Life Before COVID-19, Attending Imaging USA

Life before #COVID19 was full of photography workshops and photo shoots. I had a great time attending Imaging USA 2016. I miss going to photography workshops. Imaging USA was such a motivating experience from all of the new skills and information I learned to listening to the inspiring speeches photographers presented. I truly enjoyed meeting all of the photographers at the event and enjoyed having the time to speak with them about photography. One of the favorite parts of Imaging USA was the open trade floor demo from photography manufacturers. You could spend hours there and still not see everything. The trade show was great because you could demo anything there, I got to test out whatever camera or lens I wanted. I look forward to attending more workshops in the future once COVID is over.

December 2020 Workshop Hosted by Photographer Ibarionex Perello

I attended a virtual workshop hosted by Photographer @ibarionex in December 2020, it was excellent. Takeaways from the workshop: always be proactive, always be ready to photograph an engaging moment and carry your camera everywhere. Participants were challenged to take 36 photos. All shots taken with @fujifilmx_us X-T3 with the XF 16-55mm f/2.8 lens. The workshop brought back a lot of memories about the #Project365 that I did several years ago. The challenge to take 36 photos as if I had one single roll of film was just what I needed at that moment. It had been months since I had used my camera. COVID has caused me to cease my portrait photography work due to the desire to want to stay safe and protect my family from unnecessary exposure to risk. I jumped at the opportunity to use my camera that has been sitting in my camera bag for months due to my desire to exercise extreme caution since the outbreak of COVID. It felt like I was coming home when I was out on the streets of Memphis, TN looking for an interesting image. It was great to get out and shoot some night street photography, but it was even greater to be on the hunt for an interesting photograph, to be using my camera again made me remember why I love photography and how therapeutic photography can be for me.

How I Took the Shot with Amber

Nikon D810, Nikon 85mm f/1.4G lens, f/2, 1/1250 sec and ISO 100.  Nikon SB-910 speedlight with 7” reflector.

Nikon D810, Nikon 85mm f/1.4G lens, f/2, 1/1250 sec and ISO 100. Nikon SB-910 speedlight with 7” reflector.

This was a one light setup using a Nikon SB-910 speedlight with a 7" Reflector. It was very helpful to have an assistant during this shoot. I directed @wil_nobles to place the light above the subject, pointed downward at a 45°. Since I was shooting with the Nikon 85mm f/1.4G lens, I was probably about 8 feet away from the subject so that I could fill the frame with 2/3 of her body. The location is an area that had construction scaffolding. I chose this location because it was in the shadow of the building that the scaffolding was adjacent to. I felt like the scaffolding would be an interesting background to frame my subject in. Because I was shooting at a wide aperture, the background loses relevance because at f/2 whatever is around and behind my subject would be blurred out.

Nikon D810, Nikon 85mm f/1.4G lens, f/2, 1/1250 second and ISO 100. Nikon SB-910 speedlight was triggered using Yongnuo YN-622TX Transmitter and the YN-622N Transceiver. Makeup was done by @creationsbykeyy. Post processing done using Capture One Pro and Adobe Photoshop CC.

When I shoot outdoors, I shoot in manual mode. I dial in my exposure for the ambient background light in the photograph, then I use off camera flash to light my subject and even out the exposure. Going into this shot, I already knew I wanted to shoot at a wide aperture to create a very nice bokeh effect around and behind the subject.

Instagram: @ericadeleye
#ericadeleye #nikond810

The behind the scenes photograph with the light setup is below.

Nikon D810, Nikon 85mm f/1.4G lens, f/2, 1/1250 sec and ISO 100.

Nikon D810, Nikon 85mm f/1.4G lens, f/2, 1/1250 sec and ISO 100.

