Category Archives: Lighting & Studio

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08 January 2026 (Human Portrait Print Competition)

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Happy New Year! The season restarted with our annual Human Portrait Print Competition. George Robertson, who had given us these fantastic talks on mountain photography, returned to the club as judge rather than speaker.

23 September 2021 (Into the Throne Room of the Mountain Gods)

22 September 2022 (George Robertson: The Snows of Kilimanjaro)

31 October 2024 (George Robertson: Exploring Kathmandu and the Khumbu Valley)

George explained that when he judges prints he first splits them into two piles, 20 points and 17 points, based on their initial impact. He then waits a couple of days and looks again at the prints to see if any had gone into the wrong pile. Finally, he looks in more detail and subtracts points for technical issues such as sharpness, exposure or processing faults.

36 prints had been entered by 12 members. Some period portraits had been taken at Duncarron Medieval Village or at a battle re-enactment such as the battle of Prestonpans. There were also some travel portraits and studio portraits, including some of club members taken at our recent creative lighting workshop or studio night. George recognised the familiar faces. George critiqued the impact and engagement of each image, noting whether the pose, expression and composition helped or hindered the intended story. Most of the images were sharp where they needed to be (on the eyes of the subject) but some were sharper than others. The emphasis needed to be on the face, and in some images the face wasn’t the brightest area. There were also some images where dark clothing appeared to merge with a dark background. George also spotted some post-processing faults and noted that some prints had a yellow or magenta tint. He suggested using the texture tool in Adobe Lightroom to soften or roughen the face, depending on the situation (e.g. soften for a beauty shot or roughen for a battle scenario). Here is a YouTube video explaining how to do this:

YouTube video demonstrating the Adobe Lightroom “texture” tool.

George finished by revealing the top images which gave him the most impact but had fewest technical faults. He suggested we look closely into the eyes of the top image, “Beauty can be Fragile”, to see the detail and sharpness. When all the scores were added up, the top scorers were (in reverse order):

  • 5th place (49 points)
    • Carol Edmond
    • Jennifer Davidson
  • 4th place (50 points)
    • Mike Clark
  • 3rd place (51 points)
    • Melanie Gallacher
  • 2nd place (53 points)
    • George Todd
  • 1st place (55 points)
    • Derek Muller

George’s top images were:

  • Beauty can be Fragile (Derek Muller) – 20 points
  • Touch of Elegance (Melanie Gallacher) – 19 points
  • Soothsayer has Concerns (Derek Muller) – 19 points
  • Kalon – Ink Tells My Story (George Todd) – 18 points
  • Red Haired Beauty (Mike Clark) – 18 points
  • Woodland Queen (Jennifer Davidson) – 18 points

Well done to Derek for winning the trophy and for producing such a magnificent top image. Well done also to George and Melanie for their consistently high quality entries. Thank you to everyone who entered and thank you to George Robertson for judging the competition and giving us some good advice.

  • Please send your 3 “weather” images to George Todd as soon as possible.
  • Next week we have a club where we can take the opportunity to look at the 21 images that we missed seeing at the Black and White Print Competition on 4th December. This is unlikely to take the whole evening, so if you have a photograph from the Christmas holidays that you would like to show, please bring it along and we can show it at the end (depending on how much time we have).

20 November 2025 (Soft Focus and Double Exposure Workshop)

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We spent the club meeting on 20th November learning some techniques that we could try on our Saturday photoshoot at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh. We tried two different techniques:

1) Double Exposures

This technique combines two or more exposures together to create a surprising result. Try “double exposure photography examples” as a Google search to see some example images. Common examples include portraits blended with natural or architectural silhouettes, or multiple poses blended together. Exposures can be combined in-camera, or they can be captured separately and blended later using software such as Adobe Photoshop. The following YouTube videos show how to set up a Canon camera:

Ask David Bergman: A Step-by-Step Guide for In-Camera Multiple Exposures

Eric Floberg: How to Shoot a DOUBLE EXPOSURE In-Camera [2023]

If you explore the “shooting menu”, you’ll find Nikon cameras have a similar setup. We discovered that all our cameras had slightly different ways of setting up double exposures, and the newer cameras had more options. If your camera doesn’t have a multiple exposure option, you can still take single exposures and blend them in Photoshop. We tried a few experiments inspired by Leonardo de Vinci’s Vitruvian Man.

