twmeyer
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Posts posted by twmeyer
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<p>Thanks... t</p>
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<p>I need an new enclosure: 4 bay, USB3, JBOD, not RAID. Any suggestions? Thanks... t</p>
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<p>The light on the end of the boom in the above picture is a hot light, and is therefore much lighter than a strobe with even a 36in Octa softbox, especially if you use a mono-light (as opposed to a pack and head system, or speedlights). <br /><br />I use a turtle base c-stand and mini-boom by Kupo, with the appropriate sandbag(s) to counter the weight of whatever head/modifier I have mounted.<br /><br />You need pretty good upper body/arm strength to raise and lower such a rig... t</p>
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<p>I hope you have a picture of yourself in this rig... t</p>
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<p>You <em>can</em> post a link to the website that has photos that employ this effect. It could be a zoomed, gridded or snooted flash as Craig says, or it could be a vignette or other post-production effect... t</p>
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The Bowens softbox is excellent . Thanks Ellis.
And B and H knocked it out of the park. Their customer service is
shockingly good. Seriously…t
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<p>I don't use crates or louvers. If I need greater edge control I have binder clips and cine foil. <br /><br />What I need is a good, basic soft box with removeable inner baffle and front diffusion panel, that won't rip on it's second mounting, or it's 200th. One that will maintain a neutral color for that same period of time (white is a fine description of a color, in my world:^) ... t</p>
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<p>yes, some of those are the very questions I would like to have answered by someone who has actually seen or used one of these soft boxes.<br /><br />The specific <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/750865-REG/Dynalite_RBRR_4056_Octagon_Box_from_Rime.html">box I am looking</a> at is priced less than the comparable sizes in Chimera and others. It is not the cheapest, but I don't want the cheapest. <br /><br />I want the best compromise between insanely expensive and deservedly cheap. I'd like to get 4 or 5 years out of it, maintaining color consistency throughout it's usable life.<br /><br />Looking at Bowens (thanks Ellis) and Rime... t</p>
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<p>I'm particularly interested in hearing about anyone's first hand understanding and impressions of the build quality and color consistency of the <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/750865-REG/Dynalite_RBRR_4056_Octagon_Box_from_Rime.html">Rime rectangular boxes</a> (made by <a href="http://rimelite.com/wordpress/?product=rectangular">the Korean company Rime</a>, distributed in the USA by Dynalite), not so much their "Grand" parabolic boxes. <br /><br />Thanks... t<br /><br />(Subtle and clever jokes about Rime website ad copy are expected, within Photo.net standards :^)</p>
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<p>(that's really two lights, Brooks :^) ... t</p><div>
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<p>every person (subject) is different, and there are many types of singular light sources. See Irving Penn, Richard Avedon just for a start. Sometimes one bare head is great, other times it's the open sky with your subject just inside the door. <br /><br />One light is my preferred. Two if I really think the background is an issue without it... t</p>
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Amazing. I had no idea it took so much gear to make a daylight portrait. I wonder how August Sander got *anything*
done… t
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<p>At this point, I'd be very tempted to engage a lawyer to send a cease and desist copyright violation warning to them. You <em>do</em> own the copyright, and it sounds as if they have nothing. That "breach of confidence" goes both ways.<br>
But there is a serious lesson to be learned in this... t</p>
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<p>Don't be afraid to say no thank you. It's a more professional and plain old polite thing to do, than taking the job and losing money while jeopardizing your gear and reputation... t</p>
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<p>You still haven't mentioned how this will be paid for, and actually, your last response indicates you need to re-read William's post. He raises many critical issues that, if not addressed, will certainly turn this do-able project into a train wreck.<br /><br /> Another thing not considered, is how far the printer will be from the point of photography, how the image files will bridge that physical distance, or where your client/subjects will pick up their prints and how /if they will be paying for them. These two aspects will consume a lot of time.<br /><br />I only conduct events like this in which the subject does not select the image nor do they pay for the print. My client pays for time on site, my staff and any prints over an anticipated quantity. <br /><br />I have a printer, and rent a backup, that makes a 4x6 print in 15 seconds. My best/average speed to photograph each person/group is 60 seconds. I have worked this way for up to 4 hours straight. If the math shows this rate of photography will not meet the demand of the crowd, a second photographer is added to the job (meaning a finished photograph is made every 30 seconds). See William's math to understand what these real world numbers should mean to you... t</p>
