How do I take pictures like this?

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Ricki_watson

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I've been a keen amateur photographer for a few years now and kind of understand most basic concepts and ideas.

However, going through some images of an acquaintances the other day, I realised I had no idea how he achieved the kind of lighting and image quality he did.

It's obviously a fast lens but it's the colours and detail that are pretty awesome. I'm assuming some flash in there too. Any ideas would be very welcome - it's got me scratching my head?!

http://leocackett.tumblr.com/post/4786620719/late-night-dog-walking

http://leocackett.tumblr.com/post/4755670197/shoreditch-nighttime

Many thanks

Rick
 
go out and night with a fast prime and pick a place to shoot. nothing fancy at all with that. you don't need 7k worth of equipment either

Ricki_watson said:
I've been a keen amateur photographer for a few years now and kind of understand most basic concepts and ideas.

However, going through some images of an acquaintances the other day, I realised I had no idea how he achieved the kind of lighting and image quality he did.

It's obviously a fast lens but it's the colours and detail that are pretty awesome. I'm assuming some flash in there too. Any ideas would be very welcome - it's got me scratching my head?!

http://leocackett.tumblr.com/post/4786620719/late-night-dog-walking

http://leocackett.tumblr.com/post/4755670197/shoreditch-nighttime

Many thanks

Rick
Click to expand...
 
Referring to the first one:

That photo has been processed to buggery, by the looks of it. It's grainy, which I think is intentional, and some of the colours appear muted. Then there's the shallow DOF effect, probably taken with a fast 135mm or 70-200 (I'm not sure the perspective is right for it to be an 85, but it could be).

The second one has had an artificial vignette created.

I don't think there's been any flash used, just creative uses of the lighting around. You could do something similar to this with a DSLR, lens and a few free editing programs.
 
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50mm f1.4 on a leica M9

trencheel303 said:
Referring to the first one:

That photo has been processed to buggery, by the looks of it. It's grainy, which I think is intentional, and some of the colours appear muted. Then there's the shallow DOF effect, probably taken with a fast 135mm or 70-200 (I'm not sure the perspective is right for it to be an 85, but it could be).

The second one has had an artificial vignette created.

I don't think there's been any flash used, just creative uses of the lighting around. You could do something similar to this with a DSLR, lens and a few free editing programs.
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As above - just a fast lens. Completely straightforward technically. Canon 50mm f/1.8 is under £100.
 
He's uses a full frame Leica M9 compact and a f1.4 lens @50mm :p
So no more than a couple of grand !
 
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POAH said:
50mm f1.4 on a leica M9
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sounds about right, crop factor included. I guess you read the exif

-> Wait, M9 is full frame? Of course it is. I'm surprised I got the perspective all wrong then, I've been using a WIDE too much...

I know naffink...
 
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His stuff is good very good, the Hampstead Heath fair one with the scary witch, the mother and child look like they wont go near it, good capture.
 
the 2 images you linked to could be taken with any dslr with a fast lens, you certainly don't need 7 grand worth of gear to take them. I would say a cheap 50 1.8 and pretty well any entry level DSLR, a bit of post.

Both images are fairly noisy for their size, I don't think its grain added in post because the well exposed girls face in the first image and other well exposed areas don't exhibit as much noise.

Doesn't look like flash has been used on either of those. It's just creative use of available light I would say.
 
Is the noise not more to do with him shooting at ISO 1600?
 
So,
-high iso and fast lens
-colour muted in post processing
-Probably also used a custom white balance, or shot in raw and adjusted white balance later to neautralise any colour cast from the streetlights.

But if the photographer is an aquaintance, maybe you're asking the wrong people here... :)
 
i agree with "no flash used" opinion. It looks like street lamps in the background have pretty wide field of coverage, so i'm guessing she's standing under one.
 
I am confused, is it just me that looks at these 2 images and is completely unimpressed?

first is soft and 2nd has nothing in focus.

But yeah, no flash and a fast lens would achieve the same result. check white balance as well.
 
Harvey_nikon said:
I am confused, is it just me that looks at these 2 images and is completely unimpressed?

first is soft and 2nd has nothing in focus.

But yeah, no flash and a fast lens would achieve the same result. check white balance as well.
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yeah but it was shot with a leica lol
 
Harvey_nikon said:
I am confused, is it just me that looks at these 2 images and is completely unimpressed?

first is soft and 2nd has nothing in focus.

But yeah, no flash and a fast lens would achieve the same result. check white balance as well.
Click to expand...

Have to agree, I looked though his site and there wasn't much that really stood out for me.

Steve

Sent from my iPad using TP Forums
 
I like the first one but the 2nd at the bus stop looks like it has been snapped on a ****ed student's camera phone.
 
Jelster said:
I looked though his site and there wasn't much that really stood out for me.
Click to expand...

Perhaps a little unfair on the author of the images seeing as he has not asked for critique :shrug:
 
Mike Jackson said:
5 grands worth of camera and over 2 grands worth of lens is a fairly good start.
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rubbish to be honest ;) nothing too amazing or out of reach about either of those shots, although i'll admit the first one is pretty nice. Basically as said, a nice fast 1.8 or even 1.4 prime lens coupled with a camera that can do high iso with low noise (D7000 is supposed to be awesome for that, and it's not MEGA expensive)...
 
I think it also a little unfair on the owner of the images. And they appear to form part of a 'diary', so maybe just casual shots of record? Anyway, some big names seem to use him and therefore probably like his stuff!
 
lensflair said:
I don't think its really fair to slam those images, they appear to be a photographic diary and there are some interesting shots in there.
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Fair point, don't want to put down a guy who never asked to have his work on here. However, my comment was more expressing surprise that the OP thought it was a shot worthy of repetition & was asking how to do so. And I still like the 1st one... And I agree you could do the same without spending £5K, so long as you had the talent to spot the shot in the first place of course...
 
Thanks to those of you who were able to answer my questions - namely how the images were achieved. A quick lens and some night prowling it is then.

Not particularly helpful of those who felt they had to start critiquing firstly the images linked to, then the rest of the site. I wasn't really after opinions on whether they were good images or not - that's a very individual and subjective matter, and people will never really agree.

He must be doing something right to be working for, and with the people he is.

FWIW
 
chip said:
Perhaps a little unfair on the author of the images seeing as he has not asked for critique :shrug:
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Hey, chips is chips. I can't see anything on that site that you couldn't do with an average DSLR and a wide aperture lens. Muted colours & b&w conversion isn't difficult with modern PP.

What I will say is that he has edged himself a style, something that I think I have yet to do.

Steve

Sent from my iPad using TP Forums
 
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