(Above: That’s the game winning goal in Overtime above. Not a pretty shot, but then, none of them really were).

I absolutely love shooting ice hockey! 
I’m just no good at it yet. Not only was it my first time shooting ice hockey, it was my first time at an ice hockey game. It was (as expected) a rough night. How rough was it? Well, I actually registered the domain you see below last night after I uploaded my photos to the wire service I was shooting for.

But I Still Had to Submit Photos
I was able to upload 25 shots to Southcreek Global that were, well….let’s say they were in focus. I think the puck might have actually even appeared briefly in one or two of those shots, but that’s purely by coincidence.

Here’s a capture from my Lightroom grid below of the uploads. They’d look better bigger (photos usually do), but not good enough that I want to put 25 of them nice and big here (though I’ll probably post a gallery later today over at my Google+ page, at ScottGplus.com)

I learned a BUNCH!!!!
The only reason I was able to send in anything at all, was that I did do a decent amount of research first, starting with the magical unicorn of sports photography, Dave Black, who gave me some great pointers and tips (but after seeing these would probably disavow knowing me). I also learned a ton from Bob DeChiara (a sports shooter from the Boston area, whom I met during my seminar tour up there, who shoots for US Presswire). He was a huge help, and had lots of very specific tips that helped me limp through the night. Without those two guys, I would have been totally sunk.

(Above: this was my home for the night. I sat right there the whole time, praying a puck didn’t come flying through that little hole in the glass I was supposed to shoot through. The opening is just big enough for a 70-200mm lens).

I did have a support team
Unlike when you shoot football, the other photographers shooting the game were really nice, friendly, and helpful (though they did sit me down and fill me with horror stories of things to look out for safety wise, complete with stories of busted lips, broken noses, two 70-200mm lenses smashed to bits in just 8 months, having to get stitches, and they put enough fear in me that I wouldn’t even put my lens through the tiny hole in the glass until at least the 2nd period. I was a tad freaked out (and after shooting the game, I think it was with good reason).

Scott Audette, the Lightning’s Team Photographer (and a kick-butt photographer) and his crew were great. They knew it was my first game, and they were really helpful, fun guys, who kind of showed me the ropes and kept me from being maimed for at least my first game.

My Gear and Camera Settings
One lens. One body. A Nikon D3s with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens (that’s what they were all shooting). Here’s the thing: the lighting in the arena was fantastic!!! (I’m not sure that sentence has ever been written before in sports photography history). They had just installed tons of new lights since every game is now broadcast in HD and I was able to shoot as 400 ISO, which is insanely low. Although I mostly shot at ISO 640, I would occasionally look and see my shutter speed at like 1/2000 of a second. This my friends, was a gift. I shot at f/2.8 the whole time (as usual).

I will say this: being limited to 200mm on a full frame camera using the 70-200mm lens was tough. I could cover the goal in front of me, but the far goal was just about off limits with that short a lens (however, my 300mm f/2.8 wouldn’t fit through the opening in the glass—not a chance). Since the lighting is so good, I think I’d probably try adding a 1.4 tele-converter at the next game, or I’ll take a D300s, so I get the advantage of the crop factor, and my 200mm will become a 300mm.

Even a thousand mile journey, must begin with but one step [gong]
OK, I know I kinda sucked my first time out, but I know this—I’m a fast learner (if “learner” is even a word). I picked up so much from that one shoot, and I am confident that I’ll do 100% better next game, and the next and the next. You can read about this stuff until the cows come one, but nothing beats actually doing it to spike your learning curve in a very dramatic way. In fact, I’m so confident I’m going to do dramatically better, that I seriously registered another domain with GoDaddy.com last night:

The bottom-line
The bottom line is—I had a ball. I liked shooting hockey much more than I thought I would. The action is incredibly fast, and having to shoot through a tiny hole, with both eyes open to avoid getting clobbered when they hit the wall, and never moving from that one position all night, didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for it one bit. In fact, it just made me want to get to my next shoot faster, so I can get better at it quicker (cause there’s only one way to get good at something—practice it a bunch).

It was just like what everybody had told me—the single hardest sport to shoot. I was skeptical when I first heard that. Now I know they’re absolutely right on the money. Nevertheless, it was a great night of learning, frustration and fun, and I just can’t wait to do it all again!!!

The Photographer’s Legal Guide
If you’re in business, you will make a mistake. Nobodyknows that better than Jack Reznicki and Edward Greenburg. Join them as they take you through the finer points of terms and conditions in invoices to help you avoid costly mistakes in your photography business.

