A message from Jennifer Emery

Welcome to my blog. You will find photography tips, tutorials and reviews here at jenniferemery.photo/blog. Always with a positive theme to encourage your photographic journey. Please subscribe to keep up with all the current posts.

All the Best! Jennifer

Unleashed the Student Way

February 16, 2019 • Leave a Comment

Unleashed The Student Way

Proof you don't need to be a pro photographer or spend a lot of money on strobes.

beauty-098

Model: Janelee Rodriguez

HMU: Jerri Graham

Photos and story by: Jennifer Emery

Recently, while teaching my Commercial Photography Course at LMU in Los Angeles, the students got a chance to shoot with the Interfit Badger Unleashed! Battery Powered, no cords needed!

We experimented with different beauty Lighting techniques

Using the Intefit Foldable Softbox or the Foldable Beauty Dish

Here's the final product:

Sideways clamshell

2 Badger Unleashed w/ 2 soft-boxes (no grids)

Model positioned b/w the lights. the soft-boxes are feathered slightly back toward the backdrop, creating the contrast shadow toward the center of the face.

Light Settings: Equal output on both lights at 5.6

Camera Settings: 1/90th @ f/5.6

Camera/Lens: 5D mark IV w/ 70-200mm L @125mm focal length

This is our softer beauty make-up application

beauty-065_tu

Traditional Clamshell

1 Badger Unleashed w/ foldable beauty dish and diffuser.

Silver reflector used to bounce light into face from below the chin line

Light Setting: 5.6

Camera Settings: 1/180th @ f/8

Camera/Lens: 5D mark IV w/ 70-200mm L @200mm focal length

This is our 2nd look with a stronger "Pat Benatar" beauty make-up application.

beauty-105_tu

Continue reading here.....

Interfit Color with Slogan copy Get 10% off Interfit products now by using code "EMERY10"

enter code at check out

More great photo discounts from my favorite photography companies:

Lighting Gear: 10% off Interfit Photographic: click here and use code "EMERY 10"

Business software: Honeybook 50% off go to: click here

Want to learn more about lighting?!

Buy one of my two books on Lighting on Amazon!

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Red, White and Blue, Beauty Lighting

July 04, 2018 • Leave a Comment

RED, WHITE AND BLUE

The Photography Happy Hour - Episode 2

Beauty Lighting with a Twist

Watch the video for a full tutorial

Episode Two of the Photography Happy Hour

Be sure to subscribe: to the Photography Happy Hour and my blog for updates and new videos.

Here's a great video tutorial on how to achieve beauty lighitng with an interesting twist on the catch light.

All strobes used were the Interfit Photo S1 strobes. Use my discount code for an additional 10% off. EMERY10

Here's the shot

BTS of set-up

IMG_4125

IMG_4102

IMG_9415_tu

A little more info about all the equipment used and where to get it - click on the link to see more

Background "Vintage Flag Backdrop" from: BackdropOutlet strobe-integration-840
4- Interfit S1 Monolights
3- Interfit Foldable Stripboxes as Key-lights
1- Intefit Barn-door set, with included gels and grid added.

Interfit Color with Slogan copy Get 10% off Interfit products now by using code "EMERY10"

enter code at check out

More great photo discounts from my favorite photography companies:

Lighting Gear: 10% off Interfit Photographic: click here and use code "EMERY 10"

Rental Equipment: Barrow Lenses: 10% off go to this link: click here

Business software: Honeybook 50% off go to: click here

Want to learn more about lighting?!

Buy one of my two books on Lighting on Amazon!

cover2 cover2 Emery_Jennifer_FC

The making of a Movie Poster

April 04, 2018 • Leave a Comment

Photographing a Movie Poster

Fun demo with my LMU students

So you want to shoot movie posters.....

Here's a great demo I did at Cherry Soda Studios with my Loyola Marymount University Students, for my Commercial Lighting Class.

The assignment was for the students to come up with an imaginary Film or TV show and create a Movie Poster plus individual cast photos. For the demo I decided on a western theme. So Cow-Girl-Up and lets see how we created our lighting design using 4 Intefit S1 strobes and a single red gel.

Our set-up.

Two foldable Soft-boxes as key-lights to the front of the set, barndoor-set w/ red-gel to camera left and inline with the cast, and a 30 degree grid camera right a bit behind the cast.

BTS_IMG_2566 BTS_IMG_2567

Get 10% off Interfit products now by using code "EMERY10"

enter code at check out

Interfit Color with Slogan copy

Here's what we got

For the individual cast photos we kept the same lighting for consistency.

