Nice intro to some CLS techniques from Joe McNally

[arthuryeo]

<p>Enjoy ...</p>

<p>http://nikonusa.com/Learn-And-Explore/Photography-Techniques/fy1hs59m/1/Control-of-Color-Part-1.html#tab=1</p>

<p>---<br>

Arthur</p>

 

[dave_wilson1]

<p>I glanced at it, good stuff, I'm gonna' read it all when more awake tommorow. Thanks for link!</p>

[Kent Shafer]

<p>Very nice—thanks!</p>

[conwaygroup]

<p>Now all I need is three assistants and a beautiful model. Thanks for the link......good stuff!</p>

[b._p.]

<p>I have some videos of Joe, but I think he makes things more complicated (and expensive) than necessary.<br>

BTW: he makes a cardinal blunder by stating that the gels on the SB900 have a chip! They only have a sort of crude barcode that can be read by a sensor underneath the reflector of the SB900.<br>

Other then that: very enteraining and he does make some great pictures!</p>

[c._f.]

 

<blockquote>

<p>Now all I need is three assistants and a beautiful model. Thanks for the link......good stuff!</p>

</blockquote>

 

<p><em>And GEAR...</em> If you watch some of the other ones, he is setting up around 10speedlytes. Don't get me wrong, I think very highly of him, love watching his stuff and reading his blog. But the AMOUNT of equipment the guy has is really AMAZING.</p>

<p>Adam</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>Thanks for the link, Arthur. Perhaps my DSL is slow; when I watched the video, there were a lot of pauses for the download to catch up.</p>

<p>Pretty much expected stuffs from McNally. I am not sure exactly how much flashes he was using, but maybe 3 flashes should be sufficient for that kind of shoot. McNally was using a D700, not some high-end D3X or D3S.</p>

<p>If you like this kind of instructional video, try McNally's <a href="http://www.adorama.com/NKDVDCL.html">Hands-on Guide to Creative Lighting</a> DVD offered by Nikon School in the US. In one example on that DVD when he was photographing a fisherman, he used some 12 flashes, kind of extreme.</p>

[phil_burt]

<p>Even though it isn't realistic for the average "Joe" to have so many assistsants, models and gear it is still fun watching a pro like him work. Knowing that it always isn't just in the camera that a lot of thinking goes into their shots makes it kind of special.<br>

But still it does come down to the main thing and that is knowledge. You could give me all of that gear and I still would not be able to produce the great stuff that someone like him has.<br>

Thanks for the link ....<br>

phil b<br>

benton, ky</p>

[mark liddell]

Having seen all or most of his DVDs, I have to wonder whether nikon make him edit out any screwups by the CLS system since most pros will not rely on it outside.

 

His setups are a bit over the top but it's still nice to see how they get built up. One were he was doing bridal portraits was especially good.

[ShunCheung]

<p>McNally's video and DVD (and some VHS tapes earlier) are produced by Nikon. All of those are very much part of Nikon's advertising campaign.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<blockquote>

<p><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=644339">Mark L</a><br>

"I have to wonder whether nikon make him edit out any screwups by the CLS system since most pros will not rely on it outside."</p>

</blockquote>

<p>McNally teaches workshops using the same techniques. If there were significant problems with the CLS system under real world conditions it's very likely the photographers who attended those workshops would have blogged and posted about it by now. The interwebs are already stuffed to the gills with unsubstantiated assertions about photography, so there's nothing to stop folks from documenting actual problems.</p>

<p>Most "screwups" would be due to operator error. Anyone who uses the CLS system often enough would understand the capabilities and limitations well enough to avoid straying outside the performance envelope. An experienced photographer would certainly avoid exceeding the performance envelope while teaching a workshop.</p>

<p>And I have no idea whether "most pros" rely on it outside or not. I've met only a couple of pros with extensive CLS experience and they used multiple SB-800 and SB-600 flashes in full wireless TTL mode successfully. I, on the other hand, managed to exceed the capabilities of the CLS system on one notable occasion a few years ago by placing the SB-800 units too far apart. But that was due to operator error, my own inexperience with the system, not a failure of the CLS system. In other uses with rented gear the system worked reliably as long as I stayed within the performance envelope.</p>

[mark_mandell]

<p>Talk about busting bubbles. I was lead to believe that all I had to do was point my D700 at beautiful people and press the button to get Life Mag covers. Now they tell me I need a crew as well?<br>

Donno. I'm thinkin' I've been mislead more than just a bit. This digital photographic thing ain't as automatical as they said . . .<br>

[Thanks for the link. interesting]</p>

[dave_wilson1]

<p>I don't know why, but I have yet to be able to see video, it just won't load, anyone else have trouble or know the solution.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>Dave, I hope you have broadband. I have low-end DSL at home, and loading is somewhat choppy. As I said earlier, the video paused several times, waiting for the download to catch up.</p>

[arthuryeo]

<p>For those who are still using DSL, you should consider switching to Comcast Cable. Unless you need a high upload speed, the download speed of cable will blow away anything that DSL can offer for the same monthly fee. Over here in my area, we're getting more than 10 Mbps. That's accessing the Internet like the old Ethernet 10BaseT within your local area network.</p>

<p> </p>

[mark_mandell]

<p>Cable, Comcast or others, is like a shared antenna; its speed (signal strength) will vary depending on how many people are pulling signal at a given time. I have Comcast as well, but I notice a decidedly slower speed on the weekends and after the kids get home from school.</p>

[dave_wilson1]

<p>Thanks folks, I have Comcast, but I think maybe the virus filters or something are blocking this stuff, there's no real reason why it shouldn't work like other videos I watch, anyway, that's what 19 and 23 year olds are for, I'm lucky I can upload a JPEG, I'll put them on it later. Wow, how was that for a run-on sentence....</p>