Westward Ho: Open Mic
I am in the air all day living on teeny tiny bags of Southwest Airlines peanuts, headed to the Phoenix seminars this weekend. (I do hope I get one of the jets without the cracks.)Anyway, this means that your pithy comments will languish unmoderated all day long, as the captain hates it when I screw up the plane's nav system with my cellphone internet connection.
Especially if it interferes with the Pocket Wizard he is using in the cockpit.
If you are coming to either of the seminars, I will see you this weekend. I would say that I will be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when we start up at 9:30am each day, but "bushy-tailed" usually does not apply until about 10:30. I'll fake it with Diet Mountian Dew until then.
Bring your PayPal email from the purchase transaction (I have a list also though) something on which to makes notes, a camera with a wide lens (if you want to shoot the setups) a PW (on channel 1) if you are gonna pwn me, and an open mind. We're gonna have fun.
Testing: 1,2,3...
Speaking of my incommunicado status all day Thursday, I am repeating something I have done in the past while traveling: It's open mic time. What would you like to learn more about on this site?
The biggest difference between a blog and a magazine is the real-time interactive nature of the former. This site is for you, and I always enjoy learning what you might like to know more about. Because I would probably like to know more about it, too.
Hit me with my future marching orders in the comments.
__________
(SWA 737 Belly by Strobist reader Wirehead. Click on the pic for some interesting Boeing 737 trivia in the photo's notes.)
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Feed your brain: Great Lighting Books
by David, at 12:00 AM.
64 Comments:
More on assignment. Guest versions of on assignments.
Am I blind? What happened to The Feed??
you sure do like posting at midnight. dont forget to count the mist machines while in the phx.
Some extremely detailed information, or links to information on calculating ambient exposure would help. I think that I comprehended what you were saying in Lighting 101 with the dead animal designer guy, but need more.
I always enjoy reading your blog. I have learned a lot and like to read about your experiences.
Anyway...my question is if you think that an SB800 and two SB600's along with light stands and umbrellas is enough lighting equipment for a studio photographer to start out with and get through a few years?
Thank you for your response.
I always enjoy reading your blog. I have learned a lot and like to read about your experiences.
Anyway...my question is if you think that an SB800 and two SB600's along with light stands and umbrellas is enough lighting equipment for a studio photographer to start out with and get through a few years?
Thank you for your response.
Hee hee, glad you like my impromptu 737 photo and commentary so much. :)
Personally, ever since you posted Old Masters: The O G Strobists, I have been waiting for more insight on the subject. Hope you have a blast at the Phoenix seminars.
I'd be really interested in learning more about rim/hair lights. I feel like I hit a plateau a little bit ago, so I guess I'd also be interested in an article on your inspiration.
David, Have a safe trip and lots of fun in Phoenix - no doubt someone will have a laugh and mess around with your photo shots now that you have prompted them to set their PW's on CH1.
Anyhow I look forward to catching up with you, Joe and Chase at Gulf Photo Plus. I was digging around your older blogs looking for something on clamshell lighting and noted that you did a few shots at the Paris seminar (came across Rui's Lighting mods blog) any chance of doing an On Assignment of this type of lighting set up for young kids? I'm sure Ben or Emma would be kind enough to pose for you.
Hello,
I've been following your extraordinary blog for sometimes now and have learn so much about lighting. A sincere big thank you from this amateur.
I've been experimenting with gelling half a strobe to get bi-color output from them; but results aren't very good so far...Are there any good ways to produce 2 or more distinct area of colored light from a single strobe?
Thanks!
happy travels and have a great weekend - Canada soon!? I know our dollar is killin ya. but it makes for much cheaper mid-west purchases for us. ;)
One of the things that intrigues me is the next level of using filters/ WB settings. You have certainly made clear the colour correction capabilities of the CTO and green gels.
Joe McNally has a great set-up in Clicks at a subway stop using a violet filter to pimp the setting sun and compensate the flouro.
Dave Black also has the moody blue SI set-up in a few of his at the ranch workshops.
I find these known combos that play with WB and give you a great ROTC fascinating - I have basic understanding of why the combinations work but would love to understand more and see more of these tricks of the trade.
