jason_hall5

<blockquote>

<p>You can put a different photo on each card...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Up to 50 different images in a single run of cards.</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>To add to what Matt has already pointed out...</p>

<p>If you look at <a href="http://www.jphotoarts.com/Client-work/Jamie-Hair/11242385_Eyzao#788461692_AsE5f">this Gallery</a> you will see similar backgrounds. The background was a grey cloth shot with a gelled flash.</p>

<p>You can play with different materials and colors to fine tune what you want. There was some changes in post process to increase saturation and intensity of the color. The cloth was one of many that I got at a craft store in the sewing section. They sell it by the yard. I have also used simple bed sheets.</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>MOO cards rock</p>

<p><a href="http://us.moo.com/">Check them out here.</a></p>

<p>Another good product to add to the list is the Nikon branded lens cleaner that I got from B&H a couple years ago. Most likely it is much like some of the other products listed. It came in a large spray bottle but I just pour some into a bottle with a droper. I find that easier to control the amount I put on the lens. </p>

<p>I rather use the packs of deposible lens cleaning cloths instead of microfiber. That way you have a clean cloth every time. I got two packs of 100 back when I got the Nikon cleaner and still have some left. 90% of the time a blower or light brushing with a lens cleaning brush is all that is needed.</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>What I would really like to know is...what was the inspiration for this post? That aside, I really needed the laugh!</p>

<p>great Thread<br>

Jason</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I am taking my meter reading from an area I wish to be a mid-tone, not from the sun.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>And that is your problem. The sun is far brighter than anything else in the scene. So while you may be exposure for other parts in the scene, the sun is overexposeing. Try again in manual mode and keep increasing the shutter and aperture until you get the exposure you desire for the sun. You will likely find that you are greatly underexposed for every thing else.</p>

<p>It is the lack of dynamic range with film and digital sensors. You may can try a graduated ND filter if your horizon will allow it. You may can also look into HDR or simply takeing multiple exposures and combined in post process with layers. Also shoot in RAW at times when the sun is its darkest (Most Red and likely very low in the sky) and may can pull something in post with dodgeing and burning.</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>Well...I now have a new project to complete by next summer. Surely I can be done by then. Thanks for the idea!</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>I think the photo below is another example of what you are looking for.</p>

<p>In this case</p>

<p>Set the camera to manual and expose your background about -1 to -2 stops. In this shot(as I recall) ISO 1600, 1/60 f4.<br>

The flash was left on ETTL and I used a Gary Fong light sephere.</p>

<p>So the exposure setting on your camera has to be such that the ambient light is there so it looks natural, however, the flash will be the main light on the subject and overcome the ambient. The background will retain the colors you want due to light fall off from the flash.</p>

<p>Other tips, To me (maybe not to you) useing flash in manual in this application (event photography) is difficult because distance from flash to subject changes all the time, and even more difficult if you bounce your flash (the only way I shoot).</p>

<p>Try to set up your subject so that they are not directly lite by the colored lights. Always be mindful of the spot lights and such and think ahead of time how they will play into the final exposure of your shot.</p>

<p><img src="http://www.jphotoarts.com/photos/262354542_q2dRa-M.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="450" /></p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>Like Ken the cable is the first thing I would check. Try a different cable and such. Also try a different monitor as it maybe the problem, check its setting to make someone has not been playing with buttons(any kids or grandkids around?) Then I would update the dirvers or just reload them if you can. If all this fails, then maybe a bad graphics card. Uninstall and reinstall may help.</p>

<p>Just some ideas.</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>I found that the new sync port fit perfectly where the factory PC port was located. I did this mod a few months ago. Either way its one of those things that I should have done long ago. It would have saved me much heart ach over trying to find a "better" way to sync my flashes.</p>

<p>Your write up looks good and solid, well done.</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I tried to get the director of the school to let me take everyone outside to do the shoot, but didn't get much more than a blank stare for my efforts.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>

<p>Typical, you can always expect this response from people who have no appreciation for a properly done portrait. On the other hand, many of us (including myself) would use a full studio set up and a 1D MKIII just to take a drivers license photo....I am getting better however.</p>

</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>I would also go for the window light. If you are stuck in a small room with no windows or very small windows, then I would put my back again a white wall (or in a corner) and point the flash behind you at that wall. It should give good bounce and light your subject well. A small room will be even better. This can also be used to give fill light for a shot with window light.</p>

<p>Maybe take them outside find a nice place in the shade. Dial in your flash to just give a little fill light, maybe bounce off the wall of a close building. As long as you keep the distance between the flash and the subject the same, a single setting (once you get it dialed in) should work well for all your shots.</p>

