Hi! And thanks to everyone for following me as I’ve made more and more videos! I really just started hoping to share some of my photography knowledge – I did not expect such great response and conversations through email (secrets@snapchick.com). You can bet that I have a lot more to talk about, too.

Tonight was a special treat – A video about my photo shoot and then some pictures for y’all – AND OVER 50 PHOTOS FOR MY TOTALLY AWESOME VIP MEMBERS!!!

Check out the video..

Here are some of the results…

and for the VIP’s…. HERE’S THE ENTIRE SHOOT (56 IMAGES)!!!

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OK, I’m not 50… and I have not been online for 50 years! But, tonight I’m filming my 50th YouTube video. I started late in 2009 with just a couple of instructional videos. From there, it has taken on a life of its own. The BEST part of making the videos is the new friends I have met on here, YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, email, etc… It is great to see various portfolios and hear different perspectives on equipment and style.

I’m making a special video tonight to celebrate 50 videos and then following it with an exclusive photo shoot for my VIP members!!!

Thank you everyone! You keep making the suggestions and I will keep making the videos!

Leigh

In this video, I talk to you about the photographer’s portfolio. A strong portfolio is key in wowing potential clients! I’m not in a bikini, but maybe next time…

Leigh

So, I reviewed some underwater photography solutions today. I shot a review… but I need to redo it because of excessive wind noise. I did, however, shoot plenty of stills and “outtake” and “VIP” video aside from the review itself.

Update: I took the show inside due to high winds. Here is the review…

Here’s some sample images from a Nikon D2x in an Ewa-Marine U-BXP100. In the upcoming review (to be reshot), I will tell you all about it.

Here is the case…

Ewa-Marine U-BXP100 Underwater Housing for Large Pro Digital SLR’s with Wider Lens Diameters (Max: 82mm) & Shoe Mounted Flash, Dive Depth to 50m /155′

And, of course, I did some video with the Powershot G7 in its case.

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For my VIP Members, I made a bunch of underwater and over-water outtakes, like this one… The rest are available below for VIP’s.

Also, for my VIP’s is a 49 photo, mostly underwater gallery. If you like my black bikini, you’ll love these EXCLUSIVE photos and video 😉
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If you have been on my ‘Secrets’ list for awhile, you have received links to some of my most intimate self portraits. Here is one sample photo, and then the entire list of links for my VIP’s. I’m coming back from travel tomorrow, so I will have fresh, new, content coming up this weekend… maybe I’ll bust out of the studio and put some candids together. Tell me what you want to see… just write to secrets@snapchick.com

More photos from my ‘Secrets’ hidden flickr galleries for VIP’s…

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I’m on the east coast for a conference this week… Not photography related, but I’m carrying along the Powershot G7 for snapshots – the same camera used in the short, but apparently very popular swimming pool video a couple of posts down.
There is a pro here at the conference, shooting a D300s and D300 with the 17-55 f2.8 DX and the 70-200 f2.8. Great cameras with a great lens combo. I could tell when she was shooting towards the stage and getting slow shutter speeds and then adjusting the ISO. I could see her exact thought and adjustment process from 100 feet away! 🙂
I’ve been getting some great ideas for my weekend studio shooting. Send any ideas to secrets@snapchick.com or to the VIP hotline. Thanks for all of the emails! Responses are out to -almost- all of them.

Hi! I’m traveling this week, but I’m going to be doing a lot of work in the studio this weekend. A ‘tune up’ of sorts before a number of studio shoots. Let me know what you want to see – techniques, outfts, cameras, lenses, results, how-to videos, etc… Just write to me at secrets@snapchick.com. VIP’s can write to my ‘private line.’ 🙂 I can’t wait to hear from everyone!!!

If you’ve been following my recent videos, you know that I have been enjoying the Nikon 35mm f1.8 DX. I procrastinated the purchase of this lens for quite awhile, convincing myself that the 50mm f1.8 was fine for my needs. BUT, on a DX sensor camera, like the D90 or D300s, the 50mm put you a bit close when you want more than an individual portrait. Enough was enough and I ordered the 35mm f1.8. It’s FANTASTIC!

I put together a review of the lens here…

After the video, I put on my favorite red bikini and worked a bit in the studio. Here is a comparison of the field of view of the 35mm vs. the 50mm. Camera was the same distance from me in both shots. The only difference was the lens.

First, the 35mm f1.8

Then the 50mm

Then I took about 19 more shots like this one…

Complete gallery for VIP’s below 🙂 19 images… Wanna see them? Just become a SnapChick VIP!

Questions? Write to me at secrets@snapchick.com.

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More from the shoot with “A.” These shots are proof that a great smile goes a long way! The talent’s personality really comes through in these shots. No “icy stares” here. These shots show warmth and happiness with that “girl next door” smile! Classic lighting setup with two background lights.

