Current Project

Sorry guys it has been some time that I haven't write anything. (as if anyone checks my blog weekly)

The reason for that was I am currently working on my dissertation and Final Major Project and on top of that I am soon opening my own Photography Studio in London, I'll give the studio details when it is open.

Lets get to my current project which is called Final Major Project, but I've renamed it to "The Other Self"
I'll be focusing on triptych photography in this project and aiming on demonstrating the multiple personality disorder and the metamorphosis of the individuals personality.
So far I've done some tests and I've written the methodology of the project and as soon as stylist and makeup artists present me their ideas I'll start the production of the project.

Here is a sneak-peak of what the Makeup artist Laura Kate Rzemieniecka has in mind for one of the character in the project.

Isn't that drawing amazing?

In a month I'll start shooting.

Update below.
Ps: I forgot to mention I'll be shooting this project with 4x5 Large Format and use Kodak Portra.

Practicing Photoshop #1

Photoshop is one of the most important program/tool in fashion photography.
Even that the model, clothes, location, light etc . . . is perfect we still do photoshop, and since I started to work with people who are looking for unnatural results (by un natural I mean, different colour than the actual image) I started experimenting in photoshop.

Here is one of the photographs I worked on, in photoshop. I made roughly 7 of them and only this didn't give me cancer while I was looking at it. As they say 7th is the charm ???

I know my colour manipulation skills are incredibly bad, but as my father once told me "practice makes perfect" and I hope to reach there soon. . .

Photographer: Bugra Ergil (Bruce)
Stylist: Klementine King
Makeup and Hair: Alice Howlett
Model: Claudia D.

D800 vs 5D MkIII (Crisislab)

So I posted the first part of this review months ago.
Now that I've seen all 2 parts, I just wanted to make a full post.
This guy is hilarious and he is testing + comparing both the cameras in a way I like. In my opinion more people in youtube should test, review, or compare products like this.
Anyways comparing crisislab comparison videos to other youtubers who are doing similar suff, all I will say is Crisislab videos are better and they know what they are doing.

Check out the videos on their website, they are funny and informative.
Here is a link to their website.  http://www.crisislab.com/

Shoot me like "Terry" - 5

After I helped my friend and colleague Olgac with Lighting, I snapped a photo of the lovely Model Madalina.

Also I noticed that some people are telling my my current style is moving towards the i-d magazine.

Camera: Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm 

Photographer: Bugra Ergil (Bruce)
Stylist: Marina de Magalhaes
Makeup Artist: Violet Zeng
Model: Madalina @Premier

Sinar 4x5 LargeFormat

Ever thought there is more in to photography then 35mm . . . Nikon Canon Digital cameras & Mamiya Hasselbald Medium Format cameras? 

Well I had my first Large Format experience last year, that day I sad to my self "This is awesome" but since I was in tight schedule I could not shoot my projects on Large Format.

Last week in my University we had a Large format workshop, although the work shop was all about Large format and shooing film in colour and B&W, we didn't use any traditional film. Instead of the Film we loaded up the cameras with 5x4 photographic paper and expose our images to that.

Since we were only 3 students who actually attended the class out of 35 students( Which should have been divided to 3 groups) we had one whole day workshop (3 students and 5 Large format cameras) which was really fun.

I've shot on photographic paper in Large format, thus it was a interesting thing to test on for me.

I found out that, shooting directly to photographic paper was resulting in really Contrasty black and white photos where we lose a lot of detail from blacks and grey tones, so my Tutor suggested that I should test on pre-exposing the paper in darkroom by using a projector.

 Here are the results  . . .
Note: Since to ASA of the photographic paper is extremely low like ASA3 i had to expose both the photographs about 4 seconds.

(This one above is Photographic paper with out pre-exposing)

(This one above is pre-exposed photographic paper)

Models.com

I am proud.

Roughly a week ago my friend Olag contacted me to about a shoot we have done. During the shoot I've snapped a photo of the model with *Shoot me like "Terry"* style to document it.

After I edited the photo, I sent it to her as a sign of appreciation and wished her best in her career.
2 and a half month later she appeared in Models.com with my photo in her portfolio.

Here is the link below.

http://models.com/newfaces/dailyduo/23657

Here is the photo.

What I find most interesting is that, even that this is the very same photo that I've sent her (well in bit bigger size than this) the photo which was uploaded in the website (models.com) do not show the same colours, so we can see the the different colour profiles different websites.

This is another reason why I dont like online portfolios, because you are limited with in the colour profile of the website and also the colour settings of the person viewing the photograph.

Also my congratulations to Maria D.

