Chasing the Northern Lights – Aurora Borealis from Tromsø, Norway

February 16, 2012 by PaulReiffer | 1 Comment

Northern Lights Aurora Borealis Norway Tromso Tromsoø Paul Reiffer Photographs Professional Photographer Mountain Night Sky Lyngen Furuflaten Pollfjellet

This is a photograph I never thought I’d get – not only because I hadn’t planned a trip to Norway (the Northern Lights / Aurora Borealis had never been something I thought I would see for myself) – but also on the first dark Friday night there, having spent 4 hours freezing by the side of a lake, they showed absolutely no sign of appearing!

That’s right – less than 30 minutes after getting to Tromsø, a tiny little island in the far north of Norway, we were in our warm snow-gear and heading out with Vidar, a photographer from the area, to try and capture the Aurora on our first night in the country.

Tromso Norway Map IslandNaively, I had always thought that it was a simple task to see the Aurora – surely you just “look up at night”?! Well, no. It turns out you need a few things to fall into place in order to see them: A solar “burp” 18 hours before (it takes that long to reach the earth), a great location as a backdrop, a view of the sky to the north, and most importantly, a clear sky!

Luckily there are a few tools to help predict/plan a trip out to see the aurora, including an excellent site – “Tromsø Live” with webcams, magnetometer readings and geomagnetic trends – all provided to help “Aurora Chasers” make informed decisions.

Magnetometer Tromso Norway 10th February 2012
So here’s the magnetometer chart for the night of the 10th February – the night we landed. And it turns out there was quite a bit of activity between 8pm and midnight (it actually continued until 3am the next morning). So why were we so disappointed, cold and miserable? Well, because it seems there is quite often something which comes between us humans and the Aurora…

Clouds.

Yes, that’s right – this is the only shot of the Northern Lights I got throughout the entire night:

Chasing The Northern Lights Cloud Cover Sky Norway

There were 7 of us in total on the beach, and nobody got more than this glimpse of the Aurora. As a slight positive, at least, at least I got to play with both my Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 L II and Canon 24mm f/1.4 L II lenses in really low light and learn how to change my camera settings in the freezing cold, so I was ready for when the show did appear!


Beyond that, we met some fantastic people and had a great time on the journey at least – however, according to the satellite imagery and weather forecast, the thick cloud was due to stay put. That was the night written off.


We returned, rather depressed, having seen nothing and seriously worried if 3 days was enough to be able to even get a good glimpse of the lights, let alone get “the shot” I’d planned in my mind before we got to Norway.

So this is where our secret weapon – Marcus – came into action…

Marcus specialises in chasing the lights – it’s what he does. Not photography, not tour guiding, he just chases the lights. He knows the weather, the area, the locations and views and the next night we spent nearly 8 hours chasing all over the north of the country (at one point nearly hitting the border with Finland!) with the sole aim of getting us to see the Aurora. After one quick stop about an hour previously, when he thought it was starting (a false start!) we were starting to get that sinking feeling again as we drove through cloud for miles and miles. Then, out of the blue, the van suddenly screeched to a halt and Marcus told us to get out quickly. There it was – the Aurora Borealis was dancing all over the sky right above the road we were on in a clearing through the cloud!

Northern Lights Aurora Borealis Norway Tromso Tromsoø Paul Reiffer Photographs Professional Photographer Mountain Night Sky

Northern Lights Aurora Borealis Norway Tromso Tromsoø Paul Reiffer Photographs Professional Photographer Mountain Night Sky Lyngen Furuflaten PollfjelletCompared to the results of the previous evening, we were ecstatic already. Yes, there were still clouds in the sky and it wasn’t exactly the most idyllic location – but we’d seen them! Now here’s one thing to bear in mind : these photos are between 6 and 10 seconds in exposure, at f1.6-f2.8 and an ISO of 1250-1600. That’s a LOT of sensitivity I’m using from the camera, and this isn’t what your eyes actually see. Yes, you can see the lights (and yes, they move – or “dance” across the sky as part of the show) but if you’re expecting to see a show that’s quite this vivid, I’m afraid you may be disappointed.



That said, it is an incredible experience. The sky literally comes alive – with the magnetic solar storm changing the view above our heads every single second. Not wanting to leave it at this, however, Marcus quickly ushered us back into the van and we were quickly on our way towards Lyngen, east of Tromsø and a view of Pollfjellet mountain across one of the lakes. And what a treat we were given – a show that lasted around 30 minutes, right above the mountain (including the first image in this post).

Northern Lights Aurora Borealis Norway Tromso Tromsoø Paul Reiffer Photographs Professional Photographer Mountain Night Sky Lyngen Furuflaten PollfjelletNorthern Lights Aurora Borealis Norway Tromso Tromsoø Paul Reiffer Photographs Professional Photographer Mountain Night Sky Lyngen Furuflaten Pollfjellet

The mix of streams, “waterfalls” and twists and turns from above was absolutely amazing to see. Granted, the camera can make the show more vivid than in reality, but let’s not forget – these are captures of what was really up there. None of these images have been “filtered”, other than some noise reduction (for the high ISO I was using), and the show really did leave everybody breathless.

So there was our proof – it was possible to see the lights, even when Tromsø itself is souped-in with cloud and snow. After another 2am return to the hotel, just one more thing to do before going to bed : hire a car for our last night – we were going to give it a go ourselves :-)

I found the perfect spot on Google Earth, a lake with mountains on both sides – looking directly north and out of the light pollution of the city – and that’s where we headed at 6:30pm to get into position. It was then that the lessons of the day before came to bite – the snow started falling. Heavily. Really heavily. After a 20 minute wait in position, it was clearly getting no better – so it was into “Marcus mode” we went and time to chase the lights (and the clear sky!).

