Prototype?

boredom..............................
can't wait to get out of LA finally...
hate it here...

enjoy the product of having too little to sleep and too much time on hands.
I am waiting for the air to clear since that volcano has screwed up my travel plans delaying me here for weeks now...

Dry Lake Outing

i shamelessly stole this one from Connor lol






Lovely day!
Connor stopped by my place on Thursday and we sat there watching a friend watching cartoons and... decided that it was about damn time to get out to Victorville dry lakes.

I have always wanted to go there but since it is far I really didn't want to have to drive by myself and some hot model. Pretty understandable, right? :) So on Saturday we met our models (lovely Brunette and Blonde (Monica and Lyz) from Model Mayhem and went there. Lyz couldn't really shoot that day so we had her working with us for about 40 minutes. Not much but she was so amazing that I am having some hard time choosing the pics. Anyway... it was windy and so freakin' dry that I think i drank like half a gallon of water in an hour...

If you ever go there with lights also bring lots of sand bags. Shit will fly over since it is VERY windy. Also think about having to go to the bathroom in a place where it is absolutely NOWHERE to hide... I mean one can be seen popping a squat (learned that expression from the models!) a mile away! lol
good times!!

About the pics... Since I had no idea what clothes models will bring, i just kinda went with what they had and with Lyz we had something sci-fi inspired. "Lyz, think about landing onto Mars" one could hear me telling her lol Why do people think that I am a nerd? bitchez... :) Monica , on the other hand looked very sports illustrated and we got to work with her for some good 4 hours. Tons of great photos and they will be updated as I process them.

Lighting wise it was easy. One or two strobes, and that's about it... Really the location is just so awesome that natural light will work just fine. Hard natural light that is. There's virtually no golden hour. It's like a golden minute. Dry air doesn't give this amazing light that everyone likes, plus there was no clouds that would reflect and diffuse the harshness of the sun.

Hard light is a great tool when you are comfortable with it. Just avoid distracting shadows. It means that your model will be facing the sun a lot. Have her close her eyes and on count "3" ask her to open them. This is a little anti squinting trick that everyone knows in SoCal.

wow it s 3:17AM - gotta go to bed. Whole day of retouching tomorrow. yay...

Shoot with Deshawn

before i start - Connor - dude , you rock! The most fun I've had at at shoot in a long while! Thank you for the company and your help!

I don't think there's too much to write about here in terms of technical stuff - overpowering the sun with one Elinchrom Ranger and that's about it. The mixing and matching the colors was the fun part. This time it all fell into place somehow. I had an idea about the location, we did manage to buy some clothes (Scarf and pants courtesy of Ross lol.

i knew right away that working with Deshawn will be awesome. What a great model this guy is! He followed my every blink, every little tweak like a pro! It was almost impossible to communicate clearly because of the waterfall (a really small artificial waterfall on some plastic rocks, may I mention, but yet, very loud)

The goal of the shoot was to create 3. maybe four looks around the same concept. The initial concept was something scandalous and sexy and LaChapelle like. The clothes that we had begged to differ, so i just went ahead and changed it in my head real quick. You can't go wrong with dark skin and red colors. Add white and you have your royal combo of colors. always looks good!

I was pleased to see that the color photos got an extremely warm welcome on Euro phot forums. I was equally shocked by some of the responses in the 90 percent American forums, were people called the shots, gay, icky, vomit causing and so on... Albeit i heard it from the folks who primarily shoot high school seniors and pics of their dogs, but nonetheless i was quite displeased by the level of fucking ignorance.

a strange day

everything felt a tad strange today.
Yesterday I met a cool bunch of aspiring photographers from LA Talent Connection. IT was cold but the conversation was warm. I invited everyone from yesterday to do some modeling tests with me today. Some showed up, some left early but after getting kicked out of the Science Center (I HATE THOSE DAMN MOTHERFUCKERS!!!!!! ok i'm done)
we went to a near by junkie hot spot, where I have shot tons of times and knew that no one is gonna be bothering us... I am way too tired to write a huge long write up but I realized one thing. A good photographer should be able to think on the spot. Right away. Even when the day is not going the way you planned. Even if the models are beginners. Doesn't matter. MAKE IT WORK. if it doesn't - it is your fault. If you are walking away without a decent shot - you gave up. Wow... i was so close to packing up early... huge head ache struck me in the middle of the shoot and i just felt like a roller coaster accident victim through the night... I must say - I am very happy with the pics today. I haven't shot fresh stuff like this in a while. I need to do this again. Just say FUCK YOU to the rules and shoot from your heart... like jazz... i love this feeling... Almost ZERO processing here. (color correction and sharpening. The halo is a combination of the light behind the head and a slight.
dodge tool cheat.

