patrick_f

<p>Thanks! Do you know if this cameras charger/batterys can handle 220v? I really do not want to take a voltage converter, it is way too bulky/heavy for what I am doing. I actually purchased a solar panel to charge all of my electronics, but it is looking like this is not going to cut it with the solar panel.....</p>

<p>Hello all! I realize that this is not in the most appropriate catagory but I did not see a catagory for my question. The Canon G1x, is there a way to charge the batterys/camera WITHOUT the wall charger? I am getting ready to hit the road on a world wide backpacking trip and I am going to purchase this camera. Because I will be very limited on space I would love it if I could leave the bulky battery wall charger at home. Is there a way to charge the camera via USB or some other way, as in, leave the battery in the camera and plug the camera into an adaptor (USB or other) directly? Would this work? I have looked online and not found an anwser. Any help is appreciated.</p>

<p>In the above pic, you can see how this image (and many many more like it) will look against a white background. Does the image get lost on the white? Would black make it look....stupid? I shot 19 of there cataloges and have a tremendous portfolio of there stuff, but it is all set against white. I hate white photosites but I do need to take this into consideration. Thanks for the input!</p>

<p>Hello all! I am in the process of re-doing my website and will be going with either Livebooks or Foliolink (whom I had before). Not looking for the expensive pro accounts, just the middle of the road priced portfolios. The ONE thing that bothers me about the livebooks accounts is that most do not offer a black/black background...just grey or white. There are things about Foliolink that bothered me before, so I am a little torn about going with them. But anyway, my real question here is the background color...Black, or White? Are there any trends going on? I prefer black because it makes my images pop, but I also have a huge portfolio for a HUGE client that was all shot on white (so the white will look seamless). Any opinions? I really want a black background but if I go with livebooks I might be stuck with white (I do not want gray or any other color at all). Does white take away from the images in your eyes? (It does to me). Is black dated? Thanks in advance!</p><div>[ATTACH=full]642432[/ATTACH]</div>

<p>I plan on going back and reading all of the responses here later, but I can offer this advice: from 5-6 years of assisting, 14 years of shooting, and working as a Grip / lighting tech in the film industry I have worked with literally every lighting system you can think of, from Broncolor to Allien Bee's, to Profoto, to 25k Hot lights, to Kino, etc. All of it, I do not think there is too much I have not seen. Here is my humble opinion. I have Elinchroms. Great, consistent color and output. Horrible attachment system and expensive. The BEST for location: Profoto. The BEST for stop action/quick recycle/studio use? Broncolor. Broncolor is WAY too fragile for field use, but amazing in a studio environment. I have used Speedo Blackline since the beginning of my career (many old school photogs use them) and unless you want a lot of power noise, stay away. Honestly, being exposed to almost every system you can think of and using them on real shoots in real locations, I would go with Dyn-lite. I do not own them personally but I plan on switching to them. On all the shoots I have ever worked on, I have never seen them "screw up" once, they are 1000% reliable in my book. Also, very lightweight, compact, powerful, efficient, NOT expensive (comparatively), and cheap(er) to repair. If money is not an object, (and may not be with my new account) I would purchase a few Profoto Acutes and maybe a 7b or two. If budget is a concern, I think Dyn-lite is the way to go. PLEASE stay away from bs like alien bees. Trust me, Lights and lenses - the two most important purchases you can make if you are doing this for a living. My dream kit? My 5 Elinchrom mono's. A kit of 4-5 580EXII's with batteries, etc, a set of 3 Arri 650's, 2-350's, and a few jokers or 150's, two 7B's for big location stuff, a set of kino's/divas (have kind of), 3 Acute 2400's with 6 heads (for studio work), a small hot light kit, and maybe a small LED kit. That and a few flashlights/spotlights for adding details on location.... Oh and Gels to balance color, output, etc....<br>

I think I could get a lot done with that arsenal, but then again there is always rental.....and before you go purchasing a few thousand dollars in lights, you may want to check out the local rental houses if you are doing paid shoots on a non-consistant basis (I have no knowledge of your business, etc)</p>

<p>BTW Ellis, you have been on here and contributed to my questions before. I looked at your website tonight, and wow, you have some real work to be proud of! Nice portfolio.</p>

<p>Well, actually this is for a global company who's products are found in almost every store in the world...so with the money they are investing in this and in myself I am actually betting they are going to check the time stamp - to check how long it took me to tackle my first batch of stuff. There is a # of products factor vs. time vs. rate involved, so honestly I would not be surprised, as they have tested me several times just to get to this point... Therefore, I just want to "make it blank" by erasing the timestamp in the file completely. Is there a way to do this, specifically when importing into LR?<br>

