Ringlight test, ABR800

sfaust wrote in post #2478472
Its not flat per se, but it has a specularity, a lack of any shadow, and still gives you depth that I think is the main attraction to ring flash. Especially for fashion designers. It shows clothing very well, and keeps the texture of the clothing which allows the viewer to 'feel' the fabric. And thats important to them in catalog and advertising.

I am very puzzled... except for the first photo, in the OP, I see absolutely no hint of texture in any shots taken with theses lights, in any of the links in this thread! For that matter, it is even hard to see the folds in the cloth as it drapes!

I think what is most important to these designers is to NOT make the model look too attractive, and distract the viewer from the clothes. It does that!

Most of the time you want no shadows on the clothing especially if taken for the younger crowd. The designer wants the clothes to be bright the texture is not always priority. If texture is needed, we use a 90 degree sidelight along with the ringflash and many reflectors or absorbers.

Depending on what the designer is looking for, many times in fashion advertising showing the clothing featured in the ad is even optional. Look though any of the main fasion magazines and not the number of full page ads showing a model wearing the clothing, but the clothing isn't prominent in the image. Sometimes blurred, hidden in shadows, blow out hightlight, etc. In those instances, they are setting a mood and desire in the buyers minds, and not using the ad to convey the feel or look of the clothing itself.

In contrast, when shooting for catalogs, they really want to show the buyer as much as they can about the clothing. They want them to understand the texture, how it might feel if they were to touch it, how it might drape when worn, and show accurate colors. Its a much different type of shoot.

So yea, it really depends in the end. Ring flash works in some instances, and not so well in others. Knowing when to use it or not based on the clients needs is the key.

Always loved Ric Diaz's use of ring ligting albeit he uses a homemade contraption.
Not sure if he is a member of this forum or not. I like his explaination that it like using a lighted vanity mirror. http://flickr.com/phot​os/ricdiaz2/
Cap'n Keel

I was at a fashion show last night and ended up using the ring flash for all the backstage images. Not so much for its lighting characteristics, but because it was light weight, easily portable, minimal setup, and all I needed to drag around backstage was a single AC extension cord and I had somewhat decent lighting. I couldn't setup lights since I was so limited on time with each model, and there was a lack of space with all the people running around. I also didn't want to shoot a typical on or off camera speedlight scenario. So this worked out well I thought. Sometimes using one is just a matter of convenience and practical concerns.

Here are two images from the show.

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Sfaust, these are 2 of the best shots I've seen so far from the ABR800.
The skin tone and colour in these, especialy the first one, really are great!
Do you have secrets as to how you metered, or just trial and error, or did you use a flash meter?
One thing that you do not get with a small ring is the large ring in the eyes. Although, that in itself does not make a great portrait by any means. I had tried a fairly close picture with the moon unit, and even then I didn't get much more than a small circle in the eyes. I think using the large "classic circle" mat with the moon unit may help.

Thanks drisley. I didn't meter these, just adjusted the lighting based on past experience, and tweaked it as needed based on distance from the subject. I generally use a meter, but I just didn't have the time to do so during this shoot.

I actually prefer the smaller point highlight vs the larger ring highlight in the eyes. Its one of the reasons I like the ABR vs the other ring flashes. When using the larger ring flashes, I always edited out the ring catchlight anyway. I felt it was too unnatural and not something you would see in a normal environment. The smaller point highlight seems more natural as if there was a bright light over the photographers shoulder. The ABR saves me that retouching, so I'm happy

What other gear was used witht he ringflash for these models? Lens, body with or without battery grip etc. Thanks...

Canon 1DsMkII, 24-70mm 2.8L, ABR800 ring flash, sync cord, 15' AC extension cord, 4GB CF card. That's it.

Thanks. I just got my ringflash couple weeks ago and it is still sitting in the box. Work has been to busy for me to mess with it. I was hopinh 1dmk2n work work fine, but I did pick up a 5d also in the event their was issues. I was also hopinh my 24-70 would work and I see it does. Just about to order a 851.8 to try with it also.

Anyone have any experience with the 50 1.4 and the Ringflash?

The 1DsMII is tall, but it mounts fine. The camear is heavy, and it puts a lot of stress on the moutning setup. The ABR800 isn't a heavy duty setup, and the plastic used seems brittle to me and likely to crack with time. So I would try to treat it a bit more carefully than you might normally. You can adjust the depth and height of the camera fairly easily, but with use it doesn't always seem to keep its center, and during using I seem to adjust it every hour or so. When the lens is mounted, its hard to access the focus ring on the lens, so AF is pretty much a necessity (I still use MF 95% of the time).

I've used it with a 85mm f1.2, so it should work well with the 85mm 1.8 you are getting. Haven't tried it with the 50mm 1.4 though.

Thanks for the info. I am excited to start playing with it.

Sfaust, great information. Are you using the new, more robust mounting kit from AB?
It's a nice improvement over the old one. The reason AB used the materials they used is to keep the weight down. Can you imagine how heavy the ABR would be otherwise?

I got mine off backorder order that shipped in late January, they told me I was getting the 'new' design etc. I feel a bit better about that.

sfaust: On emore question if you do no mind. Do you shoot witht he white diffuser on or off for most of your shots? The ringflash is new to me and their is not any great information about shooting with it. Thanks!