Contribute pictures if you were there . I'll post them for all to see :)

thank you guys for all your help - especially Kevin - dude, you are the freakin best

No more CC

I finally got tired of critiquing other's work.
It is just a waste of time for me... so unless anyone is specifically asking for it - no more forums posts, giving a detailed review of people's bullshit pics :)
I got better things to do - like playing Bad Company 2 and whooping some serious ass! :)

Pink Tights

XXXYYYZZZ(cool name, eh?) contacted me through MM to get a TFP shoot. What the heck - what else am I doing? I was glad to see Danny responding to my invitation to shoot together and having another photographer at this impromptu shoot was endlessly more fun! I just like having fun people around! :)

The shoot started off roughly since the model...well let's say that the girl lacked any acting skills what so ever. I know it's not a good think to bad mouth people but this is just my honest opinion and... heck I have 2 people to back me up on this...
I must admit that some are not born to be models... anybody else BUT a model. The girl was just a flailing corpse at least until she got so hungry and so cold that she had nothing left but to genuinely look this way, which gave some positive results. Of course this is why you test your models - so you can have a particular model for a particular concept in the future. I realized that when 'll need a dead body present in the frame, I know which girl I am gonna call LOL :)

On the technical side:
The tree shot has a 580X II (thank you, Danny) as a rim, which was also triggering the Elinchrom Ranger with my trusty deep octa. It has been a while since I have used a small strobe and I totally forgot how to use those :)
The absence of the sun cut this shoot short (cold and dark) so we ended up not really shooting for as long as I expected. in fact I only shot 91 frames. At least the model made it easy to choose from because I have never had such a low keeper rate lolol :)
(ok enough is enough, she is a very sweet girl)

Processing wise.
Minimal skin retouching, reducing the red channel in skin, mask, darkening the sky (I broke my ND filter so I just emulated the effect. A little but of contrast on the tree shot, skin, red channel desaturation, a little bit messing around with the tree leafs. that's about it.

My favorite photographer

when I talk to anyone about photography one of the points of discussion will eventually be the favorite photographers and those whose work really impresses and inspires us...

There used to be time when I could answer this question by simply pointing to a link on a forum. Some nicely done portraits, edgy senior shots (think Phamster - google him if you don't know who he is), smooth skin and good quality used to attract my attention because in the beginning we all struggle with the technical side of photography.

here's a little framework that I thought of just recently and perhaps it will help you to find your current place. This is VERY subjective:

Not being familiar with the techniques is something that we all went through and the quicker one get's over this huge steep learning curve - the better.
I call this Room 1.

Room 2 is where some fall into the gear acquisition obsession, pixel peeping masturbation. This is a dangerous area and, depending on how much money one can spend on photography, can last for a very long time. A person is being fooled by the notion that their new 200mm 2.0L and a Mark IV will produce amazing images. No it won't unless you make it to...

Room 3
Then it is the lighting obsession. Realizing that working with light is necessary is a great notion, but again, this room connects with the 2rd one. Getting more gear so those grand ideas for those grand shots come true. I 'll be frank. I just got out of this room, literally, several months ago. It takes a while to realize that every lighting situation is fixable with the simplest tools. Someone asked me - will a 580EX II be enough for a fashion shoot? my answer is YES! of course! You just have to know how to use it! Though if you are asking this question - you probably don't know yet. And that's ok. This is why you ask questions and practice practice practice.

Room 4
"pro"

So you have your simple (or not) tools, you know how to balance the lighting, how to create the mood and are proficient with working your first Model Mayhem models. You can easily shoot a family, a senior and it will look great. Some people consider this enough. What else do they need? Nicely shot portraits are always in demand and I know some folks who are super popular in doing just that. But there's one thing that will always push me away from this kind of photography... (weddings too) - it is REPETITIVE.
"I make 20K a month doing 3 wedding jobs and 5 senior portraits. It pays the bills and I can get whatever gear I want! REPETITIVE makes me rich!" I hear this a lot. And I can't blame people. But for me this is not why I started taking photos.
I love the artistic expression, I love when the personality of the photographer is peeking through every shot. I just can't help it. This is the kind of photography I enjoy looking at and creating the most. Trust me - it can be very lucrative. And by the way, no one said that an artistic photog can't create a nice senior photo. It is the other guy who can't create an artistic one because he never pushed himself...
If you can get out from this room - you will find yourself here in

Room 5.

