Vulcan Stairway

 

It's been a few weeks since I've ventured out on my morning photo run, and a distinct lull in the action since my last published photo. These photos would normally go in my random photo collection which is accessed through a link in my sidebar. In the interests of variety, I am installing them first as a post.

The Vulcan Stairway is a eclectic "street" in San Francisco. Houses line both sides of the stairway, often more like cottages than houses. There is not vehicle access, so residents must park as close as they can to Levant and Ord Street, the two endpoints.

On most days the bicycle helmet at the top of the post can be seen perched on the roof of a local car at the Levant end of the stairway. Apparently the owner just leaves it there, available if needed. This morning, it was found attached to this tree support. 

As I have said, San Francisco has no shortage of creatives, and their products often reflect a dry wit that encourages thought, not laughter. The meaning of this sign shall remain a mystery.

I don't know if this is a testament to nature's resiliency or a commentary on crumbling infrastructure. It's interesting that a fragile daisy would burst forth through a hole in the concrete stairs. Earth abides.

John Ward, a gardener extraordinaire in Burlingame, once suggested that any found object could become an interesting addition to a garden. Here, somebody took a cast iron leg for a table and positioned it to accentuate the sculpted figure. It is acquiring a warm patina of rust, a pleasing compliment to the green surrounding it.

I used to think that the whimsical placement of toys amidst a backdrop of vegetation was the work of clever children. After looking the the careful placement of monofilament fishing line, I think somebody had a little help.

Shawna Lucey

 

"Shawna Lucey is an opera and theatre director, as well as the General Director and CEO of Opera San José. Shawna is known for her feminist staging’s of classic and modern pieces, bringing passionate new resonance to the warhorses of opera and grappling with contemporary works through a feminist paradigm..."*

I was asked to provide a photo to accompany a Q & A piece for the Journal. Since these articles are usually about local artists, I usually try to learn about my subject's background, looking for inspiration for how I might make my photographs less headshot and more portrait. Ms. Lucey is known for injecting classic opera with a more contemporary outlook. In addition, she loves nail art!

I wrote ahead to the Opera's publicist, requesting that I have access to a parking space in the roundabout for one hour. I planned to arrive at 2:00 pm, set up for 30 minutes, and meet with Ms. Lucey at 2:30 for a 15 minute shoot.

Afternoon At The Opera:  I arrive at the roundabout at 1:30 and checked in. I was thankful for the convenient parking because I had a rolling duffle bag full of lighting equipment, a camera bag on my left shoulder, a flash bag on my right shoulder, and my tall light stand. Covid protocols were in place, so I was required to show proof of vaccination and boosters, fill out an on-line inoculation summary, and  take an antigen test. While waiting for the test results, I would be taken on a tour of possible locations for the shot. The testing process took longer than I would have wanted, which ate up valuable setup time. I decided to use on of the lounge areas on the second floor, mainly because of the warm, red décor.

Lighting: While I had access to a softbox, I decided to use a standard umbrella as a beauty dish. Zack  Arias used this technique in in One-Light Video series, and I liked the effect he was achieving. In this environment, the setup gave me a relatively soft light source that was tightly contained in a "cylinder of light". This eliminated an light spilling out and washing over the background. The flash I used was a Godox round headed speedlight with a full CTO gel attached. In retrospect, I should have used a 1/4 or 1/2 CTO gel to keep the skin tones more natural. Come to think about it, I don't know if I have such a gel in my kit, but I will be sure that one is available in the future.

One thing that you'll notice is the position of the speedlight. To prevent light spilling onto the background, it should be placed deep inside the "cone" of the collapsed umbrella, creating both the round, concentrated light of a beauty dish while containing it, as you could using barn doors.  This was a little problematic with the folding umbrellas I normally carry, so in the future I may strap a full-sized umbrella onto the light stand, just in case.

Julius Studio Flash Shoe Bracket: Last year I found this odd, reticulated umbrella bracket on Amazon. I like its reticulated mounting system. I paid about $22.00 for a pair of brackets, cheap by all standards. Had I thought to pack it, I would have had even more control over the light distribution of this setup.

The actual product was priced fairly, which is to say that it wasn't the sturdiest bracket I own, nor the most reliable. The pivoting adjustments had retention teeth to prevent slippage when tightened, but they didn't hold very well. The sliding clamp arms seemed like a bit of overkill until I saw  how much force was required to securely lock all the parts in position. Still, this bracket is a viable solution to a problem I've had with several of the unusual lighting setups and adaptations I've made in the quest for a perfect light source.

You can see from this photo that it is possible to position the speedlight very close to the umbrella axis. This works for a variety of situations where one needs to keep the light source as close to the umbrella axis as possible. As ungainly as it looks, it does work, providing all the adjustments are locked tightly in position. 

I'll be sure to add one of these reticulated umbrella brackets to my rolling bag. I'll also add a 1/4 CTO filter for times when I need just a smidge of warmth instead of the full-on, incandescent look seen in this shot. If I had more time, I might have been tempted to experiment more, but Ms. Lucey had a busy day planned, and I was thankful for the precious minutes she made for me.

* Click here for source.