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B
BackInTheGame
Guest
Thanks, Shaun. I will do that. I should mention this is not a paid event, just photos I would like to get right. It will be my youngest son's wedding, but he and his future wife are in their 30s and not looking for that "magical" event. Just getting married. Still, I want to do it well. It will be a one and done kind of thing for me. That, I think, has got to be a hard thing to do on a regular basis. I am dreading all the time post-processing, but if the photos are nice going in I believe it might be enjoyable.
Shaun_Nyc
Senior Member
Oh well if its a one time deal don't get wrapped up w remote flash, pocket wizards etc etc and just stay on camera w flash. Spend your time wisely remembering nice poses for son solo, bride solo, as a couple, bridesmaids & groomsmen's stuff. These are things that will make good pictures for them. That alone should keep you busy until then. My pw chatter is meant for the broader audience playing w cls at weddings. be well, good luck
and one more thing, watch your backgrounds when shooting anybody. Nice backgrounds can really make a picture. A tree coming out of someone's head can really crush one as well
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eNo
Forum Pro
Disaster is a bit of a hyperbole, Shaun, but fundamentally I agree with you. CLS has well established limitation. I have radio triggers and will use them when CLS can't support the situation. I also think a lot of people -- me included! -- have written off CLS way too quickly mostly by word of mouth rather than by really trying it and understanding where it fits and where it doesn't. People also tend to over-state the line of site constraint. I took this picture here with the on-camera flash angled up and to one side, bouncing from a very high ceiling. Both remotes were more or less behind me, one slightly to my right... and they fired. This worked because I understood the room configuration and setup accordingly. The radio triggers stayed in the bag.
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Los Angeles wedding photography that seeks the heart and spirit in each image
B
BackInTheGame
Guest
Yeah, been doing some reading on that and how to make the most of it using flash. I got word that my book is in at the library, Captured By The Light, and I think that will help.
It will be one and done on weddings (I think), but there are other times I would like to do some nice flash stuff, so I plan to get at least one more, and perhaps two. I like doing different things, and this might be a nice branch to follow.
eNo
Forum Pro
Yes! One of the first sections of that book will walk you through the different lighting patterns one can achieve with flash or other off-camera lighting.
I said "one and done" before my first one, too... Careful.
B
BackInTheGame
Guest
I just finished the first chapter, and it is amazing how much he packed in there. I only have the book for three weeks, but as I started on the second chapter I realized I will have to order this book. I need repetition. I already want to read chapter one again. I see that I knew absolutely nothing about posing portraits.If you didn't do anything else right all week, recommending this book makes up for it. Thanks.
eNo
Forum Pro
Great to hear you're enjoying the book. I like how much he covers in short, easy to follow installments. One of the best how-to books out there, IMO, though a lot of the "stylish" photographers put David Ziser down for being too "traditional."
B
BackInTheGame
Guest
Hey, my D7100 came way early. This is an extremely nice camera.
You know, some of the methods Ziser suggest will require practice. He is doing some things he calls "simple" pretty fast. They involve some important decisions.
You know, some of the methods Ziser suggest will require practice. He is doing some things he calls "simple" pretty fast. They involve some important decisions.
eNo
Forum Pro
Well, they're simple to him. Practice will make it simple to you. Just pick one corner and start chewing until you get through with the whole thing.
Shaun_Nyc
Senior Member
Yes I understand all of Cls's/IR possibilities. Can reflect off walls if positioned correctly etc etc. The below 6 yr blue/red gelled pictures are exactly that. I didn't have pw's back then
But for most of the things I like to try at events pw's is the only solution I feel comfortable will work for me every time. I also put an Einstein640 in balcony locations occasionally that I run manual from sb900 & mix w ttl mode speed lights placed below. Can change gain of every light/strobe right from the commander. Works well for me. Have also had assistant side light/backlight romantics from behind windows/ over 100ft , hidden hallways etc where no line of site was possible with a simple lightstick (sb900/flew5 on cheap monopod). And whatever works for you is great too, as long as you have confidence that's all that matters. Just trying to give folks food for thought, be well
B
BackInTheGame
Guest
Wow, that's some pretty nice stuff there, Shaun. Was that all CLS? I am definitely going to try some Chinese triggers. If I like that I will sell it off and get the good stuff.
I use CLS for macros, and I have always been happy with what I got, but I don't get other opinions on those. Mine is the only one I have, probably as it should be.
I use CLS for macros, and I have always been happy with what I got, but I don't get other opinions on those. Mine is the only one I have, probably as it should be.
Shaun_Nyc
Senior Member
Yes it's CLS over pocket wizards exactly, you don't lose any features and gain quite a few. Like I mentioned, I usually mix at least one strobe into the mix. Controlled by my sb910 or Su-800. I don't bother with their pw zone controller because I usually have on camera flash and use it's Nikon built in commander. If for whatever reason I don't need on camera fill I use the small su-800. You also do nothing to the remotes, no switching into "remote" mode. Watch pw example
http://www.pocketwizard.com/inspirations/tutorials/sb900/
B
BackInTheGame
Guest
Had to update plugins before I could watch it, but that was terrific. I have never done any studio photography, but that is the way I would want to do it. That was some setup there. I think I could get away with setting up output manually on some older flashes and do something like that with just the PW, but using the 900 to control everything looks like the way to go, if you have the right flashes.