Well, there is only so much that can be learned about the physics of what a flash is, how to set it and stuff like that. Some strobists have gracefully put up basic shooting info and we've learned to backward analyse lighting set up, but how about more thought in to a forward lighting process including some forward shooting experimental shots and how it was decided to take the lighting forward from what was discovered? Discussuing the look that was wanted for an assignment and how the light was forward engineered from the starting point.
Rather than, "SB-800 camera left, Alien bee behind" more sort of, "Well, I had this bloke who was a fireman so I decided to dress him up in uniform. Yeh, he was also a quarter back but the assignment was about the fire aspect rather than his personal life so I was kinda restrained that way. I wanted to say, 'fire' in the shot so I wanted to warm up the light. Shooting in front of the fire engine was allright but it had been done before and there was this exercise tower out back which was atmospheric so I used a CTO gell behind him to light the wall and give him a halo effect off the stone walls as if he was standing in a fire. That was great but I couldn't see him, so I fired a plain grid spot from the front to bring him out because the spill from the soft box was too wide."
Sort of, we're learning HOW to engineer light, but there is the root question of WHY we're engineering the light. Going back to the pool shot with the swimmer up against the wall sort of thing. A fair few people have picked up the 101 and have run with it to some incredible destinations, but lill' 'ol me is still crawling on the floor. Oh look, someone's dropped a peanut...
What I would like to see? On assignments - this is what triggered me towards this blog in the first place.
Since this is open mic time. Please do some more "on assignment"
Nothing was more helpful to me than to see how you approached a tough situation and the creativity involved with finding a solution to a lighting problem.
Have fun down there!
When will we see you in the UK again? And when will the DVD be out?
I'd like to see you talk about getting insanely soft light and gigantic light sources on a budget. A modern update of tinker tubes, maybe. A portable, useable silk on the cheap?
How about dissecting Annie L's photograph of The Roots?
http://www.artnet.com/artwork/425417401/141091/annie-leibovitz-the-roots-philadelphia-pennsylvania.html
It's a favorite and there is some cool white balance thing going on that I'm not completely sure about.
I'd also like to hear you talk about what to do with a room that has too much natural light. I shot a portrait recently in a room with gigantic windows and white ceilings and walls. I got a nice bit of direction from dialing down the ambient 1 stop and using flash on the subject, but I'd like to hear how you do that.
Have a good trip!
Paul
Morning Dave,
Lots of luck on your flight.
There is one thing I think everyone could benefit from seeing... and that is creative and commonly unknown rigging if pro equipment. By this i mean...setting up butterflies, c-stand setups that include multiple flag setups ( ie. flaging both light for direction and preventing camera flare. Creative use of equipment.
I realize it's all about small and portable... but I believe seeing what can be done only helps to massage the mind; expand its real of possibilities and fuel further creative solutions.
What Chase had done with the camera rigging video is exactly what im talking about.
Yes there are tons of instructions on... setting up boxes and brollies... adding umbrella clams... and the like.
But in all honesty what Im saying perhaps we can get at is the things you see that you most likely only see form seasoned pros... little rigging tricks. I went to SVA in NYC... there are things you just dont learn in school... I was fortunate to be taught by professors who in order to teach at SVA must work in the field they teach and derive their income from it....so I did see and learn some interesting tidbits...
Dont get me wrong... I actually believe in getting the shot with as little as possible. Some of my best shots are lit by the sun, with at most a reflector held by a v.a.l.
Ah ./// at best this is just a rambling the result of me being well into my 4th week of bedrest recouping from a Valentines Day 2 story fall that I somehow managed to survive.... all this bed rest is driving me nuts... and even now at 5:35 am I glance over to my open pellican case and my stands... and I year to be able to go out and shoot something!!!
Best wishes.
JasonJoseph N.Y.C.
www.JasonJosephStudio.com
P.S. If you read the flickr strobist you may have seen some New Yorkers are talking about another meetup. I offered up my studio. It is 3k sq ft. in a gorgeous fully restored turn of the century theatre.... I posted photos.
