Leo OMP Model #145117 is a successful male model. The Ohio resident dabbled in modeling at the age of 20, then took a little time off before pursuing it full-time.

“I got back into it when I did a shoot with a former girlfriend a few years ago. I posted a portfolio on OneModelPlace.com at that time, and in a few months my career literally took off from there!”

His decision to join OneModelPlace.com turned out to be a very successful choice. “It’s the biggest and best online portfolio service out there! I wanted a venue that would get me noticed and also provide a vehicle to network. OMP can and does provide both!”

Being an OMP member has really paid off for the fitness model. “OneModelPlace.com has allowed me to be widely recognized by many other photographers and models. It’s how I was found by the Los Angeles staff photographer for the Exercise Group, which led to my first fitness publication shoot. Nearly every photographer I’ve worked with has come from OMP.”

Fitness modeling comes naturally to the 6’2′ model. “I’m a competitive natural bodybuilder in the North American Natural Bodybuilding Federation (NANBF). I also love golfing and biking.”

Leo’s recent assignments have dealt with everything from automobiles to physical therapy equipment. “I shot a TV commercial for Chevrolet’s annual auto show. I also shot for Volkswagen portraying a service technician. Another assignment I had was for HoMEDICS, as the packaging model on the company’s back massager products.” In the future, he’d like to do more commercial and fitness type work. Since there are not a lot of opportunities for him in his hometown, Leo does a lot of traveling around the country to pursue his career.

“I have never really done much modeling in Toledo. There’s really not much happening here in Ohio. So I have to market myself in larger markets. Most of the jobs I’ve done have been in Detroit, L.A. and Chicago.” Leo has a simple motto that he wants to share with his fellow OMP members. “Never forget this is a business! So treat it as such at all times.”

See more of Leo on his OMP Portfolio.

By Don Becker OMP Member #155.

In color photography, the hues and tones of the captured image are significantly influenced by the color of the incident light. This incident light can be described by its “color temperature”, which represents a composite of the wavelengths of visible radiation of which it is composed. For photographic purposes, the most important sources of light commonly used and their color temperatures are shown in Figure 1.

The white balance settings on your camera will cover most of the types of lighting commonly experienced. These settings are usually indicated by symbols or icons. A representative set of such icons used by Nikon cameras are shown in Figure 2, along with the white balances they represent. Other camera icons will often be the same or very similar, with some alternative symbols mentioned in the figure.

Many cameras also have additional white balance controls, which allow the photographer to set specific color temperatures in degrees Kevin (see footnote for additional information on the Kelvin temperature scale). For example, if you wanted to use that capability, you could set your camera at the specific color temperature of 5500 °K rather than at “Daylight”, and you should obtain approximately the same result.

The advantage of using this control is that if you would like your images to be just a little bit warmer or cooler, you can set your white balance to, say 200 °K higher or lower than the icon setting. As indicated in Figure 1, a higher temperature shifts the color towards the blue (“cooler”) tones, while a lower color temperature shifts the color towards the red (“warmer”) tones.

However, keep in mind that the camera control should be set at what the light is, in order to obtain neutral or non-tinted images. So therefore, if I were to photograph something at night in the living room of my home with no supplementary light, just the incandescent light in household lamps, I would generally start out with an Incandescent light icon setting. This corrects for approximately 3200 °K, which is the color temperature of photofloods and quartz/halogen photographic lighting. Probably the image would still be too “warm” (orange colored), because the color temperature of a 100 watt incandescent light is about 2850 °K. So, if I use the color temperature control on the camera and set the color balance setting to 2800 °K, I should be OK.

To test that, shoot a white piece of paper and see if it now looks white, rather than yellow or orange. If you are using 60 watt or 75 watt incandescent lights you will likely need to go down to perhaps 2500 °K in your setting, because lower-watting incandescent lights are more red in color output. You should set the color temperature in the camera to what the lighting temperature is, for a first approximation and then modify the color temperature setting until it looks right.

Of course, you can also look in your camera manual for the method to set your custom white balance for any color lighting situation. Mixed lighting (e.g., both incandescent lighting plus outdoor window light) will usually require a compromise, making you choose which lighting to correct for. Often setting the camera to daylight (or perhaps a little bluer) for the window lighting, and letting the incandescent light be somewhat orange, would be the preferred compromise.

Different brands of cameras may have slightly different color balance settings for each icon, and different people may have different preferences for their images. For example, with my Nikon D3 camera when using Norman studio flash units, I prefer to set my white balance to the Daylight icon rather than the Flash icon because I like the slightly warmer image quality I get from that setting. Generally flash units tend to be a little cooler than sunlight.

