Creative Concept Studios, LLC

lens

Nikon D300 & SB-800 Speedlight Flash Diffusion Test

On camera flash photography has always challenged me. I learned photography, in West Germany during the early ‘70s, using natural light only, black and white film and developed my own prints. My first experience, in the early ‘80s, with a flash gun was a reunion of flight school classmates and our families. We paraded the kids through the living room, onesies, twosies, you know the drill, and I took whole family photos too. The garish, over exposed pictures with that damn hard edged shadow (like the top center picture) was embarrassing when the color prints arrived. Who needs a flash? Not a REAL photographer anyway; so, back to natural light for more than 2 decades.

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The versatility of the AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 G ED

I was talking to a few photographers the other day and was asked what was my favorite lens to use in studio portraits sessions. I really wanted to say something cool like “My AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 IF-D is my best lens.”

At 70mm

Nikon D700 - Exposure 1/200 - Aperture f/13.0 - Focal Length 70 mm - ISO 200

Nikon D700 - Exposure 1/160 - Aperture f/20.0 - Focal Length 55 mm - ISO 200

Nikon D700 - Exposure 1/250 - Aperture f/8.0 - Focal Length 24 mm - ISO Speed 200

But the truth is on my D700, I really appreciate the versatility of the AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 G ED in the studio.

What’s your favorite studio lens?

My take on the $35 iPhone 4 Telephoto Lens

I honestly do not remember where I read about the Photojojo iPhone Telephoto Lens but remember thinking it must be a joke.

Photojojo iPhone Telephoto Lens

Chuckled and went to read about it anyway. After reading their humorous write-up and looking closely at the images provided. I realized I had no use for it at all. But of course I bought one anyway.

“But of course I bought one anyway.”

The iPhone 4 kit was on back order and took nearly three weeks to arrive. If you order the iPhone 4 kit today (March 6, 2011) it won’t ship until March 21st.

Mine arrived last night. First thoughts:

  • Well packaged.
  • Comes complete with;
    • lens (front and rear caps)
    • stand
    • cleaning cloth
    • back case
    • small black cloth carrying bag
    • instruction manual
  • Surprisingly well build components. Not Nikon level craftsmanship but pretty well done.

My only real complaint is the back only case – I prefer a case with front and back coverage for my phone. A smaller disappointment is the minimum focus distance of  3 meters.

Today I took it out to play a bit. I mounted the iPhone onto the  supplied stand and braced it upon a garden fence in my front yard. (yeah – I know.)

Click on the following images to enlarge:

iPhone 4 only lens at widest setting

iPhone 4 only lens maximum zoom

iPhone 4 with Photojojo 8x telephoto lens installed

iPhone 4 with Photojojo 8x telephoto lens installed AND maximum digital zoom

Pro D/SLR quality it ain’t: but it is functional.  And would be very handy if you were a spy. Well, except for the 3 meter focal distance thing.

I will carry it and look for opportunities to use it.

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The iPad and photography: Tool, toy or prop?

I had offered to loan/help another photographer with a project involving the iPad. Of course in order to help him incorporate the iPad into his assignment I had to figure out how to make it work – so off to the studio to do some testing.

I have found the iPad to be much more useful than I had expected in my photography work. I use several Photo apps now at most every session.

So, for you is the iPad use in your photography a tool, toy or prop?

Come join the Flickr group and show your stuff: Flicker iPad and Photography Group

Using Nikon’s Creative Lighting System (CLS) in daylight

SB900 using the sun as a hairlight.

I have heard and get asked a lot of questions about Nikon’s CLS’ ability or inability to function in bright daytime conditions. In my experience it really have not been an issue. I pay attention to the speedlight’s position and its sensor location relative to my camera and SU800.

Today’s metering technology is a great asset so I normally let it take the first ‘shot‘ at what it sees in a scene. While I have studio lights and a Vagabond II, there is little I haven’t been able to do with my SBs. The above shot was taken with a single SB900.

It was very sunny in California the day I shot Candice – notice the shadow on the lower left of the umbrella even though the speedlight fired for this behind the scene picture.

In the photograph of Candice above I metered for the shaded portion of her face and let Nikon TTL do the rest.