I would very much like to know if you would be able at any time in the future to fit this in your schedule. the theatre holds 2,000 people... and affords a wealth of shooting opportunities. If I do host it there I will only do it if I can have some heavy hitters come and work side by side with everyone. Hope your interested.
Leave a comment?
How about....
A T L A N T A
S O O N
After reading Strobist for nearly a year now, I have to admit I am becoming more than just a little frustrated. The cost difference between entry level strobes vs speedlights doesnt seem so extreme. Would it be possible to do a little compare and contrast? Show the differences between the two? I mean everything from what it looks like when you pack up all the stuff to any differences in terms of finished images??
Would this be interesteding/do-able?
Thanks for all the inspiration along the way. I feel more and more assimilated into the Strobist world every day!
How 'bout dem DVD's, Dave?
So the lighting has been done, the composition is great, all is ready to go out in the world. Now how about "Selling Yourself" as a topic. What are the best"Guerilla" marketing ideas for photographers? Explain for all the fields portraits, commercial, business, weddings, etc....
David,
First off, I want to take the opportunity to thank you for Strobist. It has truly inspired me (and if my poverty wizards ever arrive from Hong Kong) and I am eager to get started working through the past (and present) assignments.
I've also ordered most of your suggested reading list, which, I know will help me understand much more than I do today. But one thing I'd like to see more of on the blog is discussion about how various light placements affect the final product (e.g. how to separate subject from background with strobes, how to bring out textures...etc.).
Perhaps a simple still life subject lit from several different angles to show how to emphasize various aspects of the subject. I know that much of this is implicit (and, for that matter, explained within the context of a particular shot) in the various photos on the blog, but I'm thinking about a quick 360 of how light from various angles affects the same subject.
I know that this would help me in my pre-shot thought process by helping me to think about what I'm trying to get the light to do, vs. asking do I like what the light is doing.
Thanks again for all your instruction and inspiration.
BC in NC
I'd love to add this quick-step-present-arms to your marching orders: More about how to capture people. How to coach them, how to pose them, how to light them. I'm definitely learning lots from doing exactly that myself... but I'd love to hear more about any acquired wisdom you have on the topic. How to bring out their beauty. How to highlight their "wisdom" lines. How to minimize their non-diet mountain dew habit. Whatever ya got. And, thanks for asking.
Adam B.
First time I've posted in the couple of months I've been reading your site.
Have to say thanks so much for providing such a huge amount of information for free, I've absolutely loved reading through it. It's definitely got the creative part of the brain flowing again!
Not sure if its in your remit (or maybe already covered) but maybe something about the post processing in PS or similar would be an interesting read, maybe combined with an assignment?
Also living in the UK when I tried to buy "When it clicks" through your Amazon link it only takes you to the US site - Is there anything you can do about that for next time?
Heya,
For us Noobs, I would love to see a(lots of) step by step tutorial(s) with pictures, on hooking up older flashes(sb24-28) with pc cords(and other things like building a pc cord from a home extension cord etc.) including where to buy items, etc. especially to a d70, which i own. some of us are visual learners, and dyslexic besides. ;)
Hey, big thanks for this site. I read it over and over and learn more each time. A question I have is what's the difference between shoot through and reflected umbrellas? Is there certain situations when one is better? or is it just a matter of preference?
To be honest, I want you to hop the pond and do another UK workshop! Otherwise a bit more about posing and lighting groups, using light to "say" something and tips on keeping difficult subjects happy while you fettle the lighting.
To be honest your judgement is pretty good so far so I'm just tossing those out there.
Hope the flight went well and the pilot balanced his flash with ambient properly.
I'd love to see some of your great ideas translated into the language of ETTL or some straight-up ETTL setups.
Hey David, how about some more detail on coloring the light?
One thing that messes me up as a tyro is diffusers: wondering whether my CTO/CTG diffusers are a good idea, or if I should just toss them and stick gels under the white diffuser cap. Any good ideas about Photoshop work in dealing with multiple light sources of different colors? (Yeah, I know we don't talk about post much, but the reality is...)
Good morning Dave. Look forward to meeting you this weekend (Sunday to be exact). Although I haven’t been active in posts, I do get in as much reading as possible through out the week. Picking up tips and tricks here and there, and then trying them out.
