Quick Hit Monday: PSW Wrap Up; Flash Bus Tour A Hit; Lighting; Lightroom; DIY Lightning Trigger; and More

Good Afternoon Everybody,

I'm a little slow out of the gate today but after our non-stop two weeks, I’m planning to take a little easier today.  We finally landed safe and sound back in Kentucky around nine o'clock last evening. It's been a very busy two weeks for LaDawn and I. We had a great visit in Atlanta with my good friend Denis Reggie both on the way down to Florida and on the return trip back.

The wedding of LaDawn’s son Joshua and now wife Kristen, went fabulously well. Even though I wasn't the chief photographer I still captured some beautiful images. Also, at the wedding I tried a portable lighting technique that worked out quite well. You'll probably see tomorrow for Technique Tuesday.

From Sarasota we made the trip over to Orlando for Photoshop World. As usual, we had a great time there too -- even though it's our busiest convention we do throughout the year. Check out Scott Kelby's complete recap of Photoshop World right here. His new book on retouching just came out and was available at the Peachpit booth.

He even gives a nice shout out to Terry White and I for wireless shooting during the convention. By the way, Damien and I are working on formalizing the process and how we made that happen. It's quite complicated but I think we should get all the details organized for Technique Tuesday next week. Stay tuned.

We left Photoshop World on Friday and headed back to Atlanta. We had tickets for The Flash Bus tour featuring Joe McNally and David Hobby -- more on that later. We spent another evening with my friend Denis and then headed home around three o'clock yesterday.  With the exception of my FUSION webcast on Thursday [link] the week is fairly light.  My Master Class starts first thing next Monday morning. I hope I can catch my breath this week because next week will again be a crazy, not-enough-time-in-the- day kind of week.

After my Master Class wraps on Friday April 15.  we had to Banff, Alberta, Canada for the Canadian Professional Photographers National Convention.  I have several responsibilities at that convention as well. I'm doing a day long platform program, an early bird program, and two tradeshow programs.  Yes, were on the move quite a bit these next few weeks. But it will be fun and I'm looking forward to it.

How about we get on with quick hit Monday --

Stormy Weather Shooting

I had to smile a little bit upon our return. We spent two weeks in Florida under mostly blue skies and white clouds. The word from the home front was that they were being bombarded with snow, thunderstorms, and mostly bad weather while we were gone. Our timing was right to be in Florida during all the bad weather.

Now the word on the street today here in Kentucky is that we are in for one heck of a thunderstorm yet again. That's why I thought this link would be appropriate. PentaPixel.com which is quite a nice site for finding interesting articles on photography and many other things, posted a link for a do-it-yourself lightning flash trigger. It's a pretty geeky read but if you really want to roll up your shirtsleeves and give it a try I think it would be quite fun. Lightning triggers cost around $200-$300 so if you can make one yourself for $20 bucks that's quite a savings. Anyway, if you're into the geek read you can find the link right here.

The Flash Bus Tour A Hit!

We left Photoshop World right after my Manfrotto booth presentation a bit earlier than usual on Friday.  We had tickets to the Joe McNally/David Hobby Flash Bus Tour on Saturday in Atlanta. 

Saturday morning we were up bright and early and headed to the World Congress Center for the program. Joe and David had a great crowd of approximately 400 in the room.  It was about 5 minutes to show time when Joe spotted us and asked us to join the Flash Bus crew in the front row. These were definitely the best seats in the house.  Thanks Joe!

David Hobby, a.k.a. the Strobist, kicked off the program promptly at 10 AM. Many of us have read David's blog numerous times -- my gosh it's about the largest photography blog out there. Turns out that David is not just a great blogger but a great photographer as well.

He moved through his presentation showing how each light added to and affected the final image. He showed us his "mess ups" along the way and how he was able to correct those mistakes. It was a great learning experience to sit there for those few hours to see how he built his photographs into beautiful finished masterpieces.

