For you guys on location...with your lights..

[inthedeck]

How do you deal with a breeze in the 20 MPH/32KPH (or more at times) range? If you attach sandbags, or bags with rocks/shot/etc., how much weight would you have to put into those accessories, to get a light stand at about 8 feet to stay stable, and not fall over?

Yesterday, I was out on location, it was really breezy. I had to tie my light stand to a railing, just to get it to stay put. As such, I dunno how much weight I'd have to place on that stand, in order to keep it up.

Are there stands with a heavier base (aside from stands for booms) or some other form of heavy duty stands that can withstand such winds (especially with sofboxes/octaboxes/etc) attached to them?

[inthedeck]

No one?

[Curtis N]

I use a voice-activated light stand. She weighs over 100 lbs. and when attached to a light stand she will keep it upright. She can also adjust the location, direction and/or power setting of the light, based on voice commands. She can also be attached to a reflector and has a speciall attachment for transporting an extra lens.

Sometimes she even drives the car to the shoot and helps the model with her hair.

My advice - Don't buy one. They are much cheaper to rent.

[inthedeck]

Curtis, that's just too funny. I wish I could spring for an assistant...but, no such luck. :(

Any other suggestions? :lol:

[Mark1]

Oh man!! This reminds me I was going to buy ankle weights tonight before I go out to shoot. I use them at the bottom of my lightstands when I have just a flash on them. I found 6 pound ones at Target. But they are closed by the time I get there.

[inthedeck]

How many do you think you'd need per stand? I don't think 6 lbs on one would hold it well enough?

[The Youngman]

This would be the perfect time for someone to invent a wide base fitting for light stands in windy conditions. (When you are all on your lonesome) ;)







Granted the base may have to be VERY big and radial.... :D

[Mark1]

My stands feet when at thier max are almost 3 feet apart. And the weight is low enough that it will have to lift the weight to blow over. I mean the arc the weight would need to travel for the stand to fall over would start by going up. This alone will save some. But unless you want a 100lb weight on your stands, you cant totally excape the ocassional blow over.

[inthedeck]

I hear ya. I'll have to check what it is on the stands I have, and meanwhile, start to carry some extra weights, I suppose. Man...whatta bummer...as I always carry enough stuff. :(

Oh well, thanks for the info.

[Daniel W.]

Look at local colleges or craigslist for free / I'll pay for dinner assistants. If you're comfortable offering it up, have an assistant and review their work / offer advice over dinner at a local eatery.

[Familiaphoto]

I use a voice-activated light stand. She weighs over 100 lbs. and when attached to a light stand she will keep it upright. She can also adjust the location, direction and/or power setting of the light, based on voice commands. She can also be attached to a reflector and has a speciall attachment for transporting an extra lens.

Sometimes she even drives the car to the shoot and helps the model with her hair.

My advice - Don't buy one. They are much cheaper to rent.

Curtis that is brilliant, I tried to rent one of those but it wouldn't stop telling me I was doing everything wrong. Even when I drove the car it telling me how to drive from the back seat.

[Wilt]

Wind strength increases geometrically with velocity. That is why hurricane winds at 70 mph are scary, and higher speed hurricanes (120 mph) are destructive and tornados (200 mph) are scarily destructive on land. The amount of weight you need at 20 mph is not 2x what you need at 10 mph! It very quickly gets out of hand. 10mph to a recreational sailor is a delight; 20mph to the same sailor becomes a handful that requires reducing the amount of sail to stay upright.

[inthedeck]

I take it there's going to be no easy solution to this one, except someone to hold things...because with yesterdays' breeze, there was no way even weights would have done much. Bummer.

[bryank930]

cinder blocks. Just add more till it stays up. LOL

[inthedeck]

hehe...I don't think that's gonna help...given how much they weigh, to begin with.

Though, I wonder if I could find donut shaped rings, that weight a bit, and add them to the middle post...?

I feel it's a never ending battle for me. I need to find more indoor type locations, outdoors...haha. Like parkin' garages, etc.

[fotofitness]

I always use 25# saddle bags per stand. I use a pelican case with built in wheels. To me...the hassle of rolling that bags versus loosing a $700 head is not really a hassle.