Holidays in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 GO

In 5 hours or so, I'll be on my way to Istanbul. There I'll re-apply for visa and while waiting for visa I'll go to the coast and sail the Aegean and Mediterranean Sea. 

During this time I'll not be able to write on this blog. So if you are a frequent (I doubt any one actually reads anything here) this is my notice  to you :D. 

However I'll be doing lots of Free Diving and Scuba Diving and this time I am taking my GoPro Hero2 camera with me to show what I see when I dive. 

Here is a pic of me swimming in open sea. 

Shoot me like "Terry" - 4

So the main idea of Shoot me like "Terry" themed photos are to show the models personality and their own poses when they are not art directed. All I tell to model is "Be your self" and "do what ever you want"

Here is the 4th part of shoot me like "Terry".
If I keep shooting at this rate (snap a photo of the model I'm shooting or doing the light for) by the end of 2013 I'll have enough photos to make a little book.

After I help my friend and colleague Olgac with lighting, I snapped some photos of the lovely model Claudia.

1st Photo being She was being serious.

2nd Photo I told her to relax and be her self. 

Camera: Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70

Photographer: Bugra Ergil (Bruce)
Stylist: "Coming soon"
Makeup and Hair: Alice Howlett
Model: Claudia D.

Upgrading to Nikon D800

The Camera that I'll be getting soon.

I've been using my D700 for 2 years now and I know that this is not a very long time (in my opinion). Why? because I checked the Shutter count on my camera to see how much I used it, and so far in last 2 years I've only shot roughly 30.000 photos.

30.000 photos . . . I believe it is not a big number for 2 year time of shooting.
What have I done with my D700 so far? Well I only shoot Fashion and academic work with it, I haven't shoot any family, friends, travel, CATS, DOGS etc . . .
I believe if the D700 would meet my satisfaction I'd not be chancing it, and I know for sure that I'd be using the D700 more often if it satisfied my needs, but when ever I had to print HUGE images I shot in Mamiya RZ67 Pro II with Kodak Portra 160ASA of course.

Why Upgrade to D800?


1. For More Megapixels and Resolution

Why? If I was only shooting family, travel, Cat, Dog, babies, travel and all the other boring stuff or if my clients would print small size photos like 10"x8" then I'd stick with D700, but The fact is I only shoot fashion and fashion related stuff also the smallest size I print is 13" x 19". I know D700 can print 13"x19" if I Resize the photo, however the original file size from the camera with out resizing the photo is 9"x14" This can be enlarged easily 4 times greater than the original size how ever if I crop the image it becomes a hassle to enlarge. D800 on the other has the original file in 24.8"x16.5" with out enlarging on Photoshop, this gets the cropping and resizing way easier than it was.

2. For Video Function

Yes . . . Video you heard it right. With moving image taking an important role in fashion industry, having a Full Frame (35mm) DSLR which can record 1080p or 720p video and use different lenses is going to be a really big Plus to me, not to mention with the Dual card slots I can record video on SD card and Stills to Compact Flash Card.

3. ISO 

To start with I am not an ISO freak and I never shoot at low light, I know flash photography really well, and with flashes and a tripod I can get the combination of flash and ambient light easily. So I don't need high ISO at all. D700 could only go to ISO 200 and D800 can go ISO 100 that is 1 stop difference, which can help me on DoF. (how it can help me with DoF? simple if the flash meter is telling me that I am getting 1/125sec at f8 with 200ISO I'll get f5.6 at 100 ISO)

4. Performance on Portrait 

I am not a Camera geek, but I want accuracy in colours on the photos. And the tests that DxOmark shows that D800's sensor is the 3rd best so far, and first 2 places are Phase One digitalbacks for medium format cameras. Not to mention my Teacher at Perry Curties (fashion photographer and cofounder of 125mag) is a Phase One user who got him self a D800 and mention to me that D800 is a great camera. I know that Perry doesn't like 35mm that much but if he said it is a great camera there must be something great about it.


5. Price

For an amazing camera it has an amazing great price, in UKit sells something between 2500 to 2600 pound, a great deal if you ask me. Not to mention in USA it will be cheaper than it is on UK.


What I am not looking at?


1. Frame rate

I really don't care about frame rate, in fact even 2 frames per second is fast enough for me. All I shoot is fashion and when I say fashion I am excluding catwalk (that is event). Since I "create the moment" not catch and capture it I am not looking for a camera that can take a movie with stills.

2. High Bloody ISO

I really Really REALLY don't care if my camera can go to ISO 1324834543906045692. I know the highest I'll go is 1600ISO and I'll only do that to capture behind the scenes on fashion shoot, even for must behind the scenes I use a SB600 + small softbox.

