Joby Blog

Fall Photo Contest 2011!

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By Emily on November 28, 2011

Here are the beautiful entries to our Fall Photo Contest 2011. We had so many great submissions that we decided to award additional prizes! Congratulations to our Fall Photo Contest winners!

Fan Favorite: Rebeka Drahos! Wins a GorillaPod Focus!

Rebeka Drahos

JOBY Favorite: Kerry Griechen! Wins a GorillaPod Focus!

Kerry Griechen

Voters: Janca Dániel, John McCoy, Ryan Breeden and Meredith Adelaide each win a GorillaPod Original!

And the rest of the amazing entries …

Alex Boone

Cassio Magalhaes

 

Christian Farkas

Christina Harness

Danielle Dearborn

Janca Daniel

John MccoyMarie Routledge

 

Meredith Adelaide

Rebecca Starrett

Rick Ohnsman

Ryan Breeden

Semion Bourakevich

Susie Szeto Price

Terry McGraw

 

Timo Ryttari

Tony Phimister

Travis Fisher

Yashaswi Manjunath N

Stay tuned for future contests and giveaways! I see a Winter Photo Contest on the horizon!

Tips from a Pro: On Location Portraiture

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By Emily on November 18, 2011

The holidays are nigh and for many of us this means plenty of time spent celebrating with friends and family. For the photography-minded among us, it also means that we’ll want to capture friends and family in the best light so we can cherish our photos long after the holidays have passed. Lucky for us, Lowepro brought on professional photographer Rick Sammon to tell us how to get the best out of our portrait subjects during this holiday season, and far beyond.

Rick Sammon is a world-renowned travel photographer. Rick is the author of 36 books on photography, has several photography apps and leads dozens of photography workshops every year all over the world.  

 

Portraiture Philosophy

The camera looks both ways. Picturing the subject means we are also picturing ourselves. You—your mood, your body language—are reflected in the subject. It is important to be just as aware of yourself as you are of your subject when you are shooting a portrait.

Also, be sure to take photos of the people you love. You won’t ever regret having those images.

How to Get a Great Portrait

 

  • Respect your subject, especially if you’ve just met them.
  • Be friendly. Smile big. Share a bit about yourself and get to know them before you get behind the lens, even if it is just for 10 minutes.
  • Film the frame. The closer you are to the subject, the more intimate the photo becomes
  • Capture the “catch light” in their eyes. A little highlight/sparkle in the eye really brings the subject to life.
  • Try an off-center composition
  •  Shoot both vertical and horizontal
  •  Shoot Camera RAW to give yourself the most options in post production
  • ALWAYS KEEP SHOOTING! You never know what your subject will do next.

 

Portrait Gear

Favorite Lens: 24 – 105 mm zoom lens

#1 Accessory (after his Lowepro bag, of course): a flash

 

Lighting Tips for On-Location Portraits

 

Light illuminates, shadows define. The shadows are the soul of the photo.

  1. Pay attention to the direction of the light and move your subject to maximize the available light.
  2. Use a daylight fill flash. Try to balance the flash with ambient light for best results.
  3. Keep lighting set-ups as simple as possible. If you’re inside, use just one softbox. The larger the light, the softer the light. The closer the light, the softer the light.
  4. Reflectors are also great. They can bring out true colors and create contrast. Avoid placing the reflector below the subject because that creates a flashlight-below-the-chin effect.

For more lighting tips, check out Rick’s iPhone and iPad App “Rick Sammon’s Light It!”.

A Bit About HDR and Portraiture

 

HDR (high dynamic range) photography is when the photographer takes a series of images of the same scene to capture the entire range of highlights and shadows. These images are then merged into one final image in post-production. The spectrum of highlights and shadows in HDR goes beyond what a camera can capture or the naked eye can see.

Avoid applying HDR to people because the effect can be rather harsh. Instead, apply the effect around them for better results.

For more HDR tips, check out Rick’s iPhone and iPad App “Rick Sammon’s iHDR”.

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If you’re interested in listening to this webinar or LowePro’s past webinars, visit Ask the Pro.

JOBY Fall Photo Contest!

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By Emily on November 16, 2011

Microwhat

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By Emily on November 15, 2011

Microwhat is the photography experiment we’ve all been waiting for. While your holidays might be devoted to more serious uses of the kitchen —20 pound turkey plus all the fixings, anyone?—Microwhat is devoted to before and after pictures of microwaving anything. Solid.

As a lover of GIFs, I must admit these ones are a little spastic, but I suppose they do convey the cooking capabilities of the microwave rather well.

Have something you’d like the masters at Microwhat to microwave and photograph? Submit suggestions here. And view more fun before and afters, plus the juicy details of each experiment, here.

Artist Eric B. Wood

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By Emily on November 11, 2011

Not every company has a brag-worthy customer base, but JOBY sure does. We are lucky to have a ton of amazing, creative people that also happen to love our products. I chatted with photographer and JOBY-enthusiast Eric B. Wood about his start in photography, sneaking around library security guards to get the perfect shot and his inspirations.