[inthedeck]

Oh, I agree...and this is why I'm lookin' into a solution, for when I do get new lights (hopefully soon). Currently, I use flashes/umbrellas/softbox, etc...and the stands with an umbrella are like candle light, in the wind. To easily blown away.

Have a link to the pelican case, by any chance?

[fotofitness]

Oh, I agree...and this is why I'm lookin' into a solution, for when I do get new lights (hopefully soon). Currently, I use flashes/umbrellas/softbox, etc...and the stands with an umbrella are like candle light, in the wind. To easily blown away.

Have a link to the pelican case, by any chance?

http://www.pelican.com/cases_detail.php?Case=1630

Built in wheels; retractable handle, etc.

In my opinion nothing is more convenient or durable than nylon saddle/sand bags.

When I have traveled due to airline weight restrictions I dont take the saddle bags with me..instead I find a local Lowes and buy small bags of fertilizer. The fertilizer bags come in 5 or 10# and the bag is thick so it wont tear. After the job I return them.

[inthedeck]

http://www.pelican.com/cases_detail.php?Case=1630

Built in wheels; retractable handle, etc.

In my opinion nothing is more convenient or durable than nylon saddle/sand bags.

When I have traveled due to airline weight restrictions I dont take the saddle bags with me..instead I find a local Lowes and buy small bags of fertilizer. The fertilizer bags come in 5 or 10# and the bag is thick so it wont tear. After the job I return them.

Appreciate it...and 'really' good thinkin'! Thanks for the link, as well! One other question comes to mind...when you take these on flights, do they let you lock them? I'm just curious....

[Jim M]

Once again, I apparently forgot to hit the "Post" button before moving on. It's hell getting old. What I would have said, more or less, is that I come from the land of wind. This afternoon there were 20-30mph winds with gusts up to 40 until about midnight, when it is supposed to calm down to about 15-20mph winds. When I set my lights without modifiers at the drag strip, I weigh them down with plates for barbells. I typically use two 10lb plates which I place on the leg struts (not sure what to call them). I have toyed with the idea of finding some aluminum tubing that would slip over the stand's legs to increase the base. Before they paved my photographing spot, I was considering getting some of those anchors that screw into the ground and tying the stands down. I think that would have been about perfect for grass and soil. I have used my camera bag, my flash powerpacks, and who knows what all to weigh down light stands. I don't think I would try modifiers in the wind. Because racers set up canopies, I've seen lots of things used as weights to keep them from blowing away. One of the most clever was empty milk jugs which were transported empty and filled with water once they were on site. Other things I've seen were brake drums, steel wheels, and I even used a couple of flathead Ford engine heads. The only requirement is being heavy and being able to get it where you need it.

[TMR Design]

I don't know what the wind velocity is when I'm out shooting but I always carry 3 saddle sandbags with about 12 lbs or rocks in each bag. I haven't had a situation where it wasn't stable in a breeze or light wind. I typically don't shoot in high wind but I find that ~30-35 lbs. is sufficient for most conditions.

[inthedeck]

Thanks Jim, and Robert. Appreciate the info.

Robert, here in Jax, the wind velocity, since I was so close to the river can get pretty darn high. And being four stories up, it just makes things that much trickier.

I'm going to go check for some bags, at Walmart or something close, and do a couple of tests, with just the lightstands, and the bags weighed down. I don't have a cart at the moment, so, I have to carry everything by myself...and that can be a little tedious, when walking about 500-600 yards to the actual location, and back! Can't/don't really ask the models to do that...so, it's time to look into a solution, for the stuff that I have to carry.

Apprecaite the tips...for sure!

[TMR Design]

I hear you. I don't have an assistant and depending on which kit and how much gear I have I either use a folding handtruck or I throw the bags into a backpack and it goes on my back, which makes it pretty reasonable to carry.

[inthedeck]

I hear ya..but, my back is already weighed down, with my camera gear. I carry everything in the backpack, so, all I realistically need is a cart for the stands, tripod, and sand bags/weights/etc.