Pic related....some of the stuff I am working on. They want it all done in camera, with little to any photoshop.</p>

<p>Hello all, another question. Right now I am in the middle of a huge project doing catalogue work. I have a bunch of stuff to shoot over the weekend and due tuesday morning. Well, me being me squandered time to hang out with the GF and now I am burning the midnight oil. Basically I do not want hand these off with time stamps of 3 and 4 am....I think it will not look good. I am shooting with a 5d, and processing in the old version of Lightroom (1.3?). I really do not want to open these up in photoshop, as it is too much for my computer to handle that many files! Any help is very welcomed!</p>

<p>Thank you everyone for your insightful responses! The strangest thing to me is that it is only doing it with two of the lights (el 500c's). My older EL 500's seem to work fine. I orginally purchased the two lights in 1998, and they have been used professionally for the last 6 years or so. Thing is, this only started to happen about a year ago and it does not happen with the other two lights, or the EL 250. And the strangest thing is why when I hit the square green test button they will NOT fire, at all. Even if it is a slave issue, I do not understand why the test button would not fire. After years of photo assisting, and encountering hundreds of different systems I have never seen that happen. Ever, with any brand!! I am wondering if it is something more than the slave, because after all, it should still fire if I hit the test button, right? As for the comments on the constant repairs...I am going to knock on wood here - I have been pretty lucky I guess. Although two need to be repaired for the adjustment knob (the bottom, where you put it on the stand) they have held up very well and have never needed repair. If I do, does anyone have any suggestions? I was told flash clinic in NY is good.....<br>

Thanks everyone, I appreciate your help.</p>

<p>Thank all of you for your replies. Leigh, your suggestion sounds most likely but I have not yet tested it. Still, it has only recently started happening, so do you think that it might be something going bad?</p>

 

<p>Thank all of you for your replies. Leigh, your suggestion sounds most likely but I have not yet tested it. Still, it has only recently started happening, so do you think that it might be something going bad?</p>

 

<p>Lorne, <br>

love your witty reply, but the subjects (BMW Cars) were in the shade. When I put the light out where direct sunlight was hitting the strobe, it would not fire. If I moved it back in the cove, or covered it with a black cloth it fired every time. Maybe Elinchrom is that smart though, to design such a strobe ;)</p>

 

<p>Hello everyone, once again I am back to attempt to find a solution. The last time I posted, it was this question:<br>

http://www.photo.net/photography-lighting-equipment-techniques-forum/00XndN<br>

I was stumped about the lights, and what was going wrong with them. This week I discovered what is really happening. I will give you a nickel (to any of you!) who can shed some light on quite possibly the strangest thing I have experienced to date. In my previous post, I had stated that the lights sometimes would not fire, regardless. Here is what I have finally discovered - The lights, when in sunlight, will not fire (the two EL500c's purchased as a kit in 1998). Basically they work fine all the time in darker areas. But what I discovered this week is that if they are out in a bright area (outside, middle day) they will not fire at all - even if I hit the test button, the pocket wizard, or with a direct sync cable. If the light is out in the sun, it will not fire - period! Not the slave, or a slaved light. I mean that both lights, if in bright light will not fire whatsoever when the test button his hit, or for any other reason. If I take a black cloth, and place it over the entire light they work fine. PLEASE someone explain that one....<br>

Thanks in advance!</p>

<p>Thanks guys. And yes, the green ready light is on when I hit the test button. I just found it very odd that the power source would not be sufficient. �I thought that the extension cords might not be heavy enough grade, but then how would you explain not working with the Vagabond...? Still perplexed. If I get the money I might send them to Flash Clinic in NY.</p>

<p>By ready light I thought you meant "model lights" and that it was a term that I do not use. If by ready lights you mean the green square test button, it always comes on and shows the recycle time when the lights do fire...<br>

I always try to start off with the Pocket Wizzards but if they fail I fall back on the traditional 16 foot synch cords that came with the lights. They suck, but with WiFi sometimes I have to use them. Most of these shoots I was just using one light/sun/reflector/scrim..... <br>

Thanks again. This is REAL odd ball to me as well - there is no explanation I can think of!</p>

<p>Thanks Leigh,<br>

The ready lights do come on (although I leave them off generally), but why would the capacitors go bad on all 5 lights (some are 12 years old, some are a little over 5) at the same time? �In addition, why does this seem to only happen on location? These lights have fired 1000 times since the last "incident" (which was two weeks ago) without a single failure. It seems that the only difference happens to be location vs. "home". Also, I live in Florida - do you think humidity, etc have contributed to failure �(the capacitors going bad). I know better than to leave batteries in things that go in and out allot.<br>

