Site of the 2010 Opening & Closing ceremonies.

Today I had the opportunity to get a sneak peak at the 2010 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony Pre-show held at BC Place Stadium in downtown Vancouver.

Ticket I got last minute to attend the pre-show.

Security tents are set-up behind me.

When I arrived at BC Place, there was a medium sized crowd bustling in front of the security tents. After about 10 minutes, we were directed towards the security check points. People with bags had to form separate lines from those without bags who were able to go through “Express Security”.

Crowd is directed towards security tents.

Happy that I get to go in the Express line.

I only had my iPhone and some chewy cinnamon hearts stuck in the inside of my pocket, which I regretted eating later, so I got through the Express line pretty quickly. It was very much like going through airport security except more smiley with less interrogation. Although my security lady was sporting a vicious gang of embroidered cats on her handbag, so I kept my eyes forward at all times.

i can haz catz purrrs.

Metal detector!

Once in the stadium, it was clear that this was a dress rehearsal, not only for the performers, but all the staff working at the venue. Each food and merchandise stand had at least 10 people standing around looking confused and somewhat bored. I was starving, so I went on a hunt for food. My options, as it turned out, were not the most, how shall I say this nicely? I’ll just let the food speak for itself in this picture.

The BBQ chicken sub was so yummy someone ate it right off of the display!

I opted for some delicious $7 “spicy potato wedges”. They tasted like an overcooked Wendy’s baked potato with a slight hint of that red spice that doesn’t really taste like anything.  Yes. Exactly like that.

Freedom Fry?

Moments after taking this picture I actually said, “Ohh I feel a snarky blog post coming on”. This is how cynical I am now. I was ready to dismiss the Opening Ceremonies based on one soggy potato. Tisk. Tisk. But once I walked into the stadium and saw the Olympic rings, I felt a flush of, dare I say, emotion, pink up my cheeks.

Band & performer stage.

I walked to the very top of the stadium and walked around the entire loop and took it all in. I was predictably taken with all the technical details and gear, including masses of electrical cables, enormous spotlights, speakers and tv cameras.

Almost as tidy as the cables under my desk

TVs for the broadcast

I snooped around the stadium and took some iPhone snaps until I got asked to return to my seat politely several times, and then once with a bit more gusto, so politely returned to my seat eventually. I am Canadian after-all! And then the show began with a bang!

Since this was a closed event, there were only about ten thousand people in the audience (full capacity = 55, 000). All ticket holders were asked to stay hush-hush about the performance they were about to see. Security was insane during the performance. Anyone taking pictures or video was ushered away by the police in a matter of minutes. Even if you were seen taking your cell phone out of your pocket an Olympic officer would politely remind you that there is no photography allowed.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to spoil any of the well-kept secrets of the Opening Ceremonies, though I will say that the themes, lighting, fxs and performances by some of Canada’s best performers were breathtaking, and even someone as cynical as myself felt truly moved and may have even shed a few tears watching the Canadian flag raised into the air during the National anthem. I felt a rush of pride for my country and remembered the true meaning of the Olympic games.

With my Olympic doubts washed away by this moving ceremony, I am ready to experience our hometown Olympics as they should be, “with glowing hearts” and “open wallets”, because official 2010 events ain’t cheap!

What was your favourite past Olympics Opening Ceremony?

Pete Cashmore, 5DMKII, 85mm f/1.8, 1/200 @f/3.5, ISO 100.

Before I jump head first into 2010 Olympic coverage (3 days!!!), I thought I should give my favourite photographer followers some post love. Here are 5 Tips to get more professional looking portraits:

1. Light your subject.

Lighting is one of most important aspects in creating a great portrait. Good lighting is easy to achieve, but requires skill and an off-camera flash. Getting that flash off your camera and onto a light stand with a shoot-through umbrella may seem a bit daunting, but trust me, it’s the only way to guarantee that your photos are going to look professional.

The first thing I suggest is to go read Strobist’s lighting 101 section. Try to take in as much technical information as possible and then practice until you get it.

