Thats what I call a MacGiver approach and I'm just not that talented to think of doing that. Seriously, it is really super.
Well that is saying something! ...and thanks so much for the resource you have provided with this thread! I have learned everything I know about photography and lighting from people like you. Not a single class, just learning from doing and research on the web/ lusting over gear and what it does.
All of these were with the beauty dish and some wall paper and some cloth from the local fabric store total $23.00. Clipped three strips together and had some styro foam between white towels and a heating pad to keep the youngin warm and sleepy. On the bare behind shot the dish was feather a lot to keep the light off the bkg some as there was enough light bouncing off the towels to reflect back to the face.
On the angel wings shot mom was laying on the floor with the baby on her chest. Ava did a great job at the age of 7 days.
Good to hear from you Travis. The flooring is a roll up rubber flooring made out of the same material as a "mouse pad". Just roll it out and then roll it up.
OK, the studio is set and I'm ready, I think, for the arrival of some really tiny ballerinas. Over the next three days I'm gonna be a tired puppy. Knees are already hurting.
The white bkg is just three sheets of white plastic corrugated sheets of plastic with two strobes lighting behind them. Main light is a plm umbrella with a reflector added. The model is always ready.
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Dark bkg is 2x2 vinyl ceiling tiles hot glued to some foam core board with a strobe on them. Two kickers to rim light and a softbox as a main with a reflector.
I played around with the Pocket Wizard Utility this morning to see if I could set my Elinchrom strobe for HSS (high speed sync); shutter speeds well beyond the 1/320 maximum of my Mark IV's. While in my garage, I was able to achieve 1/8000 of second without any black banding in the frame (freaky right?!?!). The light distribution from my BD was somewhat uneven, but my mind immediately started racing about how creative I could get with my current modifiers. After the kids got home from school, I took them to the playground & managed to snap a few. I had no intention of keeping these images but simply wanted to see what type of exposures I could achieve using HSS.
For this test, I left the PocketWizard Plus III at home & took the Mini TT1 & Flex TT5 system (designed for Canon speedlites). For me, the 3' Octabox gave more desirable results (less contrast & more even distribution). Having the ability to shoot at with a really shallow DOF (1.2, 1.4, 1.8) while using a studio strobe, makes me really excited about OCF!!! More importantly, being able to see potential issues (uneven light on the right side of their faces) should make it easier to perfect this setup by simply adding a diffusion scrim, reflector or simply moving my subjects. The below images were all shot around 1/2 power & ISO 100 (aperture & shutter speeds were adjusted accordingly). I'll post back later with better results later (possibly this weekend)!!!! All the best
Travis M. Chance
twin Mark IV's & a bunch of "L" glass site ∙ facebook
Travis, thanks for posting and hope all is going well for you. These are starting to look nice. Remember the story about the fan and how the air moves......apply that to the light and try to get it to skim more and not so straight on. Do you have a Hoodman? Might be easier to see the difference between the flash highlights and the sun, at least it is for me. I can't see much on that little screen. I always get burned when I try to use it. Do you want to bring the kids down for a play day?
Travis, thanks for posting and hope all is going well for you. These are starting to look nice. Remember the story about the fan and how the air moves......apply that to the light and try to get it to skim more and not so straight on. Do you have a Hoodman? Might be easier to see the difference between the flash highlights and the sun, at least it is for me. I can't see much on that little screen. I always get burned when I try to use it. Do you want to bring the kids down for a play day?
Thanks Charles! I don't own a Hoodman (ironically I bid for one on eBay a few hours ago)! After I'd gotten home, I heard you (whispering in my right ear) move your light to camera right & feather it across their faces)!!!:D. And yes, I'd love to bring them down for a play date. Slow for you right now?!?
Travis M. Chance
twin Mark IV's & a bunch of "L" glass site ∙ facebook
Gary, generally the flash is always about 5 to 6 ft away. We worked so many locations we were all over on the power. Anywhere from 1/16 to 1/2. If I'm in bright sunlight I use two lights on the stand.
LETS GET POSTING!!!!! This is supposed to be a HELP area so it doesn't matter what level you are at, post and wait for comments. We are willing to help everyone so don't worry about how good or bad your images are. There are many looks but few posts, LETS GET GOING!!
Not all of us include shooting our setup in the process we use to work lol.
Here is a TERRIBLE way to get high key by using umbrella spill and needing to use work after shooting to fix the white. Again, how NOT to shoot high key properly. (I was asked last minute, otherwise I would have lit people with a softbox'ed AB1600 and used the two flashes on the background but here we are...
Pullback:
Wally, do you get cross shadows with the lights in opposite directions?
