OK, so here is the deal, and it is all plain and simple, like:

If you would like a free portrait session (single family, kids, couple, maternity, band, head-shots), just follow these steps.

1- Fan Adam Sparkes Photography on FaceBook (www.facebook.com/adamsparkesphoto)

2- Comment on the contest status post. It’s the one with this ^ same picture. (only the first comment per user is counted)

3- Wait (but share with friends while you do)

4- On March 3, 2010, via random number generator (http://www.random.org/), I’ll pick the winner by comment number. 1 is the first commenter.

Your free session is to be scheduled within 6 months of winning.

If your a new fan, be sure checkout my work on my primary blog: breakfast with adam.

Thanks, all.

This past week, I had the opportunity to take some lifestyle photos as part of a concept for Pelle Pelle’s web presence. The session were done in my role at Media Genesis. The model featured here is Don Williams, IT dude and local performer. A little plug for Don’s project: http://collectiveforum.com

Shooting in Michigan in January can be challenging due to the cold alone. You can just scroll down a bit to read my thoughts on that. For the Pelle concept art, we ended up opting to shoot in a vacant parking when we found out that Media Genesis President Antoine Dubeauclard was getting his hand on a late 70’s model Rolls Royce. Because it was cold and windy, I opted for a two-light set up comprising of Canon Speedlights, a 30″ shoot-through umbrella and a Lastolite Ezybox. I prefer smaller, battery powered flashes whenever possible. They are easy to handle, cheap flexible. Even with an easy-to-manage kit like the ones used in the parking lot shots below, I gathered up a little help to manage light stands and mind the lights when the wind came whipping through the lot. Friends, other shooters, assistants, anyone can be a godsend if you need a grip or just someone to stop your setup from blowing over. For the majority of the parking lot shots, I am using a 30″ brolly to light up the car and the Ezybox to give Done a nice soft, narrow light. Since it was still pretty bright outside, I kept the light as close to him as possible to get the maximum amount modeling that I could given the amount of ambient light that I was contending with. Between that and the constant need to warm up, we had a pretty limiting session. Overall, I am happy with the results, but it seemed like the elements were against us, at moments. The cops even gave us a long gaze, at one point, but elected to let us continue to monopolize the vacant lot.

For the indoor shots, Don and went sans a crew down to the Leland Hotel in Detroit. All of these shots are taken with Canon Speedlights, as well. I used a combination of the Ezybox, bare flash and some homemade snoots. (Snoot shots resulted in the image I used in the banner for this post) The Leland is an old building with a fairly dim ambiance that allowed me to easily play my flash output and window light. While the atmosphere was vintage and cool, there were a lot of patch work decorations and finishings  in the background. Thusly, I decided to shoot at higher shutter speeds to keep the ambient light low, thereby reducing the details of the non-subject elements. This technique draws attention to your light, as well hides any unsightly items within a scene. Nice muted lights make this approach a lot easier. In the ballroom shot, there are literally multiple tables leaned against the walls, along with cords boxes and other materials. It just takes a nice low ISO setting and a high shutter speed to make them disappear.

Camera used: EOS 7D (thoughts on this cam coming soon)

Lights: Canon 430Ex

Triggers: Elinchrom Skyport Universals

Lenses: Canon EF 24 f1.4 L, Canon EF 85 f/1.2 L MKII

Despite that clever title, this post is far from a rant. It is a rave. A gushing. A thank you. A showing of appreciation.

Sure, saying how awesome your clients are probably seems like a no-brainer. A mandatory “must” if you do what I do. So, I can appreciate if this post just seems like kissing-up to some. So be it. I am going to write it anyway, but hope you know this is really just an off-the-cuff outpouring of emotion about dozens of people that were strangers to me just a few short months ago.

The simplest way to put it is that I am in the business of making friends. I suffer from a complete inability to detach myself from my subjects. I cry at weddings. I love when a client “friends” me online.

Perhaps sentiment is the only thing that can keep a wedding photographer sane? Perhaps not? But, it certainly contributes to my process. I’m totally content standing a couple in front of the camera and chatting and joking with them until the genuine belly-laughs completely break down any chance we had at a solid pose. These are often my favorite pictures. I’ll talk an ear off during an e-session. … I suppose I’ll talk an ear off whenever given the chance? Ask anyone. Earnest conversation is a huge part of this job.

If you are a portrait photographer, you are a public speaker. In more ways than you may initially think. Foremost, you have to want to get to know your subjects. To care. To become completely dedicated to representing them with imaging. Those photographs that show an accurate reflection of their personalities will speak loudly. Not just about your clients, but about the relationship you have with them. A picture that shows genuine emotion is the result of the comfort your client was feeling in front of your camera. This comfort cannot be faked. It cannot be Photoshopped. The results will speak to everyone. Public speaking, so to speak.

