Needs help with QUICK/SIMPLE setup for Homemade Studio. Shooting in White classroom!? Can Nikon D-200 Wireless Flash a SB-800? Need PocketWizrds? HELP? Excited New Member!!

[august_heisler]

<p>Hello Everyone!<br>

Brand new photographer here! I hope these forums are as good as they look! I have yet to really choose a community to get involved with, but it's time for a little change. I am thrilled to be here.</p>

<p>As with many of us, we sign up intially because we are destined to make a post. To ask a question for two. My question comes with a little bit of a last minute kinda deal. I would be very grateful for any response. I work on the fly, but today I need a little help. </p>

<p>My problem is, I don't own a studio and I have a bride who wants "studio like" shots. I figured I'd just find a location where I can control the light, and I'll be good. </p>

<p>With a little more detail, today I am taking my Bride downtown and afterwards to a nearby college to use a classroom. On first thought, I was planning on taking a large black drape, hanging it in a corner or wall, and just going for it. That is where I need some expert advice. What type of cloth? What colors? Just detail in general about the environment that I need to set up. Any suggestions would be great.</p>

<p>Secondly. Lighting. I have a Nikon and I work with a SB800 / sunpak off camera lighting systems and pocket wizards. Unfortuantly, my large lights are in the shop for repairs. I have a SB-800 and two pocket wizards. I might have access to a SB-600. </p>

<p>Moving on, Is it possible to wirelessly flash my SB-800 from my camera without a pocketwizard attached to both? I could be wrong, but I swear I've seen it done before. My Nikon D-200 might have an option, but I could be wrong. If it does, Could I flash the SB-600 and 800 at the same time without pocket wizards? </p>

<p>I am so sorry that I am posting questions like this. Poor grammer and all over the place questions. I honetly dont have time to search, and that is why I am hopfully going to get a generous responce from someone who has a little extra time today. It would mean so much. Anything you can suggest for me to make a setup as professional as can be. I normally work "Location of Choice", but have never had to setup something where the background needs to be extinguished from the shot.<br>

I am also a self taught photographer. As far as wedding ettique, I had very GREAT training, but settings, flashes and the whole 9 yards is from picking it up myself. </p>

<p>www.AugustJPhoto.com<br>

Let me know what you think. <br>

With every bit of respect for a photographer,<br>

August Heisler</p><div></div>

[HuskyMason1]

<p>check your manuals both flashes can be controlled by the D200...put the on-camera flash or pop-up flash in commander mode...you have some well done and creative photos at your website...</p>

[david_schilling___chicago_]

<p>Since you're shooting today and you're asking for last minute advice, I would suggest that you skip trying to recreate studio-like portraits and just go with your strengths which are "location-based". Images in a classroom might be interesting environmental/fashion shots, just "go for it" and have fun. Later, it's time to study-up on broad light, short light, flat-light, butterfly light, etc..... By the time you get a handle on those lighting schemes everything else will fall into place.</p>

<p>Welcome to P-net.</p>

[august_heisler]

<p>Thanks guys! At the Wedding Seminar, they went into explaining Butterfly Light and One other one. All that knowledge at the time was waaaay past my knowledge. I have a new found will within me to want to go back to college and finish my BUS degree while taking a ton of photography classes. I'm so intrested to listen, but havent had the time to slow down and reflect on whitch one I might want to attend. </p>

<p>Michael; CHEERS. Thank you! I will be experimenting now and let you know what I can come up with as far as getting it to work. Thanks for the compliment, I've done only about 15 weddings and am just now getting the hang of sucessful workflow and income management. </p>

<p>David, good idea. I am more about appeasing the bride even If the shots arnt what I (of her) imagine them to be. As long as she knows I tried my best, We'll still be on the 'top notch' friendship kinda deal. Disappointment lingers all too much with brides. They never forget! I am going to try and NAIL the shots around town and hope for the best in the classroom. Thanks for the advice on the lighting, it's honestly where I need to spend some time reading. </p>

<p>Is there any type of black material that woud work? Is black the background I want? <br>

My bride is BIG into fashion. Bigger than any bride I have had. She is getting one of those TIGHT dresses that POOFS out at the bottom. She has one of those vails that are super small and short and they cover half your face at an angle. Thats why I'm so worried, I know she wants TOP NOTCH. she turned down all other photographers because Ive worked with her at TGIFridays mannny times. She ussually gets me some Bottle Flippinf Bar Contests. This is a whole different ballpark! ha<br>

So, ultimatly, I know she just wants some close up portraits of her face, upper body and maybe a few full shots. I'm thinking shes looking for those very artsy black and whites along with some crazy edits. I have no problem editing, I just gotta nail some good ones to work with.<br>

Any advice on the background?<br>

I have a sigma 70-200 2.8 / 50mm Fixed 1.8 / and my 18-135 3.5<br>

What lenes would work and whitch ones would be pointless. Are low apature lenses always prefered?<br>

Thank you guys so much! I can tell that I already feel at home.</p>

[HuskyMason1]

<p>large brick background might work...public buildings, schools, factories, anything that is not too busy</p>

[picturesque]

<p>I would suggest you find a small, white colored classroom and bounce the flashes off the walls, using a fairly high ISO. Yes, you can use the SBs wirelessly without the PWs but why would you want to, if you have the PWs and know how to set them up? If you find that small white classroom, one flash as key should be just fine. You can also try to use window light if there are windows. A studio shot doesn't mean you can't use natural light through windows.</p>

<p>As for a drape--it will have to be a pretty large drape to cover a wedding gown, even if it is a slim gown. If you can rent a commercially made background, I'd go with light gray or whatever colors the bride is using for the wedding, rather than black. If you mean to drop out the background with using black--that is very difficult to do and if you cannot light it precisely, that isn't going to happen. So instead of going that route, make the background very obvious. If you can't rent, get a wrinkled, large bedsheet and do those kind of fashion shots. Or, use whatever found backgrounds you have in a classroom. Sometimes a clear wall and floor break is all you need, although those don't happen a lot in classrooms. You should be able to do that for the close-ups anyway. Or use the desks and chalkboard as props. The latter is not like a studio shot, however.</p>

<p>Your lenses are fine. The wide apertures are used to throw the backgrounds out of focus. However, DOF is dependent upon focal length, f stop and subject distance. Just because you have a lens that has a wide aperture doesn't mean you use it at that aperture all the time.</p>