One thing I would love to see or hear more about is equipment. Even an equipment exchange would be kinda nifty. I know 101 goes over a few things and even suggests a kit. But it seems like this is a fairly tight knit community, and if someone decided to sell a old set of pocket wizards, or flash, I would love to know about it.
Or even a graph that shows what the most common equipment people use. Somewhat like what DPReview does with cameras. . . .but I would be interested to know how many people are using vivitars compared to matching brand strobes. . . .how many are using eBay triggers vs. PW's.
And lastly, maybe a definition list of equipment. I would bet a good portion of people don’t know what an eBay trigger is, or PW, or some other trinket, and then after the explanation, what is the best one to buy and where. . .
That would be very nice for me at least. I don’t mind hunting and searching the net for hours. Reading reviews for a day just to find a new item that hits the reset button on the whole process. Until I finally give up and ask people on web sites such as these. . . . .you know, I don’t MIND that. . . .but how nice to have it condensed and or graphed
SEE YOU SOON GUYS.
Side note. . . .I live here in the phoenix area, and hit up quite a few bar/restaurants, so if anyone is out on Friday or Saturday night, let me know. . .maybe I’ll come meet up and grab a cold beverage.
Weather for this weekend – Perfect!
Oh, and for those that are here for more than a day, look into a spring training game, very nice day at the ball park feeling.
Stuntmonkee
aka - Jasen
Good morning Dave. Look forward to meeting you this weekend (Sunday to be exact). Although I haven’t been active in posts, I do get in as much reading as possible through out the week. Picking up tips and tricks here and there, and then trying them out.
One thing I would love to see or hear more about is equipment. Even an equipment exchange would be kinda nifty. I know 101 goes over a few things and even suggests a kit. But it seems like this is a fairly tight knit community, and if someone decided to sell a old set of pocket wizards, or flash, I would love to know about it.
Or even a graph that shows what the most common equipment people use. Somewhat like what DPReview does with cameras. . . .but I would be interested to know how many people are using vivitars compared to matching brand strobes. . . .how many are using eBay triggers vs. PW's.
And lastly, maybe a definition list of equipment. I would bet a good portion of people don’t know what an eBay trigger is, or PW, or some other trinket, and then after the explanation, what is the best one to buy and where. . .
That would be very nice for me at least. I don’t mind hunting and searching the net for hours. Reading reviews for a day just to find a new item that hits the reset button on the whole process. Until I finally give up and ask people on web sites such as these. . . . .you know, I don’t MIND that. . . .but how nice to have it condensed and or graphed
SEE YOU SOON GUYS.
Side note. . . .I live here in the phoenix area, and hit up quite a few bar/restaurants, so if anyone is out on Friday or Saturday night, let me know. . .maybe I’ll come meet up and grab a cold beverage.
Weather for this weekend – Perfect!
Oh, and for those that are here for more than a day, look into a spring training game, very nice day at the ball park feeling.
Stuntmonkee
aka - Jasen
Good morning Dave. Look forward to meeting you this weekend (Sunday to be exact). Although I haven’t been active in posts, I do get in as much reading as possible through out the week. Picking up tips and tricks here and there, and then trying them out.
One thing I would love to see or hear more about is equipment. Even an equipment exchange would be kinda nifty. I know 101 goes over a few things and even suggests a kit. But it seems like this is a fairly tight knit community, and if someone decided to sell a old set of pocket wizards, or flash, I would love to know about it.
Or even a graph that shows what the most common equipment people use. Somewhat like what DPReview does with cameras. . . .but I would be interested to know how many people are using vivitars compared to matching brand strobes. . . .how many are using eBay triggers vs. PW's.
And lastly, maybe a definition list of equipment. I would bet a good portion of people don’t know what an eBay trigger is, or PW, or some other trinket, and then after the explanation, what is the best one to buy and where. . .
That would be very nice for me at least. I don’t mind hunting and searching the net for hours. Reading reviews for a day just to find a new item that hits the reset button on the whole process. Until I finally give up and ask people on web sites such as these. . . . .you know, I don’t MIND that. . . .but how nice to have it condensed and or graphed
SEE YOU SOON GUYS.