My Journey to the Fujifilm System

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 lens, f/7.1, 1/800 sec and ISO 160

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 lens, f/7.1, 1/800 sec and ISO 160

My name is Eric H. Adeleye. I reside in Tennessee but I am originally from Pennsylvania, United States. I often like to think of myself as a photographer who happens to have a day job. During the day I work as an Information Technology professional, focused mainly on the areas of helpdesk support, computer administration, server administration, and network support for my customers. When I am not at my daytime profession, I am working on photography. My story grew into something positive following discouragement I received as a child. At the age of 12, my junior high-school was looking for a cartoonist for the school newspaper. I gathered together my artwork to show the teacher the type of things I drew. The teacher that was in charge of recruiting a student for the newspaper scolded me and verbally ridiculed my artwork saying it was “too ghetto”. I felt so bad from the harsh feedback I received after trying out for the school newspaper that I quit drawing that day. 

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 lens, f/7.1, 1/250 sec and ISO 640

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 lens, f/7.1, 1/250 sec and ISO 640

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 lens, f/6.4, 1/250 sec and ISO 160

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 lens, f/6.4, 1/250 sec and ISO 160

Later while in high school, at age 17, I decided to volunteer to work with the yearbook committee taking photographs. I purchased my first 35mm film camera which began my love affair with photography.  Through the years I enjoyed photography as an avid hobbyist where I took photographs of family members, nature, and occasionally photographed weddings or events for friends. After photographing a friend’s wedding in 2010, I decided to pursue photography professionally. As a professional photographer, what I’ve found as one of the most beneficial acts is undertaking personal projects. Completing the Project 365 was very crucial in helping me develop into the photographer that I am today. During my Project 365, from September 2011 to September 2012, I took the time to experiment in new and exciting ways of photography. By the conclusion of the project, I had learned a tremendous amount about myself as an artist and about the genres of photography in which I wanted to focus. I concluded that I wanted to focus specifically on 1) portraiture, 2) landscape, and 3) street photography. Of the three genres, portraiture is by far my favorite and the one that dominates my portfolio of work. I am truly fascinated with the beauty and power of an individual portrait of a person, and the story that can be conveyed through a photograph. Landscapes have always fascinated me because of the beauty of the world and nature around me. I’ve always admired nature which led me to develop an affinity towards photographing landscapes in urban and scenic environments.

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8, f/9, 1/1000 sec and ISO 200

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8, f/9, 1/1000 sec and ISO 200

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 lens, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec and ISO 640

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 lens, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec and ISO 640

Street photography represents a mixture of portraiture and documentation of the human conditions within a community.  It is so important for a photographer to discover and focus on the genres that they love.  I have met photographers who attempt to focus on everything and eventually burn out or become frustrated at their pace of development as an artist. It wasn’t until I completed my Project 365 where I truly began to comprehend the importance of focusing on specific genres of photography. Shooting content because it was something I liked didn’t feed my passion to develop as an artist within the craft of photography, it took lots of practice and time to discover what I truly loved versus liked about different photography genres. Once I identified the areas I wanted to focus on, I began to practice and consume any information and training about photography that I could obtain. My thirst for knowledge and experience about photography led me to begin more personal projects after the Project 365, study the work of contemporary photographers that I admired like Joe McNally, Joel Grimes, Scott Kelby, Peter Hurley, Zack Arias, and Matthew Jordan Smith. I started investing in books to add to my photography library. I purchased video tutorials from CreativeLive, RGG EDU, Phlearn, and other digital content sources. I began to seek out photographers in my area as well as through social media with whom to network. I attended photography workshops to cultivate hands on experience and learn directly from other photographers. Volunteering my photography services to military families through the Heart Apart organization helped me stay focused on the importance of capturing moments in time. Although I have been around cameras since the age of 17, now 48 years old, it has taken me years to develop my knowledge as an artist and get to the point where I can consistently produce high quality work for my clients. Working as a photographer for clients is an experience that I do not take for granted, it is a humbling responsibility to be entrusted to photograph and preserve a moment in individuals time and life. This is why I would advise anyone who wakes up Christmas day to a new camera, to not rush into taking on assignments or clients.  It’s important to know that clients don’t pay a photographer to experiment on them as they (the photographer) attempts to learn or perfect a technique; clients hire a photographer for consistency in their ability and style to capture a photograph.  How can a person know what their style and vision is for photography if they don’t take the time to learn and discover it?