3. File Size 

I really don't understand why People are crying about their file size, they are like" OH my D800 files are so huge I can only take 150 photos and my memory card is maxed out" seriously, I can only take 10 photos with my Mamiya RZ67 Anyways most of the time The camera will be tethered and when it is not I'm not a Trigger happy photographer 150 photos are enough for me to get one fashion shoot done. Also don't forget the 20 years ago sports, fashion, wedding, event, concert, and every thing was shot on film, and I bet they didn't need to shoot 2000 images to get 20 good usable photos.


Well this is most of the reasons
I'll add more if I remember something that I didn't mention.

Shoot me like "Terry" - 3

Here is the 3rd part of shoot me like "Terry".

After I help my friend and colleague Olgac with lighting, I snapped some photos of the lovely model Maria.

A stand alone Portrait. 

Great face and eyes and those cheekbones are incredible. 

Looking back at Last year

I've  been looking at my old work, which I've shoot last year.

I found a pic of Ariana, she it now Working with Oxygen Models I decided to re-edit the photo. Out of boredom and Just for the practice reasons. 

Camera:Nikon D700 + 70-200mm VRII

Photographer: Bugra Ergil (Bruce)
Stylist: Anastasia Taneeva
Makeup: Rempi
Model: Ariana

Lighting Info: (I don't usually share this) 
2 Kinoflo almost infront of her and 1 Honeycomb flash from behind as seen.
Combination of Continues and Strobe light.

By the way when I said Ariana now working with Oxygen Models I mean she wasn't working with them back in the time when I photographed her. This became some what a issue couple of month ago when my friend sent a PDF of my work to them and asking for a "New Face" model. They were keep telling her that Ariana was Oxygen Model which wan't mentioned in PDF, but Logically speaking she wasn't a Oxygen model dunting the time I was working with her. 

Behind the Scenes - Expressions Project

Here are some photos that I snapped while I was shooting the 5 week long expression project. 

Gina Harrison looking at me and my ancient Minolta X700. I was saying Who needs insagram when you have Analog Camera, Processing/Dark Room + Skills . . . and a film scanner which is not calibrated or something because the film comes out all fase color. 

One of my favorite Makeup artist & Friend Laura Kate Rzemienicka. Putting makeup to her self to test or we are going to Hyde Park to suntan ?

Alice Bizarre, All confident with her work. . . She says "Trust me I am Alice Bizarre" In Alice We Trust. 

Laura Kate Photoshopping, I believe if you watch some one do photoshop for 11 hours you can pickup a thing or two. Here is the proof :)

Angry Strobist is Angry . . .

Weeks ago I found a blog that Copies photos form Flickr group page and then posts them on a blog named StobistPlus.

When I saw that I asked in the Stobist discussion board, is it real or fake or how many strobist blogs are there?
The Post got the attention of some people and the manin guy Strobist (David Hobby).

I took screen shots of my post and his reply.

Wow if I could hear sound of his post I'd say the post is loud and angry. 

In my opinion David has the right to be angry about this blog, imagine that you do something great, build a internet community about photography and off camera flash then one guy comes and not only copies the idea but also thousands of posts and photos. 

Almost everything in internet can be copied, downloaded, or duplicated so my advice to you (to the readers if you exist or read) don't upload print size images and commercial work every where online. 

Shoot me Like "Terry" - 2

Something new that I've started. Spoke like Yoda I have . . . 

Camera: Nikon D700 + 24-70

After many people asked me to shoot them like "Terry" I come up with an idea . . . to shoot them like terry DUH . . ..
Well now when ever I am shooting, assisting, or some how included in a production of fashion shoot or fashion film I'll ask the model if I can shoot her like the way I want which is out of the topic.
In here my Friend and colleague Olgac Bozalp asked me to do lighting for his shoot and then I snapped this with my own light little setup. (1x SB900 + small softbox)

I asked the lovely model Jude to be her self infront of the camera and go crazy if she wants to, I didn't want to direct her in to a pose she might not like I just wanted to photograph the clear beauty.

The shoot me like "Terry" concepts are only for blog and documentary reasons. (maybe more in future, who knows what the future holds huh?)


Photographer: Bruce (Me)
Stylist: Marilia Chamon
Hair & Makeup artist: Cuneyt Ozketen
Model: Jude

Dior ADDICT

In my opinion selling fragrance over images or moving image isn't easy job. Why isn't that easy, well how can one sell a smell with out making the audience smelling it?

So what they aim in here is to sell the life style of the subject/girl presented in the Ad. 

