Viewing entries tagged
jason lanier photography images

Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary Part 1- Creative Lighting Photo Shoots at the Historic Prison

May 19, 2021

Have you wanted to see inside the famous Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary? Wanna see how you can turn a creepy place into a dynamic photo shoot? Check out this video by Jason Lanier where he visits the historic prison and conducts two photo shoots using creative lighting to transform the prison into something entirely different! You can check out the shoot now by clicking below:

TO PURCHASE PRINTS FROM THESE SHOOTS PLEASE VISIT: www.jasonlanierphotography.com/models

Two shoots were done at the prison. The first was a roller girl themed shoot conducted at the prison gymnasium. Below are the images from the Roller Girl Shoot. To Purchase images from the Roller Girl Shoot please visit: https://www.jasonlanierphotography.com/Models/Roller-Girl/

The second shoot was a straight jacket shoot done by using a visitation booth and some creative lighting with the Rotolight Titan X1. Below are the images from that shoot. To purchase images from the Straight Jacket shoot please visit: https://www.jasonlanierphotography.com/Models/Straight-Jacket/

Both shoots were done using the Rotolight Titan X1 with the smart diffusion applied. The camera for the shoots was the Sony A9 using the Sigma 20mm, and Sony Zeiss 35mm lenses.

If you’d like to get the best discounts on these lights anywhere please visit:

www.rotolight.com/jasonoffers

Gear used in the shoot:

*Sony A9- https://bhpho.to/31qNTlv

*Sigma 20mm Art Lens- https://bhpho.to/2EUkyrY

*Sony Zeiss 35mm- https://bhpho.to/378mV6u

**Links to Social Media**

Photographer: Jason Lanier

*Website- www.jasonlanier.com

*Podcast- www.jasonlanier.com/podcast

*Instagram- www.instagram.com/jasonlanierphotography

*Facebook- www.facebook.com/groups/jasonlanierworkshops

*Twitter- www.twitter.com/jlanierphoto

Model: Kaycee

*Instagram: www.instagram.com/modelmekaycee

Crew: Joe Riggs and Danny Vaughn

We thank you for taking the time to stop by and check out the video and images. Don’t forget to listen to Jason’s PODCAST and check out a few more videos while you’re here. For any questions please shoot us an email at jason@jlpros.com.

Thanks!

Jason Lanier Photography

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Bodypaint Shoot at the Jupiter Dungeon with Jason Lanier

March 8, 2021

Wanna see how to make a body paint shoot into something more than a typical sexy shoot? Wanna tell a story? Create mood and atmosphere? Join award winning photographer Jason Lanier for his body paint shoot done at the abandoned Jupiter Dungeon in Florida where he uses lighting and smoke to create an out of this world shoot experience!

To watch the video from this shoot please click below now!

This was a shoot using the Sony A9 with the 50mm Sony Zeiss and 20mm Sigma Art lenses. The atmospheric haze that you’ll see in the video was purchased on Amazon. The Jupiter Dungeon is an abandoned parking garage that was never finished due to the developers running out of money. It’s a really cool place to shoot.

To see the gallery of images created at this shoot please click below.

—Gear used in the video:

**Sony A9- https://bhpho.to/35PyHQX

**Sony Zeiss 50mm- https://bhpho.to/2Wl7OjY

**Links to Social Media**

Photographer:

Jason Lanier *Website- www.jasonlanier.com

*Podcast- www.jasonlanier.com/podcast

*Instagram- www.instagram.com/jasonlanierphotography

*Facebook- www.facebook.com/groups/jasonlanierworkshops

*Twitter- www.twitter.com/jlanierphoto

Model: Jamaican Red (Danni)

*Instagram: www.instagram.com/jamaicanred_

Crew: Anthony Schick, Zach Smith

www.instagram.com/anthonyschickphotography

www.instagram.com/zsmithphoto

We thank you for watching and invite you to watch a few more videos while you're here. Don't forget to click on subscribe and notifications so you're updated every time a new video is released!

Thanks!

Jason Lanier Photography

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Creating Dorothy- How Never Giving Up Can Result in Your Best Work

March 5, 2021

Ever feel like giving up photography? Do setbacks set you down permanently? Join Jason Lanier for a video where he perseveres through a setback to create some breathtaking work as he exemplifies the definition of never giving up.

This shoot was conducted in Belle Glades, Florida on the side of a road in a sugar cane field. This was an unplanned shoot that had to be created on the fly due to Jason and his team getting thrown out of their original shoot location. In this video Jason uses the Rotolight Titan X1 in flash mode with the Elinchrom Skyport Transmitter to create some movie like imagery with the models named Maddi and Nicole.

This was shot using the Sony A9 with the 35mm Sony Zeiss lens. Below are images taken at the shoot

**Links to Gear**

-Rotolight Titan X1- for the best deals on all Rotolight products please visit: www.rotolight.com/jasonoffers

-Sony A9- https://bhpho.to/35PyHQX

-Sony Zeiss 35mm- https://bhpho.to/31XPakZ

**Links to Social Media**

Photographer: Jason Lanier

*Website- www.jasonlanier.com

*Podcast- www.jasonlanier.com/podcast

*Instagram- www.instagram.com/jasonlanierphotography

*Facebook- www.facebook.com/groups/jasonlanierworkshops

*Twitter- www.twitter.com/jlanierphoto

**Models: Madison Ella and Nicole Taylor

*Instagram: www.instagram.com/madisoneellaa

www.instagram.com/nicole.tayylor

Crew: Anthony Schick, Gato Delix, Greg McCoy

www.instagram.com/anthonyschickphotography

www.instagram.com/gatodelix

www.instagram.com/gregselfaction

We thank you for watching and invite you to watch a few more videos while you're here. Don't forget to click on subscribe and notifications so you're updated every time a new video is released! Thanks! Jason Lanier Photography

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Shooting the Zeiss Batis 40mm inside of a rain studio

March 1, 2020

Jason Lanier photographs Siray Kong at FD Photo Studio’s rain studio. Jason provides posing tips and lighting tips in this video. Tune in to see how he does it! Thank you

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Senorita Mecanica- Shooting the Forgotten Sony Wide Angle Lens- the FE 28mm and Rotolight Neo 2 in Havana, Cuba by Jason Lanier

August 26, 2019

Cuba is always an amazing experience. I’ve been there many times by myself, with my family and with two photography groups.