Things you will need:

1. A strobe. I use the 580EX as my key light, and 430EXs for edge or back lighting.
2. Lots of batteries. Speedlights eat through batteries like a sugar-deprived kid with a Pez dispenser. Buy lots of rechargeable batteries and always have two extra sets for each flash. Also remember that batteries take ages to charge, so start charging them up to a day in advance of a shoot.
3. Wireless triggers. I recommend the Alien Bees CyberSync Triggers. They are way cheaper than Pocket Wizards and work flawlessly. You’ll need one transmitter and a receiver for each flash. You will also need PC sync cables. Also, if you are shooting with a flash, (like my 580EX) that doesn’t have a PC sync socket, then you’ll need to buy a hot shoe adapter for your flash.
4. Light stand + umbrella adapter + shoot through umbrella. You can buy kits at photo store or find them on line. You can always use “human light stand”, but after a few hours they usually start to complain and demand food, so it’s probably best to just sink the $100 and get a metal one that you can abuse without feeling guilty.

Kara, 5DMKII, 85mm f/1.8, 1/200 @ f/3.5, ISO 100.

2. Engage with your subject.

As a photographer it’s really easy to get preoccupied with the technical details of a shoot and disconnect from your subject. Unfortunately, this disconnection between photographer and subject shows up like a red flag in photos. Nothing is worse than a portrait of a subject with dead, expressionless eyes. It’s something that no amount of Photoshop can fix.

To combat “zombie eyes”, stay connected to your subject and actively give them feedback throughout the shoot. Make small talk to your subject between shots, make sure they are comfortable and happy, tell them silly jokes if you need a smile. I find that with teen girl subjects, mentioning anything to do with Twilight or hunky vampires gets a great response!

3. Shoot in front of a simple, complementary background

Some might argue that the foliage halo never goes out of style.

A bad background can ruin a good shot. Trees growing out of subject’s heads, shrubbery poking out of ears, messy piles of things poking from chins, & clashing colours will distract from your subject. When you are setting up your shoot make sure your background is clean and simple. You can remove things in post, but why add the extra work for yourself. Clear any mess away or choose a new angle.

The secret is to shoot at a low aperture >f/3.5 and focus on the eyes. This will create a dramatic depth of field, with the eyes tack sharp and the hair and background soft and out-of-focus. I tend to shoot most of my portraits at f/3.5 or lower because I love dramatic dof and bokeh.

4. Compose your shot.

The rule of thirds is a portrait photograher’s best friend. Learn it. Love it. Replicated it over and over. Portrait photography is something that benefits from strict compositional rules.

When I started, I studied the best portrait & headshot photographers and practiced replicating their work shot for shot. There is no shame in copying others composition, lighting, and settings when learning, and I strongly encourage it. Once you’ve learned the basics and have a good handle on angles and set-ups that works, you can start to explore your own style.

Shauna. Canon XSi, 50mm f/.4, 1/200 @ f/2.5, ISO 100.

5. Retouch your shots.

Nobody is perfectly flawless, but everyone wants to look flawless in their photos. While you don’t want to remove all the “character” from someone’s face, any sort of skin imperfection can probably be nixed without a word of complaint from your subject, especially if you are doing promotional headshots or wedding photos. As a model, it would stress me out to no end if I got a blemish before a photo shoot. If I would have known how easy it is to clone stamp that puppy away in one click, I would have way fewer restless nights and possibly consumed more chocolates. mm. Chocolates.

How far you want to take your retouching it is up to you. I think there is a definite point of no return that you should try to keep in mind when you are retouching. If the skin starts to look like plastic, then you should probably lay off the clone stamp a little. Keep your brush size small >20px and steer away from too much Gaussian blur. Use your aesthetic judgement, and get feedback from other photographers and even your clients.