We’re giving away a DVD set that teaches you everything you want to know about the legal side of photography.  The set includes two DVD titles:  The Photographer’s Legal Guide: Model Releases & Copyright Registration and The Photographer’s Guide to Avoiding Common Business Mistakes.  Just drop us a comment saying you’re interesting in this prize and we’ll draw next Wednesday for a winner.

Photo Pro Expo
Photo Pro Expo in Cincinnati kicks off today and goes through Sunday! It features speakers Scott Kelby, Jerry Ghionis, Lindsay Adler, Joel Grimes, and many more, plus a trade show and print competition! If you haven’t already registered, you can still sign up using promo code PPESK12 for just $149. All the details are over at PhotoProExpo.com.

Lindsay Adler on The Grid
Yesterday’s guest on The Grid was fashion photographer Lindsay Adler! Easily one of the best episodes yet, Lindsay answered tons of questions on how she’s built her career, including great advice on business and social media. It’ll be up later today, so keep an eye out over at KelbyTV.com (or subscribe in iTunes).

LensProToGo February Promo
This month only, LensProToGo is offering an extra 7 days to any 7-Day Rental! All you have to do is place an order for a 2-week rental and use the promo code 7DAYSFREE to get the second week free. You can find all the details over at LensProToGoBlog.com.

Last Week’s Winners
Grant Meeks was the winner of the ticket to Light It. Shoot It. Retouch It. Live seminar in Austin on Monday, Joe Voegtle is the winner of the ticket to Photo Pro Expo this weekend, and Koye Hendrix is the winner of the Photoshop Elements 10 Book for Digital Photographers. Congratulations to all of you!

Between Light and Shadow

As photographers, we are an interesting bunch of people.  We tend to disagree on just about everything in terms of what makes a great picture.  We all have opinions on image content, composition, what we like and dislike in an image and the choices we each make in terms of equipment and post processing.  But we all agree when we see a great image.  Even if it is something we don’t usually do in our own work, we know a good picture when we see one.  And one of the main characteristics present in every great picture is great light.  And light is, well, everything.  An image without good light may be interesting and it may be a good record keeping documentation of someone or some thing or some event. But unless there is great light present it tends to fall a little short and not stay in our own personal image memory bank.  You all know the image memory bank I speak of.  We all have one.

I like movies.  I mean really like movies and see more than most people I know.  I study the work of great cinematographers and listen to their interviews and techniques of lighting they utilize.  While they all tend to agree with photographers on how light can most effectively be used, they almost all agree across the board that they place as much or more emphasis on shadows as they do on light.  As we discuss light heavily in this post let’s also try to keep in mind the importance of shadows and how they play an important role in the making of an image.

By its nature light has to exhibit sufficient illumination to record an image and it has to direct the viewer’s attention.  It has to provide depth and dimension.  What it can do is make the viewer feel a certain emotion, tension, warmth, and more.  Coupled with composition, camera technique and subject matter, light helps to tell the great story. Let’s take a close look at the foundations of light.

I generally tend to begin my workshops discussing the three specific things I call the “Elements of Light:” Light Quality, Light Quantity and Light Direction. Creating a systematic way to approach these elements is key to creating predictable results.  Clearly I am not talking about removing anyone’s creativity in the face of image making.  But I am talking about a quick sort of mental checklist of all the things you have available to use in making a great image.

Light Quality

Light quality can be summed up quite simply if you break it down to the lowest common denominator.  For example, to me light quality is usually about selecting the right lighting tool and the right lighting application for the job or task at hand.  In every picture I have ever seen or have ever taken there is always one of these following tools used along with one of the following applications.  Think of it as “one from column A and one from Column B.” I have found that it breaks down to a 4 X 4 thing.  There are four Tools of light and there are four Applications of light.

Lighting Tools

• Sunlight
• Speedlight
• Studio Strobes
• Ambience

All of the lighting tools available fit into one of these four categories.  Once we understand what these tools are we have to master their use.  Of course, as working photographers we need to know not only what each of these tools can do for us but also what they cannot do. For example, I would not suggest photographing a group of 300 people with a single speedlight.  But advancements in speedlight technologies have pushed their capabilities further than some realize and if you haven’t used them lately, give them another look.  At the same time, studio strobes coupled with sunlight can yield amazing results. And certainly my tool of choice in the studio for a headshot will tend to always be the studio strobe with the appropriate light-shaping device for the job.  I added ambience to the list as a catch-all of things such as the light reflecting off of a warm toned building, light bouncing off of a projector’s screen, mini-spots in the ceiling in a hotel bathroom, soft window light on a rainy day, or light from a computer screen, lighting the face of an office worker.  Each tool of light has a right to exist and it’s own specific need and has a proper time to be used.  Understand each and know not only when it is appropriate to use each one but just as importantly, when not to use each one.