I can’t say that I’ve ever had a bad client. Sure, I don’t hear from all of them regularly once the photos have long been hung on the walls. But, I appreciate everyone that opens the doors of their lives to me for a day. Choosing a photographer can be daunting, particularly for a wedding day. I can’t emphasize how much I respect this fact. I never point a camera at a bride without recalling the way her groom looked in her eyes when I hid behind a telephoto lens, back when I shot the e-session. I never push the shutter until I ask myself how much emotion would I want the shooter to put into the clicks if this were my wife, my sister, or my friend? And, I love every second. Every reading. Every speech. And the cake. Well, my assistant, Erica, loves the cake more than I do. But, who doesn’t love cake. Haha.

Wedding season has only been over for two weeks, and I am already itching for April to get here. I wish my new friends from 2009 good luck in their marriages, and I hope to be in touch for years to come. 2010 peeps: I can hardly wait.

In honor of Michigan winters and the last three weddings that I’ve shot being December snow-fests, this post is about shooting while you’re shivering.

Really, if you are a shooter in any great northern state such as mine, finding folks who want to brave the cold for their big day might be the biggest challenge for your winter shooting. Really, these people are out there and they (whether they know it or not) are  uncovering a less often found gem of the wedding date search. Venues are decorated more elaborately for the holidays, rates are often better for services and the winter landscape can offer a unique and beautiful setting. Winter weddings and winter photography can be truly rewarding if you go about it the right way.

First of all, it is going to be cold, so just get over it. Winter is cold. Snow is cold. Deal. If you live in the northern US, you ought to be used to it by now. I do suggest dressing in layers, though. I’ve discovered this year that fingerless gloves are an absolute must for outdoor sessions. Unfortunate enough for me, I just came to this conclusion after about five sessions that left my hands red and burning from exposure. My 5D MKII feels like gripping onto a block of ice after about an hour outside.

On this same note, I’ve taken to suit jackets and blazers more often than I do throughout the year. This way I can shed my coat if I am feeling warm, but still have an additional (and professional) layer to fight off the elements. Advising your clients to dress appropriately for outdoor sessions can be tough since you don’t want them to appear too “bulky” for a casual session. On the wedding day, they will be almost assuredly freezing, but properly adorned.

Once you’re comfortable it is just a matter of making the most out of the weather. Foremost, I like to incorporate the elements. If it is cold, I look for breath. If the snow or rain is coming down, I don’t run away from it, but rather light it up and use it to create atmosphere. You can’t hide from it, so you might as well own it. Also, going for bright blown skies and stark openness can provide good contrast with your subject, so I look for that whenever possible. Neither togs or subjects should ever consider winter too “ugly” or gray for a good session.

GEEKY PARAGRAPH:

To get the snow flakes or rain drops really glowing, I typically use a speed light (in my case a Canon 430ex on a light stand, triggered by Skyport universals). Placing this light behind your subjects and setting it to output a few stops over ambient will work for the glowing affect seen below. I have a tendency to shoot at a higher ISO, myself. This way the flash doesn’t need to do as much work and I can get a quicker shutter. Other benefits to the higher ISO are quicker recycle times on the flash and being able to let more ambient light sneak in, so that you can better affect the flash output using your aperture. You can either feather the light, stop down your lens or reduce the output of your flash to get more subtle precipitation and less flare. if it is dark enough the spill from the single light should be enough to illuminate you subjects, so you can get away with a one-light setup. This is the case in my examples below.

Finally, you can’t worry about shooting in the dark. The days are short, so multiple-light setups and moody beams of illumination can really make the dim afternoons and evenings of the winter seem festive and alive. Plus, if you must shoot indoors you’ll need these same lighting techniques at times to keep dim halls and churches feeling alive for your portrait sessions.

This was my busiest December ever for outdoor sessions, and I really hope that it repeats again next year. Happy New Year.

I know what your thinking. “Adam, you have way too many websites.” It is true. And while I do, in fact, realize that I am just creating undo pressure on myself to keep this, breakfastwithadam.com, my two portfolio sites, my tumblr and my social media sites up to date, I just couldn’t resist a site that was a little more candid and less thematic.

The idea behind “click. click. FLASH [wow]” is to give you a deeper look into my process, distractions, techniques and inspirations. I really just wanted a blog that didn’t have an expressed purpose. I do love love breakfast with adam, but sometimes just having a “show” blog leaves me wanting to share more. I do realize that many of my friends and clients just want to see the pretty pictures, hence the reason this blog has found its way onto the interwebs.

I really am open to what direction it goes in, so here is a to a fruitful and photographic new year!

photo by Erica Sparkes (assistant and sister-extraordinaire)