Ordering Bees Need Help Quick

[Greg R]

I have decided to order the alien Bees tomorrow. I hope to have them in my hands Thursday. I have two separate shoots to do on Friday. They will be children between four months and six years in age. I have never used mono lights before and I am looking for suggestions. I am getting one 1600, one 800, and two 400s. I will have a 30x40 soft box, two 45”, and a 32” white satin umbrellas to work with. I will also have the honeycomb grid set to go with the lights. I may or may not have a flash meter to work with, but I am shooting with a D30 so I can experiment a bit Thursday night.

I like to shoot a bit high key. When using canon flashes and umbrellas my typical setup is to have the main light to the right and fill light slightly to the left, and another flash behind the subject and opposite from the main light. I run the flash ratio 2 to 1 (main to the other two lights) and over expose by 2/3stop.

Any suggestions that will speed up the learning curve with the Bees or should I do these shoots with the flashes and spend a little time learning to shoot the Bees? The shoots are not critical but they could launch me into the childrens portrait buisness.

Thanks and Regards,
Greg
http://www.fototime.com/ {82A9B6F4-8C53-44BC-A5CC-28A8C57F22ED} picture.JPG

 

[padeye99656]

You'll find the Bees easy to use but in general it's a bad idea to use new equipment on a paying shoot.

That said I'd make a couple of suggestions. Since you're getting all three sizes of lights get replacement modeling light bulbs so the lights will be proportional to each other. All will come with ordinary 100w bulbs IIRC. Philips Halogena bulbs are durable and inexpensive. Get a 150w for the B1600, a 75w for the B800 and 40w for the B400s.

I'd strongly suggest you get the remote. You'll have enough to keep you busy without having to go to each unig to adjust power. You're spending a fair chunk of change as it is so don't scrimp.

You may want to get each size light with a different color housing to quickly tell them apart.

 

[padeye99656]

A few other things that come to mind.

The standard reflectors are kind of narrow angle so I shoot bare bulb when using umbrellas. Use care because the flash tubes don't have a glass envelope cover. If you want to have some kind of reflector for umbrellas White Lightning makes one for umbrella use for about $21 that works on Alien Bees.

My final setup will probably be one 1600, two 800s and one 400. I think it will be better to have another more powerful light when shooting med and large format film. When I need the 5ws minimum of the B400 I can easily get by with a single light.

You can get buy without a light meter with creative use of the histogram but you'll probably be happier using one. I've got an ancient Quantum calcu-flash but am looking at the Sekonic L-358

 

[Greg R]

Thanks Padeye,

I have ordered the Bees. I have taken your suggestions to heart. I ordered one 1600, two 800s, and a 400. I got them in three colors to match their size. I also ordered the remote and a few other items. Thanks for the tip on shooting with bare bulbs and umbrellas, I am sure that shortened the learning curve. Any other tips would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Greg

 

[chrisab]

Let us know how it goes with the Bees, will ya?

Thanks Padeye,

I have ordered the Bees. I have taken your suggestions to heart.
I ordered one 1600, two 800s, and a 400. I got them in three
colors to match their size. I also ordered the remote and a few
other items. Thanks for the tip on shooting with bare bulbs and
umbrellas, I am sure that shortened the learning curve. Any other
tips would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Greg

 

[Ed Gilmore]

Padeye,

I have the Bees also and I was interested in your comment about not using the standard reflectors. Without them, do you get a softer light?

Ed

A few other things that come to mind.

The standard reflectors are kind of narrow angle so I shoot bare
bulb when using umbrellas. Use care because the flash tubes don't
have a glass envelope cover. If you want to have some kind of
reflector for umbrellas White Lightning makes one for umbrella use
for about $21 that works on Alien Bees.

My final setup will probably be one 1600, two 800s and one 400.
I think it will be better to have another more powerful light when
shooting med and large format film. When I need the 5ws minimum of
the B400 I can easily get by with a single light.

You can get buy without a light meter with creative use of the
histogram but you'll probably be happier using one. I've got an
ancient Quantum calcu-flash but am looking at the Sekonic L-358

--
Ed G.
Longview, Tx.