On my most recent trip there in 2019 we had the opportunity to shoot in a real mechanic’s garage in Havana. It all happened while we were walking down the street on our last day there as a group. We were heading towards the Feria which is the local shopping area for some souvenir shopping when we passed a garage with a 1951 Chevy inside that they were working on.

I walked inside and asked if we could shoot there in exchange for some dinero and they were very kind to oblige. Click the video below to watch the entire shoot!

So we continued down to the Feria, bought some wardrobe and accessories for Emily and returned with gear and a sense of creativity to do a shoot!

I planned on shooting with the Sony Zeiss 35mm f/1.4, but one of my workshop attendees named Sandy offered up her Sony FE 28mm f/2 lens, and I decided to give it a go!

This is a lens that I own and purchased 3 years ago. But for some reason I just never ended up using it. So when this opportunity to shoot with this lens came up I decided to go for it.

We pulled out 4 or 5 Rotolight Neo 2’s and lit this place UP! I did the shoot using the Sony A7Riii and ended up using the 28mm for the entire shoot. Below are the images taken:

**Links to Gear**

*Sony A7Riii-

*Sony FE 28mm f/2 lens

*Rotolight- for more information about Rotolight please visit www.jasonlanier.com/rotolight

A BIG thanks to Andrew Balerud for filming this shoot, Emily Holmes for helping with make up and lighting, and to my workshop attendees for joining me on this epic adventure. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate your support.

Lastly, PLEASE give a follow to Emily Rinaldo my amazing model and muse who always knocks it out of the park. You can find her at www.instagram.com/em.explores

Thanks!

Jason

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Canon Project Part #3- Blending and Balancing Artificial and Ambient Light Using the EOS R by Jason Lanier

April 4, 2019

Welcome to the Canon Project Part #3- in this episode we look at how the Canon EOS R performs with LED lighting. This all takes place at a workshop I taught for the Georgia Professional Photographers of America at the North Georgia Tech College in March 2019.

This shoot represented the demonstration portion of the workshop where I was helping the attendees understand how to blend and balance artificial lighting with the available ambient lighting to create results that mimic what Hollywood does with their lighting set ups.

So what does it mean to blend and balance light to match ambient settings? This is a subject that some photographers struggle a little bit to understand and I’m hoping that the blog article and especially the video help to explain it for people who are eager to learn.

In essence this is the process of bringing down the power of your artificial lighting and pulling up the exposure in your camera to make the two exposure levels blend and balance together. This usually means increasing your ISO while turning down the power on your flash or LED light. To see the demonstration of this please check out the video to see how it’s done.

Below are images taken with the Rotolight Aeos using the Canon EOS R with the

RF 50mm f/1.2 and RF 28-70mm f/2 lenses.

Below are images taken with the Rotolight Neo 2 using the Canon EOS R with the RF 50mm f/1.2 lens.

So how did the Canon perform in this shoot? It did really well. I did most of the shoot using the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 and a few using the RF 28-70mm f/2. I’m really impressed with the sharpness of these lenses and as to be expected the camera performed great with the Rotolight system as all the mirrorless cameras do. Can you use the Rotolights with non mirroress systems? Of course you can, but they perform the best with mirrorless cameras thanks to WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get).

I really liked the colors coming out of the Canon EOS R as I have with all of the shoots we have coming out. So drop a comment down below and let me know what you think!

To see the entire Canon Project videos please visit:

www.jasonlanier.com/canonproject

**LINKS TO GEAR**

*Canon EOS R- https://bhpho.to/2FPwh7P

*Canon RF 50mm f/1.2- https://bhpho.to/2FUvfr5

*Canon RF 28-70mm f/2- https://bhpho.to/2FCH9pI

**ROTOLIGHT PRODUCTS**

During the month of April 2019 there is a HUGE sale on the Rotolight Neo 2 and the Rotolight Aeos. If you visit www.rotolight.com/jasonoffers you can get significant savings off of these two lights plus free batteries and free shipping.

If you are viewing this AFTER April 2019 you can still receive a discount on all rotolight products visiting www.rotolight.com and after selecting your products, use the promo code: JASONLANIER10 to get 10% off all products and accessories as well as free shipping to most countries around the world.

I really hope this video helps photographers out there. Thank you in advance for watching and thanks for being here!

If you haven't already make sure to check out Parts 1 and 2 of the Canon project where we review the Canon EOS R in natural light and strobe shooting scenarios.

Jason

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Canon Project Part #2- Creating Color with Off Camera Flash- Canon EOS R with the RF 28-70mm lens by Jason Lanier

March 30, 2019

Welcome to Part 2 of the Canon Project, a series of videos related to our time using the Canon EOS R. In Part 2 we showcase a workshop and shoot we did in Helen, Georgia in conjunction with an event we were doing for PPA (Professional Photographers of America) for their Georgia Chapter (GPPA).

**Links to Gear Used in This Shoot**

*Canon EOS R- https://bhpho.to/2U8W4Cd

*Canon RF 28-70mm lens- https://bhpho.to/2FCH9pI

*Godox AD 600 Pro- https://bhpho.to/2FH9gnu

The location for this video was the Bus Graveyard which is a REALLY cool place to shoot. This was Day 3 of our 4 day workshop that I was teaching for the PPA members and on this day the group asked me to demonstrate a shoot from start to finish as well as give them a heads up on how I recorded my Youtube videos.

