From time to time I go back and look at old shots. I’ve found that when I give myself a few weeks or months between the first time I see them and when I revisit them I usually find things I didn’t notice before. Like a good photo that I would have overlooked otherwise.
I’m not sure exactly why that is, but it feels like I’m discovering something nobody has ever seen before. I suppose in a way that’s true.
Hello everyone! I hope you all had a safe, fun Fourth of July.
Life is busy as ever over here. I’ve been so swamped with photo and design work I’ve barely had time to think about writing, much less do it.
Google Alerts has become my new best friend, every day I get an email telling me what new stuff google has found with whatever search term I decide. Naturally, I decided that my own name would be the first thing I wanted to know about. Since I’ve started using this service, I’ve discovered that there are a hell of a lot of people that have my name. I did find something cool though.
I was interviewed several months back about my use of flickr.com for photography. The author didn’t know if the article was going to be published or not, so I just forgot about it. Well, it did get published and google let me know. How cool is that?
In other news, another out of state model made the long trek to shoot with me. Although we only shot for about an hour she was an all-star and we got a ton of great shots in that short amount of time.
There are several more images, but I can’t decide on my favorites yet…so you’ll have to wait a bit for the rest.
Hope you are all doing well!
-David
Ok.
So I once thought I hit the end of the internet. I had no more questions. I had seen all of the cool, interesting things that there were.
Or so I thought.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to introduce you to the awesomest thing this side of breathing, and it works on Mac and PC!
The iPhone has nothing on this amazing photo viewer. Download it by clicking the link above and then click the little play button at the bottom of this image after you install the plugin:
Now sit back and be amazed.
You’re welcome.
Ashley came in for her second session with me last Saturday, stunning me with another breathtaking shoot.
She likes to be humble and say that she doesn’t know what she’s doing. That may be true and if it is, the girl is a natural. Any of you photographers out there reading this… Get a hold of her, not only could she use the experience but you know you need her face in your book. End of story.
I will post some more as I get her approval.
Until then, ciao my audience.
David Bickley, Professional Photographer
1. What gear do you use?
My primary camera is a Canon 1Ds, I also have a Canon 1D Mark II, and Canon 20D that I keep on-site as a backup, As far as lenses, I have a lot but my favorites are the Canon 70-200 f/2.8L, and the Canon 85mm f/1.2L. I use a Quantum Q-Flash for portable lighting, and for studio work I use an army of Alien Bees, a fantastic, near indestructible little strobe made by Paul C. Bluff.
2. Do you have a photography degree or any formal training?
None whatsoever, in fact I don’t think I’ve ever even read a book on photographic technique. I read the manual of my first camera and somehow got to where I am now.
Weird.
3. How do you work?
It varies depending on the shoot, every assignment calls for a new dynamic strategy. My digital workflow after a shoot is a little easier to explain though. When I pull the images onto the computer, I immediately make a backup copy of the negatives on DVD. Then I spend no more than 20 minutes racing through the images. I flag every photo that jumps out at me (with no consideration for why it did). That is my first pass, with the first images picked (they usually end up being my favorites) I make another pass through every image again, taking anywhere from 1-3 hours to browse and select from the entire collection.
After the favorite images are selected I check each for consistent color, retouching requirements, and overall exposure accuracy.
Then, if retouching is required I make those adjustments. That is often the longest part of the process, but also where I get to have the most fun.
After all of the images have been processed I make another backup of the edited results.
Then I make a sandwich.
4. How do you light your shots?
I try to use natural light whenever possible. It is attractive, produces beautiful color and contrast, and is a bit easier to cart around than studio equipment. In studio, my setups are generally very simple. I try to use the smallest number of strobes that can get the job done. Minimalism drives everything I do.
5. Do you shoot RAW or JPEG?
I shoot in RAW with jpg backups written to a separate card.
6. Do you use any automated processes or actions?
I do not use actions, that fact makes things take a bit longer but, I prefer to have my hands in every image rather than automate any function that should be done by an artists eye.
Program-wise, I use Photoshop, and Lightroom.
Truth be told, you don’t need anything else.
7. Which are you, a portrait photographer, fashion photographer, commercial photographer, or fitness photographer?
That is a bit difficult to answer. In short…all of them. I began my photographic career with fashion, commercial and advertising photography. I got into this industry through graphic design and concept art and those experiences have given me some unique methods and ideas for commercial work. I love people and tend to snap a portrait or two even when I’m on an unrelated assignment. Fitness came about as a result of my own lifestyle and the people I’ve met along the way. Even that at it’s core is still a form of portraiture to me. In the end, I pride myself in the ability to photograph people well, and for any purpose.
8. So wait, you’re a designer too?
Yes, I have been involved in graphic design and cinematic concept art for as long as I can remember. Even longer than I have been a photographer.
9. Do you need any assistants or interns?
Not currently, when I need an assistant I pull from an extremely talented pool of people that I trust to reflect and support my own style and vision. Most of them I have trained myself.
10. I have a question that isn’t listed, what do I do?
Ask away, I am an open book. Use the contact form in the upper right corner of this site and shoot me an email. I will get back to you as quickly as I can.