 

[Bob Glosson]

I got the Alien Bee B800 and my daughter got some..............

http://www.glosson.com/pj.htm

I have decided to order the alien Bees tomorrow. I hope to have
them in my hands Thursday. I have two separate shoots to do on
Friday. They will be children between four months and six years in
age. I have never used mono lights before and I am looking for
suggestions. I am getting one 1600, one 800, and two 400s. I will
have a 30x40 soft box, two 45”, and a 32” white satin umbrellas to
work with. I will also have the honeycomb grid set to go with the
lights. I may or may not have a flash meter to work with, but I am
shooting with a D30 so I can experiment a bit Thursday night.

I like to shoot a bit high key. When using canon flashes and
umbrellas my typical setup is to have the main light to the right
and fill light slightly to the left, and another flash behind the
subject and opposite from the main light. I run the flash ratio 2
to 1 (main to the other two lights) and over expose by 2/3stop.

Any suggestions that will speed up the learning curve with the Bees
or should I do these shoots with the flashes and spend a little
time learning to shoot the Bees? The shoots are not critical but
they could launch me into the childrens portrait buisness.

Thanks and Regards,
Greg
http://www.fototime.com/ {82A9B6F4-8C53-44BC-A5CC-28A8C57F22ED} picture.JPG

 

[padeye99656]

The standard Alien Bees reflector is kind of narrow angle for umbrella work. Alien Bees used to brag about the "effective watt seconds" based on guide numbers and I suspect the narrow reflector accounted for it. Now even they admit that only true watt seconds are what count. At any rate a few quick test shots show that it's difficult to cover an umbrella with the reflector on unless you clamp the very end of the shaft which is kind of precarious. I get better coverage and diffusion if I leave the reflector off with the shaft clamped about halfway down.

After doing a little experimenting I think I can get the reflector from a Novatron monolight to fit with small modification. I think we need to pester Paul Buiff/Alien Bees to make a reflector more like that one.

Padeye,
I have the Bees also and I was interested in your comment about not
using the standard reflectors. Without them, do you get a softer
light?

Ed

 

[Nicholas Androulidakis]

Do you have a part number for this relector? Thanks.

--
Nick
Nicholas Androulidakis
[email protected]

A few other things that come to mind.

The standard reflectors are kind of narrow angle so I shoot bare
bulb when using umbrellas. Use care because the flash tubes don't
have a glass envelope cover. If you want to have some kind of
reflector for umbrellas White Lightning makes one for umbrella use
for about $21 that works on Alien Bees.

My final setup will probably be one 1600, two 800s and one 400.
I think it will be better to have another more powerful light when
shooting med and large format film. When I need the 5ws minimum of
the B400 I can easily get by with a single light.

You can get buy without a light meter with creative use of the
histogram but you'll probably be happier using one. I've got an
ancient Quantum calcu-flash but am looking at the Sekonic L-358

 

[padeye99656]

http://www.white-lightning.com/ uses frames so you'll find the refletors at http://www.white-lightning.com/reflectors.html It's the USK - umbrella spill kit about halfway down the page. You might double check with them but AFAIK most of the reflectors, speed rings etc. for the X series and ultaZAP fit Alien Bees. I haven't used one yet so I don't know how much light it would control as opposed to using bare bulb.

--
Nick
Nicholas Androulidakis
[email protected]

A few other things that come to mind.

The standard reflectors are kind of narrow angle so I shoot bare
bulb when using umbrellas. Use care because the flash tubes don't
have a glass envelope cover. If you want to have some kind of
reflector for umbrellas White Lightning makes one for umbrella use
for about $21 that works on Alien Bees.

My final setup will probably be one 1600, two 800s and one 400.
I think it will be better to have another more powerful light when
shooting med and large format film. When I need the 5ws minimum of
the B400 I can easily get by with a single light.

You can get buy without a light meter with creative use of the
histogram but you'll probably be happier using one. I've got an
ancient Quantum calcu-flash but am looking at the Sekonic L-358