cochranb

<p>Would you be willing to work for $140 in gift certificates from the restaurant? It would be a good compromise for both and possibly a start of a good working relationship. Just a thought. </p>

<p>Flash is very frowned upon in two specific aspects - during starts and with breaststroke / butterfly head on shots. As a former college swimmer, the last thing you want when coming up for a breath is to get flashed in the face, also the starting systems use a flash in addition to the “beep” – so no flash during the starts as well.<br>

As for lenses, the pool is 25 yd/m – so the 70-200 will be plenty of reach. Pools are known for being lit about as well as dungeons, so all the low light techniques come into play. I have shot a few meets as well and wish I had remembered to bring the monopod.<br>

Another suggestion – bring a towel and wear shorts, you will get wet.</p>

<p><img src="http://www.bcochranphotography.com/racereports/Chippewa50/boardwalk/boardwalk/images/img_5801.jpg" alt="" width="534" height="800" /></p>

<p>One main factor in covering a trail race, esp if its marathon or longer - get some good running/hiking shoes and get in shape. The best locations won't be near a road. Chances are you will need to hike in a bit. Check out Trail Runner Mag or Ultra Marathon Mag for same photos. <br>

As for selling - in getting started, I have found making images available for people to add to their blogs is a good way to get some exposure to the market. People who do trail runs like to give full race recounts on their blogs. Once you are established then they will come to you. Also talk to the race director ahead of time and offer some of the images for race promotion. They will be able to give you insites on good places to shoot.</p>

<p>David,<br>

In dealing with the other photographers - I think you answered your question already - just like the kids do in the pool - beat them with better products and better sales technique. As for the rest, I learned early on, you can't control others behavior. Now if they had set up a table next to yours - then that's an easy call. I don't see too many luxury car dealers worried about the used car dealer moving in next door to them. In some respects, it makes your work look even better.<br>

I'm just glad to see people taking photos at meets - 16 years of competative swimming from 8&under to DivI - I think I only have a handful of photos of me swimming.</p>

<div></div>

<p>As a former competitive swimmer and a son of a former meet director – the photographer is probably around priority number 1000 on their to-do list, so keep that in mind. Plus, I love reading listings like this on PNet i.e. “How do I shut down someone else’s business via strong arm methods” - rather than simply producing images the other guy just can’t do and providing a better service (a free market vs. union mentality).<br>

If you truly want to keep out the competition, you might need to have the meet director put a statement in the heat sheet (program) about an “official photographer” being used. Also, this would be a good location for an advertisement with a statement about being the “official photographer”. <br>

Remember - for the most part – swim meets are organized chaos, unless you make it very clear that you have a contract with the meet director (host) – expect competition. And in the spirit of a true state champion – you don’t keep your competition out of the pool, you dive in and kick their butt in the pool.</p>

<div></div>

<p>Keep it simple and light - Rebel with a 50mm 1.8. You can start here and grow with it. The combination is very light weight and you wont shed as many tears if you drop it. A couple of years from now, it will be your backup / second body. I have the 50D and it is quite a bit heavier than my old Rebel and many more tears if it were to drop. <br>

Are you planning on shooting from above (top rope) or down by the belayer? If you are looking to top rope and hang out around were the action is, the 50mm should be fine and with the 1.8, allow you to smooth out the background. </p>

<p>Having worked for a gas fireplace company - plan on 5-10 sec exposures for the flames or you will capture a wimpy fire. Also, if you can still get some - we used a salt mixture that was sometimes sold with the fireplaces (magic pixy dust) to liven up the flames a bit more as well. I don't think the material is still sold, but a gas fireplace retailer might have some in the "backroom". We had other tricks as well, but they would probably void any insurance/warranty.</p>

<p >For the runner's sake - keep the van or truck behind them, not in front. Ultra runners tend to get a bit cranky at night and the last thing they need to be doing is breathing exhaust. </p>

<p >From behind, the headlights should be able to provide some fill light for a flash and won’t bother the runner. Also, remember that the runner will probably be wearing a bright headlamp, so your best bet for shots will be from the side, not from the front. In addition to that, most running apparel has reflective features creating very bright spots in a dark photo. Your best bet might be to set up a head of the runner on a tripod and catch them at twilight. </p>

<p >But remember, running at night, esp an Ultra, tends to make people a bit cranky, so be nice to them and remember that the run is more important to them than the photos. </p>

<p>I was wondering if anyone has developed anything to allow me to shoot tethered to my VIXIA HG10 camcorder like I do with my 50D. <br>

There is a USB connection, but so far it is only to read the hard drive. It would be great to have the same controls for video that I have for stills. All I can do now is connect to a portable DVD player and use the remote control.</p>

<p>I have been thinking about going this direction for lights:<br>

<a href="http://www.ultimatesupport.com">www.ultimatesupport.com</a><br>

They are not true light stands, but the speaker stands will support 50-100lbs and they have a large base. I used to have a couple of them, but I gave them away and now I wish I could have them back. It wouldn't take much to make an adapter to fit the standard light stand. Looking at B&H for the Bogen stands, the Ultimate stands are in the same price range.<br>

I'm wondering if anyone else has gone this direction.</p>

I am planning on doing that - but I would like to keep it as a backup / second camera / learning tool for the kids.

I managed to drop my XT on to a sidewalk a couple of weeks ago. The only issue that I have found is the focus

lights are no longer aligned with the boxes in the viewfinder.

 

Is this something that is self repairable? I haven't opened up the body to see how the lights work. I would think that

it is a simple light panel that is out of alignment.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thanks,

 

Bryan

You might want to also check the "anti-aliasing" setting - leaving it at "none" will cause some pixeling

If it is a part of the event - capture it. I agree with Marc's comment - when the bride sees your photos and the photos from the disposables - it just makes your work look better. As for the business end - your contract is with the bride, not Aunt Sue / Uncle Bob.