Let's look closer to the moving image/"video" . . . 

Count of characters and how many of them are make and how many of them are female ? 

-Well there is only one female character who appears to be the main character and many male characters.

Does the main character uses the product presented in the ad? 

Yes she uses the product. 

If yes what changes happen once she uses the product? 

The form and speed of entire video changes, putting her in the centre of the attention of all men. Suddenly it is like the world turns around her, and she is who she is, young, beautiful, flirty and  bit rebellious girl. 

Is she going after one men? or flirting with only one men? No All she does is spays the parfume and dances her way in to a bar/cafe and changes music, shows a bit of her ASS while dancing and all the men are dancing with her. 

Long story short, Dior aims to sell the life of this beautiful model, a life with out any sadness/problems, a life with  lots of attention of men, a life that you are the center of it. 

Of course this add doesn't make you go out and buy the product right after watching but it makes the audience curious. Curious of how this fragrance smell because boys want her and girls want to be her well (not everyone because this ad targets certain audience in age and class/lifestyle) 

Ps. I love the part where she has a cat on hear head, nice use of kitty meme. (this also shows that the audience of this ad is younger generations 16-26 maybe?)

Style Hunting - Hat, Shades, Bag, Shoes

Yep you heard it right STYLE HUNTING is back in the menu. 
It has been so long I haven't get out there and look for stylish people.
When I saw this gentlemen I wasn't planning to find stylish people and photographing them but who cares about planning about style hunting it just happens and you spot some one and say thats it he/she is the one.
All I had with me was Minolta X-700 + 50mm 1.7 attached to it with Fuji C-200 film loaded, I said "hhmm this should do . . . Now should I ask him to take his photo or snap it from the angle I like and run like a Gorilla?" and I snapped from the angle I like then looked around me  and see people staring at me and then I stared back at them.

YES the film is POORLY SCANNED what do you expect from my holiday film scanner (made for travelling) 

I like that he is actually wearing something different than blue, gray, and black because here in London the weather is so boring it make the peoples cloths boring, it might look like that day was nice but in fact it rained 1 hour after I took that photo. 

SnapFocus

Kickstarter Project to Revolutionize Filmmaking from MidasMount on Vimeo.


Wow this thing looks useful but look at it, that thing looks like a transformer.
One thing for sure that it will make all the other products for focusing look like a toy.

With this product I think we will see lots of cinematic YouTube videos.

Shoot me like "Terry"

Going Bonkers

After Full day of beauty shoot we (makeup artist, model and I) decided to Drink and Smoke Sisha, During that time I had a Camera and a Flash + Small softbox.
Model asked me to take photos like "Terry" I sad OK but I lit it different way and yet get similar photos. This is the outcome . . .

Influence: Alcohol + FreeTime + Youth 

Totally random art-direction, in this diptych we didn't think of any story, influence, inspiration, or anything else but yet one can always look up on the photographs and make up a story.

Camera: Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70

Photographer: Bruce (Me)

Makeup artist: Laura Kate Rzemienicka
Model: Dasha

SB900 Vs. SB910 - Which one is better for me

Before I write anything I'd like to state that I will not compare these 2 flashes on which one overheats faster than the other. If you want to see that just write SB900 Vs SB910 on youtube, tons videos should come up about that. 

This is a long post if you are interested please click on "read more" below.

Wild American Eagle Models

I could not stop laughing when I watched this video. 

Takes the wildlife and fashion photography to another level. 

If Angels CRY

Fashion Photography Beauty Test Shoot

Photographer: Bugra Ergil (Bruce)
Makeup Artist: Laura Kate Rzemieniecka
Model: Stephanie
Assistant: Anup K Pandey

Camera: Mamiya RZ67 ProII + 127mm 

Film: Kodak Portra 160 ISO 

This photo was taken with Mamiya RZ67 ProII to compare with the digital for testing the differences/similarities.

Fashion and Memes ? ? ?

Can such things like Memes change or influence Fashion OR can Fashion influence memes ?


Lets start with Nick Knight

As we all know that Nick Knight did a photoshoot for Instagram.
Well for those who don't know what is Instagram well I can say one thing, you are lucky. Its basically this hipster photo program for Iphone the ultimate hipster phone. The photoshoot was influenced over the internet Memes thus the instagram was a perfect tool for this shoot.
And here are some of the photos he took.

