nickfancher

Great Reads in Photography: April 4, 2021

Every Sunday, we bring together a collection of easy-reading articles from analytical to how-to to photo-features in no particular order that did not make our regular daily coverage. Enjoy!

Shooting Cyberpunk Flapper Girl and Other Photographic Mashups

It’s a rare occasion when I do a team collaboration on a personal shoot. I typically prefer to work directly with the model, having them bring their own wardrobe and arrive with their hair and makeup already done. It not only saves time and is easier to coordinate but I also love the challenge of coming up with a cohesive theme for the shoot, basing my techniques, lighting, and color palette on the items that they brought with them.

Exquisite Geometry: A Wacom and Projector Photo Shoot

This was my first time working with Amber. In preparation for the shoot, I told her the same thing I tell all of my models: bring 4-6 different outfit options and have hair and makeup ready when they arrive.

Remotraits: Shooting Portraits via Facetime Through Various Materials

Because of the quarantines currently sweeping the country and world, creatives have had to get especially creative to make collaborative art in spite of distance. I’ve seen photographers shooting portraits of people from the sidewalk and through windows. I’ve also seen photographers shooting via conferencing apps. I, too, recently conducted my own remote portrait sessions, which I’ve decided to call Remotraits.

Shooting a Creative Album Cover Photo with a Delorean

In late 2018 my buddy RJ (AKA RJD2) approached me about shooting the cover art for an upcoming album he was working on. He didn’t have a concrete idea about what he wanted to do but suggested possibly involving his Delorean.

Finding Photo Inspiration at the Hardware Store

Over the past year, I’ve been pushing my images into more abstract, painterly directions. As digital images seem to be moving into a realm of hyperrealism, I find myself longing for gritty tangibility. Since I have always more in the get-it-in-camera camp, I have been experimenting with a range of techniques and materials to try and achieve the look I’m after.

Perfect Imperfections: Using a Flawed Camera Lens for Creative Photos

If you were to ask a photographer whether it’s better to invest in a camera or a lens, most would answer lens. After all, no amount of megapixels or camera features can save blurry or ill-rendered images. The lens is the eye of the camera, which is why photographers spend thousands of dollars on them. However, this doesn’t mean that you need an expensive lens to make compelling images.

Randomizing Photo Shoots to Stretch My Creativity

I am a fan of light (honestly what photographer isn’t?). Hard light; reflected light; dappled light; low-key light; colored light -- I love it all. Light makes or breaks not only my images but my mood. I’d venture to say that light is sandwiched between “belonging” and “safety” on my hierarchical pyramid of needs.

Why I Deleted All of My Social Media and 60,000 Followers

Yesterday morning, I woke up and deleted all my social media. My Instagram, Twitter, and personal Facebook accounts (I deleted my Facebook business page a year earlier), all gone. I ghosted from the party. As a small business, it’s a bold move (if not insane) to walk away from such successful pages (I had over 60,000 followers between the three platforms). But I had had enough, and here’s why.

From Lighting Test to Album Cover: The Tale of a Photo in the Social Media Age

As a photographer in 2018, I can’t help but think of my photos as drops in an ocean of imagery. Here are a few quick stats: There are over 60 million photos uploaded to Instagram every day (not to mention Instagram stories). Then there are the photos posted to Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook (some people still use it, right?), blogs, etc, etc.

How to Use a Projector as a Lighting Tool for Creative Portraits

In my opinion, there’s an extra layer of believability -- a tangibility, if you will -- to using practical effects as opposed to relying heavily on post-production. Post work is limited by the breadth (or lack thereof) of imagination, which is why I try to get as much as I can in-camera.

Shooting Beauty Photos with Jewelry Made Out of Candy

I recently collaborated with food typographer Danielle Evans. She approached me with the idea of doing a beauty shoot except the jewelry would be made out of candy that she crafted. I was intrigued and immediately began planning.

You Don’t Need to Spend a Fortune to Have a Great Photo Studio

I have a studio. For those of you that know me -- the author of the Studio Anywhere books, which focus on shooting anywhere but a studio -- this statement may sound oxymoronic or even blasphemous. Nonetheless, after years of shooting in my cramped basement, I finally outgrew my space and needed a slightly larger, dedicated space to have for working with clients.

How to Shoot Pro Portraits in Everyday Places

My name is Nick Fancher and I'm a portrait and commercial photographer who specializes in lighting, specifically with the use of small flash in unconventional locations.

Making Gobos Out of Unusual Things for Creative Portrait Lighting

Typically, the term “gobo” is reserved for the lens filters and patterns that are affixed to theater lights. The terms “flag” or “cucloris/cookie” are actually more accurate for what we’re going to be using in this post, which is an object placed between the light and the subject, but not attached to it.