Lighting Applications

• Additive
• Subtractive
• Transmission
• Reflective

These applications of light are plugged into my head and when I get onto a location for a shoot I know I have these four to select from.  As the location, client’s need and opportunity is revealed I then make the decision on which application to couple with which light tool from above.

Additive is the use of flash in an ambient situation.  In my world this is most effectively used when I need to change the brightness of the ambience, specifically the background, to add drama and to overcome the limitations of the dynamic contrast range of today’s digital camera.

Subtractive refers to the technique of removing light from a specific area of a picture to either create more drama or improve the light quality, such as on a face.  A good example would be to move a portrait client under a porch or doorway in order to redirect light falling on the face to less top light and more front light in an ambient situation.  Subtractive can also define or describe the use of a black panel to redirect light away from a face on an overcast day.

Transmission might describe any light that travels through an interruption of some type, such as a diffused material.  Transmission light is best used in high-contrast lighting conditions and while improving on the light quality on a face by making it appear much softer, will change the light quantity on the face and in the background.

Reflective light ideally is used when strong directional light needs to be redirected back to the subject or object of a picture.  A strong backlit subject will often need a reflector to bring the dynamic range of contrast under control to prevent the clipping of highlights from strong backlighting.

Light Quantity (the appropriate exposure)

To my way of thinking light quantity is the most elementary aspect of what we do in the world of photography and knowing how to effectively utilize exposure to help tell the story is of critical importance in our image making.  Its not the easiest thing to master but we have to be able to place an exposure correctly in an image to record reality or create a stylized look. And the more we can do this at the time of capture the better off our lives will be.

The Light Meter

As we made the transition from film to digital we were faced with an interesting situation.  For those who were working with color negative film the transition was much more difficult.  Working with the less forgiving range of exposure in digital capture created clipped highlights, blocked shadows and lots or problems for many.  However, for those who were working with transparency film the transition was much easier.  The tighter exposure controls were a given and easier to understand. They were also use to working with a light meter more effectively or more accurately, based on need.  I remember hearing a well-known photographer state that he was so glad digital came along so he didn’t have to use a light meter anymore.  I happen to disagree.  I feel we have never needed a light meter more.  The use of a light meter can save so much post-production time if the photographers of today would just settle into to using it as a discipline.  Think of a carpenter using his or her measuring tape for every thing they do throughout the day.  We should treat our important exposures no differently.  I know we can see the back of our camera, I know we have the histogram there to aid in getting it right and I know we have the flexibility with shooting RAW to bring exposure up and down depending on the need.  But the fact is that all of this takes time.  And of all the things I possess, additional time in my world is not one of them.  The closer I can get to getting the exposure correct, the closer I can come to getting out from in front of a computer and back behind the camera.  Understanding correct use of the light meter is paramount to the successful photographer.

The Histogram

Of course we all know the importance of the histogram and the role it plays in getting us on track in terms of our exposures.  The histogram on our camera, the histogram in our post processing software.  They both allow us to know where we are in terms of relative brightness levels throughout our image.  So allow me to simply say that since the early inception of digital capture I have thought of the histogram and more importantly the window in which it is displayed, as a rectangular tube or pipe.  Anything within the tube will print properly.  Anything outside of the tube will not.  This is how I tend to think of the histogram as I see information slammed against the right or left of the representative window of the histogram.  Whatever is inside, GOOD.  Whatever is outside, BAD.

Light Direction

Light travels in a straight line.  Yea, I know how basic that sounds but it might help to dispel the rumors and myths about light wrapping around a face.  Light doesn’t wrap and in fact doesn’t bend unless it goes through water.  But the direction from which light strikes the surface of a subject has a lot to do with creating impact in our work.  I know that early on most of our photographic careers we learned the old rule that says “the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflectance.”  Basically light comes off of a surface at the same angle it hit the surface.  The efficiency of the surface to either absorb or repel light has a lot to do with how we perceive it.  A highly polished black 8-ball has a completely different way of returning light than the porous of an unpainted ceramic mask.  As the surface changes so do the angles we can “get away with” in terms of light direction.  In addition, we learn through trial and error that as a given light source travels further away from the camera, more towards the background, it becomes more efficient in terms of its brightness as seen from the camera. Therefore as the direction of light changes, even if the distance does not change, the exposure can be affected.