(David Karp (Tumblr), Rachel, Pete Cashmore (Mashable), me, Darya, Kevin Rose (Digg), Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park) & Anna)

Sunday was a pretty normal day. I woke up at the Beverly Hilton, ordered 3 small pancakes for $20, stole a muffin from Jessica Alba at a Press Junket, got my hair and makeup done, put on a dress (!), jumped in a pimpin’ limo with Pete Cashmore, Kevin Rose, & David Karp, drank champagne, got yelled at for taking photos of the Red Carpet & nearly got harpooned by Lady Gaga’s diamonte headpiece.

Then, I waved at Weird Al, heard the Pants-on-the-Ground guy sing “Pants on the Ground” not once, but five times sequentially down the Red Carpet, watched the GRAMMYs live IRL, ate a super greasy pastrami sandwich in my satin gown, hugged Imogen Heap, celebrated in a private cabana at Diddy’s party, learned about the intricacies of tea from KRose & toasted with @Ev over Jay-Z’s Ace of Spade Champagne. *yawns*

Here are some snaps from the big night.

Going to the GRAMMYs!

David & Rachel looking super cute.

David, Pete & Kevin ready for the Red Carpet.

Cheers to salad in the sweet limo!

Bubbly!

Shira Lazar & I.

The Ladies.

Pete & YouTube founder Chad Hurley entertain themselves during the show.

Kevin & Pete go totally nuts at the After Party. #partyanimals

@Ev & @mashable at the Diddy party.

It was definitely surreal going from my socially reclusive, wifi-addicted lifestyle to hob nobbing with celebs at the Beverly Hilton. Now I’m just back to eating packaged hob nobs and watching ordinary people from my apartment window. Ohh someone just crossed the road and got into a taxi, now a bus is pulling up… where are my binoculars?

I am clutching my 5DMKII and literally buzzing inside, thinking about the photographic potential of the new year. The possibilities are endless. Now, I just have to commit the time and passion required to become a great photographer.

In that spirit, I think we should all try to keep these 10 New Years Resolutions. Now, everyone say after me:

1. I will learn how to use my camera.

This seems like an obvious point, but we are all guilty of skipping our camera manual and just fiddling with settings. Ah, this one works right? Spot-metering? Why not. Hey, what does that button do? Seems to make things darker. Hmm.

I’m going to admit something to you that I ask you to keep hush-hush. I haven’t actually read my 5DMKII manual. I know. Horrible! I’m guilty of arbitrary button pushing and royally messing up shots because I don’t really know how to use my camera. Let’s all become technical experts of our cameras this year. Deal?

2. I will not use the Auto setting on my camera.

Instead of relying on your camera’s dubious Auto settings, force yourself to learn how to use manual settings. Upgrade to Aperture priorty mode (AV) first. Once you understand Depth of Field, jump into Manual mode. You will make mistakes and feel frustrated when you completely blow-out a shot, but this is the way we learn. Don’t get discouraged by your mistakes. Learn from them and push on!

3. I will not use on-camera flash

The only photos you should take with an on-camera flash are ones that end up on your Facebook wall of shame. Tape down that pop-up flash if you have to. Instead rely on your skills as a photographer to capture shots in low-light.

Shoot with a wide-open aperture, as low as your lens will go. Decrease your shutter speed & increase your ISO. Steady your camera on a tripod, gorilla pod or table top. Invest in a good lens. I suggest the 50mm f/1.4 or the f/1.8 if you are on a budget.

Canon Xti + 50mm f/1.4 + 430EX strobe shot through umbrella

4. I will not be hindered by the gear I do not have.

You can take great shots with any camera. From an iPhone to a $20 Holga to cheap point and shoot to a 1DMKIII. Don’t let your lack of gear limit you, but rather let it open up new possibilities to be creative.

Until 6 months ago when I upgraded to a 5DMKII, I was shooting on a Canon Rebel Xti (400D). I shot weddings, actor’s head shots, fashion, landscapes, you name it. You don’t need a 5DMKII to work as a photographer. Get creative. Be resourceful. Rent lenses. Make reflectors with $2 poster boards. There is always a way to do things cheaply, you just need to hunt around a bit.