Finding your style.

this room is about the strength of your ideas, technical side aside. Out of focus times and blown out faces should be the issues of the past by then. By now You have to know your gear like the back of your hand. Gear is NOT on your way to create great images. You don' think about exposure and the f stops. It is an automated process, like driving a stick shift
Here you will start thinking about your location relating to your idea and the wardrobe complimenting your location. The shapes and the patterns and the way they work together, the mood they provide. The colors that match, the poses that compliment the concept, the models that compliment your vision... This room has no end. It is an ever-expanding corridor with countless doors that lead to the multitude of your Idea sub-rooms and halls. You skip some and visit some a little longer...It is ultimately your subconsciousness and your CREATIVITY. It can be trained like a muscle. It can be educated like a kid and grown like a tree.
At first you try ideas that you have already seen. For example I loooooove the sense of movement achieved with fabric. So I shot tons of those. Were they original? no - not really. Does it have to be original all the time - nope, but when it is redundant (Google "ring book heart shot" and see what I mean)
it is not a good thing either. just try some stuff that you like, put your own twist into it, change it up, and one day you will see that there's something, barely noticeable but still unmistakable present, that links all your works. This would be... YOUR STYLE.
I truly believe that the task of every artist, no matter what the medium is is to get to the 5th room as quickly as possible. There are rooms beyond that - I am sure, but I am not there yet, therefore I don't know of their existence.

So what does it have to do with my favorite photographers? Everything.
They are all very far in the depths of the 5th Room.

One of the ways to start seeing the difference between a photographer and THE PHOTOGRAPHER is to find the PHOTOGRAPHER amongst the swarm of already skilled people. Let me help you here.

Here are some links. IT is up to you to decide who is who in your book.
As time goes by your vision will be changing. Perhaps some of these links will inspire you to start exploring.

these people inspire me:

http://www.erwinolaf.com/

http://yanmcline.livejournal.com/

http://www.lachapellestudio.com/

http://www.milesaldridge.com/

http://www.koendemuynck.com/

http://www.erikalmas.com/

http://www.thomkerr.com/

http://www.mrtoledano.com

THE WORDS OF WISDOM - EVERYONE READ NOW!!!! :)))

I stumbled upon this guy's MM profile.
read it and have a great time!

http://www.modelmayhem.com/650058

always bitter and unhappy

for some of you, who give a rats ass, it may seem that I am always bitter, unhappy and a just a grumpy old (not!) man. That I get some sort of sick pleasure of tearing someones work apart and that my ego is a size of Texas.
All I can say is - yeah you are fuckin' right about everything - now fuck off :)
lol

That's not ENTIRELY true.

If you'd like to hang out on this upcoming Sunday - I have a shoot that you are more than welcome to come to. There will be an amateur model that has never worked with me before. Imagine her surprise when she gets two (or three or eleven) sets of awesome photos!
Bring a light or a reflector. We will be shooting near LAX area.

Meeting time - 1pm at my place - 8655 Belford Ave. Los Angeles (the Madrid Apts)
call me at 812 327 7960
You will have an opportunity to participate in a shoot - so bring a cam.
I won't let you shoot my model all day long though, but I won't take all day long either. So... fair enough?
Again -
If you want to shoot all day long - get your own model (it can be a friend) and I'll tell you how to get a good shot if you so require. If you are nice to me I will let you use my Ranger (again, there will be a time limit)

Free free free - no money, no catch - just for fun - don't care for your dollars.

so...

seriously, this is why I hate MM

what the fuck...
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Mickie-Ryan
are you kidding i looooooooove your work i would be honoured to have the opportuity i would like to ask would you also be interesed in shooting my girl goup and i ? let me know
p.s sorry for the late responds i hardly log into mm


xxxxxxxx@ymail.com
(xxx)xxx xxxx


Misha Mikhaylov
11/29/09 8:44 PM (Message read)
Mickie, thanks so much for the rexponce, but i am leaving the country in 9 days until mid February. Id like to keep the offer standing, so when I am back in LA you will be the first on my list!