I have learned over the years that anytime I use an accent light, hair light, “skim” light the exposure of that light as measured with an incident light meter aimed at the source from the subject, should read at least 1-2 stops BELOW whatever I am shooting at based on the key light on the subject.  This will prevent clipping the highlights of the accent and light and provide a big difference in image quality.

Light direction is a big part of the controls over which we have command Understanding more about the things we can do with light direction can keep you testing a lot but can also result in great creative work.

The Wrap-Up

Light can be controlled, enhanced and even created during post-production.  All who know me know how much I live and die by the use of Nik Software.  When I discovered Color Efex Pro in 2004 it literally changed the way in which I work.  And of course today I work with Nik Software in their San Diego office and understand the tools better than ever.  Within these tools I can create light effects and paint them in certain areas, I can also utilize very specific control points to apply an effect to a specific subject or object and generally optimize my “look.”  But to best understand the appropriate use of the software I must start with the best quality image possible and that takes discipline.  I can apply an effect to any image.  But to enhance an already top image is far more rewarding than to try to save a bad picture in post-processing.

Spend time learning light.  Watch it, read about it, test it.  Oh, and don’t forget the shadows.  Anytime there is a great light, there will also be a great shadow waiting to be explored.

Tony Corbell is a 32-year Veteran Photographer and Sr. Manager of Industry Relations and PR at Nik Software, Inc. You can see more of his work at at CorbellProductions.com

> Loving Austin!
Yesterday I had a great seminar here in Austin (almost 500 photographers joined me for the day), and met lots of great folks (also accidentally made off with the Wacom’s guy’s pen. Left mine somewhere (probably in a hotel room in India), and he loaned me his to use for the class, but by the time I was done answering questions at the end of the day, he was long gone. Stuart, I have your pen and would love to send it back to you!).

> I Almost Got to Shoot The SuperBowl. Almost. :(
It’s been a dream of mine (and any football photographer) to shoot the SuperBowl, and a friend of mine worked really hard to make my dream come true, and I actually had a photo credential lined up, but yesterday I found out that it wasn’t coming through afterall. I knew it was a long shot, so I made myself not get pumped up about it, but it sure would have been surreal. I’m not complaining—-last year I got to shoot the NFC Champtionship game, so at least I got one game away. Thanks to my buddy for going out of his way to try and make a dream come true. That’s a great friend! :)

> The Late Blog Post
The reason I didn’t get to blog last night was: I was on the panel for a live broadcast of a Google+ hangout, hosted by Trey Ratcliff and broadcast on the Twit network (and YouTube as well). Great panelists, including Jeremy Cowart, RC, Nicole Young, Catherine Hall, Gordan Liang, and Brian Matiash (among others). The topic was: Shoots gone wrong, and everybody shared their horror stories. A great time, and lots of scary stories (Jeremy had a doozy!).

> Light it Issue #5
We are getting lots of wonderful feedback on the current issue, and the magazine is really finding its legs. If you haven’t downloaded the new issue, it’s on the App store.

> Come see me in Dallas and Phoenix
My next stops on my seminar tour are Dallas on Feb 21st, and Phoenix on the 22nd. Hope you can join me (here’s the link). Also, this weekend I’ll be teaching at the ProPhoto Expo in Cincinnati—if you’re going, make sure you stop and say hi! :)

That’s it for today. Sorry for the late post, but after that hangout last night, I was tired I literally fell into bed. Got a decent night’s sleep though. ;-)

Have a great Tuesday everybody! :)

You’ll see everything unfold from scratch in each session, with different lighting set-ups and looks, as Scott starts with an empty stage, and then puts together the lighting for a live portrait shoot.

You’re right there as he takes you through the entire shoot, tweaking the lighting and working with the models, then he takes those very same images into Photoshop where he shares his very latest portrait retouching techniques, so you can see exactly how it’s all done from start to finish.

Phoenix, AZ – Wednesday, February 22, 2012

You’ll see everything unfold from scratch in each session, with different lighting set-ups and looks, as Scott starts with an empty stage, and then puts together the lighting for a live portrait shoot.

You’re right there as he takes you through the entire shoot, tweaking the lighting and working with the models, then he takes those very same images into Photoshop where he shares his very latest portrait retouching techniques, so you can see exactly how it’s all done from start to finish.

Dallas, TX – Tuesday, February 21, 2012

If you’re thinking the ol’ blog here is ready for a fresh coat of paint, I’m with ya on that one, and I’m happy to announce that sometime this week we’re going to flip-the-switch on a new redesigned look and functionality for this blog.