I am thinking now of carrying only two flashes. In the book I am reading the author is using just one for almost everything, and he bounces from on camera a lot. But it is creative bouncing, and he knows what he will get with it. His assistant mostly just holds a reflecting surface for him, and he bounces off that at the angle he wants. I might find something different later in the book.
Thanks for the link. I am eating up this flash stuff, and that was good.
I am thinking now of carrying only two flashes. In the book I am reading the author is using just one for almost everything, and he bounces from on camera a lot. But it is creative bouncing, and he knows what he will get with it. His assistant mostly just holds a reflecting surface for him, and he bounces off that at the angle he wants. I might find something different later in the book.
Thanks for the link. I am eating up this flash stuff, and that was good.
eNo
Forum Pro
Thanks for sharing!
eNo
Forum Pro
They don't. Most of them are manual power only, which means you need to walk to each unit and adjust power. In addition to the PWs, there's also Phottix Odin? I think those have some ability to also communicate TTL/CLS info, but last I checked the Nikon capability wasn't all there...?
Well, a little Googling, and it looks like I ought to take a 2nd look:
http://www.phottix.com/en/phottix-odin-ttl-flash-trigger-for-nikon.html
Thing I like about this system is the compact size. In reading the write-up, it doesn't look like it transmits CLS (I see no mention of it). Heading over to the Flickr Strobist forum to ask a question .
CraigBennett
Leading Member
This is exactly my setup, works every time.
Shaun_Nyc
Senior Member
B
BackInTheGame
Guest
Settled on some things, because I have to get started. I will not be able to practice often, so I want to give myself all the time possible.
I decided to try the Yongnuo YN-622N flash triggers. I ordered two of them, and I ordered a SB-700 flash to pair with my SB-900. That is my starting point.
Reading more from Ziser, and he began to get a bit more complex with his lighting, but I liked the initial chapters on bouncing the on camera flash using various reflecting surfaces, and I think I can do lots of things with the additional SB-700.
I have a 40" reflector disk with various colored covers, and I can use that initially to get some experience. I have cats, and I have a range of shop power tools to practice on, but no people.
An old friend asked me how much I would charge to photograph his daughter's wedding. I told him "nothing", even if I actually did it, but I did not want to do it. He can't afford a lot, I know, and I had done his daughter's senior pictures (a first and last for me). They really liked those, although I thought they weren't very good. As it turns out, she is getting married at least one week earlier than my son, so light bulbs came on in my head. PRACTICE. I told him I would do it, and I told him why. He was okay with that. He said that if I couldn't do it they would pretty much be limited to cell phone photos, so what the heck. I think as payment I will ask him to loan me his daughter a few times for more practice. And I might be able to get my daughter and my grandson to come for a visit and sit for me. My grand daughter - forget about it. I need something that will stay still.
Anyway, I will let you know if this Yongnuo stuff actually works. A lot of people say it does fine, except with the SB-800, which gives it problems.
I decided to try the Yongnuo YN-622N flash triggers. I ordered two of them, and I ordered a SB-700 flash to pair with my SB-900. That is my starting point.
Reading more from Ziser, and he began to get a bit more complex with his lighting, but I liked the initial chapters on bouncing the on camera flash using various reflecting surfaces, and I think I can do lots of things with the additional SB-700.
I have a 40" reflector disk with various colored covers, and I can use that initially to get some experience. I have cats, and I have a range of shop power tools to practice on, but no people.
An old friend asked me how much I would charge to photograph his daughter's wedding. I told him "nothing", even if I actually did it, but I did not want to do it. He can't afford a lot, I know, and I had done his daughter's senior pictures (a first and last for me). They really liked those, although I thought they weren't very good. As it turns out, she is getting married at least one week earlier than my son, so light bulbs came on in my head. PRACTICE. I told him I would do it, and I told him why. He was okay with that. He said that if I couldn't do it they would pretty much be limited to cell phone photos, so what the heck. I think as payment I will ask him to loan me his daughter a few times for more practice. And I might be able to get my daughter and my grandson to come for a visit and sit for me. My grand daughter - forget about it. I need something that will stay still.
Anyway, I will let you know if this Yongnuo stuff actually works. A lot of people say it does fine, except with the SB-800, which gives it problems.
Shaun_Nyc wrote:
Yes I understand all of Cls's/IR possibilities. Can reflect off walls if positioned correctly etc etc. The below 6 yr blue/red gelled pictures are exactly that. I didn't have pw's back then
But for most of the things I like to try at events pw's is the only solution I feel comfortable will work for me every time. I also put an Einstein640 in balcony locations occasionally that I run manual from sb900 & mix w ttl mode speed lights placed below. Can change gain of every light/strobe right from the commander. Works well for me. Have also had assistant side light/backlight romantics from behind windows/ over 100ft , hidden hallways etc where no line of site was possible with a simple lightstick (sb900/flew5 on cheap monopod). And whatever works for you is great too, as long as you have confidence that's all that matters. Just trying to give folks food for thought, be well
Nice work. I use two AB800 and Vagabond mini myself.