Thanksgiving

Some of the family came into town for a visit. Just some photos to share.

putting my budget flash to task

This past Friday, I did a portrait shoot at my kids dance studio. In fact, it was 5 separate sessions with 9 different subjects in a two hour span.

I packed my portable studio, comprising...
- backdrop setup
- three light stands
- my two budget Sunpak manual flashes
- my Flashpoint mono light

Everything easily fits in the trunk of my car. Off we went and it took about 15 min. to set every thing up once we got to the dance studio. This was great. It was an on the spot shoot, mostly with kids and a limited amount of time before the next session.

In the end, I was very pleased with the outcome, especially considering the ad hoc type of situation working with young kids in a short period of time. The one thing that really stood out in the end, is how my flash setup worked. Sure, I brought the Flashpoint, but it would have been just as fine if I had another budget Sunpak. If you follow my blog, then you know both of my Sunpak cost me a total of $55 used from ebay. I see them for $25 all the time. As you can see below, they work. You don't need to have $1500 worth of lighting equipment to get good shots. Sure, I can put the $1500 worth of lighting to good use if I had it, but the point is, you can do a lot with tight budget as well.

Some samples from the shoot:

Eneloop

A shot post today. One thing that I have taken for granted is my Eneloops. The rechargeable batteries that I use all the time in my flashes. In fact, since I went to the Eneloops, I have not used any other batteries in my flashes since.

They simply work and they hold their charge. This means I don't have to worry about them sitting in a flash for a month. I have a total of 20 AAs now, 16 of them in 4 flashes and 4 spare ones. If I go on location, I always have 4 freshly charged spares. If I remember and have the time, I will charge up the ones in the flash as well...if I remember and have the time :)

I am going to get another 8 more so I can use them in my grip for the D700. I have only tested them in the grip, but not actually used them in real world shooting. I want to see how long they last and with the AA in the grip, it also allows me to shoot at 8fps as well.

Primes and Zooms

I constantly see people debating about primes and zooms, so today, I thought I would share some of my personal views on this. Before we begin, just in case, primes are single focal length lenses, like a 35mm or 50mm...etc., while zooms are...zooms :) Like my 24-70mm or 70-200mm.

For me, photography is about you and what you want to do with it. There are some obvious differences between a prime and zoom. Understand what they do and how they impact your photography.

Primes are generally smaller, lighter, and faster. This can be a HUGE plus to someone, not to mention, in general, they cost less for the quality of image you get from a prime. I really do like primes, and there are some great deals on the Nikon end for used, older manual focus primes.

Zooms have one major advantage, but can impact a few things, which is, it ZOOMS! :) With a zoom, you can get in close or expand wide, in an instant. No lens changing (risk missing a shot). I love my zooms as well.

In the end, it's what you do and what is important to you (sorry, I know I keep repeating this, but I constantly see people get caught up with what other people say is important with out context). Again, the key is understanding how each type of lens will affect your photography. There are many reasons to favor one than the other, but there is one very very important thing to remember. There may be physical limitations that will affect your photography.

If you are shooting in a studio or outdoors...etc., where you can move around freely, you can generally do fine with a prime since you can zoom in and out by moving in closer or further back from the subject.

Example: This was taken with a 85mm f/1.8D. I just got close for a close up shot.


But, on the other hand, I shot a dance event and my movement was very limited. I was at the front of the dance floor, there are people all around me, so I can't just move when I need to, so a prime will not be very effective here.


shooting from the same spot with my 24-70, I just zoom back and now I can get this shot.


another point to remember is, perspective. I don't have any good comparison photos right now to illustrate this side by side, but depending on the lens you are using, it's not just about moving in closer or backing away. Here's a close up of Kylie with a 35mm:


If I took this exact same picture with a 200mm lens, the perspective and feel of Kylie's face will be different. I will do a side by side comparison one day soon. For now, I just wanted to get you thinking about what you shoot and what works for you, not worry about what works for someone else.

Dance Performance

No photography talk today, just a few pictures to share from the kids dance performance from this past Saturday.

High speed sync

Although I am able to shoot the D40 with my remote triggers at 1/640s, I can only shoot at 1/250s with my D200 and D700 with these CTR-301 RF triggers. I'm not going to get into the technical details why the entry level D40 can and the semi-pro D700 can't. That's another story for another day. But, wait! The D700 CAN shoot at a much higher flash sync speed, just not with the CTR-301 and the manual flash that I have.