Side note. . . .I live here in the phoenix area, and hit up quite a few bar/restaurants, so if anyone is out on Friday or Saturday night, let me know. . .maybe I’ll come meet up and grab a cold beverage.
Weather for this weekend – Perfect!
Oh, and for those that are here for more than a day, look into a spring training game, very nice day at the ball park feeling.
Stuntmonkee
aka - Jasen
I'd love to see some in depth discussion on White Balance. Or the importance of monitor calibration. Those 2 things seem to be what most hobbiest tend to overlook.
I can't believe I'm the first to comment for a change. :)
Well one thing I'd like to see more of on the blog are assignments for us to do. I like it when there is a set assignment to do becuase I often don't have much for ideas on my own, particularly indoors in the winter.
I'd hope some assignments are somewhat easy ones because I'm just learning and not very good at all this yet and easily frustrated with my lack of knowlege.
Anyways have a safe flight and looking forward to when you're back blogging about your trip again.
I for one want to learn more about speed. I know to set my lights up here or there and what power to use just by looking. But on the fly stuff still seems to move slow. Ive added grey cards to my bag to have one less thing to worry about. I also, as most people enjoy cheap solutions to expensive problems. I would also like to see more c&c in the strobist pool as its going the way of the dinosaur. I love the site dave and when I'm not a poor college student I'll make it to a seminar. Keep up the good work and thanks for some easy A's in my photo classes! :)
Let's talk about lighting ratios.
This post has been removed by the author.
I think you've hit most of it.. but how about a discussion of key facial lighting patterns? Or.. using a flash meter to know whats coming before you even take the lens cap off? (including flash/ambient ratio, fired with a PW transmitter of course!)
I think more on dynamic lighting situations would be great. Things like club events, parties, company parties, etc. You know your basic run and gun environment. What do you do to not fall into that on camera flash nuke'em (or break out the Fongster) because it's easy and mobile. Flash Flavor gets me thinking about how to apply some of those reception techniques to other events. Let's get it out in the open some more.
More DIY gear!
The $5 lightbox is what brought me to Strobist. The snoots, and grids, and ringlights etc are just so much fun.
More Reader Spotlights!
The flickr pool is amazing. The Strobist readers are amazing. Lets hear more about them!
More On Assignments are always welcome as well.
David,
All this info about adding light to a scene has been great but maybe a little talk/project involving negative fill (where we use black velvet fill cards to create dark spaces) might be kind of fun and an interesting counterpoint. This is esoecially interesting when shooting people against even light coloured backgrounds in B&W and you want some separation between subject and background. I have a little project in mind just been trying to find time to shoot it.
You asked so there it is.
This is a lens question but deals directly with employing the techniques discussed on strobist.
In regards to a telephoto lens, if one cannot afford the 70-200 2.8 IS, should he get the 2.8, or go for the f4 with IS. I have heard time and time again that 2.8 is always better for portraits but I am concerned about not having IS and trying to sync up with strobes on longer focal lengths (i.e. 200mm...desire 1/250th, but to match abient light, have to shoot slower.
I hope this makes some sense and would greatly appreciate any feedback concerning lens/working with strobes info.
Thank you,
Keith
i enjoy the bootcamp assignments for sure and would like to see more of those.. When I got the film noir assignment, I literally thought about creating the shot for weeks. Before reading your site, I would never have formulated a photograph like that.
What initially drew me to your site 6 months ago was the "on assignment" pieces you used to do. (e.g. On Assignment: Spring Desserts) I read 2 years worth of that stuff in 2 months while bidding on sb-28s on ebay and waiting for my dean collins dvds to arrive. im sure my employer thanks you.
In the earlier years it seemed there was more concentration on educating through example (on assignment, lighting 101, etc) and I personally enjoyed that.
Featuring reader photos for commentary is fun too.
David,
We'd love to know when you could get a Denver seminar together. We've got 110 people in the local group right now (http://www.flickr.com/groups/coloradostrobist/) and more joining every day. We'll make it worth your while with full seminars when you get here!