This Post is long so if you are interested click to see the rest on the link below

Film in Fashion Photography - Mamiya RZ67

As you all know I am a student (For now), and with the student budget I can't afford to buy my dream camera PhaseOne 645 IQ180.
Because I don't have the medium format + Digital back camera that doesn't mean I can't have a Medium format camera.
Old cameras now are a lot cheeper than they were back in their time thats why couple of months ago I bought my very own Mamiya RZ67 ProII.

However as I mentioned before digital is only very recent development in Photography.
Digital photography used in fashion photography since early 2000's
1990's were mostly Film and before that was Film and Film alone.

If you look at todays results and comparison in film and digital one can easily see Film can still easily compete with Digital.

However there are some drawbacks in film that makes the current Commercial/Fashion photographers go for digital and the biggest one of that is Film Slows the Workflow. 
There are still some really good photographers like Annie Leibovitz, Patrick Demarchelier, Ara Guler, Bill Cunningham and many more using film.

I am not going to sit and write about which one is better which one is the best. As a person who shoots film and digital I can say that I like them both and I'll use both of them as long as I can.

Since I shoot film in fashion as well as digital, I'd like to share what I go through while I am shooting film. 

Some people might know I am sometimes greedy on certain things when I know the real cost and thats the reason I don't give my negatives to develop to developing/processing Labs.
I process and scan the negatives my self and sometimes I find that faster since I use dip and dunk tanks to process negatives (dip and dunk tanks can take 9 medium format or 12 35mm film in one go).

However here is what happens when I shoot film.

Shoot  Day > Process negatives > Dry Negatives > Cut Negatives > File + Label > Scan > Photoshop > Print

And here is what happens when I shoot Digital. 

Shoot day (tethered  camera to laptop) > Photoshop > Print

But seing the result of the film makes you appreciate that you shot film. 

Photographer: Bugra Ergil (Bruce)

Makeup artist: Alice Bizarre

Model: Gina Harrison

Camera: Mamiya RZ67P ProII + Mamiya Sekor Z 127mm 

Film: New Kodak Portra 160 

Scanned with Hasselbald Flextight 1 scanner 

Pink

Fashion Photography - Beauty Shoot - Pink 

Camera: Nikon D700 + 24-70mm 

Photographer: Bruce (ME)
Hair & Makeup: Alice Bizarre
Model: Gina

BEHIND THE MAKEUP

Behind every great Makeup there is a great Makeup artist. 

Watch on 720p or 1080p on youtube

OR enjoy on Vimeo

Video Shot on Nikon D7000

Not bad for a camera which doesn't even have sync  socket. 

Frustrated (test)

Fashion Photography - Beauty shoot
Here is a photo that I'll be printing large soon (7hours from this post time)

Camera: Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm

Photographer: Bugra Ergil (Bruce)
Hair and Makeup: Alice Bizarre
Model: Dasha

Killer RED

Fashion photography - Test Beauty shoot 

Brace your self beauty shoots are coming. 

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 70-200 VR II 

Photographer: Bugra ERGIL (Bruce)
Makeup artist: Laura Kate Rzemienicka
Model: Ekaterina
Assistant: Anup K Pandey

On this photo I'll actually explain it how I lit it.

2 strobes (SB900 units)
1 softbox - Key light Above her (light meter reading is f11)
1 octobox - Fill light infront of her looking from up to down 45° (light meter reading is f8)
+ silver reflector on her lap

Chimping - Is photojournalism dying ?

Will the photojournalism become uncommon like blacksmith or chimney sweeps? 

This video should be viewed by any PHOTOGRAPHER (Fashion photographer, photojournalist, commercial photographer, wedding photographer, sports, event, entusiast  etc. . . )

Out of every photographer, the ones that I respect the most are photojournalists, not the photojournalists that work for the tabloids which I mean by celebrity and stupid news stuff such as "monkey running from zoo and driving a car" to take the front page or "some celebrity drinking and driving" but those photojournalist that take the photos of war, those journalist that show the world how much people suffering.

In my opinion that is one of the professions that should not change. Other people taking photographs for news are fine for me but those actual photojournalists has to be there because they are willing to push the limits to get the photographs.

Fashion Photography - Beauty Shoot

Snak peek of my current project. 

Photographer: Bugra Ergil (Bruce)
Makeup artist: Laura Kate Rzemienicka
Model: Stephanie
Assistant: Anup K Pandey

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 70-200 VR II

Here is a Photo, of the project I always Wanted to do.
Out of every type of photography beauty photography is my favorite, then comes Diptych and after that is the editorial.

There are four more shoots scheduled ahead that means four different models and 8 different looks.

Photography - Past - Present - Future

We are living in era of technology and information.

With the technology changing and improving really fast and new super functional cameras coming in the market every year, us photographers become really picky with the with the current cameras out in the market.

