Author: Jan

  • Ambient lighting vs. manual flash: the [strobist] basics

    Ambient lighting vs. manual flash: the [strobist] basics

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    Jan
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    Off-camera flash is a great way to add drama and interest to a photo. Don’t get me wrong, ambient light can make great photos, but not always. In this example photo, to properly expose the motorcycle, I would have to blow out (bright white, no detail) the sky. I wanted a dramatic sky so I…

  • VIP Jet Interior MD-81 – Metro Detroit Commercial Photographer

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    Jan
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    I recently had the opportunity to photograph the interior of a VIP jet for Flight Display Systems and Pentastar Aviation. Flight Display Systems outfitted this McDonnell Douglas MD-81 with lots of cool A/V equipment like a display at nearly every seat and very cool OLED switches at each seat. This jet makes me never want…

  • Padded Camera Caddy Bag Insert Custom

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    Jan
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    I designed this insert to hold a Canon 5D Mark II with a 24-70 f/2.8L attached, and a 10-22 in the corner. 24-70mm is a great all-around range on a full frame camera. When I want to pack light, it’s usually all I take with me so I made this caddy to fit that setup…

  • DIY Camera Wrist Strap Paracord

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    Jan
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    I haven’t used a regular neck strap in years. In fact, I rarely use a strap at all. When I do use a strap (mainly when shooting a wedding and I’m using two bodies) it’s a sling strap. Most other times I shoot out of a bag so long straps just get in the way.…

  • P100 HipBag: waist camera bag hip pack

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    Jan
    in

    This client wanted piping, which was a nice aesthetic change of pace. The black & coyote brown colorway looks great! The front flap secures via three hidden magnets but don’t worry, they wont affect electronics or CF cards. There are three slim pockets under the top flap that are padded on the bottom with thick…

  • New Photography Business Cards! spot UV/gloss

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    Jan
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    While my DIY Business Cards were good in a pinch, I felt it was time to upgrade to “real” business cards. I wanted something that stood out so I opted for spot gloss accents (the stripes and “Jan Christian” on the back, or is that the front?) and rounded corners.

  • Photography/Camera Messenger Bag MIL-SPEC

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    Jan
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    Well it isn’t a photography bag per se, but I lined the interior with loop velcro so I could add padded dividers when I want to use it for camera gear. It is made from MIL-SPEC components. The exterior is water resistant 1000D Cordura in ranger green with MARPAT coyote webbing and hardware, which is…

  • Engagement: Justin & Pam

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    Jan
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    Last weekend we took advantage of the nice weather and headed downtown for Justin & Pam’s engagement shoot. It was a gorgeous day, albeit rather chilly, but they were troopers! The wind was brutal though, which wreaked havoc on my off-camera lighting, but I improvised. They’re getting married this September so stay tuned!

  • Wedding: Aaron & Natalie

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    Jan
    in

    I few weeks ago I photographed Aaron and Natalie’s wedding (actually, just the reception) and you wont believe how quickly they planned it. Due to Aaron having to leave for Air Force basic training, they got married TEN MONTHS earlier than expected. They planned it in a week and a half! I’m getting married in…

  • New URL!

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    Jan
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    If you haven’t noticed, I changed the URL of my site. When I first created it, I wasn’t set on a name and to be honest, I’m still not. At least now it’s closer to the name I go by when shooting. People often asked me what ‘ambrotos’ of Ambrotos Photography meant. Ambrotos is Greek…

  • DIY Photography Light Stand Sandbag

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    Jan
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    If you don’t have the luxury of a “voice activated light stand” when using off-camera flash, then sand bags are often a necessity, especially when working outdoors. I knew I could make a better sandbag for a lot less than what’s out there, so I did! I also wanted a specific color webbing handle so…

  • Padded Range Bag

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    Jan
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    It isn’t a camera bag but it is padded. Since it was the first bag I’d ever made, I used another bag as a model (mainly for dimensions) to help me learn. It took a while to make as there was much trial and error but I’m really happy with how it turned out.

  • DIY Elinchrom Ranger Quadra Speed Ring

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    Jan
    in

    I have a 53″ Rotalux that I use for my main light but I wanted another softbox (with grid) to use for rim lighting or when I don’t need something so large. As seen in my other blog posts, I have a 2×3 Amvona softbox, which has already been through two iterations (Mod1, Mod2) so…

  • Design-Your-Own Custom Camera & Photography Gear Bags!

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    Jan
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    As a photographer, I know all about the endless quest to find that perfect camera/accessory bag. Well what if you didn’t have to search for it and could have it made? I haven’t seen any places offer this so I might try to fill that niche, as I already have the tools and materials to…

  • How to store & organize Strobist gels for Speedlites

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    Jan
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    Gels are thin translucent sheets of “plastic” used to alter the color of lights and strobes. They can be used for interesting effects like adding a colored background to a portrait, or to “correct” the lighting when multiple kinds of lights are used. For example, fluorescent lights, incandescent lights and speedlites all operate at different…

  • DIY tilt-shift/Lensbaby lens with autofocus confirmation

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    Jan
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    Tilt-shift lenses have a few specialized uses. For example, they can alter the plane of focus by “tilting.” This can be used to create a sharp focus along something that is not perpendicular to the film/sensor, or to create an interesting depth of field that can’t be achieved with a normal lens. Depending on the…

  • DIY Speedlite Beauty Dish

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    Jan
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    I recently upgraded to Elinchrom strobes but speedlights will always have their place. This post is long overdue as I built this beauty dish over a year ago… In an effort to make my speedlites as versatile as possible, I thought a beauty dish would be a nice addition to my collection of light modifiers.…

  • Facebook page is up

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    Jan
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    For all you facebookers out there, I started a Jan Christian Photography page. Now you can actually see some of my photos since I haven’t created the gallery here yet. Feel free to “Like” it or comment 🙂 Jan Christian Photography

  • DIY SLA Battery Pack for Speedlites

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    Jan
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    When you don’t mind packing some extra weight and bulk, sealed lead acid (SLA) battery packs are great. They last forever and recycle the flash very quickly (like fresh AAs). Just be careful when shooting at full power that you don’t melt your flash head! I also like that SLA batteries are supposed to be…

  • DIY DC jack in 580ex Speedlite for external battery pack

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    Jan
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    I wanted to make an external battery pack but I didn’t want to use “dummy batteries” to connect it to the flash, I wanted a jack. Whenever I modify/make something I try to make it look as though it came like that from the factory, or could have. That was my goal for this, a…