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8, f/11, 1/250 sec and ISO 160

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8, f/11, 1/250 sec and ISO 160

Up until 2018, my primary setup was built around the Nikon D810 camera. After the point and shoot Olympus 35mm camera that I used in high school, I graduated to the Ricoh KR-5 Super II 35mm camera which I still have to this day. Around the 2002, I decided to upgrade to a Nikon N75. In 2010 when I decided to get a digital camera, I purchased a Nikon D200. From the Nikon D200, I eventually moved to the Nikon D800 and D810 cameras. After purchasing the Nikon D810, my D800 became my backup camera body which I traded in for a Sony A7II. The Sony A7II was a good camera but didn’t impress me, so I eventually got rid of the camera because it wasn’t a good fit for me. By 2018, I had begun to contemplate the next camera that I wanted to buy. After doing an extensive amount of research and speaking with photography colleagues whom I trusted who utilized Fujifilm cameras, I decided to buy the Fujifilm X-T3 in October 2018 with the 56mm f/1.2 and 16-55mm f/2.8 lenses. Some of the reasons that led me to buy the Fujifilm X-T3 was the amazing work that I saw my peers produce with Fujifilm cameras.  It is good to read about reviews about camera, but sitting down and being able to talk with users about their experiences with Fujifilm cameras cemented my desires to try out the Fujifilm system. I was impressed by how Fujifilm treated their customers and the cameras they produced through outstanding firmware support. As a professional in the Information Technology field, I could truly appreciate the significance of supporting hardware with excellent firmware that didn’t just fix problems but added new features and improvements to a camera over the course of its lifetime. Another reason I selected Fujifilm was for my long-range goal of working with medium format. I wanted my next camera system to be from one camera manufacture. During the past 8 months, the Fujifilm X-T3 has become my primary camera body for all of my work, the Nikon D810 is now my backup camera.

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 lens, f/1.8, 1/250 sec and ISO 200

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 lens, f/1.8, 1/250 sec and ISO 200

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 lens, f/1.8, 1/250 sec and ISO 200

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 lens, f/1.8, 1/250 sec and ISO 200

There are numerous advantages and disadvantages to using a mirrorless camera system as opposed to a full frame DSLR.

 Some advantages of mirrorless cameras are:

·      Live exposure preview of an image before you take the photograph.  This allows you to adjust your exposure in real time before you take a picture in order to get the correctly exposed photograph.

·      Most mirrorless cameras can be adapted to work with legacy lenses as well as lenses from other manufactures.

·      Technological aids within mirrorless cameras like eye and face detection increases the ability to take a photograph of a person and have the eyes in focus.  In portraiture it is paramount to capture the eyes of your subject in focus.  Out of focus eyes or a blurry face can make a portrait unusable.

·      Mirrorless cameras serve a dual ability to take excellent video

 

Some disadvantages of mirrorless cameras are:

·      Becoming overly reliant on the camera doing the work for you.  Not taking the time to learn some of the fundamentals of photography that you have to master with 35mm film like the exposure triangle, rules about composition, and making sure every shot counted.

·      With the advancements in face and eye detection, photographer does not have to develop the technique of focusing and recomposing a shot to frame a subject properly.

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 lens, f/1.8, 1/250 sec and ISO 200

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 lens, f/1.8, 1/250 sec and ISO 200

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 lens, f/2.8, 1/250 sec and ISO 1600

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 lens, f/2.8, 1/250 sec and ISO 1600

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 lens, f/1.8, 1/250 sec and ISO 200

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 lens, f/1.8, 1/250 sec and ISO 200

The crop sensor cameras of today can compete very well with full frame DSLR and mirrorless camera. I no longer get caught up or bothered by using a crop sensor camera over a full frame sensor camera. If a photographer takes a photograph, it is impossible to discern the type of camera that is used in most cases unless you can view the EXIF information about the image.  Other photographers care about the type of camera you use, clients are more concerned about the consistent results that you can produce with the gears and tools at you employ to capture an image.

