Before there was Photoshop…..

By Scott Lewis on November 6, 2012

Intro

photo magazine from 1941 with photo manipulation tips

The other day I came across some examples of “Photo manipulation” prior to Photoshop. Image manipulation in the dark room is nothing new but it took a whole lot more patients, skill and time. NO undo or save button. Much has been made over Photoshops ability to distort reality, and perhaps lower the standards for image capture as young photographers assume they can “fix it in post.” However, almost all of these abilities have existed as long as there have been photographs to alter, albeit with a little more manual labour. As people were not as aware of the the possibilities photo manipulation was a powerful tool for both propergander and art alike

Continue reading Before there was Photoshop….. «Before there was Photoshop…..»

This entry is filed under Internet life, Photographers and tagged "lightroom", Benito, Canadian Prime Minister, Darkroom, Elizabeth, General, Goebbels, History, Hitler, King, Lyon, Mackenzie, manipulation, Mussolini, photo, Photography, Photoshop, Queen, S. Grant, Sherman, Stalin, Tse-Tung, Ulysses, William, “Gang of Four” Mao.

Newton

By Scott Lewis on October 31, 2012

Helmut Newton

Helmut Newton (Helmut Neustädter) was born into a Jewish family in October 1920, Berlin. This German-Australian photographer is best known for long prolific photography career, his erotically charged black-and-white photos were a mainstay of many fashion magazines for decades.

I have been interested in Newtons work since I saw the exhibit “Big Nudes” in Hamburg about 15 years ago. About 10 years ago I discovers a small publication of his advertising work for German ceramics manufacturer Villeroy & Boch, which rekindled my interest in his work.

Warning this blog contains images on a sexual nature

Continue reading Newton «Newton»

This entry is filed under Photographers and tagged Alice, Anthony, Australia, Berlin, Big, Bjork, Boch, Bowie, Browne, Brunell, China, composition, Cultural, David, Elsie, erotic, fashion, fetishist, Foundation, Germany, Helmut, Heritage, Hopkins, June, Nazi, Neulander, Neustädter, Newton, Nudes, perspective, photo, Photography, playboy, Prussian, sadomasochistic, Simon, Singapore, Springs, style, Villeroy, Yva.

Diane Arbus

By Scott Lewis on October 24, 2012

Arbus

Diane Arbus was born as Diane Nemerov in New York, March 1923. An American photographer known for her black-and-white square photographs of “deviant and marginal people (dwarfs, giants, transgender people, nudists, circus performers) or of people whose normality seems ugly or surreal”. A 2006, the motion picture Fur, starring Nicole Kidman as Arbus, was based very vaguely on her life.

Continue reading Diane Arbus «Diane Arbus»

This entry is filed under Photographers and tagged Arbus, Blog, circus performers, Diane, Diane Arbus, dwarfs, Freek, Fur, giants, Homosesual, Kidman, Nemerov, New, Nicole, nudists, photo, Photographer, photographs, Photography, surreal, transgender people, Transsexualism, ugly, York.

Walimex Beauty Ring Light 50W

By Scott Lewis on October 17, 2012

Walimex Beauty Ring Light 50W

I picked this up on E-Bay last week as a spontaneous purchase. It cost me about 90€ but usually sells for around 99€ (only a minor saving). I have been looking for a cheap powerful ring light for a wile. I have a powerful ring flash but its minimum setting is to powerful for any narrow D.O.F with out adding an ND filter. I laso wanted something that uses mains power so I don’t have to think about battery packs when I’m in the studio.

I have mixed feelings about Walimex products.it can be very hit and miss with their quality control. We have had large Octo-boxes simply fall off the studio flash…. and that was from the supposedly PRO range. But then their air cushioned large light stand was a great buy and has outlasted even more expensive brands.

Continue reading Walimex Beauty Ring Light 50W «Walimex Beauty Ring Light 50W»

This entry is filed under Review and tagged 50W, Beauty, Eyes, Falcon, Light, photo, Photography, Product, Review, RFL-2 50W, Ring, Ring Light, Walimex. | 9 Comments

Richard Avedon

By Scott Lewis on October 10, 2012

Avedon

Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) was an American photographer. An obituary published in The New York Times said that “his fashion and portrait photographs helped define America’s image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century”. He has photographed the best of the best in every field of business. He has photographed the stars of music, film, literature, politics, art, dance, theater, and fashion. He got his start in 1947 in fashion photography, photographing for designers such as Dior. His photographs are some of the most well known photographs in the last 60 years.

Continue reading Richard Avedon «Richard Avedon»

This entry is filed under Photographers and tagged Andy Warhol, art, Avedon, Bjork, Buster Keaton, Dance, Dior, Dwight D. Eisenhower, fashion, film, Harper's Bazaar, Life, literature, Marian Anderson, Marilyn Monroe, Music, photo, Photograper, photographs, Photography, politics, Richard, Richard Avedon, Theater, Vogue.