How I Shoot Pro Portraits with DIY Barn Doors

Recently, I had a portrait shoot with the legendary poet, rapper, and actor Saul Williams. It began with a simple stroke of luck: I saw he was scheduled to perform at a local club near my house, and so I did a quick search for the name of his manager. I easily found it and e-mailed them, introducing myself and explained that I would like to take his portrait.

A Photographer’s Lightroom Workflow in a Real-Time Walkthrough

If you're just getting started in Lightroom and have an hour to spare, here's a video you might want to watch to learn some handy tips and techniques. Ohio-based portrait and commercial photographer Nick Fancher, author of Studio Anywhere, walks us through his Lightroom workflow in real-time. It's a detailed look at how Fancher culls and color grades his photos after a shoot.

Hack Your Reflector By Cutting a Hole in the Middle

This is the cheapest yet most effective photography hack I can think of. Step one: get disc reflector. Step two: cut lens-sized hole in said reflector. Step three: profit.

You Don’t Need a Studio for Pro Portraits — Make the Most of What You DO Have

My name is Nick Fancher and I am a Columbus, Ohio-based commercial and portrait photographer. I specialize in lighting -- specifically with the use of small flash in unconventional locations.

My goal is to show that you can often create high-quality photos without using a conventional studio... and while using minimal, affordable gear. You just need to learn to make the most out of your environment!

Shaping Hard Light from a Small Off-Camera Flash for Dramatic Portraits

I love hard light. I love the shadows it creates and the colors it brings out. I also love the convenience it affords. I work exclusively with small flash, and by using predominantly hard light in my images, I am able to travel extremely light, as I need few to zero modifiers.

Lighting Portraits with a Prism Gobo, DIY Barn Doors, and Window Blinds

Photographer Nick Fancher often does high-quality shoots with simple locations and do-it-yourself gear -- he published a book on the subject earlier this year that's titled Studio Anywhere. For a recent portrait shoot, Fancher visited his model's apartment and shaped light using a custom prism gobo, DIY barn doors, and the blinds on the model's door.

The Art of the Portrait: My Journey to 100 Portraits in 100 Days

As a junior in high school in 1997, when I was deciding which path I wanted to go down, fine arts or photography, things were pretty simple. Did I want to express myself with a camera or a pencil? Inspired by masters like Annie Leibovitz and David LaChapelle, I opted for the camera.

All I wanted to do was create beautiful images for a living. By signing up for a degree in fine art photography, little did I know what lay ahead for me.

DIY: Build a V-Flat with Swappable Catchlight Shapes

Photographer Nick Fancher is the author of Studio Anywhere, a photographer's guide to shooting high-quality portraits in unconventional locations and with low-budget tools and materials.

As one of his latest projects, Fancher built a v-flat catchlight with interchangeable white shapes as a flexible tool for portraiture.

Nick Fancher Informs and Inspires in Andy Newman’s ‘Why We Create’ Series

Cinematographer Andy Newman has put together a series called Why We Create in an effort to gain a glimpse behind why we, as artist, make what we do.

One of his latest installments in the series features photographer Nick Fancher -- known for his work for ESPN, The Ohio State University, and Jackthreads -- going about his day as he explains via voiceover what it is that draws him to create the images he does.

Tutorial: A Quick and Simple Technique for Adding Textures to Images

When Nick Fancher created his series of 80's Cyber images, he made use of some textures to add that extra bit of character to the photos. The textures turned out so well that, upon publishing the series, he received multiple inquiries about where he got those textures.

Well, it turns out he created them himself, and he's decided to share the step-by-step how-to in case you want to duplicate his results.

Photographer Shares His Lightning Quick Lightroom Workflow

Scouring through a huge number of photos and editing all of the 'winners' can be a tiring task, especially when you consider that one day may consist of hundreds or even thousands of photos. A great workflow can help significantly expedite that process, and fortunately for us, pro photographer Nick Fancher has chosen to share his.

BTS: Constructing and Using a Pegboard Backdrop for Starry Portraits

We've featured photographer Nick Fancher's pegboard backdrop experiments a couple of times now (see here and here), and each time the setup gets fleshed out a bit more. Yesterday, Fancher released the above time-lapse video that offers a behind-the-scenes look at how he constructed his "white room" inside his tiny basement (the ceiling is just 7-feet-hight).

Using a Floor-to-Ceiling Pegboard as a Portrait Backdrop

During Halloween a month ago, we shared a simple portrait idea by photographer Nick Fancher that involved firing a flash through fog and a perforated hardboard for a backdrop filled with beams of light. Since that initial experiment, he has taken the concept and developed it even more.

Fancher recently built a "white room" in his basement using sheets of white pegboard and hardboard. It's essentially a white cube without side walls.

Editorial Fashion Shoot Taken and Edited Entirely With The iPhone 4S

Back in 2010, Lee Morris set out to prove that you don't need expensive camera gear to be a photographer by doing an entire fashion shoot using an iPhone 3G; while people were impressed, many nevertheless said that the use of professional studio lighting and post-processing negated the point he was trying to make.