Blasphemous wind! :lol:

[fotofitness]

Appreciate it...and 'really' good thinkin'! Thanks for the link, as well! One other question comes to mind...when you take these on flights, do they let you lock them? I'm just curious....

Yes I use Pelican TSA locks. The screeners can use a special key to unlock them without knowing the combination.

[inthedeck]

Yes I use Pelican TSA locks. The screeners can use a special key to unlock them without knowing the combination.

Cool. I used those as well, on our last trip. Both my wife and I had them on our suitcases. Her's were gone, by the time we got back home, while mine were intact. :( Dunno who to blame there, but we were a little peeved.

[Benji]

I usually shoot where there is ground under the light stand and not concrete, so I take a $3.00 bungee cord and a $4.00 "spiral tie out stake" normally used to keep your dog in the yard http://www.gundogsupply.com/spirtieoutst.html and it has never failed even wih gusts of 25 to 30mph. Screw the stake into the ground, place the light stand directly over it, run the bungee cord through the handle and around one of the tightening nuts on the stand.

Benji

[inthedeck]

Good tip there, Benji. Thanks for the link, as well. Sometimes, it's concrete, sometimes, it dirt/grass/sand, etc. It's the days on concrete that are the worst. But, I appreciate it.

[DDCSD]

I bought 6 of the 10lb workout ankle weights from Wal-Mart that was suggested to me in another thread for my two stands. I put 1 on each leg. I'm pretty amazed at how much they sturdy the stand up.

I have not used modifiers outside yet in the wind though, so I have no idea if this would be enough weight or not. I guess you could use 6 weights per stand for a total of 60lbs. Being a bit paranoid, I'd likely use stake-outs as suggested above.

The nice thing about the ankle weights is that they are $15 for a set of two and they have a velcro strap that will help keep them in place.

Here is the thread I started regarding sand bags:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=618367&highlight=sand+bags

[inthedeck]

Thanks Derek...I'm going to do a test in a few days (once the rain stops here) after getting some weights. I'll put up the umbrella on a stand, put the weights on the stand, and take it outside, on a windy day (goodness knows there's enough of those around here). :lol: As long as nothing goes belly-up, I should be good. Then, I'll try the soft-box, and see how that goes...!

Appreciate it.

[trailblazer]

I bought 6 of the 10lb workout ankle weights from Wal-Mart that was suggested to me in another thread for my two stands. I put 1 on each leg. I'm pretty amazed at how much they sturdy the stand up.

I have not used modifiers outside yet in the wind though, so I have no idea if this would be enough weight or not. I guess you could use 6 weights per stand for a total of 60lbs. Being a bit paranoid, I'd likely use stake-outs as suggested above.

The nice thing about the ankle weights is that they are $15 for a set of two and they have a velcro strap that will help keep them in place.

Here is the thread I started regarding sand bags:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=618367&highlight=sand+bags

But doesn't that mean you have to carry those weights with you?
That is heavy...

I am looking to go the strobist route and I think it would totally defeat the purpose if I have to walk with 60 pounds in ankle weights.

It was suggested to me to use sandbags, but I always wondered what people put in the sandbags while out there on location when you are not sure of the environment.
Also, does that mean you walk with a foldable shovel or something?

[inthedeck]

I guess that's where a rolling cart of some sort comes in. This way, you don't technically have to 'carry' it, you roll the stuff along.

[TMR Design]

I guess that's where a rolling cart of some sort comes in. This way, you don't technically have to 'carry' it, you roll the stuff along.

Exactly. :D

Once my kit got too big and heavy to throw over my shoulder and on my back and decided to add a good quality hand truck to make my life simple.... and it does. ;)

[inthedeck]

Robert, do you take your BX400's on location? Or still use flashes out there? I was wondering what I'd do, come time when I have studio type lights? Not exactly sure that it would be a wise idea to take them out...that's why I'm wondering if you, or anyone else, does or not.

[pepperoni]

Maybe this has been covered already, but C-stands and sandbags are your friends for windy location work. C-stands are steel, not aluminum so the stands themselves weigh about three times as much as less expensive aluminum stands, and they won't bend.