We’d learnt from the previous evening that if the coast is no good, heading East seems to work. At least Norway has a ton of mountains and lakes, so there’s never really a problem getting a decent backdrop – although after over 1.5 hours of driving we’d still not seen even a flicker of light. Clearings came and went, cloud disappeared, mountains passed by but still nothing. Then randomly, just looking out of the window, I caught a glimpse of something that looked a little more illuminated than the rest of the clouds up there. We stopped in a driveway of a small house and got out to see…

…a show directly over the mountains! We’d done it – all on our own, we’d found the lights :-)  I started snapping.

Northern Lights Aurora Borealis Norway Tromso Tromsoø Paul Reiffer Photographs Professional Photographer Mountain Night Sky Lyngen Furuflaten PollfjelletNorthern Lights Aurora Borealis Norway Tromso Tromsoø Paul Reiffer Photographs Professional Photographer Mountain Night Sky Lyngen Furuflaten Pollfjellet

Although not quite as “dramatic” as the previous night’s show, I have to say these are the shots I’m most proud of. We’d driven for nearly 2 hours into the mountains and almost given up (kind of hoping to bump into Marcus through some freak lucky miracle!) but then it happened for us just in time :-)

After that, we tried pushing our luck a little further by heading back north-west to the location we’d found to begin with. Guess what? We’d absolutely made the right decision – the snow had gotten worse, and nothing was happening in the sky over that area. While sad for those people who had wanted to see it there, the sense of satisfaction that we’d not only chased the lights but found them all by ourselves actually made the whole evening worth it.


What did I learn? Well – the Northern Lights are by no means a guaranteed show – we heard so many people at the airport with sad tales of having been there for 4-5 days and not seen them once. But it turns out, if you’re willing and able to chase after them (and it’s a LONG night!) you can find something quite genuinely spectacular – something that only nature could provide. No, they’re not quite the vivid, saturated, colourful show that photographs portray (mostly due to the fact that our eyes don’t work on a 10 second exposure time!) but it is an amazing sight to behold.

Geomagnetic Activity Tromso Norway January February 2012Oh, and one more thing. Don’t look back. We left on the 13th, having been out looking for them on the previous three nights – it just so happens that following our departure Tromsø experienced one of the most extreme levels of geomagnetic and solar activity it had seen in a long while. On the one hand, the grass is always greener; on the other, I guess it gives me a reason to go back sometime too…!

Hope you like the images, anyway, and a MASSIVE thanks to Vic – what an amazing Christmas present, one I’ll not forget :-)


Paul.


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Can technology make a model? – Photoshop vs reality : who wins?

February 5, 2012 by PaulReiffer | 1 Comment

It’s been a long-running debate: “How much photoshop is too much photoshop?”.

In the same way that the word “text” didn’t used to be a verb, the word “Photoshop” (obviously copyright Adobe) has become synonymous with retouching or “airbrushing” worldwide. As a digital photographer, it’s one of the key tools I use every day, and provides me with a truly “digital darkroom” when it comes to fixing those small imperfections that often appear when you finally get the shots you captured onto full screen. And in this post, I’m going to be brave and put up the before and after shots so you can see for yourselves what goes on in my world of retouching.

So, what prompted me to write about it today? This article from the Guardian, mainly. It relates to the winner of Holland’s “Next Top Model” competition, Ananda Marchildon, having to sue her agency Elite after they cancelled her contract for having hips that were 2cm wider than their specification – despite those hips apparently having shrunk since they signed her straight out of the show.

Some time ago, I noticed a lot of my friends on Facebook were posting links to this (now viral) video – “Fotoshop by Adobé” (interesting way of getting around legal issues ;-) ).

The video points out some of the features of image manipulation programs that have been used since their inception, but most importantly – what happens when they get taken to extremes. The problem is, as a photographer, the line of what is “extreme” is now becoming blurred by the client – not us – as their expectations grow and grow based on what they see in the media. You see, I hear many photographers claim (yes, claim) that they “never use Photoshop” to enhance their images. While that may be true of the particular product name, I can be 100% certain, without a shadow of a doubt, that ANY photographer who brings their work into a digital format IS using some form of image manipulation. How do I know that? – If they weren’t, let’s take the film guys, why would they output the image into printed format from a computer? I mean, if the negative is so perfect, why not just take it to the lab? ;-)

Now, that’s a bit harsh, I know.  But let’s be honest, even if a landscape photographer “tweaks” the saturation/exposure/contrast/level of blacks or highlights in an image, they ARE manipulating what the camera saw, digitally. And in layman’s terms, that’s Photoshopping! So with that sorted out, let’s look at the challenge facing a photographer. To do that, I’m going to pick on two very specific cases.

First off, landscapes (and I’ll use my own images so you can see what I mean!). Now, sunsets do NOT look as vivid on camera as they are often made to in print – so they are often “tweaked”/enhanced a little. Why? Because, weirdly, when your eyes see the sunset your brain actually tells you that it’s more colourful than in reality. Want proof? Set a camera up for “perfect” exposure and colour balance and take a picture of a vivid sunset (with no filters ;-) ). Now compare the image it captures to the one you remember seeing. They’re different. So, we can alter (slightly) the values of the image to bring it back to the vividness of what we intended our audience to experience as if they were with us. Below you’ll find an example of exactly this. It’s subtle (hopefully) and simply brings back the colours that I saw when I was stood looking at the skyline. Of course, some will undoubtedly prefer the original one, but enlarged to several feet across, I can assure you the “tweaked” version is more impressive!

Landscape Photoshop Example of image manipulation contrast saturation - Paul Reiffer Photographer Blog

Now let’s go to the other extreme, my second example : models. Now, I CAN manipulate an image, digitally, to within an inch of its life, and still produce a photograph that looks real. But that’s the problem – so many people do exactly that, it’s hard to believe anything we now see. Correcting imperfections has been going on since the dawn of recorded history. Do we really think a sculptor creating a statue for the Pharaohs would have left in that pimple on his nose, had there been one? Or maybe some of the portraits of the royal families from centuries ago – I dare say the words “off with his head” would have soon followed the unveiling of a painting which incorporated that pesky ingrown hair or shaving cut on the king’s chin… So, the presentation of what we’d like our audience to see (us, looking our best) is nothing new. The challenge is, where does it stop?

