Bert Stephani: Mo' Bounce to da Ounce
I am in the air all day today, flying back from Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Bert Stephani is across the pond, pretending he is in L.A. So I will leave you in his able hands, as he invades a public beach with a California Sunbounce Micro and a kickin' pair of ND-8 filters over his eyes.
(Seriously, I love Bert's videos.)
See stills from the shoot on Bert's blog. More info on the CSB here.
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by David, at 12:00 AM.
32 Comments:
Wow David- I LOVE this video. Thanks so much for posting it. It is really inspirational (and fun to watch).
Nikhil
I love Brents work and I think now im going to get that micro mini to use with my Viv HV..
Do ya think the babe spotter will work for me too?
Great to see him rocking the Vivitar 285! Sunbounce looks like a really nice piece of kit, now too see if I can make one from things found in the kitchen...
Hi David,
the california Sun Bounce looks like an ideal candidate for a "tinker tubing" projects, don't you think? £240 versus a trip to the plumbing supplies store.
Hope you had a safe flight.
Bert, the quality of your voice-overs has really improved dramatically over the course of the past nine videos. You barely sound Belgian any more. Vree wijs!
Love the shot with her hair all over the place!
Great video! Now I have to check out the rest of his videos...
Ever since they became a sponsor at Strobist I kept waiting for you (David) to give it a test run. I guess we had to wait for Bert to do it!
Wonderful Video!
Debbi_in_California
I like the laid back approach - really cool and funny too.
ALL RIGHT STROBISTS
Time to get creative and go to Home Depot.
Purchase some 1/2 PVC and some connectors.
Then off to a Fabric Shop to to buy some White RipStop nylon fabric, Silver, gold and Black Nylon too.
If You don't have a sewing Machine, GET ONE.
The "Sun Bounce" gizmo he was using can be created in many sizes and will cost 1/10th the price.
Make them up to bounce,shoot through, diffuse and black to subtract the light.
Make a BIG one 5x8 feet for your studio.
questions or comments
www.cliquephoto.net
Don
I'm hacking a micro mini tonight!
photos forthcoming!
Loved the video thanks David...great stuff.
I have to say the pricing on some of the CSB stuff is just nuts. Take the two 'Boom support' items they want $81 each. You can buy the exact same thing at a marine store for $14. They really are nothing more than fishing rod supports. In fact I think they may have just put their name on it is the only difference. The one I looked at on the West Marine site looked identical. Not close, identical. And West Marine isn't noted at being the cheapest in the industry to boot.
Apart from being rectangular rather than round is there any real difference in these products from the traditional discs? Almost $500 for some of them I think I might just get some Reynolds wrap. I don't doubt for a moment the quality of their products but that really is a lot of money.
Looks like a good time for the bodgers to get cracking.
I've seen this video the day when Bert has it posted! Really fun and sooo Belgian :-)
Bert. Please keep the porno voice. Nice shoot BTW I also like the 'hair' shot.
Next time a bit of cooking oil on the old man and we'd all be jetting off to California! ;-)
thanks
david (sitbonzo)
Sure you could hack one, and it will work. But if you use something day after day and you need to break it down and travel with it, I dunno how well a hacked one will stand up.
If I only had the nerve to approach random people in the streets like that.
But then again, if I only had Bert's voice...
As I reverse-engineer it...
What makes it unique is the aluminum tubing (as opposed to pvc) and the stretched tight look... which you could do with your loops made of a slightly elastic material, sewn onto the edges of your reflective material.
The other thing that is a challenge is the flash holder boom. I tried using a Bogen maffer on the edge with a plastic flash holder but it was still pretty heavy... CSB sells their boom for around $100, but no one seems to have it in stock... so... ideas about a lightweight boom holder?
Great video, thanks for sharing..
I wish I had the guts to approach ppl like that...
Hey Dave,
I'm sure you know this as they are one of your sponsors, but I don't recall seeing you post anything about it but Photoshelter is dead as a stock site/agency. Any thoughts comments?
Clay
TOO FUNNY!
Hey, Bert - how about some Photoshop help while you're at it? Your final product has a very natural, yet gritty, feel to the composition, but it's obviously going through some PS. The last thing I want to do is look like an also-ran.
As for the DIY approach, wouldn't this product be better suited to a fiberglass rod approach instead of a 1/2" PVC approach?
TIM
I like the satire he uses while still being informative. Great video!
I saw a great video of a photo shoot with a couple small strobes and some pocket wizards if you'd like to check it out...
http://blip.tv/file/939701
Aaah, Bert...what a great guy :-D
I've learnt a lot from his videos...not to mention the inspiration they give you.
I have used the California sunbounces, and they work well, but the two things that bother me are price and I have some question how they will age.
I was involved in a big shoot involving these sunbounces, and there were some older ones that were a major pain to break down. We wound up using WD40 to actually pull some of the metal pieces apart. Anyone else had this experience? Are the newer ones designed any better?
Again, they work well during the shoot. But for the price, they should be an absolutely flawless and convenient piece of kit that will last a lifetime. That wasn't my experience. Maybe others have fared better. :-)
There's no difference (in terms of results) between using a (much less expensive) collapsible reflector (like those made by Westcott, Photoflex, and others) and when using a (very expensive) CSB.
Other than it's rigid frame, which sometimes makes it easier to wield, you can easily make do with the less expensive reflectors.
Manfrotto and others make telescoping reflector arms to hold the reflector, one that will allow you to rig a strobe--in a similar way as depicted in the video--into the mix. The arms cost around $70 new but, at that price, plus the reflector, you're still spending less than a CSB and you'll look every bit as professional. Looking (and behaving) professional is key to approaching strangers in the sorts of situations and environments shown in the video.
great video!
Nice Vid, nice shots!
thanks for sharing!
(Seriously, I love Bert's videos.)
of course you do. you get free content, which in turn bring in advertising dollars. no need to feel guilty about it, since bert is probably high-fiving all of his friends for making it on a high-traffic site, just as other amateur 'togs do when they have the pleasure of having their work published by a publication that honors their contributors with nothing more than a credit.
Jefferson-
Normally, when people leave comments like this, they do so anonymously. But since you signed your (or *a*) name, I will be happy to respond to your cynical comment.
My goal with this site is to further lighting knowledge. If that comes from posts and articles that I write (which I have done over a thousand times in the last two years) that's great.
But I also think it is equally important to show how others are thinking and lighting, too. Diversity of thought is something you want to embrace, not avoid.
In addition, other photographers (including Bert) are picking up the ball and educating shooters -- for free -- every day.
The fact that my blog has advertising is what allows me to devote full time (more than full time, actually) to this blog and keep the info here coming to you for free.
As for the "nothing more than a credit" thing, we are all putting this out there for free. And as both a producer AND a consumer of lighting education, I think that is fantastic.
Taking it a step further, I am starting to do a lot of pro bono shooting, too. If I am not assigned by someone on a particular day, I am trying to decide what I can shoot that would be the most interesting, yield the best photos and help someone who deserves it.
IMO, that is a win-win-win situation, much like photographers who share info via blogs.
In any group of people there will be some who view a glass as half full, some who view it as half empty and one or two who suspect the water may be poisoned.
I tend to fall into the first group. But I can't really help what the other people think.
-David
Jefferson-
p.s. I failed at first to notice your implication that Bert is an amateur photographer. You are incorrect. He is a professional. In fact, if you follow his blog, you will see that he just purchased an old barn-type building to convert to a studio.
I love how the photo of the guy with the belly looks.
Its got some great contrast. And the background just drops off perfect.
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