For inexpensive carriers, look at wheeled travel bags for golf clubs (my personal fave) :)

[inthedeck]

pepperoni...got a link to where one might find c-stands? Just curious. Also, do you take your bees out on location?

EDIT: I did do a google search, and found a few things. Looks like some are nice and heavy...which might just be pretty good.

[TMR Design]

Robert, do you take your BX400's on location? Or still use flashes out there? I was wondering what I'd do, come time when I have studio type lights? Not exactly sure that it would be a wise idea to take them out...that's why I'm wondering if you, or anyone else, does or not.

Ever since I discovered that two 400ws Elinchrom multi-voltage strobes couldn't be powered by the Vagabond or Tronix I switched over the a Speedlight kit.

I do take my 400BX's with me when I know I have access to electricity and I am thinking about upgrading the location kit when the Spring comes but honestly, since I work by myself with no assistant I'm not thrilled with the idea of strobes and portable power. The few times I did that I felt more like a roadie than a photographer and I'm not all that enthusiastic about all the physical work that goes along with location work.

So for now I'm sticking with Speedlight's and it allows me to carry the stands and modifiers I need by myself without too much effort.

I know that down the road I'll be upgrading but the bottom line is that I'm not being limited by the Speedlight kit. It works great and with 2 SB-800's working as my main light source and a Black Box for power I get lots of power, fast recycle times and long battery life.

[GenuineRolla]

I'm a big fan of the AlienBee 13' Heavy Duty light stands. Has a 42" foot print, thick tubing, very nice construction.

If you're using an umbrella, with breeze..it'll fall over no matter what so having someone else there to help out is a really good thing to have.

Usually outdoors for my main light, I use a beauty dish that is boomed out over the subjects, so that isn't affected by wind as much as other modifiers would be.

[inthedeck]

Oops...400BX's. My fault...

Your statement about "I felt more like a roadie than a photographer" almost made me fall out of my chair. Just too funny! :lol: I'm still laughing.

I hear ya though, and that's why I'm wondering what I should do...about a new set of lights. Currently, I use 2 580's, and 1 430EX on location, triggered by PCB CS's. Works out pretty well...but, in sunny conditions, not always the best thing to use, and they definitely can't over power the Sun.

And the last thing it boils down to is stands, and their holding capacity.

[GenuineRolla]

^^

You always could use the sun as back lighting and those pocket strobes should be able to fill in the shaddows on the people's faces, etc.

[TMR Design]

Oops...400BX's. My fault...

Your statement about "I felt more like a roadie than a photographer" almost made me fall out of my chair. Just too funny! :lol: I'm still laughing.

I hear ya though, and that's why I'm wondering what I should do...about a new set of lights. Currently, I use 2 580's, and 1 430EX on location, triggered by PCB CS's. Works out pretty well...but, in sunny conditions, not always the best thing to use, and they definitely can't over power the Sun.

And the last thing it boils down to is stands, and their holding capacity.

One thing to consider, and something that everyone seems to overlook or disregard is the concept of subtractive lighting. I see post after post from people that want to combat or overpower the sun but no one is talking about subtracting light.

There are tons of videos all over YouTube and other sources that show professionals shooting on sunny days and at the beach and in almost all instances they are using scrims, sun swatters, and diffusion devices to cut the Sun's light by 1, 2 or 3 stops.

So rather than always thinking of massive amounts of power and spending a fortune for strobes with 600, 1000, or 2000 ws it makes so much more sense to approach the problem from the other end.

If you're out on a sunny day and lets say you're metering the light that falls on your subject from the Sun at f/22 then that means that if you want to be 2 stops brighter you need to be able to produce f/45 from your strobes. Not only is that going to require an enormous amount of power but you're probably going to have to work your modifiers at very close range, and that may not be the most practical thing.

If you have a 2 or 3 stop scrim between the Sun and your subject(s) then you can cut back the Sun's light so you're metering f/8 or f/11. Now you only need to produce f/16 or f/22 with your strobes. Much better!

If the Sun is only giving you f/16 then everything drops down by another stop and you're back in the realm of what your mid-powered strobes can do.

