Who Is Zack Arias?

Zack Arias is a portrait photographer based in Atlanta, Georgia. A little over ten years ago, he began offering off-camera lighting workshops around the US that he called OneLight Workshops. Hundreds of photographers now know not to fear off-camera flashes, but embrace them because of Zack. I am one of them.

I was at Zack's Boston and New York workshops and let me tell you that he does not hold back on anything. He approaches his teaching with just as much humility and grace as he does his photography projects and commissions. The truth is he doesn't have to teach, but he wants to.

He is incredibly generous with his time during the workshops, and I remember him starting early and ending late at night. Every time, Zack patiently answered questions and demonstrated solutions to participants, even if it was for the third or fourth time.

At some point, Zack invited people to send him questions and a collection of his responses became the basis of his book, Photography Q&A: Real Questions. Real Answers.

Zack At Silk Inspire

I was thrilled to hear that Zack will be presenting his OneLight workshop at Silk Inspire, in Goa, India.

You may have watched Zack on CreativeLive, or seen his videos in Marrakech or Mumbai.

While gear is important for Zack, I remember the super simple setup he introduced me to during his OneLight workshop. Still he is always ready to be challenged, like this “cheap camera challenge” or the shootouts at Gulf Photo Plus.

If you have registered for this incredible photography festival, you already know what to expect (but there are some surprises for you too). We are just days away from opening day!

Interviewing Zack Arias

I sat down with Zack to find out what his plans were for Silk Inspire, and so here is that quick interview with him:

A Sample Portfolio

Zack's work is diverse and in between commissioned work, he self-assigns personal projects to stretch his creative muscles. Can you tell which ones are for his clients and which ones are for him?

Register Now For Silk Inspire 2017

You are going to meet and learn from world-class photographers like Zack Arias, at Silk Inspire. There is no better opportunity than right now to register for the event that runs from October 6th through October 10th, in Goa, India.

If you have made it all the way down here to this post, that's awesome.

But let me sweeten things for you. I have a few cool giveaways for those who register for Silk Inspire today. Once you do, email me your receipt (with today's date showing) and you will be qualified for a few cool things I am bringing with me. What are they?

Well, let's just say you could win one of six Black Rapid camera straps, one of three ShootProof annual accounts or one brand new LowePro camera backpack (valued at $350). Email your receipt to me here – seshu at tiffinbox dot org. First ones to email me win. That's the only way to keep this fair and you must be present at the event, to receive the prize in person. Good luck!

Speakers At Silk Inspire

Please watch the interviews with other Silk Inspire speakers: Arjun Kartha, Jen Huang and Brian Callaway. Plus, there are other incredible panelists!!

Beginnings Of A Headshot Portraits Business

I am indebted to four people when it comes to jump starting my business, Connecticut Headshots.

In the past, I have written about Zack Arias, Dylan Patrick and Peter Hurley. But the guy who really instilled a love for business portraits in me, was Eric Laurits.

Talking About Headshots

I sat riveted to my seat the first time Eric presented at Inspire Photo Retreats, some two or three years ago. A few weeks back, I had the opportunity and pleasure to speak with him in advance of his presentation at this year's Inspire conference in Newport, Rhode Island.

Portfolio Of Portraits

Eric's topic at Inspire Photo Retreats is “Headshot A Lot.” Take a look at a sample of his work below. You'll quickly see that he is a master of his art. Like he influenced me, he has helped scores of other photographers to embark on careers in headshot portrait photography as well.

Learn Headshots At Inspire

Catch Eric this year at Inspire Photo Retreats. Whether his presentation skills are due to his acting experience or one that comes deep within him, you are in for a treat. Will headshot portraits be a part of your repertoire?

Register for Inspire Photo Retreats now.

On or close to my birthday, every year for the last four years, I have recognized and tipped my hat to a photographer-teacher in the industry who makes a significant impact on people's life.

The first four awardees of the Annual Tiffinbox Award are: David duChemin, Spencer Lum, Jamie Swanson and Jenika McDavitt.

This year, I am thrilled to announce the 5th Annual Tiffinbox Award goes to Neil van Niekerk, a South African photographer, teacher, author and speaker who now calls New Jersey home.

Neil publishes two blogs, One Perfect Moment and Tangents, a blog I recommend every photographer bookmark. It is through this latter blog that I learned that Neil also offered workshops on off-camera lighting. If memory serves me right, I have attended at least two of his workshops as a student. If you are starting to make the move from natural light photography to flash photography, Neil's workshops are a must. The day is usually long because he patiently goes over all that you will need to know about using your strobes off or on your camera.

Neil knows his stuff so well that he has written four books on the topic of lighting (see above) and is frequently invited to speak about lighting at conferences and industry gatherings across the US and beyond.

(if you were wondering, yes, that's a real tiffinbox you are seeing on the right there)

Here are some of my favorite blog posts by Neil van Niekerk over the years:

Dragging The Shutter
Black Foamie Thing
Flash and Ambient Light
Using Exposure Compensations vs. Manual Exposure

Please visit and bookmark Neil's websites, buy and read his books and enroll in his workshops. I guarantee you will be a better photographer. You can also follow Neil on Twitter and Facebook.

Setting goals and making lists is all the rage right now. Before I forget, here's wishing all of you a very Happy New Year. 2015 can be big year for you. I know I have grand plans. So, let's toast to both of our dreams, shall we?

