The Secret Sauce

Lately there has been some controversy about the 10 steps to become a professional photographer… Life is getting more complicated because in the “good old days” it used to be “only” 7 steps. Why 10 vs 7? I don't know. But let's go back to the secret sauce.

Q: How do can you become a successful professional photographer?

A: Spend 20 minutes in your bathroom!

No, it's not what you think! Go to the bathroom and make photos to try to resolve your photo problems, from portraits to landscapes… But do it in your bathroom!

Why in the bathroom? Because everything is more difficult in the bathroom. The bathrooms are usually very small, so any problem with focus will show up immediately. The smaller the bathroom the more difficult it is. The bathrooms usually have at least one mirror and often more, this means lighting, reflections… Close range, depth of field, lights…

• You are not in the bathroom to make masterpieces
• You are in the bathroom to learn how to solve your problems in difficult conditions
• You can use the bathroom any time of the day
• You can use the bathroom in any weather, snow, rain, sun…

• All these photos are straight from the camera, zero processing. I could have added a third of a stop in the post process.
• The first photo is ambient light, backlit.
• The second photo is with a Canon 580EX-II flash on OC-E3 flash cord, extended camera left by 2½ feet with a Gary Fong “thingy”/Lightsphere.
• The third photo is with a Canon 580EX-II flash on OC-E3 flash cord, extended camera left by 2½ feet with a Gary Fong “thingy”/Lightsphere with an aluminium paper inside the “thingy.”

Many people will choose the second photo as the more pleasing one because it's more evenly lit. I, personally, prefer the third photo, it has more character, the shadows are stronger without being too strong. There is still enough detail inside the shadows and I get an extra one stop and half of light by using the aluminium paper.

For the “next while” I will keep the aluminium paper inside the Gary Fong Lightspere.

BTW, all of you people criticising me for paying $$$ for a Gary Fong Lightsphere when “you can get the same” from a TupperWare container are missing the point, yes it's somewhat overpriced but I've made more than made my money back because of the “proper” fit. The flash can be handled by an HALS, Human Activated Light Stand, aka somebody holding the flash for me, without everything falling apart or breaking.