simon p barlow

<p>Hi<br>

I wrote an article in my blog about powering stobes on location from generators or inverters...<br>

http://spbphotography.blogspot.com/2009/01/using-generators-for-location-shooting.html<br>

You also might find this useful... http://www.spbphotography.co.uk/Bowens%20Travel-Pak%20Upgrade.pdf it was done for the Bowens unit, but I also included an inverter, so the idea is the same.<br>

Sorry I cant post them as short links, Safari Beta 4 seems to have issues with the links function on PNet.<br>

Simon</p>

<p>Hi Garry<br>

Thanks for the information. I will be at Focus 09 shortly, so will drop by and see the guys from Interfit and talk to them, and looking at the Lencarta website, they have a good, solid offering too, so will request more info from them.<br>

It seems like with either company, I will be able to save some money... and possibly add a few extra items too and still save!<br>

Kind regards<br>

Simon</p>

<p>Hi All<br>

I am thinking of buying the following Bowens products:-<br>

2 x 65 Degree Maxlight Reflector (BW1887)<br>

2 x Gel Filter Holder (BW2368)<br>

2 x Gel Filter Set (BW2364)<br>

1 x Barn Door & Gel Holder (BW2363)<br>

The best price I can find for these in the UK id from Calumet and is around 460 GBP<br>

Before I purchase these, does anyone know of an alternative product/manufacturer that would replace these but still fit on the Boewns 500 Gemini lights? It just seems a lot of money for the products.<br>

Either a UK source or a US source that would ship to the UK ideally.<br>

Thanks<br>

Simon </p>

<p>Tonio, regarding your question on fuel powered generators, I posted a "101" on using generators for location shooting on my blog....<br>

<a href="http://spbphotography.blogspot.com/2009/01/using-generators-for-location-shooting.html">http://spbphotography.blogspot.com/2009/01/using-generators-for-location-shooting.html </a><br>

It might be worth giving it a read, it should answer most of your questions.<br>

Cheers</p>

<p>Simon</p>

<p>Hi Tonio<br>

I found them through PNet when I was doing a bit of research a couple of years ago. They ship to the UK, and as far as I know, there are no issues and they do a UK spec model . I don't have one, as I built a couple of my own a while ago - I needed some features these didn't offer.<br>

If you search through PNet, there seem to be quite a few people that are happy with them.<br>

Regards<br>

Simon</p>

<p>Hi Tonio<br>

You could also check out a company called Innovatronix (link below) as they manufacture a UPS unit specifically for running studio flash out on location.</p>

<p>http://www.innovatronix.com/detailpage.asp?categoryid=42&productid=366&categoryname=Products%20and%20Services</p>

<p>Regards</p>

<p>Simon</p>

<p>Hi Garry<br>

Thanks for the comments. I have updated the .pdf to reflect your comments.</p>

<p><b>I would like to emphasise here too, that undertaking ANY projects that involve electricity, no matter what the source, it potentially dangerous. If you are unsure about any aspect of any project, get qualified assistance.</b></p>

<p>Remember, your safety and the safety of people around you is your first priority. Neither I, or Photo.net can accept responsibility for any issues caused by following this project or any other projects posted</p>

<p>Regards</p>

<p>Simon (BSc Electrical and Computer Engineering, MBCS, CITP) </p>

<p>

<p >Hi </p>

<p >After my battery getting "tired" in my Bowens Travel-Pak, I decided to build an upgrade to it. I have created a .pdf document going through the upgrade and included some performance tables from the new setup. It does require dismantling the Travel-Pak and therefore would invalidate any manufacturers warranty on the unit.</p>

<p >It is fairly simple to construct and as a project took me a total of 2 hours and three cups of coffee to complete. For anyone requiring to replace their battery in a Travel-Pak or wanting to get more flashes and quicker recycling out of their Travel-Pak it is worth a read.</p>

