location shoot in desert

[photo_girl1]

just been on some test shots for a location shoot i need to do for clients in a desert. its a portrait image

for a family of 6. the location of the shoot has been agreed on, so i went out today with my assistant to

do some trial tests with my flash (Elinchrom Ranger pack) to give a bit of fill flash as the sun is casting

harsh shadows on the face. we encountered a lot of strong winds... and the large softbox i had intended

on using kept getting blown off. what other alternatives can i use, since softbox is getting filled up with

wind and blown off? i only have small reflector dishes... will those work? im worried that keeping the

flash tube exposed with only a dish will get affected from the sand./wind etc... or will it be ok? also, will

need to put together a few sandbags to hold the camera on a tripod in place as well as the light. how are

those normally set up? never had to do such a set up.

 

plan on taking wiht me some large garbage bags , filling them in with sand, rocks etc once out there... do

i need to rest each bag against each leg of tripod, or somehow attach it thru the centre and just let it rest

on the floor?

 

thoughts please.

[max_shore]

If you're putting rocks in i'd take something stronger than garbage bags. Decision about softbox/reflectors surely aethetic more than anything? Can't help with the rest : )

[brooks short]

Sandbags are the most effective when they are hung from a low spot on the light stand, around the stand/leg junction for example, so all of their weight is suspended and NOT resting on the floor. I'd put 40 lbs on each stand.

[photo_girl1]

thanks brooks, do you have a sample image of that? would be great.. not sure i quite follow

[frank_skomial]

Joe McNally in his/Nikon's "The Speed of Light" DVD shows few shooting scenarios in a dessert. Interesting. Take a lot of water with you...

[brooks short]

Here's a sample sandbag from Avenger. It's similar to saddlebags in that it's really two bags attached together with a strap handle. You can drape it over the legs of a light stand or use the strap to fasten it to the light stand just above the legs. Again, the important thing it to have all of the weight on the stand, not on the floor.

 

Most trash bags won't be strong enough to support 35 or 40 lbs and they'll be hard to attach to the stands. If you don't want to buy the real thing, you might be able to use small duffel bags filled with sand if they have strap handles which can be attached to the light stands.<div></div>

[brooks short]

"Joe McNally in his/Nikon's "The Speed of Light" DVD shows few shooting scenarios in a dessert."

 

Mmmmm! shooting in a dessert sounds yummy! #8^)

[photo_girl1]

thank you brooks, but im in the middle east now and now where to buy the proper sandbags

from, so i need to improvise. so sorry to bother you, but i still cant work out where you

mean the sandbag should go...... if you can bring in an image of a tripod and highlight the

area or something via photoshop that would be great.......

 

so the bag should just hang down your'e saying?

[brooks short]

..."im in the middle east now and now where to buy the proper sandbags from..."

 

That's why I suggested using duffelbags that have handles.

 

...."i still cant work out where you mean the sandbag should go......"

 

As I said just a few moments ago, attach the sandbag to the light stand just above the legs.

 

..."so the bag should just hang down your'e saying? ...."

 

All of the weight should hang from the stand and not touch the ground.

 

Google light stands, sandbags, Avenger, Matthews etc. I came up with the image of the Avenger sandbag in 5 seconds just by googling "photo sandbag"...........

 

If YOU'd like to photograph one of your lightstands or find an image of a light stand and post it here I'll highlight the area that I'm talking about.

[brandon.r.foster]

You could get cinder blocks, and place the legs of the light stand in them then tie it off, but the sand bag counter weight idea is better and less work. As far as what to shoot it through, I would use a shoot through umbrella. It will deflect wind, but if the stand is not anchored, then it will all just blow over.

[Ed_Ingold]

You can buy lead shot (for reloading) in cloth bags from large sporting goods stores. They are about 1/4 the size of a sand bag of the same weight. You can probably buy steel shot, which is about 30% lighter than lead, but safer to handle.

[primeimages]

On top of sand bags, try using a couple of those beauty dishes (about 22") plus a diffusion sock to keep the sand away.

[Ian Taylor]

I used to work as a grip on film sets. Sandbags, correctly used, are the way to go in wind. Sometimes we'd tie off to trees, bumpers, houses etc. In a pinch we'd have a production assistant stand on the stand. In those days they were cheap and plentiful.

[davemoss]

i'd use my quantum qflash with the bare bulb enhancer.

[twmeyer]

note that McNally put's his subjects with their backs to the sun. No harsh shadows. Use a black card to block the sunlight out of your lens, or put it behind one of the subjects (lens in their shadow)... t<div></div>