New Innovatronix Photo Contest

If you're into photo contests, my good friends at Innovatronix are about to begin their 3rd such endeavor.

This time, the contest's theme is night-shot portraits.  I think that's an awesome theme! Shooting portraits at night can present special challenges for photographers. When they're done well, night portraits can be especially cool, dramatic, and have plenty of "Wow!" value.

Submissions for entries in Tronix's new photo contest begins August 22, 2012. The contest will run till October 22, 2012. You can have a look at the contest's rules by CLICKING HERE.

BTW, Innovatronix also has a Facebook page. Check it out and give it a "Like!"  Keeping up with their FB page means you can also keep up with all kinds of stuff Innovatronix is doing. Have a look at Tronix's FB page by Clicking Here.

Besides the fun of participating in this contest, here's one of the best parts: If you're the First Prize Winner selected by the judges for creativity, originality, and adherence to the contest's theme and guidelines, you'll be winning a Tronix Explorer XT/XT SE.  If you don't already have portable power, I guarantee you'll be thrilled to own one of these popular and terrific units. I have one and I love it!  Innovatronix is a world leader in portable power for photographers. That's not merely their sales and marketing guys talking. That's also me talking.  

In addition to the first prize winner, there will also be a "Public Vote" winner. That's right, you and everyone else can vote for their favorite night-shot portrait.  The talented photographer who wins the public vote will also receive a cool prize: The Innovatronix SpeedFire.  The SpeedFire is a practical and useful accessory, powering your Canon or Nikon flash guns without batteries and when A/C is available. 

So get with it!  Start shooting some night portraits or going through what you've already shot and enter the contest. What do you have to lose? There's no cost for entries.

The candid, night-shot portrait with just a touch-of-tease is one I snapped of Faye a few years ago right outside her apartment. (Click to enlarge.)  I used two monolights: One in front for my main light, slightly camera-left and modified with a medium-sized shoot-thru umbrella, and one placed as a kicker, quite a ways behind Faye, with a 30° honeycomb grid mounted in front of the strobe's bare bulb.  I shot it with my Canon 5D with an 85mm prime lens mounted on front. (Not the "L" version -- I wish -- but the consumer version.)