<p >I wasn't sure if I could upload it to PN, so I have included a link to it on my web site. The link will take you straight to the document, you don't have to suffer navigating through my site.</p>

<p >I hope it is useful, and it gives you some ideas... and if you want to go out and build your own, that's terrific!</p>

</p>

<p><a href="http://www.spbphotography.co.uk/Bowens%20Travel-Pak%20Upgrade.pdf">http://www.spbphotography.co.uk/Bowens%20Travel-Pak%20Upgrade.pdf</a></p>

<p>Have fun<br>

Simon</p>

<p>UPDATE to my previous post</p>

<p>I have written a simple blog to help photographers understand the basics about using Generators and Inverters to run studio lights when on location. It's not a technical masterpiece, it is a simple explanation of the issues. You can find it at:<br>

http://spbphotography.blogspot.com/2009/01/using-generators-for-location-shooting.html</p>

<p>Regards</p>

<p>Simon</p>

<p>Hi Alex<br>

I'm also based in the UK and run 4 or 6 bowens heads from a generator or generators.<br>

The only generator I would suggest you use is one with inverter technology. Most other generators do put out a sine wave, but all are not created equal... put an oscilloscope on them and load them up and see what happens!<br>

I use the Honda Eu10i or 20i generators, that use inverter technology. One BIG advantage of these is you can connect them together via a special lead to give an increased output. Try this with a couple of cheap generators, and they will not be in sync... big blue flash and two scrap generators. (No I haven't tried it.. but I remember watching my lecturer demonstrate the affects of linking two generators that were not in sync years ago when doing my degree)<br>

I have had no problems with this setup, the only thing I have changed is all my extension leads (or cords for the Americans here). They are now of the 15A Blue type you see on building sites and all the leads use Artic Blue cable. Two reasons for this, one you can see them and secondly, they are better protected in an outdoor environment. (oh and I had to comply with "Health & Safety" on a building site shoot once... they insisted on all 240 volt electrics being blue) It also allows me to keep all my external electrical kit together and I don't use it inside.. so i never forget anything for a location shoot.<br>

The generators (Eu10i & 20i) are quiet, I generally leave them chained to the tow bar of my 4 x 4 and run a couple of leads (cords) to the shoot site... about 100 feet and you can only just hear the generators running. They perform well and are stable... look at the sine wave with no load and with full load and there is no change.<br>

They are expensive, but you get what you pay for.<br>

With regard to running a UPS as an "intermediary" between the generator and equipment, again not all UPS's are created equal and some only put out a modified sine wave. <br>

Cheers<br>

Simon<br>

PS.. do a search on PhotoNet for "Generators" as this has been the subject of great debate over the years.</p>

<p>Hi Leon<br>

Were you shooting RAW and converting to jpg using software or were you shooting jpg and letting the camera do the conversion?<br>

Regards<br>

Simon P Barlow</p>

<p>Hi Ricardo<br>

I usually try to meet up with the model a couple of days before at a coffee shop to talk to them and go through the shoot and generally. This tends to put the model at ease and for us both to get a better understanding of what we both want from the shoot. IMHO, contact before the shoot, even if it is via a few phone calls is essential to get the best shots.<br>

It is always easier to talk to someone after the "ice has been broken"... so its the same with taking pictures.<br>

Kind regards<br>

Simon P Barlow</p>

<p>Hi Giorgio<br>

In the UK, if you want to use the photos to promote any future commercial activities, you will need a signed model release for each person in the photo. Although under UK law, you are the copyright holder of the image you have created, you cannot use these images for commercial use ( unless it is for editorial use in a newspaper or magazine) unless you have a signed model release... there is no distinction between TFP/TFCD or paid work.<br>

On your model release, you should also indicate that it is for TF* or Paid and the value. You also need to include a section on what happens if an image is sold for commercial use on how much (if any!) the model gets in additional fees.<br>

I have a fair amount of info on my <a href="http://www.spbphotography.co.uk/model_release_forms.html">website</a> about this... it is designed for models, but it will help you understand.<br>

Kind regards<br>

Simon P Barlow </p>

Hi Guys

Sorry for the delay in posting back.... trying to finish too many jobs in too short a time!