After a late lunch break from 1 PM to 2 PM, Joe kicked off the afternoon session with his razzle-dazzle display of the gear, flashes, reflectors, etc. Joe is a high energy guy who always gives a great presentation.  He wrapped his portion with a synced flash shot – audience participation included – firing 127 strobes for the finished image.  What struck me about both David and Joe was how well spoken and concise they were in communicating their ideas to the audience.

Their entire program flowed easily, and was quite entertaining to boot. I paid very close attention to their presentations, took tons of notes, and was very satisfied that we had a chance to see both of them on the Flash Bus tour. Check out their flash bus tour when it comes to a city near you.  Highly recommended!

A Quick Reminder About Our Free Webcast On Thursday

Hey gang, just wanted to give you another heads up about our free webcast on Thursday [link] featuring Ariane Fisher who will be sharing her wealth of knowledge about how to combine the video with your still images. The program will be targeted towards the event shooter -- weddings, bar bat mitzvahs, etc. You know, video is not going to go away. Many of us have been hesitant about acknowledging that this needs to be part of the product and services we provide for our clients. Many of us have also been hesitant about improving our skills in that department.

Ariane will walk us through exactly what you need to do to become much more proficient in both shooting a video and combining it with your still images. I've been on the phone with Ariane many times since the WPPI Convention and I think she brings a lot to the table that can help each and everyone of the attendees to the webcast. Our IBM's is around 400 attendees so we still have plenty of room for people to sign up.  You can register right here.

More Lightroom Freebies Coming Your Way

Since I'm such a Lightroom aficionado this post really caught my eye at Mark Stagi's DigitalPhotoBuzz.com. In this post Mark gives you links to several presets that he's developed for Lightroom. Hey gang, they sure look cool to me -- I'm planning on downloading them right away. Here is the link right here.

I have to tell you Mark has some pretty cool content on his blog. He's covering lots of things from off-camera flash to light room presets, marketing and business. While you're over there downloading free Lightroom presets be sure to check out several of his other posts. A really nice read.

Understanding Basic Light Properties for Photography

Here is a great article right here by Rob Gray that really gets into the specifics of lighting. His references to lighting are not just in weddings and portraits.  He speaks to lighting is part of the overall composition and impact of the images. It is extremely well written article that I think should be read by all of our DigitalProTalk readers. Check it out right here, I think you really enjoy the read.

At The End Of The Day, You Just Need A Good Laugh

DigitalProTalk reader Bob Miller sent me this link to some pretty funny wedding photographs. Here is the link right here. The images must spend the time frame from the 70s and 80s.  I remember taking some of those same kinds of photographs myself back in the day. My favorite - the brain shot - is featured in this post.

I remember bride came up to me one time at her wedding and she asked me, "Do you do the brain shot?" I asked her what in the world was she talking about? She said, "You know, like he's thinking of me inside his head." I knew what she meant, I obliged by taking the brain shot for her - she was so happy. Hey, a long career spans several changes in styles and industry. This series of images is just kind of fun to look back upon -- I hope you enjoy the giggle.

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Hey gang, that's it for me today. I think you got your reading cut out for you with today’s quick hit Monday post. I hope you find the reads diversified, informative, and interesting. Don't forget to check back tomorrow for another episode of Technique Tuesday.

So until then Adios, David

Friday: "Flash Power Demystified"

Good Afternoon Everybody,

Wow! I mention our brand new Rocket Speed Digital Design FREE Webcast and a lot of you have jumped on it already! We are already 1/3 full!  I forgot to mention that space is limited to the first 1000 that register. The first time we did this the webcast reached capacity very quickly. Please be sure to register early to reserve your space. Here is the link to all the info right here.

I can't believe it's Friday already. We are going to try to take off a bit early today so let's get right to today's post.

"Flash Power Demystified"

I received lots of emails and even questions during our "Captured By The Light 2010" tour [link] about flash power. People will ask if they can do the same kind of lighting with their Nikon SB800, SB900, or Canon 580 strobes as I do with my Quantum T5d-r strobe.

