Ryan O. Hicks » white http://www.rohicks.com/blog Creative | Designer | Photographer Sat, 21 Aug 2010 03:38:37 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Interview with Photographer Brian Storey http://www.rohicks.com/blog/2010/05/interview-with-photographer-brian-storey/ http://www.rohicks.com/blog/2010/05/interview-with-photographer-brian-storey/#comments Tue, 18 May 2010 02:32:58 +0000 Ryan O. Hicks http://www.rohicks.com/blog/?p=657 Brian Storey, is not your average professional.  As a young photographer with a creative mind, Brian is making some great progress in his career of taking pictures.  He resides in Sebastian, Florida.

Brian was kind enough to sit down and answer a few questions for us to enjoy.  Please feel free to check out some of his work below in the gallery and visit his links under the interview.

How did you get started with photography?  Was it something you always wanted to do?

I've always been interested in photography as a whole. Around 12 I got my first point and shoot and took it upon my self to take a whole lot of pictures of tree branches and rusty nails really close up... After I had that nailed down pat by 15 I decided I sorta liked it but wanted more options so I could controll how my close up of a rusty nail, rock, or leaf would come out so I got a Canon Rebel XT 8MP DSLR with a awesome 18-55 kit lens!!! From there I sort of just kep running around taking pictures of or with friends while we were out.

If you had to pick a specific style for your photography what would category would you fall into?

I would call my style very “run and gun” like the great Bill O'Reilly said "Fuck it, we'll do it live!" I come to each situation and try to take a new approach.

What is the most difficult part when working with a client, whether it is someone you are familiar with or have not yet worked with?  (ie. The business side, actually taking the photos, lighting setup?)

I have found the most difficult part would be getting your subjects to show up on time. People seem to be horrible at setting dates and keeping them. After that I would say the runner up for most troubling would be getting the person to come to terms with the fact they will feel rediculous but LOVE the results.

Where do you get your inspiration?  Do ideas just pop into your head, or do you have other artists you look to for that magical spark?   What sites do you frequent for inspiration?

My inspiration comes from my flickr contacts, magazines, and daily interations I have with friends. There is a photographer named Henrik Adamsen that constantly makes me feel worthless.

What is the one thing you most enjoy about photography?

I absolutly love being around people. Photography gives me an easy excuse to be out every night shaking hands and experiencing all sorts of fantastic events. I also like the feeling watching someone go through my camera after a shoot and seeing them excited and surprised at how well they performed. People just don't know how beautiful they are and I like being the one to prove it.

What type of hardware and software setup do you use for your work?  What kind of photography equipment do you shoot with?

I do my editing on a home made AMD based system running Windows 7. I do my photo management with Adobe Lightroom 3 beta 2 and all my editing with Photoshop CS5. I am currently shooting on a Canon T1i 15.1 MP DSLR and do my lighting with Alien Bees.

Share with us one of your favorite shots and give us a little background behind it.  Describe your lighting setup if you used any, and the technical aspects of creating the image.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thestorey/3235419445/

I would have to say that one linked above. It was pretty much my first night with a studio light and maybe the third exposure in. When I snapped it I just loved the way the light fell and her expression. Melissa became a great friend of mine always lending her likeness to be my obliging muse. I love the girl to death for all the invaulable practice time she has given me. Not only did I take away an understanding on how to light a subject but I learned how to interact with a subject and that I feel is priceless.

Is there another other side to you that not a lot of people know about?  Do you have any hidden talents that are not showcased?

I am a very open person. I don't really have a problem with discussing or doing pretty much anything. People don't really think Im as accessable as I am. My “hidden talents” sort of shine through in my locations, I like exploring and often find my self on google maps looking for ruins in the woods or out driving around sketchy places lurking the scenery.

What advice or insight can you give other individuals wanting to achieve your level of work and status as a photographer?

Keep practicing. Find a muse and just fire away. Don't be afraid to use tinfoil and bed sheets in the beginning!! it's not what you use to obtain a shot it's the final image and that's that. If you come away from a session with dismall pictures don't get discurraged GET PHOTOSHOPPPING

What is your middle name?

Matthew, my fathers name.

You can find Brian’s flickr stream at the following link.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thestorey/

Brian’s Portfolio.
http://www.bspixels.com

Brian’s Blog.
http://brianstorey.tumblr.com/

©2010 Ryan O. Hicks. All Rights Reserved.

. ]]> http://www.rohicks.com/blog/2010/05/interview-with-photographer-brian-storey/feed/ 2 3 Free Lightroom Black and White Presets http://www.rohicks.com/blog/2009/07/3-free-lightroom-black-and-white-presets/ http://www.rohicks.com/blog/2009/07/3-free-lightroom-black-and-white-presets/#comments Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:22:35 +0000 Ryan O. Hicks http://www.rohicks.com/blog/?p=266 I have decided to offer up 3 of my Lightroom presets that I often use when converting my images to black and white. These are my presets and are free to use as you please. No one is authorized to sell these. When I do black and white photos I pump the contrast and exposure up so that the scene is a little overexposed to create a more dramatic look to the image. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

The first one is a simple black and white conversion with a stop of exposure added and somewhat decreased shadows.

The second preset, pumps up the contrast and brightness significantly and nearly adds a full 2 stops of exposure to the frame.

The third preset is one that sort of sits between the first two. It adds to the exposure to about 1.5 stops, increases some fill light, little split toning, and adds a bit of vignetting. This one is probably the most used in my black in white photos.

These may or may not fit your images, but I often find that at least one of them fits most of my images at least. You can always apply them as a base to get started, and then tweak the settings to better enhance your image from the preset(s) if needed.

Use the download link to download them. Installation instructions are provided in the readme file.

Example Image.

LRp

Click for bigger view.

Download -

RoH Black and White Lightroom Presets

©2010 Ryan O. Hicks. All Rights Reserved.

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