Portrait Model Photoshop Example - Image Digitally Manipulated Altered Improved - Paul Reiffer, Photographer

This section of an image was from a shot of a very good model – stunning figure, and beautiful face (no, it’s not from any image in my portfolio, so no point in searching!). The problem is, for the exact pose I wanted, even the skinniest of people would have a slight issue. So, it’s “fixed”. Along with the odd little imperfection in skin tone as well as any lines/bra marks, etc. And to be honest, I don’t believe this is wrong. Indeed, many models now arrive with breast implants – and that means only one thing to a photographer : scars to remove! So yes, they get removed. The challenge is, for all of those people who are out there banging the “natural is the only way” drum, there is the reality of a public who want to see images as they were intended to be seen by the photographer; models/clients who want to look their absolute best – “me on a perfect day” is the phrase I hear quite a lot; and of course the photographer who knows the limits of the human body and sometimes wants to get “that shot” despite those challenges.

But that is where I draw the line. “Me on a perfect day” is a good place to stop, in my book. You see, this is where I believe photographers are getting the heat, incorrectly. Not once have I ever told a model that I will be retouching/”Photoshopping” their images to within an inch of their life. No, for me, the reality is that in every single case it’s the MODEL who asks for that to be done. We can say no, of course, but it is their expectations which seem warped, not the photographer’s limits in photoshop. I’ve been asked to reduce someone from a size 14 to a size 8 before. (Yes, it’s possible and no, I didn’t do it!). I’ve been asked to reshape upper arms because every other image in the model’s portfolio showed them “improved” and therefore mine wouldn’t match. I’ve even been asked to remove a feeding tube scar before now.

Zoo Today Photoshop Disaster Waistline ShadowYou see, in the world we now live in, with the tools that are available – everyone’s expectations have changed. They no longer want to be “them on a perfect day” – they want to be someone entirely different. And in fact, many believe they are. This case with the model in Holland, therefore makes me laugh. I guarantee this agency has models on their books who have “photoshopped 90cm hips” – so something else must have gone on here for it to get to that point, but the challenge remains the same: With expectations getting higher and higher, and tools becoming more and more powerful – where does it stop?

Of course, these things don’t always go smoothly. “Liquifying” people also tends to liquify the background, leaving tell-tale signs. Shadows also seem to be one of the biggest give-aways for when someone’s not exactly playing fair with body shapes (see left!). For those who’d like a chuckle at some of the monstrosities it’s possible to create when the Photoshopping goes a little wrong, check out Photoshop Disasters – you might be surprised!

At some point, could it become pointless photographing a subject – just digitally piecing them together from all the best component parts instead? I, for one, sincerely hope not and will continue producing images from my photo shoots of people simply as “them on a perfect day”.

:-)

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Sculpture By The Lakes – Art by Simon Gudgeon in Dorset

February 3, 2012 by PaulReiffer | 1 Comment

Black Swans - Sculpture By The Lakes - Simon Gudgeon - Dorset Sculpture Park - Pallington Lakes - Paul Reiffer Photographer

It’s funny – as photographers, we always tend to rule out “miserable days”. The sky is dull and grey, no warmth to the light and not even any direct sunlight to cast an interesting shadow. So, having pre-booked tickets to go and visit “Sculpture By The Lakes” – an exhibition at Pallington Lakes by artist Simon Gudgeon – it was with a slightly heavy heart that we set off into the depths of the Dorset countryside.

Thoth - Sculpture By The Lakes - Simon Gudgeon - Dorset Sculpture Park - Pallington Lakes - Paul Reiffer PhotographerIt seems I was wrong. Granted, it was hardly picnic weather – and I’m pretty sure we were the only visitors on the day, but what failed me in terms of weather was more than made up for by the artwork on display. Simon displays his sculptures at his home, despite having pieces in Hyde Park for many years now and running several exhibitions.

The image to the right, “Thoth” is one of the first you encounter, looking all the way down one of the three lakes, and is a great example of the perfect positioning of metal artwork against the natural setting of the countryside and water that surrounds it.

Leaping Salmon - Sculpture By The Lakes - Simon Gudgeon - Dorset Sculpture Park - Pallington Lakes - Paul Reiffer PhotographerBeing a slightly more “scientific” person by nature than an “arty” one, I have to say I preferred discovering the sculptures which used reflection as a key ingredient of their appeal. The Black Swans you see at the top of this post being one of my favourites, followed, a close second by this piece – “Leaping Salmon”. Funnily enough, had the sun been out, I’d not have been able to get such images so in a weird way I’m really pleased it was a “dull day”!

I have to say I was a little torn when watermarking these images. Yes, they’re my photographs, but at the end of the day I’m simply capturing the artwork created by Simon Gudgeon – fantastic artwork that it is. So in the same way that a model can sometimes provide me with a “wow pose” in the studio, these pieces really don’t need anything to make them look good. In fact, there’s a risk I could make them look less enticing than the real thing, which would be a shame!

I’ve included a few more images of some of my favourite sculptures from the day below – but it really is different when you’re actually there so I would encourage anyone to pay a visit to the estate if you get the chance.

First up, below – one of the landmark pieces of the collection: “Search For Enlightenment” – and believe me, the photograph doesn’t do their size any justice. These are stunning, and I can only imagine how they look at sunset/sunrise against the deep copper tones.

