vernon98034

<p>I am asked to take an organization?s children Christmas party photo again

this year. To do a better job, I would like to hear your folks? feedback on <a

href="http://www.vicina.info/entry_view.htm?id=16&c=1604">my last year?s

works</a>. I am aware that I should have more dramatic lighting on single

individual portraits. I, however, have a space and time restriction. Those last

year photos were at the end of a hotel hallway. I didn?t have much room to move

my single lighting equipments around. And during the party, people lined up

behind me. I didn?t have time to measure light for every single photo (as a

result, some of those photos are over exposed while some others are under

exposed). I would like to know how I can do it better under the condition.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

It has been asked before. click <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00L2is">here</a>.

Greg,

 

How it compares to much more expensive of the Pocket Wizard and on the same price range of the Elinchrom EL-Skyport?

<blockquote>

There are quite a few EXCELLENT brands out there

</blockquote>

Can you name them please, Giampi?

Thanks for your inputs. Can all of you provide your photo samples to back up your opinions?

Having been doing portrait photography for a whole, I consider getting my

lighting equipment updated by purchasing a lighting pack. I need to purchase at

least one softbox or octobox as I perfect, to go with my new lighting equipment.

I will use them in either in a studio sitting or a location sitting. The size of

an octobox need to be big enough for full body shots. I would like to hear

others? opinions on the brand and size of an octobox I shall get. To my

knowledge, Chimera is the best brand in the business. Any other brands I also

need to consider?

 

BTW, none of those portraits under my profile were took with a softbox.

 

Thanks.

<p>

I found this wireless trigger while I was looking for other lighting equipments.

It was unknown to me before. I am wondering whether anyone has used this

wireless strobe trigger kit, one between eBay wireless kit and the Pocket

Wizard. If so, I would like to hear any feedback. Here is the wireless trigger

kit information:

</p>

<h5> SM Development Flash Waves Kit</h5>

<p>

Wireless Flash Waves Kit allow photographers the freedom to move about without

being "wired" to their strobe system. Without cords photographers can now work

more creatively and interact with their subjects more personally and

professionally. It can isolate the camera (digital) from the studio strobe and

eliminate the chance of voltage feedback into the camera from the flash. It is

ideal for both studio and location situations and economically priced!

</p>

<p>

Features:

<ul>

<li> Wireless synchronization from your camera to your studio strobe</li>

<li> No cables to break or to trip over</li>

<li> Enhance your creativity and maintain contact with your subject</il>

<li> 165 foot operating range</li>

<li> 5 coded channels eliminates misfires from other sources by locking out

other strobes</li>

<li> Use the hot shoe feature to fire on-camera type flashed remotely</li>

<li> Synchronizes at shutter speeds up to 1/250th of a second</li>

<li> LED low battery light indicator</li>

<li> PC outlet on the receiver to accept PC to RCA phono jack (cable included</li>

</ul>

</p>

<p>

Kit includes:

<ul>

<li>Transmitter (23A 12v battery incl.),</li>

<li>Receiver (2 AAA batteries required),</li>

<li>2 Sync cords,</li>

<li>Mounting Strap and handy Receiver holder.</li>

</ul>

</p>

<img

src="http://www.vicina.info/public_html/images/users/tmp/flash_waves_kit_L.jpg"

alt="SM Development Flash Waves Kit"/>

From the edge of the subject, I can see three lights behind the subject: left, right and above. From the subject's eyes, I can see other three lights: left and right either with umbrellas or softboxes, and one much smaller light, possibly a ring flash (on camera). This type of light setting can be seen in many fashion photography works.

Since you have a purchase plan on Elinchrom lighting equipments, you might want to visit http://www.elinchrom.com/ and walk over the product page. Their EL-Skyport wireless may meet your need with a half of the price of Pocketwizard, reportedly.

Thanks for your folks' information.

 

A Pocket-Wizard transmitter was mounted on the hotshoe slot of my camera. I didn't plan to trigger my flash with an optional signal.

 

I don't believe the channel on the flash has anything to do with this issue since it is for communication between the master flash and a slave flash and the master flash was absented in this case.

 

Only one set of Pocket-Wizard presented at the time.

 

I need to remember to test the flash on the manual mode next time when I use the Pocket-Wizard again. One problem with the manual mode, I can't see the flash blinking and tell whether the flash still has battery power or not in a distance unless I need frequently push the test button on a Pocket-wizard transmitter.

I used the Sigma EF 500 DG Super.

I did change the channel from the channel one to the channel four once I noticed the flash was triggered by something else. That, however, did not help at all.

