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Feature Friday
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Forum Takeover with Brooke Shaden
alpha-jessica-a posted a topic in Photography,
Brooke Shaden (@BrookeShaden) is a portrait artist, educator, speaker, and Sony Artisan. She photographs herself and becomes the characters of dreams inspired by a childhood of intense imagination and fear. Being the creator and the actor, Brooke controls her darkness and confronts those fears.
It’s our pleasure to announce that Brooke will be participating in a text based Forum Takeover from October 7th to October 11th!
If you’d like to ask a question, post it in this thread and Brooke will answer it during her takeover.
You’ll have a week to chat with and learn from Brooke. The takeover will also be saved and available to view after the week ends!- 4 replies
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alpha-jessica-a, -
Astrophotography Photo Challenge
alpha-jessica-a posted a topic in Photography,
Have you gazed up at the night sky and captured its wonders through your lens? We invite you to share your stunning astrophotography with us. Tell us about your creative process—from the techniques you used to the gear that helped you create your work.
Each contributor will earn points towards our community ranks!- 7 replies
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alpha-jessica-a, -
What’s In My Bag: Brooke Shaden's Single Camera & Lens Kit For Streamlined Self-Portraits
alpha-jessica-a posted a topic in Gear,
Sony Artisan and self-portrait artist @Brooke Shaden has a simple process for her fine art self-portrait shoots, and it requires a streamlined setup that’s easy for her to run while also being the main subject. Using an ultra-high-resolution Sony Alpha 7R V and one of the sharpest and most versatile lenses, a Sony 24-70mm G Master II, Shaden captures the visual elements that enable her to push the bounds of her imagination We caught up with her to learn more about how she uses her single camera and single lens combination – keep reading as she shares what’s in her bag.
I’m a little creative weirdo who shoots self-portraits as fine art, exhibits in galleries and museums, and is absolutely obsessive about creativity. I do about 2-3 shoots per week, though only one of those usually sees the light of day. My works are dark and surreal, bursting with stories that make you question what it means to be alive. My process is simple: it’s me, my camera and tripod, and a big list of ideas. Much of my process falls into conceptualization. When I finally get to shooting, the idea has already been planned out meticulously. When it comes time to create, I need my process to be smooth, and streamlined. My gear is extremely important to that process, especially as I need it to be easy to carry, simple to use, and maximized for large printing later. Please enjoy my bag!
Camera
Sony Alpha 7R V: This camera is my everything. I use it for shooting stills and behind the scenes video. As a self-portrait artist, the flip screen makes my job a breeze. I think back to my beginning days of photography and self-portraiture, wishing my workhorse camera would let me see what I was doing in front of the camera. Now, it’s here. Combined with having 61MP and such a high dynamic range, it’s the perfect camera for fine art. I can shoot in low light and in unexpected spaces and still come out with great image quality that I can print large for exhibitions. I simply don’t need another camera.
Photo by Brooke Shaden. Sony Alpha 7R V. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II.
Lens
Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II: I own a single lens, and it’s the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II lens. With its f/2.8 aperture, I often find myself up before the sun, running out into the forest in extremely low light to create a moody piece of art. With this lens, I don’t worry about a thing. I can shoot wide at 24mm, or tight for a blurry background/portrait effect. I can shoot wide open, too, and given that I don’t often use lights in my work, that f/stop allows me to create separation between my subject and background. Having a light kit is essential for me since I’m just one (rather tiny) human lugging gear around alone, and shooting by myself.
Photo by Brooke Shaden. Sony Alpha 7R V. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II.
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alpha-jessica-a,
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By alpha-jessica-a · Posted
Sony Artisan and self-portrait artist @Brooke Shaden has a simple process for her fine art self-portrait shoots, and it requires a streamlined setup that’s easy for her to run while also being the main subject. Using an ultra-high-resolution Sony Alpha 7R V and one of the sharpest and most versatile lenses, a Sony 24-70mm G Master II, Shaden captures the visual elements that enable her to push the bounds of her imagination We caught up with her to learn more about how she uses her single camera and single lens combination – keep reading as she shares what’s in her bag. I’m a little creative weirdo who shoots self-portraits as fine art, exhibits in galleries and museums, and is absolutely obsessive about creativity. I do about 2-3 shoots per week, though only one of those usually sees the light of day. My works are dark and surreal, bursting with stories that make you question what it means to be alive. My process is simple: it’s me, my camera and tripod, and a big list of ideas. Much of my process falls into conceptualization. When I finally get to shooting, the idea has already been planned out meticulously. When it comes time to create, I need my process to be smooth, and streamlined. My gear is extremely important to that process, especially as I need it to be easy to carry, simple to use, and maximized for large printing later. Please enjoy my bag! Camera Sony Alpha 7R V: This camera is my everything. I use it for shooting stills and behind the scenes video. As a self-portrait artist, the flip screen makes my job a breeze. I think back to my beginning days of photography and self-portraiture, wishing my workhorse camera would let me see what I was doing in front of the camera. Now, it’s here. Combined with having 61MP and such a high dynamic range, it’s the perfect camera for fine art. I can shoot in low light and in unexpected spaces and still come out with great image quality that I can print large for exhibitions. I simply don’t need another camera. Photo by Brooke Shaden. Sony Alpha 7R V. