BTS: York Region Transit Fall 2013 Photoshoot
In this post I will discuss a shoot I just completed with the assistance of Photoflex lighting equipment. This will be my first update in my role as one of Photoflex’s Canadian Ambassadors.
© 2013 Clifton Li Photography. All Rights Reserved.
© 2013 Clifton Li. All Rights Reserved.
I recently received a job from York Region Transit (YRT), the company responsible for providing public transit to the suburbs north of Toronto and a company that I am very familiar with. I am a fan of their blue coloured buses and smart branding. The YRT employees were very friendly and accommodating during the shoot. This shoot was part of their fall campaign to bring awareness about the YRT’s Mobility Plus program, which assists persons with disabilities to get around the York Region safely and easily. This program extends across a variety of different vehicles that the YRT employs on a daily basis. The photos will end up either on their website or their 2014 Calendar.
© 2013 Clifton Li Photography. All Rights Reserved.
© 2013 Clifton Li Photography. All Rights Reserved.
© 2013 Clifton Li. All Rights Reserved.
I was very eager to have the opportunity to do this shoot which lasted two days and spanned 8 different locations. Luckily, despite that it was late October, the weather was very warm and dry and the leaves were in full colour, perfect for a fall shoot.
© 2013 Clifton Li Photography. All Rights Reserved.
© 2013 Clifton Li. All Rights Reserved.
Because this shoot utilized 8 different locations, I needed equipment that was very mobile. Photoflex graciously supplied their Medium LiteDome Deluxe kit, which was well-matched for my purposes. This product is very affordable and is of a good built quality. It was very effective in spreading the light from the flash enough for the entire scene I was shooting, in addition to being versatile and easy to mobilize.
For this particular shoot, since it was bright and sunny outside, I used the flash as a fill light. I placed the light close to the faces of the subjects to make sure they were not hidden in the shadows. The reason why I choose the medium softbox is to spread the light as much as possible. At maximum power, the flash did a good job of balancing out the light natural sunlight.
The final shots are right underneath the BTS photos. I was using a Nikon D800E with either the 24-70mm or 70-200mm lens. I personally like megapixel, so more the better.
Photoflex Medium Litedome Deluxe Kit
Of course, with every shoot, a photographer runs into different limitations. The biggest difficulty I encountered on this shoot was getting enough battery power to run the laptop. I solved that problem by renting a generator to keep my laptop charged.
© 2013 Clifton Li. All Rights Reserved.
© 2013 Clifton Li. All Rights Reserved.
Overall I am very happy with the lighting effect that the setup provided and I am very satisfied with the results of the shoot. A huge thanks is due to the YRT for inviting me to participate in their fall campaign and for being so hospitable during the entire process.
And I would like to thank Photoflex once again for their continued support.
Special Thanks to Make-up Artist – Maggie Ng for BTS photos.
Photoflex Pro Showcase
Photoflex Homepage – Aug 6, 2013
Some fantastic news: At the moment, I am feeling very blessed and fortunate to have earned a feature on Photoflex’s website. This is a company which has been around since 1985 and is well known for their lighting modifiers. In the course of my work, I have greatly enjoyed using their reflectors and softboxes. I find their affordable pricing and good solid quality agreeable.
Photoflex Pro Showcase – Clifton Li
Recently I was invited to be one of the few Photoflex Canadian Ambassadors on their site. In addition to having my own Pro Showcase page, I am currently featured on the cover photo of their front page. In the near future, I will have the opportunity to test out their new products and provide behind-the-scenes insight form my shoots with Photoflex products. So, check out their site and keep checking back for my upcoming posts.
“Our hats are off…” Ad for Ryerson University in “The Globe and Mail” Newspaper
First page of “The Globe and Mail” Newspaper – Tuesday June 25, 2013
Following up on last year’s advertisement, I was asked to photograph a new ad for Ryerson University published in The Globe and Mail on June 25th, 2013. It featured the seven newest recipients of honourary doctorates conferred by Ryerson University at the 2013 spring convocations. The distinguished honourees for this year belonged to a wide range of disciplines including film, new media, justice, education, politics, etc. It was a delight to meet these extraordinary people and to help commemorate their achievements.
Although, I only had less than 5 minutes to photograph each of the subjects, they each made their own impressions on me. Ken Dryden, the hockey player among other things, was about 6’5″ and had a cast on his wrist at the time so it was an interesting experience trying to accommodate his injury during his shoot. All in all, it was a great opportunity. Hopefully, in another year, I will have the honour of photographing the next group of recipients.