Another thing I was thinking/wondering - could magnetic or electronic interference screw with the lights themselves?</p>

<p>Hello everyone, back here looking for some help again. Here is the situation - and it is blowing my mind as to how/what could be happening as I have tested tested and tested again. I have a set of 5 Elinchrom EL 500c monolights, two older three newer (see lights in attached pic for reference). Using these lights in a studio setting they are 100% reliable, NEVER any problems in the 12 / 5 years I have been using them. Most of the time I take them on location they exhibit 100% reliability. Still, this year I have had 4 "big deal" shoots (actually, 4 of my 5 most important shoots no less) where they just seemed to go haywire. All 4 times, the same problem. Basically, if the light fires at all it fires about one of three times you hit the test switch. Here is what I am working with for said problem: 5 Elinchrom lights, Pocket Wizard (plus II and MultiMax on Camera), Extension Cords (6 or so), �Vagabond II power system, and as a backup 5 of the actual hard wire synch-cords for plugging the camera directly into the light (to control it). All 4 shoots happened in large industrial type settings where clean, solid power should not have been an issue (Food manufacturing plant, Baseball Stadium (pro team), Jet Aircraft FBO Hanger, and a manufacturing plant). What happened is pretty consistent in respect to the locations. So I go to set up just one light for fill, half power. Plug into the Vagabond, hook up the PW's, grab the light meter to test and .... nothing. I hit the PW test button probably 10 times for every successful "pop". Ok, Vagabond is the issue? Run a Stinger to an outlet. Test outlet (testing FINE). Run Stinger (extension cord) back to the light, plug in, same deal...except now it might fire once for every 3-4 times I hit the "test" button. By this time I am sweating. So maybe it is a Pocket Wiz./WiFi issue? I plug the "hard cord" into the light/camera (or meter). Same thing. Swap out the synch cable for one of the other 4 or so that I have rigorously tested at home/studio and that I know works. Same thing. Swap another cable. Same thing. Maybe it is the Stinger? Swap that out (once or twice). Same thing. So it must be the Head. Swap that out for another Monolight....SAME THING ALL OVER. So different heads are having the same results with the same equipment. And by this time the person I have to shoot is getting impatient and I am drenched in sweat. Never let them see you sweat, right? Still, I do not get better than one sucessful flash firing out of three or four shots. Most of the shots the flash never fired.<br /> So I get home after the most recent "incident". First thing I do (and I mean as soon as I walked through the door): test everything. Same lights, same Wiz., same cords, same stingers, same Vagabond...everything. 100%. Every shot fires. So I take the Vagabond outside. 100%. I run a stinger from an outside outlet. 100%. And on the week long project of photographing for a catalogue here in the studio - 100%. So, it only seems to happen when I have some VIP or CEO in front of me and when I am under huge time restraints, and in a place where the power output and quality should not be an issue. And to further stump me, why was the issue going on with the Vagabond as well as different Flash Heads? The Photo-Gnomes really "F" with me every now and then, but this is really pushing my buttons! I cannot afford to have this happen again but I have no idea "what" is happening! Oh, and I also swapped fuses on the lights just to make sure...<br /> Thanks in advance, any insight is huge.</p><div></div>

<p>lol. ok. Marios and I have actual real experience and knowledge to contribute....I will be happy to go away from a troll like yourself because like Marios stated "lets not waste any more time with this person. He does not deserve it". I was thinking the same thing. I am here to help people, educate, become educated, and contribute. I am sorry that it has devolved into this, but somehow I assume you had zero intention as to receiving an intelligent answer. All of your posts seem to be of this nature - ignorant questions posed by someone who knows absolutely nothing of what they are talking about seeking of a self important (ego boosting response to the lie) reply. Like if I were to go on the Ferrari Fans Website and ask "what kind of gas do I put in my Enzo?". Luckily I am not the one who has to live with it - but you are the one who has to look himself in the mirror.</p>

<p>Dave - you have been completely exposed as a liar and a faker. Please go away. So when exactly did you take those photos? How come there is no record of you at Getty? Honestly, I feel sorry for you in a weird way. It really must be sad to live such a pathetic existence that you are forced to attempt acceptance from complete strangers via means of blatant lies and a lousy attempt to present yourself as something you are certainly NOT. Dave, I am going to be the one to say it - you are a liar, pure, plain, and simple. Maybe one day you will find true identity and feel secure with yourself, and I hope so. It is not healthy to build an "online persona" based completely around Bovine Scatology. Seriously - sooner or later you are going to completely loose grip of reality if you do not reel yourself in now. </p>

