Portrait & Family Photography - Jacob Vorpahl» Gear

365/71 – High School Love

Portait & Family Photography | Jacob Vorpahl - OneBrightSpot.com — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 19:18:41 +0000

Tonight was church for our youth group and during my first day testing out my new Nikon 35mm 1.8, I figured I'd test out the DOF and view on some locker graffiti.

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365 Week 11 theme: Use only my new 35mm prime

Jacob Vorpahl — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:39:34 +0000

This weeks theme comes from a new purchase I've made recently. A fellow photo enthusiast purchased a lens for a trip and decided that, once they got back they didn't want it any longer. We talked about it for a bit and I decided I'd try and test it out to see if I wanted it (I eventually bought it) and this was the week's photos that I took while testing it. The lens in question is the Nikon 35mm 1.8 prime and I got it for a price that overcame my concerns about never really using that focal length.

For those that have no idea what a prime lens is, it is a lens that does not zoom. It has one fixed length and that's it. Any zooming that needs to take place will come with you working your feet as you move closer or further away from your subject. The tradeoff is usually the image quality is better and you can get 'faster' lens (i.e. works better in low light because of larger apertures) with primes. I don't know the science/engineering as to why that is, I just know it is.

Anyhow, I'm writing this post in a quasi-present/past tense because as I write this, that week just ended. I'm behind on my 365 posts, but, have no fear, they will all be going up today if you're reading on June 17, 2010 so you'll be able to see my results right away. I should note this was a drill weekend and those always present difficulties with finding time to take photos.

365/69 – Just a Quick Headshot

Portait & Family Photography | Jacob Vorpahl - OneBrightSpot.com — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:10:31 +0000

I wanted to try a little rim/side lighting set up and, as always, my friend Nick was faithful to stand in front of my camera while I continued to blind him for 10 minutes. At the end, we had a simple, quick, down and dirty headshot. This isn't my favorite shot out of all the ones we took, but it is the one that has the least amount of distractng background elements in it. You can see from the setup shot that this was quite the busy area.

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365/57 – The Lens Matters

Jacob Vorpahl — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:08:49 +0000

I was doing a project recently for a local Christian college and they wanted me to get some shots of their campus. When doing work that involves showing off a lot of interior space, the lens you use really matters. If you don't believe ...

365/51 – Hello Mr. CMD key

Jacob Vorpahl — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:05:26 +0000

A late night means a simple picture, especially one before a road trip. My wife and I were taking care of some loose ends and we had to do some stuff online, so we were using our new Macbook Pro. This little Command Key is one difference between Windows and Mac keyboards (not in function, just in looks), and I figured why not make a picture out of it. However, in a different sense, I've got to say I love some of the changes I'm seeing, and its always the little things, like the touchpad. Why would my touch pad always crash on my HP laptop? It would never scroll right. On my Macbook Pro, I'm scrolling up, down, sideways, through windows, pictures, resizing them and all sorts of other cool little things. Not huge things, but enough little things that eventually add up to a lot. Anyways, that's my Mac praise for the day. I'm not a full blown convert, but I'm loving what I'm seeing so far.

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Ok… so, this is awesome: Google tests their web browser against a potato gun.

Jacob Vorpahl — Wed, 05 May 2010 18:29:41 +0000

Yes, you read the headline right. In a new Google Youtube video advertising their web browser, Chrome, they test its speed against a potato gun, the speed of sound, and lightning.

It's completely worth your time to watch, and not just because the concept itself is pretty creative in its own right. They also did an amazing job filming everything, right down to the firing process that takes place when you fire a potato gun. Add in the fact that they slice it on the way out and shoot it into a deep fryer.

Just watch.

Awesome, no?

Many people that read this blog probably aren't up to date on all of the different advances in photography and cinematographycurrently taking place, but one day (and even some now) the technology and equipment to make these kinds of movies and films will be inexpensive enough that anyone with the will and commitment will be able jump in and, with the right creative mind, make some really good stuff.

