The professional touch...

[vfilby]

I have recently befriended one of the other photographers that shares in on the freelance work. We have talked a lot and I have learned much from him (he is a trained photographer with lots of experience). I offered to help him out as an assistent for free so I could learn from him. He has been very kind; offering to help me out, answer any questions, even use his studio and darkroom.

Today I helped him with four posed, on-location shots. Each shot was down with 3 strobes. All I can say is wow, proper lighting and knowing how to use them makes a huge difference. I was literally blown away. He is also incredibly efficient and precise (he is still shooting film).

Just a rant about how impressed I was by the difference professional knowledge and professional equipment makes.

Cheers,

[Conk]

Right on Vince. Seems like the right thing to do. Getting in good with a seasoned photographer to learn a few tricks of the trade. More of us, myself included, should probably follow your beat.

[vfilby]

Right on Vince. Seems like the right thing to do. Getting in good with a seasoned photographer to learn a few tricks of the trade. More of us, myself included, should probably follow your beat.

You bet!

I had read about the theory behind studio lighting, but I don't have strobes so I can't try it out. Seeing it in practise today really made sense. It makes me want to run out and buy a set of alien bees (or some other decent strobe set). I have another big purchase first, then maybe I'll consider it.

I learned quite a bit about posing too!

It is funny, he is finally thinking about using digital. I had my rebel there so were used it to take 'polaroids', to check the reflections in the staged shots in front of windows. He quite liked it. One shot for each setup, dead on; the guy is a machine. I kinda wish my rebel had a pc socket now; what I did was put my flash down to 1/128 or the power and use it to trigger a pc optical slave. Work well.

However! If you want to learn, get in with a pro and learn all you can.

Cheers,

[Conk]

I bought Alien Bees. I like them. They work very well. Because the Rebel does not have a pc socket, you can buy a hot shoe adapter for $12.00. No need for a Wein Safe Sync and don't let anyone tell you different either. I beleive I still have the e-mails from Canon and Alien Bees to prove it. The Rebel puts out under 6volts so a regular hot shoe adapter will suffice.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=89979&is=REG.

[vfilby]

I bought Alien Bees. I like them. They work very well. Because the Rebel does not have a pc socket, you can buy a hot shoe adapter for $12.00. No need for a Wein Safe Sync and don't let anyone tell you different either. I beleive I still have the e-mails from Canon and Alien Bees to prove it. The Rebel puts out under 6volts so a regular hot shoe adapter will suffice.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=89979&is=REG.

They look very nice, although out of my student budget. However students do get a 10% discount! ;-) Maybe I will splurge at somepoint. I think I might invest in a lens first. Somthing in the $400 range.

As for the voltage, I thought that the problem was the voltage put out by the strobe. Is this not true?

[Jon]

As for the voltage, I thought that the problem was the voltage put out by the strobe. Is this not true?

Yes. Except for the 20D (and Mk IIs?) the Canon DSLRs are liable to frying with over 6V trigger voltage. According to Canon, frequently quoted here, the effect may not be immediate, but is nonetheless inevitable somewhere down the road.

[Conk]

As for the voltage, I thought that the problem was the voltage put out by the strobe. Is this not true?

Yes. Except for the 20D (and Mk IIs?) the Canon DSLRs are liable to frying with over 6V trigger voltage. According to Canon, frequently quoted here, the effect may not be immediate, but is nonetheless inevitable somewhere down the road.

Ooops. My bad. You are correct. The safe sync is not needed with A.B's

[vfilby]

Ooops. My bad. You are correct. The safe sync is not needed with A.B's

Do you mean the sync *is* needed?

[JoeTampa]

Go wireless, if you've got the money. You won't regret it.

[vfilby]

Go wireless, if you've got the money. You won't regret it.

Well if I am using studio strobes I really only need one cable, the one to trigger the main light. The fill and accent can be triggered as slaves. I think that I would get more out of studio strobes than another couple 550EX's

[PacAce]

I kinda wish my rebel had a pc socket now; what I did was put my flash down to 1/128 or the power and use it to trigger a pc optical slave. Work well.


How did you get around the problem of the pre-flash from the DRebel prematurely triggering the strobes?

[vfilby]

I kinda wish my rebel had a pc socket now; what I did was put my flash down to 1/128 or the power and use it to trigger a pc optical slave. Work well.


How did you get around the problem of the pre-flash from the DRebel prematurely triggering the strobes?

Well I thought about it after, but it didn't cause a problem during. I am not sure if I shut it off previously or not. I know that I had this problem with my g3 and the built in flash.

If I am running the 500DG (550EX) in manual will it still fire a preflash or is that an ettl only thing?

[PacAce]

I kinda wish my rebel had a pc socket now; what I did was put my flash down to 1/128 or the power and use it to trigger a pc optical slave. Work well.


How did you get around the problem of the pre-flash from the DRebel prematurely triggering the strobes?

Well I thought about it after, but it didn't cause a problem during. I am not sure if I shut it off previously or not. I know that I had this problem with my g3 and the built in flash.