5. I will shoot in RAW

Everyone, go find your camera right now. I’ll wait for you. Got it? Ok. Set your picture quality to RAW. Done? Good! Take some snaps in RAW right now. Feel the power. Now you can start shooting for real.

5DMKII, 85mm f/1.8, 1/200 at f/2.0, ISO 100.

6. I will learn how to process my shots

No shot comes straight out of the camera perfect. Every shot needs a little bit of processing TLC to take it to the next level. Learning how to process photos can feel overwhelming at times especially if you are technically challenged. It really isn’t that scary, just time consuming. I recommend starting with Lightroom. You can download a free trial and take it for a spin. If you are completely confused, sign up for a Lynda.com account. It’s the best video tutorial site on the web.

7. I will share my photos with others on the web

I know so many photographers that take thousands of photos, upload them on their computer, and never share them. Some lack the confidence, some are worried about copyright infringement, and some just don’t find the time in their busy schedules to share their photos. What a waste! If you are not currently sharing your photos, go right now and join Flickr, Tumblr or Facebook and post three of your best shots. Done? Great. Hi-five!

8. I will accept critiques of my work.

Receiving criticisms about your photos is difficult and sometimes hurtful, but it is the only way we can progress as photographers. Yesterday I asked Joseph Linaschke to look at my portfolio and tell me honestly which shots should go. He told me to ditch 4 pictures out of 16. Pictures that I had spend hours shooting and retouching. I didn’t want to get rid of them and it physically hurt me to remove them, but after I did, my portfolio was much stronger.

Canon 5DMKII + 85mm f/1.8 + bare strobe 1/4 power behind.

9. I will set goals and be proactive about my photography career

I have personally been in a photographic rut for the past couple of months. The weather has been rainy and miserable. I’ve had been taking on other work to pay the bills and I’ve lost focus with what I want to do with my photography. So right now, you and I are going to sit down and set some goals, both small stepping-stone goals and big lofty life-changing goals. These are some of mine:

*I will learn one photography-related skill every day
*I will continue to improve my Photoshop skills on a daily basis
*I will book at least one creative fashion shoot every week.
*I will build a network of creative producers, stylists, make-up artists, and models

Lofty goal:
*I will get my photography published in a major publication this year!

Your turn! Write them down and post them on your blog, Facebook page, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. Get them out there in black and white type where you can’t dismiss them.

10. I will connect with other photographers

There is a vibrant and passionate photography community sharing their knowledge and experiences everyday. If you aren’t currently visiting the vast array of photography blogs and resource sites, you are missing out on a wealth of knowledge that won’t cost you a cent. Right now, join Twitter and follow these photographers

Let’s make 2010 a productive and inspirational year! What New Years resolutions are you are making?

Friend me on Facebook, Twitter, & Flickr.

Photo by Scott Stulberg.

I was just looking through my portfolio this past week and physically cringing at how bad some of my old shots are. I almost deleted them from my Flickr stream, but then I realized that each photo represents a part of my photographic journey.

My photography evolved a lot from the days when I use to take pictures of Pez, cupcakes, and interesting trash I found in my back alley. It seems so silly now, but had I not spent everyday shooting, learning, and exploring the world with my camera, I wouldn’t be taking the pictures I am taking today.

Super hero Pez, Canon Xti, 50mm f/1.4 lens, 1/60, f/5.0, ISO 100.

I bought my first dSLR, the Canon Rebel Xti (400D), in November 2006. I had one lens other than the crappy kit one, the 50mm f/1.4, and I shot absolutely everything on it. From concerts to portraits to landscapes and nature I took that lens on many adventures. Unlike a zoom lens, a fixed prime lens forces you to physically position yourself to get the shot. That usually means getting up close, lying on the floor, or squeezing your body in crazy spots to get decent angles.

I spent almost a year shooting exclusively with the 50mm f/1.4. I couldn’t afford another lens, so I just had to make do with what I had. I think this forced me to learn the basics of photography (exposure, light & composition) and really know how to use my camera.

