purplealien

<p>I'm very happy with my Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 (non VR version) - sharp, very reasonably priced and light</p> <p>Good luck</p> <p>Chris</p>

<p>There are plenty of triggers for linking a flash(s) to the camera via a hot shoe mounted unit. I use the budget YN-622N receivers and YN-622N - TX Controller on the camera; a combination which offers TTL flash metering.</p> <p>Likewise, there are plenty of cheap radio shutter releases available which enable you to trigger the camera remotely. These generally plug into the camera via an accessory port. I use a cheap set of Calumet radio triggers.</p> <p>So, use flash triggers to link the camera to the flash via a hotshoe mounted unit. Fire the whole set up using a shutter release in your hand which communicates with it's receiver plugged into the assessory port of the camera. Simple - I think!</p> <p> </p>

<p>That retriever is an amateur.</p> <p>There's no way my lab would been distracted by a fluffy toy or dropped half a sausage. </p>

<p>Another vote for the Tamron from me. I have the non-VC version. It is: sharp, lightweight (but solid), and very good value for money. </p> <p>It works very well as an everyday lens, and stays on my camera most of time. The constant f/2.8 is very helpful in real life situations. </p> <p>I travel light, and I find I occasionally get caught out wanting something a bit longer or wider - but you can't have it all (not on my budget anyway!) </p>

<p>Lovely shots everyone.</p> <p>A quiet week for me photographically, so here's one from a couple of weeks ago.</p> <p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17893639-lg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="998" /><br> It was taken at the mouth of the Cuckmere river in East Sussex, UK. The folk on the beach were shooting what looked like either a Bollywood movie or a pop video.</p> <p>Happy Wednesday :-)</p>

<p>I have very similar equipment to you, and a similar passion for portrait photography.</p> <p>I've been learning and improving (in fits and starts) since the early 1990s. It took me decades to realise that I didn't really understand light. In particular, how the light falling on the subject and background affects the final image, and how to adjust/control the light to get the desired effect. Once I'd got it, that scary flash gun become an incredibly useful tool.</p> <p>I second Wouter's recommendation to spend time on the Strobist and Tangents web sites. If you prefer books, Neil van Niekerk who writes the Tangents blog has a series of books which really helped me. I'd recommend his latest book "<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Direction-Quality-Light-Neil-Niekerk/dp/1608955702/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414236300&sr=8-1&keywords=direction+and+quality+of+light">Direction & Quality of Light</a>" as a good starting place.</p> <p>On the kit side, I find I prefer the results from my prime lenses. My first choice is usually the 85mm f/1.8G which I would recommend without hesitation, but I sometimes use the 35mm f/1.8G for full length/environmental portraits. For events, walking around, groups and moving subjects I have recently acquired the very reasonably priced Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 (the non-VC version). The fixed aperture helps with flash photography and the image quality is a noticable step up from my kit lens. </p> <p>I do lust after FX, but I have decided that the gain in performance isn't worth the additional size and weight, not to mention the cost. I have three children and other hobbies to support. I don't think I'll be able to afford a full system with two FX bodies and f/2.8 lens set in the near future. </p> <p>Best of luck. Hope this helps a little.</p> <p>Chris</p>

<p>Happy Wednesday everyone.</p> <p>I'm not sure cats eyes count as shiny objects, but here's a picture taken with a little help from three of my birthday treats:</p> <ul> <li>Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 lens (surprisingly close focusing)</li> <li>Yongnuo YN565EX</li> <li>Large FlashBender</li> </ul> <p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17888447-lg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1022" /></p>