Up in Smoke
November 20, 2010
For well over a year now, I’ve had “flaming light bulbs” on my to-shoot list, and I’ve just now gotten around to doing it. Light bulbs come with a gas inside them that won’t burn, so the filament can glow really hot without actually catching fire. Break the glass around the filament and the gas all escapes, exposing it to the oxygen in the air. From that point, once you turn on the power, the bulb will burn brightly for a second or two and then go out.
IF YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT TRYING THIS, PLEASE HEED THE SAFETY WARNINGS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST.
Plan B
November 11, 2010
At the back of G.T. Bray park in Bradenton, there’s a drystream bed, and across from that is a beautiful little pond, hidden away from the city, shaded by the trees and just generally gorgeous. I’ve been wanting to do some portraits back there for months, and earlier this week I finally got a chance: I had a friend who wanted portraits, and the location came to mind, so we decided to go for it. It’s a little bit of a trek back to the pond, off the footpaths, so I loaded up my dorky photo vest with all the gear I’d need, threw my camera and a couple light stands over my shoulders, and we set out for the back of the park. We made it back, crossed over the drystream bed(it’s a good seven or eight foot descent to the bottom, and then back up again), and over on to the banks of the pond.
Cheap Glass
November 5, 2010
No, it’s not a post about budget lenses. Glass is one of the trickiest materials to shoot, and it helps if you have a big studio full of lights and backdrops and gobos and whatnot. Unfortunately, I don’t have any of that, so I have to get by with some less elegant equipment. Last weekend I finally went through with a crazy idea I’ve been planning for a while: I made a bowl out of ice, filled it with rubbing alcohol, and lit it on fire. With no further ado, here’s how I shot it on a budget.