I read the Flickr discussion boards, and people are just discussing about what their cameras can do, how fast does it focus, how many FPS it has, how much noise it gives at 6400 ISO, and looking at these things as minor problems.

It becomes hard for me to understand them and why are they making such small things in to big problems.

Those of you who remember, know or used old cameras will understand and agree.

Lets look back in the time, when photojournalists were using 35mm film and medium format cameras.

They carried one camera with Color film, one camera with B&W high ISO and other camera with B&W low ISO. They used TLR cameras (twin lens reflex), rangefinder cameras.
They didn't have auto focus system, 12 frame per sec.

My favorite sports photograph is take by Neil Leifer.
He used Kodakcrome and medium format camera without metering built in.


He didn't have any of the advantages of todays technological monster cameras.

This photograph is selling for thousands for print.













Nowadays if such thing is happening like the boxing match, the photographers will capture every frame from the last punch till he falls on the floor.

I am not saying this technology is bad, but this technology makes the value of the photograph less specially if it is on internet (The Digital Wasteland)

Now Look where we were and where are we now. 

We don't need to carry 3 different cameras with us.
We don't need an extra bag of Films.
Camera does the focusing and metering.
Focusing can track the subject.
Now they call 4 FPS a slow camera, seriously what is wrong with people.
When I am using a Sinar I spend 1 to 3 minute on focusing only, then I measure the distance between lens and the film and calculate the exposure change, then load the film and take the photograph.


The discussion that I hate the MOST is when some one says D800 has too much pixels and files are too big I barely shoot 150 images in one card . . . seriously ? I can only shoot 10 photos with my Mamiya RZ67 and 36 frames with my Nikon F100.

Everything is perfect but no one is happy. 

Nikon/Cannon Fanboys instead of comparing Cameras and specs, just be happy with what you got, go out there and shoot.

What is the future of photography?
With the technology being so easy to use, and pushing the limits of photography, every one with a DSLR can come up with good results of photographs, and every one can call them selfs photographers.

Who knows maybe in future, Cameras will cook for us and walk our pets in the park.

Nikon D800 VS Hasselbald H4D-40

Many Nikon fanboys have been waiting for a video like this for some time. I am a nikon user and I don't expect that Nikon to beat Hasselbald or any Mediumformat on a comparison. I don't think that any 35mm DSLR will be better than any Medium format DSLR. I'd chose Mamiya DM22 over D800 (DM22 has 22 Megapixels DUH) 

1. Nikon is 35mm    -   Hasselbald is 6x4.5 and even 6x4.5 I find it small. If they will make a medium format with 6x7 size sensor and revolving back I'll sell my house to get it. Imagine how much I don't like crop sensors in DSLR like Nikon and Cannon 

2. Hasselbald has Leaf aperture so as most of the medium formats, that means Flash sync speed up to 1/1600s flash sync speed up to 1/800 (onH system).  Mamiya and PhaseOne can go up to 1/1600

3. The DoF of medium format is way better than 35mm
4. 35mm DSLR has 14bit raw and medium format digital cameras or digital backs has16bit raw

However I am planning on selling my D700 and buying either D3X or D800 (probably D800+grip cuz of my budget) WHY? Because I need more Pixels. Photographers shooting Fashion and going in to commercial photography industry will never have enough pixels :D 

But my dream camera is 645DF with IQ180 digital back and one day I will buy it, I will buy it with the money I earn from photography, well maybe when that day comes there will be better cameras out there but still I'll buy some awesome camera. 

Mamiya RZ - RB Focusing Hack

Easy Manual Focusing for Beauty, extreme closeups, macro, Still Life and more the limit is your imagination.

For those of you who used Large Format cameras might know this or understand it really easy.

Have you ever wondered how did the Professional Photographers get in focus crispy sharp images with Medium format Manual focusing cameras, back in the time when a person can only imagine of auto focusing or see it in their dreams?

So in large format camera they put black curtain or blanket or what ever that doesn't allow light pass through, and then they look at the focusing screen and use a magnifying loupe which is around 8x or 10x and with that they focus. (fun thing to do, makes you spend more time to take the photograph and at the end you appreciate it)

However medium format cameras has their own focusing eye piece, or waist level focusing or what ever; but if you remove that you will end up with a smaller version of large format cameras focusing screen. Then just like Large format you can use the Magnifying Loupe.

You can do that with almost every medium format camera with manual focusing.

Here are some photos of what it looks like (For those people lazy to read what I've written above)

So what ever you are taking for example if it is beauty shoot and the model is right infront of the camera, you can look through the loupe and look at her eye and focus in to her iris.

