Benji Mast’s Photoblog

I am finally ending my longest ever sabbatical from blogging. I wonder if anyone still reads this blog. Hopefully you all use RSS readers, at the bottom is a short, simple explination on how to get started with an RSS reader if you haven’t already.

Update: Miriam, Joel’s mother, has this to say about the first picture.

“The very first picture shows the Iwashige family crest on the Japanese lantern that hung to the side of the arch through which all the guests walked into the reception hall.

I wrote earlier about how I found the lantern at an estate sale in Hutchinson. While there are many family crest designs similar to this, this is exactly the version that belongs to Hiromi’s family. The coincidence of having found this one in Hutchinson, Kansas is just too amazing. I’m sure the family that first owned the lantern thought of it only as an interesting Asian-looking design. (The wife had spent part of her childhood in China.)”

Heidi patiently served as a voice-activated light stand. One flash through umbrella, camera right.

A bit more tech info on the light here… I simply used an umbrella at around 1/2 power for the main light camera left, and a bare flash at 1/16 or so from the back, as a hair light. The hair light didn’t work exactly the way I was intending, as it clearly doesn’t reach everyone’s hair.

As always, random comments and observations are very welcome. Thanks.