Search For Enlightenment - Sculpture By The Lakes - Simon Gudgeon - Dorset Sculpture Park - Pallington Lakes - Paul Reiffer Photographer

Barn Owl - Sculpture By The Lakes - Simon Gudgeon - Dorset Sculpture Park - Pallington Lakes - Paul Reiffer PhotographerSearch For Enlightenment - Sculpture By The Lakes - Simon Gudgeon - Dorset Sculpture Park - Pallington Lakes - Paul Reiffer Photographer

Dancing Cranes - Sculpture By The Lakes - Simon Gudgeon - Dorset Sculpture Park - Pallington Lakes - Paul Reiffer Photographer

Oh, and on a final note – the above, “Dancing Cranes” is installed in Simon’s back garden, slightly away from the lake (but still accessible to visitors). Some people have a pond in their garden. Others, a small fountain. It must be an unusual experience to walk out of the kitchen to be surrounded by a collection of your own 7ft high works of art…!

Anyone interested in taking a trip out there – I’d recommend it (we may even head back there on a slightly warmer day for a picnic next time!). At £10 per person, it may seem a little steep, but it’s worth a look and certainly makes for a pleasant afternoon in the country (especially as there are half-price offers every now and then, but you have to be quick to catch them…!)

I only hope some of these images do the fantastic works of art justice :-)


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Doubletake Studios goes into administration/bankruptcy

January 29, 2012 by PaulReiffer | Leave a comment

With a backdrop of established businesses – La Senza, Peacocks, Comet, etc heading for (or indeed buried in) administration, I guess it was only a matter of time before one of the “big studios” would go to the wall. It seems first up is Doubletake Studios…

Doubletake Studios Bankruptcy Administration Business Fail Photo Studio

Now, to clarify, it’s NEVER a good thing in my mind when people lose their jobs – and I really do, genuinely, feel for those who have as a result of the demise of Doubletake. But I guess that’s where my sympathy stops.

As a “mystery shopper”, I’ve had first-hand experience of companies such as Doubletake and “New ID Studios” (previously New ID Experiences). Indeed, I can only say what I’m about to say as a result of being a previous “customer” of theirs – but I’m happy one is gone, and I can only hope others heed such warnings about the others.

You see, there are professional photographers out there. People who have integrity around the images they produce. These are the people who genuinely want to do a good job – those who want to make sure that every single client walks out of the door with images they’re not just happy with, but images that make them smile for days on end. That’s the side of the industry I believe entered in to.

Then, there are the “makeover studios”. The guys who offer “£25 photoshoots”, or “wow – you’ve won a competition”. Great, you get a fantastic deal – a “free photoshoot” (or heavily discounted, at least) with all the trimmings… Only, it’s not. Why is it that everyone who walks in on a “free” photoshoot ends up in a closed room with a sales guy (NOT a photographer) and leaves with a bill for, in some cases, over £1,500? That’s right – it’s a business built on playing with peoples emotions.

While this may sound like a rant, I can say hand-on-heart that I believe the right business model will succeed. And if people loved the business models of such “studios”, I’m sure they would have been a success. The fact that many of them have already collapsed? Well, need I say more. I guess there just weren’t enough “heavy-sales” out there to keep them afloat.


I just hope others out there have their eyes open enough to realise what they’re getting in to with their “free” shoots before walking out with a finance agreement for over £1,500… Of course, if anyone wants a shoot – don’t hesitate to get in touch or book one today :-)


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Photographing the San Francisco Bay and Golden Gate Bridge

January 20, 2012 by PaulReiffer | Leave a comment

After a gruelling CES in Las Vegas, a free day in San Francisco was just what I needed, and the prospect of spending the day shooting with a great photographer friend of mine – Scott Marrs – was not to be missed :-)

Treasure Island San Francisco Bay Photography Night Sky Line Cityscape - Paul Reiffer, Photographer

With my new Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 L II in my bag, it was time to get the tripod and ND filters out to go grab some images. We actually spent the day north of the bay – shooting around Point Reyes and Bolinas Bay – but I was keen to get some sunrise/sunset images from around the San Francisco Bay itself with my new toy…

Treasure Island San Francisco Bay Shooting Location - Paul Reiffer, PhotographerThe night before, I’d actually been out to Treasure Island to shoot some sunset images. At the bottom of this post, you’ll find a google map with three locations pinpointed – the red one being the location of the night-time city skyline image at the top. It wasn’t exactly quiet where I was either, as it seems it’s a popular spot for photographers! One thing I would say about this 16-35mm lens, it can capture a LOT of the scene. Before the light (and temperature!) dropped to capture that first image, I’d actually managed to get this shot just after sunset. That’s Treasure Island on the left, right the way around to the southern tip of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance – and that was only taken at 21mm…

San Francisco Sunset Skyline Cityscape From Treasure Island Bay Bridge Golden Gate - Paul Reiffer, Photographer

On to the morning, and I collected Scott from his apartment at 6:30 and we headed to a few locations on the coast just before sunrise itself. I have shot the Golden Gate Bridge at sunrise before, but this time wanted a different angle – so we headed to Fort Point (the blue pin on the map) and found a little hole in the wire fence, right in front of a police officer waiting in his car. While it was clear that I couldn’t get away with avoiding the fence, a quick juggle with my tripod and I managed to at least get my camera lens through :-)

San Francisco Fort Point Golden Gate Bridge Underneath View at Sunrise - Paul Reiffer, Photographer

Now, why would I shoot this only at sunrise? Simple – while the sun actually rises in the opposite direction, so does the haze. If you look west at sunrise, you’ll notice the bridge coming to life with bright reds and oranges that often get washed out during the day – this, is the shot of the bridge I wanted :-)

After shooting around the Palace of Fine Arts for a short while, we headed north to a few little towns and into the National Parks in Marin County before returning back just before sunset.


bay_bridge_shooting_locations-Paul_ReifferHaving done some research the night before (and with the help of a certain flickr user ;-) ) I got the location of the one place I wanted to shoot from to get a “fresh” look at the city (the green dot on the map). Without going into detail, this is NOT an easy place to get to. There are no paths, no parking locations, it’s not signposted, and I ruined a good pair of shoes (and very nearly my neck!) in the process of getting down the 300+ ft to the bottom.

With Scott waiting at the top, it was lonely down there! Especially when I knew I wanted to get 3 different shots: The sun flare over the city just before sunset, the red sky just after sunset and then finally a night shot – and that l would take around 2 hours of elapsed time to capture.


