Everything I ever learned about lighting…
Was probably from LEGOs and the Strobist blog. (Click the photo to see all the geeky comments on this super LEGO lighting rig.)
It’s fair to say I did learn something from my college courses with Craig Sheaks, and tinkering with Nikon’s Creative Lighting System to get the flash and the light off the camera’s hot shoe. I rigged and patched my school’s set of (maybe) 16 PAR64 cans and 6 ellipsoidal spotlights to light the auditorium for various assemblies, Christmas specials, concerts and video projects. All of it learn-as-you-go style. Photography and lighting go together like peas and carrots. And peas and carrots go together great with a pot roast.
One day long ago I was looking for something lighting related online and came across the Strobist blog and my brain all but exploded from the amount of ideas that flooded my head all at once. This site is a gold mine for using the flashes I already had (or lots of other ones that are far less complicated or pricey!) to get some amazing off camera lighting without hauling a studio strobe rig. If you’ve seen me on a shoot I still haul more than the LEGO rig above. 
Though I’d seen his work for years and years in National Geographic I didn’t run across the writings of Joe McNally until this last year. This week his shiny new paperback arrived in the mail.
I don’t read a whole lot, not even camera manuals thoroughly. This one’s been hard to put down. (Click here to check it out if you like – The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes)
Gonna go play and put it all into use again this weekend.
Just when you thought it was safe
To look outdoors in April in Northern Indiana
SURPRISE!
Went to get a snack while editing and… saw this mess.
LOADS of fun weekend photos to come – from breakdancing grooms to newborn babies. Figured I’d give the bad news first. Winter isn’t over?
Love of the Irish – Notre Dame Basilica Weddings
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
Now that it seems Spring is finally here in South Bend, Indiana, everything is greening up beautifully outside. Today, of course, it seems everyone is trying to do the same for Saint Pat’s celebrations. (Of course, with the exception of my friend Joel who wore red in support of those with red/green color blindness.)
What better time to celebrate Irish heritage than with our favorite photos of the LOVE of the Irish?!
Enjoy the albums below as well as galleries of our favorites from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Notre Dame University campus at
NotreDameBasilicaWedding.com
Bridget & Doug – 6/7/08
Kim & Scott 6/21/08
Enjoy! Eric & Sara
If I had a band…
Insider secret! Part of the tech crew ritual at the Underground Cafe is, before the show, to take the schedule of bands playing, and *creatively alter* their names. Ya know, Sharpie some new letters into their already cool name. Call it boredom during overly-long sound checks, new bands on stage that say they don’t need sound checks (i.e. not used to being out of the basement or garage), or just helping uninteresting band names.
Well this is my new band. We even have our debut album ready to pawn off on everyone sell at shows.
I’m so metal.
To Do This
1 – Go to Wikipedia. Hit “random”
or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.
2 – Go to Quotations Page and select “random quotations”
or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote on the page is the title of your first album.
3 – Go to Flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”
or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.
4 – Use Photoshop or similar to put it all together. (You can use paint as well!)
5 – Optional Entertainment – Spam out all your FaceBook or Mysapce friends with this text in the “caption” or “comment” and TAG the friends you want to join in.
If I was in a band, and not their road tech, I’d be found under a pile of percussion: a djembe, congas, bongos and things that go thump. I’d be cool as a road tech too, for the record.
Go have fun.
eB
Changing of times
For those of you digital camera owners stuck in the mindgame of Daylight Savings Time… be sure to check and change your system clocks!
Around here that means syncing the clocks on our
Nikon D300, my weapon of choice
2 Nikon D200 bodies, Sara’s shooter and my prime lens sidearm
and the Nikon D70s Infrared body
And half a dozen microwave, radio, alarm and wall clocks. Doh! And the car stereo too!
Have fun!
Gallery Debut a smash hit!
Wow. That was a rush!
After the last few weeks finalizing prints, framing, preparing and all around brainstorming at high speed, it all came down to one great night of celebration with friends last Saturday!
Highlights of the night – and all were simply amazing:
- We have the coolest friends and clients out there. Sara said it best that each of you have helped us live our dream and do what we get to do – tell your amazing story with our photographs.
- Bucholtz family was among the first guests there! As a reward for their promptness they claimed the couches throughout the night.
- Two of my camera store coworker friends were there, one I hadn’t seen since he moved to New Jersey 3+ years ago. I knew he was looking to stop by but it till floored me when he walked in.
- THREE people drove up from Indianapolis in the rainy weather, and all 3 totally surprised us! Our friend JP and his family moved to Indy a week ago and we had a going away party and everything. Then BAM, he walks into the coffee shop. Awesome to see you again man!