Mickie-Ryan
12/04/09 11:40 AM
please call me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i dont want to loose this opportunity!!!


Misha Mikhaylov
12/05/09 5:38 PM (Message read)
I will call you when I am back. You are the first on the list


Mickie-Ryan
12/07/09 8:55 AM
okie=) (fingers cross)


Misha Mikhaylov
03/07/10 10:41 PM (Message read)
I'm back!
shoot?


Mickie-Ryan
03/08/10 1:16 PM
of course are you free sometime next week?


Misha Mikhaylov
03/08/10 1:22 PM (Message read)
i have a bunch of clients, but I may cut some space for you. I need several days to establish my next week schedule.

(1 MONTH LATER!)

Mickie-Ryan
04/07/10 8:40 PM
just saw this does ur offer still stand i was thinking edgy sexy pix with these beautiful ladies

(links)

Misha Mikhaylov
04/07/10 8:55 PM (Message read)
lol this was like a month ago
seriously...
anyway, I'd shoot you, like we talked about. any day will do just fine.


Mickie-Ryan
04/07/10 9:03 PM
im sorry=( so much has happened i just got my 3rd girl ...are you free tuesday evening? also we have another girl modelmayhem.com/lyladee but she's out of town til the 20th if ur interested in that also? up to you just let me know
xoxoxoxo what's your contact?
prettylittlemonsters@gmail.com


Misha Mikhaylov
04/07/10 10:45 PM (Message read)
MM is the best way to contact me. or email - mikhaylovphoto@gmail.com

So - upcoming Sunday works best for me. I can only shoot 2 girls at the same time, since some of my gear is in repair now.
Also - I am leaving LA yet again, and this time its for good. So if you would like to shoot with us (me and MUA and assistant) you got until Apr 29. But again this Sunday is king


Mickie-Ryan
04/07/10 11:08 PM
ok the point for this shoot is the 3 of us to interact together are you completely sure we can't squeeze one in? we're all 5'3 and under petite girls let me know if not no worries i guess we can take seperates but if its possible that'll be great=)


Mickie-Ryan
04/07/10 11:09 PM
will we receive a disk?


Mickie-Ryan
04/07/10 11:16 PM
i retouched all my images in my port if that matters lol...i can so you more of my work if you wish i make a living retouching so you wouldn't have to be afraid i can sign an agreement stating that i can only post approved images by the photographer if you would like... let me know thank you so much im so excited


Misha Mikhaylov
04/08/10 12:14 AM (Message read)
that's cute

- no image retouching - that's off limits to the models. (bam!) lol
- I've been doing that for much longer than photography (Vogue, Maxim, you name it)
-If you 'd like to retouch - get a cam and some models ))) jk


As for the pics - no disks - 3 or 4 images per girl tops. Though (not to sound cocky but ) you will get some higher end pics for your port.
THe more girls, the more images I'll have to work on. It's up to you.

lemme see those models again, please.


Misha Mikhaylov
04/08/10 12:16 AM (Message read)
so... this Sunday?


Mickie-Ryan
04/08/10 1:06 AM
thats totally fine ... when do you usually give back images?

modelmayhem.com/misscharliepearl
modelmayhem.com/missdominicanrep
and me

the look is glam edgy sexy....

we need one image each girl and whatever you are willing to do left with the 3 of us together... what size can we expect? i would like to hang this up poster size ..

yes sunday please send us location and time



Misha Mikhaylov
04/08/10 2:05 AM (Message read)
- first link is broken so... can't see the girl
- Ashley is cool

I guess it's just you two. 3 is a bit too much to deal with for now. and... makeup will take FOREVER for the 3 of you.


- Sunday is good. Let's meet at 12:30pm

ADDRESS - xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

that's where I live and that's were well check out your clothes.

- the look - can you try to bring something Alien like, futuristic and we will be shooting some superpowers inspired editorial.

As for the images - I work EXTREMELY fast. Literally, sometimes you can have your pics on the same day. Usually it will take me 48 hours. But I work super fast, cause I have no life )

size of photos - 2100px on the long side - (350dpi.) Could be larger. (max is 4000px on the long side) so , yes poster size - you will have

You will be required to sign a model release, which is a standard procedure, BEFORE the shoot.