You can use diffusion panels, scrims, sun screens or the more elaborate and very expensive California Sunbounce devices. Granted, California Sunbounce sun swatters can cost as much as high powered strobes but you don't have to go to that extreme.

Using scrims can be a powerful and inexpensive solution. It's something to consider and gives you a different way of approaching this whole 'overpowering the Sun' thing.

[inthedeck]

Oh, I agree Robert, but again, I'm a one man team. If I had Curtis' assistant, that might be one thing...but, as reality would have it, I don't. Thus, holding up a scrim and trying to take pictures doesn't really help the cause, in 'my' particular instance. Though, I suppose if I were to go back to the beach again, I could find some random co-worker to come and help out...I'm almost sure they wouldn't mind...hehe.

In the meanwhile, I'm not really trying to over power the Sun, but, in some dark situations, where modelling lights aren't available with speedlites/speedlights, it would be a nice feature to have outside. I've read up on the makeshift modelling lights, with flashlights, and such...so, that's something better than nothing, at this point.

I'm going to have a talk with the wife, and maybe, just maybe, she'll let me use the 'currently' empty dining room as a studio space. If that's the case, and she does say 'yes,' then, well I can have more people come over, rather than me going out on location all the time. I spend lots of time finding new places, exploring new areas, etc. so that's not an issue as far as location type backgrounds. But, sometimes, it's just nice to have more control over light...and not having to worry about conditions outside, etc.

Until then, I'll find a solution for my light stands, and continue to use off camera flashes, to get the job done, as best I can.

Thanks for the info. genuinerolla...much appreciated. I'll continue my quest...and do what I can, for now, to prevent mishaps from happening! So far, I've been OK...with only a couple of bent umbrella rods. Nothing that I couldn't bend back into place.

Here's a picture, of the area in question, from Sundays' shoot...which is the reason I started this thread. Click Here. (http://inthedeck.smugmug.com/gallery/7083583_7PvWL/1/454020167_wprAY#454020167_wprAY-L-LB)

Thanks again!

[DDCSD]

But doesn't that mean you have to carry those weights with you?
That is heavy...

I am looking to go the strobist route and I think it would totally defeat the purpose if I have to walk with 60 pounds in ankle weights.

It was suggested to me to use sandbags, but I always wondered what people put in the sandbags while out there on location when you are not sure of the environment.
Also, does that mean you walk with a foldable shovel or something?


Just strap them around your ankles and wrists, then you get a work out while you treck to your location. ;)

If you're in windy conditions, it doesn't matter it its an AB800 or 540EZ on the light stand, its the umbrella that's going make the whole setup fly away. ;) You'll still need to have that stand anchored in some way.

[inthedeck]

I agree, Derek. The light stand without the umbrella would be just fine...but once that thing goes onto the light stand, it's over. :(

[Hermes]

One thing to consider, and something that everyone seems to overlook or disregard is the concept of subtractive lighting. I see post after post from people that want to combat or overpower the sun but no one is talking about subtracting light.

There are tons of videos all over YouTube and other sources that show professionals shooting on sunny days and at the beach and in almost all instances they are using scrims, sun swatters, and diffusion devices to cut the Sun's light by 1, 2 or 3 stops.

So rather than always thinking of massive amounts of power and spending a fortune for strobes with 600, 1000, or 2000 ws it makes so much more sense to approach the problem from the other end.

If you're out on a sunny day and lets say you're metering the light that falls on your subject from the Sun at f/22 then that means that if you want to be 2 stops brighter you need to be able to produce f/45 from your strobes. Not only is that going to require an enormous amount of power but you're probably going to have to work your modifiers at very close range, and that may not be the most practical thing.

If you have a 2 or 3 stop scrim between the Sun and your subject(s) then you can cut back the Sun's light so you're metering f/8 or f/11. Now you only need to produce f/16 or f/22 with your strobes. Much better!

If the Sun is only giving you f/16 then everything drops down by another stop and you're back in the realm of what your mid-powered strobes can do.

You can use diffusion panels, scrims, sun screens or the more elaborate and very expensive California Sunbounce devices. Granted, California Sunbounce sun swatters can cost as much as high powered strobes but you don't have to go to that extreme.