- Our other 2 guests from Indianapolis take the cake for catching me most by surprise. I haven’t seen Natalia and Jeff since Sara and I photographed their wedding in 2006, back in my engaged days. Great idea to make a date night of it while you guys were in town!
- Friends I’ve known since elementary school and a friend I hadn’t seen since I graduated high school were all there. Way to represent CCS in its best years – our classes’ years!
I managed to pick up a camera later in the evening and snap a couple of photos of the fun. Enjoy!
Guests chilling as the Rendition plays.
The E Team reunites! Erik and Eric! Never so much fun since a slow Sunday shift at the camera store inspired pegboard Plinko and making Halloween decor out of photo lab scraps. Superb to see you again man!
The Rendition rocking, so proud of their artistry in music
Surprise guests from Indianapolis!
If they look familiar it’s because we’ve shown off their Wedding Album and Sara’s signature portrait of Natalia ever since it was taken. No portfolio of our wedding day photography would be complete without showing this favorite image from this great couple’s wedding day!
Thanks again everyone who braved the rainstorm and came out to celebrate our 5th year reliving Wedding Day Stories with photography. We’re richly blessed to have you as friends!
- Eric, Sara and Adrian
My sis loves to read
Always good to see good news on TV. Wednesday my sis Aliya and her 2nd grade students were on the evening news for winning an “I Love to Read” challenge. She’s always been the smart one of the fam. (I’m the geeky one and our youngest sis Genna is the… obnoxiously outgoing one. If you’ve met her you know what I mean.)
Click the photo or click here to watch the news clip.
Congrats Aliya and the 2nd Grade class!
Gallery Show – TOMORROW NIGHT! 3/7/09
Just one last reminder before the weekend! You’re invited to come see us Saturday night!
Click the photo above or CLICK HERE for the event page and full info!
See you there!
the Rendition – March 7th debut
In addition to our Gallery Debut this weekend, Saturday night will also be a night of firsts for our friends The Rendition (theRendition.com). This weekend brings their first show with the new band name, new music, and we’re thrilled to share the spotlight of “debut weekend” with Jess, Jess and Aaron!
From their announcement March 1st:
The Jess Strantz Band has been together for about ten months now. Originally formed around acoustic artist, Jess Strantz, who has successfully been stirring coffee shops and local venues solo for at least seven years now. She has incredible song writing ability, a voice that cannot be matched, and pure God given talent on guitar and piano.
With the addition of Aaron Busenbark on drums, keys, and percussion, the solo project began to take a turn in style. The duo brought in long time friend, Jess Stacy for bass guitar and synth.
As you can imagine, these changes have adapted the style and the band has “decided to sing a new song…” and taken the new name as of March 1st: The Rendition.
Aaron and the cymbal jungle
Jess and the 5 string
Jess on keys / tambourine
Aaron and the bells
The magical practice room (featuring Jason on keys)
Songs and shadows
Myspace Hoax Fail
This junk never ceases to amaze. There’s a reason I’m not using Myspace too often, well several reasons, and this bulletin hoax is my favorite reason yet.
From Mr. Tom Jones (Manager of Myspace).
Myspace system is getting too crowded!! [too "lets try and copy FaceBook features," maybe, it's been crowded with junk for years] We need you to forward this to at least 20 people. . . If you do not send this to at least 10 Myspace members, we will delete your account. [did we forget our original number was 20 already?]
WARNING!
We want to find out which users are actually using their Myspace accounts. So if you are using your account, please pass this email to every Myspace user that you can. IF YOU DO NOT PASS this letter to anyone [not 20 or 10 any more, just anyoone??] we will delete your account.
Sorry for this inconvenience.
[you should be. your number scheme is confusing!]
-Tom
The best part of this hoax – Tom *Jones* runs myspace?
I wish! It would probably have a theme song like this:
It’s not unusual to hang out too much online.
It’s not unusual to get spammed at any time.
If I see you comment on my friend’s pix another time
There will be drama without a warning sign!
You’ll wanna die.
It’s not unusual to get dumped at any time
If you’re tagged in friends’ pix that aren’t mine!
If you should ever want a comment on your blog
Post bulletins and beg just like a dog
It’s not unusual it happens every day
No matter what you say
You’ll see PC4PC all the time
Real friends will never do
Sparkly comments to you
Who are those lousy friends of mine!
It’s not unusual to be mad with anyone
You’ve never met but hate their reply’s opinion.
If you should ever feel like acting your age
You’ll have to first log out
or use your teen kid’s page.
No matter what you say
Hatemail all the way
And constant whining about life…
Thank you, good night.
Tom Jones’ best cameo:
(if no video shows click HERE to see one of my favorite Carlton Banks song & dances)