<p>Dave, please dude...give up. You have been exposed as a blatant fraud and liar. What do you get out of this? Does it boost your ego? Do you live in a pathological lie? Do you like to stir stuff up? Admit it - you were the guy back in the day decked out in Vision Street Wear head to toe that could not even pivot a skateboard. Anyway, if you want to fantasize you took those photos that you stole from online pretend to everyone that you took them than that is your business. I think that might cross into what psychologists call "sociopath behavior" but hey...some people live there lives telling people they were war hero's. Like them, there must be some huge underlying insecurity or something driving such a state of mental illness - the desperate need for acceptance (or approval) brought about by pathological lying. Even online. Sorry, just an umpire here. No hard feelings whatsoever - honestly. </p>

<p>ha ha! But you have a Goat! That is awesome...you rule! lol....</p>

<p>Matt, Jeff...you took the words out of my mouth more less. Funny, once upon a time (actually, a few times) I worked as an assistant (one of 8) to a photographer listed on Nikons website under "living legends". The shoots were of Tiger, and Maria for Nike, and lasted about 20 minutes with a budget most likely well into the 6 figures. The hierarchy on set was such that even the assistants were not allowed to speak to the photographer (only the 1st assist - a top national level shooter himself), let alone even look at the talent. When you are working with talent on that level (the house hold name celebs) that is how the shoots go, period. Working as a stills shooter on feature films I have experienced even worse, with the director asking me to get "some snaps" of the "talent" only to have the "talent" virtually rip my head off for doing so without there agents permission, fee's, etc, etc. I am calling you out that you had "access" to these people, that you have there photos, that you have there permission, etc. I am pretty sure that this post was either a bunch of "puffer fish" or is a troll. Sorry, but I am not getting defensive or anything whatsoever. I just smell something "barn-yardy". And I think it is kind of....funny? Either way, if I am wrong (doubt it) I am pretty certain that you are not going to find anyone in professional marketing that would touch this idea with a ten foot pole. And I am pretty certain that would be the case even if you DID have a signed, witnessed model release - because on that level (of the celebs you have "shot" according to above) Celeb's do not sign "typical" model releases. They sign specialized contracts that seek to protect there image, etc. And there lawyers, agents, managers, etc MAKE SURE that not only do they - but that it is highly beneficial to the celeb. to do so. Like the TV spot I worked on where Jeff Gordon got paid $$$$$$ for three sentences and 7 seconds of "face time". And believe me; how, when, where, why, who, and how much were all well negotiated long before Jeff ever made it to the Ad Agency's story boards. That is how it works in the real world. I have met many celebs randomly (and can care less - it is the supercars that get my blood flowing) and although they might take a snap shot with the occasional fan you can rest assured they do not do shoots with random people as favors. I do not care who they are (well, unless it is a certain freestyle MX star that you grew up with but that is the one in a million exception). I took the thread seriously at first but now I realize that it is one of those "My mustang ran the quarter mile in 6 seconds and dusted a Veyron last night" threads that I see in Car/Bike forums, etc. I love to come on here and help/offer legitimate advice. Even your "everything will be done properly" is incorrect because if it were true then your business idea as proposed would be technically unethical and possibly illegal (or at least open to hardcore lawsuits).<br>

Sorry dude, prove it with a link to your work or you know you live under a bridge with a goat.</p>

<p>"asked and receive permission to do one on ones"<br>

And is that written or verbal permission?</p>

<p>Sorry, not trying to be negative, and definitely not bashing work I have not seen. It just struck me as extremely odd that if you had such access to celebs, etc, that you would not already know exactly what to do with the photos and where they are going. In other-words, why are you asking on P.Net? Before shooting some of the people that I have photographed I knew EXACTLY where the photos were going, who the client was, intended usage, length of usage, my "rights" for usage, whether or not the photos were exclusive or not (almost all of the time yes meaning I could not ever re-sell them), what I was getting paid, where the photos would end up, circulation, etc. All of this I knew before I even touched the camera. Thus, I figured you might have had a bunch of snap shots you were trying to sell. Do you have a website or any online gallery where I can check out the pics? Whom are they featuring? Is there a market for the pics?</p>

<p>Hello all! I am trying to achieve a look very similar to the photos on the opening page of this website: http://www.tbauto.org<br>

I am trying to get that heavy contrast/cross process look, but I am definitely not a Photoshop whiz. If anyone has any tips or links to tutorials I would very much appreciate it.<br>

Thanks in advance!</p>