New toys on the way!

Zerodog · January 17, 2013

Finally picked up a 86" Parabolic Light Modifier from Paul C Buff. It should be here next week. I have some small group shots next week that I think it will be perfect for. While I was at it I got 2 11" long throw reflectors too. I really want to see the area I can light with my 2 Einsteins with these modifiers. Thinking about picking up 2 more Einsteins for shooting Arenacross. But not sure how well flashes in this way will be received.

I have been using 2 22" beauty dishes for almost all of my lit shooting lately. I keep turning to them more than umbrellas. I just love the punch they provide. Hoping to get a similar effect on a larger scale with the PLM.

I know all of these modifiers are popular. What do you guys like? And what do you like about them?

VayCayMom · January 18, 2013

I have a beauty dish that I finally used one day. When I reviewed the proofs I was really loving how handsome the guy looked in the shots, then I remembered why he looked so good. Yes it does add something good to the mix!

kdog · January 18, 2013

The big PLM rocks. Which color did you get? I have the soft silver one. Huge wall of light, and yet still punchy without the diffuser. Very cool. I have yet to use the diffuser on it.

Not to change the subject, but it sounds like you are a beauty dish expert. Do you typically use grids or diffusers on them?

Zerodog · January 18, 2013

I got the extreme silver. I want the punch! Kdog do you have any advice for this parachute of a device?

For my dishes I have been trying a few things. I use the plate on the front most stuff. I have been trying without the front plate as well. Not quite sure what this achieves though. Maybe longer throw and maybe more even light. If I need more diffused light I put the socks on. This has worked extremely well for things like awards photos. Still had good punch and it mimicked a larger light. I don't have grids yet. I can this being a nice thing to use for some situations. Especially if you end up needing to position the lights further away from the subject and want to keep the focus. I am still in the habit of keeping lights very close to subjects for portrait work. This seemed to be the only good option when I was using only speedlights.

I can't wait to see what the reach is like with the long throw reflectors. I am going to take one out and do some snowboarding shots. The best part will be hauling that gear out into the wild on my back. I guess I will need to use my friends as sherpas.

pathfinder · January 18, 2013

The PLM always looked like a great tool to provide directional, but soft, washes of light.

kdog · January 18, 2013

Zerodog wrote: »

I got the extreme silver. I want the punch! Kdog do you have any advice for this parachute of a device?

No, can't really think of anything specific. It's basically a big well-behaved umbrella. You'll love it from the get-go. Did you go with the speedring or shaft mount? I got the speedring.

For my dishes I have been trying a few things. I use the plate on the front most stuff. I have been trying without the front plate as well. Not quite sure what this achieves though. Maybe longer throw and maybe more even light. If I need more diffused light I put the socks on. This has worked extremely well for things like awards photos. Still had good punch and it mimicked a larger light. I don't have grids yet. I can this being a nice thing to use for some situations. Especially if you end up needing to position the lights further away from the subject and want to keep the focus. I am still in the habit of keeping lights very close to subjects for portrait work. This seemed to be the only good option when I was using only speedlights.

Thanks for the info. I work the same way and started with Speedlights too.

I can't wait to see what the reach is like with the long throw reflectors. I am going to take one out and do some snowboarding shots. The best part will be hauling that gear out into the wild on my back. I guess I will need to use my friends as sherpas.

Damn, that sound like fun! Studio lights? Vagabonds? Too bad you weren't doing this in Tahoe, I'd sign up as a sherpa just to go along.

Zerodog · January 19, 2013

I went with the speedring. They said that was the best mount because it is perfectly focused. So, why not right? The thing is too big to ever really use with a speedlight.

Yeah it will be a single einstein and vagabond mini for this test in the backcountry! I only have 1 vagabond at the moment. I need to figure out where I want to go to get the shot I am thinking. I just want to get a sweet turn with some nice powder spray. But I would like to get the sunset in the background. That is the tougher part to decide. I need a nice dead North facing slope to get the good snow and the good background of the canyon.

