This is hardcore.  The thing to take away from this is not the specific equipment, brands, gear or any of that fancy stuff.  It is the process that is important. (Of course, if you want the specifics on the gear, he does list it all)  This can be done with any kind of gear, any brand, scaled up or down.  It has made me examine my own workflow and I realize that it contains many flaws and I have to ask myself “what if” questions.  If my house burned down, do I have a back up somewhere else?  Important question.

A 99 cent piece of black foam from the local arts and crafts store along with some 2 inch wide velcro is all you need to make an awesome DIY snoot. I know there are a lot of folks making these in the strobist community, but I thought I’d through mine into the mix.

This is not a quick and easy retouch process, however, some of the steps can be made into an action if you’re familiar enough with Photoshop, which should help speed it up. This is also a little different than some tutorials I’ve seen on retouching. This technique keeps the skin texture intact and looks very natural, not plasticky or overdone.

It all started with taking pictures of my babies. I bought a pretty good point and shoot camera, then I bought a used Canon Rebel XT off eBay and that’s when the shutterbug bit me. This may not sound very profound but let me explain how it has affected my life. I was a few weeks away from grad school. I had already been accepted and was just waiting until I could register for classes. I was planning on getting my MBA. All that is on hold for now. I still may go to grad school some time in the future, but for the moment, I have to ask myself “Why?” The only concrete reason is monetary. So let me spare you the the drama of my own inner conflict and trying to make sense of my future. At least for the time being, my goal is to be a good photographer.