So, that’s what my Assistant/Muse Emily and I did! You can follow her on Instagram at www.instagram.com/em.explores

For this shoot we used the Canon EOS R with the RF 28-70mm lens. A lens that quickly found it’s way into my creative heart. It’s one of my favorite lenses on the planet at this point.

But we just didn’t shoot in a cool location with a great model and a new camera/lens. We also wanted to illustrate the difference that using flash can make when shooting in conditions that aren’t ideal for lighting. There is nothing better than the best natural light. But that' only exists for about 1 hour a day. And that’s only if it happens to be facing the direction that you want to shoot.

So sometimes you need to have the ability to ADD light to your scenes to be able to capture what you or your clients want or need to create. Sometimes we don’t have the luxury of picking the time when we shoot. Sometimes we have to make our own light.

In this video I show the difference between the two, demonstrating images side by side showing images taken with flash vs. images taken with natural light. Take a look for yourself by checking out the images below:

The images with flash have much more light and color. Because color = light in the world of photography. I purposely chose to make this Part 2 of the project because Part 1 shows a natural light shoot done correctly which has plenty of color and light. But that’s only because it was shot at the ideal time of day.

Below are images from the shoot:

For this shoot I have to say the Canon EOS R did exceptionally well. Focus wasn’t as fast as I’m used to with my Sony cameras, but for a portrait session like this one it was more than fine. The color rendering and effect on skin tones is really nice.

And that LENS. WOW, the RF 28-70mm f/2 is just a pleasure to shoot. There will be people who complain about it’s size and weight. But for me if you want awesome results you shoot awesome glass. And that’s one thing that Canon has done right with their mirrorless system. They are bringing out ultra professional, high grade glass. Far better than the offerings made by the Nikon Z system and far better than what Sony brought out when it first rolled out it’s mirrorless cameras.

The Canon also did much better shooting flash than the Nikon Z. It didn’t require me to do anything special to shoot in HSS (High Speed Sync) mode which was great since all of these images were taken in HSS with the exception of the natural light shot.

I truly hope you enjoy the content. If you missed Part 1 of the Canon Project which is a Natural Light Shoot done in Death Valley using the RF 24-105mm lens, you can check it out now by clicking below:

Thank you so much for watching and make sure to check out our upcoming parts of the Canon Project where we explore things like Black Light, LED, LED flash and more! We thank you for joining us and invite you to click on NOTIFICATIONS and the SUBSCRIBE button on my Youtube Channel.

See you next time!

Jason

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The Canon Project Part #1- Natural Light Shoot at Death Valley with the Canon EOS R Mirrorless using the RF 24-105mm lens by Jason Lanier

March 29, 2019

2019 has been a fun year for me so far. While I’m a long time Sony user I’ve been able to try out many of the new mirrorless cameras that are hitting the marketplace. I’m a big believer in mirrorless cameras .and have been for years. This year alone I’ve already tried out the Nikon Z7 and the Olympus OMD ii. So now it was Canon’s turn.

Partnering with B&H Photo I am able to try out gear for longer than a 1 time shoot. That’s critical for this experiment. See, I’m not a big believer at all in the concept of getting a camera in your hands for 1 day, trying it out, and then compiling a review and assessment on that camera.

It takes longer. To really know a camera you need to do at least 4 or 5 shoots with it. You have to use it over an extended period of time. You have to get to know what you really love about it and what you really hate about it.

So this is video number 1 of the 7 or 8 shoots that I’ve done with the Canon over the past month and a half all over the world. This was done in Death Valley, one of the most scenic places on earth. And we did this one shooting natural light so we could how the camera performed without adding any lighting to set a baseline for it’s performance.

We’re calling this our Canon Project. A comprehensive look at this camera in a variety of different challenging shooting conditions that most photographers would use this camera in…and a few many wouldn’t.

Once we’ve released all of the videos with the Canon you will see a final review which will encompass all of the knowledge gained from the shoots that we did. This will represent the most thorough comprehensive review anywhere on this camera. And we really put it through it’s paces using the RF 24-105mm, the RF 50mm, and the RF 28-70mm.

I purposely did this shoot with the Canon RF 24-105mm lens only. This is the perfect focal length zoom to use in a place like Death Valley where I can go from very wide shots to very tight shots with a simple twist of the wrist. I’ve never been a huge fan of that focal length but I’ll tell you what, I was pretty blown away by that lens. Below are the shots from the shoot and to say that I was impressed with the colors is an understatement.

Issues with the camera on this particular shoot? Well, really just the buffer was an issue. I was pretty surprised by how fast I’d hit the buffer and the camera wouldn’t be able to continue shooting. This happened when I put it into High continuous drive mode to grab some shots of Emily as the wind made her dress and a sheet that she was holding blow.

The focus wasn’t as fast as I get with my Sony cameras but I don’t think anything will be. That is where Sony reigns supreme. That being said it did very well and really was a lot of fun to shoot.

The performance from a portrait photographer’s standpoint was pretty awesome. The colors are noticeably different in the camera even when reviewing pics on location. I edited these shots using the same manner that I edit my Sony images and they do seem to be richer in the colors than what I get from my Sony cameras.

The 24-105mm lens? I really enjoyed using it. Focus was fast and consistent and you’ll even see that in the video because I included video footage shot with the Canon as well. I think you’ll also notice the colors in that footage as well because it’s completely ungraded and shows you what the camera was producing without any editing. I could see this lens being a big seller for wedding photographers out there especially for things like the ceremony. It will struggle in lower light like at reception due to it being f/4, but for well lit places it really performs like a champ and is very well made.

Does this mean that I’m switching brands and no longer shooting Sony? No, it doesn’t. I filmed this entire series on my Sony cameras and they did amazingly well. What it means is I now have the ability to shoot whatever I want and am able to connect and relate to all of my followers no matter what brand they shoot.