More right here for the VIP’s

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More from the “K” shoot. Again, these were just a simple, straightforward 2 light, 2 umbrella set up. I do love to get “fancy,” but sometimes “normal” lighting has a charm of its own. 🙂 Fun shoot, went too fast, but a tremendous amount of “keepers.” You’re seeing the pre-photoshop copies so that you can see the true impact of the lighting, etc…, complete with sensor dust and backdrop wrinkles. I’ll run some of these through “Virtual Photographer” (see previous post) this weekend so that you can see the impact.

42, yes 42 more shots for the VIP’s!

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Here’s something that I have not mentioned yet – AND I LITERALLY USE IT EVERY DAY.

http://www.optikvervelabs.com/

I use “Virtual Photographer” all the time. If you have Photoshop, it’s an absolute must, and it’s TOTALLY FREE. I could talk a ton about it here (and I will in a video soon), but just download it and try it out. I’ll be shocked if you do not instantly love it.

I didn’t know about their “Virtual Studio” product until right now! TOTALLY FREE.

Here’s an image where I used a “radiant” filter from Virtual Photographer to add some “glow” to a portrait (yes, that’s me sporting the long hair).

Questions about technique or anything else? leigh@snapchick.com

For the VIP’s here’s the original file un-retouched file and two more new-ish self portraits…

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I apologize to my new VIP’s. I did not have my super-double-secret VIP email address on my “Thank You” page. It is below (you may need to login).
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Hi guys! Thanks for the great response on the new site design. I’m definitely no master at web design, but I’m hoping that this layout works for you! I’ve got many more shots of “K” to post, but I wanted to talk about another shoot…

Unlike the previous shoot that I described, this one was planned in advance. There was a planned one-hour time limit, as I had four models coming to the studio that day at one hour intervals. I advertised a “model portfolio builder” shoot and talked with various models until I knew exactly which four models I wanted to work with.

The shoot was fantastic. The model was very experienced posing in various ways. I was adjusting and adapting to her style while keeping the lighting and bright-white background lighting exactly the way that I wanted. With very few exceptions in these pictures, you’ll see that the background is blown-out white, which is what I wanted. Doing this requires dedicated lights illuminating the background. I used my trust Alien Bees as my main lighting and two Nikon SB-800’s in SU-4 mode as my background lights. “SU-4” means that the SB-800’s will flash instantly when they detect any other flash in the room. This is a simple, but effective way to keep all of your strobes firing at the same time.
I have four sets of images of “A.” Here are a couple of images to show how the illumination worked. More after the break for VIP members!

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Here’s some more info on how the 2008 shoot was constructed…
I was working ‘off the cuff,’ because I had never seen or met the model before she arrived at the house – I had only seen an online portfolio. From the portfolio, I knew that she wasn’t shy and had a great look. She did not have very much time for the shoot before she had to leave for work, but she was eager to participate and work quickly in the time that we had.
I set the studio up to be as accommodating as possible, as there would be no time for second chances. With me, I had two Alien Bees strobes, a shoot-through umbrella, and a reflector umbrella. I positioned the shoot-through on the left side at a 45 degree angle to the model, with the reflector at an 80 degree angle (right next to me) on the right side. I knew with this setup that I would get proper illumination and could accommodate almost any outfit or pose.

Here are 32 more shots of “K” for my VIP’s! 🙂

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Ok, lots of big news today. As you will see at the bottom of this post, I’m debuting the SnapChick VIP Membership. This is for those of you wanting to see even more than I’m already offering on YouTube! When you click below, there are a ton more details, but basically, this is “All Access.” I’ll still be sharing a ton of tips on my videos.

VIP is for those of you who want to see ALL of the techniques put into action. I’ll be showing you the results of my shoots (including a past shoot below), sharing exclusive videos with you, and once you join, I’ll be sending you a personal email directly to you and I will include a very special email address, which VIP’s will use to receive priority response and extended, in-depth responses.

OK, on to the model photos…

This shoot was in 2008. Funny story. I arrived in New Jersey a couple of days early for a wedding that I was shooting. I had not been to the site before, so I wanted plenty of time to plan. Really, though, it turned out to be a small facility, so the tour only took about 30 minutes. Here I was, with a day-and-a-half of extra time.

I had an idea – I have ALL of my gear with me (including studio equipment). Let’s do some shooting! I employed a technique to get a model (we’ll call her “K”) into the temporary studio ASAP. We worked quickly, did three outfits, and got a few hundred great shots. The best part was that K, me, and my assistant had a blast!

Here are three… and then 21 more below in the VIP section. I’ll be posting more over the next few days. There are so many, I don’t want to overwhelm your senses!!!

Questions? Email me at leigh@snapchick.com

And 21 more down here

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These are the top 5 products that have influenced my photography the most in 2010. Click any of the images to learn more. By using these links, you can help support this site and my videos! See video below the product photos!!!

Hi! It’s Leigh. I’m changing EVERYTHING, so please be patient with the site. My videos are still here…

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSnapChick

Stay tuned!!!