<p>Place as much distance between your subject and the background. This will help give seperation. One of the biggest mistakes folks make is they have their subject stand against a wall like its a mug shot.</p>

<p>Jason </p>

<p><a href="http://www.smugmug.com/">Smugmug</a> rocks!</p>

<p><a href="http://www.jphotoarts.smugmug.com/">Here is my site with them.</a></p>

<p>They want a membership also to sell with them, but they only take 15% and not 50%. They allow selling ala cart, creating packages and creating coupons.</p>

<p>I think you will find any site worth its weight will want a membership fee. What is important is the tools they offer and how good is the support when things go wronge. As far as support, Smugmug is top notch in my experience. It has never taken more than an hour or so to get answer and some sort of corrective action on a problem print order.</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Changing the meter or metering have no effect to my pictures at all (I am in M)<br>

Decrease the Ev value? How? By a filter? or your camera has an Ev setting? I know some cameras do</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I am trying to figure this question out....</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>If you are shooting a scene with constrast to high to record detail in both highlights and shadow, you will have to decide what is the main focus of the photo and choose an exposure that is best for that. Let every thing else fall where it may. You can then dodge and burn to try and bring detail back to those areas. Shooting RAW will certainly help with that. </p>

<p>If it is important that you capture greater detail in the overall scene, then you need to wait for or create less contrasty lighting. That is shoot early morning or late in the day instead of middle of the day at high noon. Or maybe a partly cloudy day....assumeing you are shooting outdoors of course.</p>

<p>The next option is to take multiple exposure with wide bracketing, and then combine exposures in layers and masking or use HDR.</p>

<p>However, to answer your question more directly, different meter modes work best for different uses. However they all are trying to do the same thing, average the area metered to 18% grey (really more like 15%). The main difference is what portion of the scene is included in the calculation.</p>

<p>So, haveing a lot of white in the area metered, and the exposure will be lowered in an attempt to darken the area to 18%. With a lot of dark color or black in the area, the exposure will be increased in an attempt to lighten it. Try this with your spot meter and shoot a scene while metering a dark colored area and a light colored area...even if they have the same amount of light on them. Overall exposure of the scene will be very different.</p>

<p>So with that, you can meter a scene and dial in an amount of -/+EV, or use a different mode and change you metering method.</p>

<p>An example of each</p>

<p>When shooting shots of my kids and such, I will use the spot meter and dial in +1/3 to +2/3 EV and meter on their face. Spot metering their skin and adding the EV give me well exposed skin tones(most important part of the shot) and every thing else just falls where it will.</p>

<p>When shooting a wedding with a great deal of black and white in each scene, I will again use the spot meter and lock exposure by metering an area that is half white and half black. such as the groom, I will be sure my spot area is half on the white shirt and the other half on the black jacket. I stll often need to dial some -/+ EV on the flash or maybe the camera.</p>

<p>As you can tell I use spot meter alot these days. You just have to work it out till you settle into what works for you.</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>Well...by 'auto' I meant TTL. I completely missed the part about useing the on camera flash (I assume popup) as a fill also.</p>

<p>Its true that what I said is only a starting point. If you go to take a shot in one part of the room the combo I gave you may work perfectly. However, go over next to a window and the whole thing may fall apart. In that case the amount of light from the window is to much for the setting on the camera and you will have over exposure problems. So to know the concept, when this happens, you need to know you can increase the shutter speed up to your max sync speed (most likely around 1/200) or lower your ISO. </p>

<p>The ideal here is to set your camera so that the exposure is about 1 or 2 stops underexposed if you can (may not be possible in some cases). Then allow the flash to provide the rest of the light for correct exposure of your subject. Of course for a quick shot of one or two people, window light can be your friend and makes a nice main light. Point your flash at a 45 degree angle and opposite direction of the window. It will bounce back and give you nice fill light. </p>

<p>An example I had recently, was in a large space with only can lights in the ceiling. It was fine and my above combo worked well. Except....when some one was standing directly under one of the can lights, they would overexpose. So I would have to adjust shutter setting when I had to shoot someone stand or sitting under one. But when I did group shots I would be mindful noone was standing under any of the can lights.</p>

<p>In this case I had to allow as much ambient light as I could into the exposures because the space was rather large and very high ceilings. I often had to shoot from a distance with a telephoto lens and it took all the power my flash gun had.</p>