Eric B. Wood is a self-taught photographer working in Hoosick, NY. He reached out to photography as creative escape from his corporate life, and never turned back. 

The Terminal by Eric B. Wood (ericbwood)) on 500px.com
The Terminal by Eric B. Wood

How long have you been a photographer?

I received my first DSLR back in 2007, but I’m embarrassed to say how long it sat without any use. It spent most of the time in the closet taking up space.  It wasn’t until 2009 that I really discovered my passion for photography and image processing. Since then it has been an awesome experience and it is a passion I truly value.

Do you remember when you first discovered the GorillaPod?

As a matter of fact I do. I had a catalog for an outdoor clothing retailer show up in my mailbox and somewhere in there I came across the GorillaPod Original. I loved how unique it was and jumped on the Joby website to check it out. I was super excited when I saw there was an SLR specific version. I dropped a little hint-hint to my wife and Christmas came early that year.

Untitled by Eric B. Wood (ericbwood)) on 500px.com
Untitled by Eric B. Wood

What do you find is most useful about the GorillaPod?

The GorillaPod’s flexibility (both literally and figuratively) makes it one of the most valuable pieces of equipment in my bag. Primarily shooting HDR photos, a tripod is really the staple of success but let’s face it, a traditional tripod is not always practical…or even acceptable. Over the last couple of years I’ve fallen in love with the idea that I can leave my big, bulky tripod at home and still have a tool that can produce reliable, creative results.

Can you tell us about a specific time where it really came in handy?

I was recently in New York City and decided to take a stroll through the New York Public Library. This place is simply amazing….both in terms of architecture and number of security officers. As soon as I entered through the main doors I was greeted with a frown and a warning from an officer not to let my tripod touch the floor. I wasn’t entirely surprised but I was pretty sure I could snap a discrete shot here and there. I was wrong. I quickly learned the library has officers in every corridor and every room just waiting for some unsuspecting photographer to try and get a shot off.

As I approached the main granite staircase I knew there was no way I could just walk by without shooting it. I quickly turned into stealth mode and opened my tripod to get a shot. Before the tripod hit the floor, I was greeting by an officer who reminded me that use of a tripod was prohibited. I casually grabbed my GorillaPod, made a few adjustments and placed it on a small table to get the shot; with the approval of the officer of course.

New York Public Library by Eric B. Wood (ericbwood)) on 500px.com
New York Public Library by Eric B. Wood

What inspires your work?

Creativity, uniqueness…landscapes, seascapes…websites, prints…you name it. I find inspiration everywhere. If you are one of those people that have a passion for something, you know what I mean. Searching for inspiration for something you love is almost as natural as breathing…finding the inspiration can sometimes be tough but it is out there; all around us and it usually hits you when you least expect it.

The Weight of the World by Eric B. Wood (ericbwood)) on 500px.com
The Weight of the World by Eric B. Wood

What is next on your Gorillapod wishlist?

Simple… GorillaPod Focus with Ballhead X…Done

Do you have any advice for a new GorillaPod shooter?

Absolutely! If you typically shoot with a tripod, leave it at home and take only your GorillaPod. It will force you to be creative and you will find a whole new perspective that you never would have found otherwise. If you shoot handheld, leave your camera strap at home for the exact same reasons.

Untitled by Eric B. Wood (ericbwood)) on 500px.com
Untitled by Eric B. Wood

The California by Eric B. Wood (ericbwood)) on 500px.com
The California by Eric B. Wood

 

If you are interesting in checking out the rest of Eric’s portfolio, visit his website. There are some really beautiful landscapes as well.

Have a lovely weekend!

 

Fall Photo Love

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By Emily on November 8, 2011

Here are a few new fall photos from our Pro Team member *Safe Solvent to get you in the mood. The first three are self-portraits from his Instagram feed and were shot using a Gorillapod.

These last three are from his Fall photo shoot for Citizen Vintage. They are so beautiful and capture the essence of fall.

The Ranch (part 4)

The Ranch (part 4)

The Ranch

If you’d like a daily dose of *Safe Solvent, follow him on Instagram (Martin Reisch) or Twitter (@safesolvent).

And if your photos don’t quite look like these and you need a few tips on how to best photograph fall, check out my post on the subject.

Photographing Fall

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By Emily on November 4, 2011

The air is crisp, the leaves are changing color, there are piles of squash outside my grocery store. It is officially fall— even here in San Francisco with the temperatures dipping into the bone-chilling 40s—and fall always reminds me of my mother.

My mother is fall color obsessed. Growing up, she would ‘torture’ my siblings and I by pointing out every instance of fall color as we drove around our California suburb. “Wow! Emily, look out there! Look that that fall color!” “Gorgeous fall color!” “Look that that Japanese maple-— beautiful fall color!” “Those leaves! Fantastic fall color!”. There are a lot of trees in the suburbs and I admired a lot of fall color.

Now, older and wiser, I can admit that my mother was right. Fall is absolutely beautiful because of the red, orange and yellow leaves set against blue skies and green grass. Here are a few tips on how best photograph this dynamic season.