 

At the moment the flash system that I use for most of my work is built around the Godox AD200. I also have two Alien Bee B800 strobes in the event that I need to use multiple lights. I have worked with other strobe systems like the Profoto B1, B2, and B10 as well. I use the following light modifiers: Westcott Rapid Box 48” Octa XXL, a 7” Reflector, the Cheetah Snub 38 Reflector, the Westcott 7’ Umbrella, a 60” Umbrella, 28” Umbrella, and Cheetah strip softbox.  I have various trigger systems for backup purposes to include the Flashpoint R2 Pro Mark II for Fujifilm, the Flashpoint R2 Pro for Nikon, four PocketWizard Plus III Transceivers, and various Yongnuo triggers. I always shoot with off camera flash or strobes when working in the studio or outdoor with clients, I almost never shoot with natural light when doing portraiture. The only time I use natural light is when I am doing street photography.

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 lens, f/8, 1/200 sec and ISO 160

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 lens, f/8, 1/200 sec and ISO 160

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 lens, f/6.4, 1/125 sec and ISO 160

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 lens, f/6.4, 1/125 sec and ISO 160

Posting processing work is done with Capture One Pro 11, Adobe Bridge CC, and Adobe Photoshop CC.  I do not use Lightroom at all.  I truly like the way that Capture One Pro 11 renders Fujifilm Raw files.  The first thing that I do after a shoot is download my images from the SD cards to my external hard drive. Next, I separate the images according to file type, I always shoot in Raw + JPEG. Shooting in Raw+ JPEG is beneficial because you have a duplicate backup of an image. Back when I had the Nikon D800, I experienced a unique intermittent problem when shooting. The Nikon D800 Raw file would randomly get corrupted with rainbow streaks within the image but the identical JPEG file would be fine. Since the emergence of the random Raw file problem with the D800, I have shot with both Raw + JPEG file formats enabled ever since.  Plus, if you are creating a contact sheet for your clients, if you already have the JPEG files straight out of the camera, you can save time from not having to convert the Raw files to JPEG files to create a contact sheet. Next, I will rename the files according to the file organization system that I employ. Then I will import the photo shoot into Capture One Pro 11 to perform initial adjustments of the photographs as needed and export them into Adobe Photoshop CC for retouching and processing.

I am patiently awaiting the announcement of the Fujifilm X-H2 as that is the next camera that I plan to purchase from Fujifilm. I am also considering getting a second Fujifilm X-T3 for video work that I want to produce.  The Fujifilm X-T3 has invigorated my desires to continue to grow as a photographer and create art.  The ergonomics and ease of the control system allow me to focus more on capture photographs as the tool disappears within my workflow capturing an image.  I look forward to the future using Fujifilm X-T3 as my primary camera system.

 

Photo credits: Models @amanda_nitza and @aieshia_dickey_photos.

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 lens, f/8, 1/200 sec and ISO 160

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 lens, f/8, 1/200 sec and ISO 160

15MyJourneyFujifilm.jpg

Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 lens, f/7.1, 1/1000 sec and ISO 160

© 2020 Eric H. Adeleye, All Rights Reserved

Why Black Lives Matter #2

Fujifilm X-T3, XF 16-55mm f/2.8 lens, f/2.8, 1/250 sec, and ISO 400

Fujifilm X-T3, XF 16-55mm f/2.8 lens, f/2.8, 1/250 sec, and ISO 400

Why did you decide to get involved with the protests? “Um, well I actually come from a really racist family and proud quote unquote slave owners and up until this past couple months actually, I was forced date only white men because they didn’t approve of it and I would be kicked out of the family. Then I got pregnant by a black man and I got kicked out the family. So, for me being only attracted to black men, I got kicked out of a family. And then, me getting arrested for just coming to a protest, they completely told me don’t even come to any of our events anymore. We no longer want to be apart of you. And like, like I said, enough is enough, black lives matter. I’m not gonna, I’m not gonna to stand for what they stand for just because they’re my quote unquote family. I’ve been shown more love by any black person than I have any white person in my own family. But, yeah!”