Félix Nadar

By Scott Lewis on October 1, 2012

Nadar

There is a photographer that has fascinated me for years “Félix Nadar”. Félix Nadar was the pseudonym of ”Gaspard-Félix Tournachon” born in April 1820 in Paris and died in March 1910. Nadar was a photographer, and a friend of the painters, writers, and intellectuals in Paris during the time of Napoleon III. As an early pioneer of portrait photography he developed lighting concepts that are the basis studio work today. Earlier this year we were in Avignon and stumbled across a museum with an exhibit of over 100 of his photos, you can’t imagine how ecstatic I was to actually see his work up close ….

Continue reading Félix Nadar «Félix Nadar»

This entry is filed under Photographers, Review and tagged Black, Charles Baudelaire, Ernest Shackleton, Eugène Delacroix, Félix, France, Franz Liszt, Gaspard-Félix, Georges Ernest Boulanger, Gustave Courbet, History, insperation, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Jules Verne, Kodak, Nadar, Old, Paris, photo, Photography, Sarah Bernhardt, Tournachon, White. | 3 Comments

Photokina 2012 Part 1

By Scott Lewis on September 22, 2012

Intro

Unfortunately I only got to spend 1 day at photograph this year but what a day…. I had several stands on my visit list and managed to get to them all and pick up a few cool toys for the studio at the same time.

Sony and Hasselbald

The big news this year would have to be the Hasselbald Luna. The prototypes that we got to play with are based on the Sony NEX 7, but with custom hand made body. It sits very nicely in the hand (even with my big sausage fingers). It will be custom hand made to order in a variety of finished but at approximately 5000€ its not in my price category.

Picture Gallery

Photokina 2012 Part 1

Continue reading Photokina 2012 Part 1 «Photokina 2012 Part 1»

This entry is filed under Internet life, Photo trip, Review and tagged 2012, Bowens, Germany, Hasselbald, Leica, Luna, NEX 6, Photography, Photokina, Photostudio, Review, Samyang 8mm, Sigma 19mm 2.8 EX DN, Sigma 30mm 2.8 EX DN, Sony, Sony 16-50 3.5-5.6 OSS pancake zoom, Sony 50mm 1.8. | 1 Comment

How the Digital Millennium Copyright Act can help you …

By Scott Lewis on September 19, 2012

Intro

I am getting sick you people using my photos with out permission earlier this year I found a way to fight back……. Copyright infringement on the Web is so pervasive that it’s easy to resign yourself to it as a fact of life,something out of your control.When I found one of my photos being used as an album cover for an English recording label I was p*ssed off. OK I know this photo has been stolen 10000000000³ times but it was always used as “avatars” or “look how cool this is”. This was the first case I found of my photos being used for commercial use. I send cease-and-desist e-mail to the infringer, but they just ignored me, which was very frustrating. So I fought back using my friend Google

Continue reading How the Digital Millennium Copyright Act can help you … «How the Digital Millennium Copyright Act can help you …»

This entry is filed under Internet life and tagged Amazon, and, Arena, Bass, Bones, copyright, D&B Arena, DMCA, Drum, Drum & Bass, Dubstep, experiance, Free, help, House. We deliver youJunoDownload, iTunes, KrazR, Lawyer, Lewis, MP3, Music, photo, Photography, Scott, Snake, Spotify, Takedown, vinyl related records, vinylrelatedrecords. | 2 Comments

Lens Loops

By Scott Lewis on December 15, 2011

This is the first product review on my new site :). Vadim from Lens Loops sent me a few samples of their cool new designed camera strap.

INTRO

Lens Loops is an American start up company, their first product is a camera strap using car seatbelt webbing. It has a retro look to it and comes in several different colours and an XL version.

DESCRIPTION

Made from high quality automotive seat-belt webbing, 5.1 cm (2 inchs) wide
Camera Connector designed to prevent accidental disconnects.
No seams, folds, or hardware on the inside surface to get snagged on clothing.
There is no bulky shoulder pad to slide out of position or get in your way.
Hardware made from top-quality steel, with attractive, industrial-grade finishes.
Rolls up compactly for storage in a camera bag.
XL version is 45.7 cm (18 inches) longer than the standard version.

Continue reading Lens Loops «Lens Loops»

This entry is filed under Review and tagged Blog, Camera, Lens, Lens Loops, Lighting, Loops, photo, Photography, Photostudio, Review, Strap. | 6 Comments

Rockabilly

By Scott Lewis on November 28, 2011

I was in Munich all last week and meet up with some great people from the “Flickr Munich Photo Walk” group (but more about that another day). I got back late Friday night just in time for the “Last Friday of the month shoot” at the lightGIANTS studio.

Continue reading Rockabilly «Rockabilly»

This entry is filed under lightGIANTS and tagged Alpha, Blog, Bowens, Elvis, Fuji, Germany, high key, Karlsruhe, Lewis, lightGIANTS, Lighting, Lisa Futterer, Make up, photo, Photography, Photostudio, Portrait session, Retro, Rockerbella, Rockerbilly, Scott, Scott Lewis, Sony, Studio, x100.

Shot by Scott

Before there was Photoshop…..

Intro

Newton

Helmut Newton

Diane Arbus

Arbus

Walimex Beauty Ring Light 50W

Walimex Beauty Ring Light 50W

Richard Avedon

Avedon

Félix Nadar

Nadar

Photokina 2012 Part 1

Intro

Sony and Hasselbald

Lens Loops

Rockabilly

Facebook Page

Me on Flickr

Tags