Chat with Troy
Tim Engle discusses his inspiration and creative use of unique lighting methods. IEPPV: http://www.ieppv.com Tim Engle will be a speaker at the f64Live event in Corona CA. on Aug 17th http://f64live.com Hosted by: Troy Miller http://spicyjello.com Guest: Tim Engle https://www.englephoto.com The Flashlight! https://amzn.to/31xhmZU
My friend Try Miller interviewed me the other day. Covered a lot of ground. Link below.
30 days with a 40
If you ever hang out with me you'll notice that for the most part, I am a prime lens shooter. Not that I don't like zoom lenses, but they don't have a great place in my bag for what I do. At the moment I have an 85mm prime and the 35mm prime, both from SIGMA.
If you ever hang out with me you'll notice that for the most part, I am a prime lens shooter. Not that I don't like zoom lenses, but they don't have a great place in my bag for what I do. At the moment I have an 85mm prime and the 35mm prime, both from SIGMA. Those two lenses seem to be able to cover everything I need to do from portrait to full body images. Lately, I've been thinking about adding something in the middle, probably a 50mm. Talking with the SIGMA rep, he suggested that I try out the brand new 40mm F1.4 DG HSM. He kindly offered to send it to me to use for a month, well, of course, I'll said yes! When I received the lens in the mail, the first thing that I noticed was this lens was a substantial piece of glass. The build quality on it is impressive, it definitely feels like a solid lens.
Knowing that I had the lens for 30 days, my goal was to put it in as many scenarios as I could to see how the lens performed.
I have to say that I'm very impressed as it has very minimal vignetting for a wide lens. It focuses very fast and is exceptionally sharp. I worked the lens quite a bit at F1.4 and it was always spot on.
I most certainly will be adding this lens to my bag in the near future.
40mm F1.4 DG HSM in action with the amazing Anna Lisa Wagner
Photo Day - Early Session
Sunday marked another great outing at the Preston Castle this was the first of three photo days this year. This one took full advantage of early morning light which is always spectacular.
Sunday marked another great outing at the Preston Castle this was the first of three photo days this year. This one took full advantage of early morning light which is always spectacular.
For this session, I was joined by model Julianna Steel. She and I have been friends for many years, and she’s always wonderful to work with, she also provides a vast collection of vintage outfits. For this outing I had two goals, one was to take full advantage of the existing light in the morning and the second was to make images at midday which is the hardest time to photograph.
Another challenge was one that Julianna brought forth. She said she could provide three different outfits for under $25. Sure enough, she came up with fantastic looks that came in at about $24.50.
All of the interior shots I used my Nikon D810 and switched between my Sigma 35 mm and my Sigma 85 mm. These lenses are so sharp and have such excellent color rendition.
Here are some of the sample images from the morning.
Indra in action
After we finished, we went across the street from the castle and photographed in an old abandoned house. It proved to be a perfect setting for the looks that Julianna made. For my lights I used my Phottix Indra 500 with the wide angle diffuser. These lights operate on a battery pack and take advantage of high-speed sync. Most of the time the light was at full power or just under that. I’m so pleased with how he’s like to perform. We shot for about an hour, and I still had full power on the battery pack. Average setting: ISO 100, f3.2 and 1/4000 sec
I’m looking forward to getting out and making more images this spring with a similar style.
More of the natural light images below
Recent cover the Sacramento visitors guide.
The art director didn't want to show the museum and asked me to make it look like it was an exterior location.
The train is located inside the California rail museum. The art director didn't want to show the museum and asked me to make it look like it was an exterior location. First I didn't have enough lights to light the whole train. So I ended up using one light on a stick and making 18 separately lit exposures. Then I combined them in photoshop for the final image.
2019 marks the sesquicentennial of one of the most pivotal events and achievements in the history of the United States, the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. Check out all events, activities, exhibits, throughout April, May & June.
Final VistSacramento cover.
Train in existing light
Models, Cars & Lenses
Last Sunday I had a great outing with the group from Action Camera and Sigma. They hosted a photo get together at the California Automobile Museum.