If I am running the 500DG (550EX) in manual will it still fire a preflash or is that an ettl only thing?

Good question. I'm not sure but maybe the pre-flash doesn't fire in manual mode (of the flash). Thanks for satisfying my curiosity. :)

[vfilby]

Alright, I don't think 2nd curtain works on the rebel hack. But to the best of my optical abilities, I think that ettl fires two flashes and manual only one.

Would anyone with a better body (camera body that is) and 550 care to try it out?

[vfilby]

Alright, I forgot the flash has 2nd curtain sync (thanks again for convincing me to go with the 500 TQ).

So I set the flash to 2nd curtain and used a manual exposure of about 5s. In ettl you get the preflash and then the main flash at the end. In manual (on flash) you only get the flash on the end.

I will have to investigate whether the hotshoe -> pc acts like a manual or ettl.

Cheers,

[JoeTampa]

Well if I am using studio strobes I really only need one cable, the one to trigger the main light. The fill and accent can be triggered as slaves. I think that I would get more out of studio strobes than another couple 550EX's


I agree that studio strobes are much better than Speedlites. However, I think you'll quickly find that a sync cable/slave combination:


1. Limits your movement, and thus your creative ability

2. Misfires much too often

3. Limits where you can place your strobes so that the slave's eye can see the main flash



I lasted about 30 days with a sync cable, and bought Pocket Wizards - easily the best accessory for my photography I have ever purchased.

[vfilby]

Well if I am using studio strobes I really only need one cable, the one to trigger the main light. The fill and accent can be triggered as slaves. I think that I would get more out of studio strobes than another couple 550EX's


I agree that studio strobes are much better than Speedlites. However, I think you'll quickly find that a sync cable/slave combination:


1. Limits your movement, and thus your creative ability

2. Misfires much too often

3. Limits where you can place your strobes so that the slave's eye can see the main flash



I lasted about 30 days with a sync cable, and bought Pocket Wizards - easily the best accessory for my photography I have ever purchased.

I do agree with the limits movement! Definitely bulky to carry around. However, my friends portable strobes never misfired once and he was never conerned about the optical slave eye being in range. They just worked all the time. Mind you the optical slave aspect was built right into the strobe and was not an add-on pc accessory.

[JoeTampa]

Mine misfired a lot. I wound up buying Pocket Wizards for all my lights after trying some dramatic lighting that wouldn't fire as a slave because the light were at too much of an angle to one another. I also had a hair light on a boom that I had trouble with - some of the time it would fire, other times it didn't see the other strobe. When I have them trigged via wireless, they always work, and I can try unconventional lighting arrangements to achieve what I want. This is extra important with backlighting, as I sometimes will do behind white paper where the other strobes WILL NOT be seen.

Just something to think about, perhaps for the future.

[Persian-Rice]

Vfilby, I agree.

I have seen my prof do some work in front of us. He is as good or better then the big names at FM like Woof, Szyuzin, Chiu and Smeets.

He really make the image pop. What is more amazing is the fact that he can get it to look the way it does without any post editing in photoshop. Forget the fact he is using a $35,000 Hasselblad/LeafValeo Camera. I wish I was make as much as he was to buy stuff like that...........In time I guess, in time.

But it's really great to watch masters do their thing, you learn a lot.

[vfilby]

Vfilby, I agree.

I have seen my prof do some work in front of us. He is as good or better then the big names at FM like Woof, Szyuzin, Chiu and Smeets.

He really make the image pop. What is more amazing is the fact that he can get it to look the way it does without any post editing in photoshop. Forget the fact he is using a $35,000 Hasselblad/LeafValeo Camera. I wish I was make as much as he was to buy stuff like that...........In time I guess, in time.

But it's really great to watch masters do their thing, you learn a lot.

Funny, I have said the same thing, "I wish I had more money to buy equipment to make them better." What I always forget is that they can make a photo look good with the equipment that we have.

Like this one tip he gave me. When taking a photo outside on a sunny day with no additional lights do this:

"Place the subject in the shade with the sun over there shoulders, always (in such a way as to avoid putting the sun in the frame). It works especially well if you are near a large building that is reflecting light from the sun back on the subject. If you can put the subject in the shade of a tree where the sun is partially obscured by the leaves. Then align the subjects head so that one of those beams of lights is shining onto the side of their head (but from behind them). And there you go, fill and accent light for free."

I tried this out and it works fantastic. I know that some people here have said all ways place the subject so that the sun is shining at them to eliminate harsh shadows. I told this to him and he just shook his head.

I guess what is important is not buying great stuff, but focussing (no pun intended) ... on using your equipment the its fullest and making your pictures pop with what you have. He has taken pictures with my camera that made me ashamed to ever say, "My camera is a limiting factor."

Anyways, no more ranting from me.

Cheers,

[Persian-Rice]

You should go read my message in the "talk about photography" forum.
My rant on how its the photographer & not the equipment got pretty lengthy too. :D

BTW, I responded to your PM.

Cheers

[vfilby]

Agreed P-R. lets not get into it again!

Thanks for your reply.