Setting

ISO: 400

Shutter: 1/125th

f/stop: f/8

A longer f-stop was used for the group photos so we had more DOF to insure everyone was in focus. The front Key-lights where set at equal power at 5.6 (about half-power for other units). Our gelled light was at 8.0 and the grid at 9.0 because it took more power to push through the grid. (Note, the S1's go to 10.0 which would equal full-power on other units)

Equipment

Camera: Canon 5D Mark VI

Lens: Canon 17-35L and the 70-200 for individual photos

Lights: 4 Interfit S1 mono-lites

Front Key light: 2 foldable soft-boxs

Back Rim light: Interfit S1 can plus 30 degree grid

Side red gelled light, Interfit barn doors with red gel.

The students, cast, and I had a great time.

Check out my instructional videos at:

The Photography Happy Hour

Because after a long day of photography, who doesn't need a good stiff drink.

version2_med

More great photo discounts from my favorite photography companies:

Lighting Gear: 10% off Interfit Photographic: click here and use code "EMERY 10"

Rental Equipment: Barrow Lenses: 10% off go to this link: click here

Business software: Honeybook 50% off go to: click here

Happy New Year & Merry Christmas w/ Continuous Lights

January 03, 2018 • Leave a Comment

Happy New Year

&

Merry Christmas

The Continuous Light/Modeling Light feature on the Interfit Honey Badgers

Staring 18 year old BOB THE CAT

Screen Shot 2018-01-03 at 2.20.11 AM

For the new year, I thought I would do a little feature on Interfit's newest product the Honey Badger strobe and its amazingly powerful modeling lights that can double as continuous lights.

I wanted to do a Christmas card featuring our last pet, Bob-The-Cat. He's 18 years old and the last living member of his furry clan that consisted of 2 dogs and 3 cats. Bob has out lived them all. I wanted to use a green gel and a directional grid and really stylize it. But the idea of strobes brought thoughts of a scared kitty running off after the first shot. So I decided to go with the modeling lights on the Honey Badgers that are rated strong enough for continuous light photography.

Get 10% off Interfit products now by using code "EMERY10"

enter code at check out

Interfit Color with Slogan copy

Behind the Scenes

My living room turned into a studio:

IMG_4049

To make Bob at home I put his bed in front of the Christmas Tree with his favorite catnip toys.

I placed the camera on my tripod low to the ground and framed up the shot on a stand in.

JME_0721

IMG_4051

Setting

ISO: 2500

Shutter: 1/60th

f/stop: f/8

Because I was shooting with the modeling lights and cutting the light with gels and grids, I needed to dial up the ISO to 2500 to at least shoot at a 1/60th of a second to freeze movement, and I wanted f/8 so the tree was in focus and not to shallow DOF.

Equipment

I wanted to get the whole tree in the shot and have the cat front and center. Therefore, I used a wide lens very close to the subject. I pre-set the focus to manual and shot remotely from my ipad when the cat looks at the camera.

Camera: Canon 5D Mark VI

Lens: Canon 17-35L

Lights: 2 Interfit Honey Badgers

Front Key light: w/ 20 degree Grid

Back Rim light: Interfit Barn Doors with green gel.

Kitty Santa hat: Target

Here's what we got.

I only shot 17 photos.

JME_0734 JME_0742 JME_0745

With the final choice being the one with Bob looking right into the camera

Check out the green rim-light, lighting the tree and the back of Bob. Just like Christmas Eve!

JME_0746_TU1_cropLess

And the final product for our Holiday cards.

Screen Shot 2018-01-03 at 2.20.11 AM

It was quick and fun.... and the cat was not stressed at all.

Check out my instructional videos at:

The Photography Happy Hour

Because after a long day of photography, who doesn't need a good stiff drink.

version2_med

More great photo discounts from my favorite photography companies:

Lighting Gear: 10% off Interfit Photographic: click here and use code "EMERY 10"

Rental Equipment: Barrow Lenses: 10% off go to this link: click here

Business software: Honeybook 50% off go to: click here

Honey-Honey_Photography Happy Hour Ep 1

October 10, 2017 • Leave a Comment

Honey-Honey

The Photography Happy Hour - Episode 1

One-Light Headshots w/ the Honey Badger

If you tuned in recently to Episode One of the Photography Happy Hour, this is a follow-up on how to achieve headshot lighting using just one light.

