Just wanted to show a progression that I went through to get the yummy shot that you see at the top. All the shots obviously didn't look that good. There is some trial and error involved in getting the right combination of exposure and light source placement.
So I start by setting my camera to it's max sync speed . . . uh not quite. My camera's max sync speed is 1/250th but with my Cactus radio triggers, I have found that I can only sync at 1/200th. So that's always the starting point. Then for aperture I know that I can get f5.6 if my flash is at 1/2 power or f2.8 with the flash set at 1/16th power. Those numbers are just approximate based on lots of practice shots.
I took a first shot and it looked a little underexposed. I decided to boost the ISO from 100 to 160 to get a little more exposure without changing the aperture. I wanted to maintain f2.8 because my 50mm lens doesn't always focus properly. The depth of field at f1.8 is so narrow that even the slightest error in focus causes the loss of the picture. At f2.8 the dof gives a little leeway if the focus is off.
The result here is overexposed. It looks washed out. We've lost the amazing red of these freshly picked strawberries.
So I set the ISO back to 100 and now we have the delicious red I am looking for. But I have the umbrella directly over the batch of strawberries. The shadows are shallow and it looks pretty much like a snapshot.
So I moved umbrella further back to increase the angle and increase the depth of the shadows. Now it is looking good. I like the exposure and the light placement. So now I just worked with composition and perspective to get the cover shot above.
Labels:
backlight,
Cactus Triggers,
one light,
shoot thru
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Here are a few more from the wedding that I shot recently. They asked me to capture the decorations so that's what I did. It did look very nice. The house is an awesome country house with a huge wrap-around front porch. The grounds are covered with big oak trees. Nice place to get married. So the first one above is a shot of one of the flower arrangements with the decorated gazeebo in the background. The flowers were in the shadow of the porch so I brought in my shoot-thru up close and camera right. The ratio here with the ambient is pretty close. It looks like maybe a half stop.
Here is the front of the house. Ambient light only here. You can see the challenge for portraits by looking at the light filtering through the oak trees and hitting the ground in front of the house. Blotchy, contrasty light; not good for portraits. So that's why I drug around my umbrella on a stand.
Here is another ambient shot of some decorations with the gazeebo framed by one of the oaks.
Great job to whoever decorated. It really looked great.
Oh yes, the cake. Yummy by the way. I hit this with the shoot-thru as well.
Cactus Trigger Update
Just wanted to add that I am still using the Cactus Triggers and have been completely happy with them. Had an experience here where when I moved inside the house with the flashes, they weren't firing at all. I mean at all. I switched channels about 3 times and found one that was clear and they fired every time after that.
Labels:
balancing ambient,
Cactus Triggers,
natural light,
one light,
shoot thru,
wedding
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Here are a few shots made while visiting our great friends in South Carolina. It rained (and then snowed) the entire time we were there so we stayed inside mostly which gave opportunity to set up the lights. The house was great in the living room here. Exposed beams in the ceiling worked great with a super-clamp from Manfrotto. So the setup is the same in this group. I used the old Sunpak 411 for the the background @ 1/4 power. A gridded Canon 540EZ is hanging from the ceiling @ 1/32th power. And the 285HV is going thru a white shoot-thru umbrella @ 1/16th power.
They also had an awesome sun-room facing west. I took some natural light portraits as well. I think the next post will contain those shots.
Be blessed.
Labels:
Cactus Triggers,
family portraits,
grid spot,
hair light,
multiple lights,
portraits,
rim light,
shoot thru
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Continuing with the theme of trying to capture those expressions that my wife and I see everyday but they only last for a second, here is a shot taken the same night as the previous post. She has been doing this one for a week or so. Still not the one I am after. But very cute!
This one was taken with the same setup as the previous post: 1 285HV into silver umbrella @ 1/2 power. I know, it is getting old. Maybe there is no need to continue listing the equipment since I don't have anything new.
Cactus Triggers
By the way, I am using the Cactus V2s triggers. There is much discussion on the web concerning these. Lots of talk about reliability. My experience with them has been very positive. I have had probably 5 to 10 fail-to-fires out of thousands of shots. Now granted, the failures have happened during a paid shoot in a fast-food restaurant. Interference from all the electronics I'm sure. I didn't bother changing channels which may have helped. It only failed a few times and I didn't miss anything. I am just not able to shell out the bucks for pocket wizards.
Labels:
Cactus Triggers,
one light,
portraits
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