What do you want to see change? “Ah, really, I just want everybody to be able to actually walk out in the streets. I want to be walk in the streets with my friends, my brothers, my sisters that are black and not to feel the need stand between them and a cop just because of all the times that they just want to say something, they want to accuse somebody of something because they fit a stereotype. I don’t want to have to be, I don’t want to have to do that anymore. Because not only am I having to fear for their lives, I’m also putting my life in danger by standing between them. And I would also like. I would just want, like, literally everybody to be able to get the same pay, get the same treatment, get the same of everything, and I want white people to understand that white privilidge is a thing. And that I can feel, I can feel safe walking alone to the store because I don’t think a cop is going to stop me. I can wear a hoodie. I can play with a toy gun. I don’t have to worry about my future kids walking out if they’re white, they’ll be okay. But, if I have mixed son, I’ma have to worry day and night what’s wrong with him. What’s gonna happen to school the next day? I have to worry constantly! And, I don’t wanna have to do that anymore. I don’t want any parent to have to do that.”

© 2020 Eric Adeleye, All Rights Reserved

The Importance of Self Development

I originally wrote this post in response to a challenge about growth in the Facebook Photographers Help Desk group. Members of the group were challenged to post an old photograph versus a current photograph. The photograph below is what I shared in response to the challenge #growth 2011 vs. 2019.

The left photograph was taken in 2011.  The right photograph was taken in 2019.

The left photograph was taken in 2011. The right photograph was taken in 2019.

The photograph on the left was taken in 2011 and the photograph was taken in 2019 at The Flash Pros Photography Workshop in Florida. I need to provide some context about both photographs as well as some background information for this post to be beneficial to someone that is reading it.

Nikon D810, Nikon 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 lens, 52mm, f/13, 1/160 sec, and ISO 100

Nikon D810, Nikon 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 lens, 52mm, f/13, 1/160 sec, and ISO 100

My journey into photography began as a 16 year old in the streets of Philadelphia. I purchased my first 35mm camera which was an Olympus point and shoot style camera. Around 1991, I upgraded to the Ricoh KR-5 Super II 35mm camera which I still own to this day. In 2001 I upgraded again to the Nikon N75 35mm camera. Throughout this time, photography was just a hobby to me. I would photograph family, friends, and nature at times like flowers. I had occasionally photographed weddings for friends. I would shoot the wedding on 35mm film and give the film to the wedding couple to develop themselves, I thought of it as a gift to my friends.

Nikon D810, Nikon 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 lens, 85mm, f/9, 1/250 sec, and iSO 100

Nikon D810, Nikon 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 lens, 85mm, f/9, 1/250 sec, and iSO 100

In 2010, I photographed another friend's wedding as my gift to him and his bride. I put in a tremendous amount of work to shoot the wedding and realized two things. One, I really enjoy photography and should take some time to learn more about it. Two, I should get compensated for my work instead of just shooting for free for my friends. 2010 was when I decided to embark upon the path of transitioning from a photography hobbyist to an aspiring professional photographer. I realized just how much I didn't know about photography in 2010 once I decided to make an effort about learning photography. I devoured anything I could get my hands on that was written or created by Joe McNally. Books, DVDs, magazines, and digital video content became my diet. My first photo shoots began with collaborations with Photographer Tommy Penny, we learned and encouraged each other to grow as artists at the time. Flickr was my social media platform of choice for my photography work back in 2011, I still post on Flickr today.