The F%^&ing Nikon D800 vs. Canon 5D mkIII Shootout

Just like what the title says. 

Software I use and Recommend

As every one knows editing, retouching, developing is as old as photography. 

Before the Digital age photographers developed their image in darkrooms with using black papers with a hole on it. Some of them even tampered negatives to get the results they are looking for. However with computers and software this process got a lot easier and faster. I am not going to write how that process evolved DarkRoom to Computer today, I'll simply say which software I used and which I am using. 

In every shoot, I try to use CaptureOne a program made by PhaseOne. (I say I try because sometimes due to weather or location conditions I can't have a laptop with me) 

I have CaptureOne in my 15 inch MacBook Pro, and the I Macs in Studios has them as well. 

This program allows me to shoot the images directly to Computer. I am not a chimper and I don't like chimping. 

For those don't know what is Chimping. Chimping is when a photographer is checking LCD screen behind his camera after every exposure. I'll write more about Chimping in another day. 

So I only look at the LCD screen to see the exposure, read the histogram, and the framing once I got everything I don't look at it anymore, but shooting fashion is different, there is a team behind you and they want to see the photographs. CaptureOne allows me to shoot directly in to computers memory and display images in computer as I am shooting, that way I don't stop and show my camera to people around me, also it allows me to make some adjustments as I am shooting such as white balance. More info on CaptureOne click here.

Every Fashion, Commercial, studio, photographer and people who want to be in the industry of, Fashion, Commercial, Studio photography should try this program. (use if you like I don't care)

Adobe Photoshop LightRoom and Adobe Photoshop CS5 extended. 

LightRoom and Photoshop are both programs made by Adobe (DUH) and they are very similar in someways. I think Adobe developed the program LightRoom for oldschool photographers, and photo enthusiasts. I used LightRoom and Photoshop CS4, CS5, and what I think is Photoshop can do everything LightRoom can do and even more. Camera Raw of Photoshop has the same functions of Lightroom and photoshop itself is a magnificent tool. What LightRoom has and Photoshop don't is a Picture library, LightRoom organizes photographs in a really good way and labels them in a easy to find way. However I don't need that when I am using CaptureOne 95% of the time. 

LightRoom Is decent program for photography, and if you are a wedding, event, sports photographer or even a photojournalist, It will match your needs. 

I use them both but I use Photoshop in academic, fashion and commercial work, and I use LightRoom when I snap something I Like, behind the camera, less serious stuff and, etc . . . 

Fashion Photography - BabyDoll - Looking 3.5 Years Back

One of my very first WELL ORGANISED shoot. 


It was three and half years ago, when my Ex asked around in her University (Instituto Marangoni) that if any styling student wanted to shoot their projects with me, and that was the beginning of many shoots and good friendships.


So about this Photograph below, I was going through my old hardrives to see my old work and do some new photoshop with my old work.

Camera: Nikon D2X

Lens:  To be honest I can't remember.

Photographer: Bugra Ergil (Bruce)

Stylist: Ekaterina Nishanova 

Makeup artist: Janna Rean 

Hair Stylist: I Can't Remember (Will look in to it)

Model: I can't Remember (Will look in to it) 

Fashion poses in Real life.

WE fashion photographers, we always create something out of the ordinary. We are not like other photographers, We don't capture the moment we always create it. 

We do art direction, tell the model to get in certain poses, we bring the model in to location, light the model in a unnatural way create a fairy tale come true in magazines and more . . . 

But have you ever considered how these poses that we shape our models looks in real life ? ? ? 

Is it Art? Is it Fashion? Is it Funny? Or just ridicules 

Diptych for Portfolio

I don't know if it is just me or not but I really like making Diptychs or Triptychs from my shoots.
If the shoot makes an editorial I like it as it is but some how I make my own Diptychs or Triptychs out of every shoot, If I am shooting something like a look book one image won't be enough to stand alone in my portfolio, repetition of outfits but in different moods and angles are acceptable for Diptych but not for Triptych (in my opinion).

Photographer: Bugra Ergil (Bruce)
Stylist: Darien Mynarski
Designer: Sarmite Ostanevica
Asst photo: Anup Kumar Pandey
Model: Kamila

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 70-200mm VR II 

 

Tick Tock - Fashion shoot

I always wanted to make a video like this and I made it ! 

A video that shows what was happening in the shoot. 

Diptych from Exhibition

These photographs has a good story behind them. 