Oh, the future.

Some G11/portable camera kit pictures from Valentine’s

Jacob Vorpahl — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:53:27 +0000

Not a big update today, but I wanted to share a few of my re-edits from my unfortunate loss last week. I took my portable camera kit out on my wife and my Valentine's date a couple weekends ago, hoping that maybe something would pop that we'd want to photography. We used the Lumiquest Softbox III and the SB800 in one of the pictures, the rest we took next to this very cool looking wall that also happens to be very background/photographer friendly. I also took some pictures with my DSLR but I figured these pictures taken with a point and shoot were more interesting, considering it was a point and shoot after all.

I should note that I shy away from retouching because, frankly, I'm not too good at it. So if you see any stray hairs, it was a windy day, and I'm no Photoshop master.

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Some results from my G11/SB800 portable kit

Jacob Vorpahl — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:06:16 +0000

I know that sometimes I write about something and leave you guys hanging and waiting for more info (like my year old promise that I'd review the 28" Westcott Apollo Mono softbox) but today that is not the case. I was so excited after putting together that portable kit that I went ahead and did some preliminary shots using models a few of my buddies as subjects. It took me a brief moment to put it all together (including the Lumiquest Softbox III), I used the light meter to get my readings for aperture and distance, and then we were set to go. This is exactly the reason I put this together and am so excited going foward: its quick, its light, and for what it is it produces respectable results. Remember: this is a point-and-shoot.

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My portable kit: a love triangle between a camera, flash, and softbox

Jacob Vorpahl — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:44:54 +0000

The saying goes that the best camera is the one that's with you, and mainly that's used to talk to about cell phone cameras, at least in recent times. That's all well and good, but didn't you buy that spiffy new Canon G11 or S90 (or maybe a Panasonic GF1 if you've got the funds) to take with you everywhere so that you always had a somewhat reliable, manual control camera with you? I did. But I found that the camera itself wasn't enough for me. After spending so much time with off camera flash and depending on its capabilities to create the pictures inside my head, I wanted to have it with me all the time. Kind of like " the best camera and flash are the ones that are with you". So I set out to create a portable kit that would meet my needs.

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From an old LG flip-phone to the Motorola Droid: what can I as a photographer get from a cell phone camera?

Jacob Vorpahl — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:50:08 +0000

If you look at the marketing points for the Motorola Droid, Verizon's latest and greatest (and heavily advertised) smartphone, you'll see some interesting tidbits: 5 megapixel camera, dual LED flash, ability to take shots at night, calculate missile flight patterns while simulateously making you the best omelet you've ever had. You'd be correct if you assumed those marketing points mean almost zip. We could discuss the technical matters at length, but I'll just say this: trying to cram all of that stuff into a tiny area on a phone probably isn't going to get you the best results. But more on that later.

Instead, after playing around with cell phone cameras, specifically the ones on my most recent two phones, I've really wondered at what I as a photographer can realistically get from photos I take with my phone. When you think of what you need to take a quality photo, a cell phone really doesn't fit in there anywhere, at least not for me. Yeah, some people like Chase Jarvis have been able to find a market for that sort of thing (a very small market), but, personally, I find the pictures in his book to be pretty... boring. Perhaps its not my taste, but, do I really want to see a picture of a ladder just standing upright with a little mobile Photoshop thrown in? What's so compelling about that? Anyways, I hope not to offend, I respect Chase's work a lot, but for that particular project I just don't "get it".

Nonetheless, I won't say that quality photos can't come from a cell phone, and as the saying goes, the best camera is the one that's with you. So, what is the point of all of my rambling then? I guess I'm just trying to figure out what my perspective should be when it comes to camera phones: is it an artistic tool or is something that you'll get a cool picture or two out of by sheer luck (i.e. conditions being just suitable enough for the camera on the phone to be able to take a decent picture). To be honest, recently I've seen it as both. Let me explain why.

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