Unfortunately, I also hadn’t predicted quite how dark it would get there (as well as factoring in the “graceful fall” down the last part of the hill) so I decided to skip my “night shot” from the three in the interest of being able to get back up along with my tripod and camera gear on my back with at least some light. So, settling for a “city lights” shot, without the fully black sky, I snapped away…

Treasure Island San Francisco Bay Bridge Photography Cityscape Sunset - Paul Reiffer, Photographer

First up, the sun couldn’t have framed itself better for me – right between the steel and concrete of the bridge tower!

After a little while, the sun disappeared and those clouds really did their job well – reflecting all the warm red colours straight back at me, over the city. I was initially worried about the contrast of the bridge against the city, and whether it would look too washed out, but my camera (and lens) did me proud – and I love the pastel shades they both delivered:

Treasure Island San Francisco Bay Bridge Photography Cityscape Sunset - Paul Reiffer, Photographer

Now, as I mentioned – I wasn’t too keen to be stuck at the bottom of that hill/cliff when there was absolutely no light whatsoever. While there were helicopters and boats around, I’m not too sure I wanted to have to ask one for a ride. ;-) So, this is as late as I stayed – just long enough for the city lights to come alive, but not quite long enough for complete darkness in the sky. I chose, as well, to go wider and from a slightly different position on the beach, so that the shot goes as far North as to capture Coit Tower in the distance.

Treasure Island San Francisco Bay Bridge Photography Cityscape Night Sunset - Paul Reiffer, Photographer

The only issue remaining – which one I prefer…!

Anyway, there you have it. A collection of images of the same thing, in the same 24 hours, but from very different vantage points. I personally think the shots under the Bay Bridge were worth the “risk” (I know others will disagree) and I’m really happy with how they’ve turned out.

For anybody wanting a go at capturing the same sort of shots – the map of locations is below:  :-)

google_map_locations-Paul_Reiffer

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CES 2012 Round-Up – The Photographer’s Perspective from Las Vegas

January 17, 2012 by PaulReiffer | Leave a comment

CES – or the “Consumer Electronics Show” in Las Vegas this year was a must-see for me. While there to look at everything, and learn about emerging technologies in the conference, I couldn’t help but keep my “photographer hat” on and hunt out some little gems during the 4 days I was in town.

So, the obvious big-ticket crowd pleasers: Nikon and Canon had their new flagship products at the show for a hands-on look at what the D4 and 1D-X, respectively, had to offer.

CES-Paul-Reiffer-Nikon-D4-2012CES-Paul-Reiffer-Canon-1D-X-2012

Being a “Canon boy”, I naturally spent a little more time playing with the 1D-X but I have to say, both seem to be worthy top-end releases of their respective companies’ line of DSLRs. The D4 had demonstrations from sponsored US photographers, while I was given a little more “free time” with the 1D-X to give it a go.

Naturally, I’m biased, but I have to say the Canon certainly felt better built although both are superb bits of technology with sharp captures, fast response and much improved autofocus. With the D4 releasing onto the market a good month ahead of Canon’s offering, it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out (especially as Canon have some criticisms to fix even before it’s been released – around focusing above f8 and video capture). That said, I really am looking forward to seeing them in the marketplace (although, granted, a few months might help see both prices fall from their $6,000-$6,800 / £4,600-£5,200 marks on release!

Also on the Canon stand, some useful “freebie” sessions on video, photography, settings etc.

CES-Paul-Reiffer-Canon-Alex-Buono-2012

Sigma were also just around the corner, proving that size does matter with their 200-500mm f/2.8 lens (which comes with a “free” 2x extender for 400-1000mm shooting).

CES-Paul-Reiffer-Sigma-200-500-f2.8-2012

 - and yes, that’s a Canon EOS 7D body hanging on the end of that monster. Although, for a lens worth $32,000/£16,000 – I’d say it’s in about the right ratio to the camera body ;-)

CES-Paul-Reiffer-Samsung-Galaxy-Note-2012

The big noise in terms of advertising around Las Vegas was the Samsung Galaxy Note – it was launched at CES this year. As an Apple fan-boy, I have to admit it hurts to say they have released a fantastic product, and one that may indeed steal some of Apple’s market share.

Not quite a tablet, but larger than a phone, this “toy” doesn’t come cheap (around £600-700) but has a stunning display and is just the right “in-between” size for lots of handy applications. How it will fare with photographers, I’m not sure (I still think the iPad wins for displaying images) but the guys were out to prove a point with customised T-shirts being made from caricatures drawn on the device…




Moving on, and into the realm of “gadgets” there were quite a few toys to take a look at in the innovation area of the show…







CES-Paul-Reiffer-Lytro-2012First up, a company I’ve been following for a while – “Lytro“.

These guys have been around for a while, following a lot of heavy research into Light Field technology at Stanford, and it’s great to finally see their efforts come to life in the form of a product. Imagine – a camera you can focus AFTER the shot is taken? OK, it’s not up there with SLRs or Medium Format cameras quite yet, but you can see where this is going…!




CES-Paul-Reiffer-Tamaggo-2012Keeping on the same theme – how about a camera that can take a 360 degree image in one go?

Just hold the Tamaggo device above your head and click. You can view, share, and move around your 360 degree panoramic image online with ease. Just as the Lytro, it’s not currently offering amazing resolutions or anything, but as a concept, I think this could be a winner…



CES-Paul-Reiffer-Perfect365-2012Finally, one more thing that caught my eye in there – “Perfect 365” from ArcSoft.

At first, I dismissed it as yet another “one-click photoshop” attempt (hint: they never work – they just make people look plastic!) but on further investigation they’ve gone a little further…

Yes, it will absolutely give you a reasonable retouch of any image, but the “killer apps” (to my mind) are the iPad and iPhone versions. So, I downloaded it for £1.49 to give it a go. No, it’s not perfect – and yes, you can make someone look very silly, but in essence it works – I can now photoshop pictures of people that I take on my iPhone (even drunken ones!).