Be sure to subscribe: to the Photography Happy Hour and my blog for updates and new videos.

Here's a quick instructional on how to use the Honey Badger Strobe by Interfit Photographic .

BTW The Honey Badger Strobe list price is an amazingly low $299. and includes a 24" pop-up soft-box. Use my discount code for an additional 10% off. EMERY10

Here's the shot

This was achieved using one light, above head-level of the model, with a large Octobox modifier, and a silver reflector about waist level. The reflector is placed close to the body of the subject to reflect some of the light from the strobe back up into the face. The reflector also creates a nice dewy catch-light in the bottom of her eye.

IMG_9318_tu

Lighting Diagram and BTS of set-up lighting diagram_gloria

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Here is how it looks side-by-side, with and without, the reflector. The 2nd photo, without the reflector, illustrates how much more shadow the is under the chin. Neither is right or wrong, it's simply preference. With headshots for actors or business professionals, I like the bounce of the reflector because it is more flattering to most subjects, and creates a more inviting look. Notice that creases in the face are more filled in with the reflector - it's an all around softer look.

IMG_9330_TU IMG_9316tu_noRelect

Here's one more we did for our promo.

IMG_9281TU2

A little more info about all the equipment used and where to get it - click on the link to see more

Background "Dimond Cloth" from: BackdropOutlet strobe-integration-820
1- Interfit Honey Badger flash head.
1- Interfit Foldable Octobox as Key-light
Reflector - 20" x40" Super Soft Silver/Natural White by: Rogue

The Honey Badger specs: version2_med

320w per second flash
8 Groups (that means you can have up to 8 heads set on different power outputs)
15 channels
7-stops (320ws-5w's) with 10 stop increments
Sync capablity at 1/250th sec
1 second recycle time
Bowens® s-type-mount for all your favorite modifiers
And the pièce de résistance- a modeling lamp with a dimmable 5600k bulb that is a powerful 60W LED. (yes folks, that means you can also use this unit as a continuous light and shoot some video.... although it is probably best used for video without sound because of the audible fan in the head)

Interfit Color with Slogan copy Get 10% off Interfit products now by using code "EMERY10"

enter code at check out

More great photo discounts from my favorite photography companies:

Lighting Gear: 10% off Interfit Photographic: click here and use code "EMERY 10"

Rental Equipment: Barrow Lenses: 10% off go to this link: click here

Business software: Honeybook 50% off go to: click here

Want to learn more about lighting?!

Buy one of my two books on Lighting on Amazon!

cover2 cover2 Emery_Jennifer_FC

Home»Blog

A message from Jennifer Emery

Unleashed The Student Way

Model: Janelee Rodriguez

HMU: Jerri Graham

Photos and story by: Jennifer Emery

We experimented with different beauty Lighting techniques

Here's the final product:

Sideways clamshell

Traditional Clamshell

Interfit Color with Slogan copy ​​​​​Get 10% off Interfit products now by using code "EMERY10"

enter code at check out

More great photo discounts from my favorite photography companies:

Want to learn more about lighting?!

Buy one of my two books on Lighting on Amazon!

RED, WHITE AND BLUE

The Photography Happy Hour - Episode 2

Here's the shot

Interfit Color with Slogan copy ​​​​​Get 10% off Interfit products now by using code "EMERY10"

enter code at check out

More great photo discounts from my favorite photography companies:

Want to learn more about lighting?!

Buy one of my two books on Lighting on Amazon!

Photographing a Movie Poster

Check out my instructional videos at:

More great photo discounts from my favorite photography companies:

Happy New Year

&

Merry Christmas

Staring 18 year old BOB THE CAT

Screen Shot 2018-01-03 at 2.20.11 AM

Get 10% off Interfit products now by using code "EMERY10"

Check out my instructional videos at:

More great photo discounts from my favorite photography companies:

Honey-Honey

The Photography Happy Hour - Episode 1

Here's the shot

Interfit Color with Slogan copy ​​​​​Get 10% off Interfit products now by using code "EMERY10"

enter code at check out

More great photo discounts from my favorite photography companies:

Want to learn more about lighting?!

Buy one of my two books on Lighting on Amazon!

Interfit Color with Slogan copy Get 10% off Interfit products now by using code "EMERY10"

Interfit Color with Slogan copy Get 10% off Interfit products now by using code "EMERY10"

Interfit Color with Slogan copy Get 10% off Interfit products now by using code "EMERY10"