I also gotta tell you that it’s very fun for me. I’m very curious by nature and to be able to try out so many different cameras and lenses is a hoot. It also helps me as a photography educator to be able to relate to anyone coming to my workshops and to have a strong knowledge base in their camera systems as well so I am better prepared to help them.

A HUGE THANKS to my partner in crime Emily Rinaldo for the amazing styling she did to make this shoot possible. She’s a creative lightning bolt and is such a tremendous muse who helps me to create this work. Please give her a follow on Instagram at www.instagram.com/em.explores

For links to gear please see below:

*Canon EOS R- https://bhpho.to/2U8W4Cd

*Canon RF 24-105mm lens- https://bhpho.to/2FFqnWX

Thanks again for following along on this adventure of mine in the world of photography. There’s never a dull moment and I’m so grateful for all of your support as I seek to unravel some of the mysteries that exist out there and share them with all of you.

Until next time, never give up on your dreams, find the right gear that works for you and remember, you only have one chance to get it right.

XOXO

Jason

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Hands on Review of the Sony A6400- why it's the best crop sensor camera of the Sony Mirrorless lineup by Jason Lanier

March 3, 2019

When the Sony A6400 was announced I’ll be the first one to admit that I was a little confused as to what this camera had to offer. Just the name alone made it confusing for me to comprehend why Sony would release a camera that came in between the A6300 and the A6500. I mean, what’s the purpose of this camera?

A little while ago I had the opportunity to get my hands on one of them to give it a go. This camera quickly became my favorite of the Sony crop sensor cameras. To watch the entire review please click the video below:

The A6400 replaces the A6300 and while the body form factor remains relatively unchanged, there are some big changes on the tech side and the screen that make this a very interesting camera.

The big news from this camera is the update to the eye auto focus and the screen. This is Sony's first offering of a complete flip up screen that makes it useable for vloggers out there.

The other exciting news is that this camera has the same processor as Sony'f flagship camera, the A9. This makes it the fastest of any of the crop sensor Sony cameras and also improves the battery life nearly doubling the total expected shots from the camera on one battery charge.

Here are the things about this camera that really impressed me:

Eye Auto Focus- no need to hit a secondary button to engage the eye auto focus. This makes using this very valuable function easier than ever and also more accurate. You now even have the capability to toggle back and forth and choose which eye you would like in focus. THAT is COOL!
Flip Up Screen- Yay! We finally have a flip up screen on a modern Sony mirrorless camera. This makes it the first camera for vloggers and photographers like me who actually record a lot of video with their camera. One of the most annoying things for me personally is to keep having to go behind the camera to check for audio signals, to make sure the camera is recording etc. Having a screen that I can see as I record is a big bonus for me,
No Time Limit Recording on Video Mode- I always take a camcorder with me wherever I go because there are times when I need to record for longer than 30 minutes. The A6400 is the first Sony Mirrorless that now extends this video capability to a non camcorder body. This is one of the main reasons why I’ll be buying this camera. The ability to now use a camera like this with all of my pro level lenses is a big advantage for me over using the standard lens that comes on a camcorder and will up my video game for sure.
A9 Processor- The processor that is in Sony’s most advanced camera, the Sony A9, is now the same processor in this little guy which kinda blows me away. This results in much faster auto focus, better tracking, a better buffer and a much better battery life! This is the first breakthrough on battery life from the original small body cameras that we’ve seen and I’m sure will be celebrated by crop sensor shooters out there everywhere.
ISO Performance- I was really impressed that a crop sensor camera was giving me the ISO performance that I was able to get with some shots using this camera. Below are some shots taken at ISO 4000 with no noise reduction that shows some pretty clean images. This is the best I’ve found so far on the Sony crop sensor bodies.
Video Functionality- given the advances in auto focus tracking, no time limit on recording, better battery life, etc. this camera aims to be a vloggers dream. It also has 4k video with S Log which will make the more serious videographers out there very happy. It does NOT have IBIS (In Body Image Stabilization) which will disappoint some, but the lack of IBIS is one of the main reasons the camera costs less than the A6500. If you’re serious into video work you’ll most likely be using a camera like this on a gimbal anyways so you shouldn’t need it too much anyways.

Images taken at ISO 500

Images taken at ISO 4000

Links to Gear

Lighting: to receive 10% off and FREE shipping please visit www.rotolight.com and enter the promo code: jasonlanier10

*Sony A6400- https://bhpho.to/2IKCRBg

*Sony 135mm G Master- https://bhpho.to/2IPq3d5

*Sony 35mm Zeiss- https://bhpho.to/2IDrv28

*Sony 50mm Zeiss- https://bhpho.to/2FmytlK

Gear Used to Record the Video:

*Sony A9- https://bhpho.to/2oOdnGF

*Sony 24-70 G Master- https://bhpho.to/2tVmFpj

*Sony AX33 Camcorder- https://bhpho.to/2IBQOgP

Summary:

Given the price, the improved technology and tilt screen, I believe the A6400 is the best crop sensor camera that Sony has to offer. I would buy and use it all day over the A6500 due to it’s flip up screen, improved battery life, faster processing, eye auto focus and more. It also is significantly cheaper which makes it a much more viable option for many photographers out there.

It is hands down a quantum leap in technology and performance over the A6000 and takes it’s place as the best bang for your buck in the Sony crop sensor marketplace. It will be the crop sensor camera in my bag and I’ll be placing the A6500 aside for now. Some people will miss the IBIS in the camera, but I think they’ll appreciate the drop in price more.

I hope this has helped. Make sure to take a moment to check out my Youtube Channel if you haven’t already. www.youtube.com/jasonlanierpros. Also make sure to give a follow to my Assistant Emily on Instagram at @em.explores as well.

So what do you think? Let us know by writing in the comments below. Thanks for visiting us here!

