cliff_henry
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Posts posted by cliff_henry
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Gary,
First let me suggest you do a search on the Wedding and Events forum. Flash compensation has been discussed there many times and I'm sure you will find more info than you need.
I have shot a number of weddings with the EOS 3 and a 550EX flash. For outdoor work, unless lighting conditions are very unusual, I would use Av mode and set flash to E-TTL and let it auto fill flash. If you have an unusually bright background you can use manual mode and meter the background. Set your f-stop and shutter for the background or underexpose background 1 or 2 stops. Set flash to E-TTL and it will auto fill the mail subject.
As to compensating flash: flash metering us just like camera metering, remember they are two separate meter readings, if the main subject it too bright, bride in white dress, then flash will shut down too soon, under expose, and you need to plus compensate, add more light, the flash. The reverse is true with dark subjects. You can use compensation on flash or flash compensation on camera body - see your manual about which overrides the other.
You will find much info at these two sites:
http://planetneil.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/02/welcome-to-strobist.html
Good luck,
Cliff
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I haven't been to Mexico lately and I only live 150 miles from border. The last time I went to Canada I was advised to go to US Customs office BEFORE leaving US and register all my equitment. I suggest you call nearest office as you may have to take your eq. in to register. They had a form and should know what you are talking about. When you come back into US and go through customs all you have to do is show the form which they match up with your eq. by serial number.
Last time I went to Mexico you only needed a birth certificate but I think you need a passport now.
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Ian,
No, the 30D does not have spot meter averaging.
I've never used a T90 and although it is said to be a great camera I'm surprised you get correct outside exposure and fill flash exposure in some point and shoot mode. With film you have much more latitude with the exposure, i.e. film can "see" more of darker details and more lighter details. That is probably one reason you are getting good exposures.
With digital your latitude is smaller than film and you are processing the negative yourself. How are you processing? Are you shooting jpeg or raw?
To get best exposure for shots you describe, suggest you set camera to Av or manual mode, take a meter reading of outside lighting and set f-stop and shutter speed for that reading. E-TTL will then fill in dark areas inside. You can compensate flash to get fill exposure you need.
There are a number of post on PN dealing with flash compensation. A search will find you plenty of help.
Good luck.
Cliff
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I provide a complete set of editied proofs which have roll and frame number printed on back by lab. Lab places negatives in package marked with roll number they create. I provide bride with work sheet to write roll number, frame number, and print size to be ordered. Most pro labs should number proofs at no charge.
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Why couldn't you just have recreated the processional after the ceremony?
Depending on how upset bride is, you could offer to still recreate the processional at your expense or offer her extra prints or a discount. I would explain equipment failure to her and ask her what she wanted.
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I always use a tripod and a cable release for formals, always have bracket and flash mounted. Use tripod & cable release from back of church without flash with WA or long lens. Use monopod during ceremony when flash not allowed.
I find by using tripod, cable release and flash on bracket, with additional flash on a stand, during formals I am free to move around while I'm posing groups. Also if I have to use a slow shutter speed, which I do a lot in churches, then I'm okay on camera shake. By using flash on a bracket while on tripod I can switch between portrait and landscape quickly and keep flash centered over lens. Using a cable release insures I eliminate camera shake and also allows me to watch subjects, especially large groups, better than having to look through viewfinder.
I use Stroboframe Pro-T bracket and QR system. I have QR receivers on bracket and both my tripod and monopod and QR plates on camera bodies and long lenses.
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First you should have a contract with whomever wants you to do the shoot. Get professional help with wording. Are you making the prints and CD or are you sending out? You need to cover your cost and time to produce either way. Since you are just starting out I would quote a reasonable hourly rate, $15 ~ $25, for the shooting time depending on your goals. Are you wanting to build a portfolio to start a business or are you just doing this for a friend for fun?
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Just quote her a price for the work she is asking for to cover your time and a little extra to cover her hassle factor. Explain that your previous contract with her has been fulfilled and additional work will require additional payment.
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If you need the cover to block light from intering viewfinder you could call B&H and ask if the cover is built into this strap - it slides over the above eyecup. It was on my original A2E strap, but I can't tell from this photo. If not, you might find an original strap in ebay.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/13033-REG/Canon_2347A001_EW_100_Wide_Camera_Strap.html
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I've never used legs on a monopod. Don't know why I would need them as I would never trust my camera and especially a large lens sitting atop a monopod supported by those small legs. Looks like a disaster waiting to happen to me. When I'm not using the monopod I just stand it in a corner or lay in on a pew. When I need the support of a tripod I use a tripod.
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I use a Manfrotto/Bogen model 3218, not sure if it's still current model, with a Manfrotto/Bogen 3232 swivel tilt head. I have a Stroboframe QR receiver on the swivel head. I have the same QR receiver on my tripod and flash brackets and all my bodies/large lenses have the QR plates. Everything will fit on everything else. Using a QR system is only way to shoot a wedding.
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Hard for me to imagine shooting 19 people in a church and not having them in close proximity of each other - that's a lot of people and they would cover a large area. I shoot traditional formals. Sometimes after getting the formal shot I will tell the group not to move their feet but for everyone to lean-in and do a group hug. It usually gets a laugh and gives the B&G a fun shot. Better still, it will often break a serious mood with the bridal party and put everyone in a more relaxed mood. Again, when shooting small group formals, i.e., bride w/groomsmen, groom w/bride's maids, after the formal shot I will have them do something silly for a fun shot - bride's maids all leaning-in and kissing the groom etc. These shots can usually be done without anyone having to move and require very little time. Immediately following the posed formal I just make a suggestion to the group to do something and let them react. Sometimes the reaction is a good fun shot and sometimes it's not; just be ready to shoot as soon as you tell what to do.