Back out to the main floors – and on to the Venetian from the Convention Centre, the PMA held their photography show within CES this year – so we had to take a quick look. The usual suspects were around – Tamarac, Nik Software, Topaz Labs (who offered a great deal on their entire suite at the show) etc, but two things caught my eye as a little unusual…


CES-Paul-Reiffer-iProLens-2012We’ve all seen the (sometimes horrific) attempts by companies to improve on the iPhone’s built-in camera – including the “mount” for a DSLR lens which allows you to plant your iPhone’s sensor at the end of a 70-200L lens if you really want…

But this package from iPro Lens is different. A neat little setup, with a variety of lenses, and I have to say the image quality we saw coming out of the kit was a radical improvement on the iPhone’s standard lens. Having a wide-angle option for the iPhone would be great for festivals, etc – and the fisheye is fun for quirky effects.


CES-Paul-Reiffer-BerlebachTripods-2012From new, to very much “retro”…

Berlebach had a stand full of wooden tripods. Now, I know a few old folk who will remember using these “when they were a kid” etc, but I have to say, I love the feel of them. They somehow manage to take the cold, hard, black metal and plastic body and warm it up with a bit of nature. The only concern for me? Well – I can’t see them lasting very long when they go flying down a cliff with me and my camera gear to a beach below… :-(



Successful trip? Well, the photo show was only a tiny part of what we went there for (in fact, the PMA show was a complete surprise) so I didn’t really get to spend much time looking, but from what I did see, there are some cool new products heading our way soon and definitely an exciting time to be looking at buying new gear. Who knows, with this light field stuff on its’ way to an affordable level, maybe the days of DSLRs (and even the latest mirrorless models) could soon be numbered…

CES-Paul-Reiffer-Minnie-Mouse-Street-Vegas-2012
I’ll leave you with one of my lasting memories of that afternoon. We left the Venetian hotel to find someone who looked how our feet felt, complete with cigarette and beer bottle. Walt Disney would be proud…

:-)

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New kit additions, Northern Lights, CES and some travel!

January 10, 2012 by PaulReiffer | Leave a comment

It’s been a strange few weeks really – following Christmas. First off, I’ve finally got my hands on my Canon PowerShot S100 – the replacement to the S95 with which I shot my Thailand images. Amazon UK really let me down on that one, but luckily their counterparts in the US managed to get one in time for me to do some playing around to see what it can do :-)

Next up, I’ve not had much time back home! A last-minute Montreal trip before Christmas and a few other worky-things means that by the middle of February, I’ll have been to Amsterdam, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Montreal, Tromso (Norway) and Belfast already this year – so I’m thinking of taking some time out in March and staying put.  Hey, I might even get to do some “fun shoots” in the studio for the first time in 2012!

Canon S100 PowerShot and 16-35mm L Lens

That Tromso trip, however, has had an interesting effect – I’ve finally had the excuse to get hold of a much wider landscape lens than I currently use (24mm) in the form of the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II which is here with me now in Las Vegas. Beyond that, I’m borrowing their much-rated 24mm f/1.4L II from the guys at LensesForHire for the week out in Norway.  (No, I couldn’t *quite* justify getting both as permanent additions to my kit bag, but it will give me the opportunity to try it as my 50mm lens just won’t cut if for the Northern Lights landscapes I have in mind. :-(

And why am I in Vegas?  CES is here! Last night’s “keynote” from Microsoft wasn’t a great advert for the show (hey, Microsoft – try launching something NEW at a tradeshow…!??) but things are set to get a lot better today with tons of techie-gadgets, computer and imaging wizardry on show before I head across to the Bay Area for a couple of days and then head back to London

Ooooh, I might even get chance for an early morning over there to test the new lens out on the sunrise over there.  I wonder if the fog will be kind enough to make an appearance for me though…

If it does, you’ll be the first to know ;-)



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Corfe Castle – Sunrise Photography in Dorset

December 29, 2011 by PaulReiffer | Leave a comment

Ashamed as I am to say it, given the amount of time I spend in and around Dorset, I’ve never once photographed Corfe Castle. It’s just down the road, and hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of photographers have captured it already, but for some reason, I’ve just never gone.

Corfe Castle, Dorset, England - Sunrise photography in Winter - Paul Reiffer, Professional Landscape Photographer

So, with the sunrise now starting at a reasonable hour in the middle of winter, I decided to give it a try. The only problem is, I decided to try it this morning, last night. Having never been there. For those on Facebook, you’ll now know why I was rummaging around for my head-torch. The good news is, the image above was taken this morning – so yes, I got a shot. The bad news? It’s not quite the shot I wanted, and it wasn’t exactly easy to get when planning started at 6:30pm last night in the dark.

A couple handy hints:

  1. Use Ordnance Survey data to find where exactly you need to be standing
  2. Read the maps properly (google won’t do) – you need gradients to work out heights
  3. Try scouting locations in the daytime
  4. Take a look at the Azimuth iPhone app – a most excellent tool I wish I had ages ago

Into the night, I drove – and got to Corfe Castle itself pretty quickly. The problem is, that’s no good for photographing the castle itself! So, having already looked around on google earth/OS data, I made my way on foot to “West Hill”. On a map – it looks simple: on the right hand image below, the blue dot is where I got to last night, the red dot is where I ended up this morning. The problem is, in reality, that’s a heck of a slippery, rocky, hill to climb up in pitch black (especially if you’ve never been there before) when all you can see is as the picture in the middle – yes, not a lot!:

Google Maps and head torch to Corfe Castle, Dorset - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer

Anyway, I got there. WOW it was windy up there last night, but the sky was clear. I could see corfe, and had an idea of where the sun would rise, but figured I may as well try for a night-time shot while I was up there. With frozen fingers (not helped by a metal tripod and a bottle of diet coke) I got my camera out, and set it for a 30 second exposure…

Location for photographing Corfe Castle at night, Dorset - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer

Surprisingly, the camera delivered. Naturally, the darkness surrounding the castle is distracting, but I was also experimenting with a new toy I’d just purchased – a screw-in, 77mm ND Grad filter. Normally, a 30 second exposure with the night sky against the bright lights of a town would be a problem, but flip that filter upside down and you get the above – result :-)

The morning arrived, and 6:30 on my alarm clock meant I should be able to get there easily in time for the sunrise. Weather was forecast to be cloudy from 9, but clear beforehand – and I had my new “Azimuth” app :-) : Not only can it forecast sunrise times from wherever you are, when you actually get there, the compass can give you exact locations and “time to sunrise/sunset” for accurate planning.  Cool!