Nope and I think it's because I'm shooting with umbrellas instead of softboxes or more directional light. The pictures above are almost SOOC (I've got a basic contrast/vignetting filter I run all of my pictures through on import). As you can see from the headshot, that's the lighting as shot.
Just a basic set up
Just a basic setup using two flashes combined for their power.
here you can see the shadow edge cast by the two flashes. I wanted more power so I used two flashes and an f stop of 7.1. I'm not a big advocate of "bokeh" and tend to like smaller f stops.
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This one is straight out of camera with a tiny adjustment of black point in Capture One. I use it instead of LightRoom because it is simply what I'm use to. Both are great programs.
Comments
Well that is saying something! ...and thanks so much for the resource you have provided with this thread! I have learned everything I know about photography and lighting from people like you. Not a single class, just learning from doing and research on the web/ lusting over gear and what it does.
Hope the setup is self explanatory.
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http://andeedesign.com/
twin Mark IV's & a bunch of "L" glass
site ∙ facebook
On the angel wings shot mom was laying on the floor with the baby on her chest. Ava did a great job at the age of 7 days.
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www.cameraone.biz
http://andeedesign.com/
twin Mark IV's & a bunch of "L" glass
site ∙ facebook
www.cameraone.biz
The white bkg is just three sheets of white plastic corrugated sheets of plastic with two strobes lighting behind them. Main light is a plm umbrella with a reflector added. The model is always ready.
1.
2.
Dark bkg is 2x2 vinyl ceiling tiles hot glued to some foam core board with a strobe on them. Two kickers to rim light and a softbox as a main with a reflector.
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Not my favorite picture from the shoot but it makes sense of the pull back:
And the pull back:
Hi! I'm Wally: website | blog | facebook | IG | scotchNsniff
Nikon addict. D610, Tok 11-16, Sig 24-35, Nik 24-70/70-200vr
For this test, I left the PocketWizard Plus III at home & took the Mini TT1 & Flex TT5 system (designed for Canon speedlites). For me, the 3' Octabox gave more desirable results (less contrast & more even distribution). Having the ability to shoot at with a really shallow DOF (1.2, 1.4, 1.8) while using a studio strobe, makes me really excited about OCF!!! More importantly, being able to see potential issues (uneven light on the right side of their faces) should make it easier to perfect this setup by simply adding a diffusion scrim, reflector or simply moving my subjects. The below images were all shot around 1/2 power & ISO 100 (aperture & shutter speeds were adjusted accordingly). I'll post back later with better results later (possibly this weekend)!!!! All the best
twin Mark IV's & a bunch of "L" glass
site ∙ facebook
www.cameraone.biz
Thanks Charles! I don't own a Hoodman (ironically I bid for one on eBay a few hours ago)! After I'd gotten home, I heard you (whispering in my right ear) move your light to camera right & feather it across their faces)!!!:D. And yes, I'd love to bring them down for a play date. Slow for you right now?!?
twin Mark IV's & a bunch of "L" glass
site ∙ facebook
www.cameraone.biz
And pullback:
Hi! I'm Wally: website | blog | facebook | IG | scotchNsniff
Nikon addict. D610, Tok 11-16, Sig 24-35, Nik 24-70/70-200vr
www.cameraone.biz
Thanks! I'm not sure how the pros do it but I read a few tips for shooting products and gave it a shot
Hi! I'm Wally: website | blog | facebook | IG | scotchNsniff
Nikon addict. D610, Tok 11-16, Sig 24-35, Nik 24-70/70-200vr
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www.cameraone.biz
GaryB
“The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it!” - Ansel Adams
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Here is a TERRIBLE way to get high key by using umbrella spill and needing to use work after shooting to fix the white. Again, how NOT to shoot high key properly. (I was asked last minute, otherwise I would have lit people with a softbox'ed AB1600 and used the two flashes on the background but here we are...
Pullback:
Final image BEFORE high key "correction"
Headshot also before HK "correction":
Do what you can with what you have...
Hi! I'm Wally: website | blog | facebook | IG | scotchNsniff
Nikon addict. D610, Tok 11-16, Sig 24-35, Nik 24-70/70-200vr
www.cameraone.biz
Hi! I'm Wally: website | blog | facebook | IG | scotchNsniff
Nikon addict. D610, Tok 11-16, Sig 24-35, Nik 24-70/70-200vr
Just a basic setup using two flashes combined for their power.
here you can see the shadow edge cast by the two flashes. I wanted more power so I used two flashes and an f stop of 7.1. I'm not a big advocate of "bokeh" and tend to like smaller f stops.
1.
This one is straight out of camera with a tiny adjustment of black point in Capture One. I use it instead of LightRoom because it is simply what I'm use to. Both are great programs.
2.
Here a tad bit more refinement for my liking.
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