Lighting, and other Good things to think about!

I have not been in this industry as a professional for very long. I have LOVED photography for years though, and I love the discovery and the opportunity to learn new things from those who have the years of experience and passion for this art form.
Recently creative live had Zack Arias give a three day lighting seminar on line for free. It was spectacular and only drives me onward to become a better person in photography. The lighting modifiers he used and instructions he gave were great. Now if only I had the funds to get them all. I know he cares about this industry and is a true pro, because he gives back!
Zack also said something important to remember, buy with cash, save up until you can...NEVER put it on a credit card! Great advice, we live in a get it now, and pay later world that can and often does get us into trouble. That is sage advice I plan to keep at the forefront of my mind. Another tidbit, I picked up is get one lighting modifier, use it constantly so that when you pull it out at a shoot, you know exactly how it works and where to set it up with out thinking about it. Second nature!
What a great place for those of us who are aspiring to be something more than mediocre in making the picture! I have viewed a couple of these and they are great. I recommend them to all who want to learn from the modern day greats. And if you can't view them streaming live, there is always the option to buy the instructions for a fair price (and what great educational material to have on hand and review).
I don't claim to be the best, but I do claim to LOVE my job and my work. I hope to become better and better, and CreativeLive is a great place to start!
That is all I have for today, the rainy weather of this month has made shooting outside a bit more challenging...but onward and upward!
Ryanne

Flash time.

I was able to get a new flash recently and have been having a lot of fun working with it and trying new things out. Aaron is so good at coming up with things to try. Recently he decided that we should try holding the flash to the end of a roll of paper towels while taking pictures of the kids. I was shocked at how well it worked as an improvised snoot. We were able to spot light Javin while he pretended to be a rock star. It was pretty cool cause you could not even tell we were just goofing around in the messiness of my living room.

One thing I have been learning in the past year or so is that you don't always have to have the fanciest or most expensive gear to get great shots. An Imagination and a bit of ingenuity go along way in this industry too.
Don't be afraid to try things out, play with lighting ideas, even if they seem a bit goofy or off the wall, you might just surprise yourself!