I shoot a lot of colleges and prep schools-It's my main thing. It's fun-You've got to treat it like an advertising shoot but with non-professional talent (real students and teachers) and be flexible enough to do the photo journalism thing. This first shot is of an art teacher in a prep school I recently shot. The kids loved and gravitated to her. Just the kind of person who's going to wake up the creative side of a young mind.

She's shot with a Photek light bank (with diffuser) directly behind the camera...Nikon D3 with the 24-70 zoom. 

When you go to a new college or prep school location that you've never seen before, you pray you'll find great places (and kids) to shoot. This same prep school was founded on a piece of property that included a beautiful 19th century mansion that now houses the administrative offices of the school. Here's a couple of kids we set up in one of the beautiful windows contained in the building-It's all natural light except for a single Elinchrom head with a 10 degree grid at the bottom of the stairs hitting the statue and woodwork on the far wall. The Nkon D3 with the 24-70 Nikkor.

Here comes the quasi-photojournalism thing. It's class change and it mayhem in the hallways. A group of girls pause to play a game, so you throw up an Elinchrom head at the far end of the hallway, turn it all the way up, adjust the camera for exposure and find a great face to focus on.

Nikon D3 with the 70-200 Nikkor.

This is the photo that introduces my blog. This beautiful woman is Harriet Lake, a philanthropist who lives here in Orlando. I just recently did an editorial shoot with her as part of an article on a new performing arts center that is going to be built downtown. Ms. Lake has always been there for the arts in a city starved for art. She's both an angel and the toniest of dressers.

Harriet is lit from the side with a Photek umbrella diffused with a 1-stop silk. Backlight is from an Elinchrom head with a CTB gel. Nikon D3 and the 24-70 Nikkor zoom.  

Another blog...

I'm Stephen Allen and I'm adding to the collection of blogs authored by photographers. I enjoy reading blogs that pertain to photographers and photography so I hope I can add something worthwhile occasionally. I will make it a point to add technical information to any photos I post. I'm lucky enough to be able to make a living doing what I love and if I can give one good (or bad) example of how I work that might help someone else, that will make my day. I owe something to the other photographer/bloggers that have come before me and have so graciously shared their info.

For the record, I am a Nikon shooter, using the D3 primarily. It's a great camera....

Wish me luck.