02: Blog02: Bloghttp://www.buschphoto.com/blog/2013-04-16T01:35:41ZSquarespaceFitness Workhttp://www.buschphoto.com/blog/2012/10/3/fitness-work.htmlRobert Busch2012-10-03T23:58:04Z2012-10-03T23:58:04ZA few weeks back we did some work for a great client of ours. They needed some low-key fitness images and brought in an incredible model for us to work with. 

I'll post some more images from the shoot soon. 

 

]]>In Retrospecthttp://www.buschphoto.com/blog/2012/6/9/in-retrospect.htmlRobert Busch2012-06-10T05:01:41Z2012-06-10T05:01:41ZA few years ago today, I stepped out of the corporate world and into business for myself. As I look back over the past few years of my career I have to say it has been a roller coaster of ups and downs. Unfortunately, more downs than ups....but hey, that's life right?

I have a very diverse and interesting group of clients....ad agencies, tattoo artists, rap stars, a televangelist, world record holding power lifters, restaurants, famous clothing stylists and more!

I've done articles for magazines, reviewed camera systems, lighting systems, and software just to name a few. 

I have taught other photographers (new and seasoned) how to light, how to shoot, how to process and some times, even how to handle their business. 

I have had more than a fair share of interns in and out of my studio all wanting to be photographers. Following the glamorous lifestyle they see in magazines, TV and self promoting Facebook and Twitter "rock-star" photographers. 

I have to admit .... when I first started I was sucked into all of the potential glitz and glamour. I quickly learned, this business is rarely glitzy and even less glamorous. Being a professional photographer today is HARD. It takes massive amounts of work....and no, not shooting, working on your portfolio, testing, etc. Being behind the camera is probably the smallest piece of the photography business' pie. In order to succeed...you must know how to run a business and even more importantly know how to market!! You can be the greatest photographer in the world, but if no one knows, who cares!

I have learned so much over the past few years......but one of the biggest and hardest lessons is that you should never de-value yourself or your work. Luckily I learned that very early! I lecture new photographers on this all the time. Your time and your talent is worth something! Do not take what you have to offer for granted! Doing work for exposure does one thing....it gets you more work for exposure. It's a vicious cycle.

Another thing I have learned is that you must have the support of your family. I wouldn't be where I am today if it was not for the love, support, and brutally honest critiques of my wife Victoria and love of my son, Griffin. Victoria is my rock and more importantly my voice of reason! She is a huge part of our business...keeping up on the bills, helping with marketing, becoming a great stylist, and keeping me in line! Yes, we knock creative heads on a regular basis but I love her very much and am grateful every day she is in my life. 

Have the last few years been difficult? Hell YES!!! I am extremely thankful for the clients and people in my life that believe in our business. No matter what the next years bring, I wouldn't trade all of this for anything! 

Thanks for letting me think back....I will be posting some new work this week. 

The best to you and yours .... Rob

]]>Product Lightinghttp://www.buschphoto.com/blog/2012/5/25/product-lighting.htmlRobert Busch2012-05-25T16:35:50Z2012-05-25T16:35:50ZI receive quite a bit of inquiries on how I light product. I wish there was a simple formula for lighting product, but the truth is, it all depends. Different textures, materials, reflections, etc require different techniques. 

For example, I was doing some lay-down clothing testing yesterday with a local clothing stylist for his portfolio. He wanted punchy, directional lighting with pretty defined shadows. 

After he styled the lay-down, I went about the task of lighting and lining up the camera. I have a ten foot camera stand in the studio, so getting above a lay-down is not a big deal. 

Here is one of the final shots.....

For this image, I used a Mola Euro (with no diffusion) as a single light source. The Mola was above and camera right angled to skim across the frame. I also used a V-Flat positioned on the lower left side of the frame to open up the shadows on the left side of the frame. 

I love using the Molas on product shots. The quality of light is absolutely beautiful. 

The stylist I was working with on this project is Mack Richards. Mack is based here in southern California, but works all around the world. You can see Macks clothing and home styling websites at the following links. 