This is where the SB-900 comes in. The SB-600 and SB-800 as well. With these SB-xxx strobes, you can shoot at 1/8000s with the D700. Why do you need this? If you shoot in low light or controlled lighting conditions, like a studio, you don't. But if you shoot in a location that has a very bright background light source, then you need to bump up the shutter speed or stop down the aperture to not over expose the back ground. Of course, when you do this, you will under expose the subject.

Here's an example of a natural light where I needed to expose the face, but because the background light is so bright, to proper expose the face, it over exposes the background.


D200 70-200mm f/2.8 @ f4 1/125s ISO 100

For this shot, I wanted to shoot a bit open to thin out the DOF, so I shot at f/4. Then to expose the face, I had to shoot down to 1/125s. Now, if wanted to expose the background, like the sky line, correctly, I probably would need to go up to 1/640s or maybe even 1/1000s. Of course, Chloe's face would be too dark.

This is where flash comes in to help put light on her face to balance the exposure. Well, in this case, if I had to shoot at 1/1000s, I can't use the manual flash I have which only syncs at 1/250s.

With the SB-900, not only can I shoot at 1/1000s and as I noted above, up to 1/8000s, it will also shoot iTTL. TTL, meaning Through The Lens. iTTL is just Nikons new acronym for intelligent TTL. We'll talk more about TTL at a later time...back to high speed sync. Below is a shot I took with the SB-900.


D700 70-200 f/2.8 @ f/3.5 1/1600s ISO 200

The camera was set to matrix metering and aperture priority mode. This means the D700 will balance the exposure based on the overall picture, which includes the background light. This is why the camera picked the shutter speed of 1/1600s. So, without the flash, Ashley's face would be way under exposed. With the SB-900, using iTTL, which will talk to the D700 and try to even out the light as well (flash power). Because of this, I had to tell the SB-900 to increase the power by +1EV. This will help put more light on Ashley's face since I need to over compensate for the bright background over weighting the average exposure value.

This is why it's nice to have a flash that will work with the camera at any shutter speed.

Mixing ambient light

Here's something quick I did last week. Just a basic setup, combining the ambient light to provide a warm background, but still emphasizing the coffee cup and steam with a couple of strobes.

This is not hard to do. Here's a basic setup shot so you can see where everything is. Notice, that Ashley is the actual photographer :) I'm just the assistant setting it all up :)


Here's the final shot, which is straight out of the camera (SOOC) with a crop only. No post processing adjustment to the image.


Here's how I did it.

Once the camera is set, distance, focus...etc. Take a few test shots with just the ambient light. Find the setting that provides the best background light (exposure) you like. Once this is set, then adjust your strobe settings to highlight the cup. I added a second strobe to highlight the steam, which is behind the cup to the left.

That's basically it. Don't hesitate to snap away and test until you get the best combo of light you like, and then boil up the coffee in a pot and pour it in the cup. The steam will rise and start snapping...it is digital, so no worries...you will get different steam patterns, so the more you snap the more to select from later.

Have fun!

High Key

Just did some high key stuff. Very simple. White bed sheet as the back drop, point a flash at it, and then another flash for the subject.

D700 Grip

I wasn't sure I wanted a spend $250 for the MB-D10 Nikon grip, not knowing how much I would be using it. On top of that, I would then need to get another battery as well. I did think about getting another battery though. I searched around and found the linkdlight website and they had a grip for the D700 with a battery for $90, shipped.



Not too bad for $90, so I gave it a try. I actually used it quite a bit. It's been on the D700 for over 90% of the time since I got it two months ago, and almost 1800 shots later, it's been fine. Obviously this is not the same as a Nikon MB-D10. The housing is plastic and it feels plastic, but it works the same. It comes with a standard EN-EL3e battery holder, a AA battery holder and a BL3 cap. I tested the AA holder with 8 Eneloops. It shoots at 8fps, no issues. The 3rd party EN-EL3e battery that came with it is not the same as the Nikon. Not a big deal. I swapped it with the D200 Nikon EN-EL3e. I don't use the D200 as much, so not too concerned about the battery life in the D200.


Oh yea, the actual box says Meike on it, so I assume it is made by Meike and just sold by linkdlight. Overall, I'm pretty happy with it for $90. My only concern is the plastic housing. Since I use a Rapid Strap RS4 that attaches at the tripod mount, I'm a bit concerned when I have a big lens on it, like a 70-200mm VR f/2.8, that the bottom part of the housing does not pull apart and the rest of the camera just drops! Hey, that's what insurance is for, right? :)

A snoot and a....