2) Soft Focus Techniques

Hans van der Boom had given the club a talk on improving flower photograph using soft focus techniques back in April 2024. Bob Daalder also describes how he uses soft focus techniques in macro photography in the following blog:

Macro Photography: Discover the Little World with Bob Daalder

We explored the following soft focus techniques:

  • Using a wide aperture to blur the background.
  • Making a double exposure (as described above) but combining an in-focus image of a flower with an out of focus image.
  • Using coloured cellophane to mask off an area you want to be out of focus.
  • Using an out of focus image of a crinkled piece of Aluminium foil to create some foreground bokeh.

We discovered that both techniques need a lot of practice to get right, but it is fun to experiment. We came away from our Botanics photoshoot with lots of weird and wonderful images.

13 November 2025 (Live Shooting Workshop)

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In a wee change in plan, this evening’s programme was provided by Derek to help folks obtain sharper looking photos and to present prints in the best light (see what I did there?) by mounting prints very neatly.

The evening started with a demonstration of mounting prints using double-sided tape. This is suggested in place of using the 3M Photo Mount adhesive. Photo Mount spray can get messy and there is quite a strong smell that can linger for hours. There is also the danger of spreading the adhesive while you set the print in place. The tape is tearable, or you can use scissors. For window mounts, the tape is applied to the four sides of the rear of the window. Using the tape roll to prop up the window front mount to allow the print to be positioned. The protective film is removed from one of the sides and this side is used to secure the print in place. The other three sides can then have their protective strips removed so that each side can be secured in turn. Four lengths of adhesive tape are then stuck to the rear mount card. Again the tape roll can be used to hold the print up off the adhesive tape, to allow positioning and the edges are each stuck down in turn. An additional suggestion was to obtain a roll of wallpaper lining paper. Once cut to size, the paper is easily flattened out under a box for a few hours and it makes a decent “cartridge paper” backing for photographic print mounts.

The rest of the evening was taken up with a few lighting setups with still life subjects. The idea was to see how the direction of light can influence the contrast and apparent sharpness of photographs. When the light was positioned directly in front of the subject, providing flat illumination with little contrast showing. As the light source was positioned further to the side, contrast increases and the apparent sharpness of the image is enhanced. This effect is apparently, is called “acutance”. Look it up on Wikipedia, or better still, just see what effect it has on your photos.

It was an interesting and fun evening, with folks getting the chance to talk to each other.

Regards

Ed

09 January 2025 (Human Portrait Print Competition)

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In a last minute change, David Ferguson, president of Falkirk Camera Club, visited us for a second time this year to judge our Human Portrait Print competition. David had previously judged our Digital Projected Images competition. David is an expert on portrait photography and well qualified to judge this competition, but he pointed out that any marks given are just his opinion. He has himself had the same print given a widely different mark on different occasions. David mentioned that portrait photography is often described as “capturing the personality of a person or group of people using lighting, a background and props”, but portrait photography can be much more than that. It can cover any situation where people are the main subject. The eyes are the most important part of any portrait, and the general rule is that the eyes must be sharp, and at least the eye closest to the camera must be sharp. David explained how lighting can affect the mood of a portrait. Many of the portraits entered had been made under soft, balanced lighting, which works well for female subjects, but male subjects often look better when lit more strongly from one side to enhance the contours of the face. He also suggested some of the male portraits would also have looked better in black and white. He also warned that lighting a face from below eye level can be unflattering and should be avoided, unless it is done for special effect (as in some horror movies). He suggested experimenting with the lighting when taking a portrait and try several variations until you find one that works. David also commented on the pose of some of the entries. Arms can be difficult to pose naturally, and he recommended avoiding poses where arms or elbows point towards the camera, as they can look distorted and distracting.

39 prints had been entered by 13 members. Some of the portraits were of other club members, taken during last year’s studio night, and we were amused to see the same hat coming up again and again. David judged each image on its lighting, pose and sharpness, and whether the composition told a story. Although it is good to crop out distractions in the background, David felt that some images had been cropped a little too tightly to tell the full story. Sometimes it’s good to see the whole outfit. Some portraits were a little different. Charlie Baird’s portrait of a woman “Looking out to sea” broke the rules by not showing the eyes, but it still worked because of the strong narrative. John West’s double self-portrait “Is COVID behind us” also had a strong narrative. Hovhannes had blurred the boundary between art and photography by entering a series of innovative prints which combined photographs with ink drawings on plastic. The top scorers were (in reverse order):