Clothing - http://mackrichards.com/

Home - http://mackrichardshomestylist.com/

]]>Hasselblad Multi Shot Systemhttp://www.buschphoto.com/blog/2012/5/15/hasselblad-multi-shot-system.htmlRobert Busch2012-05-15T16:09:13Z2012-05-15T16:09:13ZAs I mentioned a few days ago, I was able to borrow a H4D-50MS system from a friend for testing of an upcoming project. If you are not familiar with the multi shot system from Hasselblad, here is a link to their website that gives an overview of the system. In short, the 50MS does a four shot sequence that shifts the sensor by one pixel between each capture. 

Using the Phocus software from Hasselblad, the system is very easy to use. It's as easy as changing a drop down selection to multi. You can also adjust the duration of capture if you have a lighting system that may not have a quick recycle time. 

I decided to grab an old bicycle I had at the studio and shoot the rear gear assembly. It had lots of parts and even more dirt. 

At this level, you can definitely see a difference between the shots in color and tonality. The multi shot held the highlights better and gave more accurate color in the dirt and grime. 

At 100% the amount of detail and clarity in the dirt is pretty astounding. You can clearly see each grain of dirt and sand. 

I am looking forward to using this system on this project that is coming up. I will need absolute color accuracy and detail. I am confident that the system will deliver exactly what I need. 

]]>How to fill up a hard drive...http://www.buschphoto.com/blog/2012/5/11/how-to-fill-up-a-hard-drive.htmlRobert Busch2012-05-11T15:56:42Z2012-05-11T15:56:42ZGet a Hasselblad Multi-Shot camera. 

I have an upcoming project that I will need the detail of a multishot camera. I was able to borrow a H4D-50MS from a friend for testing purposes. The raw files coming off of this thing are HUGE....314mb! 

Not to mention the output size at 300dpi is 27.3"x20.4".

The detail is absolutely insane! I will be posting some comparisons of a single shot versus a multi shot. I am impressed, but more importantly, my clients are impressed. 

Keep an eye out for more coming soon. 

]]>Hasselblad H4D-40 / Nikon D800 - Round 4http://www.buschphoto.com/blog/2012/5/3/hasselblad-h4d-40-nikon-d800-round-4.htmlRobert Busch2012-05-03T16:05:54Z2012-05-03T16:05:54ZFor this round, we did a loosely styled food shoot in our studio. As with all other tests, each camera shot a color checker for white balance metering. The files where both processed in Lightroom with no corrections other than white balance adjustment. 

The Hasselblad H4D-40 image is the top and the Nikon D800 is on the bottom. 

Couple things to note. 

  • There is a fairly substantial difference in the color and tone of the biscuits. The Hasselblad produced a richer and more accurate feel. Whereas the Nikon image is slightly washed out. 
  • The spray of flour in the upper right hand side of the image. The H4D-40 held the detail better. 
  • The white color of the egg was also more accurate with the Hasselblad. 

I could go on with more, but in this example, the H4D clearly reproduced the scene better and more accurately. 

]]>Hasselblad H4D-40 / Nikon D800 - Round 3 (Part 2)http://www.buschphoto.com/blog/2012/4/17/hasselblad-h4d-40-nikon-d800-round-3-part-2.htmlRobert Busch2012-04-17T20:39:32Z2012-04-17T20:39:32ZContinuing on the Long Exposure comparisons, I walked down to the lake near our house and did 30 second exposures of the below scene. 
The difference on this was quite noticeable. The H4D is the top image. The Hasselblad handled the gradiation in the sky much better than the Nikon. While it is hard to see on the scaled down versions, the H4D also provided much more detail in the shadow areas (see the 100% crop below). 

Here is the 100% view. 

Notice the information available in the details of the bridge on the upper photo from the H4D. Also, look at the row of houses on the left side of the frame beyond the bridge. The Hasselblad did a better job on the detail and lines of the roof. This is a personal thing, but I love the starburst from the lights in the upper photo too. 

I have received all sorts of emails saying this and that about my comparisons. Remember, I set out to compare the two cameras after reading all of the reviews about how the Nikon was the new king of the camera world. Is it a good camera? Yes, of course it is. Does the D800 beat out a Hasselblad ? In my opinion, no.