Fluorescent light is a totally different animal than both daylight and incandescent lighting. Both daylight and incandescent light are composed of continuous wavelength spectra, differing only in their actual wavelengths which produce their very different color temperatures. Without going into too much technology here, let me just say that fluorescent light is composed of a number of specific wavelength spikes, due to the light being produced by particular atomic transitions between different energy levels of the mercury vapor and phosphor components of the fluorescent tube.

The color temperature of the most common fluorescent lights has been a greenish tint, which used to be corrected with a magenta filter on film cameras, before modern digital cameras had white balance correction capabilities. Other fluorescent lights can sometimes have a reddish tint, and more recently they are often labeled as “daylight fluorescent” because they use several different phosphor components in the tubes to make the average light output close to 5500 °K, even though they are still wavelength spikes and not continuous wavelength sources of light.

Some of the compact fluorescent lighting that I have seen can come pretty close to daylight lighting, although usually somewhat cooler or warmer. In general, when photographing important subjects with fluorescent lighting, the best solution is to use a custom white balance setting made using the specific lighting to be used for the final photographs.

So there you have it, a concise summary of color temperature and white balance settings, and how to use them for your photography. I hope that this is helpful to your understanding of lighting and color in photography.

Good shooting!

(Note: The Kelvin temperature scale is also known as the Absolute temperature scale, with 0 °K being the temperature at which all thermal motion of atoms cease (= -273.16 °C and -459.67 °F), and 273 °K the freezing point of water. As a material (such as the tungsten metal in a light bulb filament) is heated it starts out as a dull red, then a bright red, then orange, yellow and even white as it gets to very high temperatures. The visible wavelengths of light emitted from such a filament become shorter (more energetic) as its temperature rises, even going to blue-white and above.)

See more of Don’s work, visit his OMP Portfolio.

Steven Lopata of Maddy’s Print Shop OMP Member #208914 has a degree in economics and a graduate degree in finance. His passion, however, has always been advertising and marketing. The Florida resident has worked for many years as an art director, and relishes the challenge of creating art and solving problems from an artistic point of view.

OMP: When did you start doing photography professionally?

Steven: When my wife was giving birth to my youngest son, I borrowed a high-end camera to go into the delivery room and take pictures. My wife was three weeks late and in that time I had shot 36 rolls of film. I was hooked.

OMP: What are your favorite styles of images to shoot?

Steven Strong graphic images with soft beauty. I love shooting in the studio because of how much you can accomplish in a short period of time. But a great interesting location is fine, too.

OMP: What are some of your favorite credits?

Steven: I’ve done several fashion editorials for Russian Style magazine, including their covers. I have also contributed to several local magazines here is South Florida, including Parkland Magazine. My images have had been featured on covers as well as inside editorials.

OMP: How did you discover OneModelPlace.com?

Steven: I was directed to the website by another professional photographer. I have had great times going to the gatherings at OMP Studio in Fort Lauderdale, and meeting loads of other shooters as well as models. Many are now lifelong friends.

OMP: How has OMP helped you promote your career?

Steven: The studio experience compressed the learning process. Many of the people I have met I have worked with numerous times. When I work at it, it always provides a great experience. I’ve shot in Vegas, in New Jersey and especially in Florida, both east and west coasts. Knowing I’m going somewhere or have a large block of time, I advertise my travel schedule and I always find a willing model to collaborate with. From my experience working with both other photographers and models, I have gotten bookings as well.

OMP: Can you give three tips for models to remember during a shoot?

Steven: I would advise models to always remember to have fun. Work to help the photographer reach his objective. And remember, a positive attitude may be the most important thing that you can bring to a photoshoot.

OMP: Tell us what equipment you use.

Steven: I use Nikon equipment, including the D700 and D200, SB 800 and 2 SB 600. I have several lens including the 80-200 2.8 as well as the 18-55 2.8. Alien Bees lights and modifiers. I have five of them. And I always shoot with a meter.

OMP: What advice do you have for photographers just starting out?

Steven: Shoot as much as you can, regardless of topic. Make the camera second nature, not the focus of your efforts. It is only a tool. Try different styles of photography. Work with as many photographers as you can, especially those you recognize as having more experience.

OMP: What is your background in printing and how has it influenced your photography?

Steven: I started selling envelopes in 1972, and then went into printing in 1974. I’ve owned my own company since 1978. I started shooting headshots for mortgage brokers and used that as an excuse to get great equipment, eventually setting up a photo studio at my print shop. I continue to shoot for brochures as well as business cards for my printing company.

OMP: Can you describe your ideas for short-run promotional calendars and products?