Shoot in the golden hours around sunrise and sunset

Morning in Edeby

Don’t ignore overcast days – the shadows are softer and the mood is different

Don’t forget to bring a tripod! – preserve detail (think ISO 100) and keep photos shake-free when shooting at dusk

Look for color contrasts – yellow leaves on a blue sky or red leaves on green grass

Fall Leaf

Slightly underexpose your shots so colors aren’t blown out

Shoot camera RAW or play with different white balance settings – sometimes Auto WB isn’t going to cut it

Try a polarizing filter to bump up contrasts between complementary colors

Play with contrast, hue and saturation in Photoshop, iPhoto, Picnik or Piscassa

Now get on it before the landscape looks like this …

Happy shooting!

 

 

 

 

 

Rockin’ it at PPE

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By Emily on November 2, 2011

Last weekend JOBY joined forces with Lowepro and Acme Made at this year’s PDN Photo Plus Expo. We had a great time and our booth was super busy, despite the freak snow storm that hit the East Coast. Here are some photos of the fun!

And here’s our dream team …

Light Painting—So Hot Right Now!

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By Emily on October 28, 2011

If you’ve ever taking a photography class, experimenting with night photography and long exposure times was most likely an assignment. You’d set up your tripod, set your camera to “bulb”, walk around your darkened house setting off an external flash and then call it day. Well, a group of contemporary artists has taken this technique to a whole other level. Deemed light painters, these photographers create intricate compositions with a variety of light sources ranging from flashlights to Christmas lights to automotive parts. Exposure times for these otherworldly compositions range from 4 – 8 minutes. And most impressively, a tenet of this new movement is that there can be absolutely no post processing. That means the photos that you see below are straight out of the camera. Amazing.

Light painting is not a completely new phenomenon. Artists began experimenting with long exposure photography back in early 20th century. Frank Gilbreth and Lillian Moller Gilbreth used small lights and the open shutter of a camera to track the motion of manufacturing and clerical workers. While they were not using light painting as an artistic medium, they did produce the first known light painting photographs.

Always the experimenter, Man Ray was the first artist to explore light paining as an artistic medium in 1935.

In the 1930s and 40s, Albanian-American photographer Gjon Mili pioneered photoflash photography and created new light painting techniques, many of which are still used today.

A photographer for LIFE Magazine, Mili’s work lead him to France to photograph Pablo Picasso. Inspired Mili’s light painting, Mili and Picasso collaborated on Picasso’s first light drawings which further popularized the art.

Eric Staller is considered the father of contemporary light painting. Beginning in the 1970s, Staller created light paintings in the streets of New York. This series inspires much of modern day light painting.

In the  1980s, light painting graffiti came on the scene with the work of Vicki DaSilva. Text-based light painting is still very popular today.

Contemporary light painting artists draw from this rich tradition and are constantly innovating and experimenting. Here are a few artists currently working in the medium.

Dennis Calvert’s elaborately staged scenes …

Ted Ducker’s light landscapes …

And Aaron Bauer’s colorful masterpieces …

If you are interested in learning more about light painting, visit Light Painting Photography. This website has great tutorials from light painting masters and tons of awesome examples.

Happy weekend!

Tips from a Pro: Jack Atley

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By Emily on October 21, 2011

On Wednesday I attended the Lowepro Photography Webinar with Australian photographer Jack Atley.  Jack Atley is a professional commercial photographer with clients ranging from the Sydney Opera House to Coca Cola to Peugeot to Gucci. His presentation was really well done and full of great anecdotes to illustrate his points. Plus, he has a fabulous Aussie accent!

Lucky for those of you who couldn’t make it, I took notes. Here are Jack’s tips for taking better pictures and becoming a successful photographer.

  1. Shoot lots of images! Practice, practice practice to learn your camera inside and out.
  2. Get good light! And then put your subject in that light. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to shoot. Also chose the lowest ISO for the light available to get the best detail.
  3. Watch your backgrounds. Be mindful of what is behind your subject.
  4. Composition – the rule of thirds. Put your subject (the main thing you want to get across to your viewer) in the bottom, top, left or right third of the frame instead of the dead center for a more dynamic photograph.
  5. Shoot for your viewer, not just yourself. 
  6. Be creative! Take risks! If you look at things the way everyone else is looking at them, you’ll never get a stand-out image.
Curious what’s in a pro photographers bag? Here are the items that are in Jack’s basic kit:  Nikon D3X, wide angle zoom lens (14- 20mm), medium range  zoom lens (28 – 105 mm), longer zoom lens (80 – 200 mm), a flash (Nikon SB900) and his laptop. He fits this all into his Lowepro CompuDay Pack and jumps on his Vespa!
If you want to stay in the loop about upcoming events, sign up with Lowepro here.
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And, have an iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S? Great news! GorillaMobile for iPhone 4/4S works with all models! Don’t forget to enter into our Facebook Contest to win a GorillaMobile for iPhone 4/4s!
Happy weekend!

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