I will be posting my last comparison in a couple days of a food shoot we did in the studio. 

More to come .... 

]]>Hasselblad H4D-40 / Nikon D800 - Round 3 (Part 1)http://www.buschphoto.com/blog/2012/4/17/hasselblad-h4d-40-nikon-d800-round-3-part-1.htmlRobert Busch2012-04-17T20:12:50Z2012-04-17T20:12:50ZFor this round, I decided to see how the two cameras stacked up on 30 second exposures. I happened to be in San Diego so I did a street scene from the balcony of my hotel. I also did a long exposure of the lake by my house. 

The first set of images is the San Diego street scene.

The top image is the Hasselblad H4D and the bottom the Nikon D800. I know I have brought up color in all of my comparisons, but once again, I notice the H4D does a better job of reproducing the colors out of the camera. The Hasselblad also picked up more of the clouds in the upper right hand corner of the frame. From a functionality stand-point, I love how the Hasselblad gives you a countdown on the display. It is great to be able to see how many seconds are left on the exposure. 

Here is a 100% crop of the same image. 

As before, the H4D-40 is on top and the D800 is the lower image. The H4D held together on the detail of the bricks. And notice the reflection on the glass building in the upper middle of the frame. It is a pure white, whereas the Nikon image introduced a slight warm tone. 

I am going to post the lake scenes in a Part 2 posting...since this post is getting a little long. 

]]>Hasselblad H4D-40 / Nikon D800 - Round 2http://www.buschphoto.com/blog/2012/4/12/hasselblad-h4d-40-nikon-d800-round-2.htmlRobert Busch2012-04-12T19:55:35Z2012-04-12T19:55:35ZFor this round of comparisons, we shot the H4D-40 and D800 side by side on a portrait shoot in the studio. I had my assistant, Robin Sendele, shoot with the D800 while I had my hands on the Hasselblad. Robin is attending school in the fall at Arizona State and will be majoring in photography. My wife and I have been very lucky to have her as a part of our team and will miss her when she heads off to school. 

As with the art reproduction comparison we blogged last week, nothing changed between the Hasselblad and Nikon images (lighting, etc). I once again processed everything in Lightroom 4 and each camera used a custom white balance as read from a color checker shot. 

The first image is a side by side comparison of the full image. 

The image on the left is from the H4D and the right is from the D800. Right out of the gate, we see a noticable difference in color. The Hasselblad reproduced the skin tones perfectly, whereas the D800 added warmth to the picture. Also, the Hasselblad was spot on with the color of the shorts and shirt. Notice the darker hue to the shorts and shirt on the D800 (right image). 

The second comparison is a 100% crop of the images above. Showing the shirt and shorts. 

In this comparison, the H4D is on the top and the Nikon is on the bottom. This view reinforces our observations of the full size image. There is a clear color shift in the skin, shorts and shirt. 

As with the 1st round of comparisons, I have to give the nod to the Hasselblad once again. I understand that these things can be adjusted in post. But as a working photographer, time is money! And the more time I can spend behind the camera the more money I make.

In the next couple posts, I will show a long exposure example of a city scape and also a food shoot. 

More coming soon....

]]>Hasselblad H4D-40 / Nikon D800http://www.buschphoto.com/blog/2012/4/3/hasselblad-h4d-40-nikon-d800.htmlRobert Busch2012-04-03T20:07:55Z2012-04-03T20:07:55Z

If you have been following my blog you may remember that on January 25th I wrote about taking a look at Medium Format. Well, it's been a couple months and I have been a little quiet on the subject......

Time to no longer be quiet. I have a Hasselblad H4D-40....and just got my hands on the Nikon D800.

I have seen all of the reviews, lab tests, etc. about how the D800 is the "new king" of the photographic world. Reviews are great, numbers are great....but how does it really stack up in the real world to a Hasselblad? 

I am about to find out and will bring you all along with me. Over the next couple weeks, I plan to run both camera's through a series of my personal tests.....side by side, click by click....posting my findings along the way. 

Sit back and enjoy the ride. 

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