Well, the answer is of course, yes. Remember, it's just light and light  - is light  - is light. The difference in the strobes mentioned is the rated power output of each one. I think this is where some of the confusion occurs. So today, let me give you the low down on the output power of each strobe and then we will take the discussion further.

Hit the “Read More…” link below for the rest of the story.

Flash Power Output Per Model

DAZNOTE: Without going into a lot of confusing explanations of what a watt-second is, let's just say it's a measurement of the strobes power or light output. The bigger the number, the more light per flash cycle.

Quantum QFlash with Qpack-X  module: 200 watt seconds of Raw power upgradable all the way up to 2 heads totaling 800 watt-seconds – WOW!!

Quantum T5d-r with Turbo battery: 150 watt-seconds. This is my choice by the way.

Quantum Trio powered by Turbo battery: 80 watt-seconds of fire power as fast as you want to shoot without ever over heating.

Canon 580 EXII: About 50 watt-seconds. This is my normal on camera (fill) flash.

Nikon SB800: Also about 50 watt-seconds.

Nikon SB900: About 80 watt-seconds. Be careful, I've heard several reports that shooting these puppies at "full tilt boogie" will cause them to overheat and shut down till they cool off.

How I Shoot, How You May Shoot

Now let the discussion begin. I shoot the Quantum T5d-r attached to one of their turbo batteries. As I said, that gives me about 150 watt-seconds of fire power which is pretty sweet when I need lots of power for off camera flash outdoor shooting.

DAZNOTE: Remember, when shooting outdoors I'm limited to the flash sync speed on my camera, about 1/250 second. That means I need to use smaller apertures when shooting outdoors. And smaller apertures mean I need more flash power to make the exposure.

Sure, you can get by with the shoe mount flashes, but you would need three of them to equal the flash output of my Quantum. At that point, you are near the cost of the Quantum and have to deal with 3 strobes instead of one. That just complicates issues too much for me, hence my single strobe.

On the other hand, most of my wedding day shooting is NOT at full power, but usually hovers around 1/4 or 1/8 power when shooting through my Zumbrella. That puts you within striking distance of the power output of the shoe mount strobes.

So could you use your show mount strobe to shoot through an umbrella?  Of course. Just be sure to pull out the wide angle diffuser so you get the maximum light spread out of the strobe to get full use out of the Zumbrella.

OK, remember too, if you are firing your shoe mount strobe at it's full 50 watt-second output, you will drain the batteries pretty quickly. The easy work around, goose your ISO to a higher setting. I personally would have no problem shooting at ISO 800-1600. That would give me plenty of lower power flashes to complete the shoot.

So, when you read at DPT that I shoot my Quantum at 1/4 power, that means I'm dumping about 40 watt-seconds of power per flash. If you want to duplicate the shot with your shoe mount flash, just shoot it at near full power for the same result.

If you read that I shot the image at 1/2 power or about 80 watt-seconds, know that you could use the Quantum Trio or Nikon SB900 flash and obtain the same result. To get the same result with your SB800 or 580EXII flash, just open up a stop or double your ISO.

DAZNOTE: This is important to note. I shoot my off camera flash on manual ALL THE TIME! I suggest you do the same even if you are shooting shoe mount strobes. It just gives you tighter control over the finished result.

And always remember, light - is light - is light.

I didn't want today's post to turn into some super long dissertation on flash photography. I know the discussion could go on forever. I mainly wanted to draw some comparisons to the strobe I use and I thought you might want to compare light output-wise to the strobes you may be using.

Now when you see my power settings listed you can easily translate that into what you need to do with your strobes if your are using different strobes than my chosen favorite. Hope it helps.

Related article links:

Quantum Strobes [link]

Canon Strobes [link]

Nikon strobes [link]

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Hey gang, That's it for me today. We've got bags to pack and vans to load. It's off to Nashville for the next leg of my CBTL2010 tour. I hope to lots of you next week in Music City.

Have a good one and I'll see ya' on Monday.

