Post Your Favorite "Off Camera Hot Shoe Flash" Shots

phamster wrote in post #8537483
while what Matt has stated is true..

when working with shutter speed @ 200 or below and speed lites keeping your fstop around 2-8... the general rule that i have stated does apply.

the shutter speeds controls ambient light is still a valid statement..

i have not notice much difference in ambient light when i move the fstop around ( 3-7 ) and keep the shutter speeds the same..

what i do notice is when i bump ISO around.. then the whole scene is change and you have to find new numbers..

Matto is correct.. but i wanted to state the 2 main rules for those who haven't worked with flash and ambient and where to start.

from last nights double senior shoot

phamster

Love your work, been following your post here and on the AB thread.

I am wondering why it seems like when you started using the AB and BD the sky and some of the background looks washed out, I think it looked better when you were using the 580 and Softbox.

I am a total novice and still learning a lot from you guys, specially you and Tony, you guys are great and I love your setup pictures, they help quite a bit.

Mike

gonzogolf wrote in post #8571336
The lighting looks natural, although a bit too flat perhaps. Did you smooth her skin?

I did smooth her skin. What can I do to make it not as flat?

Tawcan wrote in post #8571645
I did smooth her skin. What can I do to make it not as flat?

Try moving the light a little more to one side or the other so she has a little bit of shadowing. It gives a little contour, although like I said you balanced it nicely so thats a nitpick. The bigger concern is that you oversmoothed her face, its too soft.

gonzogolf wrote in post #8571677
Try moving the light a little more to one side or the other so she has a little bit of shadowing. It gives a little contour, although like I said you balanced it nicely so thats a nitpick. The bigger concern is that you oversmoothed her face, its too soft.

Her skin is quite smooth to begin with, maybe I shouldn't smooth her skin to begin with? Just used the standard "soften skin" mask in LR.

Here's another one,

Tawcan wrote in post #8571719
Her skin is quite smooth to begin with, maybe I shouldn't smooth her skin to begin with? Just used the standard "soften skin" mask in LR.

Here's another one,

I dont use lightroom, so I cant comment on that, but it looked like her face was soft focus, and the rest of the photo was sharp.


Too much shadow in her face? Since she was so low on the ground and my light stand doesn't go low enough, what do I do to shine more face onto her face with an umbrella?

I think the shadow is fine. you can always use a bit of poster board or foam core if you have it to reflect little bit of light back upwards if you want. I think this one could be a bit brighter as the whites in her could be a tiny bit brighter, this would bring the shadow area on her face up just a tiny bit, but once again this is pretty nitpicky.

tonyr0584 wrote in post #7427202
I wanted to share my OCF process with you guys..... others may do the same or even have something totally different that they do:

When shooting wireless, which is most of the time, we either shoot via the built-in IR of the Canon Flash or we have just started using Radio Poppers. We like both of these because they both allow for us to shoot using eTTL. This takes a lot of the guess work out of the equation for me. Also allows for the ability to shoot with High Speed Sync enabled.... meaning I can shoot in full sun.... at f2.8 and get great blue skies and soft backgrounds which I prefer.

Camera settings are pretty normal: Av mode most of the time...... if light is getting low I will switch to Manual to prevent the camera from dropping to slow shutter speeds. Evaluative metering..... I do not worry about ratios when dealing with the flash..... set flash to eTTL.... take shot.... review pic on lcd.... if it looks hot or not light enough..... have my assistant move forward or backward..... to me much faster than fooling with the controls..... although I can control with the controls.... if my assistant plays sick for the day....

I shoot with a 580 mounted on either a monopod or stand.... have been using LumiQuest Softbox..... but just started using the Apollo box..... really like it.... its bigger. I have a 550 mounted on camera to serve as the master flash. I never shoot in manual mode for the flash always eTTL.

Wanted to share and hope this can be of help to anyone wanting to try OCF.... once you start I don't believe you will turn back.....