Steven: I have often wondered why more models and photographers are not using calendars and other items with their images to get the word out about themselves. Giving an agency or photographer or booking agent a year of your images seems to be a winner. Now, because of digital equipment, I can produce small quantities economically. I am just launching my specialty website that will allow models, or anyone else, to upload and proof their own calendars as well as several other products. We’re 30-year printers, but just starting out doing these short-run calendars and photobooks. We would love to hear from our fellow OMP colleagues with their suggestions.

See more of Steven’s work, visit his OMP Portfolio.

Florida photographer Eric A. Soto OMP Member #207826 relates that his artistic background has always been photography. Although he admits he could never draw or paint, with his camera he was able to create something that others could see.

Beginning in high school with black and white 35mm film, Eric is glad he is now 100% digital. He doesn’t miss film at all, and thinks digital has allowed people like himself to learn a lot and very quickly. “With digital, you know instantly if you screwed up the shot – and you get to correct then and there and try again. You learn a lot that way.”

OMP: How did you get your start in photography?

Eric: I actually did not shoot much after high school. I was focusing on college. Funny enough, I was always the guy with a camera, though more of a point-and-shoot. I even sold cameras briefly at an electronics store and got to shoot with a Nikon F4 several times. That was a $2,000 camera in 1992, so it was a big deal to get to use one. I am sure that the F4 definitely was why I became a Nikon shooter to this day. I just loved that camera and how it felt and what I could do with it.

But it was not until 2004 that I got back into photography big time because that’s when I “woke up” to the digital SLR revolution. One day, I just went out and bought a Nikon D50. The quality of good Nikon glass and especially the control over depth-of-field that you get with an SLR brought me back to shooting pictures. Since I’ve owned a D40x, D70 and now I shoot with a D80.

Of course, once I got a new camera, I immediately started to seek out photography training and groups so I could learn more and more. I’m naturally a “learner” and when I get into something, I tend to dive right in with full calculated intent. Soon thereafter, I was looking into studio lighting, more advanced techniques, etc.

Today, I shoot primarily for fun and I’ve become real good at using speedlights as opposed to high power strobes. I find that since they are so easy to carry, you can just set up a softbox anywhere and not worry about heavy power packs. Of course, they are low powered, but you can really do a lot, especilly if you pack a ton of them. I usually carry three speedlights and three softboxes with me when I shoot. I definitely also like to be the guy that knows something other people don’t and I’ve found that a lot of photographers don’t actually know how to shoot with speedlights very well.

OMP: What are your favorite styles of images to shoot, and who are your influences?

Eric: I love to shoot lifestyle, glamour and lingerie. I just love the female form and I am fascinated by the curves and poses that I can achieve with a good model. My favorite setup is actually a white seamless background with 2 strip lights – shooting straight ahead with the background blown out and the model slightly on the hot side. I also love to shoot early evening or sunset with a speedlight to balance the model with the oranges in the sky.

My most important influence is definitely Joe McNally because he does everything with speedlights. He might shoot with 20 on a given shoot… Yes, it’s totally crazy (and costly) but the images he produces are just amazing and when you think of the fact that he did it with a bunch of 2-inch lights with AA batteries, you have to be amazed.

I am also a Photoshop and Lightroom expert, so, I follow Scott Kelby a lot. He is always teaching you something no matter what he is doing.

My deep dark secret, though, is that I don’t know much about “art photography”. I guess being a techie I am much more interested in technique, equipment, etc. — as opposed to “the art” of it. I am sure to some photography art people, I am an ignoramus. That’s okay… I shoot for fun more than anything.

OMP: What is your approach to selecting models for photo projects?

Eric: To me, a model has to have really pretty eyes that she knows how to showcase when shooting.  I can fix a lot of other things in post, but the eyes are hard both technically but also for me, it’s like I’m replacing the model’s soul if I mess with the eyes too much. I am one of those people that really connects with my eyes and other people’s eyes.

Beyond the beauty, though, I really look for models that act professional (though not necessarily are at that level in experience.) I am a professional (even though I shoot for fun) and my time is valuable. I don’t have time for games nor drama – certainly not from a model! Models that reply to emails (I am big on email) and get back to you in a timely fashion will usually get the job. I also expect models to be clear about their availability and their fees. I don’t do TFP — I always pay at least a stipend because otherwise, how can I expect someone to take our time together seriously?

OMP: Tell us about your recent shoots.

Eric: My most recent shoot was a sunset yoga shoot with the FL inter-coastal as background. I scoped out a location on google maps a few days prior (using street view). Then, I went four hours before the shoot to see it in person. It was a public street in between two gigantic mansions. The end of the street hit right against the intercoastal. We could shoot using that background all day long and get great shots – and not enter anyone’s property. BUT, we got lucky that one of the houses was under renovation which meant no owners and at sunset no workers either.