Xti, 50mm, f/1.4, 1/320, ISO 200.

I shot almost everyday. I went on photowalks and started shooting things around my neighbourhood, and the beautiful landscapes of Vancouver. Whenever I traveled abroad in the next year, I took thousands of pictures. Some were good, some were meh, but the sheer act of taking pictures everyday made me a better photographer.

Photographing Chichen Itza, Mayan Riviera, Mexico.

Because I only had one lens at the time, and no money to buy another one, I started renting lenses for specific shoots or just for fun. For $35, I could rent a $1500 70-200mm IS f/2.8 for an entire weekend. I rented everything from wide angles to macro lenses to honking zooms, experimenting with different subjects and styles of photography.

Sunset Flare, Xti, 70-200mm IS, 70mm, 1/250, f/7.1, ISO 200.

Polish dancing boots, Xti, 70-200mm IS f/2.8 lens, 153mm, 1/80, f/2.8, ISO 200.

Xti, 100mm f/2.8 lens, 1/80, f.2.8, ISO 100.

Xti, 70-200mm f/2.8, 1/500, f/5.6, ISO 200.

I didn’t read many “how to” photography books (too boring) or take classes (too expensive), I just spent hours on Flickr and other photographer’s blogs. I connected with these photographers, asked them questions, shared my photos, and studied theirs.

I learned what I needed to improve on and what style of photography I liked. I was immediately drawn to colour and magic hour light. The subject matter I found most intriguing was people. But, people were not as easy to come by as trash in my back alley.

Jessie Farrell, Canon Xti, 50mm f/1.4 lens, 1/30, f/1.4, ISO 100.

I begged everyone I knew to let me take pictures of them. And if they said no, I snuck candid shots when they weren’t looking. At the time, I was also spending a lot of time shooting Jessie Farrell (Canadian Singer/Songwriter) and her band on their first year touring Canada.

I followed them around snapping their performances, as well as the behind the scenes moments. I learned a lot about shooting in hectic places with really difficult lighting. This gig also connected me with other musicians who wanted promo photos for their websites and promotion.

Canadian Singer/Songwriter Kylee Epp, Xti, 50mm f/1.4.

Jesse Godin, Xti, 16-35mm f/2.8 lens, 18mm, 1/100, f/2.8, ISO 100.

When I couldn’t find any people to shoot, I photographed animals. When I was traveling in Australia, I took a series of “animal portraits” of the fabulous creatures I found. Again, I only had one lens with me, the 50mm f/1.4, so I really get up close to these animals to fill the frame. This was ok with koalas, kangaroos, and lorikeets, but not so much for man-eating crocodiles and sharks.

Rainbow lorikeet, Xti, 50mm f/1.4mm, 1/100, f/2.0, ISO 100.

Sleepy Kangaroo, 50mm f/1.4 lens, f/5.0, 1/250, ISO 100.

Koala. Xti, 50mm f/1.4 lens.

I also experimented taking artsy shots with the LensBaby Composer. I’m not the ‘artsiest’ photographer. I’m more inclined to make photos as realistic as possible, which is part of my debate with HDR photography (which I did learn how to do by the way :P). Nevertheless, this lens gave me a new perspective on the types of shots I could get with my camera.

XSi & LensBaby Composer.

My first HDR :P

After a while, I got bored of just taking pictures of things that I was just observing and wanted to create shots I could control. I was also modeling at the time, so I took particular interest at my own shoots and started grilling every photographer I worked with about lighting.

This is when I discovered David Hobby’s Strobist blog. The DIY off-camera photography he was doing and talking about was exciting, challenging, and oh so sexy.

Setting up the strobes for a summer shoot.

It took a while to accumulate the gear I needed to take sext shots; 3 strobes (580EX & 2×430EX, two umbrellas, stands, & the Alien Bees Cybersync Remote System), and a long while to actually learn how to use it.