  • 5th place (49 points)
    • Joe Fowler
    • Charlie Baird
  • 4th place (50 points)
    • John West
  • 3rd place (51 points)
    • Carol Edmond
  • 2nd place (53 points)
    • Hovhannes Hovhannisyan
  • 1st place (55 points)
    • George Todd
    • Melanie Gallacher

The top images were:

  • Siddharta Guardian of the Hoogly Imambara Temple (George Todd) – 20 points
  • A Quiet Moment (Melanie Gallacher) – 19 points
  • The Pessimist (Hovhannes Hovhannisyan) – 19 points
  • Anastasia (George Todd) – 18 points
  • Breakfast Time (Carol Edmond) – 18 points
  • Ayla (Melanie Gallacher) – 18 points
  • Little Man (Melanie Gallacher) – 18 points

Well done to George and Melanie who share the trophy, and well done also to new member Hovhannes on a well-deserved second place, and to Carol for achieving her usual high standard. Thank you to everyone who entered and thank you to David Ferguson for judging the competition for us at short notice.

  • Don’t forget to send your 3 JPEG images on “Buildings” to George Todd before the end of the weekend.
  • Next week we have a talk from wildlife photographer Gordon Rae, who judged last year’s portrait competition. Although we can’t get a reply from Gordon, we are in his talk schedule:

    https://www.gordonraephotography.co.uk/section807167.html

    Gordon describes his talk “Wild at Heart – A Photographers Journey”, as “A far from boring presentation that takes you on what can only be described as a wonderful wildlife journey“. Fingers crossed that it goes ahead as planned. I’m looking forward to it.

10 October 2024 (Indoor Photoshoot)

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This year’s indoor photoshoot was based on an idea by Derek Muller, inspired by a video on toy photography:

John, Steven, Jennifer, Joe and Liz brought in examples of their home studio setups, while members were asked to bring in small toys, vases, flowers, mirrors, rocks, shells, glass decorations, and other interesting things to photograph.

  • John West brought in his photo studio tent and his collection of paperclip figures. He also showed us examples of how he sets up his studio at home with LED lights and a curved piece of card to make an infinity curve.
  • Steven Beard brought in his small portable light box, which has built in LED lamps and a selection of coloured backgrounds, a dimmable LED torch and a glass globe. He also brought a selection of close-up lenses, which can be used as an alternative to a macro lens. In particular, the budget lenses can distort the edges of the frame and mimic the effect of the lenses shown in the “toy photography” video.
  • Jennifer Davidson brought a lined box with backdrops, torches and lights, together with a large selection of flowers and objet d’art.
  • Joe brought in some objects which cast shadows and showed how the plain white wall of the room could be used a backdrop to create some stark-looking images. Steven’s torch turned out to be useful for casting the shadows.
  • Liz Sowler showed how you can make a simple, home-made light tent out of a laundry drier covered with a sheet. Objects placed inside the tent could be lit with torches shining through the entrance. Liz had brought a glass eagle which we discovered looked best when lit just by the ambient light.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable evening. I hope our members have had the opportunity to learn from the different setups and take home a good selection of still life images.

  • Next week we have our first competition of the year. David Ferguson will be visiting us to judge our Digital Projected Images competition.
  • Next week is also the hand-in date for entries to the colour print competition. Please bring in 3 mounted prints and give them to George. Don’t forget to send JPEG copies of your 3 images to George as well.

25 January 2024 (Sets of Six and Macro Presentation)

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This week we had a “Sets of Six” evening, where members bring along images or give interesting demonstrations. I started the evening by giving a macro photography demonstration. I brought along a small (25cm x 25cm) lightbox into which I placed a “Musselburgh mussel” on a stand.

An image of a mussel inside a light box.

Macro photography is extreme close-up photography where the original idea is was to make the image on the camera’s sensor at least the same size as the subject itself. To achieve this you need a lens which can focus very close. A macro lens is one designed to have a close focus distance for macro photography, but if you don’t have a macro lens (or want to try macro photography at a different focal length than your macro lens) the following gadgets can also help:

  • Extension tubes will reduce the focal distance when fitted between your camera and lens. These are the best option because they contain no glass and won’t affect the performance of your lens. But make sure you buy ones compatible with your camera.
  • Close-up lenses can be screwed to the front of your lens, just like a filter. These have the advantage of being cheap and easy to fit, but because they contain glass they affect the performance of your lens.

