Darren Spurgeon Photographer Blog » Portraits

Phillips Family | Coral Springs, FL

Darren — Thu, 27 May 2010 02:20:13 +0000

Some families I meet really have a nice aura about them, and the Phillips family was one of them. They were so friendly and I could really tell they were genuine about everything. They wanted some pictures of Cole for an upcoming ceremony at their local church and of the whole family. It was a fantastic opportunity to shoot at the St. Andrews Catholic Church. Then, we headed over to another part of Coral Springs to shoot some family pictures.

Thank you to Darwin, Sabine, Darin Cole, and Mason. You folks were great!

Elizabeth and the Girls | Fort Lauderdale, FL

Darren — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:37:45 +0000

Recently, I had the pleasure of photographing Elizabeth and her daughters, Kendra and Sabrina down at Riverwalk in Fort Lauderdale. They’re really into books and wanted them featured in their portraits. So, they brought along some of their favorite books and we had a terrific time at one of my favorite locations. Thanks ladies!

P.S. In case you’re wondering, the girls enjoyed works by John Irving, Stephenie Meyer, Jean Craighead George, and Dr. Seuss.

Maida & David Parents to be

Darren — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:28:33 +0000

Maida and David are expecting their first child, a boy, very soon and it was such a pleasure shooting a maternity session with them. They made it so easy and everything went smoothly. Thanks to you both…and congratulations to the new parents!!!

Ken & Debbie Parents to Be | Davie, FL

Darren — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:17:10 +0000

Couple shoots are always a pleasure and Ken & Debbie were no exception. They were so easy going. Debbie works with my wife at Royal Caribbean and when her coworkers were looking for a unique gift for Debbie’s baby shower, they thought a very special portrait session would be perfect. Debbie’s an avid photographer herself and it was a pleasure to shoot some maternity and couple portraits of her and Ken.

Poolside Portrait Retreat + Fill Flash

Darren — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:38:40 +0000

This post is a little techie, but I’m excited about it. I just finished watching Nikon’s Hands-on Guide to Creative Lighting with Bob Krist and Joe McNally. These are two great, experienced photographers. Now, most of what was in the video was more refresher than anything else…and one long ad for the Nikon flash system. Still, it was great to watch Bob and Joe for inspiration.

So, as the family took our Sunday afternoon dip in the pool, I had a thought: I can play around with a little fill flash! (OK, you brides out there, if you’re still reading…well I love ya because you’ve hung around this far for a very “un-wedding” gear post.) Back to the story…

The concept of fill flash eluded me early on in my photography days, and it still gives me trouble from time to time, but not today. Today, it took me all of 3 minutes to set up and shoot what you see below. I called over Liam, soaking wet from the pool and perfect for the part of a poolside portrait. Thankfully, he was more than happy to oblige.

Shot 1: No flash. I exposed properly and then stopped down one stop because I wanted to saturate the color and enrich the background. I knew I was going to fill on the next frame. Settings for this and other frames: 1/6400 at f/2.0. Pay attention to the face here and on the next shot.

No Flash

Shot 2: Fill flash. SB-900 about 45-60 degrees from camera, with Honl 1/4″ grid set to manual and 1/4 power. I actually did two test shots prior before I found the “magic” power setting I wanted. I tested this before calling over my subject.

In the comparison, you should be able to tell an ever so slight difference, and that’s the point if you’re looking for credibility in your light. I didn’t want it to appear lit.

With Fill Flash

Comparison

Shot 2b: Correctly adjusted in Lightroom, at about +0.67 stops, black +1, brightness +40, contrast +45.

Adjusted in Lightroom

Finally: My artistic interpretation.

There you have it: a quick poolside portrait. Thanks again, Liam, for helping out! …very proud.