Jason

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Making it RAIN! Epic High Fashion Portraits in the Water using Off Camera Flash- 7 Foot Parabolic by Jason Lanier

February 27, 2019

Any photographer who’s been shooting long enough outdoors has had his or her bouts of shooting in the rain. While it can certainly be challenging, it can also be very rewarding to give you some results that are different than what you create on a regular basis.

Well, there are some studios out there that actually offer rain INSIDE of a studio setting. What they do is set up pipes that pass water through with holes in them that drop water down into a studio setting that has the proper drainage and water collection set up to make it possible to shoot with rain indoors.

I recently did a shoot with my muse Emily (you can find her on IG at @em.explores), at FD Photo Studio in Los Angeles. The obvious benefit to shooting indoors vs. outdoors is the fact that it allows me to set up lighting in ways that would be very difficult or impossible to set up under normal rainy conditions.

Here are some of the pics from the shoot:

**Links to Gear:

*Rotolight Products- to get a 10% discount and FREE Shipping on any Rotolight products please visit: www.jasonlanier.com/rotolight to get the promo code now!

*Sony A7Riii- https://bhpho.to/2zu1lJu

*Sony Zeiss 35mm- https://bhpho.to/2IDrv28

*Sony Zeiss 50mm- https://bhpho.to/2FmytlK

*Matthews Scrim- https://bhpho.to/2IE2HH9

*Westcott 7 Foot Parabolic- https://bhpho.to/2ICi3vP

This was a very fun shoot done at FD Photo Studio in Los Angeles. This was shot using the Sony A7Riii with both the 35mm and 50mm Zeiss lenses.

Lighting was set up using the Rotolight Aeos inside of a 7 foot parablic umbrella with a Rotolight Anova Pro 2 used as a kicker light and another Rotolight Aeos used as a fill light.

The model is the beautiful Emily Rinaldo who can be followed by going to Instagram and following her @em.explores.

We hope you enjoy the shoot and invite you to stick around and watch a few more videos while you're here. Don't forget to click on SUBSCRIBE and NOTIFICATIONS so you're updated every time a new video is released!

Thanks,

Jason

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Shooting a Nikon Mirrorless Camera? My Shoot and FULL Review of the Nikon Z7 by Jason Lanier

February 4, 2019

So, I switched to Sony mirrorless nearly 5 years as one of the early adopters and advocates of the Mirrorless wave. During the span of those 5 years one of the most common statements I’ve heard is, “Just wait until Canon and Nikon come out with their full frame mirrorless.”

To which my response has always been, “I can’t wait!” During those 5 years I’ve shot Sony exclusively and have purchased or used nearly every known lens that will work on the Sony system for both mirrorless or for their DSLT (their version of DSLR) system.

I’ve adapted Canon glass, Sony A Mount glass and used all the Sony mirrorless glass. I even attempted to use Nikon glass with adapters and famously had the Fotodiox adapter ruin my camera. Why do I say all of that?

Because I exhaust things. By nature I’m incredibly curious and as such, I just couldn’t resist the opportunity to try the new Nikon Full Frame Mirrorless system out when the opportunity presented itself.

Over the years Canon and Nikon have both had crop sensor or smaller sensor versions of Mirrorless cameras and those never appealed to me. It’s why I’ve still not tried Fuji, Panasonic, Olympus or others. I tend to stick to those camera companies that offer full frame.

So a little while ago I found myself in Richmond, Virginia for a workshop and I met up with a friend and fellow pro John Sichenze who offered to let me try his Nikon Z7 out. John has been shooting Nikon since 1972 and is a member of NPS, so having him tag along for the shoot was important to me as well. Getting his insights and opinions as to what I was discovering on the camera was helpful and a good way to bounce my findings off of him.

To REALLY get a grasp for how the shoot went, you gotta watch the video. You can read reviews all you want, but being able to watch how the camera performs is better when you…watch it lol.

In the video review/shoot I had the opportunity try both Nikon F mount lenses with the adapter and Nikon’s new mirrorless lenses. I tried it with flash, with LED, and natural light. I shot it with fast action and as a portrait camera in both daytime and night time conditions.

First observations:

The camera takes amazing pics. I never doubted this, even before I put it in my hands as you’ll see me say in the video. In this day and age of advanced camera technology I’ve always been a believer that virtually any camera can take great pics. What I enjoy about a camera is it’s ability make it EASIER for me to do so.

How fast does it focus? How well does it perform in low light? What’s the buffer like? How’s the black out time?

DOES THIS CAMERA MAKE IT EASIER AND MORE EFFICIENT FOR ME TO CREATE MY WORK VS. OTHER OFFERINGS IN THE MARKETPLACE?

Below are some of the resulting images from the shoot:

Nikon 105mm f/1.4 using the Nikon mirrorless adapter

Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 using the Nikon mirrorless adapter

Nikon 35mm Native Z7 lens

Thoughts of the Nikon Z7?

*Image Quality- Outstanding. I’ve always loved the image quality out of Nikon. It was the camera system I used for the first decade of my career. The Z7 definitely did not disappoint.

*Adapted Lenses- I was very impressed with how Nikon was able to adapt their DSLR lenses to their mirrorless system. They behave very similarly to when I adapt Canon lenses to my Sony cameras. This will make Nikon users very happy.

*Native Lenses- Both were pretty decent. Definitely not blown away. I enjoyed the 35mm f/1.8 more than the 24-70. It’ll be interesting to see if Nikon is really committed to providing a whole lens lineup for this new system.

*Focus system- the adapted lenses and native lenses focused and worked well during virtually all conditions except for flash. See below. I really do wish the cameras had eye auto focus.

*Buffer- I wasn’t very impressed with the performance of the buffer as it stopped after 19 shots.

*Blackout and Review- the camera lags with it’s blackout time and image review compared to the speed of what I’m used to with Sony.

*Flash- the camera REALLY struggles when using flash. Why does it struggle? It goes from dark to bright trying to acquire focus making using flash on this system very difficult.

*LED- the camera performed well when working with LED’s at night. Mirrorless and LED lights seem to go together very well so this makes sense.