Eric - thanks for the info, I'll check out the web site and see what's happening.

Christopher - I'll drop you an email ASAP when I arrive - due to fly out to Newark, NJ in 6 hours. Be in Boston in 18

hours.

Thanks

Simon

Hi

I'm traveling to Boston from the UK and wondered if there were any photographer meetings or PN groups in Boston that get together for

coffee and a chat?

Cheers

Simon

Hi

A couple of things you can do to help cover the full cost of "lost luggage" IF you have to check anything in....

When checking in you MUST declare the value to the airline and make sure they record it, apparently each airline should

have a form for this purpose (it's one of the forms they must have if they are in the business of being an airline) You can

provide a printed list of equipment and serial numbers with each items value packed in each bag for the airline. With a

copy placed inside each bag. This "should" ensure the airline pays out the total value of the contents of the bag, not

their published limited liability.

It will also assist if there are any questions from customs authorities when returning from abroad "have you purchased

any equipment while abroad and if so is there any local tax due" as you can demonstrate what equipment left the country

and what equipment is returning.

This works in Europe for all international travel, even between European member countries, and between Europe and the

USA. I guess travel within the USA it's null and void, the FAA and US Airlines there seem to have their own rules for

internal travel. (I have always used Continental for internal US flights and between USA and UK and they have always

been reliable and consistent in their advice at each point of check-in)

For further info, there is a couple of web sites that have some details.....

http://warsawconvention.org/

http://www.af-klm.com/cargo/b2b/cargo_en/images/Montreal%20Convention_tcm230-40785.pdf

http://wwi.srilankan.aero/improtant_notice/terms_conditions_filght_booking.htm

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2002/20020263.htm

"The Carriage by Air Acts (Implementation of the Montreal Convention 1999) Order 2002

........

Article 22

.....

3. In the carriage of cargo, the liability of the carrier in the case of destruction, loss, damage or delay is limited to a sum

of 17 Special Drawing Rights per kilogram, unless the consignor has made, at the time when the package was handed

over to the carrier, a special declaration of interest in delivery at destination and has paid a supplementary sum if the

case so requires. In that case the carrier will be liable to pay a sum not exceeding the declared sum, unless it

proves that the sum is greater than the consignor's actual interest in delivery at destination."

Regards

Simon

Hi Jessica

I have six of the Bowens Pulsar units and I have not had any problems with them.

I have used them from outside a building to trigger strobes inside (Lighting a church stained glass window from inside

while shooting outside) I have used them for triggering strobes on the ground while in a helicopter (don't ask!).

I have found them versatile, useful functions of being able to separate strobes on to different channels etc.

I have used them with Bowens (Calumet) lights, AB's, Elinchrom and I have a couple of leads that allow me to trigger my

Canon 5D's remotley, so all in all pretty useful. Battery life is OK as well, or you can power them from a 3 volt mains

adaptor. Good feature is they can be either transmitters or receivers so there is a bit of built in redundancy. (I don't know

if this is the same as PW's)

I opted for these over PW's as they are easier to get hold of in the UK, PW's are less well known here although there are

a number of companies supplying them now.

I haven't tried PW's, but I am sure they are just as comparable... I guess it's a bit like the "PC or Mac" and the "Canon or

Nikon" question.

(OK, since you are wondering... Canon, Mac and Pulsars)

Cheers

Simon

The Bowens/Calumet travel pack has a 12 volt output and you must use the 15 pin leads

to connect the travel pack to the head. The travel pack can be charged while the lights are

in use and the input voltage for the charger can be 100 volts to 240 volts.

I have used my Bowens lights this way without harm. The modeling lights do not work

when running off the travel pack.