One of the ways I dream (and I do day dream a lot) is via books. In fact, I am a lot more protective of my books than I am of my gear. I am kinda weird that way. Books, for me, are the ultimate escape and I am very protective of them. I am not much of a tv watcher (though that show House of Cards is something isn't it?) and my bar-hopping days are behind me. So, I sit with my books and I am easily transported to a different life. It's my exit into understanding the world around me.

In the last week or two, I have read books by Jon Acuff (“Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work that Matters” is awesome and I am waiting on his next one called “Do Over: Rescue Monday, Reinvent Your Work, and Never Get Stuck“) and Pico Iyer (“The Art of Stillness”).

I have a special place in my heart for photography books. Being a photographer, I know how difficult it can be to edit, design, produce and publish one. So, when a photographer launches a book, I am typically one of the first to sign up and buy it. But budget is a consideration and I have to be rather picky about which ones make it into my bookshelf.

I am heartened to know that so many photography books were published in 2014. It's the end of the year and there have already been a bevy of photography websites linking to their favorite photography books of the year. Here is a sampling:

Lens Culture
Time Magazine
American Photography Magazine
Art Book
Brain Pickings
Humble Arts Foundation
Aperture
PDN Photo Annual
The Guardian
Flak Photo
PhotoEye
Photolia [A motherlode of links to other lists] Elizabeth Avedon
Microcord
Mother Jones Magazine
Conscientious Photography Magazine

My favorite books – the ones I bought are as follows:

Dan Winters'Road To Seeing
Scott Strazzante's Common Ground
Gregory Heisler's 50 Portraits
Lena Hyde's The Design Aglow Posing Guide For Family Portrait Photography
Ernesto Bazan's Isla
Alex Webb's The Suffering Of Light
Raghu Rai's India: Reflections in Colour
Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb's Street Photography and the Poetic Image: The Photography Workshop Series
Neil van Niekerk's Lighting & Design for Portrait Photography: Direction & Quality of Light
Roberto Valenzuela's Picture Perfect Posing: Practicing the Art of Posing for Photographers and Models

Then there are books that I will buy someday in the near future:

Martin Schoeller's Portraits
National Geographic's The Farmer In All Of Us
Paul Mobley's American Farmer: The Heart of Our Country
Eugene Richard's Red Ball of a Sun Slipping Down
Zun Lee's Father Figure
Marc Wilson's The Last Stand: Northern Europe
Alain Lebloile‘s En attendant le facteur
Chirodeep Chaudhuri's A Village In Bengal
Salgado's Genesis
William A. Ewing's Masterclass: Arnold Newman
Magnum Contact Sheets
Larry Fink's Composition and Improvisation: The Photography Workshop Series
Jason Fulford and Gregory Halpern's The Photographer's Playbook: 307 Assignments and Ideas
Erik Valind's Portrait Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots
Art Wolfe's Earth Is My Witness

I know some of these books were published before 2014, but I came to know about them only this year. So, at least in my mind, they still made my list.

Buy one or more of these books using the affiliate links above and you get to right them off as a business expense for 2014. But you do have only until December 31st (that's tomorrow) to snag these books and get that tax break. Gee whiz, I might have just sold myself more books to buy before tomorrow!

Ok, your turn now. Which photography books did you buy? Which ones would you like to add to your library? Sound off below.

If you are a photographer who use off-camera flashes to photograph weddings or portraits, you are my kind of people. You like to create punchy images that separates your subjects from their backgrounds and make them truly stand out. Am I right?

The Problem

But we all experience a well-known scenario.

There you are, ready to make some sweet images of a wedding couple dancing the night away at their reception.

Your assistant or VALS (voice-activated light stand) is away in the Bahamas. You need to move that off-camera light down and out by about 32 degrees because your clients are losing themselves to the music and have moved from where you thought they would be to this new spot, near Uncle Bob and Aunt Maddy.

But you are about 30 feet away from the couple and the off-camera light you set up with a PocketWizard or a RadioPopper is another 10 feet away from them, making it near impossible for you to move like Spiderman to adjust the light angle and or direction. You are SOL.

Frustrating, right? I know your pain. I have felt it. Often.

The Solution

Thankfully, there is a new solution coming and it's called Panlight. I spoke with Mike Garrard, its inventor a few weeks back. As a Kickstarter campaign, it has already surpassed the goal he set. With only about 18 hours to go before the end of the campaign, this is the time to jump in and order one of these units. I am doing it myself because this is a tool that will come in handy if you are a wedding or a portrait photographer.

Now imagine you impressing the heck out of your clients by being able to adjust that off-camera flash remotely, from where you are standing. Can you feel that pain melt away? Your assistant could be sipping drinks on a beach for all you care, but you will be making bank with all the great images you will be creating for your clients. Sorry, but VALS may indeed become dinosaurs if you begin to use the Panlight. Plus, you won't have to jump around and get in Uncle Bob or Aunt Maddy's grid, like you used to. And, if those two had cameras anyway, you can wish them the best of luck as you go from one amazing lighting scenario to the next. Who wins? You do.

The Win

Yes, it can be that simple. Skip on out of this blog and check out Panlight now on Kickstarter or on the Panlight website, to learn more. But remember, once the Kickstarter campaign ends, prices will go up.

A special thanks to Kate McElwee, a Boston-based wedding photographer who introduced me to Mike Garrard of Panlight. And yes, she is backing this campaign as well.