Ben Cochran
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Ben CochranMemberYou should like it Dusty and I like it too, don’t let any of the opinions change your mind on that. Before I can express any opinions, I would need to know if you shot that through a filter or was that added in post edit? I’m guessing post edit but don’t want to take that for granted.
Ben CochranMemberI have a feeling that you probably have a level of humor like mine LOL Peanut Oil on hot Australian girls, why am I sitting here signing “Dude Looks Like a Lady”? LOL
I know what you mean about some of the laughable offers, I have told some to take that huge budget and purchase a P&S, then just do the shoot themselves.
I actually have a pretty huge project that I am working on now and hope to finish soon. It will put me back on the gravy train and I have already made plans for a self funded assignment that I hope will take me further up the photography food chain and get me closer to my ultimate photography goal’s.
Still, I’m liking this new peanut oil assignment work, just hope OPEC doesn’t claim that as theirs too LOL
Ben CochranMemberI need to better qualify that last post. A large amount of Product catalogs are actually being shot in Oregon and Seattle. As well as further down along the west coast.
Back before the towers came down, I was living Jersey but worked in Manhattan, directly across from the Kodak photography gallery actually. The trend that I started to notice was pretty wacky and a lot of PS work. I love PS but the direction that I saw a lot of the galleries going in, simply is not my cup of tea.
I don’t know how you feel about Seattle but I am a member of a professional organization that sometimes posts short term assignments, due to increased work flow in some of the very large studios. I will PM the rest to you ๐
Ben CochranMemberAs you know, NY is a very tuff nut to crack and the studio space is very expensive, for a good studio anyway. “Some” of the catalogs pay well but when you consider all of the associated costs, “some” don’t pay all that well.
During June and July, a good amount of the catalogs are actually being shot in South America, I was suppose to shoot one in Norway & Estonia, still pending other problems… ๐
It isn’t the greatest place in the world but actually China is a great new potential market for catalog assignments and fashion shoots, I am trying to get my foot in that door as well.
Wish that I could help you out mate but it seems that the best I have to offer is the Peanut Oil. A lot of the NY based agents consider photographers to be the people that take most of their pay ย ๐ A lot of my work is in the Eastern European Market and all of these recent events have me very nervous about my near future, might have to resort to plan B, if I can figure out what that is lol
Ben CochranMemberThanks Kendal and Carter, now I just have to get the right configuration on this next one and yes, I will repost that one in with the other thread.
WOW! Carter, I hate to hear about your set backs. Hope that everything and everyone is fine with the hurricane damages, as well. I really hope that you can get back into your photography soon, would love to see you posting them and enjoying your photography :).
Ben CochranMemberI wanted to be groovy LOL Guess that great John Denver special is giving me flash backs and I keep seeing lava lamps ๐
TX For a short period of time with PS you did an excellent extraction, impressive!!
Ben CochranMemberThose are great John and both the D3 and D700 are excellent camera’s, especially for low light.
Perhaps I am just a sick photographer but it looks like we are getting back to the good ole days of 2 body’s again :). I kind of like the idea of better defined tools, that both capture great images. Jut this time; the tools are defined on their ISO performance and file size. ๐ A perfectly usable file size at unreal ISO settings and the future D3x for larger file size in typical ISO ranges. It is a good world ๐
Ben CochranMemberThanks Kendal ย ๐
Speaking for myself only, so I am not suggesting this on everyone elseโs photography posts, I love the nit picking as I am very detail oriented. Doesnโt mean that I would use all of it but nitpicking helps a photographer see the composition better, before shooting. Again: I strongly mention this again, I am just speaking on my own photographs and post, as no one should have to fear posting their images and critiques should only be offered when asked for by the person posting. So, on mine, feel free ย ๐
Kendal, these are full-page spreads and will have text but as you know, there are many things wrong with these images. I can see much better after giving my eyes a break from the 16 hour dayโs of shooting and post edit on everything else that I am currently working on. I am trying something different on these fly shots but let myself get to focused on the flyโs and sacrificed the background lighting detail a bit too much. I could do something in PS to fix them but I am trying to get back away from that. In the past 8 months, I also did a lot of both location and studio shooting for a Baltic publisher, 29 full page spreads, 1 ยผ page spread and 11 cover shots, all of these had a good amount of graphic design added to them and it forced me to change my style to shooting for the graphic designers, I need and want to get back away from that type of shooting focus.
I am humble and smart enough to know that I am not a great photographer and all of the critiques have helped remind me to include the basics into something that I am also trying to do different. Nitpicking is full of detail and observations, I strongly believe that a good photographer is always willing to learn and look at things differently. They may not all work out for final publication but they serve great as a stored information base that can be applied on other shoots ย :).