Azimuth iPhone App - Sunrise Sunset Calculator

Unfortunately, what I hadn’t planned on until this morning is that the sun wasn’t going to rise where I thought it would using just my compass last night – it would be further to the south. Great, and I didn’t have much time. So, another “handy hint”: don’t run through brambles and thorny trees in the dark, in a hurry; yes, it hurts. Anyway, getting to the “little red dot” on the first set of maps, I set up and saw the sky slowly turn into the pre-sunrise red:

Location for photographing Corfe Castle, Dorset, at sunrise - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer

This cloud-show lasted for around 5 or 6 minutes, and I got snapping. Using that new screw-in ND grad filter, I managed to capture the sky’s detail while still grabbing enough light to illuminate the dark ground in front of me. I was pretty pleased, this was looking good – and then the worst happened. The fantastic red clouds quickly became nasty, dull, boring, grey ones – obscuring the sun :-(

By the time the sun was up (and this was 5 minutes after), it was only flat light left. No atmosphere (no mist), no nothing.

Location for photographing Corfe Castle, Dorset, at sunrise - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer

On the positive side, however, I now know exactly where to go (and how to avoid pain – it turns out in daylight there’s a much easier route to where I was stood!) the next time I feel like getting up at stupid-o-clock. In the meantime, at least I got something out of this morning – my red sky in the morning…

Corfe Castle, Dorset, England - Sunrise photography in Winter - Paul Reiffer, Professional Landscape Photographer

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Thailand in pictures and abstract – a few images from May 2011

December 27, 2011 by PaulReiffer | Leave a comment

I must have been promising to upload more pictures from our trip to Thailand for about 5 months now – well, I finally got around to it!

Tuk Tuks, Bangkok, Thailand - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer Landscape

Since the first post I made about Maya Bay (on Koh Phi Phi Leh), I’ve been meaning to sort through the hundreds of images we took over the two weeks out there and it’s embarrassing to say that I have just managed to do that. That said, I did have a lot – our trip went from Bangkok to Koh Samui, to Phi Phi (via Krabi) and then on to Phuket. However, rather than turning this post into a vacation-slide-show of places I saw, I figure it’s best to simply give you a sample of a few of the images I remember most, with where they were taken. With that in mind, here we go…

That first picture – it’s the fantastic Tuk Tuks that bomb around in all different forms throughout Thailand (and a lot of the Far East beyond) – these ones being found just outside of “Wat Pho“, a famous temple in Bangkok where you can find the incredible reclining Buddha (yes, it’s 150ft long and about 50ft high!):

Reclining Buddha - Mother Of Pearl and Gold, Wat Pho Temple, Bangkok, Thailand - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer Landscape

Wat Pho Temple, Bangkok, Thailand - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer LandscapeIncense Sticks, Bangkok Temple, Thailand - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer Landscape

Within the temple grounds, naturally, there are many other amazing things to see, and to think of the amount of precious metals and gemstones used in creating these features is just awe-inspiring.

Wat Pho Temple, Bangkok, Thailand - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer LandscapeWat Pho Temple, Bangkok, Thailand - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer LandscapeWhile I got a few of the “standard” views of the temples, I also played around with a couple of more abstract perspectives, too…

Reclining Buddha's Feet - Mother Of Pearl, Wat Pho Temple, Bangkok, Thailand - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer LandscapeWat Pho Temple, Bangkok, Thailand - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer Landscape

On from the temples and the fantastic hospitality we received from from Kit at Bangkok Food Tours, it was a quick ride from the bustle of Bangkok to get our plane to Koh Samui. (Although not before snapping another final image of those fantastic Tuk Tuks!)

Tuk Tuks, Bangkok, Thailand - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer LandscapeView from the pool, Hansar Hotel, Koh Samui, Thailand at dusk - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer Landscape

To say Koh Samui is a contrast to Bangkok would be an understatement.It’s absolutely idyllic, and we were so lucky with the weather for the time of year as well, it made our stay there the most memorable of the entire trip. That image above is the view from the pool at dusk, where you can sip cocktails until the early hours, enjoy private dining on the hotel’s private beach.  It’s also where we met one of the most amazing people in Thailand, Supit (the general manager of the hotel), who gave us a “to-do” list, starting with the “Big Buddha” on the island, as well as a visit to Wat Plai Laem with its temple, new (and massive) “laughing Buddha” and catfish lake, not far away:

Big Buddha, Koh Samui, Thailand - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer Landscape

Laughing Buddha, Wat Plai Laem Temple, Koh Samui, Thailand - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer LandscapeWat Plai Lam Temple, Koh Samui, Thailand - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer Landscape

It’s strange, having visited so many countries in my life, Thailand was one of the few where I have kept in touch with people I would now consider friends, that I met out there. The type of people I know if I needed help there any time in future, they would come. It’s hard to describe, as so few places and cultures have people so genuine any more – but this place really is special. The next place on “Supit’s list” was Ang Thong National Marine Park – a speedboat ride away. What an amazing place this was as you cruise around between the islands, stopping to snorkel in perfectly clear blue bays and even kayaking around some of the more obscure landscapes (yes, we kayaked around and under that big rock standing out from the water!)