Wardrobe
----------------

- NO black fabric that ABSORBS light. Only shiny stuff (like leather - not like sparkled things)

- No pure whites
-No jean shorts and jeans
-no tshirts
-no busy prints

yes to -

extravagant dresses,
lingerie,
long leather coats,
super bright colors,
Super high heels,
ballerina skirts,
weird stuff,
spandex, preferably bright colors (like 7.99 in ANY TJ maxx)

basically something that you will not have the guts to wear out.
Something extraordinary. I've got TONS of ordinary clothed pics. This has to benefit me as a photographer too, remember?
If Everything is totally terrible - there's a TJ MAXX down the street, but I don't think it will go that far, though it happened before. lol








Mickie-Ryan
04/08/10 4:54 AM
http://www.modelmayhem.com/1326777


Mickie-Ryan
04/08/10 4:55 AM
ok great!


Mickie-Ryan
04/08/10 5:59 AM
it has to be the 3 of us its the point of the shoot for sunday if we do indivisuals first im thinking make-up will be finished by the time the 3rd girl shoots so no time will be lost ...let me know


Misha Mikhaylov
04/08/10 9:50 AM (Message read)
Wait wait... The point of the shoot is for me to test you (alone) as a model. As of lately, my port is pretty full. What you are asking is this: try and shoot three amateur models that i have never even seen, who i am not sure have any experience at all, and shoot them all on one day, and that would be tfp? Heres the deal: as i said, i have limited gear and theres not enough lighting that i can take to even make it work for the three of you. I will shoot all three of you at a studio sometime next week (maybe) but first, i have to take a look at what you can do. 3 models is a huge undertaking. Two i can deal with, but dont forget that it was just you alone initially. Now... Think about it, and meanwhile i ll see what i can do as well.
P.S- have you thought about tha wardrobe that completely matches?


Mickie-Ryan
04/08/10 10:15 AM
yes we all have access to the worerobe that is required...if you wanted to just shoot me alone thats fine but i need group images right now ...i thought you underdstood that when i sent you the links to the other models if you are not interested that is totally fine but i thought you were....you don't have to shoot us as a group i can contact you at a later date if you are only interested in shooting solo images with me. thank you for your time...


Misha Mikhaylov
04/08/10 10:48 AM (Message read)
Well, group images are great but it takes at least one go-see for me to decide. Heres the deal. I can invite some photographers with more lights and gear so all three of you can have all the fun in the sun. I cant tell you how and when you will get your pics, since this will turn into a photo party for the whole day:) i also can guarantee the quality only regarding my own work. I hope it us understandible. Mickie, it is all up to you.


Misha Mikhaylov
04/08/10 10:58 AM (Message read)
to make this long story short

(not to sound bitchy)

- if you want to shoot - ok but it will be just you and 1 other model (any girl that you mentioned will do)

- if not - than I can't help you

TFP shoots are for the photographers' vision and for a model to pose and get the shots for the port.
Everything else has rates.

again, I don't mean to sound bitter, but that's just how it is.


Mickie-Ryan
04/08/10 11:13 AM
as a model this is tfp/tfcd for me also. In my opinion the model is just as important as a photographer. I'm also not getting any income from this shoot. i don't post all my images but i have about 150 images in my portfolio it's pretty full at this point as well .For a model to have no say so i totally disagree with that. i bring a lot to the shoot that other models can't produce. i beleive the model and photographer should agree on concepts/themes/vision in tfp/tfcd no one should just be a puppet. thank you for your time but considering you can't shoot the 3 of us i have to pass. If i have time for solo projects i can contact you at a later date if not then my apologises for wasting any of your time. Thank You


Misha Mikhaylov
04/08/10 11:49 AM (Message read)
best of luck to you in finding somebody to better suit your modeling needs.



I mean... really... what.the.fuck.

Getting Together

Hey, this goes to all 2 people who read this blog and live in Cali:

I am leaving LA to go and shoot in Europe for about 5 months and most likely I'll never come back to this city (thank you, God, Satan, Buddha, Odin and Arnold!)

I'd like to invite anyone who is more or less interested in photography to hang out on any day, at anytime. Come to LAX area and bring your cam. I'll try to find a model or two and share whatever I know about shooting people as well as photographing them :D

so:

mikhaylov2@gmail.com

and unlike some of the motherfucking bastards that want to squeeze your last dollar, this informal, personal workshop will be FREE (no money!!) lol

The offer stands until Apr 30th. After that - I'Ll see ya in London, Moscow, St Petersburg, Athens and maybe Rome.

cheers.