Nikon D810, Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, 150mm, f/2.8, 1/400 sec, and ISO 500

Nikon D810, Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, 150mm, f/2.8, 1/400 sec, and ISO 500

In 2011, I was encouraged by photography work on Flickr I viewed, to start a Project 365. A Project 365 is where I take a new photograph every day for 365 days and post the photograph on Flickr. The Project 365 has been the most impactful personal project I have undertaken to date for numerous reasons. I explored everything that came to my mind that was related to photography which helped me to learn the importance of the fundamentals of exposure, knowing your gear, the importance of consistency, the importance of backup gear, customer service, and shooting photographs of what you love. The experience of picking up my camera every single day taught me the value of reading my camera manual and intimately knowing the strengths and weakness of my camera and lighting gear. I was able to discover the genres of photography I liked and disliked. In my opinion it is crucial for a photographer to understand the genres of photography they like versus what they love to shoot.

Sony A7II, Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master lens, f/1.7, 1/3200 sec, and ISO 200

Sony A7II, Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master lens, f/1.7, 1/3200 sec, and ISO 200

In 2010 through 2011, I thought if I knew how to take a photograph I could shoot anything. Today in 2020, I hold the opinion that a photographer should discover the specific genres they like to photograph and focus on perfecting their knowledge, skill, techniques, and consistency to produce quality work for clients in any lighting situation. I experienced many failures on my way from 2011 to now. There are no shortcuts or free lunches in photography, the only way to advance is through practice, hard work, and discipline. I still fail at times today when I take a photograph, I sometimes don't get the shot that I want. Today, I can comprehend why I didn't get a shot and what is wrong with it immediately and adjust to correct the error in most situations immediately, it has taken me years to develop this skill.

Fujifilm X-T3, XF 56mm f/1.2 lens, f/11, 1/250 sec, and ISO 160

Fujifilm X-T3, XF 56mm f/1.2 lens, f/11, 1/250 sec, and ISO 160

In closing, my advice to any photographer is to enjoy yourself above all things. Have fun while you are working for your clients if you decide to pursue photography as a professional. Don't be in a rush to be a professional or start working for money. I've seen to many people who get a camera for Christmas and by February of the following year, are charging people money for Valentine's Day photographs. Stop comparing your photography work to other photographers, it will just cause you to be frustrated. Every photographer is at a different stage in their journey as an artist. It will be difficult for you to grow as a photographer if you are busy with what other photographers are doing around you instead of what you are doing yourself. "You can't catch any fish if you are watching someone else's line" - quote by Mr. Bartly. This quote is true for photography as well. You may not have any idea of just how much work and investment in training and practice went into a photograph that you admire. Focus on yourself, invest in yourself. It's great to watch free YouTube videos, but you can only go so far with free material. When I say invest in yourself, I am referring to spending your money to attend workshops, purchasing training videos, books, and working as an assistant for other photographers when you can. Don't expect every photographer you know to willingly share their information with you because some people do not like to disclose their knowledge and that's okay. One of the great things about photography is if you don't know something, there is probably some training available that you can purchase to learn what you desire to know. Don't be afraid to spending your money on self development. Being cheap when it comes to photography is a self-defeating mindset. How can you expect clients to invest in you and your brand as a photographer if you don't first invest in yourself through education, practice, and preparation? I'm still traveling on my journey to get to where I want to be as a photographer and artist, one of these days I'll reach my destination.

© 2020 Eric Adeleye, All Rights Reserved

The Humans of Black Lives Matter

Fujifilm X-T3, XF 16-55mm f/2.8 lens, f/2.8, 1/640 sec, and ISO 250

Fujifilm X-T3, XF 16-55mm f/2.8 lens, f/2.8, 1/640 sec, and ISO 250

This is the first post in my series of work where I interview protesters in the Black Lives Matters movement in Memphis. It is crucial to understand the stories behind individuals that have decided to take a stand against police brutality, racism, and injustice.