Using scrims can be a powerful and inexpensive solution. It's something to consider and gives you a different way of approaching this whole 'overpowering the Sun' thing.

It's a good point but the problem is that many people who shoot on location, do so to shoot full-length and incorporate as much of the feel and depth of the surroundings as possible. Setting up a scrim large enough to shade an area this big takes as much, if not more manpower, weight and cost as using higher-powered strobes would.

When I've had to rent big screens for jobs, I've always had at least one assistant to take care of it, and even then, I'd have much rather had an extra stop or two of power or x-sync which is why nowadays I find it cheaper and less stressful to go with a power-pack for outdoor summer work than go through the hassle of subtractive lighting and getting extra help to setup & manage it.

I actually think your solution of multiple hotshoe flashes on one bracket is still the best solution for both power and portability. I'm currently looking at making a square bracket that will hold four 540EZs (two upright, two upside down) to light an octabox or a 60" photogenic. Combined with silver reflectors for accent lighting, white reflectors for fill (the good thing about using reflectors is that you can always get a workable ratio with your key light) and some CC gels, I reckon that setup could allow me to do most outdoor work with very lightweight equipment that I could easily sling over my shoulder.

[inthedeck]

^^Let me know when you build it, I'd like to see the design of that device! I think it'd be pretty darn cool, as long as it works correctly. I'm sure I could find some sucker on the beach, to help the cause. I don't like to shoot at the beach much...but sometimes it's inevitable!

[TMR Design]

It's a good point but the problem is that many people who shoot on location, do so to shoot full-length and incorporate as much of the feel and depth of the surroundings as possible. Setting up a scrim large enough to shade an area this big takes as much, if not more manpower, weight and cost as using higher-powered strobes would.

Absolutely Hermes, bur for those that are doing single subject shooting, even full length, can get away with scrims and diffusers that are not all that large, heavy or expensive, and if it means carrying a few extra light stands and some sandbags it may be heavy but certainly wouldn't cost what an Elinchrom Ranger or comparable solution would cost.

I'm just trying to open people's eyes up to other options and to the concept of subtractive lighting, just as we would use negative fill in the studio. It's something else to be aware of and in the right situation could make shooting in the sun possible.

Regarding the Speedlight kit, I love it. It's light, fast to setup, easy to use, super compact and portable and my entire location kit fits into 3 bags.. one over my shoulder, one on my back and the other carried by hand. It gives me everything I need for a variety of lighting scenarios and lets me work on my own without needing an assistant or a handtruck to actually trek the gear to the location.

[TMR Design]

I'm currently looking at making a square bracket that will hold four 540EZs (two upright, two upside down) to light an octabox or a 60" photogenic.

Ahhh, I didn't know you were a DIY-custom-bracket-fabricating guy.. lolol

4 hot shoe flashes firing into a modifier sounds great. I'd like to see the bracket when you make it.

[pepperoni]

Also, do you take your bees out on location?


Yes, and that's the main reason I bought them. They're lightweight and cheap enough to replace if I bust one. If I end up buying a pack/head kit, I'll keep the PCB stuff for some location work.

Avenger C stand & grip arm
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/289149-REG/Avenger_A225SCBK_A225SCBK_Black_Turtle_Base.html

Avenger boom arm
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/331474-REG/Avenger_D600CB_D600CB_Mini_Boom_.html

[Hermes]

Ahhh, I didn't know you were a DIY-custom-bracket-fabricating guy.. lolol

4 hot shoe flashes firing into a modifier sounds great. I'd like to see the bracket when you make it.

Honestly, I'm not that type of guy at all - when I finish something like this I usually lose or give away the tools I used to make it and hope that I'll never need them again.

Unfortunately, when I need something for my work that I can't find sold anywhere, I don't really have much choice but to make it myself. When I hire someone else to do these things, 99% of the time, they screw something up as they're not photographers and they don't really understand all the little intricacies that make these solutions work properly.