Given the usual time constrains during formals, I suggest you have a plan of what formals and fun shots you want to do before you start shooting.
Cliff
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Since I mostly work alone, I don't have the option of getting bride and father pre-processional. When allowed by the church, I always position myself either at first pew or half to three-quarters down aisle. I start shooting with the grandmothers, then the wedding party. I step into center of aisle, get my shot and then step aside and let them pass. When shooting the bride, I get my shots and keep moving backwards towards altar. I then move as far to the front as possible without actually getting on the altar to get father giving bride away.
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Nadine,
Sorry to hear about your fall, but glad to hear that you are okay. Maybe wedding photographers should get hazardous duty pay.
I let my camera swing on its strap and my mounted 16-35 hit the edge of a rock, I was shooting a landscape not a wedding. There was a very slight scratch in the lens barrel, but no visible dent - it was a light hit. After the hit, the lens didn't want to focus to infinity unless it was first focused to its closes distance. When the focus ring had a chance to move a long distance, and gain some speed, it would move pass the spot that was rubbing and focus to infinity. If it was prefocused to a distance just short of the rub spot the motor didn't have enough power to move the focus ring pass the rub spot.
It apparently doesn't take much to knock this lens motor out of adjustment. I suspect you will need to send it to Canon for adjustment.
I was going to send mine to Canon but it was stolen before I could send it.
Good luck and watch out for those ladders.
Cliff
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Nadine wrote:
"...if the subject is not picture-perfect in the pre-determined zone, you just step back, keeping the same distance from them, until they are."
Let me see Nadine, you are suggesting I only need the situational awarness of a F-18 pilot while traveling at Mach 1.5 in a combat zone. I need to be able to set my camera's shutter speed, f-stop, and ISO, while evaluating the lighting on my subject, the lighting in the background and adjusting my flash's compensation to give me a correct exposure while watching for the perfect emotional moment to push the shutter button. And I need to do all of that while WALKING BACKWARDS. Of course I also need an eye in the back of my head to watch-out for Uncle Fred when he jumps out into the aisle with his new digital wonder or to watch for Fred Jr. as he steps out into the aisle so he can see better. I just know I can't watch all of that at once and I would end up ankles over elbows and taking the center of attention away from the bride. LOL
Sorry Nadine, just my attempt at Sunday morning humor.
More to the point, Nadine is correct and I should clarify my previous post. A lot of my experience shooting weddings is with a 1-series body. I also have a 20D and its focusing ability does not match that of the 1-series bodies.
Kosta, you now see that there are a number of ways to focus during the processional/recessional - all of which will work. Again, I say you need to try several and find the one that works best for you.
Cliff
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Kosta,
Many top pros use the prefocus method and swear by it. I've never done it that way because you can only shoot when bride is in your prefocus zone. If she is not smiling or looks to the side when in the zone then you could miss the shot. If you can catch a better emotional moment or a better look when she is out of the focus zone, then you need to refocus. I am no good at making a quick manual focus so I don't use the prefocus method.
The method that works best for me is to set camera to AI Servo mode, manually select the focus point - the top center point in the portrait position - set f-stop to around f5.6 for some DOF, and as subject moves down aisle I place FP on their face and shoot away. Be aware that in AI Servo mode camera needs to lock on a moving subject, by pressing and holding shutter button half-way and keeping FP on focus spot, and then track the movement for a couple of seconds.
You will get other answers that say use the one-shot mode. The point is you need to try all methods and find one that works best for you and your style.
Cliff
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These sites may help:
http://www.planetneil.com/faq/flash-techniques.html
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html
Look at this thread:
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Suggest you look here:
http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/lens/f_lens.html
And search Canon's web site for the download of their LensWorks book.
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Normally high-speed sync would be used when there is a lot of ambient light, outdoors, which would require a high shutter speed to keep the background from overexposing. When using flash indoors try manual mode on the camera and E-TTL on the flash. Set your shutter speed as slow as you think you can hold camera steady, but don't overexpose the background. I use 1/30 for wedding receptions where people are dancing. Set your f stop to whatever to give the DOF you want. I use f4. The speed of the flash will freeze any movement so you don't need a fast shutter. Your E-TTL will expose main subject correctly for f stop you set and distance to subject and slow shutter will pick up some ambient light in the background and keep it from being too dark.
Remember, flash photography is two exposures - shutter speed controls ambient light and f stop controls flash exposure on main subject. Both camera and/or flash can be compensated separately.
photonotes.org is a good place to start. Also look at:
http://www.planetneil.com/faq/flash-techniques.html
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WOW! Impressive site and work.
I did a little contract VT work for a local company several years ago - mostly residential real estate. They used Ipix system. I had problems with dark interiors and bright windows because we took two 180 degree shots and we could not adjust exposure between shots.
I visited Smithsonian Air Museum first summer it was opened. You must know some "heavy weights" to get that kind of access. Love the shots.
Cliff
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All of the above plus ear plugs. If you shoot any dance pictures those big speakers can damage your hearing if you get to close.
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Fill flash
in Canon EOS Mount
Posted
Then Photonotes.org site should be helpful as well as the followering:
http://planetneil.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html