Why did you decide to get involved with the protests? "Well, mainly because I’ve got god-brothers and god-sisters that are younger than me and I don’t want them taught to live a life of fear like I have. I can’t walk down the street without feeling scared if I see a cop.  I have a car, with, you know, there’s nothing wrong with it, license is good, license plate, no bad record, nothing like that, but if a cop pulls me over, my heart starts racing because he could just feel the need to shoot me just ‘cause.  So, I don’t want them to have to deal with that."

What do you want to see changed? "A lot, like equality, that’s a big thing, but another thing I want to change is like not even just equality for Black people, but equality for everybody. There’s a lot of people that get treated bad.  LGBTQ communities out here fighting for us.  We need to start fighting for them too because they are treated just as bad, if not worse than we are cause they are hated by a lot of people within their own community as well.  So, just equality!"

I AM NIKON Watermark

I wanted to make the I AM NIKON watermark for some time.  I finally got around to creating the watermark and template in Adobe Photoshop CS6 which wasn't hard at all.

Screen Shot 2019-12-21 at 2.09.31 AM.png

Testing out the "I AM NIKON" logo I just created.  The photograph was shot with the Nikon D200, AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G lens, SB-910 speedlight, aperture: f/3.5, shutter: 1/80, ISO: 400.

Screen Shot 2019-12-21 at 2.16.55 AM.png

Project 365: Day 001/365 - Black is Beautiful

Project_365_001_20110910_DSC_5043_BW_FINAL.jpg

This is day 1 of my Project 365. What better way is there to kick off my photographic odyssey than by discussing the photo shoot with Ms. Lista that took place on 10 September 2011. I often collaborate with my good friend Tommy Penny of Tommy Penny Photography who setup the shoot with Ms. Lista through Model Mayhem. Ms. Lista was phenomenal, very professional, and showed no fear when it came to trying various poses in and out of the water. Tommy and I have a very good rapport and we kind of feed off each other creatively at times during shoots which is always good. When Tommy and I work together, we function like wrestlers at a tag team match. Tommy and I also help each other out with holding light stands and reflectors too, I don't have a dedicated assistant. I'm not the greatest photographer and I always believe that I can learn from anyone regardless of where they are as a photographer or model. Photography is about capturing that one special moment in time and immortalizing it. When I look back at this particular shot, I can see the entire sequence in my mind as the wave is rushing to shore and surprises Ms. Lista right as I press the shutter button on my Nikon D200. During the shoot my SB-700 wasn't acting right with the Interfit triggers that I have. To be honest, the Interfit triggers are junk, and very unreliable. I'm saving up for some Pocket Wizard IIs and an SB-900 at this time. 200 plus photos later and the shoot with Ms. Lista was done. This photograph was shot in Nikon RAW, processed in in the following order:

Adobe Lightroom 3.4
Adobe Photoshop CS5
Silver Efex Pro 2.0

Since I was experiencing problems with my triggers, I had to mount my SB-700 flash on my camera which is the absolute last resort for me most times if I use a flash. I'm all about the strobist movement, but when your triggers give you a fit, you got to work through the problem and go with Plan B. Always have a Plan B during a photo shoot.

Photographer: Eric H. Adeleye

Model: Lista (Model Mayhem # 1891900)

© 2011 Eric Adeleye Photography. All rights Are Reserved.

Working with Laura Lee Using Natural LIght

I put the Sony A7II through the paces with Laura Lea in Raleigh, North Carolina during a photography meet-up photo shoot.  The Sony A7II handled everything well.  The more I shoot with the Sony A7II, the more I develop a connection with the camera system.

Sony A7II with the Zeiss Loxia 2/50 lens. Shot using natural light.

Sony A7II with the Zeiss Loxia 2/50 lens. Shot using natural light.

Sony A7II with the Zeiss Loxia 2/50 lens. Shot using natural light.

Sony A7II with the Zeiss Loxia 2/50 lens. Shot using natural light.