February 4, 2015

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It’s not about where you are. It’s about how you light.

In today’s Photographic School video we get away from fancy gear and software. We’re going to talk about 5 things you should be using in your mind. Applying these factors will guarantee you better images EVERY time!

We’ll look at 5 images that have all merited at the PPA International Photographic Competition. Watch the video and look at a specific factors in each image that can be applied to any image any time and help build our ability to craft award winning photos images both before and after we release the shutter.

We dig even more deeply into these concepts in the EXposed and PHOTOGRAPHICS series.

Great images start not in the camera but in the mind. Today we’re going to see how!

— Gav

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September 12, 2014

Today I’m proud to officially introduce PHOTOGRAPHIC School, a new YouTube channel dedicated to the craft of photography. We’ve always been about content and this new phase takes it a big step further. Our award winning videos have focused on the light and the craftsmanship. Filled with free content and unique training, PHOTOGRAPHIC School is bringing free content that will help people be better image makers.

This project with bring everything from Lightroom training videos to on location lighting and travel work. It’s going to be fun.

Please subscribe.
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As the project grows, more resources can be committed to it, so please share it, then watch our new video: Lighting with ONE LED Panel. — Gav Seim

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September 10, 2014

I wanted to make this great image of espresso extraction and I wanted it with a single light setup using a light like this. — I used that light to my advantage to get great depth and shadow dimension and in this weeks video we look at how I did it.

This does not just apply to close up objects however. You can use a single light to do amazing things with any subject. I rarely use more than one or two lights, because simplicity gives me flexibility. Enjoy and please subscribe to Photographic School.

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And here is the finished image…

Gavin Seim - Expresso Extraction

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September 2, 2014

Our camera is just an instrument. It’s what happens in our mind that makes a great photograph. When we understand the tools, we focus on the artistry. Sometimes we fall for the scam that we can just fix it later and so we fail to expose well and never get that truly magical light. Today’s tip takes on a simple truth about exposure in the camera. I call it, Doubles and Halves!

Photographic exposure and simple math are one on the same. Don’t run away, it’s more elegant than it seems. F5.6 to F8 doubles or halves your light. ISO 200 to 400 doubles or halves. So does 1/50th to 1/100th and so on. Ditto for Zones and Exposure Value and Ratios. They are all connected. All tools to manage and understand the Stops (flow) of light. Just doubles and halves.

Understanding these terms helps you nail the light and focus on the vision. This video from the first chapters of my EXposed series explains in simple terms. EXposed also covers deeper aspects, so if you love understanding light, check it out here.

— Gav

 

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July 9, 2014

Early this year we released OUR new miniseries, PHOTOGRAPHICS, covering everything from composition, to line, light and history. You can also watch here on YouTube.

There’s a great lack of photographic history out there and knowing where we came from can truly change how we work. Today we’re releasing the entire history segment from PHOTOGRAPHICS for no cost. We hope you’ll check out the entire series, but you certainly don’t want to miss this historical overview of photography. Perhaps someday we’ll be able produce a full history miniseries on the topic.

In the next 20 minutes you’ll get the basics and we encourage you to take it further by joining organizations like the International Photography Hall of Fame and taking deeper studies of painting and history to discover makes our craft so beautiful. You can also check out the full trailer for PHOTOGRAPHICS and get the rest of the 3 hour series here. — Seim

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