speedlight

Nikon Speedlight umbrella test

When I decided to start playing with Nikon’s Creative Lighting System (CLS) I took this series of photographs to try and understand the difference between a shoothrough umbrella and a reflective one.

I also used this test to learn how to use the Commander mode on my D300 to change the power settings of the Speedlights.

SB-800 on left into 32 inch Photogenic white umbrella: SB-600 on right through 48 inch Wescott umbrella. Controlled by D300 Commander mode.

Top half of photo: both at half power
Bottom half of photo: Both at full power.

Nikon D300 & SB-800 Speedlight Flash Diffusion Test

Originally uploaded by rkdauph

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.

Physical fitness shoot

DFW MidCities Strobist Meetup Group

We will do a shoot with weights and bodybuilding equipment. The goal is to accentuate the human form with light. We will, in a studio (way too hot to be outside) environment, use our speed lights, continuous lighting and modifiers to produce dramatic portraiture. Some effects may require the addition of studio strobes. We will discuss and demonstrate the best way to mix speedlights and studio strobes.

We will have at least one male and one female model for our subjects, both are P90X instructors and the camera loves them.

Our group models are encouraged to sign up for this shoot.

This is a great way to enhance both model and photographer portfolios.

Richland Hills, TX 76118 – USA

Sunday, August 14 at 3:00 PM

Attending: 1

Fee: Price: USD 49.00 per person

Details: http://www.meetup.com/DFW-Strobist-Meetup-Group/events/16220418/

Strobist shooting on location: Don’t miss the targets of opportunity

by Marie-Térese MM#1317488

As a people/ photographer I spend time looking for locations with an interesting , or feel. Once I have the opportunity to shoot at the location I work through in my head where and how within the location I will setup or design the scene to get the image I want. A lot of it depends on the person‘s looks, wants and vision of the session. I am always open to ideas and really enjoy the collaborative process when working with talented people or a least someone who knows what they want to portray in the portrait. Always with the goal of getting the .

There are basically three types of pictures; there are setup or designed shots, candid shots but many times a third type of ‘design’ comes into play for me and I see a ‘target of opportunity’ shot I hadn’t planned or noticed when I scouted the location. In the this image of , by the way if you get a chance to work with her – jump on it, she’s a class act. We were shooting in a large motorcycle warehouse as we were walking from side of the warehouse to the other I noticed the light from the skylight.

I placed Susan into the shaft of sunlight screaming brightly through the roof onto the warehouse floor. I had a single Nikon SB-900 Speedlight on an 8′ Cheetah stand with 40″ Wescott white shoot-through umbrella. I used the sun to back light her by changing her position until I had the light where I wanted it and used the SB900 to fill the harsh shadow. An unplanned shot for sure, a target of opportunity you bet – but impossible to pass up when noticed.

Any Questions?

Outdoor Speedlight use in portraiture

I always have my speedlights when doing an outdoor portrait session. I know the basics of using natural light with or without reflectors but also know what I want. I don’t always use the speedlights, but I always have them.

When I do use them I try to either use the natural light to compliment the flash or the flash to compliment the natural light.

An example of each:

flash to compliment the natural light

natural light to compliment the flash

Incoming search terms:

use speedlight for outdoor portraits

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.

Things that go Bump during a shoot: A solution for strobists

I have tripped and bumped my way through a lot of shooting locations; the act of repositioning the speedlights on stands with modifiers, while not the biggest challenge of any photo session, was an annoyance I didn’t like. Between the umbrella, open or not, and the open legs of an 8ft light stand I have said ‘Excuse me’; Pardon me’ a hundred times.

Indoors; the knocking around furniture, people and doorways is a headache. Outdoors; moving through people, parked cars, shrubs, trees and rocks presents its own challenges. The act of closing the umbrellas and legs every time I want to reposition the lights is both time consuming and then reversing the process at the new position can a bit unprofessional looking. Sometimes while balancing my camera gear too. I’m not as graceful as I used to be.

I’ve been doing the strobist thing for a couple of years and am always looking for a better more efficient way to get the job done. I was shown a Kwik Stand about a year ago by a studio photographer and liked the idea, but soon found out the Kwik Stand Company had gone out of business. Over the past year two companies have come to market with their versions of the folding leg light stand: Denny EZ Stand and Cheetah Stand. I have tried both and chose the Cheetah Stand for several reasons:

There is no real comparison if you take the time to see the differences. The all metal construction of the Cheetah with its slim solid metal legs and rubber rib-footed feet beats out the thin walled tubular legs of the EZ Stand with its flat smooth plastic ones. The EZ Stand feet appear larger but only one edge actually contacts the floor and it slides easily on smooth shiny floors. Maybe it’s a feature and not a flaw; in any case I didn’t care for it.

The legs of both extend on contact with the ground but the EZ Stand does not compress back to its body as closely the Cheetah. Not a huge deal but depending on the space, think church pews, you’re navigating – it just might. The all metal locking clamps and thumb wings of the Cheetah appear to be better suited to hold up over time with field use.

My copy of the EZ Stand did not smoothly extend or compress, the bottom (largest) pole section was very stiff in fact. It’s supposed to be an air cushion stand, why I’m not sure for such a small stand, which may be the reason for the gummed up feel. Fully extended, the EZ Stand is about an inch taller. The tubes are not internally secured (more on this in a minute). The Cheetah on the other hand is quick and smooth without being a hazard to your equipment with common sense and normal equipment care.

In field use neither stand met all my needs. Because of the inherent design required for this type of stand, the center post must extend down to within an inch or so of the surface. This is only a problem, for me anyway, when shooting on very rough uneven terrain like a rocky ledge near Lake Grapevine.(Let me add that neither stand was designed nor intended, as far as I know, to be use exactly the way I describe here.) But this is how I found out that the EZ Stand’s main extension tubes are not internally secured.

During a two speedlight shoot, one Cheetah and one EZ stand, I was unable place the opened legs of either stand on the uneven rocky ground. So, in my get the job done mode, I placed (gently wedged/balanced) the stands in-between some rocks. Worked like a charm; got the pictures; time to move on. When I reached out to grab the EZ Stand by the middle tube, balanced upon another rock, to lift it out of the crevice I had half a light stand in my hand. I did not jerk or twist it; it just ‘plop’ came apart. Ten minutes later I moved on with two complete stands. Good news, the tube went back in as easily as it came out.

Now here is a completely mox nix point I noticed, the EZ Stand could be used as a wind chime with all the hollow metal racket it makes when you walk around with it.

So the Cheetah Stand works for me, I now have four of them and they go where I go. Quite, reliable and built to last.

Strobist ballhead and umbrella test

In Joe McNally‘s CLS video it showed him using a ballhead to align the flashhead along the umbrella stem axis. Made sense that it would distribute the light more evenly; so I bought the rig. Here’s the test results – you decide.

As pointed out in the note above, I forgot the diffuser.

Single SB800 set to TTL into Wescott 42″ shoot through umbrella.

The ballhead is the Manfrotto Lite Tite Swivel+Umbrella Adapter 26
The coldshoe is the Stroboframe Shoe-type Flash Mount Cat. No 300-SHO

I consider this as a ‘nice to know’ experiment only. With the inherent spill associated with shoot through umbrellas and with the difusser on the speedlight the coverage appears to be good. One additional advantage I found with the ballhead set is the ability to quickly rotate the flash body to align the IR sensor to face the camera.

I’ll know better after I field test it.

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