One day I'll take some pics of the pre-filter that I made and post them up here - allows you to gel the strobe independently of the modifier so you can use colour-correction gels with things like beauty dishes and large softboxes that cant take be gelled at the front. Very nearly lost a finger making that one :)

[inthedeck]

Yes, and that's the main reason I bought them. They're lightweight and cheap enough to replace if I bust one. If I end up buying a pack/head kit, I'll keep the PCB stuff for some location work.

Avenger C stand & grip arm
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/289149-REG/Avenger_A225SCBK_A225SCBK_Black_Turtle_Base.html

Avenger boom arm
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/331474-REG/Avenger_D600CB_D600CB_Mini_Boom_.html

Thanks for the links, and info. Much appreciated.

[M Powered]

Best thing is get an assistant. As this is the only fool proof way of avoiding the wind blowing your gear over.

Stupidest thing I did was during the summer. Had my buddy strap a VBII unit to his back, hold the strobe attached with a softbox with his two hands and using his body as a light stand. I had him enter the water to position the strobe slightly behind the model. This would be safter than using a lightstand...

[inthedeck]

I hear ya Kesler...an assistant would be cool to have...but not many assistants want to work for free. :lol: We'll see when the time comes I suppose. For now, I have what I have and make do. Good thing about having models bring escorts, though....is that their escort can hold those things. ;)

Good thing the battery pack didn't fall into the water! That could have been a shocked assistant. :shock:

[M Powered]

I hear ya Kesler...an assistant would be cool to have...but not many assistants want to work for free. :lol: We'll see when the time comes I suppose. For now, I have what I have and make do. Good thing about having models bring escorts, though....is that their escort can hold those things. ;)

Good thing the battery pack didn't fall into the water! That could have been a shocked assistant. :shock:

The "Buddy" was the models escort. I just called him buddy because it makes it easier to tell him to do things LOL. Me, "Hey Buddy, why don't you hold this battery pack and enter the water, your GF will love the shot." Him, "Sure man, what ever it takes to get the shot." Me, "You have no idea. LOL"

It was funny at first, but giving it a 2nd thought I would have felt really bad had something happened to him. So simple rule, No escorts!

[inthedeck]

^^ So how do you deal with holding up your lights, in the wind, when there's no escorts?

[TMR Design]

The "Buddy" was the models escort. I just called him buddy because it makes it easier to tell him to do things LOL. Me, "Hey Buddy, why don't you hold this battery pack and enter the water, your GF will love the shot." Him, "Sure man, what ever it takes to get the shot." Me, "You have no idea. LOL"

It was funny at first, but giving it a 2nd thought I would have felt really bad had something happened to him. So simple rule, No escorts!

Slightly off topic but in response to Kesler's post....

Escorts can be a real problem. They are distractions and can cause the model to become inhibited or self conscious. When the escort is a boyfriend it can really screw up the flow and vibe of a shoot. I don't insist on 'no escorts' but I try very hard to have the models understand. A female friend is better than a male but even then they will distract the model and I've had a few times when you can see in the shots that the focus of attention was not on the camera and the shot and her eyes were looking to the side or in the direction of the 'friend'. I had one session where the female friend wouldn't shut up and and was talking on her cell phone for half the shoot. I've since implemented the 'no guests on cell phones' rule. LOLOL.

[Wilt]

A female assistant, not a friend/relative of the client, is best. She can not only 'chaparone' as a witness so that no one is accused of any inappropriate behavior, but she can also suggest poses, etc. with less self-consciousness of the client.

[Firotechnics]

It's all depend what size softbox or octobox you have attached to the light I've heard of 50lbs on one c-stand with a octobox and it still wasn't enough to stand on a windy day, so it all depends on what your using a what stands, It's always better to have more than you need as long as it's not a long walk from the car.

[newbie builder]

cinder blocks. Just add more till it stays up. LOL
I actually was shooting near a pile of bricks once and ended up putting one on each foot of the light stand....had really gusty wind that day, worst I'd ever worked with since I was near the coast, and the umbrella never once bit the dust :)

I usually don't have very high winds so I just tie an extra camera bag full of lenses to the bottom of the stand and that's usually enough to keep the thing put. If I'm in a wilderness setting, a few big rocks on the stand's feet. I'd love to get assistants, but can't afford them, so unless the subject has somebody with them, I'm usually S.O.L.
At least I just shoot with speedlights on location and those things are tough, mine have fallen onto concrete more times than I care to count and show no signs of the abuse they've been subjected to.