One of the most difficult things in macro photography is getting the focus right. Macro photos tend to have a very narrow depth of field, especially if you choose a longer focal length to keep clear of your subject. One way to correct the narrow focal length is to use a narrow aperture (such as f/16 or f/22) but that leads to a longer exposure time and motion blur. Good lighting is very important in macro photography. For still subjects you can use a light box. Click here to see a review of the one I demonstrated, but there are other makes and sizes available. For moving subjects you can use a ring flash which fits on the front of the lens, which won’t cast shadows like a flash attached to the camera body. If you are lucky enough to have bright natural light available, a small reflector or diffuser can be used to soften the lighting and brighten the shadows. A gadget, such as a Wimberley Plamp, can be attached to your tripod to hold subjects like flowers that might be blown by the wind.

Another way to achieve a better depth of field in macro photography is using a focus stacking. Here is a YouTube video which explains how to do it.

You can change the focus by using the focus ring on your lens, but some photographers find a focus rail (which moves the camera back and forth on a rail) is easier to control. This site shows you how use a focus rail: https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/tutorials/how-to-use-a-macro-focusing-rail-for-a-focus-stacked-close-up.

Finally, I demonstrated a USB microscope, which can produce extreme macro close-ups. The depth of field for these devices is extremely narrow and they work best with two-dimensional subjects. But they can detect tiny objects invisible to the naked eye, such as dirt on the front of your lens you didn’t know was there. Here is a review: https://gadgets-reviews.com/uk/review/1388-best-usb-microscopes.html. These range from cheap to very expensive. I demonstrated a mid-range Jiusion microscope which saves HD images.

Several members then showed a selection of interesting images: Kevin Johnson showed how classic album cover art can inspire photography; Mike Clark showed some “before and after” results in underwater photography; John West showed how you can use ICM to transform an image of the interior of a cathedral; Malcolm Roberts described his visit to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition; There were also some unique views of The Kelpies. George Smith showed his first attempts at astrophotography; Elaine Gilroy showed her photographs of birds; George Todd showed a selection of holiday images; and Derek Muller showed a rig he had set up to capture water splashes. Derek also showed some of his favourite images of acorn people created by David M Bird. More of these images can be found on David’s YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@davidmbird

Finally, Joe Fowler showed us how images can be improved by removing the distractions and using the clone tool to add more interest. Thank you to everyone who showed their images. It was a long but very entertaining evening.

Next week we have a digital knock-out competition. Please bring up to 3 images on the subject a “water” and then vote for your favourites.

Canon Speedlights 600EXRT

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The above named speedlights are the latest and greatest in the Canon speedlight range and a little advice to the other Canon users that might save you some cash.

Only purchase if you have a 2012 or later camera.

I bought one of these to add a second light for portrait work and tried using it grouped with my older speedlight, a Canon 430EXII fired by Pixl King radio transmitters. I also have a very old optical slave speedlight which i add into my mix

Canon cameras allow you to control groups of speedlights from the LCD screen when attached via compatible radio transmitters, and I’d been using mine with 2 speedlights for quite a while but with the new 600’s only one speedlight was showing on screen. I could fire off two, but the settings were being mirrored on each flash instead of how i had used my older ones previously, setting the power to each independently.

I had my new flash checked and it was returned with a note saying it worked perfectly. I blamed my old flash, so stupidly went out and bought another 600, but still the same issue.

I had my 5DMKii checked, it too was in good nic and wasn’t the cause.

A check on good old Youtube brought the answer. These new flashes are only fully compatible with newer cameras in radio mode and don’t function properly with 2nd party radio transmitters, only the Canon built STE3 and only on newer bodies.

My dilema was get shot of the new flashes at a loss or upgrade my camera, which i did but it was an expensive lesson.

The flashes have their own inbuilt radio transmission/recievers and with one attached to the cameras hot shoe you can fully operate the 2nd but to get the full benefit you want to add the ST-E3 radio trigger unit which sits in the hot shoe and lets you set each flash output

You can pair ettl with manual etc but you can’t control the zoom remotely, that needs set on each unit manually.

Another negative the trigger doesn’t have any infrared AF assist, which I find quite bizarre. You can have that by making a switch and having one of the flash in the hot shoe but it kind of defeats the point in paying for the trigger, the only way to keep two flashes off camera in low light is to use a torch for helping with AF, set your focus in manual or get a hot shoe cable attachment and connect to the flashes that way.

An expensive lesson, but the flashes are great and grouping is now easy peasy.