A8 – News in “The Globe and Mail” – June 25, 2013
“Our hats are off” Ad for Ryerson University, published in “The Globe and Mail” – June 25, 2013
Lighting a Car in Studio with Giant Softbox
I recently came across this behind-the-scenes video by Todd Mclellan which I thought was enlightening. It demonstrates a very simple setup for a car shoot which requires only a huge softbox at the top. Really great lighting combined with Photoshop post-processing are two essentials which go a long way in any automotive shoot.
Daily Feature on PictureCorrect.com
Screenshot of the article at www.picturecorrect.com
The Article:
http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/martial-arts-splash-photography-ideas/
I was super surprised to learn that I was recently mentioned on PictureCorrect (www.picturecorrect.com). This website is a great resource for wide range of photography setup tips. They featured the behind-the-scenes video and process that I did for my Kung Fu splash photoshoot (Photos here).
As a result of the mention, I am getting some positive responses from people across the world. I am very grateful for the article and so glad that my hard work was noticed. Thank you very much to Tiffany M. at PictureCorrect.com for the write-up.
Ryerson University Magazine – Winter 2013
Cover of Ryerson Magazine – Winter 2013
Back in September 2012, I returned to my alma mater, Ryerson University, to take part in Alumni Weekend and to help document the event. The photos are now available in the current Winter 2013 issue of the Ryerson University Magazine.
P.32-33 of Ryerson Magazine – Winter 2013
It was a fantastic day filled with food and fun events, including a skating session on the new ice rink at our new athletic centre in the former Maple Leaf Gardens. I had a blast while contributing back to my university. In addition, I had the opportunity to meet world-renowned photographer Edward Burtynsky, who is a fellow alumni and who also attended the event. Overall, the whole event was very well thought out and, in my opinion, not to be missed.
Lighting a Bottle (Part 3/3)
Transparency and Reflectance
These factors depend exclusively on the lighting technique, as will be shown by the following examples.
1. Top light: here light acts only upon the top of the subject and outlines the high-relief shape.
(more…)
Ad for Ryerson University in “The Globe and Mail” Newspaper
First page of The Globe and Mail Newspaper – Thursday June 21, 2012
On June 21st, an advertisement was published in The Globe and Mail featured a photo I have taken of nine distinguished individuals including Margaret Atwood and Valerie Pringle. This advertisement was for Ryerson University in celebration of handing out honorary degrees of outstanding contribution to engineers, broadcasters, award-winning authors and film producers alike. As a graduate of Ryerson’s well-known photography program, I, myself, know the excellence of the university and am also gladly associated with these strong individuals as well as been given this opportunity to shoot their portraits.
A5 – News in “The Globe and Mail” – June 21, 2012
“We’re honoured!” Ad for Ryerson University, published in “The Globe and Mail” – June 21, 2012
Attodyne in Photons Magazine, Vol. 10, No. 1
Cover of Photons Magazine, Vol. 10, No. 1
In April, I collaborated with the Canadian Institute for Photonic Innovations (CIPI), a Network of Centres of Excellence, to showcase the talents of the many Canadian researchers in photonics research. I worked specifically with Dr. Michael Crowna and Dr. Darren Kraemer and shot them in the photos released in the Spring 2012 magazine edition. Crowna and Kraemer did their research on the dynamics of water at the University of Toronto, which later became a start-up called Attodyne. The CIPI Grant in which they applied for at the start of the business, provided them funding to push their technological research, hired expertise in the field and developed effective marketing strategies.
Photons Magazine, Vol. 10, No. 1, P. 24
Top 10 Artists at Ryerson University
Cover of The Eyeopener, Mar 2012, Vol.45, Issue 21
The Eyeopener is Ryerson’s largest and independent student-run newspaper that is strongly committed in covering news, sports, arts, culture and business for students on campus. This year, Sean Wetselaar, Arts and Life editor of the Eyeopener, dedicated a number of pages to feature the top 10 artists in the Ryerson community so that we can “celebrate” rather to marginalize their talents. As Wetselaar said, “Justifying a degree in your life’s greatest passion can seem a lot harder than it should be” and I am thankful that I can be practicing and studying what I love.
The Eyeopener had an open-call for nomination in the community and selected students from a wide range of Ryerson’s best programs. I was very fortunate to be among one of the top 10 artists and was featured along with fashion designers, new media artists and even upcoming actors in the theatre program.
P.11 of The Eyeopener, Mar 2012, Vol.45, Issue 21