[Karl Johnston]

Have you tried setting up a bunker? In all seriousness, it may work to choose locations that block the wind and work with those, or bring along some wooden boards with supports to block the wind around the area it's coming from :) arc the wind around you...may work, you never know..$ be cheap too.

Or buy heavier stands, there's some old school ones you can get that weigh a ton and are cheap too. Problem is hauling them around, it's really just a lot easier to avoid the windy locations or have someone hold them down for you

[inthedeck]

Kajuah...I was in a parking garage, in the middle, covered, and the wind was STILL strong. Since we are so close to the coast here, there's 'aways' a breeze...sometimes, not as heavy as others...and sometimes, so strong that peoples' hair is all over the place during shots.

Wilt, Firotech., NB, thanks for the info. I did go to one place, where the dirt was really soft, and just dug the stands into the ground...that seemed to hold them for a bit. I guess sometimes, one has to be creative, not only with the photography, but, with the placement of stands, too! :)

[aaiezz]

while we're on this topic, just a quick question, where can i find power supplies to power the 'brella lights and the softboxes on like a beach setting, and what sort of power supplies should i be looking at and where can i find them??

[edit]

all good i found the perfect power supply on alienbees! =]

[inthedeck]

Yeap, was just gonna say, the vagabond II is pretty nice, for it's price point.

[aaiezz]

noobie question though, how much can the vagabond support for anyone who's used it on the field? because it looks great for it's value and power punch, but being applied on the field by photographers is a different story as well

[umphotography]

One thing to consider, and something that everyone seems to overlook or disregard is the concept of subtractive lighting. I see post after post from people that want to combat or overpower the sun but no one is talking about subtracting light.

There are tons of videos all over YouTube and other sources that show professionals shooting on sunny days and at the beach and in almost all instances they are using scrims, sun swatters, and diffusion devices to cut the Sun's light by 1, 2 or 3 stops.

So rather than always thinking of massive amounts of power and spending a fortune for strobes with 600, 1000, or 2000 ws it makes so much more sense to approach the problem from the other end.

If you're out on a sunny day and lets say you're metering the light that falls on your subject from the Sun at f/22 then that means that if you want to be 2 stops brighter you need to be able to produce f/45 from your strobes. Not only is that going to require an enormous amount of power but you're probably going to have to work your modifiers at very close range, and that may not be the most practical thing.

If you have a 2 or 3 stop scrim between the Sun and your subject(s) then you can cut back the Sun's light so you're metering f/8 or f/11. Now you only need to produce f/16 or f/22 with your strobes. Much better!

If the Sun is only giving you f/16 then everything drops down by another stop and you're back in the realm of what your mid-powered strobes can do.

You can use diffusion panels, scrims, sun screens or the more elaborate and very expensive California Sunbounce devices. Granted, California Sunbounce sun swatters can cost as much as high powered strobes but you don't have to go to that extreme.

Using scrims can be a powerful and inexpensive solution. It's something to consider and gives you a different way of approaching this whole 'overpowering the Sun' thing.


as always,,you guys are the best

here ya go,,found this on you tube---good info here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2mQZRDUYj8

[TMR Design]

as always,,you guys are the best

here ya go,,found this on you tube---good info here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2mQZRDUYj8

Hi slowdad,

Good find. That's exactly the idea and whether you're using strobes or not the comncept is the same.

Another thing to consider in all of this is that regardless of whether you can combat or over power the Sun, when the bright and harsh light from the Sun gets in the eyes of the subject it can cause them to squint or take on an unnatural look that quite often shows some degree of discomfort. Not flattering at all.

[DDCSD]

noobie question though, how much can the vagabond support for anyone who's used it on the field? because it looks great for it's value and power punch, but being applied on the field by photographers is a different story as well

How do you mean? Number of lights? Number of full power pops?