I won’t lie, when I first started using strobes I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I was even kind of scared of them, so I asked people who knew what they were doing, and watched and learned. I found a few settings that worked and practiced a lot. Once I’d learnt the basics, I started to experiment, sometimes even on the job (shh.. don’t tell), but usually taking pictures of myself.

Then, Alex Lindsay of TWiP (This Week in Photography) asked me to fly down to San Francisco be a guest on his popular photography podcast. I really felt like a n00b photographer then especially compared to one of my heroes, photojournalist, Steve Simon. I felt like I hadn’t done anything of note, just taken some nice photos. In fact, I’m sure that at first I was interviewed more for my modeling talents than my photography. My Flickr stream did contain more pictures of me than by me.

Xti, 50mm f/1.4 lens, 1/100, f/4, ISO 100.

Being on TWiP was a huge wake up call. I realized then, that if I wanted to be a photographer, I had to step up and know my stuff. I couldn’t rely on being a pretty girl with a camera that took pretty pictures. I had to get down and dirty with photographic theory, photoshop, the technical specs of my gear, and build a portfolio with content in a style that I wanted to actually work in.

I was inspired by photographers like Nick Onken, Chase Jarvis, Joe McNally who had unique and strong styles and got hired to to do major commercial work in this style.

Shauna, Canon XSi, 85mm f/1.8 lens, f/3.5, 1/200.

Canon XSi, 24-105mm f/4.0 lens, 45mm, 1/100, f/4.0, ISO 100.

Zara set-up shot.

I decided I wanted to shoot portraits, beauty, and fashion. I really needed models to shoot portraits, beauty, and fashion photography. I bought a second awesome prime, the 85mm f/1.8 and put up a profile on the social networking site “where professional models meet photographers, ModelMayhem. I’d found some great models to work with and I booked four for the next week. A Canon Canada Rep was nice enough to send a XSi (450D) loaner to me, so I had an extra body on these shoots.

Bella, Canon XSi, 85mm f/1.8 lens, 1/125, f/2.8, ISO 100.

I really wanted to push myself to see if I could actually create the images I wanted. After the first shoot, I realized I needed a professional makeup artist and a stylist because I am absolutely rubbish at these things. So I brought Mika (MUA) and Tami (Stylist) on board.

They helped me develop the concepts I wanted to shoot, and make sure all the details (hair, makeup, clothes) were there.

Sexy Stephanie, Xti, 85mm f/4.5, 1/125, ISO 100.

Canon Xti, 85 f/1.8 lens, 1/200. f/4.5, ISO 100.

I also knew I had to become fluent in Photoshop (CS4), so I buckled down and learnt how to use it. I spent days perfecting images, learning techniques, watching every retouching tutorial on Lynda.com and finding out the best and most efficient ways to retouch and process my images. Once I’d mastered the basics, I started to explore different processing styles.

I spend hours scouring photographer’s portfolios and flickr to find inspiring shots and trying to emulate them. Through this process I learnt all kinds of PS ninja tricks and started to develop my own style.

Xti, 50mm f/1.4 lens, f/2.5, 1/100, ISO 100.

I could shoot, light, and make sweet pictures. All I needed was a kick ass camera. I’d spent 2 great years with the Xti, but I’d grown out of it. I needed something full-framed and powerful, so I bought the Canon 5DMKII. I’ve never looked back.

Canon 5DMKII, 50mm f/1.4 lens, 1/125, f/5.0, ISO 100.

After 2 1/2 years, I feel like I’ve perfected amateur photography. Now, I’m ready to work as a professional. And so my next photographic journey begins! Wish me luck!

Canon 5DMkII, 85mm f/1.8 lens, 1/80, f/2.2, ISO 100.

5DMKII, 85mm f/1.8, 1/500 at f/5.0, ISO 100. Natural light & white reflector.

Visit my portfolio for more photos.

Questions? Comments! You know where to leave ‘em.

Just a quick video message wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday! 2010 is going to be a good one… I can feel it!