I have the 580 EXII was going to go with the pw mini and flex units then researched them and read all the horror stories with the 580EXII. I want to get my 580 EXII, if I purchase another 580EXII can I use one as a master and the other as a slave or do I need more gear? Thanks for all your helpfull information

Prairiemaiden wrote in post #8572955
I have the 580 EXII was going to go with the pw mini and flex units then researched them and read all the horror stories with the 580EXII. I want to get my 580 EXII, if I purchase another 580EXII can I use one as a master and the other as a slave or do I need more gear? Thanks for all your helpfull information

I have the mini and flex plus 580ex II and have had no problems in or outdoors. The reviews I saw that put the PW's below the RP's were the ones that tested the setup at extreme ranges. I personally don't shoot portraits with a 600mm f4 so the setup works great for me. Its real nice to have just the small transmitter on top. I put the off camera shoe cord on the flash and TT5 to keep the flash closer to the umbrella plus it feels more secure. Its a workaround on their site to reduce interference also. I already had the cord for my flash bracket so it was of no additional cost to me.

tekangel wrote in post #8571557
Love your work, been following your post here and on the AB thread.

I am wondering why it seems like when you started using the AB and BD the sky and some of the background looks washed out, I think it looked better when you were using the 580 and Softbox.

I am a total novice and still learning a lot from you guys, specially you and Tony, you guys are great and I love your setup pictures, they help quite a bit.

Mike

these shoots above you talking about were around F9 the sun was still strong.. and i had to kill it down as much as i could..
when i was using the other set up.. i shot even one hour later in the day.. that is why the sky was not so washed out, because it was really dark outside.

here are some more..

gconda wrote in post #8573095
I have the mini and flex plus 580ex II and have had no problems in or outdoors. The reviews I saw that put the PW's below the RP's were the ones that tested the setup at extreme ranges. I personally don't shoot portraits with a 600mm f4 so the setup works great for me. Its real nice to have just the small transmitter on top. I put the off camera shoe cord on the flash and TT5 to keep the flash closer to the umbrella plus it feels more secure. Its a workaround on their site to reduce interference also. I already had the cord for my flash bracket so it was of no additional cost to me.

couldn't say any better..

Beautiful work as always phamster, these look a lot better, in my novice eyes.

I did read the tri coast review and understand those were at long ranges,I did some research this week and it seems there are other issues as well. Reliability, full dumps, cheap plastic breaking. Many people say they can not get over 30 feet and sometimes 10 to 15 feet they have problems. I checked PW website and even they don't recommend the 580EXII. They tell you on their own website on the support link pdf, here is the statement.

"Use flashes that have no noise issues, including the 430EX II, 550EX and the 270EX. With the optimized output provided by the ControlTL System, the 430EXII provides almost as much light as the bigger 580EX II. This flash is smaller and less expensive then the 580EX II. Another alternative is the 270EX flash. The range of this flash is almost as good as the 430EX II. It is compact and easy to carry with the FlexTT5."
They make a flash trigger for Canons and make a statement like the above. Pretty poor marketing.

Prairiemaiden wrote in post #8573489
"Use flashes that have no noise issues, including the 430EX II, 550EX and the 270EX. With the optimized output provided by the ControlTL System, the 430EXII provides almost as much light as the bigger 580EX II. This flash is smaller and less expensive then the 580EX II. Another alternative is the 270EX flash. The range of this flash is almost as good as the 430EX II. It is compact and easy to carry with the FlexTT5."
They make a flash trigger for Canons and make a statement like the above. Pretty poor marketing.

that is why my signature says what it says.. but my 430EXII doesn't work that great too at times... so i just have them to use when it is low stress work.. but for underpressure.. i dont even think about it..

phamster

I am looking at your photos, and then the others. No disrespect to others, but your are better. Skin tones, light is much more Magazine quality. That must come with the knowledge of light, exposure, experience....
My skies are burnt when I use flash outdoors
Can you tell me an aprox. exposure, light set up, especially METERING of an image like this one?
greatly appreciate it.
G

Loving 1 Pixel.....great PP work