So, at shoot time, I shot a few pictures in the public street to see if anyone would bother us. When 20 minutes went by and no one challenged us, we “snuck in” the back yard (hey, it was a wide open lot — with no  sign in sight.) I had the model do standing yoga poses as well as sitting poses (on their yard’s incredible lawn.) Still, we were rushed because we started late due to complications before the shoot. Also, one of my speedlights (my main one) malfunctioned on my second picture so I was down one light. I was so rushed I even forgot to setup my soft box correctly. Still, somehow, I ended up with 3 or 4 shots that were really good and worth the time to edit further in post. In the end, the shoot worked out and the I was happy with the results.

Lessons learned: Always bring backups to ALL equipment; don’t let yourself be rushed – maybe even use checklists to make sure you don’t miss technical details and so you can concentrate on the creative process; and finally, if you think you need 2 hours to prepare, then start preparing 4 hours before! Time is your friend in a location shoot — the more the better.

OMP: Can you tell us about your future projects.

Eric: I really want to do more studio work with complex sets. The idea of creating a set for a shoot is fascinating to me. I would like to expand into set lighting and more.

OMP: How did you discover OneModelPlace.com?

Eric: I found out about OMP through their networking events. It was a great way to network with others, but more importantly, to learn to deal with models of all skill levels. When I started back up with photography seven years ago, I thought models were all professional and represented by big agents that charged a lot of money. OneModelPlace.com opened up a whole new world for me. I now could network, have access and  work with potentially thousands of models of all experience levels. The models are not necessarily supermodels, yet many of them are just as beautiful and talented. OMP is an invaluable tool!

OMP: How has OMP helped you further your career?

Eric: OneModelPlace.com has allowed me to efficiently network with and connect with models of all skills and experience levels. Of course, OMP is also a showcase, like a business card. When I meet a new model, I always send them to my OMP portfolio so they can see that I am indeed someone that can produce nice images.

OMP: What equipment do you use?

Eric: I am all Nikon — all day, all night. Currently I shoot with a D80 using an Eye-Fi wireless card so I can see the pictures instantly on my iPad (which always comes on shoots.) I love speed lights and I own an SB600, SB700 and an SB800. All three always come on shoots! I also use the speed lights with soft boxes and umbrellas and I always shoot them wireless using the Nikon CLS (Creative Lighting System). The D80 has commander mode which means I can fire all three of my speedlights without a single wire! However, I REALLY want a D-90 or an even better model. I’m not big into video, so it’s not that feature I am looking for, but instead the ability to go to 25,000 ISO. Yet, I recently became a dad, so the budget for equipment is suddenly competing heavily with the toddler-needs budget!

OMP: What advice do you have for photographers just starting out?

Eric: First and foremost, shoot, shoot and then shoot some more. Do NOT edit yourself. Digital is amazing in that you can shoot 300 pictures then delete 299 as long as you got the one great shot. Second, read books and websites, watch videos and learn learn learn. Also, you have to know how to use your equipment. Whatever brand it is, you have to understand every nuance and every setting. Even if you don’t use them all (and you won’t) but you should know what they are and what they can do. Finally, be a pro. In this business, you’ll get to meet many many beautiful people. You must never forget that you are there as a professional (or an artist for some) and that you have to act as one — always! Above all, have fun. No one likes to work with a grouch. Smile and be positive and energetic and you’ll always have great shoots!

OMP: What advice do you have for models?

Eric: Models must be professional also. Reply to people contacting you for shoots. If you don’t have time to reply, then you should not be listed in a modeling site! Also, have a calendar and be good about keeping it updated. Always know when you are available and always communicate clearly what your rates are, what your availability is and what type of shooting you are comfortable with. Also, you will unfortunately be approached by many creeps, so always be safe. I advise models to bring chaperones to shoots, especially when working with new photographers. If a photographer objects to you bringing a companion to a shoot, then you don’t want to shoot with them, no matter how great the offer. A true pro will never object to you bringing someone to a shoot! The key is communication. Make sure that this has been discussed ahead of time so that accommodations can be made. For instance, in many shoots, I meet the model somewhere with lots of parking before taking a car or van together to the actual shoot location (which may have limited parking if any at all.) I shoot a lot “in the city,” so it’s not always practical to drive in three or four cars. So, telling me ahead of time that you are going to bring someone allows me to make sure I can provide transportation, water, etc for all people coming.

But above all, come ready to have a blast and give it your best. You are in front of the camera because you have something special the photographer wanted to capture. Give it your all and commit to the shooting experience then and there. You are special for a reason, so try to bring that out as best you can.

Check out more of Eric’s work on his OMP Portfolio.