For specifics about what a snoot is, like a definition, then google it :) Basically a snoot is something to focus the light. It can be done DIY style for pocket change. Run to your local arts and craft store and pick up a few pieces of foam paper. I like the 3mm more than the 2mm. I picked up a few "foamies" for $1.50 each.


You can use gaffer's tape or in my case, some Velcro. You can make long ones and short ones. With the Velcro, you can do it so that you can narrow the front opening to control the light beam. There are different ways you can get there, so be creative.


Now have some fun with it :)

Gel sample pack update

ok, I just looked over the sample roscolux swatch book. It is much more color oriented. It still contains the basic color correction stuff like CTO, CTS...etc., but it does not have the light reducing stuff from the cinegel sample pack. The cinegel packs have grid and ND stuff that will reduce light. I like this more. Although it does not have as many color gels, but it still has plenty to play with. So, based on samples of both, I would recommend the cinegel pack over the roscolux pack. B&H Photo has both in stock, so get it from them on your next order.

Fundamentally, both packs have the color temperature correcting gels you "need", so, if you have one flash, get at least one of the sample packs, if you have two, then get two, one of each if you want.

Budget Strobist

I come across people asking what flashes to get all the time for off camera use. In some cases, the person have a good idea what they need and are just looking for some input, while many others are just starting out and not really sure what they need. Of course, the advice for equipment ranges from expensive SB-900/800 (~$400 - $450)to less expensive HK flashes (~$50), and everything in between.

Here's the deal. If you are just starting out and want to learn, any decent flash with manual settings from 1/1 to 1/16 is enough to get you started. If you want to spend $1000, then by all means, go for it. If you are on a tight budget, then there are lots of alternatives. Even a SB-600 at $200 or so is questionable for a beginner. Remember, there are different specific features between flashes and if you know what you want, then you prob. don't need to read this or even ask. This is about basic off camera flash on a tight budget. It will provide you enough to learn about off camera lighting and when you grow into something more specific, you can still use what you have today.

Here's a set of used flashes you can get from ebay at around $25 each, shipped. So, two would run you about $50. Lots of people have had very good luck with the Sunpaks. They have manual settings from 1/1 to 1/16. They have decent power...sure, not as powerful as a SB-900, but more than enough to get you started for a while. Oh yea, did I mention they can be had for around $25? :)

The cheapo looking flash in the center of the pic is a no name Auto flash I picked up, basically a free toss in on a camera+lens deal. No manual control, but even so, it's still usable. So, don't turn away that $2 flash :) And, of course, don't forget to get a couple of Rosco Sample Gel packs. I got mine from Adorama. I had them throw a couple in my last order so that I don't have to pay shipping on them since they are already shipping something to me.


Lets not forget the RF remote trigger system. These are CTR-301/P. Today, you can get a set of CTR-301P w/3 receivers and 1 transmitter for about $60. If you want to spend a bit more, there are newer 2.4Ghz systems (RF-602) for about $80. If I was staring out today, I would get the RF-602s. Now, you are set. Even if you don't have the cheapo no name flash, you have a complete wireless off camera lighting setup with two flashes. Total cost: about $120. No way you can even get a used SB-600 for that price.

With the money you save, now you can add a few more other very essential pieces to your lighting system...umbrella, holder and stand. I recommend getting the adorama 40" white w/removable silver/black cover at $16 each, universal holder at $16.25 each, and 10' stand at $40 each. You don't have to have the 10' if the budget is really tight, you can look for cheap used tripods. I see them for about $10 all the time. But, most cheap tripods only goes up about 5', so that may not be tall enough.

To close this post off, here's what you can do, even with a cheapo Auto Flash. Note the picture above and the shadows from the key flash shooting though the umbrella. Get a grid from the rosco pack or use one of the ND gels from the pack (there are different density gels to fine tune your light output) and stick it on the auto flash to fine tune the light. I stuck the flash on a 25 year old cheap tripod, put it on a chair behind the flashes to wash out the shadows.


These are just quick shots, not much fine tuning, just to illustrate how you can always use what you have, even the cheapo free flash. Here's the setup shot. Very simple.


Another shot to show the simple grid from the Rosco sample gel pack.


Another simple idea for reflectors. Just this past weekend, Michaels had them on sale, 4 for $5. You can paint them, gold, silver, black, and leave the other one as is, white. The back of the picture is a simple sun shade for your car from costco. About $7. Silver and black. For times when you need a bigger reflector.


No more excuses! :) For about $150, you can easily build a wireless, off camera, two light system to start having fun.