Portrait Session: Kees Visser

Yesterday I did a studio portrait sessions with comedian Kees Visser. For an assignment I am working on I asked Kees Visser to model, but more on the assignment later...

The set up

For the lighting I mainly used my big friend the Elinchrom Rotalux 150 indirect Deep Octa. On some Images I used the 35x90 Strip soft box with a 30x50 grid in it. But somehow this looked a little to modern. So I removed it and used just the white side of the 5-in-1 reflector handheld by my assistent.  The background was just used a roll of grey seamless.

For camera I used the Nikon D800 with the Nikon 85mm 1.8g or 50mm 1.8g. The settings where around ISO200, 1/250 f5.6 or f8.

Post processing 

During the shoot I shot straight into Capture One Pro 8. Normally I just do basic RAW-editing in Capture One Pro 8 and all the rest in Photoshop CC. But this time I wanted to do all my editing in Capture One Pro 8. And I must say, Capture One pro 8 is great for RAW-editing, but some how for the complete editing workflow I don't know... Masking and working with curves keeps feeling easier in Photoshop. Also the dodge and burning stuff is easier in Photoshop.

But for sharpening and correct lighting Capture Pro 8 rules! I think Capture Pro 8 is great for full workflow on like weddings or landscape. but for commercial and  portrait jobs I will keep Photoshop on the side!

Please keep in mind that I am still learning Capture Pro 8, so my opinion may chance in the feature. 

I switched from Canon to Nikon

After a long of wanting to switch I finally switched. I had Canon but was unhappy with canon as a company and especially their arrogance.

D800 vs D4 vs D4

Last year I had the opportunity to work with the D800, D4 and D600 from Nikon for my Dutch Jazz Portraits Project. I love the High res of the D800 but the file size of the camera was huge. The D4 is a speed monster, but it didn't felt the camera I would love to work with. It is great for journalists,but not for me ad a commercial music and dance portrait photographer. The D600 was also a really sweat camera. But I missed he resolution of the D800 sometimes.

The Decision

So now almost a year later I was still doubting adding D610 or D800, and I couldn't choose. So I took the next solution, I took the D800 with the Sigma 24-105 f4 lens and traded in all my Canon gear for the D610 and the Nikon 85 1.8 (a lens I really love for portrait work).

Upcoming weeks I am planning some shoots to test the camera's out and post some new work with them.

Fuji's

Some off you might think now, what about you Fuji's. Well I still keep them and love them, especially for traveling work. Because the Nikons great, but heavy! In two week sI will go to Paris for some new street work, and I will only take my Fuji's. Also the Fuji's are not good on video so I will use the Nikon for that. So the Nikons will for most be my studio and big shoot camera's and for when I have to more post work. The fuji will keep being my reportage/documentary camera's.