I Finally Did It...... AB 800

[Kristy]

Okay, I just took the plunge... after 2 frustrating newborn shoots... I've had enough of this... As much as I love natural lighting, it is just not reliable enough for a cloudy day, or a dark home.... SOOOOO....

I just ordered one Alien Bee 800 with a stand. I bought a used 36 x 48 Photoflex softbox and have a couple of reflectors... so this will be my starting point... Can't wait to get them and start playing around.

If anyone would like to share their 2-bits of information on sucessful lighting techniques, feel free to post.... I'll be needing all the direction I can get.. .I don't even know how to put it all together, but once it arrives I'm sure I'll figure it all out.

Happy Day!

[michael88]

Congrats Kristy, you're going to love the light.

[Macavity]

Congrats!

I've only been able to play with my new Bee once in the last week. I'm hoping to get a lot more time this week, and hopefully have something to post.

[WannaLearn]

Make sure you have what you need to mount that softbox to the AB. I don't own any (yet!) but I've been reading a lot lately and it seems like you need to have the AB speedring in order to mount anything other than umbrellas.

Congrats on your upgrade. I hope to be right behind you there!

- WannaLearn

[jngo]

yeah, you're going to need to purchase the speedring from AB in order to use the photoflex softbox.
congrats on your new toy...just experiment and have fun.

[Kristy]

Thanks guys... I do have the speedring adapter thingy... so I should be all set... Now if anyone wants to sumbit their best advice, please feel welcome! I'll be reading a lot over the next couple of weeks. :)

[bolantej]

As long as it's the speedring made for the AB then you're fine. if not, then you might need to get an umbrella or just bounce the light on some foam core or something. can you also get a flashmeter? that's the next step I think.

[jngo]

can you also get a flashmeter? that's the next step I think.

yeah, i agree with that. i still haven't got one (financial restraints) and am just shooting in the dark, guessing the f-stop. life would be so much easier for me with a light meter. but since you have just one light, you can do like me and shoot at different f-stops until you find one that works.

[redbutt]

...am just shooting in the dark, guessing the f-stop. life would be so much easier for me with a light meter. but since you have just one light, you can do like me and shoot at different f-stops until you find one that works.

You don't have to guess. Use your histogram. It will show you you the proper exposure.

[jngo]

Use your histogram. It will show you you the proper exposure.

really? i'd never thought of that. is that what you use?

[Kristy]

It's not scheduled to arrive until Monday, but if I'm really lucky maybe it will get here friday!! That would make for a great weekend activity! :)

[bolantej]

best of luck with that. ;)

[redbutt]

really? i'd never thought of that. is that what you use?

Sorry I didn't respond sooner...yes, I use my histogram rather than a light meter. The histogram is much better in my opinion because it shows you exactly what the capture looks like. And, with a quick glance, you have all the info you need to determine if you need to stop down, or not. There's a lot of threads on this forum about this subject. Learning to use your histogram is critical in my opinion.

[Inspired Photography]

Sorry I didn't respond sooner...yes, I use my histogram rather than a light meter. The histogram is much better in my opinion because it shows you exactly what the capture looks like. And, with a quick glance, you have all the info you need to determine if you need to stop down, or not. There's a lot of threads on this forum about this subject. Learning to use your histogram is critical in my opinion.

I agree with Redbutt on this one. I personally use a flash meter to setup lighting ratios etc (with multiple lights...), but ALWAYS check the histogram.

A light meter will give you accurate exposure, but you can never get a truer (is that a word?) representation of what your pixels are actually showing up as. It offers a much better indication if you are going for an effect too (ie high key or something).

So as long as you can read your histogram properly then it is your best assett besides your right index finger. This applies in any situation. In and out of the studio.

Rob

[cmpowell125]

Doesn anybody know of a good tutorial for reading the histogram 'properly' ? I know the basics, but would like to make more use of the histogram, but i dont really know enough to rely on it.

Chris

[mbze430]

I totally disagree using histrogram to "meter". Because the histrogram represent the jpg and setting within the camera. Not a true RAW histrogram.

Also histrogram will be inaccurate if you start using gels on your light.

[Macavity]

Doesn anybody know of a good tutorial for reading the histogram 'properly' ? I know the basics, but would like to make more use of the histogram, but i dont really know enough to rely on it.

Chris

Here is an article from Luminous Landscape: Understanding Histograms (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/understanding-histograms.shtml)

[Kristy]

Thanks guys! I also would like to learn more about using the histogram... it's all foriegn language to me. I know a teensy bit about it, but don't really understand what all those lines and peaks mean. I do know that the right end is highlights and the left end is shadows... other than that??? DUH~!

My Bee is here!! (YEAH)... but I haven't had a chance to even take it out of the box yet... (DARN). Maybe this weekend.... I have no photoshoots and only need to edit a newborn and make a slideshow for them... along with my other "mommy" duties. :) I'll post as soon as I can!! I'm excited.

[redbutt]

I totally disagree using histrogram to "meter". Because the histrogram represent the jpg and setting within the camera. Not a true RAW histrogram.

Also histrogram will be inaccurate if you start using gels on your light.

I think you are missing something. The histogram is exactly a representation of what the sensor captured. Using gels goes not affect this. The histogram will still show you exactly what was captured. White balance is not shown in the overall histogram, so with the use of gels, you won't see the color cast represented, but you will see the exposure...which is what this post is all about.

BTW...like I said...I use this technique daily, and it works. This shot to two exposures to get (in the space of 45 seconds)...one to check if my eyballing the situation was close, then snaped the real thing. You would probably still be trying to figure out what to meter if you tried to light meter this scene. And here's also a studio shot using the Alien Bee light in question...a single B800.

[mbze430]

I think you are missing something. The histogram is exactly a representation of what the sensor captured. Using gels goes not affect this. The histogram will still show you exactly what was captured. White balance is not shown in the overall histogram, so with the use of gels, you won't see the color cast represented, but you will see the exposure...which is what this post is all about.



I use the RGB histrogram, not the luminance. The luminance gives an overall view. So if a single channel is clipping the luminance shows clipping. So in a case of using gel, example using RED. If you want alot of red, and it is clipping, in the luminance view it show clipping, and one might change the exposure. In anycase, there is nothing that can substitute a light meter. And that is MY point.

And besides without a light meter you won't be able to control lighting ratio.

[Kristy]

Oh geez.... Chino Hills vs. Carlsbad... (sorry, I'm kidding). I think you both have good points. What works for one person does not always work for another. We are all unique people with different styles. That's the beauty of being and "artist". We can use different methods to achieve our results... As long as the results are rendering what was anticipated, then the method is fine.
I appreciate learning both methods so I can learn, try it out, and then decide which seems to fit my style.
I know very little about metering in general, but I presume a light meter would be most beneficial in a studio setting, where a histogram is most beneficial in a natural environment... So perhaps both arguements are valid.

[tpuerzer]

I found this article really interesting as a way to double-check what your camera histogram is telling you:

Facemask Histograms
by WILL CROCKETT

http://www.shootsmarter.com/infocenter/wc001.html