About The Penumbra Project
The Penumbra Project is about pixels, photons and the process of making pictures.
In each story I try to offer a perspective that might illustrate new possibilities for your work—from cameras, to lighting, to direction, to post-production, to business practices. I love photography and all of the experiences it can produce and The Penumbra Project is simply about sharing those experiences. Scrolling along the shelf will lead you to a range of topics, lighting diagrams, and wise quotes from the icons of photography. There is no advertising on the site and no links to lead you toward anything other than information.
Whether it’s film or digital, strobes or speedlights, helicopters, rental studios, celebrities, athletes, capture, or Photoshop, I hope you find the stories on The Penumbra Project valuable and useful in your career.
Joey Terrill is an advertising and editorial photographer based in Los Angeles. His clients include: American Express, Coca-Cola, Disney, ESPN, Golf Digest, Major League Baseball and Sports Illustrated.
His portfolio is online at www.joeyterrill.com
Making Up for Having a Small…Sensor
The world of photography is filled with true artists, astounding technology, and experts who can help you become the photographer you want to be. There are photographers who just make you shake your head at the brilliance of their imagery, teachers who give back endlessly to the profession they love, and manufacturers who create tools that help us all produce the pictures we want to make.
But there is also some accepted rhetoric that might merit a little self-reflection, a change in priorities, and possibly a shade of skepticism.
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The Day I Needed the Professor
I‘ve always admired the professor on Gilligan’s Island. He had this amazing ability to make a Geiger counter out of bamboo, or a shortwave radio out of a coconut. He was truly a handy guy to have around when the castaways were in a real bind.
I really could have used someone like the professor when I was recently asked to photograph six photography icons and found myself without any of the tools I depend on to make pictures—including a camera.
The Face in So Many Photographs
My son has grown up with a camera in his face.
Whether he’s being photographed by his uncle Mark—a world-class sports photographer for the Associated Press—with a 600mm f/4 from the sidelines of his soccer game, or in the most everyday occurrences by his dad using a Leica and Tri-X film, the kid has gotten to know what the front element of a lens looks like.
I made this year’s annual holiday picture of my son using two speedlights, two PocketWizard FlexTT5‘s, a PocketWizard TT1 as a trigger, and David Honl‘s brand new Traveller16 softbox which produces amazingly beautiful light in a very portable package.
Since I was shooting in a public location, I decided not to bring any light stands and instead brought my son’s grandparents to hold the lights. They’re not as sturdy as my C-stands, but they do have much more personality and charm.
Happiest of holidays to everyone and a very prosperous new year!
Warmly,
Joey Terrill
The Grandeur of the Golf Course
Architecture and design of all kinds have always been something that my camera has been drawn to. Buildings, homes, interiors, sports stadiums—even satelite dish arrays have a beautiful architectural quality to them. But there was one kind of architecture that I’d never been commisioned to photograph until a few years ago. The architecture of the golf course.
Golf is often a part of travel stories, it’s a huge part of the vacation industry, and it is a muli-million dollar opportunity for photographers. Golf is everywhere. And the chance that you’ll be asked to photograph a golf course at some point in your career is fairly likely. All it takes is some beautiful light, the right equipment, and some dry shoes.
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