I rented a pair of Pocket-Wizard to shoot photos of a Children X-mas party which

had near two hundred participants, kids and their parents, a few days ago.

During the event in the main room, I noticed my hot-shoe flash was triggered by

something other than my camera. The consequence was missing firing from time to

time. When I pressed the shutter button right after the flash was triggered by

others, the flash could not fire since the batteries had not gotten fully

recharged.

 

Someone said that happened since I set the flash in the slave mode and it was

triggered by others? flashes. I can?t agree the theme since my flash didn?t fire

every time when someone else?s flash fired. Is a usage problem or a equipment

problem?

I eventually sent my film to a Kodak lab and I regret it. The prints on Kodak paper show very strong contrast while I can?t tell the colour is noticeable vivid than a Fuji film. I scanned some of the photos from the negatives and find the negatives look not much different from scanned photo images of a Fuji film (see a few of samples in the Kodak 400 VC folder under my portfolio). It seems to me that the Kodak paper trades much strong contrast for a little more intense colours. On the economic side, it costs me more in terms of time and money to use a Kodak film or a Kodak lab.

I would like to learn the follow photographers? pricing structure of a corp

event. I am doing a few of corp events that a firm either covers all photo fee,

or a portion of the fee and the employees pay the rest. I need to construct my

pricing structure to suite the both situations.

I gave up the plan that evening. Other than the dimmed tank, to have a whale right in the front of window was not a controllable event.

I forgot to mention that the Kodak film B&H packaged label says "emulsion: #e781106". I don't know what it means.

 

And, I read some posts on this forum a whole ago, "the Fuji film is 'cool' and the Kodak film is 'warm'". I assume it doesn't just mean the film itself, but also the processing(chemistry) and print(paper). If so, one brand film shall not be printed on the other brand's paper.

Thanks all for your information.

 

What I mean a Kodak or Fuji lab is a lab using the brand's chemical and paper. I just come back from a X-mas party with five rolls of film to be processed. I am not sure whether I shall send those Kodak film to a lab using Fuji paper or not (I just learn it doesn't use a Fuji machine anymore).

I mostly use both slide and print Fiji films. I would like to try the Kodak VC

film during this X-mas season for its saturation. There are a few of Fiji labs

close by, but not Kodak lab. Is better to get a Kodak film processed at a Kodak

lab?

Thanks.

Thanks for your sharing, Tom.

 

The background is quite sharp with the large aperture of f/3.5. What is the focus length of your lenses? Your subjects seem close to the window. I will turn down the main light to get a bigger aperture.

Ellis,

 

Not the one in Georgia. A half of second is too slow for whales. In regarding of reflections of the light, I already consider to use a polarizer filter. It, however, doesn't help for the weak light.

Mr. Smith,

 

What you said is a post-processing method. The aquarium uses this method as one of their services or income sources. It would be too much work for me when I am going to take a hundred of photos.

I am asked to take portraits in an aquarium tomorrow night. In the given

underground space, the only interesting scene is one large whale tank window. It

would be great if I could take portrait photos with swimming whales in the

background. Yesterday morning, I measured the light on the windows and it yields

125 and f/4.5 at ASA 400. The whale tank will be lighted up in evening and I am

told the light in the tank will be much weaker. Due to the low light on the

windows, it doesn?t seem to be possible for me to use swimming whales as the

background unless applying some PS post-processing methods. The ?dragging?

technique can?t be applied in this case since the whales are moving objects.

And, using strobes on the whale tank is not an option if it is permitted. Any

other approach, if there is one?

<p>

I need another reflector holder for the following usages:

<p>

<ul>

<li>hold/hang a large size reflector, such as a 42"x72" one</li>

<li>hold/hang a flag, which can be a piece of black fabric or a large black

colour side of a 5-in-1 reflector</li>

<li>hold a smaller size reflector, such as a 32" one</li>

</ul>

<p>

 

I currently have one from the Photoflex. I would like to have one with less

weight and is easy to swivel and rotate for precise position.

<p>

Thanks for your inputs.

You can create most of studio style lighting with hot shoe flashes and some lighting controls and modifiers. Some manufactures make soft boxes for hot shoe flashes. Before you purchase such soft boxes, you may want to try out your lighting configuration with one or two white umbrellas first (I like a 45" one). Umbrellas are cheap, portable, and easy to setup. If this works for you, you can get your soft box.

 

The following portrait was taken with two hot shoe flashes in E-TTL mode in location although I usually set flashes in the manual mode for a location portrait session.<div></div>

His technique seems to be using greater than a half of step below the meter exposure value.