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II. Lens Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II: I own a single lens, and it’s the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II lens. With its f/2.8 aperture, I often find myself up before the sun, running out into the forest in extremely low light to create a moody piece of art. With this lens, I don’t worry about a thing. I can shoot wide at 24mm, or tight for a blurry background/portrait effect. I can shoot wide open, too, and given that I don’t often use lights in my work, that f/stop allows me to create separation between my subject and background. Having a light kit is essential for me since I’m just one (rather tiny) human lugging gear around alone, and shooting by myself. Photo by Brooke Shaden. Sony Alpha 7R V. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II. Accessories Aodelan Remote: Having a Bluetooth remote means I can shoot self-portraits and truly hide the remote for the shot. Because it doesn’t need a direct line of sight to the camera, I can keep the remote out of sight for seamless self-portraits that I can count on to be correctly autofocused (thanks to the eye-auto-focus of the Sony Alpha 7R V). Sony TOUGH Memory Cards: My fleet of nine Sony TOUGH cards (a mix of 128gigs and 64gigs) gives me peace of mind anywhere I go. From dropping my memory card in a lake (oh yes, I’ve done that…more than once) to losing them in the mud, I can always trust they’ll still work when I get home. Sony Card Reader: I travel about 3-4 months out of every year, so having a way to load my images onto a laptop to edit on the fly is a great way for me to keep up with the workload. Photo by Brooke Shaden. Sony Alpha 7R V. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II. 3 Legged Thing Tripod (Brian): As a self-portrait artist, I need a light-weight yet sturdy tripod to be my hands as I photograph myself for my art. My 3 Legged Thing can be assembled and disassembled in seconds, and is light enough for me to heft around easily as I often hike miles to get to photoshoot locations. Sony ECM-GZ1M Microphone: It’s no secret I do everything myself: shooting, modeling, editing, and filming. Filming my photoshoots is often the last thing on my mind, so having a microphone I can slip onto my camera and know will work without a hitch is essential to ever getting any behind the scenes or educational content filmed while on location. Lighting – Profoto A10 + Clic Softbox: Introducing a single light into my work has been revolutionary over the past year. This lightweight kid fits in my backpack so I can make my images more cinematic when I’m on location. Photo by Brooke Shaden. Sony Alpha 7R V. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II. PRVKE Travel Backpack: A waterproof bag with multiple grab-points that holds not only my camera, tripod, and lighting, but also my costumes and props? Absolutely essential, it travels with me everywhere. Props: My props and costumes change per shoot, but my garage is filled to bursting with everything you could hope for, from a carousel horse to found bones to dead flowers, clocks, ladders, lanterns, poofy dresses, moss, and more. A shoot doesn’t go by where I’m not lugging something very, very strange along with me. Can you spot my dead bug collection? I keep them in a little, tiny wooden coffin. (It’s okay, we’re all mad here). Photo by Brooke Shaden. Sony Alpha 7R V. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II. Notebook: Sure, we all have phones in our pockets to take notes in, but there’s something more reverent about keeping a small journal. Mine has a poem by Mary Oliver on the front: “Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” Some other components: Having scissors, rope, tape, and clamps on hand for my shoots always comes in handy. You never know when you’ll forget your tripod plate and a couple of well-placed rubber bands save the shoot. Oh, and some decaffeinated English breakfast tea. Obviously. *Not pictured: Microsoft Surface Studio My main editing computer is the massive Microsoft Surface Studio, a touch-screen editing computer that lays flat on my desk for maximum control while I composite my images. See more of Brooke’s work on Instagram and ask her any questions you have about her work, gear or process in her Forum Takeover in this thread! -
By Brooke Shaden · Posted
Hi Creators! For those who may not be familiar with my work, workflow, and business, here are some topics that would be great to ask about if you've ever had questions/curiosities around them: Ideation/Conceptualization of images with deeper meanings Planning/Storyboarding ideas Symbolism in art Creating works that connect emotionally Photoshop Compositing Color grading Creating painterly images Fine Art Business Working with galleries Licensing your work Limited edition prints Marketing and branding Artist statements Proposals and pitches Working with brands Diversification of income Commissioned shoots Pricing of prints, licensing, commissions Hosting events (small to large) Building a CV Submitting to contests/magazines Self-portraiture Nonprofit work with photography Creating through grief Writing Fiction (I write novels) & story structure Artist Statements Social Media Community building Time Management And some fun things! Reading - ask me about book recs! I'm a fantasy nerd. Travel - I've been to 22 countries so far. Tea - just, someone please talk to me about tea. Star Trek and Doctor Who HUGS! Brooke -
By Luis 4Sports · Posted
"I've been using the Sony A7R5 and A9 III for the past six months, and overall, I'm delighted with their performance, especially for photography. However, while the A7R5's image quality is fantastic, it has some limitations regarding video recording. Specifically, I've encountered overheating issues after about 45 minutes of continuous 8K recording. This is why I wish for a new A9 III (A9 IV? Or A7RVI with GS), ideally with a sensor that offers at least 60 megapixels, allowing for extended 8K recording sessions of up to 2 continuous hours without overheating. This would make it a true powerhouse for high-res photography and long-format sports video work, specifically Soccer. The 8K Sony Camcorders Burano and Venice 2 are expensive for a video photographer like me who used them as entertainment tools to record Soccer games and other sports as a hobby and pastime." -
By gegjrphoto · Posted
Can I use C' (Creators) App to send images to a TV as long as camera, 7RM5, and TV are on same Wi-Fi? -
Hi Everyone, This is my second post. I chose the "Gear" forum because I thought it most closely followed my question regarding firmware and Software. Is there a place online and maybe within the Alpha Universe Community? I'm a retired software development manager I often discover bug and bugs that are features and just suggestion for the next release and / or camera. Thanks, Andy
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Universe