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Thanks for that link Mark. Any insight regarding Avedon's creative process is highly valued… t
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As long as it's not used for commercial purposes. If the person is simply represented as a person at a wedding on a
personal web page, the odds are in your favor. Just don't sell an image of the bride/father dance for use in an ED
advertisement… t
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<p>D800... two card slots. Got it. You'll want to size them jpgs waaay down... t</p>
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<p>Since you're printing, you'll just need the JPGs, and you should size them (in camera) for your needs, no larger. For this reason, I use a camera with two card slots, one for jpg, one for raw... Every wifi transfer system I've used chokes at the speed I work this type of job. I hand cards (I have dozens) to an assistant that hand delivers them to the laptop/printer. Wifi is too unreliable to risk losing a bunch of portraits, or delaying them so the client is unhappy... t<br /><br />I'd love to talk with you about this type of work (off line), especially if you've discovered some way to dependably transmit jpgs over a hotel's wifi, or set up your own (consistently robust) ad hoc network that a camera will actually stay connected to... I've found they tend to stray to other networks, which leaves the supposedly receiving computer in the dark. <br /><br />Nikon? or Canon?</p><div></div>
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Umbrella boxes are more resistant to wind. Umbrella make excellent sails/kites… t
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<p>The most valuable attribute I've found in doing what you describe, is something with around 400ws that runs on batteries. I used to use Lumedyne, and when ambient light levels are low, they work fine, except for the variance in color temp, which when balancing against twilight, isn't too critical. Currently, I'm using either an SB900 with a couple of SB800s, or a pair of Einsteins with the Mini Lithum Vagabond. Both are fine in the power and color fidelity departments, but both are quite top heavy, unlike the Lumedyne. Consequently, I now have a rolling case that holds two turtle base C-stands (The Kupo ones, with a detachable base that pack smaller) for the Einstens. Since I changed to this combo, all the best locations seem to be closer to the car than when I used the Lumedyne. <br /><br />For modifiers, I like the umbrellas and/or umbrella boxes (like the Westcott Apollo Orb) with the Lumedyne and the SB. With the Einsteins, it's either an umbrella (reflective or shoot through) or Buff's octa boxes, just because the setup is faster. Anything that hides the controls of a monolight requires additional hardware (PW AC3/Mini TT1 with a MC2 receiver, or the Buff Cyberlink) and the SB requires the CLS system (requires line of sight) or tearing the diffuser off every time a manual power setting change is needed. Not a big deal for me.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=62705&gclid=CMDjz93uor8CFeXm7AodrV8Aiw&is=REG&Q=&A=details">right model of the Halo</a> lets the control panel be accessed on the SB's and the Einstein without digital "middle men". The Lumedyne's controls are on the pack that hangs as a nice weight low on the stand. They are heavier than the Vagabond Mini-Lith (which is an inconsequential counter weight to the Einstein, but a superior system, in every other regard). The right model of Lumedyne is steplessly controllable. Their batteries are high maintenance. <br /><br />I have a <a href="http://www.phottixstore.com/store/studio-accessories/phottix-multi-boom-16-flash-bracket.html">nice rig</a> that lets me fire two SB800s in one modifier (like the 45 in Halo or the Orb) both of which are more efficient than a shoot through, as they trap and direct the light through the front diffuser). The <a href="http://flashzebra.com/products/0216/index.shtml">right cord from Zebra</a> enables triggering both by one Pocket Wizard, which leaves the SB900 for a back, or background light. It's a very versatile kit, but needs a sand bag to survive even a light wind<br /><br />Lately my predominant modifier of choice is the appropriate umbrella for the subject. I think they have better edge, anyway, than the other tools. And there are so many with such delightfully different attributes. And they're just easier... t<br /><br /></p><div></div>
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To make photos that look like Fred's, you'll need two strobes, of not great power, one of which should be in a softbox,
perhaps even a smallish one (16x20 or 24 square). Place the softbox to one side or the other of the camera and the
other, zoomed to its longest focal length (or in a gobo or gridded) and set somewhere behind the dog and pointed at
him/her.
You could make this work with a second SB800 and an umbrella (or umbrella box) instead of the softbox. And of course
the backdrop. Google Duvetine or Commando Cloth. You'll need fairly small apertures, possibly higher ISO (like 800) and
a relatively dark room (no windows) to keep your shutter speed high. Your dog will get bored before you do… t
Lighting stand and boom recommendations, please!
in Lighting Equipment
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