Hey Rick! What's your f-stop?" That's the question I get asked most on my photo workshops. I reply, with a smile, "My friend. What is your creative vision, what is your goal?" Those are the important question for photographers to ask themselves.

In this blog series I will share with you my goal and camera settings for some of my favorite recent photographs, which will be featured in my next (#37) book, Evolution of an Image (September 2016 publication). Each chapter, by the way, has complete and detailed info about the lead photographs, as well as my outtakes and unexpected shots.

Here goes.

Location: Wonder Bar, Casper, Wyoming

Goal: Make a fun and creative image that capture the mood, feeling and uniqueness of the world famous Wonder Bar.

Thought process: Arrange the models and the horse with separation between the faces – that is, each subject’s face (including the horse’s face) being separated from the other. Use one large constant light, positioned by the bar’s main window, to help illuminate the subjects. Balance the artificial light to the daylight (coming through a large window) for a natural-looking photograph.

Tech Info
Camera: Canon 5D Mark III
Lens: Canon 17-40mm lens
Camera settings:
• Auto focus – because the subjects and I were moving;
• ISO 6400 – because it was dark in the Wonder Bar and I need good depth-of-field and a shutter speed fast enough to prevent camera shake, 1/160th second – for a sharp shot, f/5.6 – for good depth-of-field.

For more tips, tricks and techniques, see my current best-selling book, Creative Visualization for Photographers. Also check out my KelbyOne on-line classes.

Explore the light,
Rick