<p>Hope that helps some...I often run my mouth (or is it fingers) off alot in here about such subjects, but be sure to know Nadine is a real pro on the subject.</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>This link should show what I mean by turning the flash head to attach the bounce card.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.blainekendall.com/uploads/blog/IMG_1366.jpg">See here....</a></p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>If its off the camera you can shoot them in manual, but if you like, auto should do fine for fill flash. You may need to turn down the flash power a bit with flash exposure compensation. I am not sure how to do that on the Nikon flash as I shoot Canon. Just take a test shot and adjust flash output to what you want. I know on my Canon gear with 580EX flash I often dial in -1/3 to -2/3 stop FEC.</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>Yes point it to the ceiling (hopefully it's white or close to it). I would also attach a bounce card like this....<a href="http://www.themoment2cherish.com/DIY-Bounce-Card/">DIY Bounce Card</a>.</p>

<p>This will allow most of your light to hit the ceiling and yet throw some light to your subject to better light them. You can make it from white card stock and a rubber band. No need to go to the extent in the link above. But it shows you the basic idea. Also I would turn the flash head clockwise 90 degrees and attach the card that way. By doing this, you will be able to keep the flash head pointed up as it should when and if you turn the camera to shoot in portrait orentation.</p>

<p>As for exposure, If the lighting is low in the room, I would set the camera to full manual. Set the aperture to f4 to f5.6 to allow for plenty of depth of feild with group shots (or you can shoot wide open if thats not an issue). Then set your shutter to about 1/60 or so. Also turn up your ISO as high as you can stand the noise levels. This is called draging the shutter to allow more ambient light in for more natural lighting. You will allow the TTL to control flash exposure and may have to adjust flash compensation as you go. Learn to do it on the fly.</p>

<p>The last step would be to gel your flash to match the color of the ambient lights...but that is a different lesson and most likely no time to get what you need for that.</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>Really, a camera like the Canon G10 would be plenty good. I would advise a software to correct lens destortion to keep lines nice and straight. This camera allows easy access to full manual control and has a hot shoe incase you would like to start useing flash over constant lights.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/CanonG10/">See a review here....</a></p>

<p>There are other cameras by others that would be in the same lines as the G10. I just know the G10 would work fine.</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>If you want them to look professional, then you need a professional to print them. Professional the walmart lab is not. Along with all the other instore labs like it. I used to get so frustrated with the results I got and would think it was all me. Then I tried a proper lab and have never looked back. </p>

<p>If you want to invest in some gear and learn the art of printing, then have at it. Understand that printing is an art in its self, I don't have the time or money to spend trying to perfect it. So I use pro labs.</p>

<p>Several mentioned above can work nicely. </p>

<p>Jason </p>

<p>What I would like to know is, was the OP surprised by the answers they recieved to this question?</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>I am begining to see a pattern here, and I agree with it. No best camera, just as long as you have one and it works properly. Just remember that when the bug to upgrade bites in a year or so. And it will, mostly when you read all the no picture takeing techno junkies rant and rave how great the latest is. Just sayin'</p>

<p>Good luck and happy shooting!</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>Been there and did that....Use the K.I.S.S. method, Keep It Simple Stupid. Not really trying to imply anything or insult ya, its just a saying.</p>

<p>I would use (and I did) available light use the flash when evey thing calms down and you and the mother have time to breath.</p>

<p>If this is going to be a natural birth, many modern birthing rooms a very low light to help the mother keep relaxed, so I would think flash should be kept to a min. Use the 50 f1.8 and maybe see if you can rent or get someone to loan you a wider prime, maybe 35mm.</p>

<p>If it turns into a C-section (both of mine kids did, one after 10 hours of labor), then you will be in an operateing room. Plenty of light but they may restrict what you can take photos of. My kids were born at two different hospitals. At one, I was not allowed beyond the divider they set up so I was not allowed to see what they were doing at all. At the other they invited and encouraged me to go anywhere and shoot anything I wanted in the OR. So ask first. </p>

<p>In both cases the Anesthesiologist would not allow photos or video while putting the epidural in place. This so there is not evidence incase of a screw up.</p>

<p>As for gelling the flash, you should need a plus green, but at what cut is anyones guess. There are some many different florescent lamps on the market with a range of color cast. Some are balanced pretty well and others are just that plain ugly green we know florescent to be known for. Again I would plan to shoot ambient light pretty much all of the time and shoot RAW (mine came out just fine). And then when you have time use your flash on the stand in your private room. There you can even set up your exposure so the ambient light will not be a factor, or if you have good window light you can use that as well and use the flash for fill.</p>

<p>I understand your excitement and desire to get "great shots" of such a special day. But try to just enjoy it and be there for your loved ones. Its going to be a mad house for the first few days, no time to try and make a portrait session out if it. </p>

<p>Jason</p>