It starts with a logo design (see above) created by my good friend, and Kelby Media Group Creative Director Felix Nelson, who combined my photography with book authoring into one simple logo that covers both.

After that, my in-house Web designer Fred Maya customized a new WordPress template for me, which gives me the ability to post larger sized photos with my posts (which means less having to click to see a larger version), plus a nice large sized-gallery at the top of the blog and a update of my portfolio, too (thanks to RC Concepcion for that piece of the puzzle).

There’s lots of functionality tweaks for me, since we pretty much started over from scratch with this one, but one that I hope you all will like is a new, much-updated and improved Commenting feature (the one I’ve been using is pretty darn old and outdated). The new look isn’t radically different from the existing one, but it definitely has some advantages for me, and hopefully for you, too!

Anyway, look for the new look this week, and my thanks to Felix for the logo, and to Fred who has been working on this update for a while and has tweaked it more times than any of us can count (since I’ve had a hard time making up my mind).

A heartfelt thank you to the American Society of Photographers (http://www.asofp.com/) for presenting me with their ASP International Award (below). Here’s a little bit about the award from the ASP:

“Our Society presents this award annually to a firm or person that we feel has contributed in a special or significant way to the ideals of Professional Photography as an art and a science.”

It’s a tremendous honor to receive this award, particularly given the previous recipients, including George Hurrell, Dr. Edwin Land (inventor of the Polaroid), Thomas Knoll, Jay Stock, Graham Nash, and Robert Farber among others.

I would like to thank all the talented and gifted photographers who?ve taught me so much over the years: Joe McNally, Moose Peterson, Vincent Versace, Bill Fortney, David Ziser, Jim DiVitale, Helene Glassman, Anne Cahill, Kevin Ames, Frank Doorhof, Jack Reznicki and Jay Maisel. I’m greatly indebted to these amazing photographers and I share this award with them.

I found a wonderful place in my office to keep this beautiful award, and each time I look at it I’ll be reminded of the recipients who came before me and how truly humbled and grateful I am to the American Society of Photographers to have presented me with this prestigious award.

I’ve been working with Lightroom 4 Public Beta quite a bit (OK, a bunch), and I can tell you exactly why I think this there is going to be a tidal wave of people upgrading to Lightroom 4 when it comes out, and it’s the most basic reason of all: Your photos look better processed in Lightroom 4. Period.

At the end of the day, that’s what we all want. We just want our photos to look better, and if somebody comes up with something that can make our photos look significantly better, we’re going to be all over it. Lightroom 4 does exactly that.

The improvements in Lightroom’s Development module are so significant, and so much better than what we’ve ever had before, that I think you’ll be hard-pressed to find most anyone still using Lightroom 3 in just a few months from now. In fact, if they didn’t add another feature, it would still be worth the upgrade just to get better looking images. If you haven’t downloaded the beta, here’s the link—see for yourself. :)

I just learned about this week long workshop, taught by night photography expert, Gabe Biderman and Rocky Mountain School of Photography instructor and landscape photographer Tim Cooper, and once I read about what they’re doing, I was dying to go!!!!

You spend your days in the classroom with Gabe and Tim learning about the camera techniques and post processing for night photography (along with image reviews), and then at night you’re on location in some amazing locales in an intense 6-day total immersion into night photography. What I really loved about this (beside the instructors) is the variety of nighttime shooting opportunities—from shooting Vegas at night to the surreal nightscapes of the Valley of Fire and Zion National Park.

What they’re teaching
They’re going to be teaching everything from mastering star trails to pro techniques for capturing celestial skies, and they’re going to work ya hard but you’re going to learn more in that 6-days than you can imagine. Plus, they just announced that one of their nights in Vegas will be spent in the famous NEON BONEYARD!!! (this collection of over 150 neon signs from the 30?s-90?s will be available to workshop students at night for a 3 hour shoot!! They will be teaching workshop participants how to light paint and breath life back into those nostalgic old signs that have never been accessible to shoot at night before!)

While I haven’t gotten to meet Tim in person yet, Gabe is a personal friend of mine and an incredibly talented fine art photographer (I’ve called Gabe many times over the years for advice and gear recommendations, plus he’s led my New York City World Wide Photo Walks), and I wish I could be there with them—-it just sounds like an amazing experience, (and it’s going to be for some very lucky folks).

Here’s the link with all the details, but check it out soon because it’s coming up March 4th – 9th, so if you can, make plans to join them. If you go, make sure you share some of the photos you got during the workshop with me when you get back, because my favorite shot from the workshop is going to win a full conference pass to the Photoshop World Conference & Expo coming up in DC (or Vegas—their choice!).