-- C
Learn more?!? I can't keep up now! The more I read the more I realize I don't know!
Maybe you could update Lighting 101 - surely after 2 years you have new insights on old topics! After having attended your seminar I know your info and guidance is much more specific than it used to be! It would be nice to be able to have with one click the "modern" info on say, the 5 w's of snoots, gels, light stands or whatever... all in the one place. For those of us living on the edge of the world and have to rely on mail order it would help to "know" what we are buying and get "less gear" right the first time.
Thanks for the great site and seminar!
i'd like to hear more war stories. how you approached a particular lighting situation in the field, including the problems that needed to be solved and how you interacted with the subject.
"sometimes it's about the monkey, not the light" you once said. i want to hear more about the monkeys! and the lighting too of course, but there's only so much theory before you have to make it work on the fly, in the dark, with giant night weasels breathing down your neck...
How to get work.
How to present yourself to publications, portfolio/website - who to talk to and how to talk to them, how to get your foot in the door, etc.
I'm with Michelle - interested to hear more about WHY certain light was used, as well as the HOW.
Always love your stream of consciousness prose, so that would be great - to hear your mind running right through an assignment, from start to finish.
Yes, we actually want to get right inside your head now, David...
I'm not sure if this qualifies as out of the scope of this blog, but I'd like to learn about:
High speed photography
Sound triggers
Motion Triggers
David,
Welcome to Phoenix. I will see you on Saturday. I've ordered nice weather for you. Of course it's always nice here.
computerbugg
I'd love to see you're take (and reader comments) on a basic white seamless studio setup for full-length portraits using a minimal number of lights. Thanks.
hi dave,
i'd also like to vote for more "on assignments" and perhaps a bit more in depth in using color gels aside from the basic color correcting CTO and green.
I love to see the DIY bits. I've made and often use most of the stuff shown so far. any more ideas anyone?
I would love to see more of the inspirational stuff. What I mean is like the article you had a while back where you asked who you shoot for? The client or your self.
Creativity boost material is always awesome! Love it when you feature strobist members and there cool pics and the method behind the awesome pic!
Dave,
Well I would like to see some post devoted to the different type. Different type of photography like the Art of lighting a headshot. Both NY style and LA. What type of catch lights are wanted if any.
Hope to see it.
I think it would be great, interesting and beneficial to take some famous photographs / photographers that use unique or slightly more complex lighting setups (such as Jill Greenberg or Dave Hill) and deconstruct the lighting techniques used.
so david, what are the chances of getting that ringflash test shot and the zoom picture you took of me....?
One of the most common questions I see on many of the photography message boards is, "How do I light a big group shot?"
I'm sure there are many ways to do it, but I guess it depends on how many lights you have access to for the assignment.
-Brandon D.
If you could have Annie Leibovitz do a Q&A on your website, I would like that very much. Perhaps you can persuade her to start blogging as you did with Mr. McNally. No biggie. :)
I'm a fan of Annie Leibovitz as you are and I would love for you to perhaps expand upon some of her techniques... especially the group shots. The one you posed on July 26, 2007 "A Group Shot Master Class", just reminds me of a Rembrandt painting come to life.
I know she uses photoshop and plays around with composite images, but I'm sure there some strobist stuff in there... like lighting shots of smaller groups within a larger group, independent from one another... or something like that.
Perhaps you can touch upon your post "Old Masters" The O G Strobists" as well. I would love to see more examples of directional/dramatic lighting.
Thanks!
I was thinking about my mobile studio portrait setup, standard stuff - two brollies and two lights on a plain white background. Trouble is I'm just plain bored with the setup but when you have to zap 50 portraits in and hour it has to be pretty infallible. Any thoughts? proms and graduations are a great money spinner for guys starting out.
Also I don't suppose there's any chance of an Irish seminar:?
An update on the DVD would be great!
I'll add "more on-assignement-type post", too... I really love all the build-up process with the intermediate pics, and thoughts about the process itself
BTW, thanks for all this!
Case studies based on real-world assignments that PJs and pros typically encounter - as Michelle said earlier.
Y'know, just like McNally's book. Here's the assignment, here's how I handled it, here are the key learning points.
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