 

If someone where to give me a disposable, I just tell them that "I just don't know how to use one of them there fancy cameras" and jsut use mine.<div></div>

I am trying to determine if I can use the PC socket on the 580II as the

trigger for a Pocket Wizard to fire some stobes.

 

I have seen several comments on having the PW fire the 580II, but not the

other way around.

 

What I am attempting to do is light up a Church ceiling with the stobes and

have the direct flash on camera as the fill. I have attempted to use a 580

with a digital peanut slave (taped inside a lumiquest) connected to the

transmiter, but didn't get consistant firings using both manual and normal

mode on the flash. I am hoping that the 580II will solve this connection

issue.

 

Thanks,

 

Bryan

I'm doing this for free, giving away the images (sized for a 4x6 print). The selling point for me is having families come to my website to get the files and hopefully cruise around.

 

I also have a case of engineeritis (mechanical engineering by trade), so doing it myself is part of the fun.

I have been asked to do my son's school dance. The photo part I should be ok

with. My question is how easy is it to set up a user name / passcode for the

parents to view/purchase the prints?

 

The staging for the photos will be the typical assembly line set up. What I

would like to do is give the parents a business card with a code on the back

that they can enter to view their kids photo with the school mascott. I have

done several triathlons where a photo group posts to their website and you look

up your race number to see your photos.

 

I am somewhat new to web programing and I am using MS Expression Web. If

someone might have a step by step example on how to set this up I would be

greatfull.

 

Thanks,

 

Bryan

I am thinking about purchasing Lightroom as an upgrade from Picassa and and

easy way to put together flash based web gallerys.

 

If you use Lightroom on your site - can you point me to your gallerys so that I

can see how they look? Only examples with the stock gallery please. The

tutorials on Adobe's webpage don't quite give enough details and I am having

issues with the 30 day trials not working.

 

Thanks,

 

Bryan

Steve - are these true documentary - or infomercials for the photographers? I have looked at the websites of the people you have listed, but have not viewed the DVD - a quick search gives a so-so rating for the DVDs and most say they are too expensive for what you get.

 

Again, I'm looking for something that might be unedited or atleast not super cleaned up - more real world type coverage.

 

What I am interested in is the interaction of the photographer and the non-bride/groom subjects. How do these guys deal with crabby kids (who didn't get their nap due to an afternoon wedding), how do they deal with groomsmen who refuse to look in the same direction as the rest of the group.

 

Now, it could be that "image is everything" and nobody is going to produce a real world video for fear of looking human. If the above DVD set is this, then I will look into it, if not, I will keep looking.

In thinking back on the last wedding that I did, I was wondering how some of

the "top guns" in the profession would have handled certain situations that

came up.

 

What I am wondering is if there is a video of one of the big names in wedding

photography doing their thing. Not something highly edited, but something

like the view from the driver in a NASCAR race, or the view from a catcher

during a baseball game, or a "critter cam" from a National Geographic special.

 

Is anyone aware of such a video?

 

Thanks,

 

Bryan

I have been using the optical slave feature of my mono lights with out too

many issues. Tomorrow, however I have a situation where the lights are going

to be above my head and the ceiling is flat black (movie theator).

 

Here's the problem, the optical slave pickup is on the top of the lights and

the room absorbs too much of the light from my flash. In a walk through

yesterday, I was only batting .500 at best getting one of the two to pop, and

no more than .100 getting both.

 

I am looking into Pocket Wizards, but don't want to spend the cash (would need

three) when 99% of the time the optical works for me. Is there a good way to

either use mirrors to get the monolights to see the on camera flash? Or are

there optical slaves that I could plug into the end of the sinc cord and place

them in a better location? Basicly moving the optical slave to a more

convenient location.

 

Thanks,

 

Bryan

I have a wedding next weekend taking place in an old movie theater. The walls

are dark, and the ceiling is painted flat black (and about 20? high). I will

be using my 580 flash and I have two studio lights that I can set up. This

will not be a Church wedding so the studio lights will be able to be used

during the ceremony.

 

My question is should I use them, and where should I locate them?

 

If it wasn?t a black ceiling, I was just going to use the optical slave and

bounce light off the ceiling, but that wont work. I have thought about placing

them somewhat high and ?bare bulbing? them.

 

Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

Bryan

I don't know if the 20D uses the Canon Zoom Browser program or if you have a laptop, if it does and you have a laptop, connect the laptop to the camera. In doing this I have been able to improve my lighting very quickly given that I am looking on a 14" laptop screen rather than the little screen on the camera. This will also give the couples a chance to see their portrait and if they want a retake. If you have the time and could set up a PC that would be an option as well.

 

As for Zoom Browser - look for "Remote shooting" to conect to the camera. You might also want to get a 10' USB extension cord, I have almost dumped the laptop a few times with the short USB that my Rebel XT came with.

 

Good luck.

 

Bryan

With kids - sometimes I just try and get them to tell me a story - you might not get a perfect smile, but I tend to capture the real child. "Cheese" or other phrase tends to bring out forced smiles for me.

Over the weekend I took some Christmas portraits for some friends and went

through batteries like crazy. The room is small and I was using three 580's,

one into a small umbrella, one off the ceiling and one off the wall opposite

the umbrella. I know that I was pushing the setup shooting at ISO 100 @ f8,

thus using most of the flash power available.

 

My question is simple: is there a way off powering the 580 flash via 110ac

rather than batteries? I looked at B&H and Adorama, nothing listed.

 

I know that there are battery packs available - but again I want to plug them

into the wall. I also know that the ultimate solution is to go with normal

strobes, but I like the simplicity of the 580's and the wireless connections.

 

Thanks.<div></div>