*Screen- I really liked the touch screen to fire the shutter. Brightness and use seemed good.

*EVF- a little lacking compared to Sony in regards to responsiveness, but the EVF is something that makes all mirrorless systems superior to DSLR’s in my opinion.

*Video- I was impressed with the video output of the camera. It has a timer that counts down from 30 minutes and doesn’t crop in which I like. I don’t like that you have to switch to a movie mode to do so, but the quality of the video seemed very nice.

*ISO Performance- below are shots taken at 10,000, 16,000 and 25,600 respectively using the 105mm lens

The end of the video provided us with an opportunity to meet and shoot with a local who came upon us as we were doing our wrap up. It tells the underlying theme that at the end of the day the camera brand we shoot with is less important that what we do with the camera.

Am I switching to Nikon? No. The system just isn’t there yet. Sony is still the king in the mirrorless marketplace. But it’s worth noting that competition makes everyone better. It pushes the brands we use to have to be better and to not be complacent. I’m grateful we live in a day and age where we as photographers get to benefit from the competitive marketplace.

Last but not least remember, KEEP AN OPEN MIND. I’ve always believed in what I say at the end of every one of my videos. “Find the Right Gear That Works for You.”

To see the entire review and performance, please check out the video, it’s definitely worth a watch!

A big thanks to John for letting me use his camera and to the other John for filming.

The biggest thanks to Emily for just killing it as a model. She really brings so much to the shoots and I appreciate her so much. You can follow her on Instagram at @em.explores

For more information about what we do and to visit us for a workshop please visit www.jasonlanier.com/register.

Thanks!

Jason

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Should Photographers Pay Money to Strangers when Doing Street Photography? From the Streets of Ethiopia by Jason Lanier

January 3, 2019

Join me for my first experience on the streets of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where I take on the question of whether or not photographers should compensate strangers when we’re taking their pictures as part of street photography or photojournalism.

Now, this is a complex question. You have to ask yourself:

Is it offensive to offer money to people when you take their picture?
Is it offensive when you don’t?
Is it messing up the natural flow of a shoot and what’s occurring when/if you offer money?

This shoot was done back in August, 2014 when I had first delved into the world of shooting Sony. All of these images were taken with the first Sony I ever purchased, the A6000.

I have to admit it was quite challenging to tackle this issue for myself. I was used to shooting weddings, portraits, landscapes and most things that photographer shoot. I had done work on local streets of the United States but never something to the magnitude of Ethiopia.

To find out how I handled it all and what I ended up doing, please watch the video that I made from this shoot.

To see the images from this shoot please check them out below:

The images in this video were taken using the Sony A6000 with the E mount 50mm f/1.8 lens and the 16mm f/2.8 lens.

As this is a touchy subject that many photographers need to answer, my attempt with this video is to show how I handled the situation so hopefully it helps others out there to determine what they would do if they were in a similar situation.

We thank you for watching and invite you to stick around and watch a few more while you're here.

A big thanks to the Out of the Ashes Organization for helping to make this trip possible. You can find out more information about them by visiting www.outoftheash.org

Don't forget to click on subscribe and click on NOTIFICATIONS so you're updated every time a new video is released.

Thanks!

Jason

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Feathering Your Lighting- How to shoot your flash from the ground up by Jason Lanier

December 15, 2018

Most experienced photographers know that when you use artificial light you should place it above your subject. That’s because when you do so, you are creating a lighting pattern that casts shadows down on your subject.

But there is a lighting technique called Feathering Light. That technique is utilized by having the edges of your light paint light onto your subject. This is done to minimize the effect of using light with your subject and even more importantly on the canvas of your image.

For example, if you want to do a shoot and don’t want there to be light spill or shadows on the ground coming from the flash, you would feather the light. This technique can also include facing the light up or even placing it on the ground so the light is shooting up.

Check out the video above of the shoot that I did in the Everglades which shows exactly what I’m talking about. This was a crazy shoot with my Model Emily who painted herself up and used palm fronds on the ground to create an amazing outfit.

This was done using the Godox AD 600 Pro flash inside of the Westcott Rapid Box XXL modifier with three layers of diffusion; the deflector plate, the inner baffle and outer sock.

As you’ll see in the video I use the edges of the light modifier to cast light onto Emily vs. what I’d normally do which is use the center of the light source. Below are the resulting images from the shoot. I’m breaking them into categories based upon the lens used.

Shots using the Sony Zeiss 50mm:

Shots using the Sony G 12-24mm lens:

Shots using the Sony Zeiss 35mm:

I really hope this helps some of you out there to explore some alternative ways of lighting. The pros to lighting like this include creating some dynamic shots in a way that allows your ground area to remain dark. The cons are that you have to be careful of where and how your shadows fall on your subject.

Immediately following this shoot we did a live video blog/podcast. To check that out click below:

Thanks for visiting my blog. I really appreciate your support and thank you in advance for your comments and for sharing the content with someone you think can benefit from it. To learn more with us online please visit www.patreon.com/jasonlanierphotography.

To learn with us in person please visit www.jasonlanier.com/register.

We’ll see you soon!

Thanks,

Jason

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Shooting the Lightweight Beast- my shoot with the Sony 400mm f/2.8 G Master lens by Jason Lanier

December 3, 2018

I’m writing this blog in the early parts of December 2018. But once upon a time back in August of 2018, it was still VERY HOT. My Assistant Emily and I found ourselves in the middle of NOWHERE on the side of the road in Arizona. The temperature gauge inside of the car was telling us it was 115 degrees and boiling hot…but I digress.

Sony was gracious enough to lend me the 400mm f/2.8 lens for a few days for me to go out and test this thing. I already own the Canon 400mm f/2.8 so being able to play with this lens was a treat.

Questions abounded:

*If I already own a 400mm f/2.8, do I REALLY need to spend the amount of money as I would on a good used car to buy this lens?