It all started with a student projects. In the project given to me, I had to find some one (client potential person) and work/shoot for them, and the goal was to shoot for some one who will be like my boss. The outcome (The photographs) of this project has to be viewed by public. So basically the photographs cannot be for ones private use such as portfolio etc . . . 

What I had in my mind was a look for any designer because I was the least complicated idea for a shoot. 

"simple lighting, 1 model, many outfits, A5 size LookBook, no need of medium format, and huge prints"

What I didn't add to my plan was the element of surprise! My designer was pleased with the results as we were shooting and asked me to add them to her exhibition. 

That changed the entire shoot. It wasn't only LookBook poses any more, more art directing was required also they had to be good enough to stand with other Photographers images and those people actually shoot for the exhibition. 

Everything turned out the way it was planned at the end. 

Bored in Photography Studio.

Let me tell you guys the story behind this photo. A photographer friend of mine booked a studio for her shoot but somehow the shoot got cancelled in last day. So she had the studio to her self for 6 hours. Because of the school rules she has to be there if she doesn't want to get fined. So she called Anup (my friend) and I to chill and do different light setups in studio and play around. 

The studio has 5 Strobes, and 2 redheads (redheads are 800w tungsten continues lights) 

I piked the redheads and positioned like in the way shown in my sketch below. (damn bad handwriting) 

Since they are fixed powered, 800W all the time I used the barn doors and distance to position them. 

Main light was away from the subject and had narrow barn doors, and I added another one almost from the same angle but closer to subject with the barn doors wide open to get highlights which will add more dimension to photograph. 

It took me less than 3 min to set up the lights and get this result :D 

Fashion Photography - AUTOMATIC - LookBook

Here is a sneak-peek of my shoot with Sarmite  Ostanevica.


Some of the Photographs will be shown in the exhibition.

Weather Sealed D700

As you might know yesterday 04.02.2012 Saturday was a snowy day in London, it was a big deal for many people since they haven't seen much snow in their life however, I found that was a great opportunity to test my D700 on weather conditions like that.
I used my D700 on a mountain which was very cold, in a really hot and humid Island at the Aegean Sea, under rain in London, but never at under the snow.
So I got the D700 and 50mm 1.4 G lens and head out side. The result is Camera is Put Together well, the camera nor the lens didn't have any problem at all, worked perfectly.

Here is a snap of how D700 looks like when I was back home.

Too bad all the snow on the Camera melt as I stepped in the house. 

After a Fashion Shoot

So 2 days a go, I shoot a look book for a designer friend of mine (Sarmite Ostanevica). And that shoot was a great opportunity for me to take my Mamiya to a teset and see what is my Baby can do. (I already know what it can do, I used it before but never used my own before) it feels great to use your own camera, way better than renting it.

In the shoot, I used D700, F100, and Mamiya RZ67. The reason I used all 3 cameras are simple. 

1. D700 to get instant results in Capture One in Imac and Digital files are fast, from camera to Photoshop 
2. F100 to use transparency film and get slides if necessarily. 
3. I just love the 6x7 images that comes from Mamiya.  

13 exposed rolls from Mamiya (130 photos)

4 exposed rolls of Slide film 

and 18 GB of Digital Data. 

Photoshop will take forever O_O 

New Toy Mamiya RZ 67 Pro II

Finally I found what I was looking for, my very own clean almost unused Mamiya RZ67 Pro II.

The reason why I wanted this camera and why buy it?

1. My current school has 3 Mamiya RZ67 Pro II and a digital back, but I cant always know if they are available & I will not be a student forever.
2. This camera can be  film, Polaroid, or digital. just change the backs.
3. I love the results from a 6x7 camera, specially the portraits.
4. Medium Format cameras are a lot better for fashion and beauty shoots.
5. These cameras doesn't get old that easy.
6. It has a leaf shutter with the RZ lenses which allows camera to have 1/400 sec sync speed.

Also I changed my favorite C-41 negative to Porta. Now on Fashion I will be shooting Kodak Portra 160 with my Mamiya, Juji Provia 100F with my F100.

The reason I don't use Ektar is the Hasselblad flextight scanner I use, has the color profiles and presets for all portra negatives but doesn't have anything for Ektar. Also I find Ektar to give too orange skin colours.

Sarah Moon is a master of photography

Just Listen . . .

Fashion Photography - Olympian Goddess

This is a Photo from Olympia project which was given to us by Perry Curties. 

Wendy kept the styling clean and simple, wich looks great with the theme. 

Photographer: Bugra Ergil (Bruce)

Stylist: Wendy Ford

Hair & Makeup: Laura Kate Rzeminiecka       

Model: Winter

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 70-200mm VR II

Light: 1 Large SoftBox