Zerodog · January 24, 2013

Wow!! The stuff got here last night. The PLM is HUGE!! But it is not as big as I was thinking. Totally managable with 8' ceilings. I put it up in my kitchen no problem. The light it produces is very different. Seems very centered and it does fall off greatly. I did a few test shots with a 20mm lens and saw the fall off in the kitchen. It is amazing at how focused it is. At 1/32 power it was still very bright. Very much more efficient than my standard umbrellas.

Next up is playing with the 11" long throws. Thinking these will rock for hard rear lighting for fighter portraits. Maybe with a grid. These things were super cheap. $26 and the grids are about the same. Not too bad PCB. Very impressed with the value of PCB equipment so far.

ziggy53 · January 24, 2013

Zerodog wrote: »

Wow!! The stuff got here last night. The PLM is HUGE!! But it is not as big as I was thinking. Totally managable with 8' ceilings. I put it up in my kitchen no problem. The light it produces is very different. Seems very centered and it does fall off greatly. I did a few test shots with a 20mm lens and saw the fall off in the kitchen. It is amazing at how focused it is. At 1/32 power it was still very bright. Very much more efficient than my standard umbrellas.

Next up is playing with the 11" long throws. Thinking these will rock for hard rear lighting for fighter portraits. Maybe with a grid. These things were super cheap. $26 and the grids are about the same. Not too bad PCB. Very impressed with the value of PCB equipment so far.

Cool. Love to hear your impressions once you get some experience working with these new modifiers.

Dooginfif20 · January 25, 2013

I have the 86" extreme silver PLM and I never use it without the diffusion sock. I also always shot it almost 90 degrees on subject. It helps to create that fall off. I havent tried to take it outside yet though because its a huge beast!

Zerodog · January 25, 2013

You must like the sock. I bet it is like a gigantor softbox. I did not order the sock. Maybe I will pick one up next time I order stuff. I am wishing I picked up grids for the 11" longthrows. I am thinking they will be very good as hard keylight/ hairlights.

ImageX Photography · January 26, 2013

Congrats. The PLMs rock. I have a 64" Extreme and an 86" Soft. You will definitely want to pick up a diffuser. They are cheap enough and will help spread and soften the light when you want/need that.

I had my 86".... and Einstein blow over in the wind a couple weeks ago(had 10 lbs weighting one leg). It was about 8ft up. Guess what got damaged? Not a damn thing. I was worried for a second when my light wouldn't fire from the Cyber Commander. All it was though was my tranceiver jarred loose.

Zerodog · February 7, 2013

I think I have found my perfect tool for many situations indoors. The 86" extreme silver PLM.

Wasn't sure about it when I first tried it because the light is so focused in the center. You really need to pay attention to where you aim the center rod. I have always liked the ease of umbrellas. This thing is like an umbrella with a focused light. The fall off outside of the thing is amazing. And you want to light something bigger, move it back a bit. Want to get close, move it close. The focus point gets smaller. The light looks almost like a beauty dish when used this way, just a bit softer.

The other tool is the PCB long throw reflector. I got these primarily for lighting action sports. Motocross, snowboarding and indoor arenas. But they might be the perfect hair light. I like it so much that I ordered grids to tighten them up even more.

Here are a few examples from this week.

1. Some action stopping with the Einsteins. PLM is directly left of subject. You can see that there is hardly any light spilling onto background. Similar shots with my 60" umbrella light this wall.

2. In close with PLM directly left of the subject and Long throw diagonal and back right about 10ft away. Bare sb700 used as fill to camera right at 1/128

3 Lighting a bigger subject! PLM moved back about 15ft from subject. Slightly camera right. I was standing in the corner of it. Longthrow high to the left about 15-20ft away SB600 and 700 as little accent in the back of the bike. Still very little light spilling on background. Rod aimed right at her butt.

4 In close PLM and Longthrow about 5ft away. Using 50mm @1.8 center rod aimed right at face.

LoganH · February 7, 2013

Love the lighting in these! Great work!!!

Zerodog · February 8, 2013

Thank you Logan

New toys on the way!

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