In the event it does not produce the result I want I adjust the stop (by 1/3 steps) on the speedlight.

Distance is another concern CLS nay-sayers bring up.

In this photograph Jason is holding a 42 inch Wescott umbrella with a SB-800 tucked up in the open ribs point towarded the camera to get the light reflected back to his face.

Behind him is a SB-900 shooting into another 42 inch Wescott umbrella. That c-stand is a good 50 feet away and up the hill about 10-12 feet above Jason’s head.

Line of sight is important – so just pay attention. But I have used the SB8 & 900s behind glass, reflected the signal off of windows, mirrors, cars just about any reflective surface. I have also ‘staged’ the lights to ‘see’ another but not the SU800.

Think of the IR signal like a billiard ball.

I also use the Nikon CLS to fill on cloudy daylight sessions.

While in Phoenix last week I did the entire shoot with these tools:

The result:

Single SB900 camera left - TTL triggered with SU800.

The only time I have trouble with the system is when I position myself on the wrong side of the speedlight’s optical sensor or move in front of the flash. I use a ballhead so I can quickly rotate the speedlight into the correct position.

Nikon D700 vertical banding issue: It happened to me.

nikon banding

Response (Kevin J.)

11/15/2008 06:26 PM

Dear Ray,
This does in fact look like a banding issue and unfortunately there is nothing I can do over the phone.
I am sorry to say you will in fact have to send your D700 into our facility for evaluation:
Again, Thank you
The Nikon Team

I FedExed my D700 to California today ($87 overnight); Kevin, the Nikon rep I spoke to, tells me it’ll be 3-4 weeks to get it back. I purchased the camera in Albany, GA on September 26, 2008 while visiting my folks, so the camera is, what, 2 months old.

I first saw some vertical banding a couple of photographs I took at a local airport. The red (pink) vertical lines were in the gray overcast sky of two pictures. The sky was a bit overexposed and I ignored it, thinking it was something I did wrong.

Last Saturday I was asked to take a team photograph of my daughter’s (See “My Daughter the Ax Murder” article) high school girls LaCrosse team for their website. The coach was there with her young daughter and I took the opportunity to grab a couple of pictures of her with her little girl. (See attached photo – full sized). The banding was intense, bright and undeniable.

The banding was intense, bright and undeniable.

I checked the Nikon website, saw the support office was open and called. I spoke to Kevin who actually told me ‘he’ had not seen any red banding from a D700. I pushed and asked was there a known issue with banding; he again said he had not seen any banding or heard of many at all. We discussed the problem, he opened a trouble ticket, I uploaded the Jpeg to him. Well, I wish I had recorded him when he opened my file; “Wow, I’ve never seen red banding before; it’s usually gray.” No, I didn’t go there.

I have got to tell you: my camera bag full of lenses sure looks empty.

Only 3-4 weeks to go.

UPDATE: November 27: After speaking to a Nikon manager on Tuesday about the problem and possible solutions I arrived home yesterday to find a brand new D700. They replaced the camera.

Bokeh: How we love thee

I shot a corporate annual conference dinner the other evening, then posted the images on-line for the attendees to download. We used flash at the start of the event. In an attempt to capture the feel of the evening I switched to my Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 IF-D and shot wide open at f/1.4 in the dimly lit rooms.

I love the lens for it’s sharpness and speed. It works amazingly well with the high ISO capabilities of the D700 which I had set to ISO 1000.

Nearly all of the feedback I have received were on the photographs with the heaviest bohek.

“Bokeh (derived from Japanese, a noun boke 暈け, meaning “blurred or fuzzy”) is a photographic term referring to the appearance of out-of-focus areas in an image produced by a camera lens using a shallow depth of field.”

I like the bokeh too but the comments got me to thinking about why. I will hazard a guess that it most closely mimics the human eye’s ability to sharply focus and isolate upon a single subject within a busy field of view.

Pay attention to your vision the next time your gaze is fixed on just about anything. Notice the ‘bokeh’ effect of the background when concentrating on your morning coffee cup; the sharpness of the person across the room while all else seems to disappear.

Let me know.

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