*Is it really THAT much better than my Canon lens? I mean, this thing ain’t cheap.

So while driving down the road heading back to a cooler California, we saw this abandoned gas station and of course we HAD to go and shoot at it.

The first challenge was COMMUNICATION. I mean let’s face it, the 400mm wasn’t necessarily meant for doing portraits. BUT, I wanted a challenge rather than do the typical thing that most people do with this lens.

**Performance- From a performance perspective this lens hit all of the checkboxes. It focuses very sharp and very fast, has all the bells and whistles that you’d want on a premium lens and it is LIGHT! We weighed this thing and it was pretty much HALF of the weight of my Canon 400mm f/2.8. Why does that matter? Well, it actually makes the Sony 400mm f/2.8 the first lens in that range that can actually be used for handheld purposes. Why would you want to do that? Simple. It would be for the ability to be able to quickly change and shoot in areas like safari wildlife and sports. Having done both professionally in the NFL and in South Africa, I can attest to the fact that wielding a heavy lens and having to maneuver a monopod or tripod can mean missing some crucial shots.

Below are the images taken with the lens using the Sony A7Riii. The first three shots are with flash. The rest are without. If you’d like to see and know why check out the video above where the light takes a big FALL.

**VALUE- let’s not beat around the bush. This lens is EXPENSIVE. While it’s in the same stratosphere as it’s Nikon and Canon equivalents…all of these lenses are for the super pro who has a very particular need. So for pro wildlife and sports photographers who make their money shooting with the very best lenses this is a must have. For the average person out there the Sony 100-400 G Master is a great lens that is more versatile. The shots aren’t as special as they are coming out of the 400mm f/2.8, but they are very nice and the lens is about 25% the cost of the 400mm f/2.8. The other advantage of the 100-400mm is it is much more versatile for wider images which I did find very useful when I used it on safari in Kruger National Park in South Africa in July of this year.

A BIG thank you to Emily for braving the insane heat and giving me yet another epic performance. She is the BEST in every sense of the word. To follow her please visit www.instagram.com/em.explores today.

Please take a moment to let us know what you think by dropping a comment down below. Don’t forget to click on SUBSCRIBE AND NOTIFICATIONS so you’re updated every time we release a new video on Youtube. You can find our channel now by visiting www.youtube.com/jasonlanierpros. Please let me know what questions you have. If you have the money, this lens is phenomenal.

Thanks!

Jason

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Shoot and Review of the Sony 24mm G Master Lens- the Mighty Mouse of the G Master line up by Jason Lanier

November 21, 2018

Early November 2018 I found myself in Manchester, England doing a workshop for Sony, Rotolight and Jessops Camera at the historic Chethams Library. Sony offered me the opportunity to use one of their 24mm G Master lenses to do some shooting fun with the newest G Master to the Sony family.

How could I say no? To watch the video from this shoot please click below:

This was an interesting lens for me. I’m not gonna lie, I originally had no intention on testing it out. Why? Well, it was simple. I have a TON of lenses. I mean I think I’ve blown my kids inheritance on lenses over the past number of years as I’ve purchased nearly ALL of the Sony E mount and FE mount lenses.

On top of that I already own a Sigma 20mm f/1.4 Art lens, so I just didn’t find myself in a position where I felt I needed another lens. But since I was already there, at the event, and since Sony was offering….I put it on my Sony A7Riii and decided to put it through it’s paces.

Initial thoughts when first handling it:

*Very light! I couldn’t believe how lightweight the lens is. I don’t know what Sony is doing with their glass but they are really breaking some new ground in delivering high quality, LOW weight lenses. This lens is right up the alley of the 400mm which is very light and high quality. This lens is HALF the weight of it’s bigger brother, the 85mm G Master.

*Feels solid- the lens like all the other G Masters the lens feels very solid and has all the stuff you want with a top of the line lens incuding an aperture ring, focus lock buttons, the ability to turn the focus on and off on the lens etc.

Thoughts when shooting with the lens:

*Very fast focus

*Makes no sound when using autofocus which could be good for video purposes for those who elect to use AF for their video work.

*Very sharp- I was impressed with the accuracy of the focus system, especially when shooting wide open at f/1.4 which as many people know, I shoot all the time.

Below are the images taken at the shoot:

PROS:

*Performance- Works just as you’d expect a top of the line lens to perform.

*Lightweight- the lightest of all the G Masters.

*Affordable…kinda- it’s the most affordable lens of the G Master family. But not many people would consider $1,398 cheap lol.

*Portable- due to it’s size and weight it’s a better choice for a travel lens than the Sony Zeiss 35mm f/1.4.

*Versatile- this is the kind of lens that can do A LOT. I could see myself using this as a wedding photographer for wide angle portraits, reception shots, ceremony shots etc. I mean being able to crank down to f/1.4 for low light ceremonies and receptions could be a lifesaver over the 16-35mm G Master at f/2.8 for example. I could also see myself using this lens a lot for videography purposes.

CONS:

*Other Options- to be fair there are other options out there, most notably the Sigma Art 24mm f/1.4. I personally own two Sigma Art lenses, the 105mm and the 20mm, both f/1.4 lenses. While they aren’t QUITE the level of the G Masters, they are pretty damn awesome, especially for the price. As a comparison the Sigma is $849 which is 40% cheaper than the Sony, so if you don’t have all the bucks for the G Master, the Sigma might look pretty enticing. It should be noted the Sigma doesn’t have the aperture ring which is very useful for videography work. But you’ll have to determine if that matters for you or not.

Summary:

If you have the money and want a versatile lens I think this is a great choice. Let’s face it, I think all the G Masters could be summed up similarly. Some may not be versatile, but all of them are amazing if you have the money. I personally own all of the G Masters except for the 400mm…but I have shot with that one extensively as well. If you have the money and don’t want to compromise performance the G Masters are a safe bet. But if you aren’t fortunate enough to be able to afford all of them, it is good to know that other options are popping up in the marketplace like the Sigma Art series and also some new offerings by Tamron.

