andreahollander

<p>Thanks Everyone it will take a little while to follow up on all the suggestions.<br>

I just stuck the sb-600 on the dang camera. Got some nice shots but still not so satisfied.<br>

I'll work on some of these suggestions and can not express how thankful i am that you took the time to reply.<br>

I have been noticing alot of amazing movie lighting recently and I am so jealous.<br>

I kind of wish I had become a film/video person.<br>

Happy image making!</p>

<p>Greetings all. I am photographing a conference that I photograph every year. Pretty standard meet and greet,<br>

podium shots, some close ups of people chatting etc. The lighting is always challenging. There are several location changes, a variety of ambient lights etc. The approach I like to take is having a flash mounted<br>

on a bracket to avoid red eye and cut down a little on annoying shadows.<br>

My equipment is hampering this a bit.<br>

I own<br>

Camera Nikon D50<br>

Flash Nikon SB-600<br>

Vivitar 283<br>

Vivitar 285<br>

It never dawned on me that standard features like a pc socket would be nonexistent on the Nikon camera<br>

or flash and the touted CLS system does work with this particular combo for off camera flash.<br>

My solution last year was use the built in flash with diffusion material for close up.<br>

Use available light when possible.<br>

And finally use a wein peanut in my Vivitar mounted on a braket which the on camera flash fires.<br>

With all the knowledge and equipment I already have I really would like to get better results.<br>

The Client has been happy I am not so much.<br>

I am about three seconds away from digging up some film and using my old camera.<br>

I am hoping someone knows how to have one of these flashes fire with out the use of the on camera flash.<br>

I apologize if this was already answered elsewhere. I hope you always have all the light you need.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Hello fellow New Jerseyeans,<br>

Returning to this site after a bit of an absense. Looking forward to growing a solid portrait studio.<br>

Hoping to share the good the bad with those on a similar path.</p>

<p>sincerely,<br>

Andrea</p>

<p>This is a good topic. I was thinking about ways to photograph not young and not skinny.<br>

There are many people who are in this category including my own self.<br>

The body is beautiful in all its shapes but somehow the camera is less than forgiving.<br>

Use your portrait lens. All the suggestions above are great. It might be nice to do some<br>

frames by a window. You'll get both soft light and some shade for slendering and also some privacy<br>

which might make your subject more at ease. Other than than a camera angle a little above<br>

is very flattering for women.</p>

greetings,

I was hoping this forum was about how to juggle motherhood and a photography business. I did not start a portrait business in my area

because Walmart and Babies R Us offer packages at rates I could never

compete with.

Most of these "mommies" if they can weild a child and a camera then they should be getting more money that the traditional studios.

The real threat to professional photographers also threatens most industires in America. The devaluation of craft and the notion

that cheaper is better no matter what the real cost to society is.

Having said that, most photographers I know bear the contenance

of someone who survived a war. Myself included.

sincerely,

andrea

Greetings again all,

For some reason I only get a reading of 2 when measuring the trigger voltage of the vivitar 285hv. I am assuming that is incorrect.

For now I am taking the precautionary advice and using the flash

off camera with a wein peanut slave.

You know what is crazy I can apparently shoot at 1/500 with the flash.

I am not sure at the moment why I would want to do that but it is cool

none the less.

I should obviously spend some more time with the camera manual.

The camera manual I have is completely in Spanish. Hmm...too bad I only studied French. I must have an English version somewhere.

The consensus at various places seems to be that older 283's

carry a higher voltage and therefore should not be used.

The 285hv supposedly has a trigger voltage of say 12v

and so is (I presume) safe. The 285 is 350volts and should not be used with the d-50.

I appreicate everyone taking time for this topic.

sincerely,

andrea

Greetings all,

Well I purchased a digital multimeter. I attempted to measure the trigger voltage of both the Vivitar 283 and Vivitar 285hv.

Results rather inconclusive. Decided to slap on the 285hv anyway.

Apparently didn't destroy my camera and I haven't grown a boil or anything yet. So this whole experiment seems to have been a success.

You don't suppose people just make this stuff up for pure entertainment

do you. If anyone needs a digital multimeter I've got one to sell for cheap.

Sincere Thanks to all

andrea

Thanks so much for all the responses.

I was just about to melt down all my other over priced and out dated equipment and turn it in to something useful like say a couch.

andrea

Greetings all,

I searched over some old postings regarding the compatability of vivitars 283

and 285hv flash and nikons d-50. I came away with an understanding that some

older flashes carry a voltage that is too high for the newer cameras. It seems

that a voltage under 10 is safe. My plan is to measure both of my flashes if I

can get a voltage meter. I called Nikon and was told that they have no

information regarding other manufacturers products so I asked simply if they

could tell me the acceptable voltage for my nikon d-50. They can not apparently.

Vivitar last time I called didn't even seem to be in the photography business

anymore.Almost all of the bigger retail camera suppliers in my area no longer

exist. And so I sit here with two perfectly good flashes and a camera that cost

more than all the other cameras I ever owned in my life time and I think I would

be better off with charcoal and a piece of paper. In the old days of say 10

years ago I would have just slapped the sucker on there and figured it out

myself.However the camera cost too much for that experiment. Especially since if

my camera were to break there is the real possibility of not being able to find

a soul willing to repair it.I apologize for the rant. Perhaps film really is

cheap. So off I go to radio shack I suppose. Any info is appreciated.

andrea

Shing Yan Lau,

Thanks for the information. Does anyone know the specific name of the adapter. I looked on vivtars' site (They are only in the moment)no mention of flashes there. I'm sure I can dig up my manual for the flash.

I checked out a few suppliers like B&H but didn't find exact adapter.

I just purchased a Nikon d50. This camera does in fact have a hot shoe

however I've read and been told that the flashes I own (Vivitar

283,285)could fry my camera if I were to place them on my hot shoe.

Needless to say I'm not trying it. The rumor is that there is an

adapter. Has anyone used it? does it work? What is it called? Where

can it be purchased? Any info appreciated. I usually like to just

figure these things out by trial and error. That was easier when it

was only film and my time wasted.

Thanks

Andrea Hollander