and-white conversion.

Nikon D800 - First Test with Sample Images

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I just got my Nikon D800 (click here) and what a better way to test it than in a real life shoot. I was booked for a model portfolio and I decided to see what the D800 is capable of. I know it would be a step up, but instead of a step, it was a leap. The autofocus is extremely accurate and really fast. The only thing that bothers me a bit is that in very contrasty scenes (with the focus directly on the contrast), it tends to jump for a fraction of a second. I have shot with dozens of different cameras over the years including Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Hasselblad and this one is my new go to camera. The dynamic range is astounding; we had 108 degrees Fahrenheit when I took those pictures, the sun was high up and the camera was able to capture shadows and highlights without losing detail in any. The resolution does not leave much to desire either. The close-up picture was taken with a Nikon 85mm f/1.8 (click here) with the sun behind the model and fill light provided by a Profoto D1 1000 (click here) with a Mola Demi (click here).

The other picture was taken in direct sunlight using a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 (click here). I used the D version of this lens, since I do not think the G version warrants double the price. I wish I had a folding ladder with me to get more height and a better angle, but I had to make do with a small chair.