The travel pack also has a connection for an additional 12 volt battery to be connected. I

have made up a lead that will plug into my cars accessory socket (cig lighter) and have run

a two head setup for over 1000 flashes in one shoot without problems. The recycling time

for the heads is quicker when connected to the car, but still slower than when the heads

are run directly from a mains power supply.

The input voltage to the flash head when used on mains power is fixed at either 110 volts

or 240 volts, its not a multi-voltage input. Warning- don't have the mains electrical

connection powered up and the travel pack connected at the same time - this will be

terminal to the electronics in the flash head!

For using an American speck 110 volt input voltage in Australia (or Europe) you will need a

110 v to 240 v step up transformer. The only ones I can find in Europe are not rated to

take the surge load of the flash heads on charging. They are designed for small electrical

items.

I would recommend you go for a 240 volt set-up and if you require 110 volt, a step down

transformer is a lot easier and cheaper (in the UK all building sites must use 110 volt

power tools, so they use a big yellow 240 to 110 step down transformer. A suitably rated

one can be found for around 50 GBP or 100 USD. I have one to run some kit I got from the

US and have had no problems)

The other alternative would be to buy somthing similar to a innvotronics battery unit that

gives 110 volt output. This can be charged while being used and would allow the modeling

lights to be used on the heads. But it is another bit of kit to carry and additional cost. You

must also ensure that you never plug your lights into a wall socket!

Hope this helps

Regards

Simon

(Manchester, UK)

Hi Bob

There is usually a good listing of exhibits and collections in the "On Show" section of the

BJP (British Journal of Photography)

http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=bjp_onshow#anchor_north

Should take you to what's on in the North /North West of England.

Regards

Simon

PS If you are in the Manchester area, drop me a line.

Just an off he wall idea..

was the due point within 2 or 3 deg of the air temp? I have had this happen with aircraft landing lights at night, but only when its cold and the TAF is forecasting mist for early in the morning.

Maybe micro droplets of water in the air ... would be exactly the same as a rainbow - which are a full circle if seen from the air!

Simon

Works on Safari 2.0.4 and Opera 9.2.3

Same as William - not to keen on the spilt screen. Right hand side seems incidental except for the menu. Could be made smaller to give the photos more room on the left.

Some excellent photos by the way!

Simon

I am using Aperture 1.5.4 on a MacPro running OS X 10.4.10 so far so good. Up

until recently I had been able to import RAW files from my hard drives

generated by my 30D into Aperture without any problems.

I now find that I can browse images to import and see them but in a square

format. If I import a RAW file, it imports OK, but is only displayed very

briefly in a stretched format and the replaced with a red screen with the text

“ Unsupported Image Format”

.jpg or .tiff files are OK.

I have imported RAW images from my Canon cameras in the past without any

problems, but I am only use Aperture for a few specific jobs, my main image

engine is PS CS3 or DPP for quick viewing so I am not exactly sure when the

situation might have changed importing into Aperture.

I have checked out the Apple web site for the problem and all it eludes to is

not having the right versions of software for the specific RAW files. I have

the versions they recommend installed. All Mac patches are applied.

A brief g00gle for the problem also points to having 1.5.4 and 10.4.10

installed to solve the problem.

Any one out there having a similar problem, or even better, overcome the

problem!

All help gratefully received!

Thanks

Simon

Just an idea, but why not use a 6 volt sealed lead acid battery of sufficient capacity to run your flashes and when in the studio, keep the battery on a trickle charger. Option of one larger battery and leads to each flash or a battery for each flash.

You have the best of both worlds - a setup that can be used in doors or outside.

Regards

Simon

PS - I think the inrush current of the DC-DC converter is about 7 amps dropping to 500mA after 2 seconds

Hi Jim

I shoot a lot of aerial stuff from fixed wing (that I fly myself and have a safety pilot on board) and helicopters.

Here?s my 2 cents worth.