**Links to Gear in the video and shoot:

*Sony A7Riii-

*Sony 24mm G Master-

*Rotolight Neo 2- www.rotolight.com, promo code: jasonlanier10

*Rotolight Aeos- www.rotolight.com, promo code: jasonlanier10

*Westcott Halo- https://www.fjwestcott.com/45-round-halo?acc=1c383cd30b7c298ab50293adfecb7b18

I want to thank you for joining me on my blog for this review. Please drop a comment below and let me know what you think about the lens and if this review was helpful to you. Also let me know what gear you’d like me to review in future episodes.

Instagram links to the awesome models from the shoot:

*Emily Rinaldo- @em.explores

*Victoria Lucie- @victoria.lucie

Thanks!

Jason

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Shooting the Corpse Bride- a Cinematic Story Telling Shoot at the Fitzrovia Chapel in London by Jason Lanier

November 16, 2018

On Halloween 2018 I had the opportunity to do a very special shoot with the Rotolight team at the Fitzrovia Chapel in London, UK. It’s always pretty surreal getting to visit and shoot in some of these exotic locations and we wanted to do something really fun for Halloween. Click below to watch the video of this shoot!

My model Emily and I arrived at the chapel that’s tucked away in the center of London. This is an old chapel surrounded by big modern buildings and can’t be seen from the street. You have to navigate the CRAZY traffic in London (I mean I really HATE London traffic), park in one of the crazy parking lots that charge $60 for a couple of hours and THEN you drag your stuff all the way to the shooting location.

SO, after doing all of that, you certainly hope that the location is WORTH it. Was it?

YES.

TOTALLY WORTH IT.

So I got Emily settled into the chair for hair and make up where she started the transformation into the Corpse Bride with her Corpse Groom Lawrence waiting for her:

The biggest challenge when first walking into the church was trying to figure out how to take the ambient lighting down as it was very warm and convert it into the kind of cold blue tones that you’d want for a corpse bride (day of the dead) kind of shoot. So we killed all of the lighting in there and started lighting it up with blue lighting from all of the lights from the Rotolight Ecosystem. In this shoot we used the Rotolight Anova Pro 2, Aeos, and the Neo 2.

The Motion Blurr teamed based out of London filmed the shoot for me and did a great job. Below are the shots from the shoot. I really wanted to craft this as a story and I believe the shots below show the story unfolding even more than comes across in the video of the shoot.

I can’t thank Emily and Lawrence enough for their hard work in making all of this happen. They both did a terrific job of getting into the characters and going for it.

Below is a list of the gear used in the video:

*Sony 85mm G Master

*Sony 35mm Zeiss

*Westcott Halo- https://www.fjwestcott.com/45-round-halo?acc=1c383cd30b7c298ab50293adfecb7b18

*Westcott Eyelighter- https://www.fjwestcott.com/eyelighter?acc=1c383cd30b7c298ab50293adfecb7b18

ROTOLIGHT GEAR: To receive a 10% discount and FREE shipping on the Rotolights used in this video please visit www.jasonlanier.com/rotolight

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Groom Getting Ready and Groom Portraits at a REAL Indian Wedding Workshop

January 2, 2017

Many times so much emphasis at a wedding is placed upon the Bride. While the Bride is certainly an extremely important person, we of course can't forget the groom right? This shoot comes from my REAL Indian Wedding Workshop in Cherryhill, New Jersey with Akshar and Arti Patel. In case you haven't seen Part 1 which includes my images taken of the bride Arti, you can find a link to them by clicking below:

http://www.jasonlanier.com/blog/real-indian-wedding-workshop-bride-getting-ready-at-the-crowne-plaza-cherry-hill-new-jersey

We went into the Groom's room and took the following shots that are included in the video as shown above. It's important to capture the groom in a dignified and flattering manner which you can do by blending a style of photojournalism with light yet deliberate posing methods. In other words, direct the shoot but don't overly pose the shoot. Below are images taken of the Getting Ready portion:

After the getting ready portion we prepared for the First Look. While waiting for the bride to arrive for the shoot I took a few minutes and did some groom portraits with Akshar as well. All of these images were taken with lighting from the Rotolight Neo. Below are the portraits of the groom taken at the ceremony site:

**Links to Gear:

Don't forget to subscribe to my Youtube Channel and my blog to get updated whenever we release new content!

Thanks,

Jason

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Using Manual Focus for Fast Action Shots to get Amazing Results using the Sony A7Rii and Canon 200mm f/1.8

December 7, 2016

San Francisco- so my team and I drove up from So Cal up to the Bay area to do some shooting. We found ourselves at the ruins of the Sutro Baths where the waves crash into the rocks and ruins with some pretty dramatic results.

I had my Sony A7Rii and Canon 200mm f/1.8 lens with me and wanted to see just what we could capture with our model Kyli and the waves coming in. While I'm used to great auto focus from this combo of camera and lens, I'm also aware of the fact that shooting a solitary object like a model can be difficult to get consistent sharp focus on when things like waves and mist fly in front of her as it did in the shooting scenario we did here.

So using Focus Peaking (which I love by the way), I focused in on the model to get tack sharp focus. Since my camera and lens were on a tripod, and the model was in a set position, I was able to set the focus and make sure it was on her so no matter what flew in front of her, the focus wouldn't change.

Well the waves didn't disappoint. They rolled on in crashing on the rocks beneath her giving off some amazing spray as well as background. One particular set was so strong the splash of the wave completely filled the frame behind the model giving it a truly beautiful effect.

So if this kind of work is of interest to you, you might just want to try this technique so you can create some really cool shots of your own. I hope it helps! Below are the pics from the shoot. I truly hope it helps. Don't forget to subscribe to my blog by clicking below!

Thanks,

Jason