New Jersey Portraiture Photography: Paul Wigg-Maxwell

Today I had the pleasure of working with local Morris County-based attorney Paul Wigg-Maxwell.  Our gameplan for today’s photoshoot was to come up with updated headshots and other creative photos to refresh Paul’s website and social media.  Paul’s law specialties include business, tax, and trust matters.

One of my favorite photos from today:

NJ headshot photography

A large window in the stairwell was a great way for utilizing some natural light, and adding a seasonal theme to Paul’s photo.

More to come soon.. Happy Thanksgiving!

New Jersey Portrait Photography: Robert

One of my friends, who I’ve done photography work before is graduating soon with a concentration in Performing Arts and Theater.  We’ve done previous sessions for his career as a musician.  My goal today as the photographer was to capture a variety of moods and expressions, to allow Robert to select which photos best portray his personality.  I kept the lighting and photo equipment very minimal.

I think we wound up with several keepers that we both liked.  Perfect for his theater portfolio, LinkedIn, and Facebook profiles.

Equipment for today’s shoot:

Tamron SP 90mm VC F/2.8 macro lens

Canon EOS 6D full-frame DSLR

Yongnuo YN560ex Speedlite

Shoot-through umbrella alternated with a small softbox

Yongnuo YN-622C wireless triggers

Basic light stand

NJ headshot photo

A very happy frame, I cracked a joke to get this expression!

NJ headshot photo

Looking relaxed,

NJ headshot photo

Contemplating life…

NJ headshot photo

A nice black & white smiling portrait.

NJ headshot photo

Adjusting the cold weather wardrobe on a brisk morning.

NJ headshot photo

A typical relaxed smile for Robert.

New Jersey Studio Photography: Flashpoint Rover RL-600 Monolight

My prior home studio setup for headshots, candids, and formal photography was based on 2 Alien Bees AB800 strobes.  They are great lightweight units and very reliable, but having read about the very low introductory price on Adorama’s Flashpoint Rover RL-600 strobe I felt it was too good of an opportunity to pass up on.  Key features to me are the built-in lithium ion rechargeable battery as well as the “light throw” of 600 watts of illumination.

Adorama Flashpoint RoveLight RL-600

The RL-600 is not only a sleek design, it also comes with a very convenient and well thought out transport case.

I do own a few Canon and off-brand Speedlites which are extremely lightweight and convenient, but I find their light output and relative projected size to be impractical in many scenarios.  The new Flashpoint strobe was delivered yesterday, so I figured the best thing to do was to test it immediately.  Right out of the box, the included remote control worked great.  Next task was to get the monolight mounted on a lightstand and shoot my most convenient “model”, me.

New Jersey Studio Photography

Lit with RL-600 and also a YN 560 for fill light. Tamron SP 70-300mm VC lens and Canon 6D captured the image.

Strobist info and exposure settings:

RoveLight RL-600 shot against silver reflective umbrella @ 1/64th power. Yongnuo YN560 as a kicker @ 1/32nd power. YN-622C triggers. Tamron SP 70-300mm VC + Canon 6D. 1/100 F/8 ISO 200, 70mm.