Last Sunday I had a great outing with the group from Action Camera and Sigma. They hosted a photo get together at the California Automobile Museum. It was such a great change of pace for me to get out, talk with other photographers, and share ideas. Action Camera thought of everything, LED lights & strobes, as well as a few models to work with. I Kinda felt spoiled with all the toys. I did bring along my friend Juliana as an extra model. Not only is she beautiful, but she has an extensive vintage wardrobe and puts together amazing looks. Her look combined with the vintage cars at the museum made for a fun evening.
I was also able to play with some of the other AMAZING lenses that Lew Held from Sigma brought. The lenses are SO sharp, the only problem now is my other lenses look terrible in comparison... I guess it's time for some new glass.
It's December and we just finished playing in the championship game.
The football season came to a close on Saturday, December 1. It was a very long, but rewarding season. The team started conditioning on January 30 at 5:50 AM and continued training every morning until late November. This season was special to me for many reasons, the biggest being that it was my youngest son's last season in high school.
I’m so happy to have these times with Ryan. Photo by @s.kip
The football season came to a close on Saturday, December 1 for the Casa Roble RAMS they ended the season with an 11 wins and 2 losses. It was a very long, but rewarding season. The team started conditioning on January 30 at 5:50 AM and continued training every morning until late November. This season was special to me for many reasons, the biggest being that it was my youngest son's last season in high school. I have spent the past 16 years working with my kids in all of their athletic endeavors. From coaching volleyball and track with my girls, to football and track with my boys. One thing I told my wife when our kids were young was, I would never miss any of their sporting events or activities. When I was a kid, my parents were always there to pick me up after a defeat or pat me on the back after a win. I had teammates that never had a parent go to a game and I always felt bad for them. Having family support meant so much to me. I feel fortunate that photography as a profession has allowed me to control my schedule so I could coach and be a part of everything my kids have done.
Ryan- all 4 years of football, starting with Freshman year.
If you know me, you know that I loved playing football! Football to me is a brotherhood, it's given me the tools that I've used throughout my life. I wanted so much for my boys to have a similar experience. I have to say that this season exceeded all of my hopes and expectations. Sure they were very successful and won most of their games, but they ultimately lost the championship. The season was more than wins and losses. The lessons the boys took from this season will help mold the rest of their lives.
I am so proud of my son Ryan. He faced a big uphill battle during the first part of the season. He had a significant quad tear in his left leg that occurred during track season, it took months of therapy and rehabilitation before the season even started. He was fortunate that it only affected the first few games and by the end of the season, he was playing his best football. Ryan really took training and preparation seriously and the results showed. He was the fastest, strongest combination on the team and was able to take the punishment of the season and stay relatively injury free. He is physically and mentally ready to continue playing after high school if he desires.
6am workouts 4 days a week since January.
My involvement with the team started with me helping with weight training and conditioning in the mornings. I was more than happy to give my time (5:50 am) and knowledge for the betterment of the entire team. As the season approached I took on the additional responsibilities of handling the technology and operations needed to help make Friday night games happen. Let's just say, it is like putting on a mini-concert every Friday night. I also helped with minor bumps and bruises after game days to help get them ready to play the next week
Getting Ryan stretched before the game. Photo by @s.kip
Over the years I've been able to watch different groups of coaches work with my kids. I have to say that the coaching staff that Chris Horner put together was the best I've ever been part of. I believe that one of the marks of a great head coach is to assemble great assistant coaches and let them do their job, this is certainly what Chris did with his coaches. I've spent a lot of time these past three years with Chris, and one thing that is totally clear is his desire to develop outstanding men. Sure he cares about wins and losses, but he cares more about how his players are doing. He makes sure that they make good choices, are good citizens at school and good citizens within the community. I know these boys will look back with nothing but admiration from their time with Chris.
Chris congratulating Ryan after a big sack. His enthusiasm was contagious!
Ryan's team was a great group of boys! I have been able to watch many of the kids grow up, in some cases from elementary school. Watching how well these kids got along and how close they all are, was really special. To watch them all play on Friday nights was just icing on the cake. The time they spent with each other working out, practicing, and playing will mean a lot to them later on.
Ryan and some of his teammates.
There is certainly going to be a hole in my life with no more high school football, but I'm excited to see what is next with all my kids!
Pre game runout. Ryan carried the Navy flag at each home game.