Laura Soares. Maxim Magazine (UK)

http://www.maxim.co.uk/girls/international/20764/laura_soares.html









I got Invited to shoot for the British Maxim, and more precisely ffor the their featured model, Laura. She is pretty and from Brazil. Is there anything NOT pretty from Brazil? This is why its my favorite country that I haven't been to! One of these days though... one of these days...
So the shoot was pretty much on a very short notice and I went in to a very unfamiliar location, and in addition it was indoors. Here I got pretty screwed with gear, with lights being still at the repair shop. Deep Octa and the Big Boy Ranger that's all we had today. We almost lost that too since the Ranger managed to take a pretty big hit after falling from it's 7ft stand :) lol
I won't go into depths bout the setup (one strobe! whooptydoo!:)

I have some rather mixed feelings about glamour photography. Since these pics had to fit into the format of the magazine and therefore had to be pretty simple and a little sexed up, I find no huge interest in doing this kind of work. I mean... how many almost naked chics can you shoot? ;) I know that someone who doesn't do this kind of stuff on a regular basis would think that it's the best job in the world but the truth is that it is a pretty draining a difficult business to shoot a girl with minimum showing imperfections. Add some self contentiousness and the lack of modeling experience and you have yourself a handful :) tough tough tough shoot...

mixed results and feelings, not really my type of a model and photography... but I feel pretty productive tonight. The retouch didn't take long, thanks to the wonderful MUA Donyet who works with me at every shoot and is the most helpful person in the world :) Like you can totally borrow a million bucks from her! lol

and of course I had to shoot something that I actually like
(experiments!! )




Happy Saturday morning - the best time of the week!
more pics from today are on the way :)

Kevin - A small tutorial on lighting and composition

Kevin is from http://www.motorportraitsla.com/ which is a high end studio here in LA to shoot cars, girls and everything else. The guys at the studio were kind enough to give me a tour around this giant place and I really liked what I saw. Great looking ramp, awesome cars, the only thing that is missing is a swarm of photogs rushing in. Pretty reasonable rates and I think an evening full of models and photogs along with some of the coolest rides around would be a great start for this new venue.

You can't just go to a studio and not take photos. Unfortunately I didn't bring a camera so I used a 30D with a nifty. Nice little combo and another proof that one doesn't have to spend tons of hard earned cash to afford the latest gear. It's all in your head and hands.

Here's a short step by of getting some good results.

First you have to find a model :)




here's our beautiful man! :)
The pic sucks major butt though. The light is flat and the face is grim.
We had some mirrors in the back and some cool light bulbs on the BG, so the task was to make all this to work together.



So I had to meter the lights first to set the correct shutter speed. The f stop was f4.5 just enough to blur the BG. What happened here though is that the lights were so bright that the slow shutter speed blew everything out miserably. This doesn't work either for us (duh) :)



The lights had to be underexposed by a stop and a half, just enough to show their warm glow. I asked Kevin to move further from the background just so the blur effect becomes more prominent. We also put a medium grid on the Alien Bee (wooohoo!) , having it a at 1/4 power. I like having my main lights high up to get this great Rembrant light. There's one problem here though. The composition is not really working out, since I cropped off the lights and the whole thing is at at an angle which is taking away from the symmetrical look I was after. Also, Kevin's face is merging with the dark background so we obviously need a second light source.



so we are pretty dark close to the end result. A nice rim at quarter power is gridded and set to the camera right, just behind the model. The horizontal orientation is working out nicely here and all we have to do is to add some color correction to get rid of the Alien Bee pink skin tint, add just a little bit of high pass filter to bring out the details in the face (I set it at 1.0px) and to add +5 on the contrast bar to make th epic pop a little. I also asked Kevin to produce the best smile he had available at 11pm after a long day...
Also I set our white balance to 4200K to make that white wall slightly blue. Since the Alien bees make any pic slightly warmer than they ought to be, we used this to our advantage. I also added a very slight color gradient effect from NIK plugins (orange and blue) to enhance the effect.





there you have it! if not a masterpiece, but certainly a rather fun little portrait of Kevin!
post your questions if you have any :)