If you are shooting from something like a jet ranger helicopter and cant shoot with the doors off, there usually is a sliding DV (Direct Vision) window which you can open. Use this if you can, I usually sit cross legged in the rear, on the floor, of the helicopter on the right (pilot?s side) so he has a similar sideways view to me)

Don?t put your lens out the window! The down wash from the rotors will shake the camera. Brace your elbows on your body and this will remove most of the small vibrations. I also don?t use a lens hood as its larger diameter means I have more chance of contacting the frame around the DV window and the buffeting from the airflow passing the window has more of an effect.

Set the lens to manual focus, if you are flying above 500 feet, the auto focus just takes time to settle down and lock, I usually tape the manual focus ring on infinity. If you are not confident about manual focus, set to auto focus, single point. It will be fine and you will get good results.

Remember the angle you are shooting ? say 45 degrees down ? will cover a lot of ground from the closest point out towards the horizon, so depth of field is something to remember. I try for around f8 as a minimum and adjust the shutter speed/iso to compensate.

With an 70-300 IS lens, I can hand hold in a helicopter down to around 125th /s with out any problems. I would opt for your 70-200 f4L IS, this will be fine shooting from 500 to 1000 feet altitude

Don?t worry about shooting towards the sun, with the angle you are looking down, shooting in the direction of the sun is not a problem (unless you are shooting 20 story buildings near horizontal from 200 feet altitude)

Ask the pilot if he can orbit the target ( ?do a 360?) and shoot all the way round while he orbits, the shadows cast and the direction you capture them can make a huge difference in the final image.

Take a couple of wide shots to put the target in context with the surrounding area, then zoom in to the desired final shot sequence. I usually opt to shoot slightly wider than I finally need and fine tune on the computer.

If you are in a smaller helicopter and sit up front, make sure you keep your feet away from the rudder pedals ( I know of an incident where the photographer twisted in his seat to get a better shooting position and his right foot slowly put pressure on the left rudder pedal during the course of the flight) Also make sure your camera strap cannot get caught round the collective leaver or joystick. I usually twist the strap around my wrist a couple of times.

Also remember, that helicopter pilots like to keep moving forward for safety. There is a correlation between height and forward speed. Below a certain height and below a certain airspeed, autorotation and recovery to a safe landing is not possible. Helicopters require a minimum height and speed to achieve autorotation and pilots don?t like to go below these minimums normally. So don?t ask him to hover!

As a Pilot, (fixed wing not rotary) safety of the flight is paramount, and understanding the safety issues faced by the pilot means that you both will be able to get the shots you want.

Phil has written a good article in the learning section about aerial photography, have a read through that, it will help a lot.

Regards

Simon

Hi All

Seems a touchy subject for one and all!

Bob ? I don?t expect I will get hassled by NYC?s Finest if I were taking photos with my Wife stood next to me. I guess that was more of a flippant remark than anything.

RJ ? In over 15 years of traveling to the US I haven?t had any problems with taking photos and any Police intervention. I?ve sat and had breakfast with a bunch of motorcycle cops in Miami, Shared coffee with Boston?s finest on First Night on Boyleston Street when its been 10 below. Had lunch with Cops in East Conway and shared a beer or two in Ft Laurderdale with some of Broward County?s finest.

In all my time traveling to the US, the only time I had a problem was at the Airport at Bangor, Maine, when I turned up in a single engine aircraft having just flown across the Atlantic from the UK and didn?t have a visa. The US Embassy in London said I was OK to fly, didn't need a visa, but the Immigration guy?s at Bangor said as it was a private flight, the UK-US Visa waiver program didn?t apply. Being told via a bull horn ??.dont step out of the aircraft, don?t step on to US soil..? kind of put me off taking photos! Now those guys had a sense of humor failure big style! BUT, they were polite, and after two hours we had it all sorted (200 bucks later and a hand written visa)

We are planning our next trip, it will include Boston, NYC and Miami. I don?t think something as simple as a change in the law will put travelers off visiting from the UK.

Regards

Simon<div></div>