Hi and welcome to this edition of Workshop at the Ranch (WATR.) We are back on track with Your Questions and My Answers this month. I picked a Photo Rights with Pro Athletes question, to get the Q-ball rolling…

Image #1     Phil Mickelson Wins 2004 Masters … Nikon D2h, 1/800 at f2.8, Nikon 400mm f2.8,  WB 6250K, Gitzo Carbon Fiber Monopod, SanDisk 16G Extreme Pro Flash Card.       

Q…Do you sell any of your photos. I am interested in the photo of Phil Mickelson on 18th green in 2004 Masters with him leaping after winning his 1st Masters. My son & I were standing at the 18th green & witnessed that exciting moment!

Thank you. David F.

A … Hi David and son.

Great question and one that is often asked. I’m afraid I do not sell any prints of the professional athletes I have photographed. That is a rights issue of which I do not have secured print/distribute rights from Phil Mickelson or any other professional athletes in the major sports to sell prints to the public.

My sports coverage event images are primarily distributed for editorial use, unless personally requested by the athlete or his/her acting agent and or agency. I will distribute images to companies and advertising agencies that have endorsement contracts with the professional athlete, but that request must come via the athlete’s agent, their agency, or from the advertising agency with written release from the athlete and rep-agency.

Many photographers feel they have the rights to make prints of athletes and sell them to the public. I do not think this way. This has always been a grey area in the photo legal system. Some photographers go to court and win…some loose and never get credentialed to cover the event again.

I would never want to infringe on the rights of any athlete, pro or armature that I have worked with, therefore, I simply do not sell prints.

Many people have made this same request…Sorry I can’t be of help.   Dave

Image #2   Daybreak Barn … Nikon D600, ISO400, 30 seconds at f8,   Nikon 24-70mm lens, WB 4000K, SanDisk 16G Extreme Pro Flash Card.

Q… Dave
I was in Yosemite with you in November of 2013 with the digital photography workshop group. I’ve been using some of your lightpainting techniques and having good results. I have a question regarding the camera WB settings when using the large brinkmann spotlight for landscapes. Any help with your WB settings would be great.

Thank you
Joe

 

A…Hi Joe.  Hope you’re doing well.

Thanks for your email and a really good question.

I use the MAX Million III rechargeable spotlight by Brinkmann to make my large scale outdoor landscape Lightpaintings. The light from the Brinkmann is a Tungsten bulb which produces a very warm color (yellow/amber) …much too warm for a Daylight White Balance.

To counter the Brinkmann’s warm color Tungsten light I use a camera WB of 4000K (Kelvin scale), which is a slightly cooler color (bluer than daylight).  The result is a “slightly” warmer color than perfect Daylight…which looks very natural, like a soft sunset or sunrise light on the landscape.

This Lightpainting was made about 45 minutes before sunrise. The WB of 4000K makes the sky a deep blue color, while the warm tungsten light from the MAX Million III rechargeable spotlight by Brinkmann “paints” the barn and field of tall grass with warm colored “sunrise light.”

Great question…hope this answer is helpful to your next Lightpainting.

Adios. Dave

Image #3   Truck Stop … NikonD800, ISO500, 30 seconds at f11, Nikon 24-70mm lens, WB 4000K, SanDisk Extreme Pro 32G Flash Card.  

Q…David,
First of all, your Lightpainting pictures is pretty cool stuff.
In saying that, would you be willing to give me a tip on how you’re shooting your cars with the lit up headlights.
We are heading back to Utah,Nevada,Arizona for landscape photography and I’m going to be experimenting with lightpainting agian. As you know there are plenty of old things to shoot out there including trucks. Are you shooting each shot with a different part of the car lit up and blending them together in PhotoShop? Thanks for your time. Owen

A…Hi Owen.  Thanks for your email and kind words regarding my Lightpaintings.  Lightpainting vehicles is a lot of fun and makes a stylized look that people really like. Getting the headlights to illuminate really brings life to the picture.

But let’s begin with your question as to if I shoot several separate Lightpainted images and blend them in Photoshop, the answer is NO.

I do not Lightpaint separate parts of the scene and then assemble them all together in Photoshop to make 1 complete picture. My editorial career keeps me on the photography side of the fence rather than the Photoshop side. And so I make just 1 single frame using a long exposure time to make a single complete Lightpainting photograph…a single RAW file. Keep in mind I might make 8-10 attempts before I get one Lightpainting that I like.

But just because I choose this “style” of photography doesn’t mean you and others have to. If folks want to make complex Lightpaintings by compositing together 2, 3, 4, or more Lightpainted images together to form a picture, I’m OK with that. I just like people to learn to Lightpaint…It’s fun!

Now, here’s how I get the headlights to appear operational with an old run down Junker…I typically use the Brinkmann MAX Million III rechargeable spotlight with a 10 degree Honeycomb Grid over the front to Lightpaint headlights on old cars and trucks.

 

I hold the Brinkmann spotlight about 1 foot away from each headlight and illuminate it for a 1/2 second. The warm tungsten bulb of the Brinkmann easily illuminates the headlight to appear as though the battery still works in the abandon vehicle.

Make sure that you are not standing in-between the camera and the headlight to where you would block the camera from seeing the headlight. Also, it is a good idea to wear dark clothing so that your cloths do not illuminate and become visible in the picture when you blast the headlights with the Brinkmann from such close range.

This Lightpainting was made last year in Old Car City outside of Atlanta. The same technique I just mentioned was used for the headlights. I also used the Brinkmann MAX Million III to Lightpaint the entire scene.

The fun element is the broken headlight on the ground…it appears to be working, but of course it is just Lightpainted. To make it look more convincing I Lightpainted a shaft of light on the tree to the far left as if the stray headlight was illuminating the tree trunk.  Too Much Fun!

Great question Owen…Hope this answer helps.  Dave

Great questions again this month and plenty more to answer next month. Thanks for sending them in via the Contact Dave page.

See you all next month here on WATR …and follow me on Instagram @daveblackphoto  http://instagram.com/daveblackphoto

 

Adios. Dave