Like I said, these 2 are scratched, more because I donโt like them enough to want or try and make them work, the next shots will be close to them but should have better justification of elements in them [ch9786]. All of the specially designed strobes are a bit difficult but determination and constant experimentation will come together with time. Helps make photography a bit more enjoyable for me again too [ch9786]
Great to see you back on the board, Kendal and thanks for your comments [ch9786]
Ben CochranMemberSome great photographs there Conor! The marsh land is magnificent, in some area’s, down there. I used to do a good amount of fishing in many of the different swamp area’s of Louisiana but I kind of have a love hate relationship with it. I did 2 tours of the delta swamps doing both S&R and Federal Law Enforcement (anti drug trafficking and anti terrorist sort of stuff), while stationed with a small unit, in Venice, La., back in 83-85. Love the photographs from down that way but have no desire to go back. ๐
Ben CochranMemberThat is very COOL Joel, what a catch!! So, which fly did you decide to use? ย ;D
Ben CochranMemberGreat report and photo’s, Tim. Some great meadow shots in there as well, including the fire shot!!!
Ben CochranMemberGreat looking family, Eric. Looks like you all had a great time out there and got some great family photo’s for the family album as well.
Ben CochranMemberThe last crop is very Cool Matt, love the photograph!
Ben CochranMemberThanks Corey but I am scratching both of them, many things that are technically wrong with them, IMHO. I have been trying to work on several different projects, at once, and decided to give my eye’s a break for a bit, as I am missing to much in composition and observation of detail.
I will repost an updated version soon though as I still believe that others opinions are for to important to not take advantage of any willing persons thoughts :). Thanks again ๐
Ben CochranMemberGlad to see you back Kendal, I was wondering what happened to you. Sounds like a great trip as well and glad that you found your way back ๐
Ben CochranMemberAgree with Zach and Neal, LR is written specifically as professional software for photographers. In my opinion, it is the best professional software for professional photographers as well. PS3 will do about everything that LR does but CS3 really is more of the back-room software for both graphic designers and photographers that are preparing for conversion, alterations, design and/or print in publications or other media applications, as well as general use. Zach hit one very important nail on the head, the learning curve is very steep and extremely long.
I approached PS as I did college courses and took many courses on it, I am pretty good at it now and don’t really need anything else but it is important to mention this: LR is not an abridged version of PS as it really was written especially for the needs of professional photography.
Carter, you may be able to find the CS2 versions on other web sites or perhaps just call OnOne as you would also want to make sure that you also get all of the updates. I haven’t really checked into it but they may also have it so that the current version can operate as a stand alone application. Their software really is great!
Ben CochranMemberIt is an extremely impressive photograph, Neal! I have to keep this honest though, Neal is 100% responsible for the composition, lighting use of gels and the use of the Gatorade bottle, I just express ideas and opinions as I love to see people thinking out of the box.
I had a couple of small guard dogs like that once, my best friends and I do miss them terribly. They were miniature Basset Hounds and stood about a foot high. I had trained them both to go straight for the neck, which made them perfect guard dogs! I then took them to a guard dog training academy but the staff told me that they were far to short and would not be able to jump high enough to go for the neck. I explained, to the staff, that I have already trained them to do so but that is not what I wanted them to train my dogs to do, I got that part covered. They asked what I wanted their staff to teach the dogs to do, I simply explained that I just need someone to teach at least one of the dog’s how to say, “can you lay down for us?” ๐ฎ
Ben CochranMemberThat is a really cool pano David! Morsie, I love that first shot too, kind of reminds me of some of the Scandinavian streams but makes me want to book a trip with you even more, great shot and excellent capture of the entire scene. Also, that is an amazingly tight loop in the second shot, one of the best tight loop shots I have seen.
Ben CochranMemberWOW Neal! That last shot is great and I love the effect as well as texture in it. Bottles are great to shoot through and the dark coke bottles give off some really cool effects too. The only thing that I would also offer is, you can use gaffers tape to control the splash, by covering up the perimeter of the gel object, from lighting up the other things that you may not want that filter to hit, like the background. I think that I will just have to send the rest of these fly’s up to you as you are getting better results than I am now. ๐
I know that you are shooting in manual mode only now so, in those top shots, I would set the Kelvin at about 6000 and adjust from there, it will help to WB control the yellowish hue on the grass and trees. You can adjust it out in ACR too but it is more enjoyable getting it in the camera first. Love those 105 shots that is a great lens. Guess you will be going for a Hasselblad next? LOL
Hey, I am no genius here but that looks a lot like a Manfrotto tripod, I am guessing a 190ProB model? ๐ How do you like it?
Ben CochranMemberDoubles as a fishing gear bag (it’s intended purpose). ย Female model not included, hahaha.
Bate and switch, thats just not right ย ๐
Ethan, I know that this may be larger than what you are looking for but I use and love the Lowepro Vertex 300 AW Backpack. I have been caught in some of the worst storms with it and everything stayed perfectly dry. Ended up filling that one up and had to get another one for all of the hotshoe strobes but IMHO it is the best camera bag on the market, They make a smaller model, for 15″ notebooks, but this one is large enough for my 17″ macbook and it also has a separate padded compartment just for it.
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