Ko Hin Lak island, Ko Pha Luai, Ang Thong National Marine Park, Koh Samui, Thailand - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer Landscape

Sadly, but luckily, we didn’t do this trip by Long-Tail boat – but this was the first place we got a glimpse of just how many of the islanders get around. Oh, and one of my favourite parts – we got shown around “King Kong Island” (can you see what it is yet…?!)

Ko Hin Lak island, from Long Tail Boat, Ko Pha Luai, Ang Thong National Marine Park, Koh Samui, Thailand - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer LandscapeKing Kong Island, Ang Thong National Marine Park, Koh Samui, Thailand - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer Landscape

Sadly, after a few amazing days in Koh Samui, it was time to head out again, via a flight to Krabi – a taxi journey from hell, a ferry boat to Phi Phi Don’s port and then a long tail to our resort. In the interests of not repeating myself, Phi Phi is where you’ll find “Maya Bay” (the setting for the film “The Beach”) – more of which can be found in the post I made about Phi Phi Leh a while back.

Koh Phi Phi Don, Long Tail Boats, Harbour, Thailand - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer Landscape

Moving on from Phi Phi (we actually left a day earlier than planned as weather had started to set in and that left very little to do…!) we got the backpacker’s ferry-boat to Phuket, our final stop. Patong Beach is a hideous resort, and I’d advise anyone against going there if you want to see Phuket. That said, having learned this, it forced us to get on a scooter one day and explore a lot more of what Phuket has to offer, including some fantastic street food, crafts, and scenery.

Steam Boxes, Dim Sum, Thailand - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer LandscapeStreet Mechanic, Old Phuket, Thailand - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer Landscape

By now, we’d realised that every big town in Thailand seems to have its own “Big Buddha” – but it’s fair to say this one seemed to be the most impressive, going so far as to call it Phuket’s “Giant Buddha”.  Still under construction, at 150ft tall, it’s an amazing sight – and from the top of the mountain it’s built on, you can see the entire island as well as the unspoilt deep blue sky above. Well worth the £2 we spent renting a scooter for the day!

Big Giant Buddha Phuket, Thailand - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer Landscape

On the way back, on our last night in Thailand, a quick google revealed that we weren’t too far from Phrom Thep Cape – a destination for sunset worshippers across the island. (Stupidly) expecting a quiet lookout point, we were surprised to find coach-loads of tourists parked up along the entire length of the hillside, all waiting for the sun to drop. Sadly, it hit could before it made it to the horizon, but I’m still happy with the last photo I took in Thailand anyway…

Sunset at Cape Phromthep, Prom Thep Cape, Phuket, Thailand - Paul Reiffer, Professional Photographer Landscape

So that was it – a sample of the shots I took in Thailand this year. And the cool thing? They were ALL shot with my tiny little Canon Powershot S90 – no DSLR in sight! Granted, they were shot in RAW, with some setting tweaks, but it just goes to show, sometimes you don’t need a rucksack full of lenses to capture the images you want :)  Hopefully that’s at least given some of you a feel for what it’s like out there, although if you haven’t been, you really do have to go yourself to appreciate how great this place is. We’re certainly heading back soon…

 

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Intimate Couples Photos – with Alex and Rebecca, Urban Boudoir Photography Series

December 11, 2011 by PaulReiffer | 3 Comments

Shooting a couple in a way that looks genuinely intimate can sometimes be a challenge. Those in a relationship can, at times, get “giggly” during the photo shoot and two models who are effectively strangers can be a little hit-and-miss, depending on their acting abilities.

Intimate Couples Boudoir Photos Shoot - Alex Wilcox and Rebecca Bone Nude models - Paul Reiffer Professional London Photographer

That said, it does present an opportunity to deliver photographs with a lot more story and emotion than solo shots often can and every now and then I get a request to shoot a couple. Normally, it’s accompanied with either a few “Calvin Klein-esque” shots as a reference point or a request for standard “boudoir photography”, but last month I got a request that was a little different.

Intimate Couples Boudoir Photography Shoot - Alex Wilcox and Rebecca Bone Nude models - Paul Reiffer Professional London PhotographerIntimate Couples Boudoir Photos Shoot - Alex Wilcox and Rebecca Bone Nude models - Paul Reiffer Professional London Photographer

On a cold Sunday morning, I was photographing Alex Wilcox (an established model) in some product shots for a company in Greece – and a short while before the shoot itself got a request to extend the time and capture a series of “couple” images for his portfolio.

Intimate Couples Boudoir Photos Shoot - Alex Wilcox and Rebecca Bone Nude models - Paul Reiffer Professional London Photographer

For a model, such images are really powerful in a portfolio as it shows not only acting ability but also clear proof that they can work well with others “on-set”.

Intimate Couples Boudoir Photos Shoot - Alex Wilcox and Rebecca Bone Nude models - Paul Reiffer Professional London Photographer

Calling on a local model, Rebecca Bone, and after finishing the product photography we set up 5 different looks throughout the afternoon. Despite shooting a wide range including wet-look photos, classic underwear shots and some nice wintery-clothing commercial images, at the end of the day this series was by far the most convincing and unique.

Intimate Couples Boudoir Photos Shoot - Alex Wilcox and Rebecca Bone Nude models - Paul Reiffer Professional London PhotographerIntimate Couples Boudoir Photography Shoot - Alex Wilcox and Rebecca Bone Nude models - Paul Reiffer Professional London Photographer

Bearing in mind neither model had med before the shoot itself, you have to give them credit for working so well together – and they definitely ticked the box of not delivering a “standard” (cheesy!) couples or boudoir photography shoot.

Intimate Couples Boudoir Photos Shoot - Alex Wilcox and Rebecca Bone Nude models - Paul Reiffer Professional London Photographer

Using the black wall as a background really worked along with the hard light making their skin “pop” on-screen. From the selection in this post, the idea was to present a storyboard of images which suggest the two are really intimate with each other. Hopefully that worked… :-)



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