Head

tromboads · Expire: 2015-10-01

No no.. Just no.

But I did learn something new today!

My replacement wireless triggers to replace the one I broke turned up today. (Ebay specials, FOTGA PT-04TM) The seller ended up giving me an extra so now I have 5 wireless slaves that all work from the same trigger. Laughing

Anyway I was excited to play with those little Pentax Flash box's I got the other day (AF200T) They have a controls on the back allowing you to select 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, and Full. Along with having a 6v trigger voltage they are friendly. Just quickly now;

a) Music stands are good make shift light stands
b) Music stands aren't tall enough to not have a flash pointing up someones nose
c) I'm gong to buy some cheap arse light stands

So what did I learn, let me see.

1) I have a big nose and it casts a big shadow when light is close

2) You can balance out "fill in" the shadow with another flight in the opposite position but then you are left with two shadows on the drape behind which looks stupid. What I didn't try because It had stared to rain, was to stand further away from the curtain and see what the shadows looked like then. I'm assuming they would be bigger and uglier if the light source was still the same distance from the subject.

3) Throwing a light and setting it on full behind the curtain (shining back up into where the shadow was going to be cast) does get rid of the shadow nicely but your nose still looks huge.

4)One looks horridly evil (and not bold) with a single light being set low, although shadows on your shoulders make you look tough and sh1t

5) Subject matter and careful posing can soften the amount of evil you exhibit

6) Magic tricks are fun. This turned out to be my preferred lighting angle too (with my limited gear, ie no light stands) from the subjects left, pretty close to center, and was just below shoulder height (as if the shadow didn't give it away)

7) Now with these triggers and flash boxes with manual controls I can balance with low levels of ambient light suckers!

Things to test next time;
1) Distance from backdrop
2) Height with lights, The shed has a low roof sadly, I might see if I can take over the office space
3) An umbrella to soften the light would be nice.
4) Buy a bloody remote because walking backwards and forwards waiting for a 12seccond timer sucks.
5) The little AF200t lights are great little things. And the FOTGA's are going to keep me perfectly happy for a bit Wink

#edit, oh everything from a K10 and a Super Tak 55

tromboads · Expire: 2015-10-01

Moving forward some what Laughing

Click1
Click2

So yes some light stands and umbrellas arrived from ebay one day to put the dog bowl out of a gig (dog bowl referenced in another thread elsewhere, basically I was using it as a reflector dish).

Long story shot Umbrellas are pretty dam handy. First image shot into a reflective umbrella that shone down upon me whilst I stood in the shed, and the second by a white shoot through bought in as close as possible to the subjects right. And light was set diag from top right to bottom left.

So much to learn. Little strobs and light modifiers are cool!

I have a 24" softbox on it's way. Will have some fun comparing the quality of the light to that of the humble umbrealla.

tromboads · Expire: 2015-10-01

Yeah ok so softbox's are better then umbrellas

Click
Click 2

The background was indeed the office wall, all but 90cm away and shadows were still minimal. Camera was 1.5m away, softbox was above pointing down from above, and maybe 1m away. Oh the softbox was a $30 ebay special, 24" square. Handy for head, can't imagine it will be much use for much else.

Get yo-self a softbox.

Oh, camera was K10 with a dity old filled 55mm Super Tak at f4ish.

SkvLTD · Joined: 19 Apr 2013 Posts: 198

Really just shutter/f-stop and then your light to illuminate just you vs backdrop.

And yes, angle of your shnoz first and foremost. We shoot because we don't really model, for a reason. If I had a 70-200 hanging from my face (and I have the 55/1.2) I wouldn't really want to model either. Very Happy

tromboads · Expire: 2015-10-01

I do have a 70-200 hanging of my face Embarassed

MartinCrabtree · Joined: 10 Jan 2015 Posts: 121

You resemble Adam Sandler.

SkvLTD · Joined: 19 Apr 2013 Posts: 198

tromboads · Expire: 2015-10-01

Well, it's beginning to make a bit more sense, all this lighting shenanigans.

Click
Click Two

Still using a cheap wireless trigger attached to some older Pentax flash boxes (with manual adjustment 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1 power modes) and it's still great fun! I say I'm making progress, results are quicker to come about and my pre=set imagined results are lining up more and more with the LCD. So that is nice. Razz

TrueLoveOne · Expire: 2013-12-24

Somehow i missed this topic.... but it's interesting because i always disliked flashes. Mainly of course because i was never able to make a proper portrait with a simple single-flash setup. Even with diffuser and by pointing the flash to the ceiling, i was never happy with the pics.

Until one day, a few months ago, i could buy a second-hand set of large softboxes with strobe-lights on stands from a local photographer! The strobe lights can be set stepless in power output and the stands made it possible to put them in any desired position and height towards the model. Oh, and they are triggered wireless of course!

First attempts were also crap..... i used my wife as a model and she got quite bored that night.... it needs some practise and fiddling with all the settings before you get the ideal and desired results.

Good to see your progress! I never kept the many crap-shots, but by now i guess i found out how to use the lights!

My love by René Maly, on Flickr

Red coat by René Maly, on Flickr

Nola by René Maly, on Flickr