-David

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More Links You May Want To Check Out

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Technique Tuesday

Good Morning Everybody,

Well here we are our first "Technique Tuesday." I want this part of the blog to give you some solid information, insights, and techniques that can really make your photographs stand out from the crowd. But hey, if everybody reads and incorporates all the techniques, maybe your work won't stand out so much. But, at least the crowd's work would look better too - and that's not a bad thing either. So off we go to:

Ziser Lighting 101 - Part 1:

There are a "million" new shooters out there thanks to the explosion of digital photography. Many of these new shooters are also trying to do wedding photography on weekends, maybe not as a full time occupation like many of us, but just as a way to bring in a little extra income - and that's a good thing, too. A little extra income never hurt anyone.

Here is the situation - the giant wave of new shooters has certainly leveled the sea in the level of "Sameness" in the wedding market - "Sameness" is on the rise in wedding photography. But, we can do something about it - each and everyone of us can, if we choose. By choosing to do so introduces a brand new way to be creative in our photography.

The "Strobist" started a blog discussing off camera flash about 18 months ago that is now off the charts. The phenomenon David Hobbie - "The Strobist" - created was the result of people wanting to be less the same, more different, and more creative. If you have never visited his site, check out his blog here - tons of info there.

I want to create the opportunity for each of our readers to be more creative in the context of Wedding Photography. I will post a series of tips over the next several weeks that hopefully will spark one's initiative to reach out for that goal of being different. Remember, "It's the Difference That Makes the Difference!"

Let's look at what is being shot, how it is being shot, and how we can easily change it for the better. Look at the following 4 images. This first one was shot with a single on-camera flash. Look how ordinary it looks. It's "blasting" right into the face. Because of the smallness of the flash head, it creates substantial and unflattering specular highlights on the subject's forehead, cheeks, nose and chin . Good morning, Uncle Harry and Aunt Mary - this is how the bulk of new photographers are lighting their subjects. Not bad for the occasional family snap, but not acceptable for the professional or "want-to-be-professional" wedding photographer.

To solve the "specular" problem, many photographers will bounce the light off the ceiling by turning the flash head skyward under the impression that the "bounced" light will give a softer look. Softer yes, but from the right direction - NO! Look at the second image here.
You might say, Hey Dave, look, no more "specular" highlights". You would be right there, but look at the brand new "raccoon eye sockets" we created on our bride's face - again, not flattering. I call this "office lighting."

OK, one more try, suppose I use the little fill flap to bounce a little more light back into her face. Sounds like a good idea at first glance, but let's look at the next image. What do you think? You might be inclined to say - WOW! that's a lot better, I can see her eyes again. Yes, that's true, but notice that the specularity has returned. Granted, there are flash attachments out there that are basically larger "fill flaps". My buddy Gary Fong makes one that is quite good, in fact I occasionally send my second shooter off to use his original "Lightsphere" in some "Cocktail Candid" situations. A larger light source reduces the "specularity" - it basically puts non-directional fashion lighting on the subject. Another name for this lighting is "Butterfly" lighting. This might be good for the fashion model. But my brides, while incredibly beautiful, are not typically fashion models.

How can we get a much more flattering directional light on our bride with our on camera flash? The answer is simplicity in itself. Have the on-camera flash send it's light to another location, bouncing off of the new location and returning from a direction that really flatters our bride. Take a look at the last image - it's the "Treasure Image" - the one that captures the beauty of the bride, the one that has the light coming in from a direction that places a highlight next to a shadow, creating detail, depth, dimension, and color saturation. This is the image that will produce a look that is different from the rest of the pack.

The lighting on this image was effortlessly created. I simply turned my flash about 90 degrees to the right pointing at a flat white panel that my assistant was holding to the right of the bride. That mass of little "photons" headed out of the flash head, traveled to the reflector, most of those little guys - and they are very small, just ask Einstein - pushed off (or were reflected) back into the direction of the bride, and illuminated her face beautifully. What do you think? I love the result.

Here is an image of the exact set-up.

Hope you all enjoyed the first lesson. I'll hit some news again tomorrow.

See you then, --David